“She’s got a life now, rather than an existence”

That’s the view of Pamela Winks, the mother of Jo Locke who we support at the Albemarle Centre in Taunton.

Jo, who has Dandy-Walker syndrome and dysphagia, has gone from strength to strength since leaving the Six Acres day centre and starting her support in a person-centred way, from a community hub.

Aaron Bradbury has been supporting Jo since April 2018. He said: “One-to-one support works particularly well for Jo. She’s talking a lot more and I spend a lot of time taking her out so she experiences a variety of environments. As a result she’s getting more involved in lots of different things.”

Jo’s mother, Pamela Winks admits that she was initially worried for Jo when the closure of Six Acres building was announced, but she says: “now I have no worries whatsoever as she’s out and about every day and loves it. Jo is more content, more sociable; happy to sit with a group socially and less tired compared to how she was before.”

Jo loves being outside and some of her favourite places are Somerset Museum in Taunton and the sensory garden at Vivary Park. The hub-centred model of support works particularly well for her.