Our family was looking for an organisation to support Tom as he was transitioning from child to adult services and after endless searching, we stumbled upon Natural Breaks.

Initially, Tom was part of the ‘Fusion Group’ – a group of 6 individuals who were supported on a Sunday to access the local and wider community. When funding for the group ended, we met with Natural Breaks and started our new journey together.

An Uncertain Start

We connected with their team who completed an initial assessment to make sure that Natural Breaks could meet Tom’s needs, and the support was the right fit. After that, we reviewed the support plan, addressed any issues we hadn’t covered and made sure everything was in place. We hadn’t found that other organisations were as thorough, so we felt Natural Breaks was a good find.

At the beginning, our biggest worries were how to structure the week for Tom as both myself, and his dad, was working full time. However, we were able to choose the hours that suited us and then, support was put in place. This was great as it meant we could have support within our working days, alongside evenings if needed.

Tom’s Transformation

Support has given Tom a chance to make friends within his own peer group. He has learned to become more independent through the caravan holidays in Cornwall, as well as through activities in the local community, with his support staff.

Tom has loved going to the football matches at Goodison with his friends and support team. This has been made possible through support being provided outside of Tom’s typical weekly schedule, and evening support can be found too for any other activities or events.

As Tom has been receiving support from Natural Breaks for several years, there have been many staff who have worked with him. The feeling that he has been cared for and had staff who have understood his needs means a great deal to us.

Support for Parents: What It Means to Us

Through Natural Breaks, Tom’s support has enabled us to spend a bit more time with our other son who has anxiety issues. It gives us flexibility within his support structure, and we always feel reassured knowing that we can always talk to staff at Natural Breaks if we need help.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Going forward, we are looking to put things in place for the future, as we will need to consider options for Tom because we’re getting older. Hopefully, we can discuss these issues so things can be put in place in a timely manner, whilst we are still caring for him. We would like to feel that he is safe and cared for when we can no longer look after him.

We want to thank all of the staff at Natural Breaks, including the administration team and the Social & Learning management team, who we have known for many years and are always on hand to help.

Want to Read More Stories?

Tom and his family’s journey is one example of the life-changing impact that Natural Breaks brings. Discover more inspiring stories and learn about how Natural Breaks is changing lives. Visit the Blog for more.