Care home for young adults with complex needs celebrates first year

A groundbreaking care home providing a supportive living environment to young people with life-limiting conditions and complex needs celebrates its first year of operation.

Number 92, a residential care home in Heaton Moor, Stockport - operated by Francis House Families Ltd, a trading subsidiary of Francis House Family Trust the registered charity behind Francis House Children’s Hospice – is now home to six young people who previously were cared for full-time by their parents.

The care home enables the young people to live in a domestic setting whilst being cared for around the clock by a team of highly trained staff.

Dermot Murphy is the Registered Manager and has a passion for pioneering initiatives in social care, developing and improving services.

Dermot says: “It’s been a remarkable achievement to get number 92 fully staffed and all the young people in. It’s a tremendously difficult transition for a young person to leave home where they have lived all their lives and move to be cared for by other people. We have received an awful lot of trust from the parents, and we are enormously grateful for that.

“Because we staged it in the way that we have, we’ve managed to get to know each of the six young people as individuals as they moved in. It’s been a joy to see them develop, their personalities blossom, and see most of the families take up opportunities that weren’t available to them before because they’re not having to act as carers. The extent that it has changed those family’s lives has been remarkable.”

Fiona Ferguson’s daughter Elizabeth, 20, moved into number 92 in April 2023. For the first couple of months Fiona continued to take her to and from college. Reassured with the progress the staff were making in caring for Elizabeth she soon felt able to let go.

“I was very hands on in the early days,” says Fiona “It’s been nice that I’ve been able to take a big step back now. It didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable and relaxed enough to not have to think about Elizabeth’s care.

“It’s been a new experience for both Elizabeth and I, and she is getting to do things that I would never have dreamt of doing with her and she loves it. She’s living like a 20-year-old should, rather than with me. She gets choices and options now with the staff there. Her world has opened up to new experiences and she’s living with friends the same age.”

After twenty years of being a full-time carer, Fiona has a job that she loves working with adults with learning disabilities at a day centre.

Fiona says: “For me I’ve got peace of mind which is my biggest takeaway and I know the care she gets is just exceptional. Elizabeth is in this house now where she’ll be forever more, and receive the best care that she can, and for me as her mum it’s just unbelievable.”

An open door policy means parents can visit any time, get involved or simply have a chat and a cuppa with the staff. A team of 23 provide round the clock care with Angela Doyle as Clinical Lead.

Angela says: “It’s going really well and from the parents’ perspective they are starting to see a different side of their loved ones that they probably wouldn’t have seen before from a social engagement point of view.

“We’ve taken the young people out to a karaoke at a local pub and the community were really engaged in wanting them involved and up on the stage which was amazing.

“Whenever we have opportunities that we come across, we’re pushing as hard as we can, and people are starting to identify what they can offer us.”

Trips to the barbers for hair cuts and nails painted at the beauty salon are now possible thanks to the efforts of the staff who are keen to integrate the young people within the community and give them the full experience.

“The needs of the young people are complex and unique. We’re liaising with the colleges, the local authorities, sourcing music therapy and other areas that possibly weren’t explored in the past. There is so much scope here now it’s amazing," says Angela.

Income for the residential facility, operated by Francis House Families Ltd, comes from the individual residents Local Authority Care Budget. All of the young people can continue to receive respite care and symptom control at Francis House Children’s Hospice.