Philip's Feedback

The following is taken from feedback received from Philip, deafblind himself, following Debbie James undertaking a Specialist Assessment and preparing a report which was commissioned by the Local Authority.

“For at least 20 years I have been struggling with daily independent living because I did not have access to the specialist 1-1 support services, making for a very restricted lifestyle with few opportunities to pursue interests and join in social activities. Matters came to a head when I experienced a sudden drop in my sight and was diagnosed with a long-term medical condition with the potential for additional disabilities on top of having sight / hearing problems. Clearly a specialist assessment of my needs was needed; this could only be done by a professional with a full understanding of deafblind people and the kind of problems they face in everyday life. Debbie carried out the assessment in a friendly and sympathetic manner, allowing me the time to talk about my problems and aspirations. Her extensive knowledge and experience were very much apparent in terms of the ideas and suggestions put forward. Social Services then decided to let me manage my own support services through a Personal Budget. This was a lifechanging experience for me as it opened many doors to activities and projects that I could only have aspired to, but could not do without the 1-1 support. It has been just over 2 years since my regular support began and, looking back, it is hard to imagine how I would have coped without it. Life seems more interesting these days and I feel more confident in going about my day-to-day activities that everyone else takes for granted. It is really important that deafblind people have these specialist assessments as it will lead to them exercising choice in their lives with some dignity and respect. Without 1-1 support, what may seem like difficult problems with everyday living could easily escalate into more serious problems that may become entrenched and ultimately lead to even more resources being expended to put things right. The saying "prevention is better than cure" springs to mind and should be the main rationale for specialist assessments for deafblind people.” Philip