Malcolm

 (Names have been changed to protect the identity of our clients)

Malcolm is a man in his thirties with Downs Syndrome. He lives at home with his mother. He has been a user of One to One for some years during which time he has had two befrienders. In the past there were many issues around challenging behaviour but these were dealt with very well by his original befriender who visited cafes, pubs and went shopping with Malcolm. Recently Malcolm has experienced serious health issues which means that he is now confined to a wheelchair and requires oxygen: his time with his befriender is his only social contact outside of his family and occasional day care services.

Malcolm’s current befriender has embraced these challenges and helps to maintain Malcolm’s social life. She gets on very well with Malcolm whilst being aware of his health issues and the limitations these bring. Their outings are usually simple – walks in the local areas. But Malcolm’s befriender has also helped Malcolm to get back to a club for people with disabilities that he had not attended for some considerable time. On his first visit he was treated like royalty – much to his delight.