Jenny* is a young lady with a diagnosis of mild learning disabilities who will shortly be moving in to Thistle. We would like to share her story with you on how she has been able to move along her care pathway.

Jenny initially came to a Cygnet assessment and treatment service 11 years ago. When she first arrived at the hospital she required a lot of support from staff. The staff worked with Jenny to develop care plans and an activity timetable that suited her abilities and need. After some support from the staff and clinical team, Jenny was able to communicate more effectively with staff to let them know what helped the most with her complex behaviours, and also what she liked and disliked.

Over the years, with the right support, Jenny has grown in self-esteem and confidence. Jenny is a big advocate for service user rights and has now become the chair person for the service user forum.

Jenny continues to improve on a daily basis and now has a big input to her day to day care and her overall pathway. She is very proud of how far she has come and is looking forward to continuing her journey to independence in Thistle.

*Name has been changed to protect Jenny’s identity