In Lucy's own words!

Lucy came to Scone in December 2019.  At just 18 she had been in a number of placements including psychiatric hospitals since she was 16.

With a diagnosis of EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder), over the months Lucy at times refused to engage with staff and refused to take her medication.  Lucy self-harmed and was physically and verbally challenging towards staff.  The added pressures of the pandemic and lockdown were also something Lucy had to contend with. 

The team worked with the Learning and Development Team and the Positive Behaviour Support Team to build skills and knowledge of the staff to ensure Lucy was provided with the right support – staff were certainly not going to give up!  Over the next few months, Lucy built up her relationships with her staff team and worked with them to increase her confidence and make her flat a home.

Extremely articulate, Lucy has written blogs about her experiences and in order to help others, she has been amazingly candid in expressing her thoughts and feelings.

In her own words, here is Lucy’s blog telling her story!

My relationship with staff at my accommodation

November 24, 2020

For me to build relationships with people is so hard.  In the past I could hardly speak to anyone and everything anyone would say to me my answer would be “I don’t know”.  I just couldn’t have a conversation.  Now, what can I say, I’ve come on leaps and bounds.  I can now have a normal chat with people without using the words “I don’t know” or trying to cover my face and fiddle with things!  Since starting one of my medications I feel like a new person.  I went from only letting a few people into my life to letting in loads.  My last placement, before hospital, I got on so well with the staff but I was scared to speak, scared to open up.  I was scared to come out my room.  Now I’m rushing out my flat to go socialise with staff in my new placement, the placement I’ve been in nearly a year now!!!  This is not a blog to put anything or anyone down but to see how far I’ve come on.  My last placement I was in I adored the staff but was still wary in speaking to some.  I was so upset leaving and when I moved into the place I am in now I always said I wanted to go back.  I wouldn’t do well but look where I am now – I have built relationships with staff I couldn’t imagine I would ever have been able to.  I can speak to them like I would never off been able to before.  There’s a select few I feel like I can open up to about my thoughts and feelings (I’ve never been able to do that before).  I feel so at home in my flat.  I also know I’ve got wonderful staff around me I adore and couldn’t imagine life any better.  I’ve changed for the best.  The staff make me feel so welcome and loved in my flat and it takes a lot to feel like that but I could honestly say it’s the best move I’ve made and I’ve been my happiest I’ve been in years and that’s all down to the staff I couldn’t thank more off.

You can read Lucy’s blog on Google – Lucymiller18.blogspot.com

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