Sarah’s Story

Confidence, Skills and Finding Her Voice

Background

Sarah’s journey with SCB is a testament to resilience and the power of supportive care. Born with a rare brain disorder, Dandy-Walker Syndrome, characterised by a cyst in the back of her brain, the absence of the corpus callosum, and brain malformation, Sarah faced motor skills issues, cognitive impairment, and other associated complications. Inspired by her sister, who also had additional support needs and attended SCB, Sarah joined the organisation seeking similar support.

Parental Satisfaction

Sarah’s mother expressed her satisfaction with SCB’s services: “Before Sarah attended, we were given an open door to come and observe. We spent a morning at SCB and were satisfied in every way she would be cared for.” She values the structured day SCB provides, giving Sarah the satisfaction of going to work like everyone else. Knowing Sarah will be protected from harm and the assurance that she can walk in at any time to see Sarah safe is of immense value due to Sarah’s vulnerability.

Initial Nervousness and Support

When Sarah joined SCB in 2013, she initially displayed nervousness and struggled with new tasks. Sarah recalls, “I was really nervous when I first started.” However, with close staff support, particularly from Linda and Kareena, she gradually became comfortable with various tasks. “Linda and Kareena made me feel really welcome,” Sarah shared. Sarah is now an all-rounder and can complete many tasks confidently, including precise labelling and collation of cards, neatly labelling salt tubs, and handling small, fiddly dart pieces.

Increase in Confidence with Visitors

Initially, Sarah would shy away from visitors and become very nervous if they spoke to her. Over time, her confidence significantly increased. She began to overcome her shyness by showing visitors areas of the workshop she had helped decorate. This newfound confidence culminated in Sarah giving a presentation and speech in front of approximately 40 visitors, an incredible achievement that filled everyone with pride. Sarah now confidently interacts with visitors, engaging in conversations and displaying a gentle sense of humour. Sarah’s mum mentioned that even people like Sarah’s dentist have noticed her increased confidence. “Sarah now chooses to enter the treatment room alone,” her mum noted, showcasing her growing independence.

1:1 Skills Development

Sarah thrives in 1:1 maths skills sessions, where she receives the individual attention she needs to excel. Her mother notes that these sessions have been excellent for Sarah, who has always thrived with 1:1 attention. Additionally, her manual dexterity has improved, evident in her ability to complete tricky work tasks. Sarah shared, “I like doing the maths tasks with Libby.”

Family Feedback

Sarah’s mother highlights the compassionate handling of any problems, the warm welcome Sarah receives upon arrival, and the staff’s willingness to go the extra mile. The benefits of SCB have been profound for Sarah and her family, especially during challenging times like the loss of Sarah’s father and sister. SCB’s understanding and support helped Sarah through these difficult periods, and she has become more confident, freely chatting about her day. “I’ve made so many different friends at SCB over the years,” Sarah says.

Sarah’s Perspective

Sarah enjoys various tasks at SCB, especially labelling green bags for Cartridge People and collating darts for Darts Corner. She has seen a significant boost in her confidence and now enjoys talking to people, something she found challenging before joining SCB. “I would never have had the confidence to speak in front of a large group of people before,” Sarah admits. She appreciates getting to know all the different trainees over the years and feels supported by the staff, who are always helpful and ready to assist her with any task. “The staff spend a little bit of time with me and explain things,” she notes. Sarah enthusiastically recommends SCB to others, believing it offers a supportive and enriching environment.

Conclusion

Doctors had told Sarah’s family that she had a major brain malformation, but at SCB, Sarah has overcome the odds. Her mother concludes, “Thanks for all you do.” Sarah adds, “SCB is fantastic.” Sarah’s journey at SCB illustrates the transformative power of a supportive and nurturing environment in helping individuals with additional support needs achieve their full potential.

Michael’s Story

Independence, Confidence and Belonging

Finding His Place

When Michael first joined SCB, he struggled with confidence. Communicating could sometimes be difficult, and being in unfamiliar environments made him anxious. Like so many people we support, Michael had plenty of potential – he just needed the right environment and opportunities to help him find it.

At SCB, things started small. A few hours in the workshop. Simple tasks. Familiar faces. Gradually, Michael began to settle in and feel that he belonged.

Over time, those small steps became something much bigger. Michael began taking real pride in his work and finding his own ways to communicate and connect with the people around him. Today, he takes part in group activities, contributes to real customer jobs and is a well-known and valued member of the SCB community.

A Moment of Independence

Michael has spinal scoliosis and is paralysed from the waist down, so ensuring our new building was fully accessible was particularly important. One of our favourite moments came when Michael used the new accessibility lift for the first time.

It might sound like a small thing, but for Michael it meant being able to access the upstairs of our building independently and join his friends in the canteen for lunch.

As Michael reached the top, the workshop erupted in cheers. It was a simple moment that captured so much of what we want SCB to be about – independence, confidence, friendship and inclusion.

Michael wasn’t being helped to join in. He could simply join in.

And that’s exactly how it should be.