What good care looks like to me

• I appreciate that the staff support me and speak calmly to me when I am upset.
• I value living with other residents; they now feel like family members to me.
• I appreciate that staff and management always come up with creative activities that I would enjoy and support me in planning and participating in them. For example, the staff arranged for me to clean stables and look after horses, which I wouldn’t have been able to do without their help.
• Staff support me with my finances and assist me in purchasing items I like; they help me buy my favorite things, such as concert tickets and items from Amazon.
• I like that staff listen to me and take me seriously when I express a desire to change my diet to vegan, vegetarian, etc., and then help me cook meals that align with my preferences.
• I appreciate that staff accept my apologies when I have been angry with them, and we can continue to maintain a positive relationship.
• I am grateful for the support of staff when I decided to change my identity from male to female. They helped me buy new clothes and respected the name I chose to be called.

What bad experiences I have had in care

• Managers at my old care provider used to shout at me when I was angry and threaten me.
• Staff at my old care provider did not respect my choice to change my gender identity, which made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin.
• Managers at my old care provider would argue with my boyfriend and made me feel guilty for wanting to spend time with him.
• Management at my old provider would not allow me to spend my own money, and I had to rely on my boyfriend to go out with and buy things for me.
• When I was in care as a child, I felt like they only cared about the money they received for looking after me and did not care about my needs or feelings.
• Some staff at my old provider would spend their time on their phones and not pay attention to me or provide any support.Summer’s Stoy