Hewie's Story

A mothers instinct told Kitty Wallace that all was not as it should be as she approached the end of her pregnancy. On 31st August 1993 she underwent an emergency caesarean section at Queen Charlottes hospital in London. Ten days later Kitty and husband Ben were told that it was unlikely their son would ever walk or talk. Hewie's brain had been starved of oxygen ahead of birth and he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

On June 2017 Hewie became a tenant at Thornage Hall Independent Living. Born to a farming family he has quickly become very much at home here as the site is built around a 70 acre biodynamic farm, providing many opportunities for tenants and day service users to learn about tending livestock as well as planting, cultivating and harvesting crops.

The 22 year journey from Queen Charlotte’s to Thornage has been one of both heartache and discovery as the Wallace family have learned to adjust towards and ultimately embrace their diagnosis. ’For the first year of his life the only way Hewie would sleep would be in our arms' says Ben. 'Hewie never gives in, he will only do what he wants to do. Showing him options in a way that makes sense for him is what enables him to make the right decisions for himself'.

Hewie is the middle son of three children, Alexander was born a year earlier and Lara born three years later. 'Having a third child was obviously a concern but it was a very conscious decision' says Kitty. ‘It was not easy for the other children growing up with a brother who has cerebral palsy but it has given them invaluable life skills. For Hewie his younger sister was a source of motivation; when she took her first steps he copied her.’

Hewie attended specialist schools in East Sussex where he also boarded, moving to a college in Hertfordshire which focused on developing independent living skills at the age of 19. By the time Hewie was at college the Wallace family had moved back into Kitty’s family home near Hillington in West Norfolk.

‘Our greatest worry as parents was how Hewie could live independently without us.’ Says Kitty ‘When he became a tenant at Thornage Hall Independent Living this concern was removed. We now know that Hewie will be supported to live his life, in the way that he wants, completely independently of Ben and I".

Tom's Story

We were all so excited about our son, Tom, starting at Thornage Hall Day Services.

Tom had been attending a day service that could no longer meet his needs, and so lockdown gave us all a chance to think about how we wanted to move forward and what opportunities were available to Tom.

In late summer 2021 Tom started Thornage Hall Day Services five days a week, which after being at home all the time with only the two of us for so long, and having limited things to do, really was a transformative event for Tom. All of our close knit family were so pleased for him.

It was really gratifying to see Tom settle in so quickly and at last have an opportunity to do meaningful work, take part in varied activities, make new friends and reconnect with some old ones. Tom always kept a close eye on what his friends who are tenants were up to and readily took to the whole ethos of Thornage Hall.

Throughout the year we continued to chat with Tom about his time at Day Services and how well it was going for him, so we were not totally shocked as, when Autumn 2022 came around Tom casually dropped in that actually, he would quite like to become a tenant and live on site. That way, he said, he could be a full member of the community, have more independence and not have to travel by the taxi every day.

We were very lucky that a room became available in the Hall and Tom moved in in February 2023.

It was very strange for us initially as the family home had grown emptier and so quiet. We had had Tom’s company for the last 30-odd years, being a funny, caring, chatty and generally life-loving person.......

Meanwhile, back at The Hall, Tom settled in very quickly making himself right at home and bringing his chatty man energy with him. Being an outgoing person Tom embraces the opportunities to have a go at most things, both socially and by working hard for his community.

If there are hiccups, challenges or things Tom needs ongoing support with, then we have found that we can put our heads together with staff to make a plan to support Tom in any particular way. We like to feel that lines of communication are always open and that has been key to Tom’s transition into more independence and allowing us to feel more confident about Tom’s future.

We are thrilled that Tom has found his place in such a wonderful community in such a very special setting and feel that he will continue to grow, learn and embrace the many positive experiences that Thornage Hall has to offer.

Atarah's Story

"I have been coming to Thornage since October 2022. This is the first day service I have ever been to. Since leaving Easton College I volunteered on a Friday at the EACH charity shop in Dereham, before deciding to leave. Otherwise I was at home with my mum. We did crafts together and I helped with jobs around the house, but I wanted to do something more for me that would be interesting and mean I could learn and gain skills, and more importantly make new friends! I enjoyed spending time at home, but I wasn’t able to meet people like me who might become friends and I was feeling sad. Mum suggested that a day service could be a good thing to try; that there would be people like me that could become friends. 

I can remember the day I came and looked round Thornage with mum. Mary-Ann gave us a tour and showed us round all the workshops. There were a lot of people doing lots of different things, and they all looked like they were enjoying themselves. Everyone was friendly and said hello, but I wasn’t sure whether I could fit in. Mum though and Mary-Ann, managed to persuade me that I could have a taster day to see if I liked it. I was very nervous to start with, and it did take me a little while to have the courage to come. I started doing two days per week, but soon realised that I wanted to do more. I grew in confidence and started to make friends. Fast forward 18 months, and I now feel comfortable enough to support other people who also come to Thornage. I now really enjoy lots of different workshops each week where I mix with others, learn new skills and get to experience lots of things that I wouldn’t have done if I was just at home with Mum.

I am a lot more confident now I come to Thornage. I am more cheerful and not as nervous or as shy. I am able to take part in horse riding – which I love! – And have learnt new sports like archery – which I’m really good at! – Plus learning to make things in woodwork and textiles.

I wanted to find a day service that I could come to, but also to think about being more independent and moving out of home at some point". 

James's Story

James has lived at Thornage Hall since 1987, currently residing at Hawthorn. 

James is a gentleman who thrives on the familiarity, and isn’t keen on change. Two things though have recently brought out a new side to James. 

In March 2023, a new volunteer, Toby, joined the art workshop and was able to offer James 1:1 tutorage. With this support, James has gained confidence, self-esteem and improved technique. Now, each week, James eagerly sets up his work table ready for Toby’s arrival, carefully getting out paints, brushes, canvas, easel and water. He is also responsible for packing away and cleaning at the end of the session. 

At the beginning of 2024, James returned to weekly volunteering at a local farm shop and deli, which he had previously attended prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. James enjoys the camaraderie of his role, seeing the familiar faces of staff and customers and helping with jobs in the shop. James gets ready for ‘work’ ironing his own shirt the night before; he is proud to put on his uniform each Thursday morning.  

James’ mood and demeanour have become more positive in this time. In Textiles for example, James has tried new activities including hand and machine sewing, latch hooking and tapestry. In fact he has enjoyed learning to latch hook so much, that he bought himself a kit and works on it in his own time!

James’ ambition for next year is to “plan and book more holidays” independently of Thornage. James works with staff to identify what he would like to do, and really looks forward to the trips away.

Alistair's Story

Alistair loves to come to Thornage as it encompasses all that he enjoys; working on the land and being in the countryside. He attends three days per week and is supported 1:1 throughout this time. 

Alistair is Autistic and suffers from sensory overload. On occasion his behaviour can be challenging for himself and those around him. Alistair suffers from echolalia and will become vocally very loud at times of stress or discomfort. Staff on the farm have developed good relationships with Alistair; supporting with a clear and consistent routine, giving him short, simple instructions to follow one at a time. Alistair’s verbal communication has greatly improved and he can express himself in an appropriate manner. 

When he started at Thornage in 2019, Alistair’s main ambition was to operate the tractor. Alistair has made excellent progress in this respect and has completed a tractor driving course on site with 1:1 support. Through this he has learnt how to control the tractor when driving, understand all the controls and best actions to take, and learn how to correctly set up implements onto the tractor. Alistair is able to undertake pre-start checks of the vehicle with minimal interaction from staff.

Alistair is also capable of working within a small team of known peers, completing collective tasks on the farm such as mucking out the cows. 

Next steps for Alistair are to build on his social interaction within a group also involved in the farm activities. This offers Alistair an opportunity to make friends and feel valued for what he can bring to the group. Staff will also encourage Alistair to build on his social interaction with new peers joining the farm workshop.

Olivia's Story

Olivia attends day services with 1:1 support. She is a bright, articulate and capable young lady who has and can develop a high level of skills if she remains engaged.

Over the course of 2024, 1:1 staff have worked collectively and with other professionals and Olivia’s family to develop her independence and to increase her skills. This was identified to help Olivia remain engaged throughout her day at Thornage, to reduce heightened behaviour and to develop her capabilities. 

For Olivia, a structured day is imperative to maximise her progression. Olivia now walks herself from the arrivals point to her locker, reviews the timetable to know where everyone is, and gets ready herself for workshops tying back her hair, putting on her hearing aid and collecting necessary PPE. 

Skills-building computer games in her weekly Digital Skills workshop have enabled Olivia to improve her typing speed and accuracy, her English grammar and syntax and her mathematics. In addition, 1:1 staff support Olivia to take a leading role in introducing symbols and practical demonstrations of basic signing to help support her peers. Olivia is a competent signer and loves to sign good morning to everyone when she arrives at Thornage!

Olivia accepts 1:1 support from a regular group of staff, rather than having one member of staff dedicated to her as happened previously. This means that Olivia is now able to adapt more positively to change when communicated in a timely and appropriate way. Staff work collectively to offer consistent and complementary support dependent on the workshop Olivia is undertaking. 

Next steps for Olivia are to continue her growth towards independence and maintain her positive behaviour.

Emma's Story

Emma resides in the Hall and has lived at Thornage since 2006. During her review in 2023, Emma asked to undertake a more diverse range of workshops; a positive change since her return to day services after the pandemic where she hadn’t wanted to engage in much at all. 

Attending new workshops has worked wonders for Emma. Staff have observed that Emma will arrive promptly and enquire as to the activities on offer. In textiles particularly, Emma is now regularly joining in conversations with others and initiating many herself. She also laughs along to chat between her peers, demonstrating a developed confidence and ease within a group setting more generally. 

Staff have also noted that if working in a smaller group or pair, Emma’s focus increases and she will stretch herself and accomplish more. For example in the market garden she has shown great interest in flowers, and has been working throughout the season with staff to grow cut flowers. Emma has been involved in sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings, harvesting flowers and putting together bouquets for sale. 

Staff have also noted that being relaxed and comfortable within a workshop has led to Emma’s increased confidence to input her own ideas and begin shaping her work with influences from her own interests. As such, next steps for Emma will be to offer her opportunities to work on the flower garden and to increase her skills in textiles and art through more challenging mediums and the use of machinery. At home in the Hall, Emma’s aspiration is to book some beauty treatments and she is looking forward to a massage and manicure!