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Northumberland family given safe space for their children

A family living in a Karbon home in Northumberland have been given a safe space for their children to play in thanks to help from Karbon Homes and Northumberland Children’s Social Care Occupational Therapy.

The family have lived in their home for 14 years. They have two children aged 13 and 7.

Toby, their youngest, has a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ADHD) and Pica Disorder. Pica a feeding disorder in which someone eats non-food substances that have no nutritional value, such as paper, soap, paint and chalk.  

Toby is an extremely active boy who feels more comfortable when outdoors. His safety can be challenging as he can run off, scale medium height fencing and work our locks. His Pica Disorder also puts him at further risk of eating dangerous objects.

Understandably, family life can be difficult at times and Toby’s mum is at risk of exhaustion. Toby’s parents spoke to our Supported Housing Team to see how we could help.

To support Toby’s family, we partnered with the Children’s Occupational Therapy Team. They applied for a Disabled Facilities Grant for the provision of a safe outdoor garden space that is secure with suitable flooring.

Our Aids and Adaptations Team worked with Northumberland Occupational Therapy and the Home Improvement Team and our contractor JW Colpitts to create this safe environment.

Toby’s parents are thrilled with the adjustments to the garden that have improve both Toby and the rest of the family’s quality of life:

 “We can’t thank you all enough. We feel incredibly lucky that Karbon Homes supported our request.  We really felt listened to and our concerns were understood. 

“The contractor was amazing, nice, and polite and they cleaned up each day.  The adaptation has had a massive impact on our family life and has given Toby a little bit of independence in a safe place.”

You can find out more about our Aids and Adaptations service at www.karbonhomes.co.uk/homeassist.

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