Testimonials from the people we’ve cared for

Firstly I have to mention we have had 2 very bad experiences with care homes and our daughter was bought to Knightley in an emergency safeguarding situation from another care provider. Knightley homes took a lot of time to introduce the team to us and learn about our daughter.

From the outset Knightley Homes were noticeably professional and experienced in their treatment and care of her. Our daughter has autism, moderate learning difficulties and a severe TBI. Sadly the external services are often failing to act with Knightlety homes to support our daughter or keep her safe quickly enough and they are left trying to deal with the consequences of this. However, Knightley homes have a very good, effective team of management and they have always acted to the best of their abilities trying to keep fighting for the help she needs and is entitled to. We feel they are effective because the management are actively involved, Their good practice is the prevailing force. Within the care system we see so many staff come and go we are forever explaining everything again and again and getting no where. But as the management at Knightley are so involved with their clients our daughter’s care has been continued and uninterrupted.

They will draw together MDT s when they can see she isn’t getting the correct support or really struggling, and even though the meetings often don’t go in our daughter’s best interest they don’t give up fighting her corner.

It has been noticeable to us that Knightley homes value the families and their importance in their client’s lives. As a family we have suffered the consequences of previous providers shutting us out. For a while our daughter missed out on family gatherings. We understand it’s an almost impossible task as sometimes our daughter will say things that could alarm providers but at the same time in the background continue to call us, extended family and close family friends multiple times a day. Because it is in fact very important to her.

She doesn’t really want us gone from her life, It’s a form of control she uses. This is a very difficult situation which other providers couldn’t manage but Knightley homes seem to manage it effortlessly. They inform us about issues where needed and continue to include us in her ongoing care. Most importantly putting our daughter at the forefront of any decisions, so if she doesn’t want to see us they’ll call to explain and reassure.

But they’ve took the time to do background investigation to discover the relevance and validity of her behaviour or her claims so that it has the least impact on her. Keeping her calm and minimising upset is always at their forefront. They are personable and will give our daughter a lot of emotional support, it has been noticeable when we speak to them that they know and understand her well.

We’ve had some fairly serious incidents where family and friends were all so worried about her and we all felt helpless at the time but Knightley homes kept us informed and gave us her care home number and a what’s app duty manager number for out of hours. This has been invaluable on many occasions.

The majority of staff are good and they treat her in a calm and respectful manner. I’ve witnessed a few advocating for her at medical appointments and they’ve been really good too.

As a her family the significant factor for us is that we feel we can go away for holidays and feel happy that our daughter is being cared for to the best of their abilities. This has never happened before with other providers so it is everything to us. We just wish the others external authorities could support Knightley homes more effectively as they are the ones who give us anxiety.

Overall we would say Knightley homes have been excellent in the 7 months they’ve cared for our daughter.

K moved into Devonshire House in February 2023. This is the longest time that K has spent in any kind of ‘Supported Living Accommodation’ since he was 18 years old. He is now 26. K has been under the ‘Care’ of a variety of organisations including the YMCA, Shared Lives, Man in Place, Salvation Army, houses of multiple occupancy, and housing associations, all supported or recommended in some way by T&W Council.

Prior to being moved to Devonshire House, K’s life was spiraling out of control. He was not getting the support he needed to take care of himself or his flat. He was being taken advantage of by some local people who saw him as a good source of money in exchange for something K wanted, but he always appeared to be in their debt. K was sending hundreds of threatening texts to me daily, demanding money. During his previous placement, K was introduced to a female client, and their interactions became more concerning and inappropriate under the supervision of staff and management. This relationship was supported rather than discouraged, and if allowed to continue, it would have resulted in a serious situation.

An out-of-borough placement seemed to be the only feasible option. Although Handsworth Wood seemed a long way from home, we hoped that this move would be a fresh start for K. We have been made promises in the past with every placement provider, which invariably have not been followed through. However, there is thankfully an exception to the rule: since K’s move into the care of Knightley Homes, I can wholeheartedly say that there has been progression in almost every aspect of his wellbeing and development at a slow and steady rate.

From the outset, there has been a positive lead from management in the office who have been available both to K and to myself. Shona took the time to do a home visit to get the background information on K and our family to help her understand what had led to K needing the level of care and support that Knightley Homes were hoping to provide. Shona has been my lead person, and we have shared information regularly to help support K in his new environment. I am grateful for being able to get an almost immediate reply to any query I may have from Shona, and in her absence, an alternative contact name and number have been given.

Within Devonshire House, K is beginning to get to know familiar members of staff. He doesn’t always remember the names of staff, but he is considerably more respectful of the adults in the house than he has been in previous placements. This is due to the calm atmosphere within the house. The other clients are polite, and the staff speak quietly and update us on how K has been since we last visited. They emphasize the positive things K has done, such as emptying his rubbish and cleaning his room, and don’t dwell on anything negative, which is passed on to us via Shona, as appropriate.

K’s hamster passed away recently, and he was very upset. He was told by a ‘friend’ on Facebook that it was his fault. K couldn’t cope with this situation and caused damage within the house and to a statue in the garden. Staff called for support, and Shona came to speak to K when he had calmed down. He was upset and almost embarrassed about damaging the statue because it meant a lot to another client. K asked his dad if he could fix it for him, which he is trying to do now. Another client commented on K being upset about his hamster and how this can mess with your head. Concern for K from a fellow housemate has certainly been missing in other houses. In previous houses, the staff, adults, and other clients would have focused on his negative behavior. K knows his behavior was inappropriate and knows he will have to contribute towards the cost of the repairs. This is a completely different mindset initiated by all staff and is having a positive effect on K.

Prior to moving to Devonshire House, the most significant difficulty was K’s money. He would break into his filing cabinet to get the money; he would break a key safe to access money tins, despite me telling staff that this would happen. Knightley Homes now have access to K’s money, and a certain amount is allocated each week, with specific amounts for different ‘pots’ including shopping, tobacco, activities, and daily spending. K is becoming much more tolerant of this setup, although he continues to say he doesn’t like anyone else being in control of his money when he is not getting his way. K now understands that his money is sorted from the office rather than from me, which lifts a huge burden from my shoulders. K is no longer using our money to fund his wants, needs, and desires; he is using his own.

Over the past 12 months, K is beginning to accept that if he wants something, such as a new hamster cage, he has to save that money. He gets the money from the office on the day we visit, and we take him to Pets at Home, where he buys it with his own money. This would not have been possible previously because he would have spent his money before we got there, but he would still expect and demand the cage. This has only been made possible by management putting K’s Care Plan in place and all staff following it through.

When K left Telford and moved to Handsworth Wood, his relationship with myself and our family was at rock bottom. I had been referred to West Mercia Women’s Aid due to the level of threats K targeted at me daily. I no longer have the need to contact this service. Gradually, K realized that we would only come and see him if he was going to behave appropriately when we were there. On one occasion, he was kicking off over not having enough money, and we ended up driving home without taking him shopping. This was against what my heart was telling me, but when I contacted Shona, she said for us to go home and they would manage Kyle. This is exactly what happened, and I was reassured that K was safe and being looked after. This continues to be the case. When we have spent the day with K, he is keen to get back to his room, where I get the impression he feels safe and comfortable. He is taking an interest in trying to keep his room tidy, making an extra effort to sort things before our visit and invariably wanting us to go upstairs and see what he has done. We are now able to spend more quality time with K every few weeks. I feel that he looks forward to us visiting, then settles back into his room and TV or Xbox games when we head back home.

When K has been poorly, staff have tried their hardest to arrange an appointment with a doctor, dentist, or pharmacist and have supported him on these visits. K’s medication is now being given to him on a daily basis rather than occasionally or not at all at his previous placements. There has been so much progress since K has been at Devonshire House, including replacing his carpet with laminate flooring, which is much more hygienic, and the replacement of blinds which he requested. As I said above, K seems to be content in this placement. He has been to the zoo and the cinema with other clients and has enjoyed these trips.

I am sure that K would like to visit other places where there are animals, such as West Mids Safari Park and local nature reserves or farms. K would benefit from getting out of the house more, especially during the summer months. He has had numerous experiences on a farm and animal park in the past. He has the interest and commitment to work with animals given the right support.

We, and K, have been supported by Knightley Homes since he moved there 15 months ago. We hope that K will continue to be nurtured and taken care of by staff at Devonshire House and the office. When we leave K after our visit, I message Shona to let her know how we have got on. I always have a reason to thank them because it is only due to the fact that the staff have been so polite and welcoming, the house has been warm and inviting, and strategies have been put in place to support K’s needs, which in turn result in our time with K being a much more positive experience.

The consistent approach of management and staff means that K cannot take advantage of any member of staff to get some extra money, although he may well have tried. We are very grateful for the care and support that K receives as part of Knightley Homes. Long may it continue to develop K’s character and positive experiences of life.

Thank you,

My father was placed with Knightly homes approximately 2 years ago.

At times my father can be difficult to manage due to his dementia and his frustration with being placed at Knightly homes, his wish is to go back to his own home.

This is being addressed through social services.

My father can become verbally aggressive to staff and rude. Staff have always maintained their professionalism and tried to support him through his episodes.

I was very grateful when my father decided to leave the premises staff who weren’t on shift went out looking for him. I was with staff members who were kind, professional and did everything they could with other team members to try to locate him.

I have witnessed my father be rude to staff countless times and each and every member of staff have responded appropriately and managed his behaviour and the situations well.

Staff support him to go to see his son in Manchester, everything that have been requested of them to support dad with to lead as full as life as possible they have implemented.