What are we pleased about?
Supporting people to live the lives they choose is at the heart of everything we do. This year, we have been delighted to support people to do things that they never thought possible.
Transforming lives
Brother and sister reunited after 17 years
Ivan, 26, has learning disabilities. In 2007, he met his sister, Zena, for the first time in 17 years.
Ivan's support worker, Daniel Nyoka, says: "Ivan is a jolly and confident character. Every year I support him to see his grandma, who visits from Jamaica. They have a good relationship and I thought the last visit would be just like any other - little did I know she had a surprise up her sleeve...!"
Unbeknown to Ivan, his grandma had been sharing news of their visits with his younger sister, Zena, who had not seen him since he was eight years old. Intrigued to find out more about her brother, Zena had asked her grandma to pass on her details to Ivan, in the hope he would get in touch.
"We were really pleased about the prospect of Ivan being reunited with another member of his family," says Daniel, "As he does not speak, we tried to see what he thought by showing him old photos of his family and talking about his sister to see how he reacted. When he became excited it became clear he would respond well to a reunion."
Daniel got in touch with Zena and they agreed to support Ivan to visit her at her home.
"We didn't know what to expect," says Daniel, "But Zena gave Ivan a really warm welcome. She was keen to find out about his life. What was interesting was how Ivan reacted to her - normally, he is shy around strangers, but this time, he sat next to her and held her hand. I am so pleased for Ivan now he has his sister back in his life."
Ivan's sister has since agreed to have a more active role in his life, acting as signatory on documents concerning his welfare. Zena has since introduced Daniel to her young son, who responded well to his uncle.