Phillip’s support workers use different positive behaviour support techniques including ‘social stories’ to make him feel more comfortable in healthcare settings.

United Response Service Manager, Emma Rimmington, and the team discussed the urgent admission with his sister, who is his legal Power of Attorney, and everyone decided that it would not be in his Phillip’s best interest to go straight to A & E.

Meetings were then held with members of the Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Learning Disability Health Support Team. Arrangements were made for a planned admission so that everything could be in place before Phillip arrived.

Emma said:

We sent Phillip’s communication profile, social stories, his likes and dislikes, emergency hospital plan and his positive behaviour support plan which contained guidance to support Phillip to tolerate the environment around him.

There was also a list of distraction objects including; pictures of the things he enjoys, math sums, his mobile phone for playing mathematical games, the books he likes to read and an iPad.


When Phillip was admitted for his transfusion 24 hours later, Emma said the ward had responded to all of his care and support needs.
He stayed in a side room near the nurses’ station to reduce noise. Staff covered medical equipment with pictures, provided him with an easy read guide to what was happening and were careful in the words they used to describe events. They made sure not to mention words like ‘dye’ or ‘blood’, referring to the transfusion as a ‘red tube’ which was also covered.

Emma said:

It was so important for Phillip to feel safe and be able to go through hospital admission with minimal anxiety and distress.

A great partnership between the management, our team supporting him, his Power of Attorney, health professionals and hospital ward meant that the admission went really well.

Emma explained how Phillip had a member of United Response staff with him at all times:

Myself and Lead Senior Support Worker Mndima Fue also worked outside of hours to make sure he was getting the support he needed. We had our phones on through the night in case he needed to go through his social stories or be settled. It was a real team effort.

Emma has supported Phillip since 2018:

He’s got a lovely sense of humour. When he’s well, he’s always smiling. He’s very interested in mathematics. He’s got quite a logical mind. He loves to go out walking and taking pictures – photography is his passion.

He’s just a joy to be around and a joy to support.

Phillip is now recovering well. He understands he was unwell which is why he was admitted to hospital and has said he will go to hospital if he feels unwell again.

Emma added:

We’re dealing with people’s lives and their lives don’t just happen from nine to five so we do sometimes need to change the way we do things to be centered on that person.

*Name has been changed to protect the person’s identity.

This content is part of a series of hospital stories – read more here.

  • Jenna Lloyd is Senior Content Officer for United Response.