4th March 2026
Since his last person-centred review, Robert has been supported to develop the skills and confidence needed to travel independently on public transport. A clear, step-by-step programme was put in place, beginning with local journeys between Shepton Mallet, where Robert lives, and Frome, where he works with Open Story Tellers.
At the start, Robert travelled with his team alongside him, supported through strong partnership working with Outreach. As his confidence increased, support was gradually reduced. This moved from travelling together to offering reassurance by telephone until Robert was able to complete the journey independently. Robert now travels to and from work each week with ease and confidence, marking an important step in his independence.
Building on this success, Robert expressed an interest in visiting his brother, who lives in London. As Robert’s father began to step back slightly, his brother was keen to take a more active role in Robert’s life.
The team worked closely with the family to build strong relationships based on trust, understanding and shared ambition, while ensuring Robert felt safe and supported throughout the process.
To support this next step, Robert was helped to set up a temporary tracker on his mobile phone so his brother could follow his progress. On the day of travel, Robert was supported to catch the bus from Shepton Mallet and spoke confidently with the driver before setting off. Once Robert was safely on his way, his brother was informed and ready to welcome him at the other end.
After a two-and-a-half-hour journey on the Berry’s Bus, Robert arrived at Hammersmith Station, where his brother was waiting to greet him. Confirmation was received that Robert had arrived safely, and the brothers went on to enjoy time together, including a visit to the Natural History Museum. The following day, Robert completed the return journey independently and arrived safely back home in Shepton Mallet.
Following this successful trip, the team has discussed whether Robert would like to visit London again to stay with his brother and family. Over the coming weeks, this possibility will be explored with Robert and his family, building on the confidence and independence he has already demonstrated.
Robert’s journey highlights how the right support, delivered with ambition and trust, can enable people to achieve meaningful independence and create new opportunities in their lives.