Meet Paul: Creating his own path

August 7, 2026

When Paul moved into our supported living home in Dulwich in 2018, the team quickly got to know him as a kind, polite and thoughtful person. At first, the team supported him to get familiar with the local area and
accompanied him visiting shops, cafés and other places of interest. Paul also enrolled on an arts course at Clapham College, where the team supported him with travel for the first two years.

Over time, Paul built his confidence and began travelling to college independently. Paul is also a devoted Christian who enjoys sharing his faith and speaking about what it means to him.

First Steps

After Paul moved in, the team took time to get to know him, understand his interests and learn what mattered most to him. They explored his love of art and listened carefully to his wishes around building his independence, as having choice and control are important to Paul.

The team also spent time talking with Paul about his Christian faith, which plays a big part in his life. Paul enjoys sharing his beliefs and hopes to help others understand his faith and welcome God into their lives too.

Ongoing Support

Paul is being supported to build his independence at a pace that feels right for him. The team are working with him to develop his confidence with local travel, while also exploring ways to help his artwork to be seen and celebrated more widely.

The team continue to show interest in the subjects that matter most to Paul, including his faith and joining him in his place of worship. Paul enjoys the wonders of life through gardening and growing plants and vegetables, something he is proud to share with the people he lives with.

Together, they are also exploring new opportunities for Paul to grow his independence, starting from where he feels comfortable and building from there.

Paul’s Progress

Paul has made wonderful progress and now needs only minimal support when travelling to places he chooses. He has also taken an exciting step into writing a book about his artwork, which he hopes to publish alongside selling his pieces.

Paul’s love of gardening continues to shine too. He received an award for his hard work and dedication to gardening at the Share Awards in both 2024 and 2025, celebrating the pride, care and commitment he puts into something he truly enjoys.

Looking to the Future

Paul is looking forward to the future and has clear goals he would like to work towards. He hopes to go on holiday to Clacton-on-Sea, in the summer and is taking positive steps towards building more independence in his life.

Paul would also like to live more independently in his own flat, with less day-to-day support. He is passionate about his artwork and hopes to have his book published, so more people can see and enjoy what he has created.

Paul’s thoughts:

“I feel delighted to be here for 8 years. The team are good and they let me do what I want to live my life.”

Support worker’s thoughts:

“Paul is a gentle and polite person and devout Christian who is always happy and good mannered. I am so happy to see how far Paul has come along, showing a great deal of independence.”