‘You didn’t just help our son, you restored our family:’ the wider impact of supported accommodation.
We often talk about the impact that Restore has on the individual we house, but rarely do we discuss the wider effect upon their support network. Earlier this month, I sat down with the parents of a former Restore resident, to chat about the difference their son’s involvement with Restore has made for their entire family. Names have been altered to protect anonymity.
Strained family life
Aidan was in his early twenties and living with his parents Diane and Alan, but issues around undiagnosed neurodiversity were making family life difficult and relations were becoming increasingly strained. Even once a diagnosis for autism was made, the lack of support post-diagnosis made cohabitation stressful. Whenever Aidan tried to move out of his parents’ house into shared rentals, it never worked because he struggled with sharing space and possessions with other people. The tension between Aidan, his parents and the wider family was growing and Diane felt like there was nowhere she could turn for support. She said, “I kept waiting for him to fly the nest, but he never did.” She felt a sense of embarrassment about reaching out for help, but eventually spoke to the Salvation Army, who were able to put a referral into the council for Aidan to receive supported accommodation.
“It felt like we’d won the lottery”
Diane and Alan report that they “felt like imposters” when Aidan was offered a place in a Restore single occupancy bedsit, and as though they didn’t really deserve the help on offer. Although Aidan wasn’t homeless at that point, there was risk of him becoming so without further support for him and his family. Our intervention in his case was preventative, and it made a massive difference; not only to Aidan, but to Diane and Alan as well. Diane states she felt as though they had “won the lottery,” when she realised that Restore were able to offer Aidan support.
Aidan moved into a Restore bedsit in February 2024. The transition was not an easy one for him, but Aidan settled in, with help from his parents and Restore staff. His housing support worker was able to offer a fresh perspective and objective viewpoint on issues that had become a stalemate between Aidan and his parents, holding difficult conversations with Aidan that would have caused problems within the family dynamic, but that an independent party could address without it causing tension. Having someone in an official capacity who could act as a buffer and advise Aidan, equipping him with vital skills for independent living, was a key benefit of Aidan’s involvement at Restore. Another way in which Diane feels Restore helped her son was supporting him to apply for PIP (personal independence payments), which relieved the burden upon Alan and herself of supporting Aidan financially.
Moving on
Aidan stayed in a Restore bedsit for just over a year and moved into his own council flat in April 2025. Diane is relieved that his flat is close to their family home so that she can continue to support her son, but without the tension that existed when they were all living under the same roof. She feels as though Restore’s involvement has allowed them to reset their family relationship. Alan speaks of the pride Aidan has in his council flat and how keen he was to make the space his own from the moment he moved in. His parents and grandparents came to the flat to help him decorate, and he’s trying to replicate elements of his family life, by sourcing things like crockery on second hand retail sites that match the patterns Diane and Alan have in their home. They are also grateful to Restore for the help Aidan received in sourcing and paying for carpets and white goods.
Long-term benefits
Diane and Alan feel like Restore supported their whole family, not just Aidan, and they are immensely grateful for the help they received. They say that they would encourage people in similar circumstances not to bury their head in the sand, or be ashamed of reaching out for help, because the difference it can make is significant. They urge family members of Restore residents to get involved with Restore events, because it’s a way to meet other families in similar situations and realise you are not alone. They see the work Restore do as vital, not just to the individual supported, or even their family, but also the impact upon the wider community, by relieving the pressure on the city’s resources. When council budgets are so stretched, it is charitable organisations like Restore that are able to offer the level of support that families like theirs need. They are now looking forward to future family gatherings with Aidan and their other grown up children, and can begin to make plans for their own future knowing that Aidan is settled and managing independently.
In short, their entire family has been felt the benefit of Aidan’s time at Restore and they appreciate the improvement it has made to their relationships with each other. Aidan’s grandmother has pledged a legacy to Restore in her will. Diane and Alan are now passionate ambassadors for Restore and support us in any way they can, as a way of showing their gratitude for the intervention we were able to offer; intervention that they believe has saved their son from becoming homeless in the future.
If you would like to find out more about leaving a legacy donation like Aidan’s family, or to support our work with a monthly gift, please visit our donate page. Thank you.