Daisy

Daisy started at our school in 2008 aged 10. She progressed through three classes before moving on to Hannahwood in 2016. Daisy has Cerebral Palsy and other complex medical needs.

Before starting at Dame Hannahs she went to Mayfield School in Torquay but she needed more support. At the time of her second child being born Daisy’s mother Rosie heard about Dame Hannahs through word of mouth.

Initially reluctant to let Daisy go, Rosie realised the huge benefits that Dame Hannahs offered. Daisy settled in quickly and soon gained a huge sense of independence and managed well without her family. The whole family got used to the new arrangement of Daisy being away all week. It was clear that Daisy was happy and began flourishing in a group setting. She had a much fuller life out of school with lots of activities surrounded by friends. She was loving the social life and trips around Devon.

Daisy started as a weekly boarder but her provision was increased. Rosie used to pick her up from school on a Friday and catch up with the staff, learning about her latest developments so that they could follow them up at home. Once Daisy had been out on trips such as bowling and ice skating with Dame Hannahs it gave Rosie confidence to try it at home.

When Daisy started in Hannahwood she moved to the Mews. During her first four years she went home monthly for a weekend but since the start of 2021 she now lives fulltime at Dame Hannahs. She enjoys weekly visits from her parents and they Facetime regularly. They enjoy going for family weekends to the Calvert Trust once a year as there are so many accessible outdoor activities.

She has grown up with a group of friends progressing from school to Hannahwood together, in particular Hannah Antonio and Will Clarke. There are also certain support workers that she has grown attached to over the years including Sharon who is currently her key worker. The staff get better all the time at understanding Daisy and communicating with her.

When Daisy first moved into Hannahwood she enjoyed having more choice in her life. For two years she attended Rio Class which was important for her as she is a bright girl and enjoyed getting involved in a range of interesting projects. Her week is always planned ahead so that she has a variety of activities throughout the week. She enjoys a range of activities from going for a walk in the grounds to going further afield to places like Plymbridge Woods. She particularly loves seeing dogs on her walks and whenever she hears them barking she laughs a lot. She loves going shopping and visiting the Aquarium.

There is so much that is fantastic at Dame Hannahs. All the therapies have made a huge difference particularly the Speech and Language team who have transformed her communication. They have worked tirelessly to find the right communication aid for her. She has made great progress from a simple Yes and No device to a more advanced tablet. She needs help but fully understands and can really engage with other people. Her parents have been able to learn alongside her so that they are able to continue the work at home. She also really benefits from and enjoys her weekly music therapy sessions.

Rosie always feels involved and everyone at Dame Hannahs is very welcoming and understanding whenever she comes to visit Daisy. She feels very lucky to have found Dame Hannahs and they have been able to enjoy family time and at the same time know that Daisy is happy and very well looked after at Dame Hannahs.

Daisy’s Mum Rosie says: "I feel so lucky to have found Dame Hannahs. Since Daisy started here I have always been involved and everyone is welcoming and understanding. Daisy has gained a huge sense of independence and she has a very full life with lots of activities, surrounded by friends. She is loving the social life and going out in the local area. All the therapies have made a huge difference in particular the speech and language team have transformed her communication. There is so much that is fantastic at Dame Hannahs”.