Shieling House

Welcome to Shieling, a registered care home providing a home to eight men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have learning disabilities and autism. The team at Shieling supports the men with all their daily living needs, encouraging independence while ensuring each person’s individual needs are met. The men at Shieling enjoy socialising at home and going out for activities in the community. The home has a lovely garden and a small sensory room. Shieling’s garden also includes a dome, a quiet space that people can enjoy all year round.

We have eight gentlemen here, and we want them to be well-supported to enjoy life, build good relationships with family members and advocates, and lead fulfilling lives. I love working at Shieling. Thankfully, we have a very good, hard-working team. We support each other, and we’re all open to giving and receiving constructive feedback to ensure we’re always doing our best. Shieling is a lovely home, and the gentlemen here are wonderful. Making a positive impact on their lives is what motivates me every day, and it’s the reason I got into this work.

All the gentlemen here have autism, alongside their learning disabilities, but each person’s needs are different. For example, one resident has a close relationship with a lady from Derby House; they’re like boyfriend and girlfriend. Yesterday, we organised a date for them at Nando’s, and they had a wonderful time together.

We have a range of activities for the men, like music sessions with a visiting musician, trips to the theatre, and outings to Hampton Court for walks. We take the men to places like Coughlan’s Bakery or Tollgate Park, which has a lovely lake that’s relaxing and therapeutic. Even simple activities, like playing Connect Four, using iPads, or going for walks around the grounds, are enjoyable and meaningful.

My name is John Simon, and I’m a volunteer advocate with The Sunnybank Trust, an Epsom-based charity. I’ve been Martin’s advocate for about 12 years. His mum was keen for him to have long-term support, and it’s been great to get to know both her and Martin. I visit as often as I can. Martin has his own en-suite facilities, and the home is well-maintained and upgraded, so it’s a comfortable environment. The staff go beyond the call of duty to take residents out to visit family and even bring family members here for visits, which I think is fantastic.

When I applied for John to come to Shieling, it was because of his autistic traits. I looked at many places, but they weren’t suitable for John, and I didn’t want him to struggle. Shieling felt like the right fit—it was as if it had been designed for him.

The residents here live a normal life, where they can access anything they need, just as we would. Our aim is to support them so they can experience the same quality of life as anyone else.