Kimberley’s journey to independent living
When Kimberley moved into her own tenancy within Response’s North Oxfordshire Patch service in September 2025, it was the first time in her life that she had maintained an independent home of her own.
Before receiving support from Response, Kimberley experienced homelessness and lived in a number of different placements. During her late teens and early twenties, she lived in shared housing and experienced significant substance misuse difficulties.
Kimberley has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a Mild Learning Disability (LD), Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), epilepsy and functional seizures. She also sustained a serious head injury approximately three to four years ago, which affected her memory, reading and daily functioning. She lost the ability to read most written text, creating significant barriers when accessing services, understanding correspondence, and managing everyday tasks.
Finding the right support
Kimberley was initially referred through Adult Social Care because of her complex support needs. She first received support within Response’s intensive services at the Recovery Campus before moving on to the next stage of her journey towards independent living.
Following assessment and review, Kimberley was supported to move into her own tenancy within the North Oxfordshire Patch in September 2025. This was the first time in her life that she had maintained a home of her own and marked an important step towards greater independence, while ensuring she continued to have the support she needed to remain safe and well.
Building confidence and independence
Moving into her own home brought new responsibilities for Kimberley, and she received additional support from Response to help her manage her tenancy, utility accounts, council tax and household bills. With this support, she was able to build her confidence and develop the skills needed to live more independently.
Kimberley also received support to attend healthcare appointments, managing correspondence, and communicating with professionals, enabling her to continue developing the skills needed to live independently.
Kimberley has also taken real ownership of her home. She has chosen furniture and household items, personalised her flat, and created a space that reflects her own tastes and preferences.
“Response did everything with me. I never had to do anything on my own. You were there for me every step of the way.”
Kimberley
Supporting Kimberley’s health
Kimberley’s epilepsy and functional seizures have presented significant challenges. She has experienced frequent night-time seizures and has required ongoing support from specialist epilepsy services.
Response has worked alongside healthcare professionals to support Kimberley through appointments and a lengthy medication titration programme designed to reduce the frequency of her night-time seizures. Following medication changes, the frequency of her night-time seizures has reduced.
A range of assistive technology has also been introduced to help keep Kimberley safe. She has a telecare package funded through Oxford City Council, with sensors linked to the Liberty Life monitoring service, including equipment connected to her bed, smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm. If a sensor is activated and Kimberley cannot be contacted, the monitoring service can notify the appropriate emergency services. She also has a GPS-enabled safety watch, which provides similar protection when she is away from home, allowing the monitoring service to locate her and arrange emergency assistance if she experiences a seizure and becomes unresponsive while accessing the community independently.
Response has supported Kimberley with other aspects of her health and wellbeing, including accessing specialist dental care and developing practical skills around meal planning, budgeting, shopping for ingredients, and preparing and cooking meals. Over time, she has become increasingly confident attending appointments and communicating directly with healthcare professionals.
Growing confidence and connection
When Kimberley first moved into her tenancy, she could feel overwhelmed by professional involvement and was concerned that additional support might restrict her independence.
With consistent, patient and person-centered support with a Trauma informed approach, she has become more confident engaging with professionals, making decisions and advocating for her own needs.
Kimberley has also grown in confidence within her local community. She now accesses community facilities and local businesses independently and has developed positive social connections. She has rebuilt contact with family members and developed a positive relationship with her partner.
She has also stopped smoking, is taking greater care of her appearance, and is focusing more positively on her health and wellbeing.
Looking ahead
Kimberley is now successfully maintaining her own tenancy and managing the responsibilities that come with independent living. Her life is considerably more stable than in previous years, and she is increasingly involved in planning and making decisions about her future.
She is exploring future housing opportunities with appropriate levels of ongoing support and continues to work towards greater independence.
For Kimberley, the journey has been about much more than maintaining a tenancy. It has been about building confidence, developing trust, making her own choices, and discovering what she can achieve.
Through consistent support, multidisciplinary working and a trusting relationship with her Response support worker, Kimberley has moved from uncertainty about her future towards greater independence, confidence and control over her life.