Appletree Community

The house that Louis and Kate built

Kate’s love for her son, Louis, drove her to design a long-term home for him, to get him out of detention in hospital, where he had gone because there was no other care. She envisioned a spacious building in a semi-rural setting, with carers who really knew and understood his profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and autism. .

Kate worked collaboratively, with Louis himself, the local authority care commissioners, Scottish Autism - the care provider - Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland (WPCS), other parents and wider society. She planned Louis’ home as a ‘community’ of care, reckoning that Louis and his care team would benefit from wider social support.

An extended time of transition between hospital and home from Spring ‘21 until May ‘22 has given Louis and his support team time to build trust, relationships and routines.

In 2017 Louis’ care home was closing, he had nowhere to go. Kate began with a question: WHO is Louis?
She thought: Louis is sociable, likes lots going on, grew up in the country, likes walking. Louis is creative, enjoys painting, music, crafts.
Louis has profound and multiple learning disabilities, with a severe communication impairment, but that doesn’t define him. Step-by-step, Kate did supported decision-making with Louis, working towards a shared vision of his future home, where he could offer hospitality to others.
Kate found an L-shaped family home, a converted steading and a barn, built around a courtyard.
Kate obtained agreement from the Court of Protection, where she is Deputy, to use funds from Louis’ medical negligence award, to purchase it.
Kate brought Louis’s wishes to the Multi-disciplinary team meetings that agreed on the model of care and on Scottish Autism as an experienced care provider.
Kate commissioned Colin Smith, Architect, and John Mailer, Contractors, to adapt the house, near Auchterarder, for Louis’ specific needs.
All the ground-floor living rooms, kitchen and Louis’ bedroom were clad in routered MDF board to protect the plaster.
Louis himself chose the colours throughout, selecting gentle, greeny-blues and ochres.
Kate worked with Scottish Autism to select individuals for the care team. She accompanied them through the summer of 2021, showing them how she interacted with Louis. The team grew in confidence and understanding of Louis’ language. Louis and Kate together taught people how to care for him.
Louis was discharged from hospital on June 24th 2022, to move full time into his own home.
The development of Appletree Community has potential as an exemplar of care for people with PMLD. A team of researchers, with Kate, Louis and others is recording the story, drawing meaning from it.
Kate presented the story of Appletree Community during Learning Disability Awareness week, 2022, in events hosted by PAMIS, SCLD, ENABLE. The focus included Trauma, the ‘My Own Front Door’ campaign and Housing as an expression of human rights.

On the ground, to build understanding of how to care, the staff team have had training in autism, in low-arousal approaches, and guidance from Speech and Language Therapy on communication and Sensory Integration.
The team benefitted from a training day on PAMIS’ Imagination Toolkit, at the start of Learning Disability Awareness week, 2022.
The greatest training comes from Louis.
Louis’s stress-responses guide his team of individual carers to help him manage his environment.