A YOUNG woman who had been struggling with behaviour and communication problems has undergone an amazing transformation over the past year.

Twelve months ago, Leanna Carey would keep herself to herself in her bedroom at Coneyhurst Lodge in Worthing, a residential care home for adults with complex health needs run by the Regard Group.

Regard is the UK’s fourth biggest private provider of supported living and specialist residential services in the UK for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and acquired brain injury.

Coneyhurst Lodge’s deputy manager, Daniel Adams, who arrived in September 2016, said proudly: “Over the past year, Leanna has come on leaps and bounds.”

Leanna has severe learning difficulties, and is on the autism spectrum.

She has lived at Coneyhurst Lodge, where she has one-to-one support, for more than three years.

Daniel said: “She was a very challenging lady who could not express her needs. She could get very angry, was very withdrawn, and staff often did not really know how to work with her because of her communication difficulties.”

Staff at Coneyhurst Lodge discussed how best to support Leanna and then worked together to address her needs. They soon started to see a welcome transformation.

Daniel said: “Leanna now says more than 30 different words, and is really expressing herself.

“She has changed from a very tense, closed, person who staff had some tremendous difficulties with to being someone who greets you in the morning with a lovely smile.

“She used to get angry a lot, but now she smiles, she sings, she is much happier.”