An intellectually disabled man who was locked up in a mental health facility for eight years has moved into his new home.

Community Connections executive director John Taylor confirmed on Tuesday that Ashley Peacock was now settling into his new digs.

Remaining tight-lipped on Peacock's location, Taylor said while it was early days, the animal-loving man was "immensely happy".

"He feels very lucky to be where he is. I think it will be a very exciting adventure to be there now. It's about the best situation we could have imagined for him."

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Taylor visited Peacock on Monday at his new place. A photo of the two men was posted to the Community Connections Facebook page.

"Our organisation has been working with Ashley for about five years, so it's a really big event for us that he's now here. A lot of people never thought it would happen."

SUPPLIED Ashley Peacock has been in mental health care for 10 years, including years in seclusion.

Peacock had been detained as a compulsory patient under the Mental Health Act because of his mental illness, intellectual disabilities and autism. He lived in a 10-square-metre seclusion room at the Tawhirimatea mental health unit in Porirua.

Peacock had been widely reported to love animals, so the big question was - are there animals at his new home?

Taylor said "it's not a farm or anything" but Peacock was close to animals he could visit.

There was "no doubt" Peacock was traumatised by his experiences in isolation, Taylor said.

"The first six months to a year, after that we'll know a bit more about how it's going to go, to really understand how he's going to cope in this very different environment. It's very hard to know, but early indications are very positive."

"[The photo] he did that, he wanted to do that. He put his arm over my shoulder, and there we are. He's pretty happy."

FAIRFAX NZ Ashley Peacock plays with a family pet during his time at the mental health facility.

IHC director of advocacy Trish Grant said Peacock's move to his new home was a great result and followed years of strong advocacy.



"Clearly after years of being institutionalised living in his new home will be quite an adjustment for Ashley, but Community Connections know and understand Ashley's needs well, and will be able to support him to live successfully in the community."

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the Ministry worked to ensure that any client placement provided the best quality of life possible, and it was pleasing to hear about clients thriving in new placements.