Liaise

We had an amazing time at our annual Sports Day, bringing together all Liaise homes from Worthing and Burgess Hill. The sun was shining, the smiles were beaming, and the spirit of competition was alive and well. Highlights included the egg throwing challenge, sack races and a wheelchair relay. Our Chief Executive, Dave Petrie shared: "This was an incredible event and so lovely to see all the homes in the South East being represented. Thank you to Karen and the team for a wonderful day." Congratulations to Bramshaw House for clinching the trophy once again. A big thank you to everyone who made this day special — the wonderful people we support, their incredible families and brilliant colleagues.

This week we celebrated a Cultural Day at Karibu Place, Basingstoke, bringing together the people we support, their families, and our dedicated colleagues for a day of togetherness. Everyone enjoyed a vibrant array of delicious foods from different countries, lovingly prepared by family members and colleagues. The people we support enjoyed decorating their home and listening and dancing to a selection music from different countries. The day reflected the huge diversity of the team at Karibu with 12 countries represented! Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate.

Congratulations to Franca, our incredible Deputy at Connington, Chingford, for receiving an Above and Beyond Award! When Lana* moved into Connington, she faced challenges accepting support from the team. But Franca, with her unwavering patience and calm demeanour, worked tirelessly to build trust. After weeks of effort, Lana finally allowed Franca, to help her wash her hair — a significant breakthrough! Our colleague recognition scheme celebrates the outstanding work of our team. Since the start of the year, over 200 colleagues — 20% of our team — have been nominated! If you’re looking for a workplace where your hard work is seen and valued, explore our career opportunities today. https://lnkd.in/e6R8BMty Join us and make a difference every day! *Name changed for privacy.

When Mark* moved into Salcasa, Norwich, he was experiencing multiple epileptic seizures daily, severely impacting his quality of life. These frequent seizures made every day a challenge. Our team took immediate action to create a stable and supportive environment tailored to Mark's needs. This included monitoring and adjusting things like the temperature and lighting to minimize triggers, bringing together a consistent team of core support workers and collaborating with Mark’s neurologist to develop an effective seizure management plan. Through this dedicated approach, Mark's seizures have dramatically decreased from multiple daily occurrences to an average of just 4-5 per year. This improvement has not only improved Mark’s quality of life but has also been acknowledged by his neurologist, with special recognition for our effective management of his condition. Congratulations Mark, and the Salcasa team for this amazing turnaround! *Name changed for privacy.

Celebrating Rachael's Magical Birthday! On the 3rd of July, we had the absolute joy of celebrating Rachael's birthday with a festive Frozen-themed party at Somerford Place, London. Rachael, supported by her keyworker, Tamicka, organised a brilliant day. The event was a true winter wonderland, complete with icy blue decorations, sparkling snowflake motifs, and the beloved characters from the popular animated film. The celebration was filled with laughter, delicious food, and refreshing drinks, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. Rachael's pastor from her local church graced us with his presence and blessed the occasion, adding a special touch to the day. Friends joined in the festivities, making Rachael's special day truly memorable. Happy Birthday, Rachael!

We’re thrilled to share Alex’s incredible holiday at Calvert Trust, Exmoor! Supported by the wonderful Elsie and Clovis from Linnet House, Alex enjoyed a fantastic four night stay filled with amazing activities. He had a blast horse riding, trying his hand at archery, abseiling, bike riding, and even soaring on zip wire swings. What fun was had!

Connor at Ashwood House was supported to have his hair coloured last week for Pride, and he’s soooo excited with the result. We think it looks absolutely fabulous! The new look was done in preparation for Norwich Pride at the end of next month. Keep rocking those rainbow locks, Connor - we can’t wait to see you shine at Pride!

🌈 Happy Pride Month! This month, we’re celebrating the individuality and uniqueness of our amazing, diverse team and the people we support. Yesterday, we hosted a pride party at our support office, where everyone dressed in their brightest colours. Over at Lucas House, the community came together today with a fantastic barbecue. We’re committed to making Liaise a place where everyone feels welcome and valued. Here’s to celebrating each other, today and every day! 🌟

It's so great to be able to share that we have launched the Liaise Learning Academy - a centre of excellence and opportunity for all colleagues. The Academy will provide colleagues with courses, workshops and vocational qualifications to help them get ready to step up. In a series of events across the regions, we invited over 150 colleagues to attend our Academy launch to get all the support they need on their learning journey. The class of 2024, along with their managers, had a chance to understand the process, meet their support team and have some fun along the way. Working with training partner TLC: The Training and Learning Company our learners are supported with funded learning, accredited courses and help and advice along the way. If you'd like to turn your care job, into a care career, why not take a look at our jobs at https://lnkd.in/e6R8BMty

Today's #LearningDisabilityWeek theme is 'Do You Understand me?' a perfect time to celebrate Claire*, one of the people we support at Birchwood, who has learning disabilities and autism. When Claire moved into Birchwood, she had a pretty hard time communicating with her support team. Our Speech and Language Therapists collaborated with Claire, assessing her unique needs to develop a plan for improving her communication. The SALT assessment uncovered a new communication method for Claire known as TalkingMats. This allows her to express her feelings and views with a visual communication tool that works for her. Our colleagues have received extensive training on TalkingMats and how to use the tool with Claire. By using it with her daily, they have been able to explore her likes, dislikes, and interests, and better understand how she would like to spend her time. This has built a strong foundation for Claire to work towards her goals and improve her quality of life. Some of her goals include exploring local activities, going to dance classes and craft sessions, and cooking foods from her cultural background. Claire is ticking off so many new experiences and achievements now, and has welcomed the depth of understanding that her support team has. We're so proud of Claire's positive trajectory, which shows the noticeable difference that being understood can make. *names changed for privacy.