SEAH was established in 2016, by Natalie and Linda Pietrzyk. Both Natalie and Linda had worked in Social Care for over 15 years and felt that they could provide a high-quality service to people within the Shropshire area and have a positive impact upon people’s lives.
Natalie and Linda felt passionate about positive provision for people that experience Autism, Learning Disabilities and Mental Distress and started by supporting individuals within their own homes to access opportunities that they had previously been denied.
SEAH has grown to have a positive reputation for working with people who have complex care needs. We have had many successes working with people to become more independent and achieve positive outcomes within their lives.
As an organisation, we have leaders and support staff who have a comprehensive understanding of legislation including the Mental Health Act 1983, The Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and the Human Rights Act 1998 and have successfully supported and advocated for people to ensure that the support that they receive both meets their needs and does not infringe upon their rights.
We strongly believe that our approach and experience help us to look at people’s strengths and help us to tailor individualised support to meet their needs.
Natalie has over 20 years experience in the Social Care sector and has a passion for supporting people.
Natalie previously worked for the Local Authority and within the private sector as an adviser and provided training for Social Care Staff.
Natalie holds an award in Education and Training and an NVQ Level 5 in Leadership and Management.
N
Natalie has over 20 years experience in the Social Care sector and has a passion for supporting people.
Natalie previously worked for the Local Authority and within the private sector as an adviser and provided training for Social Care Staff.
Natalie holds an award in Education and Training and an NVQ Level 5 in Leadership and Management.
Natalie won two awards at the 2019 Dyslexia Awards for both Supportive Employer and Entrepreneur.
Linda holds a Bsc (hons) in Social Work, qualifying as a Social Worker in 2006. Linda holds a Level 5 in Practice Leadership in Positive Behaviour Support and has undertaken a Higher Diploma in Mental Health and Practice Education, with over 10 years experience as an Approved Mental Health Professional, Best Interests Assessor and Practice Educator.
We have experienced Managers and Assistant Managers who offer advice and support to our team of Support Workers and to the people we work with.
They are compassionate and kind and work closely together to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
We believe that supporting our team means that they offer the best support to the people we work with.
Our Wellbeing Coordinator supports members of staff to promote their own well-being.
Our on call team are always to hand in an emergency out of office hours .
Support Workers are key to our organisation,
as is their knowledge and experience to support the people we work with.
We like to spend time and invest in our Support Workers, as when they are positive and kind, it is reflected by positive outcomes for those we work with.
We are able to provide a wide range of services tailored to meet individual needs. This ranges from support to people in their own homes, on an individual basis and within small group settings.
We support people within the Shropshire area and offer a wide range of services to meet people’s needs. We support those who might have Autism, Learning Disabilities, Mental Ill Health, Acquired Brain Injuries, and those who experience complex needs that might mean that they present with behaviours of concern.
We provide supported living options for people and work in partnership with housing organisations to provide support services to people with individual tenancies within a group living setting. We have three supported living services within Shropshire at present, with a view to expanding our offer.
The Willows is a supported living complex in Shifnal for those experiencing enduring complex mental health needs, that consists of 7 flats for people to reside within a complex that can offer 24-hour support.
Esio Lodge is a supported living complex in Shrewsbury for those experiencing complex mental health needs that consists of 4 flats offering 24-hour support.
Fox Fields is our new setting providing support to younger adults transitioning from children’s services that have complex support needs requiring intensive support. Fox Fields consists of a three bedroomed bungalow with a one bedroomed annex for those moving towards more independence or requiring a higher level of support.
When people first move into our supported living settings, they have often experienced isolation, loneliness, or have been in long term in restrictive environments where they have experienced disempowerment.
By getting to know the people that move into our supported living settings and finding out what’s important to them we help people achieve their goals they have identified. We do this by identifying areas where skills development is needed and shape the environment, creating opportunities, and support required to achieve these goals. We recognise this takes time, but by adapting the environment and offering consistency of care we can help people transform their lives.
We are able to provide support to people who experience complex needs that others typically might find challenging. We work in partnership with professionals and commissioners to provide individualised housing and support options to meet people’s needs. This includes working with people to transition from in-patient or residential care or to move closer to home if they have moved out of area.
We offer support to people in a variety of ways, this might be supporting people to maintain their tenancy, help to pay bills, provide emotional support, attending appointments and support people to access the things that they enjoy.
We are able to offer emotional support, both face to face and by telephone and can offer support to people from more than one Support Worker.
We offer support to people via Direct Payments, Continuing Healthcare and Local Authority funding and work in partnership with professionals to create individualised support plans that could range from 2 hours per week to 24/7 support.
SEAH follows a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) model when supporting people and that means that everyone in our organisation should have knowledge of PBS and it’s value base. We are registered as a PBS organisation with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD).
PBS is a values-led approach that aims to improve the quality of
SEAH follows a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) model when supporting people and that means that everyone in our organisation should have knowledge of PBS and it’s value base. We are registered as a PBS organisation with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD).
PBS is a values-led approach that aims to improve the quality of a person’s life and the lives of their social networks. PBS is an approach that places emphasis on working in partnership with people, treating them with dignity and respect and enabling them to have a better life.
SEAH follows a Person-Centred Approach when assessing and meeting people’s support needs. We ensure that we focus on the specific needs of the individual, ensuring that people’s preferences, wishes, beliefs and values are at the heart of the support that we provide.
All behaviours have a meaning. Positive Behaviour Support aims to understa
SEAH follows a Person-Centred Approach when assessing and meeting people’s support needs. We ensure that we focus on the specific needs of the individual, ensuring that people’s preferences, wishes, beliefs and values are at the heart of the support that we provide.
All behaviours have a meaning. Positive Behaviour Support aims to understand what behaviours of concern tell us so that the person’s needs can be met in better ways. The way the person is supported must change to achieve this and this needs to be regularly reviewed by all the people involved.
Positive Behaviour Support is an approach that puts the person at the centre to make systems work for the person. We give the right support at the right time so people can thrive to their potential.
Further information on PBS can be found below
SEAH has a strong commitment to the STOMP Campaign.
STOMP (Stopping Over Medicating People with a Learning Disability, Autism or Both) is a national project to support reduction of the use of psychotropic medicines for people with a learning disability and/ or Autism.
Sometimes psychotropic medication is given to people if they present with behaviours that others perceive as challenging. Research suggests that people with a Learning Disability, Autism or both are more likely to be given these medicines than other people.
Sometimes psychotropic medication is right for some people in some circumstances, however sometimes there are ways of supporting people to reduce the frequency or dose of this medication or to support them so that they need none at all.
We will actively explore alternatives to medication
We will ensure people with a learning disability, autism or both, of any age and their circle of support are fully informed about their medication and are involved in decisions about their care
We will ensure all staff within the organisation have an understanding of psychotropic medication including why it is being used and the likely side effects
We will ensure all people are able to speak up if they have a concern that someone is receiving inappropriate medication
We will maintain accurate records about a person’s health, wellbeing and behaviour
We will ensure that medication, if needed, is started, reviewed and monitored in line with the relevant NICE guidance
We will work in partnership with people with a learning disability, autism or both, their families, care teams, healthcare professionals, commissioners and others to stop over medication
An easy read guide to STOMP can be found below
We believe that having a positive outlook on life is important for
everyone's mental well-being.
We find that having a positive approach to people we work with
including our team and ourselves, has a positive impact upon
outcomes for everybody.
Everybody's goals are different.
Sometimes, having a plan helps us to work towards something.
Whether that be within the organisation, for our team or for those
we work alongside.
Independence means different things to different people.
We recognise that being Independence doesn't always mean
that people don't need help with things.
We think it's important to find out what independence means to
the people we work with and work alongside them when they
need support.
We know that we’re not perfect, but we want to be as good as
we possibly can be. We believe in being honest about the things
we need to improve upon and constantly striving to improve how
we do things.
We genuinely care about the people we come into contact with,
whether that be the people we support, their networks and our
employees.
We always try to advocate for the people we’re working with and
want to ensure that everyone’s Human Rights are upheld and
considered as a crucial part of the service we provide.
We recognise the hard work and dedication of the people who
work for us and always strive to show our employees that we value
them. We believe that a happy workforce means that we are
always providing the best support that we are able to offer and
that we will always be able to consistently offer this.
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Company number 10300856