We are a relatively new organisation although both directors have a wealth of experience in their fields of expertise. We started our foundation building in November 2013. Our time initially was taken up with registering the service with CQC and ensuring all our policies and procedures were in place.
Our first service was purchased in May 2014, planning permission was sought and it was extended and renovated to a high specification. This property became ready in March 2015. Please look at our
CLBD have recruited staff from varying backgrounds. Some with experience of working with individuals that may challenge and some with a like-minded value base. Families and service users have been part of the recruitment process.
Debbie has worked for the NHS for the last 16 years working up to a senior level leaving in November 2013 to set up CLBD Ltd. During her time within the NHS she was an enthusiastic and dedicated senior nursing professional gaining considerable expertise in the management and delivery of person centred care services in Mental Health care and Learning Disabilities settings.
Richard is a successful businessman holding directorships in the property and construction business where he specialises in the building of new homes. At a personal level he has experience of adopting into his family a person who had enduring mental illness and learning disability, providing her with her own accommodation and supported her through the challenges of integrating her into the mainstream mental health services. This was brought about because of several unsuccessful placements which resulted in her receiving poor quality of care.
Richard will be responsible for driving the business forward dealing with management, administration, property and financial matters.
I completed by Mentorship training with Canterbury University and I now have the honour of mentoring student nurses, which helps me to maintain my own good nursing practice and to have 'fresh eyes' on the service we are providing. I worked as a Community Learning Disability Nurse in Kent for several years before joining an Educational focused company covering Southampton, Bournemouth and the New Forest working and supporting a wide range of clients with mild to severe learning disabilities and all with extreme behaviours that challenge services.
I joined CLBD shortly after their first service opened this year, in May. The home I currently manage is a small bungalow with three male clients. The aim of our service is to provide a relaxed, comfortable and happy home environment with caring and professional staff. We all work towards giving our service users an enjoyable and happy life while supporting them through difficult times and encouraging and guiding them with new skills and independence.
I started my career working as a Domiciliary Carer Twenty five years ago. I used to visit the elderly in their own homes, within that time I used to look after a young Downs Syndrome lady with behaviors that challenge and a young man with Autism this helped me to make a career move into a residential home for Learning Disabilities and behaviors that Challenge. I started as a support worker and over the period of a year had worked myself up to a deputy Manager which I did for 7 years. I completed my NVQ Health & Social Care level 2, 3 and 5. I felt the time was now right for me to manage a home myself I wanted to pass on my experience to my own staff team to give the young adults we support a fun and loving life style with a homely environment and learn new skills to be as independent as possible.
I joined CLBD in October this year 2015 I manage 2 small bungalows that sit next to each other with a joint garden. The service users that live there are three young men in their early twenties. We keep a close relationship with the parents of our young men and involve them of their progress. Being a mother of five sons I understand how important this is.
CLBD are committed to the learning and development of our team. We provide:
We purchase outside providers to deliver First Aid, Autism Sensory Awareness, Mental Health and Epilepsy and Safeguarding. We aim to promote our good work through best practice days.
Manual Handling training has been provided for identified staff that work with Individuals that have complex mobility needs. Our PROACT-SCIPr-UK® instructors provide specialist training around individual/service specific needs as well as the compulsory 2 day introductory course. If it is felt at assessment or monitoring of an individual that specific training is required this will be implemented at the earliest opportunity.
Where possible we hope to provide bespoke services for individuals to meet their specific needs. CLBD recognises that every prospective service user and their families should have the opportunity to choose a home which suits their needs.
this can be obtained from several sources both within our own internal companies and outside agencies. Each tenant will be issued a tenancy agreement specifying the terms of their tenancy. We understand that some of our service users may not have the capacity to understand the tenancy agreement however all possible avenues will be sought to help them through this process.
CLBD have recognised the need for respite accommodation and are currently looking for suitable accommodation to support this need. We have the ability to go into the home environment should the family require this, this will need to be agreed with relevant commissioning authorities.
We are currently in the process of purchasing a property for three individuals where we will provide the care and support them to budget for their household bills whilst empowering them to lead an independent life within the community. This property will be in the Medway vicinity.
One of the bungalows was commissioned for a single person service. Family had full involvement in this project. Previously this young man had limited access to his personal belongings which resulted in high levels of challenging behaviour. Several wall spaces now provides a library of his DVD’s and videos.