Another inspiring win for Selwyn!

Have you ever been so inspired that you were lost for words?

On the last evening of September 2022. Helen Orford, Managing Director of Discovery left colleagues speechless when recounting how a team went above the call of duty when a person’s support broke down.

Just like Donna Smith, Discovery’s Referrals and Assessment manager says –

“Selwyn house, what can I say?”

So, Paul Kitto, Selwyn House Locality Manager, captured them in the poem below (he is never lost for words!):

“Selwyn house, what can we say?
We strive to make a difference every single day
If you need us, then request our support
Let us be your go-to and not a last resort
Person-centred care comes in many different shapes
Were upskilled and ready here in short breaks
So in closing, what can we say?
Always remember we’re one call away!”

-Paul Kitto

Selwyn may leave you speechless, but today we have a lot to say about why the team are no strangers to winning awards.

See what we mean here:

Donna nominated Selwyn for how they responded to a request for urgent respite for a gentleman in hospital and looking for a permanent place to live.

You see, short break services like Selwyn are intended to give people we support a mini break and families a little relief from their primary caring responsibilities. However, often, they are used to prevent crisis or step in when a person’s home situation has begun to deteriorate.

Here, she tells the story:

“Paul (not his real name) was looking for supported living whilst staying with his dad short term because his carer could no longer support him. Unfortunately, he got admitted to hospital just before Christmas, and when he was due to be discharged, his father was not able to support him, so he had to stay in hospital for Christmas, and even worse, Dad was unable to visit due to Covid rules. That’s when I looked to Selwyn because I knew if they could, they would — keeping in mind they must accommodate people who regularly access respite too.”

Luckily, they were able to support Paul.

Donna recalls how when he arrived, Paul was in a bad way, unkempt, not looking at all well, and his self-managed diabetes was not in a good place:

“The team couldn’t deliver the diabetes support because it was a clinical task, so Selwyn contacted the hospital to get the medication needed. As he arrived in the evening, you can imagine how difficult that was, but they managed to liaise with the hospital and formulate a plan to support Paul to get back on track together.”

Selwyn supported Paul to maintain a healthy diet too, and as a result, his insulin intake reduced, his diabetes stabilised and he started to look well. All within two weeks with somebody they had never met before! Whereas Donna…

“I met Paul when he attended a day service I worked at, so I’ve known him quite a few years. I remember him walking around happy. So, when I took the referral on, I told his dad I knew him, which was a weight off his shoulders. I was worried about him in hospital because people with learning disabilities don’t always get the support they need. It wasn’t easy, but Selwyn always comes to the rescue. They do anything they can. The team is so passionate and dedicated, from the manager right the way through to the support workers. That’s why they get the results. I can’t praise them enough.
I know everybody appreciates what they do, but it’s become the norm now. Sometimes we let appreciation slip, and what they’ve done for Paul and his well-being is fantastic.”

Selwyn aren’t the only ones to win award, Donna won a well-deserved Outstanding Contribution Award too!

*Donna receiving her award from Richard Crompton, Discovery Board Chair

The Dimensions group (which Discovery is a part of) has been officially accredited as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces by the Great Place to Work Institute for two years running. Additionally, this year, we received a “Wellbeing” award and a “Great Workplace for Women” award.