Author: Paula Palmer

Trustee

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

Services For Independent Living Seeks New People

Services for Independent Living (SIL) is a multi-award winning Herefordshire based charity which supports disabled and elderly people to gain and maintain independence and live the lives they want in their own homes and communities. SIL works across Herefordshire supporting approximately 300 people and employing around 130 staff.

We are currently looking for additional trustees to join our Board. Trustees of charities work with the managers to develop future plans and steer the organisation. It’s a rewarding and enjoyable role that can make a real difference to the lives of the people we support.

We are looking for people with good interpersonal and team working skills. In particular, we are seeking people with lived experience of disability and/or financial or financial accounting knowledge. At least half the members of our Board have experience of disability. You do not need to have been a trustee before as support is available when you start from existing experienced trustees. SIL is a welcoming and accessible organisation that is looking for people from all sectors of the community, who can bring diverse experience to the Board. The Board meets each month.

Angela Higham, Chair, said ‘SIL is a wonderful organisation to be part of, its success is largely due to the joint working between our Trustees and the highly effective Senior Management Team. We are looking for people that can join us as we look forward to an exciting period of growth and development’

If you are interested in joining SIL as a trustee, contact Euan McPherson, Chief Executive on euan.mcpherson@s4il.co.uk or 01568 616653 for an application pack.

Downloads

Trustee Job Description

Trustee Person Specification

Recruitment video featuring current Trustee Board members.

SIL – Best Place to Work 2022

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

In October 2022 Services For Independent Living (SIL) won the coveted Hereford Times Health and Social Care Best Place to work award. 

We had long been utilising the hashtag #EmployerOfChoice, the title of this blog place to as we strove to promote care work and our mission to be the very best, providing a supportive and professional environment for carers.

Our mission to recognise the overall culture, developed through training, support and leadership,  makes SIL a great place to work. SIL has consistently been a finalist in this category, showing a long-term commitment and success at maintaining an excellent work environment.

What does SIL do best?

SIL has developed a culture where employees are engaged and involved in the way the organisation is run, through involvement in operational planning, participating in task and finish groups looking at specific projects, and an open staff forum where employees can speak directly to Senior Managers and the Chief Executive.

We have developed our in-house training to ensure all staff receive the highest quality support and learning. This is now provided to other agencies and the feedback is over 98% good or excellent. In addition, Mental Health First Aid is part of the mandatory training requirements at SIL, which has encouraged an open culture where people can talk about the things that are causing them stress, anxiety or other mental health concerns and be signposted to appropriate support.

SIL has a monthly prize draw for staff and also rewards their commitment with Easter and Christmas gifts. SIL’s annual awards recognise exceptional individual and team achievements.

In December 2021 SIL gave all staff a 10% pay increase to help with the cost-of-living issues that were developing. SIL has also increased the mileage rate paid to staff to help offset the rising costs associated with running a vehicle.

The open staff forum, staff social calls, WhatsApp groups and video briefings from the Chief Executive have all been used to maintain the sense of ‘team’ during lockdowns and home working requirements and have had very positive feedback from staff. Many office-based staff have continued to work at least part time from home and this has been supported by the organisation.

SIL’s sickness policy includes paid sickness for people who are off work for up to 6 months. SIL also contacts anyone signed off work to see what other support they can provide and offers one-to-one telephone “buddying” to those needing additional support.

All staff have regular supervisions and support.

SIL’s sickness and turnover levels are far lower than the sector average and have been so for the past 5 years.

SIL recruits to most of its vacancies via word of mouth referrals from existing staff…

What SIL staff say:

“I feel respected and supported. There are always opportunities to further your career and interests. Being supported in and out of work means a lot”. Jo

“I enjoy my job. Nice clients, lovely bunch of carers and first company I’ve worked for that give you enough time to travel in between visit”. Trish

SIL were really supportive of me in the early days whilst I found my feet. The training is great; especially the Mental Health First Aid and everyone is treated the same – top to bottom – with respect. It’s like a family and we all help each other out. Sam

We’re the Best – award winner!

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

We’re not usually a company that likes to blow its own trumpet, we prefer to let others do this for us, but this time we’ve made an exception.

We’ve always known that Services for Independent Living (SIL) is a fabulous place to work, in fact we’ve always said it’s the best – and now we have the proof!

At this year’s Hereford Times Health & Social Care Awards Ceremony, SIL was named as the Best Place to Work Award winner.

2022 Herefordshire Health & Social Care Awards held at the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford.

So, what is it that makes SIL such a special place to work? It might be the good rates of pay, the excellent benefits package, or the support and training employees receive during their time with us. It might be the staff events, the free monthly prize draw or the Christmas gifts staff receive, or it may be that the organisation is made up of people who care about others and genuinely want to make a difference to people’s lives. Whatever the reason, SIL has a much higher than average retention rate, and many of its staff have been with the company at least 10 years.

Not only did SIL win this award, but one of its team leaders, Agnieszka Simpkin received the Care Hero Award. This is a great achievement for Agnieszka, but it is also the fourth year in a row that one of SIL’s team of dedicated support workers has scooped this highly coveted award. SIL was also shortlisted in two other categories: Euan McPherson, a finalist in the Mental Health Award, for his work with Hereford Men’s Mental Health, and Linda Jones in the Carer in the Home category.

The Award judges think we are the best place to work, we know we are the best place to work, so maybe you should join us and find out for yourself.

If you are interested in working in a caring profession with people who value their colleagues and their service users, call us for more information about current vacancies on 01568 616653 or email your cv to: hr@s4il.co.uk  

For more information about our services  visit: www.s4il.co.uk

ENDS

growing space - dementia care

Growing Space -helping people grow

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

Rainbows & Cupcakes Older Adult Group

This Dementia friendly group activity session is based at Nant Bran Centre. Activities vary each week and are created with the different aspects of Dementia in mind. They might include arts & crafts, music, quizzes or gentle chair yoga.

Find out more at www.growingspace.org.uk / 01633 810718 or email info@growingspace.org.uk

Click on the image to enlarge and view more details

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

You are invited to join SIL colleagues and service users for an afternoon of tea, coffee and cake in support of Macmillan.

There will be a cake competition for the Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood’s amongst us but for those less culinary-ly equipped an opportunity to partake of a slice or two.

All proceeds will go to Macmillan.

Thursday 29th September 2022, 1 – 3pm at SIL, 1 Owen Way, Leominster

Herefordshire Disability United

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

Herefordshire Disability United (HDU) is run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities.

It’s committee come from a broad variety of backgrounds with a wide range of experiences and skills, intent on improving life within the county.

Herefordshire Disability United is a voice for disabled people and provides an opportunity to speak out on local and national disability issues.

These could be concerns about:

  • Education
  • Employment
  • Transport
  • The Delivery of Social and Health Services
  • The Built Environment
  • Housing
  • Independent Living
  • Information
  • Economic Independence

THIS ORGANISATION CAN BE YOUR WAY OF GETTING YOUR VOICE HEARD ON THINGS THAT MATTER TO YOU!

Disability Networks are working in many districts throughout the country, and make a huge difference for people within their communities by influencing the development of services. They are independent and develop their own agenda. By working together in this way, people with disabilities can have an impact.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? – GET INVOLVED – MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Call the Chair on 07817 473813 or email: chair@herefordshiredisabilityunited.org.uk

Events

What’s the connection? Friday 14th October

Meet Hilary Hall, new Director of Adult Social Care. What are her concerns for those with disabilities and their family/carers

What is the link between Community Hubs and the services we need

New MY Health and Wellbeing Portal. What is linking the NHS and us. How to use it!

Ask Questions. Have you say

To book Click on the link above

Thinking Outside the (Tick) box

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

The UK’s first user-led involvement conference

Come along to the Shaping Our Lives conference on 1st November, an opportunity for marginalised groups to come together and share their thoughts about how we can use our lived experience to make services better, for everyone.

Join online or in Birmingham to hear from speakers about their intersectional experiences as service users. Topics covered will include food poverty, single-parenthood and homelessness. Hear from speakers about their experiences of involvement as a service user from the Muslim, LGBTQ+, Disabled, South Asian and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

There will be lunch and refreshments provided, travel bursaries available for those wanting to attend in person, and there will be BSL interpreters and captioning available.

It promises to be a day of discussions and diversity, an event of open-mindedness and willingness to share and learn from each other.

Book your free place now: https://bit.ly/3QNjeXs,  or email hello@shapingourlives.org.uk

For more information about Shaping Our Lives go to: https://shapingourlives.org.uk/

Maggie O’Neill

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of Maggie O’Neill, our Honorary President. Maggie has been a part of SIL since its very beginnings and has been a trustee for most of that time, only stepping down recently. The Board recently made Maggie Honorary President to acknowledge the vast contributions she made to the organisation. Some people just shine and Maggie shone brighter than most. Rest In Peace.

“Grief is the price we pay for love” – Queen Elizabeth II

“And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief” – William Cullen Bryant

maggie is made honorary president
heart photo

SIL Picnic in the Park

Posted on | by Paula Palmer

On Wednesday 13th July, Services for Independent Living hosted a Picnic on the Park.  Held on the Grange, Leominster, the picnic brought together staff and service users from across Herefordshire’s registered care providers in an informal celebration of social care.

The picnic was organised to help raise awareness of the importance of social care, to recognise the value of all those who work in care to the people they support and to create an inclusive environment for all to enjoy a day out.

Whilst enjoying the sunshine and a lovely picnic, guests were also there to take part in a record attempt; the first world record for the largest number of social care service users and staff in a heart formation taken by drone.  With residents and staff from Hampton Grange & Gwen Walford Nursing Homes, Hereford Rotherwood Healthcare Lynhales Hall Nursing Home, Herefordshire Forbury Home Merrivale Farm, Ledbury Buckfield House ECHO and Leominster’s Mayor Cllr Trish Marsh as well as those from SIL, the Guinnexx World Records adjudicator (No! that’s not a typo, the real deal was a little costly) registered our attempt at 53 people.

Euan McPherson, SIL CEO, commented; “It has been a great opportunity to meet and get to know people who share our belief that people affected by disabilities can live independent lives and actively participate in society, it has been interesting hearing from staff and service users alike about all the activities and opportunities on offer.  We extend our thanks to everyone who came and made this such a lovely event.  We are actively recruiting and hope to demonstrate to anyone who interested in a job in care the value and variety of work undertaken.”

Many of the guests were heard to say what an enjoyable day out it had been so we expect to see many more picnics being organised and perhaps someone will take on the heart photo challenge.

#LovetoCare #SILheartphotochallenge.

Ends

If you are interested in a job at Services for Living please go to our vacancies or call 01568 616653