Eden Futures established four new developments during 2022 increasing the care and support it provides to over 650 service users across 150 sites.  The investment in accommodation in Coventry, Rotherham and Pudsey helped the company grow its service user base by forty-nine units and these will continue to drive company growth alongside new developments in 2023.

Looking forward to 2023, Helen Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, says: “We’re continuing to work closely with all our stakeholders, including registered housing providers and commissioners, to provide much-needed services. Our plans include expansion in Stoke and Leeds and adding complementary sites in Newark, Crewe and Nuneaton. We’ve also identified new areas of growth and will be establishing services in these communities in the next 12-18 months.”

Helen adds: “Despite the sustained lack of funding for the health and social care sector generally, the rising cost of living and workforce challenges, we’ve had a huge focus within the organisation on our people strategy, including attracting, recruiting, and retaining our team – which has shown significant success. We retained our Advanced (Gold) Investors in People (IIP) standard at the end of 2022, putting us in the top 2% of IIP organisations which is a significant achievement.

“We’re proud to have our Eden Influencers and Expert Partners – who are a cross-section of our workforce and those with lived experience – helping us to shape our People Plan and to ensure high quality service delivery.  We have great initiatives planned for 2023 so we can continue to make Eden Futures a great place to work.  Sustained progress and investment are vital so that vulnerable adults across the country can live in appropriate settings and receive the care and support they need in the community.”

Eden Futures has relocated its headquarters from Friary Road, where it had been based for twenty years, to Harlaxton House on Long Bennington Business Park situated between Newark town centre and Grantham.

Developed by Harlaxton Estates, the newly built, open plan offices are in a rural area offering a high-quality working environment with good facilities, nearby amenities and excellent transport links. It has hot-desk space for visiting staff and conference meeting rooms.  Fifty members of staff from core administrative and support functions are now based there.

Commenting Helen Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, explains: “As a flexible and responsive business providing excellent support to our staff and services users, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic we reviewed the way we worked as an organisation. Our move to modern and purpose-built offices represents our response to Eden Futures’ ongoing growth and a commitment and investment to our people, who are our priority.”

We’re delighted and proud to announce we’ve maintained the Advanced (Gold) Investors in People (IIP) standard, which puts Eden in the top 2% of organisations internationally that are part of IIP. It’s the global benchmark for people management, with the accreditation recognised in 66 countries around the world.

It’s a significant achievement and wouldn’t have been possible without the input and involvement of our staff who make Eden Futures a great place to work. We were praised for being a values-based organisation and our assessor witnessed the fantastic work our staff do everyday first-hand.

New specialist independent living accommodation for adults with learning disabilities, autism or complex care needs has opened in Chesterfield. Based in Chesterfield Street, Brampton, the 12-bed supported living service has welcomed its first person who moved into one of the site’s specialist bungalows.

Built by developer Fineroad Ltd for registered provider Inclusion Housing and the commissioning team of Derbyshire County Council. Eden Futures has been appointed by the Council to deliver the care and support packages for the people living there, creating new jobs.

Leah Holroyd, area manager, says: “We support people to be as independent as possible and to achieve what they want to with their lives. We’re delighted to extend our support services locally and look forward to welcoming more people soon and help them settle into their new homes.”

Sarah Waters, business director, Inclusion Housing, adds: “We’re delighted to see this new Eden Futures development open to move people out of residential care and into supported living. The development already has a healthy pipeline of enquiries.”

Dave Whittock, director of service development at Eden Futures, says: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic we’re moving forward with our plans to meet the shortage of specialist supported living services which are much needed in communities. We welcome applications for support worker posts for the Chesterfield service.

“With plans for new services in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East, we’re recruiting for 250 further posts over the next few years. We want to attract people who don’t just work in the sector already, but those with no experience who want a new and exciting career. We’ll ensure team members are equipped with the skills and necessary training to provide specialist assistance for the people we care for and support.”

If you know someone who might benefit from a supported living place in Chesterfield, you can email referrals@nulledenfutures.org.

To join Eden Futures’ team, visit https://www.edenfutures.org/work-for-us/search-jobs/ or email recruitment@nulledenfutures.org

Eden Futures has appointed Helen Stokes as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Helen joins from CareTech, a provider of high-quality care and support across the whole health and social care spectrum for children and adults, where she was Managing Director for Specialist Services. She succeeds Dawn Berry who is stepping down after nearly seven years with Eden Futures.

Christa Echtle, Chairperson at Eden Futures, says: “We’re delighted to welcome Helen, who has over 25 years working in and leading health and social care settings, to Eden Futures. Helen and the team will continue to focus on expanding our services, enabling us to support people to be as independent as possible.”

Commenting Helen Stokes said: “I am delighted to be joining Eden Futures at this exciting time for growth, and I am looking forward to leading the organisation in providing great outcomes for those we support.”

Less than a year since its opening, Eden Futures’ supported living development in Nuneaton is nearly full, with plans in place for a further development to be built in the town in the coming years to add extra capacity.

The development, in a central location of Attleborough, includes fourteen self-contained apartments for people with learning disabilities, mental ill health and autism. Eden Futures was appointed by Warwickshire County Council to deliver the care and support packages for the people living there.

Dave Parsons, Team Manager, said: “We support people to be as independent as possible and to achieve what they want to with their lives. The development has been successful in moving people, who are working age adults, out of residential care and into supported living within their own community.

“The high level of enquiries and referrals for placements is such that we could fill the remaining apartments tomorrow, but we need to recruit more staff before we can do that. We’re actively looking for eight permanent members of staff to join our team of support workers in Nuneaton.”

Dave Whittock, director of service development, says: “Commissioned by adult social care services and delivered by Eden Futures, in partnership with registered provider Inclusion Housing, this development is an important part of local services. But we urgently need more specialist staff to support people, not just here in Warwickshire, but across the country. This takes the pressure off acute care and hospitals and allows people to live independently.”

J lives in the development and is supported by Eden Futures’ team. She says: “I’ve really struggled with my mental health over the years, so badly that I tried to take my own life, meaning that I now need support from staff for a lot of the day.

“I was so ill that I stayed in a hospital for two years and whilst I still tended to self-harm, medication helped me a lot. This enabled me to move out of hospital into supported living about three months ago, and I’ve been doing well. The care and support the Eden Futures team give me is great, the best I’ve experienced really. It’s helping me to overcome my anxiety and worries about living by myself, which is giving me a brighter outlook on life.”

To join Eden Futures’ team please visit the jobs page or email recruitment@nulledenfutures.org