From the everyday moments to the exceptional ones, we're proud to share with you the Consensus Impact Report for April 2023 - March 2024. Where every moment matters.
Impact Report 2023/24
“
Where every moment matters.
I am delighted to introduce the Consensus Impact Report for April 2023 to March 2024.
of colleagues across the organisation and a measure of how the Consensus team has worked together to make our culture one where great people, supporting people to lead their lives, is simply what we do. As part of the Great Place to Work® accreditation, Consensus has been listed on the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2023 list and achieved recognition as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2024. Through this we have reaffirmed our commitment to creating an environment where every moment matters for our colleagues. Creating a workplace culture where every team member feels valued, supported, and inspired to bring their best selves to work each day means that our teams can enjoy their roles and deliver their best every day. Our ‘One Step at a Time’ sustainability campaign was launched this year and is rooted in the belief that every small action contributes to a greater impact. It has been wonderful to witness the enthusiasm and dedication with which our colleagues and the people we support have embraced this challenge, taking so many positive steps that impact on our environment, our communities and our people. It is through the delivery of each sustainability commitment that we are able to deliver a more sustainable future, demonstrating that together, we can make a significant difference.
It’s a year that has been filled with exceptional achievements, both from our colleagues and the people we support. The incredible impact that colleagues have had as they have worked together to support the people who live in Consensus services is evident throughout the report in the stories of personal achievement, personal growth and amazing outcomes. At Consensus we start and finish with our commitment to quality, not just in the support we provide, but in enhancing the overall quality of life for the people we support . By focusing on the person, our people across Consensus have been true to our vision of making every moment matter for those we support, empowering them to live their best lives with independence, dignity, and joy. From the everyday achievements to the exceptional ones, each interaction highlights our dedication to ensuring that every moment is meaningful. We can only support people to have a great quality of life through a great team, and in the last year we have made changes to how we work to bring innovation, fun and inspiration to the workplace. Becoming certified as a Great Place to Work® is testament to the hard work and dedication
Our passion for supporting people to have the best quality of life extends to the quality of the accommodation in which people live. We have refurbished and updated many of our services throughout the year and added 27 new places in four new services. Every day our teams are working to ensure that we provide accommodation of which we are proud , and where people can truly live great lives. I am incredibly proud of Consensus this past year - the progress we have made, the lives we continue to touch, and the positive impact we have on our colleagues and communities are a direct result of the passion and dedication of every colleague. I hope you enjoy reading about the journey, the stories and the incredible results. Paula Keys, CEO
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Great Place to Work
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Great Place to Work Wellbeing Consensus Academy
Our purpose is to provide high-quality specialist support to people with complex needs, in accommodation of which we are proud.
Contents.
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Exceptional Colleagues Emmanuel’s Career Journey From Service Manager to Referrals Manager Demonstrating Exceptional Leadership Fish Philosophy in Action
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Our Impact in 2023 - 2024
Our vision to be known for being a place where every moment matters.
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Best Quality of Life
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Inspiring Stories Stephen’s Thirst for Life Meet Jo, The Hospital Sat-Nav Keith’s Amazing Journey Award Winning Volunteering The Musical Maestro, Octavius
To achieve this, our mission is to:
Provide the best quality of life for the people we support, ensuring every moment matters for every person, every day.
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Environments to Flourish
25 25 26 27 27 28 28 28 29 30 32
Amazing New Places The Beehive
The Woodlands Dyscarr Grange Colne Bungalows
Passionately deliver an exceptional working environment, and be a great place to work for every colleague.
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Quality Support Quality Assurance Framework Say Hello to Q Outstanding Care, Outstanding Outcomes Safeguarding Let’s Get Digital
Fun at Consensus Consensus in Bloom Consensus Voices Forum Art & Possibilities A Year of Fun around Consensus Christmas at Consensus
Sustainably grow our organisation to offer wonderful new homes and the very best environments for people to flourish .
Creating Opportunities Top Quality with Tammy Introducing our Expert Co-Trainers Director of Deliveries
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Sustainable Steps Sustainable Stories
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73% of our workforce are women; and
90 % of our colleagues agreed they can be their true and authentic selves at work
92% Good & Outstanding
88% of our Senior Leadership Team are women
99 Services
73% Trust Index Score of colleagues agreed Consensus is a Great Place to Work
88 ideas submitted to
26
Sustainability Champions
Our New Website
99% of colleagues completed
www.consensussupport.com
no. 37 604 Best Workplaces Super Large Category people supported in Consensus services.
the Oliver McGowan elearning
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MHFAiders
Launched in Summer 2023: Where every moment matters.
Creating 27 new places for people to call home...
We opened 4 new services across the UK
30%+ Colleagues paid at or above the Real Living Wage.
Delivered
112,953
hours of training
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Best Quality of Life
Inspiring Stories. From the everyday moments to the exceptional ones - we love to celebrate inspiring achievements and see the people we support embrace every moment life has to offer. Here’s a small glimpse into the many great outcomes our teams have helped to create for the people we support across Consensus this past year.
Stephen’s Thirst for Life. Over the two deacdes he’s lived with Consensus, Stephen has consistently strived to increase his confidence and independence, filling each day with meaningful activities. Stephen has never let Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) stop him from achieving his dreams and living life to the fullest. Through education, choice, and tailored support, this year we’ve found him:
Cooking up a Storm Despite historical restrictions on access to food for people with PWS, Stephen has been supported to spend more time in kitchen – meal prepping, cooking, and embracing a healthy relationship with food.
Two Volunteering Roles Stephen enjoys work so much, that he now volunteers in two charity shops – sorting donations, organising the store, and learning how to work the till. He’s been absolutely thriving, giving back to his community.
Travelling the World When he’s not making the most of his time at home and work, you’ll find Stephen planning his next adventure, which this year included a 5 day trip to Disneyland Paris. Now that’s magical!
Read More
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Meet Jo, The Hospital Sat-Nav.
Award Winning Volunteering.
What’s your superpower? Jo’s is being a walking hospital sat-nav – put to perfect use in her volunteering role at the local hospital, where she meets and greets visitors and ensures they are well taken care of. Jo loves her role as a Greeter , and making sure people get to where they need to be on time and with a smile on their face. Passing her training courses with flying colours, we know this is the start of something brilliant, and we are all proud of Jo for her achievement and commitment.
Having volunteered at her local charity every Wednesday for the past 3 years, Veronica’s volunteering at ‘Bexhill Warming Up The Homeless’ has had a real positive impact for the homeless people of Bexhill. Getting stuck in with anything and everything that needs to be done, building relationships with her fellow volunteers - it’s fantastic to see how Veronica’s passion for helping people is making a positive difference in the lives of others. And it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Fulfilling her duties with pride and care, Veronica has recently been awarded the ‘Best Individual Volunteer Person’ – way to go Veronica!
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Keith’s Amazing Journey.
Weighing a life-risking 172kg at the age of 40, Keith’s struggle with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) was stopping him from living life to the fullest. Desperate to finally find a place where people would fully understand him and find an environment that could support him to thrive, Keith made the move to Clare House in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since.
The Musical Maestro, Octavius.
Following trauma and challenges that significantly impacted Octavius’ daily living skills and independence, when moving into Consensus a decade ago it was clear that one very important thing had not been lost – his love of music. But the keyboard in the communal lounge just wasn’t enough. His goal? To buy his own piano!
Starting his journey to wellness, the team at Clare House have supported Keith to lose a life-changing amount of weight, now weighing an incredible 74.8kg! Working hard with Keith to not only create a balanced diet, but find fun and engaging activities for him to get stuck into to help with his weight loss journey, Keith finally found the support and structure he’d be wanting for years.
With support to find “the one” – a white Yamaha mini-grande, no other would do - Octavius is now enjoying serenading the team with his magical music every day.
By understanding and managing his PWS, Keith’s newfound zest for life knows no bounds. Going on daily walks, boat trips, exploring Scotland’s cities, he is thriving in this new stage of life. “I never thought I could achieve this kind of weight loss. With everyone’s support I now have so much more to look forward to.” Wishing to someday swim in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, we can’t wait to see what else Keith achieves.
Click to hear him play
Read More
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Best Quality of Life
Quality Support.
In order to provide the best quality of life for the people we support, we are committed to continuous improvement and innovation, which has kept us as busy as ever this year - implementing new systems, initiatives and ideas to ensure the very best quality at Consensus.
Quality Assurance Framework. In 2023, Consensus launched a new, dynamic approach to our Quality Assurance Framework.
Introducing a 3-tier audit model where we:
1. Evaluate our services
2. Undertake targeted audits
3. Implement improvement plans
Outstanding Care, Outstanding Outcomes.
These outcomes are measured to continuously inform future quality improvements. This isn’t just about compliance with regulation, but also ensuring the quality of care for the people we support is of the highest standard, always.
Open, honest, inclusive, kind, compassionate, nurturing… and outstanding. Just some of the words used to describe Kingarth in this year’s Outstanding CQC report. This exceptional report is testament to the hard work and expertise of the team, and their commitment to the people we support in creating a wonderful home for people to live and to grow. “The service had demonstrated a proven track record of achieving outstanding care and outstanding outcomes. The positive culture, ethos, vision, and values of Kingarth shone through from the moment you stepped into the service.” Right Support: People were extremely well supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.
Say ‘Hello’ to Q.
In 2023, we introduced Q to Consensus - our ‘fun but knowledgeable’ Quality Team Assistant here to help Consensus colleagues with all their quality-related questions.
Q’s been busy:
Keeping everyone updated on upcoming news
Launching exciting new projects
Right Care: Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks; this area was an exemplar of outstanding practice.
Sharing and promoting good practice
Right Culture: People were supported by staff who comprehensively understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments, or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate, empowering, outstanding care that was tailored to their needs.
Providing guidance on how to implement any changes to policy and processes.
Being available to answer everyone’s emails.
Read all about it
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De Parys
Blakeney House
“Staff were passionate about involving people in making choices about all aspects of their support. They told us how they supported people to be independent by showing them how to do things or by only helping people when they asked for support.”
“The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives”
CQC, September 2023
CQC, March 2024
Our Services
With an Overall Rating of 92% across all regulated services
Good & Outstanding:
We are regulated and inspected by:
89% 100% 100%
Let’s Get Digital.
This year we have kicked off our digitalisation journey, bringing significant benefits to both the people we support and our colleagues across the organisation. We’ve digitalised our records management and incident reporting across all services nationwide, giving colleagues back more time to spend with the people we support.
Safeguarding. To continue ensuring that keeping people safe sits at the heart of the care and support we provide, 2024 sees our Quality Team launch a new approach to safeguarding, encompassing our values and cementing our consistent commitment to safeguarding.
Benefits
Nourish Our new care management system is centred around the people we support, with accurate and efficient recording of support and risk plans, health needs, daily records and activities, DoLs, and any other important documentation that helps us to deliver the best support possible. Radar Healthcare Our new quality and risk incident reporting system provides an all-in-one solution to managing and reporting incidents. With audit functionality, this compliments our Quality Assurance Framework and will enable us to track outcomes of our auditing work.
Efficiency & Effectiveness Accessible from any device at any time, our teams get to minimise the manual admin, and maximise the time spent delivering care. Risk Governance We’re enhancing our risk oversight, with ‘real time’ data at our fingertips to allow faster proactive response. Improved Quality of Life We’re empowering the people we support, and their families, by increasing engagement with their records. They’re able to record their needs and wishes to help better achieve their goals and ambitions.
Across all Consensus services we are committed to the transparent reporting of all matters relating to the safety and wellbeing of the people we support. To do this we provide:
• Comprehensive learning and development resources, including masterclass workshops.
• Online access to safeguarding and whistleblowing policies for all colleagues to access and view.
• Clear, accessible pathways for all colleagues to raise a safeguarding concern or whistleblowing.
• Enhanced relationships with partner organisations facilitating transparency.
• Creating a learning culture where identifying root cause and sharing outcomes enable improvements across all of Consensus.
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Best Quality of Life
Introducing our Expert Co-Trainers. This year, we’ve introduced Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training at Consensus, and to ensure Oliver’s Campaign is fully brought to life, we’ve been hard a work recruiting Experts by Experience to help us deliver the programme as Co-Trainers. Training all colleagues across the organisation, there’s no-one better suited to bringing Oliver McGowan’s story to the forefront than the people we support. Sharing life from their perspective, and education through their experiences, is invaluable. They’re advocating for people with Learning Disabilities and Autism and championing their rights – delivering the best quality of training for us to deliver the best quality of care. We’ve already recruited 17 Experts by Experience across the UK, and in 2023-24, we’ve completed a three-day training programme for 8 of our co-trainers who are now prepped and ready to start delivering the Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training.
Creating Opportunities. The everyday moments are so important to us at Consensus – but having a chance to see the bigger dreams brought to life is rather special. We’re delighted to be able to create opportunities for those we support to be an active part of #TeamConsensus – from individual projects to employed team members, here’s just a little of what we’ve been up to in 2023/24.
Top Quality with Tammy.
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Providing key insights to ensure we consistently deliver the highest quality of care to the people we support, our Quality Checkers are invaluable members of the Consensus team. And when Tammy, who lives in one of our Supported Living services, was looking for ways to make a difference in the lives of others, applying for the role of Quality Checker at Consensus was the perfect opportunity.
Joining the team in 2023, Tammy has been acting as a voice for those with learning disabilities ever since and flourishing in her role. Ensuring people’s needs and concerns are addressed, picking up on small interactions which others often miss, and using her knowledge of Makaton & Sign Language to interact with others (and teach us a thing or two), Tammy’s ability to empathise and connect with people has been a real strength. Learning every step of the way, Tammy has also been supported to complete online training to constantly develop her knowledge in ensuring that each person she interacts with feels valued and cared for. Her humility shines through in her own reflection: ‘I don’t understand why people are moved by me, I must bring something to them… whether it’s that I’m kind, caring, considerate, passionate – I surprise myself!”
Tammy is certainly making every moment matter at Consensus, and we’re so lucky to have her on the team.
Director of Deliveries.
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Meet Joshua, who decided to try his hand at being a delivery man, to share some joy in the run up to Christmas. With the team at Consensus looking for the best solution to distribute communication boxes to our services, Joshua volunteered his time to assist with deliveries to services in and around London. Donning his custom hi-vis, complete with his very own company lanyard, Joshua took on the role of Director of Deliveries and, quite frankly, absolutely smashed it! Showing kindness, commitment, and a desire to spread joy, Joshua really embodied everything that makes Consensus great. The opportunity to achieve his delivery dreams has also made a real difference to Joshua’s confidence and self-esteem - and the entire team are so proud of him.
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Great Place to Work
Great Place to Work®. People are at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our exceptional colleagues. Our passion for people is why, in 2023-24 we were named a Great Place to Work®, a Best Workplace for Women 2023, and one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2024. In 2023, Consensus carried out its biggest and best survey to date with Great Place to Work®, gathering feedback from colleagues across the organisation. We wanted to know what they loved, so we could do more of it. And we wanted to find out where we maybe weren’t excelling as much as we’d like to, in order to drive improvements.
great place to work an environment that is a for every colleague. Making every moment matter in..
The results from the 1321 colleagues who completed the survey were fantastic to see, with highlights including:
Consensus is now officially a Disability Confident Employer, having assessed how we hire, support, and train colleagues. We are grateful for the ongoing support of Consensus colleagues with disabilities for helping us understand how we can become a truly accessible workplace for all.
agreed their work has special meaning, and is not ‘just a job’
say you are made to feel welcome when you join us
said people can be their authentic selves at Consensus
Best Workplace for Women. In 2023/24, 73% of our workforce and 88% of our senior leadership team were women. So being named one of the Best Workplaces™ for Women was a huge honour, knowing so many of our colleagues feel valued and respected. 91% of colleagues agree people are treated fairly regardless of their gender – with feedback showing that our colleagues feel supported to succeed and thrive in their roles.
UK’s Best Workplaces™. As an employer, it is our commitment to provide the very best workplace for colleagues who provide the very best support for the people in their care. That’s why we were delighted to be named on the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2024 list - featuring at number 37 in the Super Large category. To have achieved this recognition in our first year of being a Great Place to Work® demonstrates our commitment to inclusion, quality, and growth – and with consistent innovation, improvement and involvement from our teams and colleagues across the organisation, we cannot wait to see what the future holds for everyone at Consensus.
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Great Place to Work
Wellbeing.
This year we’ve introduced lots of new benefits and initiatives that prioritise the health and wellbeing of our colleagues – including access to a free online GP service when people need it, continued access to anonymous 24/7 counselling services and a tech scheme to purchase new home goods and electronics, spreading the cost across the year.
Consensus Academy.
At Consensus, we never stop learning. It’s essential to ensuring we provide the best possible care for those we support. In 2023, we redesigned the way in which we train and mentor our colleagues to succeed personally and professionally, launching the Consensus Academy.
Mental Health First Aiders. Over the last year, we’ve recruited and trained 53 Mental Health First Aiders in services across the UK. These volunteers complete regular training and reviews to make sure they can provide the best mental health support and advice to any of their colleagues who need it – whether it’s just a chat, finding the service you need or a bit of advice on wellbeing and work.
Here are some of the highlights from it’s first year:
In 2023-24, we...
Leadership Academy.
Inducted 805 new colleagues and delivered 112,953 hours’ of training
• Revamped and launched a new Service Manager Induction – Supporting 8 new managers.
Digitalised the Care Certificate
• Launched Manager Masterclasses training 365 colleagues across 2 programmes.
Launched training to support the reduction of restrictive practices
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• Delivered the Area Director Development Programme – Supporting 12 Area Directors.
Launched new Epilepsy eLearning
Developed shift leading training
Focus on Menopause.
• Introduced formal Coaching for our leaders – working with 11 managers across Consensus.
Partnered with a new Apprenticeship Provider, currently supporting 95 colleagues with apprenticeships Delivered the Reach Standards training to 20 colleagues , a set of nine voluntary standards to ensure people are supported to live the life they choose
We’ve committed to making sure anyone going through Menopause at work has the support they need.
Learning Disabilities & Autism Academy.
• Our regular Menopause Meet-Ups offer a place to get advice and tips or just a friendly ear from other colleagues going through the same experience.
This year we were proud to launch the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, resulting in:
• Our Wellbeing Coach offers 1-on-1 sessions to help colleagues navigate working through the Menopause, or to be a sounding board when you need it. • This year, we celebrated our first World Menopause Day at our Central Support Office with webinars, activities and games to get everyone together and talking about menopause. • We’ve also dedicated ourselves to creating a new Menopause Policy detailing how and when we will support our colleagues, and look forward to its launch.
• 99% of colleagues completed the eLearning module.
• Recruitment of 17 Experts by Experience , and full training of 8 to deliver our Tier 2 Training.
• Training all Regional Trainers to deliver Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Tier 2.
Turn over to read about our colleagues’ development
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Great Place to Work
“I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity to move up through each level of the Consensus career ladder. Having access to training, and colleagues who want you to succeed is fantastic. I am proud to say I have met some wonderful people and work with a great team who make my role at Consensus my dream job. ”
2017 - 2019: Support Worker at Vale House Training included all Consensus core training, Care Certificate, Maybo, and Medication Administration. 2019 - 2021: Senior Support Worker at Royal House Main training in this team leadership role included Buddy Training and Team Leader Training. During his time here, Emmanuel was given the opportunity to work in other local services, developing his experience of working with those with a variety of needs - mental health, autism, learning disabilities, PWS, and complex needs. 2021 - 2023: Deputy Manager at De Parys This promotion saw Emmanuel relocate from the North to the South to support the De Parys team. 2023 - Today: Service Manager at De Parys And Emmanuel is now completing a Level 5 Leader in Adult Care Qualification, together with accessing the training from the Leadership Academy.
Exceptional Colleagues. Consensus is not just a support provider – we’re a community of amazing people dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the people we support. So let’s share a little glimpse into what our exceptional colleagues have been up to this year.
Emmanuel’s Career Journey.
Meet Emmanuel, one of our rising stars. After taking his first ever job at Consensus, he has excelled at every stage of his career, leading to his recent registration with CQC. And in his first inspection as manager, the report read, “The registered manager was described as ‘special’ in relation to their work at the service on more than one occasion.”
Having graduated from Edge Hill University in 2017 with a first class BSc and MA in Sociology, Emmanuel’s desire to make a positive difference in others’ lives was evident from day one. His willingness to do anything and everything needed to provide the best support to the people in his care and his peers, means he is loved by all around him. Even now, in his role as Service Manager, he still considers himself a support worker – as supporting people is what he’s here to do.
From Service Manager to Referrals Manager. At Consensus, we appreciate that a career journey can take many forms – and we love nothing more than helping our colleagues achieve their personal and professional goals. And Sam is testament to that. Following a year as Service Manager at Valley House, Sam’s knowledge, passion, and desire to support as many people as possible to receive the care they deserve, led to his success in applying for our Referrals Manager vacancy last year.
Demonstrating Exceptional Leadership.
Mandy has worked at Consensus for almost a decade and joined us to take on her first role as a Registered Manager after, in her own words, ‘feeling the energy here was just right’.
After successfully managing two services for almost five years, a new challenge presented itself - to lead a service who were struggling without a manager to help support them. After six months in post, an audit from our Quality Checker team, together with feedback from colleagues working with
Starting his new role on a part-time basis in October to learn the ropes, whilst still a Registered Manager for one of our supported living services, Sam joined the Referrals Team full-time in March 2024 – but not before CQC arrived for an inspection on his final week in the service. The inspection was one of the highlights of his career to date – and you can read the wonderful report below.
Mandy showed how much the culture and service had progressed and demonstrated the inspiring nature of her leadership. This year, Mandy has been supporting the team at Deansbrook to really make every moment matter - sharing successes with all, and taking responsibility where there have been challenges. That’s why the team came together to nominate her for the much
Valley House CQC Report
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FISH! Philosophy in Action.
This year, Consensus has be delighted to have adopted the FISH! Philosophy, training our colleagues on four simple yet effective principles that, together, helps us to make every moment matter:
Rowan House implemented a ‘Positivi-Tea’ Corner for colleagues to come and have a cuppa and a positive chat whenever they need it - just wonderful!
The People Team came together from around the UK for a team night out at an escape room to not only improve their teamwork but have fun and be together.
After a hugely successful launch of the FISH! Philosophy training, our colleagues have been thoroughly enjoying putting these principles into action across the business in 2023/24.
The team at Strawberry Fields put their FISH! Philosophy training into action right away - with colleagues dressing up and having some fun , helping to brighten everyone’s day. Those who live and work at Strawberry Fields have found this approach hilarious - and we can certainly see why!
Colleagues have been sending appreciation postcards that recognise everyday moments and exceptional achievements, building a culture of appreciation.
The Marketing Team start their meetings by choosing positivity - sharing something they’re proud of, and what they’re looking forward to in the month ahead.
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Environments to Flourish
The Property Team.
Amazing New Places. To achieve our vision of being a provider who makes every moment matter every day for the people we support, we’re on a mission to create more high-quality homes to help more people to flourish. This year, we’ve been hard at work building and renovating amazing new places to support more individuals to enjoy the best life has to offer.
We’ve loved seeing the improvements our property team have been making in services across the UK this year. Here’s just a small insight into some of the work that the team been doing this year to ensure the homes we provide are wonderful places to live.
Maintenance Contracts have been updated which has resulted in cost savings that help us in working towards a financially sustainable future for Consensus, all whilst maintaining our services to the highest standard. We’ve also had the privilege of bringing on board new suppliers and contractors who have passed our rigorous assessments on quality and sustainability credentials, ensuring we work with people committed to making every moment matter.
Just look at some of the beautiful bathrooms we’ve been working on this year:
Before
After
In 2023-24:
78 ...allowing us to welcome new colleagues to #TeamConsensus
We opened 4 new properties across the UK
Creating 27 new places for people to call home...
56 With another new spaces coming in 2024-25
Before
After
Playden Gardens received a wonderful revamp of their conservatory flooring, thanks to Site Maintenance Officer, Kevin. With an expensive quote, and a lengthy turnaround time, Kevin set to work in finding some beautiful, reduce vinyl flooring that he got to work fitting in no time. Not only is everyone delighted with their swift flooring upgrade, but the unexpected money saved is able to be reinvested into other projects at the service – and we look forward to seeing
The Beehive. Chelmsford, Essex
Before
Introducing The Beehive - a brand new supported living service nestled in the heart of Chelmsford - with 8 luxury self-contained flats, all with their own lounge, kitchen area, bedroom and bathroom. The new team that has helped with opening this wonderful service are constantly buzzing with infectious energy and smiles, which has already been dubbed “The Beehive Affect”. And that joy passes on to the people moving into this service, who are empowered and supported to live a happy, fulfilled life that is centred around everything they love, and the goals they want to achieve.
what other t a l e n t s
Before
After
Opened November 2023
8 Self-Contained Apartments
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Impact Report 2023/24 | Consensus
Burnley, Lancashire
The Woodlands.
Langold, Worksop
Dyscarr Grange.
This beautiful new-build service offers 8 purpose-built luxury apartments that enable the people we support to lead happy and fulfilling lives. What made this project particularly special is that several of the people who now live here were able to visit the site whilst it was still in construction. Donning their hard hats, and exploring what would soon be their new home helped to create a settled and enjoyable transition into the next stage of their lives.
Dyscarr Grange is a newly renovated apartment complex nestled in the heart of the village of Langold, ready to support people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs in their new luxury apartments. When the service opened and the winter months arrived, the outside space looked ready for some love. So once spring had sprung, the team and those who live at Dyscarr Grange set to work on transforming their garden ready for the annual Consensus in Bloom 2024 competition (which they’re quietly confident they’ll win). From planting onions, freesias and pumpkins, to painting wood offcuts to displaying their creativity and artwork outdoors - it’s going to look fabulous!
The team at The Woodlands pride themselves on their passion and commitment to supporting each individual based on their wants, needs and aspirations. Whatever the goal, big or small, The Woodlands team are here to make it happen – and loving every minute of doing so.
Opened September 2023
6 Self-Contained Apartments
As a new service, it’s important to create an environment where everyone feels confident and comfortable in getting to know those around them - so the leadership at Dyscarr Grange organised a Taskmaster BBQ filled with games and fun activities that helped get to know each other. Everyone had a great time eating together, laughing and joining in the fun - demonstrating what a great environment Dyscarr Grange is and will be for those lucky enough to call this home.
Opened January 2024
8 Self-Contained Apartments
28 colleagues providing 921 hours of support
Living His Best Life.
Colne, Lancashire
Colne Bungalows.
David has always had dreams, the most important of all being a trip to Turf Moor to watch Burnley play (and win!). But having lived in a secure hospital setting for over four decades, dreams were all they were, until he stepped foot inside his forever home at Consensus. Meeting the team and planning the move in advance, his new apartment was decorated with his beloved claret and blue, meaning move-in day was smiles all round – ready and raring to go bring those dreams to life. David has fully embraced this new chapter of his life , and is enjoying gaining independence and learning new skills. And his mantra since moving into his new apartment? “I’m living my best life.”
Colne bungalows is a beautiful complex of individual bungalows in Lancashire, offering people the chance for maximum independence as they enjoy living life in their very own home. These dormer bungalows have a beautiful downstairs open plan kitchen and living space, with a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. The team are here to support 24 hours a day, helping people develop life skills, gain confidence, and achieve their goals and aspirations. Whether it’s the important everyday tasks such as financial budgeting and self-administering medication, or whether it’s making amazing dreams come true. The team at Colne Bungalows say that the sky truly is the limit.
Opened September 2023
5 Self-Contained Bungalows
Read more about David
16 colleagues providing 565 hours of support
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Environments to Flourish
Art & Possibilities. Curated by Theresa, one of our very talented artists at Stanley Park Road, April was the launch of our first Art & Possibilities Week, where colleagues and the people we support enjoyed a week of creativity. With a desire to showcase the talents of disabled artists whilst also focusing on the wellbeing benefits that come from tapping into our creative sides, Theresa worked with a project team of Consensus colleagues to create the Art & Possibilities project. Five jam-packed days of arts, crafts, creative writing, baking & cooking, performing arts, and most importantly… FUN! Taking inspiration from Theresa and her incredible artwork, we saw so many beautiful creations expressed throughout.
Fun at Consensus. Consensus is a place where people can flourish, embrace every moment of life, and celebrate every day in so many ways. We love seeing the moments of joy and connection in every interaction, and at the heart of that, is plenty of fun and laughter.
Consensus in Bloom. Every year, during the summer months, our services are invited to take part in Consensus in Bloom – a chance to get outdoors, show off those green fingers, and transform dull spaces into wonderful outdoor havens. Making best use of our sustainability initiatives, the people we support are encouraged to grow their own fruit & veg, upcycle furniture, or even create gardening displays that bring the outside, indoors. From planting vegetables to sowing wildflowers to creating indoor sensory spaces, there’s always a way for people to have fun and get involved – a summer full of smiles & sustainable steps.
Redan Street bringing everyone together for a day of fun, setting up different creative stations for people to try their hand at, with Matthew the art ambassador proudly handing out certificates to all the participants.
Kingston House considerately adapting their jewellery making day to ensure everyone was included, by using coloured penne pasta to make beautiful necklaces (making it easier to thread on string over small beads!)
See our 2023 winners, and enjoy the beauty of their outdoor spaces:
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Consensus Voices Forum. There’s nothing we love more than getting together with others, having fun, learning new things, and sharing our thoughts and ideas – and the Consensus Voices forum is a chance for the people we support to do just that.
The Right Language We enjoyed an open discussion how the right language can make a difference to people, how we can listen better and be mindful of the words we use.
Helping the Recruitment Team A visit from the Recruitment Team meant everyone got to design their perfect support worker. It turns out that if you’re good at cooking, enjoy puzzles, are chatty, arty or even like ballet – then we’ve got the job for you!
Welcoming 46 people to the 5th Annual Voices Forum, we explored lots of topics that will help us shape our services into being even more amazing places to live, with the people we support at the helm.
Event Highlights
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A Year of Fun around Consensus.
6th May 2023 King’s Coronation Parvale House
25th May 2023 Africa Day King Edwards Grove
20th June 2023 Pride Month 46 The Grove
22nd August 2023 National Burger Day Gretton House
9th February 2024 National Pizza Day Kingston House
29th January 2024 Chinese New Year Deansbrook
25th December 2023 Christmas Leofric Villa
31st October 2023 Halloween Heather Holmes
17th February 2024 Random Acts of Kindness Day Rowan House
4th March 2024 British Pie Week Kingarth
14th March 2024 National Sleep Day Perrywood House
31st March 2024 Easter Clare House
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Christmas at Consensus.
Ugly Jumper Day Our colleagues and the people we support also got involved in an Ugly Jumper Day organised by Debbie, who raised an incredible £300 for MIND. Encouraging everyone to have a giggle by wearing the ugliest jumper they could find, we saw an Only Fools & Horses jumper, an elf in Benidorm, and even a hairy chest look going on - proof below!
Christmas Card Exchange In the run up to Christmas, our services across England, Wales and Scotland tapped into their creative sides, coming together to make fantastic Christmas cards to share with one another. Looking to spread smiles, joy & even lists of everyone’s favourite Christmas songs (albeit, with some interesting song choices!) the Consensus Christmas Card Swap connected people all over the UK – having plenty of fun along the way.
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12 Days of Christmas And Christmas didn’t stop there. With thanks to our generous suppliers, we hosted a 12 days of Christmas countdown, with our colleagues winning prizes every day in the lead up to Christmas. From hampers and vouchers to spa breaks and even a Nintendo Switch – we’d like to extend our thanks to our suppliers for helping recognise and celebrate our colleagues’ amazing contributions through 2023.
Betty’s Christmas Miracle And out of the Christmas Card Swap, came Betty’s Christmas miracle. A beautiful story of a lovely lady who left her flat for the first in 10 years all to be a part of a photo for the Phoenix House Christmas card. There were certainly no dry eyes witnessing Betty’s incredible achievement. Click to watch the video: Read More
Come and read more about the Christmas festivities across Consensus on our website:
All the Christmas Fun
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Environments to Flourish
Sustainability Action Group.
Meet our Monthly Sustainability Champion Winners.
Sustainable Steps. In 2023, we kick-started our focus on Sustainability across Consensus , which has resulted in some huge successes, wonderful outcomes, and a real and positive commitment from colleagues across the organisation. Considering that we are an organisation with circa 2000 colleagues supporting over 600 people across 100 locations, implementing new sustainable ways of living and working was always going to be a challenge. But what a fabulous and enjoyable challenge it has been. Let’s find out more:
In 2023, we formed our sustainability action group. Comprising of 26 Sustainability Champions across the organisation, this committee, led by the CEO, includes Senior Leadership, representatives from every department, Area Directors, Service Managers, and four of the people we support. It’s these people who will help us to drive forward our sustainability actions in order to achieve our goals as we move into the next year and beyond.
Darren
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One Step at a Time.
Our sustainability campaign puts the power in our people’s hands to make commitments that are personal and achievable for them. The collective power of many small steps across Consensus will have a greater impact on the world around us. There’s nothing difficult or dull about One Step at a Time. We’re ensuring our colleagues and the people we support are empowered to make positive changes that are enjoyable and actionable – all with the aim of creating a more sustainable future. So, one step at a time, every service and department has committed to three simple sustainable steps, which we are enjoying seeing being brought to life in all corners of the organisation. You can enjoy some of the simple, yet meaningful commitments our colleagues and teams have made this year, below.
Environment In existing services, we’ve made a start with replacing our boilers, installing 19 energy efficient models. In our new services, LED lighting has been used throughout. Engagement in recycling is at 76% , including new WEEE tech recycling, collecting 149 assets to recycle and reuse with 0% waste to landfill - this saved 20,280kg CO2e from reaching the atmosphere. Social We have made a commitment to be a Great Place to Work® for all of our colleagues, achieving a place on the coveted UK’s Best Workplaces™ List 2024, and a Best Workplace for Women. The introduction of our FISH! Philosophy training has been a real highlight of this year, too - bringing about a sense of fun and understanding within our working environments. Governance As an organisation aiming for net zero, the start of our sustainability journey has seen us set out our Sustainability Action Plan - commencing with our Digitalisation programme, and engaging everyone in our Sustainability goals.
Philip
Simon
One coffee cup at a time
One beetroot at a time
One walk at a time
One lunch at a time
One light switch at a time
One bug hotel at a time
I commit to bringing reusable cups to work to cut down on waste.
We’re committed to growing our own vegetables to cook our own meals.
I’m going to walk to work inside of driving, at least twice a week - I don’t live far.
I’ve committed to avoiding meal deals and preparing my lunch every day.
Turning off the lights as I exit the room (or if I see one on!) at home and work.
My commitment is to help the people we support to make outside welcoming for wildlife.
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Sustainable Stories.
In addition to being one of our most talented resident artists, Elliott is also a gifted horticulturalist – and has been demonstrating his green fingers this year by impressing everyone with his vibrant greenhouse. Achieving his goal to cultivate 100 acorns into saplings, Elliott has donated trees to his local area, to be planted and enjoyed by everyone in Ipswich. Elliott’s Oak Trees Read More
Fabulous Fundraising
Pool Cottage went all-out in their fundraising efforts in 2023, raising £336 for Children in Need through fancy dress, painting and crafts, bingo, bake-off and our favourite – Dunk the Manager. With thanks to support workers Courtney and Kari, the whole community got involved, with local businesses donating 50 prizes to help the team raise money and have a lot of fun, too.
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Cleaner Streets
Paul is on a mission to keep the local streets and parks clean – donning his hi-vis vest, and heading out with his litter picker as a New Forest Park Ambassador. Doing something for the local community is really important to Paul, and the work he has done is really important to keep our forests beautiful, healthy and safe for local wildlife.
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Where every moment matters.
Impact Report 2023/24
Consensus Support Services Ltd 3 The Courtyards, Phoenix Square, Wyncolls Road, Colchester, CO4 9PE
0808 223 5320
enquiries@consensussupport.com
www.consensussupport.com
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