Welcome to the sixth issue of our Newsletter. 

We recognise that many of you work across different teams and often remotely from one another. This occasional bulletin is one way for us to stay connected and to share news, updates, and stories from across Northern Lifetime.

It has been another busy and rewarding year, with the exceptionally hot and dry summer bringing some additional challenges for everyone. There have also been plenty of memorable moments, with clients and their carers enjoying trips, activities and even a few adrenaline-fuelled adventures.

Throughout it all, we continue to see the remarkable flexibility, teamwork and dedication that make such a difference to the people we support.

Colander capers

Sometimes the best days can be the ones that don't quite go according to plan. 'H' and her support team had hoped to do a spot of eclipse watching, but when they couldn’t source the required viewing glasses in time, some improvisation was called for.

“Claire made the viewing equipment out of boxes, which was fun in itself,” explains 'H's Support Worker and Team Leader, Gail. “The laughter started straight away when H and I had the boxes the wrong way round and couldn’t see a thing!”

Once they had finally mastered the art of using them, inevitably the clouds rolled in. But that certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, and we still managed to catch some of the eclipse.

There was also the small matter of the colander. “We obviously didn’t realise it was supposed to be used with a piece of paper – and not as headwear!”, jokes Gail.

It may not have been the most technically accomplished evening of astronomy, but it marked the eclipse, kept everyone entertained for a couple of hours and, most importantly, provided plenty of laughter along the way.

Taking the Heat

So, a big thank you to everyone who demonstrated resilience, flexibility and loyalty to our colleague and clients, going above and beyond to find a way through recent challenging times. 

One for the Diary  

We are hosting two Christmas get togethers again this year for our clients and support workers, one in Sheffield and one in Newcastle. Your Case Manager will send you your invitation. 

Our Sheffield Christmas event will take place on Wednesday 9th of December (noon-4pm)

Our Newcastle Christmas event will be held near to Newcastle on Wednesday 2nd of December (from 12:30pm)

Please do make a note in your diaries, if you haven't already, and let Gemma know if you will be coming along - see you there!

gemmabradshaw@northernlifetime.co.uk , or call 07542 333 234.

Concerts for carers

Concerts for Carers is a charity that offers discounted – and sometimes even free – tickets to live events for paid care workers. And the good news is that anyone working for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered organisation – which includes Northern Lifetime - is eligible.

As you might imagine, it’s not always possible to get tickets for the most sought-after events, but it's certainly worth a look to see what takes your fancy.

It’s not all just big-name gigs either. Currentl listings include comedy from Greg Davis, Bill Baily and Romesh Ranganathan; music from Deep Purple, the Manic Street Preachers and  Hans Zimmer. There's even daytime silent clubbing for the over 30s in -  wait for it - Manchester and Newcastle Cathedrals! It could be worth a look, visit www.concertsforcarers.org.uk

Zipping along

At least two of our clients have enjoyed specially tailored adventures this year. One leapt into a lake for a spot of waterskiing with Access Adventures (www.accessadventures.co.uk) in Staines, just west of London, while another intrepid client had a terrific stay with Calvert Kielder (www.calvertkielder.org.uk), beside Kielder Water in Northumberland.

Among a range of action-packed activities accessible to people with disabilities at Calvert Kielder, our client even had a go on the zip-line - a tremendous opportunity to experience something she wouldn’t normally be able to do.

Both organisations specialise in making outdoor activities possible for disabled people.

Big Thanks!

We ask everyone to keep on top of their training, as it’s directly linked to the skills and knowledge we need to continue providing the best possible care – as well as meeting Care Quality Commission requirements. Thank you to all of you for keeping up with this essential professional development.

Staff Matters

We’d like to say a big newsletter welcome to Hayley, who, after doing sterling work on our admin and training, has become a permanent member of the Northern Lifetime Admin team, joining Gemma and Mandy.

We are also delighted to welcome Tracy Banks, who brings considerable experience of working with children and young people with brain injuries, and has joined Northern Lifetime as an Associate Case Manager.

My name is Richard and I'm the communications person at Northern Lifetime. If you have any inspirational client, support worker, or case manager stories that you would like to share, email me at richardgreen@northernlifetime.co.uk

Our client Paul has moved into his new home.

When I spoke with him, he was sitting with his team leader Matt, with sunlight streaming through the patio doors and falling across the grass outside.

Paul moved into his new home in Blaydon just in time for Christmas last year. As well as being famously named in the Geordie anthem ‘Blaydon Races’, Paul was quick to highlight another local point of pride, Blaydon Rugby Club. Wearing his England rugby shirt, he told me “It’s only five minutes away by car,” he said. “There’s a bar, they host games and even have car boot sales.”
 
Rugby clearly remains an important part of Paul’s life. He shared that he used to play at county level and recently enjoyed going to watch Newcastle Falcons, describing the atmosphere as very welcoming.
 
When asked about his favourite part of the new house, Paul didn’t hesitate. “Believe it or not, it’s the kitchen,” he said, smiling. “There’s loads of space for a table—the kitchen in my last place was much smaller.”
 
And overall? “To be perfectly honest,” Paul added, “the new house is even better than I thought it would be.”
 
Like anyone settling into a new home, Paul already has plans. At the top of his list are a few improvements to make the space his own, starting with additional cupboards to create more storage.
 
It was a real pleasure speaking with Paul and Matt. Moving into his own home is a massive milestone, and it’s tremendous to see Paul so positive and settled. Thanks to everyone in Paul's support team who helped him achieve this - we wish him all the very best as he continues to make this new house his home. Good luck with those cupboards!

A pitch perfect presentation 



We are incredibly proud of Victoria, who, alongside her OT colleague Gemma from Rehabilitate Therapy Ltd, contributed to a fascinating conference day exploring all aspects of Independent Living Trials. Victoria’s intriguingly titled presentation, “Mr C – The Man Who Lived Defiantly in Slippers,” was powerful and thought-provoking, and stood out as a highlight—bringing to life the realities, challenges and rewards of truly person-centred care.

The conference organiser shared glowing feedback, noting that Victoria’s session was consistently rated “excellent”. Delegates described the talk as “a tear-jerker,” “heartfelt and inspirational,” Feedback referred to Victoria really bringing the case alive, that it was a “lovely and very person-centred story”, and that it had changed people’s perspective. The talk clearly hit the mark, and was praised for its powerful illustration of positive risk-taking, teamwork, and in “meeting clients where they are”.

It was a pleasure working with Victoria on this, the organiser added, recognising the thought, care and professionalism that helped make the whole event such a success.

BABICM Advanced Practitioner

We were also delighted to celebrate Victoria’s recent achievement of achieving Advanced Registered Practitioner status with the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers. This highly respected accreditation reflects significant expertise in complex case management, requiring rigorous portfolio submissions and peer assessments. It is a fantastic accomplishment - we are so proud to see Victoria’s dedication and skill recognised at this level 

One MAR Thing 

We have recently carried out a thorough review of all our medication procedures, approaching this with the same level of rigour as if we had just undergone a Care Quality Commission inspection.

As part of this process, we held a very valuable meeting with our Team Leaders. Their insight is essential—you are working closely with clients every day after all—and we are extremely grateful for the time and expertise shared in helping us strengthen our procedures.

These improvements have been made for an important reason: to ensure the safety of both our clients and our staff, and to meet all regulatory requirements. The MAR (Medication Administration Record) is a legal document, and the introduction of weekly MAR submissions by Team Leaders is an important and positive step forward.

We fully recognise that changes to processes can be challenging. What has been achieved so far is significant though, and we do not take that lightly, your professionalism and adaptability have made this transition possible.

As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions as we continue to refine and improve. Thank you for your help with the new MARs procedure, we appreciate it. 

One for the Diary  

I know it is a long way off yet, but just to let you know that we plan to host two Christmas 'get togethers' again this year, for our clients and support workers, in Sheffield, and in Newcastle.

The Newcastle event will be at lunchtime on Wednesday 2nd of December at The Badger, Ponteland NE20 9BT.

The Sheffield event will be at lunchtime on Wednesday the 9th of December at the Sandman Signiture Sheffield Hotel, S4 7YA.

Do please make a note in your diaries and save the date. We'll be in touch with exact times and more details nearer the date.

My name is Richard and I'm the communications person at Northern Lifetime. If you have any inspirational client, support worker, or case manager stories that you would like to share, email me at richardgreen@northernlifetime.co.uk

Andy had a wonderful break and travelled with his support worker Matt, and although checking the weather forecast on the day before, which predicted lots of rain, Andy said that apart from a two-minute shower, the weather was good the whole time.

They visited Kilkenny, and the highlight on this trip was the pretty town of Waterford, with its lovely harbour. It made Andy feel quite emotional being back there he said, reminiscing about the old days.

A fan of townscapes and architecture, Andy did float to me that he 'would like to go to Bruges at some point too'. Watch this space eh. 

Lifetime Achievements

Looking back over the last five years that Northern Lifetime has been in existence in its current form, it's impossible not to be impressed by the sheer number of milestones that have been achieved by our clients. It is testament to their resilience and patience, but also hard work and dedication of their support workers.

Achievements come in all forms and sizes, and acknowledge the effort that goes into make them a reality.

We have seen all manner of milestones and achievements, from a client beginning their accountancy studies, another passing their GCSE's, and another their driving test.

One client has chaired their first MDT meeting, while another has ventured back on a holiday for the first time since their accident, and several others have taken the massive step of moving into their own homes.

Crossing one of life's stepping stones doesn't always come with a certificate, but they can be just as important. On the music front, a client has taken up the kazoo, while another has done her first DJ-ing gig. Another client is losing weight by becoming more involved in cooking their own meals, while another has taken up going to the gym.

Heather's all terrain power chair was delivered in the summer and has revolutionised the way in which she is able to move about. So far she has been testing it out near and far, including at Monkey World in Dorset.

This lovely still life was painted by Mary earlier this year. Since taking up painting she has produced several pictures that have since been framed, proudly hanging on friend's and family's walls.

Gone to Grounds

Did you know that there are 92 football stadiums in English Football leagues - from the Premier League down to League Two? Our Support Worker Team Leader Lee Brown certainly does – he’s walked to every single one of them, virtually. 

Lee is a Support Worker Team Leader, father of one, and cancer survivor; and despite several surgeries, chemo and Covid, and while at his lowest ebb, he began a love affair with walking when he discovered lejog (Lands End to John O’Groats Virtual Challenge).   

Like many of us in these tricky times he re-evaluated what mattered most to him and how he wanted to spend his time, focussing on getting out into nature and the simple pleasures of walking, jogging and cycling.   

Cue Lee and his son’s love of football, and in particular their support for Sheffield Wednesday, where he and his son go to watch games whenever they can. Lee bought his son a map of the 92 stadiums for Christmas ’21, and it sparked the idea of knitting together the 92 into a healthy and fun quest. 

And so he developed The Virtual 92 Challenge.

The idea is that every time you go for a run the distance is logged and added towards the journey length to the next football stadium on the list, until you arrive virtually triumphant from your 2,222-mile homage to the beautiful game. 

If you feel that you and your colleagues and clients might benefit from a goal to aim for, as it were, you can learn more and register at virtual92.com