Annual Review 2017-18

A message from our Chair and Chief Executive

Neville Kahn
Chair

Dr Beverley Jacobson
Chief Executive

At Norwood, we passionately believe that everyone, irrespective of their abilities or circumstances, has the right to live the most fulfilling lives they can.

We strive to provide outstanding services in the most efficient and effective way possible, continually evolving to ensure that we serve the needs of our community with the best facilities, the best staff, the best practises and the best of care and support that can be provided.

Service values

Our service values have been developed to respond to the challenges Norwood faces and the needs of the community, both people we currently support and people with emerging needs that we feel best-placed to address. These are:

Ensuring that Norwood’s services, and the people for whom we operate them, are the primary consideration in any decision-making in which they may be affected.

The key features of excellence to Norwood are that it is achieved incrementally, that its pursuit is continual and that the benefits are sustainable.

The cornerstones of excellence in this context are:

Safety – a fundamental of the duty of care towards children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Relevance – that Norwood’s efforts are best-directed at the most pressing Jewish need.

Value for money – not synonymous with low cost, but efficient and impactful.

Evidence – understanding impact, developing a deep understanding of performance and sharing successes and areas for improvement and learning openly.

Jewish provision – that is confident, diverse, inclusive and outward-looking.

This will mean different things for each of our services, as they have a different mix of and scope for growth in statutory fees, charging, and trust and donor income. Overall, the aim is to provide continuity of care and support in services.

Workforce values

The work we do and how we behave are driven by our purpose, values and capabilities. These are integral to maintaining a successful organisational culture that equips our workforce to embrace challenge, to continually improve and to meet ambitious expectations of our services.

Last year, we introduced four new workforce values, namely:

• Communicate freely with everyone irrespective of their position

• Accept constructive feedback and be willing to change

• Be accepting of new ideas, solutions and options

• Always work to the best of your ability

• Take pride in the work you do and its impact on others

• Be part of Norwood’s shared goal

• Share best practice and ideas with other colleagues

• Celebrate achievements and recognise the efforts of others

• Listen, respect and consider the views of others

• Be responsible for your own behaviour and consider the impact it has on others

• Take ownership of your decisions and be prepared to explain them

• Above all ensure we have a duty of care to the people we support and the organisation

Norwood Challenges celebrated 25 years

More than 200 cyclists and trekkers, accompanied by 11 inspirational people Norwood support, completed an ‘unforgettable’ week in Israel to celebrate 25 years of Norwood Challenges. They took part in a spectacular series of three cycles and one trek, converging on the coastal resort of Eilat in southern Israel for a weekend of celebrations. As originators of the fundraising challenge concept 25 years ago, we have raised over £26m from treks and bike rides around the world. What continues to make Norwood Challenges exceptional, is that every ride includes some of the people we support (and their carers) on tandems, specially adapted bikes and two feet.

Norwood launched pilot Supported Volunteering programme

For adults with learning disabilities and autism, volunteering can be a life-changing experience; helping to develop new life skills, increase self-esteem and widen social circles. That’s why, thanks to a generous grant from The Max Barney Foundation, Norwood launched a pilot Supported Volunteering programme for people with learning disabilities and autism. With Supported Volunteering, Norwood is giving people who might otherwise be isolated a chance to do something wonderful and life-affirming, while also helping others. It gets to the heart of Norwood’s overarching vision; giving people opportunities to maximise their potential through choice. One key part of the Supported Volunteering programme is that it offers the people Norwood supports the chance to take on voluntary roles outside of the charity and in the wider community.

Sara’s Kitchen grand opening

Sara’s Kitchen, a training kitchen for adults with learning disabilities as well as a working café, at the Kennedy Leigh Family Centre in Hendon was officially opened by former Chief Executive Elaine Kerr on Tuesday, 30 January. The brand new facilities were made possible by the extraordinary fundraising efforts of Food For You, a North-West London based charity set up by a group of female Jewish friends and family in 2004. Committee member Sara Morein sadly died in 2015 and the remaining members decided to release Simply Food For You, their fifth cookbook, in her honour, with the proceeds going towards the exceptional new facilities for Norwood.

30 Old Church Lane received an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Thirty Old Church Lane, home to eight adults with learning disabilities, first achieved the accolade in January 2016 and has maintained its exceptionally high level since, meaning it stays in the top 2% of services (or top 100 homes out of 4,500) in the country. The CQC report praised Norwood for maintaining excellent care: “All relatives and people who used the service we spoke with told us that the home was extremely well managed and people’s needs, choices and expectations were central to the provision of care,” the report reads. “Norwood introduced a number of new innovative schemes and programs to monitor safeguarding and behaviours that challenge the service.” The report also praised Norwood’s staff for embedding positive values in their care, including “choice, promotion of independence and inclusion”.

‘Outstanding’ CQC rating given to specialist autism care home in Berkshire

Following an inspection in May 2018, the CQC found the quality of care provided by Norwood’s Tager Centre care home in Crowthorne, Berkshire, to be ‘Outstanding’, citing in the report that Tager “was extraordinarily person centred and people were seen and responded to as individuals”. “The service was exceptionally responsive and strove to meet people’s aspirations and lifestyle choices. It was flexible and readily adapted to meet people’s changing, diverse and complex needs”, the report read. Tager is one of 12 residential care homes based at our Ravenswood Village; home to 112 adults with learning disabilities and autism.

#BeSocialWise

Norwood launched its #besocialwise campaign on 3 July, inspired by the stories our frontline staff hear every day about the effect social media can have on young people’s mental health. Bullying, anxiety and low self-esteem are just some of the issues that affect the young people who come to us. Campaign ambassador Jodeci Joseph appeared on BBC London and the Jewish Views podcast to promote the campaign, highlighting the effect social media has had on his mental health, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. As well as Jodeci, several publications and high-profile mental health campaigners supported the campaign. The Jewish News ran a major feature praising Norwood for tackling such an important subject. Jonny Benjamin MBE, who once attempted suicide and is now a prominent mental health awareness advocate, said: “Thank you Norwood for tackling the issue of social media and mental health. Love the #BeSocialWise campaign.” Our sister Jewish charity Reshet was another fan of Norwood’s work, saying: “The campaign made us realise how often we just ‘take a peek’ at what others are posting rather than listen to the people sitting next to us. Put your phone away. Watch England win. Live in the moment with friends. No need to post about it!”

The Future is Young

At our 2017 Annual Dinner, we launched a campaign about the difference Norwood makes to the vulnerable young in our community, including Jodeci and Stephanie, two incredibly brave and inspirational people supported by Norwood whose stories we are honoured to share.

Jodeci’s story

Jodeci studies at Hertfordshire University. His battle with anxiety and bipolar disorder started in sixth form, triggered by the stress of exams and high expectations. When Jodeci was introduced to Norwood Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Sue, their weekly sessions had a profound effect on him. “Sue really understood me. She made me see things differently and made me believe I could get out of the mess I felt I was in. Sue has been like an angel in my life and I owe so much to Norwood.”

Stephanie’s story

Since February 2017, Stephanie has lived in Norwood’s state-of-the-art ‘smart home’ in Barnet. The house’s pioneering assistive technology gives Stephanie freedom to live a rich life independently. Mum Judith says: “Living independently is giving Stephanie the confidence to let her sense of humour and mischievous side come to the fore.” Norwood has supported Stephanie and her family for over 21 years. “The early years were traumatic but Norwood was our lifeline. We’ve used a range of services, including a support group for me; play schemes and weekend clubs for Steph; and overnight and weekend breaks at Norwood’s short-breaks facility.”

Jodeci and Stephanie’s stories are just two examples of the vital work Norwood does in our community.

To hear them tell their stories, and to hear the stories of Rebecca, Stephanie, Matthew, Georgia, Jessica, and Jamie please watch the film below:

We have a workforce of over 2,500, made up of 1,250 staff and 1,500 volunteers.

Norwood people are inspiring individuals who share our belief that everyone should be able to live the life they choose. There are thousands of us in the UK, within the Jewish community and beyond, not just celebrities, and expert advisors, but people from every kind of background who all care about Norwood’s vision and want to help make a difference.

Norwood is governed by a Trustee Board. The Trustee Board decides on Norwood’s strategy, which the Senior Management Team then implements.

The Trustee Board delegates some of its work to sub-committees. These are made up of Trustees and a pool of voluntary experts with relevant skills and experience. Together, these lay leaders provide a vital additional resource to Norwood, helping with governance and supporting the Senior Management and their teams.

The Norwood Advisory Council is a group of highly respected people, who are experts in their particular fields and whose expertise is relevant to Norwood.

The Advisory Council meets two or three times a year to be brought up to date about Norwood services and advise on new projects and initiatives. Norwood’s Chief Executive, Dr Beverley Jacobson, attends the meetings to present the latest information and answer questions.

Norwood’s Senior Management Team is responsible for implementing the strategic decisions made by our Trustee Board.

Our Chief Executive, Dr Beverley Jacobson, heads up a professional and experienced senior management team. The team works together to ensure that Norwood makes the best possible use of all available resources. Our aim is to achieve positive outcomes for all the people who use our services.

Through our services – we provide the highest-quality care to transform the lives of over 4,000 children and their families, and vulnerable adults every year.

Our three main areas of services are delivered in a variety of residential accommodation and supported living services, short-break facilities and family centres across London and the South East.

Children and Families

For families affected by breakdown, abuse, disability, mental health problems or who just need some support during times of crisis, we offer a wide range of services, including one-to-one specialist work; social work; parenting training; and therapeutic groups for children, young people and parents. At our Kennedy Leigh Family Centre in Hendon, for example, our weekly support groups offer the opportunity for parents to share knowledge and personal experiences in a confidential and safe space, gain confidence in their ability to parent, make friends, and enjoy some time to themselves while any younger children are looked after by trained staff and volunteers.

Special Educational Needs

From pre-school through to college, we provide specialist educational support to help children with learning disabilities and other barriers to learning to reach their full potential. Our services include educational psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and specialist teaching. This work is offered through Binoh – Norwood’s education support service – and delivered by therapists and teachers at school and in the community, in partnership with all those involved in the child’s life. Our skilled and experienced educational psychologist, for example, works directly with children and young people, and together with parents and teachers, to improve each student’s experience of learning, to help schools create a positive learning environment and to enable students having difficulties to remain in mainstream school.

Learning Disability

Our services for adults with learning disabilities and autism encourage independence and choice by providing access to learning, leisure and volunteering opportunities; social work support; and accommodation options. We currently support 229 adults through our accommodation services across London and Berkshire. Among these is the Tager Centre, home to 16 people on the autistic spectrum, which achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission in May 2018. We also run a life-skills training kitchen, known as Sara’s Kitchen, which we run out of our Kennedy Leigh Family Centre. This service is for adults over 16 with learning disabilities who have an interest in catering and would like to develop new skills, live independently and pursue a career in the field.