Bishops Way
Bishops Way opened on the 1st September 2008, it is registered for 4 people with Prader-Willi Syndrome.
All rooms are single occupancy and there is a large lounge, a dining room and a day services studio in the grounds. We have a small but well kept and functional garden at the rear of the house. The kitchen at this home is locked and accessible only with staff support.
Bishops Way is set up for people with PWS with more complex and challenging needs. There is a keypad on the door to protect the service users who may be vulnerable if out and about in the community on their own.
Registered Manager
Hi, I am Sue Walling, manager of Bishops Way since it opened in September 2008.
My career in the care sector started in 1992, most of that time working with people who have a learning disability (ranging from mild to profound), although I have also supported people with mental health issues, behaviours that challenge and a variety of physical and sensory needs. I have previously worked in a Day Centre, as a Community Support Worker and for the past 12 years I have managed residential care homes both large and small.
I achieved my NVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care, along with the Registered Managers Award in January 2005 and continue to attend any courses that will further enhance my management skills as I believe you can never learn too much.
Bishops Way is my first experience of supporting people with Prader-Willi Syndrome and I am relishing the learning curve that I have been on to understand the syndrome. The complexity means, of course, that I am still learning new things two years on!
I positively look forward to meeting whatever follows in the years to come.
The Senior Team
LEIGH – Before I joined New Directions in July 2006 I was, amongst other things, a publican, I feel this gave me a good understanding of how to relate to people. I began my career in care as a Support Worker at Bishops Lodge and started to learn about Prader-Willi Syndrome. I then successfully applied to become a Senior Support Worker when Bishops Way opened in 2008. It was a wrench to leave everyone at Bishops Lodge, but I knew I was ready for a new set of challenges. I still see people from Bishops Lodge from time to time, so we keep in touch which is good. Getting to know a new group of people and colleagues has been great fun, sometimes very interesting but always educational.
BECKI - Hello, I joined New Directions in September 2008. Before that I worked in care for about 12 years as a senior in two large residential homes supporting people with a variety of needs. Apart from Prader-Willi Syndrome, I have probably experienced pretty much every other condition associated with people who have learning disabilities including challenging behaviours. I like to think that I can adapt my approach to suit the needs of the Service User – this can range from being somewhat strict to my now famous munchkin impersonation! My philosophy is – ‘If it works, it works’.
TRACY – I started my career in care with New Directions in August 2007 at Bishops Corner, which was my first job in adult care, as a Support Worker. I really enjoyed my 2 years there and learned a lot about Prader-Willi syndrome. In October 2009 I had the opportunity to become a senior support worker at Bishops Way and I saw this as a way to further my career and still be able to see all the people I supported at Corner. So although this is a new chapter in my career, the old one is not closed, which would have been the case if I had needed to leave New Directions to gain promotion.
SENIOR TEAM PHOTOS TO FOLLOW.
Contact
Bishops Way
36 St Peters Road
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex TN37 6JQ
Phone 01424 720320
Email bishops.way@newdirections.gb.com