John 14:27
Sep/Dec 2024
We are recruiting…
…for various service-based roles in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Please visit the Shaftesbury Jobs Board, where you will find all current vacancies and further details: www.shaftesburygroup.org/jobs
Alternatively use the QR code.
If you would like any further information, please contact recruitment@ shaftesburygroup.org
Shaftesbury defines itself as a ‘learning organisation’, which means we will invest in supporting you with your career and personal development. In addition to a friendly working environment, we offer the following benefits:
Competitive salaries
Training in line with job role
Training for professional qualifications
Pension scheme
Flexible working
Generous annual leave entitlements
The Employee Assistance Programme
Welcome to our prayer diary
Dear friends
As we approach the final third of 2024, I’ve been reflecting on the significant changes that have taken place over past months. Top of the list and following consultation with hundreds of people (perhaps you were one of them), we announced the renaming of our charity from Livability to Shaftesbury. Driven by a vision of growth, we recognise our renowned Victorian founder, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, with our new name.
In our 180th year, the history and stories of one of our
founding organisations – The Shaftesbury Society – revealed a huge potential for broader meaning and relevance, always motivated by doing more for the people we support. As Shaftesbury, telling the stories of our work over the centuries in relation to disability and disadvantage, will power our future.
During times of change, we can trust God for the future and live in His peace, and that is my prayer for everyone in our Shaftesbury family. I include you, as a much-valued supporter, in this prayer.
Sally Chivers CEO
Lord Jesus,
thank you that you give me your peace that the world cannot give. I know that you are with me, you take care of me and you speak to me. Thank you that you are with me for the rest of my life. Amen
Prayer from our chaplain Elizabeth Harris, based on a discussion with a person we support
Week 1
As term starts at Shaftesbury Victoria School, Shaftesbury Millie College and Shaftesbury Nash College, we pray that new students would experience your peace and feel quickly at home. We especially remember autistic students who may find change particularly challenging and ask for comfort as they adjust to new routines. Amen
Week 2
Lord, we thank you that nearly 40 people with disabilities have joined Shaftesbury’s services so far this year. We ask that each person may thrive, and find friends in that service and in their local community. Amen
Week 3
We thank you, Lord, for churches and groups that provide a meeting place for people with learning disabilities to explore their faith and find fellowship. We pray for the people we support as they return to the reopened Causeway group in Aberystwyth, that they may contribute and enjoy meeting with fellow Christians. Amen
Let’s pray
Thank you for new beginnings, new people joining Shaftesbury and new friendships being forged at our schools and services. Amen
Why our work is needed
Solicitors who specialise in head injury cases have spoken out about the lack of provision, after the acute phase, for people who are living with this kind of injury. Nearly 60% of such lawyers believe there are insufficient residential rehabilitation units in the UK*. Shaftesbury offers both residential and specialist day service rehabilitation for adults who want to rebuild their lives after the trauma they have experienced.
*Care England
Week 4
Dear God, we pray for our charity as our new name becomes embedded. Please guide us as we seek to widen our impact, both with new audiences and supporters, and enable us to expand services so we can offer more people with disabilities the very best care and support. Amen
Support
Pete lives with cerebral palsy, which causes his arms to move constantly. ‘The sensory room is the only place where I see Pete is able to completely relax,’ says staff member Claire Mowat at Shaftesbury Treetops. Your support enables Shaftesbury to provide more of our services with sensory equipment.
Please visit www. shaftesburygroup.org to donate today. Thank you
Real life story
Many of Shaftesbury’s residential and education services provide a sensory room for the people they support. These rooms are equipped with ball ponds, gentle lighting, soft fabrics and music. For those with conditions that cause muscle spasm, a ball pond can give relief from continual involuntary movement, and the room can sooth and relax people with sensory processing difficulties. Similarly, sensory bathrooms are valuable additions to our homes, thanks to fundraising support. ‘For people who are not able to move easily, muscles can become rigid and uncomfortable,’ service manager Elvis says. ‘I used to have to take residents elsewhere to visit a sensory bath, but now we can provide that here, where it has both therapeutic and mental health benefits.’
October
Let’s pray
We ask for more opportunities and fewer barriers to people with disabilities fulfilling their dream of employment, education and participation in society. Amen
Week 1
We pray for our Shaftesbury Next Steps service in Bromley, which equips young people with skills for adult life. Thank you for the joy and fun that recent creative projects and social events have brought, and we pray that each young person will thrive in this service. Amen
Week 2
We give thanks for people we support who have recently found jobs, volunteer posts or training opportunities, like Sue, Bob and Richard. Please encourage them in their new roles and we pray for more job openings for people we support who long to work. Amen
Week 3
We bring Matt to you, and others like him, who have moved to independent living settings, fulfilling a long-held dream. We pray they will relish their independence, overcome challenges and thrive as a result. Amen
Week 4
Lord, we thank you for the amazing gift of music and all it gives to people we support. Thank you for chances to participate in live events for the people we support, like Heather who represented Essex at the Music is Magic event in the Royal Albert Hall. Thank you for the fulfilment this brings. Amen
Why our work is needed
While the employment rate for people with disabilities has crept up by less than 2% to 54% in the year up to December 2023, it still compares poorly with the employment rate for nondisabled people, at 82%.* In many of our services, Shaftesbury is successful at enabling people we support to find work, whether paid or voluntary.
*https://bit.ly/4fnLPQl
Winning at work Shaftesbury North Wales
Lucy, who lives at a Shaftesbury service in Wrexham, has volunteered at a charity shop for five years – and recently landed their ‘volunteer of the year’ award for North Wales, beating 50 nominees. Lucy’s reaction? ‘I felt happy! And proud. I really did.’
This weekly job is a central part of Lucy’s life, and Shaftesbury staff support makes it possible for her to work, because of required supervision with Lucy’s medication and other needs.
Lucy’s keyworker Gaynor says: ‘It’s such an important task for Lucy, so our team leader makes sure there is always enough one-to-one staff to attend. Lucy never misses a week unless she’s poorly. Not being able to work would affect her a lot.’
Read more at https://bit.ly/3WsgfYM
Your support means Shaftesbury can provide quality care that transforms people’s lives.
Please visit www. shaftesburygroup.org to donate today. Thank you
Week 1
I pray for my family that God will provide and protect them and I thank God for our lives. Amen
Matthew
Week 2
I pray for my life to have good fortune and to be on earth as long as I want to be and [God] allows it. Amen
Chris
Week 3
I pray for my family that they are getting on well and that God is looking after them well. Amen
Theresa
November
Let’s pray
This month, our prayers come from people who live at Shaftesbury Ashley Place. We pray that they will grow in their faith and find people and resources that encourage them. Amen
Artwork by Kathryn Pearce, Shaftesbury Ashley Place: By the Sea Watercolour.
Week 4
I pray for family and friends and everyone at Ashley Place that they have a good life and God protects them. Amen
Jonathan
Why our work is needed
More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK*. Our education centres and adult care services support autistic children and young people, with Shaftesbury's wide experience supporting neurodiverse people.
*National Autistic Society
Real life story
Support
Staff joining us often comment that Shaftesbury’s staff training is the best they have experienced in their career. The charity devotes resources to this because it means our standard of care remains high and is safe for all the people we support. Your donation can help us provide excellent training.
Please call Michelle on 020 7452 2099 to donate. Thank you.
Paul came to Shaftesbury Kenway Court one year ago. When he first arrived, he was very unsettled and would cry and shout throughout the day. The staff team worked closely with him and quickly discovered his love for music. To encourage him to use the shower, they would sing songs with him and he began to enjoy his shower.
After finding out he didn’t like his bed at Kenway, the maintenance team collected his bed from his old placement and he now sleeps throughout the night. With these adjustments and dedicated support, Paul quickly settled ‘and now smiles every day’, say staff.
December
Let’s pray
This Christmas, may each person in the Shaftesbury community gain a deeper understanding of what the birth of Jesus means for the world and for us as individuals. Amen
Week 1
We pray for our staff team as they prepare to make Christmas special for the people they support. Please give them strength for this busy time and may each Shaftesbury service enjoy fun and friendship this Christmas. Amen
Week 2
We thank you for all the churches and Christian groups that will be celebrating Christmas with people supported by Shaftesbury. We pray that each person joining in would be touched by the message of Jesus’ birth, along with the fun and parties of the festive season. Amen
Week 3
We pray for all the families whose loved ones are supported by Shaftesbury. We ask that you would give them joy in being together this Christmas where that is possible, and comfort and hope where families cannot see each other in person. Amen
Week 4
In this, the last week of 2024, we thank you for all the blessings you have given Shaftesbury this year, and we rejoice as we celebrate your birth, together with all in the Shaftesbury community. Amen
Why our work is needed
Many of our services have strong links with individuals’ families. For some people we support, travelling home can be challenging, and staff go the extra mile to help. One service made sure a care home resident, on returning from his family, had the same meal he used to look forward to on Christmas evening, when he was able to live at home. This was a huge comfort to him.
Real life story
Becki is an incredibly brave and determined young woman, who was left profoundly disabled following a brain bleed, just after she graduated from university. Becki, supported by staff where she lives at Shaftesbury Treetops, has fought back to regain skills including walking and speech. Her goal this year is to be able to enjoy Christmas dinner, something denied to her for several years because of issues with swallowing. Staff are working closely with her to make this happen and Becki says she’s even willing to eat one or two Brussel sprouts, not her favourite, to relish the whole Christmas dinner vibe!
Your donation means we can continue to provide a caring service that strengthens family bonds and makes time together possible.
Please donate this Christmas at www. shaftesburygroup.org
About Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is the disability charity that enables each child, young person and adult to live a life that adds up for them.
What makes life add up is different for everyone. It’s the sum of many things and many people – from friendship to fun; from companionship to community; from a great chat to a challenge overcome.
‘All together better for disability’ means working with the people we support, promoting inclusion, independence and opportunity.
All together we are better; it’s why we work to see people take part, contribute and be valued. We do this through our wide range of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Email: info@shaftesburygroup.org
www.shaftesburygroup.org Shaftesbury.Group
Shaftesbury is the operating name of Livability which is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee in England and Wales. Charity No: 1116530 and Company No: 5967087.