A Social Enterprise providing community based support for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in the South West
A Social Enterprise providing community based support for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in the South West
My son started to receive support from You First in December 2014. Previous to this he was living in a residential setting and finding it very difficult to cope. He struggled with the noise and actions of the people he was living with. He became v
When my son first made the move to independent living, he was supported by a local agency that was recommended by Adult Social Care. Although they supported him well for a few years, they encountered financial and staffing difficulties which entai
What I really like about the support my son receives from You First is that it is responsive and flexible and adapts to his differing situations and needs. This is largely due to the communication system - Slack - which is shared between suppo
In Praise of You First I would like to say how fortunate we were when You First was suggested as the company to look after our relative M who was born with severe autism and learning difficulties, and has also recently been diagnosed as being
You First first supported my brother "I," in September 2014. Our mother Joyce had looked after I all his life and had provided a secure and loving home for him. However, Mum was not very well and was becoming more and more infirm and the
My two children are adults with autistic spectrum disorders supported by You First. I run a monthly support group for families affected by autistic spectrum disorders and in that capacity as I regard the company so highly, I have pointed many to Y
I have always known, from a very young age, that I wanted to work in a caring profession. As I have been around a while, I remember the negative terminology and attitude towards people that had any form of disability. I rem
I chose to work as a Support Worker because I like helping people, especially vulnerable people. I grew up with a brother who had been living with brain damage from the age of 3 and as a result of this my family had support throughout my child
I have always liked working with people and wanting to try and bring out the best in them. I have many friends and we all bring each other up and help each other when were down or need anything. However, around 8 years ago I started a new rela
My story with You First has been a short one so far but one I see in my future for a very long time. After leaving my job back in February this year after spending two and a half years in a retail store, I realised how judgmental this wor
My journey to becoming a Support Worker has been a twisty and interesting one, to say the least. I started my career as a Veterinary nurse, first in Cape Town, then in London, while studying Animal Behaviour. I then did a BA in Psychology whil
I'm a Support Worker with You First Support Services CIC (remember that 'CIC' - I'll come back to that in a moment). I didn't have a midlife crisis. I didn't buy a Ferrari. I didn't take up sky-diving, or buy a vill
From a young age I have always wanted to work in the health care sector, I have worked in many different industries but I can honestly say none of them compare to working for You First. I have only been working for You First for a year but I have
I have been with the You First for nearly 5 months; I absolutely love being a Support Worker and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Before joining You First, I received a second kidney transplant, and it changed my life both physically a
A few years ago I lost my Mum and Dad. Dad went suddenly, but Mum had bowel cancer. I was working in production at the time and my employers were not at all understanding and in the end, I lost my job. Mum was receiving palliative care and my Son
In our culture, people are largely concerned with identity. 'Who you are' and 'what you do' are things people are obsessed by; which faith you have, which party you support, what work you do and what hobbies you're passionate a
By Julian Clarke (Support Worker) Having worked 26 years of my career (until 2017) within commercial companies which have financial targets and massive operations which are based purely on generating profits for businesses, a move into You
Chelsie works as a Support Worker with You First, and this is the story of her journey with the Social Enterprise: My journey with You First has been an incredible one. I cannot fault this company at all. Before this job I was going to give up
What Is Mindfulness? The NHS UK website describes Mindfulness as: "Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you" In other words Mindfulness is about knowin
It is a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless that Adult Social Care has one of the highest staff turnover rates of all professions. The staff turnover rate of directly employed staff working in the Adult Social Care sector was estimated by Skills for
A personal and open-hearted reflection from Andy Robinson, CEO Our Sixth Birthday Incredible as it may sound You First is hurtling towards its sixth birthday. Incorporated at Companies House on the 18th February 2014 as a Com
#WhoKnew? #WhoKnew is the hashtag for Social Enterprise Day, which is Thursday 21st November 2019. That's actually today! The hashtag seems appropriate because, well – who knew? What is Social Enterprise? Social Ente
You First is a Social Enterprise, formed as a Community Interest Company that exists to support people with learning disabilities and/or autism to build and grow their lives. Through the use of community assets and bespoke Micro-Teams that people
M is a lady with complex autism, acute sensory sensitivity and bi-polar disorder. Andy (You First’s CEO) and Nathalie (Operational Director) have known her for over 30 years and both will tell you that knowing and working with M is a privile
This week, Elly, fulfilled one of her life goals – to drive a tractor. She did more than drive a tractor actually, she spent time ploughing a field bringing together her love of vehicles and enjoyment of land-based activity (she has a flouri
OUR CUSTOMERS are the architects of their own support. Each package of CARE is as unique as the person receiving it.
Andy Robinson, Chief Executive Officer
