Hollybank Trust

Whether it be through local sailing activities, swimming during our Hollybank Trust hydrotherapy sessions in the Bradbury Centre, or listening to the sound of the ocean beside the seaside, many of our residents love spending time by the water's edge or getting out on the water. ⛵🏖️

Earlier this summer, the residents from ELMS at Hollybank Trust visited Yeadon Sailing Club, and after this day out was a resounding success, long may the sailing continue!

Our adults at Hollybank Trust and their families will be visiting Yeadon Sailing Club, and are expecting smooth-sailing yet again, early next year.

Sail Away to Soothing Blue Spaces with our Residents - Hollybank Trust When it comes to planning outdoor adventures, everyone is always talking about the benefits of green space in the great outdoors, but spending time near blue

🎃🍂JOIN US NEXT MONTH AT OUR AUTUMN CAREER OPEN DAY!🍂🎃

We are holding our next Open Day on Thursday 3rd October 2024
between 10am – 2pm at our main site in Mirfield!

We have many opportunities including support worker roles, activity coordinators, laundry assistant and more!

For more information or if you would like an application form, please get in touch with our recruitment team (details on the flyer).

All of our current vacancies can be found on our website 🛜 www.hollybanktrust.com/work-for-us/current-vacancies

Please share with your family and friends! 🥰

Little did we know, our cheeky monkey Pistachio has been causing mayhem by stealing books from the school library and stacking them up in his reading corner! 🐵

The good news is, we've tracked the books down just in time for today so our students can escape to new fantastical worlds amongst these amazing page-turners during story time.

Phew!😌

The annual charity music festival Moor Fest in Dewsbury would not have been the same for our residents without the entertainment from the circus performers with hair on stilts! 🤹‍♀️ If their wacky bubblegum-coloured hair wasn't enough to grab the attention of our residents, their towering height sure was!

Featuring live music from Tom Jones, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Soul & Motown, Queen & Ginna, our residents made time for a boogie before festival season was out!

🩺SENIOR SCHOOL NURSE🩺

Are you an experienced Nurse looking for the next step in your career? Do you want to be part of an Outstanding School for SEN children?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Apply: https://tinyurl.com/mpmyu3n

For more information please contact our recruitment team on 01924 490833 or [email protected]

🏠💖WE HAVE A VARIETY OF EXCITING ROLES AVAILABLE IN MIRFIELD!🏠💖

If you or anybody you know are looking for a new challenge, you can find more information on our website:

💡 What We Do - Hollybank Trust
👆Current Vacancies - Hollybank Trust

To arrange an informal chat about any of the vacancies please contact [email protected] or 01924 490833

*No agencies please*

For Makaton International Awareness Day this week, many of our residents took part in a group Sing and Sign session here at Hollybank, where they learned the signs for lyrics to some golden oldie tunes, and some more recent upbeat and catchy pop songs!

Here's one of the songs from the day that got everyone in high spirits, and we hope it keeps you in high spirits too! Residents were able to follow the lyrics on screen, whilst our Speech and Language Team were on hand to help our residents and school pupils practice the signs.

Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop (Lyrics HD) Listen to "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac, and sing along with the HD lyrics on screen! Remember! I DO NOT own this song or the background image! ALL RIGHTS be...

On Makaton International Awareness Day today, we wanted to share with you that many of our team members at Hollybank Trust have now completed or are in the process of completing a Makaton Level 1 course. Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate.

Laura Draisey, Occupational Therapist (OT) at Hollybank Trust, who recently attended the course, commented:

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it reinforced to me that Makaton is not a replacement to speech, but a useful addition to enhance communication. It will benefit me in my role as an OT when I am conducting OT assessments because I will be able to better connect with the adults I work with and get more accuracy in my understanding of their needs.

"I think this course would be beneficial to anyone working at Hollybank, no matter what role they are in, because it bridges the gap to communication barriers we face with the people we work with. I jumped at the chance to do the course because I wanted to better support the adults on my caseload and make the effort to communicate more effectively with them."

Here's Laura signing 'good'!

🌙 NIGHT SENIOR SUPPORT WORKER 🌙

Are you an experienced leader and have worked within a social care setting, looking for your next challenge? 🤩

Our fabulous team at Conkers are looking to expand their nights team, taking on board a new Night Senior Support Worker!
We are looking for someone who is:

🌙Experienced at senior level or above

⭐Confident and proactive with strong leadership skills

🌙A clear communicator with a full grasp of the English language

⭐A positive attitude and strong work ethic

🌙A willingness to undertake all required training and able to adapt to change

⭐Someone with strong knowledge on safeguarding

🤔If this sounds like you, apply now: https://tinyurl.com/2tj2rckr

Please read full job description before applying

On our annual Celebration Day this year, things got competitive in a race to see who could top the leaderboard with the best time getting around a remote control car race track! 🏎️

Our new charity partners, Accu, designed the circuit to bring along with them for our residents, school pupils, families and staff to take for a spin! This zippy remote control car tied in with one of our themes of the Celebration Day, 'Technology Through the Decades' and how it has changed, and in more recent years, the 'Digital Transformation of Hollybank Trust.'

Our charity has introduced new assistive technology which has streamlined the ways in which staff communicate with residents to understand their likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Residents now have access to communication devices and communication buttons to ensure their voice is heard.

💻 IT SUPPORT ROLES - MIRFIELD 💻

Following an internal promotion, we have two exciting opportunities available in our IT team in Mirfield.

👉 IT Support Analyst
https://tinyurl.com/6fk4umy

👉 Apprentice IT Support Analyst
https://tinyurl.com/3whfddar

For more information please contact Nathan Jones (IT Helpdesk Team Leader) on 01924 976637 or by email to [email protected]

*no agencies please*

🩺CURRENT VACANCIES FOR NURSES! 🩺

Are you a Registered Nurse looking for a role within a residential setting, supporting those with complex needs?

Do you have Hollybank’s Values?

⭐Confidence: being self-assured, asking your colleagues for help when you need it; challenging any behaviour or working practices that you feel are inappropriate or unsafe.

⭐Curiosity: being inquisitive, welcoming change, showing an interest in other people’s jobs, not just your own; asking lots of questions about the way that we do things and why; putting yourself forward to try new things and put new ways of working into practice to see if it’s any better than the status quo.

⭐ Happiness: being cheerful and positive, bringing your best self to work and immersing yourself in the tasks you are given; exploring opportunities for development and stretch within Hollybank; sharing your enthusiasm for life with the people we are here to support.

⭐ Kindness: caring and compassion, reaching out to your colleagues if they look like they’re struggling; being an active member of the team, working together to achieve shared goals; taking care of yourself outside of work and seeking support if you need it.

Apply here:

🌞Part-time days: https://tinyurl.com/44rsj36f
🌙Full-time nights: https://tinyurl.com/mr3anz5y

🎉EXCITING NEW ROLE!🎉

Our adults’ services in Mirfield are looking for engagement coordinators to join their team to plan and organise activities for our adults with complex disabilities.

Your key responsibilities will be to plan the day-to-day activities for each individual, adapted to their unique interests and needs.

No two days are the same, your role will be varied and packed with fun!

To be successful in this role you must have the following personal qualities:

- A positive attitude and willingness to get involved, putting the needs of our adults at the forefront of everything we do

- A friendly and approachable personality, with the ability to establish and maintain relationships with our adults

- To be creative, energetic, and enthusiastic, with a strong ability to use your own initiative

- To be confident in bringing forward new ideas and being ready to plan and organise to make things happen.

- High levels of respect and a positive attitude towards people with disabilities.

- An excellent communicator with a full grasp of the English language.

- An enthusiastic approach to training and development.

Having some knowledge on aspects of working within a care environment is an advantage, although not essential as full training is provided. You must be comfortable with all aspects of personal care, ensuring the highest levels of comfort, privacy, and dignity is maintained throughout.

Please ensure you have read the full job description before applying.

👆Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/yc3x84rf

Have you heard the news? Why not take a look at our article announcing one of our latest partnerships?

Hollybank Trust is thrilled to announce that Accu has chosen the Trust as their Charity of the Year, an initiative that sees businesses support individual charities by highlighting the work they do and helping to raise funds for them.

This week, we're giving you a glimpse at the learning and experiences that Hollybank and Accu have shared since joining forces and deciding that they are aligned on 'better together' values, a value that rings true for each and every Hollybank partnership.

Accu Announces Hollybank Trust as their Charity of the Year - Hollybank Trust Hollybank Trust is thrilled to announce that Accu has chosen the Trust as their Charity of the Year, an initiative that sees business support individual

🎵From sing-alongs to feeling the beat of a dance routine, here, we tell you about three main ways that Hollybank harmonises their music therapy sessions with the needs, abilities and potential of residents.

You'll hear people use the phrase 'music therapy’ in general to describe listening to music to improve mood and even enhance productivity. However, music therapy in the context of care settings is an established psychological clinical intervention, delivered by music therapists to help people whose lives have been affected by disability through supporting their psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative and social needs.

But what are the three main benefits across our homes of engaging in music therapy through switching on that radio, visiting a festival, or learning how to play an instrument? Find out in this blog! 🎵

3 Ways that Hollybank is in Tune with Music Therapy for Residents - Hollybank Trust The term ‘music therapy’ has been adopted in everyday language to describe listening to music to improve mood, forget about worries and enhance productivity

🫧PART-TIME LAUNDRY ASSISTANT🫧

Holly Court in Mirfield is looking for someone to join the team as a laundry assistant on a part-time contract!

🧼 Responsibilities include:

• Checking items before washing for damage or stains
• Using water and chemicals to remove stains before processing
• Sorting items according to colour, size, and type of fabric
• Sorting items for easy identification
• Loading items into machines
• Adding cleaning agents and setting controls
• Finishing items by drying, pressing, and folding
• Delivering laundered items back to the owner
• Organising towels and bedding
• Changing bed linen as appropriate.

⭐ Although your main role is completing laundry-related tasks, our ideal candidate would be someone who would fit in well within the home, someone who is caring and sociable, who can form relationships with our adults and other members of the team, because everyone’s role at Hollybank is equally as important💖

As you will be working with vulnerable adults, we will need to complete an enhanced DBS check, full training is provided, such as safeguarding and risk management!

Follow this link to apply➡️https://tinyurl.com/5ew3d39y

Down at the bottom of the garden
Amongst bird baths and trees
You'll find a dainty wooden hut
A peaceful, calm retreat!
🏡
🌳🐦‍⬛🌳

Sometimes, residents and staff need a place to retreat to so that they can unwind from days out and adventures. The summerhouse at Sycamores welcomes residents through its doors for a quiet chat or pampering activities. Our Activity Coordinator at Sycamores organises mindful activities that offer a space for residents to talk about whatever is on their mind.

The garden space around the summerhouse also features woodwork such as birdhouses, wheelbarrows, bird baths and animals crafted by the residents from Sycamores at a local carpentry group, an opportunity for residents to learn new skills and get to know people in the local community.

Here you'll see handcrafted wooden wheelbarrows, a wooden dog and potters and plants all made by residents and the Sycamores team.

🪇BE SOMEONE AT CONKERS!!🪇

Do you have what it takes to become a support worker at Conkers?
We are recruiting for full-time and part-time roles at our friendly seven-bed residential home in Mirfield!

“Conkers is a happy place. Everyone who works there is so helpful.”

Key responsibilities would include:

- Assisting with personal care including bathing, dressing, oral care and shaving

- Supporting with dietary requirements, ensuring appropriate feeding methods are used

- Accurately documenting all necessary tasks required in a timely manner

- Participating in the organisation of activities both within the setting and out in the community

Previous experience is not essential, all training is provided on site, development opportunities available.

🌈⭐Do you have our values of Confidence, Kindness, Happiness, and Curiosity?⭐🌈

If this sounds like the role for you, apply here 👆 https://tinyurl.com/4tjv7kyp

(Please specify on your application if you are applying specifically for Conkers)

OPPORTUNTIES FOR NURSES!💊

Are you looking for a second job that gives you flexibility to work around your main job?

Willow Court in Mirfield have opportunities for Registered Nurses to pick up bank shifts at their lovely 19-bed residential home.

Our ideal candidate would have RNLD or RGM with extensive LD care experience, although not essential as full training is provided.

💭Do you match Hollybank’s values?🤩

- Confidence – being self-assured, asking for help when you need it and challenging behaviour or practices that you feel are inappropriate or unsafe.

- Curiosity – being inquisitive and welcoming change, asking questions about the way that we do things and why, and putting yourself forward to try new things.

- Happiness – being cheerful and positive, bringing your best self to work and sharing your enthusiasm for life with the people we are here to support.

- Kindness – being caring and compassionate, reaching out to your colleagues if they look like they’re struggling, being an active member of the team and working together to achieve shared goals.

👆If you are interested, apply here: https://tinyurl.com/4wejwpkh

Does anyone recognise this famous set of dice? That’s right, they are from the tabletop fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons! The Activity Coordinator at Rowan Court told us that the residents love playing any sorts of D&D adventures that involve sneaking past dragons and retrieving gemstones from gloomy caves.

Today is D&D Founder’s Day, so shout-out to the residents at Rowan Court and all the D&D fans out there on their latest dungeon-crawling adventure!

In this blog, we share with you how games can be adapted to the needs of those living with disabilities, giving examples from the games that take place in one of our homes, Rowan Court, situated in the picturesque Holme Valley.

Why not comment on this post with your favourite board games and video games that you like to play?

The Best Kinds of Games for People with Visual Impairments and Disabilities - Hollybank Trust Scrabble, Uno, Chess, Dominoes – they are all timeless and classic board games, but for many of the residents with visual impairments here at Hollybank and

Two residents from Conkers got into the groove at local Livefields Festival in Cleckheaton which took place this summer! 🎸🎤🎷 Their favourite bands on the day were the tribute act to the rock band many know and love, the Foo Fighters, and the tribute act to popular indie artists, Arctic Monkeys. 🎵

In recognition of this month, we decided to find out about the musical talent of our two festival-going residents!

One support worker told us that one of the residents who went to Livefields is always creating melodies on his keyboard and that he often plays it by himself with a backing track. 🎹 The same member of the team at Conkers said that another one of the residents, who went to the festival, has found one of her favourite instruments in the form of her treasured sensory rattle toys.🪇

Sounds like Conkers is one musical home! 🎵 🎶 We'll be sharing a blog in the near future which will tell you all about the benefits of music therapy for residents. ♪ ♬

In celebration of , we promised that we'd speak to the people who we support and share stories of their time at Hollybank so far. Here, we do just that by sharing some thoughts from our residents!

This month, the ELMS activity hub invited us to pull up a seat and ‘be their guests’ at their Beauty and the Beast pantomime and here, the residents who took part tell us about the characters that they loved playing most:

👩🏻🌹👹

One of our residents said: "I loved being the Beast and I want to do more shows!” When asked how he felt about going on stage, he said he was full of excitement and happy!

👩🏻🌹👹

Another one of our residents who loves Disney movies said: “I enjoyed being Belle, I loved singing my song to close the show.”

👩🏻🌹👹

‼️ UPDATE ‼️

Due to the incredible number of applications we have recieved for this exciting role, we have closed the vacancy early. We will post another update on our page soon!

We have some VERY taleneted young people in our local communities 😍

🏫🌈SPECIAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT APPRENTICESHIP!🌈🏫

Due to the growing number of children at our Ofsted Outstanding school in Mirfield, we have an exciting opportunity for an apprentice to join our team as a Special Support Assistant!

This is an extremely rewarding role as you are making a difference to the lives of our children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and complex needs.

Our children’s learning and development is adapted to suit their needs, you will learn different ways of communicating and supporting our children with training and support from our teams throughout the trust!

The role is busy and varied so you must be patient, empathic, adaptable, and willing to embrace change.

An apprenticeship is a great way to start your career, learn as you earn and make a difference!🤩

👆 Apply today! 👆
https://tinyurl.com/2cu8678w

🌻 SUMMER CAREERS DAY🌻

Join us in July for another careers open day! Our Easter event was very popular, so book your place and interview soon to avoid disappointment! 😎

🗓️ Friday 26th July
🕰️ 10am - 2pm
📍 Mirfield (WF14 0DQ)
☕️ Refreshments provided

For more information, or to book your place, contact Eimi and Ashleigh by email: [email protected] or by phone: 01924490833

🏫🌈SPECIAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT APPRENTICESHIP!🌈🏫

Due to the growing number of children at our Ofsted Outstanding school in Mirfield, we have an exciting opportunity for an apprentice to join our team as a Special Support Assistant!

This is an extremely rewarding role as you are making a difference to the lives of our children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and complex needs.

Our children’s learning and development is adapted to suit their needs, you will learn different ways of communicating and supporting our children with training and support from our teams throughout the trust!

The role is busy and varied so you must be patient, empathic, adaptable, and willing to embrace change.

An apprenticeship is a great way to start your career, learn as you earn and make a difference!🤩

👆 Apply today! 👆
https://tinyurl.com/2cu8678w

Duck crossing! 🦆

Spotted waddling around Hollybank grounds...

A brood of ducklings and their mother duck stopped by to say 'hello!' to us this morning. 🌞

What a pleasant surprise!

Three years on since the lockdown came to an end, we take a look back on a poem written by our adults at Poplars and supported by members of the Hollybank team during lockdown.

In the years that have gone by since Covid-19, we have brought back many of our well-loved get-togethers! With summer days on the horizon, we wanted to celebrate through this poem how spending time outdoors together helped all those living at Hollybank and our team get through lockdown:

Lockdown 2020 has made life very tough!
Staying home and not going out
Is what it is all about
The parks are closed, so is the pool
I’m glad I don’t have to home school!
Living at Hollybank is the best it’s ever been
Making banners, planting veg, eating lots of ice-cream
But this soon will be over and a new norm will begin
Hopefully soon I can see my next of kin!

Reflections on last week...

It was great to see Kim Leadbeater here at Hollybank Trust last week! Our lovely residents gave Kim the grand tour of their home and told her all about the rehearsals that are underway for the upcoming Hollybank pantomime.

We look forward to seeing you again Kim and to welcoming more of our guests through our doors in the near future!👋

🩺REGISTERED NURSES WANTED!!🩺

The nursing team are expanding, and we would love for you to join us!

Are you a registered nurse and have what it takes to make a difference to the lives of the adults that we support?

The team at Willow Court work together to make it a happy and homely place to live!

At Willow Court you will expand your knowledge and learn new skills – but we can’t teach passion and empathy!

Are you a naturally empathic person who has a passion for helping others achieve the best quality of life possible?

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!

👆Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/y5cbpzsh