Catherine Twine-Kelly and her innovative way of thinking about care!

My guest today is Catherine Twine-Kelly (or as I call her, Cath!), managing director of Supported Independence and I’m delighted to welcome her to my podcast.  

Cath works in an area of care that remains a mystery to most people. Supported Independence works with adults, mainly those with enduring mental health issues. That covers a wide range of complex needs, so the support they need can vary significantly.

She set up her business many years ago, recognising that there was no support between residential care and helping people to live in the community with support. She devised a three step approach which meant that service users would know the same group of staff all through their care transitions.

Cath set up a place where people are supported but at the same time giving them independence to come and go a little like student living. They are given the opportunity to grow and develop their skills.

They may start out with a split of half residential, half supported living before going on to having their own tenancy. Supported Independence work with a range of housing associations and private landlords and then their carers go in to work with them for just a few hours a day, depending on the complexity of their needs. It is very much based on individual needs.

Cath talks about how after working in this area for so many years, she began to recognise that often, the medical profession don’t always see beyond the person’s mental health and therefore miss that they may have other physical things they are coping with, that are causing the health problem. To be able to challenge the system, she has completed a master’s as a Physicians Associate and is now taking her ideas even further and doing a PhD with Bristol University. 

She also talks about how for her, keeping the business local is important to be able to fully engage with residents and clients.

Cath’s passion is evident, not only hearing her talk about the issues of the people she works with, but also by her personal commitment.

To contact Cath:

Website: www.supportedindependence.co.uk where there are also links to Cath’s email.