2025: An Interesting Year, in the Best Sense
When Tadi joined Progress in April 2024, his induction photo captured a bright, easy smile. Months on, that same warmth still greets colleagues and families alike—but it is now paired with a growing confidence and a clear sense of purpose shaped by a year of change, learning, and steady progress.
By 2025, Tadi describes the year as “interesting”. Not rushed, not neatly packaged, but genuinely good. A year marked by movement and improvement, where small steps have added up to meaningful growth.
At Stourbridge House, that sense of momentum has been visible in everyday life. New children have arrived and moved on. The service has continued to evolve, including preparations for the opening of the second floor, bringing both fresh energy and new responsibilities. Through it all, the team has approached change with calm assurance—less something to brace for, more something to shape together. From the beginning of the year, a positive tone was set, carrying the service through busy weeks and new challenges, always with a focus on getting better, step by step.
That mindset was reflected clearly in this year’s Parents’ Day. Only the second Parents’ Day hosted by Stourbridge House, the team made a deliberate choice to centre the experience on parents themselves. Rather than focusing solely on updates or progress reports, the day created space for a more human question: how are parents really doing when their child is not with them, when respite ends, and everyday pressures return? It was a chance to listen with care, acknowledging the unspoken emotions staff often notice even when parents do not voice them directly.
For Tadi personally, 2025 has also brought significant milestones. One of the most meaningful has been stepping into his role as a Team Leader. It is a role he speaks about with pride, but also with the understanding that it represents a beginning rather than an endpoint—a chance to grow into greater responsibility.
As a team, another defining moment came with achieving an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The recognition helped set the tone for the year ahead. It reinforced what was possible and encouraged bigger ambitions, not by diminishing the importance of day-to-day care, but by raising expectations of excellence across the service.
What stands out most in Tadi’s reflections is how he describes his own development. Growth, for him, is not a buzzword but a real shift in perspective—learning to see situations through other people’s eyes, building confidence in communicating with individuals from different backgrounds, and approaching conversations with greater care and understanding. The difference between the person who arrived at induction and the person he is now feels tangible, shaped by responsibility, trust, and teamwork.
Looking ahead, Tadi is open about his aspirations. Management is a possible next step, alongside ideas he hopes to develop within Progress and beyond it, always rooted in the care sector and driven by the desire to help people live better lives. He speaks about the future with steady optimism: focused on growth, ready for challenge, and excited by what comes next.
The smile from that first induction photo is still there. Now it sits alongside deeper confidence, clearer purpose, and the quiet maturity that comes from taking responsibility seriously. If 2025 has been interesting in the best sense, it is because it has been full—of change, learning, shared effort, and the belief that no one has to do it alone. It is this collective commitment that continues to help Stourbridge House feel not just like a service, but like a community.
Know someone who could thrive at Progress, just like Tadi?
Encourage them to get in touch with Andrea and Progress’ friendly, responsive recruitment team today. Send updated CV to recruitment@progresscare.co.uk today
Great people are always welcome.