Here at Progress, our company values extend beyond our staff and the young people we work with. Collectively, we genuinely care about everyone we come into contact with and are passionate about proactively seeking positive experiences with all.
We acknowledge our responsibility to the communities we work within and nurture strong links that enable us to gain valuable feedback and provide responsive services.
We are passionate, not only about the good work that we do but also about supporting other companies that have dedicated themselves to positive change.
In the past, we’ve helped local charities and events such as Magic of Milly, Macmillan Coffee Mornings, and Christmas Jumper day. One of our recent highlights was the team hiking up Snowdon, raising over £400 in memory of a young person we supported that lost his struggle with a life-limiting condition. The money went to the school he attended which will now be able to purchase more specialised equipment that will improve the lives of other young people.
In order to maximise the impact of fundraising, our staff voted for Acorns Children’s Hospice to be our charity of the year and thus, be the primary focus of our efforts. Alongside this is the Progress Fund, enabling us to still commit smaller amounts to other local projects.
From the light bulbs and appliances we use, to the way we recycle our rubbish, we ensure that our actions are environmentally friendly. It’s not just people we care about, but our local environment too. We are passionate about investing in green schemes where we can, growing our own herbs and vegetables, and educating our people on consciously making better lifestyle decisions so that together, we can make our local area a slightly better place.
Our newest development; Stourbridge House is a testament to our belief in using local trades people and businesses to promote a sustainable community. We carry this into our day-to-day operations by enjoying local shops, cafés and clubs with those we support. We deliver our services in a way that removes barriers and allows young people to be integrated into their local communities, accessing universal leisure and social facilities and building strong friendships and circles of support.
Our people are at the forefront of everything we do. From wanting to support the development of our staff for them to be the best they can be, to enabling those in our care to learn the life skills they need for a quality future; their needs are our priority. We couldn’t be prouder of holding gold status with Investors in People for over a decade. If a staff member wants to excel and grow within the business, we’re more than happy to support their training and development to help propel them along their career paths.
Progress are delighted to announce that it has been awarded the Investors in People, We invest in people, Gold accreditation. Investors in People (IIP) is a standard for people management, offering accreditation to organisations that adhere to its framework of good practice in the workplace. With a community of…Read more
Parent and child foster care is a unique type of fostering where a parent (usually a mother) and baby comes to stay with you at a time when they need extra support. There is also the possibility the parent could be a father and sometimes you may end up…Read more
“The young people I support are the reason why I am a support worker.” We love to hear about the success and achievements of our young people. In their own way, they all make us proud of them. It’s also important to note the hard work our Support Workers do to…Read more
We know how much time and emotional investment it takes to become a foster carer. From looking for a reputable independent fostering agency to going through panel, it is important that you are comfortable with the people around you. We have close relationships with our foster carers and are there…Read more
We want to be able to share with your the amazing things Progress carers experience in their job every day. Mark is a Progress carer and has been supporting Jay for nearly three years. This is his story: Jay is very high on the spectrum of autism and has minimal vocabulary. Despite…Read more
Kim is a Team Leader at Progress’s Children’s Short Breaks service, Stourbridge House. This is her story. It was Kim Williams’ younger brother who inspired her to work in care. ‘He is autistic and I grew up caring for him,’ she says. ‘I love him to bits, he is such a…Read more
Are you thinking of working in care? With many jobs in care on offer, what makes Progress a great company to work for? 1. We value the opinions of our staff As an organisation that works for children and young adults, the quality of services we provide is vital…Read more
Claire Rogers speaks from the heart about her role as Managing Director of Progress. She talks with passion about her values, her aims for the staff and the children. “I give everything to what I do,” she says, “I love it.” Claire moved into care from a career in retail,…Read more
“I can talk with passion about what I do because I fully believe in it” says Phil McDonald who is at the helm of The Hub, which helps children and young adults with disabilities to get the absolute most from life. Phil started his working life at the tax office,…Read more
Deciding which foster agency to choose can be hard. There are so many factors to consider. Charlotte is currently waiting to become a foster carer for Progress and spoke to us about the process she went through in deciding which foster agency to choose. What is your day job? I am…Read more
Adam Nicholls, Development Officer It was 7am on a cold January morning in 2012 when Adam arrived for his first day as a support worker. He stepped inside what looked like any other house, to a new career and a new life. Within minutes he was answering questions from…Read more
To foster care you provide a family life for children who are unable to live with their own parents. Across the UK, foster carers open their hearts and homes to children in need of love, care and attention. Sara has been a long time foster carer for Progress and spoke to us…Read more
Lola is currently going through an assessment to become foster carer. Having been through the process before, we spoke to her about her experiences and the big question: why foster care? What is your day job? I currently work as a senior social work assistant in a ‘Child in Care’ team in the…Read more
The names of the foster children have been changed to protect their identity. ‘We are happy because they are happy,’ says Ashley who gave up his job to foster twin boys with autism. ‘We say this is our family and we feel really close to them. We call them our…Read more
Progress are thrilled to welcome our outstanding home manager Margaret Hopkins into the senior management team Before joining Progress as a support worker, Margaret was a foster carer for 22 years. Her magic was quickly recognised here and she progressed to senior, deputy and then registered manager. Over her 16…Read more
Foster carers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things… Opening your home and ultimately your heart to someone else’s child is not easy, but is a hugely rewarding experience. Celebrating this together is important, because our foster carers make it possible for Progress to contribute to improving the lives and outcomes…Read more
The memories of a day at Reading Festival still stay with Roma and hold a special place in her heart. She had taken a teenager from Wellcroft House to the festival, and Roma could see the joy on her face as the young girl got out of her wheelchair…Read more
Bria joined Progress as a Student Fostering Social Worker and has become an important member of the team. We recently caught up with her to see how she’s been getting on in her new role and hear more about what attracted her to a career in Social Care. “My Mum…Read more
Gail with Tina (Progress Operations Manager) Foster carers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Opening up your home and heart to children is not easy, but as Gail explains, it’s a rewarding experience. Gail, a foster carer, was in the kitchen when Amy received the telephone call to say she…Read more
Our charity champions, Anna and Jess made their way over to visit our charity of the year Acorns Children’s Hospice, to brainstorm fundraising ideas. This year, Acorns are celebrating a huge milestone; their 30th anniversary. Part of their fundraising challenge is to encourage supporters to have a go…Read more
In our last update, we shared with you our mission to choose a charity to focus our fundraising efforts on. We are pleased to announce that our chosen charity is Acorn Children’s Hospice Trust. Based across three locations in the Midlands – Selly Oak, Worcester, and Walsall – our chosen…Read more
The philosophy coined by Confucius over 2,500 years ago, is still incredibly relevant today. Over the last 25 centuries opportunities have become unlimited, and decisions endless. We’ve found this to dramatically be the case when it comes to fundraising and giving back to local charities. With so many incredible causes…Read more