About us
Enabling every person we support to live their best life, every day
Who we are
Founded in 2006 by parents seeking a person-centred and stimulating environment for their sons and daughters, The Next Step Trust has grown into a bespoke provision that continually adapts to the changing needs of those we support.
Through our core values, we focus on what people can do, nurture their strengths and aspirations, and create meaningful opportunities that promote choice, fulfilment and a genuine sense of belonging.
Dedicated to enabling every person we support to live their best life every day, we deliver a first-class, tailored provision, ensuring high-quality care that promotes dignity, independence and wellbeing.
Our Vision
To continue to be the best bespoke provider and recognised specialist for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities providing day opportunities, outreach and respite.
Social Mission
Our Social Mission is an enduring mission that we will always be striving to achieve. To achieve it is something more than important – it is worthwhile! And this leads to a series of positioning statements for the Trust:
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The Next Step Trust is a charity and a not for profit organisation that works in a caring, professional and enterprising way to provide the highest levels of support services possible for people with learning and physical disabilities; complex health needs and autism.
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Through recognising individuality, we work in a flexible and responsive way to meet the needs of each person who uses our services.
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People with learning and physical disabilities; complex health needs and autism needs deserve to have the same opportunities and choices in life as other people – the Trust works with parents, carers, professionals and other support organisations to make this happen.
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Our services are provided in a safe, healthy, happy and stimulating environment to support the development of a person’s independence, responsibility and potential.
Our Values
We have five interlocking and overlapping values that form the foundation for the services we provide and the culture that we have created:
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The people who use our services need to know that we are here for the long-term – that we will be walking the next steps with them. Our partners and suppliers need to recognise our commitment too, so that we can all work together to support more fulfilling lives for people with complex needs. We will be consistent, determined and embrace the challenges in our work, and always be focussed on being the best we can be for the people we are here to support.
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We see people as people, and respect them for their differences. There are boundaries within which we expect people to act, and these are based on putting the people we support at the heart of all we do. The respect we have for our work will never allow those boundaries to be compromised.
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The Trust will extend the hand of friendship to the people who use our services but also to their families too. By being here, we will create a place where people can come together, have a sense of belonging, and feel welcome. We will demonstrate loyalty and honesty to our partners and suppliers, and ask for this in return. Friendship will help overcome challenges in a way that conflict cannot, and through this we will be able to do the best we can for the people we support.
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It is important to our Next Steppers and their families that we are able to respond to their developing health and social needs. We are confident in working together in a flexible manner to respond and be resilient towards changes in the world around us.
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To make everyone feel included and happy we are kind to each other. We will listen, show compassion and be considerate to others. We will make time to learn and respect others thoughts and feelings.
Our Objectives
Our Social Mission is an enduring mission that we will always be striving to achieve. To achieve it is something more than important – it is worthwhile! And this leads to a series of positioning statements for the Trust:
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It’s all about the Next Steppers! We originally provided services to young people between the ages of 19-25 years but now it’s about providing young people (including the young at heart if not young in years) with the services that they need to live happier lives both now and in the future. Because of this, we’ll make sure that our services are always of the highest standards possible.
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Without money we will not be able to fulfil our mission! We know that we are helping to improve the lives of people with complex needs and we can’t allow ourselves to be in a position where we may not be able to continue providing our services. We will focus on having a good balance between contracted, traded and funding income and also on making sure that we remain financially viable by managing and controlling our costs. By developing new trading services we are ensuring that we can look to the future too.
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Getting the detail right matters! We need to govern responsibly and operate effectively in order to give the best possible service to our Next Steppers. From how we recruit staff to how we manage our finances and from how we act safely to how we deliver excellent customer service – all this and much more has a key part to play in the development of our organisation.
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It’s a big world out there and we want to say “Hi”! There are people beyond our own community that need the services we provide so they need to know about us. There are people who are working for the same reasons that we do so we need to know about them and learn from each other. And there are people who decide how things are going to be in the future – we’re so close to the real issues affecting people with complex needs that we need to ensure that our voice is heard.
Our specialisms
Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities
We do everything we can to meet our objective of happier Next Steppers...
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Here at The Next Step Trust we do everything we can to meet our objective of happier Next Steppers. Many of the individuals we support have Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), which means they have a very severe learning disability alongside additional complex needs such as physical disabilities, sensory impairments or complex health conditions. This often means they require high levels of personalised support to communicate, engage and access the world around them. To support this, we provide a wide range of in-house and community-based activities, always tailored around the individual needs, preferences and abilities of our Next Steppers.
A big part of what we do is delivering interesting and engaging sensory-based sessions that enable us to meet a wide range of sensory needs. These activities stimulate the senses to create therapeutic environments that promote relaxation, reduce stress, encourage focus and enhance overall wellbeing.
For individuals with sensory loss, it is especially important that we help them explore the world in alternative ways, such as through touch, taste and smell. Our team is committed to ensuring that all activities are thoughtfully adapted so everyone can participate meaningfully — whether through the use of switches, hand-over-hand support, specialist equipment or visiting community providers with accessible and adapted facilities. Above all, we ensure that every session is not only inclusive and purposeful, but also fun, engaging and enriching.
Complex Health Needs
Our staff are specially trained to support individuals with complex health needs...
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Our staff are specially trained to support individuals with complex health needs. We work closely with the Calderdale adult learning disability health team and NHS to ensure all needs are met to the highest possible standard.
Our support staff are confident to follow individual behaviour support plans, speech and language assessments and specialist diet plans. All staff receive moving and handling training, enabling them to support individuals with hoisting and assisted walking, as well as supporting the Next Steppers to complete their passive stretches and use their standing frames and walkers as requested by the physiotherapist. The Next Steppers also receive chest physiotherapy with training from the nursing team.
Next Step staff are fully trained to administer medication both orally and through PEG and work closely with Nutricia for training and support around PEG care and feed administration. Our team are confident and knowledgeable supporting individuals with oxygen and epilepsy, working in close contact with the nursing teams at neurology to ensure we have up to date and clear epilepsy support plans for all to follow.
Autism
We pride ourselves on our specialism in supporting people with autism...
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At The Next Step Trust we pride ourselves on our specialism in supporting people with autism. We now have 13 Next Steppers who are on the autism spectrum, each with their own unique personalities, interests and needs.
We provide a structured routine, appropriate activities such as swimming and adapted bikes and make use of suitable communication methods, such as PECs and objects of reference; all based on that individuals requirements to give them the best support possible.
All members of our team complete autism training, providing a strong foundation of understanding and knowledge to support individuals effectively. More recently, our staff have also undertaken the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, enhancing their skills in recognising and responding to the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism, ensuring our support is even more personalised.
Staff are given time to shadow and to get to know those with autism, to build trust and understanding and to give that individual the support that they need. Looking ahead, we are hoping to expand this area of the service. We have already had interest from a number of families whose young people will be leaving school over the next few years and are looking for a service that can meet their needs.
Our team
Trustees
We currently have 6 Trustees sitting on the Board here at Next Step, one of which has been with us from the very beginning and one who has joined as recently as 2023.
We are looking for more Trustees to support us in our mission to ‘continue to be the best bespoke provider and recognised specialist for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities providing day opportunities, outreach and respite’.
Expertise in the Care/Charitable Sector is not essential. If you are interested in finding out how you may be able to contribute, please get in touch.
Christine Naylor
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TRUSTEE & CO-CHAIR
Christine is a parent of one of our Next Steppers and originally recognised the need for our service in 2006. Chris worked for a large building society and was primarily responsible for the mortgage budget, gaining investment management experience. She has also worked for the Calderdale Adult Education department and is former trustee and past Chairperson for a national charity, the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.
John Mooney
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TRUSTEE & CO-CHAIR
John is our company secretary and joined TNST as a Trustee in 2006. He has a degree in engineering and after a career as an eco-warrior, has recently started enjoying retirement as a Grandfather. John has been supporting charities that help disadvantaged adults all of his adult life. He is currently a trustee/director of two other local charitable businesses, Calderdale Community Energy and Assistiv CiC. He has been contributing to Community Foundation for Calderdale’s Kerbside fund for 15 years and supporting Stainsby Music Festival for over 20 years.
Maureen Cawthorn
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TRUSTEE
Maureen is a trustee of TNST and has been since 2008. She is a Managing Director and Solicitor at Wilkinson Woodward in Halifax. She studied law at Manchester University and qualified in Manchester before moving to Leeds and then Halifax in the early 90s. In the past she has been a governor of a local primary school and she has also been involved with Overgate Hospice and their Big Build campaign. Away from work she enjoys walking and theatre as well as practising yoga very badly.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski
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TRUSTEE
Leigh-Anne has been a Trustee at TNST since 2013. She is the Chief Executive of Eureka, joining in 2000 after moving from Canada where she was Executive Director of the first Canadian children’s museum in London, Ontario. Leigh-Anne has been involved in many charities on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Community Foundation for Calderdale.
Julie Walsh
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TRUSTEE
Julie joined Next Step as a Trustee in 2019. Before this, she qualified from Medical School in Leeds and then trained as an Anaesthetist in West Yorkshire. She was a Consultant Anaesthetist at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust for 20 years and has recently moved to Airedale NHS Trust where she is a Deputy Medical Director and still does some Anaesthetic work.
Emily Pearson
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TRUSTEE
Emily works for Newground Together, the charity within Together Housing Group as the Senior Operations Manager, delivering a range of community engagement programmes. Emily has 20 years’ experience of youth & community work in the public and voluntary sector – managing charities and service areas. Emily became a Trustee at TNST in 2023.
Leadership & Management
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Preet Sandhu
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Helen Lane
OPERATIONS MANAGER
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Verity Moody
DEPUTY OPERATIONS MANAGER
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Vicky Weatherhead
DAY SERVICE COORDINATOR
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Harriet Daniel
DEPUTY DAY SERVICE COORDINATOR
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Nicky Weaver
RESPITE LEAD
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Helen Collett
DEPUTY RESPITE LEAD
Dedicated staff
Our committed leadership and management team could not deliver the high standard of care and support we pride ourselves on without the outstanding and dedicated entire TNST team.
This includes our Lead Support Workers, Lead Brief Support Workers, Medication Lead, Activity Lead, Autism Lead, Moving & Handling Lead, as well as our Admin, Health & Safety, and Catering teams.
At the heart of our organisation, of course, are our incredible Support Workers. Working directly with our Next Steppers every day, they provide empathetic care and support, advocate on their behalf, and ensure each individual has the opportunity to truly ‘live their best life.’ Their dedication is the foundation of everything we achieve.
Annual Reports
Explore our Annual Reports to discover how The Next Step Trust has made a difference over time. They provide a transparent overview of our achievements, financial stewardship, and the impact of our services on the adults we support.
Click below to see how we continue to grow, adapt, and put people at the heart of everything we do.
