our team
Michelle Pryce
Residential Director for Ascent Family Homes
As the Registered Manager for Ascent Family Homes, I was fortunate to have set up our 1st children’s home, for Ascent in 2022 to date.
It has been a pleasure working with a diverse selection of young people who have all individually supported our success journey at Aspen House. As a therapeutic home, I value and care for my staff and all children. I have a passion for development and supporting children to believe in their ability to achieve and work towards positive outcomes.
I have been fortunate to have worked with a wide selection of children’s service provisions and managed; children’s homes, residential supported homes, semi-independence, custodial youth settings, pupil referral units, youth offending services, and led youth initiatives. My experiences have been supported by knowledge of safeguarding children and managing presenting risks and complex challenges effectively.
I will continue to learn on my journey and explore training and developmental objectives to enhance my practice and experience. I hold relevant qualifications within Leadership and management and deliver non-restrictive behavioural management training.
Welcome to Aspen House, we are a therapeutic home that promotes the rights and views of all our young people.
Katie Wilson-Downie
Registered Manager-Aspen House (currently on maternity leave)
I am Katie Wilson-Downie, I am the Registered Manager for Aspen House. My background is in management for children’s residential and semi-independence. I have also been a supervising social worker in fostering for around 4 years also.
My academic qualifications are a Behavioural Science undergraduate degree and a postgraduate degree in Social Work. I have been a kinship foster carer for a teen in my family, and she successfully moved into her independent flat at 19.
I became interested in this field because I have care experience myself. I am very passionate about supporting young people who face challenges, and my expertise is supporting adolescents who have experienced trauma. I am excited to join the Ascent Family team and will remain committed to supporting my service, young people, and staff team.
Tia Parris
Registered Manager Eden House
I joined Aspen House at the start of our residential journey and have worked to become a Registered Manager. I have obtained my level 5 in Leadership and management and look forward to delivering high-quality services for all children within our care at Eden House. I have a dedicated passion for the development of young people’s education, and physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I aim to support young people to overcome trauma and barriers that hinder their development. I have worked within the social care sector for several years working with challenging and highly complex needs services.
Dimitri Jordan
Head of Youth Engagement and Independence
My role within Aspen House is to promote and implement Independence for our young people to help them achieve progress and the best outcomes for themselves.
I have a passion for young people and have worked with thousands of young people all over the UK for the last 11 years. My job roles have been within the Local authority directly supporting young people to work through traumatic experiences.
I have also worked with young offending services and implemented the ISSP program. This involved setting up a collective of anti-gang initiatives that aimed to reduce youth violence within the prison and community environment. Over the years I have supported and promoted anti- knife crime campaigns with the MOJ and continue to work within services that address youth violence.
At Aspen House I offer support and mentoring to all young people and continue to study professionally, currently working on my Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare
Key skills
Facilitation
Training for professionals
Mentoring
Gangs and Serious Youth
Violence Consultancy
Josie Cuckow
Therapeutic Consultant
Hello I am the Therapeutic Consultant for Ascent Family Homes.
I have over 30 years experience of working therapeutically with children, young people and their families/carers, in a variety of different roles which have ranged from frontline to management of services, with multidisciplinary and multi-agency organisations (private sector, voluntary, health and local authority) across child protection and family support services, family and carer homes, schools, hospitals, respite care, residential services, domiciliary home care service, palliative care and fostering agencies, individually or part of a team.
I am experienced in working with the impact of complex trauma, adverse childhood experiences and special educational needs. I am creative and flexible, I maintain a holistic and systemic approach. I use different modalities according to the individual needs of the child or young person, their family/caregivers/staff teams.
I am passionate about children and young people experiencing wraparound therapeutic care on a daily basis and the Ascent Family Homes Philosophy of Care sits firmly with my beliefs.
Victoria Odelanu
Interim Manager
As Interim Manager of Aspen House, I am passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment where young people feel valued, listened to, and cared for. My focus is on building strong relationships with young people and staff, promoting consistency, and ensuring that Aspen House continues to provide high-quality care. I am committed to supporting each young person to develop confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to achieve positive outcomes and prepare for a successful future.
Mark Pomell
Responsible Individual
Mark P has been a sector expert for over thirty years, having been a social worker, manager and senior manager in both the statutory and Public sectors. Ascent came from his vision to deliver fostering services in an innovative way. Our commitment to developing people, building relationships and prioritising high quality care has seen the organisation grow and gain an investment in people Platinum award in 2021. His drive towards excellence is unrelenting as he seeks to give children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities to excel in all areas of life.
MARK HOBBS
Commercial Director
Mark H qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst and Young in 2002 and went on to hold a number of senior manager roles at FTSE 100 during the next decade. Alongside this Mark had a passion for youth work and over the next 20 years went on to establish a leading youth charity, Reaching Higher. Reaching Higher does significant work in the community within the London borough of Croydon. This unusual combination of Financial expertise and a flair for youth work has made Mark a key founding member of the Ascent team and brings his vision and strategic thinking to the delivery of care.
Contact Us
michellepryce@ascentfamilyhomes.co.uk
or email
referrals@ascentfamilyhomes.co.uk
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Hillcrest House
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51 Woodcote Rd
Wallington
SM6 0LT
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