People Helping People
It is that Simple it is that Skilful
Welcome to YLOH – Your Life Our Help. We provide a range of services that are designed to help people to live their lives.
We can help people who are struggling with any aspects of life, people who either they or others think that they would benefit from some extra help and support.
We focus on getting to know people, listening to them, and the people that know them best and then providing the help that enables them to live well.
Our work is based on evidence that at the heart of any helpful work with someone, there is always a significant relationship. That, where people have help from people who; listen, who are compassionate, thoughtful, hopeful and honest, the help is much more likely to be successful.
Our Team are recruited and trained with these qualities in mind. If you think we might be able to help you or someone you know please get in touch. We will consider working with anyone. We meet them and discuss what help is wanted and/or needed. If, after this first meeting it is agreed that we could be helpful we will make arrangements to start work.
Our help includes
Art for Wellbeing
Community Work
Student Support
Supported Living
At YLOH we have designed a way of working called Creative Enabling, this is based upon our knowledge, and belief that we need to be able to focus on what is most important, you!
Creative Enabling
Creative Enabling means being flexible, imaginative, responsive, creative, compassionate and of course helpful. Creative Enabling is based on consistent research that at the heart of all meaningful help there must be good quality relationships. That if people receive help from people who are skilled in making and sustaining helpful relationships anything is possible. Amazing transformations are possible if people are able to receive skilful help that is delivered simply.
So how does Creative Enabling work?
Creative Enabling is designed to enable the Team to be able to concentrate on building and sustaining helpful relationships.
We can focus on specific areas that people want to look at, and we are also able to put together Creative Enabling packages that can help people across different aspects of their lives.
We meet people, we find out what is happening and has happened to them, we talk to people about what they want and we work together to provide it. Sometimes this means help that we can do for people, sometimes it is helping people to meet others that have the skills that they need.
What is most important with Creative Enabling is seeing each person as unique, their stories and situations, their lives, their hopes and their strengths. Listening to them about what is important to them and being with them as they try to live their lives.
“Amazing changes and transformations are possible,
if people are able to access the right help for them.”
Art for Wellbeing
Art for Wellbeing is a new service that we have developed at YLOH. It is built around the strong and growing body of evidence that places art and creativity at the heart of overcoming distress and maintaining emotional wellbeing for many people around the world.
Our artists are skilled in art and have experience and training in working with people experiencing life challenges or emotional distress. They work in a person-centred way, allowing people to follow the art they wish to make and guide and teach people where necessary. Using their own experiences of artmaking, our artists hope to be a guide for people to find ‘that creative thing’ to help express themselves, allowing the creative process to contribute to improving their lives by turning to it as a positive way to cope with distress and difficulties, even after the sessions with us have come to an end.
Whilst not a therapy, YLOH knows that the process of artmaking can be very therapeutic for many people. Our goal is to bring creativity into people’s lives, even if it has felt unobtainable for them in the past, and with this improve their wellbeing.
No art experience is necessary to take part in our sessions - they can be beneficial for both the beginner and experienced art maker as the sessions are tailored to the people who we're working with. We discuss what materials they’d like to explore, and what they would like to achieve from the sessions and let them take charge o how they want to make the best use of their time. They might want to achieve something specific, or maybe just want a bit of escapism, a time when they don't have to focus on anything apart from enjoying making art.
People can either choose to use their own art materials, or we can provide them with some. We will tailor the art materials pack to the person, so they get to decide which materials they'd like to work with. The person will be introduced to one of our artists, who will facilitate the sessions in the person’s home.
If you are interested in finding out more or would like to book an Art for Wellbeing session, please contact Becky Sturgess at:
Email: Becky.Sturgess@yloh.co.uk or call: 07712 408342.
Community Work
Helping people to live their lives is the main purpose for YLOH – Your Life Our Help. We believe that every person is unique and that there are times when we all need some help to live our lives.
We have developed a way of working that we call Creative Enabling. Creative Enabling focuses on getting to know each person we meet, making helpful relationships that put compassion, empathy, listening and helpfulness at the heart of all that we do.
In Creative Enabling, we have tried to remove the barriers that are often placed in the way of people getting the help that they want or need. Barriers that arise from the language that professionals use and the way that people can be classified or categorised.
At YLOH – Your Life Our Help, Creative Enabling means calling people, people, not clients, service users or patients. We do not assess people, we get to know them, we do not do risk assessments on people, however we do talk to people about their safety and make plans that enable them to feel safe. It means collaborating with people wherever possible, including keeping records through the use of journals that staff and people write together and can be held by the person, if they want.
Creative Enabling means exploring with people what their hopes and ambitions are, what are their strengths. It means believing that ideas and curiosity can help to transform people’s lives and, that we can all help people to overcome the issues that overwhelm them. It can also mean helping people with the day to day practical issues that, so often, can deter and/or prevent people from being able to live their lives in the way they choose.
If you are interested in our help please get in touch. Once we receive an enquiry we will make arrangements to meet the person for the first time, there is no charge for the meeting*. At this meeting, we will talk about what help is needed/wanted and afterwards write a report which will include what help we could provide and how much this will cost. If this is agreed we will then make plans to commence working with the person.
*We will make a charge for travel and travel time if we need to travel outside a 5-mile radius of Ipswich.
Student Support
Our Specialist Mental Health Mentors and Study Skills Advisors help students who are at University and who experience a range of emotional and/or mental health problems. Students who are funded via the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA).
We are able to help them to maintain their focus upon their studies and find the strategies and support structures to overcome the challenges that their emotional distress can sometimes place upon their studies.
The hourly rate for Specialist Mental Health Mentoring is £49.50 plus VAT. Please call us if you would like further information on Specialist Mental Health Mentoring or Study Skills.
Please contact us if you are interested in receiving our help and/or finding out more about what we offer.
Supported Living
At YLOH – Your Life Our Help, we can provide help for people that is based around providing accommodation. This may be housing with visiting support, temporary accommodation or supported living with 24-hour support. Our housing with support, is designed to be creative and flexible. We aim to respond to the specific needs of people.
The YLOH way of working is based around what we call Creative Enabling. Creative Enabling is about being focused upon making and sustaining helpful relationships with people. It is about seeing everybody as unique and us getting to know them, who they are and what has, or is happening in their lives.
As we with all our services, we are happy to help anyone. We will meet with them, discuss what is wanted and/or needed, then if it is agreed we can help we will start working with them.
Our supported living service works closely with charity called The Stone Foundation. The Stone Foundation manage all aspects of the licencing or tenancy arrangements. They can also provide people with some training and support regarding managing a home.
If you are interested in our Supported Living service please get in touch. Referrals can be taken over the phone or by email. Once received we will talk to the referrer and then arrange to meet the person and find out more about what is happening in their lives, what they need and whether we might be able to help them.