The Upstreet Project - Elizabeth House & Artichoak Cottage

24/04/2026

2026 is a year of change here in Upstreet. We are totally committed to taking decisions as a community, rather than using a traditional (and outdated) top-down approach.

The new carpet for Artichoak Cottage lounge (chosen by the clients who currently call Artichoak Cottage home) has arrived; next stop will be choosing the new curtains, wall colours, whether or not to have panelling like in Elizabeth House lounge, and also new upholstery fabrics for the chairs. One thing at a time...

This week, however, we have been busy agreeing on an updated company logo and literally everyone here has had their say. There's something ironic about the fact that the new logo is really not that different from the old one - I guess if something isn't broken... 😉

All will be revealed soon.

The next decision we will make is about uniform. We have ummmed and aahed about whether to even have a staff uniform, but the clients have voted (several times) as a majority that we should.

The main argument raised was that it makes it easier to know exactly who to ask for help, should they need it.
The counter-argument is that an obvious uniform can make staff stand out when supporting clients out in the community, so we need to strike a balance between looking smart enough to represent our community, but also respect the opinion of the people we support who feel strongly that they don't want to look like they're "out with a carer."

Obviously uniform also has to be comfortable for the team to wear, easy to clean, not too hot or too cold... so many things to think about.

If you have any thoughts about any of the above, or you have any advice for us, we would love to hear it. Collaborative decision making is definitely the way forward 💪

27/01/2026

We want this to feel like *home*, not A home. We've changed everything in Elizabeth House lounge... carpets, panelling, walls, reupholstered the furniture...

How do you think we're doing?

22/12/2025

Getting into the spirit of Christmas at Elizabeth House today 🎄🎄🎄 Shelter donation incoming!!
We also happily welcome our newest member of the team, Gemma 😁

17/12/2025

It's Christmas Jumper day here on Monday 22nd December and we are raising money for Shelter this year.
If you're visiting us that day, feel free to get into the Christmas spirit, wear your best festive attire - and make our donations box jingle!! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎊🎉🎉🎉🎉

25/09/2025

Blog: Help make social care better – share your thoughts

Hear from our CEO, Oonagh Smyth, about why your responses to the Adult Social Care Workforce Survey matter.

Find out more about the survey and how you can share your experiences to help shape social care policy.

https://bit.ly/4mnvoG0

23/09/2025

Do you work in the care sector already?
Strong evidence is needed to help policymakers in government understand and meet the needs of people working in care.
Collecting as many responses as possible ensures decisions truly support the sector.
📢 Add your voice to the workforce survey today and help shape the future
👉 https://bit.ly/3HjKU7g

26/05/2025

🌞🔥 Bank Holiday BBQ Fun at Elizabeth House! 🔥🌞

Our amazing clients took charge of the grill this Bank Holiday Monday, cooking up a delicious BBQ feast! 🍔🌭🍗

It was a wonderful day filled with laughter, teamwork, and tasty treats, as we celebrated togetherness and increasing independence. A huge thank you to all our fantastic clients who made the day so special!

22/05/2025

Our clients thoroughly enjoyed the thrills and laughter (despite the changeable weather - this is England, after all 🤣) during our recent trip to Thorpe Park. Supporting individuals with ARBD (Alcohol-Related Brain Damage) means not only providing specialist care but also ensuring meaningful engagement with mainstream activities and events.

Trips like these help build confidence, promote inclusion, and bring joy to everyone involved. Seeing our clients experience the rides, share smiles, and create new memories truly highlighted how important it is for everyone to have access to fun and fulfilling experiences.

A massive well done to the members of the care & support team who organised this and made it happen. It was a huge success!

We're already looking forward to our next adventure! 🎉

20/05/2025

We're ready for the summer - and some of our clients are looking forward to their trip to Thorpe Park tomorrow - not so much the rain that is forecast though! Please keep your fingers crossed for them that it doesn't bucket down!

11/03/2025

Elizabeth House lounge is getting a makeover! Even though the clients will have the final say (as it's their home), all input is very welcome. Do you have any thoughts on colours?

10/02/2025

💡 Paying Fairly, Valuing Great People 💡

We have just announced another pay rise for our team. We believe that paying at least the Real Living Wage isn't just the right thing to do—it’s essential. But we don’t stop there.

💰 We pay above the Real Living Wage because our hard-working, dedicated team absolutely deserves it.
😊 Our team stays with us—just 3% staff turnover in the last 12 months! (in case you're wondering, that is VERY unusual in this industry!)
🙌 Happy, valued employees = much better care and support for our clients. If we can reduce one more stress for them out there in the real world, our clients benefit from happier, undistracted, thriving team support.

Fair pay isn’t a cost—it’s an investment in people. And when people feel valued, they stick around. 💙

19/08/2024

A new study, published in The Lancet by the Lancet Commission on Dementia, estimates that close to 50% of cases of dementia worldwide can be prevented or delayed by improving 14 modifiable risk factors.

This is paradigm-shifting because dementia is often perceived as an inevitable consequence of the aging process, with a major genetic component. But this study suggests that modifying these risk factors can benefit everyone, irrespective of genetic risk, and that it's important to have a life-course approach. It's never too early or too late to start to modify these factors.

We've known for a long time that many chronic diseases are highly preventable and modifiable. Some that come to mind are type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and even certain forms of cancer. Modifiable risk factors include cigarette smoking, diet, physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. This study suggests that many of the same risk factors and more are relevant to reducing risk for dementia.

Newly identified modifiable risk factors add to what we already know about preventing or delaying dementia.