The Continuum Care Team
Continuum Care (Cornwall) is led by a team of highly experienced care professionals with extensive expertise in domiciliary care, children’s and adult residential homes, education and coaching, the charity sector, law enforcement, and care for people with mental health and physical challenges. As well as high standards of training and experience, we look for interpersonal qualities that reflect our values. These include respect, empathy, understanding and honouring each client’s individual needs, and taking pride in their journeys towards greater wellbeing.
Denis Winder – Registered Manager
Denis began working with South Yorkshire Police in 1978 and retired in 2003 having achieved an LLB (Hons) and MEd (Training and Evaluation). He relocated to Cornwall, and for a year managed the Young Volunteer Challenge, a DFES project for the Cornwall Centre for Volunteers. In 2004 he joined a specialist residential care organisation that works exclusively with Adults and Children diagnosed with Autism (with or without a learning disability and other conditions). Beginning as the Training Manager, he later became Head of Resources and one of three strategic members of the Senior Management Team.
Over the years Denis gained extensive experience working with some exceptional direct care team members, registered managers and deputy registered managers, achieving Level 4 NVQ in Health and Social Care and Level 7 Management NVQ. Denis is a qualified Assessor, Internal and External Verifier and is qualified as a Life and Organisational Coach. Denis has actively worked with First Call Care Solutions Ltd from January 2015 onwards; he registered Continuum Care (Cornwall) with the Care Quality Commission in 2016.
Michelle Dyer – Operations Manager
Michelle has over 20 years’ experience in supporting children and adults with Autism, many of who have highly complex needs and display behaviours that may feel challenging for their families and the wider community.
Her care expertise began with a Cornish Charity that provides residential care services. Joining as a care support worker, she progressed to Deputy Registered Manager and finally Registered Manager, approved by both the Care Quality Commission and OFSTED. Michelle achieved her level 5 Management and Level 4 Care NVQs in 2007.
Michelle joined Continuum Care in 2021 as the Manager for Supportive Lifestyles. With her extensive expertise in supporting people with Autism she has led the expansion of this area of the organisation with rapid success, and is an integral part of the Senior Management Team.
Jackie Teague – Manager of Supported Lifestyles and Outreach
Jackie has 18 years’ experience in the care and support sector within Cornwall. She has held various positions in community-based domiciliary care organisations delivering high standards of care at home, and has also deployed her expertise in residential care and nursing homes for older people.
Jackie began working with Continuum Care (Cornwall) in 2021, initially as a care support worker in the Supportive Lifestyles packages of the organisation, then senior support worker, before being promoted to her current position as Deputy Manager.
Monike Powlesland – Manager of Supported Lifestyles and Outreach
Monike is a highly experienced care support person, having spent 19 years working in the care sector within Cornwall. She has held a variety of roles in community-based domiciliary care organisations, and has also worked with residential care organisations in both older people’s services and for people with Autism (adults and children).
Monike joined Continuum Care (Cornwall) in 2021, initially as a senior care support worker in the Supportive Lifestyles packages of care, then rising to her current position as Deputy Manager Supportive Lifestyles. Monike is currently working towards her Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management of Care Services.
Tei – Deputy Manager of Domiciliary Care
Tei gained his Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce in 2014, after four years of working as a tutor and mentor to young people with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. He moved to Cornwall in 2014 and began working in the care sector, using person-centred approaches to support adults with complex needs and behaviours that challenge.
He rose to the positions of Senior, Deputy and then Registered Manager, gaining his Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care. Tei joined the Supporting Lifestyles team at Continuum Care (Cornwall) in July 2022 as Senior Support worker, and has recently been promoted to Deputy Manager.
Jo Archer – Deputy Manager for Outreach
Jo achieved her level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services after 12 years working within the Local Authority Children’s Services. She went on to become Deputy Manager for a Cornish charity providing Outreach support for Autistic individuals (0-25 years) living in the community.
Jo is now the Deputy Manager for our Outreach Support Service, helping to lead the team in supporting Autistic individuals and their families. The team strives to improve the quality of our clients’ lives by promoting independent living and social skills (as appropriate).
Fred Blunden – Training Manager
Fred has worked in health and social care for over 20 years, both in front line roles as a carer and registered manager, as well as as a trainer. Fred is experienced with complex behaviours and autism and has an interest in developing the skills of his teams to support individuals.
Fred holds a degree in Human Behavioural Studies, as well as a Level Five in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care and holds full teaching and training qualifications.
Fred is keen to support staff to achieve their training goals and will be developing the internal training and supporting the wider management team. Fred is a member of the management team.
Team training
Our team members are taught to recognise the signs, cues and signals that indicate when a client may be feeling triggered, activated and dysregulated. Over time, we work with clients, their families and wider support network to help individuals develop their own self-calming strategies.
We also undergo extensive personal development training ourselves, to be conscious of our own possible triggers in the care environment. We learn to view challenges through the lens of curiosity, and to respond (rather than react) through a trauma-informed understanding.
Our ethos is to remotivate clients, who often come to us in crisis mode, to believe that better outcomes are possible and tangible.