Building Brighter Futures
Our PEOPLE
Dawn Newby - Registered Manager
Dawn has worked in social care for over 25 years; she has a Post Graduate Certificate in Autism and a NVQ 4 in Management.
She is an accredited staff trainer for Personal safety measures that may be needed for those people with behaviour that may challenge. She is an accredited staff trainer for CPR, first aid, choking and safe defib use.
She began her career as a support worker with people with intellectual disabilities and has since undertaken many roles including Registered Manager, Operations Manager and Business Improvement Manager.
During her various roles Dawn has also been responsible for delivering training to management teams and implementing a roll out of assistive technology to people in need of support.
Dawn has worked in variety of settings and her passion remains enabling individuals with complex needs to live in their local community and to lead a fulfilling life.
Dawn says: ‘’Once again I am enjoying the opportunity to be working alongside individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, their families, and commissioners to deliver person centred support in the area. I am developing a team who share my passion and want to provide high quality support, which enables people to have control over their lives’’.
Portia Richmond - Deputy Manager and PBS Lead
My name is Portia I have been in the adult health and social care sector for 12 years now. I have worked in dementia care, supported living, residential homes for individuals with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. I have also worked in clinical care and support.
As well as this I have personal life experience with learning disabilities and cystic fibrosis. I started my career as a carer and then went on to be a team leader, field care supervisor and deputy manager.
I have just completed my diploma level 5 in management in adult health and social care, and look forward to progressing in my career. I have gained an exceptional amount of knowledge and experience within my time in care, and can't wait to share this with others in the team. I am so excited to be a part of the team at obsidian supported living and I'm excited to help grow the company and make a positive difference in people's lives.
I am passionate about training and am an accredited staff trainer for CPR, first aid, choking and safe defib use.
Dr Bal Powar - Nominated Individual
Obsidian Supported Living was borne from our own experience of having a child/young person with a severe learning disability and autism (who is now an adult). This has given us lived experience of what it is like caring for a person with complex needs.
This has also given us valuable first hand experience of a variety of care settings which Dylan has needed over the years. The aim is to take the best practice from those settings and implement it within our services for the benefit of others.
I have worked for the NHS since 2000 and been a consultant psychiatrist since 2011. Alongside lived experience, I have extensive work experience in these areas as a consultant:
- Low secure inpatient services
- Locked Rehabilitation services
- Inpatient brain injury services
- Autism/Neurodevelopmental NHS community services
- Experience in Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs)
- Community forensic mental health services
- Acute inpatient, community and crisis services
I studied Medicine at St Bartholomew's Medical School and qualified in 2000. I am a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2006). I completed an MBA at Warwick Business School (2012) and gained a distinction in the Clinical Neuropsychiatry programme at Birmingham Medical School (2018).
I am a certified Trainer in Epilepsy Awareness and administration of buccal rescue medication in epilepsy emergencies. I am also accredited to train staff in CPR, choking, first aid and safe defib use.