Home / About
Experienced, Compassionate, and Child-Centred.
Our team brings decades of combined experience in children’s residential care, social work, education, and therapeutic practice. With a deep commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality support, we tailor every aspect of our care to meet the unique needs of each child and young person in our home.
We believe in the transformative power of nurturing relationships, clear communication, and choice. By working closely with the children, their families, schools, and other professionals, we develop bespoke care plans that respect each young person’s identity, autonomy, and aspirations. This approach fosters independence, confidence, and personal growth.
Proud history of nurturing, therapeutically-informed residential care.
Progress Lives has a proud history of providing nurturing, therapeutically-informed residential care for children and young people with complex needs. Over the years, the service has built a reputation for creating safe, stable, and supportive homes where young people can thrive emotionally, socially, and educationally.
In 2025, Progress Lives became part of HLTH Care, a growing specialist care provider with deep roots in health and social care compliance and quality. This partnership has strengthened Progress Lives’s capacity to deliver outstanding, person-centred support, backed by HLTH Care’s expertise in governance, clinical excellence, and innovative care models.
New benefits from joining the HLTH Care family.
Joining the HLTH Care family means Progress Lives benefits from shared knowledge, resources, and a multidisciplinary team committed to empowering children and young people to build confidence, resilience, and a positive sense of identity.
Progress Lives’s dedicated teams work closely with families, schools, and health professionals to ensure each young person receives tailored care that supports their emotional and behavioural needs. Our approach is grounded in therapeutic principles and aims to create a secure, home-like environment where children feel valued and safe to explore new experiences.
Meet the team.
At Progress Lives, our team is at the heart of everything we do. We collaborate closely to ensure every young person feels supported, understood and inspired to reach their full potential. Meet our team below.
Stuart Stokes
Head of Care
As Head of Care at Progress Lives, Stuart Stokes leads the organisation’s strategic and operational delivery, ensuring high standards across all services. He is responsible for driving continuous improvement, overseeing quality and compliance, and embedding a values-led culture that prioritises safe, effective, and compassionate care.
Stuart brings over 25 years of leadership experience in social care, education, and health. He has led large teams, managed multi-million-pound budgets, and worked closely with regulators, local authorities, and integrated care systems. His previous roles include senior leadership at ABL Health, where he oversaw national services supporting children and young people in crisis, and founding an independent training and education provision for children in care.
At Progress Lives, Stuart’s focus is on building resilient, high-performing teams, strengthening partnerships, and delivering measurable impact for the people we support.
Steve Summerfield
Education and Social Progress – Director
Steve works in close partnership with schools, carers, and key professionals to ensure that each child’s educational, social, and emotional development is fully supported. Steve leads on building personalised pathways that nurture confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of identity—both in and beyond the classroom.
With over 20 years of experience across mainstream and specialist educational settings, Steve has held leadership roles in behaviour management and safeguarding, contributing to services achieving Outstanding Ofsted ratings. He is deeply committed to ensuring that every child is given the tools, guidance, and opportunities they need to thrive, achieve, and feel truly understood.
Nickie Waddilove
Therapeutic Practice and Quality Associate
Nickie is the Therapeutic Practice and Quality Associate at Progress Lives, providing dedicated weekly support to enhance care quality and staff development. She works alongside managers and support workers to build confidence, embed reflective practice, and ensure the team is equipped to meet the emotional and behavioural needs of the children in their care. With over 25 years of experience in social work, Nickie brings deep expertise in therapeutic practice, safeguarding, and regulatory compliance. Following many years at Lancashire County Council, she now works for Blackburn with Darwen Council, where she continues to influence and shape high standards in children’s services.
At Progress Lives, Nickie designs and delivers tailored training and reflective sessions, promoting trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches. Her guidance ensures that care is not only legally compliant, but also deeply child-centred—supporting every young person to feel safe, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Sam Meadows
HR Director
Sam is the HR Director, playing a pivotal role in driving workforce planning, recruitment, and retention strategies to ensure a skilled and motivated team. She works closely with the leadership team to create and sustain a positive, values-driven workplace culture, with a strong focus on staff engagement, wellbeing, and diversity.
With over 15 years of experience in HR, particularly in not-for-profit and health and social care sectors, Sam brings a strategic approach to building and sustaining engaged teams. She is passionate about ensuring the workforce is equipped to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to children and families.
Mae Luya
Finance Director
Mae is the Finance Director, responsible for shaping financial strategy and overseeing the organisation’s financial health. She leads on budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting to support operational delivery and long-term sustainability. Mae ensures that financial resources are aligned with regulatory standards and service needs, enabling the team to deliver exceptional care.
Mae brings a wealth of experience in financial management across both public and private sectors. Her strategic oversight ensures that Progress Lives remains financially robust, compliant, and well-resourced to support children and families effectively.
Our Vision and Mission.
Our vision is to be a beacon of hope and stability for children and young people who have faced trauma, loss or instability, ensuring every child feels safe, understood and supported to build a fulfilling life.
Vision
We aim to be a beacon of hope and stability for children and young people who have experienced trauma, loss, or instability. Our vision is a future where every child in care feels safe, understood, and equipped to build a positive, fulfilling life.
Mission
Our mission is to provide a therapeutic, safe, and nurturing environment where children and young people aged 8–17 years with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) and Learning Disabilities (LD) can thrive. We are dedicated to delivering care that is evidence-based, relationship-focused, and personalised to the needs of each young person.
Our Values.
Compassion: We approach every child with kindness, empathy, and a genuine desire to understand their experiences and feelings.
Respect: We value each young person’s individuality and ensure their voices are heard and honoured.
Safety: We maintain a secure and structured environment, prioritising physical and emotional wellbeing.
Integrity: We act with honesty, transparency, and accountability in all we do.
Collaboration: We build strong partnerships with families, schools, psychologists, and other professionals to deliver holistic support.
Excellence: We commit to continuous learning and reflective practice, always striving to improve our care standards.
Our Therapeutic Approach.
At Progress Lives, we provide a nurturing and structured environment where children feel safe, supported, and valued. Our approach is centred around consistent, caring relationships and everyday routines that promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, and practical life skills.
We aim to create a homely atmosphere where children can grow in confidence and develop the tools they need for a positive future.
Why choose Progress Lives?
Tailored Care Plans: Every child receives personalised support designed around their strengths, challenges, and goals.
Experienced Team: Our staff combine expertise in social care, therapeutic practice, education, and safeguarding.
Holistic Support: We address emotional, educational, social, and physical wellbeing to promote whole-person growth.
Focus on Stability: We offer consistent routines and strong relationships to help young people rebuild trust and security.
Commitment to Partnership: We work closely with families, placing authorities, and external professionals to ensure seamless, coordinated care.
Discover the latest from Progress Lives.
Discover the latest from Progress Lives in one place: expert insights, inspiring success stories from our home-like environments and up-to-the-minute news on events, initiatives and team achievements.
Learn about how we empower young people every day—View all here.
