Catalyst Care Group

Catalyst Care Group We're here to transform care for the better through our people, processes and services.

Sometimes, all it takes is one word.School.The stomach ache starts. The fear takes over. The conversation suddenly feels...
09/09/2026

Sometimes, all it takes is one word.
School.

The stomach ache starts. The fear takes over. The conversation suddenly feels too much.

For some autistic children and teens, the distress begins long before the school gates - with the thought of the noise, bright lights, social pressure or another unpredictable day.

That’s why school avoidance can’t be reduced to attendance.

Instead of only asking, “How do we get them into school?”, we need to ask:

“What has made school feel impossible?”

Our latest article explores what may be happening underneath school avoidance, the signs adults often miss, and what can genuinely help.

Read it here:
https://catalystgrp.co.uk/blog/why-autistic-children-and-teens-avoid-school/

A figure can look tidy on a spreadsheet. Life rarely does.A personal budget can shape where someone lives, who supports ...
03/09/2026

A figure can look tidy on a spreadsheet. Life rarely does.

A personal budget can shape where someone lives, who supports them and whether the routines and relationships that matter can stay intact.

Yet families are often left with questions:

How was this amount calculated?
Can the right support actually be bought with it?
Do we have more choice than we have been told?
Are we paying for something extra - or filling a gap the budget should cover?
And what can we do when a decision doesn’t feel right?

We co-produced this guide with Christopher Watson FRSA , Chair of SDS Network England and Founder of Self Directed Futures, drawing on nearly 30 years of social care experience to answer the questions families are too often left to untangle alone.

No maze of funding language. Just honest explanations of personal budgets, Direct Payments, Individual Service Funds and the questions families have every right to ask.

Families should not have to become legal or funding experts to ask for support that genuinely works for someone they love.

Download the guide and feel better prepared for the conversations that matter. - https://catalystgrp.co.uk/resource/

01/09/2026

New classroom. New faces. New sounds. New routines.
That is a lot of “new” for one small morning.

For some children, the questions begin long before the school gates open.

Who will be there?
What will happen?
What if I need a break?
When will I come home?

We made this Social Story with those moments in mind - something families can watch together to help the school day feel a little more familiar before it begins.

It gently follows the day from getting ready and arriving at school to meeting people, joining activities, taking a break and coming home again.

Pause it. Talk about it. Watch it again tomorrow. There is no right way to use it - just take your time and follow what feels comfortable for your child.

It may not take every worry away, but it can offer a little reassurance when everything feels new. 💜

Watch more of our Social Stories, or download the PDF versions to read together at your own pace: https://catalystgrp.co.uk/free-social-stories/

And we’d really love to hear from you: what everyday moment would you like us to create a Social Story for next?

25/08/2026

Trust can take a long time to build, especially when someone has spent years feeling misunderstood.

One team member may recognise that silence means someone is overwhelmed. Another may see it as refusal. One gives the person time. Another keeps asking.

That inconsistency can make a growing sense of safety feel fragile again.

This is why Positive Behaviour Support should become part of the culture surrounding a person - not something introduced only when a situation becomes difficult.

Putting the person at the centre should come naturally.

It should shape every conversation, handover, decision and response, because the whole team understands the person’s communication, history, needs and the small things that help life feel safe.

When this understanding is present across every shift, people can feel heard before distress reaches crisis point.

Support becomes more consistent, trust grows and there is more room for choice, connection and genuinely good days.

If someone you support could benefit from a more consistent, whole-team approach, please get in touch. We would be happy to listen and explore what the right support could look like. - https://catalystgrp.co.uk/referrals-and-assessments/

How much is a personal budget?How do I apply for Direct Payments?Can I choose who supports me?And what happens if the fu...
21/08/2026

How much is a personal budget?
How do I apply for Direct Payments?
Can I choose who supports me?
And what happens if the funding isn’t enough?

Behind every one of these questions is a real decision about someone’s life.

Whether they can keep a trusted support worker. Stay in their own home. Follow the routines that help them feel safe. Or have more say in how they live.

Yet almost 1 in 3 people drawing on long-term support in England did not find it easy to access information about support, services or benefits.

Our new guide explains how personal budgets work, the choices available and what you can ask when something doesn’t feel right.

Because no one should have to make decisions about their life while still trying to work out what the words mean.

Download the guide: https://catalystgrp.co.uk/resource/

18/08/2026

Caring for someone is never just about filling a shift.

A shift has a start and finish time. A person’s life does not.

Real care is found in the moments when someone stops, listens and asks: “What makes you happy?”

For Mitch, the answer was trains. 🚆

His care team could have treated that as just another interest. Instead, they saw what it meant to him - the excitement, the comfort and the joy.

They listened. They planned carefully. And they helped Mitch experience something he had previously only enjoyed from a distance.

It may have looked like a simple train journey.

But for Mitch, it was choice. It was trust. It was freedom. It was being seen as a person with his own interests, wishes and right to experience life.

That is what happens when we place the person at the heart of their care.

We stop simply completing tasks - and start creating moments that can change a life.

Mitch’s journey began with a train. But more importantly, it began with someone truly listening. 💚

Read his story here - https://catalystgrp.co.uk/case-study/how-positive-risk-taking-and-holistic-support-enabled-mitch-to-reduce-his-behavioural-challenges/

If you're looking for tips to get through the summer holidays with your autistic child, you're not the only one googling...
14/08/2026

If you're looking for tips to get through the summer holidays with your autistic child, you're not the only one googling this on a Friday afternoon.

Term ends and the routine that held everything together just... disappears.

No bell. No corridor. No "what happens next."

And the six weeks that are meant to feel like freedom can feel a bit like free-fall instead.

We spend a lot of our summers with autistic children and their families, and the honest truth is - the families who find it easiest aren't the ones with the fullest calendar.

They're the ones who've found a rhythm. A couple of small anchors. Room for the same favourite thing, on repeat, without any guilt attached.

We've pulled together what actually helps — the real, sensory-friendly stuff, not the Pinterest version.

Garden days. Quiet corners to retreat to. The "boring" afternoon that somehow turns into the best one.

If summer's already starting to feel like a lot, this might help - https://catalystgrp.co.uk/blog/summer-activities-for-autistic-children/

Summer holidays can be such a mixed experience.For some autistic children, finishing school brings relief. The noise, so...
11/08/2026

Summer holidays can be such a mixed experience.

For some autistic children, finishing school brings relief. The noise, social pressure and constant demands finally ease, and there is space to rest.

But that same break can also remove something really important: predictability.

School gives the day a shape. There is usually a sense of what happens next.

When that structure disappears, the days can suddenly feel much more uncertain, especially when plans change or there is too much unstructured time.

That is why we created this social story.

Not to make summer rigid or over-planned, but to make it feel a little easier to understand.

To show that some days can be quiet. Some can be busy. Some can be spent at home. Others might involve going somewhere new.

The aim is simply to give children a bit more clarity around a big change, while still leaving room for rest, choice and flexibility.

Sometimes, that small sense of “I know what this might look like” can make a real difference.

We’re thinking about the next everyday transition that could use the same kind of support. What would be useful to see next?

You can find more of our free social stories here: https://catalystgrp.co.uk/free-social-stories/

Accessible information isn't just about how we communicate. It's about how people participate.We often rely on written i...
07/08/2026

Accessible information isn't just about how we communicate. It's about how people participate.

We often rely on written information or verbal explanations and assume that everyone understands them in the same way.

But understanding looks different for everyone.

For many autistic people and people with learning disabilities, multimedia can make information more accessible through personalised videos, visual schedules, social stories, AAC communication and other digital resources.

When information is presented in a way that works for the individual, people are better able to:

✔️Understand what's happening
✔️Express their views and preferences
✔️Make informed decisions
✔️Feel more confident during change
✔️Take an active role in their own lives

We believe accessibility is about more than providing information, it's about making sure people have the opportunity to understand it.

➜ Swipe through to explore how multimedia can support more person-centred communication.

https://catalystgrp.co.uk/blog/multimedia-support-for-learning-disabilities-and-autism/

📚Restrictive interventions don't happen in isolation.They're often the outcome of unmet needs, overwhelming environments...
05/08/2026

📚Restrictive interventions don't happen in isolation.

They're often the outcome of unmet needs, overwhelming environments, communication barriers or experiences that haven't yet been understood.

That's why reducing restrictive interventions starts with a different question.

What might be driving the distress?

When we approach situations with curiosity rather than assumptions, we're more likely to identify the underlying need and respond in a way that promotes safety, dignity and positive outcomes.

Whether it's adapting communication, reducing sensory demands, responding with empathy or giving people greater choice and control, understanding the reason behind the behaviour can change the response.

Our latest guide explores practical ways to reduce restrictive interventions through person-centred, trauma-informed and Positive Behaviour Support approaches.

📖Download your free copy today:
https://catalystgrp.co.uk/resource/ -download

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