About us

About

Adolescent Support Home Services Ltd is owned by Simon Ashman, who is a registered social worker with Social Work England. Simon has over 19 years' experience in working with children and families and has been a qualified social work practitioner since 2003, graduating from the University of Bedfordshire.

Simon began his professional career working with adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health problems. He then transitioned into childcare and has since worked in frontline child protection for a number of years as well as in secure environments for young people.

Additionally Simon has delivered a range of group work programmes to include working with male perpetrators of domestic violence. Latterly, Simon has specialised within the field of child exploitation and has managed a virtual team that provide timely intervention to young people at risk of child sexual exploitation. He has also assisted in the planning and delivery of a multi-agency operational meeting which seeks to identify and support those at risk of child sexual and criminal exploitation and disrupt the activity of those seeking to perpetrate this abuse.

Simon has always been passionate about helping young people avoid getting caught up in negative generational patterns and cycles, particularly those of crime, gang affiliation, substance misuse, exploitation and academic under achievement. Having direct experience of some of these issues himself, Simon has been able to engage with and relate to many young people in a unique manner that derives from having a shared lived experience.

"Once a young person fully understands their true potential, there can be absolutely no stopping them. Every young person is entitled to lead a healthy and happy life, and live in a clean, safe environment where they are appropriately supported. Frankly, my view on this is simple and plain: if I would not allow my own children to live in our accommodation, then it is not good enough for anyone else's" - Simon

The administrative side of ASHS, including contracts, finance and marketing, is run by Katie Cutler, who has extensive management and administrative experience within the hospitality sector and the NHS. Katie has also been a fully qualified EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher, with a CertTESOL from Trinity College London, for 14 years and is multilingual herself. She has previously worked at language schools and as a private tutor and has taught English to speakers of many other languages from all over the world, at every level from total beginner to advanced, including to asylum seeking young people.

To request a copy of our full statement of purpose, please email admin@ashsltd.org.uk