One of the first things to disappear when you become the parent of a child with complex needs is a sense of control. Where once you felt the master of your own destiny (foolishly or not) the world and your week become shaped and determined by other people and their growing list of tasks. It’s … Continue reading The antidote to the feeling of losing control →

It isn’t news to us, we have always suspected it, but no matter how innovative, dynamic, pioneering or ground breaking a piece of equipment, it only works as well as the people using it. Here at Simple Stuff Works we know that it isn’t simply pieces of equipment that change the lives of those with … Continue reading Our equipment doesn’t work →

Dear Professional, There are so many of you, I’m not sure where to begin. Maybe you’re the Physiotherapist, OT or Speech and language therapist who arrange with each other when it is best to meet, then ask I comply with the time and date. Please know I’m grateful for your input, skills and knowledge. My son … Continue reading Dear Professional… →

Ornately draped curtains hung around the room blocking out the midday sun. Sioned stood teaching. It was all so familiar; a room full of delegates, PowerPoint presentation, projector and screen. The humid room though, was a tell-tale sign that behind the green curtains lay the bustling hubbub of Gaza rather than the green fields of … Continue reading How a tweet can end with a flight to Gaza →

2008 was epic Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record at the Beijing Olympics, the world banking markets crashed and Barak Obama was elected President of the United States of America. It was a pivotal year in global history not least because Simple Stuff Works was born. Ten years ago, in a town not far … Continue reading Simple Stuff Works 10th Birthday →

Gin With a boutique bottle of gin tucked on to the passenger seat, I frantically drove around in circles, rapidly losing my cool. I was going to spend the day with a Simple Stuff Works hero, Joanna Grace, and had been so determined to arrive in plenty of time. Firstly, the Satnav conspired to thwart … Continue reading Joanna Grace, a bottle of gin and sweaty bodies. →

Gethin Jones met my husband the other day. ‘Who is he?’ I hear you ask. Well, my husband is the handsome man in this picture, and has been the leading man in my life for over twenty years. Gethin Jones (the other bloke), well I used Google to research him. It seems he was a Blue Peter … Continue reading Lots of famous people and Gethin Jones: BAPs 2018 →

Simple Stuff Works has the privilege of working alongside a number of remarkable people who change this world for the better. In 2018, we are going to celebrating some of these people through our ‘Heroes’ blog series. First up is…Helen Laverty By day, Helen is a senior lecturer in Learning Disabilities at Nottingham University. By … Continue reading Simple Stuff Works Heroes – Helen Laverty →

Have we mentioned that families are really important to us at Simple Stuff Works?  As a family business, we value putting the people we love at the centre of our lives and we know that our customers do too. But Simple Stuff Works isn’t a company that simply talks the talk, we walk the walk. 6 … Continue reading 6 ways Simple Stuff Works puts families first →

How old are you? How tall are you? What do you weigh? The fact is, whether we love them or hate them, our lives are framed with measurements. From the abrupt awakening of our alarm clock telling us it is time to get up, to our food being measured in packets with used by dates … Continue reading Our care of people with limited movement doesn’t #measureup →

Looking into our crystal ball, you’ve had a 6-week cough, shares in Kleenex have rocketed solely based on your nasal secretions, you can’t remember when you last saw the sun and you’re broke. It must be January. January is dark, grey, cold and everyone is counting the days until payday. So, the only way is … Continue reading The only way is UP →

2017 is coming to a close and what a year it has been. This year alone Simple Stuff Works was highly commended at the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards as our global trade expands. Our products can now be found in homes in over 15 different countries. Our award-winning animations have inspired professionals and families to … Continue reading Simple Stuff Works: A Revolutionary 2018 →

It is the season of the unexpected. Last night, Halloween brought a host of unexpected guests to our front door. It was an opportunity to meet neighbours we don’t normally speak to under the guise of passing on tooth decay to the next generation. Pots of treats sat in the porch ready to be dished … Continue reading The Unexpected: Halloween, fireworks and No. 24 →

Everyone is getting old! Dawn French is 60. The Queen is 91. Maculay Culkin is 37. And today, you could be arrested by someone born the same year Wannabe was released by the Spice Girls. We’re all ageing. In the UK today, there are over 11.8 million people aged over 65 with 1.6 million over … Continue reading Growing old and living well. →

“I remember standing and looking at the dual carriageway that runs outside Birmingham Children’s Hospital and thinking, “How can you all be carrying on with your lives, don’t you know what just happened?” Now, every time I pass the same window, I think of the parents that are looking out and thinking the same thing.” Sarah Clayton, CEO … Continue reading Childhood Cancer Awareness Month →

We are half way through the school summer holidays and it feels as though we have had approximately 3.4 days of sun. For those parents counting down – stay strong, you’re now closer to the end than the beginning. If you’re loving it; three weeks left – make it count. Either way to brighten your … Continue reading A-Z Guide to a British Summer (especially for complex families) →

Behind the doors of Simple Stuff Works lies a deep, dark secret. But the truth will out. A short and brilliant animation by Simple Stuff Works may give us a glimpse of the secret life of Simple Stuff Works. In it we are introduced to a new kind of Superhero, Myth Buster.    It seems the … Continue reading A new Superhero with unbelievable powers →

Have you cast your vote? It’s today. The snap General election, geared at making our nation more stable and stronger for the future, is here. For the third time in as many years, the UK sits on the brink of tomorrow. There are certain experiences in life that bring out the best and worst in people. … Continue reading Election day, but nothing will change. →

The simplest way to get fifty on a dart board is by hitting the bullseye, but it isn’t easy. Simple Stuff Works prides itself on offering uncomplicated solutions to prevent and correct body distortion. For those with limited mobility, postural care is a twenty-four-hour occupation. Seven days a week. Three hundred and sixty-five days a … Continue reading Simple isn’t the same as Easy →

When a child is first diagnosed with a complex medical condition or disability, a tidal wave of unanswered questions sweep through life. For me it was as though, one minute I lived in a town that I recognised, one I had lived in my whole life. A town with familiar faces, understandable street names and identifiable buildings. Then … Continue reading The unanswered questions and simple answers →

Little things can make a difference. I’ve always thought this to be true but recently it’s reality has seeped a little deeper. When I worked as a nurse in A&E, I knew that even in the middle of emergency procedures, how I treated the patient and family would be remembered. As a parent standing over my fitting … Continue reading 5 Little things that make a big difference →

For many, Mother’s day brings a mix of emotions. Both men and women can sense the loss of their mother’s more acutely. Other’s are grieving being unable to parent children or that motherhood is not what they expected it to be. Meanwhile many of us women are pulling our hair out as we walk this … Continue reading The women behind Simple Stuff Works →

For about three seconds in 2005 (the year I became a mum) I thought I was SuperWoman. It didn’t last long. Unfortunately, for a good few years I then thought that I had to pretend to be Supermum. Every morning I donned my Lycra suit and tried to trick everyone into thinking I’m super-human. Having … Continue reading I’m not Super-anything and that’s ok. →