Meet the team at Avonfield Neurological Centre
Yewande Keleko
Care Centre Director
Yewande has over 25 years’ operational experience in the provision of residential health and care services, day care services and housing management. She is proud to have managed multi-site services for more than ten years where staff teams deliver high quality, ethical services to meet individual’s complex needs. With her wide range of knowledge in neurological conditions she is passionate about mentoring, coaching and developing staff to reach their full potential. Yewande’s focus is on developing services that deliver person-centred care and is deeply committed to positively impacting people’s lives. She emphasises the importance of listening and being responsive to both the resident’s and their family, and is inspired by the difference the staff team make to the lives of the people they support. Yewande’s extensive operational and management background along with the Care Centre Directors expertise will ensure the best clinical services are delivered at all times.
Gemma Sisman
Lead Nurse
Gemma became an HCA at age 17 with an NVQ in health and social care, before going onto study mental health nursing, and qualifying as a registered Mental Health Nurse at London Southbank University in 2014. Prior to this Gemma was a Healthcare Assistant and worked in both mental health care homes and community care. After qualifying, Gemma worked in PICU where she had an inspirational mentor who really encouraged her passion for quality improvement, and working on reducing restrictive practices within the service. Over the last 5 years, Gemma has worked within neurological services where she has progressed from Registered Nurse at our sister site, Badby Park to Lead Nurse/Deputy Care Centre Director at Avonfield. Gemma continues to consistently improve the quality of our residents’ lives and the care they receive, building positive work cultures and leading teams to improve resident outcomes.
Marlon Shepard
Neurospecialist Occupational Therapist
Marlon has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist (OT) since 2018 and began his OT career working in acute hospitals across multiple disciplines (i.e., orthopaedics, gastroenterology, elderly medicine, etc), building a broad base of knowledge and experience. As Marlon progressed in his career, he had a particular passion towards specialising in neurorehabilitation. Marlon has in-depth experience working with people with a range of neurological conditions including, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)/Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Parkinson's Disease. As an OT at Avonfield Neurological Centre, Marlon strives to implement holistic patient-centred therapy, with the wider Multidisciplinary Team, to achieve the best outcomes for the residents.
Elinor Girdler
Speech & Language Therapist
Elinor graduated as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2020 and began working in the NHS providing care and rehabilitation for people with a range of neurological conditions. After gaining experiencing across hyper acute, acute, community and inpatient rehabilitation settings, Elinor joined Elysium Health Care. Elinor has worked across multiple Elysium sites and currently provides speech and language therapy input to Avonfield Neurological Centre and our sister site, Badby Park. Elinor is passionate about person-centred care, dysphagia, and continuing professional development. She provides regular training on communication impairments, dysphagia, and oral care; and is currently completing her specialist dysphagia and tracheostomy competencies.
Bryonie Cooper
Assistant Psychologist
Bryonie is an Assistant Psychologist with a background in Complex Mental Health. Prior to starting her role at Avonfield has primarily worked with individuals with schizoaffective disorders and Challenging Behaviours, supporting their rehabilitation back into living within the community. Whilst at University she was able to gain firsthand experience of evidence-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy during her placement at a Charity that provided support to those with OCD and Severe Phobias overcome their challenges through a gradual exposure approach. During this time, she gained a passion and appreciation for Applied Behavioural Analysis which she has carried with her. At Avonfield she applies her experience of Complex and Challenging Behaviours alongside the multidisciplinary team to aid in the recovery of Acquired Brain Injuries by supporting the team with the management of negative behaviours that prevent a comprehensive rehabilitation. Bryonie is supported in her role by Nick Alderman, the Clinical Director Neurobehavioural Rehabilitation and a foremost expert in the area of Neurological Rehabilitation with decades of experience.
Catharin Jose
Physiotherapist
Catharin is a MCSP, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered physiotherapist with 5 years of experience. She completed her bachelors of physiotherapy over in India in 2019. With a broad range of experience in the field of hydrotherapy, respiratory, neurological conditions and ICU management, Catharin is a passionate and caring individual who takes pride in her work, and values the importance of a holistic approach to condition treatment and management. Her special interest is neurorehabilitation which lead her to join the team at Avonfield Neurological Centre as Physiotherapist. In her role at Avonfield, Catharin predominantly works with residents who have wide range of neurological conditions including traumatic brain injuries and stroke. Catharin's role currently involves assessing patients, handling clinical caseloads, administering therapeutic interventions and discharge planning. Catharin is a registered physiotherapist with HCPC and is a member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.