News

This week has seen the launch of our new uniform. We were keen to continue to create more homely environments and become less institutionalised.  The way our care team looks is a very important element in this. We considered a non-uniform approach, but our residents felt it was important that their carers were easily identifiable. So, we have gone for a less ‘traditional’ tunic in a vibrant purple, a colour believed by researchers to be the most relaxing, calming, yet creative.

To enhance the new uniform, we have developed a pin-badge to wear on the right-hand side of the uniform identifying individual employees as ‘Care Jewels’ (In the “They’re all such gems” sense) but not based on any exam, test or qualification.The Stonehaven Care Jewels concept has been developed in order to:

1. Achieve some more ‘direct connections’ with individual employees to show we value each one;

2. Remind and strengthen a sense of individual duty and pride-in-the-job;

3. Seek and apply any useful way of setting Stonehaven Care Group well apart from and well above the run-of-the-mill competition, in a form that could be immediately noticed, mentally registered and effortlessly remembered by all and especially the outside world.

4. Raise morale and enhance individual carer’s job enjoyment and satisfaction; with a view to that radiating out from them and so presenting an exceptionally ‘happily-busy-at-care’ image to the world.

The ‘Care Jewels’ concept sits well alongside ‘The Jewels of Dementia’ as presented as part of the ‘All About Dementia’ training course delivered to Stonehaven. The jewels program is belief in an idea, that we can give excellent care to people with dementia, and it is easy to do so if we have the empathy and skills required. ‘Care Jewels’ do not think outside the box, for Care Jewels, there is no box.

The new uniform is being trialed at Kent House, Okehampton with a view to rolling it our across all of our homes in the New Year.

On Wednesday 2nd October 2013, The Mayor of Northam Barry Mason , presented an award to Christine Waters for the length and quality of her service to residents at Donnington House,  part of the Stonehaven Care Group.  The Mayor was joined by: Christine’s husband, Alan Waters; family; friends; residents; staff and the Directors of Stonehaven. Christine Waters, who has been with Donnington House, for 25 years, first worked in Barnstaple on the pharmacy side of Boots.  Whilst at Boots she married and then took 7 years off work to care for her young children. She then returned to work as a cook at Skern Lodge which catered for 80 – 100 people a day.  From there she worked at a nursery for children.  While she was working there, her brother in-law, Tony, was doing some maintenance work at Donnington House and informed her that they were looking for someone to work in the laundry.  Chris applied and got the job. It was from here that Christine got “talked into” becoming a care assistant.

Chris started as a care assistant in October 1988 completing her NVQ2 in dementia care ,food hygiene certificate, level 2 medicine, level 3 palliative care and level 2 first aid.  She also holds an NVQ and keeps herself up to date with all mandatory courses.  Chris has worked her way up to the position of senior carer.

She is constantly busy and has a wonderful sense of humour creating a happy atmosphere even at moments which could otherwise be stressful.  Although Christine enjoys looking after all the elderly clients and liaising with GPs, community psychiatric nurse and district nurse,  she is looking forward to her retirement and has begun to cut down her working hours. She is still a most valuable member of staff who is liked and respected by all who meet her.

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTINE!

We are so proud of our recent success in achieving the Investors in People accreditation! Director Nathan Stone said “We undertook Investors in People at this time for two main reasons. Firstly, because we were cautiously confident that we would achieve recognition and secondly because we were keen to use the thorough assessment process as a review of what we do in order to identify areas where improvements can be made.” The assessments took place over 3 days during which time the assessor visited 6 of our care homes and met with randomly selected individuals from all roles within the organisation.

An extract from the official assessment stated: “The primary focus of everyone I met is on the excellent care of the residents and to cherish them in order to make their time as rewarding as possible. Rarely have I seen such a comprehensive range of training and development.”

On Sunday 24th March Lynne Ware, Carer at Kent House in Okehampton will be abseiling down the Meldon Viaduct to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Some of the residents are hoping to go and watch Lynne, in the Stonehaven mini-bus ‘The Wanderer’. We wish Lynne lots of luck and hope the sun shines for her!