Cover story – advertising feature
The Love Laundry Awards: a new cycle begins
This year will see the launch of WASHCO’s fourth Love Laundry Awards. WASHCO, a national supplier of commercial laundry equipment and service, created the awards in 2021 to celebrate the work that care home laundry teams had carried out during the pandemic. Emily Stoten, who created the awards, looks back at what they have learnt about the amazing laundry teams WASHCO works with
As a provider of commercial laundry equipment, we can often obsess over the smallest detail on a piece of laundry equipment. But of course, the equipment is only a small part of any successful laundry. Every year when we read the Love Laundry Award nominations, it is clear that it is the teams and individuals who make all the difference in care home laundries up and down the country.
The theme which is most evident across all three years of the awards is the dedication and commitment shown by those who were nominated. Staff going beyond their job descriptions, working long hours, and even going as far as to come in on their days off.
Evident in the nominations is that staff
go beyond their job description because of their connection with their residents and a desire to support them. Words such as compassion, caring, and listening to the needs of residents are frequently used throughout the submissions.
Looking back
Going back to the first awards in 2021, Annmarie Bradshaw from Etheldred House, Exelcare, was our first Individual Award Winner. Santall Horn, general manager, who nominated Annmarie, said in her nomination: “I frequently find Annmarie in one of the houses during mealtimes where she is assisting someone with their meal and when her shift is done at the end of the day, one would usually see her sitting down chatting with a resident. She also frequently assists staff with residents living with dementia when they are unsettled. None of
6 The Love Laundry Awards:
a new cycle begins Luxury care in Bath: Hallmark takes the plunge How Bowgreave Rise keeps residents HAPPI
Volume 9 Issue 5 May 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
to be finished putting them ahead at the start of the day. Even more simply, there are often efficiencies to be gained from behavioural changes. For example, making sure machines are always fully loaded or ensuring similar material types are always dried together.
On a broader note, attention to detail is often highlighted as a strength of the laundry teams nominated for the Love Laundry Awards.
this is asked of Annmarie – she does this out of choice.”
Throughout the three years of the Love Laundry Awards, those who are nominated are praised for their resilience and adaptability as circumstances change. This was, of course, highly evident during the pandemic but is also a key part of day-to- day life within laundries. Laundry teams are continuously adapting and changing to improve their infection control processes, manage productivity, cover staff shortages, or take advantage of the latest technology. This is an area where we love to support our customers. Within laundries, there are often productivity gains to be made without needing to change machines or change the number of staff. Lots of commercial machines have even simple technology which can be taken advantage of, for example, delayed starts. The washing machines can be programmed to start early in the morning before the day shift starts. Staff do not have to wait for washing cycles
In 2023, Caldy Manor, part of Barchester Homes, won the Love Laundry Care Home Team Award. General manager Hannah Roberts nominated the team: “We have a lot of respite residents staying, who have always said other homes they go to, they have things missing when they leave, but we are proud to say that everything is not only returned, but ironed, folded, or neatly hung. We have not had a laundry complaint in over two years now as they have managed this system so brilliantly.” In 2022, Anita Astle MBE, Manager at Wren Hall nominated the eventual winners of the Love Laundry Care Home Team award: “Most laundries in care homes struggle to return clothing to their rightful owner, but this is not an issue at Wren Hall. Our laundry team work collaboratively and tirelessly to maintain their orderly system, ensuring all laundered items are clean, fresh smelling, well ironed, and placed neatly in their owners’ wardrobes and drawers.”
Getting it right At WASHCO we are aware that, for some residents, their clothes may be one of the
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com May 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
