News Westhorpe Hall in Suffolk sold


Three Arches Care Limited (trading as Westhorpe Hall Rest Home), a well established and highly regarded care home situated near Stowmarket in Suffolk has been sold.


The care home occupies the original site of


Westhorpe Hall, the home of Henry VIII’s younger sister Mary, the Queen of France and her husband, Charles Brandon. The only remaining feature of the original building, which was torn down in the 1760s, is the three-arched bridge crossing the moat, which surrounds the house and its garden. The Barker Family acquired Lodge Farm in


1957 and bought Hall Farm in 1960, which included the current Westhorpe Hall, a Grade II listed Georgian building. Westhorpe Hall has been used as a public house, a hotel and a family home throughout the years, until it was converted to a care home in 1985. Three Arches Care Limited, which takes its name from Westhorpe Hall’s Tudor three-


arched bridge, was owned and operated by the Barker family, who decided to sell the care business in order to concentrate on their expanding farming and farm contracting business, EJ Barker & Sons. Patrick Barker of EJ Barker & Sons comments: “We are very happy to have passed the care home business over to a company committed to delivering quality service for many years to come.” The home has been acquired by Cephas / Alpha Holdings Ltd, an experienced group operator with care businesses across the country in the elderly, learning disability and childcare sectors.


Jubilee Court hosts community event


Staff and residents at Jubilee Court care home in Stevenage spread some Christmas cheer as they hosted a free Christmas lunch for elderly people across Hertfordshire. The event, hosted by Quantum Care, was


organised after staff learned that almost one million older people across the UK feel lonelier during Christmas, with many seeing it as ‘just another day’. Debbie Gilard, head of corporate services at


Quantum Care, says: “Loneliness is more obvious at this time of year, but it is a recurring problem for many elderly people in the UK. That’s why it was so important for us to reach out to elderly people in our own community and


show them that they are not alone. “This event wasn’t just about offering


people a free meal and a gift – through the Christmas lunch we were able to connect people who usually spend the majority of their time alone. I hope the friends they made today last beyond Christmas.” Julie Oakley-Reid, home manager at Jubilee


Court, says: “It was wonderful watching our guests and residents have such a lovely time. Seeing their smiles and in some cases, tears, as they opened their Christmas gifts and met new friends made the whole event worth it. We’re looking forward to more events like this one in the future.”


New care home in Doonfoot in Ayrshire


Following a competitive tender, Mactaggart & Mickel has signed a contract with leading care home provider Meallmore Ltd to build a 52-bed, two storey care home set within landscaped grounds. The home will be traditionally built with a modern design and a number of quality design features including an attractive roofline. The development programme spans


16months and is likely to create local jobs throughout the construction period. Once complete it will offer high quality, personalised care for older people, including the frail elderly. Jamie McLean, head of contracts and timber systems, says: “We are proud to be


working on this landmark development. We will bring our award-winning Mactaggart & Mickel construction expertise to bear, having ensured that the design of the care home blends seamlessly with nearby housing and other amenities.” Meallmore is a family run company with


over 30 years’ experience of providing care and 23 care homes across Scotland. Michael Gillespie, property director, says: “Mactaggart & Mickel has demonstrated a detailed understanding of our requirements and we are confident it will deliver a home of the highest standard.” Construction of the care home is due to be completed in spring 2020.


January 2019 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Staff and residents celebrate CQC rating


Staff and residents at West Oak Care Home in Wokingham, Berkshire, are celebrating a recent Care Quality Commission inspection, where it scored an overall ‘outstanding’ rating for providing a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led service. The CQC inspected the home, run by


Barchester Healthcare, in 2018 and rated it ‘outstanding’ in two key assessment areas (‘responsive’ and ‘well-led’) and ‘good’ in three (‘safe’, ‘effective’ and ‘caring’). The report stated that: “The service was


supported by a caring, committed and enthusiastic staff team who continued to meet people’s needs with compassion, kindness and respect. Measures were taken to ensure records were maintained confidentially. People and their relatives were encouraged to feel part of the service, and always welcomed.” The report continued by describing the leadership provided by the general manager of the home, Geoffrey Honour. “The service was managed by a registered manager who was extremely experienced in social care, and respected by staff, families and external professionals. “The registered manager and the management team ensured the service was exceptionally well-led and delivered care and support to people and their families that was responsive and caring in all ways. “The registered manager and the staff


team were committed to ensuring they offered people the very best care possible, and that people and their relatives were as involved as possible in running the service. The quality of care the service provided was constantly assessed, reviewed and improved by the provider and registered manager.” In celebration of the rating, CEO of


Barchester Healthcare, Dr Pete Calveley, visited the home to thank each member of the team personally and presented each one with a £500 gift voucher in appreciation, just in time for Christmas. On the day of the visit, Geoffrey, general


manager at West Oak Care Home, said: “We are ecstatic! Our team at West Oak work so hard to provide the highest possible standard of care for everyone who lives at the home and we are so delighted to be recognised for our work by the CQC, and to be rated ‘outstanding’ overall. “I’m very proud of the whole team. Our


hospitality teams, activity co-ordinators and our dedicated carers and nurses all contribute to the level of care we are able to provide. Being passionate about the residents in our care is the key to our fantastic result.”


13


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  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48