Member Article

Care home earns highest award for 3 years

A local Grimsby care home has been awarded the highest accolade by a local NHS organisation for the third year in a row.

The Anchorage, on Rutland Street, has been awarded the North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Gold Award thanks to staff dedication to the care of its residents.

Penni Brown, chief executive of Hull and East Riding based Hica Group, which operates The Anchorage, said: “We are delighted that The Anchorage has won the Gold Award for the third year running. The hard work of the management and staff at the home, combined with our ongoing investment in training, facilities and creative ways of providing care to older people and those with learning difficulties is continuing to shine through.

“Last year, the home was one of only three to be awarded the Gold Award, so we anticipate that this year The Anchorage will be featured in a very select amount of homes to be given the accolade for the third year running.”

The CCG introduced the Quality Award which rates care homes against 14 criteria, over and above the national standards set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

All 43 care homes in the North East Lincolnshire area underwent a rigorous assessment to identify levels of person-centred care, pro-active approaches in listening to feedback from residents and relatives and dedication to resident’s health.

The Anchorage was particularly applauded for its dedication to providing enriching activities for residents, including specialist Pets As Therapy (PAT) sessions, light exercise as well as arts and crafts.

The activity programme also includes regular activities with a local childminding group. Bev Milson, manager at The Anchorage, said: “The Gold Award reflects the fantastic environment which has been created by the entire team at The Anchorage.

“Our motto here is, ‘good enough for mum, good enough for our residents’. Everyone is treated like family and cared for to the highest standard.

“I think what sets us aside from other residential homes are our priorities of not only providing a safe, caring and healthy environment, but also the importance we put on creating a well thought out activity programme. In particular the visits from the children have a very calming and positive impact on the residents. Stimulating activities like this support a fulfilling life for older people and those with dementia.”

The partnership between The Anchorage and local childminding group, Nicky’s Childminding, was also set up to influence the next generation and to help develop a greater understanding of dementia within the community. The activities also provide a positive impact on residents, Bev continued: “The residents love spending time with the children, each for very personal reasons. I believe that the instinct to enjoy caring and nurturing for young people never leaves us, no matter our age, and that is quite apparent in the sessions.”

During sessions at the care home children aged from one to 11 years old interact with residents through creative activities, including crafts, singing and exercise classes, as well as refreshments and snack times.

Residents and visitors also take part in Oomph! wellness sessions, an ambitious light exercise programme designed to improve the health and wellbeing of those within residential care. Oomph! is the UK’s largest provider of activities and exercise training to the care sector. Hica Group is the only care provider in the Hull and East Riding area investing in such innovative services.

The Hica Group is a not for profit organisation, which operates a portfolio of 19 residential care homes, five of which are for people with a learning disability, along with two retirement villages. The company also runs a home care service providing approximately 11,500 hours of support and care from four regional offices in the North of England.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Hica Group .