Three local care homes shortlisted in Surrey Care Awards

Home news

Nov 12, 2018

Teams at three Surrey care homes are celebrating after being shortlisted in the Surrey Care Awards. 

The three Care UK homes, Appleby House in Epsom, Kingsleigh in Woking and Broadwater Lodge in Godalming have made it to the finals of the prestigious awards and are now in with a chance of  winning four accolades. 

The Surrey Care Awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation in the care home sector across the county. 

Both Appleby House and Kingsleigh have been nominated for the Most Innovative Activity Programme. Shona Bradbury, home manager at Appleby House, has also been shortlisted for the Registered Manager of the Year. Broadwater Lodge in Godalming is hoping to scoop the award for Excellence in Delivering Dementia Care. 

Kingsleigh care home on Kingfield Road has been shortlisted in the innovative activity category thanks to the team’s focus on meaningful lifestyles, and helping each resident to make the most of each day in whatever way is special to them. Embracing this ethos has led to some major changes at the care home to reflect the residents’ interests and hobbies – including the creation of a pub, The Squashed Inn, and a coffee shop, where the colour scheme and name were chosen by residents. 

The team at Appleby House on Longmead Road are hoping to take home not one, but two awards as home manager Shona has been shortlisted for Registered Manager of the Year due to her boundless energy, creativity and good humour. 

Described as a ‘shining light for the highest quality and most innovative dementia care’ – Shona also networks widely, and has forged strong relationships with local charities and organisations, including the National Activity Providers Association, The Purple Angel dementia awareness campaign and Creative Minds. These relationships all enhance her knowledge and that of her team, as well as ensuring the very highest level of interesting activities for residents. 

Also shortlisted for Most Innovative Activity Programme, activity based care is at the heart of this Appleby House’s ethos – with art becoming a key focus for activities in the home. Intergenerational relationships have been built between residents and local pupils through sculpture sessions with a professional artist.

Broadwater Lodge on Summer Road has been shortlisted for Excellence in Delivering Dementia Care, where home manager Angie Bookham has a clear vision of the care setting she wants to create – and leads by example to make this happen. The team at the care home understand that great dementia care is all about seeing the person behind the dementia – Angie ensures the focus is on what residents can do, rather than what they can not. After creating a vintage pub, kitchen and aviary, Angie’s team took resident’s interests even further last month by creating a small farm at the home complete with pigs, goats and chickens.

Karen Seabrook, regional director for Care UK, said: “Across all of our Care UK homes in Surrey we strive to create a sense of belonging within the homes, as well as building strong links and support systems with our community neighbours. Our care homes are first and foremost the residents’ home, and we want to ensure all residents lead interesting fulfilling lives. 

“I know the teams at all three homes nominated work incredibly hard to provide residents with compassionate, person-centred care, and I’m delighted that our efforts have been recognised in the Surrey Care Awards. We are all looking forward to the awards ceremony and the winners being announced – I’ve got my fingers crossed for the homes!”