Innovative and Caring Professionals Celebrated at Station House

Home news

Apr 20, 2010

Residents and their families joined an afternoon of celebration at the Station House care home as staff were presented with qualifications and awards for their hard work and innovative approaches to dementia and palliative care.

Members of the 100 strong team gathered at the Victoria Avenue home to see Carol Clarke and Sue Oliver receive their Care UK employee of the month award for their outstanding work in dignity in dementia and palliative care.

Home Manager Carole Wardle said: “Both have worked so hard to create initiatives that will increase residents’ quality of life and help people, and their families, as they move to end of life care.

“Carol is passionate about dignity at work. She has created a programme called TICK (time, inclusion, choice and kindness) that helps us to focus on how we deliver care to residents with dementia in line with the Department of Health Dignity Challenge.”

“Care UK is committed to fulfilling residents’ lives and influenced by Carol the team wanted to go the extra mile. We then decided to create This is Me folders for our residents: an idea born from a sister home Hollins Park in Macclesfield.

“These folders encourage us to find out even more about our residents; their likes and dislikes and what activities they’ve enjoyed in the past. Along with the social themed afternoons we run, it also helps us to make our residents’ time more fulfilling.”

Sue Oliver received her award for developing a handy credit card-sized document for those working in palliative care.

Carole was really impressed with the document, she said: “It is a lovely piece of work. It contains lots of helpful and practical information about palliative care and helps residents and their families to adjust, but it also contains inspirational quotes and poems.”

Sue started work on the idea as part of her Foundation in Palliative Care but felt she wanted to develop it further to help residents, families and colleagues.

At the celebratory high tea seven staff - Anita Capper, Rachel Keane, Lisa Smith, Agnes Bondar, Debbie Williams, Diane Challinor and Kath Botomley - received the NVQ level 2 certificates in Health and Social Care.

Carole, who has been the home’s manager for 10 years, said: “We have a wonderful team. They worked so hard to get this qualification, some in record time.

“They will always go the extra mile to ensure they make the most of their training and provide the best possible care to residents and their families.”

Celebrations also included the presentation of a cheque for £200 to Mr Tony Peake of the British Red Cross. Staff and residents had raised the money at a coffee morning after they were moved by the media coverage of the Haiti earthquake. The money will be used to improve sanitation in the country.