Celebrations at Godalming care home

Home news

Jan 07, 2014

There were celebrations at Care UK’s Jubilee House this week as team members passed exams, the final phase of the home’s two-year refurbishment programme began and a national care home watchdog gave the home its seal of approval.

The Care Quality Commission report follows an unannounced visit to the home in Pound Lane, Godalming, that provides specialist care for residents with dementia – many of who have not been able to settle in other care homes.  

The inspectors examined residents’ rooms, bathrooms and communal facilities and also examined cleaning records and procedures for infection control, which they found compliant with the CQC regulations.

During their visit, residents’ relatives told inspectors that the home was always clean and fresh and that the team worked hard to keep their relative’s environment scrupulously clean.

On this and another inspection visit, the watchdog found that all five national standards were met:

• Treating people with respect and involving them in their care
• Providing care, treatment and support that meet people’s needs
• Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm
• Staffing
• Quality of management

Gill Dyer, whose sister lives at the home, praised the team. She said “The whole team is really friendly and welcoming. I looked at a number of other care homes for my sister but didn’t get the same warm feeling as I did from Jubilee House.

“It is a great benefit for me and my family to know that she is well looked after and we are all extremely happy with the home.”

Care UK, one of the country’s leading providers of social care, has invested more than £400,000 in a refurbishment programme which has seen new baths provided throughout, rooms and communal areas re-decorated and re-furnished, a new bistro for casual dining and facilities updated.

Zani Agnew, whose husband is a resident, is delighted with the refurbishment and thinks the new furniture in the home was lovely but she particularly loves the bistro, and can’t wait to have her Christmas dinner in it. She said: “The beds are also really comfortable.”

Manager Gráinne Wokes explained that the refurbishment had not only benefited the residents and team members but the community too. “Our residents love the new baths, they are comfortable, safe and allow hoisting with the utmost dignity.

“We found out there was a lady in the local community who had not had a bath for two years, as the one at her home was not suitable. Now she comes in each week for a bath and a chat and she feels a great deal better for it.”

Care UK is committed to training teams to provide the best possible care, both through training within the home and by providing people with opportunities to take on higher levels of formal social care training. Gráinne will be presenting members of her team with their NVQ certificates in health and social care in January.

She said: “I am very proud of my team. They give their all to providing first class care day in and day out and they still find the energy to study. They do it because they know they can and do make a difference to the lives of people with dementia and that is a wonderful reward.”

Those receiving awards were:

Madan Sunuwar - Level 2 NVQ health and social care

Bhanu Sunuwar - Level 2 health and social care

Hayley Morris - Team Leading Level 2 health and social care

Adrian Bucuresteanu - Team leading in care Level 2

Emma Morgan - Level 2 health and social care

Sandra Heaver - Team Leading, Level 2 in care.

Kierran Furgesson – Level 2 in Housekeeping.

Smita Suresta – Team leading in care, Level 2.