It’s been an outstanding year for independent care provider Southern Healthcare with two of its four care homes across Devon being recognised for prestigious awards in 2017.

Southern Healthcare provides specialist complex nursing, dementia and residential care. The passionate teams at each of the care homes, in Exeter, Plymouth Dawlish and Seaton, embrace the company’s philosophy that residents do not have to leave their life at the door when entering one of their homes, and work hard to create a ‘home from home’ environment for both residents and visitors alike.

The Old Rectory in Exeter and Sefton Hall based in Dawlish, were each recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as ‘Overall Outstanding’ back in the summer, in four domains; effective, responsive, caring and well-led in the CQC inspection report. This makes them one of the elite of just 1% of care homes in the country to receive this recognition.

Housekeeper Andy Cowling of The Old Rectory, reached the final of the National Dementia Care Awards 2017 as ‘Best Activities co-ordinator’ and more recently, two care homes were finalists in no less than five categories for the Great South West Care Awards 2017. It was the ‘icing on the cake’, therefore, when The Old Rectory was announced as ‘The Care Team Award’ SW regional winner. Members of the Southern Healthcare team joined over 400 of the very best in social care, at a glittering awards ceremony for the finals of the Great South West Awards held at The Marriott Hotel, Bristol on 25^th November. The award is for a care team able to demonstrate a shared vision, utilising excellent communication skills, whilst demonstrating an on-going commitment to the dignity and privacy of those they care for. Winners of the Great South West Care Awards will go through to the final at Birmingham’s ICC in Spring 2018.

Staff at The Old Rectory received praise for their innovative approach to person-centred care and bring the ‘outside in’ for residents and their families, including converting a little used area of the home into a traditional-style pub offering beer and spirits and a great social space for everyone.

The comments from the judges were: “The Old Rectory ensure residents are happy to be there. Embracing the culture of ‘don’t leave your life at the door’ the Old Rectory has developed a full operative community with a pub, coffee shop and a champion of happiness.”

Paul Courtney, Operations Manager – Southern Healthcare said: “Our dedicated team work extremely hard to achieve our goals of providing the very best in care to our residents. It’s wonderful, therefore, that they have been publicly recognised by highly respected independent professionals, and government bodies in social care. It has been an amazing year of achievement and we are planning bigger and better things for 2018!”

www.southernhealthcare.co.uk