Quality Care Services live up to their name in Belfast
Samantha Bond, Regional Manager for the North West and Northern Ireland, sent us a compliment she’d received from the Belfast Physical and Sensory Support team. The Quality Care Services team had been supporting a Belfast-based service user for some time who experienced issues with both his accommodation and the levels of support needed.
Despite the challenges, the service user was recently able to make a successful move to a supported living facility. The local Care manager contacted the Belfast branch to thank them for their support, writing:
“Just a note of thanks for the supports offered to my service user over recent years.
“I know that both the service user and extended family did not always engage positively with the Quality Care Services staff. Given the difficulties throughout, the hundreds of telephone calls, emails and visits, I am extremely grateful for the perseverance and consistency of your care staff throughout.”
Samantha told us, “They have been through a particularly rough patch in recent months, with reduced staff and it is so nice to hear some positive comments. The team are working really hard to improve standards and compliance, and this just evidences their great efforts.”
Well done to everyone in the Belfast branch. Thank you all for your commitment to making sure that this service user got the support he needed.
Mother’s Day at Lapwing Court
Tracy Asbery let us know this week about a moving Mother’s Day event at the Lapwing Court extra care scheme in Chichester. Despite a shortage of staff over the weekend, the team leader – Pat Lintott – took time to recognise all the mums living at the scheme.
Pat made every mum at the scheme a jar of assorted flowers, and gifted them each some chocolates for Mother’s Day.
Thank you Pat, we’re sure that every mum at the scheme appreciates the kindness you’ve shown them.
Bidding for success at City & County
It’s been a period of change for the Bids and Contracts team over recent months, but we’re excited to announce that we’ve recently welcomed two new Bid Managers into the City & County family. Celia Fleming joined the team in February, and in March we welcomed Emily Bagnall. Both are experienced bid writers – and will bring both care sector and wider experience into the team.
The team have also been hard at work securing contracts for your operating companies across the country. Some of our latest successes include:
- Trafford Council: Homecare and reablement at home – Comfort Call and HSG.
- Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council: Learning disability services – Sage Care.
- London Borough of Newham: Independent living support services – London Care.
- Essex County Council: Supported living framework – Guardian Homecare.
- West Sussex County Council: Lingfield Lodge Extra Care scheme – London Care.
The Bids and Contracts team would like to send a huge thanks to everyone involved in supporting the bid processes for these contracts. They couldn’t have won them without your hard work.
Changing minds at Ensham House
Sarah Kwofie, Regional Director – South, shared with us a message from the family of a tenant at the Ensham House extra care scheme in London. Despite them initially having concerns, the team at Ensham House have worked hard over the past year to give the family confidence that their mum was receiving the care she needed.
After having their opinion turned around by the dedication of the care team, the tenant’s daughter contacted the scheme manger to say:
“Would City & County Healthcare be able to send a general letter to care staff at Ensham House – thanking them for all the hard work, care, and a number of them going that step further for the residents they are allocated to.
“They work so hard, and still give holistic care which is so important to people nowadays being looked after. I know my mum would not be here today if it was not for the care delivered to her.”
Well done to everyone at Ensham House, you’ve obviously made a big impact on this family over the last twelve months.
Appreciation for our Human Support Group teams in the North West
Our registered branch manager, Michèle Lloyd, wanted to share an email the HSG team at Cheshire West had received from a social worker, complimenting their care delivery. The social worker wrote:
“When speaking with the service user earlier this week, she expressed how fabulous the Human Support Group carers are. She has appreciated their help and support and have been instrumental in his recovery to return back to independence. Well done!”
Meanwhile, the HSG team in Ulverston also received a message – this time from a family – to say:
“Special thanks to the team from the Ulverston HSG branch who do such a good job. The carers are of a high standard and should there be any issues the admin staff are quick to deal with them, always with our elderly uncle’s best interest at heart. This is very reassuring for the family. We thank them all for their help and support.”
Superb work from both teams, impressing not only the family of a service user but also a professional who we work alongside. Our regional manager, Catherine Richardson, told us, “It truly is heart-warming to hear the positive feedback for both the care workers and the Branch staff. What a great start to the week for the team.”
Stirring sentiments for Surrey SCP
Sarah Thomas kindly sent us an inspiring message of thanks and encouragement received by the Redhill team at Surrey SCP this week. Alison Phillips – registered manager at the branch – described it as “The loveliest thank you letter I have ever received”.
The message, written by the person who had previously managed the service user’s care needs, praised the team for their professionalism. Following the service user’s discharge from hospital, the staff in Redhill had supported her all the way until she sadly recently passed away. Contacting the branch to thank them for their dedication, the writer commented:
“Not knowing anything about choosing the ‘right’ care company as I had no standards to compare, I simply chose the one that could meet my requirements. How wise a decision that turned out to be. Surrey SCP has proved itself a hundred times over since then in all manners of care, and up until she passed away were still continually seeking to improve its service delivery.
“Having worked in the customer service industry for almost all of my entire career, from my personal experience I applaud the professional standards you adopt, namely your customer-first policy, selection and retention of staff, who demonstrated their professionalism and personal care and compassion at all times.
“Not withstanding this, special mention must be said of the central administration whose job it was to maintain the high standard of delivery. From the customer’s perception, all appeared to be managed in a seamless manner.
“Thank you once again as I am eternally grateful for your help.”
As praised by the writer, the seamless teamwork between the care and branch staff made sure this service user got the support she desperately needed. A huge ‘well done’ to everyone at Redhill.
