Meadowbrook, a new luxury care home in Bishop’s Stortford, is preparing for its grand opening next week by offering company-funded skills training for its staff — including non-carers. The home officially opens its doors to residents on Monday 29th July, with a grand launch event to follow in December.
Meadowbrook’s commitment to up-skilling and retraining is a crucial part of its offer. Managers, kitchen staff, and other non-care related employees will all be trained in the fundamentals of adult care.
Alongside an extensive ‘step up’ course, the team will be trained by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) on reducing the risk of falls in the home — still the largest cause of accidental death among over-65s in the UK. Every employee will also receive training from Dementia Friends; a charity which provides knowledge and skills for supporting people living with dementia.
Chloe Graur, General Manager at Meadowbrook, shares her thoughts:
“When we were designing Meadowbrook, our goal was to make sure every resident instantly feels safe and secure in their new home. Through our market-leading training regime, we are confident the team now has the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to provide compassionate high-quality care. We want residents to know that, wherever they are in the building, there is someone just around the corner who can look after them when they need it.”
Meadowbrook hopes this extensive training will set a new standard for training and up-skilling in the UK care sector. According to the Care Quality Commission, inadequately trained staff in care homes may misunderstand residents’ needs, not respond to crises effectively, and fail to provide proper safeguarding.
Since only 50% of care workers hold a relevant social care qualification, this is particularly concerning. In the case of dementia, only around 38% of care home staff receive any training — despite the fact that 70% of residents will develop the condition at some point.
Chloe Graur again:
“For too long, carers in the UK have had to make do with minimal training and inadequate support to do their vital work. At Meadowbrook, we want to challenge that norm by showing that investing in people can pay dividends in the long-term. This is just one of a bunch of exciting initiatives we have planned. Watch this space!”
Meadowbrook is the latest in a new range of luxury homes from Connaught Care Collection; which operates on a unique all-inclusive model. Under the weekly residential fee, residents have access to an on-site hair salon, spa, cinema room, and gym; and family and friends can enjoy meals at The Manor Bar & Bistro.
The home will offer long-term residential care, and also has dementia care facilities. At max occupancy it will offer approx. 80 large furnished rooms. The site itself was built by Lawrence Baker Ltd, a specialist contractor to the nursing home and associated care sector.