Farnham Mill nursing home has worked really hard to promote teamwork and a one team approach to resident’s well-being, happiness and care.
This is one of the reasons the nursing home has never had to use outside Agency staff, even through the Covid-19 pandemic.
The owner Alison Lee believes, ”A care home is only as good as the staff who work there”. She promotes through the homes staff training, that all the staff can make a contribution to the resident’s care, happiness and well-being on a daily basis. Alison took over the homes from her mother, who started by looking after her great grandmother in 1976. Alison has spent her working life promoting the upskilling of carers and nurses, to improve the care the residents receive. It also has the advantage of lower turnover of staff which is currently below 15% with an industry average over 40%.
Jo Grinyer the Care Director and Alison have been heavily involved in the development of a new nurse associate training and the nurse apprenticeship training. This has opened up many new ways of getting a rewarding professional career as a nurse while still earning and working full-time in the homes. “Care or nursing is such a rewarding career with the compliments you receive from the residents and their families, To the pride and satisfaction you have of knowing you have helped to make someone’s day better by your words and actions.”
Catherine is just starting her journey on the nurse associates training having been at Farnham Mill for the last two years. She said “I thought I couldn’t afford to train to become a nurse, having not enough time or money, but at Farnham Mill I am doing the course as part of my job, as well as getting paid my wages. Caring is such a rewarding career, and all my residents are really important to me, I love to see the eyes light up as I walk in the room.”
When we asked the resident what they thought about their carers one said “they are lovely and help look after me and I love them.” A fellow resident John said “‘it’s nice having them around to look after us. The staff work hard to keep her safe and everyone is tested weekly for COVID-19 which gives me such peace of mind.”
If you would like to find out more information please call Elizabeth on 01252 850236 or email elizabeth@woodlands-hillbrow.co.uk