Wem care team's award for keeping residents' spirits high
From organising party nights and choir sessions to creating a garden bar, staff at Roseville House worked hard to keep residents’ spirits up during the pandemic.
Now the team at the care home in Wem are celebrating winning a national award for their dedication and commitment to the people they support.
And one resident was so pleased by their success that he has been spurred on to raise money for charity in honour of their victory.
Achieve Together’s Roseville House provides specialist support to six people with learning disabilities, autism and additional complex needs.
It was named ‘care home team of the year’ for the West Midlands region at the Great British Care Awards and went on to also win the national title.
Hakim Rashid, who has lived at Roseville House for 22 years, was so chuffed by the award that he decided to do a charity walk for Dogs Trust, despite having a physical disability. He is walking at least a mile a day for every day of October and so far has raised more than £200 in sponsorship.
Deputy manager Rachel Boulter says Hakim, who is 41, was inspired to choose the charity after visiting a Dogs Trust centre and seeing their collection box.
“Hakim is so proud and excited by the award. He decided he was going to walk a mile a day for Dogs Trust. They sent him a t-shirt and collection box. It’s not just that he’s walking but he’s also doing it with a physical disability. He said he chose Dogs Trust because all animals matter. He’s such a lovely, kind man. He likes to help people.
"It’s not the amount that matters to him, it’s the fact he’s helping. We’ve asked someone from Dogs Trust to come here so he can present the money at the end of the month,” she explains.
The purpose of the Great British Care Awards is to pay tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work.
The team was recognised for going above and beyond to promote wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic and putting the needs of the people they support above their own.
To ensure spirits remained high for residents during lockdown, staff organised weekly themed party nights celebrating staying in including a karaoke, Makaton choir session and a good old-fashioned barbeque in the garden.
Rachel says the team of 14 staff works well together and they coped with the additional challenges that the Covid pandemic brought to the care home.
Life was very different for residents as they missed their visits from family and friends and some of the activities that they were used to do.
At Roseville House, an outhouse at the property was transformed into a bar, a shop, a market stall and a barbers in attempts to make things as ‘normal’ as possible.
Rachel says the care team is very diverse and from all walks of life with the youngest member of staff aged 19 and the oldest aged 65.
“We all work well together as a team and the people we support have made great achievements. Lockdown was a really challenging time for everyone but we had quite a positive experience. It brought the residents together in an inclusive way and we did activities. Because the pubs were closed, we made a bar in the garden where they could go for a beer and crisps. We had themed evenings with a different country every week. We had a German market in the garden at Christmas.
“We filled their time as much as we could. We did things we wouldn’t have done if we hadn’t been in lockdown,” she explains.
“The residents coped well but I credit that to the team. They kept them busy all of the time and they enjoyed it. It was a positive experience.”
Eight members of staff and two residents, including Hakim, attended the Great British Care Awards ceremony, which was presented by TV presenter and former star of The Only Way Is Essex, Mark Wright. Describing why the team had won the prestigious award, the judges said: “This team really stood out for their genuine passion for caring for their residents. They support one another in very challenging circumstances to ensure the wellbeing of residents and demonstrated an innovative approach to delivering person centred care.”
“When we won we couldn’t believe it. We jumped up and screamed. We were absolutely thrilled,” says Rachel.
