Blackthorns Care Home, in Halstead, Essex, Wins Runwood Homes’ ‘Home from Home’ Award

Runwood Homes recently launched its internal Home from Home Awards, which recognises teams who have devised innovative ways to enhance the environment that residents live in. Runwood Homes truly believes in providing not only the very best care, but also the friendly, comfortable and familiar feel of home, which can help residents to settle in well and therefore positively impact on their wellbeing and sense of belonging.

For the award, homes were judged on a number of key focus points, including how well teams implemented ideas and practices and the overall presentation of the home. A special focus on facilities, such as bedrooms and bathrooms were encouraged to be maintained to hotel standards and dining rooms to be presented as inviting, calm, organised and beautifully set, with an enhanced focus on menu display and planning. The effectiveness of communal areas, also a key point, were measured against how well the spaces were set up in promoting social interaction, aligning with social distancing and with the best use of staff deployment and residents’ wishes. Through all this, resident and relative involvement also had to play a vital part, with residents participating in occupational activities, such as supporting in setting up their dining rooms.

Blackthorns were extremely proud to win the award, meeting all the key points with great success.

Home Manager, Teresa Franze, commented: “It has always been our aim to recreate a homely feeling within Blackthorns. To us, this award has great significance because it highlights the vision that drives all our efforts and energy. It is always a challenge to balance a highly professional care setting and deliver a completely person-centred experience for all residents, but I believe that is what makes Blackthorns truly unique. For us, the aim is fulfilling the dreams and wishes of the residents so that we can give them a truly enjoyable, meaningful, and individual experience.

We strive to recreate experiences for all members of resident’s families through an environment that fosters the ability to create authentic memories as one would do at home.”