Two Care Homes Receive National Award For Providing Gold Standard End Of Life Care
Spellman Care has announced that two of its homes, Ghyll Royd Care Home and Springbank Care Home, have been awarded the national Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Quality Hallmark Award in recognition of the exceptional end of life care they provide to residents. This is the first time both homes have achieved this prestigious accreditation.
The prestigious award was delivered to the homes shortly after the GSF annual conference and awards ceremony, which took place on Friday, 26 September 2025, at East Side Rooms in Birmingham. The event was a national celebration of the UK’s most exceptional health and social care providers delivering care in the final year of life.
Springbank and Ghyll Royd were among just 172 organisations from across the country to receive the recognition this year, including 139 care homes. The GSF accreditation process is rigorous, requiring care providers to demonstrate they can deliver the highest level of compassionate palliative and end of life care.
April Howie, Deputy Manager and GSF lead at Springbank Care Home, expressed her pride in the team’s achievement.
“Achieving the GSF accreditation is a wonderful testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Springbank,” she said. “It shows our deep commitment to ensuring every resident, as they near the end of their life, receives care that is not only excellent but is also deeply compassionate and aligned with their personal wishes. It’s truly about listening to what matters most.”
Ian Latta, Unit Manager and GSF lead at Ghyll Royd Care Home, highlighted the significance of the framework.
“The GSF programme has been fundamental in helping us formalise and standardise our end of life care practices,” Ian commented. “It provides us with the tools to train our staff effectively, communicate clearly with residents and their families, and ultimately, ensure that a difficult time is handled with the utmost dignity, comfort, and respect. We are incredibly proud to wear the Gold Standard badge.”
Julie Armstrong-Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for GSF said:
“We are delighted to congratulate all the organisations that have achieved accreditation and received the Quality Hallmark Award this year. This year we have had the most organisations apply for accreditation since we commended the accreditation process over 15 years ago.
“The quality of care and the compassionate cultures we have seen is truly inspiring, reflecting a deep commitment to ensuring people receive the right care at the right time, making a real difference to them and their families, proving that generalist services can and do provide good palliative and end of life care. These organisations exemplify the Gold Standards Framework standards by listening to what matters most to each individual and delivering care in line with their goals, wishes, and preferences. Supporting our ageing population to live and die well is so important, our Award Winners are leading the way in demonstrating what good end of life care looks like. A huge congratulations to you all.”
