WELCOME TO OUR JULY 24 STAFF NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the July edition of our monthly newsletter!
We want to thank all of you who could be present at our Rewards Scheme Roadshow presentations – the email with the recording of the presentation will be with you next week.
This month, we have several exciting updates and events to share like the start of our famous Yearly Summer Parties.
24/7 Access to a Private GP Reminder
Our Free Private GP Service is Available to You and Your Close Family
We would like to remind you that you have 24/7 access to a private GP, one phone call away. And not only you can use this free service as part of our Rewards Scheme, but your close family as well.
Therefore, no matter how big or small the illness or how serious the symptom, you and your close family can receive advice, diagnosis and reassurance on a wealth of medical matters, all at a time to suit you.
How it Works
To arrange your private GP telephone consultation, please call 0800 206 2576 and to arrange your Online Doctor consultation, please call 0345 319 4122.
Please Do Not Hesitate to Use This Service It is very simple to use and very reactive. For example, our Contracts Manager, Lorraine phoned them in May at 6am with a health issue. They offered an appointment at 7.15am. A doctor called, gave her a prescription, sent it to her preferred pharmacy and also informed her GP.
Some of The Latest Discounts on The Rewards Platform
Enjoy summer blockbusters at a bargain with our exclusive movie ticket offers!
- Up to 40% off at Cineworld
- Up to 40% off at VUE Cinemas
- Up to 40% off at ODEON Cinemas
- Up to 40% off at Showcase Cinemas
- Up to 40% off at REEL Cinemas
- Up to 40% off at Empire Cinemas
- + More cinemas across the UK
To start saving money, just log into your Rewards Scheme account on the app “Be Saving” on your phone or tablet.
Employee Spotlight
It is with great pleasure that we announce Shahira, Field House Nurse Associate, as our Employee of the Month for July!
Shahira has been with us for 10 years. Her commitment to providing exceptional care, coupled with a genuine desire to develop her career, sets a remarkable example for us all.
Shahira is one of our first trainee nursing associates, inspiring us with her passion for making a difference in our residents’ lives. This month, she will finish her nursing training and become a Registered Nurse.
Congratulations Shahira and thank you for all that you do in our lovely home in Horfield!
New Training Opportunities
There are various training opportunities available to all staff members, no matter the department, across all our care homes. All training is designed to support your professional growth, enhance your skills, and ensure we continue to provide the highest quality care to our residents.
We understand the importance of continuous learning and are committed to providing you with the resources and support you need to excel in your role. Whether you are looking to expand your knowledge in specific areas or advance your career, there will be a training program for you.
We encourage all of you to contact your home manager and take advantage of these valuable training and development opportunities.
Referral Scheme Increase to £250 - Ending SOON
We would like to remind you that you can benefit from the £250 Referral Incentive ONLY UNTIL THE END OF JUNE 2024.
We are looking for care assistants, night care assistants and senior carers across all our homes in Thornbury, Almondsbury, Fishponds and Horfield.
If you could recommend anyone for any of these positions, please message Sarah Walker, our Resources Manager, on PlanDay. If they join us and successfully pass the probation period, you will be gaining £250 through our Referral Scheme.
Please note that we currently do not offer any sponsorship or sponsorship switch.
After tend of June 2024, the incentive will go back to £100.
Review Of The Month - Beech House
I would not hesitate to recommend Beech House. Very well done to all.
The Yearly Christmas Party is Fast Approching
Just a friendly reminder that our annual Staff Christmas Party is fast approaching!
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, 4th of December
Time: TBC
Location: Paintworks Bristol
This festive evening will be filled with delicious food, joyful music, fun activities, and great company. It’s the perfect opportunity to relax, have fun, and connect with colleagues from all of our nursing homes.
Whilst the party is held at Christmas time, this is very much an event designed to celebrate all the work you do with Bristol Care Homes and gives us the opportunity to say thank you. So please come along and enjoy the party.
Our Yearly Summer Parties Are Here
As you already probably know, our yearly Summer Parties are back, and we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you! Each of our four nursing homes will be hosting a special summer event to bring joy and fun to our residents, staff, families and visitors.
We are opening the season with Field House on Saturday, 6th of July, followed by Quarry House on Saturday, 20th of July, Beech House on Saturday, 3rd of August and Glebe House on Saturday, 10th of August.
Each Summer Party starts at 12.30pm and finishes at 4pm. We will have a variety of fun activities, delicious food, live entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to relax and enjoy the summer sunshine with our wonderful residents, colleagues and visitors.
We encourage all staff members to join in the festivities and help make these events memorable for our residents. Your presence and enthusiasm are what make these parties special.
These events are family-friendly, so feel free to bring your loved ones to join in the fun!
Let’s make this summer unforgettable with laughter, joy, and togetherness. Your dedication and hard work deserve to be celebrated, and we look forward to enjoying these wonderful events with you.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to creating a warm and caring environment for our residents. Let’s make this summer party season the best one yet!
Latest News From Our Homes
Another month of vibrant activities enriching the lives of our residents at Glebe House.
In everything we do, we aim to bring joy and vitality to our residents, this month was no different. An opportunity to connect, create, and catch up made possible by some pinpoint organisation assisted by the sun.
With Mr Motivator unavailable, we were fortunate that Deborah’s ‘G Fitness’ was on hand to provide our residents with an invigorating fitness session. Known for her ability to make exercise fun and accessible for all, Deborah’s classes have become a staple in the residents’ routine. Inevitably, as with any strenuous activity, energy levels were depleted an essential trip to The Bowl was needed to refuel with coffee and cake; the sustenance of champions.
Taking advantage of the sensational weather, our residents spent the vast majority of the weekend enjoying the outdoors. They reclined on our rustic park furniture, walked around the gardens and sipped wine as they discussed the plethora of wildlife surrounding them. With our grounds a serene oasis of blooming flowers, pinstriped lawns and trickling fountains, a perfect backdrop was set for conversations among the conifers.
After her previous resounding successes, we were delighted to welcome back Amy to facilitate another arts and crafts session. Creativity flourished as the residents produced vibrant ink prints of leaves and flowers collected from the garden. Amy’s enthusiasm, encouragement and guidance enabled our residents to express themselves artistically, creating some woodland-based masterpieces.
To round off a month of creation and participation, Louisa spent the afternoon serenading individuals from around the house, providing a calm and sensory environment for them to relax in. As a gifted singer and guitarist, she allows space for the residents to feel comfort and happiness within the melodies she creates.
This month’s programme created by Tracy has brought a subtle reminder that it is often not the activity itself that precipitates the greatest emotion; but instead the connection formed with others whilst participating.
Glebe House, the residents that live here, the staff that work here, a truly special place.
The team have been Brushing Up on Mouth Care competencies over the past few weeks at Quarry House. We want to ensure that the care team are confident and competent at delivering appropriate amount of care to the residents.
An information sharing board “My Mouthcare Maters” was displayed with supporting evidence and information.
International Nurses Day was celebrated at Quarry House on Monday, the 13th of May. Staff interacted with residents in the communal lounge sharing nursing experiences.
A token thank you appreciation gift was well received by staff. Over the coming weeks, Quarry House will be acknowledging all of the team who work at Quarry House as we will be holding an Ancillary Appreciate Day.
Goodbye and New Opportunities
We have said goodbye to the students we supported at Quarry House and Sarah Johannes Nurse Associate is now undertaking her next placement at the Spire Bristol Hospital in Redland Bristol. This is an amazing opportunity for Sarah to experience the patient’s journey in Theatres and Recovery post-surgery.
Care and Support West – Care Award 2024
Quarry House is very fortunate to have members of the team nominated for the Care and Support West Care Award 2024. The finalists are Marcia Ellington, Janice Fudge and Sam Deighton who have all been nominated finalists in the Activities-Wellbeing Co-ordinator category. Sarah Johannes is also a finalist in the Community Care and Front Line Nursing category. The Care and Support Awards The 2024 Care Awards ceremony and dinner to honour our finalists and to announce winners will be hosted on Thursday 26th September 2024 at Ashton Gate Stadium.
Fundraising
Penny Wood from the housekeeping team is completing a sponsored walk on Sunday 21st July for the Alzheimers Society. Penny has been inspired to do this from her experience working at Quarry House and her experiences interacting with the residents. If you would like to support her please let Penny or one of the Quarry House admin team know.
Laundry Focus Month
A big thank you to the laundry team who have created a quiz and the winner will receive a box of chocolates and an information board to increase awareness of the laundry service.
On the 30th May we held a retirement party with staff and residents to celebrate the retirement of our valued Housekeeper, Maureen Hynan, who started at Field House on 12th September 2002 and retired in 2024 after 22 years of service – she will be missed by all at Field House
The following staff have successfully obtained their care certificates Himal Silva, Sumin John, Daniella Ocheje, Akhil Karumuthil, Seethal Prasad, Aneesh Vijayan – congratulations to all (we will be holding an award ceremony shortly).
27 staff from the catering department and the care team all attended the IDDSI training session in May which was very well attended.
Field House has had a busy couple of weeks. We’ve been to Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo, which the residents loved. We were surrounded by butterflies, of all shapes and sizes. Ruby said, ‘It was magical’.
Residents have been preparing for the summer party. They’d like to have their own stall, so we are busy painting pebbles to sell.
We’ve had some fantastic entertainers in, and residents are getting into the European Championships.
We’ve had several trips out. Probably the best one was taking two residents cycling on the Bristol to Bath cycle path. We rented an adaptive bike from Warmley Wheelers, which invoked some fantastic memories. David remembered all the times he went cycling as a lad, and Genda remembered riding on a tandem with her dad. The trip was wonderful.
Beech House had a very busy month, filled with meaningful events and activities.
Our residents and staff have recently enjoyed an amazing day trip on the steam train from Toddington to Cheltenham race course and back.
The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed a lovely picnic. Heather was very excited about the trip as she used to get the steam train to work. It brought back lots of happy memories for everyone.
Making the most of the lovely weather, our staff have started moving our residents’ activities outside into the garden. In the shaded area, they enjoyed ice lollies and a favourite word game.
Everyone had a great time.
The management and staff of Beech House host a wellness day in honour of Carers Week. The staff’s incredible effort and dedication to the home were recognised and acknowledged.
The home manager, Lucy, and deputy manager, Kerry, would like to say a big thank you to Mary who works in the housekeeping team and her family for their thoughtful donation in memory of Mary’s late father, who resided at the home.
A wonderful buffet was put together with the money. The staff laughed together and showed a strong sense of teamwork by exchanging motivational quotes.
FREE Summer Suncare Bundle Worth £31!
With the Summer Sales around the corner, now it’s a great opportunity to double up on savings.
New Look is currently offering a 9% off Digital Gift Card. All you need to do is buy your digital gift card through the Be Saving app and use it to pay in-store.
