Wendy, who is the Manager of the HICA Group’s Prospect House care home in Woodlands Avenue, Goole, gained her place in the finals of the Caring Times awards Special Needs Manager category after being nominated by HICA.

Following an interview by a panel of judges in London, she will find out if she is the national winner in her category when the results are announced at a gala awards evening on November 27, hosted by television personality Brian Conley.

Wendy said: “I really enjoy being at Prospect House and my job gives me a great deal of satisfaction. To have reached the finals of the awards is fantastic news, not only for myself but also for the whole team at Prospect House.”

She began as a personal carer at Prospect House and became a Personal Care Manager in 1990, and Manager of the home in 1995. The home specialises in caring for adults with learning disabilities.

Earlier this year, HICA marked her 25 years at Prospect House with a surprise party, which was also attended by the home’s residents and their families.

Sue Fearn, who is the manager of the HICA Group’s Huntleigh Lodge care home in Cleethorpes, has spent 34 years caring for people with dementia. This follows a family tradition which has seen both her parents manage care homes, and her daughters are working at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.
Sue gained her place in the finals of this year’s National Dementia Care Awards after being nominated by HICA.

Following an interview by a panel of judges in London, she will find out if she is the national winner in the Lifetime Achievement in Dementia Care category when she attends the competition’s awards presentation evening in Bournemouth on November 10.

For the past 14 years Sue has been the manager of Huntleigh Lodge, which is a specialist care home for older people with dementia.

Sue said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have reached the finals of the competition. It’s really good news for the whole team at Huntleigh Lodge, because everything we do there is very much a team effort.”

She began as a personal carer at Prospect House and became a Personal Care Manager in 1990, and Manager of the home in 1995.

To mark her 25-year milestone, she was presented with flowers and champagne by Ty Platten, Director of HICA’s Care Homes Division, and colleagues organised a surprise party, which was also attended by residents of Prospect House and their families.

Wendy said: “I really enjoy being at Prospect House. The people here are brilliant and the support from staff past and present has made us such a strong team.”

“There have been many changes over the past 25 years in the way that people are cared for, especially those with learning difficulties. The extensive and on-going training that I have received from HICA has enabled me to meet these changing needs,” she added.

Ty Platten said: “It is the commitment and dedication of people like Wendy that makes our care homes stand out. Our continual investment in our people and our homes ensures HICA residents have the best possible facilities.”

Staff at the Riverside Grange on Hessle High Road, Hull, are delighted by the response shown by a number of residents who were involved in the pilot project. The partners involved in this Hull City Council project are the City Arts Unit and Adult Care Services.

Nancy Brown, Activities Leader at Riverside Grange, said: “The results of the project have been very encouraging – professional artists working for the Arts Unit have brought music, dance, arts, crafts, drama and story telling into the lives of our residents, who have responded in an amazing way.”

“An 88-year-old resident who does not communicate and has not displayed any signs of recognition in the past showed a remarkable reaction when one of the artists produced drawings of her. The resident recognised herself and started to touch the drawings. She now looks and touches them all the time and gets an awful lot of pleasure from them,” she added.

“Another 67-year-old resident surprised her husband and staff at the home by colouring in a picture. No-one had seen her display such a level of concentration and mental co-ordination since she developed dementia.”

Riverside Grange staff are so encouraged by the results of the project that they are planning to adopt the artists’ techniques so that they can continue their work.

Mr Platten previously spent nine years in the private hospital and care sector, working as a Regional Manager for BUPA in the North and before that as National Network Development Manager for Nuffield Hospitals.

Commenting on his new role with HICA, he said: “An important consideration for me taking up this appointment is that HICA is a not-for-profit organisation and is therefore totally committed to providing a high quality service – any money generated is invested back into resident care and staff development.”

“HICA sets an example of best practice for other care organisations to follow throughout the UK. For example, the vast majority of HICA’s care homes have been recently rated as good or excellent under the Government-regulated Commission for Social Care Inspection scheme, and ratings of that level are unprecedented for medium to large organisations in the care sector,” he added.

Born and bred in Hull, Mr Platten gained a Law and Business Degree at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside and trained as a barrister in London before working in the private hospital and care sector.

The fish and chip supper was particularly appropriate because for eight of the 20 residents and many of the staff who have been at the home since it first opened, it was their first meal when they arrived at Sunningdale Court in 1999.

Lynne Howard, Administrator at Sunningdale Court, said: “The residents had a great day and it certainly brought back happy memories for those who have been here since we opened. As well as the fish and chips, they also had a celebration cake and entertainment.”

Sunningdale Court, on Albert Road, Ashby, caters for adults with learning disabilities, and is one of 26 HICA care homes throughout Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire

He signed a Hull City shirt to add to the display in the new “sit out” area at the HICA Group’s Overton House home at The Garth, Cottingham.

Overton House Manager Kerry Shepherd said: “Many of our residents are keen on sport so we are confident that this new sporting area will be very popular. There’s some strong support for Hull City, so we are all delighted that they were the first club to visit. We will also be inviting players from Hull’s other top sports teams in the future.”

The relaxation area features sports channel broadcasts, darts and indoor bowls, and displays of sporting memorabilia such as match programmes, photographs, footballs, rugby balls and team shirts.

The area has been created as part of a major refurbishment being carried out at Overton House, which will result in 40 en suite bedrooms, the creation of open plan living and reception areas, cinema and reminiscence rooms, and a hair and beauty salon.

Due to be completed by late Spring 2010, the work will also feature a residents’ kitchen, pet run, potting shed, library area, quiet lounge and refurbished dining room.

Julie, who runs the Kirkgate House care home in Bridlington, gained her placing in the finals of the Caring Times awards after being nominated by HICA.

She will be interviewed by a panel of judges in London and the national winner will then be announced at a gala awards evening on November 28, hosted by Ruby Wax.

Julie, who lives in Bempton and has worked at Kirkgate House for 11 years, said: “I was quite shocked when I heard I had reached the finals. Apart from it being an honour for me it is also fantastic news for everybody at Kirkgate House and the HICA Group.”

HICA’s nomination for Julie outlined how her management skills at Kirkgate House have been central to the home’s success. Initiatives carried out by Julie and her team include organising a fund-raising programme for a sensory garden and then physically creating the garden.

Kirkgate House, at Kirkgate, Bridlington, can accommodate up to 28 adults with learning disabilities.

The inspection report noted: “Staff were observed working with residents in a friendly and professional manner and it was clear they took pride in their work and are committed to meeting their needs. Relatives’ comments and those received from people living in the home were overwhelmingly positive and described staff as ‘wonderful’ and that they ‘can’t do too much’.”

The report also added: “There was evidence that a good range of activities were regularly provided, including arts and crafts groups, theme and film nights, as well as trips out in the home’s mini bus. We observed relatives and friends visiting throughout the period of our visit and were told by them they were actively consulted about decisions affecting the home.”

Huntleigh Lodge Manager Sue Fearn said: “The team at Huntleigh Lodge have all worked extremely hard to achieve and maintain high standards, so we are delighted to receive this top award, which recognises the effort everyone has made.”

The Hull-based HICA Group is a not-for-profit organisation with 26 care homes throughout East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire. Huntleigh Lodge is the first of HICA’s six homes on the South Bank to achieve a 3 Star rating.

The recently-opened Haverstoe Suite at Huntleigh Lodge provides care for people with dementia who would otherwise have had to be placed in care homes outside the area.

The inspection report noted: “Staff were observed working with residents in a friendly and professional manner and it was clear they took pride in their work and are committed to meeting their needs. Relatives’ comments and those received from people living in the home were overwhelmingly positive and described staff as ‘wonderful’ and that they ‘can’t do too much’.”

The report also added: “There was evidence that a good range of activities were regularly provided, including arts and crafts groups, theme and film nights, as well as trips out in the home’s mini bus. We observed relatives and friends visiting throughout the period of our visit and were told by them they were actively consulted about decisions affecting the home.”

Huntleigh Lodge Manager Sue Fearn said: “The team at Huntleigh Lodge have all worked extremely hard to achieve and maintain high standards, so we are delighted to receive this top award, which recognises the effort everyone has made.”

The Hull-based HICA Group is a not-for-profit organisation with 26 care homes throughout East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire. Huntleigh Lodge is the first of HICA’s six homes on the South Bank to achieve a 3 Star rating.

The recently-opened Haverstoe Suite at Huntleigh Lodge provides care for people with dementia who would otherwise have had to be placed in care homes outside the area.

The total investment programme will cover 26 residential homes throughout Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire owned by Hull-based HICA, a not-for-profit organisation.

The investment at Alderlea includes the complete refurbishment of all 40 bedrooms at the home, a reminiscence room, and en-suite bedrooms have been created.

Alderlea Manager Carol Wilson said: “The transformation is astounding. We now have a beautiful open plan, spacious environment, which our residents really appreciate.”

“They have responded to these changes by being more active because the extra space encourages them to move from one area to another. We’ve also added a large conservatory onto the lounge and have created a new sensory garden with a patio area. This has proved to be very popular with residents, particularly when their families join them for refreshments outside,” she added.

The Alderlea care home will be hosting an open day on August 14 for people to see the results of the refurbishment.

Pictured at the refurbished Alderlea care home are: l-r: Maxine Dolby, George Billings (resident), Dorothy Wilson (resident) and Sonia Turner.