Meet our Team

The Management

We have had 32 years experience in running Halsdown House since taking over the business from Amanda’s parents Mr & Mrs R W T Blake. It has been a family run business since 1967. During our 32 years we have progressively updated the structure and running of Halsdown House. Amanda continually updates her nursing practice by attending relevant courses and have completed her Registered Managers Course, Amanda is a registered nurse, link nurse for tissue viability and a moving and handling key trainer.

Howard has been involved in the administration and management of Halsdown House since 1992, he also cooks at Halsdown twice a week. 

Our Staff

We employ eight other first level Registered Nurses to help in the running of the home. As Registered Nurses they are continually updating their professional knowledge to comply with the Nursing Supervisory bodies. They are a very dedicated caring team who continually strive to maintain a high standard of care promoting all service users quality of life in all areas of their daily living.

There are ten Care Assistants who have direct contact with all service users. We train care assistants to levels 2 and 3 to achieve their Diploma in Health and Social Care, at present five of them are assessed at level 3 and have taken on the role of senior care assistant. Three at level 2 with the others about to commence their diploma training to comply with government legislation which dictates all healthcare assistants should be trained to level 2 or above, or be working towards it. The staffing numbers and skill mix of qualified/unqualified staff are above and beyond what CQC deem to be adequate, ensuring we are able to meet the individual needs of the service users in a person centred manner.

All staff have completed a Training Induction Programme within six months of their employment at Halsdown.

A First Aider is on duty in the home 24 hours a day.

All staff are given training that includes - Medicine Administration, Diabetes, Nutrition, Infection Control, Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Moving and Handling and Health and Safety.

No agency staff are employed at Halsdown House therefore each individual service user has contact with regular familiar faces and their likes and expectations are known and worked towards. This ensures a continuation of care for the service user and the caring, homely ethos of Halsdown House is maintained.

There are two housekeepers employed to clean service users rooms and living areas, ensuring the home is maintained in a clean and hygienic state, free from dirt and unpleasant odours.

The cook ensures that all service users have a high quality freshly cooked meal daily and that all other meals are balanced, nutritious and appetising to suit all special diets and appetites.

Philosophy of Care

Halsdown House aims to provide residents with a secure, relaxed and homely environment in which their care, well being and comfort is of prime importance. Our aim is to provide all Service Users with a life that is as normal as possible, given their individual health and care needs. To achieve this we ensure that assessments of the individual needs are used to develop a person centred care plan. Here at Halsdown we always focus on a persons ability not their disability.

We believe that Halsdown should be a place where each person can have their individual needs met and that they feel valued, giving them a meeting place where companionship, interest and activity can flourish.

Carers will strive to preserve and maintain the dignity, individuality and privacy of all residents within a warm and caring atmosphere, and in doing so will be sensitive to the resident's ever changing needs. Such needs may be medical/therapeutic (for physical and mental welfare), cultural, psychological, spiritual, emotional and social, and residents are encouraged to participate in the developments of their individual care plans in which the involvement of family and friends may be appropriate and is greatly valued.

This will be achieved through programmes of activities designed to encourage mental alertness, self esteem, and social interaction with other residents with recognition of the following core values of care which are fundamental to the philosophy of our home. One of our Senior Care Assistants is our activities co-ordinator, she organises a wide range of activities to suit the needs of the service user. These are displayed in the foyer and in the lounge on our notice boards. One to one activities are also arranged. We are very fortunate to have regular access to a mini bus and outings are arranged regularly.

Equality

We have a member of staff who is our 'champion' her role in the home is to ensure that every member of staff is aware of the definitions of equality, diversity and human rights and how they define values of society.

We promote equality of opportunity to all our residents, giving every individual the chance to achieve their potential, free from prejudice and discrimination, as well as making sure that whenever an individual requires health care, medical treatment or social care they have the right to, and are treated fairly.

We have clear values and principles which can be found in our policy folder outlining what this means in depth.

Fulfilment

The essence of nursing care for older people is about getting to know and value people as individuals. We aim to move from a medical mode and focus more on health promotion and prevention of ill health to ensure that the majority of older people are enabled to enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives within Halsdown Nursing Home. In order for us to achieve this we communicate with the individuals and listen to what they say. An assessment of need and wishes is documented as well as engaging with their families and friends.

An annual satisfaction survey is given to all the residents which allows us to see how we are doing and what areas of our practice needs to be updated ensuring maximum fulfilment from our residents.

Security

Halsdown Nursing Home has an open door policy with regards to visiting times, we ask that all visitors ring the doorbell and wait for a member of staff as well as signing in our visitors book, this is a fire regulation, we need to be able to account for every individual in the building.

Any contractor who comes onto the premises is asked to show a form of identification and is escorted to necessary rooms.

Privacy and dignity

We recognise the changes residents' face when moving into a home and to minimise the impact of those changes we will promote the philosophy of a 'family circle'. We will endeavour to retain as much privacy and dignity as possible by:

• Helping residents to personalise and equip their rooms as they wish and by providing a secure place for their valuables.

• Giving residents the opportunity to have privacy when receiving visitors, making telephone calls or opening and reading mail.

• Securing all residents' records and information and respecting the confidentiality of those records in accordance with the Date Protection Act 1998

• Treating each resident as an individual and a respected member of the family circle.

• Assisting residents to maintain their dignity through their personal appearance and behaviour.

• Promoting activities that encourage residents to express themselves as individuals.

• Helping residents to overcome any shortcomings they may experience through age or disability.

Independence

We recognise the importance for all service users to retain their independence and the problems that group living can give. We will encourage residents to act and think as an individual by:

• Maximising the opportunities for residents self care

• Encouraging residents to retain financial independence

• Helping residents to take reasonable and fully assessed risks

• Encouraging residents to maintain links with contacts outside the home

• Giving all residents the opportunity to contribute to the records of their own care and to express their views on the care.

Freedom of choice

We recognise that every resident should have the opportunity to choose a home that can meet their needs and can offer the care they require. We strongly advise that the individual (where possible) visits the home themselves to meet staff and other residents. They should be given the opportunity to exercise their right of choice in all aspects of daily living.

To facilitate that choice we will:

• Provide comprehensive information on the home and the quality of services and care available.

• Provide each resident with a contract or a statement of terms of conditions of residency.

• Carry out a needs assessment on each resident prior to admission

• Demonstrate to each resident that we can meet his or her assessed needs.

• Offer the opportunity for prospective residents to assess the home by way of a trial visit and/or stay.

• Provide a range of meals residents can choose from and allow them to decide where and when to consume the food of their choice.

• Continually offer a wide range of social and leisure activities.

• Avoid strict routines and maintain maximum flexibility in the daily life in the home.

Complaints

In the event of a complaint being made by a service user, relative or authorised representative to Halsdown House, the following steps should be taken:

• Involve the registered nurse on duty, discuss the complaint, preferably with another care assistant to act as a witness to the conversation. If the complaint can be resolved at this stage, as most occurrences should be able to, the incident need only be documented in the incident book with both signatures to agree that what is written was a true account.

• If the complaint can not be resolved by discussion with the registered nurse on duty, then management should be contacted. If it is a non urgent matter a message could be left in the contact book to be acted on later that day when either persons are in the home. If it is deemed something that needs immediate action the management should be contacted via their mobile phones, they are contactable 24 hours a day.

• All details of the complaint should be documented at this stage by all parties involved.

• If a service user is involved in any complaint whilst in the care of Halsdown Nursing Home the inspectorate from CQC should be informed.

• All written complaints will be responded to in writing within 28 days by the management at Halsdown Nursing Home.

• However, at this stage the Care Quality Commission can be contacted at any time at the address below:

CQC

Customer Services

Finsbury Tower

103-105

Bunhill Row

London

EC17 8TG

03000 616161

enquiries@cqc.org.uk

As previously mentioned we are a Nursing Home who takes pride in knowing our residents are content and well cared for, we do urge staff, relatives or visitors to come and speak to management in the event of any concern that they may have with any aspect of the Nursing Home.