Signature 22 Summer 2016 A3 version

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Issue 22
Summer 2016
setting the standard for senior care
the home of Signature news
Cooking up a storm
In this issue:
Leading Light Awards
Summer’s Care and
non-Care winners.
Coombe chef wins Care Cook of the Year 2016
PAGES 4-5
New developments
PAGE 6
Neil Butler discusses
innovations for new
Signature homes.
News around
National Care
Homes Open Day.
PAGE 7
Autograph
PAGE 15
Meet Dr Mandy Bennett,
HR & Organisational
Director.
Have your say:
Is there a topic that
really matters to you?
Alex Morte receives his prize from the judges
Congratulations
to Alex Morte,
Chef de Partie
CARE
at Coombe Hill
COOK
Manor, who
201 6
was crowned
the National
Association
of Care
Catering (NACC)
Care Cook of the Year 2016 in June
following the thrilling national final of
the respected culinary competition.
At the age of 21 he is also the youngest
champion in the competition’s history.
in the specific field of care catering. Alex
and his winning menu of grilled hake,
charred asparagus, pea purée, crispy
dill potatoes, crispy bacon and grilled
vine cherry tomatoes followed by dark
chocolate and salted caramel delice with
a chocolate tuile claimed the title after
90 minutes of intense competition.
Twelve finalists showcased their
exceptional knowledge, talent and flair
‘I am absolutely blown away to have won,’
said Alex. ‘This is my first ever competition
Clear winner
Alex stood out to the judges as the
clear winner. Calm and confident, he
demonstrated excellent cooking skills and
technique to produce beautifully presented
dishes with a real depth of flavour.
Please email your suggestions to:
[email protected]
so to be the winner is amazing and
unbelievable. The final was nervewracking at first but once I started
cooking I relaxed and I actually enjoyed
it. For the judges to say there was a ‘clear
winner’ is a great feeling and I am very
proud.’ Alex was also awarded Highly
Commended Main.
‘This is a great achievement and many
congratulations to Alex,’ said Aidan
Roche, Signature’s Managing Director.
‘Signature homes are fast becoming a
breeding ground for champion chefs!’
1
Signature awards:
Miramar collects care award
A big round of
applause for
Darren Humby,
the Miramar’s
General Manager,
who won The
Frontline Leaders Award at the national
finals of the Great British Care Awards
2016 last month. Congratulations also go
to Miramar’s Hospitality Manager Stephen
Vaughan-Atkins on being a national finalist
for the Nutrition & Hydration Award, and to
Dementia Carer Emma Berwick who was a
finalist for The Dementia Carer Award.
Darren, Stephen and Emma attended the
Great British Care Awards Gala evening
along with 792 other guests. They enjoyed
a champagne dinner and reception before
television personality and national treasure
Christopher Biggins presented the awards.
‘I am delighted accept this award which
recognises not just my own work but also
the huge team effort made by everyone at
the Miramar to ensure that we provide the
best possible care for our residents,’ said
Darren. ‘We are all proud to be part of an
award-winning care home.’
Building the future
Natalie, Neil and Jenny collect their award
2
3
4
have improved the quality and extended
the life of a building.
Bentley House received the Retrofit for
the Future Award at Hertfordshire County
Council’s Building Futures Awards 2015
held at the Old Palace, Hatfield House
earlier this year.
An extraordinary transformation
The judges described Bentley House as
‘an extraordinary transformation of a
redundant office building into a luxury
care home.
The awards recognise projects that
demonstrate sustainability, innovation
and high-quality design in response to
environmental challenges. The Retrofit for
the Future category rewards schemes that
Neil Butler, Head of Design & Product
from Support Office, Client Liaison
Manager Natalie Crampton and Move-in
Co-ordinator Jenny Vanlint, both from
Bentley House, collected the award.
Just for fun!
1
Test your brain with our crossword puzzle.
Turn to page 16 for the solutions.
5
6
Across
1.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
15
17
18
19
21
2
20
22
Stephen Vaughan-Atkins, Emma Berwick
and Darren Humby at the Awards Gala
Bring Me
: Morecambe
and Wise song (8)
5. Steve
: co-founder of
Apple (4)
7. Public square of an ancient
Roman city (5)
8. Bucket and
: commonly
used by children at the beach (5)
10. Holder of a British hereditary
honour (7)
12. Roses of
: World War
One song (7)
14. Golden
: floral emblem
of Australia (6)
16. The Tuareg are a Berber people
with this traditional type of
lifestyle (7)
19. Adam
: English
international footballer (7)
20. Rootstock of iris used in
perfumery (5)
21. Son of Adam and Eve (4)
22. Period of inactivity (6)
Down
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
9.
11.
12.
13.
15.
17.
18.
Long upholstered seat with a
back and arms (4)
Pertaining to the countries of
Scandinavia (6)
Greek mythological being that
lives in trees (9)
Decisive battle of the English
Civil War in 1645 (6)
Summer
: longest day
of the year (8)
The sea eagle (4)
Famous aerobatic display
team (3,6)
Scales: actress known
for her role in Fawlty Towers (8)
Mauresmo: French tennis
champion (6)
Hammer wielding Norse god (4)
Part of the land next to the sea (5)
Capital of Norway (4)
New faces:
Moving in...
There are some new faces at Signature and you can find
out more about them here…
Sue Cole
Care Services Manager,
Rosebery Manor
Sue spent 23 years working
as a Clinical Facilitator for
Brighterkind Senior Care
Homes, covering the South
of England. Prior to that she spent five years
as a Deputy Manager at Elizabeth Finn Care
Homes, a boutique group of nursing and
personal care homes, where she focussed
on developing teams, best practice and
performance. Sue qualified as a Registered
Nurse at King’s University, London.
Tom Wells
Investment Manager,
Support Office
Tom originally trained
as an auditor for Grant
Thornton in Milton
Keynes. He went on
to become a finance analyst overseeing
various sites throughout the UK before
moving to Hovis and working in part of the
central finance team.
Amrita Arora
Management Accountant, Support Office
Before joining Signature Amrita worked
as a management
accountant for a
recruitment company.
She is currently studying
towards her Association
of Chartered Certified
Accountants (ACCA)
qualification, and is looking forward to
developing her career within Signature.
Tracy Salisbury
Payroll & Benefits
Manager, Support Office
Tracy has 25 years of
payroll experience.
Before joining Signature,
she worked at Scotco
Restaurants, the largest KFC franchise in
the UK, for 15 years. Prior to that she worked
with Baxter & Platts contract caterers and
The Equitable Life Assurance Society.
The Loxley Park Team would like to
give a very warm welcome to three new
members: Carer Gary Rodgers, who
has worked in care for many years, and
Restaurant Assistants Rachel Adams
and Adam O’Neil. Rachel and Adam
have had many years of experience in
the hospitality sector.
Moving up...
Congratulations to
Emma Newcombe
at Support Office on
her recent promotion
to Group Finance
Manager. Emma
started with Signature
just over five years ago as Accounts
Receivable Clerk. Since then, she has
taken up the role of Management
Accountant and successfully passed
all her accounting exams. Emma’s
knowledge, experience and the support
she provides others have not gone
unnoticed and her promotion is very well
deserved. Well done, Emma!
Five year
service awards
Congratulations
to Wendy Dunk,
HR Manager at
Moorlands Lodge,
who celebrated
five years of
service in June.
Carers Angela Goodison and Shirley
Wroe, together with Lead Receptionist
Michelle Warren all celebrated five
years of service to Loxley Park and
received their five-year service pins.
‘Huge congratulations go to this superb
trio,’ said General Manager Helen Hall.
‘We are very proud of them.’
Moving on...
Christine Bunce,
General Manager at
Coombe Hill Manor, is
sadly leaving us to pursue
a new senior operational
role in dementia care
in central London. ‘It is
with mixed emotions that I leave Coombe
Hill Manor,’ she said. ‘Over the past two and a
half years I have had the opportunity to see
Coombe grow from a shell of building to a
lively, active community which is home to 97
residents supported by over 180 staff. The
managers and staff are second to none and
it has been a real honour to build and lead
the team to where it is today. I wish everyone
at Signature Senior Lifestyle all the best for
the future.’ Christine has done an excellent
job at Signature and will be sorely missed by
residents and staff alike. She leaves behind
a highly capable and skilled team who will
continue to deliver an excellent service. We
wish Christine all the best in her new venture.
A handmade welcome for Sue
The residents at Rosebery Manor put their artistic talents to good use in order to welcome Sue Cole
into her new role as Care Services Manager. Residents who attend the home’s art group helped to
hand-make a beautiful card picturing a vase of flowers, which was signed by the whole community.
Residents painted the vase and every flower in it individually. They presented their card at a welcome
tea provided by the Kitchen and Restaurant Teams in a touching tribute to welcome Sue on board.
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Leading Light Awards:
The Rising Sta
This award recognises inspirational individuals from the Care and non-Care functions who give
exceptional service either on a sustained basis or during a specific event. Each quarterly regional winner
receives a £25 gift voucher and could be selected at the end of the year as a finalist for the national awards.
The regional winners from the Care function for the second quarter of 2016 are:
Terry Littlechild
Carer, The Beeches
Terry has been nominated by an equal number
of residents and colleagues. They say he’s very
caring, always smiling, goes out of his way to help
and is very supportive to residents and staff.
Jenni Collins
Night Carer & Restaurant Manager,
Bentley House
Jenni always has a positive approach and
comes up with new ideas to make the home
run more smoothly. As well as working some
night shifts as a Carer, she is also our Restaurant Manager.
Jenni supports her team and does everything she can to help
with residents’ care. She has excellent customer service skills
and always wears a smile.
Chloe Wakefield
Carer, Cliveden Manor
Chloe’s numerous nominations described her
as helpful, enthusiastic, cheerful and always
smiling. She has supported the Activities Team
and informs residents of special events ensuring
they never miss anything. Chloe willingly works extra shifts
and accompanies residents to hospital when families are not
available. She is an example of a great carer.
Angela Stewart
Dementia Carer, Coombe Hill Manor
Kind and respectful, Angela shows great passion
and enthusiasm for her residents. Every day
she tries to find new ways to bring activities and
enjoyment to their lives. She holds Angela’s
Ladies Tea Parties, making their surroundings beautiful with
tiered cake stands on the tables, flowers and lovely music. Angela
is a joy to work with and the love she shows is infectious.
Rachel Wardley
Deputy Wellbeing Manager, Loxley Park
Staff and members have praised Rachel for
her exceptional empathy towards members
who, in turn, have remarked on how kind and
helpful she is.
4
Bonita Brazier
Carer, Miramar
Bonita is a fantastic member of the Pavilion
Dementia Care Team. Bonita has taken control
of the floor and uses her initiative to ensure
things run smoothly. She has coached and
guided the new members of the team, and is extremely patient
and helpful with all the residents and their relatives.
Rachel North
Lead Care Assistant, Moorlands Lodge
Residents and staff think very highly of Rachel
because she has a very positive approach in
every situation, she puts herself out for others
and is always there to help. Rachel is a lovely
person to work with and her recent promotion to Lead Care
Assistant was very well deserved.
Chelsea Hiley
Lead Carer, Rosebery Manor
Chelsea was recently promoted to Lead Carer
because she always goes above and beyond
what is required of her. She came in on her day
off to help with medications, and is keen to learn
and take on as much responsibility as she can. Chelsea always
works with a problem until it is solved and never passes things to
others if she can deal with them herself.
Bindi Kaur
Care Assistant, South Lodge
Bindi’s nominations included the following words
of praise: ‘I love working with her...she’s very
caring.’ ‘Very kind and helpful. Works well within
the team.’ ‘She approaches her work wholeheartedly and for this she deserves all the praise and gratitude.’
Remember!
Next nomination deadline
1 September
ar Award
The regional winners from the non-Care functions for the second quarter of 2016 are:
Steve Hood
Gardener, The Beeches
Residents’ nominated ‘invisible gardener’ Steve
for making such a difference to the garden. He
runs their gardening group: they make decisions
about what they want and he helps them to
carry out the tasks. Residents say they never see him working but
they always know he has been there.
Jenny Vanlint
Move-in Co-ordinator, Bentley House
Jenny joined the team in the Sales & Marketing
Department and has been amazing from day
one. She is an expert in organisation and helps in
all departments, has a fantastic relationship with
all of our residents and nothing is too much trouble for her. She
has a tremendous passion for her job!
Jackie Campbell
Housekeeping Manager, Cliveden Manor
Jackie is an ambassador for Signature. She
inspires her team to be consistently helpful,
cheerful, efficient, trustworthy, polite, hard
working and exceptionally committed to their
roles, setting an example to others. She encourages her team
to help other departments, serving in the restaurant and getting
involved in residents’ birthday parties and other events.
Debbie Harding
Activities Assistant, Coombe Hill Manor
Debbie’s inspirational ideas for activities for
residents living with dementia have enriched
their lives considerably. Debbie understands
that communication is vital and she inspires
and encourages other staff to follow her example. Everyone
comments on the wonderful atmosphere she creates.
Laura Simmons
Restaurant Assistant, Loxley Park
Laura has proved to be the most reliable bank staff
worker employed at Loxley Park. She is a great asset
to her team and has covered numerous weekends
and holidays. She is a consummate professional
and was recently praised for her actions during a fire alarm.
Lorane Moxey
Housekeeping Assistant, Miramar
Lorane works tirelessly to keep our home
clean. She continually gives her all and nothing
is too much trouble for her. Lorane was the
clear winner this quarter with outstanding
nominations from her peers. Our residents are thrilled that this
hard-working member of staff has been recognised for her
fantastic contribution.
Beth Wilks
Restaurant Assistant, Moorlands Lodge
Confident, charming and a real team player,
Beth sets a great example for her colleagues.
She has endless patience and kindness towards
our residents and always approaches the daily
activities of the Restaurant with proactive enthusiasm. She is a
pleasure to be around.
Cathy White
Activities Assistant, Rosebery Manor
Cathy is fairly new to Activities having moved
from the Care department but has very quickly
become her manager Suzanne’s right-hand
woman. She is great fun, very caring with our
residents and extremely capable. She is thorough and always
helps when she can with a smile.
Safura Tayub
Receptionist, South Lodge
Safura’s nomination cards included the following
words of praise: ‘Always polite, always ready to
help.’ ‘She always has a positive approach.’ ‘Used
her initiative and helped out with the team.’
Sarah Cradick
Group and Systems Accountant, Support Office
Sarah has worked tirelessly on the Zahara
purchase order system, often coming up with
innovative ways to resolve issues. At times her
knowledge has exceeded that of the contractors
paid to build the system for us! On top of this, Sarah has also
developed several Excel templates that have vastly improved the
financial reporting of the group.
5
New developments:
Making a difference
Neil Butler, Head of Design, discusses innovations
for new Signature homes
In 2014, my ‘annus horribilis’, the
Developments Team completed and
opened four homes in just seven months
and amazingly three of these – Coombe Hill,
Cliveden and Rosebery Manors – were filled
within just one year thanks to the hard work
put in by our Sales Teams. That’s nearly 260
residents who now have a great place to call
home – and that’s what we’re all about.
We are extremely proud that we have
helped to move the design of care homes
forward in the UK but we don’t want to
stand still; as Signature grows, continuing
to develop our homes has never been
more important. That’s why the company
decided to move me away from a purely
construction role and appointed me as
Head of Design with freedom to spend
more time on the design of our homes and
what goes in them.
What a difference a year makes!
So now it’s summer 2016 – at least I think
it’s summer but someone forgot to turn
off the tap! I’m really
enjoying my new role
working closely with
the Design Team.
This article is an
explanation of what
we’re planning with
the design of our new
homes and how you
can provide feedback
to us.
Please, please feel
free to speak up and
question what we’re
doing because that’s
6
the only way we can continue to improve
and keep Signature ahead of the pack.
If you live in one of our homes or you are
a family member, then please watch out
for me when I’m visiting. Working with
your General Manager, I’m helping to
organise resident focus groups to discuss
our new design ideas and understand
how successful our current thinking has
been. We’ve already held two sessions at
Cliveden Manor and Coombe Hill Manor
where the reaction to our homes and
everyone working in them was massively
positive. Outside these groups please
give any comments to your General
Manager who will pass them on.
If this is where you work then please pass
on any ideas to your General Manager
who will provide feedback every quarter
via Creenagh Williamson, our Operations
Director, to our quarterly Design Quality
meetings.
Innovations for new homes
Our focus is always on our residents.
This year, working with our Design
Team, we have been looking for ways
to provide a more active environment
and how we could bring the outside
community in. We’ve settled on three
main themes for our next generation of
homes, which are beautifully captured
in the cartoon (below) by Sue Dee our
Interior Designer.
The first is the Super Emporium where we
are trying to create a space that goes beyond
the spa bathroom, hair salon and therapy
room to deliver an area that is really directed
at your physical and mental wellbeing.
Then there’s the Village Hall which is
essentially an extension to the activity
rooms that you’re all familiar with, but this
is an area that can have many different
functions from a Christmas carol concert
to a tea dance or craft fair. It will be a
flexible space that can be quickly and easily
adapted to suit many occasions when the
whole community can get together.
Finally we’re trying to create a more active
and interactive garden. Going away from
our usual level paths, we’ve introduced
some gentle slopes in our new podium
garden at Elton House in Bushey to help
improve levels of fitness. Bird boxes
have wireless webcams fitted so what is
happening can be relayed to the reception
area TV and we’re even thinking of some
outside exercise wheels that residents can
use whilst sitting on a garden bench.
There is more to say about the designs of
our new homes so watch out for future
articles in Signature Connections. Thank
you for listening and enjoy the rest of
your summer.
Neil Butler
Head of Design
© Sue Dee
I can’t believe it’s over five years since
I joined Signature fresh from the
construction of one of the mansion blocks
in the Athletes’ Village, London 2012.
Since then I’ve been involved in delivering
six brand new Signature homes, from
Moorlands Lodge to Bentley House, plus a
25-bed extension to the Miramar in Herne
Bay.
News around:
Welcome all!
Signature homes put on a magnificent display
Signature homes around the country
opened their doors for the 4th annual
National Care Home Open Day last
month to welcome local communities
and show them the great things they
do all year round.
This year’s theme was
‘Celebration’ and activities
ranged from a cooking
competition at Bentley House
at to a Rio-themed carnival at
Rosebery Manor, with almost
everything in between. Every
event was designed to bring
people together, strengthen
relationships and show off the
wonderful surroundings and
service that Signature homes
provide. They certainly
succeeded as the photos
here and on the following
pages show.
Flying down to Rio
Rosebery Manor made a
huge team effort to bring a
Rio-themed Carnival to the
local community, setting the
scene with vibrant festival
decorations from the Activities
Team and delicious, authentic
cuisine courtesy of the Kitchen
and Restaurant Teams. Rio
carnival dancers, a Carmen
Miranda lookalike, limbo dancing
and the conga were just some
highlights from a brilliant day
enjoyed by everyone.
Limbo down: Sue Cole,
Care Services Manager
shows her skill
Rosebury residents
making decorations
Carnival dancers
Melanie and Verity
Residents Midge
Cartwright and Milly
Ashby with ‘Carmen
Miranda’
Laura Dowd, General
Manager and Helen
Bayliss, Group Operations
Manager
7
Ready, Steady, Bentley Cook!
Three teams made up of
members of the Restaurant,
Activities, and the HR and Finance
Teams competed to produce
the best main dish in 30 minutes
from a bag of ingredients in the
Bentley Cook challenge. While the
teams were cooking, residents
took part in a fruity quiz. Judges
Yvonne Gravilis, General Manager,
and Andy Worthington, Group
Operations Manager, awarded
the trophy to Helen O’Driscoll and
Karen Cann from the Restaurant
Team. The runners-up received
wooden spoons.
Judges Yvonne and Andy
do the taste test
Winners Helen O’Driscoll
and Karen Cann receive
their prize
Harmony al fresco
The Miramar celebrated
with a Proms in the Garden
musical event. The Reculver
School children, Unique Duo,
Martin Fairbrother, Steve
Iddenden, Franz Hepburn
and the Whitstable Brass
Band all took to the stage in
turn to entertain residents
and visitors.
One highlight came after
the performance by the
Reculver School children
when they sat with residents
8
and everyone sang along with
Unique Duo.
The Lord Mayor of Canterbury
and Signature’s Group
Operations Director, Creenagh
Williamson, joined them for
the day. ‘The whole event
was absolutely fantastic,’ said
Creenagh. ‘To see residents
and their families enjoying such
a well-planned and fun-filled
day was such a pleasure. Team
Miramar did an outstanding job.’
Cliveden’s
special
moments
Cliveden Manor decided to celebrate the lives of
residents and staff with a week-long exhibition of
photographs that included memories of special
moments, holidays and family gatherings.
Stella Putt, General Manager, cut the ribbon
and formally declared the exhibition open,
allowing residents, staff and visitors to enjoy
looking at all the photos.
Olympic feat
Staff and residents at South
Lodge celebrated the
Olympics in Rio with a focus on
sporting activities. Five teams
competed in the Community
Carpet Bowls Championship,
which was eventually won
in style by a team of three
residents. The Reception
Team supplied pedometers
kindly donated by Leicester
City Council to residents, staff
and visitors so that they could
track their steps
throughout the
day. The final tally
for this joint activity
was over 72 miles.
A Fruity Friday party
followed, hosted by
the Activities Team,
with coconut and
watermelon mocktails,
tropical fruit platters and a
limbo finale which put a smile
on everyone’s face.
Jon Ashworth MP was one of
many visitors to the home.
‘It was great meeting staff
and residents,’ he said. ‘It is
important to appreciate care
home staff and their continuous
support to our loved ones.’ Janet
Dennis, Care Services Manager,
said, ‘We are delighted that Jon
chose to visit South Lodge for
Care Home Open Day and that
visitors participated in the fun
we had planned for the day.’
Fruity Friday tropical party
Carpet bowls competition
in full swing
Housekeepers Laura
Smith and Jacquy White
hand out pedometers
Carpet Bowls
Championship awards
Limbo time!
9
Ascot comes to Loxley
Sheffield’s Town Crier opened
Loxley Park’s Open Day during
which members, families and
friends, fortified by canapés
and Pimms, enjoyed a Best Hat
competition judged by the Lord
Mayor, Denise Fox, and horse
racing in the grounds. The
Chapeltown Silver Band playing
a selection of old and new
tunes brought the celebration
to a pleasant conclusion.
Ring that bell: Paul, Andy,
General Manager Helen
Hall, Dale, Henry Cryer
and Brenda
The Lord Mayor with
Ascot horses Hettie
and Bettie
Helen Hall with the
Lord Mayor
Henry Cryer with
Paul Bate, Activities
Assistant
Toe-tapping fun at Coombe
The talented City River Saxes
got their action-packed
day off to a toe-tapping
start at Coombe Hill Manor.
Residents, family members
and staff could enjoy a
fun exercise circuit, a giant
scrabble competition, and
a Ballroom and Latin dance
class courtesy of local dance
master Simon Guntrip.
Delicious canapés, cocktails
and lunch all helped to make
their guests feel welcome.
10
News around:
Signature’s new
website goes live
After many months of designing,
copywriting, tweaking and testing
we are proud to announce that the new
Signature website is now live!
Take a tour of the comprehensive, slick new
website showing our homes at their very
best at www.signature-care-homes.co.uk.
There is an amazing gallery of internal,
external and detailed pictures showing
just what makes our homes stand out
from the rest. Coombe Hill Manor even
had a drone flyover for their main photo –
something new for us.
A big thank you goes to Tank 2 Create
for their magnificent team effort and
especially to Gavin Adams who has had
Happy and glorious
Signature’s Marketing Manager Amanda
Fisher sitting by his side for many hours.
Miramar’s ro
yal
occasion
Signature homes celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday
The sun may not have shone over
Sheffield for the Queen’s official
birthday celebration but no amount of
rain could put a dampener on Loxley
Park’s party.
Activities Manager Brenda Ridgeway and
her team joined forces with Head Chef
David Oswin and his team to make the
afternoon memorable. Helen Hill, General
Manager, proved to be an able stand-in
for Her Majesty with Activities Assistants
Paul Bate and Andy Jowett as her loyal
Queen’s Guards.
The Activities Team helped Loxley’s
members to make the bunting and
decorate the home. The Catering Team
produced a delicious afternoon tea
rounded off with a slice of birthday cake
especially made for the occasion by Head
Chef David Oswin and Chef de Partie
Janet Wild. It was a right royal knees up!
Happy birthday to you
Staff and residents at Signature Miramar
gathered in the Coastal Lounge to sing
Happy Birthday and toast the Queen’s
good health with Buck’s Fizz on her
90th birthday. Percussionist John
Beetham provided a
lively soundtrack for
the party.
At Rosebery Manor,
residents and families
did Her Majesty
proud with a Birthday
Celebration High
Tea. Afterwards,
replete with dainty
sandwiches and
scrumptious
cakes, they
enjoyed a royal
trivia competition.
Rosebery’s c
elebration Hig
h Tea
General Manager
Helen Hall with her
loyal Queen’s guards
A right royal knees up at Loxley Park
d Janet’s
n
a
e
v
a
D
ion cake
celebrat
11
Friends and
champions
Signature homes gave their wholehearted
support to this year’s Dementia
Awareness Week, helping to ensure that it
was a great success. At Moorlands Lodge,
residents, family members and staff
participated in a sponsored walk to raise
over £500 for the Alzheimer’s society.
Loxley Park held a bric-a-brac sale and
coffee morning organised by Brenda
Ridgeway, Activities Manager, and
her Activities Co-ordinators Rebecca
Middlebrook and Paul Bate. Advertising in
the Alzheimer’s Café and on local radio
stations brought them huge support from
the local community; in just two hours the
sale raised more than £240 for the charity.
Meanwhile, the Bentley House team ran a
programme of events including a Dementia
Seminar organised by Natalie Crampton,
Client Liaison Manager and Jenny Vanlint,
Move-In Co-ordinator,
with assistance from
Marketing Manager
Amanda Fisher and
Head of Design Neil
Butler. Members of the public, the local
police force, Police Community Support
Officers and local solicitors attended the
morning session. After lunch they joined
local Councillors in a Dementia Friends
session. A tour of Bentley House followed.
Dementia friends
Innes Wyness and Carol Laing from
Cliveden Manor’s Activities Team attended
training in becoming Dementia Friends
Champions last month.
Bentley Hou
se
seminar
Fundraising at
Moorlands Lod
ge
A Dementia Friends Champion is a
volunteer who encourages others to make
a positive difference to people living with
dementia in their community. They do this
by holding informative sessions about the
personal impact of dementia, and what
people can do to help. People who attend
these 50-minute information sessions
become Dementia Friends and wear the
Dementia Friends badge.
Innes and Carol hope to introduce these
sessions for residents, families and staff at
Cliveden Manor during the coming months,
with the goal of attaining 100 or more
Dementia Friends in one community.
Dementia
Friends Innes
Wyness and
Carol Laing
Bric-a-brac sale
at Loxley Park
Enter the dragon
South Lodge residents and staff enjoyed
a dramatic and fun-filled St George’s Day.
Dementia Care Manager Sarah Haines
brought in a host of items including swords,
helmets and a puppet dragon for their
celebrations. To lots of laughter, the Activities
Team encouraged residents to take up their
swords and join in the fight against the dragon.
Later, residents enjoyed making rose lapel
buttonholes out of felt, as it is a traditional
custom to wear a rose buttonhole on this day.
They placed them in the reception area for
residents, staff and visitors to wear.
12
Historic day
Saint George’s Day brought
a fantastic medieval history
display to Loxley Park. Andy
Jowett and Paul Bate from the
Activities Team (pictured right)
dressed up in chain mail and plate
armour, and gave a fascinating
talk on the types of clothes worn
and weapons used in the Middle Ages.
Members also watched a display of
sword fighting before questions were
invited from the audience.
Toasting
10 years
Moorlands residents and Heads of
Departments enjoyed a theatre-themed
black tie evening to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of Signature Senior Lifestyle.
The champagne flowed, the jazz band
played, and the dancing and celebrations
continued long in to the night.
Universal project
John MacLeod, a resident at Coombe Hill
Manor, has encouraged his co-residents
to explore the mysteries of the universe by
building a mechanical model of the solar
system known as an Orrery. John gathered
the pieces for the Orrery via a magazine
subscription. Following an introduction to
the project and the solar system, John and
ten other residents began to build.
The first Orrery meeting
Once the model is finished, they plan to
hold an Evening of Stars to explore the night
sky using their new Orrery and a telescope
belonging to one of the group.
Helpful hounds
Representatives from the charity Hearing Dogs for
Deaf People visited the Miramar earlier this year
to give a demonstration of their work. The charity
trains dogs to alert deaf adults and children to a
variety of sounds at home and in public.
Making
magic
Cliveden Manor welcomed Kevin Varty
and his original Victorian Magic Lantern
last month to give an entertaining and
humorous show for residents. The Magic
Lantern is the forerunner of the modern
slide projector and Kevin’s model had over
200 hand-painted Victorian slides. Although
its inventor is unknown, the Magic Lantern
is part of the marvellous world of optical
projection and takes its place alongside the
Camera Obscura, Shadow Shows and the
Magic Mirror. Like them, the Magic Lantern
has been used to educate, entertain and
mystify audiences for hundreds of years,
and its effect on the residents and staff at
Cliveden Manor was no exception.
Mr Kevin Varty and
his Victorian Magic
Lantern show
Janet West, representing the charity, gave a
fascinating talk which was followed by her lovely dog
Echo showing off some of the amazing things she helps Janet to do on a day-to-day basis. No
wonder the Miramar has made Hearing Dogs for Deaf People one of its charities of the year!
Getting closer to nature
The Activities Team at South Lodge has set up a new birdwatching zone in the lounge overlooking the garden to
encourage residents to engage in activities independently
or with their families. They hope that the bird-watching zone
will inspire conversation and stimulate interest in birds, as
well as bringing the outdoors inside for those who are not able
to get out as much as they would like.
Bird and nest wall stickers decorate the zone which contains
a bird fact file for residents to look at and several pairs of
binoculars. The latest additions are individual bags of birdseed
for residents to feed the birds from their balconies or the bird tables in the garden.
All aboard the bluebell train
Rosebery residents
climbed aboard The
Bluebell Railway one
sunny afternoon
in May to see the
bluebell woods
in their full glory
through the train’s
panoramic windows
as they travelled form
East Grinstead to
Guildford and back
again. Everyone said it
was a great day out.
13
Q & A for Referendum Day
Fantastic Foxes win
Following some lively conversations
amongst residents during the run-up
to the EU Referendum last month, the
Cliveden Manor Activities Team invited
local Conservative MP Dominic Grieve QC
and John Petley from The Campaign for
an Independent Britain to present their
opinions on whether Britain should
remain part of the EU or leave.
Mr Grieve spoke for remaining while
Mr Petley was in favour of leaving.
Residents at South Lodge held their very
own celebrations when Leicester City
won the Premier League for the first time
recently. Staff projected the Leicester v
Everton match highlights onto a big screen
so they could watch Leicester lift the trophy.
Everyone enjoyed the pre-match recital
by Italian classical tenor Andrea Bocelli so
much that staff had to replay this section
of the event six times. Whilst watching the
highlights everyone feasted on special
Leicester City cakes. Congratulations to the
Foxes on their historic 5000-1 win!
Many residents participated with
lots of questions and comments. It
encouraged them to cast their vote
on the big day.
Come dancing at Coombe
Staff and residents at Coombe
Hill Manor donned their dancing
shoes recently and took to the
floor with professional Latin and
Ballroom dance teacher Simon
Guntrip. He certainly put them
through their paces covering
the waltz, quickstep, 1950s
jive, salsa, and the syncopated
Charleston. Everyone gave the
afternoon top marks.
Pictures at an exhibition
Miramar resident Margaret Rushford was
delighted to open an art exhibition recently
in the Barnes Wallis area of the home.
Margaret started painting back in the 1980s.
Two of her paintings were shown at the
1998 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
and they are now on display again in the
Miramar’s art exhibition.
Margaret’s friends from the Miramar’s Art
Club were there to give her support and
were thrilled to see her work on display. Club
members plan to create more artwork over
the coming months to add to the exhibition.
Fine feathered
friends
Wings of
Freedom, a
not-for-profit
organisation
that helps
owls and birds
of prey born
in the wild or
in captivity,
enchanted
an audience
of residents at Rosebery Manor during a
demonstration and talk recently. Residents
and their visitors met some adorable owl
chicks, and had the opportunity to hold
and stroke some of the older birds. It was a
highly memorable event and one that they
hope will be repeated soon.
Fillies, fascinators and fizz
Despite the cloudy skies above, some of
Rosebery Manor’s residents passed an
exciting afternoon at Epsom Racecourse
on Ladies Day last month. They all had a
flutter on the horses and managed to pick
a few winners while sipping bubbly and
soaking up the lively atmosphere. They all
felt very fortunate to have Epsom Downs
on their doorstep.
14
Autograph:
Meet Dr Mandy
Bennett
Signature’s new HR & Organisational
Director introduces herself
After just a few minutes talking to Dr Mandy Bennett, Signature’s
new HR & Organisational Director, it’s clear she’s had an unusually
varied career. ‘After graduating with a degree in Biochemistry
& Physiology, I joined Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where
I designed car paint for Jaguar, Rolls Royce and Bedford Army
Trucks. The latter is usually a shade of green!’ she laughs.
Having decided that the automotive industry was not for her, Mandy
joined Glaxo Laboratories as a Medical Rep. She moved into a role in
training until the merger of Glaxo Wellcome with SmithKline Beecham
in 2000 when, by happy chance, a move placed her in HR. ‘From that
moment on my career changed,’ she says. ‘I loved what I was doing
and found I enjoyed the challenges it presented.’
By 2004, Mandy had become Vice President initially in a European role
and later in a global role covering Europe, emerging markets, AsiaPacific and Japan. The only drawback was her fear of flying. ‘Logically I
know my fear doesn’t make any sense,’ she says, ‘but I absolutely hate
flying. Until I was in a European role, I’d only flown three times in my life –
and one of those was to the Isle of Man at the age of five! Two hundred
international flights, 600,000 miles and about 51 days in a plane later, I
still fear flying although I am determined my fear won’t stop me. I have
found the medicinal effects of a few large gin and tonics help!’
Anything is possible
Having found herself with a career in HR but a CV and educational
background that shouted ‘scientist’, Mandy completed an MA in
Training & Development before embarking on a PhD in Organisational
Transformation Change. It was quite a challenge completing a parttime doctorate whilst in a full-time global role but Mandy embraced
it. ‘Given my own career experience, I am a huge advocate of career
development and believe that if you have an open mind to learning,
and a desire to work hard and succeed, then anything is possible.’
Mandy is delighted to have joined Signature at such an exciting
time. The company is ten years old and growing rapidly. ‘Providing
“exceptional care delivered by compassionate people in the
highest quality homes” feels like a natural extension of the mission
at GlaxoSmithKline, which was “To help people do more, feel better
and live longer,”’ she explains.
So what are her plans for Signature? Late last year the Senior
Leadership Team decided to revisit and redefine our vision, our
mission and our values. ‘All of us believe that “what” we do and “how”
we do things is critically important to our pursuit of making Signature
the best care environment for our residents and the best employer for
all our employees,’ explains Mandy. ‘Our values, and how we conduct
ourselves, should be something that truly differentiates us from every
other employer in care. They should underpin the work we do on a daily
basis and how we interact with each other and our residents.
‘We want everyone at Signature to feel proud of the work that we do, the
company we work for and the difference we make. We want everyone
to be engaged and motivated in their work and we aim to support this
through strong leadership, individual development opportunities and
fair reward for how you work as well as what you achieve.
‘Our aim is to create an environment where we all put our values at
the heart of every decision we make. Our plan is to work together
to translate our core values into what it means to all of our ways of
working, attitudes and behaviours.’
What does this mean in practice? ‘In HR we will be reviewing and
developing our key processes and policies, such as recruitment,
development, recognition and communication, to ensure they are
aligned to our values,’ explains Mandy. ‘During the weeks and months
ahead, everyone will get the opportunity to contribute in local
workshops to understand these values and explore what needs to
change on a daily basis, in everyday tasks and working relationships,
in order that we can all live by them.’
Outside pursuits
Outside her working life, Mandy’s huge love is animals. She and
her partner Max, a professional photographer who won BBC
Photographer of the Year 2006, have six dogs, five horses, three
doves and two rescue cats. Most weekends find her at a dog show.
She also enjoys traditional pursuits such as jam making and flower
arranging, and enters county shows, learning the hard way from the
W.I. judges’ feedback. Some of their comments have kept her family
amused for years: ‘This would be good shortbread except for the
irregular forking,’ is one of their favourites.
Photography is also a passion and Mandy’s camera accompanies her
to most places. ‘My favourite pictures are ones I’ve taken of orangutans in Borneo, pandas in China and reindeer in Lapland. I would
love to photograph penguins and polar bears, but that would involve
more flying!’
15
Signpost:
My Pay – a different way
to view your payslip
From the August payroll, we are
introducing MyPay – a portal where you are
able to view your current payslip as well as
look back at historical payslips and P60s.
By payday each month, your current payslip
will be transferred to the MyPay portal. All
you need to login in to the MyPay portal is
your login ID, which will be your personal
email address together with a password.
Your initial password will be sent out to you
and you will be able to change it after you log
in for the first time. In the same way if
you forget your password, you can
simply request a reset via the portal.
Over the coming weeks we will be
asking you to confirm your email
address, or to set up an email address
if you currently do not have one.
This portal is a really positive move. Not
only can you access all your historical
payslips at the click of a button, but
also the site is completely secure.
Coming up…
...some dates for your diary that you could include in your local activities for staff and residents.
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Last Night of the Proms – join the
biggest musical party of the year.
S
16
10
I
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6-13 Cowes Week Sailing Regatta 2016 –
see www.aamcowes.co.uk.
29
Summer Bank Holiday.
L
S
5-21 Olympic Games 2016, Rio de Janeiro.
I
30
Wear jeans, change lives – Jeans for
Genes Day. Visit www.jeansforgenes
day.org.
The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
raises funds to make sure no one has
to face cancer alone. Get your kit at
www.macmillan.org.uk.
S
23
T A
7-18 Paralympic Games 2016,
Rio de Janeiro.
7-10 St Leger Festival, Doncaster –
www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk.
8-11 Heritage Open Days. Explore England’s
historic buildings for FREE. Visit www.
heritageopendays.org.uk.
9
Queen Elizabeth II becomes the
country’s longest-serving monarch.
S
Signature Rising Star Award 2016
– closing date for nominations for the
third quarter.
L
AUGUST
1
National Dementia Carers Day –
see www.nationaldementiacarers
day.org.uk.
17-2 British Food Fortnight. The 15th
Oct annual celebration of British food.
See www.lovebritishfood.co.uk.
19-25 National Cupcake Week. Find recipes
at www.nationalcupcakeweek.co.uk.
22
Autumn equinox.
E
10-17 The Open Golf Championship, Royal
Troon. See www.theopen.com.
15
St Swithin’s Day. Will it rain for yet
another 40 days?
15-10 BBC Proms 2016 – see www.bbc.
Sept co.uk/proms for what’s on.
26-31 Longines Royal International
Horse Show, Hickstead –
see www.hickstead.co.uk.
SEPTEMBER
11
A B
5-10 Wimbledon finals.
7-9 Newmarket’s July Festival – high-class
fashion meets world-class racing.
7-10 2016 Formula 1 Santander British
Grand Prix.
10
UEFA EURO 2016 Final, France.
29-11 US Open 2016 tennis championship –
Sept see www.usopen.org.
Just for fun – solutions
JULY