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 Barnsley care home first to receive “Veteran Friendly” status in South Yorkshire

Barnsley care home first to receive “Veteran Friendly” status in South Yorkshire

By 27th August, 2024 Press Releases No Comments

A BARNSLEY care home has become the first in South Yorkshire to achieve Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status – ensuring armed forces veterans living at the care home will benefit from enhanced care and support.

Deangate Care Home, on Towngate, Mapplewell, has met the rigorous standards required to be declared a “Veteran Friendly Care Home” under the scheme.

The VFF launched in 2023 with the aim of tackling loneliness and isolation and delivering improved health and wellbeing outcomes for over 25,000 veterans living in care homes across England.

It is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

After achieving VFF status, Deangate Care Home celebrated the success with a party attended by Barnsley mayor Cllr John Clarke JP and his wife and mayoress Doreen Clarke.

Kathryn Glass, from the Royal Star & Garter, veterans from across Barnsley, staff, residents, friends and family members also attended the celebrations, which included live entertainment, food and drinks.

Among the veterans living at Deangate Care Home is 94-year-old Maurice Churchouse, who served his national service in the RAF from 1948, and 91-year-old Ian Dickinson, who served his national service in the army, teaching basic skills such as English and Maths.

During the celebration event, Maurice said: “I am so sorry for crying. It’s so wonderful to meet local veterans in the community. It was nice to talk to them about my experiences.”

Ian added: “It was a great party. My family was here. The singer was exceptional. It brought the whole party together. Not to mention meeting ladies and gents that served in the Army like I did. I also got a little dance in too and I don’t dance.”

Fellow resident Bill Dyson, 83, served as a Sergeant Major in the army, and Bill Guest, 96, served in the army, RAF and merchant navy as part of his national service, following the end of the Second World War.

Sheila Johnson, 96, was in the Land Army and performed her national service in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, for which she was decorated.

Several of the care home’s residents also have partners who served in the armed forces, including 90-year-old Jean Gardner, whose husband, Terrance, was in the Coldstream Guards, a British infantry regiment famous for being the oldest in continuous existence.

At Deangate Care Home’s party to celebrate their VFF status, Raymond Smith, a veteran of the Royal Engineers from 1976 to 1988, was in attendance, alongside Mandy Smith, who joined the Women’s Royal Army Corps in 1977 and served until 1980 as part of the Royal Corps of Signals.

To achieve VFF status, Deangate Care Home was required to meet eight standards. These included: noting Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch, and other charities that provide support for veterans or partners of veterans.

The aim of the VFF is to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the armed forces community in residential care homes across England, by providing training and resources to assess and improve the care offered.

Kathryn Glass is the VFF project lead at Royal Star & Garter and responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme.

She said: “The application submitted by Deangate Care home was of an exceptionally high standard and a testament to the dedication, passion, and commitment the home has for providing high-quality person-centred care for residents and colleagues alike.

“I would like to thank all colleagues within the home for their hard work and commitment to undertaking this framework and for being so welcoming to the VFF team, and for allowing us to celebrate the home’s success with the most wonderful multi-generational event.

“This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff, who are able to access enhanced training and guidance to better engage with the unique military experiences that their residents and partners have lived through.

“Having completed the VFF framework with such passion and enthusiasm is a testament to the commitment from Deangate Care Home to the armed forces community both as residents and as employers.”

Rachael Dawson, home manager at Deangate Care Home, said: “I am so proud of everyone at Deangate for working towards this amazing achievement. This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for our fantastic residents and veterans living within our home.”

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