Welcome Care Home

Additional Information

• St Christophers Steps to Success Accreditation 2024 Veteran Friendly Framework 2025
• Honouring Armed Forces veterans living in Lewisham Former members of the Armed Forces in Lewisham will benefit from enhanced person-centred care and support after the care home they live in achieved the standards required for the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF). The Welcome Care Home manager Andrew Newland said: “We are so proud to have achieved VFF status. This vital addition towards providing a fully person-centred, holistic service is making a difference to the veterans who live at Welcome care home.” To achieve their Veteran Friendly status the 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. As part of their VFF status the Welcome Care Home signed up and committed to His Majesties Armed Forces Covenant and was also awarded a Bronze Certificate from the Employers Recognition Scheme run by the Ministry of Defence. Andrew commented: “We identified the Veterans and spouses of veterans in our care and created person-centred care plans that reflected their veteran status. We also placed poppies and regimental cap badges on their bedroom doors so that they would feel recognised and appreciated.” During the Remembrance Day commemorations, the home’s veterans laid a poppy wreath at the local Cenotaph. Veteran Randolph, who served in the Royal Anglian regiment and was posted around the world, including the Falklands Conflict said, “I’m happy to be here, it’s good to see the parade and hear the sound of marching, and to meet soldiers from other regiments.” Andrew continued, “During the course of our VFF journey, we had the privilege of working closely with OpCourage, a service dedicated to supporting veterans who are living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and our local Care Home Intervention Team. This is helping to ensure that Veterans, especially those who are also living with dementia, receive the compassionate, specialised care that they deserve, and that their unique needs are properly addressed within the wider health and social care system”. The VFF is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA). Its aim is to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the Armed Forces community, in nursing and residential care homes across England, by providing training and resources to assess and improve the care they offer. It helps to tackle loneliness and has the scope to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the approximately 25,000 veterans living in care homes in England. VFF Project Lead Kathryn Glass said: “We’re delighted that Welcome Care Home has achieved VFF status. This is a great commitment to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners. This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff at Welcome Care Home 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. Being a VFF care home means that there is an increased understanding and recognition for the veteran community at Welcome Care Home.” Any care homes interested in receiving more information about the VFF can visit www.starandgarter.org/veteran-friendly-framework, or email VFF@starandgarter.org