Mental Health Matters at Manor House

Good mental health is essential to our overall health and well-being. There has been significant progress across broader society to support people, with it also being applied to residential settings, prioritising mental health alongside physical health. If a person’s mental health needs are unmet, it can affect their overall health.  

Jayne, Director of Nursing and registered Manager at the Manor House, says, “The mental health of our residents is just as important as their physical health. By supporting residents to feel good, we will then be able to meet all their care needs, and the person will also be happy. The mental health of our residents must be supported, ensuring that the Manor House is a positive place to live. We also provide support to our resident’s families, helping with the transition when moving a family member into care.” 

At the Manor House, we take a person-centred approach, recognising each resident as a unique individual with their own background and stories to tell. We focus on individual interests, beliefs and history to ensure residents know they are seen for who they are as an individual.  Many of our residents are living with complex mental-health conditions therefore getting to understand their individual needs and triggers, what can form a sense of calm and ease to lead positive outcomes and an improved quality of life is core to our care.  

Activities are central to what we do at the Manor House, with a full calendar of activities year-round. Our Activities Team are on hand seven days a week, offering a variety of group and one-to-one sessions to suit individuals’ interests and capabilities, ensuring residents can engage in something they enjoy. Scheduled activities also offer a sense of purpose, helping residents feel more productive.  

Facilities Manager Sophie says, “I think offering meaningful activities is key to boosting residents’ mental wellbeing. The activities we offer cover our residents’ mental, social and physical needs, including baking, crafts, danceSing, bingo and social outings.” 

Staff well-being is also very important to us at the Manor House. Throughout the year, we have team building events and nursing awards, facilitating continuous professional development and give access to our danceSing ‘on demand’ programme at work and home to all staff. 

We invite friends and family to come along and join in with all our activities, encouraging residents to stay connected, maintaining their relationships and even building new ones with other residents and team members to help prevent social isolation.  

 

 

 

Pamper sessions at Manor House

One of the most popular activities at the Manor House is our pamper sessions, and we ensure they appear regularly on our busy activities calendar. We have found that these sessions are welcomed by our residents and enhances the quality of their lives.

We are lucky to have an in-house salon, with a hairdresser visiting regularly to care for our residents’ hair. The salon allows residents to be pampered in a small group setting, creating a therapeutic atmosphere where chat and reminiscing take place. Manicures, pedicures and face masks are all popular choices. Dimmed lighting, soft music and lovely scents help create a luxurious atmosphere.

Facilities Manager Sophie says, “Residents love participating in pamper sessions and feel the benefits long after. Helping them feel extra special and seeing how happy it makes them is wonderful.”

The benefits of pamper sessions are not just physical; it also helps increase self-esteem and self-confidence. Residents love the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions, something we encourage as much as possible at the Manor House. Some residents have enjoyed selecting new nail colours whilst on a shopping trip, again giving them independence to make their own choices.

These sessions help prioritise our resident’s wellbeing, as well as boosting their confidence. We have pamper sessions planned over the coming months and can’t wait for the next one!

 

Stafford College Student Placements at the Manor House

We have been very fortunate to welcome some Health & Social Care students from Stafford College to the Manor House. They are working with us weekly as part of their course, providing valuable support to our staff. Learning from each other and bringing new ideas has been a positive experience for everyone involved.  

Allowing students to gain practical experience at the Manor House helps to bring more highly skilled staff into the Social Care sector. Students can learn about adult legislation and promoting/protecting residents’ rights. Learning all about person-centered practice by gaining practical experience will be invaluable to the students as they continue their course and start their careers within Health & Social Care.  

Jane Wood, Director of Nursing and registered Manager of the Manor House, says, “We have strong community links with Stafford College and welcome placement students with open arms. Our residents love spending time with them when participating in group and one-to-one activities and outings. We like to support students as much as possible to help them achieve their goal of entering the Health & Social Care profession.  

Residents enjoy giving their time to help the students, sharing their biographies, developing relationships, and helping the students learn from their perspectives.

manor house residential care having Summer Fair. The image shows our carers and residents enjoying the fair

Our Summer Fair 2023

Our Summer Fair on Saturday, 12th August, was a resounding success, with a fantastic turnout from our local community, families and friends.  The event, opened by the Worshipful Mayor and Mayoress of Stafford Borough, Andy Cooper and Mrs. Judy Cooper, gave the opportunity for people to enjoy lots of fun activities in our beautiful gardens.

The weather was kind to us, with the sun appearing at just the right time. We were all thoroughly entertained by singer, Becca G and the local Dance Troupe, Dance Fusion, bringing lots of smiles and fun to the afternoon. There was a vast range of games and activities, from a coconut shy, face painting to a bottle stall and raffle, with the main prize of an original Brooklyn Bicycle bike ridden by Anne Hathaway in the 2015 film ‘The Intern’ generously donated by local resident Julie Rickerby,

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing and Registered Manager, said, “We are delighted with the success of the summer fair. It was great seeing the residents, family, and friends enjoying the day together.  A huge thank you to our Activities Team for putting it all together.  

Staff went above and beyond, with many volunteering their time to help on the day, Dave and Sam from the Maintenance Team made the stocks and coconut shy, and Sophie baked all the cakes for the cake sale. We are so fortunate at the Manor House to have such an incredible team that genuinely cares about the home”. 

On opening the fair, The Worshipful the Mayor of Stafford Borough, Andy Cooper said, “I am thrilled to have been invited today to open the Summer Fair.  It’s clear to see the huge amount of work that has gone into

the event, the stalls are fantastic.  The Staff here are clearly very committed and have gone above and beyond their jobs to do this.

The work that Manor House do looking after and supporting those with a range of conditions is vital.  I have been chatting to residents and their families and you can tell they are very well cared for and very happy here.”

Bertha, Unit Manager, said, “It’s so lovely, nice to see so many friends and relatives come to support. It has really been a nice opportunity to meet and get to know more of our residents’ family members, and it’s lovely that so many staff have volunteered to work at the event.”

The day was made extra special with resident Anne’s twin sister Cath, flying in from America to attend the event. Cath said, “Anne is really happy here at the Manor House and has settled in so well since arriving six months ago.” Anne added, “It’s a good atmosphere, and there is plenty for the children; it really is a lovely day.”

We look forward to hosting more events over the coming months!

Work Experience Success For Declan

We greatly enjoyed welcoming a work-experience student to the Manor House this month. Declan, who is in year 10 at school and lives locally, proved extremely popular with all residents and staff.

Activities Coordinator Mandy said, “It’s been really nice having Declan helping us; residents have loved him”.

Working with the Activities Team, Declan helped support and encourage residents to take part in a variety of activities.  Declan worked with us for a full week and said he ‘really enjoyed himself, especially taking part in the Tennis Tournament’.

Emma from our Activities Team said, “It’s been really lovely having Declan here; it’s fantastic seeing a younger person spending so much time with our residents. Everyone at the Manor House has enjoyed having him with us”.

One of our residents took the time to pass on some advice saying, “If I can give you one piece of advice, it’s that as you get older, remember who your family and loved ones are. Remember your family and the people you love because there may be a time when you can’t.” “This was a really heartwarming moment,” said Emma.

Following in the footsteps of 3 relatives that work at the Manor House as a nursing assistant and 2 senior carers, Declan plans on finishing school and getting started straight into a career in care.

Jayne Woods, Director of Nursing said, “a career in care is extremely rewarding, and work experience is a great way of seeing what it is like.  We thoroughly enjoyed having Declan here and believe he’ll go on to have a very successful career in care.”

To view our latest vacancies please click here.

Dignity In Care Awards 2023

A number of the team from the Manor House attended the Dignity in Care Awards last week. Several of our teams and individual staff members were nominated for awards, including Bertha, Jayne, Lucious, Sarah, the Activities Team and the whole Team. When asked how he felt, Lucious said, “I didn’t expect it at all; being nominated is truly wonderful”.

Jayne spoke of how proud she is of the team, “we just feel so honoured to have been nominated; we work so hard, and the team are so dedicated, so to have been nominated was just wonderful. It was a great day to celebrate the dedication of people working in care”.

Sponsored by the Centre for Health Innovation at Staffordshire University and hosted by Newcastle College Performing Arts Centre, the Staffordshire Dignity in Care Awards honours people who demonstrate exceptional dedication in upholding the principles of dignity, empowering people in care, and enhancing the quality care provided to vulnerable people. Young people, family carers, community groups and organisations from across Staffordshire were recognised. In the words of the host, the awards are “to say thank you to everyone working in the care sector for the hard work you do and celebrate your extraordinary efforts.”

The Staffordshire County Council-run event is part of a wider campaign to celebrate how important carers are and the many opportunities for people to make a difference and feel valued by working in the care sector. Over 70 guests joined family members and work colleagues for the annual celebration that recognises care services, teams and individuals who put dignity, respect, as well as quality care at the heart of everything they do.

“The host, Patrick Monahan, made the event so much fun, having us all singing Harry Styles, Watermelon Sugar. The event was really special from start to finish and very well organised. Whilst we did not bring any awards back to the Manor House this year, to be nominated in the first place is very special, with nominations being made anonymously by colleagues and relatives”, Jayne said. 

Julia Jessel, Cabinet Member for Health and Care at Staffordshire County Council, who presented some of the awards, said, “Not only do the awards give us a chance to showcase the care sector, but it’s a great opportunity to thank and celebrate everyone working in care, whether informally or formally. Putting compassion and dignity at the heart of care is so important, and here in Staffordshire, we do everything we can to support carers to do that every day”.

Defibrilator fundraiser for Residential Nursing Home in Stafford

Granddaughter’s fundraiser for a new defibrillator

The granddaughter of one of our residents has taken on an enormous challenge to raise money for the Manor House!

Abbi took on a 6-day Highland Way hike and raised over £1300 for the home. The challenge saw Abbi walk 122 miles across challenging terrain, in adverse weather conditions, carrying a 15kg backpack and sleeping outside.  Abbi said, “it was really really tough, I had blisters on my blisters, was exhausted and at times wanted to pack up and go home, but the lovely messages of support and knowing I was raising funds for the Manor House kept me going”

“when times were really hard, I thought about my Grandad and all of the people who live at the Manor House Nursing Home, I thought about the amazing lives they might have lead and the stories they might have to tell, I thought about how lucky I was to be out there when so many wouldn’t be able to be for one reason or another and that kept me going”

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing said, “we want to extend a massive thank you to Abbi for completing this amazing challenge and to Brenda, Pauline and all of Trevor’s family.  We have a defibrillator in the main building but to now have one on the Coppenhall Unit is excellent and all staff will be trained.  A defibrillator is of course not only a potentially life-saving piece of equipment for residents, but also staff and visitors. Abbi’s challenge looked so hard and we think she should be really proud of herself!”

Trevor’s wife, (Abbi’s Grandma) said, “we’re immensely proud of Abbi and everything she achieved.  We are so grateful to the Manor House for taking care of Trevor and as a family to be able to support and give something back was really important to us.  My daughter, Pauling works at AED Donate in Stone, which is why we thought it would be perfect for Abbi to raise money for the defibrillator.  I also want to say a massive thank you to Star Private Hire Ltd, the taxi company that bring me to see Trevor every week, for donating £100”.

Collection boxes are now situated at the Manor House where anyone can donate and any future funds will be contributed to more defibrillators to install at the home, the online link is also live here

Glad to Care Awareness Week at Manor House

#GladtoCare Awareness Week 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in Glad to Care Awareness Week 2023, a national awareness week dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary contributions that carers make to the lives of care recipients, their families, and community members. The week aims to champion the incredible work of carers whilst simultaneously allowing them to shout about why they’re glad to work in the care sector.

This year’s theme was ‘wellbeing’, with all participants invited to join various fun and innovative activities. The programme of events is designed to ensure the whole care community and residents can get involved.

It was an excellent week for staff and residents’ wellbeing, with many fun activities. Everyone loved the 70s dance workout, with the team showing their moves to YMCA.

The staff took time out to think about what they were thankful for and why they were glad to care. Residents joined in, writing about what they were grateful for. We have displayed some of these notes in the Hub as a reminder of the week.

A bake-off competition showed off the hidden talents of many of our team, with their entries looking impressive and tasting fantastic. To finish Glad to Care week, we had a barbeque and sports activities. Both residents and staff enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine after an active week!

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing said, “It was great to be a part of Glad to Care Awareness Week and celebrate the work of carers.  I am immensely proud of our team and their commitment to care.  The theme of ‘wellbeing’ was a natural alignment for us we are dedicated to ensuring we look after the wellbeing of our residents and staff. We look forward to supporting this awareness week next year.”

Banner for May activities showcasing various events at Manor House

Activities Round Up – May

 

Our activities calendar for May was packed to the brim, keeping us all busy and entertained the whole month!

We were invited along to Stafford College to attend their Coronation Afternoon Tea. Residents and staff thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, with tasty treats, bingo and crafts to keep us entertained. We were made to feel so welcome by staff and students; it was so nice to attend a community event.

The coronation of Charles III and Camilla was such a lovely occasion. We had a fantastic day celebrating on the 6th of May, as well as all the activities organised in the lead-up to the event. Residents made lots of crowns, artwork and decorations to ensure the Manor House was decorated throughout. Our celebrations were well attended by residents and relatives, making it a day to remember. Celebrations continued the following week, with Vee Sweeney coming along to entertain us all.

The 12th of May marked International Nurses Day. Residents, relatives and staff gathered to celebrate the work our amazing nursing team does at the Manor House. We presented Nursing awards to Bertha, Emmanuel and Seth to acknowledge their dedication and work. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate the nursing team to acknowledge their hard work.

We added plenty of mindfulness activities to our busy May schedule to ensure residents had some downtime to relax. Bingo, baking, movies, gardening and pamper sessions proved popular! Residents made some yummy rice crispy & cornflake cakes to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. These were decorated with meaningful words of support and enjoyed over a cuppa, allowing residents and staff to catch up and acknowledge the importance of talking for our mental health.

We were so excited to explore the new equipment we received at the end of May. The touch screen activity table will enhance activities for our residents, helping boost well-being. The touch screen activity table can provide personalised activities for each resident and be used in group sessions. Residents have enjoyed using the table; we look forward to adding it to our activity plan and 1-21 sessions.  

At the month’s end, some residents went out for a walk with staff to Hyde Lea before stopping off for a cuppa at the Royal Oak. We look forward to taking residents out and about in June and hope the sun stays shining!

Team building activity at Manor House

Manor House Team Building Event

Our Team building event was a huge success!

This May, the team who work on the Village Unit were invited to a team building event in the Hub.

The event was held at 5pm to allow the day team to attend after their shift and the night team to attend before their evening started.  Brenda, Unit Manager said, “it was really important that both the day and night team could attend, otherwise they are like ships that pass in the night”

Catering was provided by the home, and everyone brought in dishes from home, allowing colleagues to try foods from lots of different cultures.

They played party games like bingo, a back-to-back balloon game, and balloon pass the parcel using their legs.

Bertha, Unit Manager said, “the event was a huge success and so much fun, we all laughed and talked – it was wonderful.  

“It was really important that we gave our team the time and the right environment to really get to know each other and build friendships.  We have a lot of employees here through sponsorships and for some of them, they are new, not only to the home but the country, therefore, to be able to socialise and make friends really adds to their life and wellbeing.  When you work in care it’s important that the team can work well together; to support each other through emotionally challenging times and to share in the great times.  We form very close connections to our residents and each other making the Manor House like one big family”. 

Many other members of the team from across the home including the activities team and housekeeping popped in to share in the fun.

Jayne Wood, Director of Nursing said, “focusing on the wellbeing of our team is of the upmost importance to us at the Manor House, events like this offer a chance for our team to bond, to make friendships and to know we champion their wellbeing – in order to deliver the best possible care for our residents, we have to also care for our amazing staff.”

Kenhinde, who joined the Manor 3 months ago as a care assistant on a sponsorship role said of the event:

“It’s a beautiful feeling when you work, and your employers appreciate you by creating an avenue where you can come and dine together. Such gestures make you feel loved, welcomed and relaxed that you are at home among people who care about you. And it makes you give your best to the job you are supposed to do. Thanks for an amazing outing today my dear Unit manager. I had fun and enjoyed myself. It’s been a while since I had such fun.”

If you would like to discover how rewarding a career in care can be, find our latest vacancies here.