Committed to quality care for older people

After the challenges of recent times, Gemma Bloomfield, Director of Care at Seckford Care, looks back at the notable developments within the dedicated care team, based in picturesque Woodbridge, Suffolk.

I want to celebrate success during a difficult time and to focus on the impressive achievements of the amazing team here. I am incredibly proud of our entire staff team, including care staff, catering, housekeeping and maintenance, who have all worked so hard, and we have received fantastic support from residents and their families.

Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to develop our team here at Seckford in order to deliver the highest quality care and support that we can.

Our success stories include Cassie Parratt, who was a Relief Care Worker just two years ago. Cassie then took on the role of Covid Administrator, overseeing the swabbing systems and supporting visiting here at
Seckford Care.

The opportunity became available for a Team Leader position, in which Cassie more than demonstrated her capability, and she commenced her Level 4 qualification, which she completed in six months.

Cassie was then successfully appointed into the Seckford Club and Almshouse Manager role, after expressing a desire to progress in her career, and by demonstrating her ability to support both staff and residents, placing their best interests at the heart of her ethos.

Cassie has recently been appointed as Registered Manager for Jubilee House Care Home and the Almshouses, and I am very proud of her achievements and to have her as a key part of our Leadership Team here at Seckford Care.

Cassie demonstrates all the exceptional qualities that you would want to see: kindness, compassion, responsibility, accountability and flexibility. At the heart of her values lies the desire to support staff and care for the residents at Seckford to the very highest standards.

These values are equally demonstrated by the wider Leadership Team and, since becoming Director of Care in September 2020, I have been able to restructure the team based on feedback and to continuously
improve our service, as follows:

Amanda Wilson, who has been at Seckford for 16 years, has been promoted from Administrator to Customer and Domestic Services Manager.

Amanda is responsible for supporting our team of Housekeepers; this team has contributed to a successful Care Quality Commission routine inspection for infection control. She is also the ‘Menopause Champion’, providing support, information and reassurance to colleagues during this often unpredictable and uncertain time.

Mandy Button has been promoted from Activities and Wellbeing Manager to Deputy Manager for Extra Care and Activities. Mandy was previously nominated for a national award and, following feedback from residents, we have invested further in activities. Mandy now has a small team, who focus on providing group activities and one-to-one support.

Cathy O’Brien, who was previously our Deputy Head of Care, is now Head of Development and Communities. Cathy completes all of our bespoke in-house training and is responsible for our new training academy.

In addition, Cathy is part of the Dementia Alliance, connecting with the local community, and will be at the forefront of driving further opportunities to connect and support the local community and our staff team to develop their knowledge and skill set.

Hayley Downard, who started with us as a Team Leader in November 2021, has also been promoted to Deputy Manager for Jubilee House. Hayley is an absolute asset to the team; her ‘can do’ attitude includes providing direct support to residents and the staff team, ensuring that we achieve the highest standards at Seckford.

We have a number of care staff who have worked incredibly hard to achieve their care qualifications, including Jodie Smith, who started as an Apprentice, achieving a distinction in her final qualification, and now has a permanent Care and Support Worker position.

At Seckford Care, we recognise that working in care is a valued and skilled occupation, and we are committed to acknowledging the efforts of our dedicated care team through salary, benefits, and wellbeing initiatives, with support to grow and progress their careers with us.