It is how we care that

matters

The Kingsley Way

A message from the Chairman

Choosing a care home for yourself or a relative is not an easy decision to make for a variety of reasons.

However, we strongly believe the Kingsley Way ethos sets us apart

from other care home organisations.

Kingsley Way is built around the core principles of understanding,

individualisation, improvement, dignity and independence. Delivering

these alongside our person-centred approach to care, makes us the

first choice provider of care.

We have created this guide, detailing the Kingsley Way. We hope this

will help you to understand the Kingsley ethos and help you to decide

the right care for yourself or your loved one.

Nick Cherry

The Chairman

Kingsley Healthcare Group

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We opened our doors in 1999 and have helped thousands of individuals maintain their independence through the quality of care we provide.

Our mission is to exceed expectations for the quality of care we

provide, coupled with a modern approach to care. We work hard to

ensure all the residents and staff are happy at all times.

Being a medium sized company we are able to adopt a more

personalised approach to care. Every home must be fit enough to care

for my own parents; otherwise, we have failed. The Kingsley way is a

belief system that has been embedded throughout our care homes

with the aim of making a positive difference to our residents, staff and

the wider community. WINGS, our unique person-centred approach to

care practice has become the underpinning driving force behind the

Kingsley’s innovative approach to care, The Kingsley Way.

Please don’t forget that our help is not limited to this guide. Feel

free to get in touch with any of our care homes either via email or

telephone. We would be more than happy to answer any questions

you may have. In fact, why not visit us, and get a true feel for the

Kingsley Way.

Daya Thayan

Founder & The Chief Executive Officer

Kingsley Healthcare Group

Meet the CEO

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Contact Us

Call Free: 0808 281 89 18

Email: info@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk

Web: thekingsleyway.care

Visit: Kingsley Healthcare Group,

Silk Cutters House, School Road,

Lowestoft. NR33 9NA

Contents

The Kingsley Way ..................................................... 6Our approach to care and care philosophy .............. 7Person-centred care .................................................8Everything together ............................................... 10WINGS ......................................................................12Commitment to best practice ................................13A typical Kingsley care home ..................................16The questions you really want answering ............. 17

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Happiness is a basic requirement most of us would expect our living environment to provide. However, as all of us are unique, many of us find comfort in different things from one another. It is very important that these are identified and evident in the home right from the start to provide peace of mind.

All our homes have their own unique attributes

with a warm and friendly community that

thrives within them. We promote our core values

of security, friendship, professionalism and

independence in all of our homes and do not

accept anything less than the highest standards

of care.

We want our residents and their loved ones to

feel welcome in the home at all times, which is

why we offer 24-hour visiting. Each home also

creates its own bi-monthly newsletter, which

enables family and friends to be updated and

involved with the home.

The Kingsley Way

We want our residents and their loved ones to feel welcome in the home at all times.

Understanding

In general, life works well when full

understanding is achieved between people.

At the heart of mutual understanding and,

of course, real care is communication: talking

and listening. We listen to residents so that we

can truly understand their needs and wishes.

Communication is at the heart of Kingsley.

Individualisation

Our aim is to go beyond most organisations’

approach to person-centred care. We take the

time not just to understand a resident’s care

needs, but to know them as a person and

support them in a way that makes them feel

comfortable and happy.

Improvement

Good people are the key to great care and all

of our staff are highly trained. We are careful in

our selection process and only choose those who

are kind, caring, ambitious and keen to improve

their daily performance. Our staff know that their

performance directly influences the wellbeing of

another human being; the more they help others,

the more job satisfaction they will receive through

rewards, recognition and career progression.

Dignity

We take care to preserve the dignity of all

residents in all situations. Everyone deserves

respect for who they are and what they have

done. We recognise their contribution to society

and that they have usually taken care of many

others along the way. This is their time for

someone to truly care for them.

Independence

We encourage the personal independence of all

residents. Through gentle encouragement and

the promotion of activity we focus on what can

be achieved rather than what can’t. We offer

choices so that freedom is felt by our residents.

Our approach to care

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Here at Kingsley, we believe whole-heartedly that

person-centred care is the best way of providing

care to our residents.

Our description of person-centred care is that it

is a holistic approach focusing on each resident’s

unique qualities.

Key points to this include:

Looking to the individual first and their specific

care requirements afterwards

Taking time to understand the individual’s

own personality and the story of their

personal history

We aim to encourage the kind of social

involvement and activity that brings out the

best in an individual

Examples of person-centred care in practice:

Helping residents do as many things for

themselves as possible

Foster an atmosphere built on freedom

not control

Allow the resident to feel part of the

community and carry on with life-long

hobbies and interests

Be a friend and, where possible, work together

rather than seeing tasks to be carried out

Allow choice and flexibility wherever you can

– some routine is necessary but this need not

be rigid

A home that allows the residents to feel safe

and secure both physically and emotionally

Person-centred care

In the words of a resident in one of our homes“Staff and residents are good friends” – that’s why Kingsley are different.

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In a Kingsley Home we see that everyone within

it is part of the Kingsley Family Unit, this means

that the daily life within the homes are shared

and supported with each other. This creates a

close knitted work/living environment.

Dining together

Our staff members dine with the residents, which

creates a very homely atmosphere for all. Mealtimes

always create a buzz around the homes and the

dining rooms are a hive of activity. We always

encourage our residents to eat together, but should

they wish to have their meal in the comfort of their

own room, this is quite acceptable too.

The saying that, ‘food is the way to the heart’

certainly rings true in all of the Kingsley homes.

What you eat is very important to both physical

and mental wellbeing, so while we wholeheartedly

believe in healthy, balanced and homemade food,

we also have a soft spot for a good jam roly-poly or

spotted dick.

All our home kitchens have dedicated catering

teams who produce tasty home cooked food.

We take training and cleanliness very seriously and

all the staff have achieved their food

standard qualifications.

We serve three main meals a day and snacks as

and when our residents wish. Residents always

have a choice when it comes to meal times and the

menu itself changes on a regular basis, always with

the residents’ input. We also cater for any of our

residents’ individual food requirements.

Days out together

Activities and days out are an important part of

living in a Kingsley home. Activities are varied and

every resident is encouraged to take part in day-

to-day activities, whether that is helping to sort

the laundry or laying a table ready for lunch.

Alongside the more routine activities within the

home, staff will endeavour to find residents’

passions and will put together activities to reflect

this. We have residents who like to grow their

own vegetables, some enjoy visiting the local

shops and cafés, whilst others knit and enjoy

watching films. All group activities are, of course,

optional and it is down to the individual resident

to choose whether they want to be involved.

Everything together

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Where relevant and appropriate, on some special

occasions we have had visiting entertainers. This

has varied enormously from a local school choir

singing Christmas carols to magicians, and even

an Elvis impersonator.

We also arrange, with residents, outings to

places of interest. Whenever possible we try

to keep the residents engaged with the local

community.

We will also help residents fulfil any religious

or spiritual needs they may have, and we

work closely with the local community to make

sure residents have access to all that is available

to them.

Learning & developing together

Kingsley believes in continuous training and

professional development for all our staff. We

are proud to have achieved Investors in People -

Silver status, which shows we are an organisation

that takes the welfare and wellbeing of its staff

team seriously.

It goes without saying that all our staff are

trained to a high standard to enable them to

do their job to the best of their ability. Whilst

qualifications and certificates are very important,

we believe in the all-round development of our

team. With this in mind we have an established

training programme which focuses on the

communication and understanding skills we

believe are vital in any care role.

Supporting our own provision to improving levels

of care for people living with a dementia within

Kingsley homes, we have worked with some of

the country’s leading dementia and vulnerable

experts to develop our Kingsley Strategy.

This work is part of Kingsley’s ongoing

investment in our Dementia Care Strategy. The

strategy enhances the culture of care; delivers a

true and meaningful person-centred approach;

nurtures staff and enhances the internal and

external environments of the care homes.

Our care staff members dine with the residents, which creates a very homely atmosphere.

We are committed to providing the best possible

outcomes for people living with a dementia

and their families. We achieve this through

our WINGS (Welcome, Individuality, Nurturing,

Guidance, and Sensitivity) philosophy of care.

What is WINGS?

Wings is our unique person-centred approach to

care. WINGS is exclusive to Kingsley and its staff.

This is a sure way to be certain our staff have

gained the right skills needed to provide a high

level of care to our residents.

We monitor our quality of care through

observing the daily living experience for people

in our homes. We have an innovative approach

to dementia and our bespoke learning program

is designed to ensure that the person with a

dementia is at the heart of everything we do.

To find out more information regarding our

WINGS approach to Dementia Care please

refer to our WINGS brochure or please visit

www.wings.care.

Dementia and WINGS

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Safeguarding and Safety

It goes without saying that the health, safety and

overall wellbeing of our residents are paramount

to us. While our homes have a relaxed and

homely environment, we ensure that health and

safety requirements are adhered to.

Clinical Governance

Kingsley Healthcare has a robust approach to

clinical governance. We have a dedicated team

of individuals who are in place to ensure we are

maintaining the highest levels of care throughout

our homes up and down the country.

Working with Care Regulators

We work closely with the care regulatory services

for elderly people. The Care Quality Commission

(CQC) regulates and inspect our services against a

set of national standards.

Communication

We believe strongly in having honest and open

communication, and we always welcome

feedback from residents, family and friends

alike. We are constantly striving to improve the

services we offer, and believe communication is

fundamental to this.

Our commitment to best practice

At the heart of best practice is the idea that we are fascinated in being ‘the best’ and that we value the development that this entails. It is our commitment to continuous improvement and to promote positive culture change across the industry.

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Complaints Procedure

We take all complaints seriously and have put a

procedure in place for dealing with complaints

to make sure they are dealt with thoroughly and

professionally.

For more information and to obtain a copy of our

formal complaint procedure please contact any of

our home managers.

Leadership

Kingsley Healthcare has a central head office

designed to help individual homes with the

support they need to deliver quality care

The central head office team helps home

managers with financial, operational and

administrative support.

Operational managers, the head of service

quality manager, peripatetic nurses and the

board of directors all work together to

give the required leadership and direction

towards achieving excellence in care for all

the homes.

Managing Homes

Within each care home, we have a Home

Manager who is responsible for the running and

management of that home. We take great care in

appointing this individual, as we understand the

level of responsibility needed within the role, and

we are confident all of our Home Managers go

above and beyond expectations.

Our Home Managers go above and beyond expectations.

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What would you ideally love to happen next? Let

your imagination run wild to create your dream

environment. What would you want for yourself or

your loved ones? Imagine:

A home in which you can enjoy all the

benefits of being in your own home, but with

more to enjoy

A place where you can have your own things

around you, retain your own identity and just

carry on being who you are in comfort

A home in which you can live how you want,

with support and care on hand to make it all

easy, safe and enjoyable

A home in which you can get up in the

middle of the night and watch old movies, get

a midnight snack, and sleep as late as you like

A place where your family can visit whenever

it suits, and you have helpers who are friends

around you all day every day to help remove

the stresses or strains, so you can simply relax

and enjoy it all

A place where if you want a little bit of peace and

quiet, you’ve got it, or if you want to enjoy having

a few people around you, you’ve got that too

A place where you’re valued, safe, respected,

understood, supported and can stay in control of

your own life

A place where if you forget things, it won’t

matter as someone else will remember

A place you don’t have to worry about a thing…

Sounds good? Then let us tell you more…

Not all care homes have to be how we imagine a

stereotypical care home to be; we pride ourselves

on providing both care and a home. Often in care

homes the main focus is for people to be only

physically safe and secure, and this can override

the need for a person’s emotional wellbeing. If

you visit a Kingsley home you may not find our

staff wearing uniforms and badges; instead they

pride themselves on being a part of the family

within the home.

Many people are at first confused when they

see residents getting involved in the daily

tasks (such as dusting, polishing, laundry etc.),

but we believe that everyone should have

the opportunity to be busy and engaged in

something worthwhile – to belong. It is clear that

residents are part of the home and enjoy being

involved with the carers – clearly strengthening

the bond between them.

When you walk around a home it should feel

like a home. You will notice interesting items and

boxes of items, or as we call them, ‘stuff boxes’.

Sensory activities, which allow residents to touch,

taste, smell, hear and see are often beneficial to

those with a dementia.

The walls are likely to be brightly coloured and

the residents’ doors often have vibrant name

plaques on them.

A Kingsley Care Home

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Here are the most common things we get asked. We

hope our answers will help you in your quest. If you

have any other questions feel free to contact us, we are

happy to help.

How do I know that my loved one will be looked after

properly? All Kingsley care homes have stable, professional

staff groups, all trained in providing quality care. They

understand that all residents are individual and provide a care

provision specifically for the individual. We are proud of our

many staff awards and certificates, but above all we are proud

that our staff really do care.

What makes Kingsley care homes different from other

care homes? Kingsley’s industry pioneering WINGS approach

to care is about a change in philosophy which creates a

positive culture, focusing on the quality of relationships and

guaranteeing quality of life. It’s best summed up by the old

saying – ‘Our residents don’t live in our facility – we work in

their home’.

My mum loves gardening and being outdoors,

she wouldn’t want to be stuck inside, are residents

allowed outside?

Absolutely, access to our secure, spacious and well-kept gardens

is available at any time for those who are independently mobile

and those who have other mobility requirements or require

escort are frequently taken out to enjoy the finer weather, if they

so wish.

Dad was always so busy. I’m worried he’ll be bored in

a home… We try to gain as much information as possible

about our residents; their likes, dislikes, hobbies and past

life experiences, so that these can be tailored into their care

package. A variety of activities are available as well as trips out

and visiting entertainment. Dementia often results in a limited

concentration span, so all our staff are experienced in providing

brief but frequent periods of interaction. For those who retain

the ability and express an interest we try to engage them in the

day-to-day activities of the home. For example, some of our

residents help with the laundry whilst others have brought their

considerable experience to assist with our garden. We aim to

bring a sense of normality to your loved one’s time here, and

encourage them to continue to engage in daily life like they are

used to doing.

What if Mum needs someone in the middle of the night?

She won’t be left for ages will she? Each bedroom comes

equipped with a nurse call bell that we ensure is within the

resident’s reach – this sounds a small bell that will summon a

member of staff to attend to your loved one’s needs. For those

who do not retain the ability to use such an alarm, we would

discuss with you both a suitable time frame for how often a

check should be performed to ensure safety and comfort. This

may vary from as much as every two hours to sitting in with

your loved one, holding their hand and lulling them to sleep if

that is what they require.

The questions you really want answering…

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What about pets? Just because your loved one now requires

more support, there’s no reason they should lose the comfort

and companionship that their pet friend can give. We would

welcome them to bring their friend with them. Consideration

will, of course, need to be given to the provision of amenities

for the pet, as well as how much or how little they are able to

look after it.

Can my Nan bring her favourite belongings and personal

treasures with her? Of course she can, and we would

recommend it – the more familiar items that she has around the

better. Everybody has a favourite chair or item of furniture, and

we’d welcome them to bring that as well. Our aim is to make

the initial transition as easy as possible. Once they settle in,

having their favoured items around them will make it feel even

more like their home.

How often do you have health professionals coming in?

Are all my relatives needs going to be taken care of?

We have an established system where external professionals

come on a regular basis – from district nurses to chiropodists,

GP’s to opticians. The home is staffed 24 hours a day by

qualified staff who can attend to most needs. For those who

require more specific input we have very good links with

external health professionals.

How often can I visit my loved one? Whenever you wish.

The home is staffed 24 hours a day. If you used to pop round

at 10pm to say goodnight to your Mum then you are fully

welcome to do the same here. In fact we’d encourage it. This

is your loved one’s new home – you’re as welcome here as you

were when they lived in their own house.

Are visiting hours limited? We have no set visiting hours,

the home is staffed 24 hours a day. It is your loved one’s new

home - you’re as welcome to visit here as you were when they

lived in their own house, with a little notice you can even join

them for lunch!

Can I pop in anytime if I want a look round your home

or do I have to make an appointment? Please feel free to

look around at any time that is convenient to you. Staff are

around at all times of the day and can give you a guided tour

of the premises and answer your questions. If you would like

discussions with the Manager then an appointment can always

be made.

I wish someone could recommend your home but I don’t

know anyone with a relative there. Could I speak to a

family member or read a testimonial? I always think it’s

better to hear things from the horse’s mouth! Dependant

on the time of day you visit there are often other relatives within

the home and you are more than welcome to speak with any

of them who wish to. To have it direct ‘from the horse’s mouth’

we can also see if any of our more able residents are willing to

speak with you – every Kingsley home is their home, who else

could give you a better idea of how it is to live here?

This Kingsley Way corporate profile guide provides information and resources and while Kingsley Healthcare tries to ensure that material included on this guide is correct, reputable and of high quality, it does not make any warranties or guarantees in relation to that content. If we are informed of any

inaccuracies in the material on the Guide, we will attempt to correct the inaccuracies as soon as we reasonably can. April 2015.

It is how we care that matters…

Kingsley Healthcare was founded in 1999 and has now become one of the most successful and innovative care providers,

with over 1200 staff providing care for more than 950 residents across the UK. Named as one of the ‘FUTURE 50 companies in

Suffolk’, Kingsley plan to expand while aiming to remain a mid-size, reliable care provider.

Our staff are passionate about care-giving and are key to ensure a smooth delivery of care across the group. We are proud

to have achieved ‘Investors in People Silver’ award and we are now working towards achieving the Gold award.

The experience of individuals living at all Kingsley homes is that of love, achievement, wellbeing, encouragement and fulfilment. Our

unique person-centred approach to care and ‘WINGS’ programme have made this possible. ‘WINGS’ is an industry pioneering and

exclusive culture change programme created by Kingsley Healthcare to improve the quality of dementia care practice.

Not only do we care for our residents and staff, we also care about the wider community. We care about children,

teenagers, the elderly and vulnerable adults, and always find opportunities to assist in local projects.

To find out more about ‘The Kingsley Way’ please visit www.thekingsleyway.care. If you have any

queries regarding this guide or would like to provide any feedback please feel free to contact me..

Wasantha Darshana Director of Public Relations

Kingsley Healthcare Group

Silk Cutters House, School Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 9NA

Call Free: 0808 281 89 18 E: info@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk

kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk