Employees recognised for their outstanding contribution to - Belong

BelongLife
AUTUMN 2012
Employees
recognised
for their
outstanding
contribution to
Belong see pages 2 & 3
In this issue... Wedding bells at Belong Atherton, see pages 6 & 7
Plus...
• A day in the life of...
• Special mentions
• News from the villages
Crewe residents try
reflexology Page 4
Bevin boy could boot it
Page 5
Generations get
creative Page 9

A word from the team
Janine Curwell, General Manager
for Belong Macclesfield, reflects
on a very special anniversary.
Autumn 2012 marks five years since
Belong Macclesfield opened its
doors at the start of what has been
an incredible journey. From humble
beginnings, the village community
has expanded beyond recognition.
It’s fair to say that demand for
our village model has exceeded
all expectations. Households and
apartments are full, and we have
extended our services to enable
people living at home to enjoy the
‘Belong Experience.’
Over the past two years, the Belong at
Home domiciliary service has grown
steadily and we now deliver almost
200 hours of care in the community
each week.
We also run Experience Days, giving
access to the village centre facilities
and activities, with on-site support
that offers people an alternative to
the traditional ‘day care centre.’
The work of Barbara Tait in the
Exercise Studio also deserves a special
mention; she has achieved remarkable
results in helping improve customers’
mobility, balance and strength.
These flourishing services now play a
vital role in helping us deliver on our
promise to create a vibrant village
community that is serving members
of the public as well as our ‘in-house’
customers, and also to provide ‘a
home for life’ – supporting people
throughout their journey of older age.
We look forward to continuing to do
so for many years to come.
You can follow us on...
Belong welcomes contributions
from our readers, please contact
tracy.brookes@belong.org.uk
Rachel Ward, Care Professional of the Year,
receives her award from Des Kelly
Employees recognised
for their outstanding
contribution to Belong
For a second year running, Belong staff have
been congratulated on achieving professional
and specialist qualifications at a special awards
ceremony in Knutsford. Three individuals, and
one team, were also praised at the event for
their exceptional contributions to Belong.
This summer, members of staff from all Belong villages,
located in Atherton, Crewe, Macclesfield and Wigan,
gathered at the Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Knutsford to
celebrate achieving qualifications over the past year,
including diplomas in health & social care and leadership
& management. Individuals were congratulated and
presented with a certificate at the event by Des Kelly OBE,
Executive Director of the National Care Forum.
In addition, three individuals and one team were praised
and presented with staff awards for their outstanding
work in day-to-day Belong roles. Colleagues Rachel Ward
and Sydney Smith from Belong Macclesfield, on Kennedy
Avenue, were presented with the titles of ‘Care Professional
of the Year’ and ‘Newcomer of the Year’ respectively.
Belinda Jones, a Lead Senior Support Worker and
Dementia Trainer at Belong Crewe, on Brookhouse Drive,
was awarded ‘Coach / Mentor of the Year’, and a devoted
team of housekeepers at Belong Wigan, in Platt Bridge,
were named ‘Belong Team of the Year’ for 2012.
Those receiving staff awards were nominated by colleagues,
residents and relatives, and interviewed and assessed by
a panel of independent judges. They were rewarded with
a bottle of champagne and an engraved trophy for their
efforts, also presented by Des Kelly OBE.
2

Belong Life Autumn 2012
Congratulate and celebrate acheivement
The Belong Team
Sydney Smith receives the Newcomer of
the Year award.
Belinda Jones is presented with Coach/
Mentor of the Year.
Des Kelly presents the Housekeeping
team from Belong Wigan with the
Team of the Year award.
Tracy Paine, Operations Director at Belong, said: “We value the
hard work and commitment of each and every member of Belong
staff across our village locations. We offer congratulations to all
those who have achieved qualifications, or have been presented
with staff awards, this year.”
To find out more about
employment opportunities at
Belong, please visit:
www.belong.org.uk/careers
or call 0800 032 2266
3

News from...
Belong Crewe
Residents help
reflexology student
at Belong Crewe
Older people living at Belong Crewe, on Brookhouse Drive,
have been involved in a university student’s study of the
holistic benefits of reflexology.
Lisa Wilkinson, 39, has been working with a group of residents
to investigate the benefits of reflexology for people living with
dementia as part of her foundation degree in complementary
therapy from the University of Chester.
Lisa, from Crewe, has applied the theory that feet are a map
of the body to provide residents at Belong Crewe with a
therapeutic experience. Over the course of six weeks she has
been applying pressure to specific points on residents’ feet
with the aim of improving their overall well-being.
Complementary therapy student, Lisa Wilkinson, explains: “It’s
been wonderful to work with a group of older people at Belong
Crewe, seeing how complementary therapies like reflexology
can help improve how they are feeling. Over the weeks it has
been rewarding to build relationships with individuals, and
see them respond positively to the whole
experience.”
Belong Crewe general manager, Melanie
Saywell adds: “At Belong we support
people living with dementia with personcentred,
bespoke care that helps to
enhance well-being. Lisa’s reflexology
sessions at Belong Crewe have formed
part of that support, and many residents
have thoroughly enjoyed the tactile
experience.
“We wish Lisa the best of luck with the
remaining part of her degree studies.”
To find out more about Belong
Crewe visit www.belong.org.uk
or call 01270 561200
4

Belong Life Autumn 2012
Bevin Boy
could boot it...
Belong Macclefield
A Football League player in his younger years, Belong
Macclesfield resident Maurice Brooks fondly remembers
his sporting past.
Born in Thurcroft, South Yorkshire on the 4th of June 1925,
Maurice was the youngest of six, and took an interest in kicking
a ball not long after he took his first steps! As a boy, he soon
developed into a keen footballer, playing leisure time football for
Buxton Football Club in his younger years.
Maurice started his working life as a Bevin Boy in the pits. Bevin
boys (named after politician Ernest Bevin) were conscripted to
work in the coal mines from 1943 until 1948, and fulfilled a vital
role in increasing the production of coal from mines of Britain
during the war years to ‘keep the home fires burning.’
Professional football
At the age of 18, spurred on by Buxton’s Manager, Andy
Beattie, a former Scottish professional football player, Maurice
was signed up for Stockport County Football Club at the Eagle
Hotel in Buxton. He then spent two happy seasons playing in an
inside right position at Edgeley Park and scoring a number of
goals, before being forced to retire from League football due to
a serious injury.
“Sadly I was plagued by injury during my time at Stockport
County,” recalls Maurice, “and finally had to retire with what
ultimately became a lifelong problem with my hip.” He
continued to play for local league teams for a number of years,
spending time playing for clubs such as “The Millers” (New Mills
A.F.C.), before finally hanging up his boots.
Following his retirement from football,
Maurice went on to enjoy a long and
successful career as a welder and
maintenance worker at McVities and
Price in Stockport. Maurice and his wife,
who worked as a secretary, brought
up three sons Graham, Paul and Nigel,
whom he always encouraged to enjoy
and participate in sport.
Spectator sport
But retirement from League football
didn’t stop Maurice from enjoying
watching the sport. Whilst he doesn’t
really support any one team, he still takes
pleasure in viewing big matches with
fellow residents when they are screened
in the Venue at Belong Macclesfield!
These days Maurice looks forward to
more sedentary weekly games; his
competitive nature comes to the fore
whilst playing whist with fellow residents
every Tuesday and he enjoys nothing
more than a good old sing song, when
familiar tunes such “Keep the Home
Fires Burning” are top of the list for this
ex-Bevin Boy.
5

6
Wedding bells at Belong Atherton

Belong Life Autumn 2012
Belong celebrated a momentous
occasion this summer, hosting
its first wedding at Belong
Atherton.
The charitable organisation applied for a marriage licence
for the community village to enable resident, Kathleen
Foulkes, to be there when her daughter Ruth exchanged
marriage vows with her partner of 12 years, Barry Woods.
Ruth Foulkes and Barry Woods said ‘I do’ in a modern function
room called The Venue at the heart of the community village,
so that Ruth’s mum Kathleen could be involved in the ceremony
and celebrations.
Speaking before the wedding, Ruth Foulkes said: “My mum’s
mobility isn’t what it used to be, and when she said she wouldn’t
be able to make a wedding we’ve been planning in Wales, I knew
moving the celebration to the Leigh area would be the only way
she could attend.”
Belong Atherton General Manager, Julie Washington, continues:
“Belong is all about fulfilling customers’ aspirations so when it
became clear that Ruth really wanted to get married with her
Mum by her side, we were more than happy to apply for a
marriage licence for The Venue.”
Belong Atherton opened in Spring 2011, bringing the
community a village complex offering 24 hour care in six
specialist households, 26 apartments for independent living
and a range of facilities, such as a bistro, hair salon and exercise
studio in the village centre.
“It’s a privilege to be
part of any couple’s big
day, but having one of
our residents, Kathleen,
involved as motherof-the-bride
made the
occasion all the more
special.”
The Venue at Belong Atherton
became licensed to hold civil
ceremonies in March 2012.
The function room can
accommodate 30 people for a
sit-down meal, and up to 50 at a
buffet style event.
For more information please
contact the village on:
01942 898 410
7

A day in the life...
Zena Fairclough
Pictured right to left: Zena with colleagues Angela Parry (centre)
and Lindsay Gregson (left)
Zena Fairclough is the Practice Development Facilitator at Belong Atherton.
Responsible for induction and ongoing training of all Belong Atherton staff, Zena is a
familiar figure amongst both colleagues and residents; always around to ensure that
staff are fully trained, following procedures correctly and delivering the best possible
care to Belong customers.
“This year marks twenty years since I first began working for
the CLS Group. I started as a Care Assistant at Greenacres and
worked my way up to the position of Team Leader. The concept
of the Belong villages was attractive to me from the start and I
first worked as senior support worker in Wigan, before moving
across to Atherton to take up the Practice Development
Facilitator post.
Never a dull moment
“It’s by no means a 9 to 5 job and the variety is what makes
me enjoy my work so much. I usually get up at 6am and wake
my daughter at 6.30am before we both leave the house to
drop her off at my Mum’s, where they will share breakfast
together before setting off for school. My son gets up a little
later with his Dad and makes his own way to High School. After
a short train journey I’m usually in work for around 8.00am,
sometimes a little earlier so I can catch the night staff before
the change-over. It’s good to get an opportunity to chat with
them to see if any issues have arisen during the night that I
can help with.
“From then on, my day can be anything
from full induction sessions for new
starters to scheduled individual one-toone
sessions with existing staff, or audit
sessions in the households.
Ongoing training and development
“Most people would think that a job
providing induction training for new
recruits in areas such as patient care or
moving and handling would be fairly
repetitive, but nothing could be further
from the truth. Training is ongoing to
make sure staff are continuously thinking
about how they are caring for people and
delivering Belong values. Whether we’re
using workbooks in one-to-ones or using
e-learning systems, my role is to support
staff to ensure the customer is always at
the centre of everything we do.
8

Belong Life Autumn 2012
Thinking outside the box
“One of the things I try to impress upon staff is that there is
no typical scenario to deal with. Staff might come back to the
training room after a refreshment break to find that they can’t
get through the door because I’m lying on the floor blocking
the entrance, shouting for help and simulating a customer who
has fallen. It’s a fact that customers don’t fall in the middle of
a large, empty room with plenty of space around them, but can
fall in the most difficult to reach places, and staff have to think
outside the box to react to the situation appropriately.
Enriching lives
“For me, it’s all about helping to make the residents’ lives more
enjoyable; teaching staff to invite residents to join in with
everyday activities such as peeling the vegetables for dinner
or clearing away after a shared meal. The household design
encourages communal activity, but if staff have come to the
Belong village from a more traditional
care home then they’re not used to
involving the residents so much. The
older style care homes often don’t have
the benefit of the home-from-home
household layout. It’s a pleasure and a
privilege to observe staff and customers
happily sitting round a table, working as
one and enjoying their days together.
“For me, my working day usually finishes
around 5pm and by the time I get home
there’s just time to cook tea so that we
can all eat together before settling down
for the night.”
Generations get
CREATIVEtogether
Residents at Belong Macclesfield, on Kennedy Avenue,
took part in an arts workshop recently with pupils from
Whirley Junior School, on Whirley Road.
Belong Macclefield
The cross-generational session involved
children in Year 5 and Year 6 classes,
who helped residents design and make
some sports themed artwork.
Belong Macclesfield General Manager,
Janine Curwell, commented: “At
Belong, we believe that older people
should be engaged with their local
community, and involved in regular,
stimulating activities. Interacting with
pupils from Whirley Junior School gave
residents the opportunity to share
their creative knowledge with young,
inquisitive minds, and learn a thing or
too about modern games, ahead of
this summer’s big sporting season.”
Belong encourages supporting older
people to live in a holistic environment,
involving contact with pets, plants and
children.
9

Noticeboard
DIARY DATES
Belong Atherton
9/9/12 - Summer fayre
21/9/12 - World Alzheimer’s Day
Belong Crewe
4/9/12 - Local history talk
28/9/12 - World’s biggest coffee morning
29/9/12 - Memory walk around Nantwich
Belong Macclesfield
12/9/12 - Lilly’s travelling wardrobe
17/9/12 - Entertainment with Barry Mansfield
Belong Wigan
2/9/12 - Entertainment with Tina Riley
3/9/12 - Belong’s Got Talent
4/9/12 - Prize bingo
19/9/12 - Quiz night
22/9/12 - Masquerade ball
30/9/12 - Lancashire night
Rhubarb
Fool
Ingredients:
350g / 12oz rhubarb
55g / 2oz caster sugar
1 orange, juice only
Water
150ml / ¼ pint cream, whipped
1 egg white, beaten until peaked
Method:
1. Place the rhubarb, orange juice, sugar and
enough water to cover the rhubarb in a
medium pan. Boil rapidly until rhubarb is
soft.
2. In a bowl, fold the egg white into the whipped
cream.
3. When the rhubarb is soft, fold it into the egg
white and cream mixture. Reserve a little
rhubarb for decoration.
4. Spoon the resulting fool into a tall dessert glass.
Top with the remaining rhubarb and serve.
Andrea Horton has lost a fabulous 2 stone 3 lb in
6 months at Slimming World at Belong Crewe.
Andrea joined the group after being referred by her doctor
and because it fits in with her work and family commitments.
She had previously lost weight on her own but following
illness had gained weight again and found it difficult to
lose it. Andrea told the other members of the group “When
I came I didn’t know anyone but the support in the group
has made it so easy to stick to the plan. Everyone’s so
friendly and helpful.”
Slimming World groups are held every Thursday at Belong
Crewe at 9.30am. Anyone wishing to join is welcome to
come along to find out more, or contact consultant Jenny
Bond on 01270 629596 for more information.
10

Belong Life Autumn 2012
News Roundup
Special mentions
Fundraising for Georgia
Belong Macclesfield General Manager, Janine Curwell,
was delighted to hand over a cheque for almost £400 to
Georgia Bagnall, who has cystic fibrosis, following a series
of fundraising events at the village.
The money has helped the family raise the £7,000
needed to buy eight year old Georgia a physio jacket
that will reduce her twice daily physiotherapy sessions
from 30 minutes to 10. Jenny Cross, support worker at
the village and Georgia’s grandmother, said: “We’ve been
overwhelmed by the support we’ve had here at the village
and beyond, and would like to say a huge thank you to all
involved.”
Sky Diving Jessica
Well done to brave
receptionist Jessica Turner
who has raised £300 for
the residents at Crewe
village. She did it by skydiving
from 10,000 feet ....
What a feat!
Congratulations to Belong Crewe
Activity Facilitator Lee Edwards and
his new wife Rachel who were married
recently in St Mary’s Sandbach (the
happy couple pictured above).
Congratulations to support worker
Lindsey Cope and her new husband
who recently tied the knot in Gretna
Green.
Penny the cat
Belong Crewe have recently
welcomed their newest pet
to the village. Penny the cat
now lives quite happily at the
village, where a dog and budgie
are already part of the group.
Belong values therapeutic
activity, companionship
with pets is encouraged and
intergenerational activity
promoted within the community.
Penny is pictured here with
resident Marianne
Baby boom at Belong Crewe!
Congratulations to Hayley Nicholls,
Michelle and Carl Whittaker, Agota
Vida and Lizzie Wilkinson on the
birth of their new babies.
Michelle and Carl Whittaker’s new
baby Jaxson is pictured above.
11

Would you like to get
out a bit more or maybe
start a new hobby or
make new friends?
Experience Days at Belong offer
the opportunity with any support
needed to enable you to:
• Enjoy a meal out in the Bistro
• Be pampered in the hair and beauty
salon
• Enjoy a relaxing soak in our specialist
bathing suite
• Join in a range of activities such as
baking, dancing, quizzes etc.
• Take time out to relax, read a book,
or simply watch the world go by
It’s your choice.
Your life, your pace, your way.
Call 0800 032 2266 to find out more
or visit www.belong.org.uk
Belong villages provide outstanding dementia and nursing care, as well as
Belong apartments Crewe, Brookhouse for independent Drive, Crewe, living, Cheshire all within CW2 a village 6NAsetting.
Belong Crewe • Belong Macclesfield • Belong Wigan • Belong Atherton