News Archive – 2005

The recent appointment of Christina Wallace to the team represents another positive progressive step for Community Care Solutions. Christina brings with her many years of experience and expertise in HR and is a welcomed addition to Community Care Solutions.

For the forth year running Community Care Solutions were delighted to support and sponsor two of the Care Awards at the ‘Bedford College Student’s Achievements Ceremony’ held at the Bedford Corn Exchange on the 24th November 2005. The evening consisted of presenting awards to over 200 students in recognition of success in their studies.

Kimbolton Avenue is a new home owned by UK Care Solutions, part of the Care Solutions Group. The Home which has just opened in Bedford is managed and operated by Community Care Solutions (CCS) to the same high standards as all CCS Care Services. Kimbolton Avenue will provide support for adults with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours and having successfully passed inspection has now gained its registration.

On Friday 28th October, service users from across our homes were invited to Oakley village Hall for a spooky night of entertainment and disco to celebrate Halloween. The party was a great success with most of the service users dressing up in Halloween costumes for the night, with three prizes awarded for the best dressed. Traditional Halloween games such as ‘Apple Bobbing’ were played and service users and support workers alike danced the night away to devilish disco tunes.

Community Care Solutions Ltd are celebrating after receiving a highly commended award for ‘Best In-house Training Provider’ at the prestigious 2005 Care Accolades award ceremony.Organised by Skills for Care, the sector skills council for the care industry, the accolades represent excellence taking place within workforce development in the social care sector. This year saw the highest number of entries for The Accolades, with over 200 entrants from across the regions. Starting with regional judging panels in June, the entrants were narrowed down to a final three in the country.Community Care Solutions were short-listed in the category of ‘Best In-House Training Provider’, where they received the highly commended award. The showcase black-tie ceremony, held in the Café Royal, Regents Street, London was attended by all finalists in the various categories. Community Care Solutions Managing Director Mark Constant said “We are delighted to receive this highly commended award in recognition of our commitment to training and development within social care. At Community Care Solutions we passionately believe in ensuring our staff are trained to the highest standards in order to consistently ensure the provision of high quality service to our service users”

The new transitionial bungalow in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire has been completed and will be handed over by AbbeyVale Builders to Community Care Solutions in a brief ceremony. The bungalow has been designed to offer a more independent and normal living environment for Service Users which is at the same time safe and secure. The bungalow has been fitted with up to date fire alarms and sprinker systems but has no office space or sleep in facilities for our staff, as staff will be waking hour support staff only. Service Users expressed a keen interest in the opportunity to move into the two bed bungalow for a short time, to experience supported living with the safety of a registered home next door. Managing Director Mark Constant said: ” We felt it important to be able to offer those people who might be able but perhaps nervous of living independently an opportunity to do so in a safe environment close to 24hour support if they required it. This bungalow allows people to experience the transition from residential care to independent living at a slower pace to build their confidence and also helps the support service to manage risks through the transitional process, making it both safer and more supporting than an immediate transfer.”

Community Care Solutions are delighted to announce the opening of a four bed supported living scheme in Derby. Following the total refurbishment of a Victorian semi detached house in Alvaston, Community Care Solutions have provided a bespoke home for four of its exisitng Service Users. In late 2003 four individuals who were living in residential care, made known their wish to live more independently, following an extensive search the company eventually acquired a property next door to one of its existing homes and after a complete and total refurbishment including new floors, walls, windows, kitchen and bathroom, a full rewire and redecoration to the new tenants own specifications the house is now open. Managing Director, Mark Constant commented: “This is probably the most satisfying development we have delivered to date, enabling exisitng Service Users to positively change their living arrangements through their own choice and move to more independent living, achieving their own personnal goals. After all this is what we should be about, valuing people and their dreams and then enabling them to achieve them” Chris Perks Area Manager said: ” We are very pleased to be able to make this happen and are very excited for these four individuals and their move, we are also grateful to Derby Advocates and Derby Social Services who have workled closely with us to ensure the success of this service development.”

On the 2nd August service users from our residential and outreach services who make up the Oakley Drama Group, took to the stage and gave a fantastic performance of popular fairy tales as never seen before. The ideas for the play were decided upon by the participants, and with the support of their drama teacher Kevin Burke these ideas were developed into the fairy tale medley that was enjoyed by all. The cast list included Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Prince Charming, The Three Little Pigs and the dreaded Big Bad Wolf, who had the audience laughing and cheering for more. The evening ended with a birthday party for Little Red Riding Hood where the audience and cast enjoyed refreshments, cakes and the chance to socialise with friends and family.

Vanessa Read joined CCS in August this year and brings with her many years experience and expertise within the care sector. Vanessa’s appointment as a New Area Manager represents another progressive step for CCS, as the company continues to grow.

Community Care Solutions have completed their second acquisition this year of two more registered homes in the county of Leicestershire. Currently providing 22 registered bed spaces across the two homes, this brings the total number of registered homes operated by Community Care Solutions to 12 with 91 registered beds. Mark Constant, Managing Director said; “we are especially pleased with this addition to our registered homes portfolio which geographically links our homes in Derbyshire and Peterborough and now enables us to offer high quality services across 5 counties”.