Sway care home wins national award

A Sway care home is celebrating after winning a national award at the Care Home Awards 2023.

Care UK’s Sway Place, on Church Lane, won the ‘Best for Wellbeing’ award, for the second year running, a category which recognises the care experienced by residents to be impressively person-centred.  

The Care Home Awards highlight and reward excellence and innovation in UK care home management, operation and delivery. 

The team at Sway Place has been praised for their determination to get to know each resident as well as possible, including their hobbies, interests, skills and life history, as well as the things they enjoy now. 

One gentleman expressed a wish to learn how to play the guitar, so a member of the activities team gave him weekly lessons. The resident enjoyed the lessons and talked happily about it to his family when they visited.  

A relative said: “My dad has settled better than I could have hoped for, and I have no doubt that the activities and outstanding support of the team has been a huge help. They give him focus and added structure to his routine. There is nothing I like more than when he tells me he hasn’t had a chance to call as he has had a busy day at crossword club, bingo, or art club.”  

The team at Sway Place was also recognised for its resident led approach to care. This approach includes a forum held at the start of each new season, where the team and residents get together to discuss ideas for the coming months.  

Each day of the week, a fun schedule of activities is developed for the residents to enjoy. Activities range from gardening and music to croquet and minibus excursions, poetry readings, rural strolls, workout classes, and nostalgia events.  

The home team's ongoing efforts to enhance and reinvent its approach to welfare were also recognised. Recently residents were able to give Sway Place’s Walled Garden and Memory Care Garden a beautiful transformation. 

Sway Preschool children also volunteered, with the help of residents and planted some sunflowers and runner beans for the allotment area. 

Resident Shirley said: “I have always loved tending to my garden and now to have the wonderful five acres of grounds at Sway Place. I feel very lucky. The day was huge success. It was great see everyone come together to help us create an outdoor space we all enjoy so much.”

Jane Baxter, Home Manager at Sway Place, said: “We are thrilled to have won the ‘Best for Wellbeing’ category for the second year running at the Care Home Awards for our person-focused approach to care.  

“Winning this award demonstrates the team's commitment and creative problem-solving in ensuring that each resident lives a happy and fulfilling life. It is wonderful to witness the team create activities and plans that are specifically tailored to each resident, then watch them blossom and gain confidence. I'm thrilled that Sway Place has been recognised for the positive impact they have on residents' welfare on a daily basis through careful care. 

“Our award will take pride of place in the home alongside our 2022 award. We can't wait for next year's Care Home Awards; who knows, maybe we'll add a third to our collection!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Sway Place incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, dementia care and respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, and 14 independent living cottages, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

To find out more about Sway Place, please call Laura Blake, Home Admissions Advisor, on 01590 607371, email laura.blake@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/sway-place