Eleanor Palmer Trust achieves variant registration with CSCI

On 3rd March 2009 the Trust was awarded dementia registration by CSCI (The Commission for Social Care Inspection) to go alongside our residential care registration.  We are now able to consider taking in residents who may be a little confused or have been diagnosed as suffering from dementia.

It is also very helpful for our existing residents, who sometimes develop dementia whilst in the Home.  Being accepted for variant registration means that they can continue to stay here, and do not need to be moved on to somewhere else which would only increase their state of confusion.

The Home is very pleased to have achieved this, which has meant a lot of training for the staff and improvements in working practices.

Fred Park, Clerk to the Trustees, said ‘This demonstrates our commitment to our residents and our staff.  A lot of preparation and hard work has gone into achieving this and means that we will be able to provide an even better standard of care for family’s loved ones who are living with us.’

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Trust participates in National Standards scheme.

The Trust is proud to announce that its residential home has been invited to take part in the National Gold Standards Framework for Care Homes (GSFCH). 

 

This programme, recommended in the Government's End of Life Care Strategy, aims to improve the quality of care for those in the last years of their life.

 

In order to achieve this the Home must undertake the full GSFCH training programme over 9 months, have it embedded in the Home for at least 6 months, and then undertake a rigorous accreditation process.

 

Baroness Neuberger, author of 'Not Dead Yet: A Manifesto for Old Age'  said the Gold Standards Framework was at the forefront of efforts to engineer a cultural change that allows older people to have the care, the honesty and the kindness they have every right to expect at the end of their lives.

 

More information on the Gold Standards Framework can be found at www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk

On 16th November the Eleanor Palmer Trust held a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the life of Eleanor Palmer in the 450th anniversary of her death.

 

Eleanor Palmer was the daughter of the keeper of Henry VII's treasure and a good friend of Queen Elizabeth I.  Queen Elizabeth I used to stay with Eleanor Palmer on her journeys to and from London when she travelled through Barnet.  On her death in 1558 Eleanor Palmer left two acres of meadow land for the benefit of the poor of Kentish Town and Chipping Barnet, and it is this gift which has allowed the Trustees to develop 74 sheltered housing units and a 32 bedded Residential Home around the Bells Hill area of Barnet for frail and elderly people from this area.

 

The Trust also make Grants to needy individuals and voluntary organisations out of the continuing income from that land.

 

The ceremony took place at St John the Baptist Church in Wood Street at 3 o'clock.  Nearly 100 people including the MP for Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers, residents of the sheltered housing units, ward councillors, and other friends and supporters, braved the inclement weather to watch the planting of a Judas tree by the Chairman of the Trustees in the church gardens.  This was followed by a short service of dedication inside the Church and then refreshments in the Church Hall, which included a superbly iced cake made by the chef at the residential home.