Springwood
Residential HomeSHIRECLIFFE

Helen Gibson, Springwood’s Registered Manager describes the home: Springwood is not at all what people are expecting from a care home when they step inside – it’s warm and welcoming.  

Even though we’re in an old building, it doesn’t have that institutional feel. We’ve got smaller communal living; it’s like being in your own front room – well would you want to share the remote control with another 15 people?! Each corridor has a family kitchen which loved ones and visitors can use 24/7, just like you would have popped in for a cuppa when your family member was in their own home. Although we’re in an older style building, we’ve made the most of the space we have.Daisy Way has a garden room, to make up for not having access to its own outside space. We wanted to bring the outside in so there is a small potting table and garden furniture where we can put on a vintage tea.     

Bluebell Row has a 50’s style Diner with a juke box, bar and a floor area large enough to have a jive on.  This is a lovely space for a small party.  Away from the corridors we have a 1^st class train carriage which can be climbed aboard to take you to a destination of your choice. This space was created during lock down when no one was able to actually go anywhere, so we thought we would let people enjoy journeys around the world, while spending one to one time with their carers to help fill the void of not seeing loved ones face to face.                        

We also have a Charity Shop which people can visit to have a good old rummage and buy a bargain if they wish.     

On the ground floor we’ve got a parlour which is somewhere else for people to get some peace and relaxation or some one to one time with family, friends or staff. We’ve got our own day service, it’s in a separate annexe but if there is space then Andrea and Lynn will invite individual residents from the home down for a busy day of activities. We also benefit from having the minibus and carer drivers available to us.  

We’re proud of our excellent home-cooked food; we’ve got a good catering team who are turn out tasty meals and treats every day. Our bedrooms are comfy and compact, and people can decorate and have their own pictures and soft furnishings around them. We’ve got Kathy our Activity Worker; we have the people in to run exercise sessions, we have a monthly church service, and we always aim to organise trips out – that could be to the pub, out for a coffee or a wander round the shops and we also organise events and entertainers in the home. We’ve got small patches of outside space, where residents can sit out with families, or they can sit and watch the wildlife from indoors. We’ve also got a greenhouse which anyone green-fingered can use. 

I’m proud of all the staff’s commitment; we’ve got a mixture of older and younger staff, all passionate about making sure that everyone living at Springwood is happy and well-cared for and truly feels at home.