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Blog posted by: Jason Denny, care home manager of Old Hastings House, 16 May 2018.

Jason tells us why winning a prestigious Skills for Care award matters to him and his team

I manage a care home that provides residential care for up to 60 older people, including therapeutic accommodation for 15 people with dementia.

It is a demanding but privileged job. I have a great team, and the support I need to achieve all our collective ambitions. Together, we emphasise home-from-home care, giving active and stimulating lifestyles to our residents and working with them to deliver the care they want and need.

I am proud to say that we are considered the care home of choice in the Hastings and St. Leonards-on-Sea area. This is reflected in a high demand for places and the positive feedback we get from our residents, their families and visiting professionals. 

At Old Hastings House we strive to support and encourage personal and career development of our staff. We work within an open and inclusive culture, encouraging a sense of ownership.  We also endorse strong, effective, engaging and collaborative leadership behaviours. This means we nearly always promote from within, creating opportunities for all staff to have a fulfilling career with us. 

The Skills for Care award gave me an opportunity to showcase some of the excellent work my team do. I also wanted to see how we compare with other homes rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission.

I was flattered that we won the key prize! Everything has stemmed from good leadership and management. To be recognised at a national level by the Oscars of the care industry has given the team a huge boost of confidence and enthusiasm.

We are now even more motivated to take our service to the next level. Our teeth are already stuck into other projects based on leadership or the gold service framework for end of life care. We will stay humble, and above all, ethical.

For me NICE is the gold standard, specifically for their guidance on end of life care or medicines. It was a big boost to see a trusted organisation like NICE supporting the awards. It really does help to ensure we are recognising excellence in our sector.