As we head towards the end of the year and celebrate the achievements of our colleagues across the Forest Healthcare residential care home network, it is a great time to look back on another year of success and compassion, made possible by the diverse capabilities of each care centre team.
From becoming fully accredited as a Veteran Friendly residential care provider, to being awarded the Top Fundraising Award at The National Care Awards last month, and introducing our new Employee Assistance Programme, 2025 truly has been a period of outstanding outcomes for us and for the residents and families we support.
We felt that, amid the joy of the festive season, it was an appropriate time to share our appreciation and highlight some of the year’s achievements.
Revisiting the Forest Healthcare Core Living Values
It is always a pleasure to highlight our Core Living Values at our annual conference, held in September of this year, because they form the foundation of our ethos, which guides how our care teams deliver high-quality, respectful care.
Person-centred care ensures that every resident in any Forest Healthcare care or nursing centre has the right to express their wishes, preferences, and requirements – whether that relates to the personal care tasks they want to have assistance with, the meals they enjoy, or the title by which they’d like to be addressed. Our other Core Living Values include:
- Above and Beyond: Going the extra mile to support residents and loved ones in any way we can.
- Respect: Demonstrating respect, inclusivity, and warmth for all colleagues, residents, and visitors who come into our care spaces.
- Empathy: Celebrating and valuing differences and diversity, being welcoming, friendly and accessible to all.
- Support: Ensuring we balance independence and self-determination with practical, emotional and compassionate assistance.
With this in mind, we’ve summarised some of our proudest achievements over the last 12 months and the Forest Healthcare colleagues who have made notable contributions.
1. Veteran-Friendly Framework Accreditation
Aligned with our Core Living Values of Respect and Empathy, we were delighted to complete the accreditation process across our care centres, meeting the standards of the Veteran-Friendly Framework (VFF).
This process ensures we can offer holistic, thoughtful residential and nursing care for veterans by connecting with community groups, charities, resources, and events that matter to them, and by understanding how their military service has affected their lives.
Led by Group Quality Manager Michalae Thompson, we are enormously grateful to every care centre team that embraced the opportunity to enhance their knowledge about how best to build awareness and deliver dedicated support.
Official VFF recognition means that individuals and families in need of professional, high-quality care can trust that the Forest Healthcare teams are well-positioned to meet their needs, are proactive in preventing isolation, can signpost support services, and foster a culture where veterans are respected.
2. Top Fundraising Award at The National Care Awards
Our next highlight was receiving the accolade of being named the top company fundraiser for The Care Workers’ Charity. This cause is incredibly important to all in the residential care sector. Having decided to fundraise for the charity again this year, we have been stunned at the remarkable skills that have emerged!
To demonstrate the scale of support and enthusiasm, we have achieved:
- Total fundraising of a staggering £12,306 – 615% of the target we originally set ourselves!
- Fundraising of £450 by the Grace Manor Care Centre team through their summer fete.
- Donations of £425 collected by the team at Woodlands Park Care Centre.
There has been a wide range of initiatives and creative ideas to help raise funds, from the charity walk organised by Cedars Care Centre to the courageous skydiving event completed by Fatma, Audrei, and Ysabello from Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre.
It is fair to say that these committed efforts and challenges have demonstrated Above and Beyond, and it was an honour to contribute an additional £3,000 to this total following our Awards Ceremony as a mark of gratitude to all of the efforts made this year.
3. Launching the New Forest Healthcare Employee Assistance Programme
As announced back in October, our final highlight is the development of the MENTOR Employee Assistance Programme, in partnership with NatWest Group, something we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with staff and residents.
Based on Core Living Values of Empathy and Support, we wanted to create a way to provide the same level of compassionate support our care colleagues offer our residents and to ensure we could also align with our Above and Beyond mission.
Now live, the programme offers numerous benefits and services, including:
- Support with areas of mental and physical well-being, alongside financial health
- Ongoing assistance during life’s challenges and unanticipated obstacles
- Access to early interventions to help tackle health concerns
- Always-on apps providing well-being management for health and fitness
Available to all Forest Healthcare colleagues across the group, we encourage anyone to utilise the programme if it may be beneficial, or to speak to their care centre management or our leadership team if they need help.
Looking Ahead to Forest Healthcare’s Plans for 2026
2026 promises to be another year of excitement and improvement, and we’re already looking forward to expanding our care teams further. We’re advertising several current vacancies to ensure we continue to extend capacity to provide the exceptional respite care, residential support and specialist services such as dementia care we know are in sustained demand throughout the communities we serve.
We’re also looking to continue building on the varied activities, events and celebrations that are such a big part of daily life at Forest Healthcare, inspired by Dawn Harrison, Activities Manager at Belmont Lodge Care Centre, who won The Care Worker’s Charity Care Worker of the Year Award 2025 at the Andor Awards!
Finally, we intend to continue publishing new resources and guidance, with many families commenting on the peace of mind and support they found through our Advice Centre, ensuring that those in need of residential care have the information they need to make confident decisions.
For more information about Forest Healthcare and our residential care homes, or to discuss care options for yourself or a loved one, please get in touch with our team today.