Residents keep the focus on charter

A group of residents from all the homes across Strode Park Foundation have got together to create a Residents’ Charter and discussed what they would like to see in it.

The charter will set out the charity’s commitments to the residents and what the residents can do in return.

Eight residents, with disabilities, along with their carers, came along to the specially organised focus group from a cross section of Strode Park Foundation’s homes which are based in Herne, Canterbury, Faversham and Medway.

During the discussion meeting, which was held on Thursday, residents talked about:

• Activities – having support and information to access a wide range of activities in and out of the service.
• Being treated with dignity and respect – Such as being called by your name, saying please and thank you and knocking on doors before entering your space.
• Access to transport or facilitation of access to transport (bus pass application for example).
• Information – Being kept informed of changes being made in the services and things that will have an impact on the people living there no matter how small.
• Feedback – provide opportunity for feedback formal and informal (residents meetings, surveys, discussions).
• Socialising – providing opportunity and support to facilitate new relationships and existing relationships.
• Meet cultural needs – being able to attend church, engage in food and rituals that are important to people and their heritage.
• A safe place – Safety in the environment, reassurance that people are safe, safe equipment.
• Recruitment of the best possible staff – highly trained staff, continuity of care and support.
• Being involved in planning care.
• Access to all resources to maintain health and wellbeing (medication, professional services, appointments).
• A happy and homely environment.

The pledges, in the final charter means that everyone can expect to be treated fairly, impartially and with dignity and respect.

The residents will continue to be involved in the making of this charter until everyone is happy with the final version.

Strode Park Foundation’s Director of Care, Becky Richards is pleased with how this first session went. She said: “We really wanted to involve as many residents as we could to be able to represent each of the homes. Everyone got involved and the conversations were really insightful for us to establish what residents want from us. This is their home, and we want to draw up this commitment to enable them to live life the way they choose and to be happy at home.”

The next meeting will offer the residents’ focus group the chance to comment on the first draft of the charter before it’s published.

They will also comment on where they would like to see the final charter and how residents can access it.