Additional window replacement work is ongoing at the Kendal Suite but, elsewhere, contractors are finishing up and scaffolding is being dismantled in stages.

The work is all part of a £1.5 million investment to return the recently reacquired care home to its former status. The following photographs show some of the progress we’ve been making across the site.

Wi-Fi and Care Logs

The centre’s broadband service has also been upgraded. This is an important step, not only for residents who wish to use their phones and other devices, but also for staff. They use electronic tablets/handsets and specially developed software to record key information about the care that each resident receives.

Examples include logging when medicines have been taken, what drinks and meals have been ordered, and what other forms of care and treatment have been delivered – e.g. help with washing, hair and nail care, supported exercise, room cleaning, entertainment and so on.

Direct Nurse-Call Alerts

A related improvement has been the extension of our digital care record system to include a ‘live’ nurse-call alert system. By delivering notifications directly to carers’ handsets, rather than just to a central desk, we can ensure a quicker and more efficient response to any call for assistance.

Digital Reception and Visitor Log

We have also created a new digital reception. This enables visitors to sign in via a fixed portal at the reception desk. It uses photographic recognition to enable more security and control over who is entering the building, and it will also record whom each visitor has come to see. An added benefit is that it will act as a digital fire safety register, recording who is in the building at any given time. The data is accessed via a tablet, which means that if the fire alarm sounds, there is no need for staff to stop and collect a physical visitor book.

These and other measures are part of an ongoing refurbishment programme and a £1.5 million strategy of continuous improvement that seeks to make the Lakes Care Centre the most highly-regarded care home in Tameside.

We will publish further updates shortly.

For example, our new-look hairdressing salon is now fully redecorated and features new seating for residents’ comfort.

Our main dining area in the Derwent Suite has also been upgraded. It now boasts new seating, new tableware and a bright new appearance, thanks to recent painting and decorating works.

The accompanying photos show the results of some of this work.

As part of the £1.5 million plan to return the centre to its former status as the number one care home in Tameside, the team has commissioned an array of important improvements. Many of these are now complete.

Bedroom Refurbishment

Staff and contractors have recently completed the refurbishment of a number of individual rooms. The work started with vacant bedrooms and will continue on a rolling basis. In addition to new painting and decorative works, rooms are also benefiting from new furnishings, mattresses and bed linen.

Carpet Installation

Bedrooms are just one of many areas in the centre to benefit from a facelift  and redecoration. New carpets, which have also been fitted to stairways, communal areas and corridors, has helped to give the building’s interior a bright new appearance. The carpets have been chosen to add a ‘homely’ feel and are made of short, densely woven fibres that make them suitable for regular traffic by wheelchair users. They don’t impede the movement of wheelchairs and they are extremely resistant to wear and compression, so they should retain their good looks for many years.

Other Improvements

Further work is in the pipeline. All buildings will benefit from enhanced WiFi connectivity and new CCTV systems for added security, and the surrounding grounds continue to be improved. All necessary roof repairs have now been completed, and remodelling works continue in the Kendal Suite, which will have a new layout, an upgraded fire safety system and new, energy-efficient double glazing.

We will post further updates shortly.

The care home was founded by Jack Meredith, who was its owner and managing director between 1983 and 2020. Previously, the premises had been owned by his mother. Under his 37 years of management, the establishment expanded, going from one building with 22 beds to a total of three buildings with capacity for 84 residents. Prior to the sale of the business in 2020, it had routinely achieved a rating of ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Jack sold the centre in 2020 but thereafter, under a new owner and management team, it struggled to maintain those standards. Its rating dropped to the extent that, in October 2022, it was placed into administration and was facing a closure notice. On 19 July 2023, after months of negotiations, Jack Meredith took back control of the centre under licence from the administrators. At the time, it was just four days from closing.

Describing his motivations for the decision, Jack said: “I took on this challenging project to ensure the continued wellbeing of the 45 existing residents, the employment security of some 60 staff, and because of the affinity I have with the home. I know that with the required investment, its viability can be restored.”

The company now responsible for the operation is The Lakes Care Centre Limited, which is led by Jack and three other directors. Since the reacquisition, it has already committed around £1 million to the centre. It has invested more than £100,000 in building refurbishments, new electronic systems and other improvements, and plans to spend a further £300,000 in the coming months. In all, the company plans to invest £1.5 million to bring it back to its former standing.

Jack explains: “I consider that it will be a two-year project to get the home to the level I feel is appropriate. Whilst our aim will be to make the home ‘Outstanding’ during this time, a rating of ‘Good’ is the least we must achieve.”

Works are currently ongoing, with the site witnessing intense activity. Current improvements include new carpets, furniture and decorative works, window replacements and the renovation of the grounds. The centre’s broadband capacity has also been doubled to enable staff to use mobile devices and specialist apps to keep accurate records of the support and medications that they provide to residents.

The refurbishment will take time to complete but the improvements are already being noticed and welcomed by the centre’s residents. Enhancements to bedrooms and communal areas have attracted significant praise, as has the restoration of the centre’s wooded gardens.

“We still have a way to go,” notes Jack, “but we are making good progress and we’ll continue to do so. In the meantime, I want to acknowledge and commend the commitment shown by the administrators (FRP), the lender (Thincats) and Tameside M.B.C. They all made significant efforts to keep the home open during the nine months after the home was placed into administration. Each of them went above and beyond to ensure the continued care and safety of the 45 residents; people who would otherwise have been forced to find new homes. The same action also saved dozens of jobs.”

With the centre now facing a new chapter in its development, Jack estimates that the business will create a further 30 jobs over the coming months and, as the refurbishment works progress, it will open up its doors to new residents.

Update:

On 13th October, in recognition of the many improvements taking place, The Lakes Care Centre was named the winner of the Transformational Teams category in the 2023 CRISTAL Care Awards. The event was jointly organised by Tameside Council and Greater Manchester Integrated Care, and took place at Dukinfield Town Hall.

Notes:

• Jack Meredith, a former police officer, took control of the centre under licence in July but completed the purchase itself on 26 September 2023.
• He was formerly chair of the Greater Manchester Care Home Association, and chair of the Tameside Care Home Association. He also sat on the Dignity in Care Committee.
• Originally, the centre featured just one property, Kendal House. It is currently being renovated and benefiting from new glazing and fire safety improvements.
• The Derwent Suite opened in 1989, with space for 37 residents.
• The Coniston Suite opened in 1995, with space for a further 25.
• The Lakes Care Centre Limited was newly registered by the CQC on 27 September 2023.