Hatfield Nursing Home – Where Care and Compassion Go Hand in Hand.
Many care homes claim to provide compassionate care to their residents and this is a personal quality that all care workers should possess. But, how do you quantify it?
Well, Hatfield Residential and Nursing Home can certainly endorse this claim, with one of their care leaders receiving the Compassion Award for Residential Care at the Hertfordshire Care Providers Awards 2024.
Nicol Tachie, Deputy Manager at Hatfield Residential and Nursing Home, was awarded this honour for her outstanding and compassionate care of the residents in her charge in an award ceremony at Willows Activity Farm in St Albans, organised by the Hertfordshire Care Providers Association. We caught up with Nicol to find out more about her approach to care, and what her journey in care has looked like to bring her to this point in her career.
In the borough of Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield Residential and Nursing Home provides residential, nursing and dementia care for people living with a range of different health needs.
Your team strives to provide excellent care for your residents, and you are at the helm steering their approach. How do you guide your care team to ensure that they deliver compassionate care?
“I think like all jobs, you take your lead from the person or people in the positions above you. I care so much about my residents, and I think this shows in all my interactions with them. As well as first-class training and support from Gold Care Homes, the provider who operates our home, I make sure that I lead by example. I also hold a Train the Trainer qualification in different disciplines which enables me to train, mentor and coach my team.”
Hatfield Nursing Home is full of facilities that aid in supporting their staff when giving great care to residents. Does this make your job easier?
“Absolutely! The home is designed to make our residents lives easier, and also ensures that care can be provided safely. For example, the home is split into smaller units where residents with similar needs reside and so this helps us to ensure the staffing levels are appropriate for the dependencies of our residents, which in turn allows us to achieve great care outcomes. Spacious bedrooms and ensuite wetroom facilities also allow for ease of equipment use and the delivery of personal care in the comfort and privacy of their own room.”
You’ve been at Hatfield Residential and Nursing Home for nine years. What has your journey looked like?
“I started as a carer. I think this is a really good grounding for any care home deputy or manager, as you have worked in the most important role in the home. I was quickly recognised by the management team and progressed to a team leader for the nursing dementia unit before moving into the deputy role.
I am very lucky to have a supportive manager, and senior management team within Gold Care Homes. I was a novice joining the care sector but have been supported in studying and gaining professional qualifications that have helped shape my career. It was really difficult working full time and being a full-time mum, but achieving the Level 5 in Health and Social Care was a really proud moment for me.”
Your passion for caring for your residents has clearly gained you the support of your colleagues and residents alike. What does it mean to you to win the Compassion Award?
“I enjoy keeping the smiles on my residents faces. I feel privileged to be part of their lives, and knowing that they appreciate me and what I do each day is the most rewarding part of my career in care. I am so humbled to have been nominated for the award, and winning is the icing on the cake. It tells me that I am on the right path and that the journey I took nine years ago was exactly what I was meant to do.”
There are lots of activities and events for your residents to participate in, but we hear that you have recently started a community coffee morning. Can you tell us more about this?
“We’ve started the community coffee mornings in conjunction with our local branch of the Alzheimer’s Society. It’s a way for us to extend our compassion and care, to lend support to those who are living in our community caring for someone at home. On the first Tuesday of every month, anyone can visit the café for information or simply to meet others in the same situation and the best part is that it is free to attend.”
What does compassion mean to you?
“For me, compassion is making sure that I spend time with my residents, learning about them and understanding them. All too often, care is task-oriented and we risk losing the personal connection that allows a trusting relationship to be formed. When you have a residents’ trust, there is always a better outcome. Compassion is giving my time to others.”
