Investors in People gold status secured by Ideal Care Homes

The Yorkshire-based Ideal Care Homes has been successful in securing an Investors in People gold standard at the first attempt, after the provider’s employees impressed inspectors over a portfolio of thirty-six care accommodations.

Encouraged to apply for IIP status after two of its homes, in Flixton and Tameside, were successful in their own attempts, achieving gold standard throughout all of its homes was nevertheless a far more ambitious task, including several care homes that are recent additions to the sector.

Chairman of Ideal Care Homes, Lawrence Tomlinson, spoke of the challenge: “We were confident we had reached a stage where we could demonstrate established good practice across what has been an extremely quickly growing business.

“I am passionate about recruiting and developing great people to work in our care homes. To be great places to live they have to be great places to work.

“Inspectors interviewed staff across the homes and head office operation from maintenance to management about all aspects of their roles and training. Achieving gold standard across the group was far more difficult than for individual homes. You have to be consistent.

“I was always confident the business could demonstrate good practice because of the systems we have to develop and manage our staff. Those in turn contribute towards Ideal achieving the standards it sets for care for the people who live with us.”

The provider’s homes, all thirty-six of which are based in the North of England and the Midlands, will soon welcome four new members, as Ideal Care Homes continues to see healthy expansion in partnership with sister company LNT Construction.

Newfield Lodge, in Castleford, will be the first of the new homes to open later this month, with three more openings planned at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newark and Leicester before the end of the year.