Welsh care home receives top award from Investors in People

Pendine Park Care Organisation Ltd has become one of only a handful of social care companies across the UK to receive the Investors in People Gold Award.

The award was presented to care home owners Mario Kreft and his wife, Gill, by Welsh Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths.

The couple run seven care homes in Wales.

Welsh Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “It’s always fantastic to hear about a good news story like this in the area and I was delighted to have the opportunity of presenting this richly deserved award to Pendine Park.

“IIP Gold is a rare accolade and is recognition of the constant quest to innovate and raise standards.

“This is a tribute to everybody who works at Pendine Park because this award could not have been achieved without their commitment to developing a framework of best practice.”

As part of the process, more than 80 members of staff were interviewed privately by the independent IIP assessor.

Mr Kreft, who is also chairman of Care Forum Wales said: “We’re absolutely delighted because it’s been such a team effort. It’s been a long journey, but we think it is exactly the right thing for care organisations to aim for and then hopefully to succeed in.

“This is not about having a kite mark, it's about creating an ethos and a structure that all of the team can believe in so that we can actually translate this to better services through better training and development opportunities for our people.”

Pendine Park care home resident, Alan Hassall said: “The residents are helped to do things that they wouldn’t have been able to do on their own, and I think it’s lovely.

“When people mention care homes, you just think of old people going in there to sit in their chair all of the time - that's not the case here because there are so many activities.”

Malcolm Crosbie, whose wife Audrey was cared for at Pendine Park, called it “yet another accolade for Pendine Park and it’s well deserved because I doubt you’d find a better place anywhere.”