VIDEO: Village care home awarded for its excellent standards

Valerie Manor in Upper Beeding, which employs around 50 staff and looks after 23 residents, has picked up the Horsham Healthy Workplace Award for its high standards of safety and attention to the wellbeing of staff.

Owner and manager Zoe Bates said the award is a ‘great acknowledgement’ for the staff’s continued hard work.

“We are nothing without our staff so their health and happiness is a vital ingredient of their consistently excellent performance and our reputation,” said Mrs Bates.

“We are a small team and have to be prepared for anything so looking after our staff means they can look after our residents extremely well even at the most difficult times.

“We have organised NHS health checks and wellbeing MOTs for our staff. We are planning improvements to our grounds for cycle storage and give staff and residents a bowls pitch as well as a lovely quiet area.”

Zoe said the award could not have come at a better time after also receiving ‘favourable comments’ from the Care Quality Commission.

Sue Rogers, council cabinet member for a safer and healthier district, said: “Zoe is an inspirational businesswoman and a testament to the benefits a small business can get from investing just a little time in exploring the returns that a Healthy Workplace Award can bring.”