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Two more Dovehaven care homes have achieved Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status, strengthening the support available to former members of the Armed Forces living in their care.

Pennine View in Accrington and Church View in Liverpool have both met the standards required by the Veteran Friendly Framework, recognising their commitment to understanding veterans’ individual experiences and ensuring they feel valued, respected and supported.

Their accreditation builds on Dovehaven’s growing commitment to veteran-friendly care across the North West, with an increasing number of homes across the group now recognised through the framework.

The Veteran Friendly Framework is designed to improve the practical, emotional and social support available to members of the Armed Forces community living in residential care homes across England. Through specialist training and resources, it helps care teams better understand veterans’ experiences, reduce social isolation and support their health and wellbeing.

To achieve Veteran Friendly status, Pennine View and Church View each met eight standards. These include recording Armed Forces status within care plans, addressing social isolation and ensuring residents and their families can access relevant organisations and support.

Cheryl Vickerstaffe, Home Manager at Church View, said:

“I am incredibly proud that Church View has achieved Veteran Friendly Framework status. This award reflects the hard work, compassion and dedication of our team in ensuring our veterans receive the recognition, respect and support they truly deserve. At Church View, we are always striving to improve the lives of the people we care for, and I truly believe that whatever we set our minds to, we will achieve because of the passion and commitment of our amazing team. I would also like to say a special thank you to Mark and Tracy. As ex-veterans, their support, knowledge and enthusiasm have been invaluable throughout this journey. Their guidance has helped us achieve this recognition, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they have done.”

Emma Binney, Home Manager at Pennine View, said:

“This accreditation reflects the dedication of our wonderful team in ensuring that veterans living with us are recognised, valued and supported, while also helping to share best practice across care homes. A huge thank you to our amazing staff for their continued hard work and compassion, and to our veterans for the service and sacrifices they have made for our country. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and look forward to continuing to make Pennine View a place where everyone feels respected, supported and at home.”

The Veteran Friendly Framework is a collaboration between Royal Star & Garter, the Royal British Legion and the NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

Kathryn Glass, VFF Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter, said:

“We’re delighted that Pennine View and Church View have achieved VFF status. This is a great commitment to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners. This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff, who are able to access enhanced training and guidance to better engage with the unique military experiences that their residents and partners have lived through.”

As part of Dovehaven Care Homes, Pennine View and Church View are committed to delivering compassionate, person-centred care that recognises the individual life experiences of every resident. Achieving Veteran Friendly Framework status further strengthens both homes’ ability to understand and support veterans and their families, ensuring those who have served receive the recognition and care they deserve.

Any care homes interested in receiving more information about the Veteran Friendly Framework can visit the Royal Star & Garter website, email VFF@starandgarter.org or contact Kathryn Glass on 07435 326070.

Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, helping them to lead happy, fulfilled lives. Their three Homes offer specialist full time and short break residential care, along with a programme of outreach services including Lunch Clubs and telephone support.

The Royal British Legion has six care homes providing residential, nursing and respite care for hundreds of older veterans and their dependants. They also support individuals needing specialist dementia care and provide a unique environment that recognises and celebrates residents’ service to the country.

Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance The NHS in England is committed to raising standards among healthcare providers of Veterans’ services. The Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is a group of NHS providers, including acute, mental health, community, and ambulance trusts that have agreed to be exemplars of the best care for, and support to, the armed forces’ community.  They do this through their Veteran Aware accreditation model, which has been widened to include the independent sector and hospices, which encourages providers to identify those patients with an Armed Forces background.

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