Avonleigh Gardens Care Home in Oldham achieves Veteran Friendly Framework accreditation

Former members of the Armed Forces living at Avonleigh Gardens Care Home in Oldham will benefit from enhanced person-centred care and support after the Dovehaven care home achieved the standards required for the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF).

The accreditation comes just one week after Dovehaven's Paradise House in Leyland also achieved Veteran Friendly Framework status. Avonleigh Gardens is now the seventh Dovehaven care home to receive the accreditation, joining homes in Leyland, Southport, Liverpool and Wigan. Together, they reflect Dovehaven's continued commitment to recognising the unique experiences of Armed Forces veterans and delivering outstanding, person-centred care across the North West.

The Veteran Friendly Framework is designed to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the Armed Forces community in residential care homes across England. Through specialist training and resources, the framework helps care home teams better understand veterans' experiences, reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing outcomes for the estimated 25,000 veterans living in care homes across England.

To achieve Veteran Friendly status, Avonleigh Gardens in Oldham met eight standards, including recording Armed Forces status within care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting residents and their families to organisations such as the Royal British Legion and other charities supporting veterans and their loved ones.

Rachel Bowers, Home Manager at Avonleigh Gardens, said:

"The team are thrilled to receive the accreditation of being a VFF approved care home. This will strengthen us significantly in understanding and working alongside veterans and loved ones of veterans. It will enable us to build stronger emotional connections while keeping in line with our values. It helps us to fully understand everyone's life journey, acknowledging the experiences they gained while serving. This gives us greater insight into each individual, allowing us to provide an even more empathetic and person-centred approach to care. I am extremely proud to lead the Avonleigh Gardens team, and achieving this accreditation will only enhance the level of person-centred care we deliver every day."

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 Avonleigh Gardens has 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 at Avonleigh Gardens, 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. Being a VFF care home means that there is an increased understanding and recognition for the veteran community at Avonleigh Gardens."

As a Dovehaven care home in Oldham, Avonleigh Gardens is committed to delivering compassionate, person-centred residential care that recognises every resident's unique life story. Achieving Veteran Friendly Framework status further strengthens the home's ability to provide tailored support for veterans and their families, ensuring those who have served receive the understanding, recognition and care they deserve.

Any care homes interested in receiving more information about the VFF can visit www.starandgarter.org/veteran-friendly-framework, email VFF@starandgarter.org  or call Kathryn 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.