Boost for Armed Forces veterans living at Paradise House in Leyland

Former members of the Armed Forces living in Leyland will benefit from enhanced person-centred care after Paradise House, a Dovehaven Care Home in Leyland, achieved Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status.

The aim of the VFF is to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the Armed Forces community, in residential care homes across England, by providing training and resources to assess and improve the care they offer. It will help tackle loneliness and has the scope to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the 25,000 veterans living in care homes in England.

To achieve their Veteran Friendly status, Paradise House was required to meet eight standards. These included: noting Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch, and other charities that provide support for veterans or partners of veterans.

Sandra Carr, Home Manager at Paradise House said: 'I'm incredibly proud that Paradise House has achieved Veteran Friendly Framework status. Having previously led another Dovehaven home through the accreditation, I know the positive difference it can make for our veteran residents. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing personalised care that honours their service and ensures every veteran feels valued, respected and supported every day'

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

Kathryn Glass is the VFF Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter and responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. She said: “We’re delighted that Paradise House 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 Paradise House, 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 Paradise House”

The accreditation further strengthens Paradise House's commitment to providing outstanding residential care for veterans and older people in Leyland and the surrounding communities.

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.

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