Family and residents praise care home in Southport in national survey

STAFF at a care home in Southport are celebrating after it performed strongly in a nationwide care standards survey answered by residents and their relatives. Anchor's Thomas Henshaw Court, in Norwood Road, scored highly in the Your Care Rating survey which asked the residents to comment on the care they receive. The results show Thomas Henshaw Court was given an overall performance rating score of 910 out of 1,000 and 880 out of 1,000 by the residents and their families and friends respectively. Both scores were well above the national averages of 882 for the residents' survey and 842 for the relatives' survey. The Your Care Rating survey is the country's largest and most authoritative survey of care home residents and their families and friends. The nationwide survey gives residents and their families and friends a voice, putting their care at the heart of understanding more about how well care homes perform. More than 11,000 residents in 532 care homes across the UK and 6,956 relatives and friends took part in the survey. Each care home was given an overall score based on the residents' feedback and a 2nd on the family and friends' feedback across 4 broad themes:- Staff and Care, Home Comforts, Choice and Having a Say, and Quality of Life. Thomas Henshaw Court scored highly in the following categories in the residents' surveys:-  the older people said they were happy living at the home and staff treated them as an individual. The relatives also praised the care home, stating staff treated the residents with kindness, dignity and respect.

Manager, Christine Hunt, from Thomas Henshaw Court, said:- "It's great that not just our residents, but their families and friends value the care they receive here. Most of our scores across the 4 themes are really positive, which shows that life for our residents is happy and fulfilling and this is recognised by their loved ones. While we're really pleased with our scores, we obviously want to get even better and the survey helps us do that by giving us direct feedback from residents, friends and family. Families can also see at a glance which care homes are committed to raising standards and being transparent as they take part in the survey. Every care home resident, and their family and friends, should be able to speak up about their care and this is what the Your Care Rating survey does; it gives them a voice."

All of this year's results for every care home surveyed are displayed on the:- 'Your Care Rating' website. The survey was compiled by leading research company Ipsos MORI with input from the care home operators taking part, plus the National Care Forum and Care England. This means the survey is the most authoritative of its type, and is also the country's largest, capturing more views of residents than any other.

AS spring approaches, wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers to take part in the its annual Living with Mammals survey. Last year the top 5 mammals recorded were (in order): grey squirrels, foxes, mice, hedgehogs and bats. From April, PTES is asking members of the public to record sightings of Britain's 'big 5,' plus any other mammals they see, to aid future conservation efforts. Volunteers can take part between Monday, 1 April and Sunday, 30 June 2019, reporting the mammals they see, or their signs, in any local green space; from gardens and allotments to parks or green spaces near to work. The chosen survey site can be in an urban, suburban or rural location, so long as the area is within 200 metres of a building.

David Wembridge, Surveys Officer at PTES explains:- "Green spaces, and the wildlife they support, are important; they provide food, clean air and water, and make us healthier and happier. Counting our wild neighbours, and knowing how their populations are changing, is a health check on our Towns and Cities."

Volunteers can spend anything from 10 minutes a week at their chosen site to several hours and can take part either individually or as part of a group.

David adds:- "As the weather warms up, we hope people will get out and see lots of wildlife; and the signs they leave behind, such as footprints or droppings."

Your chance of spotting particular species depends on where you are in the UK. In Scotland, for example, is a stronghold for pine martens and red squirrels, and PTES is particularly keen to collects records from there and from northern Regions of England.

Volunteers are asked to record their findings online, which has more information on how to spot mammals, and how to tell a pine marten from a polecat, if you're lucky enough to see one! PTES is keen to see your sightings, so if you're on social media upload your photos using #livingwithmammals.

David continues:- "Long term surveys such as Living with Mammals offer invaluable data to conservationists working to save Britain's wildlife, with the help of the public. The results allow us to understand how populations of each species are changing; for better or worse. This lets us identify where conservation work is needed most. For example, surveys have shown that at lEast half of the hedgehog population has been lost from the countryside in the last 2 decades. As a result, we've been working really hard to help hedgehogs in the urban landscape and we're now starting to see a more positive outlook. We hope this will encourage last year's volunteers and others to take part this year and make a real difference for urban mammals."

To take part in the 2019 Living with Mammals survey, register via:- PTES.Org/LWM. The survey can also be completed via a printed pack, which can be sent to your door. Just contact them via emailing:- LwM@ptes.org to find out how.