A West Sussex care home is celebrating a decade of providing care for its residents.
Rotherlea care home, in Petworth, marked the milestone with drinks and a buffet for residents, their family and staff, topped off with a celebratory cake made by Christine Berry, who has worked at Rotherlea as a catering assistant and cook since it opened in May 2008.
Joining in the celebrations were special guests Colin Steemson and Fran Bourne from West Sussex County Council, Suzanne Hughes, Shaw healthcare’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Alun Thomas, Shaw’s Chairman. Also in attendance were representatives from West Sussex’s Alzheimers’ Society and Healthwatch, West Sussex.
The celebrations kicked off with a performance by pupils from Petworth Primary School, followed by entertainment from local singer, Chloe Josephine. On display were picture boards showing a selection of the events which have taken place over the years, including the construction of a world record-breaking chocolate éclair.
Rotherlea, which is run by Shaw healthcare, provides care for up to 70 physically frail older people, including those living with a dementia. The home replaced two county council homes, ‘Rother House’ in Midhurst, and ‘Courtlea in Petworth.
There was a special mention for the home’s deputy manager, Jess Geall, who joined Shaw in 2005. Jess started as a support worker and has progressed in her career over the years with Shaw. Before joining the team at Rotherlea a couple of years ago, she worked at other Shaw homes, including Warmere Court, Elizabeth House and Glebe House. All those present took the opportunity to wish Jess well for her impending maternity leave.
Shaw’s Operations manager, Claire Gibson, commented: “Staff, residents and our special guests have enjoyed a lovely afternoon to celebrate ten years of providing care here in Petworth. Recognising this significant milestone is important and I would like to pay tribute to the staff who work hard to ensure that we provide a high standard of care. Marking this occasion has been the highlight of everybody’s week at Rotherlea care home and I look forward to the next ten years.”
Shaw healthcare provides a spectrum of services from comprehensive care packages through to low level support in the community for older people and adults with physical, sensory or mental health support needs.
