Nursing Home, Coxwell Hall of Faringdon, is renowned for its specialist dementia care with a reputation that is founded on years of knowledge and a highly skilled and dedicated team of clinical nursing and care practitioners.
On Friday 25th October 36 members of the Coxwell Hall team, nearly half the workforce, joined together at the Sudbury House Hotel, Faringdon, to celebrate their long service. The event, set up by home manager, Zippy Magana in recognition of her exceptional team showcased the dedication and commitment to residents at Coxwell Hall. This platform demonstrated how, in the current industry landscape, Coxwell Hall is flying its flag for staff retention, embracing the exceptional longevity of its workforce.
Cllr. Jane Boulton, the Faringdon Deputy Mayor joined members of the management team, including CEO Amar Sheikh, to present the awards to the 36 strong team; kindly standing in for the Mayor, Cllr. Peter Castle who was unwell. Over half the awards presented on the day were handed out to staff with continuous service at the home from 10 years to an exceptional 28 years. The awards were wholly inclusive, with recipients including members of the nursing and care team as well as the kitchen, housekeeping and maintenance teams; a demonstration of the powerful unity and desire to support each other and especially the residents cared for within the Coxwell Hall community.
The care sector in the UK is frequently reported to have significant staff shortages, with high vacancy rates and challenges in recruitment and retention, so how is Coxwell Hall bucking this trend? Coxwell Hall, Home Manager; Zippy Magana outlined her view, stating;
‘‘Everything we do at Coxwell Hall is dedicated to creating a family within our community, an extension of the natural framework our residents and their loved ones would hope to experience every day. Along with high levels of training, this unique family relationship is something we build on right across our team and it pays dividends. I am very proud of our staff retention and the way that every member of our team embraces this ethos. The way we work together creates a special environment, one that benefits not just our residents but each other.’’
Zippy also said; ‘’Given our growing and ageing population, it is obvious that the care sector needs a lot of staff to deliver high-quality care. According to the *Kings Fund there were 152,000 vacancies in the sector in 2022/2023; a considerable gap to fill. Perhaps more groups should take a look at how the Coxwell model is working, it is a point of fact at Coxwell that any staff that have chosen to leave often find themselves returning to the fold, had they not left, many more awards would have been handed out today’’.
*Ref: The Kings Fund The adult social care workforce in a nutshell 2nd May 2024. www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/social-care-workforce-nutshell