Investor In People Recognition

Sunshine Care Ltd. has attained the 'Investor in People' standard. This is the Press Release from March 2005.

SUNSHINE CARE LTD IS RECOGNISED AS INVESTOR IN PEOPLE

A PLYMOUTH company whose dedication to quality community care has enabled it to enjoy an unprecedented rise in business is celebrating after being recognised as an Investor in People.

Sunshine Care Ltd has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to staff training and development, providing employees with the skills and support needed to help clients enjoy the many benefits of independent living.

This commitment has earned the company an outstanding reputation with both Plymouth City Council and the NHS, enabling Sunshine Care to increase staff levels from three to 52 in just over two years.

Sunshine Care Ltd was supported through the Investor in People recognition by Business Link for Devon and Cornwall .

“We are delighted to be recognised as an Investor in People,” said director Paul Constantine , who co-owns Sunshine Care with his wife Susie. “The programme came at absolutely the right time for us. We were focusing on new national standards as set out by the Care Standards Act 2000 and fortunately new procedures met with the requirements of both Investors in People and the new national standards for Domiciliary Care. At the same time, Investors in People has brought the staff even closer together and made people feel more value. The whole Investors in People process has been invaluable to us.”

He added: “ We employ loving and compassionate staff who have a genuine interest in the mental, emotional and physical well being of those they look after. Our committed staff enable us to provide a community care service of such high quality that we are seen as the first choice provider by many social workers, district nurses, doctors and care managers. We endeavour to provide that little bit extra to enhance the lives of the vulnerable and elderly who are finding it difficult to cope on their own. All our staff are police-checked, regularly supervised, well-supported and trained to an exceptionally high standard. We pay a basic wage of £8.00 per hour and provide free NVQ 2, NVQ 3 and NVQ 4 training. ”

Sunshine Care is a remarkable success story built through the determination of Paul and Sue Constantine. After successfully managing The Retreat Care Home in Plymstock for five years, the Constantines established Sunshine Care Ltd to provide high-quality care for people residing in their own homes through its trained, compassionate and motivated staff.

Mirroring the many good practices already established at The Retreat, which was recognised as an Investor in People in its own right in December 2004, Sunshine Care Ltd quickly become a invaluable service the city council and other care agencies. So much so that Sunshine Care has now established itself as the choice quality provider to the NHS Discharge Team and NHS Continuing Care Team.

Staff training and development has been instrumental in the company success. Indeed, Sunshine Care has embraced the recent introduction of the National Care Standards and used this as an opportunity to develop a comprehensive training and development programme. It has coupled this with the Investor in People Standard to develop key frameworks and new working practices to meet the needs of its staff and concentrate on the continuous improvement of the overall organisation.

In fact, learning and development are seen as vital to the company’s continued success, particularly since the introduction of the National Care Standards Act. As a result, a number of in-house training programmes are conducted to help staff understand the crucial role they play in the delivery of quality care and cleaning services.

As one member of staff remarked during the assessment process: “We all work together and support each other as much as possible. In fact, we are more like a family - there is no hierarchy.”

The benefits of staff training and development have been measured in a number of ways, including the creation of a committed, motivated workforce that feels very much a part of the Sunshine Care team. At the same time, the investment in staff training has enabled the company to successfully tender for social services’ contracts and pass all external inspections.

In recommending Sunshine Care Ltd for recognition as an Investor in People, Assessor Jenni Brady said: “ Sunshine Care Limited was only started as a business about two years ago and has enjoyed rapid growth and success. This is in very large measure due to the dedication and exceptionally hard work and leadership provided by the two directors .”

In Devon and Cornwall , Investors in People for all organisations is supported by Business Link for Devon and Cornwall which can be contacted on 0845 6009966.  

For further information on The Retreat Care Home, please contact Paul Constantine on 01752 242454 or visit the Retreat website