Rivermead Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

08/09/2025

Our Tell Barchester Annual Survey is LIVE!

For the 5th consecutive year, our annual customer satisfaction survey Tell Barchester is OPEN!

The survey gives our residents, patients, their friends and family the opportunity to tell us how they feel about their experience, helping us learn, improve and celebrate what people love about life at Barchester.

Residents and patients are able to complete the survey with our teams, invitations to take part are emailed to all friends & family members we have contact details for – have you received yours? It’s also possible to take part in our homes and hospitals using the QR posters on display.

Tell Barchester is quick and simple to complete, your time is much appreciated and this feedback shapes the care and service received across Barchester.

In the meantime, if you have feedback you would like to share you can talk to us at any point, our door is always open.

06/09/2025

Attention all quizzers and music fans! 🎵 📝

Join us on Wednesday, 10th September, at 2.30pm for a fun-filled virtual music quiz.

We’ll link up with Barchester care homes and hospitals across the country for Barchester’s ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ Quiz.

Our residents will go head-to-head with our sister homes, putting their music knowledge to the test to see who will claim the title of ultimate quiz champion.

The event will be available to watch via YouTube live, please contact the home for more information.

04/09/2025

⭐ LaingBuisson 2025 Award Finalist ⭐

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for the ‘Care Home Group of the Year’ category at the prestigious LaingBuisson Awards.

Now in their 20th year, the awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in the UK health and social care industry.

With more than 400 entries submitted across each category, being named a finalist is a real honour.

This recognition is a true reflection of the dedication, hard work and compassion of all our teams and colleagues across Barchester – a big thank you for everything they do each day! 👏

The winners will be announced on the 20th November 2025 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

LaingBuisson LaingBuisson News

03/09/2025

✨🎭 Bringing the Fringe to Strachan House ✨🎵

Residents, families and visitors at Strachan House Care Home in enjoyed an afternoon of fantastic performances as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Care Fest.

Now in its third year, the Fringe Care Fest brings the magic of the Fringe directly to care home residents who can no longer visit the festival venues.

Talented singer and pianist Jacqui Randa warmed up the crowd with her excellent keyboard skills and cheeky anecdotes. After a short break for more prosecco in the sun, everyone relaxed to the wonderful voice of Duane Forrest.

It was an amazing experience, complete with a special party menu from the home’s kitchen team, plenty of drinks – and of course, lots of dancing.

A big thank you to all involved in making this event such a success. 👏

02/09/2025

⭐ A Perfect 10! ⭐

We’re thrilled to share that Iverley View Care Home in has received a 10 out of 10 score on the independent care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, after a series of glowing reviews.

This fantastic achievement places Iverley View 7th out of 7,238 care homes across England and 1st in their county.

A big thank you to the team who work incredibly hard to provide the highest standard of care and support to residents and their families. Truly well deserved. 👏

.co.uk

02/09/2025

🎶 MUSICAL MOMENTS 🎶

This afternoon we had another wonderful session with Jodie from Musical Moments 🥰

These musical interactive sessions are a brilliant way for the residents to be social, have fun, and promotes positive wellbeing ❤️

The residents all engaged with Jodie and each other as we sang and danced the afternoon away with some of their favourite songs 🎤
Using some of the props and instruments added an extra touch to their fun and enjoyment!

To find out more about life visit our website https://www.barchester.com/home/rivermead-care-home or call us on 01653 696942.

01/09/2025

🌟 STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH 🌟

Rivermeads Staff member of the month for August was awarded to our amazing care practitioner Karlen Mcblane ❤️

Karlen is a treasured member of the team here at Rivermead! She works so hard for all the residents to ensure they are well cared for, they are listened to and their voices heard providing person centred care in all she does!
Karlen goes above and beyond for the residents here at Rivermead to ensure they have everything they need/want ❤️

Karlen’s personality shines through in her daily duties as she makes us smile, laugh and is always a listening ear for both residents and staff ❤️

29/08/2025

🐾 Residents Welcome Furry Friends 🐾

Our care homes and hospitals recently marked National Dog Day in style by hosting a range of activities for all to enjoy, including dog shows, pet therapy sessions and community events.

From four-legged companions to wagging tails and friendly competitions, it was a wonderful day that brought joy and smiles to everyone.

Take a look at some of our favourite moments. ✨

27/08/2025

⭐ Champions of Care: The Care Quality Leaders Network ⭐

We’re delighted to share that Sue Sheath, our Director of Regulation and Quality Improvement, has been featured in this month’s Caring Times magazine for her work founding the Care Quality Leaders Network.

In June, the network held its first face-to-face conference entitled ‘Innovating Care Quality: Leadership in Action’ in London, bringing together colleagues from across the adult social care sector.

What began as a small group of providers meeting informally before the pandemic has grown under Sue’s leadership into a thriving network of over 90 organisations – from large operators to mid-sized and smaller providers nationwide – all united by a shared commitment to champion high-quality care.

Sue commented: “I am so proud of how this group has grown over the last five years into an incredible supportive network with real influence. I was keen to create an opportunity for the group to meet face to face to hear from some of the biggest names in the sector about the challenges and opportunities we face and share ideas and best practice. I would like to thank all our generous partners such as Radar Healthcare, Care Launch and Nourish Care, who made this event possible.”

We’re so proud of Sue for her hard work in creating this fantastic network and for running such a successful event that brought together so many excellent minds! 👏

26/08/2025

📸 World Photography Day 🌟

Recently, residents and patients up and down the country celebrated World Photography Day with flair and creativity.

Throughout the day, everyone enjoyed a range of themed activities and art sessions, from crafting photo books and collages to participating in professional photoshoots and capturing images of their favourite objects and subjects.

It was also a wonderful opportunity for all to reflect on past experiences by looking at treasured photographs and sharing happy memories.

Take a look at some of our favourite moments.

22/08/2025

✨🏍️ Speedway Wish Granted 🏍️✨

This week, the team at Hickathrift House Care Home in was delighted to grant another special wish through their ‘Post a Wish’ initiative – a visit to the King's Lynn Speedway - the Home of the Stars.

It was a fantastic experience, with riders kindly taking time to chat and reminisce with a resident about past races and bikes. The Speedway team ensured the evening was special, welcoming everyone on arrival and making the visit unforgettable.

Residents truly enjoyed sitting in the front row, cheering on the riders and sharing stories of speedway events gone by.

A big thank you to all involved in making this trip possible. 👏

King's Lynn Stars

21/08/2025

🍎 AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY 🍏

Today some of our residents and staff rolled up their sleeves to gather apples from our beautiful tree. There were smiles all around as baskets filled up quickly!

The apples will be put to very good use, some will be a treat for the staffs’ horses, and the rest will be baked into delicious homemade apple pies for everyone to enjoy. 🐴🥧

It’s always wonderful to see our residents taking part in these simple, joyful traditions that bring back fond memories and create new ones together.

21/08/2025

🤩 Adventure Day Out for Mortain Place Residents 🤩

Residents at Mortain Place Care Home in enjoyed an unforgettable day at Knockhatch Adventure Park.

From speeding around the go-kart track and meeting extraordinary animals to splashing down the water slides, it was a day full of fun.

To make the trip even more special, residents and colleagues were joined by Malcolm from ITV News Meridian, who captured the excitement on camera and spoke to the residents about their experiences.

The team at Mortain Place believe days like this are an important way to enrich the lives of residents, creating lasting memories for all involved.

Take a look at the fantastic broadcast coverage below! 👇

Watch the latest from ITV News - Barchester Mortain Place in Eastbourne takes its residents on day trips to an adventure park with activities such as go-karting and water slides

20/08/2025

❤️ PRESCHOOL VISIT ❤️

Wathcourt preschool children visited us again today for a fantastic afternoon!

We had fun blowing ping pong balls the furthest, we coloured some pretty pictures and then we made our own postcards drawing our favourite holidays 🥰 We also read some lovely stories, the children brought their own sand to make delicious ‘ice creams’ too!
Thank you for coming to see us again and we look forward to seeing you all soon ❤️

To find out more about life visit our website https://www.barchester.com/home/rivermead-care-home or call us on 01653 696942.

20/08/2025

Calling all Bingo enthusiasts!

Join us on Wednesday, 27th August, at 2.30pm for some interactive virtual Bingo fun as part of ‘Barchester Goes Gaming’ – Barchester’s very own game show series.

We will take on our sister homes to find out which care home or hospital has the best Bingo players.

The event will be available to watch via YouTube live, please contact the home for more information.

To find out more about life in our homes, please visit our website: https://brnw.ch/21wV3gv

19/08/2025

💚Wilma’s day at the hair salon 💇🏼‍♀️

A massive thank you to Leah Bonson Hair at Halo Hair Salon Malton for styling our lovely Wilma’s hair today.

Though we have an in house hairdresser, Wilma’s hair was proving very tough and required an extra touch.

We are so grateful to how calm and patient Leah was and how much of a good job she did on Wilma’s hair.

We finished it off with a trip to Asda to stock up on some treats: the perfect end to a girls afternoon 💚

19/08/2025

🦆📚 A Quacking Good Story from Atfield House 📚🦆

We’re excited to share that Atfield House Care Home in , London has launched their very own children’s storybook, inspired by a much-loved tradition and their nature-loving residents.

Each year, a duck named Hope visits the home’s garden to lay her eggs – a heart-warming event that has been taking place for many years. The experience sparks engagement, evokes memories and offers meaningful comfort to residents, supporting emotional and cognitive wellbeing with every quiet waddle.

After speaking with residents, families and colleagues, the team decided to capture the tale in a beautifully illustrated book.
The home looks forward to sharing the storybook with visitors and children from local schools – a great opportunity to spread the joy of this charming tradition.

You can explore their delightful storybook here 👇https://online.flippingbook.com/view/503801204/

18/08/2025

🏃‍♂️🏅 Great North Run - Marathon Effort for Charity 🏃‍♀️🏅

On Sunday, 7th September, five brave Barchester colleagues will take on the gruelling Great North Run to raise money for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation supports older people and adults living with a disability by helping them connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

Our amazing runners are:
• Becky Dearing, Health and Safety Coordinator
• Kirsty Taylor, Activities Lead at Chalfont Lodge Care Centre - Barchester Healthcare
• Zsuszanna Bodog, Care Assistant from Red Oaks Care Home - Barchester Healthcare
• Tom Hodges, Dementia Nurse Specialist for the North West and Midlands
• Yvonne Hand, General Manager at Glenroyd Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

They will lace-up their trainers and use grit and determination to complete the 13-mile half marathon course that starts in Newcastle upon Tyne and takes thousands of runners over the iconic Tyne Bridge in order to raise funds for Barchester's Charitable Foundation.

Wishing the very best of luck to the runners! 👏

18/08/2025

🚂 RAILWAY MUSEUM 🚂

Today we ventured out to York to visit the railway museum 😁

We picked up our sister home Ouse View Care Home - Barchester Healthcare and took them with us for a wonderful day out!

Everyone enjoyed exploring the trains, sharing stories, and making new friends 🥰

To find out more about life visit our website https://www.barchester.com/home/rivermead-care-home or call us on 01653 696942.

16/08/2025

🎉 SUMMER FAIR 🎉

Today we had our annual summer fair 🥳

We had a lovely visit from Ed, Sarah’s horse 🐴 who was amazing with the group of visitors we had 😁

We had some fun little games for people to play and the children really enjoyed those!

We had a ‘Name the teddy’ which our knitting ladies lovingly created with Glenda picking the name and Karlen Mcblane won!! 🥳🥳

The weather stayed lovely and we all had an excellent day ❤️

To find out more about life visit our website https://www.barchester.com/home/rivermead-care-home or call us on 01653 696942.

14/08/2025

🌊🐠 A Day Full of Smiles, Sea Creatures, and Seaside Treats! 🐟💙

What a fintastic day we had at the Sea Life Centre! Our lovely residents were absolutely delighted to explore the underwater world from graceful rays and curious seahorses to the majestic sharks and playful penguins, there was so much to see and enjoy. 🐡🦈🐙🐧

The smiles on everyone’s faces said it all the joy of discovering something new, the awe of watching marine life up close, and the happiness of sharing it all with friends made it truly special. 💫

After our sea adventure, we made our way to the seafront for some traditional fish and chips, however it was far to busy so we headed out of town and found a lovely restaurant and they were delicious! 🍽️🐟

The sun was shining, the sea breeze was just right, and we had the perfect view while enjoying our meal and reminiscing about the day.
Days like this are what it’s all about, creating meaningful moments, enjoying each other’s company, and making memories that warm the heart. 💕 Thank you to our amazing team who helped make everything run smoothly and to our wonderful residents for bringing their joy and laughter to every moment.

13/08/2025

🎤🎵 Come Sing! To Feel Good 🎤🎵

Residents and patients across the country had a fantastic time joining Dan Cooper, Vocal Coach from Biiah, for a lively summer virtual sing-along.

With the uplifting ‘Que Sera Sera’ by Doris Day and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ by The Beach Boys, there was plenty of singing and dancing all around.

The session was a great success, bringing benefits for the mind, body and soul, and leaving everyone with a dose of summer cheer.

A big thank you to Dan Cooper for the wonderful experience. 👏

Take a look at some of our favourite moments in the photos below.

🔗 www.barchester.com

11/08/2025

✨A Roaring 1920s Summer Fête at Ashlar House ✨

Ashlar House Care Home in turned back the clock for a spectacular Summer Fete inspired by the glamour of the 1920s.

Residents, families, colleagues and guests dressed to impress, bringing the glamour and spirit of the Jazz Age to life.

From Charleston dancing and live entertainment to delicious food, sweet treats and a much-loved raffle. There was something for everyone to enjoy.

It was a fantastic experience for all involved. 👏