Overslade House

10/10/2025

🎉 Awel-Y-Mor Celebrates Excellent Ratings 🎉

Awel-Y-Mor Care Home in , Swansea passed a recent Care Inspectorate Wales inspection with ‘Excellent’ ratings - the best possible ratings – across the board, after being praised for operating a safe, well-maintained, caring and well-led service.

The CIW report stated that there was a strong sense of belonging and teamwork in the home, nurtured by a very well-respected management team that encourages a positive culture.

Highlighted in the report was that the care staff knew residents well and were dedicated and driven to offering them the best possible care, going above and beyond to do so.

A relative commented: “I can’t speak highly enough about the place, they are so good at the little things, all the residents come first here. My loved one has a good life here.”

Our CEO, Dr Pete Calveley, visited Awel-Y-Mor to congratulate Rachael, General Manager, and her team on the home’s Excellent ratings and award every member of staff a £500 voucher to celebrate their achievement.

Huge congratulations to everyone at Awel-Y-Mor – what a fantastic achievement! 👏

Here are some of the highlights from the day.

08/10/2025

⭐ We’re Finalists for the National Care Awards ⭐

We’re delighted to share that Barchester Healthcare has been shortlisted in the Large Care Home Group category for this year’s National Care Awards.

The National Care Awards are the largest awards recognising excellence in the UK care sector, celebrating the very best people and companies across the sector.

A huge congratulations to Aila Evangelista from Atfield House Care Home in , London, a finalist in the Care Registered Nurse of the Year category, and to the entire team at Atfield House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, also shortlisted for Dignity and Respect Care Home of the Year. 👏

We’re so proud of all our teams who work tirelessly to provide the very best care for residents, patients and their families every single day.

The winners will be announced on 7th November at Park Plaza London – good luck to all the finalists!

07/10/2025

🖌️ Pinetree Residents Get Creative with Mosaic-Making 🎨

As part of their first home anniversary celebrations, and together with volunteers from partner company CBRE UK, colleagues and residents at Pinetree Care Home in set to work on a joint project to commemorate the occasion.

Residents were asked what they would like to do to celebrate and decided to create a beautiful mosaic sign for the home.

The project was a wonderful collaboration that everyone at the home could join in with. The end result is a fitting tribute to the home, which now hangs in reception for all the staff, residents and visitors to enjoy.

A resident commented: “It is so wonderful to try new hobbies, I had never made a mosaic before but I absolutely loved it and have been bitten by the bug! I can’t wait to have another go and see what else we can make. I really enjoyed sitting down with everyone else and working on something together, it gave us all a fantastic sense of achievement.”

What a beautiful mosaic! Well done to all involved. 👏

04/10/2025

Today we celebrate World Animal Day. Our residents enjoyed a visit from The Alpaca pals yesterday who visited our residents from room to room.
The Alpaca Pals brought with them Dante and little wriggler Rupert. Rupert is only 1 Year old and behaved so well.

Resident Lilian said “aren’t they beautiful and so soft”. Many staff and visitors wanted to take Rupert home, no offence Dante you are very handsome!

Thank you so much to Jane and Rachel for helping to enrich the lives of our residents and probably walking 10 miles in the 2 hrs you are with us walking from room to room , we look forward to seeing you next year ❤️

World Mental Health day is also approaching and animals have proved to be very therapeutic and beneficial to cognitive well-being and we think the smiles in our photographs tell all.

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

03/10/2025

♥️ The Power of Music: a heart-warming moment at Ochil Care Home ♥️

Colleagues and residents at Ochil Care Home in were over the moon to uncover a beautiful piece of history when they heard an original recording by one of their much-loved residents, Wilma, who used to be a professional singer years ago.

Wilma’s husband, Donald, had lovingly kept the original master copy of Wilma’s debut album which was recorded in 1996. Staff at the home helped Donald transfer the precious recording onto a CD to preserve it.

Everyone at the home watched the heart-warming moment when Wilma, who is living with dementia, realised the recording being played was her voice from almost thirty years ago. Her reaction was absolutely magical as her memory of that time in her life came flooding back.

What’s more, the video of that extraordinary moment showing the power of music to connect, has now been viewed over 65,000 times.

Such a beautiful moment! ✨

Ochil Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

02/10/2025

Overslade House would like to wish a very happy birthday to our Head Regional Chef Corey Leake. Staff and residents gathered together to surprise Corey.

Corey was completely thrown off guard and surprised at how sneaky his own kitchen team were hiding cake and nibbles from him for his party, but gave them a hug anyway.

General Manager, Genoveva Tamasi said “It is such a pleasure to celebrate Corey’s birthday , Corey takes great care and pride in providing nutritional and enjoyable meals for our residents on a daily basis with the help of his team. Well done to Chef Dario Mozzettini for making the cake and food and keeping it hidden from Corey.”

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

01/10/2025

🥨🍻 Oktoberfest Celebrations 🥨🍻

Oktoberfest was a huge hit with residents, patients, families and visitors this year.

Our care homes and hospitals joined in the celebrations with themed decorations, live entertainment, community events and plenty of fun.

Our talented chefs and hospitality colleagues prepared a selection of pretzels and Bavarian dishes, all complemented by some refreshing cold beers.

It was a day to remember - here are some of our favourite moments.

01/10/2025

Residents have started early with Christmas looming. We always have a tree entered into the Festival of Trees Competition at St.Andrew's Church Rugby and the theme this year is music.

Today our residents started making angels out of sheet music for the tree, while others enjoyed some flower arranging. Creativity is very therapeutic and rewarding when you see the finished result.

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

30/09/2025

☕💚 World’s Biggest Coffee Morning ☕💚

Colleagues, residents, patients, families and friends across the country came together to enjoy charity coffee mornings and bake sales, raising funds and awareness for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Our care homes and hospitals hosted a variety of community events, inviting everyone to catch up over a cuppa and a slice of something delicious, all for a great cause.

Residents and patients enjoyed spending time with friends and relatives, and members of the local community. Our talented chefs baked plenty of cakes, biscuits and pastries for everyone to sample.

The events were a great success – thank you to everyone who took part and helped support this important cause.

Here are some of our favourite moments. ✨

30/09/2025

A look ahead to our upcoming events we hope you can join us.

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

29/09/2025

Residents enjoyed another fun visit from H3 Fitness today with fun and exercise combined, creating feelings of well-being and raising self-esteem. Our Musical memories disco was also another hit and today we had Musical Mayhem with music and percussion instruments. Music is proven to be therapeutic and excellent for cognitive stimulation with residents dancing, playing and reminiscing.

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

29/09/2025

Many thanks to everybody that came to our MacMillan Coffee Morning and donated there is still time to win a bottle by guessing which square the coffee bean is behind.

It was also lovely to see Pauline Barnett who stayed with us for respite last year .

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

24/09/2025

🖌️ Virtual V&A Make-along 🎨

In celebration of National Day of Arts in Care Homes, residents and patients across the country enjoyed a wonderful V&A Virtual Make-along experience with Holly from the V&A Learning team and designer-artist Rafin Jannat.

Taking inspiration from the South Asia Gallery at the museum, everyone had the chance to experiment with paints and pigments made from everyday ingredients, creating their own unique artworks.

It was a calming, creative experience that everyone truly enjoyed. A big thank you to the Victoria and Albert Museum team for leading such an inspiring session!

Here are some of our favourite highlights. ✨

National Activity Providers Association

24/09/2025

In celebration of National Art in Care Homes Day, 24th September, Residents were treated to a live talk entitled ‘Natural Pigments Inspired by South Asian Miniature Painting’ hosted by Holly Power and Rafin Jannat from the V&A South Kensington.

Residents joined Holly from the V&A Learning team and designer-artist Rafin Jannat for a live make-along. They learned about the stunning work of artists, designers and craftspeople that feature in the South Asia Gallery at the V&A South Kensington. Residents were inspired to create their own works on paper using pigments and paints made from everyday ingredients such as tea and coffee.

Holly said: “It was wonderful to be able to share some of the many treasures from the South Asia Gallery with the staff and residents from Barchester and talk about the history of some of the pieces we have in the collection at V&A South Kensington.
The techniques we tried together are centuries old and it is fantastic to be able to showcase the beautiful effects that can be achieved with the simplest of materials.”

Art in Care Homes is a NAPA programme which aims to highlight the wellbeing benefits of arts, creativity and cultural engagement in care settings. Its aim is to promote the beneficial outcomes for care recipients, staff teams and relatives, champion good practice and encourage care settings to develop more creative activities and opportunities.

Julie Bateman the Activities Lead at Overslade commented: “Our residents love to paint, colour and sketch, so Art in Care Homes Day is a fantastic excuse for us to get out all our art materials and really get creative our residents are also enjoying creating decorations ready for Christmas.”

23/09/2025

Many thanks to The Lesley Ann Duo for a fabulous morning of entertainment today, in our beautifully refurbished Lounge. Residents sang and clapped along and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We look forward to seeing Lesley and Katie in the New Year.

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Violeta Baesu, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

22/09/2025

⭐ We’re Finalists in the UK Customer Experience Awards ⭐

It’s awards season and we’re thrilled to share that our talented Customer Experience Team has been shortlisted in not one, but two categories in the prestigious UK Customer Experience Awards:

💡 Best Use of Customer Insight
💻 Best Use of Technology

We’re proud that Barchester Healthcare is the only company from the health sector to be recognised in either of these categories. The winners will be announced at Wembley in October – wish us luck!

Our nomination for Best Use of Customer Insight comes from our Tell Barchester survey, which gathers invaluable feedback each year from more than 13,500 residents, patients and their families. Every single piece of feedback helps us shape and improve the care and services we provide.

In the Best Use of Technology category, our new Connex CRM system, powered by Salesforce, has been recognised for transforming how we manage every customer interaction – making the care journey seamless.

We’re so proud of our team and grateful to everyone who shared their feedback with us.

21/09/2025

Breadcrumb Home / Help and Advice / World Alzheimer’s Day 2025 – Why It Matters More Than Ever At Barchester World Alzheimer’s Day 2025 – Why It Matters More Than Ever at Barchester Blog / Alzheimer's disease 16 September 2025 Share 7 minute read What Is World Alzheimer’s Day and Why ...

21/09/2025

World Alzheimer’s Day 2025 – Why It Matters More Than Ever 💜

World Alzheimer’s Day, observed annually on 21st September, is a global event dedicated to raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

With nearly 1 million people in the UK living with dementia, understanding, support and research have never been more important.

Alzheimer’s Day serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s, and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention.

At Barchester, our commitment to dementia care goes beyond World Alzheimer’s Day. We strive to make a difference every day, providing compassionate support, innovative programmes, and expert care for residents, patients and families.

To find out more, please see our latest blog here: https://www.barchester.com/help-and-advice/world-alzheimers-day-2025-why-it-matters-more-ever-barchester

Breadcrumb Home / Help and Advice / World Alzheimer’s Day 2025 – Why It Matters More Than Ever At Barchester World Alzheimer’s Day 2025 – Why It Matters More Than Ever at Barchester Blog / Alzheimer's disease 16 September 2025 Share 7 minute read What Is World Alzheimer’s Day and Why ...

20/09/2025

Please join us in helping to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support on Friday morning

We are holding our Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 26th September 10.30am-12.30pm. Please join us for some delicious home made cakes and coffee. We have started the ball rolling at our recent Garden Party Music Festival by raising £30.00 let's keep that ball rolling.

To donate please follow the link or scan the QR code on your phone.
https://cm25.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/CM25025022

20/09/2025

Kilworth Theatre

18/09/2025

OVERSLADE HOUSE CARE HOME MAKES RESIDENT’S WISH COME TRUE

Resident, Jim Sheils, at Overslade House Care home in Rugby, Warwickshire, had seen the band The Eagles many years ago and said he liked the Eagles music and would be nice to see them again. Activities Lead, Julie Bateman, sprang into action as she has friends who perform an Eagles Tribute Show, called Talon. As luck would have it they were playing locally at Kilworth House Theatre and there were very few tickets left.

Jim is staying with us on Respite at the moment and will be back in the future he has made some lovely connections already and is beloved by staff and residents alike. Staff at the home were delighted to be a part of making his wish come true, as they knew how much it meant to him, and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Jim’s face when his wish was realised.

Staff found out about Jim’s wish and, ever since then, they have been dedicated to helping him achieve it. Jim was accompanied by Activities Lead, Julie Bateman and Activities Coordinator Martin Higgs, who were there to witness this momentous occasion.

In response to this wonderful surprise, Jim, said: “It was a lovely surprise and a great night. Talon were excellent, my favourite song is Hotel California and they performed it brilliantly. Julie on Activities knows the band, so I got to have a picture with them which was also a surprise. It is such an amazing feeling to know that such a loving group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a wish – and I didn’t even ask.”

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager at the home, said: “We believe that every moment is worth cherishing. We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Overslade House. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true. It was wonderful to see how happy Jim was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”

We are welcoming new residents into our homes to ensure that we are there for those that need care and support
To find out more about life at Overslade House, please visit our website: https://www.barchester.com/home/overslade-house-care-home or for more information please contact Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home on 01788 522577, or email overslade@barchester.com

16/09/2025

⭐ Happy National Housekeeping Week ⭐

This week we’re celebrating the fantastic housekeeping teams across our care homes and hospitals.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise their dedication to keeping everything spotless and creating a welcoming environment for residents, patients, families and visitors.

Thank you to all our colleagues for their continuous hard work and support – you truly make a difference every day.

12/09/2025

🎉 Lotus Manor is Now Open 🎉

We’re excited to share that Lotus Manor Care Home in has opened its doors in style, with a Grand Opening performed by the Deputy Mayor of Guildford, Councillor Jane Tyson, in front of invited guests from the local community.

Our CEO, Dr Pete Calveley, and General Manager, Candy Guo, hosted the event and invited guests to view the stunning new 64-bed care home.

Designed with residents’ comfort in mind, Lotus Manor Care Home will offer residential support, respite stays and specialist dementia care, all delivered by a dedicated and passionate team of trained professionals.

Take a look at some of our favourite moments from the event. ✨

11/09/2025

🚑 Celebrating Emergency Services Day 🚒👏

Residents, patients, colleagues and visitors marked this year’s Emergency Services Day in style, recognising the contribution of local emergency services, volunteers and heroes.

Our homes and hospitals hosted a variety of community events, from coffee mornings to afternoon garden parties, inviting emergency services personnel to join for hot drinks and delicious home-made cakes.

Everyone had a wonderful time, visiting local emergency services sites, engaging in conversations and sharing inspirational stories of emergency services heroes, both past and present.