Clayburn Court care home in Peterborough achieves Veteran Friendly status

Former members of the Armed Forces in Peterborough will benefit from enhanced person-centred care and support after the care home they live in achieved the standards required for the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF). 

To achieve their Veteran Friendly status, Clayburn Court care home was required to meet eight standards. These included: noting Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans or partners of veterans. 

The aim of achieving Veteran Friendly Framework status is to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the Armed Forces community in residential care homes across England by providing training and resources to assess and improve the care offered.

It will help tackle loneliness and has the scope to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the estimated 25,000 veterans living in care homes in England.  

Home Manager Jaqualine Nzara said:

We are very pleased to be part of the VFF and we are looking forward to embedding this over the next year.

Applying for VFF status is a big undertaking for any care home and I would like to thank my colleagues and residents for their commitment and effort in achieving this – we are truly proud to be a Veteran Friendly home.

Elsie Watkins is a 104-year-old veteran who served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps and worked in the NAAFI kitchen from the age of 18 serving meals to soldiers. Elsie said:

I think this is a great idea as it gets people together and it is an honour for all of us at Clayburn Court to be recognised.

The VFF is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and the Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. 

Kathryn Glass is the VFF Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter and responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. 

Kathryn said:

We’re delighted that Clayburn Court has achieved VFF status. This is a great testament to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners. 

The application that Clayburn Court submitted was of an exceptionally high standard and wholly recognised the dedication, passion, and commitment the team has for providing high-quality person-centred care for residents, and colleagues alike, along with forging some really meaningful connections to the armed forces community and NHS services.

For more information about the home please visit here.