The Manor House Knaresborough care home awarded for continued commitment to veteran care

The Manor House Knaresborough care home in Yorkshire has been awarded for its continued commitment to supporting veterans both within the home and across the local community.

The Manor House Knaresborough achieved Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status in June 2024, recognising the home’s dedication to providing high-quality, person-centred care for members of the Armed Forces community. To achieve this status, care homes need to have met the VFF’s eight core standards. These include noting Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services including their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans or partners of veterans.

One year on from achieving VFF status, The Manor House Knaresborough has passed its one-year review. The achievement was marked with a celebratory event attended by residents, colleagues, and local members of the Royal British Legion.

Over the past year, The Manor House Knaresborough has demonstrated its dedication to the armed forces community through a range of activities, resulting in it passing the one-year review with flying colours. Highlights include hosting a monthly lunch club with local members of the Royal British Legion and attending the passing out parade at The Army Training College in Harrogate.

The home also offers a dedicated reflection area with books and memorabilia related to WW1 and WW2 – including medals, ration books, and other items – where residents can enjoy a quiet moment, read, or reminisce.

The aim of the VFF 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 they offer. It helps 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.

Klara Spatenkova, Home Manager at The Manor House Knaresborough, said:

We’re so pleased to have successfully completed the VFF’s one-year review. It’s an honour to care for our veteran residents, who have given so much in service to our country. Over the past year, we’ve continued to build significant connections with the Armed Forces community, and this achievement reflects our team’s ongoing commitment to going above and beyond for those who served.

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 is responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. Kathryn said:

We’re delighted that The Manor House Knaresborough has once again demonstrated its commitment to veteran care. This is a great testament to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners.

The one-year review of The Manor House Knaresborough was of an exceptionally high standard and fully 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 Manor House Knaresborough, please click here.