Operating seven care homes across Yorkshire and the northwest region, Wood Care Group is a family-run business with a rich history in the care sector, dating back to 1985. The company offers 24-hour residential, nursing, and dementia care within a comfortable environment, enabling residents to relax and enjoy their lives. For the high level of care it delivers, Wood Care Group has been awarded Assisted Living Group of the Year in the Northern Enterprise Awards 2023. Here, we speak to Director Andrew Wood to find out more about the business. Assisted Living Group of the Year 2023 More than three decades ago, Wood Care Group was established when Thomas Wood started his own care home in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Since then, the business has grown to encompass seven care homes across Swinton, Huddersfield, Barnsley, and Doncaster, as well as remaining in Oldham. Within each new home it has opened, Wood Care Group has worked to incorporate the culture of the local area, for example by hanging up pictures of nearby towns. This reflects its longstanding commitment to creating a homely atmosphere for its residents. Over the years, Wood Care Group has welcomed three generations of the Wood family to the team. In 2012, Andrew Wood took on the role of Director. Today, Andrew works alongside his father Tom and sister Jenny as Company Directors. The company now employs a team of over 400 staff across multiple locations. Despite its significant expansion, Wood Care Group remains committed to its goals. The company’s mission is to provide the highest quality care and service to all residents, striving to make their lives happy, fun, and fulfilled. “As a family run business, our key principle has always been to provide a service to our residents that reflects what we would want for our own relatives,” explains Andrew. “We visit each home weekly and continuously strive to improve their experience.” As a result of this unwavering commitment, Wood Care Group has invested in technology to improve its care planning processes. It has also dedicated substantial resources to enhancing its facilities, as a result of which its homes now boast cinema rooms, sweet shops, hair salons, pubs, restaurant themed dining, and even a golf putting green. These additional features enrich the lives of its residents. In hiring, Wood Care Group takes a unique approach, aiming to ensure that new recruits are not only appropriately skilled and willing to learn but also a good match for the culture of the business. “Our recruitment strategy is a little different to most other businesses,” Andrew explains. “Our ethos is as much to do with personality as it is about qualifications. We need people to fit in and be part of the team, part of the family. We carefully select people with qualities and values that match our own.” To foster the excellence of this workforce, Wood Care Group provides all employees with high levels of training, offering them the opportunity to gain qualifications and enhance their abilities. Whilst this focus on training and development is important in its own way, the company believes that it is the character and values of its team members that make the biggest difference when it comes to the resident experience. As a result of its exceptional work, the company has received a multitude of positive reviews. For example, one resident’s family member shares, “My husband has been a resident in Riverside for 3.5 months. During this time, I have seen him settle. He is well cared for, happy, comfortable, and clean. He likes all the staff, and they go above and beyond to care for all the residents. They are extremely caring and loving, and we couldn’t have better staff or management. I am so happy to have found this care home and recommend it to all my friends and family.” For its outstanding care services and steadfast commitment to its residents, Wood Care Group has been named Assisted Living Group of the Year in the Northern Enterprise Awards 2023. Looking ahead, the business anticipates an exciting year, with refurbishment work on two new homes due to be completed in 2024. It will also be working alongside its HR software provider, Correct Care, to enhance the employee experience by digitising many of its commonly used HR tools and processes. Contact: Andrew Wood Company: Wood Care Group Web Address: www.woodcaregroup.com
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