As Care Home Refurbishment contractors, we get involved in all manner of projects. Over the years, the team have built up an incredible amount of knowledge and expertise in the Care Home sector, you can see examples of past projects here. Care Homes, like Schools, present specific challenges which make many builders not familiar with the sector look the other way. Although all building projects present unique challenges, as a general rule, once you are out of the ground, it should, in theory, be plain sailing. Refurbishing a building presents different challenges.

The Challenges

Often more complicated than a new build or extension, the renovation of a care home will usually take place in an area frequented by the current users and staff. This can lead to serious health & safety challenges that will need to be addressed. Understanding how residents use the home at various times of the day is essential. And although it may be as simple as segregating corridors, eating areas, social and exercise areas, it’s often much more complicated. Understanding peoples routines is critical in keeping everyone happy, and typically we would be meeting with the management staff to understand:

• Mealtimes, plus any organised snack times
• Medication delivery times
• Nursing requirements and movements around the building
• Visits from hairdressers, podiatrists or specialists
• Visits from guest speakers or entertainers and the rooms to be used
• Nap times
• Noise and the impact on residents
• Any security issues

All refurbishment projects present challenges to overcome, and in many ways, that’s why we love doing what we do. No day is ever the same, and every refurbishment project has its own set of unique problems to be overcome. As Care Home Refurbishment Contractors, ensuring the safety and happiness of the residents whose home we are updating is paramount.

Typically there are four levels of care that we have to be mindful of:

• Residential
• Nursing Care
• Dementia Care
• Palliative care

Each area of care is supported by specialised support workers, nurses and Doctors. In larger homes, each specialist area will be separated into separate blocks, corridors or possibly even different adjoining buildings. For us to work efficiently, we must work closely with the Care Home manager at the outset to understand the requirements of the residents and the various services provided. In turn, this will allow us to adjust our work schedule to suit.

Care Home Refurbishment – DBS Checked Staff

All Gravitas Build staff working in the Care Home Refurbishment Team are DBS checked. DBS refers to the new agency created out of a merger between the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), its full title is The Disclosure and Barring Service. The checks and information provided will remain the same but will be branded as DBS Checks.

We also notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) where required to ensure they are aware of any work being carried out. The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve. The CQC will monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety.

To ensure Health & Safety procedures are met on-site, method statements and risk assessments are bespoke and written in conjunction with the specific care home project. All site managers are SMSTS or SSSTS Certified and meet the most stringent of Health & Safety guidelines.
Looking for Care Home Refurbishment Companies to help with your project? To find out more about Gravitas Build’s services, and how we can help you, feel free to call or email us. Thinking of extending your care home, we can help with that too

Be assured that our core values of safety, quality, delivery and value shine through every aspect of our business. As a professional building contractor, we will not let you down.

If you would like to find out more about Gravitas Build’s services, have a question or would like us to visit you to discuss your project requirements, please contact us here. We will be pleased to help.

Call us on 0121 403 3693 for more information.