Here at The Fed, we are always looking for ways to branch out and offer our staff innovative and educational training days.
Take ‘Elsie and To
m’ for example. This session puts staff in the position of a care home resident for a day, allowing our employees to understand how they may appear to residents, and how to better understand the daily routines and lives of those we care for. Pictured is a member of our care team, partway through her Elsie and Tom training sessions.
Even more recently, our Training Manager Alison Lightfoot was delighted to meet one of the newest residents to Heathlands Village – Toni! Toni is a life-size training doll, whose ability to replicate a whole range of ailments and medical problems is very advantageous to our staff as they undergo their training.
Whilst this may look like an ordinary (if slightly large!) doll, Toni is nothing of the sort, with realistic bed-sores, tracheotomy, wounds and other medical conditions.
We had some fun taking these photos, but the message is very serious – we put staff training high on the agenda, and this incredibly realistic teaching aid is brilliant in helping newcomers – 
and more experienced staff – gain and practise skills to help our residents.
Here, Alison gets to know Toni on his first day at The Fed.
Our strap-line ‘Looking After Each Other’ applies just as much to our staff as to our residents and service users.