Wealth & Finance International - Business Awards 2015

www.wealthandfinance-intl.com 37 Best Independent Care Home Provider – UK The award winning Parklands Group is one of the largest independent care home providers in the north of Scotland with care homes across Moray and the Highlands. Ron Taylor talks us through the firm’s dedication to their work and their pride at winning this prestigious accolade. Company: Parklands Group Web: www.parklandsgroup.com Address: High Street, Buckie, Moray AB56 4AD Phone: 01542 836000 Here at Parklands Group we are very proud, honoured and flattered to have been awarded the best Independent Care Home Provider in the UK 2015. We strive to be as person centred as we can and ensure that we look after our people – our strap line is “our family caring for yours” – and it is great to be recognised for this dedication. An award like this recognises the effort, care and support of the company and hopefully highlights the very real challenges that the care sector faces in the years ahead. Parklands was formed in 1992 by myself, Managing Director, Ron Taylor. The first Parklands Care Home was purpose built in 1993 and the group now has nine locations throughout the North of Scotland. Each location is embedded and integrated into the communities in which they operate. All of our staff comes from within a five mile radius and over 70% have been with us for over 10years. We do not use agency or overseas staff. We offer residential, nursing, respite, day care and convalesce care. Our philosophy is to get to know our residents as well as possible – the detail is vital. We are process driven and create an audit trail wherever we go. We maintain our high standards by documenting and listening to the need of our residents. Working in an industry that is constantly changing, we need to ensure that we listen to the needs of our residents. Good communication channels from the top down are also vital if we are to remain flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our client base. The global economy is constantly changing and with digital networks, more and more information is becoming readily available. We therefore need to be selective when using technology and apply the areas that work best for us. Parklands were born and are growing in the Highlands of Scotland. Operat- ing from a central site, we control 9 other satellite locations. The challenges are many – particularly around transport networks in rural economies where there is very limited public transport. The area has recently been covered by high speed fibre optic broad band which makes communication easier and almost instant. We strive to set ourselves apart from our competitors by offering significantly better terms and conditions of employment. We pay the living wage, offer all of our staff a pension of 4% and have an Investor in People Company since 1996. We operate our own training school and offer our people career devel- opment in rural economies where employment opportunities are limited. Our culture is positive, open and transparent. All of our staff know that they are supported in their role. As Managing Director, I personally meet every member of staff annually as part of a joint performance review, to ensure all 500 of our staff are up to speed with our philosophy and are satisfied in their roles. The future for Parklands is bright, with two new homes opening in 2016 and two further acquisitions in the pipeline as well. The business of care in the caring business is a nonstop affair, with new challenges appearing daily and we aiming to stay ahead of that change constantly. Parklands Group