Bedhampton care home offers award-winning health and wellbeing service to visiting families
In an industry-first for the UK care sector, Portsdown View care home in Bedhampton recently extended access to its award-winning health and wellbeing service to all prospective residents and their families who tour the home.
For a period of three months, these visitors will have access to the full suite of features available to residents and staff – regardless of where they ultimately choose to live.
Launched in August 2025, ‘Connaught Connect’ is the Connaught Care Collection’s flagship health and wellbeing support service which was designed in partnership with Health Assured. It provides confidential, round-the-clock support spanning mental wellbeing, bereavement guidance, lifestyle and nutrition advice, and financial and legal advice.
This can be accessed through a dedicated app containing guided wellbeing programmes, health videos, virtual workouts, live chat, self-assessments, and a ‘wellbeing library’ of over 1,500 digital resources.
At The Social Care Leadership Awards 2025 in London, Connaught Connect received the Wellbeing Innovations Award – with judges praising the initiative as a pioneering model of holistic support for residents and staff. Reflecting on the early success of the project, Connaught Care’s Head of People, Laurence Feather, shares his thoughts:
“It was genuinely heartening – and, in truth, totally unexpected – to receive an award so soon after launching Connaught Connect. You never build something like this with awards in mind, but it’s wonderful to see the team get recognition for all the care and thought they’ve poured into it. It just goes to show the difference that even small, human ideas can make to people’s lives, especially in moments when they feel stretched, worried, or unsure what to do next.”
Portsdown View’s decision to grant all visitors access to the app emerged from conversations between the team and the family members of prospective residents. Visitors often share how difficult it can be navigating the labyrinthine world of probate, estate planning, housing decisions, bereavement, and the various legal and financial issues that moving into care can bring up.
These issues can leave families feeling anxious and overwhelmed; particularly when expert advice is costly or difficult to access. The ‘lightbulb moment’ came when the team realised that many of the services offered by Connaught Connect might be most valuable during the difficult transition into care – rather than after all the difficult decisions had been made.
Relevant services available on the Connaught Connect app include a dedicated Family Mental HealthLine with specialist advice for families navigating complex emotional challenges; a comprehensive wellbeing library with over 1,500 digital resources including material advising on complex legal and financial questions related to care; and access to practical guidance and expertise on issues related to probate, housing, bereavement support, and general legal or financial advice.
The service also offers the opportunity to book up to six one-to-one counselling sessions with qualified mental health professionals, and offers mental-wellbeing tools including guided meditation, virtual workouts, recipes, and even ways for users track their own health and wellbeing
Andrew Winstanley, CEO of the Connaught Care Collection, reflects on the initiative: “The guiding philosophy of every Connaught home is ‘complete care’ – which means caring for our residents and staff through physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support. Extending Connaught Connect to prospective residents and their families is the natural next step in that commitment. Moving into care can be one of life’s most difficult transitions, and so we are proud to show visitors what complete care looks and feels like the moment they step through our doors.”
Families already using Connaught Connect have praised the peace of mind that comes from having expert support at their fingertips. Melvin, whose loved one lives at a Connaught home, said: “Connaught Connect is a truly thoughtful initiative. It’s one of those small touches that makes a big difference. It’s also yet another example of how Connaught Care goes beyond the expected, offering not just care, but genuine peace of mind. Knowing that so much support and guidance is available in one place is not only handy; it’s also incredibly reassuring!”
The Connaught Care Collection currently operates six luxury care homes across the UK, redefining residential and nursing care through innovation, compassion, and family-focused services.