Royal Navy charity’s care home achieves top accreditation following transformational dementia care culture programme
A specialist veteran care home in Portsmouth has completed a comprehensive cultural change programme, formally recognising its commitment to meaningful dementia care.
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust’s Admiral Jellicoe House recently achieved an ‘Excellent’ accreditation rating in the acclaimed ‘Butterfly Approach’ through care consultancy Meaningful Care Matters.
The significant achievement follows an extensive transformation plan focusing on creating an emotion-focused, relationship-centred culture for people living with dementia.
Over the course of the project, the team received extensive consultancy support, leadership coaching and practical learning-in-action days directly alongside the Meaningful Care Matters team. This hands-on experiential learning has led to a reduction in institutional practices, an improvement in communication and a noticeable shift towards a vibrant, emotionally connected culture.
A major part of the transformation involved the team of the home moving away from traditional uniforms in favour of everyday clothing. Relatives and the team have noted that this change has helped to break down barriers, reducing anxiety and creating a relaxed, home-from-home family atmosphere where residents feel genuinely valued.
Caregivers have been empowered to pause, slow down and prioritise the emotional needs and feelings of people living in the home rather than focusing solely on clinical tasks. Mealtimes have also been completely transformed from task-oriented routines into calm, social occasions where staff sit, eat and converse alongside the Naval Veterans and their loved ones who are in their care.
Significant environmental changes have been introduced across the home to spark conversation and reflect individual life histories. These engaging new spaces include a Portsmouth Football Club area, a motorcycle wall and an indoor garden centre for keen gardeners.
The culture change has also inspired team members to go above and beyond, with one such example being the launch of a volunteer-led Sunday coffee morning to support the relatives of those living with dementia.
Mel Holly, Registered Home Manager at Admiral Jellicoe House, said: “This programme has helped our team look beyond the diagnosis to support people to be free to be themselves. By learning the language of dementia, we have seen such a transformation. The home runs so smoothly and is much more relaxed, resulting in a homely, warm environment with a family atmosphere where our residents are truly fulfilled.”
Family representatives of those being supported have echoed this sentiment, sharing that the continuity of familiar, friendly team members and the deep emotional connections formed have brought significant peace of mind to their wider families.
To ensure the longevity of these improvements, a core internal training team at Admiral Jellicoe House has completed an eight-day Butterfly Approach ‘Train-the-Trainer’ programme. This ongoing commitment empowers the home to maintain the new standards sustainably and has fostered a highly cohesive team environment where members understand and support one another across all departments.
Peter Bewert, Managing Director of Meaningful Care Matters, said: “We are delighted to see Admiral Jellicoe House achieve an Excellent accreditation outcome and successfully embed our Butterfly Approach. Their dedication to stepping away from institutional routines to create a vibrant, relationship-centred culture is truly commendable. We applaud their determination to offer an environment where veterans can thrive, enjoy the highest quality of life possible and experience the true art and heart of care, where people and moments matter.”
For more information on Admiral Jellicoe House, please visit https://rnbt.org.uk/admiral-jellicoe-house-care-home/.
Or for more information on Meaningful Care Matters and its cultural transformation models, visit https://meaningfulcarematters.com/.