The Shires

Herefordshire Mind Residential Nursing Support Service operates The Shires Nursing Care Home located on Aylestone Hill in Hereford with capacity for 14 residents. The Shires is situated in a pleasant and scenic position overlooking the historic Lugg Meadows. The service is registered as a specialist nursing home for individuals suffering with severe and enduring mental health problems and is now a well established example of a modern and progressive service for a very disadvantaged client group with a CQC Excellent rating.

Individual care and support is given to maintain independence and enhance skills for daily living. Individual care programmes are used to assist each resident to function at their maximum potential. We work towards a common goal where the focus remains firmly on the wellbeing and personal enhancement of the resident.

Traditionally the quality of residential care homes has been viewed in terms of a range of categories including suitability of the building, adequate staffing or record keeping to assess compliance with the law and regulations. While we consider these criteria to be critically important we believe that there are more subtle and intangible aspects of home life. We therefore focus on values which underpin the quality of life for most people and have defined six such values we believe essential to our care:

Privacy The right of individuals to be left alone or undisturbed and free from intrusion or public attention into their affairs.

Dignity Recognition of the intrinsic value of people regardless of their circumstances by respecting their uniqueness and their personal needs.

Independence Opportunities to act and think without reference to another person, including willingness to incur a degree of calculated risk.

Choice Opportunity to select independently from a range of options.

Rights The maintenance of all entitlements associated with citizenship and

Fulfilment The realisation of personal aspirations and abilities in all aspect of daily living.