Walfinch home care Newcastle East has been named as one of the Top 20 care providers in the North East, for the second time.

The team scored 9.7/10, based on 22 independent verified client reviews, almost all of which gave Walfinch five stars. None dropped below four.

The award comes from homecare.co.uk, an independent website that allows users to see 98,849 individually verified reviews from real people.  Its annual Home Care Awards recognise 20 of the top-rated home care providers in each UK region.

Idris Nasar, Managing Director and Registered Manager at Walfinch Newcastle East, says: “We are proud of this award, based on wonderful reviews from our clients and their families.  It’s a testament to the commitment of the whole team at Walfinch Newcastle East, who combine a constant focus on delivering the highest quality care, with a genuine commitment to client wellbeing.

“We will be celebrating with a party.

“We also won this award in 2024, but this year standards are even more stringent.  We also achieved a ‘Good’ rating from CQC last year, so we are confident we are doing the right things for our clients.

“Can we win again? We certainly intend to.”

Community support

The team have also set up a fund to donate £250 grants to small groups improving local lives.  Idris and Care Manager Paige Stokes have been meeting them. “They say that even small sums can be vital to keeping a community activity going,” says Idris

Free activity sessions

Walfinch Newcastle East also funds Armchair Warriors, a weekly low-impact exercise class delivered in partnership with local organisation Warrior Generation, as part of the Walfinch Thrive Club initiative.

The sessions are free, and take place every Tuesday at 10.30am at The Exchange 1856 in North Shields.  No need to book, and exercises can be completed seated or standing, so they suit all ages and abilities.

Walfinch also recently donated £250 towards the entertainment at Warrior Generation’s summer social. All Warrior Generation members are invited.

Idris says: “We will extend our Walfinch-branded Thrive Clubs into more communities soon.”

Wellbeing focus

As well as quality of care, the team focuses on wellbeing. “Our minimum visit is 30 minutes, because we offer all clients access to activities of their choice. Some go out for walks with our carers and some do pastimes at home,” says Idris.

“Increased mobility and activities can transform lives. One client, with agoraphobia, never left their home. With help and encouragement from our carers, they now go out twice a week.”

Wellbeing for carers

Walfinch Newcastle East has appointed existing team member Chloe Duke to a new role as care team Wellbeing Lead.  Chloe originally joined Walfinch Newcastle East as a carer, so she understands the role and the challenges carers can face. She is taking a qualification in counselling and produces a regular staff wellbeing newsletter.

Idris says: “Carers enjoy working with us, because our longer care calls and focus on activity mean care is the rewarding career it should be.”