Our Amazing People – Lorraine Ford
Lorraine joined Avery in 2009 after undertaking research on Avery for another care group. She liked what she uncovered so much that six weeks later she was a fully-fledged member of the Avery team!
Since then, Lorraine has successfully commissioned and managed Hempstalls Hall, Hanford Court, and Crispin Court Care Homes, and fulfilled several support roles, being deployed to various locations throughout the group whenever needed.
More recently, Lorraine has moved into project management, an exciting role that allows her to support commissioning managers of new homes and to set up the processes required to succeed. Lorraine’s new role includes sourcing office space before the build, recruiting heads of departments and the hands-on co-ordination of fit-out before opening. Lorraine will turn her hand to anything from unpacking furniture to enquiry management and supporting teams with the admissions process.
“No day is the same,” says Lorraine. “My role, as well as commissioning new builds, crosses both operations and estates, so it’s quite diverse. I’m involved in planning, fit-out, recruitment and commissioning so I may be on a site visit one day and helping to implement systems the next.”
Amongst Lorraine’s many advocates is Sharon Winfield, Chief Operating Officer for the Avery Group. “Lorraine sets up new homes with a keen focus on developing teams to understand and embed the company’s policies and procedures, offering direct coaching and mentoring ‘on the floor’, to achieve the positive outcomes required to provide high standards of service. Lorraine has proved this with all three of the homes she has commissioned, recognised for their excellent standards of service and Good In All Categories rating in their Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. Resident surveys at the homes Lorraine supports have always been extremely positive, evidencing a very satisfied customer group.”
In 2010, Lorraine won the Care Marketing Award at the National Care Awards, for the hugely successful and rapid fill of Hempstalls Hall in Newcastle-under-Lyme, through the home’s outstanding reputation and approach to its care and community.
Lorraine has a small but very close-knit family and enjoys sport and outdoor activities. When not overseeing a renovation or commissioning a new home, Lorraine can be found in the Charente region of France enjoying the beautifully relaxed rural life! Despite the varied role Lorraine fulfils, there is always one constant, and that is her eye for detail and passion for care and success. Thank you, Lorraine!
Article by Angela Bailey, Marketing Manager for Welcome Home Issue 12.
