Helen Holden of Old Gates Care Home Wins Prestigious Lancashire IPC Champions Award for Quality Improvement and Innovation

Old Gates Care Home, a part of the We Care Group, is thrilled to announce that its dedicated Home Manager, Helen Holden, has been awarded the Lancashire County Council’s 2024 Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) Champions Award for Quality Improvement and Innovation. This accolade recognizes Helen’s commitment to enhancing infection prevention practices and fostering innovation in quality care, a feat that has greatly benefited both the residents and staff at Old Gates Care Home.

The award ceremony, held at County Hall in Preston on October 25, marked the first-ever IPC Care Champions Award ceremony. It brought together representatives from various care settings across Lancashire to celebrate the invaluable contributions of IPC champions in maintaining safe, healthy, and nurturing environments within the care sector.

Pioneering Infection Control at Old Gates Care Home

Helen’s journey to receiving this award began in 2023, when she attended Lancashire County Council’s Infection, Prevention and Control Team’s  Quality improvement Programme with the IPC team. This program aimed to bolster infection prevention and control knowledge across care providers in the community, offering them opportunities to gain essential quality improvement skills, establish lasting professional networks, and collaborate with Lancashire’s IPC nurses.

The development program encouraged attendees to lead their own Quality Improvement (QI) project within their care facilities. Helen embraced this challenge wholeheartedly, devising a QI initiative that has set new standards for infection prevention and control at Old Gates Care Home. Under her leadership, Old Gates expanded its infection prevention strategy, which was previously managed by a single IPC champion, into a team-based approach that includes managers, nursing assistants, housekeepers, activities coordinators, and maintenance staff. This broader IPC team has strengthened the care home’s ability to implement infection prevention practices across all areas of care, setting a model for collaborative care.

Helen said: “We wanted to ensure that infection prevention and control became a shared responsibility, not just for one person but for the entire team,” Helen Holden explained. “Through collaboration, training, and a commitment to ongoing improvement, we have been able to make infection control a part of the culture at Old Gates, ultimately providing our residents with a safer and healthier environment.”

Expanding the Role of Infection Prevention for a Safer Community

By transforming infection prevention into a team-wide responsibility, Helen has ensured that Old Gates Care Home can more effectively monitor, manage, and prevent infection risks. Each team member, from caregivers to housekeeping, now understands their role in maintaining a safe environment and follows standardised IPC practices throughout their daily routines. This culture shift has not only improved care outcomes but has also empowered staff members to take pride in their contribution to the residents’ well-being.

Helen continues: “Through the Lancashire County Council’s Learning and Development Programme, we gained invaluable insights and skills that we now apply every day. It has been a privilege to see the whole team come together and embrace their roles as IPC champions,” Helen said in reflection on the journey. “This award isn’t just mine; it’s for the entire team at Old Gates who work tirelessly to provide our residents with the best care possible.”

The Lancashire IPC Care Champions Award for Quality Improvement and Innovation was created to celebrate individuals and teams who demonstrate exemplary dedication to infection prevention in care settings. The award highlights the collaborative achievements of care professionals who have elevated standards of cleanliness and safety in their workplaces. Helen’s success is a proud milestone, not only for Old Gates Care Home but for the broader We Care Group, which continues to prioritize exceptional standards in all of its facilities.

Honouring IPC Champions Across Lancashire

Lancashire’s IPC Care Champions Awards 2024 serve as an inspiring reminder of the importance of infection prevention and the pivotal role it plays in long-term care. This year’s ceremony, attended by honourees from across the county, was a fitting celebration of the outstanding contributions of individuals like Helen, whose leadership and dedication are shaping a safer future for older adults in care.

The spirit of the Lancashire IPC Champions Award echoes a central truth in healthcare—that success in care is a collective endeavour. The commitment shown by Helen Holden and the Old Gates team to safeguard the health of residents through ongoing quality improvement initiatives stands as a shining example for care homes across the county.

As Lancashire’s IPC Care Champions ceremony concluded, it was clear that Helen’s efforts at Old Gates have not only set a new benchmark for infection prevention but have also inspired a culture of excellence that will shape care practices for years to come.