In a UK-first for the care home sector, luxury care group Connaught Care Collection is offering free ‘full-body health checks’ to all of its 184 staff members. The group has opened four state-of-the-art homes in the past 12 months with plans to open four more in 2024/25.

To deliver the service, Connaught is partnering with Bluecrest Wellness, a leading UK provider of employee-benefit health services. Bluecrest will offer comprehensive health checks covering heart disease, stroke risk, ECGs, cholesterol levels, diabetes, protein and iron levels.

This company-funded package will help staff members to monitor their own wellbeing, stay healthy and detect any serious health issues early. Connaught staff will have rapid access to appointments, world-class laboratory facilities and fully personalised results reports with 24/7 GP follow-up support as standard.

According to Connaught Care CEO, Andrew Winstanley, this is the first time a UK care group has offered free, comprehensive health checks to its entire staff:

We think we are the first to do this. When we founded the Connaught Care Collection, our mission was to create the kinds of homes where both residents and staff really feel they can thrive. After all, if our own team is unhappy or sick, how can we expect them to deliver top-quality care? We are therefore delighted to be working with Bluecrest Wellness to give our carers the support they need to operate at their absolute best.

Non-invasive tests will check for key health markers including liver and kidney function, cholesterol levels, diabetes risk, blood pressure, and mental well-being. Tests have already been administered to 100+ staff members across Connaught's four active homes, and will be offered to all staff in future homes that the group opens.

Connaught hopes this collaboration will help set a precedent for a more supportive, health-conscious work culture across the UK care industry and beyond. According to a recent whitepaper by Bluecrest, unhealthy habits like 'presenteeism' are still prevalent across UK workplaces:

• 76% of British adults having worked whilst being unwell in the past year;
• Almost half (48%) reported not wanting to let their team down; and
• One third (38%) did so because they simply couldn’t afford to take time off.

In addition, more than half (56%) reported feeling generally unwell or rundown over the past three months, compromising their ability to enjoy life and perform their best at work. Over time, this 'work until you drop' mentality can be harmful to both physical and mental wellbeing — and can compromise general productivity as well.

Commenting on the new partnership, CEO of Bluecrest Wellness, Dominique Kent, said:

As someone with personal experience in the care sector, I know how important the role carers play in society really is. Their work can really change lives, and so its crucial to help and support carers to be the best they can be. Through this project, we are keen to show supporting and prioritizing the individual wellbeing of staff is the best way to do that. In short: everyone matters, and the more employers invest in staff the more they get back in return.

The staff of other businesses offering health assessments have been inspired to adopt healthier lifestyle choices — including losing weight, exercising more, and consuming less alcohol. Bluecrest has also helped to identify 958 critical alert cases, including serious conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart problems.

Both Connaught and Bluecrest will be monitoring the results of the health checks to measure their long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of the staff. They will announce their findings in a 'case update' in the coming months. They hope this will inspire other leading care home providers to offer a similar service to staff.

Said, Connaught CEO, Andrew Winstanley:

Our mission is to offer ‘complete care’ to everyone in and associated with our care homes – residents obviously, but also their families and our own staff and colleagues. Their happiness and wellbeing has a multiplying effect, helping residents to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.

Notes for Editors

• Connaught Care Collection is a new luxury care home brand which is aiming to revolutionise the adult care sector. It is currently has four homes open in Portsmouth, Huntingdon, St Neots, and Bishops Stortford. Four more are planned for 2024-2025 at locations including Swindon, Chichester, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Crawley. See full list here: Our Homes - Connaught Care