About Us

Our History

Rarely can you find cobbled roads and a 12th Century Church with village stocks only 2 miles from a major manufacturing centre: this describes the village of Grappenhall or Gropenhole as written in the Domesday Book 1068 AD. The Church, dedicated to St Wilfrid's dates from 1120 and although largely rebuilt in 1530, still retains part of the original south wall. Inside can be seen a Norman font, an ancient 13th Century oak chest and some lovely 14th Century glass.

The Old Rectory fell into disrepair in the mid 19th Century and the Rector Thomas Greenall moved to the present rectory in 1855. During major restoration work in 1982, the present owners discovered a tunnel leading to the church and the Cruck Frame beams uncovered were found to date The Old Rectory to the 15th Century. The Old Building witnessed prosperity when the Bridgewater Canal was constructed in 1759. It brought trades such as snuff making and leather tanning to its banks. It is ironic, that the old canal with its tiny hump back bridges and watery embrace, should help to isolate the village, since the invention of modern transport, allowing Grappenhall to retain its Olde Worlde charm.

Our Philosophy

The home aims to deliver a high standard of professional care at all times to those residents in its care. The care provision at The Old Rectory endorses a holistic approach which is sensitive to the needs of each resident and encompasses the following essential aspects of the person.

Privacy

Respecting and keeping confidential all information relating to a resident and their relatives.
Giving help in intimate situations as discreetly as possible.
Respecting a residents’ preference to be alone and undisturbed within their safety boundaries.
Guaranteeing residents’ privacy when using the telephone, opening and reading post and communicating with friends, relatives etc.

Dignity

Treating every resident with respect and allowing each person to live in a dignified manner.
Helping residents to present themselves to others as they would wish through their personal appearance and their behaviour in public.
Knowing each resident, developing a good rapport and compensate for the effects of disability e.g. communication, mobility etc.

Independence

Providing as tactfully as possible assistance when it is needed.
Maximising the abilities of our residents for self-care for carrying out the daily tasks of living unaided and for independent interaction with others.
Helping residents to take reasonable and fully thought out risks.

Choice

Avoiding wherever possible treating residents as a homogenous group.
Ensuring that every resident has options over their daily living in accordance with their capabilities.
Offering choice of menus with dietary requirements.

Rights

Preserving all basic human rights of all residents including consent, confidentiality, safety, equality and autonomy.
Encouraging freedom of expression, participation and decision making.
Encouraging right of access to entitlement of services and benefits.

Security & Environmental

Providing a safe and secure environment
Offering assistance in situation that could be dangerous for a resident.
Maintain the buildings and grounds in a safe condition
Ensuring that the premises are kept clean and hygienic with systems in place to control the spread of infection.

Fulfilment

Enabling residents to realise their own aims and create opportunities for them to achieve their goals in all aspects of daily living.
Understanding each resident’s histories and characteristics.
Respecting our residents’ religions, ethnic and cultural diversities.
Respecting individual, unusual or eccentric behaviour in residents.
Providing a range of leisure and recreational activities to suit the tastes and abilities of all residents and to stimulate participation.

Our Care Team

We use a traditional working environment where our Matron of 20 years effectively and efficiently manages The Old Rectory but it is her forward thinking and caring nature that ensures that our home has a great atmosphere and that the care team are happy, comfortable and supported to do their very best for our residents.

We believe that alongside our residents, the care team are the most important part of our care home, in fact, they are the care home. We respect and value our care team and successfully create a family-style working environment where each person feels at home in a loving and caring surroundings. We are extremely proud to say that all of our RGN Nurses have been here between 5 and 25 years and most of our care team over 5 years. We like to think that our family approach to nursing allows us work well together and support each other. We know all our resident’s and they know us.

Training is paramount and every member of our care team goes through our own rigorous induction program followed by the implementation of a personal training and development strategy to ensure that our high standards of care are always maintained.

We have qualified NVQ Assessors, a Moving and Handling Trainer, and Nurse Training Mentors all in house. The majority of our care team either hold or are undergoing NVQ 2/3 training. A development and training file is on display at the front desk. This holds certificates awarded to our care team on completion of various courses attended and is updated regularly.

Our care team wear the home's uniform tunics or dresses. The tunics or dresses are colour coded to delineate grade/job role and to aid recognition by some of our more poorly sighted residents.

Dark blue – Matron & Deputy Matron
Hospital blue – Registered Nurse
Dark blue with red embroidery - Senior Health Care Assistant
Light blue or white – Care Assistant