In August we reached a milestone we're very proud of: twelve full months with every member of our team still here. That's 100% staff retention, or 0% turnover, in a sector where the average turnover is over 30%. And it's still going. As we write this, we're past 400 days.
The rest of the year followed the same pattern. Sickness came in at 0.8%, which means that out of more than 4,500 shifts, fewer than 40 were lost to sick days. Our agency use stayed at zero, where it has been since April 2023. Every face on the rota is one of our own.
Those are good numbers. The reason they matter so much is what they look like on an ordinary Tuesday.
Why the same faces matter
For someone living with dementia, familiarity is steadying. Feelings carry on well beyond the moment that caused them, so a known face at breakfast can set the tone for a calm, settled morning.
When the same people are here day after day, they come to know your loved one in the small, particular ways that make a day go well. Who likes the radio on while they get dressed, and who would rather have quiet. The song that gets someone up and dancing in the lounge. Which chair by the window is theirs, and the walk around the garden that makes an afternoon feel right.
Families feel it too. You get to know the team, they get to know you, and over months and years those become lasting relationships with the people who really do get to know your loved one best.
Noticing the small things sooner
Knowing someone well means seeing when something is different. A carer who has helped someone every morning for a year will pick up on a quieter mood than usual, a slight change in how they're walking, or a smaller appetite at lunch, and they'll act on it early.
Over the same years that our team has grown steadier, falls in the home have come down by over 60% since 2020. Plenty of things play a part in that. We believe a large part of it is continuity of care: carers who can anticipate what someone needs, and who spot the early signs sooner because they know exactly what a good day looks like for that person.
The people behind the numbers
Retention figures are really a measure of people choosing to stay, and we're grateful to every one of them.
If you'd like to meet them, come and look round. You'll see the team at work, and you'll get a feel for the home they've made.
