Together with Jewish Care, Nightingale Hammerson was delighted to host the South London and Southern Counties Forum at Nightingale House Tuesday this week.

The South London and Southern Counties Community Support Service, which is funded by both charities, provides a lifeline of support for community members with care needs in south London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Dorset. This joint service is led by Community Support Practitioner, Stephen Ison and Senior Community Social Worker and Community Outreach Co-ordinator, Jodie Sacks.  Both have a wealth of knowledge and experience in navigating the health and social care systems.

The forum was attended by members of the community, representing cross-communal synagogues from local communities and support organisations, who were able to hear updates on how both charities are supporting the Jewish community.

The speakers included Jenny Pattinson (CEO, Nightingale Hammerson) and Daniel Carmel-Brown (CEO, Jewish Care).

The event also marked the launch of a new project aiming to support people to live better for longer at home. This initiative is named ‘Reach by Nightingale Hammerson’.  Reach offers a wealth of information for older people and their relatives who wish to source practical information and advice, that is clear and helpful, when providing care at home.

We also heard from Rabbi Nathan Godleman about the importance of pastoral care in supporting the most vulnerable members of the community whilst utilising the valuable resources of Nightingale Hammerson and Jewish Care.

Jenny Pattinson, Chief Executive, Nightingale Hammerson, said, “At Nightingale Hammerson we are proud of our approach to finding innovative ways to expand and improve our services, through research, education and embedding best practice. We believe that bringing members of the local community into our homes to discuss and debate what is important to them will help us to ensure we provide the services that they need now and in the future. It is brilliant to partner with Jewish Care in providing the South London Community Support Service. Together our collective expertise will ensure the Jewish community in South London and the Southern Counties have access to the best social care services to meet their needs.”

Daniel Carmel-Brown, CEO, Jewish Care, said, “It’s a privilege to be welcomed to Nightingale Hammerson for the forum and to work together in partnership to support, engage with and care for people in our communities in South London and the Southern Counties. The average age of those coming to our care homes is now 92 years old, with increasingly complex needs and many more at the end of life care.  As care organisations we continue to adapt to meet the changing needs of the community. We are very fortunate to have the volunteers and professional staff, who support us.”

Nuno Santos Lopes, Director of Research, Innovation and Community Engagement, Nightinale Hammerson, said, “It feels very exciting to be presenting our new project ‘Reach by Nightingale Hammerson’ to the Jewish community at Nightingale House. This marks the beginning of a revolutionary approach to support people to live better for longer at home.”