Welcome to Abbeyfield Dulwich
A comfortable and secure sheltered home
Abbeyfield Dulwich is a retirement home/sheltered home and our charitable status requires us to give priority to people who are lonely and not coping well in their own homes but who still want to lead a relatively independent and active life.
We are not a nursing home and therefore cannot accommodate people with serious cognitive dysfunction (eg dementia), severe mobility problems or anyone who needs a great deal of help with personal care.
Our House is situated in a quiet residential street in Herne Hill, South East London. Originally two adjoining Edwardian houses which have been converted into a large and comfortable sheltered living residence, we offer a safe and secure environment with a communal feel.
The house features 6 apartments and 1 studio flat, a shared dining room and a large garden. Abbeyfield Dulwich is open to people over the age of 70 who, for one reason or another, find they are no longer able to cope looking after themselves in their own homes or feel isolated or insecure and need a degree of support.
Some of our residents have lived in the area for many years and have family living nearby; others come from further afield.
Staff, volunteers and carers
There is a housekeeper on duty during the day to provide two home-cooked meals and deal with general queries. Abbeyfield Dulwich is not a care home so nursing and similar care cannot be provided. There is no ramp access. However since friendship and companionship are important to us, we have a team of volunteers who are available to pop into the house to talk to our residents or accompany them on a trip out.
The Community
Abbeyfield Dulwich is well connected to the local community. Shops, independent cafes, pubs, medical general practitioners, dentists, opticians, bus and train services and other amenities are close by. The world-famous Dulwich Picture Gallery is a short walk away, as are the parks of Brockwell, Belair and Dulwich. Concerts, plays and artistic events are often held locally, and the Open Gardens Weekends, Dulwich Literary Festival and Herne Hill Music Festival are among the local yearly highlights.
Every summer we hold a garden party for residents, their families, and the local community.
CONTACT
Contact us on 020 7274 5177
About The Abbeyfield Society
Our founder's charitable vision
The Abbeyfield Society is a charity established in 1956 by Richard Carr-Gomm, a military man from an affluent background. Recognising that many older people in his local community were living alone, feeling isolated and insecure, Carr-Gomm decided to leave the Army and offer his services as an unpaid home help to older people.
After purchasing a house in Abbeyfield Road, Bermondsey, he invited two local residents to move in with him acting as their unpaid housekeeper. The success of this slightly unusual, and some would say eccentric, solution to the problem he had recognized, persuaded him to take the matter further by acquiring other properties and setting up The Abbeyfield Society. His passion to help the elderly in this way inspired volunteers locally and further afield to follow suit and form local charities, adopting similar principles, under The Abbeyfield banner.
The Abbeyfield Society today
Richard Carr-Gomm’s original vision is still at work today. The company is a Registered Social Landlord and its principal activity is to provide accommodation and support
for lonely and active elderly persons in accordance with the aims and principles of The Abbeyfield Society
Limited.
Residents find the privacy and security they seek when managing alone in their own home has become a burden. They come and go as they please, receive visitors and enjoy two cooked meals a day. They are free from the worries of maintaining a house and garden, paying bills and dealing with loneliness.
The Abbeyfield Society now runs over 500 houses and homes with committed staff and 4,000+ volunteers in the UK. Worldwide there are now around 9,000 residents living in 850 houses and homes and this number is set to increase over the coming years.
Affiliated and independent
Abbeyfield Dulwich was established in 1963. In 2013 we were awarded the Abbeyfield Gold Star for meeting satisfactory standards with respect to leadership. volunteers, service to residents, staff, marketing and our house and later in May 2016 were awarded The Abbeyfield Core Standard in recognition of our "achievement in meeting the standards that reflect the Abbeyfield core values and best practices in The Abbeyfield Society’s aim to enhance the lives of older people”. However, unlike many other Abbeyfield houses, we remain independently run by a committee of local volunteers who try hard to foster a friendly and sociable family atmosphere in the house.
Will it suit me?
Starting your research
At some point in our lives many of us will need to make a decision on the level of support and care we might need in the future. The kind of help each person needs will vary; no one thing will necessarily determine when the time is right to make this decision, and the assistance that we might need can vary depending on many different factors.
There are four different kinds of Abbeyfield homes and you can find out more about these on the main Abbeyfield website
Care Homes
Dementia Homes
Independent Living (retirement villages)
Supported Housing
All Abbeyfield houses and homes have different facilities and atmospheres, so we'd encourage you to visit a few of them before you decide. It may be possible at some Abbeyfield houses to have a trial stay in a guest room and a meal or two. Then you'll have time to chat with volunteers, housekeepers and residents to find out more, and see if it’s right for you. The facility of staying in a guest room is not available at Abbeyfield Dulwich, but you are welcome to have one or more lunches with us before making a decision.
What is supported housing?
Abbeyfield Dulwich offers supported housing, also known as sheltered housing.
This means we offer residents the independence of having their own room in a home-from-home environment. The principle is that residents live with us as independently as they wish, interacting with other residents at mealtimes, and with the ability to seek extra care from outside agencies should it be necessary.
At Abbeyfield Dulwich we know that the decision to move from your own home to sheltered accommodation is hard in that it suggests a loss of independence, but choosing to move into sheltered accommodation doesn’t have to mean losing your independence and we do all we can to ensure that our residents are able to live independently and remain independent as long as possible.
Medication and personal care
Due to the rules set by The Abbeyfield Society and the regulations under which Abbeyfield Dulwich operates, residents who require medication or other personal care need to arrange this separately themselves.
Although we do have a stair lift, our residents tend to be relatively mobile, and such health issues as they have can generally be managed by drop-in carers, visits to the GP or a local hospital such as King’s College Hospital.
Abbeyfield Dulwich is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair users.
If there comes a time when we cannot cater for a particular resident's needs we discuss options with them and their sponsors or family. See 'moving on' section.
How does it work?
Support
Abbeyfield Dulwich offers:
· Two home cooked meals per day
· Companionship
· Security, including a secure key system
· Visits from volunteers
· Six monthly support plan review at which the opportunity is given to the resident and his or her sponsor to discuss the level of support the resident has, to address their health or dietary needs and other similar issues which for one reason or another they may not have felt able to voice on earlier occasions, or to express any concerns they may have in the management of the house.
Independence
Residents have the freedom to:
* furnish their own flat or studio flat which has a kitchenette and ensuite toilet/shower room
* have a hand in redecoration if their funds allow
* make their own breakfast in their room (food supplied)
* invite friends and family to their rooms during the day at any time
* come and go as they wish
* arrange any nursing visits they require
Residents are also responsible for the cleaning of their flats and doing their own laundry in the communal laundry room.
Peace of Mind
As people get older, peace of mind is important. Our house has secure room and alarm systems. The housekeeper checks on residents every day and is there to assist as and when it is needed.
Each flat has its own doorbell on the front door and has a pull cord and watch-like wrist device (or pendant) connected to the Warden Call system of in-house inter-coms for use in case of emergencies or to deal with any problems that arise. When the housekeepers are off-duty, the warden call system alerts Greenwich Telecare, a part of Greenwich Council, who will deal with the issue by speaking to the resident in question directly and will if necessary call in the emergency services. Greenwich Telecare has the facility of opening the front door remotely so that the emergency services can gain access to the house
Safeguarding
Welfare
The Abbeyfield Society has service benchmarks to ensure there is consistency in the level of service in Abbeyfield houses and continually seeks to introduce improvements.
To the Abbeyfield movement, your happiness, enjoyment and welfare are paramount and that means that you and your family can be safe in the knowledge that you’ll be receiving the very best care and support available. Abbeyfield houses and homes are registered with external regulatory bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in the case of care homes and National Regulator of Social Housing (NROSH) in the case of sheltered homes.
Abbeyfield Quality Programme
The quality of services is important to The Abbeyfield Society so they have established their own Quality Programme which encompasses all of their houses and homes. Their own team of quality assessors monitor and evaluate facilities, staff and services to ensure that every individual’s well-being and needs are in good hands, and that there is consistency in service delivery.
The Abbeyfield Society’s internal Quality Programme focuses on ensuring that the homes and housing meet a robust set of criteria, which includes ensuring that the opinions and feedback of residents and their families are listened to and goes above and beyond the minimum standards.
Monitoring
We, like all other houses operating under the Abbeyfield banner, are monitored by The Abbeyfield Society and regulated by the National Regulator of Social Housing.
Abbeyfield Dulwich has a safeguarding policy in place to protect residents from all forms of abuse: physical, sexual, psychological, financial or with respect to their possessions.Apart from the safeguarding policy, Abbeyfield Dulwich has many other house policies in place to ensure that the house is well run.
We are proud of the quality of what we do and hopefully you will find that with us you’re in excellent hands.
FAQs
What will my room look like?
We want you to feel at home as soon as possible, so all rooms are tastefully decorated, usually with carpet and curtains, but aren’t furnished. This means you can bring your own furniture and possessions when you move in, provided they are not too large for the size of the room, and get your room looking just the way you want it. There are photographs of the studio flat and one of the apartments in our photo gallery and you can find room plans through the link at the top of this page. We are happy for you to redecorate and modernise your flat in consultation with our Committee.
The cleaning and tidying of your room is your responsibility. Should you wish to employ the services of a cleaner this must be at your own expense.
All residents have their own bathroom with walk-in shower, toilet and sink.
What about TV, phone, wifi?
You can plug your phone into an existing socket providing you're happy to pay for it. There is a TV in the communal sitting room, but you're very welcome to have your own television in your room as well. Those residents over 75 are included in our free, concessionary TV licence. Those under 75 can be included in the concessionary licence at a cost of £7.50 per annum (as opposed to the normal licence fee of £149 p.a). Wifi is included.
What is the food like and when are meals served?
Our housekeeper provides two home-cooked meals a day, with the main meal at 12.30pm and a light supper at 5.30pm. All meals are cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients. We usually serve fish on Fridays and roast meals on Sundays, and there is a focus on traditional British food although vegetarian, vegan and 'free-from' meals can be provided. Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements. Meals are served in the communal dining room, and it is part of the Abbeyfield ethos for residents to share meals and enjoy each others' company. However if you are ill you may be able to have your meals in your room. Our photo gallery includes some typical Abbeyfield dishes.
What if I become ill?
If it's only minor your carers and family would normally be able to look after you in the house. If you have to spend time in hospital, you will still need to meet the rent for your accommodation, but it will be waiting for you when you're feeling better. If you are temporarily disabled, for example following an operation, you and your family would need to organise support such as extra carers or temporary ramp access. If you need to make plans for longer-term care and assistance, we can also help with your next move and can recommend homes that offer nursing care. Your needs are the most important thing to us.
How to Apply
Step 1
If after reading our website you feel Abbeyfield Dulwich could be the right home for you. you should advise the Society of your possible interest in taking accommodation at the Society's House by contacting Jane Ross-Macdonald on janerossmacdonald@gmail.com.
Step 2
Jane will, on hearing from you, make arrangements either to visit you at your home or for you to be met at the Society's House.
Step 3
Should you confirm at this initial meeting that you wish to take accommodation at the Society's House, you will be asked to complete an application form and a further form addressed to your own doctor to request him or her to supply relevant medical information. Both completed forms should be returned, in confidence, to Jane Ross-Macdonald at Abbeyfield Dulwich. Application Forms are also downloadable from this website.
Step 4
If following receipt of the medical information, the Society deems it necessary for you to be seen by its own medical adviser, mutually agreeable arrangements will be made with you. Subject to the Society's being satisfied that your state of health is compatible with living in the Society's House, your name will be placed on the waiting list.
Step 5
When a vacancy occurs, you will be invited to meet our Chairman and view the available accommodation.
Step 6
If you like the accommodation and your state of health continues to be reasonable, you will be invited to meet the residents of the Society's House and committee members to resolve any further queries you may have on the suitability of the accommodation. Subject to your approval of the vacancy and a satisfactory outcome to the residents' meeting you will be offered the accommodation.
STAFF
Who are the regular staff at Abbeyfield Dulwich?
We pay our directly employed staff the London Living Wage or above and regularly check our salaries against other charities to make sure our pay is competitive.
We have a permanent staff of two housekeepers (one on duty every day) backed up by around five relief housekeepers to cover sickness and holidays. The housekeepers are excellent home cooks with food hygiene qualifications.
As we tailor our services to meet the needs of individual residents the day-to-day work can vary enormously. The most important thing is that staff are warm, friendly, flexible and share our commitment to helping older people lead more fulfilling lives.
We use a cleaning agency and we employ a regular gardener so we are not looking for staff in these areas.
Pay and Pension
We pay our directly employed housekeeping staff the London Living Wage or above and regularly check our salaries against other charities to make sure our pay is competitive.
Staff receive 28 days holiday each year. This is calculated pro rata for part-time staff.
Abbeyfield Dulwich operates a Pension Scheme which all permanent staff are entitled to join to help save for their retirement.
Training and Career Development
We invest in the careers of our staff. We encourage them to aim high and reach their full potential through training and development programmes and regular evaluations.
TEMPORARY COOK
If you are a confident cook, enjoy the company of older people and are not daunted by cooking for a large group we need you! This is not regular work - it's the odd day or two covering holidays and sickness - but it's a friendly home with a well-equipped kitchen and the pay is competitive. Our aim is to keep a roster of 5 or 6 relief cooks - currently we are pleased to have the following as part of a trusted bank of reliable cooks we can call upon. They all have different backgrounds, ages and perspectives. Inevitably they are not always free, and summer holidays are a time when we find we particularly need extra assistance.
Hours are 9am-2pm and 4pm-7pm