For residents at Hilton Court Care Home in Rosyth, meaningful activity can mean much more than filling the day.
It can mean learning a new skill. Taking responsibility for a job. Volunteering in the local community. Building confidence. Or taking another step towards a longer-term personal goal.
That approach has recently led to a series of achievements for residents at Hilton Court, from graduating through Meallmore's Academy of Care Chef Excellence and gaining experience in the home's kitchen, to volunteering at a local community hub and taking on meaningful roles around the home.
At the centre of the latest celebrations is resident Billy Webster, who has become Hilton Court's first resident to graduate from the Academy of Care Chef Excellence.
Billy's journey from the Academy to the kitchen
Billy took part in the Academy as part of the wider learning and development opportunities available through Hilton Court.
The programme gave him the chance to develop practical kitchen skills, learn more about professional food preparation and build his understanding of specialist areas of care catering.
One area Billy particularly enjoyed was learning about the IDDSI framework, which supports the preparation of texture-modified food and drinks for people with swallowing difficulties.
I enjoyed it a lot, it was great. I would like to keep going. I hope this will help me get into work. I really enjoyed the IDDSI framework course when I was on the Academy of Care Chef Excellence. Some of the questions were very tricky, and I learned a lot from the knife skills section.
Billy has since been putting those skills into practice alongside Head Chef Robert Scott and the Hilton Court kitchen team.
His time in the kitchen has included helping with meal preparation and everyday tasks, and he has already taken on the challenge of cooking beef stew for the whole home.
I was proud because I cooked beef stew for the whole home at Hilton Court once. Thank you Robert for helping me. I enjoy spending time in the kitchen with you.
Billy's longer-term goal is to move into paid employment in the community, something the Hilton Court team will continue supporting him to work towards.
A proud first for Hilton Court
Robert Scott, Head Chef at Hilton Court and reigning Meallmore Meals Means More Champion, has supported Billy throughout his time in the Academy and kitchen.
Billy graduating from the Academy of Care Chef Excellence is a really proud moment for me and for all of us here at Hilton Court. Billy is not just a graduate, he is one of our residents, and seeing him take part in the Academy, develop his skills and reach this achievement has been incredibly rewarding. It shows exactly what the Academy is about: creating opportunities, building confidence, developing skills and recognising that everyone has something to contribute. Billy has worked hard and embraced every challenge. As his Head Chef, it has been a privilege to support him on that journey. Congratulations Billy, you are our first Hilton Court graduate and I couldn't be prouder of you.
Hilton Court became home to Meallmore's first Kitchen Centre of Excellence earlier this year, creating a practical training hub for colleagues to develop skills in areas including nutrition, hydration, modified diets, food safety, presentation and menu development.
The centre forms part of Meallmore's wider Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence, which is designed to create structured learning and development opportunities within care catering.
At Hilton Court, that learning environment is now also creating opportunities for residents.
Building confidence beyond the kitchen
Billy is not the only resident at Hilton Court taking on new roles and responsibilities.
Karen has recently begun volunteering at EATS, a local community hub. Her role gives her the opportunity to spend time outside the home, contribute to the wider community and develop new skills and confidence.
I really enjoy it. I like getting out of the care home and doing a job. It makes me feel valued and like I'm doing something worthwhile.
Fellow resident Donna also volunteers at EATS and has found the experience equally rewarding.
It's rewarding and interesting, it's really good.
For both Karen and Donna, volunteering provides something meaningful to look forward to while creating connections beyond Hilton Court.
Resident Maureen has chosen to get involved closer to home, assisting with housekeeping tasks at Hilton Court. The role gives her something practical to take part in and a sense of contribution to everyday life within the home.
It gives me something to do, to pass time, I enjoy it.
Supporting residents to work towards their own goals
Hilton Court provides specialist adult and mental health care in Rosyth, with support built around each resident's individual needs, strengths and longer-term goals.
The home's recovery-focused approach recognises that progress looks different for everyone.
For one person, that might mean developing everyday living skills. For another, it could mean volunteering, taking greater responsibility for their routine, building social connections or working towards employment.
Home Manager Suzanne Pitt said seeing residents take on these opportunities has been an important moment for the whole Hilton Court team.
Seeing Billy graduate from the Academy of Care Chef Excellence is such a proud and exciting moment for everyone at Hilton Court. This is a fantastic achievement for Billy, but it also represents so much more. His involvement in the Academy has given him a real sense of purpose, increased his engagement and created meaningful opportunities for him to be involved in something that he clearly enjoys. As a Home Manager, it is incredibly rewarding to see our residents being given opportunities to develop, contribute and achieve, and Billy has embraced that opportunity wholeheartedly. We're seeing that same sense of purpose through Karen and Donna's volunteering and Maureen's involvement within the home. Every resident has different goals, so our role is to understand what matters to them and help create opportunities that feel meaningful to that individual. I'm incredibly proud of the residents and of the colleagues who have supported them. It really has been a team effort.
Taking learning beyond the classroom
For Jody Marshall, Head of Hospitality and Catering at Meallmore, Billy's achievement shows how the Academy and Centre of Excellence can create an impact far beyond traditional colleague training.
What has happened at Hilton Court is exactly the kind of outcome we want learning and development to create. The Academy of Care Chef Excellence and our Centre of Excellence were built to share knowledge, develop skills and create opportunities. Seeing Billy take part alongside our culinary colleagues, graduate from the Academy and then put those skills into practice in the Hilton Court kitchen is incredibly special. It also reminds us that development should never be limited by somebody's job title or circumstances. When we understand what someone wants to achieve and give them the right support, confidence and opportunity, people can surprise themselves. Billy should be incredibly proud of what he has achieved, and Robert and the wider Hilton Court team deserve huge credit for creating an environment where residents are encouraged to learn, contribute and have a go.
More than an activity
The experiences of Billy, Karen, Donna and Maureen reflect something simple but important. Meaningful engagement is personal.
For Billy, it is developing professional kitchen skills and working towards his ambition of employment. For Karen and Donna, it is volunteering and contributing to their local community. For Maureen, it is having a regular role within the home and something she enjoys taking responsibility for.
None of those experiences are identical, because neither are the people taking part.
At Hilton Court, the goal is to understand what matters to each resident and support them to take the next step at a pace that is right for them.
Sometimes that step leads into the kitchen. Sometimes it leads out into the community. And sometimes it simply starts with being given the opportunity to say: I can do that.
You can find out more about Hilton Court Care Home in Rosyth, read about what it is like to work with us, or browse current careers at Meallmore including roles in our kitchens and hospitality teams.
