When the team at Westgate House care home in Forest Gate, Newham learned just how much being a security guard meant to one of their residents, a gentleman named Cortez, they were determined to make this dream come true and set about planning how to make it happen.
Staff at Westgate House care home often noticed Cortez happily watching the world go by from his window, and would jokingly refer to him as Westgate House’s very own head of security, this is something that made him laugh and always brought a huge smile to his face and made him feel extremely proud.
Cortez can often be found keeping watch from his favourite spot, he takes great pride in looking out for the home, keeping an eye out for any ‘trespassers’ and doing his part to make sure everyone feels safe and secure. His enthusiasm and sense of humour has made him a fantastic character within the care home.
To make his dream to be a security guard come true, the team got Cortez his very own Head of Security badge and conducted a ceremony to present it to him. When Cortez received this badge, he had an huge grin on his face. He is incredibly proud of this achievement and he wears his badge every day with enormous dedication.
Sharon Izzard, General Manager, said: “Here at Westgate House we strive to ensure that our resident’s feel a part of the community, Cortez enjoys spending time looking out of the windows and watching people passing by and is flattered and excited when I call him my ‘Head of Security.’ He is so proud to wear a badge with this title so he can show off to his friends.”
Westgate House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Westgate House provides residential, nursing and dementia care for 61 residents from respite breaks to longer term stays.
