Jack Sears Rehabilitation Centre celebrated its first birthday with staff and former patients on Friday 20 June.

Jack Sears House is a 29-bedded rehabilitation centre based in Paignton and offers high-quality treatment to residents of Torbay and South Devon who require a period rehabilitation and supports patients with regaining independence and returning home.

Its focus is on supporting an active recovery for all individuals with recent changes to their health needs to support with a strength-based approach. The rehab support is provided by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and comprises of a therapy lead, an assistant practitioner, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and our discharge coordinator who are based at the unit.

The birthday celebration was enjoyed by patients currently being supported at Jack Sears, with cake and tea for all.

Former patient Sabine Bueker and her daughter Gesche Bueker also attended the event and were warmly welcomed by staff who supported her during her stay. Sabine suffered a spiral fracture of her ankle last year and came to Jack Sears for a spell of rehabilitation.

Gesche said: “Following the operation, my mum came here to Jack Sears. She is very fit, so the priority was for her to regain full mobility. The physios and the whole team worked together to get her better and they slowly but surely built her back up; I think things would have been so different if she went straight from hospital to home.

“The team here are so professional and friendly and so kind to my mum. The facilities in here are fantastic, the rooms are very modern and clean, the food so nice but they also encouraged my mum to be in the lounge as much as possible and do activities with the other patients - everything here was so positive.

“My mum has always been fit and exercised all her life. Thanks to the rehabilitation here at Jack Sears, she is now back taking walks along the beach, playing skittles and she has even joined an over 55’s exercise class!”

Ellie Rowbotham intermediate care lead for Jack Sears, said: “We've supported approaching 300 discharges in the past year and can see the improvement made for so many patients. Most arrive needing a lot of support and yet so many leave with the ability to return home completely independent thanks to the rehabilitation focus we have here.

“Our dedicated therapists provide an amazing daily input to really support us through this progression and with the aim of getting people back in their own home.”

The majority of patients supported by Jack Sears are older people, and the type of conditions they usually help treat include those who are recovering from falls, infections, fractures, reduced mobility or need support but not emergency care.

Jack Sears are also set-up to help people of all ages who may have sustained serious injuries from road traffic accidents and who have a long road to recovery.

Gina Dockree community service manager for health at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “From the moment a patient arrives, their personalised goals are set, and we start the journey of building confidence and increasing mobility to help them return home.

“I am incredibly proud of the team. Here at Jack Sears we are doing things differently, because we have a therapy team based here, and the whole ethos is about getting people moving, creating independence and building confidence from day one.

“I think we are leading the way in showing how care and rehabilitation can be delivered and how beneficial this type of care is.”

Nikki Barnes is the manager of Jack Sears: “Each and every one of our patients is given support tailored to their needs, completely focussed on strength-based rehabilitation. Our goal for each person who stays with us is to get them independent and keep them independent.

“We work on the whole person. We build them up with meals, we build them up with confidence, we build them up with support. We provide the therapy input that they need, and the nursing input offers care that is medically, mentally, and emotionally-focussed; it's very holistic.

“Not only do we help people getting fitter and stronger, we also help to free up bed space from within our hospitals here in Torbay and South Devon.

“I am so incredibly proud of the team. We had former patients return to celebrate with us today and they are welcomed as if they are family. Everybody here genuinely cares, the integration with health and social care works really well and is proving very effective.

“I just think that we have an incredible bunch of people who work here.”

Councillor Hayley Tranter, cabinet member for adult and community services, public health and inequalities for Torbay Council, which commissions adult social care services for Torbay, said: “We are pleased to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of the Jack Sears Rehabilitation Centre, which has helped hundreds of people so far.

“This important facility performs a key role in our ‘Thriving communities where people can prosper’ adult social care strategy which has three main aims, which are to help people to live well and independently, help people to regain their independence, and to help those with care and support needs to live independently, safely and with choice and control.”

The image below shows the birthday speech which was given by Nikki Barnes, manager of Jack Sears.