Connaught Court celebrates Dementia Accreditation Award with The Lord Mayor

Above: (From left to right) Staff member Tina Hope, the Lord Mayor’s Consort Tom Rowley, Deputy Home Manager Kris Kirk, The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Martin Rowley BEM, and Home Manager Marinda Aydinalp at Connaught Court, in York.

Staff at Connaught Court, in York, received an EMBRACE Dementia Accreditation for outstanding support, care and attention dedicated to residents living with dementia and their loved ones.

The accreditation was presented by The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Martin Rowley BEM, in an official ceremony. He says:

Connaught Court is an outstanding Home that has always prided itself on providing the highest level of care for its residents. This accreditation recognises the specialist nature of dementia care, and the skills of the dedicated staff who discharge that care with such compassion.

The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Martin Rowley BEM, greets resident Marie at Connaught Court.

The Home currently provides residential care, nursing and resident dementia care for up to 94 residents and is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Marinda Aydinalp, Connaught Court’s Home Manager, says:

We are absolutely delighted to be awarded with the dementia accreditation. We wouldn’t have obtained this accreditation without the continuous support from our team of staff. They run our Dementia houses with absolute dedication, making sure that residents have meaningful experiences.

The Dementia Accreditation has been created by Anne Child, RMBI Care Co.’s Pharmacy and Dementia Specialist Lead. Anne has received an MBE for her services to dementia and is a special advisor to the Care Quality Commission. Together with Lucy Tupenny, RMBI Care Co.’s Assistant Director of Quality and Governance, they aim to raise and maintain high standards of dementia care using a suite of dementia modules to support care staff. Some of the modules have been externally accredited by the CPD Certification Service. The charity has also been named ‘Dementia Care Employer (Residential) in the 2025 Dementia Care Awards. Anne mentions:

We have seen our residents find a new lease of life during this culture and environment change and we have created strong emotional connections with them.

Connaught Court currently provides residential care, nursing and resident dementia care for up to 94 residents. The Home has three Dementia Houses – Fred Crosland House, Knavesmire House, and Ebor. Care staff follow the highly regarded Namaste ethos of care, which has two basic principles: a loving, personal approach and a calm soothing environment.

Connaught Court is the fourth Home to receive the dementia accreditation, with Zetland Court in Bournemouth as the first Home to receive it last year; Prince George Duke of Kent Court, in Chislehurst, and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court, in Berkshire to receive it earlier this year.

[Summary: Staff at Connaught Court, in York, received an EMBRACE Dementia Accreditation for outstanding support and care to residents living with dementia, presented by The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Martin Rowley BEM.]