Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes Case Study

“Thanks for Providing a Reliable and Friendly Service”

The waste management services we provide for the nursing and care home sector throughout the south east bring us into contact with some extremely dedicated people. We also deal with establishments that have fascinating stories to tell.

One particular care home we have dealt with for a number of years now – and which has quite a history - is the Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes in Polegate, near Eastbourne in East Sussex.

Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes were originally built in 1936 as a memorial to Caleb Diplock, a wealthy local resident and landowner. They were intended to offer respite to the poor and needy, living within three miles of the local Parish Church. The first residents were actually elderly evacuees who had been made homeless in the 1939-45 war.

However, in 1945 Caleb Diplock’s distant relatives succeeded in contesting his will and the Cottages were put up for sale.

Nevertheless, under the Trusteeship of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the generous help of the Bernhard Baron Trust and many other donors, the cottages were purchased and renamed the Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes (BBCH). As a not-for-profit charity organisation, this arrangement has endured successfully and the future for BBCH – its dedicated staff and elderly residents - looks bright and secure.  

Today, BBCH consists of 24 self-contained cottages, each consisting of a sitting room, a bedroom, a bathroom with a bath or a shower, and a small kitchen. Half the cottages are spacious enough for couples. The main building houses a further 34 en-suite bed-sitting rooms.  

In short, BBCH is everything you would expect from a well-run, 21st century care home facility, with spacious and fully equipped accommodation, a state-of-the-art kitchen, modern communal lounges and dining room, as well as a recently upgraded reception and office area, helping to create a welcoming atmosphere. BBCH also offers free Wifi and digital TV throughout the property. 

Of course, the smooth running of any busy care home establishment necessitates full compliance with the most stringent safety standards – not least when it comes to the effective management of waste. In this respect, WGS has been proud to have worked with BBCH for a number of years, offering a comprehensive clinical waste service, as Sue Varley, Deputy Care Manager at BBCH explains.

“We have been dealing with Paul and his team at WGS for around five years and in all that time, I can’t remember a single issue. They have been a model of professionalism and reliability throughout, which has made our life a lot easier,” said Sue.  

“They have been absolutely fine - always on hand to offer advice and suggestions and recently, as result of additional requirements, they have provided different bags for the segregation of particular clinical waste,” Sue explained.

WGS carry out two separate collections each month, the more heavy duty intensive clinical waste being taken away weekly, with the remainder of the medical waste, which is stored in coloured bins, being removed once a fortnight.

As Sue points out, the fact that BBCH has a waste management supplier they can depend upon, which is pro-active when it comes to the safe management and collection of clinical waste, is a vital cog in the smooth running of the day-to-day operation.

“WGS have always provided a first class service and are very responsive should we require any extra bins or collection bags. Nothing seems to be too much trouble and they seem to go about their work in a very cheerful and friendly manner. Their dedication, support and advice are things we have very much come to appreciate,” she added.