A HAMPSHIRE expert in care for the elderly has won a place on a prestigious national course.

Lindsay Rees, who has been described as an ‘inspirational’ manager at a family-owned Hampshire care home provider, has won a coveted place on an older people’s care fellowship course at the UK’s top university for nursing, Kings College, London.

Lindsay, a Care Operations Manager at Colten Care, beat off strong competition from applicants across the country to join the one-year programme at King’s College and is one of only 30 participants nationally, and one of just two from the private care home sector.

Ms Rees said: “The fellowship gives you the opportunity to meet and learn from other professionals working in older people’s care. I will be sharing and applying what I learn from the programme to help continue Colten Care’s aim of quality improvement.”

Lindsay, who did her nursing training at Southampton General Hospital and joined Colten Care as a Head of Care in April 2007, has chosen falls prevention as the focus for her fellowship project.

Elaine Farrer, operations director at Colten Care, said: “We’re excited and energised by Lindsay being accepted onto the fellowship. She is already an inspiring clinical expert and the programme will give her enhanced access to an amazing knowledge network. This will in turn help us on our continual ‘good-to-great’ journey in care, helping residents to live well. Her participation will also bring to life for other professionals all that we do for our residents.”

The fellowship is run by older people’s health experts at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. Recognised world rankings rate the King’s College faculty as the best in the UK for nursing and among the top 25 globally.

Dr Corina Naughton, academic lead on the course said: “The fellowship recognises the enormous potential and capability of nurses and allied health professionals to deliver contemporary models of care for older people. It gives frontline practitioners the confidence and skills to lead change, better support older people and their families, and influence wider strategic planning for older adult services in their organisations.”

Headquartered in Ringwood, in the New Forest Colten Care owns and runs 20 care homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Sussex and offers a range of services spanning residential, nursing and dementia care.