Cheshire Homes Society of BC
The Cheshire Homes Society of British Columbia (CHSBC) was incorporated on October 3, 1973, as a charitable, not-for profit society by a group of individuals interested in providing support to persons with disabilities under the guiding principles of Group Captain Lord Leonard Cheshire.
Group Captain Lord Leonard Cheshire of Woodhall, a decorated war hero, who, in 1948 established the first Cheshire Home for disabled veterans near London England. Lord Cheshire's belief was that all disabled people should have the maximum opportunity to determine every aspect of their own lives.
Cheshire Homes Society of British Columbia is a member of the Leonard Cheshire Disability Global Alliance providing services to people with disabilities across various countries. The Alliance is made up of independently managed organizations that support people with disabilities in their efforts to secure education, livelihoods, health care, rehabilitation and a voice in their society. The Global Alliance strengthens existing community services by sharing ideas of best practices and innovations in the area of disability and development, as well as initiating and managing innovative and effective new programs.
The Cheshire Homes Society of British Columbia mission is to support persons with disabilities to achieve their optimal level of independence and enhance their quality of life through innovative services, education and community integration.
Our vision is to be a recognized leader and dependable brand in delivering best practices and achieving successful outcomes for persons with disabilities.
Cheshire Homes Society of British Columbia values the clients, staff, volunteers and stakeholders through relationships that are of quality, meaning and purpose, promoting ability out of disability. Our values are represented under four keywords whereby we recognize that each person has the right to Acceptance, Empowerment, Independence and Opportunities.
CHSBC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of a diversity qualified group of professionals, including individuals with disabilities. They provide direction to the society through the CHSBC Strategic Plan.
CHSBC has a head office located in Burnaby and maintains a leadership and administration team including an Executive Director, Operations, Client Services, Human Resources and operational supports within the administration team.
CHSBC Programs are accredited with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in the areas of Community Housing, Supported Living and Community Inclusion. The accreditation ensures that public and stakeholders that we have made a commitment to continually enhance the quality of our services and programs and that our organization's focus is on the satisfaction of the persons served.
CHSBC operates two licensed facilities: in Vancouver through Vancouver Coastal Health (King Edward House) and Port Coquitlam through the Fraser Health Authority (Larkin House). Licenses are issued by the Local Authority Community Care Facility Licensing Program. They conduct annual (and/or as needed) inspections to ensure the provincial Residential Care Regulations are being followed and that the clients are supported appropriately.
In all programs, CHSBC endeavors to meet and exceed best practices in accordance with the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and Residential Care Regulations which have details about building requirements, staffing, management, recreation, documentation, health and safety, medication management and nutrition.
Ongoing feedback is solicited from stakeholders to ensure that CHSBC is meeting the program requirements, exceeding the expectations of their contract and maintaining a positive working relationship. In addition to following a three-year strategic plan developed by the Board and Leadership team with feedback from the stakeholders, the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Committee ensures continuous improvement of CHSBC services.