Oakland Care has demonstrated the company’s leading approach to sustainability after its first care home, Woodland Grove in Epping Forest, was certified as ‘Very Good’ by the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).

BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure, and buildings. As part of this, the organisation has introduced ‘BREEAM In Use’ (BIU), which assesses existing buildings. This process involves assessments of a building’s environmental, social, and economic sustainability performance using standards developed by the Building Research Establishment.

The assessment is set against various criteria, including energy and water use, pollution, resources, and the health and well-being of users. Buildings that have received this rating are identified as more sustainable environments that enhance the wellbeing of the people who live and work in them while helping to protect natural resources.

This latest accreditation adds to a growing list of sustainability awards achieved by the luxury care home provider after they were certified as the first carbon-neutral care home group earlier this year.

For Oakland Care, Woodland Grove’s BIU rating is only the start, with the care home provider eager to continue their green mission and BREEAM journey across all their care homes over the next 12 months. In the wake of the COP26 conference in Glasgow, and with climate action more important than ever, Oakland Care is leading the way for other care home providers to follow.

Reflecting on their certification, Joanne Balmer, CEO of Oakland Care, said: “We’re delighted to have achieved this certification for Woodland Grove. Environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of Oakland Care’s values, and we continue to lead the way in the care home sector to demonstrate how other organisations can also take steps to boost their sustainability credentials.

“Woodland Grove was our first care home, built in 2014, so it only seemed fitting to select it to start off our BREEAM in use journey. Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue our sustainability mission and play our part in the social care sector’s fight against climate change.”