Care Management Matters (CMM) Magazine February 2022 by Care Choices Ltd

FEBRUARY 2022

www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk

THINK LOCAL

Recruitment and retention tips

Immigration law update Health and Care Visa Scheme

Clever design

Supporting people with dementia

Resource Finder Technology

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Facilitates teamwork

In this issue Inside CQC Kate Terroni outlines the CQC’s key objectives for the months ahead.

Obituary It is with great sadness that CMM and Care Choices announce the death of Chief Executive, Robert Chamberlain.

CMM News

Into Perspective Our experts comment on whether safeguarding for adults with learning disabilities has improved, in the wake of scandals and failings.

Celebrating Excellence In this issue, we catch up with some of the Markel 3rd Sector CareAwards judges to find out what key themes really stood out on judging day.

Event Review CMM reviews 'Moving on from COVID-19' webinar, hosted by The National Care Forum and My Home Life.

Straight Talk Philip Daffas, CEO of PainCheck explains why be believes digital technology is the key to social care reform.

FEATURES

REGULARS

Social Care Insights Simon Bottery of The King’s Fund reviews the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) ‘Evidence Review of Adult Social Care Reform’.

Think local: How to successfully recruit and retain staff in your area Are you maximising your opportunities to recruit locally? In this article, Jim Thomas, Head of Workforce Capacity and Transformation at Skills for Care, outlines the seven principles for finding and keeping local workers.

Support for cognitive decline: Supporting people with dementia in care settings Managing Director at Catalyst Interiors, Mike Davies, shares why great design must combine with comfortable living and details the wayfinding concept in dementia design.

Reshaping the future: Working together to influence mental health policy What does the Government’s latest White Paper tell us about its commitment to mental health? Kathy Roberts, Chief Executive of Association of Mental Health Providers, explains the importance of working together to implement change.

Immigration law update: Expansion of Health and Care Visa Scheme The legalities surrounding immigration and the workforce have been updated. Gulnaz Raja, Founder and CEO at GNR Solicitors, explains what the updated policy means for social care providers.

Resource Finder CMM brings you information on some of the leading organisations working in the technology sector. CMM February 2022

EDITORIAL editor@caremanagementmatters.co.uk Editor: Olivia Hubbard Content Editors: Aislinn Thompson, Henry Thornton

CONTRIBUTORS

PRODUCTION Lead Designer: Ruth Keating Director of Creative Operations: Lisa Werthmann Studio Manager: Jamie Harvey

ADVERTISING sales@caremanagementmatters.co.uk 01223 207770 Advertising Manager: Daniel Carpenter daniel.carpenter@carechoices.co.uk Assistant Advertising Manager: Aaron Barber aaron.barber@carechoices.co.uk Director of Sales: David Werthmann david.werthmann@carechoices.co.uk

@blimeysimon

@CQCprof

@skillsforcare

@catalystsupport

Simon Bottery Senior Fellow in Social Care, The King's Fund

Kate Terroni Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission

Jim Thomas Head of Workforce Capacity and Transformation, Skills for Care

Mike Davies Managing Director, Catalyst Interiors

@StirUni

@DimensionsUK

@SarahMaguire30

@KathyRobertsMH

Jessica Noel-Smith Senior Architect, Dementia Services Development Centre

Steve Scown Chief Executive, Dimensions UK

Sarah Maguire Chief Executive, Choice Support

Kathy Roberts CEO, Association of Mental Health Providers

SUBSCRIPTIONS Non-care and support providers may be required to pay £50 per year. info@caremanagementmatters.co.uk 01223 207770 www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk

Care Management Matters is published by Care Choices Ltd who cannot be held responsible for views expressed by contributors. Care Management Matters © Care Choices Ltd 2022 CCL REF NO: CMM 19.0

CMM magazine is officially part of the membership entitlement of:

Are you getting the benefit of the CMM website? @PainChek

Gulnaz Raja Founder and CEO, GNR Solicitors

Phillip Daffas CEO, PainChek

CMM February 2022

SOCIAL CARE

INSIGHTS

and there is relatively little evidence about what users of adult social care most want from technology, which you might think is quite important. 4. There is some evidence of the impact of health and care integration on outcomes and quality, but little about cost-effectiveness. Indeed my colleague Siva Andanaciva noted recently that there is, in fact, a general lack of clarity about what integrated care systems are intended to achieve and how it will be measured.

From Simon Bottery

In the wake of the Department of Health and Social Care publishing its ‘Evidence Review for Adult Social Care Reform’, Simon Bottery untangles its contents and pinpoints what we still don’t know about adult social care. The late Donald Rumsfeld was unfairly ridiculed when he tried to explain the concept of ‘known unknowns’ to a sceptical public. Yet his basic point is obvious and helpful: there are many things we're aware of but don’t fully understand. It was a concept widely used before Rumsfeld – I once met a management consultant who referred to 'known unknowns’ as ‘kunks’ and I have adopted the term ever since. ('Unknown unknowns’, which we won’t get into here, were known as ‘unkunks’.) Largely unnoticed, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) published in early December its ‘Evidence Review for Adult Social Care Reform’.

It deserves to be widely read, not least because it is full of ‘kunks’. Here are four particularly interesting ones: 1. We don’t know how many people are eligible for state support but don’t receive it (let’s use that as our definition of ‘unmet need’). Perhaps even more importantly, we don’t know why they don’t. For example, we do not even know the exact number of people with learning disabilities in England. Yet working-age people with a learning disability are the single largest area of local authority social care expenditure and likely to be central to future care demand.

2. We don’t know how many people currently fund their own care, even though that is the focus of much of the Government’s reform agenda (it’s curious that avoiding people selling their homes to pay for care is a key driver of Government policy, yet we have no idea how many currently do that). The problem is particularly acute in home care and in data on the number of under-65s who self-fund. 3. We don’t have good evidence about the most promising types of technology and innovation in social care. Of course, we know some things that would work but not which have most potential,

Though it is generally a very useful report, the DHSC document does have its weaknesses. The biggest is the failure to include evidence on the views of people with care needs. The report does note a gap in understanding of “the type of care people and families will be willing to provide for themselves and the sort of support which would be most effective for them” but fails to follow this up with a wider section summarising evidence about the views of people who do draw on services (or those who don’t but have care needs). This is not a ‘kunk’: we know quite a lot about what people want, so it is a big omission. Still, it is 122 pages of detailed analysis on adult social care and was delivered just before Christmas. For a policy wonk, it proves there is a Santa.

Simon Bottery is a Senior Fellow in Social Care at The King's Fund. Email: S.Bottery@kingsfund.org.uk Twitter: @blimeysimon

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Happy New Year to all colleagues working in social care. I hope you managed to have some time off over the Christmas period to spend with your loved ones.

WORKFORCE PRESSURES Over the past couple of months, our sector has faced increasing pressures due to the Omicron variant, which is putting further pressure on the social care workforce, which we reported to be depleted and exhausted in our ‘State of Care’ report published in October. We are really keen that we fully understand the impact that workforce pressures are placing on your ability to deliver the high-quality care you aspire to. To support this, we’ve started to collect workforce data through targeted questions and prompts, which will be used in all inspections and monitoring conversations. We will be asking you what impact, if any, workforce is having on your ability to deliver care. The information will be used to help our understanding of what’s happening at a provider level, but also to inform national conversations. As we are all aware, pressure is being felt across every aspect of the health and care system. In light of the commitment before Christmas to significantly accelerate the booster vaccination programme, last month we shared a statement advising that we’d postpone onsite inspections of acute hospitals ambulance services and general practice for three weeks. These plans are being kept under review and we will continue to communicate updates to our approach as necessary.

KEY PRIORITIES We also advised about our plans to prioritise activity to help create more capacity in adult social care. This includes: • An ambition to complete 1,000 infection prevention and control (IPC) inspections in adult social care over the winter period, and respond rapidly to requests to set up new Designated Settings. • And from January, begin a programme of activity to rate adult social care services that are registered and not yet rated and to inspect providers currently rated as Requires Improvement, to identify where improvement has taken place and re-rate where possible. Supporting the creation of additional capacity in the system.

Inside CQC K

A T

In her first column for 2022 Kate Terroni, of CQQ updates on how the regulator plans to support the sector in view of mounting workforce pressures and outlines the CQC’s key objectives for the months ahead.

We inspect services for a number of reasons, one being regulatory history, for example, previous enforcement action or ratings. Another being recorded risk triggers such as information from people who access services, their families and people who work in the sector. Currently, 55% of our risk-based inspections are based on recorded risk triggers. People’s feedback, be that good, bad or mixed, helps inform our understanding of what’s happening in the sector and where we should focus our regulatory work. We will continue to prioritise risk.

YOUR FEEDBACK Feedback really matters to our work. This new year we will be relaunching our Because we all care campaign, asking for feedback on people’s experiences of care. In previous years this campaign has given us valuable insights into good practice and areas we need to focus monitoring or inspection activity on. We will always advise people to address complaints with registered managers first to enable a resolution

to be reached and embed lessons learned in a service. However, it is essential to our role to enable people to speak to us directly about their care, or care given to their loved ones or relatives.

POLITICAL PICTURE At the beginning of December the Government published the long awaited ‘People at the heart of Care: adult social care reform’ white paper, outlining a vision for social care, a commitment to better support the social care workforce, and new powers that we at CQC will have with assuring local authorities and systems. For many years we at CQC have called for a long-term vision for social care, with funding to deliver the ambition. This paper provides us with that vision and a breakdown of how the additional money announced by Government back on 7th September will be spent. This White Paper must mark the start of a sustained investment in a skilled, valued social care workforce.

Kate Terroni is Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission. Share your thoughts and views on Kate’s column on the CMM website. Visit www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk Twitter: @CQCProf CMM February 2022

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OBITUARY

Robert Chamberlain It is with great sadness that CMM and Care Choices announce the death of Chief Executive, Robert Chamberlain, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday 5th December, aged 50. Rob, as friends and colleagues knew him, began working at Care Choices in October 1998 as a Sales Executive, coming to the company from the insurance sector. His ambition, drive and skill saw him quickly rise through the organisation, and he became Chief Executive in February 2003. He went on to become majority shareholder in the years that followed. In his position as Chief Executive, Rob took Care Choices from strength to strength, expanding the portfolio, challenging his teams and extracting results that saw the organisation grow from a small publisher of local authority care service directories, to encompass so much more. Products were launched that gave vital information to parents of children with additional needs;

he branched out to incorporate face-to-face events that promoted networking and peer support; and the core business was expanded online to enable even more people to find the help they and their families were looking for. It was under Rob’s vision and leadership that Care Management Matters was born, and, later, the CMM Insight events. Rob was always a firm supporter of the social care sector, aiming to raise up those who worked within it and encourage best practice, knowledge sharing and innovation and these are the key goals that CMM retains to this day. As well as speaking at events across the sector highlighting the importance of change, Rob often questioned the injustices social care faced in his regular column, ’Is it just me?’, and, when his team sought to offer the voluntary care sector gratitude and a much-needed platform for sharing, Rob supported them to work alongside the National Care Forum to establish the 3rd Sector Care Awards. The event continues

year after year to celebrate outstanding projects big and small and epitomises the recognition that Rob felt those working in the sector should receive. In recent years, Rob took a step back from the business, entrusting the day-to-day running of the company to its current directors. The company will continue to run and develop with the core values and purpose that Rob always kept at the forefront – to support the whole sector and all those who are a part of it. Personally, Rob was gregarious, ambitious and always looking for ways to make people laugh. He will be remembered amongst his colleagues and those who knew him in the sector as a man who didn’t allow things to stand in the way of progress, who strove for excellence, and who wanted the very best for social care. Rob leaves behind two daughters, Eva and Chloe, and is survived by his parents and brother. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

CMM February 2022

NEWS APPOINTMENTS EDEN FUTURES

Eden Futures, one of the country’s leading Supported Living providers, has appointed Helen Stokes as its new Chief Executive Officer. Helen joins from CareTech, where she was Managing Director for Specialist Services.

HALLMARK

Hallmark Care Homes has promoted Martin Murphy to the role of Operations Director. Martin joined the industry-leading care group in November 2020 as Regional Operations Manager, following a lengthy career in the healthcare industry. He has previously held roles in the NHS Trust and at numerous care providers, including Four Seasons Health Care. Martin will now oversee the operational direction of the group’s entire portfolio.

HFT

The national learning disabilities charity, Hft, has appointed two new Chief Officers, Devia Gurjar and Teresa Parker, to its executive board. Devia will lead the Charity and External Affairs portfolio and brings a wealth of experience across brand, marketing and fundraising from previous roles across the charity sector.

QUEEN’S NURSING INSTITUTE

Caron Sanders-Crook has been awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI). Caron is now entitled to use the title of Queen’s Nurse in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing over the last 35 years. Currently she is an Operations Manager for Canford Healthcare, with responsibility for four care homes in London and the south east. 10

CMM February 2022

Care workers added to Shortage Occupation List The Government has announced that care staff will be added to the Shortage Occupation List in response to pandemic pressures, following temporary changes to the health and care visa. This boost follows the recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to make care workers and home carers eligible for the Health and Care visa and add the occupation to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Inclusion on the Shortage Occupation List will stipulate

an annual salary minimum of £20,480 for carers to qualify for the Health and Care visa. The UK is committed to becoming a highskilled, high-wage economy and minimum salaries must reflect the professional skills that are required to provide high-quality care. The temporary measures are expected to come into effect early this year and will be in place for a minimum of 12 months, providing a much-needed staffing boost while the sector deals with the additional pressures of the pandemic, at which point they will

be reviewed. Vic Rayner OBE said, ‘It is important that the Government has finally addressed this issue, which has been strongly advocated for by NCF and its membership. It will be imperative that all organisations – large and small – needing these additional valued workers, will be able to utilise the immigration system at speed. At present it is complex, and organisations currently using it for wider roles recognise the financial and bureaucratic burdens inherent in the system.’

Coalition calls to end isolation in care A coalition of organisations wrote to local health and care leaders calling on them to end harmful isolation practices and to help promote the rights of people in care. Organisations representing both care providers and users signed the joint letter highlighting the ‘severe, detrimental impact’ isolation from family and friends can have on people living in care and the key role local leaders play in protecting their rights. The letter seeks to address a barrier to visiting many are facing when local health teams impose blanket approaches. The letter calls on local health and care teams to fulfil their legal

duties by ensuring restrictions on contact are proportionate. It also provides them with information resources to promote ‘essential caregivers’ to ensure every resident can benefit from this role that is so vital to their wellbeing. The joint action is an initiative of the Relatives & Residents Association, campaign group Rights for Residents and academic Dr Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green of King’s College London. Helen Wildbore, Director of the Relatives & Residents Association, said, ‘Our helpline hears daily about the devastating impact isolation is having on people living in care. Lifelong

bonds have been broken, relationships damaged, people with dementia think they’ve been abandoned. Untold damage to health and wellbeing is being caused by the response to the pandemic, in the name of keeping people safe.’ In relation to the importance of ECGs, Jenny Morrison, co-founder of Rights for Residents, said, ‘ECGs are not just “visitors” – they share a unique personal history and relationship with their loved one. The care they provide simply cannot be replicated by care staff, no matter how wonderful or dedicated they are.’ Visit the R&RA website to read the letter.

Report suggests care homes face 30% surge costs UK care home operators are set to see costs rise by £165m this year, representing a 30% increase, due to the increased costs of labour, supply and finance, according to research by global property adviser Knight Frank. The data from Knight Frank that points to the challenges posed to the sector as costs are driven higher covers the majority of the UK care home sector and surveys operators on their individual performance, including 98,000 beds across 781 towns and cities. This increase in costs for

the sector is being driven by rapidly rising agency costs, with the increase trending at 12%, combined with insurance and utilities becoming more expensive and challenges with supply chains that are further impacting on build costs. The UK is on the brink of a significant demographic shift that will see the over-85 population grow from 1.6 million in 2020 to 3.7 million by 2050. Knight Frank predicts that, by 2035, there will be a shortfall of 58,000 beds across the sector, whilst the growth in

the UK’s elderly population is such that, by 2050, an additional 350,000 people will potentially need an elderly care bed, almost doubling the level of bed demand within 30 years. Knight Frank projects that the UK elderly care market is at risk of reaching capacity by the end of the decade, requiring as a priority the construction of new, high-quality care homes and the renovation of existing stock to meet the needs of elderly residents and ensure the residential elderly care system is ready for the future.

CMM February 2022

NEWS

New funding to support Omicron response As the new year begins, the Government provided an extra £60m of funding support to local authorities to support the adult social care response to COVID-19. The Adult Social Care Omicron Support Fund is on top of the £388m infection control and testing fund announced earlier in the year to prevent infections and provide testing in the care sector. Local authorities can use the funding to support the sector and

protect people from COVID-19 infection. This includes investing in improved ventilation, increasing the use of Direct Payments – which are offered to people with eligible social care needs, so they have choice and control over their care and support arrangements – or paying for COVID-19 sickness and self-isolation pay for staff. Alongside this latest COVID-19 funding support, the Government has taken action throughout the

pandemic to protect social care, including: • Continuing to provide free PPE to protect against COVID-19 to the adult social care sector. • Providing regular asymptomatic COVID-19 testing. • Continuing to support care providers to make best use of technology to help remote monitoring, including making pulse oximeters available to care homes that have fewer than the

recommended number of devices. Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said, ‘Protecting care staff and people who use social care services continues to be a priority, especially as cases surge and Omicron spreads rapidly around the country. A huge thank you goes out to care workers for all they are doing to care for people and keep themselves and others safe this winter.’

New report calls for increased housing provision The House of Lords’ Built Environment Committee has published a new report, which concludes that the Government must address barriers to building much needed new homes. The Government has set an ambitious target for 300,000 new homes per year (net additions) and one million new homes by 2024. The UK population is ageing and by

2050 one in four people in the UK will be over 65; this demonstrates that the country needs more specialist and mainstream housing suitable for the elderly. In the six years up to 2028, the number of households with people aged 75 and over living on their own is expected to increase by 461,000. By 2032, the number of people over 80 is estimated to rise

to five million, up from 3.2 million presently. In New Zealand, Australia and the USA at least 5-6% of the over-65 population has the option to live in housing-with-care. In the UK, this is just 0.6%. Following the introduction of sector-specific regulation and legislation, the housing-with-care sector in New Zealand has flourished.

Commenting on the Built Environment Committee’s report, Michael Voges, Executive Director of ARCO, said, ‘We urgently need crossGovernment action to create the housing and care options that our ageing population so desperately requires, which is why we reiterate our call for a cross-department housing with care task force to be established immediately.’

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NEWS

Care England polls members on workforce pressures Care England has polled its members to ascertain the most pertinent workforce pressures facing the adult social care sector. When asked in the first survey if members were struggling to recruit staff, prior to the implementation of Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment, 100% of responses indicated that they were. The second survey indicated a less than 5% reduction in this struggle, despite the introduction of a greater degree of centralised support, including

£300m to help providers recruit and retain staff. The second survey on workforce pressures indicated that the reasons for difficulties around staff recruitment included: • Lack of available workforce for providers to recruit from. • Negative press around the sector, leading to a poor perception of social care. • Low rates of pay and no rewards or bonuses for care staff to incentivise work. • High competition with other sectors, such as retail and

hospitality, who are able to offer higher pay rates that social care cannot compete with. • Insufficient funding from Government or local authorities to help recruitment into social care. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said, ‘A stable social care sector is the bedrock of the NHS; it is, however, evident that the challenges in recruitment remain insurmountable. As a

critical friend to Government, we want to work with them to ensure that any available funds reach the front line and don’t get caught up in a tangle of bureaucracy or siphoned off. Our workforce is our best resource and we need to treasure it at all costs.’ The theme for Care England's next conference is ‘Facing the future’ and will focus on the action that Care England and the sector as a whole is taking to further improve the quality of care.

Backing for eco-friendly retirement village Work has begun on a sustainable residential project for the over55s in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, after property developer Burnham Waters Ltd secured a £17m loan from Shawbrook Bank. Construction on the Burnham Waters Integrated Retirement

Community (IRC) scheme – which will comprise 103 bungalows, 55 independent living flats, a 70-bedroom care home and a parade of shops. Burnham Waters Ltd is in the process of being certified by ARCO (The Association of Retirement

Community Operators) and will play an active role in leading the transformation of the retirement sector in terms of the classification, qualification and definition of retirement living. The scheme aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% compared

with current building regulation requirements, with highly energy efficient bungalows each having their own electric vehicle charging point. The on-site facilities also help reduce the need for travel and an electric minibus service provides connection to the town centre.

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NEWS / IN FOCUS

NIHR publishes new care research collection The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) has published its NIHR Evidence Collection, which explores recent NIHR-supported research findings around the care in care homes. This Collection provides examples of recently published research that could make a difference in the care setting, from exploiting new technologies, such as virtual quizzes, to tools and techniques to help care for people living with dementia. It also includes the perspectives of care home staff, public contributors and researchers who share their reactions to the research findings. For example, The WHELD programme supports care home staff to deliver patient-centred interventions for residents with dementia. It seeks to reduce their reliance on antipsychotic drugs and uses social interaction, personalised activities and exercise

to improve care. Training in person-centred care is included, along with antipsychotic review by GPs, social interaction, and exercise. Two ‘care staff champions’ at each home are trained to take simple measures such as talking to residents about their interests. Candace Imison, Associate Director of Evidence and Dissemination at the NIHR, said, ‘The pandemic has brought the vital work of staff in care homes into the spotlight. The complex needs of vulnerable older people can be challenging to manage. ‘The good news is that there is now a strong research evidence base to call upon. Our collection brings together some of the most important studies and provides practical suggestions to help those working in and managing care homes deliver the highest quality of care.’

New mental health law to prevent inappropriate force Patients in mental health settings will be better protected from inappropriate use of force following the commencement of landmark regulations and publication of guidance of the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018. The Act, which received royal assent in November 2018, is better known as Seni’s Law and is named after Olaseni Lewis, who died as a result of being disproportionately restrained while a voluntary inpatient in a mental health unit in South London. The important legislation will protect patients and workforce by providing a much-needed drive for improved record keeping and reporting of data on the use of force, the quality of staff training and the way in which investigations are carried out. The Act sets out the measures needed to both prevent the inappropriate use of force and

ensure accountability and transparency in mental health units, ensuring patients are treated with dignity and respect at all times. New guidance will make sure trusts will have a clearer understanding on how to comply with the duties under the Act. The guidance has been developed following extensive engagement with the mental health sector and a wide range of stakeholders including those with lived experience, the NHS, regulators and Aji Lewis and Seni’s family. Seni’s Law forms part of the Government’s wider commitment to transform mental health services for those with severe mental illness and follows publication of the Mental Health Act White Paper earlier this year which set out proposals for once-in-a-generation reform.

IN FOCUS

Care integration progress across the nations WHAT’S THE STORY? The Nuffield Trust has published a new report, which compares the policy and progress of care integration across the four countries of the UK. The report builds on important earlier research by The King’s Fund, Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation comparing the health systems of the four UK countries, and the Trust’s recent work on social care across the UK.

WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS? The research report concluded that over 20 years of reforms to better join up health and social care services across the four UK nations has translated into ‘modest improvements’ for patients across each country and raises important questions about what integrated care can realistically deliver. The report questioned why it is that countries with significant contextual differences in their approach appear to have similar results. Improving quality, efficiency, and population health have all been aims of integration, but are rooted in complex problems heavily constrained by broader Government policies that influence the distribution of resources across health and social care, and ability for people to lead independent, healthy lives. The data to measure integration effectively are

limited, and variable targets have been used. However, across England, Scotland and Wales, The Nuffield Trust found that: • Satisfaction with care and support has been stable or falling. • Improvements in delayed transfers of care have not been sustained. • The age-adjusted rate of emergency admissions to hospital has not fallen.

WHAT DID THE EXPERTS SAY? Responding to the report, Homecare Association CEO Dr Jane Townson said, ‘It is not surprising that efforts to integrate health and social care haven’t had the positive impact that is so desperately needed. Integration is ultimately meaningless without a change in culture and investment in all parts of the health and care system, including social care. ‘We are very much in favour of changes to the social care system and support integration. People receiving health and care services often report difficulty accessing the help they need and can feel pushed from pillar to post. We need to do better.’ ‘Currently there are 1.5m hours of unmet care needs in England. Our strategy seems to be to neglect people in the community until they are in crisis, then blue-light them into hospital. Then it is the devil’s own job to get them out again because of a lack of capacity.’ CMM February 2022

NEWS

New study to explore social care provision for disabled adults A new study, led by researchers at Northumbria University, will document and analyse the experiences of young disabled adults who employ Personal Assistants to help with their care and support needs. With the aim of helping to improve adult social care outcomes in England, the Supporting Sexualities and Genders research project has won £220,000 in grant

funding and will work with young adults with disabilities to learn more about their decisions and experiences of self-directed support, and how those decisions relate to sexuality and gender. The study is funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) School for Social Care Research. Dr Edmund Coleman-Fountain, who focuses on researching the experiences of

young people and adults in applied social care, is collaborating with researchers at Bristol University, the University of York, and Nottingham Trent University on the project. The study will run until January 2023 and all young disabled adults who live in England, aged between 18 and 30, with at least six months' experience of managing their own support arrangements can take part. Dr Coleman-Fountain, who is a

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at Northumbria, said, ‘This research will focus on beginning to investigate the choices these young people are faced with when making decisions about the kind of support they need, using the budget to recruit a Personal Assistant (PA), the kinds of relationships they have with PAs, and what part gender and sexuality plays in that.’

Record numbers to study nursing and midwifery Record numbers of students accepted places to study nursing and midwifery in England this year for the second year running, according to the latest data on university admissions published by UCAS. The final figures from this year’s admission cycle show there were 30,185 acceptances. This is an increase of 1.5% (445) Winter Pressures Ad Care compared to last year when there

were 29,740 acceptances. It also recently announced In September 2020 the that Health Education England Government introduced training would be merged with NHS grants for eligible nursing, England, ensuring long-term midwifery and many allied health planning and strategy for profession students of at least healthcare staff is at the centre of £5,000 a year, which do not the national NHS agenda. need to be paid back. Additional Ruth May, England’s Chief payments of up to £3,000 a Nursing Officer, said, ‘Our year are available for students amazing staff have shown studying specialisms and the pandemic what Man Matterscertain 186x110.pdf 4 08/12/2021throughout 16:16 to help with childcare. a brilliant job they do and the

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public recognises now, more than ever, what a vital role nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers play. ‘Being a nurse is a career like no other and I could not recommend it more – there are many different opportunities available in the NHS that are both challenging and rewarding, so please do search NHS careers if you are interested in joining us.’

NEWS

Care homes on ‘war-footing’, says Chair According to Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, the sector is facing its worst ever crisis with reports that 75% of staff were off work in some homes, either because they had contracted COVID-19, or they were self-isolating. The situation is so bad that as a last resort homes were introducing ‘firebreaks‘ to temporarily restrict visiting as the highly infectious Omicron variant tore across Wales. Domiciliary care companies were also struggling badly and were

often unable to provide the usual level of care. Kreft warned that the situation was only going to get worse before things got better. So much so, that some care homes were likely to be forced to declare an NHS-style ‘critical incident‘ because they were unable to cope. Commenting on the crisis, Mario Kreft MBE, said, ‘The scale of the challenge is one we have never faced before. It’s really, really tough out there. The First Minister

reminded us in 2020 that the social care sector was in a fragile state before the pandemic because of its precarious finances and the shortage of staff. ‘It’s quite possible that some care homes will have to call on the statutory services. There are plans in place and we have been working with Welsh Government and our colleagues in health boards and local Government.‘ He added, ‘The last two years have been incredibly challenging,

and I think people need to understand that safe visiting currently also requires a staffing input which makes it even more difficult if you are short of staff and don’t have the capacity to ensure safe visiting.’ The Care Forum Wales CEO also mentioned that the other added complication is that care homes are now unable to secure insurance against COVID-19 related claims so they really cannot afford to take any risks.

Envivo Group celebrates its 12 superheroes Leading care and support provider group, Envivo Group, launched Envivo Superheroes: a campaign which ran over the 12 days of Christmas to recognise 12 people who have made a significant personal or professional contribution worthy of ‘superhero’ status. Selected from a pool of 180 nominees, the stories and

achievements of the chosen winners will raise awareness of the difference a career in care can make to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in any community. Envivo Group has partnered with Prezzee to award each winner a £100 gift voucher in recognition of their contribution to care. The campaign has already announced

several of its superhero winners, including Jason Taylor, who works in Maintenance at TLC Care and Support. Jason is committed not just to being on-call and responding to maintenance emergencies outside his working hours but has also worked to increase his understanding and knowledge of care. He works closely with a

person supported by TLC to teach him new skills. Tim Davies, Chief Executive of Envivo Group, said, ‘In launching this campaign, and highlighting the stories and achievements of our people, we hope to show the public the many vital roles carers fulfil every day, and the enormity of the impact care can have.’

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NEWS

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

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Vaccine distribution for elder care The Global Ageing Network has published its latest report, ‘Cross Cultural Snapshot of the Vaccine Distribution: A Provider Perspective.’ The report explores key findings about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine acquisition and distribution to ageing service providers in 12 countries. The study, conducted throughout 2021, focused primarily on residential settings such as nursing homes, group homes, and assisted living communities. However, the researcher also gathered information from providers about the vaccine-related experiences of community-dwelling elders who receive home and community-based care. The study involved the

following countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. There were nine key findings from the study. Some of these included: • Rationales behind vaccination priority categories were often unclear and sometimes inconsistent. Several countries excluded elder care workers from the ‘healthcare worker’ category, causing significant delays in staff vaccinations. • Preparing residents for vaccination was challenging. Government agencies had difficulty co-ordinating vaccination logistics and often

gave last-minute notice about the schedules for vaccination clinics. This created challenges for providers seeking to prepare residents to be vaccinated. • Inequities were real. Stark inequities emerged between high- and middle-to-low-income countries. Those inequities were particularly evident when comparing the relatively generous amount and variety of vaccines available for distribution in high-income countries, and the shortages of vaccines in lower-income nations. The international community could work harder to share vaccine doses, help secure funding for vaccines, and remove barriers to equitable vaccine distribution.

Provider reaction ‘I think a more aggressive campaign was necessary to convince everyone of the importance of vaccination, not only because of health issues but also because of the difficulties the virus has caused to economies around the world.’ — Provider in South Africa ‘We already (had) a pandemic plan from 2009, so we knew what to do, including communications.’ — Provider in Australia ‘Vaccinations should not be political decisions but should be based on scientific knowledge.‘ — Provider in Argentina ‘Government should have used stronger language to say health care workers must be vaccinated unless they have a serious medical condition.’ — Provider in Singapore

Global dementia cases to triple by 2050 New data shows global dementia cases are set to triple by 2050 – from an estimated 57 million in 2019 to 153 million by 2050. A global collaboration of researchers estimated global dementia prevalence from 1990 to 2019. They then used information about trends in risk factors for dementia to forecast the number

of dementia cases by 2050. The research was first presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) and is published in peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet. The researchers found the highest increases in dementia cases will likely come from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East.

This growth is driven largely by population growth and an ageing population. Using information available on risk factors, they found that globally there would be an increase of 6.8 million dementia cases between 2019 and 2050 specifically due to poorer heart health factors, whereas improved

education would account for a reduction of 6.2 million. Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, ‘The news that almost seven million new global cases could be down to poor heart health must act as a wakeup call for us all. There is robust evidence that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.’

Global impact of COVID in care homes A new report published by Collateral Global has reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on care homes across the globe. Analysis in the report, ‘CG Report 6: Effects of COVID-19 in Care Homes – A Mixed Methods Review‘, involved national datasets for 25 countries and reported that care home deaths were, on average, 30% of the total COVID19 deaths (range: 9-64%). The 17 cohort studies also point to excess 18

CMM February 2022

mortality worsening during the pandemic, with excess mortality being reported for both COVID-19 positive and negative patients. Some of the report’s key observations include: • Care home residents comprised, on average, 30% of total COVID-19 deaths across 25 countries (range: 9-64%). • Up-to-date data on care homes deaths was scarce with only Australia, Belgium, Canada

(British Columbia), Denmark, Hungary, the UK, and the US providing data through to September 2021. • Seven countries report more than 10,000 COVID care homes deaths: Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, the UK and the US. • In June 2020, Canada's national health data agency reported the highest worst record among wealthy nations for proportion

of COVID-19-related deaths occurring in long-term care facilities among wealthy nations: approximately 80%. • In the US, 138,985 (18%) of 760,597 COVID-19 attributed deaths occurred in care homes as of 24th October 2021. US data include the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File that reports to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Long Term Care Facility (LTCF) COVID-19 Module.

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THINK LOCAL

How to successfully recruit and retain staff in your area

The workforce crisis facing the social care sector is not going away any time soon. Jim Thomas, Head of Workforce Capacity and Transformation at Skills for Care, explains how to recruit a local workforce and how to encourage them to stay.

CMM February 2022

I’m constantly surprised by the Skills for Care data on the adult social care workforce: • Most registered managers live within seven miles of the place they work. • Most nurses live within 4.5 miles of the place they work. • Most support workers live within 3.5 miles of the place they work. These are average distances; I’m sure there’s a difference between social care organisations that cover rural locations and those covering urban areas. However, this information suggests to me that much of our recruitment and retention activity needs to have a local focus. Being locally focused means that you may need to be clearer about where to advertise to stand more chance of success. If there are a lot of social care organisations nearby, you might find that you’re all trying to find staff from a very small pool.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES I’ve started to think about some of the things we need to look at when we’re exploring how to find and keep our staff. I’ve called these ‘the principles for finding and keeping workers’. There are seven principles for finding and keeping workers: 1. Systems: Understand how your local jobs market works and what your future workforce needs – what pushes and pulls people to and from different jobs. 2. Change: Be aware of how change impacts on your existing workforce and people who might think about working for you. 3. Nurture: Everyone needs to feel nurtured at work, from the support worker to the CEO; we all need affirmation if we’re going to do our best. 4. Engage: Listen to and learn from your workforce and others about what keeps people in jobs and makes them want to work for you. 5. Learning: Never underestimate the value of learning and development as a recruitment and retention tool – including learning from the people you and your team support. 6. Encourage: Everyone should be encouraged to get involved in developing the way they work. It’s about what we do and the autonomy we have to make decisions, not the role we occupy. 7. Understand: What attracts people to live and work in a certain neighbourhood. Share your workplace values and show them why you’re their local employer of choice.

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THINK LOCAL: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY RECRUIT AND RETAIN STAFF IN YOUR AREA

or a university – either looking for their first job, a job in the holidays or to work alongside their studies. In other areas, there might be a large local NHS hospital that pulls in lots of support workers, making it harder to retain people in social care: ‘We get people through their qualifications and then they move to the hospital’ is something employers often raise. What you need to do is understand the things that impact on your ability to recruit and retain people and adjust your thinking accordingly; for example, going into the local college and talking to students about what it’s like to work in social care, or raising issues with the local hospital and seeing what they could do to support you. For example, the hospital may pay for the training of those staff whilst they were employed by you.

CHANGE Change can be disruptive and an opportunity. Different people respond in different ways. If you’re contemplating changing the way your organisation works, or there are changes to commissioning arrangements, ask yourself, ‘How will this impact on recruitment and retention?’ Will you get a reputation for being an employer that chops and changes without any thought to how it impacts on your workforce? Are you an employer that implements change (as far as you can) in partnership with your staff team? I’m reminded of the manager who started in a new role by explaining how they were going to ‘shake things up’. They shook things so hard that all their staff left and CQC moved the services rating from outstanding to inadequate. The organisation’s contract for the service got taken away because there was no one left who had the knowledge and experience to meet the needs of the people being supported. What you need to do is be clear about why you’re implementing change – for example, being honest with your team about why change is happening and involving them in making change work as much as you can.

NURTURE ‘Thank you’ is an underrated recruitment and retention tool. Regular supervision and being in listening mode can make a difference to staff motivation to come to work and stay in their current role. Mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing. Treasure your workforce. Listen to their concerns – this ensures people feel valued and motivates them to do their best. Nurturing your workforce is about managing every aspect of their performance. If one

member of your team isn’t performing well at work and you don't tackle this, it will impact on the rest of your team and they may respond: ‘Why should we do this if they don't have to? No one ever says anything to them.’ Two things that people value about work is the ability to make decisions and having a degree of autonomy about how they do their job. This is something that social care is able to offer people. What you need to do is think about how you can nurture people in your organisation to have confidence to make decisions and feel they have autonomy to make things happen. Trust your workforce. For example, use team meetings to help people understand where they can be autonomous about how they support people and highlight when people have used their initiative to improve someone’s care and support.

ENGAGE Engage with your local community. Be present. Be an organisation that people living nearby know about. If you’re working in people’s homes, engage with others who see them at home and enable your workforce to do so as well. If you’re running a building-based service, make sure you aren’t hidden behind a six-foot wall. The more you get your workforce to engage with the local community, the more people will understand what you do. People might become interested in working for you or volunteering for you. What you need to do is listen and learn from your own workers and others about what keeps people in local jobs and makes them want to work for you. This is your most effective recruitment tool. What your workforce says about you to their friends, family and the local community is the best form of promotion. For example, if people would like to come and talk to you about what it’s like to work in social care, say ‘yes’ frequently.

LEARN For many people, the opportunity to learn and develop is as important as other terms and conditions of employment. Never underestimate the value workers place upon opportunities to learn. People with access to lots of learning opportunities at work are often more motivated. What you need to do is give people the space and time to take on learning opportunities. This may be formal qualifications or it may be a non-formal qualification. Support learning every day and your workers will grow every day. For example, defend your training budget and look for other funding you can find to supplement it.

ENCOURAGE Encourage people to share their ideas about how to improve what you do. Be open to everyone having a valuable contribution to make. Avoid hierarchies as much as you can. The workforce that spends the most direct time supporting people will often have the best ideas about how to improve someone’s care and support. Make sure people get acknowledgement when things go well and support them when things go wrong. Organisations that are open when mistakes are made are often more efficient than ones that try to hide mistakes. What you need to do is get everyone involved in developing the way in which people work and how people are supported. It’s about what we do and the autonomy we have to make decisions, not the role we occupy that’s important. For example, enable people to share ideas and help them to try things out.

UNDERSTAND With many competing opportunities for work in any neighbourhood, you have to be clear about why you’re the employer of choice. The more you understand about where people who come to work for you come from and what makes them choose to work for you, the more you can begin to understand why people work for you. Explore local adult social care workforce data. Look at how you compare to other local social care organisations and think about how this impacts on you. Do you pay the same as other local social care employers? A bit more, or a bit less? If pay isn’t impacting on your workforce, what are the other factors that encourage or discourage people from working for you? Perhaps you have good parking? A good local bus service? A reputation for being ‘good to work for’. What you need to do is think about what attracts people to live and work in a certain neighbourhood and how you can get people in your neighbourhood into your organisation and keep them. For example, find time to talk to local groups about what your organisation does and how they can help you to achieve great care and support.

SUMMARY The more you know about the people in your local area and your own workforce, the more you can target your resources into the things that are most likely to help you keep the people you have and find new people who, once they’ve started, will want to stay. CMM

Jim Thomas is Head of Workforce Capacity and Transformation at Skills for Care. Email: information.team@skillsforcare.org.uk Twitter: @skillsforcare How have you engaged with your local community to boost local recruitment? And which key areas do you think help people to stay? Visit www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk and share your feedback on the article. CMM February 2022

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Design for

E N I L C E D E V I T I N COG

Supporting people with dementia in care settings

Dementia design is not new; however, providers must continue to adapt and consider design experience to support people with dementia. Managing Director at Catalyst Interiors, Mike Davies, shares insights into Catalyst’s approach.

As the UK’s population continues to live longer, the needs of the elderly have become more prevalent in society as a whole and this has been noticed the most by those working in the care sector. This month, Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK said that ‘Dementia is our greatest long-term medical challenge.’ Research first presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), and published in peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet, concluded that global dementia cases are set to triple, with 153 million people living with dementia by 2050. The importance and the necessity for social care providers to strengthen their training and continue to embrace design has never been so important. Having been in that market for over three decades, I’m passionate about creating environments that accentuate the lives of those who experience cognitive decline in the UK’s care homes. As mental wellbeing becomes more widely recognised, people are beginning to understand the impact that dementia has on the elderly.

CMM February 2022

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CMM February 2022

DESIGN FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE: SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN CARE SETTINGS

As such, it’s becoming increasingly important to focus on things that allow us to accommodate for the comfort and care of the elderly in our community. While interior design for care homes has been a market since the inception of care homes themselves, altering that experience for those living with dementia is still something that hasn’t been focused on enough and needs to be given more attention.

CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT I cannot stress enough that there are certain ways to provide comfortable living spaces for those living with dementia. It’s certainly not impossible to create the ideal environment catering to a specific type of dementia – but many care homes only touch the surface of catering to people living with dementia, let alone anybody living with a particular type of dementia, which brings me to the next point. The field of interior design for those living with dementia is a particularly challenging one. This is partly because there’s a lot that society as a whole is still only beginning to understand, and partly because creating living environments becomes increasingly difficult as we learn more about the impact dementia has on those affected by it.

Catalyst has come to learn that the term ‘fit for purpose’ is not enough in our eyes. The goal should always be to create a resident experience that is unsurpassed and a delivery and support service that is unrivalled.

WAYFINDING Spatial disorientation is amongst the first symptoms of dementia and is often the reason institutionalisation is necessary. Orientation and the ability to reach destinations (wayfinding) are the prerequisites of personal autonomy and quality of life. Studies have found that residents suffering from medium levels of the disease display problems in locating their own apartments, bathrooms, activity rooms and dining rooms. For wayfinding to be effective, there needs to be a high level of consistency. Research has shown that even small inconsistencies, such as ashtrays on tables in corridors, can cause confusion in residents. Therefore, it is vital that cues remain in their original locations and rooms are not confused. Dining chairs being used as extra seats in a crowded lounge could easily lead a resident to believe they were, in fact, in the dining room. When fitting out and designing the interior for one of our projects, we focused on replacing patterns on

walls with a plainer but more textured surface to help residents feel more at ease by removing unnecessary stimulus. Smaller rooms were painted with darker colours to create feelings of calm, while more open spaces saw the use of greens to create some more energy and a sense of openness. The layout was also important. Understanding that residents may struggle to get from place to place meant that we decided to bring those places to them. Many smaller rooms are located throughout every floor of the care home to make access easier and more convenient for everybody. This reduces stress and anxiety. While we make use of wayfinding wherever possible, examples can be seen in Graysford Hall, where we added in private dining rooms, hair salons and even a cinema, all decorated with classic vintage designs to help stir memories of experiences the residents had when they were younger. These rooms created important reference points to aid wayfinding, stimulating their hearts and not just their minds. Furniture design and selection is also important. It is vital that we evaluate the furniture height, depth and width, and ensure that the fabric has the correct colour and texture as well as being waterproof. Plain Impervious (plain texture) was used to avoid over stimulation and reduce the risk of

An example of the wayfinding technique by Catalyst Interiors. CMM February 2022

DESIGN FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE: SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN CARE SETTINGS

slips, trips and falls. Our mission on every project is to ensure that we create an environment that allows the residents to live their daily lives in a way that offers safety and independence.

BUSINESS TRENDS While our service lends itself to focus on new-build care homes, the refurbishment of existing care homes has seen a dramatic increase as operators realise the importance of maintaining an environment that will optimise the resident experience as well as maintaining a reputation in the neighbourhood, especially if new-build care homes threaten the market. Changing the marketing strategy away from publicly Jessica Noel-Smith, Senior Architect at Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), University of Stirling, shares commentary on Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design – evidence-based practice. High quality dementia-friendly design is substantially more complex than just making physical changes to the physical environment. It has an impact on the way a space is interacted with, the health and wellbeing of the people who use it and overall quality of life. ‘We know that [physical environments] can make the experience of cognitive changes more difficult or can enable continuing inclusion and a sense of self-worth and self-esteem’ (Prof. Alison Bowes, University of Stirling). Evidence-based environmental design principles which support people living with dementia to maintain activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting, shopping, socialising etc.) have been in existence since the late 1980s – Fleming and Bowles (1987) and Marshall (1998) are influential (Bowes and Dawson, 2019). It is worth noting that these principles can also benefit care partners by reducing

funded beds to privately funded beds, where the demographic dictates, is another reason that operators are choosing to refurbish existing facilities.

MEETING THE NEED Most people don’t always see where interior design ends and interior design for those living with dementia begins. While aesthetically pleasing spaces are the goal in both aspects, the specifics of them will differ. Great design must combine with comfortable living to create an overall rewarding experience for those experiencing cognitive decline, a goal which Catalyst has proven for close to a quarter of a century. Our focus is always centred around external stressors, supporting the person with dementia to be more independent and to help them sustain activities of daily living. In 2019, a comprehensive systematic literature review and quality assessment of worldwide research in relation to dementia design, in any environmental setting was carried out by the University of Stirling (Bowes and Dawson, 2019). The report states, ‘We have previously noted that much available advice on design has mixed provenance: whilst some design measures that are widely promoted have a strong evidence base, others have little’. At DSDC, we draw on research and practice, from across the world, to provide comprehensive, up-to-date resources on dementia and we pride ourselves on our international reputation as leaders in the field of dementia design. Our interdisciplinary team of nurses, architects, engineers and designers provide education, training and advice on products, services and the design of all environments where dementia matters. Please visit our website to find out more at www.dementia.stir.ac.uk

ongoing improvements for the residents to make sure they enjoy a longer, safer and more fulfilling life in a space that’s both homely and beautiful but designed with research-backed initiatives to ensure a holistic outcome. The balance between aiding residents’ state of living while making a commercial return for those who have invested is always something to keep in mind. Whether you’re the owner of a care home, an interior designer or a supplier, always remember that if you wouldn’t want your family living there, then you have the power to change that. Keeping your residents in mind (and in heart) is, ultimately, what drives this field, and what drives us to grow. CMM References Bowes, A. M. and Dawson, A. (2019) Designing environments for people with dementia: A systematic literature review. Bingley: Emerald Publishing. Available: https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/ full/10.1108/978-1-78769-971-720191004 [Accessed: 20.01.2022] Cunningham, C. et al. (2008) Dementia Design Audit Tool. 1st Edition, Dementia Design Series. 1st Edition. Greenwich, NSW: University of Stirling. Fleming, R. and Bowles, J. (1987) ‘Units for the Confused and Disturbed Elderly: Development, Design, Programming and Evaluation’, Australian Journal on Ageing, 6(4), pp. 25–28. doi: 10.1111/j.17416612.1987.tb01001.x. Marshall M. (1998) ‘Therapeutic buildings for people with dementia’. In: Judd S, Marshall M, Phippen P, editors. ‘Design for Dementia’. London: Hawker Publications Ltd. Marshall, M. (2001) ‘How it helps to see dementia as a disability’, In Care Homes and Dementia: Journal of Dementia Care. Edited by S. Benson. London: Hawker Publications, 6, pp. 15–17.

Further resources • DSDC, University of Stirling will be running an event on 7th March 2022 designed to provide a compact taster of the principles of dementia friendly design (www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-dementia-design-tickets-251889296667). • Through its work with over 250 care organisations, The King’s Fund’s Enhancing the Healing Environment (EHE) Programme created a body of evidence to support the design of environments which promote wellbeing. The dementia-friendly design component of the programme transferred to the Association for Dementia Studies (www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/enhancinghealing-environment/ehe-design-dementia). Mike Davies is the Founder and Managing Director of Catalyst Interiors. Email: mike.davies@catalystinteriors.co.uk Twitter: @catalystsupport In what ways have you supported people with dementia to navigate their surroundings and experience a journey in your care setting? Visit www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk and share your feedback on Mike’s article. 28

CMM February 2022

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CMM February 2022

INTO PERSPECTIVE HAS SAFEGUARDING FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IMPROVED IN THE WAKE OF RECENT SCANDALS?

Regrettably, the adult social care sector is all too familiar with scandals relating to the mistreatment of people with learning disabilities. In the last decade, the high-profile cases of abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View and Whorlton Hall have highlighted fundamental failures in safeguarding procedures designed to protect vulnerable people. In response, successive Governments and the NHS have pledged to reduce the number of beds in these types of institutional care settings. 30

CMM February 2022

However, according to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report, ‘The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities’, published in July 2021, over 2,055 people remain living in secure institutions today. The report summarises that these people are unable to live fulfilled lives and are too often subject to unacceptable treatment, akin to the scandals aforementioned. As recent as August last year, the closure of Eldertree Lodge, a Staffordshirebased mental health unit, in light of CCTV footage capturing unprofessional and abusive staff behaviour, is a stark reminder of the seemingly unsolved problem of providing adequate safeguarding for adults with learning disabilities.

COMMUNITY FIRST A lack of community-based support has been identified as a barrier to eradicating institutional mistreatment and abuse from the care and support of people with learning disabilities. Rather than focusing solely on improving safeguarding (despite remaining crucially important), it has been suggested that greater funding for community initiatives could prevent the need for admission to inpatient units altogether. Indeed, Government’s 2019 NHS Long Term Plan set a new target of a 50% reduction of inpatient bed use for people with learning disabilities and/or autism by 2023/24, compared to March 2015 numbers. In June 2021, there had been a 30% reduction. Additional Government funding, ringfenced for improving access to care and support in the community, would represent a clear intention to protect adults with learning disabilities from further mistreatment and abuse. Facilitating an environment in

which people can live comfortably, independently wherever possible and close to the homes of friends and family, should take precedent over efforts to bolster safeguarding measures as the primary solution.

ADDRESSING RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES According to Mencap, there were 3,620 reported uses of restrictive interventions within institutions in September 2021. This includes physical, chemical and mechanical restraint and being kept in isolation. While restrictive practices may be applied to prevent someone from hurting themselves or others, as outlined in the Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has previously raised concern about the ongoing excessive use of restrictive practices in its report ‘Out of sight – who cares?’, published in October 2020. The report explains that a lack of available training and support for staff often prevents people with learning disabilities from being cared for in a way that meets their individual needs, increasing the risk of staff resorting to restraining, seclusion and segregation. It is clear that there is still much work to be done to ensure that safeguarding adults with learning disabilities describes a process that is genuinely designed to protect vulnerable people from harm. As is so often the case, improvements will likely be reliant on increased central funding – not only to support the development of more community initiatives aimed at reducing the need for institutional admissions, but to also provide staff with the correct training so that people with learning disabilities receive adequate support from people who understand them.

We must work together to safeguard vulnerable adults

Policy will only get us so far

Steve Scown, Chief Executive of Dimensions UK

Sarah Maguire, Chief Executive, Choice Support

One often ignored safeguarding issue is the inadequate provision of support for people living in Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs) without any plan for discharge. Indeed, the proportion of patients with a planned discharge date is falling, from 57% in 2019 to 42% now. ATUs are designed to be a short-term safe space or refuge during a crisis – not a place of permanent residency. Last month, however, it was revealed that 100 people with learning disabilities and/or autism in England alone have been held in these specialist hospitals for at least two decades. Indeed, 2,000 people spent last Christmas inside an ATU. For 60% of them, this will have been their second consecutive Christmas away from loved ones. This is a clear failure to safeguard adults with learning disabilities. Everyone admitted to an ATU should have a discharge plan put swiftly in place, through a pre- or post-admission Care and Treatment Review (CTR). But a stronghold of bureaucratic and institutional barriers prevents this from happening. Currently, over two in five people living in ATUs do not have an in-date CTR. Discharge decisions rest with the Responsible Clinician – usually,

the ATU’s consultant psychiatrist, who is more often than not highly risk-averse. With fees potentially reaching thousands per week, there is also an alarming financial disincentive to discharge. Similarly, if someone is in an ATU for less than five years, the council must pay for their subsequent health care. However, if an individual is there for longer than five years, the NHS must pay for it. While we know first-hand that stretched local authorities are doing everything possible, this represents a perverse incentive to prolong discharges. On Human Rights Day (10th December), through our ‘locked up for Christmas’ campaign, we shared seven policies to finally help deliver on the Government’s vision of transforming care. We must work together to safeguard vulnerable adults, like Aaron, who spent his life in and out of hospitals and care homes, until the council and Dimensions joined together to find the right support for him. Resources such as our 'Best Practice Guide to Moving Out of ATUs' mark small steps in the movement to safeguard adults with learning disabilities. However, until we are all on board, progress will remain slow and fleeting.

There is a pattern when it comes to abuse scandals involving people with learning disabilities. Abuse often happens in places that are isolated, not always by geography but often by the lack of visitors, families, and friends. In most of the scandals the abuse was raised by a whistleblower from or close to the team and/or a relative. Sadly, their voices were not always heard immediately and, in some cases, ignored by those who were able to protect people and act. We have regulation and legislation that places people at the heart of service design and yet each year we see the patterns of old being played out, damaging the lives of people and families. Why are we unable to learn the lessons and make the progress that is so needed when some of this is so simple? We are designing support and care for people, offered by another group of people. The things that make us all safer are connections, to each other and the communities we work and live in. If the past two years have taught us anything it is that people, and by that, I mean staff closest to the people we serve, and their families are the ones who kept and continue to keep people safe. We saw extraordinary

demonstrations of what valuebased support looks like for real at a local level. What has been missed and continues to be missed in recent social care white papers is the need to value our front-line workers, not just with platitudes or offers of more training but in their status and pay. Policy will only get us so far – as someone said to me there is not a problem that can be fixed by a piece of paper alone.

“We have regulation and legislation that places people at the heart of service design and yet each year we see the patterns of old being played out, damaging the lives of people and families.” Progress will be made when we all start to connect in ways that are about people and not process. At the end of the day, it is people who keep people safe.

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CMM February 2022

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CMM February 2022

Reshaping the future

HEADER

Working together to influence mental health policy Kathy Roberts, Chief Executive of Association of Mental Health Providers, explains the importance of collaboration to strengthen mental health provision in the community and updates on the association’s projects.

The long-awaited and recently published Social Care Reform White Paper includes a commitment to offer upwards of £70m to ‘increase the support offer across adult social care to improve the delivery of care and support services, including assisting local authorities to better plan and develop the support and care options available’. Unfortunately, in common with much of the White Paper, this commitment might be described as a good start at best, but one which fails to cover the ever-growing needs of mental health social care adequately. In his first speech in August 2019, the Prime Minister pledged to ‘fix the crisis in social care once and for all’, in order to ‘give every older person the dignity and security they deserve’. Leaving aside that social care is, of

CMM February 2022

RESHAPING THE FUTURE: WORKING TOGETHER TO INFLUENCE MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

course, not purely for the elderly, he could have had no knowledge at that point of the impending pandemic, which has seen social care brought to the forefront of public attention like never before. I was privileged to support the work of the Social Care COVID-19 Support Taskforce, as co-chair of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group, and amongst our conclusions we noted that the pandemic has highlighted the essential role of adult social care in meeting the needs of people with mental health conditions, keeping them safe and preventing future mental ill health.

COMMUNITY LIFELINE As we have done throughout the pandemic, the Association of Mental Health Providers continues to work closely with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) colleagues and other Government departments, to consider the impact of the pandemic on people with mental health conditions. We have collectively explored how services have been affected and how both providers and people can be supported through the crisis and beyond. Our members’ reach is vast, meeting the needs between them of what we believe to be over eight million people with mental health needs in England and Wales, through a combination of services commissioned by local authorities, social care and services run independently of either of those. They provide vital community social care services including counselling and advice, advocacy, supported living and housing, forensic and crisis services, carers support and personal assistants, employment support and much more. Crucially, this social care and support allows people with mental health needs to build resilience and autonomy in their lives. Our members not only

promote and support recovery, but they also enable people to lead fulfilling lives. So, we need to build a greater understanding of the value of social care and its role in healthier communities, whilst also acknowledging the essential role of the workforce in achieving this.

LIVED EXPERIENCE The association has continued to support the Government’s work through our Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy and Oversight Group, which informed the Adult Social Care Winter Plans for both 2020 and 2021, as well as the Review of the 2020/21 Plan. Our group has representation from the VCSE mental health service provider sector, people with lived experience and their carers, as well as other key stakeholders. It has become a key vehicle for informing policy colleagues in Government on the priorities for social care in mental health. We continue to work together, taking forward these recommendations to address the care and support needs for those people experiencing poor mental health and illness. In addition to working with the group and our members, we have also been able to work collaboratively with our partners in the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance to engage on the reform White Paper. Our collaborative working encompasses our membership, the wider sector and, most importantly, people with lived experience and their carers. We know this takes time and resources to really listen, understand and construct systems appropriate for the individuals using them, their families and the wider community. Gratifyingly, the White Paper does draw on the specific experience of people using mental health services, specifically Isaac Samuels, Co-Chair of the Association’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, illustrating in compelling terms how high-quality

social care has helped him to recover from mental illness and maintain his mental health and wellbeing. This powerful example of lived experience, and so many others like it of which the association hears from our members on a regular basis, highlights the essential value of social care, people at the point of real need, directly accessing care and support, and benefitting from the input of the social care sector into their future choices, their sense of control and their capability for independent living.

CHANGING PERSPECTIVE Local authorities, of course, play a crucial role in the commission of mental health services; indeed, through their duties for adult social care under the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Health Act, they are currently the major commissioners of the association’s members, all of whom are voluntary and community mental health providers. Those providers offer a whole range of essential services, from prevention and crisis intervention to community support, all for people who experience poor mental health and/or severe mental illness. That ties in to an understanding that we need to dispel that longstanding belief that social care is solely about older people and care homes. The sector provides for all our citizens, including working-age adults and families receiving a range of care and support services. However, amidst all of this we must recognise the stark reality that the mental health social care sector is in a workforce crisis. However willingly our members’ services are commissioned by local authorities, those services cannot adequately provide for people’s needs without the workforce to do so. The association’s members report daily of the need for urgent

funding to meet the overall rise in wages, so that they can retain skilled staff and continue to deliver services safely. However, the White Paper does not put forward an urgent solution for this crisis. Without prompt action, there will not be sufficient workforce to deliver services and those with poor mental health and illness – those whom the White Paper seeks to place at the heart of care – will not be able to receive that care and support, personalised or otherwise. We believe the social care sector does not just require a 10-year plan, but it needs a ‘now’ plan as well to address the challenges being faced by the sector urgently.

STRONGER TOGETHER In a recent blogpost, ‘Social care reform: making mental health a priority’, I ended by saying: ‘My resolve remains steadfast. Only by working together can we truly transform and improve the health and wellbeing of our nation.’ There is vision in this White Paper and it offers some light at the end of what continues to be a very dark tunnel. We can see that the paper talks about the crucial elements for good care and support that the association has long advocated for – choice, control, quality, accessibility – but the money promised is not enough to meet the rising costs and demands for social care. My hope, and that of the association, is that we can take our concerns and recommendations back to the Minister, and to colleagues in Government, and move forward collaboratively. We want to work together to reshape the plans set out in the White Paper, to fully meet the expectations of people with poor mental health and illness, and those of their families and carers, so that they can access and receive the social care and support they are entitled to and deserve. CMM

Kathy Roberts is the Chief Executive of the Association of Mental Health Providers. Email: kathy@amhp.org.uk Twitter: @AssocMHP Which key areas would be in your plans for mental health reform? And how has the Government recognised the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health? Visit www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk and share your feedback on the article. 34

CMM February 2022

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CMM February 2022

IMMIGRATION LAW UPDATE: Expansion of Health and Care Visa Scheme On 24th December 2021, it was announced by the Government that care workers, care assistants and home care workers would become eligible for a Health and Care Visa for a 12-month period. Gulnaz Raja of GNR Solicitors explains what these updates mean for social care providers.

CMM February 2022

In the Government’s press release on 24th Decemeber 2021, they state ‘this will make it quicker, cheaper and easier for social care employers to recruit eligible workers to fill vital gaps.’ They note that this is due to staff shortages within the social care sector and pressures on the existing workforce. The announcement follows the recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee (‘the Committee’) to make care

workers and home carers eligible for the Health and Care visa. To understand the pressures and issues placed by the social care sector, at GNR Solicitors we have taken a deeper dive to help care providers understand the requirements.

WORKFORCE PRESSURES Due to the UK’s ageing population, the demand for adult social

care has increased and is likely to continue to do so. It is also widely reported that recruitment and retention of workers is also problematic within the sector. The Committee’s report notes that although the ending of free movement is likely to contribute to the recruitment problems experienced by social care, interestingly non-EEA care workers make up a greater share of the sector compared to those from the EEA.

It also reports that ‘the share of non-UK born care workers has increased over time accounting for 19% of the occupation in the UK in 2012 and 24% in 2020.’ The report also states that ‘the share of non-UK born workers in the adult social care sector is greater than in the wider economy.’

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS The Committee recommendation

to the Government stated: ’We therefore recommend that the Government make Care Workers and Home Carers (SOC Code 6145) immediately eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa and place the occupation on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).’ The SOL contains those occupations which are thought to be in ‘shortage’, where employers struggle to secure adequate numbers of workers with the required skills for vacancies.

CMM February 2022

FREE MOVEMENT: EXPANSION OF HEALTH AND CARE VISA SCHEME

The Government’s press release on 24th December 2021 provides initial insight into their immigration plans. Firstly, care staff are to be added to the Shortage Occupation List. They state that this will be a ‘temporary’ measure coming into effect in early 2022 and will be in place for a minimum of 12 months. It is therefore unclear whether this could be a longterm option for care providers to explore, given the use of the language ‘temporary measure,’ or perhaps a short-term measure to alleviate current difficulties. By way of background, on 4th August 2020, the Government launched a ‘Health and Care visa’ for eligible health workers, trained to a recognised standard and with good English language skills. The Health and Care visa forms part of the Skilled Worker route. Currently, Health and Care visa applicants must meet all the standard immigration requirements of the Skilled Worker route, in addition to the specific Health and Care visa requirements. Currently, only senior care workers fall under an occupation code making them eligible for the Health and Care visa. Under the new proposals, care workers, care assistants and home care workers are to become eligible for the Health and Care visa, therefore it will not be limited to just senior care workers. The Government announcement also states that care workers and carers would be able to bring their dependants, including partner and children, with the ‘Health and Care visa offering a pathway to settlement should they remain employed and wish to remain in the UK.’

IMMIGRATION PROCESS Below, we have provided an overview of the current process and requirements for employers in relation to the sponsorship

process, although it should be noted that the process is far more detailed with several additional requirements to be met.

SPONSORSHIP LICENCE The employer must have a sponsorship licence if they want to sponsor an oversees national who is not a settled worker and does not have immigration permission to work in the UK. This includes most EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who arrived in the UK after 31st December 2020. The employer must ensure the worker is eligible. Currently the employer must meet the immigration requirements for the Skilled Worker route as the Health and Care visa forms part of the Skilled Worker route. The employer will be required to meet the specific requirements for a licence such as salary requirements as well as other factors. The Government announced that the inclusion on the Shortage Occupation List will stipulate an annual salary minimum of £20,480 for carers to qualify for the Health and Care visa. To apply for a sponsorship licence, this attracts an application fee dependent on the size of your organisation.

CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP When an employer is granted a licence, they must assign the worker a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), once the allocation has been obtained, using their sponsorship management system (SMS) account. However, before doing so, the employer must ensure that the worker meets all the eligibility requirements and be able to explain how the criteria has been met. The employer is also expected to comply with all their sponsor duties with key

personnel allocated roles and responsibilities. Assigning a CoS does not guarantee the worker will be granted entry clearance or permission. The worker must meet all the immigration requirements of the route in which they are applying. There is also a fee payable by the employer per CoS. In addition, the employer is required to pay an Immigration Skills Charge for each year of sponsorship.

WORKER’S IMMIGRATION APPLICATION To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, the applicant worker will need to provide their assigned certificate of sponsorship reference number provided by the employer. This must be an approved UK employer who holds a sponsor licence. The applicant will also be required to submit various supporting documentation and meet various other eligibility requirements. Applicants will also be able to bring their dependants, including partner and children. The Government state that the ‘Health and Care visa will allow applicants and their dependants to benefit from fast-track processing, dedicated resources in processing application and reduced visa fees.’ Applicants will be required to pay the visa application fee, however they will be exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge. It should be noted that the above information is correct as per the latest Government announcement of 24th December 2021 but may be subject to change. The precise immigration requirements for care workers, care assistants and home care workers are still due to be published to see if there are any additional or revised requirements. The above does not constitute legal advice.

OTHER EMPLOYMENT LEGAL UPDATES The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) (Regulations) 2021 were made on 22nd July 2021 and came into force on 11th November 2021. They amend the safe care and treatment provisions in regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 by inserting a new provision requiring staff employed in Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated care homes in England to be fully vaccinated unless they are exempt. In view of the exemptions such as for clinical reasons, it will be the care homes' responsibility to undertake a risk assessment to reduce the risk of transmission. There is also a need to ensure legal risk is appropriately managed to avoid any potential employment claims such as discrimination. There are also other requirements to consider such as checking vaccination status, record keeping and complying with data protection laws such as how the employer will use, store and delete vaccination data, in line with UK GDPR. The above are just some of the legal obligations required for consideration by care homes. It should be noted that the above information is correct as of 10th January 2022 but may be subject to change. The above does not constitute legal advice. CMM

The above feature article has been written by Gulnaz Raja, Founder and CEO of ©GNR Solicitors 2022. GNR Solicitors is a boutique immigration and employment law firm. This article must not be reproduced without the prior permission of Gulnaz Raja.

Gulnaz Raja is the Founder and CEO of GNR Solicitors. Email: gulnaz@gnrsolicitors.co.uk Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulnaz-raja/ Do you have any queries or comments to share in relation to the updated visa immigration changes? Visit www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk and share your opinions and comments. 38

CMM February 2022

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CMM February 2022

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SERVICES Home care management software that includes: • Rostering • Invoicing and payroll • Electronic call monitoring • eMAR, observations and tasks • Care planning, incident reporting and compliance tools • Management reports • Care circle portal for sharing information with external stakeholders

COMPANY PROFILE Better systems mean better care. CareLineLive is award-winning, all-in-one, cloud-based home care management software. It works across three integrated, easy-to-use systems: the Management Portal, the Carer Companion app, and the Care Circle Portal. CareLineLive delivers the following features and benefits for home care agencies: • Quick and easy rostering saves time and reduces errors • Improves efficiency through automating administrative processes such as invoicing and payroll • Care planning, reporting and

compliance tools, including assessments and incident reporting, help to improve quality and compliance • Client assessments (e.g. food and drink preferences) facilitate providers to deliver person-centred care • Real-time electronic call monitoring records carers’ attendance and completed activities at client visits • Carer Companion mobile app enables paperless documentation – eMAR, observations data, for example blood pressure, and highlighting concerns. All of which help to reduce errors and ensure carers spend less time on paper administration • Enhanced communication and instant client updates assist the management of day-to-day challenges and make sure carers can be more responsive in the care delivered • Estimates of travel times between consecutive carer visits on the daily roster screen help to schedule start times of visits more accurately and reduce stress for carers • Our Care Circle portal enables the sharing of client information. Pre-defined access to client details can be given to loved ones, GPs and emergency services

SECTORS • Domiciliary care. • Recruitment agencies.

SERVICES • Rostering. • Invoicing and timesheets. • Call administration. • Record keeping. • Reports. • API. • Local Authority Interconnector.

COMPANY PROFILE Social care is changing. The policy push is towards joined-up services and systems, connected both within and without. If you want to be at the forefront of this new approach, you will need software that facilitates these new connections. At CarePlanner we have both an eye on the future and a history of developing innovative solutions alongside our users. We help you utilise data and technology to build a complete picture of your service delivery, while always maintaining the most important connection in care: the human one. That’s why we combine our technical expertise with an

industry-leading support team and connect each customer with a dedicated account manager. We believe that this gives you the best of our technology and the best of our people. As a system, CarePlanner gives you the tools to create staff rosters, client schedules, invoices and timesheets with ease and efficiency. With our robust reporting suite, personalised recommendations, and up-to-theminute call monitoring, we can help save you time and money that you can invest in front-line care. And, for those looking to integrate with other software packages, data warehouses or even their local authorities, we have a fully featured API that will give you access to all your underlying data. This unique approach to home care software won us the ‘Innovative Solutions in Home Care’ award at Leaders in Care 2021. We know how stressful co-ordinating and delivering care can be, and the passion it requires. Our focus is, and always will be, on taking care of you, so you can focus on taking care of your clients. Why not book a demo and find out why 500 new customers joined us last year alone?

We offer a stress-free onboarding process and a dedicated customer team. Ultimately, CareLineLive delivers more time to care.

CMM February 2022

OVER £1 MILLION ISSUED IN GRANTS TO OVER 1800 CARE WORKERS IN NEED IN 2021! Care workers give so much and yet sometimes it is the care workers themselves who need help. Our ambition is to support and protect both the financial and emotional wellbeing of those employed in social care, providing access to free counselling, crisis grants and financial support.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE THIS IMPORTANT WORK: https://thecareworkerscharity.enthuse.com/proﬁle

www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk 42

CMM February 2022

Find us on:

RESOURCE FINDER: TECHNOLOGY

Intelligent Care Software (ICS) Ltd Tel: 01424 400060 Email: info@careis.net Website: www.careis.net

SECTORS • Care homes. • Care homes with nursing. • Domiciliary care. • Supported living.

SERVICES • Care and support. • Quality assurance. • Policy, training, supervision and appraisal. • eMAR. • Rota and roster.

COMPANY PROFILE Intuitive, Cost Effective, Smart Solutions for care home and domiciliary care management. The ‘CAREis’ suite includes: Care and Support Ensures the time spent caring for, and working with, service users is assessed, planned and recorded accurately. From initial enquiry, though the whole care-planning cycle, CAREis provides an intuitive platform for the recording and governance of care, which is updated in real time and can be accessed anywhere. Care and Support features: • Enquiry Management. • Quick and intuitive personcentred care planning using ADLs. • Risk and capacity assessments. • Monitoring e.g. MUST, food and fluid charts. • Specified carer interventions. • Management monitoring of missed interventions, incidents and safeguarding. • Review monitoring and flagging. • Offline recording capability.

CARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Policy and Procedure Based on the latest guidelines, this module ensures your practice is up to date, relevant and compliant. The easy-to-read format enables staff to know what is expected of them in every situation. With a facility for individuals to record that they have read and understood the policy and a clear link to training requirements, the manager can be reassured about compliance within the team. Policy and Procedure features: • Updated regularly. • Live links to latest guidance. • ‘Easy Read’ format. • Links to training records. Quality Assurance This app provides audit templates for all areas of CQC regulatory requirement and ensures inspections, audits and actions are addressed within the required timeframes. Quality Assurance features: • Adaptable audits. • Facility to add audits. • Action plan monitoring and analysis. • Enquiry management. • Inspection record. All your data is stored in the Amazon AWS Cloud with its promise of 99.999999999% durability and high-end encryption satisfying the compliance requirements for virtually every global regulatory agency. • Support Live UK-based customer support 9.0010.00am seven days a week. • Urgent support available by email 24/7. • Implementation support. • Regular software updates. • Daily data back-up.

Nursecall Mats Tel: 020 8454 7918 Email: info@nursecallmats.co.uk Website: www.nursecallmats.co.uk

SECTORS • Nursing homes. • Care homes. • Hospices. • Dementia homes.

PRODUCTS • Fall prevention sensor mats. • Floor mats. • Chair mats. • Bed mats. • Motion detector PIR. • Nurse call spares and accessories. • Airflow mattress and cushions. • Anti-bacterial/anti-ligature pull cord.

COMPANY PROFILE Nursecall Mats is a family-run business with a wealth of experience and knowledge in fall prevention, with innovative products and excellent customer service in the healthcare industry. Stocking a large range of genuine and compatible fall-prevention products such as call points, call leads, crash mats, sensor mats and PIR detectors, with a free, next-day delivery service available to most areas within the UK.

Heavy Duty Sensor Mats Our core range of sensor mats include the Floor Sensor Mat range, available as a robust standard black mat, heavy duty cream mat and a carpet mat with an anti-slip base. The bed and chair mats are available with our new ProPlus fully sealed design for improved performance and reliability. All sensor mats can be connected directly into most nurse call systems such as Intercall, C-Tec Nursecall 800, Quantec, Aidcall, Courtney Thorne, SAS and more, making it easier and more efficient for care home groups to purchase to suit all their homes. • Large stocks. • Easy-to-use website. • Next day delivery on stock items. What our customers say: ‘Delighted with service from start to delivery – quality item, well packaged, delivered quickly – very impressed. Thank you.’ ‘Fantastic quick service. They said one day and delivered. Thank you.’ ‘Trouble-free online purchase experience.’

CMM February 2022

RESOURCE FINDER: TECHNOLOGY

PainChek UK Tel: 0333 577 3397 Email: info@painchek.com Website: www.painchek.com/intelligent-pain-assessment-tool-uk

SECTORS • Care homes. • Nursing homes.

SERVICES • Digital pain assessment tool.

COMPANY PROFILE PainChek’s mission is to provide a voice to those who cannot verbalise their pain, such as people living with dementia and other cognitive impairments. Its smartphone-based medical device uses facial-analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify involuntary micro-facial expressions indicative of pain. Combined with other non-facial indicators, PainChek® enables fast, effective, and reliable pain scores, with the whole assessment process taking less than two minutes to complete. Pain and dementia share a complex relationship, and understanding this relationship is key to effective pain management. In the UK, around 70% of care home beds are occupied by residents living with a form of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Of this group, 80% experience pain at any one time, with 50% experiencing persistent pain. PainChek® is fast and easy to use. The smartphone camera

CMM February 2022

records a short video of the person’s face then analyses the images using facial recognition analytics. It automatically recognises and records facial muscle movements that indicate levels of pain. The caregiver then uses PainChek® to observe and record pain-related behaviours, such as movement and how pain is vocalised by the person. Finally, PainChek® calculates an overall pain score and stores the result. This allows the caregiver to monitor the effect of medication and treatment over time. PainChek® is a world-first pain assessment medical device – with regulatory clearance in Australia, Europe, Canada & New Zealand.

Person Centred Software Tel: 01483 357657 Email: hello@personcentredsoftware.com Website: www.personcentredsoftware.com

SECTORS • Residential care homes. • Nursing homes. • Dementia care homes. • Supported living/retirement care villages. • Mental health support. • Learning disabilities. • Local authorities.

SERVICES • Digital care planning and monitoring. • Fully mobile and icon driven. • Clinical handheld device. • Effective handover and staff messaging. • Works online and offline. • Built-in speech to text. • Accidents and incidents. • Observations and charts. • Fluid and nutrition monitoring. • API integration and reporting. • Electronic medicines management integration. • Body map/wound care. • Electronic activities evidence. • Relatives gateway. • Group reporting. • GDPR-compliant recordkeeping.

COMPANY PROFILE Mobile Care Monitoring is a widely used digital care management system and one of the most widely referred software providers within social care. Mobile Care Monitoring is the first fully mobile and easiest to use digital care management system, used by over 2,500 care homes. Care staff using the icon-driven software evidence, on average, over 50 quality care notes per resident per day, which just isn’t possible on paper or many other digital systems. Our person-centred digital care system reduces time spent on paperwork with

care interactions evidenced as they happen, achieving the company’s aim of giving staff more time to spend with residents, supporting regulatory compliance and improving the quality of care for residents. Our Relatives Gateway keeps relatives informed about the health and wellbeing of their loved one when they can’t be there. Person Centred Software is leading the way in Joined Up Care, being the first to send the Hospital Pack electronically from within the software to urgent care providers and working directly with GP Connect at NHSX to bring GP information to English care homes. You’re in safe hands with Person Centred Software. Mobile Care Monitoring is on the NHSX Accredited Supplier List for the Digital Social Care Records; accredited by the PRSB as a Quality Partner; and certified with Cyber Essentials Plus, offering a secure solution to keep your personal data safe with infrastructure that exceeds GDPR’s requirements. Nikki Thompson, Assistant Director for Practice and Development at the Salvation Army, said, ‘Going digital has reduced staff workload and more time is now spent with residents instead of completing paperwork, which boosts morale and happiness across the homes. ‘Having all the governance and compliance information in one place and accessible at all times is great. The integration is transforming our care homes and we’re so thankful we’ve gone digital!’ Book a demo today to discover how our digital care system can benefit your care home now and in the future.

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CMM February 2022

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards

2022 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED In this issue, we catch up with some of the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards judges to find out what key themes really stood out on judging day and bring you up to speed on 2022’s awards ceremony.

At a time when we are all so busy ‘doing’, it is sometimes difficult to find the time to stop, reflect and notice the extraordinary achievements of those around us. What’s more, the social care sector is an incredibly selfless one – some of the people working in it may dodge the unwanted admiration and gushing of praise and put it down to ‘just simply doing my job’. Events such as the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards ensure deserving winners are rightly given recognition for their projects – the event uncovers excellence, innovation and creativity in the voluntary care and support sector. Yes, we are indeed living in times of uncertainty but, when so much has been put on hold of late, it’s important to remember that kindness and compassion prevails. The inner strength and passion for change that is within so many working in this sector is what the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards truly champion and we invite you to join the community if you haven’t already because, well, there is so much we can be proud of.

VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS On 2nd December 2021, 16 judges joined Team CMM and event sponsors for the finalist judging day – albeit virtually. Some may have envisaged a day packed full of slideshow presentations and whisperings of ‘you’re on mute’. However, it was a day of warmth, joy and emotion. Joanne Bosanquet, Chief Executive of the Foundation of Nursing Studies, judged 46

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the awards for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. ‘It was an utter pleasure and a joy to judge this year,’ she told CMM. ‘I was astounded by the innovation and entrepreneurship of every single entry.’ She added, ‘This was a totally different experience for me. There were no preprepared presentations. This experience was so natural and real. I could feel the passion through our relaxed conversations and we all definitely got the very best out of it. I hope our finalists enjoyed it as much as we did. Best of luck everyone. Don’t forget that you are all winners already!’

STRONGER TOGETHER Like so many of the other judges, Joanne was especially amazed by the true partnership work and participation of service users end-to-end and said that relationships are key to any improvements in care and services. The #StrongerTogether mantra really stuck in the judges’ minds. Earlier on in this issue, we heard from Sarah Maguire, Chief Executive of Choice Support, on safeguarding adults with learning disabilities in care settings. Here, Sarah shares why the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards is such an important event. ‘These awards honour the work of staff who quietly, with no fanfare, carry out work that changes the lives of the people they support. These awards are their recipients – warm, kind and very approachable. They are about people and their contributions, no matter how big or small.’

PASSION FOR CHANGE What really stood out for Sarah in this year’s judging was how the finalists demonstrated the importance of values. Finalists showed the impact that could be achieved with a small amount of resource and a huge amount of passion and belief. Explaining how the finalists achieved this, Sarah said, ‘They laid out blueprints and models that have the potential to transform the way we think about support to people and communities.’

HAPPY TEARS One of the key things that judge Dr Julie Dixon of the Nursing and Midwifery Council took from the judging day was around people ‘doing the walk as well as the talk’. Julie explains, ‘They [the finalists] actually lived their values and this came through in their conversations. Some of those nominated had no idea and were humbled by the experience; others were advocating the work that they had done. I am a registered mental health nurse by profession and am aware of the stigma that is attached to “cognitive impairment” (in all its different forms), so to see people not only advocating for the people who “use” services but to get them actively involved in the award process (testimonials and being interviewed on the day), to speak up for the care they were involved in and had received, is not only good practice but showed the importance of person-centred approaches to care and validated the positive care experiences that they had been working with (I use this expression as they didn’t just “receive” care – but were actively involved in developing and maintaining their care).’ Julie was really moved by the compassion presented by the finalists and said that both staff and service users reflected this, which was evidenced in different ways. Clearly, the judges faced incredibly difficult decisions – there was so much to applaud. Commenting on the experience, Julie said, ‘I felt inspired reading some of the moving narratives. I did the judging over a week and found myself crying (happy tears) at times reading some of the testimonials, with the challenges people face and what had been done to help overcome these. I also used expressions like awesome, inspirational and wow! I had an extremely tough time narrowing down to three winners and I would like to commend all nominees for their ability to be compassionate at a time that has been extremely challenging. Reading all of the applications left me feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside – so thank you.’

OUR 2022 FINALISTS The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2022 finalists are: Compassion Award • Sandra Yeeles plus tenants, Peel Way Supported Living. • Gill Booth, St Luke’s Hospice. • Karen Breakspear, Surrey Choices. Innovative Quality Outcomes Award • Yvette Goodman, Outlook Care. • Phil Gibson, The Life of Opportunity Team, CVT. • Ambient Guardians. Community Engagement Award • Ovacome Community. • New Beginnings North East. • The Prospects Trust. Contribution to Sector Development Award • Sue Ryder, Neurological Care Centre Lancashire. • London Homeless Welfare Team. Creative Arts Award • Belong and Bluecoat, Where the Arts Belong. • Intergenerational Music Making, Together with Music. • Creative Support. Campaigning for Change Award • POhWER. • Keep Safe Team, The Grange at Bookham. • Unfair to Care, Community Integrated Care.

Leadership Award • Daniel Carmel-Brown, Jewish Care. •A nne Shiels, Surrey Choices Day Services. •D avid Higham, The Well Communities. Technology Award • Homemead. • Alive Activites. •W hat To Do – Community Integrated Care. Making a Difference Award • Adopt a Grandparent. • The Care Workers’ Charity. • London Homeless Welfare Team. Dementia Care Award • Alive Activities. • Home Support Team at Alzheimer’s Support. • Kirsty Rushforth, Making Space. End of Life Care Award • Jewish Care, End of Life and Palliative Care Team. • St Luke’s Hospice Community Services. • Anne Robson Trust. Collaboration Integration Award • Wendy Burton, Making Space. • FCHPSS, St Luke’s Hospice. • Progress Lifeline, Emergency Home Response Team.

MARKEL 3RD SECTOR CARE AWARDS Headline Sponsor

2022 EVENT We are so excited to be hosting this year’s ceremony face-to-face at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham for the first time. It’s a chance for everyone to get together after such a difficult time apart. This year’s dazzling awards ceremony will be held on Friday 4th March 2022 from 10.30am to 4.00pm. Do come and join us for this wonderful celebration, meet our incredible judges and find out who this year’s winners are. Visit the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards website to stay up to date with events information and to book your ticket, www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk/3rd-sector-care-awards

CMM February 2022

EVENT REVIEW

NCF AND MY HOME LIFE – MOVING ON FROM COVID-19 WEBINAR 29th November 2021 This inspiring webinar hosted by the National Care Forum (NCF) and My Home Life brought together representatives from national care providers to share stories about how they have helped residents, relatives and staff to move on from COVID-19. Attendees were encouraged to recount their experiences of activity provision, community initiatives and staff wellbeing programmes throughout the pandemic. The intention was to facilitate development opportunities for providers and create a hub for best practice examples to be discussed and celebrated.

able to see cherished family pets alongside loved ones virtually. In addition, virtual reality headsets have given residents the opportunity to travel to their favourite tourist destinations via plane, train or even on a cruise ship. The provider fed back that this activity resonated well with individuals who lacked confidence socialising in groups. Creating life story books was a welcome extension to this activity and successfully re-engaged these individuals with their fellow residents.

RESIDENTS

Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has placed even greater emphasis on the value of communication with relatives of people living in residential care. Best practice examples shared in the webinar included the circulation of a blog and newsletter amongst the friends and family of residents. Edited by the residents themselves, this activity has proved to be an invaluable creative outlet and has provided an additional opportunity for relatives to keep up to date with the progress of their loved ones. Furthermore, another provider contributed to the webinar that engaging relatives through volunteering proved to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. The individual in question offered to run the provider’s knit and natter group at the care home in which her mother was living, up until the point where she sadly passed away. At a time when unwanted distance from their loved ones has been imposed on relatives, it was reassuring to learn about providers’ actions to combat this.

From the outset of the webinar, it was accurately highlighted that despite its ongoing challenges, the general public has been able to move on from COVID-19 to a far greater extent than people living in residential care. Only as recently as November last year have all visiting restrictions been lifted for families and friends. Despite this, care providers have worked tirelessly to meet the demands placed upon them by the pandemic and have delivered outstanding examples of activity provision to manage residents’ wellbeing. One representative from a residential care provider spoke at length about the boom in technology-based activities that grew in popularity during lockdown. Born from residents’ realisation that technology would become fundamental to keeping in touch with friends and family, this provider reported great enjoyment from residents in being

RELATIVES

STAFF One key principle adhered to by all providers represented at the webinar was that throughout the pandemic, staff wellbeing has been prioritised in equal measure (where possible) to that of residents. Staff appreciation days, weekly awards and conference calls encouraging ‘moments of brilliance’ to be shared have been implemented by those in attendance at the webinar. One story detailed the recognition of non-resident-facing staff for their contributions that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Instilling a culture of positivity in the most challenging circumstances was another universally reported best practice example at the webinar. Stories included the circulation of national newspapers that had been redacted to remove all COVID-19 related items. Moreover, one provider representative talked about the creation of a garden of remembrance in their care home. This was quickly adapted by staff as a quiet space to take a breath and regain composure to continue working. Celebrating achievements extensively during lockdown, from birthdays to gaining sector qualifications, was a muchneeded distraction from the demands of working in residential care at the height of the virus’ impact. The NCF and My Home Life have suggested setting up a Moving on from COVID-19 WhatsApp Group to allow providers to continue to share their stories with each other. For more information, visit the NCF website.

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CMM February 2022

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WELLBEING AREA SUPPORT FOR REGISTERED MANAGERS The registered manager role is difficult at the best of times, but in today’s climate the stresses of the job are bound to be taking their toll on many. CMM’s dedicated Wellbeing Area provides articles, resources and support to help those who might be finding things tougher than usual.

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