The Caremark Corner April 2014
Five Minutes With Caremark (Mid-Sussex) P.1 A Message From Anne O’Rourke P.2
FIVE MINUTES WITH SUE HILLS AND SARAH HATCHARD CAREMARK
Sue Hills
Sarah Hatchard
CRAWLEY)
Sarah Hatchard
Caring For Someone With Multiple Sclerosis P.4 Head Office Recognition Award & Crossword P.5 Training Matters & Consultative Group P.6
(MID-SUSSEX and Sue Hills
Franchisee And Care Worker Of The Month P.3
News From Around The Network P.7 More News On The Back Page P.8
Sue, what key things have you done to get where you Sue what are your plans for Caremark (Mid-Sussex and Crawley)? are today? We have ensured the team feel part of the company. We always celebrate success and ensure that staff receive compliments when given by customers. I have also developed a relaxed culture in the office and I believe that the staff respect this. We have a fantastic, hardworking and loyal team. We have excellent relationships with the local authority and judging by the feedback we receive from our customers, I like to think that we are really doing a good job out there, often under very challenging conditions.
We are currently expanding our private market and are planning on encouraging our local authority customers to move to direct payment to offer them more flexibility in their care and support. Our live-in care packages are minimal, and this is an area we would like to expand also.
Sarah, what do you do in your free time?
Sarah, what do you most enjoy about working in the care I love going to the theatre and socialising with friends. sector? Sue, how do you relax away from the office? Working in the care sector is an extremely rewarding experience, knowing that you and your team are really making a difference to people’s lives. I truly love what I do and working with a team who share the same passion for care as I do ensures our customers receive the highest standard of care that they deserve.
Sue, ongoing Care and Support Worker recruitment is crucial: what are your thoughts regarding the trial campaign using Indeed?
Most weekends my husband and I go to our holiday home in Broadstairs where we chill and walk our two dogs on the beaches. I am also very interested in personal development and spend a lot of time on workshops and with my head stuck in inspiring books! I have also just run a weekend workshop sharing my knowledge with others – it was a great success.
Since the campaign started, we have received more enquiries than ever before. We are now in the position for the first time in a few years of having more care staff than packages!
Sarah, what has been your most successful marketing It is great to see that despite running a strategy for the business? Leaflet drops have been the most successful marketing tool so far; we are planning to do a Royal Mail drop on a wider scale in the future.
demanding business, both Sue and Sarah are able to achieve a good work/life balance!
A MESSAGE FROM ANNE O’ROURKE MANAGING DIRECTOR
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pril has been another busy and productive month and it’s been good to see many of you at the regional meetings as well as in your offices.
I always find it exciting when I hear about how you are building your businesses and am really encouraged to hear the success stories that see the network continuing to grow. As of the end of March we were delivering in excess of 70,000 hours of care per week throughout the UK, which is an excellent achievement and testament to the commitment shown by all of you and your teams. Feedback from all of the regional meetings has been collated and we will update you on any developments that arise as a result. I hope you have all now seen the recent announcement about Consultative Group, which was clearly an important issue for some of you. I look forward to finding out who your representatives will be and working with them over the coming months. The beginning of the new financial year is also a good time to revisit your key contacts list and open up discussion with them about changes to services and budgets that may be planned for 2014-15. We have seen a great deal of restructuring recently within organisations, Local Authorities in particular, and this is another good reason to pick up the phone to check that your contacts are still ‘key’. Engagement is the objective here, so these are all good reasons to re-kindle contact. Who knows where it might lead! Speaking of engagement – it is a good watch word – it kept popping into my head when I was out and about in the network. Engagement with your customers, with your teams, peers, with your franchisor, with the website, in PR and marketing, within your communities, with your key contacts and so on will maximise best practice and raise awareness for your business and that has to be a good thing! ANNE
ARE YOU READY FOR DEMENTIA AWARENESS WEEK 18-24 MAY? As a member of the local Dementia Action Alliance, Caremark (Barnsley) are once again supporting activities and events being held to mark Dementia Awareness Week in May. The aim of the alliance is to create a truly dementia friendly community across the Barnsley borough, educating and supporting local businesses and services to become 'Dementia Aware' providing a dementia friendly environment and service for people living with dementia in Barnsley. If you would like more information then speak to Caremark (Barnsley) to see how you can become involved locally and make a difference through small changes in the way you deliver your service. P2
GOOD LUCK CAREMARK (NEWCASTLE)! On the 30th April Michelle McGhee, Care Worker and Regional Finalist with the Great British Care Awards travelled to London with Donna Hillary, Care Manager for the next part of the judging process in the final judging for Care Worker of the Year 2014. Michelle was shortlisted as a finalist at the end of last year and went forward with the other regional winners for the final judging held at Grosvenor House, London, where she was interviewed by a panel of judges and asked more about her role and why she loves it. The winner will be announced at a Gala dinner which is to held at Grosvenor House Marriott on the 6th June 2014. Good luck Michelle!
Franchisee of the Month Congratulations to Amarjit Gill, Caremark (Redditch & Bromsgrove) for winning the award for April. Amarjit will be receiving his certificate and an invitation to the next Platinum Club event.
The nominations for Franchisee of the Month for April were: Colin Evans (North Herts & Stevenage) Caremark (North Herts & Stevenage) are nominated for continuing to implement the Caremark system, as demonstrated by the internal audit, growing at a controlled rate and breaking through the 500 hours per week mark. In addition, they deserve congratulations for receiving an excellent CQC report!
Badar Usmani (Harrogate) Caremark (Harrogate) are nominated for their huge success with regards to business development and achieving upwards of 200% growth in hours over the past couple of months. This has been down to a combination of good business practice, good recruitment strategies and an excellent team ethic which sees every staff member identifying and closing on new business opportunities. Solid proof that a closely knit team working together will bring results and success!
Amarjit Gill (Redditch & Bromsgrove) Caremark (Redditch & Bromsgrove) are nominated for their consistent growth over the last 5+ years. This alone is good, but more particularly when they have had endless DBS hold-ups which were completely beyond their control but which were impacting on their recruitment drive. Inspite of this, Amarjit has steadily increased his business year on year whilst maintaining good standards—very well done!
David & Deborah Porter (Guildford & Woking) Caremark (Guildford & Woking) are nominated for their good growth achieved through their hard work. They are ahead of target on hours, achieved 98% on the file audit, having worked hard to make sure they achieved this result and generally seem to be really on top of their business!
Andrew Demetriou (Worthing & Arun) Caremark (Worthing & Arun) are nominated for their good business growth in the last two months. With Andrew having a more hands-on role again the business has seen a fantastic increase of 500 hours over the last two months, primarly from them acquiring some live-in packages. Well done (Worthing & Arun)!
Care Worker of the Month April 2014 Congratulations to Dawn Wright, Caremark (Worthing & Arun) for winning April’s Care Worker of the Month award. Dawn has been a Care and Support Worker with (Worthing & Arun) for just over a year and in that short time has made a big impression on both her clients and her Care Manager, Steve Brooks. Dawn has shown herself to be a dedicated and diligent care worker who clearly loves her job and working with her different clients. Her good practice is demonstrated through all the positive feedback received at the office from all the clients she works with which is really wonderful. Dawn is patient and always does that little bit extra to ensure the client’s wellbeing comes first at all times. When appropriate, she works closely with any family members, is vigilant to any changes with her clients and is able to review situations accurately and effectively, communicating important information to her Field Care Supervisor so that the best care for her clients is always maintained. Dawn’s reliability is excellent. She always picks up additional work when available and by being flexible, adaptable and thinking on her feet she is able to resolve possible problems/issues quickly. Dawn is a great communicator and liaises effectively with her clients and their families as well as with her Field Care Supervisor and when the need arises, with the Care Co-ordinator at the office. She has received plenty of positive comments and more particularly we have recently had five verbal and written compliments from her clients and their families. The Caremark (Worthing & Arun) team are very proud to have Dawn as part of their care team and feel she richly deserves this award!
Congratulations to Dawn Wright who will receive a £25.00 M & S voucher and certificate shortly! NB– for those of you who haven’t been nominating for this award, why not let us know who has won your own Care Worker of the Month award? We will then consider them for the national award. They could be a double winner! P3
Are you ready to care for someone with Multiple Sclerosis? Sue Rushby who has MS talks to Jan Morgan, Caremark (Redcar & Cleveland) about her condition and how understanding the illness can enable home care workers to provide better care. Sue Rushby knows all about living with MS and the challenges that each day brings. However many carers, even family members, do not fully appreciate the limitations this debilitating disease places on the individual and how there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day with someone who battles with the illness. Jan explained: “Sue was keen to share her story with us and principally our care workers with a view to helping them have a clearer understanding of the condition. She felt this would ultimately benefit all our care staff and the way care was delivered to others with MS.” Sue’s story goes back a few years when she first started to experience the very first symptoms of her illness, one being continence problems which upset her greatly. Shortly after that Sue fell and broke her ankle and it was during a protracted and difficult convalescence with this that she noticed her leg was dragging. Other worrying symptoms also started to appear and it took a while for her diagnosis of MS to be finally confirmed. Having confirmation that she really did have MS was daunting as Sue had no way of knowing how quickly her condition would progress. Sue picks up the story: “Unfortunately my illness progressed quickly and I was soon dependent on care and specialist equipment including a personalized electric wheelchair. The rapid change in my condition meant increasing difficulty with fatigue, movement and tremors which in itself brought their own problems.” “In the early days following my diagnosis I decided to visit other people who had also been newly diagnosed with MS so that we could share our thoughts and I could offer some reassurance,” she added. “The illness affects everyone differently and can lead to feelings of frustration and depression. Inevitably their spouse’s/partners or carers can also feel overwhelmed and anxious.” Jan continued: “After a couple of meetings with Sue I prepared a presentation which explained the illness and Sue agreed to be on hand to answer any questions from our staff.” Jan booked a conference room at a local business park and a date was fixed for the presentation to the Caremark (Redcar & Cleveland) care team. “Sue was very open and honest with our group and was able to clearly explain the many complications that the condition creates,” said Jan. “She described having two lives: one before MS and another with MS, which is something not many of us had stopped to think about.” The presentation prompted many questions including very personal questions which Sue answered openly and honestly and with a great deal of humour. She explained how important it was for her to have the right carers. Sue reflected: “I still am a little uncomfortable having others complete my personal care; having trust and understanding with your carers is crucial and promotes stability which is a vital part of delivering good quality care.” The session was a great success and everyone came away with a greater appreciation and understanding of what it is like to live with MS and how building an honest and trusting relationship between carer and client is so important when caring for someone with MS. Due to the success of this first session, another session is arranged for the end of April which will form part of Caremark (Redcar & Cleveland)’s in-house training. “We really appreciated having this opportunity and are very grateful to Sue for sharing her story with our carers. Going forward I feel this will have a really positive impact on the way we care for clients with MS and will only enhance the high level of care we already deliver.” Jan said. Sue regularly attends her local MS society and makes use of the different facilities available at the centre, which serves the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Tyne & Wear and into Northumbria. Jan concluded: “The centre is self-funded and raises income through donations and fundraising and Caremark staff will be organizing a sponsored walk in May at a local beauty spot to raise funds for them.” To find out more about MS, visit http://www.middlesbroughmstherapy.org
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ST. GEORGE’S DAY—23rd April 2014
HEAD OFFICE RECOGNITION AWARD SPRING 2014
St. George was believed to have been born to a Greek Christian noble family in Cappadocia (now Eastern Turkey) in A.D.270.
I am delighted to announce that the winner of the Head Office Recognition Award for Spring 2014 is…… Lynda Goldsmith!
At 17 he joined the Roman army and soon built up a reputation for his bravery. His Christian faith led him to be tortured and eventually put to death by the ruthless Emperor Diocletian. However, he showed great courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on the 23rd April 303. He was formally adopted as England’s patron saint in the 14th century, replacing St. Edmund the Martyr. His patronage is shared with quite a few other countries who also hold him as their country’s saint.
Lynda has been nominated a number of times by many of her colleagues in the Support Team and not just because of the work she has being doing with Pulborough but also for many supportive and kind gestures that have been both helpful to the team and appreciated by them. Please join me in congratulating Lynda who will receive her award and certificate shortly.
He is the patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and other illnesses.
As with the previous award I received a number of excellent nominations again for this round and it was a not easy to choose a winner. Thank you again to everyone who contributed.
He is most famously depicted on a horse slaying a dragon with the image of a young maiden nearby. In the Middle Ages, the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil and the maiden to represent his chivalrous, compassionate demeanour.
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QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS
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1. Disguises 8
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7. Goods for sale
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8. Magnification 12. Unique
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17. Extortionist 18. Voyages of discovery
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DOWN 1. Praiseworthy
13. Resell tickets for profit
2. Ethical
14. Annoyed
3. Cinema attendant
15. Map
4. Cavalry weapon
16. Eskimo shelter
5. Move effortlessly 6. Lovers 9. Section of play 10. Musket or pistol 11. Door rug
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TRAINING MATTERS The weeks are slipping by and the first quarter of the year has already been and gone. Just a reminder to everyone—don’t forget to take advantage of the various online courses which have been designed to support the health and wellbeing of both care workers and customers. Caremark (Pulborough) are already on the ball and putting all their staff on the Health & Wellbeing course (free of charge on the E Learning system). Plus they are ensuring all their care workers complete the Nutrition & Hydration course. Having very busy days means being aware of the need to eat and drink properly and not be tempted to skip food or forget to drink plenty of water. With summer just around the corner and the warmer weather approaching, there is always the risk of older people becoming dehydrated. To make sure the Pulborough care team are ready for this, all customers will have a Fluid Intake form put into their home file. In addition all care workers will be informed that if they have any concerns with a customer not having sufficient fluid intake then they can contact their Field Care Supervisor and implement the Fluid Intake form immediately.
CONSULTATIVE GROUP Thank you to all who attended the recent round of regional meetings. One topic that came up at a number of the meetings was the new format Consultative Group. Some of you feel that the new format is not representative enough and would like to see a return to elected representatives for each region. Although the rationale behind the change was that the old format was not working, having listened to your recent feedback, we are willing to facilitate a new elected group of representatives, if this is what the network wants. This new group will not replace the current Consultative Group as we are keen to continue with the good work that this group has achieved. We will, however, discuss a potential change of name with the current group when we next meet with a view to retaining the name Consultative Group for the proposed new regional, elected group. Once regional representatives have been elected, Kevin and I will meet with the six representatives three times a year at a suitable meeting venue in the Gatwick area. I hope that this demonstrates how important your feedback is to us and our continued commitment to supporting you. If you would like to represent your region on this new group or would like to nominate someone, please discuss this within your region and then please inform your Regional Support Manager of the name your elected representative for the remainder of 2014 by Friday 9th of May. If you have any questions, please speak to your Regional Support Manager in the first instance.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE NETWORK Caremark (East Riding) held a successful tea party earlier in the month at their Hessle offices in aid of Admiral Nurses. This was to raise funds for this great group of people that provide specialist care to those with dementia and support carers who look after those with dementia. Over a period of 4 hours, they raised £200 for the charity!
The Care Worker’s poem (courtesy of (Harrow) I wake them up, I get them dressed I brush their hair so they look their best. I make their bed and wash their clothes, The olttle things that no-one knows. I hold their hand when they are scared, I talk to them when no-one’s there. I give them a friend when they are alone, I treat them like family, like on of my own. And when its time to save a life, I keep my heart strong and hold my head high. I wait ‘til it’s over, when everything is done, When the house has gone quiet, the emptiness comes. So please don’t judge me when you think I don’t care, I look after your family when you are not there.
Anon
THE NUMBER CONTINUES TO RISE! We have received a total of 7443 enquires across the network from Indeed since starting the trial campaign in November last year. This excludes all those from the website outside of Indeed.
THE LONDON MARATHON RUNNING FOR VICTA Caremark (Tonbridge & Malling) backed the London Marathon when Jamie Stewart, Managing Director Janet Stewart’s son ran the 26.2 miles in 3 hrs 29 minutes raising funds for VICTA (visually impaired children taking action) and raised £1,300 in the process! VICTA is a charity which provides help and support to visually impaired young people. Very well done Jamie!
RUNNING FOR THE NSPCC Big congratulations also go to Harriet Smith, Caremark (Wandsworth)’s Care Manager who ran the London marathon on 13th April 2014 which was also on her birthday! Most people like to celebrate their birthdays doing something relaxing or spend the day with friends and family. Harriet however, chose to run 26.2 miles in aid of the NSPCC, a charity she is always keen to support. If running that distance wasn’t tough enough, only 2 miles into her race, Harriet developed a knee injury which caused her to limp. Determination and courage kept her going and she completed the distance in 5 1/2hours.
Harriet pictured left, at the start of the race.
As a result of the run Harriet raised a magnificent £2,000 for the NSPCC, a fantastic achievement! Harriet commented "The NSPCC has always been a charity close to my heart and one to which I regularly donate and attempt to raise funds for. Some people have said I must be mad spending my birthday running 26.2 miles, however it seemed to be a huge commitment and achievement on such a memorable day." Well done, Harriet!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL CLIENT—104 years young! Ethel, a client of Caremark (Harrow) Thought for the celebrated her special birthday on day 2nd April with family and close It is the ultimate friends. A party luxury to combine was organised for passion and her by her daughter contribution. It’s also and Leigh Divey, Care Manager a very clear path to popped in and presented Ethel with a happiness beautiful orchid to wish her Happy Birthday from all the team at Caremark (Harrow). Ethel claims her long life is by God’s grace Sheryl Sandberg and remaining as independent as possible. Congratulations from all of us too! Welcome to Paul Taylor, our newest member to join the team at Head Office! As HCR Support Co-ordinator, Paul will be working closely with Michael Lewington our IT Manager on all issues relating to the smooth functioning of HCR within the network. Together with Michael, he will be providing a point of contact for franchisees and care coordinators, assisting them in respect of any queries or problems they may be having with the roster system and supporting the network with any amendments or errors relating to the roster system used. Paul is a true ‘southern lad’ having lived in Brighton all his life. He began his working life with NatWest bank where he gained considerable experience over 10 years with them before moving to Barclays bank for a further ten years. In addition, for the last 19 years Paul has worked both part time and more recently full time within the security industry for both the Public and Retail sector. Paul reflected: “I wanted a complete career change and saw this position as an opportunity to achieve this.” He is also a keen traveller having visited North & South America, The Middle East, Asia and South Africa on many occasions. His favourite destinations are Dubai, which he says, “ROCKS” and Cape Town where he swam twice with Great White Sharks (in a cage of course!) He loves football and is a true Manchester United supporter. He also enjoys playing darts and tennis.
PEDAL POWER IN AID OF THE SEASHELL TRUST Over the next 3 weeks Naz Asghar, Managing Director of Caremark (Cheshire North East) and fellow friend and cyclist, Shahida will start their training to get fit for their charity cycle ride on 11th May 2014. These courageous cyclists will undertake a 30 mile ride over the Macclesfield hills to raise money for the Seashell Trust, formerly the Royal School for the Deaf, a charity which supports children and young adults with profound disabilities. Naz will also be meeting with the charity’s representatives in due course with a view to officially adopting The Seashell Trust as Caremark (Cheshire North East)’s chosen charity for fund raising. In the meantime, if anyone would like to make a donation to get the money ball rolling, please visit: http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/shahidasarwar Watch this space for more information! P8
OLDER FOLK—a lighter view of ageing! We older folk are worth a fortune, with silver in our hair, gold in our teeth, gas in our stomachs, stones in our kidneys and lead in our feet. Although I’ve aged a little since we last met, I’m quite a lively old girl with two men who never leave me alone. There’s Arthur Ritus who is with me all the time and Will Power who gets me out of bed in the morning.
Congratulations! Caremark (Bedford) Caremark (East Riding) Caremark (Cheshire West & Chester) Caremark (North Herts & Stevenage)
For their recent excellent CQC reports!
VANESSA CELEBRATES 5 YEARS! Vanessa Mill, a Care Worker at Caremark (Winchester & Eastleigh) recently reached a special milestone when she celebrated 5 years of service with the company. Managing Director, Calum Gray commented: “Vanessa’s loyalty to Caremark as well as her professional commitment to her customers marks her out as a very special individual. She is an invaluable member of our care team and a wonderful carer.” “Caremark has supported me to achieve NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care as well as various care related VRQs” said Vanessa. She added “These qualifications have helped me grow in confidence when fulfilling my customers’ care needs and carrying out everyday tasks with them.” Vanessa concluded: “I have gained some good friends in the Caremark team who have been great over the past 5 years. I have really enjoyed my time with Caremark and look forward to more good times in the years to come!
Vanessa alongside the Caremark (Winchester & Eastleigh) office team, accompanied by her Labrador puppy Sheldon. Note Sheldon’s rather smart Caremark accessory!