Care Home www.chmonline.co.uk
July/August 2017
Management
Glittering prizes‌. Celebrating the best at the Care Home Awards CMA investigation Care homes may be breaking the law
Information Care home ignorance is still rife
Intergenerational The benefits of bringing young and old together
Issue 68
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Editor’s Letter
Welcome to the July/August edition of Care Home Management
Care Home Management July/August 2017
I
Issue 68
t’s all over and what do we know? June’s General Election has taught us nothing about the direction of travel for social care and all we are left with is uncertainty and the
Annual Subscription £30.00 Where sold cover price of £4
prospect of a Green Paper in the not too distant future. Theresa May’s ham-fisted social care policy announcement became one of the main
Editor/Publisher Alan Rustad
turning points of the campaign and almost certainly did more than anything else to
Design/Production Phil Cunningham www.creative-magazine-designer.co.uk
produce the parliamentary limbo land that now exists. So what next? Probably another election before too long with any number of new leaders involved. And any new thoughts on social care? Who knows? But whatever may be awaiting the British electorate, social care will not go away. It still exists thanks to
Published by JNJ Media Ltd Croham Lodge, Croham Road, Crowborough East Sussex TN6 2RH
a financial sticking plaster that will need to be changed soon. Maybe austerity is over. Answers are needed and they can’t come quickly enough. Another cloud over care homes concerns the ongoing investigation into the sector
Tel: 01892 663350 Email: editorial@jnjmedia.co.uk sales@jnjmedia.co.uk
by the Competition and Markets Authority which in its interim report has said that homes may be breaking the law by charging upfront fees and fees after a resident has
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passed away. I warned when this investigation was launched last year that this could be a game changer for the industry and I have seen nothing to make me change my mind. There are all sorts of practices – not all of them the fault of care homes by any means – that need sorting out in this industry, not least the differences in rates charged for self-funders
www.chmonline.co.uk Copyright: Care Home Management Magazine 2017
as opposed to local authority rates. This is only the CMA’s interim report – there will be more to come. So if all this seems too gloomy there is at least something to cheer. Just ask the 300 or so people who attended the first Care Home Awards at London’s Kensington Garden Hotel. It was a wonderful, joyous occasion at which we were able to celebrate the very
The Publisher holds all copyright and any items within may not be reproduced in any way, for any purpose, without the written permission of the Publisher. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the information contained within this publication is based on submissions to the Publishers who cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors and cannot except responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.
best in care homes and their suppliers. Care Home Management is proud to have worked on these awards with Matthew Davies and his team who saw a need for care homes in Britain to have their day in the sun and have time to celebrate what we often take for granted day in, day out. It was an opportunity for care homes to celebrate with their staff, and in some cases their residents, who came along to the awards ceremony. Take a look at our pages devoted to the awards in this edition and get ready to join in next year – the Care Home
Care Home www.chmonline.co.uk
July/August 2017
Awards 2018 will be launched soon and we will bring you all the information you need. As ever you can keep up to date with the latest care home news via our website
Management
– www.chmonline.co.uk and let us know your views on any issues. Drop us a line at editorial@jnjmedia.co.uk
editorial@jnjmedia.co.uk
Glittering prizes…. Celebrating the best at the Care Home Awards CMA investigation Care homes may be breaking the law
Information Care home ignorance is still rife
Intergenerational The benefits of bringing young and old together
Issue 68
@Carehomemanage
Alan Rustad Publisher/Editor
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 3
Contents
6
CMA investigation 6 Care home charges may be breaking the law
18 Intergenerational care Young and old together do make a difference
Care homes 8 Still widespread ignorance says Care England
21 Care Home Awards Special Eight page supplement with all the highlights
0 Funding 1 Public worried about finding care costs
30 Flooring Why carpets can help those with dementia
2 Catering 1 NACC crowns chef of the year
32 Kitchens Have you got the right equipment for the job?
4 New developments 1 Neighbour Gloria opens Care UK home 6 Events 1 Care Show to examine integrated care
12 4 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
37 Customer satisfaction Five ways to improve 38 Disposing of assets How widespread is avoidance of fees?
14
0 Hygiene 4 What to consider during necessary refurbishment 2 Pressure Sores 4 Simple training can have big effects
21
4 Events and Appointments 4 Where to go and latest movers 6 Safety 4 Wedging your fire doors open?
30
42
Qualifications in Activity Provision From care staff to managers, activity organisers to day-centre staff, domiciliary workers to owners and volunteers, these courses are suitable for all. They will support learners to contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of individual and group activities and to meet a range of individuals’ different needs. It will further learners’ understanding of the part activity has to play in providing person-centred care. It is increasingly recognised that Activity Provision can make a significant contribution to well-being and quality of life, and the Care Sector reports a need for specialist training for their staff in this area. NAPA is delighted to offer two courses that meet the needs of the specialist activity workforce. NAPA offers: Level 2 Award in Supporting Activity Provision in Social Care (QCF) accredited by OCN London This knowledge only course is provided through distance learning with telephone tutor support. Level 3 Certificate in Activity Provision in Social Care (QCF) accredited by OCN London This higher level course is knowledge and competence based. The student will be supported throughout this distance learning course to research the assignments, write narrative comparisons and evaluate their day to day work.
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News
CMA says care homes may be breaking the law
The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating whether some care homes are breaking the law by charging upfront fees and for extended periods after a resident has died. As part of the CMA’s initial findings of its care homes market study that began last December, the authority says that as a result of information received, it has opened a consumer protection case to investigate its concerns that some care homes may be breaking consumer law. The market study was launched to examine whether the residential care homes sector is working well for elderly people and their families. It has now reached the halfway point of the study. The CMA has already begun to develop recommendations to protect residents and their families. This will be expanded over the next half of the market study. These include examining how: • People can be actively supported in making choices • Complaints and redress systems can be significantly improved to help people feel more comfortable reporting concerns • Residents and their families can best be protected, and how to encourage fair treatment by care homes • Local authorities can be encouraged to share best practice
in procuring care home services and planning, and developing provision in their areas • To encourage investment for the future Acting chief executive, Andrea Coscelli (above), said: “Some of the most vulnerable people in our society use care homes, often moving to them under extremely difficult circumstances. It’s therefore essential they are able to make informed choices, understand how services will be paid for, and be
confident they will be fairly treated and able to complain effectively if they have any concerns. “Demand for care home places is expected to surge over the next two decades. To make sure the additional
6 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
capacity this requires is available, it needs to be built in good time. At present, short term funding pressures and uncertainty mean that the sector is not attracting investment. We will be focusing on finding ways to deal with these, and other concerns identified.” In the next phase the CMA will be seeking views from national and local government, as well as regulators and the industry in each country of the United Kingdom, to ensure recommendations can be effectively implemented. Commenting on the report, Simon Bottery (below), director of policy at Independent Age, said: “The CMA have highlighted market failures in social care that bring the crisis in the sector into sharp focus. Older people and their families are bearing the brunt of these failures, with many people struggling to find and pay for the help they need. “Care home contracts can often be confusing and we know that it isn’t always clear to people what care services they are expected to pay for. Whilst clearly there are many homes that offer a good service, in some parts of the country as many as two in three homes are under-performing. “We have to aspire to so much better in a care homes market valued at £15.7billion, so it’s absolutely right that the CMA is shining a light on the poor practices that need to be stamped out. But their report provides another timely reminder that there are big funding problems, and the care homes market faces uncertainty at the very moment it also faces greater demands. “There are challenges for care providers and local authorities but the government mustn’t pretend they don’t also bear some responsibility for fixing social care, irrespective of the election result. A cross-party approach is now needed.”
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News
CQC seeks views on next phase of regulation in England. For the next eight weeks anyone with an interest is encouraged to have their say. The proposals include: • Changes to the regulation of adult social care services, including the frequency and intensity of its inspections and how CQC monitors providers and gathers its intelligence. • Improvements to the structure of registration and CQC’s definition of ‘registered providers’. • How CQC will monitor, inspect and rate new models of care and large or complex providers. • Updated approach to the ‘fit and proper persons’ requirement.
The Care Quality Commission is consulting on a further set of proposals which will help shape the next phase of regulation for health and social care
David Behan (left), chief executive at CQC, said: “Everyone has the right to experience safe, high quality and compassionate care. We are seeking views on how CQC’s regulation will play its part in achieving this. “As providers respond to the rapidly changing health and care landscape by exploring new models of care, we are consulting on how we will regulate these to ensure that we encourage improvement, collaboration and innovation while ensuring that people get good, safe care. “I hope as many people as possible will take the time to read our proposals and tell us what they think.”
Care home ignorance still rife says survey Research from Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has shown that almost half of the British population - 47% - have a holiday fund as opposed to only three per cent that have a care home fund. Furthermore almost three quarters - 73% - have no idea how much the average weekly cost of a room in residential care is and 56% have no idea whether they would be entitled to state funding for a stay in a care home.
Professor Martin Green (right), chief executive of Care England, said: “This new research from Care England comes at a time when social care is high on the political agenda. It shows that we as a sector need to do more to inform the public and dispel the myths that have evolved. “We hope that communities will engage with Care Home Open Day on Friday 16 June as a means to celebrate their connections with their local community”. Care Home Open Day -
www.carehomeopenday.org.uk focused on the importance of friendship, building on Care England’s research that 57% of people think that greater intervention with the local community can combat isolation. In addition, six in 10 people believe that making visiting hours more flexible would be helpful.
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News
HC-One warns of public’s concern over future of care sector
Over half of the British public are worried about being able to afford the cost of care, according to new research released by the UK’s third largest care home provider, HC-One, as the company celebrates its fifth anniversary.
HC-One’s chairman Dr Chai Patel warns that serious attention needs to be paid to the future of the care sector as a whole, in the light of the ever-growing funding crisis facing the sector. Responding to a YouGov omnibus poll, 54% of the British public said they are worried about being able to afford the cost of care when they need it. Dr Patel said: “Whilst we are doing everything we can at HC-One to provide the kindest and most affordable care, the economics of care in the UK remain unsustainable. Whatever the outcome of the General Election, the new government needs to urgently review how care for older people is financed so that no-one has to worry about being looked after in their later years.” Meanwhile Dr Patel has ambitious plans for HC–One over the next five years, having taken over homes from the
collapsing Southern Cross in 2011. HCOne has been relaunched as ‘HC-One The Kind Care Company’ from 29th May. “Along with our new look and a new CEO, Justin Hutchens, who joins us shortly, we are investing in our colleagues, their training and development and in our homes and services,” said Dr Patel. He is encouraging his team at HC-One to increase their emphasis on working in partnership with local stakeholders, commissioners and the NHS. He said: “What we want to do now is to engage in a renewed discussion with our friends and colleagues from across the sector to ask, where do you want HC-One to be in five years’ time and what would you like us to achieve together, working in partnership.”
Chubb Community Care wins Four Seasons contract
Chubb Fire & Security‘s Community Care business has secured a major new contract to supply and install its latest nurse call solution, Chubb Care Call, for Four Seasons Health Care. Four Seasons, with over 290 care homes, have named Chubb as preferred nurse call solution for all system upgrades and new installations.
“The first installation at Campsie View Care Home in Glasgow has been well received by both residents and the team at the home,” said Gary Reed, estates director, Four Seasons. “The Chubb Community Care team did an excellent job of working around the needs of the home, going out of their way to help residents where they could
10 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
and ensuring a successful transition to the new system.” The slim, modern room unit, with an enhanced, user-friendly design, is installed by the resident’s bed with easy-to-use, colour-coded buttons to call for assistance. “We are delighted to support Four Seasons Health Care with their drive to deliver consistent and responsive resident care. The Chubb Care Call solution is an ideal complement to the Four Seasons approach and will enable them to deliver fast and accurate responses to their residents,” says David Hammond, general manager, Chubb Community Care.
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News
NACC crowns new Care Chef of the Year
Stuart Middleton of Meallmore Lodge Care Home, Inverness, is the National Association of Care Catering Care Chef of the Year. At Barking & Dagenham College’s Technical Skills Academy, the 11 finalists from across the NACC’s six regions demonstrated culinary skills, creativity and knowledge in this specialist field of catering as they produced innovative and delicious twocourse menus under the watchful eyes of the panel of judges. After 90 minutes of intense competition, Stuart claimed the title with
his winning menu of ‘traditional fayre with flair’ - haggis, neeps and tatties followed by a dessert of Culloden cranachan (a Meallmore twist on a classic). The judges praised Stuart for an excellent menu and approach that delivered on taste, skill and presentation and showed clear understanding of his clientele. They were impressed by the authenticity of his dishes, his innovative interpretation of classics, the use of regional ingredients, his attention to detail, and the passion he shows through working
with residents to create his menus. Stuart Middleton said on winning: “I’m overwhelmed to have won. I didn’t expect it as the calibre of the other finalists was unbelievable. “I competed last year but I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, so I over-complicated everything. This year I simplified it. I engaged with my residents to create a menu they love and that’s Scottish through and through. I definitely enjoyed the final more this year. What an amazing day” Peter McGregor of Perry Manor, Worcester, took second place, with Martin McKee of The Hawthorns, Aldridge, third.
£8m Birmingham facility unveiled
Go-ahead for £7.5m Warwick home
A £7.5 million dementia specialist care home has been given the go-ahead in Warwick after being granted planning permission. Designed for WCS Care, which operates 12 care homes across the county, the replacement care home will sit on the existing site of Woodside on Spinney Hill. Built more than 50 years ago,
Woodside provided long-term residential and short-term respite care. It closed earlier this year with residents moving to Castle Brook in Kenilworth until building work on the new home is complete. WCS Care will create a deluxe ‘village experience’ for 72 older people and people with dementia that includes family-scale households for up to six people. There will also be a spa, pamper salon, deluxe cinema, shop, and coin-operated traditional Work is set to begin this summer with the new home scheduled to open in Spring 2019.
12 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
A Birmingham care provider has revealed its plans for an £8 million dementia-friendly nursing home in Erdington, which will provide up to 80 new jobs in the area. MACC Care has submitted a planning application to Birmingham City Council to develop an 80-bed care home on the site of the Hare and Hounds public house in Marsh Hill. The provider, which already runs five facilities for the elderly across the city, said the home would be the only purpose-built residential home for the elderly and vulnerable within a twomile radius.
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 13
News
Neighbour Gloria opens Care UK flagship home Managing director of Care UK’s residential division, Andrew Knight, said: “We identified this site in 2011 and our construction team have done a fantastic job and it really does look great. We are very proud of the home we have here.”
Near neighbour Gloria Hunniford opened Care UK’s newest care home at Sevenoaks in Kent. Weald Heights is a three-storey, purpose-built home which is very much the company’s flagship home for selffunders. When fully occupied, it will provide quality residential, dementia
and nursing care for up to 80 people, as well as create 109 additional jobs in the local community. It offers premium rooms, upgraded dining and an enhanced, bespoke package of activities for the residents. There is also a hair salon and cinema on site.
New app to help care homes recruit temporary nurses
An app which enables care and nursing homes to hand pick temporary nurses without having to use a traditional recruitment agency has been launched. The ‘Florence’ app empowers care home managers to work directly with nurses and to see clearly their training, accreditation and ratings from previous jobs before booking them for shifts. More than 1,000 registered general nurses have already signed up with Florence which enables them to build
a professional reputation and so be selected by care and nursing homes for their expertise, not just their availability. The app, which care managers can access online via a computer or mobile, is the latest in a number of ‘disruptive’ technology solutions for the care sector and has been created by Charles Armitage, a 28 year old London doctor. Glebe Court nursing home in Bromley, Kent, has been using
14 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
Florence since March. Its chief executive, Patricia Goan, said: “We like Florence because it’s easy to use and it’s transparent. You can see the full profile of who you’re getting for each shift, and because it includes their photograph you recognise them when they arrive - managers find that reassuring. We have saved around 20% on the cost of using agencies to fill registered general nurse shifts.” Homes can use Florence to create a profile, post available shifts and then select from a database of prevetted RGNs. Managers can see each nurse’s training, compliance documentation and feedback from previous employers. “Florence puts managers in direct contact with each nurse available for the shift,” said Charles Armitage. “It means homes get a better sense of who they’re employing and removes any doubt about a nurse’s abilities.”
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News
Care Roadshow arrives in Birmingham Care Roadshow Birmingham will be returning to Villa Park Stadium on 4 July following its record highest attendance last year. The exhibition brings the latest thinking, practical advice, products and services under one roof to help healthcare professionals gain access to the support and information they need in order to deliver outstanding levels of care. The event features a range of talks from some of the most influential names in the business including CQC, National Care Association and Barchester Healthcare. Joining the line-up will be headline sponsors, Quality Compliance Systems who will be on hand to provide guidance and support as well as host their seminar ‘Adapting to the leadership challenge’.
Visitors can take part in practical activities hosted by Carrie Twist from Storytelling with a Twist, to help those
with dementia to be inspired by sensory and reminiscence experiences. Carrie has been accompanying the event this year as it travels across the country and has proven a hit with all those who participate. Industry-leading exhibitors who will be demonstrating their latest equipment and services include apetito, Citation, carehome.co.uk and Well CarePlus. For more information and to register for free tickets, visit www.careroadshows.co.uk or call 01425 838393.
Registration for Care Show 2017 is now live The Care Show, the UK’s only exhibition purely dedicated to the care sector, will be working with NHS England for this year’s show, taking place at NEC Birmingham, 10-11 October. The partnership will focus on a new Integrated Care zone at this year’s show that will deliver best practice examples of the NHS and social care providers working together for better outcomes for the public. Brand director, Chris Edwards said: “Integrated care is an essential and growing focus for the sector to provide the best possible service for those who
need care and support. By working with NHS England we will be providing the best possible platform for clinical commissioning groups, NHS professionals and social care providers to learn about how to better work together. It’s an exciting partnership for us and will help further grow this show
16 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
and give our audience what they need to expand their services.” To find out more about the plans for integrated care in the UK and to find the latest products and services to improve the care you provide, register free for your pass at www.careshow. events/visit-j1.
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The urgent need for intergenerational care Davina Ludlow (pictured below), director of carehome.co.uk and homecare.co.uk looks at how young and old are increasingly coming together for the benefit of all. Intergenerational care is on the rise, and is gaining attention as a way to bring the elderly and young together. In the UK there are already inspiring examples of homes where such collaboration is underway, and where the opportunity to interact and play together is putting smiles on the faces of those at both ends of the age spectrum. This is something that we must encourage and foster through intergenerational care initiatives in care homes, starting from now.
enjoyed at Anchor’s Eastlake care home in Godalming, Surrey, where local toddlers visit twice a month to play games and sing nursey rhymes with residents. Spending time with children brings joy and happiness to residents, and allows them to form a close bond that they cherish. Residents are given
‘Highlight of the week’ Take the Home Meadow home in Cambridge, which has been welcoming seven children, aged one to four, on a weekly basis. The visits of these young children have been voted the residents’ ‘highlight of the week’, offering the chance to join together in dance, arts and crafts and singing activities. Similar experiences have been 18 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
the opportunity to partake in regular physical activity, enjoy fun, games and laughter, and gain a renewed sense of self-worth. The benefits for children are undoubtable, too. Through the attention that they receive, their confidence can increase, and they can grow up appreciating older people.
Intergenerational Care Children also get to learn about the normal ageing process, and adopt an accepting attitude towards those living with a disability. Television experiment These positives for children are supported by Nia Williams, child psychologist at Bangor University. She oversaw a TV experiment in Wales in which young people spent time with people living in care homes, and found that children reacted very well to mixing with residents, and grew in independence over the course of the experiment. Increased intergenerational mixing can have enormous benefits not only for residents and young children, but also for the parents and grandparents of children, and the sons and daughters of care home residents. This shows that the term ‘intergenerational’ does not only refer to the very young and the very old, but to those of all ages. This sentiment was captured by intergenerational arts charity Magic Me when they ran a series of arts projects by young people in care homes from 2015-17. Artists and performers came into homes to interact with residents, and collaborate in the production of new works of art. Challenging attitudes The initiative specifically set out to challenge ageist attitudes that do not associate older people with innovative, dynamic developments in art and drama, and encouraged care home residents to engage in everything from immersive theatre to circus activities. Magic Me showed the benefit that residents can reap from interacting with young people who have developed their expertise in a certain field and the way in which this allows older people to fully understand the ideas and thoughts of younger generations. The positives for the young people involved in a project like Magic Me are clear, too - they get to learn about the experiences of residents, and compare and contrast the different cultures and
trends that different generations have lived through. The mutual opportunities for learning between the young and old extend well beyond art, into a whole range of subjects and activities. Different generations have a lot to talk about on an intellectual front, for example. Free accommodation in the Netherlands The Humanitas care home in Deventer, Netherlands, has been offering free accommodation for local university students, so long as they spend 30 hours per week with the residents at the home. In addition to the computer lessons and cooking of meals that they provide, the students also act as a remedy to the social isolation and depression, often experienced by those in care homes. These social benefits also have physical benefits by increasing mortality. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), for instance, is as critical of the “age apartheid” as it is of smoking in terms of health threats, and points to a range of benefits for wellbeing that intergenerational activities can bring. Meeting older people is crucial for young people’s health too, with research finding that stereotypical views of ageing, centred on illness and loneliness, need to be challenged so that they don’t become a selffulfilling prophecy. Work conducted in the United States shows the young and middle-aged adults who are pessimistic about the ageing process are twice as likely to suffer from a stroke or heart attack within 30 years. Intergenerational care is therefore something with a holistic benefit to all involved, enhancing emotional, mental and physical wellbeing, and adding purpose and meaning to the lives of those who take part. Economic factors too As well as benefits for both young and old, there are economic imperatives for encouraging more intergenerational care homes. With
nurseries and care homes struggling for funding, being an intergenerational facility offers a unique selling point for care providers, and will allow maintenance and staff costs to be reduced. Head office activities including human resources, marketing, PR and administration can be shared. Discounts can be offered to families who have both young children and elderly residents at the same facility. The practical challenges of an ageing population, an increasingly globalised workforce and the recent economic downturn, mean it has become harder for communities to come together to foster intergenerational interaction, with only five per cent of those over 65s having regular interaction with young people. More must be done Given these circumstances, it is crucial that we do more to push for the establishment of intergenerational care homes here in the UK. Though we can already draw great hope from these examples, there are currently no companies in this country which combine young and elderly care on a permanent basis. The fact that local mother Tara Baker established the intergenerational scheme at Anchor’s Eastlake specifically to foster intergenerational care - shows that we should encourage everybody to contribute to intermixing between the young and old, whether or not they work in a care home already. A wide variety of people understand the benefits that intergenerational care can bring, and want to make a positive difference to society. The need for us to encourage intergenerational care homes is based on the happiness, self-worth and personal development that it can bring for both the young and the old, as well as the economic fragilities of current care home funding. There is a plethora of examples that we must take inspiration from, in the UK but also abroad, in achieving this vital aim.
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 19
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20 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
THE
CARE HOME
AWARDS
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 21
Celebrating the very best care homes have to offer –
the Care Home Awards 2017 Alan Rustad reports from London’s Royal Garden Hotel on the ceremony that proved to be such a big hit. The first year of a brand new set of awards - and it certainly won’t be last. The 2017 Care Home Awards, the only awards specifically for the care home sector, was an undeniable success. Bringing care home operators, staff and suppliers together on a glorious British Spring day to toast the best the industry can offer unquestionably created a feel-good atmosphere. And as if to prove that this is an industry where quality care is everyone’s top priority, a number of care home teams attending the lunch brought along some of their residents. The awards were a couple of years in the preparation and the planning unquestionably paid off. Extra Gold award The Awards creator, Matthew Davies, said the standards set by the entries were of a very high quality - so much so that the judges decided to name three Gold award winners in the Overall Achievement categories instead of just two. “In their first year, this is evidence of how the Care Home Awards have caught the imagination and stimulated the competitive spirit among senior
executives at care homes,” he said. The pre-awards drinks reception gave guests the chance to make new contacts and meet up again with old friends. Before the lunch got underway, Roy Edwards, marketing director of headline sponsors, NHG, said he was delighted at the reaction to the first Care Home Awards. “We feel this is a very important event,” he told the audience. “It is not only a recognition of achievement in the industry but what I like about this the most is that everyone in this room is like minded. We are passionate about care and social care.” Musical delight After a superb lunch, the ceremony got off to a delightful musical opening as the Sugar Sisters, three singers brought together by a love of three part harmonies, the ukulele and red lipstick entertained the audience. The ceremony itself was hosted in affable and humorous style by the National Lottery’s ‘voice of the balls’ Alan Dedicoat, who is also known for his work on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Positive reaction After all the awards had been handed out Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said:
22 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
“I think it was a fantastic awards ceremony. I really enjoyed it. What was nice was I was able to meet a whole raft of people who are very important in supporting this sector and a raft of people who are very important in delivering care.” The winners were pretty happy too. A hat trick of awards Equal Arts had most to cheer, winning three awards in the supplier categories – two of them with their Hen Power initiative which helps care home residents remain stimulated through hen keeping to promote good health and wellbeing and reduce loneliness. “Fantastic. We are absolutely delighted,” said director Douglas Hunter. In summing up, Roy Edwards of NHG, said: “Let’s do justice to the care industry; let’s do justice to social care; and let’s keep up those achievements. Don’t let it stop today” And a final word from Awards creator, Matthew Davies. “It has been astonishing. I am proud of what we have achieved with the Awards but I am more proud of what entrants and finalists have submitted which surprised and delighted the judges.” If you weren’t there, you can see a video of the event at www.youtube. com/watch?v=4lnH1FqaoNE
The Gold Awards
The Gold Awards
Best Care Home Group Winner: PJ Care PJ Care is a provider of specialist neurological care and rehabilitation for individuals with progressive or acquired neurological conditions. There are three specialist neurological care units in Milton Keynes and four neurological care units and a rehabilitation service in Peterborough. The judges liked the attitude and drive of the owner. It has been an outstanding achievement to build a specialist group from a standing start so top marks to Jan Flawn for overcoming the typical stereotype and giving hope to so many aspiring entrepreneurs and younger residents.
Hughly commended: Care UK
Best Individual Home in a Group Winner: Broadwater Lodge, Godalming, Surrey Broadwater House provides superb care - a combination of creativity, compassion and fun. The home creates a life history book for each resident with their and their family’s input, which gives staff insights into the resident’s past and present life. This guides the activities planned, the menus created, and the set up and furnishing of the home. Everything is tailored to residents’ interests and hobbies and this person centred approach is used across every aspect of home life. Consistently solid and an ‘Outstanding’ rating to back it up. The judges liked both the levels of innovation and the simplicity of the innovation. It proves that innovation doesn’t have to involve huge sums of money or complex ideas.
Finalists: Adept Care Homes - Kiwi House Barchester Healthcare - Harton Grange Berkley Care Group - Cumnor Hill House NABS - Peterhouse
Best Individual Independent Care Home Winner: Valerie Manor Nursing and Residential Home, While not brand new and ‘state-of-the-art’ Valerie Manor has a really homely and closeknit atmosphere. Rated ‘Outstanding‘ by the Care Quality Commission, residents are at the heart of everything, including the daily running of their home, interviewing staff, choosing menus, and planning social clubs involving the local community. As a chief inspector for adult social care noted: “the management and staff at Valerie Manor are committed to providing outstanding care to the people living there.”
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 23
The winners, the finalists and all the highlights from the Care Awards 2017 About 300 people were on hand at the Royal Garden Hotel in London’s Kensington to celebrate all that is best in care homes and their suppliers. And all on a glorious Spring day. Here is some of the action from what was an outstanding inaugural event.
Master of Ceremonies Alan Dedicoat, the voice of the balls for the National Lottery giving out next week´s numbers?
Alan Dedicoat presents the Best Equipment award to NHG's Roy Edwards
Tanglewood, winners in the Best Non-clinical Facilities category
NABS Peterhouse - Best Garden and Outdoor Space 24 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
Barchester best in sporting, social and leisure
PJ Care - winners of the Best Care Home Group
Awards director Matthew Davies addressing the audience
Meadow House collecting Best Nursing award
Triple awards winners Jos Forester-Melville and Douglas Hunter from Equal Arts
Care UK's Broadwater lodge took Best Individual home in a Group July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 25
Winners and finalists Best Care Home Group Winner: PJ Care PJ Care is a provider of specialist neurological care and rehabilitation for individuals with progressive or acquired neurological conditions. There are three specialist neurological care units in Milton Keynes and four neurological care units and a rehabilitation service in Peterborough. The judges liked the attitude and drive of the owner. It has been an outstanding achievement to build a specialist group from a standing start so top marks to Jan Flawn for overcoming the typical stereotype and giving hope to so many aspiring entrepreneurs and younger residents.
Best Architecture or Interior Design Winner: Cumnor Hill House, Berkley Care Group The judges were impressed by the good use of natural light throughout the building. The key to success at Cumnor Hill House lies in the flexible internal and external communal spaces, which can be used by all residents. Highly Commended: Abney Court, Care UK Finney House, L&M Healthcare Finalists: Kiwi House, Adept Care Homes, Mayflower Court, Anchor Trust Churnet Lodge, MOP Healthcare, Eagle Wood, PJ Care
Hughly commended: Care UK
Best Individual Home in a Group Winner: Broadwater Lodge, Godalming, Surrey Broadwater House provides superb care - a combination of creativity, compassion and fun. The home creates a life history book for each resident with their and their family’s input, which gives staff insights into the resident’s past and present life. This guides the activities planned, the menus created, and the set up and furnishing of the home. Everything is tailored to residents’ interests and hobbies and this person centred approach is used across every aspect of home life. Consistently solid and an ‘Outstanding’ rating to back it up. The judges liked both the levels of innovation and the simplicity of the innovation. Finalists: Adept Care Homes - Kiwi House Barchester Healthcare - Harton Grange Berkley Care Group - Cumnor Hill House NABS - Peterhouse
Best Individual Independent Care Home Winner: Valerie Manor Nursing and Residential Home, While not brand new and ‘state-of-the-art’ Valerie Manor has a really homely and close-knit atmosphere. Rated ‘Outstanding‘ by the Care Quality Commission, residents are at the heart of everything, including the daily running of their home, interviewing staff, choosing menus, and planning social clubs involving the local community. As a chief inspector for adult social care noted: “the management and staff at Valerie Manor are committed to providing outstanding care to the people living there.”
Best Specialist Care Winner: PJ Care The judges acknowledged that all three entries described care homes that felt like great places. PJ Care won by presenting its case in the best way, with evidence galore of a successful business based upon sound principles of specialist neurological care. Finalists: Adderley Green Care Centre Badby Park Group’s Orwell Care Home Amore Group
Best Communal Spaces Winner: Finney House, L&M Healthcare The judges felt that the Finney House Community Library is a great idea, well implemented and presented and showing a good return on investment. It is a true community initiative opening the doors of the home and actively encouraging over 65’s to visit the home socially. Finalist: Mistley Manor
Best Garden and Outdoor Space
Best Marketing Initiative or Campaign
Winner: 50 plants for 50 years, Peterhouse, part of NABS
Winner: A Caring Perspective, Caring Homes Group
50 Plants for 50 Years is a brilliant idea, said the judges, well implemented and already deservedly recognised. NABS Peterhouse placed residents at the heart of the planning and implementation, as well as inviting input from the local community, and incorporated their ideas to take the project forward.
All of the entries were of a very high standard and the judges found it hard to compare obvious differences in budget and scope. The Caring Homes Group entry has a clear marketing aim, provided a very good return on investment and gave the company great insight into improving their marketing strategy.
Highly Commended: Tor Na Dee, Care UK Finalist: The Close Care Home
Highly Commended: Eating as we age, Care UK, Peterhouse, NABS Finalists: Finney House, L&M Healthcare L&M Healthcare website, PJ Care
Best Clinical Facilities
Best Nursing Care
Winner: Brighterkind
Winner: Meadow House Nursing Home, Healthcare Homes Group Meadow House is an industry leader in terms of the quality of nursing care it provides to its residents. It is in the small minority of less than 1% of care homes in England to be rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and is led by a team working with the welfare of residents as their number one priority. The team at Meadow House displays exemplary care and has a culture of continuous improvement.
The judges liked the ‘Love Every Day’ theme, as Brighterkind focused on and invested heavily in enabling a positive team culture and extraordinary resident experience. Since January 2015 Brighterkind has invested in excess of £12 million to fully refurbish 13 homes and the programme is continuing with three further properties undergoing refurbishment. Finalist: Mistley Manor
26 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
Finalists: PJ Care, Valerie Manor
Winners and finalists Best Non-Clinical Facilities
Best Specialist Supplier
Winner: Tanglewood Care Homes
Winner: Equal Arts
The judges said it was good to see such clear direction and leadership. Tanglewood is the winner with a great strategic approach to improvement, from creating safer outdoor spaces, to establishing Dementia Cafes or improving IT and partnering with the NHS on cutting edge research.
Daily artist-led sessions and training encourage people to live in the moment, communicate, and form meaningful relationships helping combat loneliness. The local Clinical Commissioning Group commissioned Equal Arts to provide regular creative care training for care staff, alongside psychologists.
Highly Commended: Signature Senior Lifestyle
Finalists: Berwick Care Equipment Special-2-Us
Best Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities
Best Professional Service Provider Winner: Hempsons Solicitors
Winner: Harton Grange, Barchester The judges believed the Harton Grange entry was very innovative – giving evidence of some really advanced thinking, with a sense of ownership noticeable throughout the submission. Highly Commended: Appleby House Amazing Activities, Care UK Finalists: Arthur House, Amore Group Love Everyday, Brighterkind, Rabbit Hole Club, Valerie Manor
Best Nutrition, Food and Dining Experience
Winner: NHG
The judges considered this was a good solid entry with photographic evidence to prove the point. It was interesting to have different place mats indicating level of support needed and to know that staff eat with the residents. Chefs serve the food and obtain feedback on site on a daily basis, as well. Highly Commended: Proof’s in the Pudding, Priors House, Care UK Finalists: Brighterkind, Chiswick Nursing Centre, Ganymede Care, Lillian Faithfull Homes
Winner: Dine Contract Catering
Finalists: Sheengate Publishers Echo Managed Services Compass
Best Equipment or Furniture Supplier
Winner: The Close Care Home
Best Food or Catering Supplier
Hempsons are specialist healthcare solicitors who invest in charities and have gained many awards. The judges note that the website is impressive, producing briefing documents for the industry written in plain English and easy to understand. They are available free of charge.
Dine Contract Catering.
Dine offers a developing service to the care industry. The highlights are the joint work with activity lifestyle facilitators to engage residents with food, and an interesting idea for graze boxes. The company is clearly engaged with the sector providing innovative ideas coupled with excellent service. Finalists: Bidfood Nescafe
Nursing Hygiene Group (NHG) is a healthcare supply partner that offers consumables, care equipment and care environment consultancy. Average lead times in the furniture industry are between six to eight weeks, which means that a lot of revenue can be lost by care homes owing to delays in rooms being furnished and occupied. With this in mind, the Stock 7 range of furniture and furnishings comprises of complete interior packages, which from concept to completion, transform a room in seven working days. Finalists: Active Minds Apex Medical, CFS Carpets Pepe Garden Furniture
Best General Supplies, Transport Services or Soft Facilities Provider Winner: Berwick Care Equipment Berwick Care Equipment is an audit and consulting business that focuses on supporting organisations, helping them to become more financially lean and efficient by analysing their current costs/expenditure against average models within the industry. If done well this could make a very big impact on homes. Finalists: AquaCert, P&G Professional
Best Training Initiative or Provider
Best IT and Communications
Winner: HenPower, Equal Arts
Winner: HenPower, Equal Arts
Now in more than 40 care homes, HenPower creatively engages older people in hen-keeping, to promote health and wellbeing and reduce loneliness. The judges noted the thorough evaluation of the project and subsequent expansion of HenPower, which genuinely appears to be impacting people’s lives positively.
Through weekly artist-led sessions, each HenPower group shares the successes, challenges and positive outcomes of the session using photographs, quotes, examples of older people’ s art work, and ways in which they’ve worked together and cared for the hens. Information is then disseminated via a closed Facebook page, sharing examples of best practice with care staff, managers and other artists, and the wider public on HenPower’s main Facebook and Twitter pages.
Finalists: Exemplar Healthcare RedCrier Swanton Care
Finalists: Echo Managed Services Special-2-Us
July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 27
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As winners of the Best Food and Catering Category at the recent Care Home Awards you can trust us to do a great job and be a respected partner to your home.
Call: 01925 282 330 Email: sales@dine.org.uk Web: www.dine-contract-catering.com
Valerie Manor celebrate with Pimm’s After winning their award for best individual care home, the outstanding rated Valerie Manor held at Pimm’s celebration for staff, residents and relatives. Somehow it seems an appropriate, very British, summertime way of doing things!
Congratulations to all our winners... ...and our thanks to our judges and all those who attended these inaugural awards. Get ready for the Care Home Awards 2018 more details coming soon!
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Carpet - a sound choice for any care environment
by Catherine Helliker, marketing manager, danfloor UK
A carefully considered interior design scheme is essential for any care environment, especially where there are residents living with dementia. The quality of the acoustic environment is a vital component of good dementiafriendly design as noise is regarded as a health and safety issue and should not interfere with resident’s normal domestic activities including sleep and rest. People need to be able to hear well in order to make sense of their environment and in order to function at the highest level possible. Hearing impairment can compound feelings of isolation and frustration and these feelings contribute to
behavioural disturbance. Good acoustics vital Good acoustics can actively contribute to ensuring that a person with dementia can communicate and remain included within their community. Belonging and interacting are highly dependent on communication, which in turn is highly dependent on hearing. UK Building regulations stipulate that a suitable floor covering should have a weighted reduction in impact sound pressure level of not less than 17dB when measured in accordance with EN ISO 140-8 and calculated in
30 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
accordance with EN ISO 717-2. Furthermore, Stirling University in their Dementia Design Series guide ‘Hearing, sound and the acoustic environment for people living with dementia’ recommend that the construction of rooms within care settings must find ways to minimise the transmission of noise from one room to another and state that the sound impact ratings should preferably exceed British standards. Reducing the chance of falls In addition, as hearing is linked to balance there are greater risks of falls and this can be devastating for an elderly person. Headline-grabbing research carried out by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in February 2004 showed that accidents on hard flooring had increased by over 300% in the last five years. Carpets can provide a cushioned landing for any trips and falls and studies carried out have shown that carpet, when compared with vinyl, can reduce injuries caused by such accidents. It has also been proven that gait, speed and step length is greater
in older people walking on carpeted areas than when walking on vinyl. Controlling dust In addition to providing an acoustically sound environment carpets have a number of extra benefits especially when installed within the care environment where there may be residents living with breathing difficulties such as asthma. Fine dust can present a significant health hazard, especially for allergy sufferers, as particles may cause irritation when they are breathed in and enter the respiratory tract. Many of studies suggest that carpet retains dust particles, unlike hard surfaces where they regularly become air born. If carpets are regularly vacuumed these dust particles, and allergens that are bound within fine dust particles, are removed from the room without causing discomfort. To find out more about ranges which are ideal for the care sector visit www.danfloor.co.uk
The stunning new Equinox Evolve! Danfloor Uk, specialist manufactures and suppliers of commercial carpets, are receiving a warm welcome to their new Equinox Evolve range which forms part of their awarding winning Equinox Collection. Equinox Evolve has an elegant and contemporary pattern; available in 13 colours is has been design to sit comfortably alongside the Equinox Tones range, enabling the creation of exquisite interior design schemes, especially within the care environment. To find out more about the Equinox Evolve and its innovative product features; including an impervious membrane an antimicrobial yarn treatment, making it ideal for the care industry visit www.danfloor.co.uk.
Dishing up the right equipment for care home kitchens Catering is a key aspect of the care home offer and with the growing scrutiny the sector is experiencing caused by funding cuts, increased overheads and speculation regarding quality of care, it’s more important than ever to get it right. Expectations from customers are high. Ensuring nutritional guidelines are being met is a minimum and quality assurance is often the number one priority for the relatives of those in need of care. Catering for varying dietary needs Nursing and residential homes have a fundamental requirement to provide specialist dietary options, such as catering for residents with coeliac disease or diabetes, as well as providing finger food and high protein/energy boosting options. There’s a need to be able to cater for many dietary requirements simultaneously – and all at a very high quality.
Care home managers, or the decision makers, are not usually catering experts so when it comes to planning a kitchen refit it can be time to call in the experts. Wayne Phillips is MD of catering supplies manufacturer, rexmartins, based at Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and he has seen a trend in care home caterers opting for multi-functional and energy efficient appliances. “We often hear how chefs in this sector struggle with catering for the amount of varying dietary needs, leading to formulaic menus and a lack of seasonal influence,” he says. “Care home caterers need ovens, which can cook the greatest variety of foods at the same time. A choice of cooking methods, such as steam and convection, is key. For example, combi ovens can cook a large range of different foods simultaneously on different trays, with no cross contamination, which is invaluable when catering for varying dietary needs, such as vegetarians and meat eaters.”
Energy Efficiency As with almost every industry, being energy efficient is a huge trend in the catering industry and that is set to stay. Kitchens can be very high in energy wastage so are a particular area of focus in the new eco-friendly way of living. Energy wastage can be cut by a large amount by using new cooking and heating techniques, such as induction, which allow establishments to improve their eco-credentials. Phillips continues: “Induction cooking is known to be far more energy efficient than gas or electric, which is great for improving ecocredentials, something many customers now take into account, and the knock-on effect means there is a huge saving on running costs.” Ancillary equipment There is now a variety of ancillary equipment, which can save time for chefs and produce a higher quality output. A Blixer machine can puree (Continued on page 34)
32 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
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(Continued from page 32)
without heat using a specially designed blade, saving time and energy on heating and optimizing the nutritional value of the food. Ideal for those who can’t get out to celebrate special occasions, an Induction Teppanyaki Griddle can be used to cook in front of residents and their family, adding theatre for celebratory events. The griddle has no heat emission, due to its advanced technology and it’s easy to clean too. Some of the smaller gadgets are ideal for kitchens where space needs to be maximized. Modular units are also proving popular as rising property prices and cost-saving is meaning caterers need to maximize every inch of available space. Modular kitchens mean caterers can design a bespoke arrangement to perfectly suit their requirements. Flexible payment terms for greater return Most catering equipment suppliers support the need to maintain a high quality catering service within the care and residential home sector by offering flexible payment options, which allow establishments to begin the process of overhauling and improving their equipment for a greater return longterm, in a way that is manageable for them.
Customer Service Like buying a car, or any other big-ticket item, customer service is of the upmost importance, especially during the after sales period when the deal has been done. Care homes can’t wait for trouble-shooting - any hiccups or knowledge gaps need to be resolved instantly. Phillips explains: “Most suppliers offer the most premium sales experience, but a top notch aftersales is essential to ensure that any potential problems are fixed and resolved as soon as possible. We would advise caterers to research the aftersales element when choosing an equipment provider. Assess how easy it is to communicate with the factory or supplier. Are all channels of communication open? How easy is it to speak with someone? Is there enough information on their website? The website should also feature testimonials from customers, these are a great barometer of customer satisfaction.” Importance of ongoing training As the quality of catering and food within the care home sector has continued to improve, with it
34 Care Home Management | July/August 2017
comes a requirement for ongoing training. Championing high training standards is the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), which represents professionals catering to the care industry. The NACC offers an annual training and development forum, where caterers can learn from expert care catering speakers, watch culinary demonstrations tailored for those in care, interact in workshops and network with like-minded colleagues. The organisation also hosts its own awards programme, heralding best practice and giving recognition to those in the industry. Cutting through the competition Catering in care homes should be at a base level of quality as a minimum. However, this does not mean that establishments cannot strive to be better than the rest in order to drive more business. Top quality catering standards can help care homes cut through the competition. Once standards are at their optimum word needs to spread, as a care home’s catering reputation can play a key aspect in driving new customer enquiries. There is no such thing as too high quality. www.rexmartins.com
Essential -
maintain your warewashing equipment It is estimated that hard water is responsible for up to 70% of equipment failure, be it a warewasher, dishwasher, steam oven and a wide range of catering equipment. Therefore it is important to consider water treatment as part of the capital equipment expenditure to help eliminate unnecessary costs and damage to reputation. With warewashers in care homes using high volumes of water it is important to have the correct water treatment system in place to prevent limescale build-up which may otherwise lead to machine failure, expensive breakdowns and unwanted machine downtime. One size does not fit all and it’s important to review your water
hardness, machine capacity and volume of water going through your system to ensure you have the correct system installed to prevent limescale build-up but also provide protection from aggressive minerals to extend the working life, running cost efficiencies of equipment and reduced energy bills. Kevin Johnson, managing director at Monarch Water, commented; “Water treatment equipment should be seen as an investment and insurance to help maintain a successful business rather than a cost. With professional advice, wholesale benefits can be achieved from its installation, providing appliance protection and energy bill and labour savings by virtually eliminating the scale
build-up caused by the calcium and magnesium.”
One tip An estimated 60% of the UK suffers from the effects of hard water. The composition of hard water has a harmful impact on the end quality of warewashing if not treated. Investigate and take professional advice to ensure that you adopt the right protection. Adopting the right water treatment system can extend the working life of a warewasher by protecting sensors and heating elements from harmful corrosion.
A Winterhalter warewasher for every care home – with no upfront cost
With Pay-Per-Wash, care homes get a warewasher, chemicals and service from under 27p per wash Care homes looking to upgrade the quality of their warewashing, with no upfront cost, can now switch to Winterhalter’s Pay-Per-Wash scheme. With Pay-Per-Wash, care homes simply pay as they wash – with costs starting from under 27p per wash cycle. The cost covers everything: the Winterhalter warewasher, plus Winterhalter chemicals, service and maintenance. It covers installation and training and repairs (provided they are not the result of misuse).
“Some care homes have said it sounds too good to be true,” says Paul Crowley, marketing manager of Winterhalter. “But it emphatically is true. We’ve looked very hard at the costs and, obviously, kept them to a minimum so that they are as attractive as possible for our customers. “It’s not only cost-effective, it also takes away all the hassle of warewashing, because we look after the chemicals and service, too. And it means getting the best possible washing results, from market-leading machines. We think that Pay-Per-Wash is the ideal solution for care homes.” With Pay-Per-Wash, operators select a desired number of wash cycles and prepay for them, using a credit card. The warewasher is internet-connected and the wash codes bought are automatically
entered into the machine, so staff can start washing straight away. The cost per wash will depend on the machine chosen and usually customers will buy at least 100 washes in advance. For the Winterhalter undercounter UC-S, the smallest machine available, the cost is £26.18 for 100 washes. Winterhalter provides a total solution for warewashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance. Alongside its marketleading dish and glasswashers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, cleaning chemicals and detergents. For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, see www.winterhalter.co.uk, or www. winterhalter-scout.biz or email info@ winterhalter.co.uk.
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INFECTION CONTROL THERMOMETERS Infection control is a top priority for care homes with food safety no exception. That’s why TME offer a dedicated thermometer range for preventing bacterial crosscontamination in the kitchen. The CA2005-PK comprises an IP67 waterproof HACCPcompliant thermometer together with 6 interchangeable colour-coded needle probes, for reducing the risk of crosscontamination between food groups. The probes are also dishwasher-safe, offering a more hygienic system than all-inone thermometers which are more difficult to keep clean. For cash-strapped care homes, the new CA2005-PK also represents great value for money at around £130, or individual probes and thermometers can be bought separately if preferred. TME – When temperature matters Tel: +44(0) 1903 700751 Web: www.tmethermometers.com Email: sales@tmethermometers.com
www.tmethermometers.com sales@tmethermometers.com
Forbes Professional ranges Miele’s new Benchmark Commercial Washers
Forbes Professional Offer Miele PG8166 AE Tank dishwasher
Forbes Professional is excited to have recently added Miele’s new ‘Performance’ commercial washers to the product range. These new washers range in capacity from 13-20kg and include a commercial mop cleaner, with each machine redefining the benchmark for their category. Miele’s new suspension system stabilises the load for a smoother cycle and the new heating system delivers improved efficiency. Parameters such as spin speed and temperature can be adjusted to suit the load requirements. Highly programmable, processing can be adjusted to suit the load size, reducing energy water and detergent consumption accordingly. Forbes Professional can provide auto-dosing systems, further eliminating unnecessary waste/user error and freeing up valuable staff time. Our commercial laundry is available for sale, lease or rental basis, giving access to premium brands without upfront capital outlay. www.forbesprofessional.co.uk
As a proud National partner of Miele, Forbes Professional supplies commercial laundry and dishwashing to care homes across the UK. Our Miele PG8166 is the perfect tank dishwasher for a care environment, employing intelligent dishwashing technology and a powerful heat pump to deliver brilliant results in impressively short times. Extremely user friendly and highly programmable, this durable work horse guarantees immaculate results after each cycle with the high final rinse temperature ensuring that the most stringent hygiene standards are maintained. This commercial dishwasher integrates perfectly into kitchen runs and handles the demands of the busiest commercial kitchen. www.forbes-professional.co.uk
Five ways to increase care home customer satisfaction In recent issues we have looked at how care homes could do more to improve their own standing in the eyes of the potential residents and the public at large. In many cases it comes down to simple things like answering the telephone – and who should answer it. Here, Stephanie Vaughan-Jones, channel manager at telephone answering specialist, Moneypenny, gives some advice. How well does your care home’s customer service meet the needs of residents and families? We may always feel that we are giving the best possible service to customers, but we’d be naïve to think that we couldn’t improve at all. The impact of the level of service delivered in care homes is vast. Families faced with the difficult decision of choosing a care home have a number of factors to consider. Locality is usually high on the list. But so is the feeling that they will be handled with sensitivity and empathy, the smallest disappointment in the way they are treated can feel enormous. So much so, it can put that person off a particular care home completely. There is no secret to providing good customer service. It is about considering every touch point and action when dealing with residents and families. 1. Walk in your customers’ shoes If ever there was a golden rule of customer service, this would be it. Experiencing your service as your customers do can completely change your view on how you treat them. Try ‘mystery shopping’ your own
care home by becoming your own customer. Call at different times of the day and in the evening – how is your enquiry handled? Did you get an answer at all? Then ask yourself how that made you feel. You’ll be amazed at the insights you’ll gain and just how effective the exercise can be. 2. Listen - never assume Even the best care home with an excellent reputation cannot afford to be complacent. One of the greatest gifts a business can receive is the feedback from its customers. Never assume you know what your customers want as you’ll find that, when you actually ask them, you may really be way off the mark. Also, what works today may not work tomorrow, so always welcome comments from customers. Honest feedback really is worth its weight in gold. 3. Aim to exceed expectations There will always be competitors, so meeting expectations is never good enough. When a potential customer, family member or guardian comes through the door or calls, the objective must always be to make them leave feeling impressed. A good first
impression gives a lasting impression and people expect to be treated well, so always aim to go over and above. A smile and friendly demeanour, kind words and even polite telephone manner never fail to impress. 4. Speak in your customers’ language An emotional and confused customer is an uncertain and uncomfortable one, so be sure that you are clear in your information and the way you deliver it. Understanding your customers - their needs, timescales, circumstances and what drives and motivates them, will be key to getting your communication with them just right. 5. Keep service at the heart of your business Regardless of how big your care home grows or how busy the staff are day-to-day, fail to put the customer first and you’ll soon stop growing. It can be a challenge with other demands around you, but whatever you need to achieve in a day, first and foremost think back to the golden rule in point one. Do this and you won’t go far wrong. www.moneypenny.com
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Legal Assets
Care sector losing millions as people gift assets to avoid care home costs
Peter King, partner at leading law firm, Nockolds, examines the tricky issue of families looking to avoid care home costs by gifting assets – and the reluctance of local authorities to take action.
The funding crisis in the care sector has been so exhaustively documented that it is hard to find an article in a national newspaper about the sector without the word ‘crisis’ featuring prominently. The cost to the taxpayer of providing care for the elderly has been put at £10 billion per annum - an enormous sum of money. Yet many councils have taken the option of increasing council tax by two per cent in 2016/17 to better fund adult social care. At the same time, many care homes are in financial distress. According to some estimates, one in four care homes are facing closure. These two issues are tightly interwoven because care homes often make little or no profit on beds provided to local
authorities in bulk, relying instead on self-funded residents for most of their profits. Indeed, the extent to which selffunders are subsidising council-funded residents has received greater focus of late. A recent report by the Commons Communities and Local Government committee discovered that self-funders are spending an average of 43 per cent more than their state-funded neighbours for the same room and same level of attention. Despite the ‘subsidy’, many care homes need more self-funders to stay afloat. Attract self-funders A solution to the mounting cost of providing care for the elderly and the financial crisis faced by the care sector
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would be to ensure that a higher proportion of care home residents who can afford the fees are self-funded. An individual with just £23,250 or more in assets may have to self-fund their care, which would likely apply to most households in the UK. Estimates suggest, however, that less than half of care home places in England are entirely self-funded. It is likely, however, that a higher proportion could be self-funded if gifting assets to avoid care home fees was not so widespread. There is no denying that care home fees can be financially crippling, particularly as people live longer, and that this is encouraging people to dispose of assets to next of kin to avoid these costs. Many clients
Legal Assets consult solicitors in the mistaken belief that gifting assets, such as the family home, prior to going into care is a legitimate means to avoid care home fees. Beware unregulated advice The Law Society gives detailed guidance to solicitors on the comprehensive advice clients must receive in connection with gifts of this nature, dealing with all the consequences risks and benefits. However, the internet is awash with products and schemes from unregulated providers which promise care home fee avoidance. There are rules to address what is called the ‘deliberate deprivation of assets’, but based on our experience it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that many people divest themselves of property and investments with the intention of avoiding payment for the cost of their care. Whilst solicitors should follow the Law Society guidance on gifts, others may not be so constrained, and it is conceivable that the deliberate deprivation of assets is taking place and on a large scale, potentially costing the care home sector millions of pounds annually. Councils failing to recoup fees Councils have it within their powers to recoup care home fees from people who have gifted assets with the express intention of ensuring that their net wealth falls beneath the £23,250 threshold. We submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the county councils comprising the Home Counties, asking how often they had used their powers against individuals for the deliberate deprivation of assets or income to avoid liability for care home fees. Not all councils responded to the requests in full, but those that did – Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, West Berkshire and Surrey – indicated that they had not enforced the deprivation of assets regulations at all in the last five years.
The Law Society guidance also contains the following observation - there is no guaranteed way of avoiding the value of assets being considered for means testing. Antiavoidance measures in the law allow some gifts to be ignored by the authorities, and even set aside by the court. The measures are pursued more vigorously by some authorities thanothers. So, why aren’t councils enforcing the regulations as rigorously as they could be, which would clearly benefit taxpayers and the care sector? Too costly for councils to chase We suspect that there are a couple of reasons for non-enforcement. Firstly, spending cuts have put councils in a position where they lack the resources to stay on top of this. Enforcing the deprivation of assets regulations can be costly, even if a dispute does not reach court. In the event that a council is unsuccessful, it will have incurred costs and still have to pay the care home fees. Secondly, councils may have good reason for not enforcing the regulations. Councils have to prove that the avoidance of care home fees was the express reason for the gift or at least a significant factor for the decision. There are all sorts of reasons why someone might want to gift assets, which are entirely legitimate, and it is proving their intentions which is often challenging.
Regulations need strengthening The government should consider strengthening the regulations so that councils can use them more effectively. There are four separate regulations which councils can use to tackle deprivation of assets in addition to the powers contained within the Care Act 2014. Section 70 of the 2014 Act, which came in to force in April 2015, made the process a little clearer in that councils may recover as a debt the full market value of an asset from the individual to whom the asset has been transferred. The added clarity will possibly encourage more councils to exercise their powers, but the previous reticence to do so may well continue. Further intervention from the government may yet be required and in this respect perhaps the burden of proof should be reversed. In the event of a disposal within the proximity of going into care it would be up to the donor and/or recipient to prove that the gift was not made to avoid care home fees, rather than the onus being on the council to prove that was the intention. With the crisis in care home funding likely to intensify as the baby boomers retire, councils need to be properly equipped to ensure that those who can afford to contribute to their own care do so. This will help ensure that the limited resources available can be directed at those in genuine need and care homes are on a sounder financial footing.
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Hygiene
Building a solid hygiene strategy for refurbishment disruptions Chrissie Rowlinson, product marketing manager at Cannon Hygiene, discusses how refurbishment of care homes can have a significant negative impact on hygiene standards and how managers can prepare a strategy to minimise this.
Care homes and any facility which takes care of patient needs, experience a higher level of wear-and-tear than most other buildings. High numbers of residents and staff on site 24/7 plus a regular turnaround within patients’ rooms means the home can quickly start to look tired. For this reason, on average, most care homes will perform some form of large refurbishment once every five years to keep décor fresh. So, it’s essential that managers ensure that the exemplary levels of hygiene needed in a care facility can still be maintained while works are carried out. Refurbishment increases bacteria Refurbishment will usually occur while the home is still fully operational and the arrival of contractors on site can naturally bring disruption. Even though many will attempt to phase works around residents, just a small disturbance to usual operations can
have a significant impact on hygiene levels. An influx of extra people passing through the building leads to an increase in dirt and bacteria, as well as generating additional dirt and dust from the works carried out. It’s important to remember that some contractors may be less aware of the impact of hygiene whilst this is second nature to care staff. Educating them on the importance of hygiene is key to controlling the spread of germs - providing antibacterial hand gels to be used at all times, instructing on the correct way to wash and dry hands and making sure all washroom facilities are fit-forpurpose – a recommended practice regardless of whether a home is being refurbished or not. The vast majority of germs are transmitted through handto-surface contact and the importance of washing and drying hands properly cannot be understated. Increase frequency of cleaning Care homes should also be prepared to increase the frequency of standard cleaning practices during periods of works. Dirt and dust released during the course of the refurbishment can be easily spread around the building, especially with more people moving through the home.
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As well as spreading germs and making the premises appear unclean, dust can be particularly dangerous for anyone with respiratory problems, so every effort should be made to control it. For example, air care products are available that can clean the air and remove allergens that may trigger breathing difficulties in vulnerable residents. Extra vigilance needed All staff should be extra vigilant towards daily cleaning tasks and it’s wise to make sure they are thoroughly cleaning areas such as vents, ledges, carpets and upholstery where dust can settle unseen. Deep cleans of kitchen facilities and communal areas should be carried out more regularly, to ensure no dirt has found its way into food preparation zones or is hidden away in areas where residents spend most of their time. Even making sure all doormats are regularly laundered rather than just vacuumed can help control the spread of dust. Vacuuming only removes 10 per cent of dirt and mats can quickly become ineffective due to the increased traffic of people. Dust and germs can really undermine hygiene standards and cause potential harm to residents. By thinking proactively about the knockon effects a refurbishment can have on cleanliness, care managers can make sure they are fully prepared before works even begin.
Moving and Handling with Agecare Eastern Specialising in the supply of quality new and reconditioned equipment, Agecare Eastern have supplied the care home market since 1992 and are leading suppliers to clients throughout the UK, including the NHS, offering the widest choice of premium quality standaids, hoists, beds, baths and mobility equipment at competitive prices. A friendly, one stop shop for both new and pre-used care equipment, Agecare Eastern are currently offering a trade in deal to replace your old hoist or standaid or, if you need a hoist or profiling bed for just a week or two, are happy to quote on hiring your equipment. Check out the website for the latest deals or, with a daily changing stock list, why not give them a call with your specific requirements. www.agecareeastern.co.uk Tel: 01366 388594
Improve Safety in Care
Clos-o-Mat, Britain’s leading provider of toileting solutions for disabled and elderly people, now provides a complete fixed track hoist service, from design advice, to supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance. Clos-o-Mat’s hoist range has the flexibility to address moving a person safely and can lift up to 31st (200kg), and moves them smoothly and easily with soft start and stop operation. “Manual handling is a major part of any care worker’s role, yet one with a lot of risk if not done properly, as the statistics show: the sector has the highest number of reported handling injuries,” says Clos-o-Mat’s Kelvin Grimes. “Provided full, appropriate training and risk assessment is undertaken, hoists can be a valuable addition to a care environment, improving safety for all involved.” Full details from national team of sales managers, or online www.clos-o-mat.com, under the accessible bathrooms button.
Pressure Sores
React to Red Skin – simple training that can have long lasting effects by Claire James, campaign director of Your Turn.
Training people who are delivering care to our most frail and elderly population is a crucial job. It’s vital that carers understand what it is they are being asked to do and how they can protect the people they are caring for from further harm. I spend the majority of my time working with care professionals who want to learn - to better educate themselves about the risks associated with geriatric care. And yet as a nation we are not focused on the 20 million people who are over the age of 60 and ageing every day. Care of the elderly is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. The area of training that Your Turn is particularly focused on is pressure ulcer prevention. Preventing pressure sores before they happen When you consider that the social care bill for looking after those people in the UK who already have a pressure ulcer tops £2 billion a year you can see why many organisations
choose to teach their staff how to prevent them happening in the first place. It’s simple knowledge that stays with carers once they have been educated and not only could it save money but it will save lives. Thousands of people die every year because of a pressure ulcer. The vast majority of these wounds to the skin are avoidable if some basic knowledge is put in place for those people who are doing the caring. Understanding the risks that elderly people are faced with simply due to their age helps carers to better understand what they can do to intervene in a positive way on a regular basis. But our training allows carers to go further than that. It’s not just about identifying when somebody becomes more at risk, it is knowing what they can proactively do in order to help reduce that risk and giving them the tools to enable them to make an informed decision as to when to ask for additional help. React to Red Skin The React to Red Skin programme was launched in Coventry and Rugby around 4 years ago now and has been working very successfully in the social care environment. The idea behind the scheme was to empower carers, both formal and informal, to make some key decisions about the people they were providing care for, arming them with information that made their jobs easier and allowing them direct access to healthcare professionals who could assist them once they had reached the limits of their own skills and knowledge. The training programme coupled with the simple tools resulted in
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a significant and almost immediate reduction in the number of avoidable pressure ulcers acquired in the community – down 20% in just 6 months post training. But the key to React to Red Skin is about passing on the knowledge that our carers gain through the training. All carers are asked to think about who they can share their knowledge with. The real shame is that most people who know how to prevent pressure ulcers don’t share this knowledge outside of the work environment and therefore more and more people become at risk every day. Once carers have the knowledge they are asked to pass it on to family, friends, neighbours and out into their communities to make a positive difference to the next generation who will be at risk. If you would like to educate your staff about pressure ulcer prevention and how to put React to Red Skin into action in your organisation contact info@your-turn.org.uk
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HC-One choose Vapor Ricon to give wheelchair users a lift Faiveley Vapor Ricon who provide accessibility products for a range of sectors and vehicle types and is proud to have provided HC-One with lifts for their fleet of vehicles. When HC-One decided to purchase 200 minibuses to enable residents in each of its care homes to have their own dedicated transport, the search began to find a suitable wheelchair lift. Two hundred S Series commercial lifts were commissioned giving a myriad of user and operator benefits including up to 350 kg load capacity, non-intrusive space-saving footprint, a stable non-skid platform protecting passenger and operators alike, industry leading Ricon lift technology and safety zone which includes hand rails and front and rear roll stops. The S Series is further enhanced by solid and split platform options for even greater flexibility and as providers
to Motability and Local Authority Schemes, a full after sales service package which gives purchasers and users total reassurance and peace of mind. In addition, Faiveley Vapor Ricon continues to lead the way in the reduction of cross contamination within the Patient Transfer Services due to its unique handrail coating which safely inhabits microbial growth. The Vapor Ricon S Series Lift also comes with excellent maintenance credentials, including: prelubricated bearings at all major pivot points to ensure long term durability, a fiveyear limited warranty; and should power failure be experienced, a manual backup system is provided meaning appointments and plans do not
have to be amended or compromised. Furthermore, Faiveley Vapor Ricon provides a range of accessibility products including ramps, hoists and winches to ensure the access of users and patients in and out of vehicles, in particular, isn’t hindered in any way.
Events and Appointments
Events line-up
Appointments
4 July 2017 Care Roadshow Birmingham
Villa Park http://www.careroadshows.co.uk/ 10-11 October 2017 Care and Dementia Show
NEC Birmingham www.caredementiashow.com/ 17 October 2017 Care Roadshow Cardiff
Cardiff City Stadium http://www.careroadshows.co.uk/ 14 November 2017 Care Roadshow London
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Healthcare Homes makes senior appointments The Healthcare Homes Group, which provides residential, nursing and homecare services across East Anglia and the South of England, has announced the appointment of Gordon Cochrane as chief executive officer. Gordon, who originally joined Healthcare Homes in October 2016 as Commercial Director, assumes overall responsibility for the group, including Finance, Business Development, HR, Quality, Clinical Governance and Operations. Supporting Gordon, industry expert Helen Gidlow has joined the team in the newly formed role of chief operating officer.
http://www.careroadshows.co.uk/ 16 November 2017 Care England Conference ‘Shaping Tomorrow’
Church House, Westminster, London http://www.careengland.org.uk 30 November 2017 NAPA Conference: How to
The Abbeyfield Society appoints CEO
The Abbeyfield Society has named David McCullough as its new chief executive officer. David will join the older peoples housing and care charity from 1 August from the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) and brings with him a background of experience working across the voluntary sector.
connect to your community and volunteers Bristol
http://www.napa-activities.com/ events/conference
2018 25-26 April 2018 Dementia Care and Nursing Expo
NEC Birmingham http://www.carehomeexpo.co.uk/
Care England bolsters team
Care England has appointed Jonathan Gardam as senior policy officer. Jonathan has been concentrating on a funding matrix for local authorities across the country. The forthcoming Green Paper on social care will be a key part of his work stream.
Ideal Carehomes to expand with new managing director
Ideal Carehomes has appointed Paul Farmer as managing director. Having sold a significant proportion of its portfolio in 2015, Ideal Carehomes has consolidated its offering, concentrating on reinvestment in the built environment, staffing and activities to redesign their model to attract self-funding residents. Securing self-funded admissions of 75% in the last year, Ideal is looking to expand its portfolio once again. Ideal Carehomes is part of the
LNT Group and is sister-company to care home builder, LNT Care Developments. Paul was previously managing director at St. Philip’s Care where he was responsible for 28 care homes providing nursing, residential and mental health care in England and Scotland. He has an established reputation for sustainable expansion and high occupancy, with over 15 years’ experience in health care property.
Paul Farmer said: “I am joining Ideal Carehomes at a very exciting time. Over the past 18 months, Ideal Carehomes has taken stock of their position and reflected on the changing realities of delivering care. The expectations of care, from residents and their families, have changed substantially in the last decade and the regulatory environment is certainly catching up to this. “Given the quality of the purposebuilt care homes, Ideal Carehomes’ had a good basis on which to build improvements, allowing an acceleration of improvements in the delivery of care. Now that ground-work has been done, and the results are bearing fruits, I am looking forward to building on that work further. Alongside growing the portfolio, my focus will be on offering our residents personalised active lifestyles through aspirational choices.”
Care Management Home Leading Health and Social Care Lawyers
Free Legal Advice Line 01423 724056 Care Home Management and specialist health and social care law firm, Hempsons, have launched a free advice line for Care Home Management readers. If you would like some free legal advice simply call 01423 724056 quoting ‘Care Home Management Advice Line’ or email socialcare@hempsons.co.uk Legal advice provided by Hempsons. The Legal Advice Line is open between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday and offers up to 20 minutes of valuable preliminary advice on a range of issues social care providers face. Charity law • Commercial property • Company law • Contracts • Corporate Law • CQC regulatory Data protection • Disputes and litigation • Employment law • Fundraising • Governance and Constitutional Reviews Health and safety • Information law • Inquests and coroners • Judicial review • Mental health law Primary care contracting & community law • Safeguarding • Tendering
Are your staff wedging your fire doors open?
Have you seen fire doors wedged open in your care or nursing home? This can often happen when fire door closers restrict the movement of residents and staff. It is, however, an illegal and dangerous practice. It breaches fire safety legislation and puts lives at risk. Fire doors are an intrinsic part of slowing the spread of fire, giving staff valuable time to safely evacuate residents. Wedging fire doors open allows the fire to spread unhindered, so finding a legal way to hold them open is essential to meet both your fire safety obligations as well as allowing staff and residents free movement within the building. The Agrippa acoustic fire door holder from Geofire offers a great solution to this problem. It holds the fire door in the open position until it hears the sound of the fire alarm system. It then allows the door to fall shut. To reduce the risk of the fire door closing due to other sounds the Agrippa can be ‘trained-in’ to recognise the sound of your fire alarm, making it ideal for busy and noisy environments. There is also an easy to read LCD display to check battery level and the reason for release.
Being battery operated, the Agrippa fire door holder is easy to install and can be fitted to existing fire doors in very little time. It comprises of two components, a keeper plate, fitted to the top of the door and a magnetic door holder unit that is fitted to the wall. As it can be positioned at the top of the door where the door closer is located, warping of the door is prevented and the door holder will not get in the way of wheelchairs or beds being wheeled through the door. You can also programme the Agrippa door holder
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to release your door at specific times of the day, such as evenings. Monitoring that fire doors are not illegally wedged open by staff members or indeed visitors is a time consuming activity. You could also face a heavy fine or even imprisonment if breaches, such as wedged fire doors, of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are found at a fire safety inspection. Act today and order Agrippa fire door holders from Safelincs, www. safelincs.co.uk Freephone 0800 978 8726
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orders@ypo.co.uk July/August 2017 | Care Home Management 47
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