Care Home Management Magazine - March/April 2018

Care Home www.chmonline.co.uk

March/April 2018

Management

Fun and Games‌‌ a new approach for dementia Sleep-ins Care England enter legal case

Care Home Awards Record entries for 2018

Care Home Management A new chapter for this magazine

Issue 72

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Editor’s Letter

Welcome to the March/April edition of Care Home Management……. and goodbye

Care Home Management March/April 2018

Issue 72

T

Annual Subscription £30.00 Where sold cover price of £4 Editor/Publisher Alan Rustad Design/Production Phil Cunningham www.creative-magazine-designer.co.uk Published by JNJ Media Ltd Croham Lodge, Croham Road, Crowborough East Sussex TN6 2RH Tel: 01892 663350 Email: editorial@jnjmedia.co.uk sales@jnjmedia.co.uk Advertising Space Marketing Tel: 01892 677721 Email: antoinettem@spacemarketing.co.uk www.spacemarketing.co.uk www.chmonline.co.uk Copyright: Care Home Management Magazine 2018

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.

Care Home www.chmonline.co.uk

March/April 2018

Management

his edition of Care Home Management is something of a landmark.

Having taken over as publisher and editor five and a half years ago, this is my last edition at the helm, as from now on the title passes on to S & A Publishing.

It has been a really interesting last five years. Since I took over the magazine so much has happened both in the world of care homes and here at the magazine.

The magazine first. We went from a quarterly title to bi-monthly; we completely redesigned it to give it a fresher look; and we started from scratch a web service at www. chmonline.co.uk that is now visited by many thousands of people regularly to keep in touch with news in between editions. And there is our involvement in the Care Home Awards, now well established to celebrate the best that care homes and their suppliers can offer.

And for care homes? Certainly many of the problems from five and half years ago remain. A shortage of funding remains the biggest issue now as it was then – but it has become more acute. This is an issue politicians of all persuasions have to get a grasp of. It cannot be left much longer. A Green Paper is promised by the Government this summer. It has to be turned into action. The can cannot be kicked any further – we have surely reached the end of the road.

It is of course not just a one issue industry but many of the other concerns stem from the funding crisis. A shortage of staff, the quality of care, and the growing numbers of an aging population are just three that will continue to rumble on.

Those are just some of the issues that I know S & A Publishing will continue to pursue in future editions. As you will see on page ten, Steve Hemsley and Ailsa Colquhoun are journalists with a thorough grounding in the world of healthcare and I know the magazine is not only in safe hands but it will also be given a fresh impetus in a variety of areas. I wish Steve and Ailsa every success for the future.

I would also like to thank all those who have worked with me over the years in producing the magazine. Sales, design and production, web, printers – it has been a small team that it has been a pleasure to work with and while I may miss the day to day involvement I look forward to reading the magazine in the future.

And thank you for reading! Most of the contact details for the magazine remain the same – address, telephone and website. The only difference initially is the contact email – editorial@chmonline.co.uk Many thanks – and I wish the care home industry and Care Home Management every success for the future.

editorial@jnjmedia.co.uk

Fun and Games……

@Carehomemanage

a new approach for dementia Sleep-ins Care England enter legal case

Care Home Awards Record entries for 2018

Care Home Management A new chapter for this magazine

Issue 72

Alan Rustad Publisher/Editor

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 3

Contents

6

6 NAO Highlighting the shortage of care staff

16 Care Homes Increase in searches for information

8 Sleep-ins Care England allowed to join legal case

18 Care Home Awards Entries in - let judging begin

10 Media It’s all change at Care Home Management

20 Shows and Expos Full details of must attend events

12 Dementia How interaction improves care

13 Staffing How one company keeps its workers happy 14 Construction New development at Whiteley Village

10 4 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

24 Dementia Never too old to play games 27 Dementia The importance of music 28 New Build Fire Safety Keeping residents safe – day and night

13

30 Fire Safety Changes post Grenfell 32 Legionella What care homes and their staff must do

18

Recruitment 36 Benefitting from apprenticeships

38 Staffing How to reduce agency costs LPAs 40 How managers can help residents and families Buying a business 42 Take care with an existing care home

30

43 Fees Treating late payers with sensitivity Events and Appointments 44 Where to go and latest movers

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News

Shortage of care nurses highlighted by NAO The Department of Health and Social Care is not doing enough to support a sustainable social care workforce.

The number of people working in care is not meeting the country’s growing care demands and unmet care needs according to a report by the National Audit Office.

Low rates of pay and pressures of workload mean care services can no longer fill key posts in England. The NAO blamed a lack of government planning and funding for what it calls a ‘Cinderella’ service which has 1.34 million staff.

The sector was struggling in particular to recruit nurses and senior staff to run services, causing the elderly and disabled to go without care, it said.

The government has promised a Green Paper with fresh proposals to be published by the summer.

The report says 6.6% of posts are unfilled; 28% of workers leave their jobs every year; and there are 8000 fewer social care nurses than four years ago.

The NAO calls for changes as there is no guarantee the extra £2 billion being invested in the sector over

the next three years would have any significant impact.

One in 11 nursing posts was vacant, after the numbers working in the sector fell by 8,000 to 43,000 in the past four years. One in nine register-manager jobs was unfilled.

The NAO said councils were struggling to find the money to fund services and that this meant people who paid their own fees were effectively subsidising the state, something that was highlighted in the recent Competition and Markets Authority report.

The head of the NAO, Amyas Morse said: “Social care cannot

6 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Caroline Abrahams

continue as a Cinderella service - without a valued and rewarded workforce.”

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said the report was a “damning indictment of the failure of successive governments” and meant frail older people were going without the care they needed.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said: “The NAO’s report provides yet more evidence that the social care system is fit to burst and that the Government is not doing enough to support the social care workforce. Workforce is the most valuable asset to care providers and they need to be able to support, develop and pay them appropriately.

“No more reviews, no more consultations; let Government press ahead with all the necessary partners, to provide some much needed direction to a sector that is struggling.”

The Social Care Institute for Excellence said that as well as tackling problems with pay and conditions for a predominantly female workforce, there was also a need to look at alternative routes into the care profession.

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News

Care England granted right to intervene in Court of Appeal sleep-in shift case

Martin Green Care England has won the right to intervene in the Court of Appeal’s sleep-in-shift case - with the hope of solving the impending £400million financial crisis for care providers.

With the hearing set for 20-21 March, law firm Anthony Collins Solicitors are acting for Care England, with the trade body given the opportunity to pursue new arguments not yet considered in the Royal Mencap Society vs Tomlinson-Blake Employment Appeal Tribunal case to date.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive at Care England, said: “I cannot stress the magnitude of this opportunity for our members and the care industry as a whole. If the existing decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal is upheld it would be a watershed moment for the

sector, with profound affects for the viability of residential domiciliary and supported care which supports 1.2 million vulnerable people across the country.

“We argue for a comprehensible, predictable, and workable interpretation of the sleep-in-shift regulations that do not give rise to the potentially crippling multi-million pound consequences for the sector.

They should enable providers and their workers to deliver the best care possible.”

The Mencap vs Tomlinson-Blake EAT ruling found care providers such as the Royal Mencap Society must pay the national minimum wage throughout a sleep-in-shift, triggering a £400million industry back payment and £200milliion increase in yearly costs from 2020 onwards.

The government has established a

Social Care Compliance Scheme to ensure back pay is paid and the Government receive the related tax revenue. A successful appeal would call into question the need for the SCCS scheme.

Matthew Wort, partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, added: “Surveys have shown that, in practice, on average only one per cent of time in sleep-in-shifts is spent working.”

“The intervention by Care England introduces other arguments that have not been considered in the case to date. The intention of parliament from the introduction of the national minimum wage regulations was always that people carrying out sleep-ins would only be paid when they are awake and working and we are hopeful that the Court of Appeal will be persuaded to interpret the legislation in that way.”

Matthew Wort

H/2 funds £70m lifeline to Four Seasons An American hedge fund is giving Four Seasons Healthcare Group a £70 million lifeline as the deadline for a long-term rescue deal is pushed back by two months.

H/2 Capital Partners, which owns the majority of Four Seasons’ bonds, has agreed to make the sum available in order to repay an existing loan to

the company, as well as providing £30 million of new interim funding.

The deal gives Four Seasons some breathing space. Like other operators, the company has seen its financial performance suffer amid cuts in local authority funding and rising costs such as the national living wage.

H/2 has lined up the crossbench

8 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

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News

New publishers for Care Home Management

Care Home Management, the UK’s leading magazine and website for care home managers, operators and directors, has been bought from JNJ Media Ltd by S&A Publishing.

S&A Publishing is a wellestablished multi-media publishing house with extensive experience in sectors including health and social care, marketing, recruitment and training. It took control of Care Home Management and its

associated assets on 1 March.

Publishing editor Steve Hemsley said Care Home Management plays directly to the strengths of the company’s editorial and commercial teams. “The magazine and website already have a commanding position in the social care publishing arena and we look forward to strengthening this proposition in the months to come,” he said.

Managing editor Ailsa Colquhoun said: “As the UK’s population continues to age, it has never been so important to get social care right. S&A Publishing looks forward to working with the magazine’s readers and suppliers to achieve the aims of high quality, patient-centred care.”

Alan Rustad, managing director of JNJ Media, said: “After five and half years of publishing Care Home Management I am delighted that Steve and Ailsa at S&A Publishing are taking it over. I know they have the experience and knowledge of the sector to further develop what is an interesting and important resource for those that run the UK’s care homes.

“I would like to thank all the contributors and advertisers we have worked with and wish them and Steve and Ailsa every success for the future.”

From 1 March, contact details for Care Home Magazine will be: Ailsa@chmonline.co.uk and Steve@ chmonline.co.uk The telephone number remains 01892 663350.

Renewed enthusiasm for the Care Workers Charity

The Care Workers Charity is celebrating a successful 2017 with 106 hardship grants awarded – more than the previous seven years combined.

Under the new leadership of chief executive Alex Ramamurthy the charity has been transformed with serious backing from many of the leading care home groups.

“This year has seen CWC take its

first significant step to reaching our vision – no care worker will ever face a financial hardship alone,” said Alex.

“We exceeded every one of our five key objectives for the year and are looking forward to 2018 where we will be even more ambitious and continue to take innovative approaches to get us closer to our vision.”

Among the various fund raising activities that took place, £24,000 came from a cycle challenge when 20 riders pedalled 75 miles from Rugby to Oxford and calling in at five care homes on the way.

Meanwhile Hallmark Care Homes is one organisation that has joined forces with CWC with the aim of raising £50,000 for the charity and another £50,000 for Alzheimer’s

10 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Research UK. Fundraising activities planned so far this year include sporting events, raffles, bake sales, non-uniform days and a luxury, live auction.

Hallmark Care Homes managing director, Avnish Goyal said: “We are passionate about the health and welfare of our team members, and care workers alike. We hope this money will equally aid dedicated care workers in need as they do a fantastic job and it is important that there is a support network available to them should they fall on hard times.”

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11

News

One hour of social interaction a week improves dementia care

Clive Ballard Increasing the amount of social interaction for people with dementia living in care homes to just one hour a week improves quality of life when combined with personalised care.

A large-scale trial led by the University of Exeter, King’s College London and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust found that the approach also saves money.

Previous research has found that in many care homes, residents have as little as two minutes of social interaction per day.

The new study, funded by the National Institute of Health Research, upskilled key care home staff to deliver person-centred care that involved simple measures such as talking to residents about their interests and involving them in decisions around their own care.

When combined with just one hour a week of social interaction, the programme improved quality of life and reduced agitation and aggression in people with dementia.

Professor Clive Ballard, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: “While

many care homes are excellent, standards still vary hugely. We have previously found that the average amount of social interaction for people with dementia was just two minutes a day. It’s hardly surprising when that has a knock-on effect on quality of life and agitation.

“Our approach improves care and saves money. We must roll out approaches that work to do justice to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Incredibly, of 170 carer training manuals available on the market, only four are based on evidence that they really work. That is simply not good enough – it has to change.”

The trial involved more than 800 people with dementia across 69 care homes in South London, North London and Buckinghamshire. Two ‘care staff champions’ at each home were trained over four day-long sessions, to take simple measures that such as involve talking to residents about their interests and decisions around their own care. Importantly, the approach also saved money compared to standard care.

12 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Dr Jane Fossey from the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Taking a person-centred approach is about getting to know each resident as an individual - their interests and preferences - and reflecting these in all aspects of care. It can improve the lives of the person themselves and it can be rewarding for carers too. We’ve shown that this approach significantly reduces agitation and saves money.

Rolling out the training nationwide could benefit many other people.”

The results are the findings of the Improving Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia (WHELD) trial, the largest non-pharmacological randomised control trial in people with dementia living in care homes to date.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Seventy per cent of people living in care homes have dementia, so it is vital that staff have the right training to provide good quality dementia care.

“A person-centred approach takes into account each individual’s unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs. This study shows that training to provide this type of individualised care, activities and social interactions can have a significant impact of the well-being of people living with dementia in care homes. It also shows that this kind of effective care can reduce costs, which the stretched social care system desperately needs.”

Jane Fossey

Encore combat care staff shortages

Encore Care Homes which runs three care homes in Dorset and Hampshire, is planning to buck the trend of staff shortages.

Following the recent National Audit Office report Encore are offering staff above average wages and a range of

shifts which cater to each individual’s lifestyle and commitments.

Encore employees receive an hourly rate which is above the national average wage for carers. Hourly rates for senior healthcare assistants at Encore can earn up to £9.74 an hour

depending on NVQ qualifications.

Staff with no NVQ qualification can earn up to £8.05 per hour, which is over the national minimum wage.

Kavita Brown, head of people at Encore, said: “Encore prides itself on offering a range of shifts of various lengths which cover mornings, afternoons, evenings and nights.

This means every employee has the freedom to choose which shifts work best for them in order to suit their lifestyle and personal commitments.”

Encore uses its own dependency algorithm which nurses regularly update in each home to ensure that staff are hired based on each resident’s needs, as opposed to the number of residents in each home.

This allows residents to receive the right level of care and attention which they require, while ensuring staff are responsible for the amount of residents which they feel comfortable caring for.

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 13

News

Audley acquires npower HQ for next village

Audley Group, has exchanged contracts on its eighteenth Audley Villages site at Scarcroft, West Yorkshire.

The site, Audley Group’s third in Yorkshire, is the former headquarters

of npower. Planning proposals will be submitted for the demolition of the 70,000 square foot 1970s office block and the development of an Audley Villages scheme consisting of new 1, 2 and 3 bed units.

Whiteley Village breaks ground with new £10.5m care-hub

Work has begun on a new £10.5 million care hub at the heart of Whiteley Village in Surrey, further expanding care services and capacity at Britain’s oldest retirement village.

Finance for the project has been secured from two of the UK’s most prominent social lenders, Triodos Bank and Unity Trust Bank. Dominic Raab MP, Minister of State for Housing, launched the construction at the ground-breaking ceremony.

Opening in March 2019, the new care hub will revolutionise the way Whiteley offers clinical care within the community, providing intensive care capacity for up to 30 people with complex needs associated with old age. This includes space for visiting

families to stay with their loved ones, consultation rooms for visiting health professionals from the local GP practice/NHS, therapy space, and a large café to provide a new social venue at the heart of the village.

Chandra McGowan, chief executive of The Whiteley Homes Trust, said: “The new care hub marks the start of the next chapter in the history of Whiteley Village. Quality of life for our residents has always been our passion, working together with residents to support the whole community to age well within their own homes. The addition of new facilities from which we can deploy up-to-date clinical care will further enhance life for people today and in the future.”

14 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

The proposal also includes sympathetic restoration of the dilapidated Grade II listed Scarcroft Lodge, built in 1830, with plans for it to be converted to the home of the Audley Club which will offer owners and the local community a restaurant, health spa with hydrotherapy pool, gym and wellness studios. Once complete, the village will also offer delivery of care to owners and members of the local community through Audley Care, Audley’s stand-alone care provider.

Approximately 65 local jobs will be created across the construction and operational phases. Scarcroft Cricket Club currently rents a cricket pitch and pavilion on the site and the club will remain in the location as part of the planning proposal.

Parklands plans multi million pound care hub One of the north’s largest independent care home providers is planning a multimillion pound investment in Inverness.

Parklands Group has submitted plans to The Highland Council for a £6.5 million care home and assisted living suites in the city.

The development, at Milton of Leys, will include a 48 bed care home in the first phase and 16 assisted living suites in the second phase. The first phase is expected to open in 2019, subject to planning approval, and the development will create around 100 jobs when complete.

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News

Record number of people search for a care home

The UK has seen a record number of people search for a care home in January, with 38 per cent more people visiting care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, has seen record traffic this January, with 38 per cent more people visiting the site to look for a care home, with 1,579,285 visits -

up from 1,144,572 in December, an increase of 434,713.

Davina Ludlow, chair of carehome. co.uk, said: “Over recent years we have noticed a definite trend during January with a big rise in the number of people searching for care homes after the Christmas period.

“The UK has an ever-growing aging population with people living longer with complex health conditions, so it is no surprise we have seen record traffic this January, showing there is a huge demand for care homes.

“We believe it is also due to families getting together over Christmas and the New Year and realising their relative is no longer able to cope on their own at home. Loneliness and illness can be more severe over the winter months, with care homes becoming a more preferable option.

“The problem is that many care homes are already struggling to stay sustainable so in order for providers to keep up with this growing demand, it is vital the Government takes steps to address the funding crisis in the upcoming green paper on social care.”

Greensleeves’ CEO to head committee on ageing societies Greensleeves Care chief executive Paul Newman has been appointed chair of the UK Committee on Ageing Societies at the British Standards Institution.

The new committee’s role is to lead the development of standards to meet the emerging needs of

our ageing society and promote best practice across the UK and internationally. Possible areas of interest include ageing workforce, dementia, health promotion and preventative care in older age, social connectedness (multi-generational communities), informal carers, and technologies and systems for an ageing society.

He said: “According to a recent UN report on world population, the number of people over 60 is

set to more than double by 2050 and more than triple by 2100.

Increases in life expectancy and the consequential increase in chronic conditions point towards the need for a very different society.

Whilst the increased ageing of society presents a number of challenges, there are likely to be new opportunities that will allow people to effectively manage their long-term care and independently live a high quality of life.”

Countrywide appoints new directors Countrywide Healthcare, supplier of products to care homes, have appointed two new board directors.

Sarah Robinson joins as operations director and Richard Hannah has been confirmed as finance director.

Alastair Kitching, Managing Director said: “Both Richard & Sarah have been integral in the recent success of Countrywide and

the appointment to the board not only rewards their achievements but recognises the need for senior appointments in key strategic areas as the company continues to grow.

“We have a strong and respected reputation in the care home and online sector and have ambition to keep growing the business, both organically and by acquisition.

16 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

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News

Increased entries for Care Home Awards 2018

by Care Home Awards organiser, Matthew Davies Human nature being what it is, you can’t catch out an Awards entrant. Even though the extended deadline was kept under wraps, 80% of the entries have come in on or after the deadline of February 16.

It’s almost as though entrants can foretell the future, and know they don’t have to enter until the very last minute. Not that it worries the seasoned organiser, who builds sufficient slack into the schedule to take account of last-minute-ism. Nor does precognition worry the seasoned organiser, because they know that the results will remain secret until the day of the Awards.

But getting a deluge of entries right at the last minute is challenging in its own right. They all have to be speedily checked to make sure that entrants have answered the basic exam questions and supplied their submission in a readable form.

All that said, it’s a record breaking year for entries. At the time of writing the entries are 50% up on the same point in the process as 2017. This augurs well for the judges who will be able to scrutinise even more great entries, representing the best of care home activities over the past 15

months, up to December 31, 2017.

Alan Rustad of Care Home Management will chair the 2018 judging panel and the final selection of appropriate judges is under way.

The final panel is only selected once the nature and number of entries are known, but all judges will have been asked to re-confirm their willingness to judge and their availability during March and early April (allowing for Easter and other religious festivals), by the end of February.

Counter-intuitively, following the comments about last-minute-ism and entries, the speed with which table bookings are coming in is proving a delight. While the shift of the Awards lunch and ceremony by a month in time gave pause for thought for the

18 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

organisers, it is obviously no hindrance to bookings.

Scheduled for a reception from 12 noon on 27 June, followed by the Awards lunch and ceremony in the Platinum Suite at Excel, London, the occasion is already generating some excited interest.

All those interested in securing their seats can book online at www. carehomeawards.com.

Such alacrity over bookings is very pleasing for a seasoned organiser, but it does bring us right back to the old precognition thing - can all the early bookers foretell the future? Do they know they are going to win? Or, do they just want the best seats. Um … with the benefit of seasoned hindsight - probably the latter.

HARD WORK DONE. NOW LET YOUR HAIR DOWN! The celebrations start 12 noon Wednesday June 27, 2018 in the Platinum Suite, ExCeL London Book your tickets online: carehomeawards.com/ceremony More information: helen.burgin@carehomeawards.com

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News

Leading care professionals to meet this summer in Oxfordshire

This year is already setting new records for delegate and supplier attendance at the Care Forum, which takes place on 2 and 3 July at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire, The Forum is a highly focused event that brings care industry professionals together for one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities.

Among the organisations already confirmed as delegates are Adara Healthcare Ltd, Aura Care Living, Beaufort Care Group, Bloom Care, Brookvale Healthcare, Care UK, Healthcare Group, Community Integrated Care, Cumbric Care, Ganymede Care Ltd, Hazelwood Care Ltd, Hermes Care Ltd, HSN Care, Knights Care, Laso Healthcare, Minster Care Group, Nazareth Care Trust, Ranc Care Ltd, Rural Care Ltd, Solden Hill House, TLC Care Homes,

Trusted Care and more.

Throughout this two-day event delegates will meet with credible suppliers who will be able to talk through projects, concerns and obstacles, offering the best advice as well cost saving solutions.

Confirmed attending suppliers include Clinicare Supplies, Aid Call, Medicare, Fowler, Chroma Global Flooring Solutions, Beaucare, Dyson Professional, Health Metrics, Sekoia, 1st Waste Management, Meiko UK, Courtney Thorne, Oiiocare, Multitone, Accora, Delabie, Care Control, Apetito and more.

Delegates will also learn about the latest healthcare trends in educational seminar sessions led by some of the industry’s leading lights.

Jennie Lane, event manager at Forum Events, said: “The interest we’ve had in this year’s Care Forum has

been phenomenal, reflecting the busy nature of the industry right now. We’re looking forward to greeting everyone again this summer for two days of learning and connection building.”

To secure a complimentary delegate place, call Liam Cloona on 01992 374089 or email l.cloona@ forumevents.co.uk. To attend as a supplier, call Jennie Lane on 01992 374 098 or email j.lane@ forumevents.co.uk

Dementia Care & Nursing Home Expo offers improvement opportunities The Dementia Care & Nursing Home Expo is dedicated to care home growth and achieving a sustainable social care model. It will be running alongside Naidex on 25 & 26 April

at NEC, Birmingham.

CPD accredited seminars will run throughout both days and will concentrate on many topics including: dementia care, the social

20 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

care nursing shortfall and a new vision for social care. To discuss the opportunity to sponsor one of the seminar theatres, please contact 0117 990 2109.

Continued ▶

Keynote speakers will provide unparalleled advice on how to obtain, among other topics, an outstanding rating from CQC. Speakers include: Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of Adult Social Care at CQC; Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum; Caroline Baker, director of dementia care at Barchester Healthcare; Professor Martin Green of Care England and Sharon Allen, CEO at Skills for Care.

Other highly-anticipated features include the Virtual Dementia Tour; the only scientifically and medically proven method of giving a person with a healthy brain an experience of what dementia might be like. The Virtual Dementia Tour is helping care homes to update practices, reduce issues and improves the lives of their residents living with dementia.

From 1 January new standards of apprenticeships replaced the adult social care frameworks. To

help homes reach these standards, Remit Health will host a free apprenticeships training masterclass that will run throughout both days and concentrate on important practices in apprenticeship training.

Alongside this, Quality Compliance Systems will also run a masterclass that will concentrate on preparing for your inspection.

Using mock inspection toolkits and other useful compliance aids, homes managers will learn to prepare for the next inspection in a positive, forward-thinking way.

The Dementia Care & Nursing Home Expo awards will also feature heavily throughout the two-days. The awards aim to recognise innovative

and cutting-edge products and services. The winners of each awards will have an original, cost-effective and operational product or service that really will affect positive change in the care industry.

The award categories are: Pioneers in Technology Award, Innovation Excellence Award, Outstanding Care Home Service Award and Exceptional Contribution to Dementia Care Award. To be considered for an award please contact 0117 990 2109.

Call 0117 990 2097 for a free ticket.

For exhibiting and sponsorship enquiries please contact Nick Woore 0117 990 2109.

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March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 21

Advertorial

Energy bills too high?

It’s a growing trend.

The UK’s healthcare sector spends more than £400 million per year on energy. And according the Carbon Trust, energy bills could double for care homes over the next 10 years.* Keeping your property at the right temperature for residents, the sustained use of specialist medical equipment, and often inefficient buildings, can add up to an expensive bill.

At the same time, tighter public sector budgets are driving a need to rethink how we deliver health and social care services.

What if we told you that a high proportion of money being spent on energy is being wasted?

Bristol Energy is a national gas and electricity supplier and one of the first publicly owned energy companies.

They were set up to help people pay less for their bills, and to support people struggling with fuel poverty.

And their profits will be reinvested back into local communities.

Taking care of your guests will always be your main priority. So how can you make savings quickly and

easily when resources are stretched?

Here are Bristol Energy’s top tips for cutting costs in your care home: Heating: it’s a major culprit, responsible for 70% of the cost of energy bills.* Are you still using electric heaters? Don’t. Central heating will dramatically reduce your running costs.

If you can, turn your thermostat down by just one degree. It saves around £90 a year in a three bedroom house (Energy Saving Trust). Imagine the savings it could make in your care home. Make sure you have Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) fitted to your radiators, to keep a steady heat in each room.

Check your care home energy bills: Businesses that don’t shop around could be spending around £500 too much on their energy bills**. This often happens if your energy falls over your contract length, and you slip on to a more expensive tariff. So check your bill, and always shop around.

Bristol Energy offers 12 and 24 months fully fixed price contracts, and make things as simple as possible.

22 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

They also make it easy to switch online: www.bristol-energy.co.uk/ business Insulation: A quarter of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home, so it pays to keep it topped up.

Invest in solar panels: Care homes need lots of hot water and electricity during the day, which is exactly when solar panels are at their most effective. Care homes and sheltered accommodation also tend to have a lot of unused roof space, also perfect for solar panels.

LED lightbulbs: sounds simple, but changing 30 lightbulbs could cut more than £200 off your bill. Imagine the savings across your care home. How about installing motion sensors too? If a room is left unoccupied for a period of time, then the lights will turn off automatically.

If you’re keen to find out more, Bristol Energy can help. You can call free on 0808 168 3888 or visit www. bristol-energy.co.uk/business *Carbon Trust **Energy Helpline

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 23

Why everyone has the right to play regardless of age

by John Ramsay, CEO of Shift 8, the company bringing the fishing game Tovertafel to the UK. Dementia affects over 850,000 people across the United Kingdom, but everyone has their own unique journey. Early symptoms of dementia often take the form of forgetfulness, constant movement, collecting items and changes in mood, each of which develop as people get further along their journey.

Mid-to-late stage dementia is where people can start to experience more aggressive behaviour and become very withdrawn in their nature, having to be prompted to partake in social activity as well as encouraging cognitive interaction.

Up to 90% of people living with mid-to-late stage dementia can become physically passive for most of the day, with very little ability to interact. This level of passivity negatively influences physical and cognitive well-being and therefore directly affects their quality of life.

Late stage need stimulation In fact, these are the people that need to be stimulated the most as their introverted nature can unintentionally leave them behind, with those that are more active gaining most of the attention. It’s common knowledge that there are countless benefits of laughter and playfulness for one’s physical and mental health, so there shouldn’t be any exceptions.

Dementia research is still stalling behind other major conditions such as cancer and Parkinson’s. Recent studies have shown that the number of people living with dementia will more than double in the next 30 years and The World Health Organisation has predicted 82 million patients worldwide

will have dementia by 2030.

Yet, in lieu of no cure for dementia, or any full understanding as to how it takes hold, there have been incredible developments in technology which can slow cognitive decline.

Her research spanned over six years, and she successfully defended her thesis in 2017 with the goal to create a product that would reduce passivity among the elderly living with dementia by stimulating physical

What helps to stimulate?

Research and technological innovation has led scientists to experiment with different variables that affect people with dementia positively and negatively. Hester Le Riche used her PhD to take the opportunity to take part in this progressive research and understand exactly what helps dementia patients stimulate social, cognitive and physical activity.

activity and social interaction. Her research is constantly developing, with new breakthroughs happening all the time.

There are numerous factors that contribute to reducing passivity and encouraging playful behaviour to ensure a better standard of living for those on their dementia journey, their families and for the staff in the care homes taking care of them every day.

24 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Importance of environment For a resident in care, they should feel relaxed and at home and care personnel must strive to try a variety of methods to achieve this. As Hester’s research noted, there are typically nine strategies to stimulate residents on the dementia journey - humour and optimism, awareness, stimulating self-confidence, creating a safe environment, personal attention, time, adopting a resolute position, emphasising ‘doing together’, and playing along with their experiences.

Dependent on how dementia has affected different residents, their reactions can vary as to whether

and motivational environment for residents and detract from creating a demotivating atmosphere that could be detrimental.

Games design Creating and maintaining an environment that inspires cognitive and physical stimulation is important to ensure a high standard of living for all residents. The brain’s deterioration influences how people experience the world and environment around them and subsequently, how they play games.

Different people enjoy and experience games differently, no

matter their age, so creating a game to help stimulate activity of those with dementia is no exception.

What is the same, is the experiences that come with playing games; sensory stimulation, relaxation and reminiscence.

When designing games, it’s important to understand how different stages of the dementia journey are taken into consideration. Hester’s research differentiated the experiences that people at the various stages of the dementia journey experience when playing games.

For example, experiences that are suitable for people with early stage dementia are upheaval, challenge, fellowship and humour. Whereas for those with Alzheimer’s exploration is completely unsuitable. Creating games for people with dementia needs to be inclusive to ensure that players remain stimulated and excited.

Furthermore, the games need to take the initiative to encourage players to take part, as those who are quite withdrawn, and passive wouldn’t actively reach out to play. A fishing game on Tovertafel allows participants to catch the fish, triggering feelings of reminiscence and a sense of purpose, with the repetitive nature to it allowing players to be engaged for longer.

Importance of safety in gaming Safety is incredibly important when creating games for any age group, especially those targeted for people with dementia. With the latest innovations in technology, the

they are cooperative, hesitant or oppositional to stimulating activity proposed by care personnel.

Another factor contributing to an ideal environment for stimulation is not only how the care personnel’s attitudes affect residents, such as a standoffish, supportive, or nurturing, but also how residents themselves stimulate or demotivate each other. It is important to create a collaborative March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 25

Tovertafel projects lights that are rich in colour, movement and detail that are most valued by older people to encourage stimulation. The light can be projected on to any table, rather than the floor, which creates a safe environment for people of all stages of dementia.

Projections on the floor could create confusion and vertigo, subsequently making a hazard for themselves and others. With a table projection, they are sitting down safely, with no chance of falling over.

This relaxed environment creates a positive atmosphere of collaboration and being together. The name Tovertafel was created by a resident playing the games for the first time whilst proclaiming ‘Het is…een tovertafel! Translated to ‘It’s a… magic table!’ This further confirms the reminiscence factor of the table, bringing a sense of childhood magic and familiarity of the object.

Community and families The Tovertafel brings together the families and the wider community, as well as helping residents increase their wellbeing. By playing the games, residents become more engaged in daily life.

Nicola Rands, manager at Highfield Care Home noted a lady, who is typically very introverted, automatically engages with the game and her surroundings. From this, staff found it easier to initiate conversation with

residents when using the table and in general conversation. Furthermore, nurses and care personnel have become much more proactive and imaginative in creating games and activities for residents to participate in, such as gardening, shopping and creating a much more optimistic, active environment for all.

It can be hard and emotional for family members when a loved one doesn’t recognise them but sitting together at the table and importantly playing together creates happy memories. Many care homes across the country have created initiatives with schools and get children to visit the care homes and interact with the residents.

This has positive effects on both the children and the residents. As the population ages, dementia is becoming increasingly common, so it is important for children to become more accepting and not frightened of the symptoms of dementia. For the residents, they love having children to visit to relive memories and encourage the playful nature, further cementing the notion that games are for all, no matter the age.

In a similar vein, Hollins Park Care Home noticed families visiting much more due to the increase in engagement when playing Tovertafel games. A gentleman who had been living at the home for about a year was becoming increasingly lonely after his family stopped visiting him due to

26 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

his lack of interaction.

Since the Tovertafel was installed in Hollins Park, Tracy Norbury, manager at the home, noticed that he was becoming much more active and communicative. When his family and young grandchildren come to visit, they play the games on the Magic Table together, ‘interacting and forming new, happy memories together.’

Future of Tovertafel Playing games, no matter the age of the participants, creates a happy, social environment that sparks creativity. There is nothing more important in a care home than creating this sort of environment and making sure that all residents and staff are happy.

Technological innovation and nearly a decade of research has created a product that helps residents, staff and their families enjoy a better standard of living through the motion of play. With no worry of injury, or a forceful nature, players can join in as and when they wish, to trigger memories during their everyday life.

The future of Tovertafel looks bright, expanding from games aimed at those on their dementia journey to people living with learning disabilities (Tovertafel UP) and children with autism (Tovertafel Unique.) No matter their age, condition or situation, everyone has the right to play.

Music is key to helping people with dementia at Abbotswood Court

The Commission on Dementia and Music has reported on the benefits of music for those living with the disease. At Abbotswood Court Care Home in Romsey they have used music to improve the quality of life of their residents.

A recent report from the Commission on Dementia and Music found substantial evidence of the benefits of music for people living with dementia. It helps minimise some of the symptoms such as agitation and depression and increases social interaction. Yet, only five per cent of care homes are using music effectively.

Abbotswood Court Care Home in Hampshire is one of them.

Abbotswood Court is a new, modern care home set in landscaped gardens in Romsey. It provides accommodation and individual care for older people with a range of needs including dementia.

Gemma Ridout-Bowden, general manager at Abbotswood, said: “Music is an important part of life here at Abbotswood Court. We’ve been aware for a long time of the benefits of music for our residents.

“Music is able to reach people in a unique way, forming an emotional connection that has a profound effect on the individual and their loved ones.

We really welcome this report and its call for a national strategy to increase access to music for all those living with dementia.”

Unlocking musical memories One of the activities that takes place regularly at Abbotswood Court is ‘Unlocking Musical Memories’ - a pioneering programme run by Andrew Knights, former principal Oboist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. It aims to stimulate memory and elicit a response through a variety of music, songs from the 1940s, 1960s, and solos played on oboe, cor anglais and saxophone.

The emphasis is on fun and participation. Using a vast range of percussive instruments and song sheets, Andrew soon has everyone joining in.

Andrew started working in residential and nursing homes in 2001 at the invitation of Hampshire County Council. He now does about 250 sessions a year, many through the Alzheimer’s Society. He has been a regular guest principal with many London orchestras, the Hilliard Ensemble and many chamber ensembles. Andrew also teaches at Southampton University. However, he is most passionate about his musical collaborations with people with dementia.

Rethinking an approach Andrew explains: “Music Unlocking Memories has taught me to rethink my whole approach to music - it’s one of the most exciting, inspiring and satisfying things I’ve ever done. It’s a real privilege to work at somewhere like Abbotswood Court - such a lovely environment - and the residents and carers are remarkable. I always look forward to my visits!”

Sarah Watson dementia manager at Abbotswood Court added: “It’s so good to see this focus on the benefits of music for those with dementia. We organise many musical activities for our residents - social events, concerts, our weekly fitness class, Oomph Activity to Music, and of course Andrew’s sessions. It’s extraordinary how some of our residents can remember all the words to a song or recall people and events they associate with a piece of music.”

To learn more about Andrew and ‘Unlocking Musical Memories’, visit www.andrewknights.org.

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 27

Taking care of fire safety when planning a new care home Richard Sutton, general manager at Horbury Property Services, looks at fire safety in care environments and why it is so important that once passive fire systems are in place they are regularly inspected.

Back in June, the Care Quality Commission contacted care homes and independent hospitals asking them to review and re-examine the fire safety checks that take place in their premises in order to avoid loss of human life in a fire. In light of the Grenfell Tower blaze, the CQC expressed its concerns that some care home premises had failings in their fire safety.

The chief executive of the CQC, Sir David Behan, reminded care home

owners of their legal responsibilities, under both the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, to pay attention to the safety of the vulnerable and frail because of mobility issues or learning disabilities.

Issues have been reported during inspections of some care homes, including blocked fire exits, fire doors wedged open, escape routes used as storage areas, low awareness amongst

staff of what to do in emergency situations and little evidence of fire drills having been undertaken recently.

There were 120 accidental care home fires in London in 2016, which resulted in the London Fire Brigade being present. Many influential organisations and MPs have called for sprinkler systems to be made mandatory in England, as they are in Scotland and Wales in new care homes, and indeed this could only be a good thing.

However, whilst active systems like sprinklers can be very effective, prevention of fire spread is better than cure.

Regulatory Reform Order Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a duty holder (who is required to be a competent person within the organisation or external specialist) needs to be appointed to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment on all sleeping accommodation in England and Wales.

Residents of care homes may find it very hard - if not impossible - to be evacuated quickly in the event of a fire and if the fire occurs at night when staffing levels are lower, a full evacuation within a short time frame

28 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

is unrealistic. So it is essential that a thorough assessment is carried out of all the areas, paying particular attention to a residents’ needs.

Guidance on carrying out fire risk assessments in a care home identifies three key areas: building fabric needs to be considered for its fire safety - the effectiveness of fire doors and fire compartmentation and any breaches to this assessments should identify any hazards that may cause a fire the needs of those being cared for and employees should be carefully considered Fire risk assessments should always be part of a fire action plan and the plan should contain any remedial work that has been identified and a timetable for rectifying it.

Fire compartmentation inspection New build care homes are required to be constructed in accordance with Building Regulations’ Approved Document B, which states that the building should be sub-divided into a number of discreet compartments or cells. Within each cell, the dividing walls are filled with specialist materials that prevent the passage of fire from one cell to another for a given period of time.

Compartmentation aims to contain fires, based on the premise that large fires are more dangerous to occupants, fire and rescue services and people located nearby. It has also been found to limit damage to a building and its contents.

One of the main benefits of compartmentation is that it protects ‘means of escape’ routes from a building. This feature is particularly important where there is minimal fire separation, other than the means of escape, for example, a small care home served by a single flight of stairs.

In this case, the floor area may be open plan, with no partitions, however, the stairs should be enclosed by fire walls (and fire doors) to

ensure a fire within any part of the accommodation cannot pass through to the stairway. Spaces that connect fire compartments, such as stairways and service shafts, are described as ‘protected shafts’. These play an important role in restricting fire spread between the compartments. For care home operators, it is equally important to ensure that fires do not start in the common areas as in residents’ rooms.

Breaches Assessing the integrity of a fire compartment is a vitally important part of any fire risk assessment. This includes checking whether there are any holes in the walls, floors or ceilings. These could have been caused by accidental damage, but they could be just as likely as a result of service works, such as IT, telephone or television systems being upgraded.

Fire risk assessments should be carried out by a competent person within the building, but the issue in the majority of cases is that this does not extend to inspecting the integrity of the fire compartmentation. When building services work has been carried out there is a high chance that fire compartmentation could have been breached.

Fire risk assessments must be sufficiently rigorous and if remedial work is not carried out to rectify any breaches, it could lead to a potential failing of fire compartmentation, allowing a fire to spread. Fire doors are an important part of ensuring fire compartmentation is maintained too, but they are often not subject

to sufficiently rigorous or regular inspections.

Again, this could lead to a breach of fire compartmentation, for example, if the fire seals are broken, the door closers are not working properly or the ironmongery has become worn or the glazing detached.

Research shows that, in general, compartmentation and fire protection of escape routes are successful in containing fire. In the last 20 years there have been very few cases where residents of a care home have died as a result of a fire in another person’s room.

However, since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, many care homes and sheltered housing providers are looking into increasing fire detection methods and introducing more rigorous fire risk assessments.

Assessing the risks There are very serious considerations for care home managers that do not undertake adequate fire risk assessments as it could compromise the safety of the whole building. Fire risk assessments should include a review of a building’s fire compartmentation by a competent person or external fire inspection company, thus minimising the risks to occupants and a building. When fire compartmentation is regularly inspected and well maintained, there is no better form of fire protection.

Horbury Property Services - 01709 917555 or visit the website www. horburypropertyservices.com

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 29

The Chocolate Quarter now protected by fire panels from Advanced Originally the home of Fry’s chocolate, the impressive complex of high-spec retired apartments, and a care home is now protected from fire by the Advanced system, which comprises a network of single-loop, four-loop and repeater panels with Hochiki smoke and heat detectors, multi-sensors and heat detection cable.

Speaking about the installation, Rick Coles, Managing Director at MFS, said: “The project required complicated cause and effect because of the buildings’ wide variety of uses.

The sheltered accommodation and extra care areas needed a completely different approach to the communal areas, shops and restaurants.

“We chose Advanced panels because of their reliability and the high level of flexibility and ease they offer when programming cause and effect.

Although useful for any project, this versatility really comes into its own on large multi-use sites with many different demands.”

Taktis upgrades care home fire safety Taktis Fire, Kentec’s fire alarm control panel, is proving to be a success at two of Cumbria’s leading care homes, central to fire safety systems designed to protect vulnerable residents, members of staff and visitors.

Specialists JJ Group (Contracting) opted for an open protocol system built around the sophisticated features of the new Taktis Technology Platform.

The existing fire safety system at Elmhurst Care Home, Ulverston has been upgraded with a Taktis 2 loop fire control panel while at Brampton’s Moot Lodge, a care home for older

Castle View Windsor stages fire rescue A full scale fire rescue with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has been staged at the new Castle View Retirement Village at Windsor, which opens this autumn.

Taking the lead from a fire tragedy at a care home in Stevenage and Grenfell, Castle Retirement Living staged a full training exercise taking three hours and involving three fire engines and a team of 15 firefighters

staging a mock rescue.

Said Robin Hughes, managing director, Castle Retirement Living: “Beyond our enhanced fire safety strategy for the development including a sprinkler system, a fire resistant concrete structure and multiple staircases, the exercise proved that all residents that move into Castle View should be reassured about the highest level of fire safety.”

30 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

people operated by Cumbria Care, the existing conventional fire safety system has been replaced with a new addressable system, comprising a Taktis 2 loop fire control panel with Apollo addressable loop powered devices.

Karl Danz of JJ Group (Contracting) said Kentec’s Taktis was the ideal replacement panel for updating care home fire systems. “It not only has a huge internal battery capacity but its multi-protocol facility allows both Apollo and Hochiki addressable devices to work on one fire control panel.”

Advertorial

Agrippa magnetic fire door holder

According to Atomik Research, over one third of people admit that they have seen a fire door wedged open in their building. The effects of wedging open a fire door can be devastating, as this allows toxic smoke and flames to spread through the building very quickly and thus not maintaining an effective means of escape for those at great risk.

British manufacturer Geofire has solved this issue with a range of solutions, including the Agrippa magnetic fire door holder. The device is fitted to the wall to hold the fire door open using a magnet, avoiding damage to both the fire door and the floor. Agrippa differs from traditional fire door retainers because of its wire-free installation, as the device is battery powered.

Geofire is the UK’s leading manufacturer fire door magnets. Nick Goddard, Research and Development Manager, said: “The Agrippa sound activated fire door holder can be installed at any height providing a more hygienic position off the floor and avoids costly damage to the door and floor.”

Packed with features, the Agrippa magnetic fire door holder has a daily timed release option, to ensure all doors are closed at the end of the

day; a battery level indicator, to allow the responsible person to check the status of the holder; and a low battery, fail-safe power cut, to ensure doors are not held open when the unit is out of battery. It also records the sound of your building’s fire alarm, ensuring this is the only sound that will release the fire door. This technology was developed by Geofire to greatly reduce false activations.

Wedging open fire doors could lead to legal action under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Act 2006 and Health And Safety at Work Act 1974.

The Agrippa magnetic fire door holder is recognised by UK Fire and Rescue Services and the London Fire Brigade, suitable for installation to BS 72734 Standard Actuation (Category B) and conforms to EN1155 and is CE marked.

For more information contact Geofire Email: enquiries@geofire.co.uk, Tel: 01388 770 360

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 31

Care homes warned of the dangers of insufficient legionella compliance

Paul Abbott, legionella consultant at Hydrochem UK, urges care home managers to prioritise staff training in order to stay compliant against the legionella bacteria and to avoid oneday legionella risk assessment training courses Naturally occurring in water, and commonly found in purposebuilt water systems where water is maintained at a temperature high enough to encourage growth, reported cases of the legionella bacteria in the UK increased by 35% in 2017, with the number of outbreaks standing at over 1300 since 2014.

Compliance within the care industry has been a hot topic with an abundance of news headlines highlighting examples of facilities which have fallen foul of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) identifying traces of the bacteria in plumbing and heating systems.

So what can care and nursing home managers do to maximise prevention

of the bacteria and avoid hefty fines from the Care Quality Commission?

Thorough training needed Paul Abbott, legionella consultant at Hydrochem UK, is committed to raising awareness of the deathly bacteria and educating the care industry of the importance of thorough staff training around legionella risk assessments.

Paul said: “The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of contracting Legionnaire’s disease as they have little defence against the onset of infection. This is why the legionella bacteria is one of the things that the Care Quality Commission checks for when visiting care homes, and

32 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

why even slight traces are taken very seriously.

“Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, care home management has a duty to seriously consider the risk that the legionella bacteria pose to residents in its care. It is important that all risks are properly assessed and suitable precautions taken.

Regular risk assessments “This includes ensuring that all key personnel partake in thorough legionella prevention training that meets the required standard, and in addition to this the premises undergo regular risk assessments to determine any hazards and understand how to address them and implement suitable control scheme with measures to control the risk.

“The ACOP L8 regulations say that the legionnaires risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and specifically whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid.

“The guidance used to say that a legionella risk assessment should be reviewed at least every two years but in reality it should be a living document which must be regularly reviewed to ensure it remains up to date. If a water system has been added to or modified, if the use of the water system has changed, or if key personnel have changed then it’s time for a new assessment.

“To ensure that this regulation is adhered to regular staff training is vital. A lack of training, poor communication and inadequate water system management are all contributing factors to an outbreak of legionnaire’s disease, and in an environment where people’s lives are reliant on the staff’s professionalism, cutting corners should never be considered an option.”

Over 50s badly hit Figures from Public Health England shows that in 2014, 85% of confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s Disease affected over 50’s with the mortality rate of the disease being 1 in 10 people.

The complex water systems that supply bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and other on-site facilities in care homes, means they are especially high-risk environments for the bacteria.

Paul added: “Legionella hit the UK news repeatedly last year with a number of care homes branded ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission for putting residents at risk of catching Legionnaire’s disease, by not providing evidence that routine assessments and prevention schemes were in place.

“The frustrating thing is that these assessments and precautions are simple to carry out and I fear that many problems are developing due to care homes taking risk control in to their own hands.”

training courses, which on completion certifies the participant as a Legionella Risk Assessor.

Paul said: “I’m hearing from more and more people within the care industry that facilities managers are attending, or sending senior members of their team on risk assessment training courses, in order to have a ‘certified’ legionella assessor within the team.

“The problem is that a one-day course gives attendees nowhere near enough time to learn even the basics of a legionella risk assessment. The courses cram all aspects in to the space of a few hours and are kept really generic as those who attend aren’t all going to be working within the same industry.

“Then once the course is over, that’s it. Attendees walk away certified and there’s no requirement to complete refresher courses or any ongoing training.

“In reality these now ‘qualified’ assessors aren’t competent or experienced enough to carry out any work. Relying on them to keep the care home compliant is a very risky move, one that could result in a hefty fine or even closure of the facility, if traces of the bacteria are found.

Find a reputable partner “Where possible, I would always recommend investing in a partnership with a reputable third-party water treatment company, to carry out the risk assessments on your behalf, to help you put your written scheme of control together and to deliver staff training.”

Monitoring can be done in house but again that depends on the competency of the people carrying out the work, so you may want to employ a reputable third-party water treatment company, to carry out your temperature recording and shower head cleans for example.

Most importantly, every action related to legionella control and prevention needs to be recorded in a log book or stored to a database to allow a clear auditable trail during inspections.

“I’ve found more often than not, it’s been beneficial to have someone impartial and from outside the business carry out the assessment, as it prevents the conflict of interest scenario. It’s also a good idea to have an allocated duty holder in-house to ensure there’s a strong, honest relationship between all parties.

“Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable for in-house staff to carry out assessments themselves, as long as the assessor is truly competent.

After all the safety of those in your care depends on it.”

Hydrochem UK has carried out legionella risk assessments for a number of care home providers across the UK, as part of its Safe Water programme, which ensures the water system management meets the legal obligations to risk of water borne infections and water cleanliness.

To find out more about Hydrochem UK’s Safe Water programme, visit the website http://www.hydrochemgroup. co.uk or call 01429 860 836

Beware one day courses A serious concern of Paul’s is the rapid growth in popularity of one day legionella risk assessment March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 33

Advertorial

Can using a values-based recruitment approach really solve my recruitment and retention challenges?

Skills for Care estimates that there are around 345,000 leavers per year in adult social care – that’s over 900 every day - and approximately 90,000 vacancies at any one time.

These figures suggest that the sector needs to stem the flow of wasted resources in recruiting people that are not going to stay with them – and values-based recruitment can help you do this.

and actively contribute to your organisations decision making.

Therefore you might choose teamwork as one of your values.

When the values of your staff match your workplace values, this can help you deliver high quality and consistent care and support. When they don’t, it can lead to recruitment and retention challenges and foster bad practice.

In a Skills for Care study, employers

Values are the beliefs and views that people hold about what is right or wrong and good or bad. They apply to all aspects of life and influence how a person behaves in different situations.

As an adult social care employer you should have workplace values which reflect the things that you believe are most important to your organisation, the way it works and how these are applied to the people you care for.

For example, if you said that you were most proud of your staff when someone left a great review of their visit, because staff were friendly and made them feel welcome, you might say that one of your values is cheerfulness.

Or you might think it’s important that staff and people who access care and support share their ideas

using this approach reported: better staff performance staff had stronger care values a lower staff turnover a positive return on investment of £1.23 for every £1 spent.

That’s why it’s so important to identify your workplace values and

34 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

ensure they’re embedded throughout your organisations processes, including in the way you recruit staff.

Sense is a national charity that supports people who are deafblind, and they take a values-based approach to recruitment. They told Skills for Care: “Only targeting those that had experience in the sector really limited our talent pool and disregarded a large group of people that had the potential to be fantastic support workers.

We hoped that recruiting and selecting candidates in [a valuesbased] way would resent in a workforce that was aligned with Sense’s visions, values and ‘I Statements’, and would therefore deliver excellent support.

We’ve been able to reach people who may have previously thought they didn’t have the right experience to work in social care – this also supports our desire to increase diversity within our workforce.”

It’s not an easy process which is why Skills for Care has lots of practical templates and guidance to help you identify what values mean to you, and support you to embed them throughout your organisation.

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/ values.

Support with your

care home recruitment Are you looking for new ways to attract and keep more candidates who have the right values and skills for your organisation?

Getting your recruitment right at the start can help you find staff who perform better and are more likely to stay.

Make some small changes today that can make a big difference to your recruitment and retention in the future.

Our free online toolkit has tips, guidance and templates to help you recruit and retain staff who have the right values and skills.

Visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/ recruitment.

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitment March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 35

Raising the standards of training in the care sector Jill Whittaker, managing director at Conntect2Care, leading training and apprenticeship provider in the adult care sector, explains the benefits of investing in apprenticeships to help tackle the skills shortage and ease pressures on care workers.

Recruiting and retaining staff is a hot topic in the care sector, with just under 340,000 social care employees leaving their job each year and a further 90,000 vacancies for social care jobs being posted in England on any one day.

This, coupled with growing concerns around Brexit and fears that it will lead to a mass exodus of crucial EU health and care workers, means that care homes are under increasing pressures to recruit and retain staff.

Facing recruitment challenges While there isn’t a quick-fix solution, there are steps employers in the care sector can take to lessen their recruitment challenges and position their business as a desirable place to work. This is where highquality and strategically planned development programmes can play a significant role, as they provide a clear path of progression to both

current and future employees. In fact, over 35% of workers think offering in-depth training and development opportunities would entice more people into the care sector.

The recent changes to the apprenticeship system and switchover to the apprenticeship standards (the new method of learning and assessment which replaces the old frameworks) has ensured training is even more relevant, rigorous and in-line with the requirements of the sector. They have been designed by a group of sector employers – known as ‘Trailblazers’ – and cover a much broader context which caters to employees at all levels.

There’s a whole host of qualifications available, ranging from Level 2 apprenticeships, aimed at those just beginning their career, through to degree level qualifications designed for experienced senior professionals.

Training for retention Up-skilling and cross-skilling staff at all stages of their careers is also an effective way of retaining highly skilled team members. This is because training offers a long-term structure and end goal for employees to work towards. In fact, one in three apprentices receive a promotion within a year of completing their course, highlighting how apprenticeships encourage and motivate staff to develop within a company.

And the benefits don’t end there, as 72% of businesses report a direct increase in productivity of £214 per week from employing an apprentice and 92% experience a more motivated and satisfied team.

With uncertain times ahead, particularly with the implications of Brexit and an already widening skills gap, apprenticeships provide care employers with a framework and strategic process for recruiting and retaining employees.

By improving staff satisfaction and positioning businesses as an attractive place to work, the benefits of investing in staff training and apprenticeships speak for themselves. The opportunity to build a star team is there and the door is open for those in the care industry who wish to benefit.

For more information on Connect2Care, please visit: https://connect2care.net/

36 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Advertorial

New platform helps to tackle care skills crisis - staff can upload, manage and share skills, certifications and training.

Qintil has created a learning management system that helps care workers collect their certificates, gain skills and share their profile with employers and peak bodies.

The report on ‘The Adult Social Care Workforce in England’ estimates that the workforce will need to grow by 2.6% every year until 2035. Yet the turnover rate of care staff has been increasing since 2012-13 and in 2016-17 reached 27.8%, meaning providers must spend funds on recruitment they could otherwise have spent on providing quality care.

Qintil is designed to help those who work in care to share their skills and certificates with employers easily and to help employers find prequalified employees and save money on duplicating basic skills training.

Sam Easen, Founder and CEO of Qintil, said “We built Qintil for my

own business. I ran a nursing agency employing over 1,000 healthcare professionals in the UK and Australia.

Our nurses were always out working with our customers, so it was difficult

to get them into the office for a day of unpaid mandatory training which we needed to stay compliant with our regulator. We looked for an e-learning system that could do the

job more efficiently, but most were too expensive or cumbersome for our needs. So we built our own.”

Sam added, “When I set out to rebuild the platform for a wider market, I looked at the issues that affected businesses and their employees: ever-increasing compliance requirements, tight budgets, a workforce that is more transient than ever. People might work for more than one company at the same time.”

The training dashboard within Qintil Learning Manager is a snapshot of your organisations compliance in real time. It helps care homes see instantly how compliant they by team, unit, location or across an entire multi-site organisation.

A Smart and Simple Way to Deliver Training and Manage Compliance

Instant activation, easy setup and quick deployment.

Track learning & compliance, with learner and manager alerts.

Full Features & Free Trial: qintil.com/for-employers

Find, manage, deploy and record courses.

Choose from a range of courses in Qintil's Marketplace.

Phone: 0333 577 1484 March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 37

Permanent care home staff – the key to providing great care

by Samuel Maierovits, managing director of Hudson Healthcare

who get to know the people they look after, develop deeper bonds and relationships with them and understand their needs and routines, are going to have a more positive impact on the quality of care than temporary agency staff who, by their nature, will rarely have the same opportunity to build meaningful relationships with residents or fully understand their individual needs.

Permanent staff can also build working relationships with each other over time, meaning that you have increased staff morale, retention and a very happy care home.

What is the key to good care? For me it’s about consistency - a well-trained and managed cohort of permanent and fulfilled staff who develop wonderful relationships over extended periods of time amongst each other and with the elderly people they are caring for.

I have always found there to be a strong correlation in a care home between low levels of reliance on temporary agency staff and high quality of care. I also believe the reverse is true - poor quality care is often seen in the absence of sufficient numbers of permanent staff, a gap that is all too often and all too quickly filled by temporary agency staff.

This is not to question the professionalism and commitment of the vast majority of agency staff. It just stands to reason that permanent staff,

Reducing agency staff I have seen this first hand across our four homes, where we have reduced our use of agency staff from 10 per cent in 2015 to less than one per cent in 2017. This has coincided with an increase in resident satisfaction, staff retention and the overall CQC and Care Inspectorate ratings given to our homes.

This did not happen overnight.

There was no magic button. Instead, it is something that we have achieved gradually by undertaking a top to bottom review of our processes.

The first step was to introduce a standardised system for tracking and reporting staff requirements and attendance, allowing care home managers and senior staff to see weekly detailed reports showing the extent to which permanent staffing gaps exist and are being filled by

38 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

temporary agency staff.

Though managers will usually have a general idea of their staffing gaps and agency use, being able to see actual numbers with great accuracy each week, and how these numbers compare with other homes in the group, has proven to be an extremely powerful tool providing greater focus to tackle the issues more effectively.

Quantifying the problem with realtime high-resolution data shared through the homes was our first step, but not the only factor.

Head office support Care home recruitment was previously the sole responsibility of staff at the homes themselves.

Recognising how big an administrative task recruitment could be, we set up a dedicated head office resource to support the processes. This seemingly small tweak has made a significant difference to the speed and effectiveness with which we recruit. The posting of job adverts, the arranging of interviews, the sourcing of references – the whole process has been dramatically accelerated and made a real difference to quickly filling vacancies.

Added to this, a concerted marketing and, latterly, PR effort has not only helped increase interest in our homes from potential residents, but also positioned them as attractive and fulfilling places to work.

The upshot – a committed army of caring, professional permanent staff, and temporary agency usage reduced to nearly nil. There was no silver bullet, instead a careful combination of investment and resources that have helped us to achieve our goal, and provide the highest quality of care. www.hudsonhealthcare.co.uk

Challenging CQC inspections

by Philippa Doyle, Hempsons

Worried about whether you should?

Don’t be. Just do it. Your business and clients depend on you!

One care home in Bradford was served a Notice of Decision to be closed down. It challenged the CQC. The CQC accepted it got it wrong.

Now it has a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating and will go from strength to strength in 2018.

One care home near Heathrow was served a Notice of Proposal to be closed down. It challenged the CQC.

The CQC accepted it got it wrong.

The provider got an apology. Now it has a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating and will go from strength to strength in 2018.

If you don’t ask – you don’t get.

The CQC used to have you believe that the Factual Accuracy process was about picking up on errors about the number of staff on duty at anyone time. It’s far more than that and since a GP Judicial Review in Summer 2016 the process has changed for the better.

You can now submit additional evidence that might not have been immediately available on the day and rather than just the lead inspector reviewing your factual accuracy submissions, these, and the draft report, now have to be reviewed by someone out of area in the CQC, to check for consistency of approach and proportionality.

This is your service – showcase it and shout about it!

Sometimes the CQC get in wrong. Sometimes the inspectors are unprofessional or inexperienced.

Use the CQC complaints process – straightaway if necessary. A separate arm of the CQC will investigate your concerns and inspectors have been moved, and have been subject to re-training, on the back of provider complaints.

They are quick to pick you up on deficiencies – make sure you pick them up too – everyone always has something to learn.

Hempsons have had a number of successes against the CQC – give us a call on the Care Home Management social care advice line for support and information p.doyle@hempsons.co.uk 01423 724028

Care Management Home Free Legal Advice Line 01423 724056 Care Home Management and specialist health and social care law firm, Hempsons, offer a free advice line for Care Home Management readers. Simply call 01423 724056 quoting ‘Care Home Management Advice Line’ or email socialcare@hempsons.co.uk 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 faced by social care providers.

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 and community law | Safeguarding | Tendering

Legal advice provided by Hempsons.

Leading Health and Social Care Lawyers LONDON | MANCHESTER | HARROGATE | NEWCASTLE

Lasting Power of Attorney - what you need to know to help your residents

by Elaine Roche, partner, JMW loses mental capacity.

Those who are appointed are called attorneys and might be a person’s spouse, children, family member, close friend, legal advisor, company or accountant - there are no rules around this.

Care home managers should find out whether there is one or multiple attorneys and whether these have been appointed ‘jointly’ or ‘jointly and severally’. The former means that all attorneys must agree on a decision, while the latter means one person can make a decision on behalf of the group. This will affect who the care home approaches if and when they need approval on financial or health matters affecting the resident.

The primary role for care home owners, directors and managers is to ensure appropriate care is given to residents and that standards are being consistently met. This is a broad remit and covers many roles and responsibilities, so one area that can sometimes be overlooked is ensuring residents have the right legal measures in place to protect them.

This includes checking they have valid wills and have created a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) if they are no longer able to handle their own affairs.

While this may be seen as an added value and not essential to some care

home owners, the ramifications if such measures are not in place can have direct and severe financial impacts if residents are unable to pay their fees due to loss of mental capacity.

What is an LPA? An LPA is a legal document that allows people to appoint someone - or multiple people - to make decisions if they are no longer able to do so. This might be temporary, if somebody loses physical capacity or is absent from the UK for a set period of time and can no longer control their banking and other affairs, or indefinitely, when somebody

40 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

Health and Welfare vs Property and Financial There are two types of LPA - health and welfare, and property and financial affairs. The first can only be used when the recipient is unable to make their own decisions, for example, if they lose mental capacity.

This gives the attorney(s) power over decisions such as medical care, lifesustaining treatment, daily routine and moving into a care home. It is often seen as a pre-emptive measure that safeguards against loss of mental capacity in the future and saves time, money and hassle.

A property and financial affairs LPA can be used immediately after it has been registered, with the recipient’s permission, and means attorneys have the power to make decisions about money and property. This might give them control over managing a bank or building society account, paying bills, collecting benefits and pensions or selling a home. This is not linked to whether or not a person

is able to make their own decisions, When it comes to decisions relating to someone who lacks capacity moving into a care home or in relation to treatment which may incur increased costs it is important to involve both the property and affairs attorneys and the health and welfare attorneys as this type of decision affects both areas.

There is a third legal document that care home managers should be aware of, an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA), which predates LPAs but is still valid. EPAs give responsibility to help people make decisions about their finances.

Care home managers should be aware of these documents, even though they were replaced by LPAs in 2007, as they last a lifetime so any that predate 1st October 2007 could potentially circulate for many decades to come.

How to assess mental capacity LPAs that are activated based on a loss of mental capacity can seem tricky to navigate, as care home managers may be unsure whether or not residents qualify as having capacity or not. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, a person is deemed as unable to act or make decisions for themselves due to an impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain.

There are various ways that people can determine whether or not this is the case and we recently produced a quiz on jmw.co.uk to guide people through these discussion points. Managers may find this a useful reference point and could also refer family members to this kind of tool if they are unsure whether or not their loved one is still capable of making their own decisions.

There are a number of questions to consider that help people determine whether or not there is still mental capacity but a useful phrase to remember is CURE - is the person in question able to:

■ Comprehend the information related to making a decision ■ Use the information to come to a decision ■ Retain the information related to making a decision ■ Express their decision If the answer is no, that person should not be deemed to have mental capacity and therefore authority should go to their LPA.

housekeeping measure. It can form part of the natural discussion around the resident’s affairs and shows added value, as well as protecting everybody involved from the worst-case scenario.

Care home managers who prefer to remain outside these conversations could invite a legal professional who specialises in LPAs and wills to visit the home and speak to residents directly about the subject. This would also be beneficial for those who have existing residents that have not yet discussed LPAs, as it can be a good way to introduce the conversation with everybody given the same information at once.

Whichever route care homes go down, recognising the need to discuss and understand LPAs is the first step to avoiding issues in the long run.

What if there is no LPA? If there is no LPA and a resident loses mental capacity, rendering them incapable of managing their affairs such as paying their care home fees, their case will be referred to the Court of Protection. The court will decide what happens to the person’s assets and who is best to handle them, appointing a deputy to effectively take **Can we please use the front cover on the role of attorney. of the pdf document as an image in This process can take many months the article? We also have an image of and many care homes have sought the author legal advice at this point, as the cost of missed payments can run into thousands of pounds. This process is a last resort and is why residents - and the general public - should be encouraged to appoint an LPA as a pre-emptive measure before it is actually needed.

The best time for care home managers to have these kinds of W hy Yo u Sh ou ld conversations Co ns id er Se tti ng Up A L A S T IN G P O W E is when R O F AT T O R N E Y residents first enter the home, as a March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 41

1

Buying an existing home?

Take care

by Tom Lumsden, Partner, CooperBurnett

Those care providers who wish to buy an existing care home (as opposed to bare land for construction of a new care home) will find that very different considerations apply.

An existing building will come with a ‘history’, and it is essential that thorough due diligence is carried out before committing to the purchase.

Obviously, the commercial terms of the sale and purchase contract will be important, but usually the greatest area of danger for a buyer lies in potential liabilities that arise from the buildings and the business itself.

Agreeing warranties Key warranties may need to be agreed with the seller, which often form the main element of negotiation. It is important to ensure that the person or persons giving the warranties have the financial wherewithal to meet those warranties, in the event that a claim has to be made.

Due diligence will include checking not just the legal title to the property,

but also to ensure there are no restrictions on the title, such as restrictive covenants, that have been breached or that could impact on the buyer’s proposed use and occupation.

There are also many statutory requirements. Any commercial building of this type must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when sold. This is particularly relevant in the light of new minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) regulations which mean that, from 1 April 2018, a landlord cannot let a commercial building if its EPC rating is F or G. Check for asbestos The property must have an asbestos report. Without one the building’s insurers could seek to avoid a claim.

Checks should be made to ensure all planning permissions have been complied with, and that any works that required planning permissions or building regulation consents are validly authorised.

If the building has listed status, then even more detailed checks need to be made to ensure that listed building consent was obtained, where required. Potential liability for breach of listed buildings consents will ‘follow’ ownership.

42 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

The building must also have a valid fire safety risk assessment. Enquiries should be raised about historic claims on the buildings insurance and whether claims have been made.

Existing land and buildings may have poor environmental histories, so questions must be asked about existing and historic contamination.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) should be investigated to ensure that all SDLT was properly paid and there is no potential or outstanding SDLT liability.

If the care home is being acquired by way of a share sale, then one also needs to consider, if any SDLT relief was claimed, whether it is subject to a possible clawback.

Capital Allowances Capital allowances may, in some cases, be relevant and again these could require detailed enquiries to be raised in conjunction with the buyer’s accountants, as the allowances could be very significant.

One of the most important areas involves raising detailed enquiries regarding staff. Buyers will routinely inherit existing staff under the TOGC (Transfer of a Business as a Going Concern) legislation if the transaction is an asset purchase. Employment disputes and claims can be expensive, as well as incurring substantial management time, and may result in bad publicity.

The more detailed the due diligence enquiries raised by a buyer’s solicitor, the more information a prudent buyer will have with which to assess the risk of proceeding, or to renegotiate the terms of the deal.

Tom Lumsden, CooperBurnett LLP in Tunbridge Wells.

How care home owners can pursue late fees effectively and sensitively of terminating a residency, the decision to do so should be fully considered beforehand.

■ Consider alternative dispute resolution/payment plans Can a more informal approach be taken to recover the outstanding fees?

by Andrew Broadbent, associate in hlw Keeble Hawson’s litigation and dispute resolution team.

The issue of late or unpaid fees is understandably a difficult one for care providers who are advised to approach the task efficiently, promptly and sensitively.

Managing late payments is an unpleasant but necessary part of any business but, when running a care home, the task can be an emotive one that requires a combination of consideration, respect and resolve.

But following these steps can assist owners and managers to get their accounts back on track while minimising upset for residents and their families.

■ Don’t put things off.

Monitor payments and act quickly when they are in arrears. This is vital, as it will avoid the amounts owed from mounting to unmanageable levels and aid cash flow.

■ Always consider the sensitivities involved when chasing payment.

There is a balance to be struck between taking a firm approach and understanding the emotions involved for family or close friends.

■ Understand who is ultimately responsible for making payment.

Have any family members entered into guarantees and/or has security been provided for fees? If not, should future agreements be amended to include these provisions?

■ Assess options available if payment is not received.

Often the final step will be to issue a Notice of Termination and start proceedings. Given the consequences

■ Be aware of the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims.

Introduced in late 2017, this applies to any business claiming a debt payment from an individual and must be considered before issuing proceedings. If used correctly, the protocol - which encourages early engagement and communication between the parties with a view to achieving a conclusion to a dispute without the need to resort to court action - can be a useful tool.

To comply with it, it is required that a debtor needs to have been given specific documents such as an information sheet, reply form and financial statement. A failure to carry out the steps required under the protocol can result in cost consequences, which creditors would understandably want to avoid.

Instructing specialist solicitors at an early stage who are familiar with the necessary protocols and procedures, including the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims if pursuing an individual, is of paramount importance as such an expert will be able to advise as to the most appropriate course of action, both legally and commercially.

Andrew Broadbent is an associate in hlw Keeble Hawson’s litigation and dispute resolution team. He is contactable on 0114 252 1416 or andrewbroadbent@ hlwkeeblehawson.co.uk on

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 43

Events and Appointments

Events line-up

Appointments CQC appoints chief operating officer

12-18 March 2018 Nutrition and Hydration Week

https://nutritionandhydrationweek. co.uk/

The Care Quality Commission has appointed Kirsty Shaw as its chief operating officer.

Kirsty’s career has focused on leading operational change and improvement programmes across a number of public bodies in the environment and food, and agricultural sectors.

13 March 2018 Future of Care Conference

https://futureofcare.co.uk/ 17 April 2018 Care Roadshows

Hampden Park, Glasgow https://www.careroadshows.co.uk/

Balhousie appoints manager in Arbroath

21 April 2018

Balhousie Care Group has appointed a new manager for its Antiquary care home in Arbroath. Cath Maclean brings to the role 20 years of experience in nursing and care homes. As manager of the Antiquary home, she is responsible for almost 60 residents, 20 of them in a self-contained facility for people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

Care Home Open Day

www.carehomeopenday.org.uk 25-26 April 2018 Dementia Care and Nursing Expo

NEC Birmingham www.carehomeexpo.co.uk 25-26 April 2018 Naidex

From work experience to home manager

NEC Birmingham http://www.naidex.co.uk/

Mill Lane Nursing Home in Felixstowe has welcomed the return of a former member of staff twelve years after he first stepped over its threshold, when he undertook work experience.

John Savage becomes manager, demonstrating the path that can be taken for anyone looking for a longterm career in the health and social care industry. He first went to work at the nursing home in 2006 as part of a work experience programme run in partnership with his school.

15 May 2018 Care Roadshows

Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool https://www.careroadshows.co.uk/ 27 June 2018 Care Home Awards ceremony

Platinum Suite, ExCel, London www.carehomeawards.com 27-28 June 2018 Health + Care

ExCel, London www.healthpluscare.co.uk 2-3 July 2018 The Care Forum

Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire https://thecareforum.co.uk/

Bury St Edmunds home appoints manager Stuart Coleman is the new manager at Fornham House residential care home in Fornham St Martin, Bury St Edmunds.

Fornham House is part of the Healthcare Homes Group.

3 July 2018 Care Roadshows

Villa Park, Birmingham https://www.careroadshows.co.uk 44 Care Home Management | March/April 2018

S. DA ED E O IT C T M LA E LI E P FRE E R FR TE IS G

RE

Incorporating:

Building a better future for care 27–28 June 2018 | ExCeL London

THE ONE EVENT WHERE EVERYTHING JUST CLICKS Health+Care returns on 27-28 June 2018 at London ExCel. Business owners, directors and senior managers operating in the care sector visit Health+Care to find solutions to their challenges, explore future growth strategies and long-term integrated plans with the wider healthcare sector.

Join over 4,675 senior care professionals from residential care and homecare who use the event to: Hear from ministerial speakers who set policies that directly affect your business.

Network with CCGs, Local Authority Directors, Trusts and GPs who have new pools of funding you will want to access.

Find out how to encourage choice of care.

Hear how to plan for your next CQC inspection from those who have achieved an outstanding rating.

Discover new innovations and technologies to enhance the services you provide.

Discover new pots of funding.

Health+Care is run in association with:

NCF THE NATIONAL CARE FORUM

SECURE YOUR FREE PASS AT WWW.HEALTHPLUSCARE.CO.UK/CHM Organised by:

March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 45

Y

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR CARE

Product spotlight

FORBO’S STEP: MAKING SPACES INTO SAFER PLACES

AIDING HYGIENE CONTROL WITH THE NEW MATRIX M BASIN Pressalit Care, a leader in furnishings for people with physical disabilities, have launched a new height adjustable wash basin with enhanced features that assist hygiene control.

The Matrix M basin features new integrated power buttons for raising and lowering the basin, and to aid all important hygiene control the plumbing is incorporated into a discreet, concealed unit. The Matrix M features Pressalit Care’s highly regarded grab handles at the front of the basin.

The Matrix M will benefit both users and carers, whilst maintaining the commitment to quality, practicality and design that Pressalit Care has always made its priority.

The flexibility that height adjustable elements bring to a bathroom play a major part in creating a usable space for everyone.

Forbo Flooring Systems has improved its genuine Health and Safety Executive (HSE) compliant safety collection, STEP, offering new on-trend colours and designs to give more freedom in creating beautiful interiors, without having to compromise on slip resistance. But that’s not all; clients can now have any design they wish digitally printed onto the surface of STEP safety flooring.

The new STEP collection, which consists of 11 individual ranges and covers all relevant slip ratings, offers true design freedom, while providing peace of mind to specifiers and end users that it is genuine safety flooring, having been tested to EN13845, which guarantees lifetime slip resistance performance.

Janet Lowe, Head of Marketing UK and Ireland at Forbo Flooring Systems, commented: “We recognised that the industry desired safety flooring that had contemporary aesthetics, rather than the industrial looks that were often associated with this type of safety performance floor covering.”

www.pressalit.com Tel: 0844 8806950 email: uk@pressalit.com

For more information please visit www.forbo-flooring. co.uk/step

POLYFLOR LAUNCHES POLYSAFE QUATTRO PUR Polyflor, the UK’s commercial and residential vinyl flooring specialist, has just announced the launch of their new Polysafe Quattro collection. This innovative safety flooring range offers barefoot and shod sustainable wet slip resistance with a stud-free finish for enhanced comfort underfoot.

Polysafe Quattro has been engineered to offer enhanced slip resistance for bare feet and footwear, achieving 50+ on the Pendulum Test (Slider 96) plus Class B to DIN 51097 for barefoot use and also conforming to the EN 13845 European safety flooring standard, with successful completion of the 50,000 cycles abrasion test. Polysafe Quattro is available as a 2mm gauge flexible sheet which allows it to be thermally welded, coved up walls and easily installed around drains and awkward corners for a hygienic and watertight wall to floor finish.

Available in a colour palette of 12 shades, including warm neutrals, fresh blues and soothing greys that will

complement any interior design scheme in a commercial or residential setting. Six shades feature a subtle tonal chip design, whilst the other six are a solid colour with colour complementary aggregate. Ideal for creating a calming ambience, these designs have been specifically developed for use in dementia friendly environments.

Tom Rollo, Polyflor’s Marketing Manager, comments, “Polysafe Quattro has been designed to enhance both commercial and residential interiors and encourage a sense of wellbeing. This range is an exciting addition to our safety flooring portfolio offering an aesthetically pleasing yet practical solution for areas where there is a high slip risk, so users can feel comfortable and safe.”

Further details www.polyflor.com

25 & 26 APRIL | NEC, BIRMINGHAM

THE EVENT DEDICATED TO CARE HOME GROWTH & ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL CARE MODEL 3,000

200

100

CARE HOME OWNERS

CUTTING EDGE EXHIBITORS

CPD ACCREDITED SEMINARS

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March/April 2018 | Care Home Management 47

48 Care Home Management | March/April 2018