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And now for something completely different...?
We’ve had a while now to process the idea of a Labour government with the polls being overwhelmingly in the party’s favour since the very beginning of the campaign. Nevertheless, it’s hard to know yet what to make of our new government, at least when it comes to social care, because there are still so many question marks surrounding what exactly it intends to do.
The party was cagey from as far back as last year, refusing to reveal budgets around social welfare, ostensibly in order to avoid giving the Conservatives ammunition to use in the lead-up to the election.
Then the Labour manifesto was released. It was received with tentative approval by many in the sector, with Labour seen to have gone further than it could have done, especially in regard to the pledge to create a National Care Service.
What caused scepticism, however, was a certain vagueness around timelines and how the party’s plans would be implemented, as well as costings. Anyone who thinks this is indicative of a promise that will go unfulfilled – you might be right. This is politics, at the end of the day.
As I have said before, all we can do at this point is hope for the best, plan for the worst, and keep campaigning for reform through the first 100 days and beyond.
Meanwhile, this election special edition of the magazine is packed full of advice, opinions and insights from some of the biggest names in care – including Labour peer Baroness Andrews, Barchester chief executive Pete Calveley, Care England chief executive Martin Green, Homecare Association chief executive Jane Townson, Renaissance Care founder and chair Robert Kilgour, The Care Workers’ Charity chief executive officer Karolina Gerlich and many more – all of whom thankfully dive deeper into what the new political landscape means for the sector than I ever could. I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Sam Lewis, Editor-in-chief Caring Times
News in brief
POLICY & POLITICS
Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) raised concerns around the proposed funding for state-funded services under the next government. The IFS stated that despite some promising pledges around areas like social care, the plans for the funding of social services and other publicly funded services have not been thought through sufficiently. The organisation also said that between the Labour and Conservative parties there is a “conspiracy of silence” around “public service spending plans”.
New research has shown that the UK health and social care sector has the lowest redundancy rate of any sector. Data from Money.co.uk shows that there were only 12,000 redundancies in health and care in 2023, a rate of 2.7% – joint lowest with the professional, technical and technical activities sectors. Other industries in the list included wholesale, retail, hospitality, financial, construction and transport. Hypothesising as to the reasons for the low number in health and care, the research document said: “The critical nature of health and social services could be why redundancy rates for these jobs are so low. This is especially true in crises, such as the cost-of-living crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, when more people need support from this sector.”
PROVIDER NEWS
Yew Tree Grange in Redcar, North Yorkshire, opened to residents
following a multimillion-pound investment from the site’s locally owned developer, Prestige Group. The luxury care home is the firm’s flagship development and boasts suite rooms that are “50% larger than standard”, the company claimed, with en suite bathrooms, large beds, furniture packages, in-room fridges, flat-screen TVs and garden patios.
Aurem Care has been awarded Bronze certification by the Armed Forces Covenant, recognising its commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. The certification is part of the Employer Recognition Scheme,
which recognises employers that provide exceptional support to defence personnel and their families. Aurem Care employs a number of former services personnel and aims to widen its reach to spouses and other relatives, including those looking to return to work, perhaps after a deployment overseas.
Scottish care operator Parklands Care Homes has launched a mental health training initiative for employees. Staff at Parklands, which has 12 homes in the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire, are being given the opportunity to take part in a twoday mental health first aid training programme. The company hopes equipping employees with the skills to address mental health challenges will help them to support people experiencing mental health challenges. The training programme will cover topics including recognising signs of distress, offering appropriate support, learning basic suicide intervention techniques, and understanding how to protect mental wellbeing.
Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville attended the opening of a new dementia wing at a Lancashire care
Parklands mental health training, Heather Reid (left) and Lynda Mackenzie
Yew Tree Grange
home. Ribble Valley Care Home, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, invested £2 million in the extension, as reported by the Lancashire Telegraph. The Sky Sports pundit also spoke about the convincing link between a professional football career and the onset of dementia in later life, with research showing players are three and a half times more likely to suffer from the condition. This is believed to be due to frequent heading of the ball, which over time causes damage to the brain.
HOME CARE
Home care provider Right at Home UK launched a campaign to challenge misconceptions surrounding the social care sector and highlight the vital role of community care workers. The More than Care campaign features real care professionals reflecting on their lifechanging and rewarding experiences of caring for people in the community. The campaign aims to showcase the wide range of responsibilities involved in caring for people at home and highlight career opportunities available in the sector.
LEGAL & REGULATORY
Greenways, a care home in Crawley, West Sussex, has been rated Inadequate by the Care Quality Commission following an assessment carried out in February and March. Greenways, run by Adelaide Care, is a residential care home providing personal care to up to six people who have complex learning disabilities and care needs including autism and epilepsy. As well as its Inadequate rating, it has been placed in special measures to protect the people living there.
Architectural practice Holmes Miller has received planning approval for three new care homes in Scotland. The homes are located at Anniesland in Glasgow, Linlithgow in West Lothian, and South Queensferry near Edinburgh. Holmes Miller secured planning approval for the homes on behalf of Morrison Community Care Holdco – a joint venture of Morrison Community Care Group and construction firm CCG (Scotland).
FUNDRAISING/EVENTS
Boutique Care Homes founder and
managing director Ameet Kotecha raised £5,776 to support unpaid carers in Surrey, as part of a fundraising challenge. ‘I’m a Director, Get Me Out of Here!’, organised by Crossroads Care Surrey, saw local directors tackle Bushtucker trials to raise funds to support unpaid carers in the county. Kotecha said: “Family carers are the unsung heroes of the care community, tirelessly dedicating themselves to the wellbeing of their loved ones, often without recognition. Boutique Care Homes stands proudly as an advocate for their invaluable support.”
The second Great British Care Cycle Relay took place across the country, in tandem with Care Home Open Week. The relay started at Sale in Greater Manchester on Monday 24 June and over the course of five days, riders covered more than 300 miles, ending in West London on Friday 28 June. Care Home Open Week and the Great British Care Cycle Relay are initiatives run by Championing Social Care. The aim is to shine a positive light on the work of the care sector.
Ameet Kotecha, Boutique Care Homes
Great British Cycle Relay
Property news
PGIM Real Estate is acquiring the real estate and operations of Signature Senior Lifestyle, an owner, developer and operator of senior housing in the UK. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. The Signature portfolio consists of 13 senior living communities, comprising 10 operating properties and three consented development projects in and around Greater London. Signature’s management team will continue to operate the homes. The acquisition was made in partnership with investment manager Elevation Advisors to source, structure and execute the transaction and asset manage the portfolio.
Four Seasons Health Care announced it will sell the business, including all 46 remaining freehold care homes which trade under either the Four Seasons Health Care or Brighterkind brands. The group has appointed CBRE, an advisory firm in the health and social care sector, to act as advisor to conduct the sales process.
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes has acquired Penylan House, a 75-bed residential and nursing home in Cardiff, from Linc Cymru Housing Association. Business property advisor Christie
& Co managed the sale, which was for an undisclosed sum. Hallmark Luxury Care Homes provides residential, nursing and dementia care to 1,500 residents across 23 locations in England and Wales.
Oakland Care officially opened its latest care home, Osbern Manor, at a VIP launch event on 14 June. The 72-bedroom care home located in the village of Wigmore in Kent, is the tenth to open in the business’s portfolio of care homes across the Southeast and London. The £13 million home will offer amenities such as a café bistro, hair salon, activity room, library, quiet lounges, courtyard and landscaped gardens. It is certified ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM.
Care group Anavo has acquired the 75-bed Lindridge Care Home in Hove, East Sussex, from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT). Brokerage for the transaction was undertaken by Lambert Smith Hampton for SPFT, and Colliers on behalf of Anavo. Anavo runs 11 homes across the UK and has a new build home in Lancing, West Sussex due to open in the third quarter of the year, plus another development in Whitchurch, Shropshire opening soon.
Exemplar Health Care, a nursing care provider for adults with complex and high-acuity needs, opened a new property, Hillside Court in Leeds. The home has 41 large bedrooms, each with en suite facilities, across four units. The home has communal dining and living spaces, sensory bathrooms, an activities hub, therapy room, consultation room, visitors’ suite and a large accessible garden. Construction for Hillside Court began in August 2022, led by Walter Thompson Contractors.
Dovehaven Care Homes has acquired the 120-bed Callands Care Home in Warrington, Cheshire, from HC-One. The home offers residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as catering to more complex conditions. A statement on Dovehaven’s website said: “While the home currently has a history of an ‘inadequate’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, we’re not worried. We have a fantastic track record of taking wonderful care of our residents, and we’re fully committed to bringing Callands up to the same high standards we have in all our homes.”
Oyster Care Homes has opened Copperfield Court, a luxury home in in Broadstairs, Kent offering 24-hour residential, dementia and respite care. The home was developed by LNT Developments and its facilities include a bistro, cinema, hair salon and café. The entire facility is powered by solar photovoltaic panels. Television presenter and newsreader Jan Leeming led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at an opening event attended by the mayor and mayoress of Broadstairs, along with members of the local community.
Danforth Care opened Coronation House in Thetford, Norfolk, which provides 24-hour residential and dementia care. It was
purpose-built by LNT Developments and contains 66 en suite rooms available for one inclusive fee, with 24-hour care and a personalised activity programme, restaurant quality food, on-site cinema, salon, café and library. Each room has an en suite wet room, a flat screen TV, a mini fridge and underfloor heating. 80% of the available roof space has been lined with solar panels, with the homes making their own electricity, and selling what they don’t need back to the grid. The buildings also operate without gas and are A-rated for energy, with an underground system running miles below the home to heat the hot water, provide underfloor heating and air cooling.
Not-for-profit company Somerset Care Group has acquired Green Tree Court nursing home in Exeter. The 68-bedroom luxury dementia and nursing care home will complement Somerset Care Group’s existing home care services in Exeter and East Devon. The organisation also runs 21 care homes in Somerset.
A £12.4 million loan has been provided by development finance lender Atelier to construct a purpose-built, 76-bed care home in Worcester. The care home will replace a derelict former restaurant. This marks Atelier’s second loan with this care home developer and operator.
People moves
The Care Quality Commission’s chief executive Ian Trenholm has stepped down from his role and as a board member of the CQC. Kate Terroni, the CQC’s deputy chief executive is acting as interim chief executive and a permanent appointment will be made in due course. Trenholm said: “During my six years leading CQC, we have made important changes to the way we work in order to help improve care and keep people safe. We are now in the final stages of delivering an ambitious transformation programme; this month saw the delivery of the last big milestone in a complex and challenging programme of work.”
Pat Cullen stepped down from her role at the Royal College of Nursing in order to stand as the Sinn Féin candidate for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency in the general election. Cullen has worked at the RCN for eight years, the last three of which have been spent as general secretary and chief executive. Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s chief nursing officer and deputy general secretary and chief executive, has become the acting RCN general secretary and chief executive in the interim. Meanwhile, the RCN is seeking applicants for a permanent general secretary and chief executive.
in association with
UK where she was managing director for the organisation’s home care business. Before this she was group care services director at Trinity Homecare, having spent more than 20 years in the care sector after beginning her career as a care assistant.
Bidcorp UK has appointed Andy Farnworth as the new managing director of its fresh food division Bidfresh, replacing Brian Hall, who after nearly 20 years at the company is retiring. Farnworth previously spent 16 years at Fresh Direct, most recently as managing director for all of the UK’s fresh operations, and before that as sales and marketing director.
Not-for-profit dementia care specialist Belong has appointed Cheryl Davies as general manager for its Macclesfield village. Davies, whose career spans more than three decades, returns to Macclesfield following three years as general manager at sister village Belong Crewe. Until 2021, Davies was Belong Macclesfield’s registered manager, responsible for its 24-hour care and nursing provision for 72 residents. Prior to this, she established the group’s home care service, Belong at Home. In addition, Caroline Ray has been appointed as the general manager of Belong’s newest village in Chester.
Home care group Bluebird Care has appointed Melony Fairchild as operations director, overseeing five offices across Southeast England and London. Fairchild joins the group from Nurseplus
Nourish Care has appointed Matthew Stewart as the new chief product officer of its digital care management software. Stewart was previously chief product officer of Orgvue, the design and
Ian Trenholm
Pat Cullen
Melony Fairchild
Cheryl Davies and Caroline Ray Belong
workforce planning software-as-a-service platform. Before that, he worked for Experian Decision Analytics.
Healthcare Homes Group has appointed Karen Williams as home manager of Bedhampton Court Care Home in Havant, Hampshire, which provides residential, nursing, respite, palliative care, and care for younger adults with disabilities. Williams has experience of the NHS and the private sector. She qualified as a nurse in 1984 and has worked both as a nurse and a manager and spent significant time in end-of-life care, working as a manager of
a hospice and as a specialist nurse in the community. Williams is also a qualified chemotherapy nurse.
Healthcare Homes Group also appointed Ben Rogers as home manager of Saxlingham Hall Care Home in Norwich, a 34-bed facility providing residential, nursing, respite and palliative care. Rogers has worked in the care sector since the age of 16 and has experience of various care settings, with a particular emphasis on caring for the elderly. Over the past 15 years, he has gained management experience, primarily as a troubleshooting manager, effectively leading and improving care homes to achieve better standards of care.
House in Wiltshire has appointed trained nurse Rosie Hardie as care home manager. Mavern House provides nursing, dementia, residential and respite care for up to 54 residents. Hardie worked as a community district nurse for eight years, then moved to the NHS’s crisis intervention team in North Wales, eventually managing a group of more than 20 people. In the private sector she helped to establish a new dementia village in Chester and acted as regional manager across six care homes in North Wales and Chester.
Mavern
Karen Williams
Ben Rogers
Malvern House
The root of the problem
Caring Times editor Sam Lewis discusses the recent news that a “comfortable” retirement reportedly costs Brits more than £1 million, and reflects on what this says about the country’s struggling social care system
Reading about the scarily large amount of money needed for a “comfortable” retirement, I found myself pondering the real, often unspoken problem facing the UK social care system.
For those of us working in the sector day in, day out, it’s easy to find oneself in the weeds, blinkered, focusing on the minutiae and not seeing the bigger picture.
When I attend conferences and events in the sector, the discussions cover all manner of challenges faced by care services: from the major –lack of funding, the need for reform, recruitment and retention, the government’s apparent lack of concern, issues with the regulator and local authorities – to the, if not minor, then more specific – marketing, training, nutrition, fostering a good work culture, tech implementation… I could go on.
The conversation always seems to come back to “We need more funding and reform”, but I’ve always found this a frustrating topic. Not because I disagree with the sentiment, but because, even in my short two years writing about the sector, it feels more and more like a fruitless endeavour.
I don’t know how many years or decades the sector has been going round in circles, asking for these things from various governments, but, while I believe we should keep campaigning, I don’t think we should count on the
“However, what we often neglect to discuss when talking around this subject is the true cause, the root of the problem: population.”
support we want any time soon. ‘Hope for the best; plan for the worst’ seems an appropriate position to take, especially at a time when the new government’s intentions for social care are still something of a question mark.
However, what we often neglect to discuss when talking around this subject is the true cause, the root of the problem: population.
Or, more specifically, the UK’s ageing population.
I know I’m not breaking news to anyone here. It’s obvious; when one generation is more populous than the next, the burden on the younger generation when the elder reaches retirement age is greater.
Now add onto that inflation, as well as the dramatically increased length of most people’s retirements compared to several decades ago, and you have an unsustainable elderly population. This is the cost of our improved healthcare, of our growing longevity, and our trend towards having fewer children. All of this is good stuff, but it comes with a nasty side effect.
This is the true cause of the social care sector’s woes. I don’t want to
come across as though I am blaming anyone here, and I’m also very aware that there are plenty of other issues to tackle, from the ground level right up to central government, but the biggest issue of them all is the age demographic breakdown of our population.
The country is quite literally out of balance, as a result of growing life expectancies and increasing wealth disparity, and the financial burden has become almost unsustainable. We now
Sam Lewis
“In the meantime, however, we need to work out a means of looking after our elderly without sacrificing their quality of life, along with our economy, because that’s exactly what is happening right now.”
can, apparently, no longer afford to support all of our older and vulnerable citizens – at least not in a dignified way that affords them maximum quality of life in their later years.
So, what can be done about this?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer. As far as I know, there’s no silver bullet. Nor do I have a magic wand to wave. I wish I did.
Ironically, attracting as many international workers as possible is one solution that comes to mind. Bringing
in younger workers will go some way to redressing the imbalance in our population. Sadly, our last government did everything in its power to deter migrants, only worsening the situation for the care sector. We’re yet to find out if the new government will do anything to rectify the issue, but the Labour manifesto would have you believe the party will take a similar tack to its opponent, the Conservative Party.
Indeed, Labour was criticised preelection (and even prior to the launch of its manifesto) for pledging to reduce immigration without having a proper workforce plan for adult social care.
Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “Care England has long said that in order to reduce the sector’s reliance on overseas staff, reform must be delivered that makes the sector a more attractive destination for the domestic workforce. This means boosted pay, terms and conditions, the chance for career progression and parity of esteem with colleagues in the NHS. Labour must deliver on these priorities and engage in meaningful consultation with the adult social care sector in the production of its workforce and training plan. The judgement whether a sector has taken ‘sufficient steps’ to boost training and skills being at the discretion
of the minister is a cause for concern.”
One provider I spoke to last month told me that he believes the number of care sector vacancies will have risen to more than 200,000 by the time Skills for Care’s annual sector workforce data is released this month. This would mark an increase of a third over the already horrifying, record 152,000 vacancies in 2022/23.
Of course, when we get down to topics like immigration, this can be an incredibly difficult conversation to have, and it can become political and argumentative very quickly, which is not my intention.
Sometimes, though, it’s the difficult conversations that are the most important. If other countries are to follow the population trajectory seen in places like the UK and Japan, it is actually a good thing; in the long-term it will bring down the global population and curtail some of the issues caused by overpopulation. In that sense, ageing populations can be seen as a necessary evil, one which will help us secure a better future for the next generations.
In the meantime, however, we need to work out a means of looking after our elderly without sacrificing their quality of life, along with our economy, because that’s exactly what is happening right now.
A decade of care leadership
Barchester Healthcare chief executive Pete Calveley talks to Caring Times to mark the 10th anniversary of his joining the company and talks about the election, the future of the Care Quality Commission, and why the provider is in the best place it has ever been
How’s how is business going at the moment?
Really good. Quality-wise, we’ve hit our highest ever CQC ratings with Good and Outstanding at 86.5% and no Inadequate homes. The rest are rated Requires improvement, and lots of those haven’t been inspected for years, so we’re very ready for inspection – it’s a bit frustrating.
We always put quality first. Ever since I’ve been here, we have always believed that if you put quality first in each of your homes and hospitals, you’ll get the best reputation locally. You’ll become the provider of choice, and you’ll get commercial success, but only in that order.
Commercially speaking, things are great. We’ve now got 260 care homes and private hospitals, with over 13,000 residents and patients.
You mentioned struggling to get the CQC to reinspect some of your homes, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the sector’s complaints. Do you think the regulator’s days are numbered? You may or may not be aware, we actually put a judicial review in against the CQC, because of their implementation of the single assessment framework, which we thought was chaotic. There was no commitment that they’d actually look at the homes which have gone the longest without inspection. Some of our homes haven’t been inspected in nearly seven years, and there was no promise that they were going to prioritise those homes or even give us a timetable.
One of the most frustrating things
“We actually put a judicial review in against the CQC.”
about this is that these ratings are actually misleading. We have to publish on our website the fact that a home is rated Requires improvement or whatever it may be. After seven years, we may have had two different managers come and go, neither of whom were actually responsible for the last inspection. All our staff feel a bit demoralised, and managers think, “Why would I go to a home that is Requires improvement with no guarantee that it will be inspected in my time there?”
The staff have all worked so hard to put that Requires improvement rating in the rear-view mirror, and now with our internal audit system I don’t doubt these homes would be Good or Outstanding, because that very much mirrors the CQC inspections. It’s quite demoralising.
Thankfully, since we had a meeting with them, they’ve actually committed to showing a timetable and prioritising homes that have gone the longest since their last inspection, particularly those that are either Inadequate or Requires improvement.
Another big problem with the single assessment framework was that, even
though the CQC inspects based on around 30 quality statements, they were only initially committing to look at five or six of those quality statements in an inspection, and after seven years that’s simply not good enough. Such lacklustre inspections undermine public confidence in the regulator and in care homes.
People have even made jokes about doing your own whistleblowing anonymously to try and get the
Pete Calveley
“There’s a huge amount more that the care sector can do if we work in partnership with the NHS.”
inspectors in. I’m not sure if it’s ever happened, but there’s a sort of urban myth that it might.
Fortunately, they are making some compromises and I’m hoping that they will implement them as they’ve suggested.
Profits were up for Barchester in the 2022/23 financial year. What do you put that down to?
An element of that is that we’re growing. We build 10 new care homes a year, so that helps in some senses, but also, when you open a new care home, you usually make a loss in the first year. If you’re opening 10, it drags your profitability back a bit. The flipside of that is that the historic ones we opened three or four years ago are now trading well.
When it comes to the commercial side of the business, we operate on a home-by-home basis, just as we do on the quality side. Then we break down the commercial elements – whether it’s occupancy or whether it’s agency use, staffing, procurement costs – and we focus on every single aspect of it. For example, recruitment was quite difficult a couple of years ago across the sector and agency use was very high. Now though, we are very well recruited thanks to our fantastic recruitment team, and only about 0.5% of our working hours are filled by agency staff, which is a tiny amount compared to the sector average. This was really important to us because obviously agency staffing is very expensive as labour costs go, but also it’s inconsistent for residents – they’re
getting staff who don’t know them and haven’t been trained in the ‘Barchester way’.
Elsewhere, things like procurement, occupancy and fee negotiations – all of those elements are coming together and are always underpinned by our focus on quality driving our reputation in local markets, which is why profits have been so strong.
The most important thing is a relentless focus on every detail of every home and every hospital. This means we can help and support the teams on the ground, but we can also fix problems as we see they’re arising.
What do you think of Labour winning the general election? Will it be a good thing for social care?
That’s a tough one. There’s a lot of talk about “You can’t fix the NHS without fixing social care” because they are interdependent and mutually supportive, and yet, historically, people have treated them as different silos.
The idea of having a whole care community that works well with admission, treatment and discharge to the right setting from hospital is, of course, appealing – whether that’s back at home, supported sometimes by domiciliary care, or whether it’s a care home. There’s a huge amount more that the care sector can do if we work in partnership with the NHS, social services and local authorities in terms of getting that integrated care; that mutual understanding of where the best place is for a person and what skills you need in each of those places to make sure people get the best care and best rehabilitation
to maximise the opportunity of them going back into the community.
That all requires great joined-up thinking, and it requires proper funding and an acceptance of the true cost of care for the service that’s being provided.
There were changes to the Health and Care Worker visa earlier this year, namely the banning of migrants bringing dependants with them. Has this significantly affected Barchester or were you not particularly reliant on overseas staff before the change?
We have 19,000 employees and each year our international recruitment team works really well with the homes we are prioritising because they are struggling to recruit in their particular locality. This means we bring over about 300 nurses or carers a year from different parts of the world.
In the first few months since it was implemented, we’ve not seen a reduction in applications or a slowing of people moving through the application process. But, as you can see, 300 out of 19,000 staff isn’t a major proportion of our workforce, so it’s not a major worry for us.
You’ve just hit a big milestone: 10 years at the helm at Barchester. Congratulations – how does that feel? It’s so, so great. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it’s absolutely flown by, that 10 years.
I started on 1 June 2014 and there was a load of work to do to put that qualityfirst agenda into place and start those improvements. It was also a massive job selecting the right senior team, operational teams and support teams,
as well as general managers and their teams in the homes.
It’s been such a full-on experience, but I think we’ve got to a really great place now. We’ve got fantastic teams and support across the board, and I think we’ve achieved a huge amount.
We started that new-build programme – 10 new-builds a year. We also started refurbishing the whole estate to make sure that the lived environment is ideal for the lived experience of the residents and their families, but also a great work environment for our staff.
Every year we upgrade a number of homes to improve that experience for both residents and staff. That number will be around 27 this year, and we’re actually investing around £24 million. It’s the right thing to do, especially when the homes are more profitable, because it means we can deliver an increasingly fantastic quality of service. Their success means we can reinvest back into those homes, back into staff.
We try and support our staff in every way we can, with their wellbeing and their work environment, but also their career pathway. Barchester has a personal development plan for literally every member of staff. That provides an opportunity for every member of staff
“Every year we upgrade a number of homes to improve that experience for both residents and staff.”
to sit down and say “OK, if I want to get to there, what support or training or courses do I need in order to achieve my aspiration?” It’s things like this that have got staff turnover and staff satisfaction well above the healthcare average.
So many of our team members have developed and progressed through the business. Some of them have started as carers or senior carers and ended up being general managers or regional directors in our business. Deputy managers have gone on to become general managers because we have our ‘Barchester way’ – it’s our blueprint of what we’ve learnt over the last 10 years or more and how we want things to be done across every aspect of running a care home or hospital.
Unsurprisingly, there’s a certain way people have to be trained. When our staff train through the ‘Barchester way’ and communicate and pursue their own
personal aspirations, we end up with great retention, career development and staff satisfaction.
That’s one of our most satisfying achievements over the last 10 years –the fact that we actually invest in the buildings, invest in staff development and look after their wellbeing. There was a time when we weren’t a living wage employer, and now we pay a minimum of 40p above the living wage. Often the average is more than £1 over the living wage.
CBT cares
Find out why Charles Bloe Training (CBT) is not just your run-of-the-mill training provider
At Charles Bloe Training (CBT)
we care.
We care about you, and we care about your patients, clients and residents. We are passionate about facilitating knowledge and confidence through our training, and by focusing on the needs of those receiving care, our training aims to result in excellent, safer and more dignified care for your patients, clients and residents.
We cover a wide choice of training across mandatory, clinical and complex care and we offer face-to-face, virtual and e-learning options too. We have a range of monthly open courses available for individuals and small groups to book on to directly, and have different options for virtual learning and face-to-face delivery. But what we really enjoy is getting to know you, and your organisation, so we can work in partnership with you to deliver your training. We can tailor the training to your needs, ethos and working practices so that we can ensure that everything we represent, aligns with what you represent. Our training can be delivered in your training rooms, or we can arrange venues for you.
We believe learning never stops –whether that’s on the job, from your patients, clients and residents, with peers and colleagues, or in our training rooms with our skilled, experienced trainers.
When designing our training we work closely with you and your teams,
“We believe learning never stops – whether that’s on the job, from your patients, clients and residents, with peers and colleagues, or in our training rooms with our skilled, experienced trainers.”
so we understand your training needs, and while we ensure we are meeting compliance requirements, we also want your staff to leave our sessions feeling competent and confident. We want them to feel inspired, and that what they have learnt is tailored to their role and your setting. We do this through sharing knowledge, experience and skills, asking lots of questions, and relaying the information learners need in an engaging, meaningful and fun way.
We definitely don’t do tick-box training! You will never find us delivering our training in ‘packed’ classrooms. Instead, we limit the numbers of delegates on our courses so that we can offer a quality, interactive learning experience. Our training educates and inspires learners to be the best carer or practitioner they can be, and it is delivered by amazing, knowledgeable and passionate trainers who work hard to stay up to date in their fields of expertise.
We do everything we can to ensure your experience of arranging training with our team is seamless. We listen
to feedback and we are proud that we consistently receive outstanding feedback from those attending our courses. We use independent feedback provider Coursecheck on all our courses and in almost 30,000 reviews we average a score of 4.8 out of 5.
Quality runs through everything we do but our team is also caring, compassionate, dedicated, loyal and fun. If this sounds like the sort of team you’d like to work with, then we’d love to hear from you.
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A carers-first approach
William Walter, managing director of Bridgehead Communications, sits down with Labour peer Baroness Andrews, former chair of the Adult Social Care Committee, to discuss the social care policies announced during the election campaign and what the new government should do for carers
The Conservative manifesto promised to enact fully the delayed reforms to social care, including the cap on lifetime costs. Do you believe this policy alone would have been sufficient to deal with the challenges for people seeking to access care for themselves or their loved ones?
No. Not at all. It’s a partial and very much delayed response to only part of the challenges of providing social care on an equal and just basis. First, this commitment has been delayed for so long that the cap itself needs to be revisited.
A policy for social care has to respond to the pattern of needs and resources across the whole sector; the workforce is, as we know, absolutely critical, and that includes pay and professional standards and how care is provided at home.
That also involves bringing together health and housing policy, building and adapting homes for people who need support at home, and ensuring that health and social care are working more closely now that the integrated care boards are in place.
The Liberal Democrats and Greens have both pledged to implement Scottish-style free personal care in England and Wales in their platforms. Is Scotland’s approach and model one that
“It’s not at all clear the price that other parts of the health and social care services in Scotland have paid for free personal social care.”
can effectively meet England’s care needs in the long term? I think this is a counsel of perfection. You cannot make easy or credible promises based on comparisons between the small population and the different priorities of Scotland with the vast and complex communities of England and Wales.
Moreover, it’s not at all clear the price that other parts of the health and social care services in Scotland have paid for free personal social care. Clearly, there must be trade-offs because we have to deal with the realities of financing the complex range of needs that have to be met.
The priority should be that those most vulnerable and with the fewest resources should not be penalised because a more generous policy leaves them at particular risk. All these factors and choices have to be weighed against what is essential, just and affordable.
The government has implemented a ban on care workers bringing dependants with them to the UK which has already led to an 83% drop in visas in March this year compared to the previous year. Given that the sector faces around 150,000 vacancies [via 2023 data from Skills for Care], can this situation be sustained without exacerbating workforce shortages?
Policy for the social care workforce has swung wildly around recently, and now there’s even more instability created in the system. We cannot build a workforce policy that relies on immigration which, predictably, has brought its own complications and unfairness.
We are fortunate that we can draw on skilled and compassionate overseas workers, but it has to be properly thought through in the context of a proper pay and career structure for UK workers. In the short and long term, we need a guaranteed offer for social care workers based on decent pay and dignity and a progressive career structure, which
will mean they can commit to it in the long term.
Labour has retained its commitment to a fair payment agreement in the sector. Is such a policy a suitable means of improving the incentives for people to pursue a career in social care, or could it force impossible costs onto local authorities already near bankruptcy?
I think that this is the first and absolutely critical step in building a resilient and sustainable care workforce for the future. However, it will have to be appropriately grounded in realistic expectations about the costs and evidence of what will work best and fairly.
The experience of local authorities and their knowledge of how to retain and recruit care workers will be essential to getting it right. The financial requirements and impacts have to be transparently worked through, and local authorities and care workers' organisations are critical to this.
However, the point is that, in the long term, it can save costs as a professional care workforce will enable better planning of services without the need for agency work and constant improvisation. It will be a game-changer in the way care workers are seen as
Baroness Andrews
skilled professionals, and it will be the first step in creating a profession people are proud to work for and can afford to work in.
Finally, the recent scandal of unpaid carers being forced to pay fines for breaches in the Carer’s Allowance has shocked the nation. How should the new government go about incentivising and supporting the millions of unpaid carers upon which the sector is dependent? This is indeed a scandal
because we know that while the system was alert to where unpaid carers had gone beyond the legal limits, it did not alert the people involved and allowed them to build up outstanding debts to be repaid.
This should never have happened, and we need reassurance that it will no longer occur, along with acknowledging that such debts should rightly be written off. Unpaid carers need an advocate and a champion – a commissioner who will
give them additional profile and support, more provision to identify them when they come into contact with the health service and social services, and a more straightforward pathway for support.
Moreover, the Carer’s Allowance needs to be revisited, and working hours should be made more flexible. In short, they need more support, not more pressure, given what they give back not just to their families or friends for whom they care, but to society as a whole.
Cinderella service
Robert D Kilgour, founder and chairman of The Social Care Foundation, asks whether now is finally the time for meaningful social care reform – or whether the carriages and footmen are about to turn back into pumpkins and mice at the stroke of midnight now the election is over
Everyone agrees that social care is not working well at the moment and that it’s in urgent need of major reform and that such reform will not be a quick fix. It will, in my opinion, ideally need cross-party agreement to improve its chances of success, largely due to the likely lengthy timescale involved in the reform journey.
Most people also recognise that we need better and more integration between the NHS and social care. Currently, separate budgets too often lead to lengthy discharge delays, against clinical advice, incurring the waste of taxpayers’ money. Working smarter would lead to much more efficient use of scarce resources.
It is a simple statement of fact that you cannot fix the NHS’s problems without fixing social care. Social care is much larger than the NHS, and if social care collapses, then expect the NHS to follow, leading to worse bedblocking, more cancelled operations and longer NHS waiting lists. The social care sector needs to come to an agreement with the government on fair and realistic long-term funding and workforce plans, with the government and local authorities finally accepting that they need to pay care home and home care fees closer to the true cost of care.
Some low-hanging-fruit changes and improvements that would greatly help
“It is a simple statement of fact that you cannot fix the NHS’s
problems without fixing social care.”
social care include: local authorities and the NHS being encouraged to pay bills promptly; better ring-fencing of social care funds received by local authorities so that they don’t get diverted and used for other purposes; better and more direct access for social care to existing available technology funds so they don’t have to go through local authorities; better promotion of careers in social care, such as a targeted PR campaign; and the appointment of an elderly care commissioner who could take a broad view of, and advocate for, elderly care across all sectors.
Some other practical suggestions worth serious consideration by the new government include: reform of the Better Care Fund in order to make it more productive and efficient; the introduction of a local authorities VAT scheme which would significantly help the sector’s finances; the introduction of a national care home contract like the one that has operated successfully in Scotland since 2006/07; double the Nurse Bursary to over £10,000 per annum (similar to its current level in Scotland) to encourage more mature students and others to train as nurses; introduce a higher living wage for carers, akin to the one that has operated successfully in Scotland since 2016; improve the current visa situation; and use of the British Infrastructure Bank to deliver long-term, low-interest mortgages to care home operators, thus encouraging and enabling an increase in local authority care provision.
Faced with a new government, with many pressing financial pressures and priorities on its plate, desperately needed major reform is unlikely to happen very soon. The social care sector will therefore need to continue to battle on with its current long-established practice of ‘self-help’ and doing the best that it can, but that is no longer enough to ensure the long-term survival
“Faced with a new government, with many pressing financial pressures and priorities on its plate, desperately needed major reform is unlikely to happen very soon.”
of vital front line services. It would also be a great help to discussions going forward if the sector could establish a clearer and simpler single voice vehicle to better engage with the government on all issues during the likely very challenging and lengthy reform journey. My personal and passionate plea to politicians of all parties is please to get together post-election and finally sort out social care. All the amazing front line social care staff, the vulnerable people they care for, and their families, deserve nothing less.
Robert D Kilgour
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Efficiency saves and improves lives
Judy Boniface-Chang, chief customer officer at home care platform provider Birdie, says care businesses can enhance their quality of care with minimal financial support
The home care sector is facing an efficiency crisis. With a rapidly ageing population, the demand on the UK care sector is becoming more overwhelmed by the day.
This year, a Local Government Association report found that one in every three local councils is no longer confident it can meet its basic legal duties towards elderly residents, mainly due to capacity and efficiency challenges. Something needs to be done and the ‘broken’ system must be strengthened and rectified.
Unfortunately, this problem won’t disappear overnight, no matter Labour’s promises. Consequently, the current inefficiency in the sector runs the risk of continuing, leaving home care businesses having to figure it out themselves. So, how can care businesses enhance their quality of care with minimal financial support?
Save time by digitalising records
For home care providers, the first step should be to optimise operations to reduce time spent on lengthy administrative processes. Over half of social care professionals still work with paper records, which increases the chance of delay, error, and heightened frustration. New digital technologies can offer countless opportunities for home care providers to improve their operational efficiency. For example, by digitalising
“The home care sector is facing an efficiency crisis. With a rapidly ageing population, the demand on the UK care sector is becoming more overwhelmed by the day.”
all record-taking, information becomes easier to manage and share between staff. Utilising smart technology in your home care business can also facilitate a more personalised, proactive approach since insights about clients’ requirements are easier to extract and prepare for.
However, technology cannot be simply applied as a blanket solution across the sector. Every care business knows that administration is the backbone of their work; it pays to spend time ensuring that data is tracked efficiently and wisely. Care businesses should assess what they need from their technology and the time they have to put a system in place, before spending time and money on solutions that might not work for their practice.
Effective scheduling and communication
Home care is known for having plenty of moving parts and quickly changing priorities. While all care businesses are sure to have a scheduling and communications process in place, outdated practices can create more issues than they solve, such as overbooking, missed appointments and lengthy travel times.
An electronic scheduling system can streamline processes, allowing carers to view changing schedules on the go. Many scheduling systems now include automated algorithms to optimise rosters based on the location of workers and the skills available.
Scheduling systems and digital records can aid communication between staff to ensure that care is continuous. Both care coordinators and carers can feel confident that technology has helped plan the visit appropriately and tracked the key medication and tasks for each client to share it with relevant individuals. For carers, spending less time on travelling and communicating with office staff provides more time to focus on care delivery. For office staff,
“For care businesses that have already updated their technology solutions, implementing a standardised visit protocol can be a game-changer.”
having real-time visibility on clients’ needs and concerns, as well as knowing that the client’s family members have access to the same information, simplifies communication between all parties.
Standardise care protocols to enhance routine care
For care businesses that have already updated their technology solutions, implementing a standardised visit protocol can be a game-changer. Having a set of critical components for each care visit not only ensures that carers consistently perform essential tasks that lead to better care outcomes, but also allows the carers to build familiarity and confidence around care routines so they can focus more on the client.
In summary, in order to run a robust care business, enhancing efficiencies is key. While there are lots of constraints, there are still many opportunities to do things better without compromising the quality of care. Although changing the habit and status quo of doing things might be daunting, it can also bring many potential upsides. Ultimately, by dismantling barriers to efficiency in the sector, care businesses have the power to enable carers to prioritise what truly matters – delivering enhanced quality care and benefiting the community.
Homecare Association’s seven demands
With this month’s magazine being an election special, the team at Caring Times knew it needed to hear from all corners of the sector, and who better to explain home care’s demands for Sir Keir Starmer than Homecare Association chief executive Jane Townson
The UK faces growing demand for care services because of an ageing population and chronic ill-health. To meet this challenge, we must transform how we fund, provide and ensure access to care. Our manifesto for home care highlights seven areas of focus for the new government.
1. Home at the heart
Older and disabled people prefer to receive support and care at home. We need increased public awareness of the value of home care and for ‘home first’ to become the default option. The government, NHS and councils must give people clear information so they can make informed choices. When assessing needs, it’s important to prioritise supporting individuals at home. This includes assessing their homes and providing adaptations or technology to assist.
2. Power in partnership
Collaboration across social care, health, housing and voluntary sectors is crucial for addressing people's complex needs efficiently. Home care providers must have a voice in integrated care system discussions and decision-making at all levels. To empower people needing and giving care, we must engage them in shaping services.
“The UK faces growing demand for care services because of an ageing population and chronic ill-health.”
3. Innovate to improve
With the use of data and predictive analytics, we can identify those at higher risk and take action early to maintain health. We need models of home care that prioritise prevention and address social factors to extend healthy lifespans. By combining technology, data analysis and in-person care, we can enhance the quality and efficiency of home care.
4. Care as a career
To meet rising demand for care, the sector will need 440,000 more care workers by 2035. We need a workforce strategy to attract and retain a skilled home care workforce within the UK. This must address recruitment, retention, training, working conditions, recognition, collaboration, workforce planning and funding. Investment is necessary to ensure care experts at all levels receive fair and secure pay and terms and conditions of employment.
5. Invest in the future
We need a multi-year funding settlement of an extra £18 billion a year for social care to meet future demand, improve access to care and cover costs. The government must find new ways to fund care. Suggestions include: a cap on lifetime care costs; a social care insurance scheme; private insurance; and publicprivate partnerships.
6. Commission for value
Councils and the NHS must commission for long-term value and outcomes, not short-term price, which risks substandard care. Investing in early support and prevention helps reduce future costs. Contracting models that provide secure income can improve employment conditions and foster innovation.
The government must fund councils to pay a fair cost of care and legislate to ensure they pay a minimum tariff to ensure providers can comply with regulations.
7. Regulate to protect Effective regulation is essential for protecting the rights and wellbeing of those who draw on home care services. By ensuring all providers of personal care meet rigorous standards and dealing swiftly with poor performance, regulators can drive quality improvement and ensure public confidence in services. Regulators must be well-led, adequately resourced, and held to account for their performance. All providers of personal care should be subject to oversight. A professional register for care experts should recognise their skills and maintain standards.
With smart strategies, collaboration and investment, we can build a future where more of us remain healthy for longer. Supporting people at home must be at the heart of government policy.
Jane Townson
Champion care sector fundraising
Tariq Raja, foundation manager at the CareTech Foundation, previews Championing Social Care’s ever-more popular Care Sector Fundraising Ball 2024, taking place on 28 September
In a world where technology, economies and ways of working are ever-evolving, the need for dynamic and innovative fundraising has never been more important. At a time when many are struggling to make ends meet, it is often the organisations reliant on the generosity of others that feel the harshest impact, potentially halting the incredible work they do to help those in greatest need. It is for this reason that the CareTech Foundation is honoured to support the Care Sector Fundraising Ball 2024 as the philanthropy partner. The CareTech Foundation boasts a rich and fruitful history with Championing Social Care, having played a pivotal role in its growth and development from its inception until earlier this year. With immense pride, we stepped away from our direct involvement with Championing Social Care as it matured into an entity capable of standing on its own. This shared history made the decision to join forces once again for the event an unequivocal one. The prospect of participating in an evening of philanthropy and celebration, akin to those we have cherished in the past, held an allure that was as compelling as ever.
We are proud to support the 2024 ball as it aims to fundraise for two remarkable organisations: Marie Curie and The Care Workers’ Charity. We have a history with both organisations
"It's important for the foundation to be a part of an event like this, as the social care sector is often overlooked and underappreciated."
as they have benefited from the foundation's ‘Match Funding Grant’ and ‘Partnership Grant’. We hope the funds raised on the night can act as a catalyst so they can continue to carry out their amazing work, equipped with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
As well as raising funds for such great organisations that make meaningful contributions to society, the ball, as always, will be an evening to celebrate the often unsung heroes of the social care sector and highlight the amazing impact the sector makes. Speeches – as well as performances such as that of the Care Sector’s Got Talent winners from last year's ball – are still vivid memories of the amazing celebration had. We hope that this year will be even bigger and better.
It's important for the foundation to be a part of an event like this, as the social care sector is often overlooked and underappreciated. The ball also serves as a platform to showcase the great work happening and the real difference being made, so it's vital we get involved and make as much noise as we can about the brilliance within the sector.
As we look towards the ball, we do so with a profound sense of pride and optimism. By rallying together in support of Marie Curie and The Care Workers’ Charity, we reaffirm
our belief in the power of collective action and community support. We have an unwavering commitment to fostering positive change and creating a better society for all. We hope that through the Care Sector Fundraising Ball, both Marie Curie and the Care Workers’ Charity will receive the resources and support they need to continue their invaluable work and the care sector will get the recognition it deserves. Together we stand united in support of these organisations and the remarkable individuals they serve, ensuring that no one is left behind in our collective pursuit of a brighter, more compassionate future.
Tariq Raja
Heavy fine for registered manager
Katherine Wackett, senior associate at law firm Mills & Reeve, reports on the case of a care home manager prosecuted for failing to protect a vulnerable resident from sexual assault
In last month’s article, we noted the rise in Care Quality Commission prosecutions, in particular for breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
While we often see prosecutions against registered providers, usually companies, a care home manager in Warwickshire has recently been successfully prosecuted by the CQC for breach of Regulation 12 and Regulation 13. The manager was fined £1,600 and ordered to pay more than £8,000 to the CQC for its costs in bringing the prosecution.
This case concerned a female resident of the home who had Alzheimer’s disease. She therefore lacked capacity to consent to sexual relations. A male resident of the same home was found in her bedroom leaning over and kissing her, with his trousers down. Staff witnessed this and told the registered manager, suggesting that the male resident be moved to another room. The registered manager told the staff action would be taken but did not give the staff any advice or guidance on how to manage the resident or the risk he posed. Importantly, the registered manager also did not take any action – she did not follow the safeguarding policy, nor did she make any referrals, such as a safeguarding referral to the local authority or a referral to the police.
Less than two weeks after this incident, a member of staff found
“This case demonstrates how important it is for registered managers to follow the policies and procedures”
the same male resident on top of the same female resident, engaging in sexual activity. At this time, the police were called and the male resident was arrested, although no further action was taken by the police.
The CQC investigated this incident and found that there had been a breach of:
• Regulation 12 – there had been a failure to provide safe care and treatment to the female resident. In particular, there had been a failure to adequately assess and mitigate the risk the male resident posed; and • Regulation 13 – there had been a failure to protect the female resident from abuse and improper treatment. In particular, there had been a failure to follow systems and processes that were in place to prevent abuse. Following the investigation, the CQC decided to prosecute the registered manager under Regulation 22. The manager was prosecuted for failure to comply with Regulations 12 and 13, such failure resulting in avoidable harm to the female resident and the significant risk of harm to other residents. Importantly, this demonstrates that the offence can be committed even where there’s no actual harm but a significant risk of harm (although in this case, there was both
actual harm and significant risk of harm).
Registered managers have legal responsibility to ensure compliance with the regulations. This case demonstrates how important it is for registered managers to follow the policies and procedures that are in place, and to report incidents when they happen. Had the registered manager followed the safeguarding policy and reported the first incident, the second incident is unlikely to have happened and she may have avoided prosecution.
Katherine Wackett
34 LEADER’S SPOTLIGHT
Visiting
32 LEGAL & REGULATORY
Sector reacts to Ian Trenholm’s sudden CQC departure
38 OPINION
The
40 SURVEYS & DATA
Hallmark’s diabetes training for staff and how it benefits residents
Angels’ UK chief executive Dan Archer on the election, local authorities and fixing social care
Care Workers’ Charity chief executive Karolina Gerlich outlines what care workers need from the new government
Creative Caring
As always, carers have been demonstrating their creativity through fun and innovative events for their residents
Having a ball
Residents and staff from Shockerwick House Bupa Care Home in Bath, Somerset, geared up for the return of Netflix favourite, Bridgerton, by recreating the show. Staff transformed the 18th century mansion conversion into an enchanting regency-era fairy tale, hiring costumes and setting up classic shots including afternoon tea, croquet and reading the latest copy of Lady Whistledown’s newsletter.
Fun with frogs
Hastings-based MHA Lauriston received a visit from animal handling firm Jaws N Claws, which brought bullfrogs, lizards, cockroaches, snakes and a bearded dragon to meet the residents. Dionne McEwan, home manager, said: “Phil from Jaws N Claws bought some frogs which were from the Dominican Republic and the residents found them really interesting.”
Princess parade Park View Care Home in Witham, Essex, part of the Runwood Homes group, welcomed the Witham Carnival Queens and Princesses for a visit organised by wellbeing lead Diane Anderson. "The Carnival Queens visit our home every year, and the residents really enjoy their visits,” said Anderson. “This is a really special day for the residents, as they enjoy looking at the lovely dresses the Carnival Court wears.”
On your bike
When retro bike group the Grumpy Grandads came to help Colten Care’s Poole home Bourne View celebrate its fifth anniversary, they made sure the occasion had the feel of a 1960s Mod-era road trip. Resident Pam Pamphilon said: “I used to have bikes in the past and it was marvellous to sit on one again.” The celebration also included a party with music from singing duo The Land Girls.
Bake for victory
Sandstone Care Group’s Telford Hall Care Home in Shropshire hosted a 1940s baking workshop for residents, families and the local community, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The workshop was run by Katie's Kids Kitchen, with festivities taking place to a backdrop of lively wartime
music. Maria Armstrong, activities coordinator, said: “It was brilliant to see volunteers from Telford Hall's first dementia care workshop in March helping out on the day, making it extra special.”
Plane to see
Staff at Connaught Care’s Henbrook House, a luxury care home in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, took resident Fred Dawson on a trip to the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, accompanied by several enthusiastic friends. A lifelong enthusiast of World War II aircraft, Fred is finding it increasingly difficult to study the subject due to visual impairment. Staff decided to bring his books alive by helping him to experience them directly.
Swift transformation
In partnership with care home marketplace Lottie, residents at Bartlett’s Care Home in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, recreated their favourite Taylor Swift covers in anticipation of the UK Eras Tour. With an average age of 87, residents dressed up and posed to recreate five of Swift’s album covers including 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
Songs
for all ages
Nine residents from Grosvenor Manor Care Centre in Chester, part of New Care, took part in an intergenerational
singalong. The youngest at the event was 10 days old, and the eldest was 100 years old. The project was co-ordinated by Live the Beat, a company which provides creative music classes.
Taking the biscuit
Residents at Friends of the Elderly’s The Old Vicarage in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, voted for their favourite biscuit and took part in a biscuit-themed quiz to mark National Biscuit Day. The top three biscuits were identified as chocolate, Jammie Dodgers, and custard creams. Residents concluded that biscuits today are a lot smaller than they used to be.
Show time
Residents from specialist dementia care home Camelot House and Lodge had a fun day out at the Devon County Show near Exeter. The group had an entertaining day inspecting the livestock, farm machinery, stalls and eating ice cream. One resident, Fred Grant, was able to relive memories having grown up on a farm.
Shaken not stirred
Colten Care homes in Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex held ‘happy hours’, with drinks making and tasting sessions. At Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, residents mixed non-alcoholic ingredients to win the prestigious crown of King or Queen of the Mocktails. At Wellington Grange in Chichester, residents received an invite to a cocktail evening with a choice of five drinks, and at Brook View the in-home café became ‘Brookies Cocktail
Bar’ complete with a soundtrack of jazz standards and a cocktail-themed quiz.
Street party
Residents of Adore Care’s The Durham Gate Care Home were treated to a spectacular performance by their own front of house manager. Samantha Holden, who has a background as a professional singer, and took to the stage in authentic 1940s attire during an indoor ‘street party’ celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
No place like home
Residential care provider Loveday and the Royal Hospital Chelsea have partnered to offer weekly art workshops to members and Chelsea Pensioners, many of whom have dementia. The collaboration, called Home, will culminate in an art exhibition which will launch on World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September. Those taking part will be encouraged to express their emotions, memories and perceptions of home through their artwork.
Pottering about Karen Halladay, a resident at Drummonds Care Home near
Colchester, is exhibiting her handmade pottery at The Art Place in Chelmsford city centre. Karen, who is wheelchair bound and has limited movement in her hands, worked with potter Shaun Hall to create bowls, mugs and even animals in regular sessions.
Around the world
Rowans Care Centre in Macclesfield, Cheshire, hosted a vibrant monthlong celebration of global cultures, including ‘visits’ to countries including Nigeria, India, Zimbabwe, Romania, the Philippines, Malaysia – and England. Each country was represented through food, dance, costume, and informative talks, thanks to the diverse backgrounds of the care support staff who passionately shared their heritage.
Intergenerational joy
Regular visits by Northgate Primary School pupils to Avalon Nursing Home in Bridgewater, Somerset are “sparking joy” all round according to teachers and care workers. Children visited Avalon frequently last term, enjoying a variety of activities alongside the residents, including baking, art, craft and pet therapy. They are now in the process of contributing to a sensory garden by potting plants and painting pebbles and butterflies.
10 questions with…
We speak to Ruth Garnham, general manager at Athena Care Homes’ Avocet Court in Ipswich
Why did you join the social care sector?
The home had newly opened when I joined as a housekeeper. I thought I might have wanted to be a nurse and had worked for a while at Ipswich Hospital, but loved working at Avocet Court from day one, went on to have my family and my career path changed. I have now worked at Avocet Court for 30 years. It was never my goal to go into management but over the years I have taken on a number of roles – housekeeping supervisor, admin assistant and hospitality manager before becoming deputy manager, home manager and starting my current role as general manager in 2021.
“I have seen some great carers during my 30 years here at Avocet Court and I am extremely proud of the team I have here now."
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s very rewarding, every day is different, it is never repetitive and certainly never dull. There is always something new to learn, new people to care for and families to get to know. I have a fabulous team here at Avocet – like one big extended family.
Who is your social care hero and why?
My old boss Claudette, who was the home manager not long after I started work. She qualified as a nurse later in life and on her first day as a home manager the CQC turned up to carry out an inspection. It was Claudette who pushed me to develop and go into management. I interviewed successfully for the deputy manager role with her support, at a time when most deputies were nurses and I wasn’t. She knew everything about everything, and we are still in touch today.
What is the one thing you would change about social care?
I would definitely change the funding – it’s just not enough. Social care seems to get forgotten whatever government is
in power. I’m not particularly optimistic any change of government will make a big difference.
What, in your opinion, makes a great care worker?
They have to care. It doesn’t matter too much about levels of qualifications or education; they just have to have that genuine nurturing side. I have seen some great carers during my 30 years here at Avocet Court and I am extremely proud of the team I have here now.
What do you do when life all gets a bit too much?
I go and be Nanny for a while, and spend some time with the grandchildren. One is six and the babies are nine months and eight months. Or I would take the dog for a walk – those things keep me grounded.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be true to yourself and make sure you follow your dreams – don’t take any bad advice or criticism from anyone.
Which three famous people would you have to dinner and why?
I would pick three very straight talking and funny people – Kathy Burke and Johnny Vegas who are both hilarious. My third would be Miriam Margoyles – I’m just reading her book which is laugh out loud funny.
What three items would you bring with you on a desert island?
I would need music so something to play my favourites on. I like everything from R’n’B to rock music depending on my mood. I’d take my dog – Bijon Fris Pixie – who is very good company. Then my family but only if the whole immediate family counts as one item!
What’s your secret talent?
I make a mean rabbit shaped pancake with fruit decorations for the grandchildren.
Ruth Garnham
Smooth operator
Courtney Roberts, general manager of The Old Rectory and Hanford Manor, describes the Staffordshire care home’s switch to digital
Here at HR Care Homes we operate two friendly, familyrun homes in Staffordshire. Passed down through three generations, Hanford Manor and The Old Rectory offer a really homely atmosphere, thanks to this strong family connection and their relatively small size which means our teams can really focus on the needs and wishes of individual residents.
Until September last year both of our homes were entirely paper-based. We had talked a lot about going digital and were well aware of the benefits, but it was going to require significant investment in relation to the size of our homes and the number of people we support. We were finally able to make the leap at the end of 2023, as a result of funding support from the Digitising Social Care programme.
We did lots of research into Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) providers, including meeting several suppliers to discuss options in more detail before narrowing it down to two. We put those options to the team and they unanimously agreed on the same one.
The staff had lots of notice before we went live with the new system, including time to just play around with the technology and the platform, so that when it came to launching they were familiar and confident with the system.
There was a strong sense of expectation, and naturally a degree of nervousness before we launched. We planned to go one floor at a time, but day one went so well that we went live with all floors at once the next day, and
“We have a real breadth of ages among our care team – which plays a big role in our family atmosphere.”
we haven’t looked back since.
We have a real breadth of ages among our care team – which plays a big role in our family atmosphere. We did have a couple of team members saying: “I can’t put the information on there – can you do it for me?”, but once they got the hang of it, they actually enjoyed updating care records on the phones we’ve set them up with.
The time-saving is huge. We now have staff who are able to sit and spend more time with residents. It’s also less stressful for them – they don’t have to sit down and handwrite notes, and they don’t have the frustration of being told it’s not detailed enough, because the DSCR platform has all the prompts and fields we need.
Care planning is a different world now. There’s no way we could keep on top of it all before. Now we get reminders when care plans need updating, which is really helpful for senior carers and managers. They go orange and red automatically, so it’s really easy to keep track of them. More importantly though, I think the care plans themselves have got a lot better because we’re now putting everything online. They can be read through by colleagues, and updated and changed in real-time, to make them more individual and person-centred, which has been another real positive.
Incident forms and reporting have got a lot better as well. You can do immediate analysis, record complaints, and keep them updated, so that’s a much better and more open process.
We hope to be able to make care plans accessible to families, and are thinking now about the right balance of information to ensure it’s dignified. We’re looking too at access to, and linking with, GP records.
The Old Rectory and Hanford Manor are now fully digital. We’ve learned a huge amount about our system. Every day is a learning curve and we share best practice across our sister homes to ensure the best quality is achieved.
Courtney Roberts
Reaction to Trenholm departure
The Care Quality Commission’s chief executive caused quite a stir with his sudden departure announced mere days before the election. Here, the sector has its say on the ailing regulator and whether it will be salvageable under new management
The departures of the Care Quality Commission’s chief executive Ian Trenholm was announced with almost no notice – and the former chief executive of NHS Blood and Transplant left the CQC around a week after the news broke
The departure came as a surprise to many, especially because of its short time frame, while others commented that they had expected him to leave soon, whether voluntarily or not.
Meanwhile, the regulator’s deputy chief executive Kate Terroni has taken over the role in the interim.
Below, are the reactions of some of the biggest names in the sector.
Martin Green
The chief executive of Care England Martin Green said: “Care England has collaborated closely with Ian over the past few months to effectively advocate for our members’ concerns regarding the CQC’s new single assessment
“The recent initiation of a review of the CQC inspection regime by ministers marks a crucial first step towards progress."
framework. While ours and the CQC’s collective goal remains ensuring that high-quality care, support and information are provided to people who use health and social care services, the sentiment within the sector reflects significant apprehension and unease regarding the challenges posed by the new framework.
“The recent initiation of a review of the CQC inspection regime by ministers marks a crucial first step towards progress. However, for there to be meaningful change, there needs to be urgent decisive action from the next chief executive.
“We look forward to engaging productively with the incoming chief executive at the CQC, continuing these dialogues to accurately represent the experiences and perspectives of care providers across the country. Their first priority should be to promptly review the Single Assessment Framework and collaborate with the sector to develop an improved system that has balanced reliance on current and relevant data, transparency in regulatory approach, and consistency and uniformity in assessments. We strongly reiterate our
dedication to this goal and will support the new chief executive in delivering on this right from the outset.”
Sarah Duffy
Social care consultant Sarah Duffy said on LinkedIn: “Ian is leaving swiftly… but after a very turbulent time for the regulator, his departure has felt like a long time coming. It’s telling that Ian’s resignation statement doesn’t contain any apology, either for the wider [adult social care] sector or to CQC staff, despite the well-publicised issues under his leadership.
“Kate will be a ‘safe pair of hands’ for the interim. I would personally choose Joyce Frederick as the next CEO. A long-standing employee with a track record of speaking truth to power (which they certainly need) and doing the right thing, even when that
“Let’s hope the CQC board get their next appointment right.”
Ian Trenholm
is difficult. Lots of the CQC senior leadership are great at talking the talk; Joyce is one of the few remaining that can actually walk the walk. She has integrity and is reasonable and fair. Isn’t that someone we all need for the regulator at the moment?
“Let’s hope the CQC board get their next appointment right.”
Jayne Connery
Care Campaign for the Vulnerable’s (CCFTV) founder Jayne Connery said: "This transition marks a pivotal moment for the CQC to reassess and reinforce its commitment to safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of vulnerable individuals in care homes.
“CCFTV strongly believes that the CQC must adopt a more proactive stance in ensuring the safety and quality of care provided to residents. The numerous reports of inadequate care and maltreatment highlight the urgent need for the CQC to enhance its vigilance and responsiveness.
“First, the CQC should increase the frequency and depth of unannounced inspections. Regular, rigorous assessments are essential to identify and address issues before they escalate into serious problems. These inspections should focus not only on compliance
“CCFTV strongly believes that the CQC must adopt a more proactive stance in ensuring the safety and quality of care provided to residents."
with minimum standards but also on evaluating the quality of life and emotional wellbeing of residents.
“Second, the CQC must implement robust mechanisms for early detection of potential abuses and neglect. This includes leveraging technology, such as supporting providers that adopt overt safety monitoring which can provide critical oversight and transparency in care delivery. The integration of such tools can act as a deterrent against maltreatment and ensure that care providers adhere to the highest standards of care.
“Furthermore, the CQC must engage more effectively with families and care staff. By promoting open communication channels, the CQC can gain valuable insights from those directly involved in the daily lives of residents. This collaborative approach can lead to quicker identification of issues and the development of practical solutions tailored to the specific needs of each care home.
“The CQC’s proactive engagement is imperative to safeguarding vulnerable individuals in care homes. With new leadership on the horizon, this is an opportune time for the CQC to adopt comprehensive oversight strategies, promote transparency, and support continuous improvement. By doing
so, the CQC can play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of care and protecting the dignity and rights of those who are most vulnerable.”
Jeremy Huband
Finally, Jeremy Huband, non-executive director for Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions, commented via LinkedIn: “Ian Trenholm leaves [the] CQC in a worse state than he found it. I’ve asked on calls to their oversight team if a care home inspected as Requires improvement three years ago should be considered Good as they haven’t bothered to go back to check, to be told yes. Perhaps [the] CQC should pay the increased insurance costs that home will suffer.
“Perhaps the new government should consider scrapping this workshy body and work more collaboratively with Scotland. Ask the Care Inspectorate to step in. They ‘look at the quality of care in to ensure it meets high standards. When improvement is needed, [they] support services to make positive changes’. The difference is they support services and don’t look for reasons to close them.”
“When improvement is needed, [they] support services to make positive changes’. The difference is they support services and don’t look for reasons to close them.”
A conspiracy of silence
Caring Times editor Sam Lewis catches up with Dan Archer, UK chief executive of Visiting Angels, who reveals his path to working in home care, why local authorities are not to blame for low sector wages, and his keys to fixing social care
How's business at the moment?
We have 71 locations now in the UK, just over 1,400 carers, and growing every month. I've always said recruitment and retention is the biggest problem that everybody's got, and while it’s not easy for us, we've given ourselves an advantage in that respect.
With the changes to the health and care visa back in March, has that made a noticeable difference for you in terms of recruitment?
I don’t think we fix 160,000 vacancies in adult social care by finding 160,000 people from somewhere else in the world. They don't realise how hard the job is, so bringing them to the UK –they figure it out pretty quickly, right?
In my view, it was always doomed to fail. It was never the solution that we needed, and the numbers support the decision the government has taken. 100,000 people into the UK on shortterm care worker visas, and the net job creation benefit of 8,000 – that doesn't work.
The problem with the steps that the government has taken is that they’ve shut the door on people coming in, but they've not fixed the underlying problem in social care, which means that the vacancy rate is going to increase.
If 100,000 people came into the UK for a net job creation benefit of 8,000, that means some people went home. I can only presume they got here, realised it wasn't what they thought it was, and went back home; or they were overqualified, which meant they got
“The same carer comes every week, which is ultimately all the client ever wants.”
hoovered up into nursing support; or else they displaced UK workers, and those UK workers will still be leaving the sector at the rate they were previously.
We now don't have many foreign workers coming in to replace them, so if you're a betting man, I think the vacancy rate in adult social care is going to be over 200,000 [in the next Skills for Care report].
How did you get involved in Visiting Angels to begin with?
I've always said people don't know about what we do unless they work in the sector or they or a family member has received care, and that's exactly what my starting point was – the care we received for my nan was at best substandard. There were dangers, lots of different personnel, irregularity around the time of visit. My nan always used to say she only knew she was getting care when the blue tabard showed up – she didn't know the people.
Over about nine months, with that service not improving in any way despite our complaints, I saw the very worst of the sector. In the end, a carer not attending a visit led to my nan falling, and after a period of time in hospital she passed away. That was my first exposure to social care.
A few months later, I was speaking at a conference in Telford to a room full of franchise industry people about Twitter. This was 2011. One of the people that saw me speak was Trevor Brocklebank, the founder and chief executive of Home Instead. We spoke about his business and my nan’s experience, and I came away from that conversation with the overriding feeling that if we’d had Home Instead looking after her, she probably still would have been with us.
I could absolutely tell what his business did was markedly different to the experience that we'd had. A couple of weeks after that, I was approached by a headhunter who said that Home Instead was looking for somebody to be head
of marketing for the UK. In the space of a year, I went from knowing nothing about the sector, to first-hand experience of a bad service, to then working for one of the best providers in the world.
After I cut my teeth learning with Home Instead, and directly prior to starting Visiting Angels, I was UK MD of a business called ProMedica24, which is Europe's largest live-in care franchise.
I was at another conference in June 2016 and awoke to the news that we had voted for Brexit. The business model for ProMedica was that we had recruitment teams in European countries finding care workers and bringing them to the UK. I realised things were going to need to change.
In February 2017 I resigned and was placed onto gardening leave, so that's what I did: some decorating, some gardening, and generally getting under my wife's feet, which led her to tell me: “Just get out the house and go and be gainfully employed again.”
That’s when I started the research on what became Visiting Angels UK.
Had you heard of the company before? Visiting Angels is in five countries, has 800 locations around the world, and has been in the US since 1998,
Dan Archer
so I somewhat knew the brand but not the people. I took a bit of time to get to know the people – I wanted to understand who it was I was going to be dealing with on a day-to-day basis. Then I started doing the research for the launch of the business and looked at nearly 50 care providers in the process: franchised domiciliary care, nonfranchised, corporate and independent, extra care, residential – I did a proper sweep of the market to see what was happening in the sector as a whole.
What shocked me was that none of them had a people-focused mission statement. If they had mission statements at all, they were focused on clients and care delivery. They wanted to be an outstanding care provider, to provide care the way a family member would expect, but nobody was talking about their staff.
I thought that was bizarre, because that's the biggest problem in the sector.
I know your ethos at Visiting Angels is something like ‘happy staff equals happy clients’. Can you give me an example of how this plays out? There are practical operational examples. The most tangible customer benefit is that consistency in the workforce means the same carer comes every week, which is ultimately all the client ever wants. You can't replace that consistency and continuity. Even for a more basic companionship case, you can’t just give someone a different face in a uniform every week. Putting staff first means a happier, more stable workforce, which means I can afford my clients the choice of who delivers their care.
Something called ‘choose your caregiver’ is part of our onboarding process. After we've done an assessment, the next meeting we do with the family lets them choose the caregiver that they are happiest with.
‘Beware the shadow you cast’, is
something I say a lot. That means we don't always need to be with somebody 12 hours a day; if our interactions are positive, then they last for hours after we've left.
Unfortunately, the sector now talks about care provision in a very impersonal way, which is deeply ironic given the person-centred orientation that we're supposed to have. We talk about ‘service-users’ like it doesn't matter what someone's name is, and we talk about carers like they're disposable sometimes. To my mind, the most valuable resource in any care business is the care team. Unfortunately, we are one of relatively few organisations that think this way.
What are the biggest challenges you are facing as a business?
The challenges remain the challenges in the wider sector. Even though we've given ourselves an advantage when it comes to the recruitment, we would >
“Talking about tax rises is not a vote-winner, but it is the inevitable consequence of what we're facing as a country”
still like more of them because demand is overwhelming. The combination of an ageing population and the social and population dynamics within the UK mean that we simply have more elderly people than other countries have.
Outside of that, one of the challenges that we face is that the sector as a whole, and its approach to its staff as a whole, has led to a culture and a belief from many who work in care that some of the practises are accepted as normal. We would argue that some of the things that go on are absolutely not normal.
For example, we sometimes tell a worker that we pay for their travel time and mileage, and they don't understand what that means because not being paid for travel time has been normalised at other providers. That's problematic
for me. We need to have an honest conversation about the fact that travel time is work, and therefore people need paying for it.
Do you believe Labour will make improvements in social care where the Conservatives were unable to?
The main parties are spending lots of time pointing out what their differences are. The one thing they seem to agree on is that they don't want to talk about social care. The one place where there is cross-party unity, ironically, is on a conspiracy of silence on social care. It’s ridiculous because, no matter which flavour of government we get, it's the one inevitable fight that we're going to have to face over the next five to 10 years –someone actually needs to do something about it.
There are elements of Labour’s policy which are interesting. The suggestion that zero-hour contracts will be scrapped is one I support. I absolutely believe that travel time is paid work and therefore people should be paid for that work. I also believe that the pay rate for home care workers is disgracefully low in many instances. For Angela Rayner to suggest they’ll review care worker pay, that's terrific. How it's going to be funded is a
massive question mark, however. Equally, I don't share the enthusiasm that some have for the nationalisation of the social care sector. If I'm completely honest, many of the problems that exist today exist because of local authority commissioning of care. There's an argument to say that there are plenty of innovative approaches which are being made in the private sector which the government could learn from. Just centralising it is not going to be a fix to this. It needs resourcing properly, and it also needs the right approach to strategy, because it's not just about money.
I talk about what Visiting Angels pays, I talk about proper contracts, and people say to me, “It's all right for you, Dan, you're a private provider, you can afford to do all of that.” What they don’t understand is that it's not just about money.
A substantial amount of the work we do is about culture and employee engagement. It's about recognising what the stress points are in the job and trying to do something to alleviate those. At its very core, being care-centric is trying to see the world of a carer through their eyes. Proper pay and proper contracts are just the start point for a discussion. What you've then got to do is try and
engage with the sector in a way to not only do something about safeguarding those that work in care currently, but also do something about making the job more appealing to a proportion of society that currently doesn’t want to work in care.
There is an arrogance from everybody involved in decision-making within the country because they won’t accept that population dynamics are the major driver of what we're experiencing right now. The baby boomer generation was exceptionally large, and the generation following it is smaller and the generation following that is smaller again. It’s not about European migration, and it's not about pay rates and contracts. It's about the fact that every part of society is facing a search for fewer workers. And, relatively speaking, care jobs are harder, more complex and more stressful than it is to sit on a till in Tesco.
When you're talking about societal level problems, we need big-picture thinking. Tinkering around the edges frustrates me. It’s a five- or 10-year project, and it needs cross-party agreement and better integration between the NHS and social care. There needs to be more of an honest
conversation and honest politicians are not things that are in large supply. The reality is that no party can say they’ll properly address social care without talking about the cost. The reason nobody was willing to talk about it much pre-election was that talking about tax rises is not a vote winner, but it is the inevitable consequence of what we're facing as a country.
How do we get through to politicians and get them to address the problems we’re talking about?
There's a narrative shift that's needed. It’s not just down to lazy politicians. Everybody within the entire sphere of this, whether it’s at client level, commissioning level, employers, employees, councils, media, politicians, civil servants – everybody needs to own the bit of this that they're responsible for. I cannot abide the argument from care providers who say they cannot afford to pay staff better. I cannot abide the lack of responsibility in saying the reason their staff are paid so poorly is because of the local authority. Employers decide what employees get paid. If you cannot tender at an economic rate, you should not tender at an uneconomic rate.
What do you think of the not-forprofit model?
As a commercial individual I would say there has to be some element of a profit motive in order for people to consider investing in something which requires investment. If you take the profit motive away from it, then you are fully dependent on people doing it because it's the right thing to do or, or it being funded centrally. The problem with that is, you get an inherent lack of efficiency when it’s someone else’s money.
It's a conversation about where the money comes from that needs to be had, and right now it’s coming from the wrong places. At the moment it's coming from care workers being paid minimum wage or less. Paid driving is the wrong place for it to come from. It absolutely should not be coming out of the pockets of some of the poorest paid workers in the country. We can talk about unpaid carers as well, or a system where agency workers earn huge hourly rates compared to other care workers. The last people who should be propping the system up are the workers who are already not paid enough and the private clients who are already paying for 100% of their own care, but that's the predominant business model right now.
What else is going on with Visiting Angels at the moment?
We're involved in Home Care’s Got Talent, which includes Visiting Angels and several other providers. It’s the first year doing it. We have seen the Care Sector’s Got Talent initiative, but unfortunately most of it tends to be residential, so what we're trying to do with this is specifically target home care. The Homecare Association is involved and we're doing it for The Care Workers Charity, and as much as anything I value the opportunity to celebrate how talented carers are, especially home care workers.
I think that the job of the domiciliary care worker is even harder than that of a residential care worker because it has to be more diverse. When you're in domiciliary care, you don’t have a catering team or an entertainment team or a medication team – the home care worker does all of that – so this is our chance to shine a spotlight on that.
Care workers’ demands from Labour
As Labour settles into being in government again after more than a decade of Tory rule, Care Workers Charity (CWC) CEO Karolina Gerlich explains the demands of the people who prop up the UK’s struggling social care sector – the country’s care workers
As the new Prime Minister takes office, the Care Workers’ Charity sends our congratulations to Keir Starmer and the new Labour government. We welcome their commitment to fair pay and security for all workers and are interested to hear more about their idea for a National Care Service. While contributing significantly to UK society, both economically and socially, conversations on care have, for too long, focused on cost and not enough on value. We need to change this and call on the new government to meet with care sector leaders and care workers, as well as show that social care is going to be a real priority going forward. With an ageing, population the care sector is forecast to grow by 25% over the next 10 years. These are conversations that need to be happening now. It is with this in mind that we lay out our immediate and long-term asks for care workers across the UK.
The first 100 days
Meet with care workers: One of the most impactful gestures the new Prime Minister can make is to meet with frontline care workers. At the Care Workers’ Charity, we hear from thousands of care workers every year and would be pleased to work with the government to arrange this opportunity. This will not only show that social care is a priority, but also provide a platform to hear first-hand the challenges and aspirations of the workforce. Those on the frontline are the experts in care and
“Let us work together to build a brighter future for those who care for us all.”
have insight into workforce wellbeing, retention of new starters, the practical impact of care regulations, responsible uses of AI and so much more to share.
Meet with care sector leaders: Care leaders are ready to meet with the new government to share their extensive knowledge and expertise. This includes representatives from the care workforce, people drawing on social care and unpaid carers. By sharing proven strategies and policy recommendations, we want to collaborate on sustainable solutions to enhance the quality and accessibility of care services.
A timeframe for the Fair Pay Agreement: Care workers deserve fair compensation for their indispensable work. They are continually listed as one of the lowest paying roles in the UK and paid, on average, 36% less than for NHS equivalent roles. We urge the new government to set a clear timeframe on the fair pay agreement. The pay agreement should consider not only hourly rates (which should not be less than £15) but also pay progression, sick pay, pay for travel time and mandatory training.
More information on National Care Service: The concept of a National Care Service is an interesting idea, yet many details remain unclear. Providing more information and a concrete plan will help stakeholders understand the future direction and structure of social care in England. We know that care workers have the skills to deliver the changes discussed, but we would like to see plans which include how care workers' wages will rise in line with any additional responsibilities in health care and monitoring.
Award a bonus to all care workers: Care work is fundamental to society, and care workers have shown exceptional dedication and resilience, including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While other nations have awarded bonuses to their care workers, England has yet to do so. The new
government should immediately provide this bonus as a token of appreciation and recognition of the hard work and sacrifices made by care workers during this crisis, before and beyond.
Long-term goals
An advisory board of care workers: Work with the Care Workers’ Charity to ensure that the voices of care workers are consistently heard. We propose the establishment of an advisory board within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). This board should be composed of care workers from various settings and regions, providing a direct line of communication between those who deliver care and those who formulate policies. This would be the first step towards creating a professional body that truly represents care workers and addresses their needs.
Release the care worker wellbeing survey: The well-being of care workers is paramount. We call on the government to release the results of the recent wellbeing survey. This was completed by over 7,000 care workers and will provide invaluable insights into their mental health and job satisfaction, allowing for timely interventions and support. Ensure sustainable funding for local
Karolina Gerlich
“While other nations have awarded bonuses to their care workers, England has yet to do so.”
authorities: Funding is the lifeblood of an effective social care system. We urge the government to release sufficient funding to local authorities specifically earmarked for social care. This funding should include provisions for care worker well-being and be guaranteed for at least five years. Such a commitment will ensure stability and allow for longterm planning and improvements in the care sector.
Establish a professional body for
care workers: Establishing a national professional body for care workers would foster a sense of belonging and set out professional standards. Registration for care workers in England, as already implemented in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, would provide advice and support, governance, education and advocacy. Creating a national training framework for social care with clear opportunities for development and progression would support recruitment and retention and prevent the need to repeat training when starting with a new employer.
Final thoughts
As the new government begins its journey, we are here to collaborate and support efforts to enhance the social care sector. By addressing these immediate and long-term asks, the government will not only improve the lives of care
workers but also ensure that people drawing on social care receive the best possible care and unpaid carers the best support.
Care workers have proven time and again their commitment to their roles. It is now time for the government to show an equal commitment to them. Recognising their contributions through fair pay, bonuses, wellbeing support and a voice in policymaking will lay the foundation for a more robust and resilient social care system. The care sector is at a pivotal moment. The decisions made in the coming days, weeks and months will shape the future of social care. We are hopeful and look forward to supporting meaningful improvements for the lives of care workers and the overall quality of social care. Let us work together to build a brighter future for those who care for us all.
Benefits of role-specific diabetes training
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes is improving life for residents with diabetes, says Julie Rayner, care quality governance and compliance director for Hallmark
The care home sector is experiencing a marked rise in acuity within their populations with residents moving into care homes at a later stage in their lives, usually when the common illness of old age (such as COPD, diabetes, dementia and heart disease) are more pronounced. This means that care home nurses and carers need to have a wide breath of knowledge about many common illnesses.
At Hallmark, our nurses and carers benefit from a wide range of training opportunities and are skilled in providing person-centred care to older people who choose to live in one of our care homes. However, we are always
"Activities, case studies and real-life examples, delivered by experienced professionals leading the sessions, further embedded the knowledge and promoted best practice.”
striving to improve and while we were able to provide our care team with some knowledge on the management of diabetes and our registered nurses brought with them knowledge from their studies or from previous roles, we were aware that team knowledge in respect of the management of diabetes, particularly the assessment of the diabetic foot, could be improved.
We were also aware of the work of the National Advisory Panel on Care Home
Summary of the training days
Diabetes and its subsequent guidance which highlighted to us that further action was needed to ensure that team members not only had the skills and knowledge to provide high-quality care for people living with diabetes, but they also had the confidence to advocate for residents and to work collaboratively with external primary care partners and specialist teams to achieve better outcomes for residents.
We worked with DUET Diabetes to
plan and implement a virtual pilot in 2021, after which DUET Diabetes was commissioned to provide bespoke, inhouse training starting in May 2022.
The training was delivered as interactive, holistic workshops in two parts (see table left). Activities, case studies and real-life examples, delivered by experienced professionals leading the sessions, further embedded the knowledge and promoted best practice.
The impact of the training on teams’ confidence, knowledge and ability to write a robust, person-centred diabetes-management care plan has been evidenced through our clinical monitoring activities and this, coupled alongside the skills our team now has to assess residents’ risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers, means wellbeing and health outcomes have improved.
For example, following the training, and using her new knowledge, one dementia care manager discussed a resident’s diabetes medication and erratic glucose levels with the GP. This discussion resulted in the GP changing the resident’s medication; consequently, the resident is happy that her blood glucose levels are now well-managed.
The diabetes specialist at the GP surgery is amazed by the improvement in this resident’s condition and her diabetic control.
Other teams have highlighted the impact the training has had on their ability to examine and categorise foot damage. One staff member commented: “We have found the risk assessment of the diabetic foot [tool] to be useful.
Recently we have had two residents who had foot ulcers, both living with type 2 diabetes. These were originally documented as pressure ulcers; however, after using the tool, they were found and confirmed by a GP to be diabetic ulcers.” This diagnosis was then reflected in the residents’ wound-care treatment plan.
Implementation of the risk examination of the diabetic foot tool has also delivered positive outcomes for two other residents at another of our homes:
• Diabetic foot checks helped to identify early foot oedema for one resident, which allowed for timely and effective intervention.
• Doing foot screening for another resident helped identify oversized shoes which was a contributing factor to the number of falls the resident was having. This resident now has betterfitting shoes which has improved her gait and reduced the number of falls. These examples demonstrate how the training delivered by DUET Diabetes has also affected other aspects of risk identification and care delivery in our care homes.
The impact of the training was evaluated and the figures below clearly show the positive outcomes in regards to staff knowledge and confidence.
Learners’ self-assessed overall response to the training programme.
Has this workshop improved your knowledge and skills for caring for/ managing someone with diabetes?
n Yes
n No
Learners’ self-assessed knowledge/confidence levels pre- and post-workshop attendance (average across the programme)
It’s clear that residents and teams have been positively impacted by delivery of the training. The teams across Hallmark’s homes are more confident and can
"Other teams have highlighted the impact the training has had on their ability to examine and categorise foot damage.”
have more informed conversations with external professionals about the management of residents’ diabetes. Elsewhere, care plans have improved, residents are experiencing better outcomes and external professionals are now confident that their patients are receiving high-quality and evidencebased diabetes care.
Team members attended the training to improve knowledge and confidence relevant to their role, however it soon became clear that there was a wider benefit. The prevalence of diabetes in the UK meant that at every workshop at least one team member divulged that they or family members were living with diabetes. Therefore, the information being learnt, the discussions and activities were also supporting them on a personal level.
What are our next steps? Hallmark
and DUET are now working in partnership to develop a programme of blended learning (including interactive e-learning, workbooks and virtual classrooms) to extend this valuable training to a wider audience and to refresh the knowledge of our team who attended the initial workshops.
In conclusion, our experience of implementing non-mandatory training for a condition with high prevalence in the care home setting makes sense on many levels. Whether viewed through a training evaluation lens or a personal lens, the increase in knowledge and confidence has empowered our teams, enabling us as an organisation to deliver high-quality, person-centred, safe and responsive care for people living with diabetes so that they maintain or even improve their quality of life.
Managers, guide to… connecting with the community
Tom Owen, director of My Home Life England, offers hints and tips on how to engage with your local community
At My Home Life England, part of the School of Health and Psychological Sciences at City, University of London, we have supported the care sector for more than 18 years, and an essential part of our work recognises the importance of connections between people and communities. We’ve led community engagement initiatives across many different care settings, the learning from which has informed a range of resources to support the sector, such as toolkits and videos. We often hear incredible examples of communities supporting their local care settings – and vice versa.
From the local rugby club coming into a care home once a month and chatting with sports fans and ex-players, to the local supermarket donating provisions – it doesn’t need to be grand gestures, what matters is the relationship and sustained connection. It contributes to a greater quality of life and a more positive culture within the care setting.
You reaching out has reciprocal community benefits too – it creates volunteering opportunities and gives individuals the opportunity to learn from other community members, breaking down stigma around ageing and disability. Take a pause and think about what you have to offer your community – and there will be plenty.
1. Identify and thank the people, groups and organisations that your care setting already has good relationships with. It’s always nice for people to know they’re appreciated and it’s also helpful to recognise where you’ve already got good connections. Thanking people may lead to them considering how else they could support you, and what could be possible together.
2. Pin down your possibilities. Who in the community could you easily connect with, but don’t yet? It could be a faith group attended by a team member, the school where the chef’s
children go, or the café just around the corner.
3. Ask people living in, and connected to, the care setting for their ideas. This will help build a picture of the possible relationships you could develop and, importantly, what support they could give you, and what you have to offer them. What individuals, groups and organisations might people in the care setting wish to reconnect with? Maybe there’s a society someone used to be an active member of, or a business that someone used to be involved with.
4. Ask questions. What could the community do to support the little things that matter to people living in the setting, the staff and relatives? And what could you offer them in return? What hobbies do people have that they would like to continue pursuing? What would make a difference to those around you?
5. Focus on your communication. When getting the message out to the community that you want to build new connections, be really clear about what you want to achieve, what the benefit will be for them, and what actions people should take in response. Think about the best ways to communicate with different groups (face-to-face, email or letter).
6. Connecting with your community can have business benefits. We heard of a domiciliary care agency that offered free information sessions about dementia to the community. As well as being educational, this gift helped transform public perception of the provider from one focused on profits, to one that cared about its wider community. As well as a more informed community and an improved provider reputation, this also led to new business enquiries.
7. Consider holding an event such as a coffee morning to invite people in.
8. Put yourself in an organisation’s shoes and consider what it might need – for example, a meeting space in the care home, or offering to sell its products in the care home reception. We’ve heard of care homes reaching out to local businesses and offering them the chance to have their jams sold in the care home reception, to be admired and purchased by visitors. This led to an uptick in sales for the small businesses, which then came into the care home to give a talk all about making jam, sparking intrigue and conversations among those who lived there.
9. If you’re starting an intergenerational link, prepare each generation for meeting beforehand, so they know what to expect. This helps in creating positive outcomes for both older people and the youngsters, including boosting the knowledge and wellbeing of both generations and creating a more united community.
10. Starting small can help the relationship to grow – it doesn’t necessarily need to be anything big or complicated. For more ideas, visit: myhomelife.org.uk/communityconnections
Tom Owen
Employee of the month
Angel Kho, head chef at Barchester’s Cherry Blossom Manor in Basingstoke, Hampshire, shares her experience of providing a great dining experience for residents
Tell us about your background in care Originally from the Philippines, I followed in the footsteps of my mother, who also worked for Barchester, and joined the company in 2012 as a host (waitress) at Wimbledon Beaumont Care Home. Since then I have never looked back. I worked my way up through the ranks until I moved to Cherry Blossom Manor in 2020 and became head chef. I absolutely love my job. I like to chat to the residents to find out their likes and dislikes so I can present their food exactly the way they like it. I love to come up with new ways to surprise and delight residents with nutritious and flavoursome homecooked meals.
I was voted ‘Chef of the year 2023’ in the Barchester Care Awards, in competition with the whole Barchester estate of 260 care homes and hospitals, to win this coveted award.
What is special about working at Cherry Blossom Manor?
Working at Cherry Blossom is a deeply fulfilling and rewarding experience. The opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of the residents and provide them with care and support through nutrition brings immense joy and satisfaction. First and foremost, the relationship I build with the residents are the heart and soul of why I love working at Cherry Blossom. Each resident has a unique story to tell, and a lifetime of experience and wisdom to share. I love spending time with them, listening to their stories and engaging in meaningful conversations.
How do you vary your menu to provide choice for residents?
Creating my menu involves finding out the residents’ likes and dislikes. Every month the home has a residents’ meeting and they talk about the menu and each resident has unique preferences, dietary restrictions and cultural background. Taking time to get to know them individually allows me to tailor
their menu choices; this may involve incorporating favourite ingredients, or recreating cherished family recipes.
How do you meet residents’ nutritional and health needs?
I attend clinical governance meetings, in particular to find out the nutritional status of residents who are at risk. I also make time to attend monthly resident meetings and talk about themed lunches and get suggestions for the menu. The team has a daily stand-up meeting where I get updated on any illnesses or changes to diet modifications. I go around the home with the ‘resident of the day’ and discuss likes and dislikes. The home has a quarterly relatives’ meeting to listen to family feedback and suggestions about food service.
How do you care for residents living with dementia?
Some of the residents living with dementia don’t have verbal capacity to communicate. When this is the case, I use a ‘show plates’ technique to facilitate their food choice. I also check their care plans for nutrition and hydration and consider if there are any religious
or cultural preferences when it comes to food. I make bite-size finger food for residents living with dementia which is easier to up pick and eat.
What’s your most popular dish?
The most popular dish at Cherry Blossom is curry. Every time the home has curry on the menu, residents really enjoy it. In addition to its unique flavour, curry also stands out because of its vibrant colours. Braised beef with peppercorn sauce is a popular dish too. The residents enjoy the tender beef and say it melts in their mouths.
How do you make the dining experience special for residents and their families?
In addition to the food itself, the presentation and ambience of the dining area plays a crucial role in making the residents feel special. I strive to create an inviting atmosphere by setting up beautifully arranged tables, using fresh flowers and playing soft music in the background. These details contribute to a sense of dignity and enhance the overall dining experience. Personalisation is key when it comes to making the residents and their families feel special.
Angel Kho
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The truth about dementia
Regular columnist Norrms McNarama reflects on what it’s like to live with dementia, and reacts to the Alzheimer’s Society video that’s causing so many discussions
Ihave dementia. It’s a terminal disease. I am slowly dying and disappearing right in front of my family’s eyes, bit by bit, each and every day. They say a cure could be 10 to 20 years away from now – too late for me. I have dementia but I am not daft.
I lost my father and wonderful grandmother to this awful disease so I know what my future holds. I wake each and every night, screaming and shouting, fighting enemies who are completely invisible to anybody else.
I hear my mum shout my name. I see and feel my dog slide up to me on the settee. Both have been dead for years. I’ve seen myself walk out of a lift while sitting in a cafe and I have felt myself dying in bed trying to call my angel Elaine’s name to tell her I love her before I do. I look into my children’s eyes and wonder who they are about to become, how they will manage and who will stand guard over them all, as I have done for so many years.
Even after all these years I still come across so called ‘friends’ who cross the road from me now rather than say ‘hello’, almost as though they think it might be contagious. I have to be held by the hand at all times as I have lost all my road sense and would walk straight in front of a car in an instant.
Most days I disappear into a world of my own. I used to say nothing bad ever
happened in my world; now, sometimes it seems totally the opposite. I want to scream and shout sometimes, but I know if I do, people will look at me and think: “Must be his dementia”. The slightest thing goes wrong and it’s the end of the world as far as I am concerned. Things I used to take in my stride are now totally devastating, and yet…
I smile. We smile. We all smile. Through thick and thin, we smile. We go out into the big bad world every day and try to make people understand why I, and others, feel like this and why this disease makes you feel as if you are
the loneliest person in the world, even though you are surrounded by love. Why do we smile and go out there every day?
Because we are born to fight. Because when I get up in the morning, I put my boots on and not my slippers. We are genetically made up to fend off all that is thrown at us and make the best of what we have. Where do we get the strength from? Nobody knows, but somehow we get up in the mornings, day after day, and face whatever is thrown at us.
Why do we do this every day?
Because we have hope. Because we hope one day all will be well, or at least be a little better tomorrow than today, and that is enough for us to hold onto. That little bit of hope is enough to feed our soul, help us breath, speak our words and have our voices heard; just that little bit of hope can do so much. So please my friends, whatever situation you are in, whatever your health may be like, please hold on tight to that little bit of hope, because, even something so small that can’t be seen, touched, tasted, heard or smelt can bring a little happiness to each and every heart in the world.
