Outstanding care East Anglia style

Richard Lain-Smith, head of marketing Black Swan Care Group, explains how the company has earned a reputation for its turnaround service

Black Swan Care Group was founded in 1991 as a business consultancy for the care sector, primarily instructed to give advice to UK banks, before purchasing its first care home, Nightingale Lodge in Hunstanton, Norfolk, close to the Royal Estate at Sandringham in 1994.

Since then, the group has grown across East Anglia, now managing an estate of 22 care homes. Eighteen of the homes provide care and support for older people, including support for people living with dementia, while the remaining four support adults with physical or learning disabilities. In all, the group is registered to support more than 700 people, with over 800 staff employed across the homes.

Following the recent inspection at

“The story of the improvements at Beccles Care Home is not a one-off, however; Black Swan has earned an industry reputation for its turnaround service.”

Care homes

Norfolk: 10 homes (Norwich (4), King’s Lynn, Hunstanton, Dereham (2), Great Yarmouth, East Harling)

Essex: 7 homes (one in Silver End, a village between Witham and Braintree, and 5 along the coast in Clacton, Walton on the Naze and Frinton- on-Sea)

Cambridgeshire: 3 homes (Chatteris, Gamlingay, Melbourn)

Beccles, Suffolk

Boston, Lincolnshire its newest home, Beccles Care Home in Suffolk, resulting in an overall Good result, the group can boast that all its homes are rated as Good or Outstanding with the Care Quality Commission. Three homes are rated as Outstanding overall and six have Outstanding elements within their inspection reports.

Turnaround success

Black Swan acquired Beccles Care Home last December, inheriting its previous Inadequate CQC rating. It was reinspected in March and given a Good rating in all areas. It was able to turn the home around thanks to a full review of the service, significant investment and renovations at the home, along with intensive training and support for the staff led by the home’s registered manager, Davina Button.

The story of the improvements at Beccles Care Home is not a one-off, however; Black Swan has earned an industry reputation for its turnaround service.

Managing director Tom Lyons explains: “We have been purchasing and providing consultancy for care homes for over 20 years, specialising in turning around poorly performing homes. Our specialist team, including ex-CQC inspectors, brings together a multitude of experience, expertise and contacts. It also allows us to

Care type

Older people’s care, dementia care and adults with learning disabilities

Older people’s care, adults with physical and learning disabilities

Older people’s care

Older people’s care

Older people’s care deploy the right people for the right job.

“We strongly believe that good finances and regulatory compliance go hand-in-hand, so our approach is generally to audit the care home for regulatory compliance before focusing on both areas. Our audits cover all areas of compliance, including medication, care plans, recruitment, health and safety, infection control, fire, food hygiene and staff practice.

“In addition, we have really good working relationships with the Care Quality Commission, local authority quality assurance teams, safeguarding teams, environmental health, infection control and fire services.

“We work with individual operators as well as small groups who are looking to satisfy regulators rapidly, be it the Care Quality Commission or the local authority. Our turnaround services are bespoke and designed around individuals and their needs.

“We are always happy to invest in homes where we can see that there is an opportunity for us.”

Recruitment and retention

The group has a clear commitment to providing a working environment where people can achieve their career goals, learn new skills and strive for a career in social care.

“We believe that our staff deserve to be rewarded with fair and reasonable pay, reflecting the skilled work that they do. We’re fully committed to giving our staff a wage that meets everyday needs and sits above the statutory government minimum wages.”

With the well-documented challenges for recruitment and retention in social care, there are opportunities for volunteers, regular placement vacancies for healthcare students and varied job opportunities in all areas of the company.

The group is committed to providing the Real Living Wage to all its employees. From 1 April, all staff have been paid at least the Real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour – which sits above the statutory Minimum and National Living

Wages. Over 55% of staff earn in excess of this amount.

Lyons explains: “We believe that our staff deserve to be rewarded with fair and reasonable pay, reflecting the skilled work that they do. We’re fully committed to giving our staff a wage that meets everyday needs and sits above the statutory government minimum wages.”

As well as this commitment, Black Swan’s employment package includes paid breaks, free meals (staff are encouraged to dine with residents), a fully paid induction and training programme, ongoing mandatory and specialised training, internal promotion opportunities and apprenticeship schemes.

Additional benefits include paid-for Disclosure and Barring Service checks, access to the Blue Light Card discount scheme, a ‘Refer a friend’ scheme, access to wages throughout the month via a Wagestream scheme, plus a 24/7, 365 employee care line with confidential telephone counselling.

Career progression

Black Swan’s youngest care home manager Chloe Boon, manager at The

Beeches in East Harling, Norfolk is a product of the progression scheme. Now aged just 24, Boon started with Black Swan in September 2016 as an apprentice care assistant aged just 17.

“I’d never done care before and felt welcomed into the home and discovered the role of a carer,” Boon said. “I then moved over to the activities co-ordinator role, before becoming a senior care assistant. In 2018 the opportunity came to become a trainee deputy manager. I learned so much valuable knowledge in that role and in 2019 I progressed to deputy manager.

“Alongside my experience in my previous roles, Black Swan supported me with my Level 3 and 5 diplomas in health and social care to further my knowledge, and I then became a peripatetic deputy manager, where I developed wider experience of other Black Swan homes and teams.

“When the opportunity came up for the manager’s role at The Beeches, I knew that the time was right for me and I’m really excited to be joining our Outstanding-rated team at the home. I’m so grateful for the support I have been given throughout my career with Black Swan.”