Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, says institutional prejudice against privately run care homes is the big issue that needs mentioning
Leader’s spotlight: Jacqui Ritchie and Joe O'Connor provide update on Four Seasons’ sale
Design: Hallmark’s `retirement village in a care home´
CT On the road: Stow Healthcare on nursing recruitment
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Sadly, this is my last issue as editor of Caring Times as I head off to pastures new. It’s been an honour and a privilege to put my stamp on one of the sector’s most respected publications for the past two years.
There have been many highlights along the way – and many people who have helped this publication to focus on the very important contribution the care sector makes to society.
Working in partnership with William Walter of Bridgehead Communications, we have gained exclusives with the leading political figures in social care, including former shadow care minister Liz Kendall, current shadow care minister Andrew Gwynne and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper. It’s been a pleasure to work with Will and I am deeply grateful for his help in gaining access to the corridors of power in order to interrogate our leading politicians on how they intend to address the sector’s urgent need for reform and greater support.
It was also an honour to be the only social care publication granted an exclusive interview with care minister Helen Whately on the day she announced a £40 million funding top-up for the sector.
I have been greatly indebted to our regular columnists, Jonathan Freeman of CareTech, Nicky Barnes of Hartford Care and Aaron White of Oakland Care, Mills & Reeve and the team at Digitising Social Care for sharing their valuable insight and expertise and profoundly enriching each issue. My thanks also to Norrms McNamara
6 NEWS IN BRIEF
Our round-up of last month's big stories
8 OPINION
Mario Kreft tackles local authority funding
10 LEADER'S
Jacquie Ritchie and Joe O'Connor on the Four Seasons' sale
14 POLITICS & POLICY
Anita Goyal and Vic Rayner on women leadership in care
16 SURVEYS & DATA
Scottish Care warns of loss of overseas workers
for sharing his deeply moving experiences of what it’s like to live with dementia. Not forgetting our brilliant features editor, Charlotte!
Additionally, I am enormously grateful for the powerful opinion pieces on the sector’s key challenges provided by Professor Martin Green, Nadra Ahmed, Vic Rayner, Mike Padgham, Robert Kilgour, Jane Townson and Mario Kreft. It’s been a pleasure and an honour to have helped share their message on the urgent need for reform and the critically important role undertaken by everyone involved in social care.
As I move into the healthcare arena, it is a message I will take with me as we seek to pursue a future where the sector is granted the recognition and prominent voice it deserves.
Most importantly, I have been constantly humbled to see the amazing work done every day by our heroic care workforce. The selfless devotion and enormous sacrifices they made to stand by our most vulnerable when they were abandoned during the dark days of the pandemic should never be forgotten.
Lee Peart, Editor-in-chief Caring Times
18
Jonathan Freeman and Nicky Barnes look at green issues in care
20 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT
We round-up last month's big deals
22 GLOBAL VIEW
Paul Morgan learns retirement living lessons in New Zealand
24 PEOPLE MOVES
The major people moves in April
26 LEGAL & REGULATORY
Mills & Reeve looks at CQC prosecutions
CQC
CIW
Safeguarding
Police
Health
New legislation protecting the rights of families to visit care homes came into force. As of 6 April, service providers which carry out regulated activities will be required to facilitate visits for service users unless there are exceptional circumstances why this cannot happen.
Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey has warned of a “national emergency” caused by the “social care crisis” after figures revealed bed blocking is taking up to one in three hospital beds. House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows there is an average of 13,662 patients a day stuck in hospital despite being medically fit to leave.
Hft launched a long-term strategy to ensure learning disabled adults are not forgotten and shut out from society. ‘Hft 2033: Your life. Your way’ was announced following a survey commissioned by the charity which found more than 60% of the general public believed the political agenda does not prioritise the needs of learning disabled adults, while a “a lack of funding” and “unchanging attitudes among the public” were preventing learning disabled people from living the best life possible.
Unpaid carers for a person with long-term care needs are entitled to up to five days annual unpaid leave under new legislation. The law is designed to
protect and assist employees with care responsibilities and is effective from the first day of employment.
Residents at care homes for older adults began receiving spring Covid-19 vaccinations on 15 April. Care homes for older adults are among the vulnerable groups identified as eligible for vaccination until 30 June following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Medical examiners are to scrutinise causes of death in a revamp of death certificates announced by the government. From 9 September all deaths not investigated by a coroner will be examined by medical examiners in order to provide greater protection and support for bereaved families.
New guidance was published by the Information Commissioner’s Officer
to improve health and social care transparency. The guidance by the UK data protection regulator is designed to help organisations understand the definition of transparency and assess its appropriate levels. It also provides practical steps to developing effective transparency information.
The Orders of St John Care Trust expanded its private pay offering with its acquisition of luxury care home provider Elmfield Care, which offers residential, dementia and respite care for almost 200 residents at Old Sarum Manor in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Flowers Manor in Chippenham, Wiltshire and Nodens Manor in Lydney, Gloucestershire.
Staff and residents at HC-One’s Balcarres Care Home in Dundee celebrated after receiving the highest possible rating from the Care Inspectorate. The home was rated Excellent by the regulator for maintaining a track record of “exceptionally high-quality care” and “outstanding leadership”.
Families with relatives at a Cheltenham care homes have celebrated after mounting a successful legal challenge to its closure. The four families instructed Irwin Mitchell to challenge Sanctuary Group’s decision to close Shaftesbury Place by the end of April.
Almost 30 residents were safely evacuated by staff after a fire broke out at an Essex care home. The evacuation took place at Ramsey Step Down and Care Centre in Harwich on the morning of 10 April.
Caring Homes Group joined a national project designed to measure levels of common infections in care home residents, such as Covid-19, influenza, norovirus and urinary tract infections. Originally launched in in 2020 to investigate Covid-19 infections in care homes, the Vivaldi Social Care Study is led by The Outstanding Society, University College London and Care England.
A grassroots support network for home care workers was launched to help tackle recruitment and retention
challenges. The Homecare Workers’ Group, founded by home care worker Rachel Kelso, aims to benefit England’s 625,000 domiciliary care workers and their employers by securing a sustained increase in central government funding for state-funded social care.
HC-One cited rising inflation and pressure on publicly funded fees after posting a £63 million loss in the financial year ending September 2023. The care home operator reported an operating loss of £63.7 million compared with a £6.1 million loss in the previous year.
Hospice sector finances are at their worst for 20 years with providers facing a collective deficit of £77 million, according to Hospice UK’s quarterly financial benchmarking survey for the 2023-24 financial year.
The Supreme Court backed a care worker who claimed she was unfairly treated by her employer for going on strike. The ruling found in favour of Fiona Mercer who was suspended by her employer, the Alternative Futures Group, after she joined strike action over sleep-in shift payments.
A Liverpool care home was fined £37,000 after failing to protect a resident who died partly from injuries caused by a fall from a first floor window. Sure Care (UK) Limited, the
provider of Derwent Lodge Nursing Home, was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs plus a £2,000 victim surcharge following prosecution by the CQC at Liverpool & Knowsley Magistrates’ Court.
Championing Social Care, which aims to promote, celebrate and unite the care sector, applied to register as an independent charity. Championing Social Care, which has been incubated by the CareTech Foundation since its launch, started life in 2018 as the Care Sector Fundraising Ball. During the pandemic the initiative became Championing Social Care, aiming to promote and unite the care sector with a range of programmes and to shine a positive light on the great work of social care and its 1.6 million-strong workforce.
Adult incontinence specialist Ontex was announced as the headline sponsor of the National Care Awards 2024 in November. Ontex distributor channel manager, Angela Gillespie, said: “We are extremely proud to announce that Ontex is the headline sponsor for the National Care Awards 2024. Having been an award sponsor over 10 years, it is such an important night to recognise those working in the care sector and the positive impact they have on people’s lives. I look forward to seeing everybody on the night and celebrating those nominated!”
Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, says institutional prejudice against privately-run care homes is an issue that needs to be addressed
It’s been the elephant in the room for three decades and more. The institutional prejudice against privately run care homes has been a constant and annoyingly persistent theme.
The recent reception at the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff to mark the 30th anniversary of Care Forum Wales, which represents around 500 providers, was a great reminder of how far we have come – but also of the stark fact that we have been unable to conquer the discrimination we continue to face.
While we have been able to develop a positive, collaborative relationship with the Welsh government, the same cannot be said for the crazy patchwork of 22 local authorities and seven health boards which commission the vast majority of social care in Wales. It’s tantamount to financial abuse that wouldn’t be tolerated by any other commercial enterprise.
Sadly, this is not a uniquely Welsh phenomenon. We were founder members of the Five Nations group which represents providers across Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland and my colleagues from the other nations also experience the exact same prejudice against the private sector.
The exception that proves the rule is Conwy Council in North Wales. Hitherto, it had abided by the machinations of the North Wales Regional Fees Group – which is essentially a fee- fixing cartel – set up by the region’s six county councils (Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham) and Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board.
But after years of campaigning by Care Forum Wales, it has broken away from the other North Walian authorities and finally used the toolkit designed by social care finance experts LaingBuisson to calculate the fees for the different categories of care.
And lo and behold, it has introduced fee increases of between 18% and 20%, bringing the rates a lot closer to being a realistic reflection of the true cost of providing care.
Compare and contrast this with the approach in neighbouring Denbighshire County Council – with leader Jason McLennon and chief executive Graham Boase at the helm, who are are determinedly keeping their heads firmly in the sand. As a result, Denbighshire has come up with a miserly 8.8% increase, one that has been immediately wiped out by inflation and the cost of living crisis.
To put this in context, Denbighshire was already paying the lowest care home fees in the whole of Wales, so it started from a rock bottom base.
We have ended up in the ludicrous position where the annual fee in Denbighshire to provide nursing care for an elderly, vulnerable person with dementia in Rhyl is £9,200 less that you would get for providing exactly the same level of expert care in neighbouring Kinmel Bay in Conwy.
In a 40-bed care home that equates to a disparity of nearly £370,000 a year which could mean the difference between staying open and being forced to close for care homes that are already struggling financially.
The stakes are high. In the past 18 months, we’ve lost at least four homes in North Wales: Trewythen Hall in Gresford, Bay Court in Kinmel Bay, Gwastad Hall in Cefn y Bedd and Morfa Newydd in Greenfield – with 163 muchneeded beds.
All of this has played out against the backdrop of Conwy Council getting just a 2% increase in overall funding from the Welsh government which was the lowest in Wales so there’s no excuse for Denbighshire or any other authority in Wales or elsewhere not to follow Conwy’s example.
All we want is fairness in line with the Welsh government’s ‘Let’s agree to agree’ guidance.
We’ve had a generation of injustice and institutional prejudice and discrimination against the private care sector – and Denbighshire Council is the embodiment of this.
As the former First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford pointed out, social care provides a scaffold for the NHS, so this mean, shortsighted approach is also going to have a detrimental effect on our hospitals – as if the beleaguered Betsi Cadwalader Health Board in North Wales didn’t have enough problems already.
Politics is about making choices and Conwy Council has shown it’s possible to take a much more sensible, long-term view to protect the social care network from collapse.
What’s particularly shameful is that you have a Labour-run council in Denbighshire which is saying that fair fees are a bridge too far for them. It’s also incredibly short-sighted. Underlying
most care home closures is an inadequate funding issue. It’s bizarre that the situation is within the commissioners’ grasp by funding correctly, when hospitals need these beds to ease their pressure.
That’s a pattern that’s being repeated across Wales even though the fact of the matter is the quicker someone leaves hospital the better it is, not just for the patient but for the local authority as well.
The need for care home beds has never been greater because our hospitals are at breaking point because of so-called bed-blocking with patients unable to be discharged after their medical treatment has been completed.
As a result, there are very few hospital beds available for incoming patients, many of whom have to endure being kept in ambulances outside or on trolleys for hours on end.
What makes this all the more shocking is this an avoidable catastrophe that’s been caused by the disgraceful mismanagement of local authorities and health boards in Wales which commission publicly funded social care.
It feels very much like there’s a deliberate campaign to undermine and ultimately destroy the independent sector so that it’s no longer sustainable, giving the opportunity for local authorities to
Local authorities respond
We asked the members of the North Wales Regional Fees Group for a response to Kreft’s allegation that they operated a fee fixing cartel.
Alwyn Jones, chief officer social care at Wrexham Council, said: “North Wales authorities and the local health board work together to propose fee rates across North Wales for care home provision. These are recommendations only and each organisation uses discretion to set their specific local fees within the context of their local market and resources available.”
A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said: “We work with all North Wales local authorities and representatives of the care sector, including Care Forum Wales, to follow Welsh government guidance to agree care home fees. It is disappointing to hear of the Care Forum’s colourful claims regarding this transparent and open process and the attempt to present a complex and sensitive matter in the form of a crude ‘league table’. As a council, we are dedicated to delivering the best possible care and support for the county’s most vulnerable people and note that residential placements are only one part of the care market and that other aspects demand greater fees.”
We asked Denbighshire to respond to Kreft's criticism of its fee rise.
A spokesperson said: “Considering that this is significantly more than the 3.8% increase received in our settlement, this decision reflects that, even in the face of significant financial challenge, the council is prioritising the provision of care in the community.
“Denbighshire currently spends around £13 million on approximately 364 placements in 82 homes. With this increase, expenditure is set to increase by over £1 million.
“This strives to strike the delicate balance between navigating challenging financial constraints and ensuring that we are maintaining a sustainable future for the care sector in Denbighshire and whilst this decision comes with financial implications, it reflects our priorities as a council, and upholds our commitment to prioritising care provision in our community.
“We value our care providers in Denbighshire and remain committed to fostering an open and fair relationship with them.”
take social care in-house.
In the meantime, irresponsibly low care fees add up to an outrageous stealth tax on decent, hard-pressed families who will inevitably have to fund the shortfall themselves.
We now have a new First Minister in Vaughan Gething and a new minister for social care, with Dawn Bowden following
in the footsteps of the wonderful Julie Morgan, with the promise of a new national approach.
I very much hope they will follow Mark Drakeford and Julie Morgan’s example in thinking of social care provision as a value and not as a cost. I wish them all the best as they take the helm in challenging times.
Four Seasons Health Care Group’s chief executive Joe O’Connor and chief operating officer Jacqui Ritchie explain how they managed the turnaround of the group’s remaining care homes, trading under the Four Seasons Health Care and brighterkind brand names
Having begun the sale of its 111 care homes in June 2022, Four Seasons announced last August it had decided not to sell around a third of its portfolio in the near term.
“We decided we would retain those care homes because they were performing strongly across all metrics including care quality and financially,” O’Connor says. “We didn’t feel we were getting the right value for them in the sales process.”
O’Connor, who helped establish HC-One in 2011 and worked on the managed break-up of Southern Cross, was appointed chief executive to oversee the turnaround and subsequent sale of the Four Seasons Group’s portfolio in March 2022. He promoted Ritchie to chief operating officer over a year ago to lead the continued operational turnaround of the business.
The result has been an impressive turnaround over the past 12 months, with occupancy, average weekly fees and care quality all up significantly.
Occupancy has recovered from 78% during the dark days of the pandemic to more than 89% currently.
“We have grown our private mix within that,” Ritchie says. “We have maintained really strong partnerships
“We have to make sure we continue to provide excellent care quality and that the word of mouth in the surrounding areas is really great about us so that people will choose to come to us,”
with our commissioners and also have a positive presence within our communities so that we know each home can meet the needs of the local population. We have re-examined our admissions process to make it more efficient, commissioner-friendly and reduced the time for people to move in.”
Alongside a personalised approach provided by home managers, with support from its business development manager, Four Seasons has enhanced its communications with key local health and social care professionals. By moving its regular, critical communications, such as local bed availability emails and text messages (which proved so popular during the pandemic) to an advanced automated process, key referrers have benefited from regular, accurate information they can rely upon to assist them to understand bed availability, and home managers have also benefited with one less task each week.
Ritchie, a registered nurse who was formerly a hospital executive director, adds: “We found a 20% immediate uplift in referrals as soon as we started automating those emails. It takes the inefficiencies out of the system because it stops the healthcare professional being very stressed, having to ring around trying to find a bed for somebody,
particularly for those teams supporting hospital discharges where they have waiting list pressures. It has also saved our home managers’ time.”
While having delivered a strong recovery in occupancy, the leaders concede that levels were still not where they wanted.
“It’s interesting how much of the market has sought to pivot to residential care and we are not afraid at all to say we are a nursing care business predominantly and that has been a powerful factor in improved occupancy,” O’ Connor notes. “What is surprising to us is we have seen very little discharge to assess and very little NHS flow other than what we have gone to find ourselves,” O’Connor confides. “I talk regularly with the DHSC about winter pressures. We know our sector could be a massive part of the solution to NHS challenges, yet we haven’t seen a material take up of the vacancies we have sent to the DHSC. It feels like a missed opportunity.”
Ritchie says greater competition in certain areas because of new entrants meant that the battle for full occupancy was also a lot more intense than previously.
“We have to make sure we continue to provide excellent care quality and that
Jacqui Ritchie
the word of mouth in the surrounding areas is really great about us so that people will choose to come to us,” she says.
O’Connor notes that the strategic decision to rebuild profitable occupancy was a factor in the gradual return to full occupancy.
“There’s been some occupancy opportunity that we haven’t taken because it’s just not been for a fair cost of care, or clinical needs are better suited to a hospital environment or specialist service,” he notes. “We have gone a little slower on the occupancy build deliberately to make sure we are the right home for each resident.
Ritchie adds: “Resident experience and wellbeing is paramount to us and so it’s important that we only accept admissions where we can provide the right care to meet their needs. That can have a negative impact on overall occupancy rates, but it has a positive impact on care quality and resident experience. We also have to be able to secure the right fee to meet the resident’s care needs and have the right skills in place.”
The provider’s significant investment in upgrading its homes has also affected its ability to grow occupancy quickly.
“When you are doing capital expenditure and refurbishments you can’t necessarily take in admissions in the short term,” O’Connor notes. “Once rooms are refreshed and repositioned, you can provide services at a different price point so there needs to be a little bit of strategic thinking about when you want to fill that occupancy.”
O’Connor reveals he secured several millions of pounds in capital expenditure with support from his stakeholders to spend on a mix of digitalisation, systems and IT capex, as well as significant investment in the care homes’ buildings, living areas and infrastructure.
Digitalisation includes the installation of superfast Wi-Fi to facilitate the roll-out of electronic medication administration records from this month, which is set to complete by the end of the year, with electronic care plans intended to follow.
The chief operating officer notes workforce capacity was a key factor in determining how quickly the group could increase occupancy. Reducing agency usage has been another key success recently.
“We want residents to be cared for by our own workforce where possible,”
Ritchie explains. “You could have one admission which could result in an extra person from an agency working on shift 24-hours a day. You have to weigh up the pros and cons over whether that is financially viable for one resident. Agency would work better if you were taking three or four residents within a short space of time until you are able to recruit a permanent member of the team.”
Ritchie explains that improved customer satisfaction levels have helped attract higher occupancy for the business, with improved local reputations and care quality ratings as well.
“Our customer satisfaction index is 83% this year compared with the UK average of 76%,” she highlights. “That drives positive word of mouth which means people want to come and live with us.”
O’Connor agrees, adding: “We have just completed a resident and relative survey where we have improved on every question we asked two years ago. There’s still room for progress, but it’s nice to get a better answer across all 15 areas we ask about.”
Colleague feedback has also been
encouraging with the business among the best in the sector with a 4.3 approval rating on employee website Glassdoor. Similarly, eight out of ten colleagues recommend the group as a good place to work.
“If your colleagues are advocating you as a great place to work that means a lot more than me or Jacqui saying it,” O’Connor notes.
A happier workforce is reflected by staff turnover which has dropped significantly from almost 50% when the leadership team took over two years ago.
“Turnover was unbelievably high,” O’Connor acknowledges. “We were changing our entire workforce mathematically every two years. We are not where we need to be yet. It’s a journey and we are still on it, but we have come a long way and have been working hard on improving our culture and creating high retention and recommendation from our colleagues. On other measures such as commerciality and fee negotiation we are ahead of the pack, but we have still further to go here.”
The leadership team says annual pay and terms and conditions talks with
the company’s three recognised unions, the RCN, GMB and Unison, are “still progressing”. The group operates a collective bargaining agreement, meaning trade union deals on pay and benefits apply to emplyees working in its care homes, excluding office-based central and support teams.
In further good news, average weekly fees have been more than £1,000 throughout 2023 and 2024 to date.
Ritchie said the adoption of a new, more sophisticated and real-time dependency tool has been key to evidencing to commissioners the need for enhanced fees to cater for increasingly complex care needs and has enabled more effective care home operations and rostering.
Care quality has also significantly improved over the past year with the percentage of Care Quality Commission Good-rated homes up from 61% to 74%. In Scotland, the group’s percentage of homes graded 4 and above has increased from a low base of 42% to 67% today.
Four Seasons celebrated its first home in Scotland achieving the highest possible rating at the end of 2023 as Gilmerton Neurological Care Centre in Edinburgh achieved 6s across the board.
The business is also in the healthy position for the first time in 12 years of having no Inadequate-rated services with the CQC.
“We have still got more to do,”
O’Connor concedes. “We have 74% Good or equivalent in England. We are about 71% Good or equivalent Groupwide. I would like that to be at least 80% this year.”
Ritchie attributes the notable improvement in CQC ratings to a “very holistic approach to working in every home so we can improve each home on every metric and provide excellent care quality and experience for residents”.
O’Connor adds: “We have put the pride back into our group across Four Seasons and brighterkind. We have focused more on celebrating the things we do really well, and while we recognise the things we can still improve, we have created a new culture around being positive, caring and inspiring people, and around being proud of what we do,
which we didn’t have before. Positivity is infectious.
“Over many years, due to the evolution of the group, it has seen a mixed approach across the country, where best practice wasn’t shared and embedded across all homes as well as it should have been. We have changed all that.”
Where to go from here?
Given Four Seasons Health Care Group’s financial and operational turnaround, where does that leave the business and its ongoing restructuring?
The sale of almost all of the remaining care homes currently on the market is expected to be completed by the end of June, O’Connor says, adding that the return to financial and operational stability means the future of the remaining 46 care homes, representing 2,000 residents, is secure.
“We have got ourselves into such a different position that constant questioning of possible closure of homes
The continual enhancement of the group’s Magic Moments programme of social activities has contributed to quality improvement. The programme includes a ‘Magic Moments Portal’, which provides an ever-changing source of interactive activities, exercise, holistic sessions and live classes along with quizzes and games. Ritchie notes: “The portal provides ideas and inspiration for our team and enables rapid recording of participation, engagement and ‘fresh air’ moments.
"When we introduced the electronic reporting element, our team were able to spend less time logging activities and more quality time with residents, which we see as a good thing. We have also partnered with some of the best in the sector, including danceSing, Oomph!, Creative Mojo, Eldercate and NAPA to name but a few. We reset our vision and values at the beginning of this year which was developed collaboratively with our care home teams,” she adds. “Clear strategic pillars for growth have really energised our ways of working. Everybody is really excited about what’s happening in the business. We celebrate success and people’s individual achievements are recognised.”
is for the past, which is a great place to be and a testament to the hard work and dedication of thousands of my colleagues,” O’Connor notes.
Although much reduced in size, Four Seasons remains a significant player in the local authority-focused care home market, particularly in the
Southeast, Midlands, North of England, Scotland and Jersey where good-quality, affordable care is much in need.
With so many vulnerable people and workers dependant on its services, the care home operator’s return to stability is cause for all those involved to be cheerful – and long may it continue.
Berkley Care Group’s chief executive, Laura Taylor, and chief people officer, Leah Smith, ask Anita Goyal, trustee of Hallmark Foundation and Professor Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, for their views on female leadership in care
We begin by discussing with Rayner and Goyal their journeys, from early in their careers to the positions of leadership they hold today. Having “always worked in the not-for-profit sector”, Rayner points to her leadership of the National Care Forum as reflective of the importance of “working in a world which is constantly changing”.
Working in social care was far from Goyal’s focus early in her career. “I decided to go to science teaching, and I did that for about 20 years,” she says. Despite her late entry into the sector, she sees it as a central strength of her position, enabling her to apply her experience from education and charity work to social care.
“[It’s] allowed me, in the non-profit sector, also to look at social challenges and see how we can bring people together from all those sectors,” Goyal says.
Driving Rayner’s vision for women in leadership positions are “values-based approaches,” which particularly concern “mentorship and development-focused, inclusive leadership”. Although progress
“I just feel like anyone who wants to be in this sector should have that opportunity to discover and unlock their true potential and all the possibilities through personal development”
has already been made, she feels more will be needed in the future.
The requirement for “people to have data analysis skills” is particularly pertinent. Rayner argues that data needs to be harnessed by those who can “say what that means for the needs of our communities going forward” but worries that this isn’t happening sufficiently. “I don’t think we’ve got a 30-year vision drawn out yet,” she says.
Personal development is a particularly important topic for Goyal. “I just feel like anyone who wants to be in this sector should have that opportunity to discover and unlock their true potential and all the possibilities through personal development,” she adds.
However, technology is similarly essential in her vision for future leadership. Regarding artificial intelligence as a crucial tool, she thinks that “young people can and should be encouraged to learn about the different AI platforms that there are”.
The biggest barrier to women working in the social care sector for Goyal and Rayner is the prevalence of low pay for highly demanding work. “Other sectors and industries are more attractive...
[there’s] higher, better pay and of course, the responsibility’s a lot less,” says Goyal. Rayner adds that Skills for Care has found that “to go from front line carer to senior care worker… it’s an eight pence difference [in hourly pay]”, despite a considerable increase in work and responsibilities.
The fact that “it’s one of the poorest paid sectors” and that “81% of the [social care] workforce is made up of women” is to Rayner no “great coincidence” and a sign of how much further women must go in earning a decent wage.
When discussing issues beyond pay, both agree that better routes up the job ladder are needed.
“Having clear career pathways… that needs to come right from the top,” Goyal says, a position reiterated by Rayner, who argues that most of the sector still doesn’t “show people a developmental route”.
Regarding how best to improve the sector and make it more attractive to women, a central aspect is greater flexibility. Goyal says that “a lot of homes at the moment are really strict on 12-hour shifts”, something that can be particularly difficult for women with childcaring responsibilities. Allowing
people to work half shifts would help make things easier for women who hope to balance their jobs with their family lives. This would attract more people into the sector, she argues.
For Rayner, a distinct concern in social care is the lack of “ongoing professional supervision” compared to the health sector, which “actively enables leaders… to learn from their practice [and] to develop”. This absence discourages reflection and learning, she adds, commenting: “Reflective practice is hard, and it takes time, but people learn enormously from it.”
According to Rayner, belief is one of the most important aspects of succeeding
as a woman in a leadership position. “Believe that you can make a difference, and I think if you go into the day thinking that… [then] that’s something that can drive you,” she says.
Both also highlighted the importance of passion. “[A role] has to fit your core values,” Raynor says, adding: “I think that’s the only space you can truly lead within.”
Finding an area you’re passionate about is the first of Goyal’s ‘Four Ps for success’. “The second one is having a positive attitude,” she adds. When asking her about the final two Ps to success, Goyal feels that being “proactive” by exploring “what it is that you really want” is essential in finding your niche and in being able to “participate fully in quality experiences”.
As we near the end of our discussion, we ask both leaders what inspires them. “I’m incredibly admiring of people with really creative talent,” says Rayner, who feels particularly inspired by female artists, musicians and writers.
However, she adds that education should continue to catch up in this field. Reflecting on her children’s time in school, she notes that “they all just studied the same text that I’m pretty sure I studied… 40-plus years ago, which are all men, largely”. She is optimistic that this is something that can be improved in the future.
Ending our discussion, Goyal stresses the wide range of women she’s inspired by, “starting from human rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai to environmental activist Greta Thunberg”, but pays particular credit to feminist Sheila Kelley, who has done work on “how you can use your femininity in… an empowering way”. Being able to unlock feminine leadership is something she finds particularly inspiring as she feels that women “don’t have to… use some of the masculine traits that men use to lead”, she says.
Despite the lack of female representation in senior leadership positions, Rayner and Goyal are optimistic that, with improved pay, greater flexibility and clearer career paths, and passionate role models, the sector holds significant opportunities for women moving forward.
Providers are concerned about losing overseas care workers due to increased bureaucracy
Campaigners have warned that a loss of overseas workers due to increased red tape could have a “severe and dramatic impact” on social care.
The Scottish Care survey was launched following the Home Office’s decision to request additional documentation to process certificates of sponsorship.
In a briefing paper on the survey’s findings, Scottish Care said: “Due to the current level of vacancies and lack of capacity being experienced within the social care sector, this additional potential loss of staff could have a severe and dramatic impact on overall social care delivery throughout Scotland.
“In addition, this potential pathway to recruit much needed staff members from overseas to help with the significant number of vacancies the sector has is becoming increasingly unstable and not
financially viable for care providers to pursue.”
The survey found two-thirds of Scottish care members are currently recruiting staff from overseas.
However, more than two-thirds (68%) said they would be reluctant to consider international recruitment in the future due to concerns over sustainability and financial viability.
Respondents from 14 local authorities said they employed more than 15% of staff from overseas, with seven areas employing over 25%. Some care providers reported employing 95% to 100% from overseas.
Scottish Care said: “This is clearly a significant risk to the sustainability of those organisations and the overall delivery of social care services in those local authority areas. Should staff either decide to leave the sector or have no ability to access the required certificate of sponsorship this would immediately put these organisations at risk of continuing to deliver their current level of service provision.
“These findings highlight a serious concern over the sustainability of social care delivery in Scotland. The potential loss of internationally recruited staff
could intensify the existing vacancy challenges and impact overall service provision.
“Scottish Care urges policymakers to address the urgent issues facing social care recruitment. Immediate action is needed to protect social care service provision and support the sector’s workforce.”
A government spokesperson said: “Care workers make a vital contribution to society, but immigration is not the long-term answer to our social care needs.
“120,000 dependants accompanied 100,000 care workers in the year ending September 2023, and these numbers are unsustainable which is why we laid measures in Parliament to cut this figure.”
Quality director Nicky Barnes explains how Hartford Care’s commitment to environmental, social and governance policies has reaped financial rewards
At Hartford Care, our ESG commitments are absolutely fundamental to our business strategy. Our programme is designed foremost to safeguard the planet and ensure we are adding substantial social value to the communities in which we operate. We’re playing our part to create the best future for everyone, however there are also significant financial benefits to prioritising sustainability in the care sector.
Many lenders are recognising the advantages of a future-proof ESG strategy and offering reduced rates where companies can demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and community initiatives – both those already in place and practices being
“A commitment to sustainability has other positive financial impacts too. Over the past 18 months, our energy usage is down by 20%.”
worked towards. Our most recent deal with our lender saw our interest rate reduced by 0.25% following a review of our ESG programme and future plans.
A commitment to sustainability has other positive financial impacts too. Over the past 18 months, our energy usage is down by 20%. We expect this to fall to around 50% once the solar energy installed in a number of our homes starts to benefit us. In addition, sustainability is increasingly important to our residents and their families when they are looking for a home, so our ESG programme is directly informing our sales and marketing strategy; it is a powerful selling point and is increasing our desirability for environmentallyconscious families.
Our ESG programme is also supporting our growth as we tender for new business. In line with NHS procurement, local care commissioning groups are expecting to see carbon reduction plans in place by their preferred suppliers and at least one demands a net zero target of 2050 or earlier.
All of this is a win-win; the costs we save can be ploughed back into the business to enhance our service offering and, ultimately, reinforce the high quality of care we already offer our residents.
Sustainability and ESG concerns are – more and more – tied directly to standards of care. Indeed, the Care Quality Commission has brought environmental sustainability into its criteria for the first time. Its most recent environmental sustainability quality statement says: “We understand any negative impact of our activities on the environment and we strive to make a positive contribution in reducing it and support people to do the same.”
The CQC is now looking for evidence of green initiatives, carbon reduction, recycling measures and structured staff training.
We take this very seriously; every Hartford Care team member – across all our homes and head office – is educated on our sustainability journey. Our residents are also included and kept up to date with everything that’s going on and they play their part too.
Across the big and small initiatives, from energy consumption league tables for all homes, recycling and waste disposal, to sustainable practices such as the installation of solar panels, each home and its community are coming together to support and achieve our goals.
Nicky BarnesJonathan Freeman, group sustainability director at CareTech Group, provides his monthly take on how social care is adopting a green agenda but warns a greater change is required
Let’s be honest, until relatively recently the social care sector could not describe itself as being at the cutting edge of technological innovation – paper-based care records, for example, were the norm for most providers – and still are for many. Deployment of (and funding for) technological assistive devices is growing but is still relatively rare. And, when the Covid pandemic struck, the lack of infrastructure to enable digital connectivity for those in care with their loved ones and with external agencies became painfully obvious. The potential for significant technological innovation in social care is now well-attested and take-up is accelerating. The government’s social care White Paper, ‘People at the Heart of Care’, set out bold ambitions to support digitalisation across the sector through its Digitising Social Care programme. In the government’s own words: “When technology is embedded seamlessly into care and support services, it can be transformative: helping people to live happy, fulfilled lives in their homes and communities.”
Beyond the use of technology to enhance the provision of social care, there is an equally strong case for wider innovation in how we deliver care. At CareTech, we have recognised these imperatives of driving innovative approaches to the provision of social care and embracing technology. Our worldleading Smartbox AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices are giving a voice to tens of
"What strikes me in all of this debate, however, is the radio silence about how technology and innovation are key to the sustainability agenda."
thousands worldwide. EnableAll, launched by our Purple subsidiary last year, is the world’s first truly accessible online marketplace platform, enabling equality and inclusion for disabled people as well as an ethical alternative for conscious consumers.
The CareTech Foundation is also supporting the Alzheimer’s Society’s Longitude Prize on Dementia, a £4.42 million international prize to drive the creation of personalised technologies, co-created with people living in the early stages of dementia, to enable people with dementia to live independently.
What strikes me in all of this debate, however, is the radio silence about how technology and innovation are key to the sustainability agenda.
It is curious that, in pretty much every publication about innovation and technology in social care, there is scarcely a mention of the potential benefits for environmental sustainability. The advantages of electronic care records in terms of improving the quality and accessibility of these vital systems are undoubted – but the huge gains from reducing paper and storage facilities are also significant.
Such reductions can be applied across many other systems supporting our organisations; at CareTech, for example, our switch to electronic payslips is saving 150,000 sheets of paper every year – 11 trees’ worth. Across the sector, Zoom and Teams meetings were, pre-pandemic, relatively rare but now are commonplace, which is great news for the environment, with research suggesting that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing can reduce the carbon footprint of meetings by 94% and energy use by 90%.
However, let us remind ourselves that sustainability is not just about being ‘green’. Yes, promoting recycling, improving energy efficiency and reducing our carbon impact is a massively important part of the sustainability agenda. But sustainability
is about ensuring the needs of future generations can be met.
Bluntly, as we all know, the current social care system is already creaking at the seams at best. It is painfully obvious to pretty much everyone that the current modes of delivery just won’t meet future demands, with a growing elderly population and with rising levels of care needs across all age ranges.
And is there anyone who believes that this is just about the government providing more money? I would place myself at the head of any queue to prevail upon our political leaders to fund social care adequately. But I would equally argue that exponential growth in the financing of social care as it is currently delivered is just not affordable.
The only way in which we can deliver world-class social care that will truly be fit for the needs of our children and grandchildren is by root and branch reform of the system. That will require real innovation across the whole sector to think differently about how we can best support our population to live as independently as possible. And, in doing so, we can harness the best of technological and other advances to ensure that we also rise to the climate change crisis. Only in this way can we create a social care sector that is sustainable in every sense of the word.
Aurem Care celebrated the completion of an East Sussex care home’s £2 million refurbishment. The unveiling at Hailsham House was attended by mayor councillor Paul Holbrook and deputy mayor councillor Anne Marie Ricketts.
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes acquired a 1.78-acre site in Cardiff and will build an 81-bed, residential, dementia and nursing care home at Melrose Hall in the St Mellon’s district with construction beginning in the summer next year.
Exemplar Health Care began construction of a care home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Due for completion by spring next year. Leger Grove complex needs care home will provide comprehensive support to adults living with complex mental health needs, dementia, neuro-disabilities and physical disabilities.
Agincare has confirmed it has acquired two Somerset Care care homes. The care home operator acquired Critchill Court in Frome and Sunnymeade in Chard after Somerset Care launched a consultation on their closure in March.
Edinburgh City Council said it is closing two care homes which are no longer fit for purpose. Clovenstone and Ford’s Road provide residential care for 68 residents.
Porthaven Care Homes appointed Corby, Northamptonshirebased Kori Construction to build a £12.2 million care home in Milton Keynes. The scheme has already seen the demolition of a former fire station on the site, which is being replaced by a fourstorey, 75-bed care home with wet room for older people and those living with dementia. The bedrooms cover three floors, with staff and service facilities located on the fourth floor.
Hartford Care launched 10 new bedrooms with en suite wet rooms at its Belford House care home in Hampshire. The bedrooms will be located in a newly-built extension to the home, which currently has full occupancy of its existing 32 bedrooms.
Vishal Chandnani, a first-time buyer, acquired The Priory a care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire registered for 24 elderly residents. The Grade II listed Edwardian property has been owned by Mark and Judith Allworth since 2004. Its facilities have been extended and improved over the years, now featuring 18 en suite bedrooms and five care apartments.
Westgate Healthcare unveiled plans to develop and open two new care homes in Hertfordshire. The plans include the opening of 75-bed Meadowbrook care home in Borehamwood in January next year followed by the construction of an 80-bed care home in Cheshunt in summer 2026.
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes was granted planning permission to build a care home on a two-acre site in Woodford Green, East London. Hallmark will transform the unused land acquired in 2022 from Guide Dogs for the Blind into a 110-bed, residential, dementia and nursing care home. Name
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Business
Paul Morgan, co-founder and chief executive of luxury integrated retirement community operator, Wallacea Living, shares his findings from a recent ARCO study tour in New Zealand
Designed to gather insights and best practice into the retirement industry globally, the recent Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO) study tour included representatives from Richmond Villages, The Audley Group, Retirement Villages Group, Riverstone, Untold Living, as well as Wallacea Living.
New Zealand is regarded as a world leader when it comes to retirement living, with companies starting to develop retirement villages in the 1980s, a good 20 years or so before similar models were introduced in the UK. Around 16% of older people are living in a retirement community in New Zealand (compared to 0.1% in the UK) with 130 people moving into a retirement village every week. ARCO’s vision 2023 for the UK highlights a target of 250,000 integrated retirement community (IRC) units to be available to our population by 2030. This is a bold challenge from the current 88,000 and will take us to around 2% of the older population.
The planning authorities in New Zealand have similar challenges to the
"Around 16% of older people are living in a retirement community in New Zealand (compared to 0.1% in the UK) with 130 people moving into a retirement village every week."
UK in that any application is measured by bulk, location, design, traffic, noise and environmental effects to name but a few. However, as retirement villages in New Zealand are regulated through the Retirement Village Act 2003, it is slightly easier for planning authorities to understand what a standard definition of a retirement village is. New Zealand has 465 retirement villages across 67 planning authorities compared to around 75 IRCs in the UK across 337 planning authorities in England.
It’s fair to say resident wellbeing is at the heart of everything offered in New Zealand’s retirement communities. From the ‘new resident coffee mornings’ on arrival, through the very full list of physical exercises – Pilates, chairobics, aqua classes etc – through to the guest talks, resident talks and so much more. One area that was very clearly an enjoyment for many residents was their involvement in some elements of ‘running’ the communities. We saw examples of a bar that was 100% resident operated and managed, to times when residents help at the reception desk, run classes and drive the minibus into town, as well as managing gardening clubs. There was a real sense of purpose around the community.
It’s fair to say that technology in New Zealand is being tried and tested in the same way it is in the UK. When it comes to genuine examples of tele care options and communication within the community, there are examples of resident apps and two-way communication opportunities within the apartments very similar to the UK. There wasn’t a “this is the best system”, it was horses for courses.
A couple of the higher end communities were implementing keyless systems whereby people’s wrist
bands can provide door entry and service charging to their accounts. The one element that the UK and New Zealand are working towards is having such a system that is safe and reliable enough to house an emergency response system.
Some of the activities that are much more achievable due to the number of villages in the country, is having overnight stays or tours to other areas of the country and staying in sister villages to experience what those areas have to offer. I know one or two companies in the UK undertake this, however it did seem to be more of a regular and almost expected service in New Zealand.
Around two-thirds (65%) of the retirement communities in New Zealand have a physical care facility on site. If and when someone reaches a stage in life when they need further care, the Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) is settled, and a new one set up in the care facility. The fact there is a care facility on site and that a resident can transition through, is highlighted as the fourth most important consideration when buying into a
country’s choice for where they wish to be as they get older.
"Around two-thirds of the retirement communities in New Zealand have a physical care facility on site"
retirement community – behind safety and security, sense of community and location. Interestingly, as the retirement sector grows in New Zealand with care facilities on site, standalone care homes are in decline, indicating a shift in the
On moving in, a resident purchases an ORA (essentially a licence to occupy). This sum of money is not a purchase of ‘ownership’, it is a capital contribution which allows you to ‘buy’ into the village and use the services. This capital contribution is guaranteed to be returned at the end of the tenure, minus the Deferred Management Fee (DMF). Once a contract is signed, a resident has a statutory 15-day cooling off period (some operators extend this to three months after moving in). The
owner pays a monthly fee to live there. Interestingly the fees are quoted and discussed in weekly terms as opposed to monthly. These fees are set very low to offset a more rapid DMF growth. DMF accrues typically at 10% per year, however, there are variations, although the majority accrue over three years. Upon resale (which the operator is responsible for) the owner (or owners’ estate) receives original capital sum less DMF. Any capital gain or loss is absorbed by the operator. A new weekly fee is then set for new owner. The operator charges no resale fee and funds all refurbishment required in the apartment.
Minehead Nursing and Residential Home in Somerset appointed Louise Heppenstall as its new home manager, leading a team of more than 100 staff providing a range of care services, including residential, nursing and specialist dementia for adults of all ages. Heppenstall has more than 15 years’ management experience. She began her career in retail with the supermarket chain Tesco, working her way up to become a department manager. Four years ago she changed careers, becoming a carer at a residential home in South Molton. Two years ago she was appointed assistant manager at Minehead Nursing and Residential Home.
Barchester’s Charitable Foundation appointed Sally Hale as a trustee. Hale, who managed adult community therapies at a large NHS foundation trust for more than 15 years, volunteers with Thrive, a social and therapeutic horticultural charity that uses horticulture as an activity to support people with long-term health needs.
Surrey-based maritime charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society appointed former Royal Navy captain David Dominy as its chief executive, succeeding commander Brian Boxall-Hunt who was the Society’s chief executive for 17 years. Dominy will lead the Society, including its residential and nursing care home Belvedere House, which provides nursing care for up to 68 former
in association with
seafarers, their dependants, veterans, and the local community, including those living with dementia.
retirement community start-up Wallacea Living appointed Sue Timney as creative director, following her involvement as a creative consultant on the company’s first development in central London. Timney will spearhead the creative strategy and interior design of Wallacea Living's residential and amenity spaces. With more than 40 years’ industry experience, she has been involved in the design of all the amenity spaces at Wallacea Living’s first site, including the restaurant, the cinema, the bar, the library and the multifunctional space, working with architectural and interior design firm Jestico + Whiles.
Kepler Vision Technologies, a provider of software for patient wellbeing in elderly care facilities, promoted Stephanie van Rosmalen to the new role of chief marketing officer. Van Rosmalen joined Kepler Vision Technologies in 2021, initially working as a PR and marketing consultant, before being hired full time. She is tasked with promoting the Kepler name and service across the world. Originally based in the Netherlands, the company has marketed its Kepler Night Nurse product to Spain, Belgium, Norway, France and other European countries, with plans to expand worldwide.
Integrated
Complex nursing care provider Exemplar Health Care appointed Joanna McCabe as its first Huntington’s disease nurse consultant, joining the company’s behaviour support team. McCabe will bolster the company’s Huntington’s disease training and expand connections with other services and experts, including local NHS Huntington’s disease teams.
The Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) appointed Bidfood’s Anna Turner as a director and interim vice-chairman. Bidfood is a major foodservice supplier to the care industry and Turner is the national account manager of its catering supplies team. She has worked at Bidfood for 11 years and been an active member of the FPA for more than 10 years working closely with it and playing a
key role in Bidfood’s move to join the trade association. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the foodservice industry and started her career as a trainee customer assistant at Pal International before moving into a sales manager position.
Orchard Care Homes appointed Geoff Edwards as director of operations overseeing the group’s central region, which covers the Northwest of England and the Midlands. Edwards became a care home assistant at the age of 16, before progressing to becoming the manager of a 34-room care home by the late 1990s. He spent seven years at Southern Cross Healthcare, rising to area manager, before progressing into regional director and operations director roles at Shaw Healthcare, Priory Group and Care UK. He was most recently managing director of HC-One.
With the Care Quality Commission’s new Single Assessment Framework in full swing, Amanda Narkiewicz, partner at law firm Mills & Reeve, assesses the uptick in CQC prosecutions and its approach to enforcement under the new system
Since April 2015 when the Care Quality Commission took over criminal investigations and the prosecution role of the Health and Safety Executive for healthcare harm events, the CQC has been using its criminal enforcement powers with increasing appetite.
A review of the CQC’s data set of prosecutions it has brought to date reflects a rise in the use of its enforcement powers, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. The regulator has the power to prosecute health and social care providers if they fail to provide safe, high-quality care. So, whether you are a registered provider or a registered manager or a company director, the CQC has the power to prosecute both care home operators and individuals.
The CQC has a range of civil and criminal enforcement powers and sometimes it will be appropriate for it to use both civil and criminal enforcement powers at the same time. The CQC uses its enforcement policy and its enforcement decision tree to make decisions about what enforcement power to use based on the nature of the breach.
There are several prosecutable
"The CQC has a range of civil and criminal enforcement powers and sometimes it will be appropriate for it to use both civil and criminal enforcement powers at the same time."
offences in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and related regulations (Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009).
Based on CQC data, prosecutions cover the following breaches, but are not limited to:
• Regulation 12: Failing to provide safe care and treatment resulting in avoidable harm or a significant risk of avoidable harm.
• Regulation 13: Failing to safeguard people who use services from suffering any form of abuse or improper treatment while receiving care and treatment.
• Regulation 20: Duty of candour.
• Regulation 20A: Failure to show CQC rating on website.
• Section 10: Carrying on a regulated activity without registration.
• Section 64: Failure to provide information.
The CQC’s criminal enforcement powers cover cautions, fixed penalty notices and prosecutions. Last year the most common offences prosecuted by the CQC were included under Regulation 12 and Section 10.
Where breaches of the regulations don’t constitute a criminal offence, the CQC can enforce the standards by using its civil powers to impose, vary or remove conditions; and suspend a registration and or cancel a registration. Failure to comply with the the CQC’s civil powers is a criminal offence and may also result in a prosecution.
CQC data indicates that prosecutions are on the increase, rising from 21 reported prosecutions in 2022, to 25 in 2023, with four prosecutions this year to date. The individual fines imposed in these prosecutions ranged from £2,511 to £2,571,502. For some offences the Magistrates’ Courts have the power to order unlimited fines, whereas other offences are capped at
certain amounts. Fines are also based on several factors and a credit for an early guilty plea can lead to a reduction in the total fine.
We would encourage all care providers to take stock of their compliance procedures as there does seem to be an increasing appetite for the regulator to take both criminal and civil enforcement action.
Are we likely to see an increase in CQC prosecution and enforcement action under the new assessment framework? That remains to be seen. If the CQC achieves its ambition to be a ‘dynamic regulator’, then in its own words: “We’ll use our powers and act quickly where improvement takes too long, or where the changes won’t be sustainable. We’ll take action where services are unable to identify systemic issues in their own organisational culture or fail to learn lessons from widely publicised failures happening across health and care.”
If you are facing a CQC prosecution or criminal investigation do seek early legal support as it can limit the impact of a prosecution on your care home business. And don’t forget to notify your insurer.
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There’s an ongoing demand for nurses and nursing associates in the adult social care sector. Claire Leenhouwers, national professional lead at Skills for Care, advises care home and home care managers on how to make the most of student nurse placements
Lived experience is critical to understanding what it means to be a social care nurse, so it is vital that care homes get involved with providing placements for the next generation of nurses and nursing associates.
1. Universities definitely want to hear from you. It’s impossible for universities to increase the number of students on nursing programmes if they don’t have the placement capacity to ensure that students are able to achieve the required practice hours stipulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to gain their qualification. With nursing recruitment being a priority for government, increasing capacity is high on the agenda. Universities are increasingly looking to social care and wanting to build their capacity in this area.
2. With that in mind, please do make contact with your local university. At Skills for Care we are in the process of appealing to universities to make their processes easier in terms of social care providers knowing who to contact. For now, starting with the university website and finding someone in the nursing department is suggested.
3. There are lecturing staff in place who support practice areas, and some are specifically allocated to support placements in social care. Social care usually falls within the remit of private, voluntary and independent, or third sector. You’ll hear the abbreviations PVI or PITO (private, independent or third sector organisations) used to describe these placements.
4. Universities usually provide free training for care home staff acting as practice assessors (previously known as mentors) and practice supervisors, when care homes come on board. This is a great development opportunity for
existing staff and ensures that students are adequately supported and assessed while with you. Find out more on the NMC website.
5. There is a tariff attached to hosting students. Discuss with your local university what this means for you.
6. Don’t be put off by the paperwork. Yes, you’ll have to be audited by the university, but this is nothing for you to worry about, and once it’s done it’s a lot easier going forward. If you wanted to host students from multiple universities this information can also be shared to avoid duplication.
7. Most students are assessed via an electronic version of the practice assessment document. There are different versions of this, but both the university and students will help familiarise you with their version and make sure you can access it. This will allow you to confirm their hours and that they’ve met the standards of proficiency they have to reach.
8. An academic assessor is a university lecturer who will support the student and the ‘practice area’ (in this case the care home). The assessor will keep you up to date on how a student is progressing academically, and act as a first point of contact if there are any concerns while they are
with you on their placement.
9. Take the opportunity to dispel myths. There is an expectation that newly qualified nursing professionals can work in any setting. This includes social care, so it’s really important that students have exposure to what it really means to work in a social care setting, and hopefully dispel any myths that there are about what this means. There can be a stigma attached to working in care homes, and hosting students enables you to show care homes in a different light to the upcoming workforce.
10. The benefits of hosting students are endless. Learning is a two-way process and with students comes enthusiasm and new ways of doing things. It also increases the likelihood of finding your next great nurse or nursing associate. Hosting students gives you the opportunity to embed some of your own values into their practice, with a view of offering employment when they qualify and complete their studies. Even if they don’t end up working in a care home, students often go back to hospital settings with an improved understanding and knowledge of the way care homes operate, and impart this to hospital staff.
Tell us about your background in care
Having worked in the hotel and leisure industry for over 25 years, I received a phone call completely out of the blue, asking me if I would be interested in a job as head chef in a care home. Back then most people, including myself, had a perception of care home food to be like that of hospital food – how wrong I was. I accepted the job without hesitation and 17 years later, I have not looked back. Working with your own menus, cooking with fresh ingredients and also being able to have a life due to the hours of work – it’s any chef’s dream. It also helps that I work in a very smart kitchen with a great team behind me.
What’s special about working at Grosvenor Manor?
I started working for New Care in February 2018 and can honestly say they go above and beyond for their staff, residents and family members. I can vouch for all three as my mum is a resident at my place of work, Grosvenor Manor. She is more than happy there, as I am. Nothing seems too much for this company to keep everyone content.
How do you vary your menu to provide choice for residents?
Our menus change with the seasons. We meet with the residents to discuss changes and get feedback on what they like and dislike. Giving the residents input is very important. We offer a minimum of two starters, two main courses and various desserts and also offer alongside a lighter bites menu.
How do you meet residents’ nutritional and health needs?
We try to offer a well-balanced menu to meet health and nutritional requirements. Fresh fruit and vegetables and a good selection of meat and fish, vegan and vegetarian options are always available. Daily milkshakes and smoothies are offered to aid hydration and fortification. Great communication is vital between staff to notify the
kitchen of any extra needs of residents. This is usually passed on at the daily morning meeting.
How do you care for residents with dementia?
In our dementia community, we offer hydrating snacks throughout the day along with grazing boxes containing a range of finger foods. Creating an aroma at mealtimes can help stimulate appetite, and assisting with eating also helps in some cases. We offer smaller portions where necessary, so we don’t overwhelm our residents.
What’s your most popular dish?
We have tried many different styles of foods over the past few years and have found that the majority of our residents prefer the good-quality, tasty homely
foods they grew up with. Firm favourites are slow cooked braised featherblade of beef, roasted shallots and horseradish dumplings.
What’s your favourite dish?
My own favourite is pan fried bass, butternut squash dauphinois, buttered tender stem broccoli. To finish, mango panna cotta, raspberry coulis and shortbread biscuit.
How do you make the dining experience special for residents and their families?
Looking ahead, we are thinking of trialling a ‘pop up’ bistro where families can come into the home in a different environment and enjoy a tasty threecourse meal, with soft lighting and background music.
We speak to Zoe Mills, home manager of Colten Care’s Kingfishers in New Milton, Hampshire
Why did you join the social care sector?
I have a passion for helping and caring for others, making a positive difference to their lives and wellbeing. I used to work in the NHS and know its fast turnaround of hospital patients. I felt I had a lot to give the social care sector through transferrable skills.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Making a positive impact, supporting residents to live their best possible lives. I don’t think you can get a better reward than that. Working in a caring environment gives you the chance to build relationships with residents, their families and your team.
Who is your social care hero and why? Everyone who dedicates their time to providing quality care is a hero in my mind. I also remember the first person who helped me when I first stepped into care work, at a rehab hospital. They believed in me, saw something in me and if they hadn’t given me that first opportunity, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
What is the one thing you would change about social care?
The perception that people have, especially those in hospital or potential residents coming in. Often they don’t see care homes as they really are. They think it’s just people sitting around and not doing much when in reality life can be a lot of fun. And for nurses, care homes are good for your career
“I have a passion for helping and caring for others, making a positive difference to their lives and wellbeing."
and give you lots of responsibility and opportunity for career development.
What in your opinion makes a great care worker?
Being kind and caring goes without saying. You have to have compassion, an understanding of individuals and be patient, flexible and adaptable. You need to communicate well and be reliable and respectful. You need to smile, be trustworthy and committed, and be willing to go the extra mile.
What do you do when life all gets a bit too much?
Go outside and breathe in the fresh air, have a walk or go sea swimming. I have a static caravan which I escape to at weekends. I also spend time with family. And Prosecco tends to help.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be kind to yourself, follow your passion and trust in your decisions. Life’s a journey and every experience is an opportunity to grow. Time is precious
but it’s also a healer. While something can be bad at a given moment, it will get better.
Which three famous people would you have to dinner and why?
Florence Nightingale, to ask her what it was like to be a nurse in her time and discuss what we can learn from that. Marie Curie, because of her dedication to research and how she coped with being in such a male-dominated field. I’d love to ask what she would think now of the impact she has had. And Nelson Mandela. I’d like to listen to his wisdom and I’ve always admired his resilience and commitment to justice.
What three items would you bring with you on a desert island?
Snorkel and mask, a comfortable pillow and a boat for sightseeing, or maybe to escape.
What is your secret talent?
I’m a very good listener and I’m told I give good advice.
Stow Healthcare is investing in nursing care at a time when many care home providers are closing down nursing units. Charlotte Goddard visited Horkesley Manor near Colchester, Essex to find out why
Visitors to Horkesley Manor make their way down a long drive lined with spring flowers to arrive at the 73-bed care home set in the Essex countryside. Stow Healthcare acquired the property, which had been rated Requires Improvement under its previous owners, in October 2022.
After purchasing the property, the company’s eighth care home, Stow decided to transform one of the home’s three wings into a nursing care unit. “Occupancy when we took over was about 40%,” explains Ruth French, operations director at Stow Healthcare. “We amalgamated the residents into two wings of the home and completely closed one, which became our nursing wing, which opened last May.” The nursing unit is now completely full.
Horkesley Manor was not the first Stow property to invest in a nursing unit. When the provider bought Cedars Place in Halstead in 2020 it transformed one of two residential dementia units into a nursing wing, allowing the company to differentiate the new property from its existing home in the same Essex town. “People thought we were crazy because these days providers are closing down nursing units, because they can’t find the nurses,” says French.
Horkesley Manor manager Judith
“With many nurses unsure about committing to a career in social care, Stow has a number of initiatives to tackle this, including hosting student nurse placements."
Morgan-Worrall was previously manager at the Halstead home. She says Horkesley Manor is well-situated to offer nursing care because it operates from the ground floor only. “You don’t have to think about access issues, which is great,” she says.
With many nurses unsure about committing to a career in social care, Stow has a number of initiatives to tackle this, including hosting student nurse placements. “Once a student nurse has come and done the placement they were dreading, actually they really like it,” says French. “We had a graduate nurse join the company last year, because she had done a placement at the home and she loved it.”
Nurses are often surprised at the clinical needs of the residents, such as PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) feeding, and the competitive salary. “A nurse joining the NHS would earn less than £15 an hour, and they get £20 an hour joining us,” says French. “In a hospital you are always going to be deferring to a doctor, but here our nurses have a high degree of responsibility, doing really hands-on work where they are having to make a lot of decisions.”
Stow Healthcare obtained a sponsorship license two years ago, and now recruits carers and nurses from overseas. Hawksley Manor is the entry point for overseas workers, with bedrooms put aside to support them for three months while they find accommodation. The company has recruited seven qualified nurses from abroad, supporting them to gain UK registration. Horkesley Manor currently employs nine nurses, with one coming from overseas.
While there is a demand for nursing care, filling a new unit from scratch is a challenge. When the home launched, GPs, social workers and others who are likely to commission services were invited to look around. Liz Patrick,
group admissions manager, liaises with local hospitals to fill beds at the home. “Hospitals know if they send me a referral we will look into it and see if it will work, and if I say I can’t help on this occasion they respect that,” says Patrick. “They know if we can help we will generally help within 24 hours from referral to admission. I think that is the difference being a nursing home manager as opposed to residential – you have a much quicker turnaround of admissions coming in.”
“It is so difficult for home managers – they have to be expert in everything,” says French. “If you miss an enquiry, and that person goes to the home down the road, that is £50k you have potentially lost. We thought we need someone who is just dealing with enquiries.” Patrick previously worked for the NHS, building relationships with care homes and developing a ‘trusted assessor’ model.
Patrick has a deep understanding of the residents and their needs across all of Stow’s homes, which allows her to accept the right person into the right
environment. “If Horkesley Manor is already dealing with four people who require PEG feeds, the person with those needs may have to go to one of our other nursing services,” explains Patrick. “Or that person who is displaying quite challenging behaviour might not work within this environment, because of the existing cohort of residents.”
Despite the challenges, investing in nursing care has many benefits. It differentiates Stow in a crowded market by offering a unique selling point. There is also a decreasing demand for
standard residential care, driven by an increased focus on home care, and a huge shortage of nursing care, says Patrick. “The reality is you don’t get old ladies with barely any health needs coming into homes,” agrees French. “They stay in their own home. Everyone who comes here has got complex needs of some sort.”
In the end, it makes sense financially. “Of course it is an extra cost to have nurses, but proportionately it is much more effective for us to run with more nursing beds in this home,” says French. Horkesley also hosts the Aspen Memory Centre, which specialises in caring for people with memory challenges using a Montessori approach. The aim is to support residents to have the best life possible, giving them independence and allowing them to take risks. “Horkesley is an interesting project because you have the memory centre side, and the nursing side –two different ways of differentiating ourselves from what is happening with other homes in the sector,” says French.
The memory centre has been redecorated since Stow bought the home, and is full of natural light, with a kitchen area encouraging residents to make their own drinks and a communal area looking out onto a courtyard filled with crocuses. Staff in the unit are
known as ‘home makers’ and do not wear uniforms.
Moving through into the nursing wing, French describes the transformation that has taken place. “When we came in there was just one useable bathroom,” she says. At one point in the corridor is a small but pretty and inviting second dining area, for people who don’t fancy the main room. “I am a real fan of these alcove spaces and finding little places for people to sit,” says French. A door at the end of the corridor opening out onto the grounds provides ambulance access if necessary.
In the nursing unit lounge some residents are taking part in a knitting activity. “We do this every Wednesday,” says Maddy Peters, activities assistant. “We are making a blanket, and baby hats as well, we are going to donate them to the local neonatal unit.”
Given the nursing unit is now full, the home is looking to turn one of the residential units, which does have vacancies, into another nursing wing. “Liz will now be working to fill those vacant beds with people who also have nursing needs, and then we will gradually scale up our nursing provision," says French.
“It has been very reassuring that our bet that this would work as a nursing home has paid off,” she concludes.
Ontex has teamed up with Caring Times once again to reward those working in care who are always ready to go that extra mile
There are thousands of people working in UK care homes who make a real difference, whether it’s behind the scenes in the laundry room, preparing meals in the kitchen, or providing direct personal care for the residents. We’re looking for those who go beyond the job description. Whether it’s the gardener who brings residents their favourite cookies, or a housekeeper who helps residents to rediscover their hobbies – we’re searching for those who bring a little bit of extra joy into the care world.
Your unsung hero may be a colleague or someone else you know, and now is the time to reward those individuals who have made a genuine impact on their particular place of work.
If you know of anyone that fits the bill, entries can be made online at: caring-times.co.uk/care-home-heroes
So go to this link and tell us, in 400 words or less, why you think your nominated person deserves to win.
Terms and conditions
Make sure to include an example of when they have gone the extra distance to make a difference.
All winners will be announced in June and will be presented with their certificate and Love2Shop vouchers on Friday 28 June at the Care Managers Show at the NEC Birmingham. Three runner-up winners will each
This prize draw is organised by Ontex, Weldon House, CorbyGate Business Park, Priors Haw Road, Corby, NN17 5JG. It is governed by the laws of England and Wales and it is subject to the following conditions:
• The prize draw is not open to employees or contractors of Ontex or any person directly or indirectly involved in the organisation and running of the competition or their direct family members.
• The prizes are up to the value of £250 of Love2Shop Vouchers for the three runner-up winners and £500 Love2Shop voucher for the one overall winner. The Love2Shop vouchers may be substituted to an alternative gift card chosen by Ontex to the same value if required. There is no cash alternative. The vouchers will be presented to the winners on stage at the Care Managers Show at the NEC on Friday 27 June.
• The three runner-up winners will be included in the Caring Times publication during the September 2024, October 2024 and November 2024 issues. The overall winner will be included in the Caring Times publication during the December 2024 issue.
• No purchase is necessary to take part in the prize draw.
• The prize draw is open to UK residents only who are aged 18 or over.
• Closing date for entry is Friday 19 May. Winners will be notified by 1 June.
• The overall winner will receive two tickets to the National Care Awards on Friday 29 November in London.
• All winners will be presented with their award at the Care Managers Show and must be available to attend the Show on Friday 27 June.
• If the winners do not confirm acceptance of his/her prize within seven days he/she will automatically forfeit the rights to claim for the prize. In the event of the prize not being claimed, Ontex reserves the right to select an alternative winner via any means that Ontex feel appropriate. By participating in the prize draw, you declare that you accept these terms and conditions unconditionally.
receive £250 Love2Shop vouchers, and the Overall Winner will receive a £500 Love2Shop voucher. The three runner-up winners will feature in the September, October and November issues of Caring Times magazine, and the overall winner will feature in a special feature in the December issue of Caring Times.
Care Homes Heroes 2024 offers a unique chance to celebrate the dedication of all those who go above and beyond to keep care homes running. It’s a brilliant way to shine the spotlight on people who get on with their jobs unseen and unheard, but make a real difference.
“This is the sixth year we’ve worked with Caring Times for the Care Home
Overall Winner 2023:
Heroes and we absolutely love it because it’s important to shine a light on those who go above and beyond for their residents,” comments Angela Gillespie, distributor channel manager at Ontex.
“And it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – it’s the little, consistent things that really have an impact on someone’s life.”
Last year, we received over 350 entries
David Fielding, handyman, Forest Care, Cedar Lodge Care Home
David’s love for his residents and his commitment to Cedar Lodge’s values drives him to perform brilliantly in his role as handyman, always exceeding his remit. He drives residents to hospital appointments, collects prescriptions from pharmacies and delivers blood samples to medical practices. He supports and contributes to the wellbeing of residents, shopping for personal items on their behalf, taking them out for shopping trips and willingly involving himself in activities on themed days.
David carries out all health and safety, induction and fire training for staff on an ongoing basis. He literally goes the extra mile to collect colleagues from home to ensure they can attend training if they do not have access to transport.
and it took a panel of five to decide the finalists. Gillespie continued: “It’s a difficult competition to judge because each person is so deserving. My top tip when nominating somebody is to use a particular example with lots of detail for how they have made a difference and how this impacted others – good luck to all nominees.”
“David is a good listener and takes the time to stop and chat with residents and colleagues,” says Nenita Jopson, care home manager. “If you need something doing, he replies enthusiastically straight away ‘yes, I can do that.’ David is our unsung hero.”
Runner-up 2023:
Vincent Doherty, facilities manager, The White House Nursing Home
Vincent has been The White House’s facilities manager for more than 30 years. Although he has been diagnosed with cancer and undergone treatment in recent years, Vincent has still shown up to work between treatments ready to support the home and his colleagues. He regularly escorts the activities team on trips so he can help residents on and off the home’s van. Vincent is much-loved by everyone at the home and makes time to talk to residents and their families ensuring they are happy with the facilities provided for their residents. He is an extremely talented carpenter, creating a dedicated visiting pod during Covid to keep residents and families safe, and even making a bar for the residents’ lounge.
Joy Clark, receptionist, The Burlington Care Home, Boutique Care Homes
As a receptionist, Joy’s role goes beyond greeting visitors and answering phone calls. She takes the time to get to know each resident, their interests and their preferences. Joy goes above and beyond to make the residents’ day-to-day experiences more enjoyable. She hosts them in the café for coffee and cake, taking the time to chat and listen to their stories. She has also set up a music club for the residents in the bistro, bringing in her own soundbar and putting together a playlist of old songs. This has been a huge hit.
Runner-up 2023:
Marcia Hughes, activities co-ordinator, Thorp House Nursing Home, Kingsley Healthcare
Marcia’s drive and enthusiasm is infectious. She uses Facebook and local community pages to showcase the home, with posts shared by local dignitaries such as the mayor, councillors and the local MP. She forges strong relationships to involve the home in the community, and thanks to her there are regular mentions in the local paper. Marcia works hard to ensure no resident feels isolated, and breaks activities down so that everyone can take part even if they can’t leave their room. Through a Wishing Tree she has encouraged residents to find new zest for life. Marcia sends monthly newsletters and activities planners to all the families ensuring they know what’s going on, and to see if they wish to attend anything.
Communications and engagement lead, Stephanie Nimmo, discusses a new campaign launched last month by Digitising Social Care, NHS England
Every week, we are excited to hear about the huge difference digital solutions are making to managers and staff in care settings around the country – more than 60% of registered care providers are now using digital social care records. I speak to registered managers and care staff every week and those who have taken the leap to using digital care planning approaches tell me that they have never looked back.
So if you’re not there yet, what’s stopping you? For owners and managers it’s that age-old double whammy of challenges – time and money. That’s where the Digital Social Care programme team can help.
First, with finance: the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Fund is available to all registered social care providers to help with the costs of transitioning to a digital social care record system and this is the last year to apply.
That’s why we have just launched the ‘Clock is Ticking’ campaign to guide social providers on funding and advice ahead of the deadline later this financial year. Visit our website –digitisingsocialcare.co.uk – for more information and to find contacts for the local support team in your area which offers support with everything from guidance through the funding
“Like funding, time has rarely felt as precious, and as limited, as it does now. But once in place, digital social care records can save you time and money by making your processes more efficient.”
application process, to pointers on how to find the right digital social care record solution that meets your needs.
There’s lots of advice and guidance available on choosing and implementing a solution that works for you and your team. We manage a list of digital social care records solutions that have been assured by NHS England against a list of core functionalities and standards to help you find the right one for your organisation. So if you’re interested in adopting digital solutions, but are struggling to get started, take a look at our website and contact your local team to take the first step.
Like funding, time has rarely felt as precious, and as limited, as it does now. But once in place, digital social care records can save you time and money by making your processes more efficient. They also save valuable time for dedicated care professionals, freeing them up to focus on people, rather than paperwork. Care providers using digital social care record solutions tell us carers now spend an average of one hour less per shift on admin.
late to get paperwork up to date – information will be captured on the go. Registered managers will find themselves rushing less to pull information together for inspections and audits – with a digital social care plan it’s all there at the touch of a button. Money will be saved on paper and stationery too, as well as reducing the costs of archive storage.
What’s more, digital care plans improve the quality and accessibility of information – making the right information available to the right people where and when it is needed to best support a person’s care. Onboarding, audit and reporting processes are also faster when you use a digital social care record.
Applications must be made and funding spent this financial year, so if you haven’t already contacted your local team, make sure you do it soon in order to secure as much support as possible. While it might feel like yet another task on the to-do list, once a digital social care record solution is in place, that list will finally start to shrink.
Staff won’t find themselves working
Families also stand to benefit from investment in digital social care records. Many care providers using digital solutions are now offering or looking at ways to share access to appropriate information with relatives. This means families can check on what’s happening without having to pick up the phone –helping them feel connected and saving precious time for staff.
If you haven’t made the move to digitalise your care planning yet, do get in touch. Your local team is ready and waiting to help you secure funding and choose the right digital solution for your organisation and the people you care for. Find details for your local team on our website and start now before the clock stops.
Digital care platform Log My Care has raised £3 million from investor Mercia Ventures to expand its support of the learning disability sector.
Log my Care‘s care management software enables carers to record notes, access medical records and receive prompts and reminders via a mobile app. The company said its product helps care managers improve efficiency, care quality and oversight, with the platform typically saving carers up to an hour per shift, enabling them to create personalised care plans in a third of the time.
Log my Care stated that the investment will help it develop as a supplier to learning disability care providers and expand its presence in home care.
Sam Hussain, chief executive of Log my Care said: “By giving carers more time to spend with patients and access to better information, Log my Care helps improve the quality of care for those who need it most. The funding will enable us to continue scaling our business in the UK and extend our positive impact by increasing the number of people supported by our platform from 20,000 to over 100,000.”
Henry Hamilton of Mercia Ventures added: “Care providers are recognising the need to move to digital technology, aided by government incentives. Log my Care really resonates with independent care homes as an easy-to-use product that improves efficiency at an affordable price. The company has been growing rapidly; this latest investment will enable it to further expand its market share and establish itself as the leading platform for care providers in the field of learning disabilities.”
Sally Matthews of Leisure Concepts Design who led the interior design team for Signature Senior Lifestyle latest home, describes how her team completes its work
Nestled in the heart of Highgate, North London on the prestigious Bishop's Avenue, Signature Senior Lifestyle launched its latest flagship home in December, with the design provided by Leisure Concepts Design.
The designers
Our designers have varied backgrounds and experience, which is perfect for supporting our collaborative approach to projects. For instance, I had an extensive background in hospitality and leisure across the country before turning to care homes. I can confidently say that I'm most proud of the work I do for the care industry and our team loves to see the difference we make in the quality of life of the residents we work for.
With Signature at Highgate I was involved in the project since the building concept stage, working with Signature’s development team, the architects and builders to refine the plans and ensure the internal layout would support the interior design concept.
For example, the large reception area offers abundant seating options and is strategically located adjacent to the cafe. This layout encourages residents to engage in social interactions or enjoy quieter moments without feeling isolated, emphasising the importance of community and choice.
Signature’s buildings incorporate
multiple features specifically designed to support the staff in caring for residents in a safe, comfortable environment that doesn’t look or feel institutional or like a care home.
The homes have an added luxurious touch, challenging people’s preconceptions about the appearance and atmosphere of a care home. Each room is styled differently, providing diverse physical, visual and mental stimuli, promoting engagement and combating the potential monotony of everyday life. Combining practical lighting and comforting, homely and familiar elements, like electric fires, contributes to a warm and inviting atmosphere.
There's a deeper science to designing for those residents with dementia: it’s important to look at a care home’s design from a big picture perspective, but the devil is in the details.
For Signature at Highgate, we made sure not to put contrasting or busy patterns on the floor or walls because people with dementia can often lose their ability to see certain colours. They may feel like they're walking into a ‘black hole’ because of the colour changes on the floor, or they can see moving and disorienting shapes and patterns within wallpapers or rugs. We’ve specifically worked to avoid this throughout the
home, not just in the dementia suites.
Sometimes, residents living with dementia find comfort in walking along the corridors and running their hands along the corridor walls. I thought, instead of just putting artwork up, let’s include two- and three-dimensional interactive pieces and memory walls.
Also, wayfinding throughout the home is dementia-friendly with directional arrows, artwork themes, text and simple images in a contrasting colour that makes it easy to read and navigate. These were all intentional choices and enabled residents living with dementia to join the wider home community and benefit from the full array of amenities.
The dementia suites themselves feature domestic interior styles with unconfusing décor and recognisable fixtures, prioritising the comfort and wellbeing of residents by providing familiar environments and memory prompts.
Designing a care home’s interior is about facilitating care, but within Signature homes specific measures are taken to combine this with aesthetics.
The rhythmic details of Highgate are designed to provide a calming, beautiful interior in which residents can sit and relax. Equally, all floor thresholds are made level to avoid trips and falls, and corridors have specially designed linear rails rather than the typical mop rail used in hospitals and other homes. This makes for a more sensitive, visually appealing presentation while retaining the functionality needed.
Artwork and decorative items are thoughtfully selected to provide visual cues about a room's purpose, stimulating conversations and enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the care home.
As a designer, you want to be quite selfish with your design choices. But in the care industry, that’s not possible. It’s about people's quality of life. We want to create interesting, exciting interiors that flow between environments and help make people’s lives easier.
Older people wanting to enjoy an active and safe retirement are being offered a new lifestyle option by Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, reports Lee Peart
The 85-bed, £22 million Willingdon Park Manor luxury care home in Eastbourne, which officially launched in April, contains a nine-suite, luxury retirement living annex. The Residences is an exclusive neighbourhood with its own fine-dining room, cocktail bar, celebrations area and terrace that blends seamlessly into the care home.
With weekly fees ranging from £2,100 to £2,850, The Residences is pitched at a significantly higher price point than
“Filling
the gap between retirement living and fully assisted living, Hallmark clearly could be on to a winner with this luxury care innovation targeting the wealthy retiree.”
the home’s residential care which starts at £1,650 a week in order to offer a bespoke, all-inclusive luxury retirement living offering. Two of The Residences’ suites cater for couples with fees pitched at one-and-a-half times the weekly fee of a single suite.
A standard all-inclusive weekly package includes a weekly hairdressing appointment, weekly beauty or therapy appointment, monthly pedicure, chiropody appointment every eight weeks, Sky TV, telephone line, including calls, and a choice of an additional beauty or therapy appointment every month.
Each suite has a coffee machine with fridges and cupboards stocked with favourite items and fresh fruit.
Additional items in bespoke packages include a daily newspaper or weekly magazine delivery, fresh flowers, local theatre and cinema tickets, an Alexa or iPad and a shuttle service to local places of interest such as the garden centre, theatre and supermarket.
Filling the gap between retirement living and fully assisted living, Hallmark clearly could be on to a winner with this luxury care innovation targeting the
wealthy retiree.
The weekly fee model also offers an alternative to the luxury retirement village model where residents can typically be asked to pay upwards of a £1 million for a one-bed apartment in London as well as monthly membership fees.
The innovative ‘retirement village within a care home model’ is offered in all three of Hallmark’s new generation luxury care homes that have launched over the past year with Willingdon Park having followed closely on the heels of Midford Park in Bath in February this year and Angmering Grange in Littlehampton, West Sussex last June.
The retirement living offering holds the potential of being a key strand in the care provider’s rebranding last December as the high-end, luxury care provider – Hallmark Luxury Care Homes. Hallmark said it was considering rolling out the retirement model in its next pipeline of luxury care homes with the care home operator having acquired a 1.78-acre site in Cardiff in March and gained planning permission in the same month for a two-acre site in Woodford Green, East London.
Watch this space!
As always, carers have been demonstrating their creativity through fun and innovative events for their residents
Sundial Care Home in Tipton St John, Devon welcomed the spirit of Easter with an afternoon of crafts and hot cross buns, decorating crochet chicks and bunnies, and making Easter bonnets. On Easter Sunday the home was visited by the Easter Bunny, pushing a trolley laden with chocolate and sweet delights for everybody.
TLC Care’s group of care homes came together to collect and donate Easter eggs to food banks, hospitals and other local causes. Camberley Manor in Surrey donated more than 110 eggs to local causes such as the paediatric ward at Frimley Park Hospital. Cooperscroft Care Home in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, in collaboration with the 12 Apostles Greek Church, delivered 107 Easter eggs to families in need through the church's food bank.
To mark National Pet Month in April, residents at RMBI care home Scarbrough Court in Cramlington, Northumberland started a chick hatching programme with organisation Living Eggs. Residents received an incubator of 10 eggs and were able to watch the baby chicks hatch. Maureen Meggison and Anne Marshall said: “We are overjoyed with caring for these adorable chicks. It has brought back so many memories.”
Shipham Manor care home in Norfolk came together with the local community for a fundraising bingo event. The gathering aimed to provide a fun evening while supporting the local church and the event managed to raise more than £400. Activities co-ordinator Chelsea Mears said: “It felt incredibly rewarding to see everyone come together for a night of fun and laughter."
Cranford Care Home's corridors were filled with giggles and goat bleats, as diminutive pygmy goat Monty trotted in. Monty’s visit to the Aberdeen home was provided by local attraction Farm Stop. Care home manager Coleen Reid said: "Monty may have small hooves, but he made a big imprint on our hearts.”
Residents at St Benedict’s Nursing Home in Glastonbury, Somerset got up close and personal with three owls, courtesy of Owl Obsession. The birds were taken to visit residents throughout the home, including some who were being nursed in their rooms, and they were able to stroke and hold them. The owls’ guardian, Anna Reed, entertained residents and staff with her answers to a range of owl-related and conservation questions.
Mundesley, Norfolk-based Meadow House care home fulfilled a wish for one of its residents, Nathan. The home arranged for him to see his favourite team, Liverpool, play at Anfield Stadium. The team learned of Nathan’s dream after he posted it in the home’s Wish Mailbox.
Residents of Old Raven House care home in Hook, Hampshire, who spent a career in the aviation industry paid a visit to the Army Flying Museum. The outing was an opportunity for eight residents to share memories of working in the aviation industry or with the armed forces. One resident, Royston Swatten, received an MBE
for his services to the aviation industry following a career in aviation design.
When staff at Care UK’s Halstead, Essex home Colne View learned that 90-year-old Eileen Patten loved scooters when she was younger, they planned a surprise scooter drive-by for her birthday. The team worked with a local scooter club to arrange the special visit and 10 different coloured scooters arrived at the home for the drive-by event.
Boutique Care Homes was celebrating after a dance ensemble comprising three carers from Brampton Manor in Newmarket, Suffolk made it to the final of Care Sector's Got Talent 2024. The Brampton Bollywood Trio discovered their success in making the finals at a surprise announcement at the home. Care Sector's Got Talent, organised by Championing Social Care, is a platform dedicated to celebrating diverse talents within the care sector.
Back in the saddle
Amberley Hall care home resident Gwen Sevrin’s father was a blacksmith,
so she grew up surrounded by horses. Team members at the Athena care home in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, arranged for Gwen to visit a local horse owner when his horses were visited by the farrier. She was delighted to meet horses Billy and Ginge.
Residents and staff at Colten Care’s Avon Cliff in Bournemouth enjoyed a rainbow-themed party to celebrate a year of fundraising for Dorset charity Amelia’s Rainbow. Colten Care’s policy is to empower the residents to choose which charity to support and they opted for Amelia’s Rainbow as it had provided comfort to a team member’s son when he was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler. The highlight of the multicoloured get-together was the handover of a cheque for £2,251.85.
Residents from Fairway View care home in Bulwell, Nottingham were delighted when a team of firefighters from Stockhill Fire Station attended the home’s Blue Light Breakfast. The event was designed by the residents and staff members to show appreciation for key workers in the area. Resident Mabel Cooper said: “I wasn’t expecting to see eight firemen at breakfast – that was a nice surprise.”
A Second World War veteran badly injured clearing enemy mines from a beach nearly 80 years ago celebrated his 100th birthday with a helicopter flight over Southampton Water, the Solent and the New Forest coastline. Former Royal Navy officer Boyd Salmon was also presented with a certificate of appreciation and lifetime membership of the Royal Naval Association by visiting naval officers.
Team members at Gibraltar Nursing Home in Monmouth organised a cupcake decorating competition, showcasing residents’ creative talents. Each cupcake was judged on both taste and appearance. Residents also received a plant pot, complete with soil and seed paper to grow their own wildflowers.
The Belmont care home in Worcester has launched an intergenerational initiative aimed at fostering meaningful connections between residents and the local community. Every Wednesday, residents join children at North Worcester Primary Academy for a special story time session. The scheme pairs residents with children, allowing them to share the joy of reading and learning together.
Dr Zoe Wyrko, wellbeing director of Riverstone and an authority on living and ageing well, offers a fresh take on later living
In my last column I talked about how important knowledge and empowerment are when thinking about supporting people to change their habits and behaviour towards healthier ageing.
But where does that information and knowledge come from? The world of ‘wellness’ often treads a shaky path; mistrust of traditional news media is higher than ever, and scientific journals where evidence and facts are published are just not accessible to most people. This is where the power of television and film can really step in. Watching a story unfold, especially when the audience has real affinity with on-screen people and places, can bring complex information to life and make it simple to understand. It’s the best type of learning – when you don’t realise that it’s happening.
I was fortunate to be part of the Channel 4 series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds. A very simple act of bringing together a group of older adults and some young children to ‘do nursery’ together was life-changing for all of the participants. We were able to show the importance of a sense of purpose, friendship and movement in improving physical and mental health.
"In shining a light on the benefits of intergenerationality, we were able to amplify the existing hard work of a small number of dedicated care homes and schools that are already doing this, to show what can be achieved and why it’s worth doing."
In shining a light on the benefits of intergenerationality, we were able to amplify the existing hard work of a small number of dedicated care homes and schools that are already doing this, to show what can be achieved and why it’s worth doing.
Much more recently, I’ve lost count of the number of people who ask if I’ve seen the Blue Zones series on Netflix. Dan Buettner, the author and explorer behind the concept, has been working with researchers on ageing since the turn of the century. They’ve published their findings in scientific papers and National Geographic magazine as well as producing a series of books. However, there’s no doubt that Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones has grasped the imagination and attention of viewers worldwide, bringing the important messages about how to age well to the widest possible audience. And what are those messages? In short – move more, eat well, be part of a community and have a sense of purpose in life. If you haven’t yet seen it, then please do take a look.
Is film also a way to change views on ageing and providing care? I recently watched The Great Escaper, starring
Glenda Jackson and Michael Caine. I was moved by their performances, where they showed that older people really are still just people, an approach that we very rarely see in mainstream media. This was accompanied by a more sensitive and realistic portrayal of care staff than we usually see.
Older people and the profession of caring are often only portrayed negatively on our screens. When it’s done well, we should encourage as many people to watch as possible.
The Purple Angel dementia campaign’s motto has always been, and will always be “inclusion and engagement for all” when it comes to dementia, but does that still apply across the board or have we lost our way a little bit?
The reason I’m asking is because I’ve noticed lately that some big conferences no longer have those living with dementia speaking at them? Until it was deemed I was not fit enough to do it anymore, I travelled the length and breadth of the UK doing this, as a person living with dementia, and I have to admit that I miss it so much I now do Zooms to those staff who want to listen to a bit of first-hand experience, straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak, and for free I may add. It’s the travelling I can’t do anymore.
If it’s true what I have read and seen, it is so incredibly sad, because unless you talk to those living with this disease, how are you going to learn about it?
We have so much to say and some incredible stories to tell. For example, did you know I once spent three weeks camping out and protesting at the Greenham Common peace camp? It wasn’t all ladies you know! I also spent night after night at the RAF Burtonwood air base near Liverpool chained to a fence to try and stop
nuclear weapons. Yes, it’s all true, but unless you ask, or involve me in conversation, I can’t tell you this. What I am saying is thousands of people living with dementia probably have more interesting stories than me to tell, if only you let them. Being able to speak at conferences or over Zoom to audiences of carers and nurses etc gives us a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and show people we are still alive. Someone once said: “A dementia diagnosis is not the end. It’s just that life gets a little more complicated, which it certainly does but it’s nothing
that can’t be lived with, given the right support and understanding.”
And this is so true, but by ignoring us, it’s like you have given up on us, and if you have, where does that leave us? I was once asked what makes me so determined to live the best life I can with this disease and I replied: “When I get up in the morning I put my boots on and not my slippers.”
And before I get jumped on, I know this is not the case for everyone, but it is for me and many others. Every day I hear from all over the world of those living with a diagnosis for 25 to 30 years – and in the end it’s not the dementia that gets them, it’s something else.
I have to say that “cause of death was dementia” on a death certificate is a totally different subject for another time. So come on guys, let’s get back to a few years ago where we all had that belief, that little bit of hope at the end of the rainbow.
Do I believe there will be a cure in my lifetime? Of course I do, I have too, or why would I do what I do every day, and the most ironic this thing is, on the wonderful historical day when they find a cure for dementia, then dementia itself will become just a memory. Ironic eh?
Till next time…
Derek Tilley, head of housekeeping at Ashridge Court Care Centre in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, tells us how he goes the extra mile
Tell us a bit about your background –how did you get into care housekeeping? I spent the first 20 years of my working life as a baker, making rolls and bread for such distinguished clients as Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. I then worked as a milkman for six months, but the hours were long and far too early for me. I started my own cleaning business and also worked as a community carer, mainly with people who have learning disabilities.
I then became ill and while my health was improving, I did some occasional agency cleaning work in a care home. One day, the nurse on duty was so impressed with my work that the home offered me a job. Soon they asked if I could do the laundry as well, then a few weeks later I became head of housekeeping.
How do you go about meeting the needs of residents?
Because good hygiene is so important to the health and wellbeing of our residents, staff and visitors, we work hard to ensure that the home is always as clean as possible. It’s important that residents receive a seamless laundry service as well, so part of my role is about supervising this, as well as managing supplies and ensuring the smooth operation of equipment and machinery.
My team and I collaborate closely with care, nursing and facilities staff, attending residents' meetings and promptly addressing any concerns. We always take on board residents’ comments. This is not just about meeting their need for a clean environment and efficient laundry service, many of our residents also crave human contact. My team and I spend a lot of time talking to them while we work, frequently sharing a joke and sometimes holding their hand if they wish.
What’s a typical day like?
We spend a lot of time cleaning the residents’ rooms and bathrooms as well as the communal areas. Each day we
have a new ‘resident of the day’. My team deep cleans their room and I ask them if all is well and what we could do better. I am proud to say that the vast majority of residents describe the cleaning as “excellent”.
I provide daily reports on the home’s cleanliness and I supervise/train the team. I also get involved in the cleaning, if necessary, and repair/maintain any equipment.
At the end of each day I do my checks, asking staff and residents if they are happy with the cleaning and do my best to rectify any issues.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Expecting the unexpected, as no two days are alike. Outbreaks of illnesses cause challenges, and we work hard to prevent these as much as possible via good hygiene and infection control practices.
Is there anything that would surprise people about your job?
As well as training and supervising my team, cleaning, researching new products and maintaining equipment, my role involves a lot of paperwork – , for example, completing COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) sheets or risk assessments and generating reports for the home manager.
People might be surprised by how much housekeepers interact with residents, and that strong, affectionate bonds very often develop.
Has anything changed since you started your role?
I find that things in the industry change all the time, and so I make a point of keeping up to date. Recently, I was really pleased to be involved in the trial of a non-toxic chemical that uses minimal packaging, and I was quick to let our management team know how beneficial it could be in a care setting such as ours.
What is special about the care home you work for?
Our manager Julie Wills is a huge asset to the home. She is down to earth, always up for a laugh and totally faithful to our values of care, honesty, family and commitment. Ashridge is a lovely place to work, with a strong family feel.
What skills and talents do you need to be a great housekeeper?
You need to be a good team player, observant to what is around you and able to notice dirt and cobwebs, for example. Being fully aware of COSHH and infection control is also a must. But most important of all, you need to be warm-hearted and willing to be a friend to all those that we care for.
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Care worker and gifted vocalist Molly Blackburn was crowned winner of this year’s Care Sector’s Got Talent after belting out a stunning rendition of Defying Gravity from the hit musical Wicked.
The diva from Kingsway Care Home in London triumphed over six other worthy finalists from across the UK who strutted their stuff at the event on 16 April which showcased the dazzling abundance of entertainment the sector has to offer.
From a captivating dementia choir to a lively trio of Bollywood dancers, the performances showcased a remarkable range of acts, with chair of Care England, Angela Boxall, acting as host.
In addition to the main prize, the audience had the opportunity to vote for the act they believed deserved a scholarship fund prize. With more than 800 votes cast online, the vote was too close to call which meant The Sam Beckman Choir and New Centre Stage both emerged victorious, each taking away a £500 cash prize.
For the earlier auditions, organiser Championing Social Care had welcomed residents, team members, contractors and care home entertainers, along with anyone associated with the
care sector to join in the fun. Comedian Roy Chubby Brown, radio host Alfie Joey and Care Sector’s Got Talent committee member Robert Speker narrowed down a record number of entries to eight finalists who vied for the title of Care Sector’s Got Talent 2024 winner.
At the final at Coventry Building Society Arena, judges Bhavna KeaneRao, Cheryl Jones, Michael Butler and Sanjay Dhrona faced the challenging task of selecting a winner.
Reflecting on the event’s success, chair of Care Sector’s Got Talent, Aneurin Brown, said: “Care Sector’s Got Talent was a resounding success this year. The event truly celebrates the exceptional individuals within the care sector, bringing the sector
together, and we are thrilled that it achieved just that.”
“With a strong turnout both in person and virtually, we are delighted to foster unity within the sector through this enjoyable event, which we hope will continue to grow in the future.”
The event was generously sponsored by Marr Procurement, Florence, Care Home Life, EF Group, CareShop, Sona and Radar Healthcare, as well as many others.
