NEWS IN BRIEF

The National Care Forum has called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to make good on the government’s pledge to provide £13 billion for social care. The open letter to the chancellor from NCF chief executive, Vic Rayner, follows the emergency statement in which Hunt pledged to retain a commitment to scrap the national insurance hike for health and social care but failed to map out how the sector will be funded going forward.

A new partnership was launched to tackle infections in care homes and learn lessons from the pandemic. The initiative by Care England, University College London and The Outstanding Society builds on the national Vivaldi study where researchers and care providers worked together to produce evidence rapidly, which directly informed care home policy on Covid-19.

The general public were invited to take part in a series of round tables focused on how creative activities can prevent illhealth and promote health and wellbeing. The round tables, which will be held between now and spring next year, are central to the Creative Health Review, which was launched by the National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing.

A cashless solution for adults with learning disabilities designed to support independent living was selected as the winner at this year’s Care Innovation Challenge. Team CHIP will receive £1,000 in prize money, media coverage and further mentoring to develop its idea after beating four other finalists following a public vote at The Care Show.

Luxury care home operator, Oakland Care Group, was awarded Gold accreditation from the global standards for people management organisation, Investors in People. The Gold status is assessed against Investors in People’s ‘We invest in people’ framework, which seeks to understand how organisations lead, support and develop their employees.

Caring Times became a Founding Member of the £500 Challenge – a fundraising campaign launched by The Care Workers’ Charity encouraging businesses across the adult social care sector to commit to an annual donation of £500, the same as an average grant the charity awards to a care worker experiencing financial hardship.

A record £2 billion was invested in the UK senior housing sector in 2022, Knight Frank revealed. Launching its Seniors Housing Annual Review, Knight Frank said it expected a further £1 billion investment in the sector, taking volumes to £3 billion this year, up by 50% on last year.

Healthcare tech start-up Florence announced it was expanding into France. The news came after Florence announced a Series B funding round totalling $35 million (£28.5 million) to invest in product expansion in the UK and international markets. >

Martin Green Care Innovation Challenge winners Team CHIP

Benjamin Huguet, France country manager, Florence

Lord Howarth Oakland’s Elmbrook Court care team

CQC Outstanding celebrations at Queensmount care home

> England’s largest councils called for a 12-month delay to social care reforms warning they face a “perfect storm” of financial and workforce pressures. A report by the County Councils Network says the reforms, including a more generous means-test and an £86,000 cap on care costs, should be put back from October 2023 to October 2024 warning that services could deteriorate if the reforms are introduced too soon.

Staff and residents at a Bupa care home have celebrated being rated Outstanding in all areas for the second time in a row. Queensmount care home in Bournemouth is one of the few services to have achieved Outstanding in all five key lines of enquiry.

Health bosses voiced their concerns at a new spike in Covid-19 infections with cases in care homes on the rise. In its latest national flu and Covid-19 surveillance report, the UK Health Security Agency said Covid-19 activity had increased with a 61% rise in acute respiratory infection incidents (suspected outbreaks) in England.

Sarabdeep from Hallmark Care Homes’ Lakeview Care Home in Surrey has been crowned champion of this year’s Care Sector’s Got Talent. Sarabdeep wowed the judges with his show stopping Bollywood dance routine at the very first live final at the Blue Orange Theatre in Birmingham.

Care home operator Barchester Healthcare paid £11.4 million in Covid-19 bonus payments to front line staff last year in recognition of their “exceptional hard work”. The figures were revealed in Barchester’s latest company accounts which also show the care home operator spent £4.2 million on sick pay and £2.7 million on PPE in the year, as well as receiving £23 million in grant income from the government, including £17 million from the Infection Control Fund.

Hartford Care is giving all its employees a winter fuel contribution of up to £600. The extra income for 850 staff is being provided in two instalments, one was in September and another will be paid in December as part of salary payments.

Scotland’s Covid-19 public inquiry has come under fire following the resignation of four lawyers and chairwoman, Lady Poole. The inquiry has been set up to examine the actions of the government including the decision to transfer untested hospital patients to care homes. Care campaigners said the voices of the bereaved families and people living in care must be heard during the Covid-19 inquiry in England. The comments came as the inquiry’s first hearing covering pandemic preparedness got under way.

Altrincham-based operator New Care opened a new £15 million, 63-bed care facility in Cheshire. Mayor of Cheshire East Council, Councillor David Marren, officially opened Wilmslow Manor Care Centre, located on Handforth Road, before being given an exclusive VIP tour of the home by manager, Paula Clark, and deputy manager, Sophie Kay.

HC-One cited “recruitment and retention” challenges in announcing the closure of four care homes: The Elms, Cambridgeshire; Manor House, Cambridgeshire; Bereweeke Court, Hampshire; and Amerind Grove, Bristol.

Wilmslow Manor Care Centre

Hartford Care is giving all its employees a winter fuel contribution