The Carer Digital - Issue #138

A Bit of a short comment this week, as I am at a trade event in the Westcountry, and having to squeeze this in between seminars!

Our lead story will come as a surprise to no-one - Demand for social care increasing support decreasing!

Once again the report highlights care staff pay as a leading contributor Vacancies rose by 55 000 between 2021 and 2022 and remuneration has increased by just 3 5% in real terms during that period

The burning issue are the reports that half of care workers earn less than entry-level supermarket staff

Earlier this year the Lib Dems called for higher wages for care workers However, this would mean the government giving local councils an additional £1 billion a year

This is by no means a criticism of supermarket staff, who are indeed dedicated and work hard but the levels of skills responsibility and training for care staff are far greater the challenges are vastly different and must be rewarded in wages

I suspect the government will not be dedicating additional funding anytime soon which is a real travesty The sector offers wonderful opportunities for career progression and development We regularly include uplifting stories of staff who have really come through the ranks from entry level care assistant to manager regional managers and above

On this note I would draw your attention to Care England s demands for the spring budget (See page 7 )

A comprehensive insight to the challenges the sector faces with some hard hitting suggestions which the Chancellor really should take heed of In particular the effect of climate change and VAT levels on care homes, an absolute disgrace

Thank you all for the wonderful selection of stories we have received for World Book Day and today’s International Women’s Day

It was wonderful also to see celebrated author Frederick Forsyth help launch a book club at Signature in Farnham (See page 4) Apologies for the short comments it’s back to a seminar for me now! But don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @thecareruk for all the latest news

And I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk com

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EDITOR

Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES

Sylvia Mawson

David Bar tlett

Guy Stephenson

TYPESETTING & DESIGN

Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN

Charlene Fox

Demand for Adult Social Care Hits Record High While Support from Local Authorities Drops

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

The report shows that requests for adult social care had been steadily rising since 2015 but then sharply fell in 2020/21, most likely reflecting a reluctance for people to come forward for services during the Covid-19 pandemic Requests have now bounced back to reach an all-time high

The total number of new requests for support increased from 1 92 million adults in 2020/21 to 1 98 million in 2021/22 The number of new requests from working-age adults increased from 578 000 in 2020/21 to 612 000 in 2021/22 (5 8 per cent) Requests from people aged 65 and over increased from 1 34 million in 2020/21 to 1 37 million in 2021/22 (2 2 per cent)

The authors say the increase in requests from working age adults is likely to reflect increasing disability among adults aged 18-64 In 2020/21, 21 per cent of people in this age range who requested support reported living with a disability compared with 18 per cent in 2015/16 and 15 per cent in 2010/11 Among older people prevalence of disability has if anything fallen but balancing this has been an increasing number of older people in the population

NEW REQUESTS FOR CARE TO TOP 2 MILLION

Simon Bottery Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund and lead author of the report said: It s likely that local authorities will see the number of new requests for adult social care pass the two million mark for the first time this year but, on current trends, fewer people will end up receiving long-term support That means that more people will have to pay themselves rely on family and friends – or go without care entirely

STAFF VACANCIES HIGHEST ON RECORD

The report also shows that staff vacancies in the social care sector are now the highest since records began Between 2020/21 and 2021/22 the number of vacancies in adult social care rose from 110,000 to 165,000 However, while care-worker pay continues to rise due to increases in the statutory minimum wage it struggles to compete with other sectors Most services are commissioned by the local authority but provided by private sector or charitable organisations and average care-worker pay in these organisations in 2021/22 was £9 66 an hour an increase of 3 5 per cent in real terms since 2020/21

Simon Bottery explained ‘Social care providers continue to face a crisis in recruitment Vacancy rates in adult social care are higher than in the NHS and much higher than in other areas of the economy such as retail education and manufacturing A critical factor in recruitment is pay: around half of all care workers would be better off in entry level roles in England’s supermarkets

The report identifies a number of other key trends:

Local authorities are paying more for care home places and home care In real terms the average weekly fee paid by local authorities in England for care homes places for working-age adults rose by 2 5 per cent to £1 428 in 2021/22 The average weekly fee for older people s care home places increased 2 6 per cent to £767 The average hourly rate for externally commissioned home care rose 2 9 per cent to £18 88 • Total expenditure in 2021/22 was £2 6 billion more in real terms than in 2010/11 but this reflects short-term Covid-related funding – some expenditure in 2020/21 and 2021/22 was on support for the social care sector rather than individuals’ care and totals are not comparable with previous years

The number of unpaid carers receiving direct support from local authorities fell from 338,000 in 2020/21 to 314,000 in 2021/22 The number of carers receiving support has not increased since 2015/16 and fewer of them now receive paid support such as cash payments

The number of people provided with respite care has also fallen from 57 000 in 2015/16 to 33 000 in 2021/22

Simon Bottery added ‘The report shows that many of the critical indicators for adult social care are going in the wrong direction yet the government’s main reforms, such as the introduction of a cap on lifetime care costs have now been postponed until 2025 and there is little action so far on critical issues such as workforce and carers The government has an opportunity to move from words to action in its reform plan, promised for the Spring

There is an urgent need for more funding and fundamental reform of a publicly-funded social care system from which so many people are shut out ’

Cllr David Fothergill Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said “Councils, care providers hospitals and wider health services are together working incredibly hard during this hugely challenging winter to get people discharged from hospital and home with the correct support as soon as they can However, this process is increasingly difficult with rising demand for social care and community health care workforce shortages and budgets under significant pressure

A sustainable NHS depends on a sustainable social care system Instead the social care system is suffering from long-term underfunding and high vacancy levels across the workforce inevitably impacting on social care s ability to help mitigate the demand facing the NHS –

A Walk on the Wild Side – Care Home Residents Celebrate World Wildlife Day

Staff and residents at Barchester s Collingtree Park care home in Northampton took a walk on the wild side when they celebrated UN World Wildlife Day on 3rd March

World Wildlife Day is an annual global event to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants World Wildlife Day 2023 is celebrated under the theme ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’ to highlight the people who are making a difference and celebrate all conservation efforts from marine life and our oceans to collaborations with businesses which are helping to reverse the loss in biodiversity on our planet through sustainability and wildlife protection

Residents had the opportunity to learn about all the different conservation efforts taking place throughout the world and throughout the UK They found out about endangered species and what is being done to protect vulnerable species of wild animals and

plants To support with local British wildlife Activities coordinator Skye said: Our residents love to find out about new things many of them are very keen and knowledgeable gardeners and animal lovers so they jumped at the chance to find out more about some of the different conservation programmes taking place around the world, as well as supporting local wildlife by decorating nest feeders and planting wild flower seeds in the garden ”

Derek a resident said: I love our garden here and I can t wait until it is warm enough to sit outside again I really enjoy looking after the plants and wildlife in our garden it gives me such pleasure to watch everything grow and flourish It was wonderful to find out about the conservation programmes taking place around the world to help protect plants, trees and wildlife on World Wildlife Day ”

Wendy Mitchell Joins Excelcare Webinar to Share Her Incredible Stor y of Living With Dementia

On Tuesday 28th February Sunday Times best-selling author

Wendy Mitchell joined Excelcare’s ‘Let’s Discuss Dementia’ Webinar to share her personal experience of living with dementia

This monthly webinar invites relatives and friends of Excelcare residents as well as people looking into care options to learn more about dementia have their questions answered and take part in conversations about lots of different topics associated with dementia

In a first for Excelcare Wendy was invited onto the webinar as a guest speaker to share her personal experience of living with dementia and discuss topics from the books she has written

Wendy started by introducing herself and sharing some information about her blog as well as some of the hobbies she takes part in Wendy also shared that living with dementia has given her a new value of time and waiting for the sun to set or the right moment to capture a photo is always enjoyed and she never feels rushed Talking about her time living in York Wendy said It was like being on holiday and never going home”

Wendy then began to read a script she had prepared for the webinar, as she said, ‘If I don t, I’ll simply get distracted and start waffling

Throughout the course of the next hour Wendy shared her story

from the moment she was diagnosed with young onset dementia at the age of 58 up to the present day where she spends her days admiring all that nature has to offer and taking on some extreme challenges to

help raise money for charity

Wendy also shared some of the ways she has adapted her home and the way she lives to combat some of the daily tasks that dementia affects Some of these adaptations included using Alexa to help turn her lights on and off and provide information taking pictures of what is in her cupboards so she knows where things are located and if she sees something that she isn t sure is there she will take a picture of it and if it’s not there in the photo it’s not real There was lots of other useful tips that Wendy shared to “outmanoeuvre and outwit dementia ”

Her unique story and ongoing determination to live the life she wants to live without dementia taking over really captured the hearts of the attendees One lady said I think that s the biggest eye opener and the biggest realisation that I’ve ever had about Dementia I will be buying Wendy s books ASAP What a fantastic opportunity this was for us

As a sign of their gratitude to Wendy Excelcare have donated £200 to Wendy s upcoming challenge where she is planning to cross Europe’s longest infinity bridge! Click here to find out more

If you would like to learn more about Wendy s experiences living with dementia, you can view the full webinar here or purchase any of her books here

Best Selling Author Frederick Forsyth CBE Gives Exclusive Reading to Care Home Residents’ New Book Club

Care home residents who are part of its newly launched book club were treated to an audience with a best-selling author

Famed for penning thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Dogs of War residents at Signature at Farnham Common s book club welcomed Frederick Forsyth CBE for a talk on his career spanning five decades

Frederick held an informative Q+A session covering his work which has seen more than a dozen of his titles adapted to film and his books having sold more than 70 million copies in more than 30 languages

The book club were additionally treated to a reading from The Day of the Jackal Frederick’s visit further builds on the care home’s literary connections underpinned by its in-house Blyton café being named after famed local author Enid Blyton The author’s visit added to the care home’s World Book Day celebrations marking the annual event that takes place on the first Thursday of March in the UK It aims to change lives through a love of books and reading and additionally among children by providing them with book tokens that they can exchange for free books at participating bookshops

Margaret Garner a resident at Signature at Farnham Common said “We were delighted to hear from Frederick and to learn more about his career and his work It has taken him to some wonderful and exciting places which have clearly informed his work

We have all enjoyed reading his books over the years so to have him visit us and deliver an in-person talk was thrilling!”

Frederick Forysth CBE said: Visiting Signature at Farnham Common was a pleasure, and I am very happy to support the care home s book club

The question and answer session was very interesting I enjoyed the exchange and to hear views on my works Our discussion demonstrated both the power of books and the joy they can bring to readers regardless of their age

I look forward to visiting Farnham Common s book club again at some point in the future ”

Alex Alexandru General Manager at Signature at Farnham Common said “It was a privilege to welcome Frederick to deliver the reading of The Day of the Jackal and a Q&A with our residents and colleagues

He was the perfect guest to mark the launch of our new book club and equally to mark World Book Day Hearing a first-hand how his books have had such a powerful impact around the world was inspiring ”

MPs Sign Up to Support Accessible Voting with Disability Coalition

Members of Parliament, charity representatives and people with learning disabilities and autism joined together to discuss solutions surrounding accessible voting at the My Vote My Voice parliamentary launch on 28th February

To ensure autistic people and people with learning disabilities don t miss their opportunity to vote a coalition of UK s leading disability charities and organisations United Response Dimensions Mencap and Ambitious about Autism have launched the My Vote My Voice campaign

Alex Norris MP Shadow Minister for Levelling Up Housing Communities and Local Government, hosted the reception for cross party MPs at Portcullis House in Westminster

MPs including Lee Rowley MP, Dereck Thomas MP, Lisa Nandy and Vicky Foxcroft MP attended the event to hear lived experiences of voting with a disability Each unique experience had a shared call for the need for better access to stop people being excluded not just from casting their vote but politics as a whole

Alex Hughes, living in supported accommodation in Teddington, had a direct plea for attendees; Progress needs to be made to include people with disabilities so they can vote with honour, respect and dignity

The event was an opportunity for MPs to sign up to become accessible voting champions and learn how they can play a part in getting people with a learning disability and autistic people interested in politics and voting

Speaking at the event Alex Norris MP explained why accessible voting is important to him; I am proud to support My Vote My Voice in our shared commitment for accessible voting Listening to people with lived experiences I am shocked and saddened to hear of cases where people with learning disabilities have been unable to cast their vote ”

“The point is simple if we want a democracy to be proud of then must ensure we listen to those most vulnerable in society

Local elections across the country in May will be the first test of voter ID for overstretched councils with limited budgets to spend on accessible materials Voter turnout of people with learning disabilities is as much as 40% lower than that of the general population[1] and that was before they were being asked to navigate new legislative requirements to bring ID to the polling booth

With the deadline for applications for voter ID in time for the local elections approaching on the 25th April there have been 25 700 applications submitted [2]Just over 1% of the 2 million voters who need the new free Voter ID

Local Government Minister Lee Rowley who gave closing remarks at the launch and addressed the issues raised around the introduction of Voter ID said; Thank you to the My Vote My Voice campaign and United Response for the work they have done on this very important issue

Ensuring the security and sanctity of the ballot box is one of the most important responsibilities for government and we will continue to

work with disability charities and local leaders across the elections sector to ensure everyone can exercise their democratic right to vote

“That’s why it’s essential that everyone is prepared and has an accepted form of photo ID on the day to cast their vote including applying for a free voter certificate if needed ”

Ali Gunn Public Affairs and Policy Lead at United Response and Chair of the My Vote My Voice campaign said; The current situation points towards a need for additional support and education to help people with learning disabilities and autistic people to navigate new voting requirements

As a society we have a responsibility to ensure that every citizen has equal access to the voting process To do this we are asking MPs to not make their constituents with learning disabilities a second thought but follow up on their support and provide Easy Read manifestos and hold accessible hustings ”

Working in partnership My Vote My Voice will link to politically-neutral, Easy Read summaries of headline news items, including what the main parties have said about each topic There will be guides to registering to vote, and ‘voting passports’ for use in polling stations The campaign will be sharing details on how to arrange accessible hustings events and much more and all this will be hosted on a dedicated fully accessible website

For more information or to get involved please see www myvotemyvoice org uk

Older People Waiting Far Too Long for Social Care Says Age UK

Age UK is handing in a letter to the Chancellor this week, signed by more than 30 000 people urging him to use the Spring Budget to direct more Government resources towards reducing these distressing delays

New Age UK analysis shows that 28 890 older people died in 2021/22 the latest year for which figures are available without ever receiving the care and support they were waiting for This equates to 79 deaths a day, 554 a week and 2408 a month

The Charity says that this is just the most glaring example of the long waits that increasingly characterise how some unfortunate older people experience our social care system in England Age UK pins the blame for these long delays squarely on a lack of public money to allow local authorities to assess older people speedily and on there being insufficient care workers to staff the care services a growing older population requires

By way of example, Age UK’s research has also found that the number of unfilled posts in the home care sector jumped by 20 000 between 2020/21 and 2021/22

Furthermore, Skills for Care were reporting a vacancy rate of 14% across the whole of England, rising in some areas to over 17% in the same year If the care workers aren t there in sufficient numbers then home care agencies and care homes cannot provide enough services to meet increasing demand

Today the social care system remains under extreme pressure and if anything the situation seems to be getting worse A growing ageing population means that the demand for social care is rising and health and care experts also say that older people are now often presenting with more significant needs, following the experience of living through the pandemic

Age UK analysis shows that in England, more than one in four (28%) people who had asked for a social care assessment had been waiting six months or more to get one These assessments are just the first step in securing social care suggesting that some older people in desperate need are waiting even longer before they actually receive support For some it clearly arrives too late

Delayed assessments have helped to precipitate a situation in which an estimated 2 6 million people in England aged over 50 are now living with some unmet need for care That means millions struggling to do ordinary things like going to the toilet eating dressing or washing because they require some help to do so

In the absence of a formal service being available families and unpaid carers often have to do their best to fill the gap placing them under huge pressure and strain The Charity says it is especially worried about older people living alone who do not always have friends or family who can rally round

The Association of Directors of Social Services surveyed its members in 2022 and found that more than six in 10 councils said they were having to prioritise assessments and respond to people only where abuse

A FULL TURNKEY SERVICE

or neglect was highlighted, or when they were being discharged from hospital This helps to explain why some older people living in their own homes are stuck waiting for the care and support they need for month after month

Social care statistics tell a clear story of a system under acute pressure generating long waits even for those with a compelling case for support For example in the last decade the demand for care has increased as the population has grown: there are now 2 1 million more older people and 857 000 more adults with disabilities The consequences of the failure to recruit and retain enough care staff are also clear: during the first 3 months of 2022 for example almost 170 000 hours a week of home care could not be delivered because of a shortage of care workers seven times more than in Spring 2021

Age UK is handing in a letter to the Chancellor on Thursday 2 March with the help of some of its older campaigners, asking him to provide the resources in his Budget to cut these long waits for care The letter has been signed by over 31 000 people with these signatures gathered over just the last few weeks

Caroline Abrahams charity director at Age UK said: There isn t enough social care to go round and so some older people are waiting endlessly for help they badly need It is heart breaking that on the latest figures more than five hundred older people a week are going to their graves without ever receiving the care and support to which they were entitled

“These long waits are causing huge distress to older people as they struggle to carry on living their lives, and placing intolerable pressure on their families And what happens to those with no one to step in and help? At Age UK we are deeply concerned about the plight of all the older people with an unmet need for care living alone without any family or friends We fear there are many tragedies playing out silently behind closed doors

“Good social care provided by kind and skilled staff can transform older people s quality of life helping them to stay fit and well and giving them morale boosting companionship too It s incredibly sad that it is becoming more and more routine to have to wait for months to receive care, even when you have been found eligible for it That s why we and more than 30 000 others have written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, urging him to use his Budget to help alleviate these delays, by directing more resources towards social care

“No older person should die waiting for care that could have made their final days more comfortable and better supported and no family should have to watch their loved one going through that bitter experience either The Chancellor can help change this situation for the better and we call on him to act

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Taking Care of Fire Safety

By Rob Yates, Head of Building Products Fire Safety in the UK and Ireland for Siemens (www.siemens.co.uk)

All buildings have their own specific requirements in terms of fire safety and risk assessments are the primary method of ensuring that a fire alarm system meets those needs Care homes are no different although the nature of the elderly occupants and their mobility issues need to be a particular focus in selecting an appropriate method of protecting the occupants and the care home itself from the threat of fire

In the majority of buildings evacuation plans are a core element of fire safety procedures and while this is also true of a care home, the fact that it may be impossible to evacuate some of the residents has a direct impact on the requirements outlined in the respective standards In BS5839-1 for example the following clauses need to be considered • If occupants need assistance from staff to escape and there are more than 10 sleeping persons the system should be addressable

Residential care premises should be provided with automatic connection to Alarm Receiving Centres (ARC)

Signals to Alarm Receiving Centres cannot be delayed from residential care homes ADDRESSING THE SPECIFICS

Given all of the above it is easy to appreciate that early detection of a fire incident is particularly important in a care home Many care homes operate with older conventional fire alarm systems Picking up on the first point these need to be upgraded to addressable systems to enable the location of an incident to be identified quickly In doing so it is important to consider the options in terms of cost implications associated with this migration Some systems will require replacement of not only the devices but also reconfiguration of the wiring into a loop Others do not thereby offering considerable savings in installation costs

The ability to identify the location of an incident quickly can be further enhanced through powered floor repeater panels, allowing the situation to be reviewed without needing to go to the location of the main fire panel The ever-increasing use of cloud-based technology (see final paragraph) can take this a stage further with apps available which allow monitoring of fire safety on a mobile phone

In many applications delays in sending a fire alarm signal to an ARC are often deliberate to allow time to investigate to see if it is a false alarm or of a scale that can be tackled safely with a fire extinguisher

However as is clearly stated in the British Standard this is not the case in a care home

Turning to the issue of false alarms as indicated in the extract from BS5839-1 the requirement is for a

maximum of 1 false alarm per 20 detectors annually Obviously zero false alarms is an even better scenario in an application where an alarm can cause panic confusion and considerable disruption Systems are now available which will provide a guarantee of no false alarms with multi-criteria detection technology which detects a fire incident quickly without being impacted by deceptive phenomena such as toasters or steam Crucial to this is drift compensation whereby the sensitivity of the detector is automatically adjusted to reflect the build-up of dust or dirt without importantly affecting response times

CLOUD-BASED TECHNOLOGY

Increasingly as in so many of our day-to-day activities, the internet and the cloud are becoming pivotal in the latest fire detection solutions Digitalisation has made significant advances in terms of ease of use of fire safety systems User interfaces are becoming ever more graphics-based with the swipe click drag and drop approach so familiar from our mobile phones

Online portals can provide an overview of a care home s fire safety or for those organisations operating a number of facilities, across all connected sites Multi-site dashboards can provide locations of all sites in one place with a status bar indicating the respective status of each in real-time with a simple colour-coded approach to identify sites where problems may be occurring

Interoperability is a phrase that has been around now for some time in terms of building management systems and it is gathering momentum as digitalisation increases This is the potential to connect multiple systems which can then compliment each other An example would be a CCTV camera able to zoom in on a fire location or record the operation of a call point while a lift can report return status or louvres can be automatically activated in the event of an alarm activation to aid smoke ventilation

Care homes offer their own specific challenges in terms of fire safety By understanding those challenges and adopting a fire safety approach which reflects them residents and the buildings themselves can be effectively protected

ROB YATES

Rob Yates is Head of Building Products Fire Safety in the UK and Ireland for Siemens He has over 30 years’ experience in the fire industry

Guide Dog Visits Wellington Home

Residents of a dementia care home in Wellington responded with lively interest to a recent visit by a local guide dog user, accompanied with her canine companion, who shared with them her experience of life with the support of a guide dog

Jo Hogan has benefitted from the support of three dogs before the arrival in 2020 of Erryn, a gentle and loving four-year-old Labrador She was registered blind at 21 having started to lose her eyesight aged nine

Richard Dempslake activities co-ordinator for Camelot House and Lodge said: It was a lovely session – Jo told us her story her experience with having a guide dog and how it transformed her life

We thought we already knew a bit about guide dogs, but Jo really enlightened us about the difference a companion such as Erryn makes to the lives

of individuals who have a vision or hearing impairment

After the talk residents were keen to ask Jo questions about her loyal companion and then we walked around the home introducing Jo and Erryn

“This helped with residents with sensory loss and became an animal therapy session with residents thoroughly enjoying stroking Erryn s fur and getting an occasional lick

Jo offered residents guide dog stickers which they wore with pride

Our residents thoroughly enjoyed Jo and Erryn visiting and we were pleased to make a £50 contribution to Guide Dogs UK who do such amazing work training dogs for people like Jo ”

Jo Hogan said: Erryn and I really enjoyed our time at Camelot House We would welcome the opportunity to visit again any time for animal therapy

Care England Sets Out Spring Budget Demands

Care England has appealed for the care sector to be properly recognised in the forthcoming Spring Budget not only due to its immense intrinsic value but also in terms of its fundamental role in supporting the functioning of the National Health Service and wider UK economy

PROFESSOR MARTIN GREEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CARE ENGLAND, SAYS:

The adult social care sector is comprised of a diverse range of charitable and independent services that deliver support, care, and healthcare for some of society s most vulnerable individuals The sector s contribution to both society and the economy is immeasurable, as well as critical to the effectiveness of the NHS The Treasury must recognise the economic value of the adult social care sector and use the forthcoming Spring Budget to put measures in place that ensure the longevity and sustainability of care Whilst the Autumn Statement injected a welcome £7 5bn into the sector over the next two years, it is insufficient to truly stabilise the sector support 200,000 new packages of care support both adults and children and hospital discharges When factors such as demography and inflation are taken into account, which the LGA put at around £2bn per annum on top of a significant deficit and years of underfunded inflation it is evident that £7 5bn is not enough Care England’s analysis of the average fees paid by local authorities and the recent Government led Fair Cost of Care exercise has revealed that local authorities are continuing to underfund packages of care to the tune of over £2bn per year The sector requires continued and increased investment in frontline social care services by the Government in addition to the inward investment the sector generates, to ensure a sustainable system fit for the 21st century This will give taxpayers value for money and empower those in need of care and their families to make meaningful choices so they receive the right care at the right place at the right time ”

CARE ENGLAND HAS MADE THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIONS FOR THE 2023 SPRING BUDGET:

• Zero-rate VAT for Welfare Services to enable care providers to recover input VAT

Provide enhanced support for energy costs and remove the 5% VAT surcharge and Climate change Levy on energy bills

Make the £130m EBSS AF payments directly to social care providers not those in receipt of care who are

not directly responsible for paying

energy bills

Establish a national tariff of £1 500 per week to be imposed for a specified period and clear care needs specifications to aid hospital discharges

• Actualise a fully funded 10-year workforce vision as set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper

• Introduce a Government-developed pay framework to establish a minimum care wage above the level of the NLW and tied to NHS band 3

Increase the number of VISA allocations given to care providers, at a reduced cost to aid in lowering the number of vacancies within the care sector

• Confirm what will happen to the minimum salary set for care workers entering the UK via the Shortage Occupation List route (previously set above the NLW) once the NLW rises to £10 42 from 1 April 2023

Allow care works to work full-time hours without losing access to benefits

Martin Green continues: Care England s budget representation offers pragmatic solutions that would inject much-needed funding to frontline services and help to stabilise the adult social care sector We must move to a period of strategic reform informed by collaboration with the sector to prevent the situation from deteriorating further as pressures continue to mount The money tabled in the Autumn Statement has thus far represented a series of short-term and inadequate injections to help fund struggling councils or to temporarily prop up the NHS facing winter pressures when it should have been used to address the deep-rooted problems within the current system Consolidated data trends for care homes indicate occupancy has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and EDITDARM margins fell to a low of 22 7% last year with decreasing profitability being driven by staff and rising utility costs The sector is brimming with innovation energy and commitment We must overcome the political impetus that social care has been ‘reformed ’ solved or fixed Unfortunately we are a long way from this reality and the funding made available is not sufficient to address the recent and future impact of inflation and will only compound the challenges faced by the sector if Government continues to ignore the warning signs

Lymm Care Home Residents and Local Children Share Stories

To celebrate World Book Day, children from Back to the Garden Childcare located on Statham Avenue, visited residents at neighbouring Statham Manor Care Centre for an inter-generational afternoon of fun and storytelling

Dressed as characters from their favourite books, including Supergirl, the Gruffalo and Mog the Cat the group of eight children were accompanied by the nursery manager and practitioners also dressed up, bringing with them a selection of books to read with the residents

Statham Manor residents gathered in the lounge to greet the three and four year olds and together young and old spent the afternoon reading proving that age is no object when it comes to a love for books

The afternoon was great fun for all; with residents from Statham Manor enthralling the children with readings from their favourite books and sharing memories of their childhood The pre-school children loved showing off their costumes and delighted the residents with their tales from nursery

Farai Hanyane registered manager at Statham Manor says: “Over the course of the last two months, since the care home opened we have welcomed several residents so it was lovely to

host a fun afternoon for them with the children from Back to the Garden Childcare

With the nursery situated next door to Statham Manor the World Book Day visit will be the first of many inter-generational events hosted at the home which we know have an incredibly positive impact on the residents and their wellbeing

You are never too old to enjoy a good story and seeing the residents read with the children was lovely; they loved learning about the little ones’ favourite characters and were thrilled to share stories and memories from their childhood ”

Statham Manor resident Bill Hall aged 82 adds: I have always loved books and still enjoy reading, so it was a real joy to see the children today dressed up as characters from their favourite books and share stories with them ”

Alison O Connor-Limb nursery manager at Back to the Garden concludes: “It is so important that children respect and understand the elderly people in our community The best way to teach this is for the young and old to have contact and enjoy time in each other’s company World Book Day was a great example of this

Dan Helps Care Village Choir

Prepare for Coronation Performance

Preparations to mark His Majesty the King’s coronation this spring are well underway and for a special celebration at their Didsbury home older people residing at Belong Morris Feinmann care village are busy rehearsing for their performance of a lifetime –with a little help from Manchester choir master extraordinaire Dan McDwyer

Newly formed last month The Tomforte Community Choir meets weekly to practise their harmonies ahead of the royal event on May 6th which will see the ensemble many of whom are living with dementia, perform for fellow residents, family and friends as part of the coronation festivities programme

The dementia specialist enlisted the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) alumnus after being inspired by his work with Ariana Grande, Emeli Sandé and Katherine Jenkins along with musical

direction of thriving community projects focusing on singing for mental health and wellbeing Manchester Proud

Chorus Altrincham Garrick

Show Choir and The Choir Project – Northenden Choir

Dan McDwyer musical director of The Tomforte

Community Choir explains:

“This goes further than a sing-along we’re creating a choir who are performers By using less-familiar songs our singers have really got to work hard and actively use their brains to learn new melodies to make a beautiful sound rather than simply repeating songs they already know Though most have little or no experience we wanted to give all residents the chance and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of their work People take joy from the sound they create together and that makes them proud, walking away knowing they ve produced something special

Boss Of Care Regulator Spells Out Vision For ‘Gridlocked’ NHS

The country’s health and social care system is in “gridlock which is harming patients and can only be fixed by long-term funding and technology-driven innovations such as the roll-out of virtual wards

These are the views expressed by Ian Trenholm, the chief executive of the Care Quality Commission in a stark interview with Newcross Healthcare’s Voices of Care podcast

Spelling out some of the pressures facing the sector - in particular care homes - and outlining ways the situation could be improved he said:

Exhausted care staff need better pay and conditions

More long-term government funding is needed

The regulator needs to change its vision and increasingly highlight good work

Virtual wards should be rolled out to ease pressure on NHS

The new Integrated Care Systems (ICS) needs to ensure NHS services gets better at working together

The CQC the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England recently released its ‘State of Care’ report, which described a system under intense pressure caused by 165 000 vacancies in social care and 133,000 in the NHS

On the impact of this Mr Trenholm said:

“Increasingly what we're seeing is the backlogs the delays are causing people harm and that's because the system is gridlocked People are stuck They re stuck in an ambulance waiting to go into a hospital because there are no beds They re stuck in hospital because they can t get out because they need some sort of social care And that is going to mean that people will ultimately come to harm

To a large extent that s because there s been some historic underfunding in social care in particular and the story around social care definitely improved over the COVID period, people have understood the vital role that social care plays in the system as a whole But we find that still needs investment so the fact that the public widely understands social care doesn't mean any more money is really going into social care and that and that historic underfunding is problematic

“And then you overlay that with workforce you overlay that with the geopolitics of today the costs of goods and services the cost of power a very globally mobile health and care workforce There s a number of things that have come together now which I think I would agree means that this is one of the most difficult times the health and care system has ever faced ”

Mr Trenholm highlighted virtual wards as a positive example of ways that hospital admissions can be reduced and pressure on the system can be eased These see patients remain at home and are given the advice and monitoring they need via computers and other technology He said:

“I saw an example recently in Newcastle where ironically as part of Covid they had decided that bringing immunocompromised cancer patients into a hospital which was full of people with Covid was not a good idea But equally they couldn t turn off their chemotherapy

“They created approaches, they created control rooms, and they invested in bits of kit and so forth to enable people to have chemotherapy at home be monitored remotely make sure they could reach into their homes and very quickly give people support if they needed it The patients liked it The patients were having better outcomes because they weren t sitting in a ward all of the time and it was one of those things that Covid forced a new way of thinking

It did require quite a lot of effort But it s a really good example of a completely different way of delivering care which was traditionally hospital care but using community resources

Mr Trenholm told of his fears that the ongoing industrial action across the NHS was only exacerbating the situation saying:

“If people are going on strike there s fewer people at work meaning that procedures are being cancelled

That leads to more delays So the strikes are not a good thing I think because there are fewer people at work I really welcome the talks that are going on at the moment between the Royal College of Nursing and government and hopefully that will move us in the right direction and we can get back to a more normal service

We ve seen over the last three years during COVID a workforce which is genuinely exhausted Whilst I think people are relying on their vocation and their desire to deliver great quality care, I think the reality is people are exhausted I think when you get to that point it s really tough to deliver the sort of quality of care that you went into the profession to deliver

“What we've seen typically is somewhere between 30 and 40% of the workforce leave social care organisations in a given year which is an incredibly high number for any sector and most sectors would struggle to keep skills keep experiencing if they're seeing that level of turnover

We re seeing now a very big difference between what care workers are being paid and what people are being paid in retail and hospitality I think there's a danger that the adult social care sector over trades on the notion of vocation and it gets to the point where vocation and that positivity that you get from working in care doesn't pay the electricity bill it doesn't pay the rent ”

Looking to how the situation could be improved Mr Trenholm called for a change in the way government funds the sector in particular care homes saying

“I don't think there are any quick fixes The thing that government could do is a long-term sustainable funding solution because I think the danger is what happens is each winter some version of funding for the next three or four months, if you're an operator in the social care market, you are not going to make long term funding decisions

“You are not going to give long-term pay rises to your teams You're not going to take on additional permanent staff you re not going to invest in buildings Half of the care homes in this country are about 50-plus years old and the practical consequence of that is lines of sight width of corridors moving and handling just becomes difficult As a care operator if you haven't got long term funding in place you're not going to be able to go to the bank and borrow the money to build a new care home

On the future of his own organisation, Mr Trenholm said its strategy was to move away from solely providing a judging role adding:

“What we tend to do is try to look for examples of good practice, be they big or small, call those out in our reports aggregate them produce thematic reports and so forth In our new strategy we talked about being a smarter regulator and that s about trying to break down the questions that we ask into smaller bite sized chunks be able to report on them almost question by question That gives us the opportunity I think to showcase very specific pieces of good work

He called on the new Integrated Care Service model to play a part to encouraging better sharing of good practice better pay in care services and closer working together adding:

“I think we've seen in the last couple of years in particular real difficulties around recruitment and there needs to be a more sophisticated approach to that I think ICSs offer that opportunity But I think ICSs can do other things as well I think ICSs can start to look at things like shared spaces They can look at the costs of doing business and look at sharing of costs and a whole range of other things

We talk about primary care secondary care and we talk about adult social care and then mental health as four distinct entities We often talk about primary care as being GPs I think the reality is, that most people get most of their care outside hospitals

“I think the opportunity for ICSs is to tell that story, is to make it clear to people that actually those services which often you can t see because it s a district nurse in a car it s a mental health service in a clinic somewhere that they're unseen services, but they're absolutely vital to make the system work ”

Hosted by healthcare expert Suhail Mirza the podcast episode featuring Ian Trenholm is available now alongside previous episodes in the series on various platforms including YouTube Apple Spotify and the Newcross Healthcare website

Oldest Resident in Essex Celebrated 108th Birthday at Runwood Homes Care Home

Elizabeth House care home in Benfleet, Essex, celebrated Violet Shipp’s 108th birthday on Friday the 3rd of March making her the oldest resident in Essex

A community celebration was held at Elizabeth House for Violet s momentous milestone birthday with King John School and Seevic College delivering cards to Violet and a visit from Sandcastles the local nursey in Hadleigh Essex

Entertainers performed a variety of cockney-style songs and Violet also received a visit from a miniature horse; a connection to many memories from one of her favourite horse racing programmes

Born on the 3rd of March 1915 in Blackfriars London Violet was one of five children before moving to the Peabody buildings in Herne Hill

Violet worked for the civil service for many years at Elephant and Castle in Lambeth as well as working for Phillips during the war to help make valves for planes

Violet and her husband moved to Essex in 1978 spending their retire-

ment in the suburbs of Benfleet

At 100 years of age Violet attended her local Benfleet clubs in the afternoons, enjoying a very active social life

Violet shared one of her fondest memories She said: One of my great memories was family meals with my parents 2 brothers and sister where we all used to enjoy rabbit pie and cabbage at the dinner table ”

The celebrations took place on Friday the 3rd of March at 2pm with a generous hamper donation provided by Morrisons, and lashings of Violet’s favourite beverage Cinzano and lemonade

Home Manager for Elizabeth House, Ade Makinde, said: “We are so happy to have celebrated such a momentous occasion at Elizabeth House care home and this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Violet

The team have worked incredibly hard to organise entertainers food and decorations as well as cards from the local schools colleges and nurseries I cannot thank them enough for all their work and for giving Violet such a memorable experience at Elizabeth House

Carer’s Leave Bill Passes Second Reading in House of Lords

Having successfully passed through the House of Commons the Carer s Leave Bill has today passed its Second Reading in the House of Lords with cross-party support from Peers including Government

This legislation if successful in its passage through both Houses of Parliament would see employees across Great Britain get a landmark new right to take up to one week of unpaid Carer’s Leave

Passing Second Reading in the House of Lords is another important step forward for the Bill

Lord Fox supporting the Carer s Leave Bill in the Lords, said:

I was delighted to see so many Peers from all sides of the House of Lords supporting this important Bill which could make a difference to so many unpaid carers who are juggling work and care There was unanimous agreement of the need for these rights

“I look forward to taking the Bill through its remaining stages with continued strong support from colleagues in the Lords ”

Helen Walker Chief Executive of Carers UK said:

“We’re thrilled that the Carer’s Leave Bill has passed its Second Reading in the House of Lords –another important step forward for unpaid carers juggling their work with care for a relative who is older, disabled or seriously ill

“Carers UK has campaigned for decades to get

carers a right to Carer’s Leave – because the evidence shows it makes a huge difference to working carers lives It allows them flexibility to better manage work alongside their caring responsibilities – for example, to help get their loved one to routine hospital appointments or support them while they recover from an invasive operation

“We look forward to continuing our work with Wendy Chamberlain MP and the Government and with Peers to ensure that this Bill becomes law ”

Wendy Chamberlain MP sponsor of the Carer s Leave Bill said: “I am delighted that my Bill has gained the support of Peers today Supporting unpaid carers to better manage their work and caring role and having the flexibility of Carer’s Leave to do that is vitally important

“Retaining carers in the workplace also benefits businesses with evidence from employers showing that supporting working carers helps to improve staff retention rates and productivity

Quitting Smoking Reduces Risk of Dementia Research

Smokers are being urged to give quitting a go this No Smoking Day (8th March) as research shows those who smoke are more likely to develop dementia

The annual awareness day encourages smokers to make a quit attempt and this year’s theme is ‘stopping smoking protects your brain health’

According to Alzheimer s Research UK dementia is the most feared health condition for people over the age of 55 – more than any other life-threatening disease including cancer and diabetes

Yet YouGov data commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) revealed just 18% of people who smoke know that smoking increases the risk of dementia compared to more than 70% who know that smoking causes lung diseases or cancers

Smoking raises the risk of developing dementia particularly Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia as it harms the vascular system (heart and blood vessels) and the brain Studies also suggest that quitting smoking reduces this risk substantially, and smoking has been identified as one of twelve risk factors that if eliminated entirely, could collectively prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases

However, recent data from Alzheimer’s Research UK shows only a third of UK adults know there are things they can do to help reduce their risk of dementia and stopping smoking is one of them

Dr Chi Udeh-Momoh a neuroscientist and dementia prevention expert based at Imperial College London said: “If you smoke quitting is perhaps the most important step you can take to protect both your heart and your brain It really can be life-changing

“Many people know that smoking affects the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of conditions like

high blood pressure and stroke But fewer realise that these conditions, in turn increase the risk of dementia or that the chemicals in cigarette smoke can speed up the natural ageing of the brain

It s fantastic that brain health is the theme of No Smoking Day 2023 Initiatives like this are so important in raising awareness of the steps we can take to help keep the brain healthy ”

Deborah Arnott Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health who is helping to co-ordinate this year’s No Smoking Day, said:

Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to improve your health It has been shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia, heart disease cancer and stroke You experience health benefits within weeks of stopping breathing easier and feeling fitter

No Smoking Day is the perfect time to quit smoking when thousands of other people are stopping too There are many ways to stop from nicotine replacement therapy to vaping and free local support to stop smoking Smokers are three times more likely to succeed in quitting with help from a trained professional than with willpower alone ”

Hilary Evans Chief Executive of Alzheimer s Research UK said: Just a third of people realise that we can take steps to help reduce our risk of developing dementia in later life This has to change, which is why improving people s understanding of the things that they can do to shape their brain health is a real priority for Alzheimer’s Research UK

“We’re delighted to be working alongside ASH to shine a light on the link between smoking and brain health We hope the positive message that quitting smoking at any point can help reduce your dementia risk gives people who smoke fresh motivation to quit this No Smoking Day ”

Beloved Characters Come to Life for World Book Day at Chartwell House

Cliftonville Primary School Margate Reading Ambassadors were treated to a day of whimsy, magic and literary delights as part of World Book Day at new Thanet care home Chartwell House

To celebrate World Book Day 2023, team at Chartwell House Care Home created a reading corner for the school children and took dressing up as children’s story characters to a whole new level with the aim to inspire local child that reading is for fun not just for school

Characters included, Neytiri from Avatar, Cruella Deville, Shrek, The Queen of Heaters Mrs Trunchball Matilda Piglet Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter Delighting the children with their bright colourful costumes

Pupils in attendance were the Reading Ambassadors of Cliftonville Primary with the aim of the visit to endorse the schools new reading ambassador scheme The Reading Ambassadors ahead of the visit went out and choose books especially for the event

With the value of intergenerational experiences between young people and older people alike widely acknowledged Residents at the care home including Susan a former primary school teacher

spent time listening to the children read chapters from the books and in turn, read stories to the children

Kathleen a resident at Chartwell House was overheard expressing how joyous the experience was “It was lovely having the children visit today they read so well for their age and were so polite I hope they visit again ”

Diane Collins Home Manager at Chartwell House who led the way with her fabulous Avatar costume celebrated the occasion:

“It was just fantastic to welcome the children of Cliftonville Primary School to Chartwell House Care Home Seeing their faces light up at my team s costumes was magical and listening to them reading to the residents was beautiful Intergenerational opportunities are so important and prove to be an incredibly valuable experience for both young and old ”

Speaking after the event Admissions Manager Jude Coveney was delighted with the outcome “We had always planned to make World Book Day 2023 a special day for the residents of our home It was so special to see the children reading to the residents

Tool Launched to Help Patients and Carers Improve Safety Across Health and Care

A first-of-its-kind free guide that helps patients and carers to take greater control of their healthcare and improve their safety has been launched today (7 March 2023)

The Patient Safety Guide has been co-developed by patients carers GPs, pharmacists with researchers from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (GM PSTRC) The centre is a partnership between The University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

The guide helps patients and their carers decide on the most appropriate way to access healthcare (for example whether they should visit a pharmacist, book a GP appointment, or visit A&E) It also provides guidance on how to plan for interactions with healthcare staff There s suggested questions to ask, and space to make notes both before and after an appointment Information around any tests that may be recommended can be logged in the guide and it can be used as a place to list all the medications a person is taking

The guide is available to download from a dedicated website and via an app for iOS and Android phones

It includes specific advice for people with hearing loss and there is a version for people who have vision impairment

The Dr Rebecca Morris lead for the Patient Safety Guide said Involving patients in their safety is a central recommendation of NHS England’s National Patient Safety strategy and our team were looking at ways of doing this when we started work on our patient safety guide We wanted to create something that gives patients the ability to understand and support their care while giving them confidence to ask the questions that are important to them

“We believe our guide addresses some of the most common challenges faced by patients and carers

while having the potential to narrow the gap in health inequalities For example we’re aware that some patients may take a number of different medications and are under the care of several different doctors The guide helps the patient and their carer if they have one to keep track of all of this Also, in situations where two family members may be caring for an older relative and are both taking them to different appointments the guide is an easy way of sharing important information accurately Alternatively for someone who may struggle with verbal communication they can use the guide as a way of helping their communication with health care staff We hope that our guide can be adopted and used widely to help improve patient safety

Kay Gallacher, a public contributor who was involved in developing and designing the guide said: For me the NHS can seem like a complex system with its own language I feel the guide can give patients and carers the tools they need to navigate it The guide helps to ensure everyone can get the most out of an appointment with healthcare staff I’ve found it particularly useful being able to use the guide to remind me what a doctor may have said at a previous appointment

Also I do find my mind can go blank the moment I start to talk to a doctor so being able to plan ahead and make a note of all the questions I want to ask helps me to make the most of the appointment I can note down the answers and this makes it easier when trying to recall what the doctor said I believe the guide is something that can make a big difference across health and social care and I’m looking forward to more people hearing about it so they can start using it and benefitting from it

The guide is now available for anyone to access via the app and online, and researchers are encouraging organisations interested in rolling it out to get in touch – Dr Rebecca Morris (rebecca morris@manchester ac uk)

Our Dementia Choir to Take the Stage at UK Care Week

UK Care Week have just announced that Our Dementia Choir will be performing live on their Keynote Stage on the 22nd March at 12:15pm at NEC Birmingham

Our Dementia Choir’ began as part of a documentary created for BBC1 in 2018 The two-part series saw acclaimed actress Vicky McClure take us on a deeply personal journey where she sets out to discover the true extent of music s power in combatting dementia

In this unique and exciting session hear from the Choir s team about the incredible work that the charity are doing to

Raising the standard of stair climbing solutions

change lives across the UK and the importance of music in dementia care Of course we couldn t have the choir join us without what will certainly be a show stopping performance

When you watch the choir – you will be exposed to a range of emotions – joy sadness laughter excitement amazementand more often than not you will have no choice but to get up and sing along!

See Our Dementia Choir sing live!

Sign up for your free tickets at https://hubs la/Q01Cq2740

H.W.Pickrell Ltd

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Offering innovative designs, all of the company’s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces, for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition, all of its Stair Climber’s come with a two year manufacturer’s warranty

Practically Perfect in Ever y Way - Care Home Brings Beloved Characters to Life for World Book Day

The dedicated team at Orchard House Care Home in Wisbech Cambridgeshire this year went all out to celebrate World Book Day and bring to life some beloved characters of children s books

There was a whole team approach as every department of the Nursing and Residential Dementia home joined in the event

Lifestyle Lead Miranda who was dressed as ‘Where’s Wally explained the idea behind the day It was the first time we’ve celebrated World Book Day in this way We wanted to bring to life some of the residents favourite characters from their childhood books or those they remember reading to their children and even grandchildren

This year the team outshone themselves putting on performances from Roald Dahl s Matilda We didn’t expect the videos of the performances to go down so well Everybody was involved, including the residents, being creative and bringing some magic to the day I think the most fun was the video of Sam as Matilda, re-enacting the scene where she discovers her powers! - Honey Dementia Ambassador

Other characters brought to life were all of the Matilda

and Ian Fleming s James Bond who was brought to life

by Care Assistant Johnathan Resident Doris 84 was most impressed as she asked for a shaken not stirred Martini,’ He s a very good-looking chap and I m sure he ll be able to protect us all!’

Lifestyle Lead Miranda had everyone trying to find her in the Garden amongst the daffodils as ‘Where’s Wally ’ 102year-old Mary was happily surprised to see Miranda pop out commenting, ‘You certainly look like a right Wally!

General Manager Sarah and Deputy Manager Egle were childhood favourites from Lewis Carols Alice in Wonderland’ as the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts Sarah assured us that everyone still had their heads on their shoulders at the end of the day It has been a wonderful day, the residents, families, and the team have had a great time Everyone has got involved and the residents have enjoyed some wonderful magically moments of reminiscence and new experiences with making the videos Family is at the heart of everything we do here and like any family it is so important to all to come together and have fun which we certainly have!’

Future of Care Leaders Conference

Returning with a new name the Future of Care Leaders Conference has re-branded to highlight who should consider attending – the leaders of the care sector Bookings are officially open for the highly sought-after conference being held at The King's Fund, London on Tuesday 28th March 2023

The conference is set out to bring key trends challenges and developments in the care industry in front of the people who matter With a new and improved layout and a quality speaker programme, delegates can expect new additions including a networking breakfast and drinks reception to end the day on a high and strengthen relationships made throughout the day

The day includes an extensive programme with informative sessions held by a coveted list of speakers and hosts a selection of exhibitors in the networking space Delegates can enjoy a selection of refreshments throughout the day, as well as a quality lunch included in the cost of the ticket

The programme this year will focus on a range of important subjects which will be discussed in focused speaker slots and panel debates Topics include;

Embedding Net Zero into the Sector

• Raising the Profile of Adult Social Care

What Does Innovation in Care Actually Mean?

Improving Elderly Care Through Human Connection

Supporting the Wellbeing on the Social Care Workforce

Key speakers at the conference include: Liz Kendall MP, Shadow Minister for Health & Social Care; Kate Terroni Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integration and Interim Chief Operating Officer at Care Quality Commission; Nadra Ahmed Executive Chairman of National Care Association; Avnish Goyal CBE Chair of Hallmark Care Homes and Vic Rayner OBE Chair of the National Care Forum; who is also Conference Chair

Use the following link to book your place and view the full programme – www futureofcare co uk

Superwoman Jessie from Toy Story ’ Mary Poppins

25% of Social Care Professionals Moved Jobs Last Year Due to Unfulfilling Work

New research released by Hays has found that close to half (46%) of social care professionals moved jobs in the last 12 months driven by unfulfillment in their roles ahead of salary dissatisfaction

The research which received over 900 responses from social care professionals and employers forms part of the Hays 2023 Social Care Salary & Recruiting trends guide

A quarter (25%) of social care workers said they left a role last year due to unfulfillment, followed by 18% who said the move was due to salary dissatisfaction decreasing from 25% in 2022 This was followed by a lack of career development opportunities (21%) or career progression (19%) Ultimately job fulfilment is critical to retaining talent in the sector Brendan Ryan Director at Hays specialising in Social Care comments: “Hiring plans are set to be busy this year within the social care sector but employers are up against tough competition for talent Organisations must therefore promote compelling reasons why someone should join their organisation

According to the survey the most important benefits for social care

workers are additional days off for wellbeing (49%) over 28 days of paid annual leave (49%) and training / professional certification support (43%)

Whilst hybrid working is not always possible in more hands-on roles it is a factor which continues to attract and retain talent Over half (53%) of social care professionals could be tempted to change jobs if they could decide how often they were in the workplace, illustrating the appeal of flexible hybrid work

51% of professionals across social care gave their work-life balance a positive rating which shows little change to last year (49%)

Professionals across social care value a strong EVP (Employee Value Proposition) when searching for a prospective employer including whether an organisation has a strong sense of purpose (93%), a commitment to sustainability (90%) and a diverse and inclusive culture (81%)

In terms of the 12 months ahead 61% of professionals are looking to change jobs motivated by a better salary and benefits package (23%) concerns about job security (16%) or a lack of future opportunities in their organisation (13%) For those who don t have their heart set on moving jobs in the upcoming months the top factor that could tempt

Respite Stay To Full-Time Resident At

At Friends of the Elderly’s residential care home The Lawn in Alton Hampshire resident Colin Jones and his family made the big decision to make the care home his permanent residence following an enjoyable respite break – and he hasn t looked back since

Colin visited The Lawn for a three week respite break in October 2022 and was so impressed with the care team the care home its facilities and the level of care he received that he and his family thought it was the ideal place for him to live full-time

Colin was in hospital following a fall and his family thought it would be better for him to recuperate at The Lawn on a respite break as he could recover in a safe secure and caring environment

“I can say that The Lawn lived up to all our expectations,” continued Colin “The decision for me to spend time heal and get back to my normal self in a safe environment with staff who are so dedicated and hard working to achieve the care that is needed was a good judgement call The level of respite care I received was second to none ”

Following his respite break Colin and his family were so impressed with The Lawn and its care team that the decision to make the care home his permanent home, was an easy one “The care I receive is top notch, and the admission process was so quick and

them to do so would be a better salary and benefits package (36%)

Brendan Ryan, Director at Hays specialising in Social Care, comments further: The research reiterates that social care professionals gain the most job fulfilment from the work itself, which comes with much responsibility and rewards Therefore employers need to facilitate this, whether that be through giving professionals more autonomy to make decisions to improve job satisfaction retain talent and get better outcomes

Organisations need to clarify what underpins their values and culture and how to effectively deliver this, as these factors clearly influence whether candidates decide to apply for a role Promoting opportunities for career progression is another way to attract talent in the social care sector It s all about creating a positive narrative around why prospective employees would want to work for you

In order to compete for talent in today s candidate driven-market employers must be prepared to constantly review, assess and change what benefits they offer considering employee expectations are not fixed but always shifting ”

The Lawn Care Home In Surrey

easy ” added Colin “I have helpful care assistants to help me get washed and dressed before I have my breakfast in my room My days are jam packed there s always something to do ”

Normally I watch some TV or go to one of the morning activities exercise classes or one of the regular coffee morning I have a delicious lunch then join in the afternoon activities Weather permitting I try to go for a walk around the beautiful garden every day with another resident who I’ve became good friends with as well Colin continued

Born in Oxfordshire in 1940 Colin loved school especially biology and initially went on to medical school to study Colin’s love of the countryside stems from his childhood as does his love of traditional hearty food I do love my food Colin continued, “and at The Lawn I’ve not been disappointed The traditional English food - as well as the delicious European food on offer – is wonderful Fish and Chip Friday is one of my favourites ”

Alina Gutu the Registered Manager at The Lawn said: Colin is a lovely intelligent and interesting man and a much loved member of The Lawn family Since arriving with us Colin has embraced living at The Lawn and really adapted well to life here He loves watching sport and the daily news He told me that he thinks it’s very important to keep up-to-date with the news so we know what is going on in the world we live in ”

Hartford Care Supports International Women’s Day, Championing Career Progression in the Care Sector

As people around the world celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women this International Women s Day Hartford Care highlights the career successes of just some of its female employees

Lisa Sellens Regional Operations Manager at Hartford

Care has been with the company for over 16 years and is testament to the career progression on offer, having started with Hartford as a kitchen assistant She says: After being referred by a friend, I started work at Boulters Lock in Maidenhead After working in the kitchen I undertook a housekeeping role and as soon as I turned 18 I became a Care Assistant After being promoted to Senior Care

Assistant I then moved to Woodlands House in Southampton in 2014 as Head of Care I ve since worked as Home Manager across The Laurels and Pine Lodge in Poole and Woodlands House and West Cliff Hall in Southampton before taking on my current role of Regional Operations Manager

Lisa’s job is to support the Home Managers across seven care homes She says “I am the support network and role model for our Home Managers Hartford Care has believed in me and provided the support needed to achieve my career goals Despite years of service and experience I still face new challenges every day which continues to strengthen my ability to help others I love seeing our residents leading fulfilled lives and our team members happy at work achieving their own career aspirations

Aga Gierek-Tan, who joined Hartford Care in 2014, has just been promoted to Regional Support Manager

Aga s new role will be to support the teams and Home Managers to achieve outstanding care for their residents She says: “I started my journey with Hartford Care as Head of Care at Woodlands House in Southampton I then worked as Home Manager across Bethel House in Barton on Sea Belford House in Alton and most recently West Cliff Hall in Southampton ”

Aga continues: “I aim to inspire the team to achieve the best for our residents and I care for our residents in the same way I would care for my own family I love spending time with our residents learning about all the exciting things they have done in the past and I want to see them living their lives to the fullest I am looking forward to this new and exciting chapter as Regional Support Manager ”

Abbey Doyle has just taken up the role of Home Manager for 59-bedroom care home, West Cliff Hall in Southampton Abbey has worked for Hartford for nearly 11 years starting her journey with the company as a Care Assistant Working her way up through the ranks of Senior Care Assistant Head of Care and Deputy Manager before becoming Home Manager Abbey has even stepped in as a chef on occasion!

Abbey says: “I started out working with children in the early years setting however I soon decided it wasn’t the right path for me Having always been close to my grandparents I thought I d try out a new direction in caring for our elderly generation I feel incredibly privileged that I ve been able to care for those who served in World War II it s something we won t have the opportunity to do again

Previously Abbey was Home Manager at 31-bedroom Bethel House care home in Barton on Sea and she is looking forward to the challenge of working in a larger home She says “I really enjoyed my time as Home Manager at Bethel House and I m very much ready for my next challenge at West Cliff Hall I thrive on expanding my knowledge and ensuring our residents live the best life they can in our care

Centenarian Croydon Care Home Resident Shares

Wartime Stor y to Mark International Women’s Day

To honour International Women s Day on 8 March a resident at RMBI Care Co Home James Terry Court in South Croydon recalls her own experiences during the Second World War Selsia Churchill, aged 100, was a telephone operator in her hometown, Salcombe in South Devon “During the war there was only one telephone in the village ” she says “I was the telephone operator and was responsible for answering every call that came through and passing on messages to people living in the area It

was a huge responsibility No one else had a phone!

Selsia was born on 20 June 1922 Despite her age, she partakes in all the Home s activities at James Terry Court She is also an avid reader who likes both fiction and non-fiction books What s her secret to a long life?

“My secret? That’s an easy one: enjoy everything and maintain a good sense of humour! she says

Centenarian Kent Care Home Resident Shares

Wartime Stories to Mark International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, resident Annie Hardy (103) at RMBI Care Co Home Prince George Duke of Kent Court in Chislehurst recalls her own hardships in life and, urges today’s generation to work hard and remain debt free Annie was born on 16 June 1919 in Rotherhithe When the Second World War broke out, she accompanied her younger siblings to go and live safely with relatives in Wales

However Annie returned to London to take her chances She then worked in a munitions factory making bombs for the British army When the war was over Annie worked in the print and bookbinding industry until she retired almost 40 years ago

As a child Annie was a bright student and passed the exams to attend a grammar school “Unfortunately, I couldn’t go My parents weren t able to afford the uniform!” she says Despite this she recalls her childhood fondly having fun with her six siblings and visiting pie and mash shops in Rotherhithe and Tower Bridge Road

Some time after her first husband sadly passed away Annie remarried and gained a

stepson Although she widowed again, Annie has had a good family and a circle of friends with whom she travelled around the globe She has been to Brazil Bulgaria Italy and Spain, and enjoyed a trip on Concorde around the Bay of Biscay and back with champagne when she turned 80

The staff at Prince George Duke of Kent Court, where she has lived for five years, knew that Annie has always loved pie and mash They kindly arranged a trip to London for her where she had the opportunity to enjoy pie and mash at Manze s in Deptford Manze s is one of the last few original pie and mash shops left which Annie used to visit when she was a child back in the 1920s

Despite the hardships in her life Annie will turn 104 in June and her face is always bright with a smile How does she do it? My secret to a long life she reveals is good home-cooked food, keeping busy, working hard and no debts!”

Gillingham Care Home Resident Shares Remarkable Stor y For International Women’s Day

A resident at Care South s Gillingham care home Fern Brook Lodge has shared her remarkable life story in celebration of International Women’s Day

Myrtha Parsons-Biedermann known as Myra was born in Switzerland in 1927 and in 1947 after seeing an advert to act as paid help in a country estate in Chipping Norton Oxfordshire left her life in Switzerland with her friend Martha and began her new adventure in England

Myra and Martha alighted a train at London Victoria in June 1947 with no idea how to get to the country estate and unable to speak a word of English A woman in uniform helped them and they discovered there were no more trains to Chipping Norton that day Myra and Martha had to sleep on sofas in the lounge of a hotel before getting a train the next day At every stop they asked: “Chipping Norton?” until they finally arrived and were met by a driver

Myra began her work alongside Martha a butler a footman lady s maid cook two kitchen hands and three housemaids There were 11 servants in total including the two Swiss girls On occasion Myra and Martha went into Oxford where they met two English soldiers, one of whom Myra started a relationship with and would write to using a dictionary to pick out words as her English was still poor

On 28th February 1948, Myra married Roy Evan Parsons at Oxford Register after only knowing each other a few months and lost her Swiss citizenship rights becoming British by marriage Six months after starting her job at Barton Abbey Myra quit and moved into Roy s mother s house while Roy had to return to an army base in Dusseldorf Myra took a variety of jobs including working on the sweet counter at

Woolworths where chocolates sweets and liquorice were still rationed

Myra travelled home to Winznau while Roy was still in Dusseldorf but her money only got her as far as Basel She left her passport and address with the police and managed to continue her journey to Winznau where she stayed with her parents for a few months until Roy returned to Oxford In 1951 Myra and Roy had a baby girl Yvonne who was born at the Military hospital in Wuppertal and they rented a large apartment overlooking the River Rhein Myra and Yvonne spent many years travelling around including living in Malaysia for a couple of years while Roy fought in the war between South Korea and North Korea

Later they returned to England to live in Woking until 1960 when the British Army let Roy go at the age of 34 due to personnel cuts He received a redundancy fee and a small pension and the family all moved back to Switzerland

Seven years after Roy s death Myra met Sidney who became her late love They travelled far and wide together and regularly met to play Bridge Myra now lives at Fern Brook Lodge care home in the north Dorset countryside under the care of Care South which employs a large number of female employees all of whom have been sent a thank you card to mark the day Myra said I do not regret anything I have done in my lifetime and moving to England was the best decision I have ever made ”

To hear more from Myra about her life at Fern Brook Lodge visit the Care South website here: www care-south co uk/video/myra-interview/

Empowering Women In Care: Cambridgeshire Care Provider Shines a Light on Contribution from Ukrainian Team Member in Celebration of International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day a Cambridgeshire care provider is looking to shine a light on a talented Ukrainian HR professional who moved to the UK last year amidst the ongoing conflict providing her a new chapter that has left her feeling empowered both as a Ukrainian and a woman

Iryna Blyzniuk, aged 28 moved to Cambridgeshire in July 2022 from a small town called Volochysk in the Khmelnytskyi region in the west of Ukraine as part of the government programme Homes for Ukraine where she has since been living with a host family just 20 minutes from her current place of work at Askham Village Community in Doddington

As HR Administrator Iryna has become an Integral part of the second generation family-run care community organising payroll annual leave working hours assisting with recruitment and ultimately, being a friendly and reliable port of call for the team

Before moving to the UK Iryna studied law at university graduating with a master s degree before pursuing a career in Human Resources a sector she has worked in for more than four years in Ukraine Askham has provided Iryna with her first role within the social care sector and since starting she has left a lasting impression on colleagues and residents alike

Alongside her new career, Iryna has been exploring the UK and what it has to offer taking regular trips with her host family to the seaside and landmark cities whilst exploring the surrounding countryside In her new home away from home, she is looking to push forward professionally while “dreaming and believing in the speedy victory of Ukraine

Commenting on her time in the UK so far Iryna said: “Working at Askham has been such a great opportunity for me not only professionally but also personally Everyone is so friendly and it really is a great place to work I have really enjoyed living in the UK and rather than sitting around in front of the TV on the weekends, I’ve been determined to get out and see the country Of course, some things are very different compared to back home and It has been quite a challenge learning new HR systems and policies Fortunately I have had so much support from my colleagues who have shown me the ropes over the last seven months ” Although I m not in a resident-facing role I really enjoy interacting with them even if it s just a quick chat in the onsite cafe in the morning they have all been so welcoming to me and I'm really proud to be part of this inclusive and caring community

Askham is a family-run community that always puts the resident at the heart of its operation Whether they are visiting for the day receiving long-term or respite care or even specialist rehabilitation each individual can expect a personal experience within a compassionate care environment

Iryna continued “Working at Askham has made me feel empowered both as a Ukrainian and as a woman I am so grateful for the opportunity to work here and look forward to learning more and developing my English language skills The town I grew up in was actually very similar to where I’m living and working now, and the beautiful countryside really reminds me of home I am hoping every day that the war comes to an end and that there is peace all over the world ”

Aliyyah-Begum Nasser Operations Director at Askham added “Iryna has quickly become an integral part of our community and the cheerfulness she spreads on a daily basis is truly admirable We want to support her as much as we can and there is no doubting that she will have a very successful future career International Women s Day is all about celebrating the achievements of women and Iryna is one of the many shining examples of remarkable women at Askham who have worked hard and achieved so much It makes me proud to have such colleagues on the Askham team!

Centenarian Berkshire Care Home Resident Shares Wartime Stor y To Mark International Women’s Day

To honour International Women s Day on 8 March a resident at RMBI Care Co Home Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court in Berkshire recalls her own experience during the Second World War Joan Parr (100) was a Royal Air Force driver back then One of her tasks was to drive soldiers to assigned locations

“I remember this one time when I thought I had picked up a German spy

The reason is that, whenever he spoke, he would say ‘yah , not ‘yes’ Just to distract him, I said that something sounded funny in the engine and got out of the car Then I took an adjustable spanner and bang! I hit him over the head with it

Later I found out he was not a German spy He just happened to be Polish and he was on our side! she laughs

After the war Joan worked at C&A Modes in Kensington where she enjoyed a four weeks holiday (back in the 1950s many companies only allowed two weeks holidays ) In that period of her life Joan met her future husband in a ballroom When she saw him she asked him to dance Yes please! was his answer They got married in 1947 when Joan was 25

When asked about any tips for younger women in work and love Joan draws from her own life experience: “Always do a job you enjoy and don’t be afraid to ask,” she says She also has a word of advice: “Enjoy every day and be grateful to your mother – mothers help bring you to maturity!”

Joan is now 100 What has contributed to her longevity? “I take regular walks in the daytime even if it s raining I enjoy plain food and never drink heavily – just the occasional glass when with company she confesses

Celebrating Care Home Managers at HC-One This International Women’s Day

HC-One are celebrating some of the inspirational women who have progressed to become care Home Managers this International Women’s Day

This year s global International Women s Day theme is about embracing equity (recognising that every person has different circumstances and allocating the resources and opportunities required to reach an equal outcome) This is a value which is a core part of HC-One’s Aspiring Home Managers programme –which provides a development pathway for any HC-One Colleague of any expertise or background to develop the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to lead a Home

To mark the day HC-One have been sharing stories of some of the many different ways women across their c 280 homes have begun and progressed their careers in care to become leaders - demonstrating that with the right values and support a career in care can lead to huge opportunities and career development

Patience Rocha Home Manager at Perry Locks Care Home Birmingham left her career as a Junior Public Relations Officer to join HC-One as a Care Assistant after becoming a mother in 2015 and seeking a more flexible job structure

Patience enrolled for an Adult Nursing degree at her local university in 2017, and worked as Senior Care Assistant at Perry Locks alongside her studies – proving her commitment to developing her skills as much as possible

With Patience s growing knowledge and insight into the nursing profession she was later promoted to Unit Manager and was delighted to take responsibility for ensuring best care outcomes for Residents and leading Colleagues to follow best practice in care Patience gained a newfound confidence as Unit Manager and with a couple of years experience in the role, progressed to Deputy Home Manager and Home Manager roles

Patience Rocha Home Manager at Perry Locks Care Home said:

“When I started my journey with HC-One’s Perry Locks care home in 2015 I never believed I could one day become Home Manager I have been inspired throughout my career by my grandmother who as a young widow had endless amounts of compassion and care and a strong work ethic that saw her bring up four children on her own ” Home Manager at Greenways Court Care Home Kinga Kowaliczek s first job was as an Assistant Beekeeper working in her father’s apiary Kinga applied for her first ever Care

Assistant role at a local care home in 2013 after hearing from her sister Sylwia how rewarding a career in care could be In 2016, Kinga joined HCOne s Fleming Court home in Jesmond as a Senior Care Assistant

Kinga’s career has flourished thanks to her dedication and passion for continued learning She was promoted to Deputy Home Manager at HCOne s Springfield House home in 2017 before going on maternity break Settling straight back to the role in 2019, she continued to further her knowledge and responsibility Kinga also still makes sure to learn all she can from those around her including developing great relationships with GPs Social Workers and the local NHS colleagues she works with daily in her current role as Home Manager at Greenways Court

Kinga has gone on to win at the National Great British Care

Residents and Colleagues that kindness and love can overcome any challenges or difficult situations

Despite all her many professional achievements and fantastic career trajectory, and the fact that she speaks five languages Agnes lists her biggest achievement as seeing her children grow into caring and loving young women

Agnes Tonk Home Manager at Oaklands said: I really believe that when different people with different competencies and backgrounds put their knowledge together we can achieve greatness I’m committed to continuous learning and development and so I was really proud to win the Recognition in Care Award at our recent Better Together conference I am so lucky to work with so many amazing people and have been really inspired throughout my career by my Area Director Felicity Motcho who has constantly supported me ”

Comprehensive Audit of the Quality of Healthcare for People with Parkinson’s Reveals Major Challenges

A far-reaching audit of the quality of NHS Parkinson’s care – the most comprehensive analysis since before the pandemic – has revealed that people with Parkinson’s are struggling to get access to the specialist care they need to manage their condition and stay out of hospital

Through the persistence of Parkinson s UK and health care professionals collaborating through the Parkinson s Excellence Network we have seen positive change in some areas of care However the audit revealed a worrying picture in many important areas

The UK Parkinson’s Audit 2022, carried out by the Parkinson’s Excellence Network is the only national Parkinson s audit in the UK and investigates the quality and experience of care for the 145,000 people living with the condition

THE AUDIT HIGHLIGHTS A NUMBER OF ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S:

There is a lack of joined-up care which means that people with the condition have to navigate their way between the different specialists they need to see

40% of newly diagnosed people with Parkinson s are not receiving enough information about the condition or are unsure if they have

Only 42% of respondents admitted to hospital consistently receive their vital medication on time causing worsened symptoms and longer stays in hospital

• People with Parkinson’s have to wait a long time to see a therapist where they are able to get an appointment Only 45% of people with Parkinson s have access to an occupational therapist 62% a physiotherapist and 40% a speech and language therapist – all essential members of the Parkinson’s team

The report highlighted the need for healthcare workers to consistently use standardised practices guidance and outcome measures to reduce variation and improve quality of care It also revealed the need for more education about Parkinson s and the latest evidence-based practices to help NHS staff offer the best care possible

Getting medication on time is essential for preventing symptoms from becoming uncontrolled If medications are delayed this can increase someone’s care needs considerably and trigger irreversible decline

Not receiving medication on time also contributes to an increase in the length of hospital stay for a person with Parkinson s and may lead to further health problems Of the 21 2% of respondents who had been admitted to hospital in the last year, only 42% consistently got their medication on time Of those who did not always receive their medication on time 39 6% said this had a negative or significantly negative effect

Although the majority of respondents (59 5% of those who answered) said they had received enough information about Parkinson s at diagnosis there were still 40% the same as in 2019 who had not received enough information or were not sure if they had

LEADING IMPROVEMENTS IN CARE

The UK Parkinson’s Audit is important because it shows healthcare professionals, NHS organisations and policy makers where improvements need to be made And they ve made good use of the 2019 audit to improve care in some important areas

A significant improvement in the assessment and management of bone health People with Parkinson s are more than twice as likely to have osteoporosis and fractures than those without the condition and managing their bone health helps them avoid fractures which can have devastating consequences The

Parkinson’s Excellence Network has invested time and energy in tackling this issue since the 2019 audit with more than 40 Parkinson s services involved in improvement work

Better options for different types of contact including remote consultations

• Advice on the benefits of physical activity has improved with more support for people with Parkinson s to get active

• The induction for new therapists has improved meaning that they are able to provide better care for people with Parkinson’s This was also a national priority for the Excellence Network following the 2019 audit

The 2022 audit reported on the care provided to 9,760 people with the condition during a five month data collection period Details about 506 clinical services from across the UK were also collected as well as the views of 6 795 people with Parkinson’s and their family friends and carers via a Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) questionnaire

The audit is a fundamental pillar of the Excellence Network which is supported funded and facilitated by Parkinson s UK, and it helps healthcare professionals to better support people with the condition Dr Rowan Wathes Associate Director at Parkinson s UK and lead of the Parkinson s Excellence Network said: “The audit has demonstrated lack of progress, or even deterioration, in key areas, including early referral to therapy services waiting times standardised assessments and care planning

“Through the Parkinson’s Excellence Network we are working with healthcare professionals and people with Parkinson’s to improve services where we can through funding nurse and therapist posts providing educational resources and support for quality improvement projects The audit shows how vital our work is for people with Parkinson’s, many of whom are struggling to stay warm and eat well in the face of the rising cost of living – a further risk to their health and wellbeing

“Meanwhile, NHS staff face the challenge of providing good Parkinson’s care in the face of increasing demand more complex care needs and a shortage of staff Despite these challenges the uptake of the audit shows that the nurses, therapists, doctors and other health care professionals who make up the multidisciplinary Parkinson s team are committed to providing the best service they can to people with Parkinson s

‘CAN’T WAIT’ CAMPAIGN

The audit highlights the challenges in the healthcare workforce for people with Parkinson s, and this is a key area of concern and campaigning for Parkinson s UK

Last year Parkinson’s UK launched its Can t Wait campaign to highlight how severe NHS staff shortages are impacting Parkinson s care in England The charity then welcomed the UK Government s pledge in its Autumn Statement to draw up an NHS workforce plan for England However it has raised fears that months on from the Chancellor committing to a plan people with Parkinson’s still haven’t been consulted

Juliet Tizzard Director of External Relations at Parkinson s UK said: Parkinson s healthcare professionals are working tirelessly to give the best care they can to people with Parkinson’s But they are spread too thinly We must take the opportunity across the UK to invest in the Parkinson s health workforce to enable people with Parkinson’s to live well with this condition and stay out of hospital ”

View the full UK Parkinson s Audit 2022 at https //www parkinsons org uk/professionals/uk-parkinsonsaudit-transforming-care

Hastings Home Gets Keyboard Donation From Kind Family of Resident

Miele Professional Launch Miele MOVE Platform to Support

Frictionless Laundr y Management in Great Britain and Ireland

gradually

through to service personnel This includes supporting maximum machine use and the reporting of faults, increasing profitability and efficiency at all of a business laundry locations

Thanks to intelligent monitoring and assistance tools, users are able to access machine data at any time though any internet-enabled device This provides information such as when a machine is available and when a machine encounters errors minimising downtime Process data from programmes is also saved to allow performance to be reviewed and to assist with hygiene compliance

Complementary to data capture, users can take advantage of the visualisation capabilities within Miele MOVE which can be viewed by staff at the touch of a button Dashboards and widgets can be customised to ensure the relevant information is communicated This personalisation extends to other features within the platform such as machine and location labelling and notifications The solution currently offers both freemium and premium subscription options enabling clients to unlock different features

To optimise workflow and improve process security Miele MOVE automatically informs users when a fault occurs This can be then forwarded to authorised service technicians who will be able to act on issues faster resulting in minimal downtime and preventing unnecessary costs

As the platform is connected to Miele and its network of service partners, technicians can browse relevant machine information (e g required spare parts) immediately, reducing the need for repeat trips, saving both time and effort

Simon Venni Head of Sales at Miele Professional GB commented: Miele MOVE has been designed to make the lives of our customers easier by streamlining processes and increasing overall visibility of laundry management leading to energy saving cost cutting and reduced environmental impact

“Whilst we know that cost and time savings are extremely important, we also wanted the platform to be flexible to support a business and users unique requirements Going forwards we will be continuously enhancing the technology through the addition of client-specific features to support friction-free laundry management

How Can Technology Help Health and Social Care Professionals Provide Truly Person-Centred Care to the People They Support?

egardless of geographical location, health and social care fields cross the world are governed by care standards which dictate that residents must receive person-centred care and be involved in every aspect of the care they receive

With the needs of residents in the health and social care setting being so diverse and complex, organisations supporting people with specific needs cannot aspire to achieve this best practice by applying a one size fits all rule when it comes to the technology they need to use to manage both the care and operational sides of their business There is a substantial amount of published literature depicting how different types of technologies can positively ssist organisations in the health and social care industry to enhance ependence and quality of life for residents, clients and patients

Equally few articles in the information technology rubric balances these views by focusing on evidencing the drawbacks of using certain information communication technologies in this field

In her article: “Ethical Issues and the Electronic Health Records (EHR)”, published in The Health Care Manager magazine in December 2020

Layman Elizabeth PHD student highlights the inconsistency of positive evidence about the use of EHR for disadvantaged persons in the care setting According to Layman (2020) if not used appropriately this type of technology can also come with some disadvantage which includes residents or clients not knowing who their information will be shared with; in some cases the accuracy of the information recorded about a service user is found to be incorrect Service users do not seem be able to have access to their electronic records

Over the past decade the issue around the use of technology in the health and social care industry has also been the centre of interest for Government and health care regulatory agencies Indeed (Jennifer Martin 2019) the ex-Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Inspector Director in her quest to review the strength and weaknesses of the EHR systems used in the health and social care field provided us with a very insightful blog published on the GOV uk website on the 23rd July 2019 Her work on the evaluation and review of a number of EHR technologies assisted decision makers to see that the majority of available electronic health recording systems did not have adequate functionalities For example a major issue related to the lack of ability to give access to specific information to relevant audiences without breaching data There is also very limited evidence of EHR systems enabling residents and their families to access electronic files without the input of a staff member Despite some of the drawbacks highlighted in the digital literature it has been widely acknowledged that achieving effective sharing of information and capturing all essential aspects of an individual s needs without using technological tools proves very challenging Hence the Government and health regulatory agencies and such as CQC NHS and Nice are supporting and will be ultimately requiring the implementation of EHR technology in health care settings A recent review of such systems (Jennifer Martin, 2019), demonstrated that there has been some improvement regarding the sharing of information using EHR systems over the past few years Professional 3rd parties involved in the care of residents or patients are able to access electronic files However the risk of data breach for these systems appeared high as not all systems could enable the professionals to see only what they needed The review of the literature on the use of technology in health and social care highlights the

importance for leaders making decisions about the tools to be used to achieve best practice and personcentred care; to make themselves familiar with systems and functionalities that will enable them to have the service users at the centre of their care Interestingly most literature and recommendations for best practice on this topic point to systems being able to share information effectively (Kharrazi et al 2018)

Leecare’s senior leadership team is passionate about continually improving program functionality to ensure service users remain at the centre of the care they receive The team has continually kept abreast of latest technologies and Government requirements and what is required to ensure best practice worldwide

With this in mind

Leecare s Platinum6 software has been especially designed to make information sharing easy, with an emphasis on the connection between the care of the resident, staff and the organisation Particular care has been taken in developing P5MyCarePlan - our resident centred app By directly enabling service users to inform service providers the information in assessments and care plans is not solely related to the clinical observations of nursing staff but also reflects more accurately the preferences views and feedback of the person receiving the care and support

P5MyCarePlan App also enables residents to review their care plan and what staff have written about them as well as add information that populates directly into their care plan in their own time

If the resident wishes for a family member to also have access to their information a login can be created for them so that they can contribute to providing feedback regarding the care of their loved one or just be updated about new events

Having this tool made available to residents facilitates a truly person-centred care approach as it promotes adaptability and flexibility giving room to the resident to request changes as and when their needs change, and communicate this to staff members in real time

Ensuring that residents and service users are able to easily communicate their needs is also paramount to providing person-centred care Therefore choosing a technological tool that is not just user friendly but adaptable and accessible is essential if staff are to fully capture all of their resident’s different needs

Leecare P5MyCarePlan can not only be used on different type of devices, such as mobile phones and tablets but service users can also use touch screens to write their feedback or utilise voice recognition if they are unable to write Staff are then able to receive the information and take immediate and effective action Dr Caroline Lee, CEO and founder of Leecare Solutions stated in her article entitled: “Keeping residents and families connected-supporting Self Determination” which was published on the 5th July in Hello Care Magazine: Caring requires us to be vigilant – to know every wish and need watch out for cues for change and to know what we need to know But obtaining the information directly from the person the care impacts, using technology, a system linked App, ensures our care is not only about the Standards, or public demands or legal responsibilities but is real and can be followed through onto the ground where it is needed most

St David’s Day: Dragons, Daffodils and Lamb as Veterans Celebrate the Patron Saint of Wales

St David s Day has been celebrated by residents at Royal Star & Garter

Staff filled the Homes with daffodils and put up red dragon flags to commemorate the patron saint of Wales on Wednesday 1 March

In Solihull residents enjoyed activities which included daffodilthemed arts and crafts They had roast lamb for lunch which was followed by a karaoke session on a large-screen TV, with residents singing along to songs by Welsh legends including Tom Jones and Shirley

Bassey

In High Wycombe residents took part in a range of Welsh-themed activities including a quiz word search and art and crafts They also made Welsh cakes with staff, and enjoyed Moroccan lamb tagine for lunch

In Surbiton residents also tucked into a special St David s Day menu which included lamb and leeks

Southgate Beaumont Hosts Important Menapause Awareness Events

Southgate Beaumont care home in conjunction with IAPT - Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust and Age UK Enfield hosted two free Menopause Awareness workshops last month with line-up of specialist healthcare professionals and guest speakers

Both workshops took place on a Tuesday evening and gave local women and their families the opportunity to find out more about what Menopause is? Treatment of Menopause and Menopause low mood and anxiety There was an opportunity for women to speak to others regarding their experiences The workshops were in such high demand, they will now be held monthly

Dr Rachel Osijo Local GP and menopause specialist presented at the workshops and gave helpful information on what symptoms to look out for and support and medication available Dr Osijo said It was a privilege to be asked to talk at the menopause event It is so important for people to have as much information and be free to ask questions and gain support

Alison Gordon, Head of Prevention Services, Age UK Enfield said “Ensuring people are given timely advice and practical ways to not only cope but thrive during the menopause is a priority At Age UK Enfield we want people to stay active and feel in control of their lives We re delighted that we are reaching community members to

attend our in-person workshops and excited to expand this offer into meet ups and cafes We've been delivering in partnership with our Enfield IAPT colleagues for the past 18 months, hosting at Southgate Beaumont has made a huge difference as there is a real sense of and community and connection by meeting in person ”

Jessica Rose Assistant Psychologist at IAPT “Running these workshops has been incredibly inspiring and empowering It has been amazing to move from running them remotely to being able to host them in person as it has helped developed a real sense of togetherness and community among those who attend There is always a really positive atmosphere in the room and I am looking forward to hosting more of these throughout this year and beyond ’

Samantha Neal, Customer Relationship Manager at Southgate Beaumont said: “The Menopause meet ups have been such a great success with that we will now be hosting a monthly meetup the second Tuesday of the month It’s a great chance to for people to get helpful information and to know they are not alone ’

The next event will be held on Tuesday 14th March 6 30pm to 8pm and the second Tuesday of every month thereafter For more information or to register email Jessica rose12@nhs net

Friends Of The Elderly’s Meaningful Activities Support Older People To Live Well In Later Life

Friends of the Elderly, the charity which runs care homes, day care and a grant giving service for older people living on low incomes always has the wellbeing of its residents and clients at the heart of everything it does To reinforce its commitment, the Charity has a wide and varied range of meaningful activities designed to suit and fulfil all its residents and clients physical and emotional needs; all of which are tailored to individuals’ likes hobbies favourite pastimes and interests

Mark Wilson Friends of the Elderly s Chief Operating Officer said: “At Friends of the Elderly we always put the safety and individual specific needs of our residents and clients first in everything we do To support this we have designed and deliver a wide and varied range of meaningful activities to help motivate, stimulate and engage the people we support

At RNNH, the Charity s residential and dementia care home in Bournemouth, Dorset, Rob Paton, the care home s Activities Coordinator encourages the residents to keep physically and mentally active on a daily basis “I have designed an interactive activities calendar which meets the residents needs I have also ensured it is built around individual likes and preferences One of the most popular sessions is our Zumba class everyone really gets involved The residents are so keen on the class that they even ask for specific songs to be played The benefits of Zumba are numerous, not only is it an excellent low-impact workout for older people as it protects their joints and muscles but it also raises heart rates and improves balance and also improves posture and coordination ”

At New Copford Place our residential care home in Colchester Essex Activities Coordinator Camilla Korgba has a varied and inclusive schedule of meaningful activities that the residents thoroughly enjoy “Our activities programme takes into consideration all our residents likes and preferences The favourites are our Pamper Tuesdays with our visiting hairdresser which also includes hand massages and manicures our weekly chair-based exercise classes and our extensive interactive games – balloon tennis is always a winner When we are able we take our residents on day trips to different coffee shops and garden centres and they all look forward to the monthly visit from Gunni from who comes along and hosts an interactive music and movement session which helps our residents with their mobility and communication whilst at the same time providing a great social interaction,” Camilla said

At our residential care home The Lawn in Alton Hampshire Activities Coordinator Emma Cranstone’s wide-ranging and assortment of meaningful activities incorporate all residents’ favourite pastimes and hobbies Our weekly programme of activities centres around the residents’ likes and personal preferences Emma said If our residents decide they do not want to participate in a certain activity or feel they’d like a change we speak to them and design something they are keen to participate in and of course enjoy

“Current weekly favourites include flower arranging our Knit and Natter Group chair exercise class our morning tea our arts and crafts sessions and our interactive games sessions During our Scrapbooking sessions our residents love to recall stories, people, places and emotions, it really is great for reminiscing and is a wonderful social interaction activity

Emma concluded

At our Wallington Day Care service in Surrey which cares for older people with a range of age related conditions including short-term memory loss and dementia the care team ensures their clients participate in a diverse range of meaningful activities “Like our care homes we tailor our daily activities to meet our clients needs based on their favourite pastimes hobbies and things they enjoy taking part in said Shirley Bradley, Head of Day Care Services at Friends of the Elderly “Meaningful activities include cultural pursuits, arts and craft sessions beauty treatments quizzes or light exercise The activities can also include reminiscence sessions where our clients share their memories, which is also an added extra way we can learn more about them

“We run one-to-one personal pampering sessions which incorporate manicures and massages which is fantastic for wellbeing and leave our clients feeling relaxed These one-to-one sessions are also a good time to reminisce and chat through any other issues our clients may want to discuss Alongside our other activities, we have an interactive exercise and activity system we run on our television, it really is a lot of fun, especially when the live entertainers mention the name of the service when they know they are watching

Shirley added

At Redcot Friends of the Elderly s residential care home in Haslemere Surrey Jan Daly the Registered

Manager said: “Our armchair exercises are very popular They are a combination of Pilates, stretches and gentle movements to music to suit the mood We also have lots of fun active games such as Floor Bowls Armchair Balloon Tennis, Throw the Hoop and Velcro Darts with me usually being the moving target! We also host weekly quizzes arts and crafts afternoons bingo sessions poetry readings and have our very own Book Club Singing is a very popular activity so much so we are starting a Redcot Choir which the residents are all very excited about We always encourage families to take part as much as possible in all our activities and are looking to get a local Knit and Natter Group in every other week

The residents at The Old Vicarage, the Charity’s residential and dementia care home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also enjoy the vast array of meaningful activities on offer Our weekly activities include our Cookery Club and tasting sessions which are always great fun, even though they can sometimes be quite messy said Carol Bourne the care home s Registered Manager I work closely with Diana our Activities Coordinator to ensure our activities are appealing engaging motivating and inspiring for all our residents Together with our visits from external entertainers theatre groups animal clubs and local schools our range of arts and crafts sessions and the ever popular Film Night (where we encourage our residents to suggest a film they’d like to watch), our residents also enjoy their exercise classes, Chapel Services our Games Club and our regular themed events

“Each spring our Gardening Club commences which our green fingered residents thoroughly love and our Oomph! On Demand system goes down a treat Of course there are some residents that like to be on their own In fact we had one lady whose husband was a professional footballer so we found some old footage of him playing and she loved watching it regularly on the big screen Another resident lived above the sweet shop that her parents ran and we found old photos of it and she loved looking through them and telling us stories of her childhood ” Carol concluded

For our residents who are living with dementia we provide Namaste Care sessions Namaste Care is a structured programme, developed by Joyce Simard, the Founder and Honorary Chair of Namaste Care International which integrates compassionate nursing care with individualised activities for people with advanced dementia 4

Meaning to honour the spirit within Namaste Care sessions are incorporated into the daily activities at several of our care homes The sessions are a multi-dimensional experience which includes physical sensory and emotional elements Through the five senses of touch (tactile) smell (olfactory) sight (vision) taste (gustatory) and sound/hearing (auditory) these care sessions give comfort and pleasure to people who are living with dementia through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch The human senses of vestibular (movement) and proprioception (body position) are also incorporated through movement balance and body awareness activities

The benefits of Namaste that our teams have seen for our residents include becoming less agitated and more engaged In addition the sessions encourage residents to be creative and learn new skills which in turn builds confidence and self-esteem

Mark continued In addition we have invested in a variety of interactive electronic activity tables and screens within our care homes and day care services, to enable our residents and clients to enjoy experience and benefit from new interactive technology ”

The large easy to use devices have touchscreens which are not too dissimilar to an iPad or smart phone, but on a much larger scale Andy Cumper the Registered Manager at our residential and dementia care home Bernard Sunley in Woking said: “Our interactive screen has been a huge success It s great to see our residents happily getting to grips with the new technology and making the most of all the different applications it has to offer

“The interactive tables are a great addition to Friends of the Elderly s commitment to provide exceptional standards of quality care through person-centred care as all our residents and clients can join in and take part in the group activities or use it on their own It’s up to them – they can do what they want to do when they want to do it

“At Friends of the Elderly, we use our person-centred approach to creating all our meaningful activities We pay attention to our residents and clients listen to what they like to do, when they like to do it Our care teams get creative and involve families to ensure each individual feels included motivated and engaged concluded Mark

Dementia Care and Washroom Design

How can washrooms help suppor t independence for those living with Dementia? Chrissie Rowlinson, marketing manager from Dudley Industries shows how washroom design and dispenser choice can help make washrooms a less confusing space

Alzheimer s Research UK reports that over 944 000 Britons currently live with dementia and by 2030 the number will exceed a million For those responsible for washroom design in the care sector this rising trend presents important challenges

Such washrooms will typically see a variety of users so they must accommodate different demands They must satisfy all the usual conditions – safety accessibility and ease of maintenance for example – but as the population ages it s increasingly important that they meet the needs of users living with dementia and similar cognitive impairments

DESIGNING

FOR USABILITY

The various steps involved in wetting hands, applying soap, rinsing and drying all demand thought, observation, orientation and the ability to recall in which order tasks should be performed For people with dementia, this may be especially difficult in an unfamiliar environment

The challenge may be further complicated by the fact that people with dementia often struggle to distinguish similar colours A typical washroom featuring pale-coloured dispensers on pale-coloured walls does little to help them

However good design can remove key barriers to usability The Alzheimer s Society reports that using sharply contrasting colours is helpful Intelligent use of colour and signage can eliminate much of the visual noise that users can find so disorientating and in a washroom colour can draw attention to key items such as soap- and towel-dispensers

Washroom dispensers are available with high-contrast coloured wall-plates The equipment then visually stands out from the surrounding wall cutting through most distractions to guide users in the right direction

This can be particularly helpful when items are situated close together (e g a soapdispenser above a basin beside a towel-dispenser) This saves the user from having to walk or queue at any stage in the washing process so there is less chance that he/she will lose track of what should happen next

COLOUR CHOICE

To reduce the risks of distress designers can also consider the pacifying effects of certain colours Blue is often regarded as a particularly restful choice, so white dispensers set against blue wall-plates are a good option They offer high contrast while promoting calm

Designing in this way also permits a kind of guidance through colour-coding

The same colour can be used for all functional items such as toilet roll housings soap dispensers paper towel dispensers and so on Provided that each is presented in a logical order colour-coding can then lead the user on a simple journey through the facilities

The same journey can also be aided by colour-coding in accompanying signage or posters that explain with visual examples how to use the facilities provided It can also be enhanced with colour-coding on the floor; for example by using coloured tiles or strips to indicate a logical path through the washroom from basin to dryer to exit

Such cues help users to build visual associations and to develop a sense of familiarity both of which can reduce the risks of anxiety and promote more regular and effective hand-washing

LIGHTING AND SAFETY

Many older people suffer from restricted vision so adequate lighting is essential particularly if colour-coding is a feature of the room s design Moreover lighting should cast no strong shadows across floors and walls since they may be mistaken for obstacles and interrupt users progress through the room

NOISE

Finally people living with dementia may be more easily startled by sudden noises so paper towel dispensers offer a safer quieter choice than hand-dryers They may also be better suited to residential premises where it’s important to minimise disturbance at night

Homes Together Increase Investment in Leigh Leopards

Care provider Homes Together Ltd providers of care for disabled people in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Gateshead, has announced that it is extending its partnership with Leigh Leopards to further support the Super League Club ahead of the new season

As part of its bid to share messages of strength and positivity around disability and diversity Homes Together will now not only sponsor the Leigh Leopards Men s team but also their Women’s team Youth team and the Learning Disabilities team too

Speaking about the sponsorship decision, David Ashton-Jones, Managing Director at Homes Together Ltd said: Our partnership and relationship with Leigh Leopards has been a huge success and opened up so many opportunities for our staff and service users The club have been big supporters of the work we’re trying to do in bringing new experiences to our service users and show that sport can and should be enjoyed by all

We quickly saw that there were other ways for us to grow our partnership and give our support to members of the club We look forward to seeing what the new season will bring for us all

Mike Latham Chairman of Leigh Leopards said: Having Homes Together

as main shirt sponsor to the first team is wonderful and we very much value their tremendous support and involvement This support has now been extended further and demonstrates their commitment and also their faith and belief in us as a club

“As a supporter for over 50 years the club historian and now the proud chairman I know how much the club means to the local community and we are determined to ensure we continue to strive for excellence in all we set out to achieve, while remaining accessible, friendly and inclusive

I see all those qualities in our highly valued partners Homes Together who strive to create better lives for people and continually strive for excellence in a caring and professional manner Hearing of their business ethos their values and their ambitions is inspiring, and to have the company aligned to ours as main sponsor makes me very proud

David Ashton-Jones continues: The latest sponsorship that we announced in November 2022 is extended to not only the Men s team but the Women’s Youth and Learning Disabilities team too

Lakeland Dairies Launch Celebrate Green Campaign with £500 Prize

Dairy experts Lakeland Dairies have launched their 2023 Celebrate Green campaign

WIN – Chance to win £500 amazon voucher

AND 5 x Lakeland Dairies hampers

Enter free all chefs eligible to enter

Celebrate Green with Lakeland Dairies throughout March and on St Patrick s Day

Steeped in Irish heritage dairy co-operative Lakeland Dairies are celebrating their lush green grass and rich Irish provenance with their annual Celebrate Green campaign The campaign recognises Lakeland Dairies’ Irish dairy farming excellence, and high-quality milk from its family farms It also embraces their excellent reputation and heritage in creating professional dairy products, which have been carefully designed to deliver extraordinary taste and fantastic functional performance

CHANCE TO WIN £500!

To celebrate Lakeland Dairies are offering all chefs the opportunity to join them in Celebrating Green in the month of March with the chance to a win a fantastic £500 amazon voucher Its free and quick to enter and five runner ups will win a delicious Lakeland Dairies hamper The hampers are filled with their incredi-

ble dairy products including Millac Gold Double Creamy Pure Irish Butter Lakeland Dairies Real Dairy Whipping Cream and more

Enter here https://bit ly/3ktdpUo

Jean Cattanach, marketing Controller at Lakeland Dairies explains: Celebrate Green runs for the month of March every year with a focus on St Patrick’s Day on the 17th It’s the time of year when take a moment to reflect on the values and quality of our dairy co-operative and we re excited to invite chefs to join us in celebrating our farming excellence and Irish provenance with this fun competition ”

97% OF CHEFS BELIEVE DAIRY SHOULD COME FROM GRASS-FED COWS

In a survey of members by the Craft Guild of Chefs (2021) 97% of Chefs said it was important their dairy products come from farms where the cows can graze freely on grass Lakeland Dairies farmers are experts in managing pastures as a nutritious feed for cows Naturally grass-fed across the Island of Ireland, their cows feed on the lush green grass which is full of protein omega-3 vitamins and minerals Grass on the Island of Ireland is also rich in the pigment Beta Carotene which gives Lakeland Dairies products their rich natural yellow hue For more information download the Lakeland Dairies infographic https://bit ly/3I1bvU2 Enter Lakeland Dairies Celebrate Green competition for Chefs here https://bit ly/3ktdpUo

Lords Committee Launches New Inquir y Examining the Integration of Primar y and Community Care

The crossbench House of Lords special inquiry Integration of Primary and Community Care Committee has published its call for evidence as it launches a new inquiry to consider the integration between primary and community care within the wider health and care system

The Committee, chaired by Baroness Pitkeathley, will explore better ways to integrate the delivery of effective primary and community care services The inquiry will consider the challenges facing the sector and any barriers preventing further integration The success of existing models of integration will be examined including the role of Primary Care Networks and Integrated Care Systems Access to primary and community care services will be considered as well as accountability and decision-making The Committee expects to publish its report in November 2023

Baroness Pitkeathley Committee Chair said

“Primary and community care provide essential services to millions of people across England, but like much of the NHS are now facing significant pressures People are living longer with multiple and complex conditions, which has led to calls for a more integrated approach in delivering services that meet the needs of a changing population Community care in particular has been overlooked and undervalued

“Our inquiry will consider how to integrate further the delivery of primary and community care provision to improve outcomes for patients The Committee aims to conclude with practical and deliverable recommendations We would like to hear from a range of individuals and organisations from patients carers and families to health professionals and researchers ”

Read

The inquiry will hold its first oral evidence session on Monday 6 March at 3 05pm where it will hear from two panels of academic experts in primary and community care The session will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4 Palace of Westminster

Topics to be considered at this session and throughout the inquiry include

The main challenges facing primary and community health services as well as possible solutions within the current framework

The main barriers preventing improved integration and how they could be overcome

Examples of successful or innovative models of integrated care either in the UK or internationally

Possible impacts of the Government’s long-term workforce plan for the NHS on primary and community care staffing

• The impact of recent structural changes to the NHS in England (enacted through the Health and Care Act 2022) on integration between primary and community care services

• The role of primary and community care in addressing health inequalities and prevention

The potential benefits of technology and data sharing in improving patient access and experiences

• Recommendations for key changes to facilitate effective and efficient integration in the delivery of primary and community care services

Care Home Administration Software Provider Shortlisted For Industr y Accolade For ‘Making Admin Easier’

A care home administration software provider’s commitment to making admin easier has been recognised with a shortlisting in this year’s HealthInvestor Awards

CoolCare is one of nine finalists for ‘Technology Provider of the Year’ a category dedicated to providers who deliver cutting edge digital solutions specifically tailored to their clients’ business needs, combined with first class service reliability and attention to detail Throughout 2022 CoolCare has recorded extensive time and cost savings for its users, with some also reporting increased business performance

Digitising everything from enquiry and fee management to resident records and simplifying processes the software helps care home teams save both time and money across a range of administrative jobs

On the news of the shortlisting, CoolCare Managing Director, Fiona Hale, said “Being shortlisted for an award is always a proud moment but as this particular category recognises so much of our team s hard work, including first class service, attention to detail and reliability, it means even more ”

CoolCare’s service is aimed at making operating care homes effortless more efficient and more profitable Its latest customer analysis revealed results above pre-pandemic levels for many of its customers including increases above national average in weekly fees occupancy and private payer ratios In 2022 CoolCare customers achieved between 29-62% higher weekly fees compared to the national average

The HealthInvestor Awards are almost in their 20th year celebrating the very best in businesses across the health and social care sector Finalists will attend a glittering ceremony on 7th June at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London to enjoy a three-course meal before the accolades are handed out with the ceremony being hosted by a celebrity guest Fiona adds: We re looking forward to gathering with the other finalists across all the categories on the night to celebrate the achievements and innovation happening in the social care sector We wish the best of luck to all of the other nominees for the night and will have high hopes for our category For more information on CoolCare, visit www coolcare co uk

Essential Insurance Covers For Your Care Home

often determined by best practice to ensure the resident or patient is as comfortable as they can be Unfortunately, this means mistakes can creep in A single mistake can result in a negative impact on your patient whether that be from medical treatment or advice This can lead to a potential claim for medical malpractice

Medical malpractice cover is not only a legal requirement to anyone providing professional healthcare services but also offers peace of mind by covering the cost of any losses that arise from defending and settling a claim This means that during a claim your business can continue to operate with as little disruption as possible

BUILDINGS AND CONTENTS INSURANCE

As a care home owner or manager you will offer a variety of services to meet the needs of your residents

Typically the care you provide is likely to vary with anything from basic care and accommodation through to respite end-of-life and specialist care for dementia patients

Providing the very best care for your residents will be at the heart of everything you do but the care you deliver is not without risk and therefore having the right insurance in place is something that should be high on your list of priorities Not only does your insurance need to be tailored to protect the care services you provide but you also need to consider the regulatory bodies you adhere to protection for your staff as well as covering the premises and its contents

Here are some covers you must consider

LIABILITY COVER

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) states that all care and nursing homes require insurance and without it they are unable to operate The mandatory insurance requirements from the CQC are Public and Employers Liability cover Any additional covers will depend on the type of care facility you own Public Liability Insurance will cover the cost of compensation to third parties in the event of death bodily injury, or damage to their property, which occurs because of your business activities, for example, if a resident s family member slips on an upturned carpet

Unlike Public Liability Employers Liability cover is a legal requirement for anybody employing staff including volunteers It covers you financially for any compensation costs or legal fees that may occur because of company negligence Employers Liability Insurance will also cover you for employees that have long left your business and may only now bring a claim against you

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Your carers will be skilled in what they do and usually have several qualifications, but their decisions are

Of course your business is home for your residents or patients Ensuring ample furniture is provided should be a necessity If they are accidentally damaged, you may need to replace them The building itself is just as important If for instance the premises suffer a flood how would the building hold? In extreme cases such as a fire or explosion a total rebuild may be necessary which would cost a considerable amount

Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your property and provided that accurate sums insured are declared it should cover the cost to rebuild the entire property Contents insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your possessions if they are damaged, destroyed or stolen It includes everything you would take with you if you moved premises for example your furniture kitchen appliances and computing equipment

ARE YOU AT RISK OF UNDERINSURANCE?

If a business is underinsured in any capacity it could leave them with a financial burden should a claim be made While large corporations may be able to recover from the financial losses incurred because of underinsurance small to medium sized businesses may feel the effects of the loss more keenly owing to their sometimes already tight profit margins

Underinsurance may happen for many reasons e g using out of date estimates of your building sums insured, having inadequate or unrealistic indemnity periods, or not reviewing your level of cover as your operating models change

The most effective way of overcoming the risk of underinsurance is by talking to an experienced and knowledgeable insurance broker

The friendly team at Barnes Commercial can review your policy and make sure you have the correct level of cover in place

Send an email to enquires@barnesinsurancebroker co uk or call 01480 272727 to make an appointment

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Hidden Costs Of Caring For The Environment

Every care home needs hot water From basins to baths and showers, catering and wash down Most facilities will run successfully on a system based around gas-fired water heaters unless a new build in which case the preference is to move to electric water heating to take advantage of the increasingly less dirty grid This does have implications for running costs with electricity on average costing as much as 3 8 times that of gas So why change things? The simple answer is net zero and the need to be more sustainable Because of the ubiquitous need for hot water which can account for as much as 30% of a building s daily energy demands, addressing how it is secured is one of the best ways of making active carbon savings today

Deploying either heat pumps or solar thermal as a renewable to provision the initial preheat is the most logical approach Where problems and unnecessary costs can quickly arise is when existing gas-fired top up’ water heating is replaced with like-for-like electric which can lead to gross system oversizing Domestic hot water (DHW) systems for

Consort Claudgen Includes Wi-Fi

Enabled Heaters in LST Range

Consort Claudgen s low surface temperature heaters range now includes heaters that are Wi-Fi enabled These heaters connect directly to Wi-Fi and heating can be controlled from the digital control panel on the heater or Consort Connect app Features include a 7-day timer with 24 heating periods per day lock function open window detection and custom automations Users can also view the energy consumption statistics of all connected heaters Additionally, LST heaters with Wi-Fi and occupancy sensor have a self-learning control ability which uses in-built occupancy sen-

sors to detect and learn a user’s weekly presence in a room It then creates a heating schedule and automatically warms the room according to the detected or predicted occupancy When the room is unoccupied, the heater will conserve energy by switching to a setback temperature or frost protection mode

BIM objects are available for download from Consort s website 01646 692172

sales@consortepl com

www consortepl com

See the advert on page 23 for further informa-

Rosehill Furnishings

• Chairs which have been tested for bariatric use

Their upholstered chairs can be supplied with antimicrobial vinyl and wood finishes for hygiene and infection control

Models are available with arms to assist people getting up and down from their seat

Made to order products in a huge range of colours and finishes to fit in with your existing décor Lounge chairs side chairs and coffee tables which are designed to enhance your communal areas

commercial properties should be designed to accurately meet a business needs At Adveco our application design team has a thorough knowledge of residential care understanding the peak hour and length of the peak which are the starting point for determining demand and ensuring the hot water system is correctly sized

This demands a bespoke approach as every facility is different The number of rooms facilities such as basins showers deeper baths and guest mobility, all impact on the sizing The physical constraints of the property from plant room and roof space to noise levels all impact technology choices Adveco can advise on this sizing and provide accurate monitoring to ensure applications are fit for purpose and future proof As a result decisions to move to more sustainable operations are optimised and do not leave properties facing unwarranted capital or unexpected new operational costs from going green https://adveco co/sectors/healthcare/

See the advert on page 15 for more information

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Natural Pain Relief

include lasting pain relief improved joint movements, comfort during sleep, fewer cramps calmed nerve pain, reduced joint and muscle discomfort and faster post-activity recoveries

Rosehill are proud to have a long-standing history within the furniture industry It s their unique history and knowledge of the market which sets them apart from the rest They re committed to quality and their standards have continued to excel over the last 40 years

The expert team at Rosehill understand the market and can tailor your order to suit your exact requirements With over four decades experience in the industry, you can feel at ease knowing that you re in safe hands They take pride in the quality products they supply which are built to last while also being great value for money

Rosehill have experience working with healthcare organisations who require durable and comfortable seating for their patients and staff Rosehill specialise in seating and tables for care home lounges dining rooms visitor and waiting rooms wards staff rooms and FF&E packages

Options include bariatric seats anti-microbial vinyl and fabrics for hygiene and infection control high back chairs with head support and armchairs

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

High back chairs with head support and wingback models

Dining chairs and armchairs with stylish and durable tables in a range of shapes and sizes

Bedroom furniture with fitted items in high quality finishes

• Outdoor furniture and benches

Complimentary breakout modular and office furniture for staff areas and receptions

Their furniture is available in a variety of styles and is designed and manufactured to help you provide a safe and comfortable seating option for your staff patients and visitors Their range is high quality and built to offer great comfort, and durability for furniture that lasts

Browse their wide range of furniture for your care home clinic ward or waiting room online at www rosehill co uk or call 0161 485 1717 to request a brochure or discuss your requirements with their helpful sales team

See the advert on page 23 for details or visit www rosehill co uk

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are natural drug-free topical cold therapy gels for muscular and joint pain, chronic arthritic pain, post-activity muscle tension general aches and overuse disorders Easy to use and fast acting BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels relieve pain, reduce inflammation and swelling without drugs and drug-related sideeffects

BIOFROST® Gels:

BIOFROST® Relief Cold Gel for pain relieving cold therapy

• BIOFROST® Active Dual-Action Cold Gel with Heat Sensation combining cold with heat to treat back pain

BIOFROST® Relief provides instant pain relief and activates body’s own healing through an optimal combination of natural ingredients including ethanol menthol eucalyptus peppermint and MSM Reported benefits of BIOFROST® Relief

BIOFROST® Active is a dual-action fast-acting cold gel with heat sensation for effective relief of muscular and joint pain Containing 10 natural herbal extracts (i e Arnica Burdock Roman Chamomile Garlic Watercress Ivy White Nettle Pine Rosemary Menthol) BIOFROST® Active relieves chronic pain releases muscular tension loosens stiff joints and effectively treats back pain Benefits of BIOFROST® Active include easier joint movements effective pain relief in treated areas discomfort-free sleep, fewer cramps and reduced post-activity muscular and joint fatigue

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are usable standalone or alongside other pain relieving therapies (i e medication physiotherapy etc )

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are suitable for people of any age including elderly and disabled people living independently or in nursing care

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are Class 1 Medical Devices made in Finland

Win Health Medical Ltd: T: 01835 864864866

E: biofrost@win-health com

W: www win-health com

See the advert on page 3

Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions

The Stair Climbing Company is one of the leading providers of powered Stair Climber solutions which have been specifically designed to assist those struggling with mobility and independence issues facing people with disabilities

The Stair Climbing Company offers an excellent range of compact, easy to use powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commercial settings Offering innovative designs all of the company s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition all of its Stair Climber s come with a two year manufacturer’s warranty

The Stair Climbing Company maintains one main

mission; to improve quality of life through its range of highquality and custom devices with built-in seats The safety and comfort of its customers is of the utmost importance to the company and it ensures that each wheelchair carrier model is designed to cater to individual customers’ specific needs and works with all stair types

Furthermore the company provides Stair Climbers for all ages making them suitable for everyone, and offers a free assessment for customers

If you would like to find out any more information please see the details below:

T 01787 379160

www thestairclimbingcompany com

See the advert on page 11

Focus Games - Enjoyable & Effective Training

it the most

Hydracare technology ensures accurate automated fluid monitoring to reduce incidences of dehydration and patient safety issues increasing quality of care

HYDRACARE BENEFITS

24/7 accurate real-time fluid intake data for carers

Intelligent remote monitoring reducing time for staff to record

Reduced patient safety issues

Supports independent living for longer

Fluid intake history to help keep track of the past

• Restricted fluid management to help limit consumption

• Works with hot and cold drinks

Commercial dishwasher safe for quick and easy cleaning

Up to 5 day battery life with low battery indicator

Spill detection with immediate alerts so you can react fast

Get in contact to book a free demo Hydracare

Technology starts at as little as 40p per resident per day Let s look after our loved ones!

www aquarate com

Introducing Aquarate Just Bowl

offer a bespoke training package which is supplemented by our exclusive Just Bowl equipment and additional items depending on the company s requirements We also provide aftercare support and guidance to ensure that Just Bowl is being utilised to its full potential ’

Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors

Fire Doors are an imperative part of fire safety and are considerations of the design and maintenance of any building but especially residential Article 17 – RRFSO states fire safety provisions (includes fire doors) must b a suitable condition and wo g

If you are the Responsible Person it’s imperative you appoint a competent person to assist in meeting your duties under the fire safety order to ensure fire safety measures including fire doors are kept in working order

Yeoman Shield s Fire Door Services can help to take the guess work out of fire door maintenance by providing fire door inspections, condition reports remedial work and fire door installation all carried out by FDIS and/or FIRAS accredited team members

tation of Yeoman Shield

Protection products can also be in the long term financially beneficial by halting impact damage from the start eliminating many repairs in the future and again will extend door lifecycles

Installing Yeoman Shield door protection products such as door protection panels door edge protectors and PVCu glazing bead units will not affect the integrity of the fire door as all products have been tested, in situ to the current standard required Vulnerable frames and architraves can also be protected from impact with Yeoman Shield to prevent dangerous splintering and splitting as well as abolishing the time-consuming repetitive need for repainting

When residents enter a care home their daily routine inevitably changes and consequently, several forms of physical activity are no longer possible One such activity, that is synonymous with older adults is bowls According to Sport England in 2021 there was over 165 000 people playing bowls in England, but it is estimated that this figure is significantly higher especially considering there are over 2700 lawn green clubs over 2000 crown green clubs and an estimated 90 000 participants, 18000 participants taking part in Short Mat Bowls and many more taking part in Indoor Bowls, Disability Bowls and Carpet Bowls Sadly for many residents when they enter a care home they will no longer be able to enjoy a ‘roll up’ on a sunny afternoon However the Bowls Development Alliance is helping to change that by introducing Just Bowl into the care sector

Just Bowl was developed in 2014 by the Bowls Development Alliance as a community engagement programme and is a fun easy to play form of bowls that can be used in care homes rehabilitation centres, leisure facilities, educational establishments community settings and just about anywhere else Ian McCombes the Just Bowl Manager explains ‘We work with our partners to

The team have also been working with Sheffield Hallam University to conduct research and identify what impact Just Bowl has had on residents in Brighterkind care homes The findings showed that Just Bowl encouraged inclusivity as it allowed people of all ages and abilities to play The research conducted in 2018 showed that 83% of participants had a disability and 75% of the participants were aged 81-101 years of age Just Bowl also helped to increase physical activity levels with research showing the average physical activity levels (including light activity) increased by 40 minutes per week This is significantly important as research shows that any increase in the volume and frequency of light activities and any reduction in sedentary behaviour will contribute towards health The research carried out by Sheffield Hallam University also identified that Just Bowl created a sociable and fun atmosphere as the participants were able to bond whilst playing the game which subsequently led to an improvement in the mental wellbeing of those taking part with the research showing improvements in happiness and a reduction in anxiety

Additionally the research established that exercise self-efficacy increased following participation in Just Bowl, which suggests that participants felt more confident in their ability to be physically active Self-efficacy is the belief and conviction that one can successfully perform a given activity and exercise self-efficacy is an important predictor of the adoption and maintenance of exercise behaviours both of which could have compelling impacts on care home residents in their day to day lives

For further information on Just Bowl please visit us at UK Care Week at stand E40 or contact Ian on 07741873233 or ian@justbowl org

Having a good maintenance routine will dispel some needs of fire door replacement therefore being more cost effective

For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com or see the advert page 10

CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL

Mask and Outbreak Guidance Updated in Care Settings

Guidance on the use of face masks in all care settings and on outbreaks in care homes has been updated to give settings the flexibility to ensure ongoing COVID-19 measures are proportionate

Previous guidance stated that face masks in care settings should be worn at all times and that care homes should seek advice from a local health protection team in the event of COVID-19 outbreak but this change now enables providers to further utilise their own skills and knowledge on appropriate measures

Since the guidance change last month providers are able to make risk-based decisions on when face masks are used and care homes can initiate their own outbreak risk assessments to make decisions about which outbreak measures make sense for their individual settings Decisions around masks will be based on factors like the risk to specific individuals if the setting is in an outbreak or the preferences of the individual receiving care Support remains available from health protection teams and other local partners for care homes when needed

Testing guidance has also been streamlined for small care homes to reduce the number of tests staff and residents need to take in the event of an outbreak This, alongside new flexibility for rapid response testing in these settings is in line with the latest public health advice

Social care settings will continue to be equipped with free personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep staff and people receiving care safe over winter and protected against COVID-19 where necessary

Minister of State for Care Helen Whately said: The darkest days of the pandemic are thankfully behind us But it doesn t feel like that for people living in care homes or being cared for at home, when many of the people they see are still behind a mask

So much of what we communicate is through our expressions our

faces and our smiles – especially for people who are deaf or hard of hearing Many rely on lip reading and face masks don’t make the job any easier for care workers either

That’s why we’re making this change We want care agencies and residential homes to decide what s best for the people they look after I hope this means thousands of people who are looked after by care workers will get to see a smile this Christmas

Care providers are now able to adopt a risk-based approach with decisions on the use of face masks balanced with the risk of infections spreading and considering any risks or benefits that arise from their use Care homes can make use of new flexibility in the updated guidance on outbreak management and in all circumstances should

ensure visits between loved ones are supported with each resident able to have at least one visitor even in an outbreak Outbreak measures should only be implemented if at least 2 of the cases of COVID-19 are linked and should be proportionate to factors specific to the care home such as if it s well ventilated easy to keep some parts isolated and how vulnerable people in the home are to COVID-19

Providers should continue to ensure adherence to guidance and be able to evidence this to the Care Quality Commission when asked

People receiving care can ask for staff to wear face masks, and staff should of course work in whatever way will make the person they are caring for most comfortable

Vaccination remains the best defence against flu and COVID-19 and with both viruses circulating this winter it is vital that all those eligible –including care workers – come forward to top up their immunity and protect themselves and those they care for

It is important that care workers and care recipients are protected against illness so that staffing and visitation levels can be maintained and care services can be kept safe this winter – this is why the government has supported care workers to get vaccinated by enabling them to be eligible at the same time as people receiving care Social care workers and others eligible this winter can book their appointments for both a COVID-19 autumn booster and flu vaccine via the National Booking Service or by contacting their GP

Free PPE for COVID-19 needs is available until March 2023 as previously announced, and providers will continue to be able to order this from the PPE portal

See the infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID19 supplement for guidance on the use of face masks in all care settings and on outbreaks in care homes at https://tinyurl com/y3vycett

The Cleaning Show 2023 to Focus on Latest Industr y Trends with Stellar Line Up

With commuters returning to the workplace hitting a post-pandemic high expectations of a cleaner safer and more hygienic working environment mean the responsibilities of cleaning and hygiene professionals and facilities managers across the country have intensified In light of this the UK’s leading event for the cleaning and hygiene industry The Cleaning Show 2023 has announced some of the industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers that are confirmed to exhibit when the event returns to the ExCeL London from 14-16 March 2023

GREENER CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Attendees at The Cleaning Show will be left feeling confident that the industry is striving for change – specifically when it comes to sustainability – when a multitude of exhibitors will have the opportunity to demonstrate how they are putting environmental concerns at the fore

THE LATEST IN CLEANING TECHNOLOGY

Whilst sustainability is a clear priority for business owners across the industry emerging developments in cleaning equipment technology are accelerating the work done by cleaning professionals in a timely manner driving efficiency especially in hospitals or football stadiums where the scale of operation is much larger TECHNOLOGY SPARKS INNOVATION

Manufacturers

The technology on display will also highlight how advances are helping some of the sectors most important business s function

Maintaining infection control

Responding to the growing need for service providers, products and new innovations in the FM & PPE industries, this year’s event will also see an increased focus on the solutions and technologies driving growth in the sector – valued to be worth over £50 billion in the UK

Commenting on this year’s line-up Jim Melvin Chairman British Cleaning Council said: The cleaning hygiene and waste sector is one of the ten biggest industries in the UK and it is important that this resonates at The Cleaning Show which brings the industry together to celebrate its crucial work

The Covid-19 pandemic changed so many perspectives on cleaning PPE and importantly the roles of cleaning and hygiene operatives so I am certain that the line-up of exhibitors will be a hit with attendees as more businesses look to improve the safety of staff in the workplace And, as we enter the winter months where viruses have an environment to thrive, it is even more important to keep our key workers and the public safe healthy and well ”

Registration for The Cleaning Show 2023 is now open To register for your free pass to attend and to find out more about this year’s event visit https://cleaningshow co uk/london/

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection

Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry Angloplas range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product reducing levels of bacteria such as

and mould by up to 99 99%

CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL

Noroviruses: Outbreak Management and Disinfectant Choice

By James Derham (BSc (hons)), Liam Grimshaw (MSc by research, BSc (hons))

Enteric virus (EV) outbreaks are prevalent in the care home community with 73% of cases of outbreaks in weeks 43-44 in 2022 attributed to them (UKHSA, 2022) Typically spread via contact with faeces infection can spread easily via surfaces, food and close contact from someone with the virus (NHS UK, 2021) Norovirus is a small, non-enveloped virus that’s very difficult to destroy with traditional disinfectants owing to its small size and external capsid structure (GOV 2012)

It is vital to choose a disinfectant that is efficacious against Noroviruses Chlorine-based products (bleach NaDCC tablets and chlorine dioxide) lose efficacy in soiled conditions where Noroviruses are prevalent This means that they require an additional detergent cleaning step prior to use in order to still maintain efficacy An excellent alternative is peracetic acid (PAA) which outshines chlorine-based products because PAA is not hindered by soiled conditions PAA is widely used in the food industry water treatments agriculture and many other high-level industries Independent studies have shown that 85 – 250 ppm peracetic acid was effective in reaching 99 99 % reduction in viral particles with a contact time of 1 – 5 mins It was also found that even in the presence of synthetic faeces 85 ppm peracetic acid with a contact time of 1 minute was not hindered by soiling (Girard et al 2015)

edencleen from Cleenol

Over the course of our history we at Cleenol have always produced products that offer a perfect balance between cleaning performance and efficiency with an attention to reducing the environmental impact that our products may carry edencleen our latest brand reaffirms our commitment to our credentials for environmental guardianship and represents an evolution of what has been an integral part of our DNA Edencleen has been designed to reflect in part our vision for a cleaner safer world that touches not only the environmental aspects of sustainability but has as an aim a social ambition to leave the planet in the safe care of and for future generations As such with edencleen Cleenol looks to ensure transparency in our approach which may on occasion result in some counter intuitive elements

The range covers the essential needs to cover 80% of daily cleaning and include: a washroom cleaner and toilet gel cleaner and urinal deodoriser an all-purpose surface sanitiser, a degreaser and a washing up liquid a no rinse floor degreaser, a window cleaner and a laundry detergent and fabric softener edencleen products have been developed around the following principles

and ingredients

RSPO certified palm oil derivatives

No animal der ved products

Cruelty free

Minimal petrochemical derived products

No parabens, formaldehyde, CMI/MIT, triclosan phosphates chlorine bleaches, optical brighteners, quaternary ammonium compounds

VOC free and phosphate, EDTA NTA free

Recyclable / recycled packaging

100% bio-based surfactant - made by using bio-based ethylene oxide which is manufactured from biomass

ethanol

Bioethanol naturally derived acids sugar-based surfactants bio-based solvents low impact preservatives

Combining carefully formulated products, with appropriate packaging using recycled material or recyclable componentry, the range s mostly colourless liquid and low fragrance usage are designed to convey a transparency and straightforwardness of our approach which will be a hallmark of all edencleen products and associated services

Careful use of enzymatic formulations and more traditional chemistry brings a portfolio of products that s finely attuned to delivering effective cleaning which when used as instructed helps maintain a neutral environmental impact edencleen s new range represents just the start to a fully refreshed solution to meet the most demanding of customers expectations See the advert below for further information

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS

As Energy Prices Surge, Wolf Laundr y Offers Assistance To Care Homes

Commercial laundry expert Wolf is tackling the cost-of-living crisis within the care industry by providing expert personalised advice comprehensive consumption figures and additional training

Barnsley-based Wolf Laundry has more than 30 years’ experience within the laundry sector and provides bespoke commercial laundry equipment across the UK to heavy users including care homes, universities and holiday parks

Recognising the energy cost pressure facing the care home market, Wolf Laundry is working with clients to help them better understand usage and educate them about the cost savings that can be achieved by switching to gas

Wolf Laundry research showing figures for their Primus Dryer range reveals electricity rates reach £9 18 for a 24kg capacity load of laundry but in contrast the same brand of the machine holding an identical capacity fuelled by gas was almost half the price costing £4 92

Joshua Brown Director at Wolf Laundry said: We aim to provide the most transparent information to help our clients make the best choices for them We cannot deny that right now gas is much more cost efficient but we’re working with customers to help them understand the options

“We’ve recently rolled out a training programme for the care home sector focusing on achieving optimal hygiene as efficiently as possible We re working on a one-to-one basis with several care homes to help them find an efficient, long-term solution

We appreciate that our customers are making difficult choices about energy bills and trying to balance

that with long term sustainability targets Together we’re able to come up with bespoke packages to suit a client s particular business requirements and our customers are really welcoming this helpful and transparent approach ”

Providing a comprehensive range of the best commercial laundry equipment on the market, Wolf Laundry stocks washing machines, dryers and finishing equipment as well as its own range of detergents and other products to assist with infection control

Joshua added: In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and with spiralling energy costs the price of a load of laundry is increasing

“With care homes running on fine financial margins ensuring each load of laundry is cost-effective can be one of key factors as to whether they can stay open or are at threat of closure It’s as stark as that One of Wolf Laundry s care home clients have the Schulthess W range washing machines installed Steve Holroyd Secretary of Warmest Welcome Care Homes said:

The information that Wolf has provided us with helps us make the best choices and for us that’s still electric but the consumption figures have shown us what else we should be considering right now in regard to how much each load of washing costs and how much that could change throughout the cost-of-living crisis With costs rising we were able to consider everything very carefully to ensure that we can save money where necessary and ultimately, have additional resource for other needs within the care home ”

For

9598

With Care Home Providers Facing Soaring Energy Costs, Forbes

Professional Advises On How To Optimise Laundr y Room Efficiency

Facing unprecedented energy costs and an increasingly pressing climate crisis care home operators are all aiming to minimise energy consumption According to the Carbon Trust the care sector spends over £400 million on energy each year and after heating and lighting it is irrefutable that appliances are a main contributor to this figure For any care home laundry is a key service area and one that is absolutely critical to maintaining infection control Thankfully, whereas you can’t turn down the heating in a care environment or turn off the lighting there are ways in which you can significantly reduce the energy consumed by your laundry function Forbes Professional helps care home operators source the most energy, water and user efficient laundry solutions whilst advising on all relevant WRAS and industry requirements

When choosing dryers it is notable that care homes are increasingly turning away from gas appliances due to increasing running costs and safety concerns This is all the more notable now that changes to industry requirements are necessitating considerable investment in order for gas appliances to meet the

current standards Forbes would generally recommend that electrical appliances should be the product of choice with heat pump dryers enabling astounding cost and energy savings Miele s new heat pump commercial dryers are particularly highly rated for their safety, functionality and energy efficiency They employ a highly efficient and economical filter system and heat exchanger to keep run times low and enable an energy saving of up to 60% when compared to vented dryers Additionally these heat pump dryers do not require any make-up air, which enables the laundry function to be installed in the basement or in a central location within the care-home and saves on costly vent-ducting Due to the effective interaction of the Miele filter system and the maintenance-free heat exchanger fluff cannot clog the heat exchanger or adversely affect the exceptional drying efficiency

With regards to washing machines only a commercial washing machine will suffice in a care environment as only these machines will meet the WRAS requirements for Fluid Category 5 Forbes recommends using Miele commercial washing machines as they are highly energy and water efficient whilst delivering both thermal and sluice disinfection As an illustrative example based on an electricity cost of £0 34/kWh and three machines being used four times/ day for five years Miele machines can realise a running cost saving of £9 529 when compared to another industry brand

Auto-dosing equipment also provides a great solution for ensuring that the right amount of detergent is dispensed for each cycle; minimising waste optimising the wash cycle and saving both money and time

Forbes Professional provides a range of options for commercial laundry equipment including autodosing equipment as well as Miele commercial laundry machines All of their products are available on a purchase rental or lease basis with access to a comprehensive service that includes installation commissioning user-training and a multi award-winning repair and maintenance response

For more info contact www forbespro co uk; 0345 0702335; info@forbes-professional co uk

At Cash s we aim to capture reinforce and communicate our clients brand equity through quality and innovation from design to distribution

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels woven badges care labels branded and promotional swing tags garment accessories packaging and barcoding Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers brand by assisting to com-

bat counterfeiting and grey market activity

Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories

Visit www cashslabels com or see the advert on this page

Are You Up To Date On Food Shortages That

May Impact The Catering In Your Care Home?

Everyone s acutely aware of current labour shortages but what about product shortages that may impact the food you’re offering to your residents? Planning to use products that are in short supply may mean you re faced with even higher food costs

Food procurement experts, allmanhall, provide some insight to help you plan to mitigate and to tweak your menus if needed

Like all of us UK farming is being impacted by a multitude of factors including spiralling costs The NFU has warned of a looming threat to UK food security In particular there s a risk of product shortages in the following energy intensive sectors:

Eggs - there are 4 9 million fewer hens laying eggs in the UK today compared to 2019 down 13% from 42 7 million to 37 8 million

Glasshouse grown produce including tomatoes, sweet peppers and cucumber are likely to see production levels fall to their lowest levels on

record

Pears - UK pear production is at its lowest level since records began Fears of crops rotting in fields due to a lack of temporary seasonal labour compound the problem

Furthermore UK pork prices are up 40% year on year, largely due to high energy high feed costs and reduced herd sizes

This insight can be helpful when planning your menus and how to make the most of already-squeezed budgets For more expert analysis and other useful resources why not take a look at allmanhall co uk allmanhall are achieving up to 16% food cost savings for Care groups in the UK As well as catering procurement they can help with incontinence products PPE and other frequently bought products For larger items allmanhall can support you by running a tender and ensuring the best value Visit www allmanhall co uk or see the advert below for further details

Helping to Keep Your Patients Safe at Mealtimes with It’s Made For You Softer Foods

At It s Made For You we believe that everyone should look forward to tasty, safe, and nutritious texture modified meals The It’s Made For You range is designed for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework standards and includes valuable nutrition It s Made For You are proud to be Gold Sponsors of IDDSI

Our range of meals have been developed to ensure the nutritional content will meet the nutritional needs of your patients whilst they follow a texture modified diet Research has shown that up to 50% of people with dysphagia are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition There could be numerous reasons for this including a reduced appetite or the inability to consume large quantities of food in one sitting Our range of ‘classic’ and mini meals can help to ensure your patients are getting the most nutritional value from the food they consume The use of pre-prepared It’s Made For You meals can also be a practical time-saver and bring

peace of mind to the person with dysphagia as well as their carer

The range includes over 60 tasty dishes including chicken, beef, lamb fish and vegetarian recipes We also offer a tasty selection of desserts, and breakfast options as well as mini meals for those with smaller appetites Each meal is easy to cook in either the microwave or oven and promises to deliver delicious and tasty mealtimes every time

At It s Made For You we offer a delivery service that cares making it easy and convenient for our customers to eat delicious meals which can be delivered directly and safely to their homes This helps them if they cannot leave the house or go to the shops Plus, people love to use our service as they can rely on a regular delivery of good quality and safe meals directly to their door, by a friendly local Oakhouse Foods delivery driver Find out more at www Itsmadeforyou co uk

FOOD AND DRINK

Discover The Power Of Chefs’ Most Trusted Bouillon*

Meanwhile two Michelin-starred Chef Tom has developed a range of classic recipes with a modern, seasonal twist, each utilising products from the Knorr Professional Bouillons range in a different way Knorr Professional’s Bouillons are available in Powder Paste and Jelly formats offering chefs versatility and flexibility in usage and

Anglia Crown – Adding Warmth to the Colder Months

The winter months are a busy time for anyone in the care sector and it is important that all residents have a chance to enjoy warming nutritious food at every mealtime

Mary Wedge Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown comments: “In our experience many of the residents look forward to the desserts They often represent familiar comfort foods and, even if they cannot face the main course, will often go straight for the pudding

Anglia Crown offer a wide range of hot and cold desserts that are ideal for a well-balanced nutritional diet including choices that do not contain gluten Our Crown Choice and Advantage ranges include some fifty-eight dishes, including our new autumnal warming Ginger Chocolate Chip Sponge and delicious comforting custard that goes with almost any hot dessert

Our Crown Choice cold dessert includes the perennial favourites such as Chocolate Cake whilst our Crown Advantage range also offer reduced sugar desserts All individual Crown Advantage desserts come in packs of eighteen, whilst the Crown Choice desserts come in packs of 3 and 6 allowing accurate portioning and cutting down on any potential waste

Many of the Anglia Crown dishes can be teamed up with fresh fruit, allowing for additional choice Items such as our Carrot Cake or Vanilla Cheesecake can be accompanied by whipped cream garnished with seasonal fresh fruit

Our hot desserts are high in energy our hot portions of 170kcal and above provide energy and protein dense options and when served with custard provide over 250 kcal per serving Our cold desserts of 250 kcal and above also meet the energy guidelines in the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Nutrition and Hydration Digest (2017) requirements

VEGAN SUITABLE CHOICES

At Anglia Crown we pride ourselves with the array of vegetarian and gluten free dishes that we offer including an impressive range of desserts This was recognised with us being named at the Vegetarian Wholesaler of the Year 2022 at the VfL Awards for Excellence in Veg n Care Catering

All the Anglia Crown hot desserts are suitable for vegetarians, Most of the Anglia Crown vegan products have been registered with the Vegan Society including some thirteen of the dessert dishes

Anglia Crown are here to help take the strain out of your menus throughout the year Visit www angliacrown co uk for further details

DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING

W&P Training

and Procedures

SUPORTED LIVING / LEARNING DISABILITIES POLICIES

Designed for Supported Living and Domiciliary providers that deliver CQC regulated activities to adults with Learning

Disabilities and/ or Autism W&P’s Policies and Procedures for Supported Living Services will assist with your CQC compliance

Looking for Supported living Policies with NO Personal Care? Visit https://www wandptraining co uk/policies-and-procedures/non-registered-care-policies/ W&P s policy and compliance team are constantly scanning and reviewing all the statutory websites and regulatory publications to track the very latest developments in the Health & Social Care Sector Policies and Procedures are updated every 4 months or immediately if there is a critical change to regulation, good practice guidance case law outcomes or just feedback from customers

To find out more about what we offer go to www wandptraining co uk or see the advert on page 2

Memor y Lane Games - An Extra Pair of Hands for Carers

Available to assisted living environments fully branded and personalised, the Memory Lane Games app features reminiscence quiz games on hundreds of topics including places hobbies animals history and food

The games are designed to be frustration-free and to trigger memories and conversation not to test

Improving resident wellbeing

Consistent with providing person-centred care our games encourage a sense of identity and connection and can be easily incorporated into personal care plans

Our library of games has something for everyone but unique games can also be made using a resident’s own memories and photographs creating a truly personalised and powerful experience

Always on hand even on the night shift Northamptonshire Registered Managers Network

Improving family connections

Our app has proven to be effective at creating joyful meaningful connections between families Useful when used to prepare a resident for their family visit as well as during, where they can be used as a conversation starter Games can be played and new memories made with the whole family on a topic everyone enjoys even the grandchildren!

Calming and distracting agitated residents

Carers are able to effectively reduce agitation aggression and distress as well as deliver personal and

therapeutic care more easily by initiating game play and allowing the app to provide respite

Alerts & Reporting

Our back office system captures and analyses game play data to alert deterioration against clinical data sets A sudden drop in game play performance for example could indicate a UTI This data is also used to generate a Reminiscence Journal (pictured) which can be created at the touch of a button and incorporates information on what the resident has played how long for and what they have enjoyed along with recommendations for future game play These can be sent to families and included in personal care plans ensuring everyone around the person living with dementia is aware of what they are positively engaging with

With no IT integration required, the benefits to residents and carers can be realised immediately

Improved resident and staff wellbeing improved quality of family visits and a differentiated care home business

Our real-world case study covers how personalised gamification with Memory Lane Games can be used as part of a treatment plan to calm and improve quality of life for someone with severe dementia

Contact us today to receive a copy and find out more

Helpforcarehomes@MemoryLaneGames com

Dementia Care: Communicating with People Living with Dementia Who are Struggling to Express Their Needs

By Dr Rachel Daly, Practice Development Admiral Nurse Consultant at Dementia UK (www dementiauk org)

language Taking the time to be with a person who is struggling to communicate is one of the greatest gifts to give them Remember that all behaviour is communication, and it is our job as professional carers to TRY HARD to understand and help them If you have a question on helping someone living with dementia you can always contact Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk org

T Take a moment Look around, what might be wrong? What might that person want or need? Give them your time

R Reactions - is the person reacting to you another resident the temperature, a noise or something else in the environment?

Y Yearning - is the person yearning for something? Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they bored? Do they miss their family? Do they need a hug?

H How can you find out their needs and emotions?Are they sad stressed, anxious, fearful confused, happy, or in pain?

Some people living with dementia may have problems communicating and expressing their needs which can leave them feeling very frustrated

For anyone providing support to a person living with dementia thinking about ways to help the person communicate with you could be beneficial Are there picture cards to hand to help the person recognise a picture of what they need (for example the toilet) and point to it, even if they cannot say the words? This helps them to express their needs and wants to their carer

Some people can write fluently long after their speech has gone Others may communicate through touch facial expressions or body

A Activities and meaningful occupation - how can you engage the person in a way that gives them some sense of choice control or fun? What did they like doing when they were younger? Would they like to plant some bulbs go for a walk or visit other residents? If the person is walking, consider why -are they looking for something or someone? Maybe they have a sore bottom from sitting too long

R Repetition - restate and use their words Reassurance - take the time to calm them down and remember they might feel frightened

D Dos, Don’ts and Distractions - Do: Smile be kind and get on their level Use more non-verbal communication like touch gestures

Otiom - Dementia Tracking System

Of the estimated 850 000 people in the UK living with dementia roughly 50% will wander with purpose and become lost during their condition When someone with dementia is reported as a missing person the police treat it as a high priority and put a lot of resources into finding that person as quickly as possible Technology can play a big part in preventing people with dementia from becoming lost and GPS technology has proven popular

Otiom is the only device of its type that is a registered class 1 medical device and has therefore undergone a rigorous testing protocol to comply with the European Medical Device Regulations

Otiom Offers peace of mind and freedom allowing people to move more freely It s a game-changing addition to the support of carers with a growing number of people living with dementia globally

Advantages include the ability to track indoors and outdoors low cost low maintenance superior battery life and improved communication stability We offer Otiom to both care homes and private users Otiom has been developed over several years backed by extensive research in the field of dementia It is the result of a collaboration with relatives, caregivers and people with dementia

Since Pentland Medical launched Otiom exclusively in the UK we have worked extensively with the Alzheimer Society and Alzheimer Scotland At the time of writing we are testing Otiom with the Alzheimer Society and expect to be listed as an official partner on their website in due course

Visit www pentlandmedical co uk or scan the QR code in the advert on this page for further details

pictures smells and show objects (like the juice box) to enhance understanding

Don t: be too loud too fast or use too many words Don t argue and remember that it is not important to correct them if they believe something to be true(like they need to go home to their mum) Distraction techniques can work well Ask them to tell you about their mum look at pictures or have a cup of tea together give a hand massage or play some music and dance with them if they are able

Music can be a wonderful therapy for people living with dementia and for it to be most effective it needs to be tailored to the individual

Find out as much as you can about the person through Life Story

Work which helps to ensure that our care always honours the person as an individual For example what job did they do? Did they have children? Do they have a religion? What are their hobbies? This is often called Person-Centred Care or Person-Centred Practice Ask the person (if they can communicate) ask their family check their records and note it in the care plan so you can share it with all your colleagues

Think about how the music you like might differ from your friends your partner or your family How can it affect your mood? That will be the same for your residents Some might like jazz or classical music whilst others might prefer music related to their religion If you find a favourite or something that calms them then make a note and use it in situations that they might find stressful If you find a tune that distresses them make a note of that too to help your colleagues to remember not to play it when they are around Music can be used passively (to listen to) or actively (for singing and dancing) – try it out always remembering to keep it personal to the individual

AND SOFTWARE

Medpage Falls Management Products

Care technologies have advanced at an amazing rate over the past decade

The digital age is a place where we all live and all use technology as a familiar part of our daily lives At Medpage we have harnessed these advancing technologies into products to support Social Care and Independent Living Medpage brand products are designed to provide affordable, user-friendly, care support products for domestic and professional care Our new wristband activated door egress alarm is a perfect example of how advanced technologies are transformed into a system to safeguard people prone to wandering Simple to install, suitable for single or multiple residents, the system allows residents to remain mobile while providing an alert to carers if they attempt to leave the building through a monitored door Further details available at www easylinkuk co uk search Doorwatcher

Medpage have supplied Care, Residential Homes,

and Hospitals with fall prevention and detection alarms for more than 25 years From basic bed and chair exit detection alarms to more complex cordless sensor pad systems with nurse call integration we supply quality systems that deliver cost effective performance

Our new sensor pad controller the MPCSA11 has been included into numerous falls management projects in Hospitals and professional care establishments The system, already proven to reduce care costs allows a patient with mobility to transfer from their bed to their chair or to visit their washroom, without alarm notifications to carers providing the transfer is completed within a selectable time Failure to return within the selected time will result in alarm notification to carers either by pager nurse call trigger or ward wall mounted alarm receiver

For further information see the advert on this page

Silent Running - Tranquility in Care Homes

Quiet and calm care homes ensure that residents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment

Similarly carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surroundings particularly those suffering from dementia these can be fluctuations in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and external sources for example telephones ringing loud conversations in corridors and call bells sounding often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents

A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unanswered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers The University recommends “fitting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a per-

son’s ability to concentrate It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a number of methods to reduce their impact in a care home These include zoning whereby there are separate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call In these circumstances dementia sufferers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one zone whist less vulnerable residents live in an alternative “zone” Each “zone” can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required

Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil environment for residents Pagers have been around for many years are a relatively simple and cost-effective measure in reducing the levels of noise and can be added to most Nurse Call systems Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning e-medication etc Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call system With the Go app nurse call alarms are delivered immediately and silently straight to the handsets alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the residents in the home

Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less

Lotus Care Technology

The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls

Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining

Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier Visit www lctuk com for details

stressed also, this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved staff are retained and CQC ratings improve Clearly the positive ramifications of a quiet Care Home run deep Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter calmer, and more tranquil environment

For more information email us at info@c-t co uk

• Nurse Call Systems

• Fire Alarm Systems

• Door Access

Nurse Alert Mats

Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected, the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents

When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate

• Staff Attack

• CCTV

• Infection Control

• Dementia Care

• Electrical Contracting

In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing, It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

Hartford Care Joins Forces with Sensio in UK First to Reduce Risk of Falls in Care Homes

or computer If further information is required an anonymous snapshot of the incident is shared, so the team knows whether they need to attend or if the resident is moving around safely It s also possible to see the current status and position for all residents in their rooms at a glance from a single screen without compromising their privacy

Kevin Shaw Chief Executive at Hartford Care comments: “It’s a very exciting prospect to be the first care home in the UK to be trialling RoomMate This is ground-breaking technology which could help our entire industry develop and evolve; I am looking forward to seeing the impact this will have on our already exceptional resident care

Johan Anstensrud Chief Executive at Sensio comments: “We are delighted that the residents and staff at Hartford Care will reap the benefits from our revolutionary safety sensor RoomMate For years it has proven to be a success in Scandinavia preventing falls injuries and ailments and giving more time for personal care I am looking forward to continuing this exciting journey also in the UK together with Hartford Care

Hartford Care is governed by three core principals – care, comfort and companionship; and its philosophy of care is completely focussed on providing a safe and comfortable lifestyle for its residents and carers in a quality home setting

Hartford Care’s head office is based in Basingstoke Hampshire Established in 1908 its care homes are located in Bristol Berkshire (Burnham and Maidenhead) Devon (Sidmouth) Dorset (Poole)

AND SOFTWARE

Fall Savers - Affordable

Fall Monitoring Solutions

Fall Savers® are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years FALL

Eliminate

The RoomMate sensor ultimately reduces the need for nightly visits so residents can sleep better with less interruptions In Scandinavian care homes where the technology is already being used falls have reduced on average by 60% across its 8,000 daily users

The technology works by an alarm being raised by the sensor if there is movement within a resident s room The care team can then check what kind of an alarm it is via the RoomMate app on a phone tablet

Hampshire (Barton-on-Sea Four Marks, Hythe, Portsmouth Winchester and Woodlands) Isle of Wight (Bembridge Ryde and Shanklin) Oxfordshire (Witney) and Wiltshire (Downton)

Find more details about Hartford Care’s awardwinning care homes while more information about Hartford Care Group Limited is available at: www hartfordcare co uk

Find more information about RoomMate and Sensio at www sensiocare com

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

AND SOFTWARE

G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution

Genee is a UK leading manufacturer of innovative technological solutions Genee plays an integral role across all major industries including health care to support patients residents and staff

Having supported Care Homes through the pandemic The GTouch Wireless Care Home Solution is one of Genee’s most impactful solutions yet The solution includes; the G-Touch Interactive Screen Electric Mobile Trolley and a Wireless Battery Pack Its portability specially designed and simple to use interface as well as its multitude of applications are specifically built for residents and staff in mind

The G-Touch Interactive Screen is an engaging resource for residents and staff Available in 55’ , 65’’ and 75’’, the touchscreen itself has durable and toughened safety glass that can be easily cleaned The large screen provides for spectacular viewings of videos TV shows and movies In addition the size of the screen encourages residents to participate in interactive activities

With built-in 2x15w front facing speakers and an HD video conferencing camera provides the perfect communication tool to video call families, friends, and other care homes With the built-in PC and Android 8 0 operating system the user interface software is easy to use As soon as the touchscreen is turned on the system loads into a tablet style of multiple icons containing the software and Apps used daily without the

need for a PC-style login The included software also helps residents with health issues, including Dementia and Alzheimer’s

A solution that benefits all! The Electric Mobile Trolley is better suited than a traditional wall mount or trolley The mobile trolley can be electronically adjusted by height and offers 90-degree angle adjustment from horizontal to vertical ensuring easy accessibility at different chairs and wheelchair height The four lightweight and strong steel integrated castors include locking brakes for safety

The Wireless Battery Pack removes trip hazards and provides a helpful portable solution Simply add the lightweight battery pack to the trolley and easily move the touchscreen from room to room

The G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution comes with 5 years onsite warranty as standard with no additional costs Our dedicated team will bring the equipment to the care home assemble and install the solution and test everything on site We will also support you with free online training to ensure your Care Home gets maximum use of this incredible solution

Get in touch +44 (0)1902 390 862 sales@genee-group com www genee-group com

Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & Networks

Blaucomm s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) is the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers, through its intelligent software which delivers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them

Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care planning and eMar - now the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care

Furthermore Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM, so call bell data is linked straight to care plans This unlocks a huge benefit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents, which ultimately promotes better response times and visibility for management to audit their performance

The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call system - we work with all major brands such as Aidcall ARM Courtney Thorne C-TEC ENS Intercall Medicare SAS and TeleAlarm

Care operators are constantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its reliability and dependability to their care operations, which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions

Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say about Blaucomm

NMS:

“We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic company with a reliable product

We have a range of nurse call systems at different sites and the NMS system integrates to them and allows us to compare response times between sites

In addition the integration to Person Centred Software is revolutionary We would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!

To find out more about Blaucomm NMS visit www blaucomm co uk/healthcare

Ssee the advert on the front cover for more details

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

All-in-One Care Management Software for Today and Tomorrow

everyLIFE technologies was founded on a passion for empowering care agencies to deliver the highest standards of personalised care easily and efficiently Through a secure cloud-based digital care software solution

PASS was designed with the input of the industry and now supports over 80 000 people With complete care plans care plan tracking care records and online as well as offline alerts, we work to make critical data accessible secure and usable for your team

go back to the supplier each time They therefore particularly liked the Document Builder function in PASS which gave them the option to build and customise documents and assessments themselves

THE IMPACT

With the introduction of PASS, Court Nursing has benefited from:

Realtime access from within PASS to their service user s GP records without having to contact the surgery or pharmacy

THE COURT NURSING HOME BENEFITS

FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF PASS

As well as offering care for older people The Court Nursing Home also supports those with dementia learning disabilities mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairment Amongst their staff they employ four registered nurses

WHY PASS?

In moving from paper to digital Court Nursing was seeking a solution that would allow them to streamline their working practices and realise improved operational efficiencies

Flexibility: The powerful core functionality of PASS along with its flexible approach that supports customisable alerts, documents, assessments and workflows, were a key factor in their decision to select PASS

Self sufficiency: With a relatively young IT literate workforce they were keen to work in an environment where they could make simple changes to their digital care management system inhouse, without having to

• All of their service users documents stored electronically together in one place

• Ability to create and populate documents from within PASS

Creating their own bespoke documents

The Smart Observations function within PASS, making use of the Fluids observations feature for example

GP Connect has provided continuity of care between ourselves and the GP giving us access to up to date notes regarding the care of our users

In short PASS GP Connect helps us to cut out the middleman meaning that as nurses we can work more efficiently giving us more time for direct patient care

Rebecca Knight, Registered Manager

For further information visit www everylifetechnologies com or see the advert on page 42

Digital Employee Recognition Scheme Increases

Terryberry offer an all-in-one benefits reward and recognition platform including milestone and service awards, lifestyle savings, salary sacrifice, cycle to work 24-hour GP helpline and pension contributions in an easy-touse platform

It is commonly accepted that workplace morale is intrinsically linked to productivity and retention With the current cost-of-living crisis rocketing basic food and energy bills, Terryberry is helping UK businesses ride the storm

The 360 Employee Recognition software and platform incorporates four aspects into one integrated digital hub: employee benefits, milestones and service awards social recognition and wellness

The employee benefit section allows managers and HR staff to incentivise staff through a range of benefits from private healthcare life insurance and GP helplines employee perks such as retail discounts and wellbeing schemes such as cycle to work schemes

The milestones and service awards are reserved for retirement celebrations and service awards Gone are the days of handing out gold plated engraved clocks or watches; companies want a wider eclectic choice of gifts such as luxury hampers or unique experience days for their most valued employees

School children aren t the only ones who thrive under positive peer-to-peer recognition adult employees blossom under recognition culture schemes We all want to know we’re doing a good job; positive recognition bolsters self-esteem and superchargers dopamine It s a win-win scenario employees feel

Morale and Productivity

good will stay in their jobs and continue working hard Managers benefit from a happy workplace, with staff who feel valued and will go the extra mile

The last section is wellness with Terryberry offering services to support an employee’s physical mental and financial wellbeing Through support with Mental health and wellness to online gym classes and help with managing your finances

The 360 Employee Recognition software and platform offers HR departments and business leaders an integrated digital hub to look after the basics everyday workplace morale with customised calendar events for Christmas, Birthdays and retirement occasions This leaves more times for managers to come up with valuable team building sessions whether that’s in the boardroom or in the pub!

In 2021 Terryberry partnered with the UK Government on their Help for Households scheme launching Help for Employees an easy-to-use offers and discounts platform that is being made available to businesses of all sizes with the aim to help as many people as possible save money and look after all areas of their wellbeing reducing stress and creating a much happier workplace

To start prioritising your employees’ wellbeing today see the details below:

T +44 03448262008

www terryberry com/gb

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Navigating the Cost of Living Crisis Without a Cost to Care Standards

Sadly we are all too familiar with hearing that our care sector is under pressure and that we are facing a challenging time as predictions point towards a recession At a time when we have 165 000 unfilled vacancies across social care and staff retention is as much of a focus as recruitment we are also facing higher costs for energy and essentials that aid us in delivering the care that residents need Now more than ever we need solutions that can save both time and money reducing the admin workload of stretched staff and helping budgets go a little bit further

As in many other areas of our modern lives technology has a big part to play in helping to navigate the cost of living crisis without compromising standards of care Care home administration software has the ability, and potential, to benefit care providers at all levels of the organisation but especially care home managers and carers Where the needs of residents are paramount solutions to saving time and costs need to be found elsewhere in the care home environment and one area where few would argue would be in reducing the administrative burden

The adage ‘time is money’ can feel overused but it still rings as true now as when it was coined While we all find ways to make budgets go that little bit further saving time can be a highly effective way to achieve this Utilising software capabilities to streamline the workload frees up staff to focus on the delivery of care instead of time-consuming admin Automation within software can also make normally time intensive tasks such as filling gaps in the rota much quicker [FH2] It s easy to underestimate how much time can be saved as each individual saving seems so small but taken together shortening these repetitive tasks can have big implications Direct messaging of staff from the rota for example is saving CoolCare customers about 11 hours per month

The CAREAudits System

CAREAudits apps and systems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploying paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999

Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software development as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector, with a trustee of three charities, a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a consultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice

Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with administration driven by ever increasing legislative

compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone

THE CAREAUDITS SYSTEM

The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland by all care service providers in numerous locations There are thousands of carers checking everything from CQC Compliance and Safety to Medication Audits Training and Maintenance as well as service users quality and wellbeing and now Corona Virus

Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes UK says We were able to implement the system ourselves and are now benefitting from management

by Fiona Hale, Managing Director of CoolCare (www coolcare co uk)

alone – that’s nearly 1 5 admin days per month per care home Identifying these gaps earlier also prevents the need for emergency staffing from agencies which can come at a premium – stressing already tight budgets

From a business perspective ensuring that care providers time aren t monopolised by admin makes a lot of sense Staffing is one of the biggest investments and costs for any business so having technology in place that helps them to perform their role more effectively is a wise investment on its own Where care home management software can automate and reduce admin carers have more time to spend with residents helping to deliver compliant staffing requirements If a member of the team needs to spend hours in an office on admin tasks then additional team members are needed to ensure compliance adding extra cost to a shift which could otherwise be used to help with energy and food costs

The cost of living crisis is not only affecting care home staff at work Where home financial pressures are mounting the stress can make it hard to focus fully on work no matter how hard an employee tries Capabilities and integrations within care home administration software to enable earned wage access give staff the ability to use their pay in a flexible way which works for them and their own financial situation Having access to forward rotas and vacant shifts also allows them to pick up additional work and money when needed Supporting staff through the crisis is also of benefit to staff retention encouraging them to stay with the business and ensure standards of care are maintained for residents long-term, and avoiding the need for recruitment in the midst of a staffing crisis

Technology has a key role to play in helping the care sector navigate the current financial climate Whether that s through reducing the admin burden streamlining roles or offering greater staff flexibility and benefits However it s just as important to tackle the challenges together enabling staff to feel supported in their roles so that we weather the storm together and continue to deliver exceptional care

having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are The system allows care providers to audit or check just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non-compliances) in it s Web Portal Encrypted date and time stamped evidence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system

Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says “It s a paperless system that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless ” CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs checking that it’s been checked actions required by whom, by when including full resolution management Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement Steven Tegart from Talbot Group likes reporting and says “I wish all my other systems were as easy to extract data for management reports as the CAREAudits

Excel links

The system has over 120 example audits to select from CAREAudits apps are extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of everchanging requirements App auditors can use CAREAudits with virtually no training it s that simple The Care Auditor s Hands Free Operation guides the user through each audit each question and answer with it’s own help text standard answers and standard actions required ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider’s expert Users can download the app for a free trial and be up and running with the full system in minutes CAREAudits apps are a part of the Care Plus Innovation Group, Priory Park Hull, HU4 7DY Info:- visit www careaudits co uk email apps@careaudits co uk or call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887

PROFESSIONAL AND RECRUITMENT

A Care Provider's Guide to International Recruitment

by Suleman Sacranie, Founder of Care Hires (https://carehires com/)

There is the making of a perfect storm brewing in the care sector The UK population is ageing – with the number of over 85 s set to increase to 3 1million by 2045 and estimates suggesting this growth could be especially rapid between now and 2025 The number of years we can expect to spend in good health is also in decline meaning the need for care provision can only increase However care providers are also facing a significant shortage of workers and there are currently 165 000 vacant positions in the UK

So how do we deliver care to the growing number of older people who need it? International recruitment is a solution many are looking to but with an increasing number of hoops to jump through, it can be hard to know where to start and how to ensure you are able to get the staff you need

SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY PARTNERS

A lack of familiarity with the process and a fear of making mistakes during the application process have been stated as significant factors in many employers avoiding it entirely Although changes to immigration rules post-Brexit have increased the paperwork for employing EU nationals the government has introduced several measures to make things easier including visas and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge which could save most workers £624 a year It has also added care staff to the official Shortage Occupation List, introduced a £500million fund for training and career development in the sector and made changes to qualifications

The overall cost of recruiting a single worker from overseas can vary substantially depending on the decisions you make on how to manage the process either internally or through a recruitment partner A key factor to note is that recruitment agencies should never charge applicants to match them to roles so if you choose to engage an agency to assist you with offers to work for free you should make sure they are not charging the applicants as this is contrary to best practice

ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

As with many things, preparation is key Before deciding to take the route of recruitment from overseas, it s sensible to make sure the correct preparations are in place Check that your applicants will be able to

get a sponsorship licence This won’t be possible if you have any unspent criminal convictions for immigration or certain other crimes or had a sponsorship licence revoked within the last 12 months You will also need to demonstrate that your organisation can monitor sponsored people and manage the process internally

You ll also need to check if the job is eligible for sponsorship Alongside the salary requirements sponsored employees must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional and the role they fulfil will have to be for a Home Office approved UK health and care sector employer

Following best practice is always a good way to ensure success and one of the key things we recommend for successful overseas recruitment is to adopt a robust ethics policy A code of ethics based on principles laid out by the World Health Organisation is available from and recommended by the government Following this code will ensure that your approach is transparent and safeguards the interests of the applicants involved

Some of the main points to follow include that staff must not be recruited from countries on the Government s red list they should not be charged and that they should have the level of English proficiency sufficient to work in their role All new overseas applicants should also be offered appropriate support and induction which may include a pre-employment placement

PLAN FOR SUCCESS

Although the process may be intimidating especially for smaller care providers there is no reason you cannot successfully recruit from overseas By taking your time planning carefully and ensuring you are following the best practice, you have every chance of success

Agencies and legal advice can make the process easier if you are willing and able to take on the additional financial costs

Before your recruits get to the UK ensure you have prepared thoroughly for their arrival and be willing to invest time in them to help them settle and integrate into their new roles and lives The more supported a new employee feels, the more likely they are to feel happy and settled in their new environment The process may be frustrating at first but as with most things the more you do the easier it becomes Navigating the pending staffing storm will only be successful if we can find ways of managing and balancing permanent staff from the UK and overseas as well as supplementing the workforce with temporary staff As experts in our field connecting care providers and staffing providers we have a unique vantage point to the benefits of a joined-up approach Technology can go a long way to help with this but ultimately staffing is all about people remembering this through every stage of the recruitment process will ensure we weather the storm together

Apprenticeships Partnership Could Help Create ‘Managers Of The Future’ For Care Sector

The co-founder of an award-winning management transformation programme believes a new class of apprenticeships could help create managers of the future for the care sector

Laura Ashley-Timms Chief Operating Officer of Notion believes apprenticeships that increase people management capacity in learners could be transformational for the future of care sector management

Speaking at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, Laura says:

“The Care Quality Commission (CQC) now requires a specific ratio of manager level staff to patients in each care setting But there is a shortage of care workers with the required Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care This reduces capacity in care settings which means hospitals are unable to discharge patients into those appropriate care settings which increases demand for NHS beds If more care workers were able to access that qualification via an apprenticeship it would increase care setting capacity and alleviate pressure on the NHS

“These areas are strategically important for the UK economy and for UK society as a whole Creating more and better managers especially in the adult care sector has the potential to relieve pressure on the NHS

Announcing their partnership, Qdos Training Ltd and Notion have been working together to integrate

STAR® Manager into their management and leadership apprenticeships that are the first to fully embed Notion’s innovative (and now research-backed*) Operational Coaching™ and management approach into selected Level 3 and 5 management and leadership apprenticeships

The partnership is initially focused on three apprenticeship programmes, Level 3 Team Leader / Supervisor Level 5 Operations / Department Manager and Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care

Speaking of the partnership Laura Ashley-Timms said

We ve always wanted to partner with a quality apprenticeship provider because we see apprenticeships as a powerful way of unlocking untapped talent and potential within organisations of all types Qdos Training is an exceptional provider and has a very impressive programme completion rate Deborah Johnson, Engagement Director at Qdos Training, says of the partnership:

We share Notion s absolute passion to create the managers of the future Most of us are accidental managers’ and may not have ever been shown how to manage people let alone learned how to communicate in a way that invites the highest levels of collaboration in the workplace STAR® Manager is a unique approach that enables our apprentices to put into practice the people management and leadership theories they’re learning The programme enables them to be more than just managers and instead become brilliant people leaders

STAR® Manager was recently subjected to one of the largest academic studies of its type The study, carried out by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Government s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found statistically significant proof that the programme improves retention rates and transforms management capability at scale in as little as six months

Website: https://starmanager global/what-is-star/

Contact: hello@STARmanager global

The Eden Alternative is fundamentally a modern philosophy of care’ which at its core is designed to enhance the wellbeing of residents and staff in care settings, the quality of their lived experience and their fulfilment

It aims to build a truly positive culture; underpinned by close partnership working between residents the team and family members

It is also designed to empower members of the care team to think innovatively about practice to enhance their fulfilment and strengthen retention

It is worth spending 10 minutes to see the Eden Alternative in practice https://youtu be/qK3vTbckZMw

How does it work? It provides training to Care Homes management and staff and encourages Homes to train their own ‘in house trainers to run the programme if they wish

The philosophy is designed to develop a positive and vibrant culture empower members in developing a care partnership and help

c A series of relevant Eden Video clips

d An Eden course questionnaire to assist learning

e Development of an individualised project that candidates work

Providers to deliver on their ambitions

How long has Eden been going? Eden has been running such training in over 20 countries on 5 continents for nearly 30 years and started in the USA It began operating in the UK in 2005

Eden UK runs both face-to-face training and online courses which both lead to the accreditation of candidates as Certified Eden Associates of which there are over 2 000 in the UK and 20 000 worldwide

The Certified Eden Associate Courses The online course runs over 6 weeks x 1hr each week covers the same material as the 3-day Eden Associate courses and comprise 5 elements:

a 6 Online live 1-hourly tutorials running weekly

b Working through the Eden Associate workbook

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

Why Apprenticeships Are Crucial For Tackling Workforce Shortages Across The Care Sector

Care providers across the country have unfortunately become accustomed to workforce shortages As a recent report on health and social care workforce from the Health and Social Care Committee showed 95% of care providers are struggling to recruit staff and 75% of providers are finding it hard to retain their existing workforce This is compounded by the fact that these roles are typically paid less than 80% of the wider economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has further affected the sector s ability to recruit and retain staff – during this time the working conditions of social care workers suffered as they battled with long hours restrictive working conditions and an increased risk to their health

And on the ground these staff shortages can lead to increased frontline pressures burnout and job dissatisfaction They can also impact the quality of individual care – in October 2022, the CQC’s State of Care report said that in the first three months of 2022 2 2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient workforce capacity

So how can we encourage more people to pursue what can be an extremely rewarding career in care and stay in the sector?

APPRENTICESHIPS

If we are going to reverse the trend and increase the percentage of people joining and staying in social

By Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access Health, Support and Care

care we need to incentivise careers in the sector and create a positive environment for people to work in Doing so will improve job satisfaction – a huge factor in the departure of many health and social care workers as reported by the Nuffield Trust

At the Access Group one of the ways that we are promoting career pathways in social care is through the government’s Apprenticeship Levy Scheme, which aims to encourage work-based training in particular sectors Working with 75 000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors we invest the money into our own apprenticeship schemes as well as sharing it with organisations from across health and care, supporting them to recover from the impact of the pandemic

The Health Support and Care division (HSC) of the company has invested £100 000 since March 2022 alleviating workforce pressures by enabling 86 health and social care apprenticeships across the country Benefactors of the financial support include residential care providers Burrow Down Support and Home2Home with Care; and domiciliary care provider Hamble Valley Care alongside a range of other care providers using the additional resource to enhance skills of new and existing staff thus providing them with more opportunities to advance their careers

As we see it apprenticeships play a crucial role in improving job satisfaction and ultimately staff retention, with unhappy and unfulfilled staff more likely to move into other roles They also motivate the next generation of talent to pursue a career in care encouraged by the support and opportunity to upskill in the sector

Admittedly apprenticeship schemes aren’t a silver bullet to the ever-growing workforce crisis but they are a positive step in the right direction to support a sector that we all value and depend on More information can be found on The Access Group s website at www theaccessgroup com