The Carer Digital - Issue #158

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

Its Afternoon Tea week!!

That great quintessentially British tradition is here And as I have previously stated I genuinely believe no one celebrates Afternoon Tea Week better than our elderly population in particular those within care environments

One of the great joys of my job is reporting the many uplifting stories we receive from care homes around the UK I receive them every day of the week, and they make a pleasant change from the “doom and gloom” we are subjected to in mainstream news very day!

In an era marked by fast-paced lifestyles and digital connections the sanctity of human interaction often falls prey to the relentless march of time For the elderly residing in care homes this sense of isolation can be especially profound leading to loneliness and compromised mental well-being Yet against this backdrop of modernity the heartening tradition of activities in care homes emerges as a beacon of hope shedding light on the remarkable work of care home staff in enhancing residents health and happiness

Loneliness a formidable adversary knows no age However the nurturing environment of care homes provides a refuge where residents can partake in a plethora of engaging activities These communal gatherings foster connections, kindle friendships, and act as veritable lifelines against the tide of solitude Dedicated staff in care homes across the UK understand the intrinsic value of these activities, recognizing them not merely as diversions, but as potent tools for nurturing well-being, and I am delighted to say share them with us so that we can share them with you!

One quintessentially British tradition that stands out in this regard is the celebrated

Afternoon Tea Week A cherished ritual that harkens back to Victorian times it has found a modern home in care homes captivating the hearts of residents The clinking of teacups the aroma of freshly baked scones and the mirthful chatter reverberating through these gatherings create an ambiance that transcends generations As residents gather around elegantly set tables they not only savour the delights of tea and treats but also savour the joy of companionship – a sentiment that is simply priceless

Afternoon Tea Week however is just one example of the treasure trove of activities that care homes offer From art therapy sessions that ignite creative flames to gardening clubs that allow residents to reconnect with nature, these activities are instrumental in rejuvenating the spirits of those who have lived rich and full lives Music therapy, dance classes, storytelling circles, local community activities and reminiscence sessions transport residents down memory lanes, triggering cascades of laughter, tears, and, above all, a profound sense of belonging

It is the dedicated care home staff who orchestrate these heartwarming symphonies of togetherness The caregivers activity coordinators nurses and support staff invest boundless energy and love into crafting experiences that enrich residents lives Their

YOUR

Simply

commitment transcends duty; it becomes a testament to the human capacity to uplift, inspire, and empower others, even in the face of challenges

These activities which may appear as simple threads in the tapestry of life are I truly think woven with love compassion and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of residents

We here at THE CARER are delighted to acknowledge the boundless dedication of care home staff who are the unsung heroes behind the scenes ensuring that each resident s journey is filled with purpose connection and joy and share them to the 10s of thousands of readers we have and I printed issue our weekly digital issue our website our twice weekly digital newsletter and our highly interactive social media

If we haven t all already realised in the grand tapestry of life care homes serve as sanctuaries of unity where the laughter camaraderie and shared experiences of residents converge to form a mosaic of well-being Afternoon Tea Week and its companions remind us that the essence of life's richness lies not in isolation, but in the heartwarming connections we forge As we raise our teacups to salute the tireless efforts of care homes and their staff, let us reiterate our commitment to fostering a society that values and champions the well-being of our cherished elders

And that said we are once again putting up a prize all you have to do is send us some photographs and a brief description of how you celebrated afternoon two week see page 19 further details

Editor

Peter Adams

Government Underfunding Adult Social Care by £1.5bn Each Year

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

Professor Martin Green continued Without paying the fair cost of care providers are forced to exit the market, leaving vulnerable people across the country without the proper support The fair cost of care must be paid for the sustainability of social care and for the wellbeing of those who rely on support from the sector and their families

Care England conducted an analysis of the Fair Cost of Care exercise and found that as of March 2023, the average difference nationally between what a Local Authority pays for residential care fees and the Fair Cost of Care was £196 per week whilst this figure is £178 per week for nursing care

FAIRER COST OF CARE

Martin Green continues: “Social care has been calling for fair funding for years Although there is evidence to suggest we are moving towards a fairer cost of care we are by no means at a fair cost of care

The sector remains in a precarious position – the majority of Directors of Adult Social Care Services do not feel they are able to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time ”

“Years of central government underfunding is having a material impact on providers local government and people who draw on care and support The social care sector is still in vital need of significant investment from the government An investment in closing the funding gap isn’t just an investment into the social care market it’s an investment in the people who live in visit and work in social care provision This figure demonstrates that the promise to fix social care has been broken Political parties of all stripes must recognise the importance of high-quality social care to the wellbeing of the NHS, the economy and society as a whole ”

The government has been waned numerous times that the sector is in crisis due to underfunding in April this year Adult social care providers urged the Government to work with them to put the sector on a sustainable footing in the face of unfunded rising costs and deepening workforce challenges

The call came as a report revealed that one third of adult social care providers including half of smaller organisations, considered exiting the market in the past 12 months

DECADES OF UNDERINVESTMENT

The Sector Pulse Check report a piece of independent research commissioned by national learning disability charity Hft and Care England highlighted the challenges facing the sector following the pandemic cost of living crisis and decades of under-investment by central Government

Based on a representative survey of care providers in England, the report described how cost pressures, including sky-high utility bills – rising by as much as 500% for some providers – and increasing unfunded workforce pay resulted in 82% of providers being in deficit or facing a decrease in their surplus in 2022

Financial and workforce pressures have also seen 42% of providers forced to close parts of their organisation or hand back care contracts to Local Authorities

One survey respondent described the current climate as “genuinely the most perilous period in the organisation s 50-year history ” going onto say that their “ability to provide residential care and supported living is seriously compromised

COST PRESSURES

The report also highlighted that workforce-related cost pressures driven by increases in the National Living Wage, were a standout concern for providers, with 92% citing workforce pay as a key pressure on

their organisation Concerningly 81% said that Local Authority fee increases did not cover the increasing costs of workforce pay in 2022

Low wages relative to other sectors as well as a perception that better opportunities exist elsewhere were identified as key drivers of difficulties in recruitment and retention with 95% of respondents saying that increasing pay would have the most impact on boosting staff numbers

Cumulatively the impact of financial and workforce challenges faced by the adult social care sector leave some of the most vulnerable in society at risk of not being able to access the support they need, and has a knock-on impact for wider society families communities and the NHS

SECTOR “DRIVEN OUT OF MARKET”

Speaking in April this year Kirsty Matthews Chief Executive of Hft said: “The crisis of the pandemic was swiftly met by another; a cost-of-living crisis characterised by spiralling inflation and catastrophic increases in utility bills Political and financial efforts have been focused on tackling the broader impact of these national challenges, but we are still at risk of forgetting about the mostly hidden social care sector and workforce which has determinedly continued to support our society as the country lurches from one crisis to the next ”

As a provider I empathise with my peers across the sector having to close services and turn away referrals because of financial constraints and staff shortages This is made more critical at a time when we need to further support our partners in the NHS by preventing admissions to hospital or enabling the discharge of people to social care

“We can no longer afford to ignore the fact that our sector is being driven out of the market without acknowledging the devastating impact this is having on the lives of the people who draw on our support the National Health Service and the wider economy ”

“We hope our research illustrates key issues that Government could work to address in the short term to provide a longer-term solution to ensure the sustainability of this very important part of society

TIME TO “SHIFT THE NEEDLE”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, added: “The Sector Pulse Check report corroborates many of the concerns I – and others in the sector – have been raising with Government for many years ”

“We want to craft a vision that enables people to live well through a system of support in which health and social care systems act in a coordinated fashion focused on those who draw on care and support and are financed adequately and appropriately to allow for innovation and investment

Now is the time to shift the needle This needle needs to point to a new future one which sees social care as part of the solution in terms of how we look after our nation We require a new vision where success is measured in outcomes and in terms of the benefit delivered to people and communities more widely The whole system needs to work together with a shared vision and purpose to ensure this becomes a reality for all ”

Organisations staff and the people we support are all suffering as a result of the current roadmap This landmark report must be the last which reaffirms the current reality and it is incumbent upon Government to respond if the sector is to continue to provide quality care and support There is an opportunity to lay the foundation for meaningful reform within the current funding envelope and it is one that should be grasped with both hands ”

Don’t Wait For The Crisis To Hit To Think About How Your Organisation Would Respond

By Helen Furnivall, Managing Director, HighRise Communications (www highrisecommunications co uk)

The care sector often makes the headlines when things go wrong so having a reputation management plan in place for if your organisation finds itself under the media spotlight makes a lot of sense

Of course the best protection against needing to put your crisis management plan into place is nothing ever going wrong But that s not the real world and even with the best governance and effective staff teams in place sometimes the unexpected will happen

Just some examples of where you might need to think about how you would go about handling the media are if your organisation gets a critical CQC report is accused of safety failings, if a relative goes to the media with complaint, if a staff member is arrested for an issue in their personal life or for professional wrongdoing

the list goes on

While larger companies may have the benefit of an in-house communications team or media officer, this isn’t true for all care organisations But there are some basic principles and points of guidance that may help and are worth sharing

One of the most important things we always stress is that for whatever reason you find yourself under the media spotlight or being asked questions by journalists

it’s crucial to show that you care and that you are taking the issue seriously Being dismissive or saying the claims are without foundation definitely won t help and will create the wrong impression Be polite and helpful but also don t immediately rush into answering media questions or go on the record Take a moment to think and take stock and find out as much as you can before getting back to the journalist

Tell them you will get back to them as soon as you can and go and get professional

advice if you need it

It s very easy to make things worse if you find yourself under the media spotlight by not handling the situation appropriately Which is why we advise making sure you have a simple written media protocol as part of your crisis management plans so everyone knows how to respond and so that the issue is handled appropriately and professionally

It’s worth thinking about is who are the designated media spokespeople for your organisation Do they know they will be called upon if something goes wrong and have they had the training they need to perform at their best?

Usually, the media spokesperson would be the Chief Executive or someone else from the senior leadership especially if something has gone seriously wrong But other people who may be effective spokespeople include your safeguarding lead head of clinical services or other senior member of clinical staff It’s worth thinking about who in your organisation could be an effective spokesperson – especially if they are naturally warm and empathetic Then put media training in place so they aren t in at the deep end when something serious happens We also advise putting expectations around being a media spokesperson in job descriptions so staff are clear that this forms part of their role and responsibilities

Hopefully with good governance and an effective and professional staff team your organisation will only ever be in the news for the right reasons But putting a crisis management plan in place means that even in the worst situations your organisation comes across as a caring professional organisation capable of responding turning things round and doing better in future

Care Home Launches New Specialist Club To Support Residents With Dementia

Grantham care home is helping residents to forget me not as it launches a new club to support people suffering with advanced stages of dementia Red Court Care Community in St Edmunds Court Grantham provides residential and nursing care for 53 residents while specialising in dementia care

The team has launched specialist club Forget Me Not a group specifically designed to provide adapted and specialist activities such as balloon tennis, soft games talking workshops and tea parties for those with advanced dementia

Manager Gabriela Bucek said it meant that there was now a number of additional weekly resources to help dementia residents who struggle to fully interact with mainstream activities

She said At Red Court Care Home we have always been committed to providing the very best care tailored to every resident’s specific need All of our activities are accessible and available for every resident to

enjoy However we wanted to create a group which went one step further and offered specialist activities for our residents suffering with advanced stages of dementia This meant offering adapted activities for individuals who struggle to relax and interact as well as more time to learn and understand how to engage with these specific activities

Forget Me Not has been really well received and it has been amazing to see the residents faces light up as they try out some of the new activities ”

Activity coordinator Andrea ? has carried out additional training courses to set up the group including ???

She said: We recently held a balloon tennis session and we found residents were struggling to understand what to do to start or even remember to lift their hand to play

By the end of the session two residents were able to hit the balloon to one another It may seem a simple thing but it was such an achievement and it was fantastic to see their faces light up as they began to play

Cub Scouts Bring A Mini Jamboree To RNNH Residents

Residents at Friends of the Elderly’s residential and dementia care home RNNH (the Retired Nurses National Home) in Bournemouth, Dorset, spent a warm fun-filled evening enjoying a mini Jamboree thanks to a visit from 30 Cub Scouts from the 21st Bournemouth Cub Scouts

The 21st Bournemouth Cub Scouts pack has been visiting RNNH since 2018 and last visited the residents back in October 2022 when they worked in the care home’s beautiful gardens as part of their Gardener Activity Badge However their latest visit was to bring the spirit of a Scouting Jamboree to the care home residents

To set the Jamboree scene the Cub Scouts –supervised by their leaders – created a campfire in a garden chiminea Whilst the fire was warming up, the Cub Scouts exhibited their sporting agility and abilities by playing tennis and volleyball and showed the residents their bow and arrow proficiency by demonstrating their archery skills

Following the physical exertion the Cub Scouts roasted marshmallows on the safe chiminea campfire for the residents before tucking into the tasty treats themselves “As everyone was sitting together enjoying the warm marshmallows, the residents were chatting to the Cub Scouts and their leaders about their own memories of being in the Scouts and Guides said Rob Paton, the Activities Coordinator at RNNH “The conversations were wonderful to hear as our residents have such fond memories of their times in the Scouts or Guides “Many of our residents belonged to the Scouts or Guides ” Rob continued “Joan Dowden who has lived at RNNH since August 2021 was a Guide Leader and Audrey Orvin who has been a resident since January 2022 was an Akela Cub Leader in Poole for many years Audrey was especially keen to find out how things had

changed since she was an Akela and chatted with Dan the Cub Scout s Akela for quite a while asking questions about the badges they do now and how many Cub Scouts he has in the Pack ”

To finish off the mini jamboree the residents joined the Cub Scouts in singing a selection of traditional campfire songs including Campfire s Burning and two action songs A Pizza Hut and Cecil is a Caterpillar

It was such a great evening all the residents thoroughly enjoyed themselves They told all the care team what a lovely time they had had and were still talking about the wonderful evening the next day so we know it was a huge success and we ll definitely do it again,” Rob added

It was lovely evening which everyone thoroughly enjoyed added Caroline Gulen the Care Home Manager at RNNH “The residents had a marvellous time, enjoying the tasty marshmallows watching the activities chatting to the Cub Scouts their leaders and sharing their own experiences Reminiscing and talking about their own adventures in the Scouts and Guides really focused our residents on some of the rewarding aspects of their lives and own unique life histories I’d like to thank Dan and all of the 21st Bournemouth Cub Scouts for coming along and making such a positive impact to our residents day

“I always learn something new from our residents and this time was no exception I now know that Akela, the name used for a Cub Scout leader actually comes from Rudyard Kipling s The Jungle Book as Akela is the leader of the wolf pack and that it was Lord Baden-Powell who introduced The Scout Association’s motto of Be Prepared I wonder what I ll learn next Rob concluded

The Retired Nurses National Home (RNNH) has a rich heritage originally built for the care of the nursing community but now open to all to receive high quality care and enjoy stimulating activities such as visits from the Cub Scouts

Cuts To Covid Vaccine Programme Will Leave Patients And GPS In Despair, Says BMA

The BMA says a decision by NHS England to significantly reduce the fee that GPs are paid to deliver Covid vaccines undervalues general practice and threatens the safety of vulnerable patients

The decision comes after a series of talks between the Association and NHS England in which the BMA made clear that many practices would find it difficult to deliver the Covid vaccination programme this autumn with a 25% fee reduction

Responding to the news Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA s GP Committee for England said: During Covid GPs and their practice teams demonstrated that they could deliver an effective world beating vaccination programme in challenging circumstances

Patients and GPs alike will despair that NHSE has announced sub-

stantial cuts to funding and resource of this national vaccination programme on the same day as news stories detail the arrival of a fresh Covid variant

“At a time when we should be learning from history particularly around the importance and value of protecting our patients and minimising hospital admissions this winter, it is disappointing that practices will be put in a position where they are no longer able to deliver this, though no fault of their own due to short-sighted cuts

The Covid vaccine delivery process is twice as long as administering ‘Flu jabs and NHSE knows this Our patients and communities need to be protected and our practices resourced and supported to undertake this important work

Former Blue Peter Presenter Opens New Cinema Room at Foxearth Lodge

A new cinema room has been opened at Foxearth Lodge in Saxtead by former Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves

Mr Purves who has a relative living at the Suffolk home cut the ribbon to officially open the new room which will be regularly used by residents and screening began with a showing of musical favourite Grease

Home Manager Roxanne Cutajar said,

We plan to use our new cinema room to screen two movies a week and at other times it will be used for armchair exercises and many other things

“We’re delighted the room is completed and grateful to Mr Purves for cutting the ribbon for us TV presenter and actor Peter Purves is best known to many as a Blue Peter presenter he fronted the popular children’s programme for 11 years He was also companion to the first Doctor

Who and in recent years has regularly presented from Crufts dog show

How To Work Painlessly With Umbrella Firms

The Off-payroll legislation was rolled out into the private sector in 2021 and threw the flexible working sector into turmoil For the nursing and caring profession it has meant that care home hirers have become responsible for assessing the employment status of their contracting health professionals Many homes chose to blanket ban care professionals from working through their own limited companies which saw many of them nudged into working through umbrella companies for the first time One effect of the legislation was a rise in the number of companies entering the market purporting to be umbrella companies but are in fact tax avoidance and disguised remuneration schemes duping unwitting workers into signing up with them with the promise of more take-home pay It is therefore very important that nurses carers and hirers conduct their due diligence to ensure that they are working with compliant accredited umbrella providers

Crawford Temple is CEO of Professional Passport (www professionalpassport com), the UK s largest independent assessor of payment intermediary compliance and he spells out what nurses carers and hirers need to be alert to

WHAT DOES A COMPLIANT UMBRELLA OFFER?

A compliant umbrella will offer

Employment rights including all statutory rights and benefits such as holiday pay maternity paternity sick leave, pension etc

Employment history whilst working on a contingent basis (useful for access to finance housing/mortgages etc )

• Joined up pay from fragmented working:

o Many nurses and carers will perform multiple assignments

o Umbrellas consolidate their workers’ earnings and ensure appropriate taxes are paid

Peace of mind that tax is paid appropriately with no need to submit an annual self-assessment return to HMRC

Employee/HR support in the unlikely event that an individual needs HR advice such as a grievance case as their employer, the umbrella firm will have processes to support them

ADVICE FOR CONTRACTING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Faced with the IR35 changes, some health workers might be tempted to sign up for one of the many schemes that have popped up promising higher take-home pay The schemes work by paying a small portion of their earnings via PAYE and disguising the remaining larger part of the income as something else, often in the form of a loan One ruse to be aware of is any provider offering 2 payments for each pay run Generally the first payment will be applied at National Minimum Wage and taxed through PAYE and the second will have no tax applied and could be called a variety of names such as an advance or a loan

These schemes are illegal and anyone signing up to such a disguised remuneration scheme puts themselves at significant personal financial risk

If a healthcare professional is taking home significantly more from one provider than the general returns offered by the market, they are clearly signed up to a disguised remuneration scheme Some might opt for such a provider believing there is little chance of being caught but be warned

Follow these 5 steps to stay safe:

1 CONTACT HMRC FOR A PERSONAL TAX ACCOUNT

Sign up for a Personal Tax Account with HMRC This is a simple online process With a Personal Tax Account a worker can check that the earnings reported on their payslips are the same as those reported to HMRC, as the information is regularly updated following Real Time Information (RTI) submissions

2. CHECK PAYSLIP INFORMATION

Check the payslip and the details of the income the umbrella has received from the agency Typically this shows the number of units worked either hours or days depending on the rate the rate paid for each of these units and the total received This should align with the timesheet that has been authorised and the health worker is aware of So, for example, if a nurse or carer has worked five days and the umbrella receives £250 per day as the agreed rate then the total received should show as £1250 00

3 CHECK DEDUCTIONS

Check any deductions are being made as company deductions by the umbrella If anything seems strange or too high have it checked If there is a line for a loan or advance deduction alarm bells should ring

4 CHECK THE BOTTOM LINE

Check the bottom line The total received less the company deductions should flow down to equate to the total gross taxable income on the payslip element of the report

Each contractor has their own tax and NI deducted and possibly any pension contributions being made

This will show the take-home pay that will be paid into the assigned bank account

If the amount received into that account is different usually more than shown on the payslip it is likely a contractor is in a disguised remuneration scheme

5. GET A PAPER PAYSLIP

Professional Passport is seeing increasing instances where payslips are not available to employees and workers receive text notifications outlining what they will be paid These do not replace the requirement for payslips A text message is not a payslip, is illegal and could be concealing the income being reported A

Personal Tax Account will highlight any discrepancies

ADVICE FOR CARE HOMES

Faced with a proliferation of non-compliant schemes it is vital that care home managers get to know their partners throughout the supply chain and take steps to know that their recruitment partners and the umbrella firms that they work with are operating to the most robust compliant standards that will stand up to rigorous interrogation and investigation

There are a number of steps to take to check the credibility and compliance of other parties in the supply chain and you can add specific requirements to your contracts with your recruiters so that you secure assurances and reassurances

You can start by checking out your recruiters Are they in a good financial position? At the very least you should be running a credit check and you should also investigate their accounts – if independently audited then you can feel reassured that the figures are true You should also check for issues such as conflicting business interests, previously failed businesses, financial difficulties and offshore connections

You will also want to check their contracts of employment (umbrella) insurances and levels of cover Ask to see a copy of their insurance certificates, VAT certificate and certificate of incorporation You are trusting your partners with large sums of money so you will need to be assured that they are genuine and have appropriate cover in place And ask your recruiters to confirm the names of the intermediaries they work with and run similar checks on those

Such an audit would identify:

a high-risk provider one more likely to be a disguised remuneration scheme where malpractice and unethical behaviour is occurring a medium risk provider, which is one where there is no evidence of non-compliance but no evidence that their services have been verified for compliance either a low-risk umbrella provider one which holds a recognised compliance accreditation certificate and is unlikely to pose any sort of threat to the supply chain An increasing number of recruiters work only with approved providers but it is important that end clients do their own checks and put processes in place to ascertain compliance

IGNORANCE IS NO DEFENCE

Disguised remuneration schemes have been well documented and publicised throughout the supply chain and HMRC is likely to use all its powers to penalise those individuals identified who are using these schemes Once caught offenders will end up paying more than if they had paid the correct tax in the first place

The message is clear If you suspect something is not right: Challenge It - Get Out of It - Report It

Tour De HICA Challenge Raises Thousands for Care

A care group headquartered in Hull Yorkshire with homes and services across Lincolnshire and Lancashire, recently completed a large-scale cycling challenge to raise funds for residents

The Tour De HICA raised an impressive sum of £6 910 to help fund and support causes and activities across the HICA Group with the farming community from across North Lincolnshire coming together to raise an incredible £2,600, nearly 40% of the total funds raised

Led by agricultural mechanic Nigel Wright the farming community in the region provided around 88 sponsors overall The event held over 24 continuous hours saw employees residents and friends of HICA come together to achieve an incredible total of 1 970 miles surpassing the initial goal of 1 750 miles the distance from Lands End to John O’Groats and back

Participants took on the challenge using a variety of exercise equipment including six exercise bikes a treadmill, and a rowing machine The event showcased the determination, enthusiasm, and commitment of the HICA Group team to support the health and wellbeing of residents across all of their care homes and services

Terry Peel HICA Group’s CEO said: “We are over the moon with the outstanding success of the Tour De HICA challenge and the incredible support we received from our employees, residents, their relatives and other associates

“I wanted to say a special thank you to Nigel Walker and the rest of the farming community who contributed £2 600 towards the total

“Overall everyone’s participation and dedication in reaching a total of 1 970 miles is a testament to our shared commitment to improving the lives of those in our care ”

Nigel Wright said: As a proud member of the region s farming community, the overwhelming support HICA Group s challenge received was wonderful and we are so pleased to provide the generous contribution

The funds will be used to help improve the quality of life for local people and we re delighted to have been involved in such a worthy cause ”

The Tour De HICA challenge also welcomed participation from close friends of the organisation, including the boys from Orchard Park FC which HICA sponsors The funds raised from the challenge will make a positive impact on residents health and wellbeing by providing specialist equipment and funding events and trips

Health & Social Care Workers Worst Affected by Job Insecurity

Insecure employment is widespread in the UK labour market and costly to workers grappling with the cost-of-living crisis according to new research by the Living Wage Foundation One in five UK workers (19%) are in insecure jobs while one in ten (10%) are in insecure jobs that also pay below the real Living Wage The figures represent 6 1 million and 3 4 million people respectively

The report reveals that Health and Social Care Workers are worst affected with 878 000 workers face high inflation in insecure health and social work jobs that are costly to their finances new Living Wage Foundation research reveals Health and social work holds more insecure jobs than any other sector In total the study found a fifth of UK workers (6 1 million people) are in insecure jobs, meaning that 1 in 7 insecure jobs are in the health and social work sector

Other sectors with a high volume of insecure work are ‘Wholesale and Retail (782 000) Accommodation and Food services (527 000) and Education (503 000)

A survey of over 2 000 UK adults interviewed by Survation also found that workers are commonly exposed to extremely short notice for shifts Among the 57% of UK workers whose job involves variable hours or shift work well over half (59%) have been called into work with less than a week’s notice At the extreme, 13% of this group had less than 24 hours notice

The research addresses key gaps in the UK’s labour market data by examining shift notice periods cancellations and their consequences highlighting the extreme precariousness of many jobs amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis Data was also taken from the Labour Force Survey and Family Resource Surveys

Not only are workers throughout the UK frequently required to work at short notice but the polling also found that a quarter (24%) have had their shifts cancelled unexpectedly The vast majority of cancellations are not compensated properly with 90% receiving less than their full payment and over a quarter (26%) receiving no payment at all This means when shifts are cancelled workers are almost twice as likely to receive no payment as they are to receive their regular pay

In addition to facing the cost of living crisis, the research found that 33% of shift workers face higher costs as a result of cancelled or last minute shift patterns – an ‘insecurity premium’ These costs can add to more than £50 a month (£600+ a year) which was the case for almost a fifth (17%) of workers experiencing the premium

• Over a quarter (27%) of workers who have experienced short shift notice periods or shift cancellations incurred higher travel costs as a

result

As interest rates continue to rise nearly a quarter (22%) have been forced to increase their reliance on credit or debt as a result of their unpredictable income;

A fifth (17%) have had to pay higher childcare costs

The study found that workers who are most affected by insecurity are those least well placed to manage its financial burdens The polling found that low paid workers – including cleaners, couriers and some NHS staff – were five times more likely to be in insecure jobs than those earning at or above the real Living Wage (55% vs 11%)

Insecure work is not spread equally between workers Minority ethnic workers are more likely to be in low paid insecure work than white workers (13% vs 10%) Women are substantially more likely than men to be on zero hours contracts despite being employed in insecure jobs at a relatively similar rate with 55% of zero hour contracts held by women

The Living Wage Foundation s movement to challenge the UK s culture of precarious employment is gathering pace, with the number of accredited Living Hours employers approaching 100 Early adopters include major employers such as Aviva SpareRoom and Wealthify Nearly 50 000 UK workers are now covered by Living Hours measures

Living Hours sees employers commit to providing at least 4 weeks notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 working hours every week (unless the worker requests fewer) and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked

This commitment extends to regular third-party contractors

Katherine Chapman Director of the Living Wage Foundation said: “Soaring prices have rightly shone a spotlight on pay this past year, but this research makes clear that reliable working hours are as vital to workers’ financial resilience as a real Living Wage It is shocking that 3 4 million workers are facing the cost-of-living crisis in low paying jobs with unstable working hours making planning a life and a budget impossible

The extent of low pay and insecure work in health and social work is particularly alarming The sector holds some of the most important jobs to our society yet they are also the most precarious and poorly paid jobs in the UK labour market With one in five health and social care workers routinely experiencing low pay and insecure work something needs to change

That is why we re calling on employers to join those who have already stepped up during this crisis and commit to provide workers with Living Hours – secure guaranteed hours and notice of shift patterns – alongside a real Living Wage Action is required by both employer and the government to make this a reality in health and social care but it s an investment that will benefit care workers and their families and is vital for the sector and wider society as our need for care continues to grow

Louise Woodruff Senior Policy Adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said:

Reliable hours and a real Living Wage are the foundations of good employment, making it truly shocking that this report reveals millions of people are navigating the cost-of-living crisis in low-paid insecure jobs It’s clear we cannot beat in-work poverty without profound changes in the UK labour market; the Living Wage Foundation s Living Hours scheme provides employers with the framework to lead us towards a future of stable employment and decent pay: of dignity for all

Edel Anabwani a care worker said: “Insecure employment and zerohours contracts are rife in social care offering flexibility for the employer and instability for the worker As a health and social care worker employed on a zero-hours contract you live on the edge waking up each morning not knowing if a shift cancellation notification awaits, or if your shift is still maintained Your life is planned week to week from hand to mouth as shifts are not assured Care workers like all workers need real stability and security before statements about the valuable role we play in society can be truly and genuinely made

Doncaster Care Homes Compete In Regional Sports Day At Ivy Court Care Home

Ivy Court care home hosted their very first regional sports day and picnic on Friday the 4th of August

The care home was in competition with their sister care homes Rowena House, Oldfield House, Liberty House and Laureate Court in the heart of Doncaster

All homes invited residents and staff to compete in this year s family fun day The sports day was a perfect opportunity for Runwood Homes residents and employees to build connections with each other and most importantly of all enjoy a day full of fun and laughter

The residents at the care home competed with one another in a variety of fun filled activities including egg and spoon race water duck race bean bag toss, hoop and cone toss

The team members at each home put their competitive streak to the test as they went head to head in a sack race and three-legged race

There was a picnic with live entertainment from local singer Brian ending the day with certificates and medals for their participation on the day

Leeanne Craddock Wellbeing Dementia Director for the North said

“It was great to get our wonderful residents, staff, families and the community together for a day of fun and friendships with a little competition

At Runwood Homes our resident s wellbeing is our number one priority We believe that getting involved with the community is vital for our residents to feel life can still be as fun as it was before they came into our care ”

Tess Drive Launches Silver Pride At Wellington Care Home

Residents of a Wellington dementia care home have wholeheartedly embraced their first Pride Day, taking part in Pride activities organised by their care team with great enthusiasm

The day started off with dressing up using rainbow accessories for fun photos in their photo booth followed by a mini parade echoing the public parades taking place nationwide over the summer to celebrate Pride

Entertainment for the afternoon featured drag queen Tess Drive who describes herself as The Wicked Witch of the South West queen of the dad joke and vegetarian drag icon

Tess had residents up and dancing with a lively repertoire which included songs from Shirley Bassey Abba Whitney Houston and Tina Turner Richard Dempslake activities co-ordinator for Camelot House and Lodge

said:

“We explained to everybody what the day represented, and they were very supportive towards the LGBT+ community

“The daughter of our resident Patricia Hill came along on the day and told us that her mum had absolutely loved it She said she didn’t stop laughing and singing and even had a cheeky dance

This is a popular culture day in care homes at the moment as there are still Pride parades going on even though the official Pride Month is earlier in the summer

It was clear everyone had a great time and that s what we aim to achieve

The Digital Lifeline: How Platform-Based Innovation Can Transform Recruitment For Care Providers

The care sector is staring down the barrel of an enormous challenge We're looking at a workforce of 1 5 million people, grappling with a formidable 11% vacancy rate and these numbers are rapidly heading south The culprit? An aging UK population and the NHS s inability to meet their unique care needs This spells an unyielding 6% annual surge in the demand for care

By 2030, this wave of demand will require an army of 2 5 million care workers - a whopping one million more than we currently have Attracting such numbers is a monumental task, especially considering that 25% of the workforce exits the sector each year

There's an intricate web of factors causing this crisis Yes better remuneration improved work culture and favourable working conditions can aid retention but they don t solve the essential problem - there just aren't enough boots on the ground The care sector, like many industries in the UK faces a significant worker deficit

Some innovative employers have understood that the workforce of the future is an amalgamation of local and foreign talent They are capitalising on the inclusion of Care Workers in the Shortage Occupation List enabling them to sponsor in-country and overseas workers under the newly introduced Health and Care Worker visa which benefits from lower government and faster processing times

The small number of employers who ve ventured down this path report a host of benefits A diverse workforce has trimmed staff turnover, boosted productivity, and amplified worker satisfaction

Yet starting the journey isn t a walk in the park Applying for a sponsor licence takes an average of 20 hours per employer due to the paperwork required Even after acquiring the licence, employers have merely crossed the first hurdle They still must source vet and interview candidates navigate various government systems support visa applications and relocation maintain ongoing compliance and contend with a Home

By Matthew Bond, CEO of Borderless (www getborderless io)

Office that isn t eager to simplify the process Getting it wrong can be penal with fines that can soar up to £20K per worker

This complicated and risky process often shoehorns employers towards recruiters and lawyers who come with hefty price tags and inconsistent service quality The hiring woes continue unabated, with care providers unable to meet care needs and forced to depend on temporary agencies - a short-term fix that's financially draining in the long run

Enter technology Emerging digital platforms launched in the past few years are a game-changer By simplifying and automating recruitment immigration and compliance processes they offer a lifeline to beleaguered care providers

These platforms have significantly curtailed the time and money invested by employers in hiring Hiring managers who previously spent 50% of their time hiring can reduce that to just 30 minutes per hire Owners who once wasted thousands on temporary agencies or expensive recruiters and lawyers are now making cost savings of 80% They now have full control and transparency into the process, something which was impossible before

But it's not just the employers who stand to benefit These platforms have also improved the candidate experience particularly in onboarding a crucial aspect influencing retention By introducing transparency to the sector these platforms are squeezing out unethical recruiters and fraudulent employers thus countering the rising trend of illegal employment contracts and modern slavery

Sadly only a handful of innovative providers have dared to dip their toes into these innovative solutions Why? Lack of awareness within the sector and crippling workload and costs increases have made it next to impossible to think outside the box But it s precisely because of the latter that expensive lawyers and recruiters are no longer fit to help the sector

In order to face the enormous challenges ahead, care providers will need to look beyond expensive consultancies, and instead invest in tech-driven, self-service tools that may take them out of their comfort zone at first but which will have huge benefits in the long term The climb ahead may be steep but with technology at the helm we re poised to plot a more sustainable trajectory for the care sector

Trip To Lighthouse For Resident At Cramlington Home As Part Of Seize The Day Experience

A resident at a Cramlington home was able to relieve an experience as part of her Seize the Day

Sheila Baines lives at MHA Harwood Court and wanted to visit St Mary s Lighthouse something she used to do in her earlier years

As part of the journey from the home to the Lighthouse Sheila went past where she used to live

The initiative encourages residents to reexperience activities or events from the past or to do something they would like to do for the first time

She was accompanied to the Lighthouse by her granddaughter Amanda and staff member Ann Callan who works as an activity coordina-

It’s Your “Turn”

By Greg Whelan,

Product & Marketing Director, Wellell UK Limited (uk wellell com)

Pressure Ulcers can be serious and lead to life threatening complications such as blood poisoning and gangrene So knowing that this can happen what are the necessary steps to help prevent these and what obstacles do care home managers encounter that can give rise to these occurrences?

A simple understanding of how pressure ulcers occur and who is most likely to get them is important and equally how can they be prevented through appropriate equipment and turning regimes

HOW DOES A PRESSURE ULCER OCCUR?

Pressure ulcers can happen when an area of skin and the tissues underneath it are damaged by being under such pressure that the blood supply is reduced commonly tending to occur when people spend long periods in a bed or chair

Anyone living in a care home can develop a pressure ulcer but some factors make it more likely

Risk factors include:

• Limited mobility or being unable to change position without help

A loss of feeling in part of the body

Having had a pressure ulcer before or having one now

Not having eaten well for a period of time and/or being dehydrated

Thin, dry or fragile skin

A significant cognitive impairment

WHAT ACTIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE?

For people living in care homes who have one or more risk factors and who have been referred to the community nurse, a pressure ulcer risk assessment should be carried out and documented on their first visit

Make a written care plan for anyone assessed as being at high risk of developing a pressure ulcer and review it regularly The plan should focus on the actions needed to help prevent a pressure ulcer from developing taking into account:

tor

Speaking after the trip Ann said: “Sheila has been living at the home since June last year and has always spoken about St Mary’s Lighthouse

The journey is around six miles from Cramlington so we arranged for me Amanda and Sheila to go

Sheila used to visit the lighthouse when she was younger and when we told her where we were going she was really excited

We visited the beach and just spent some time taking in our surroundings

She had a great time what she enjoyed the most was her ice-cream, and it was lovely to see her enjoying the day

“Overall it was a great day once that was enjoyed by all of us and something I am sure we can do again ”

The results of the risk and skin assessment

The need for any extra pressure relief, for example a high-specification mattress and/or cushion

The person s mobility and ability to change position unaided

Any other conditions

• The person s own views and wishes including whether they are able to understand the risks and make an informed decision If not use of the Mental Capacity Act may be necessary

BUT WHAT OBSTACLES WILL THE CARE HOME MANAGER FACE WHEN MANAGING PRESSURE ULCERS?

The care home manager once faced with a client suffering a pressure ulcer is potentially exposed to a long process of nursing intervention to manage the PU (PI – Pressure Injury now in more widespread use) to get to a stage where it has fully healed Subject to the risk assessment carried out the care plan will identify what actions need to take place and regular turning on a suitable mattress is one of the critical factors in PI management and importantly prevention

Sometimes the added difficulty faced by the home is that of cost and staffing levels all of which can be managed more effectively by introducing suitable equipment to effect regular turning – both automatically and continuously, in cycles that can be identified in the Risk assessment needs and included in the care plan to be put into place

Wellell UK Limited a longstanding medical device manufacturer designed and introduced the cutting edge lateral turning mattress system Optima Turn With its multiple settings it can be used in step up and step down therapy to meet the needs of each client requiring the mattress and help either prevent or eradicate any newly acquired or historical PI whilst offering efficiency improvements enhanced care reduced staff moving and handling injuries and greater dignity to the client, especially when in a palliative state Why not ask us to demonstrate the product to you and even trial it and see how we can prove not only its clinical credibility but also the huge cost savings that it can bring to each care home After all more efficient equipment means healthier clients reduced stress levels on staff and happier family members of those clients in your care If you would like more information please contact us via our website: https://uk wellell com/en/howcan-we-help or call on 01905 774 695

See advert on back cover for further details

References taken from NICE Guidelines: https //www n ce org uk/about/nice-communities/socialcare/quick-guides/help ng-to-prevent-pressure-ulcers#repos t on ng-advice

Scottish Care Homes

The Financial Realities

Research by social care business rescue specialists, Opus Restructuring & Insolvency, shows that Scottish-registered care home businesses were in better financial shape than their counterparts in the rest of the UK

The research looked at the latest accounts of 444 Scottish care companies and found that:

They had a better financial rating by business health monitoring experts Company Watch of 53 out of 100 compared to 49 in the rest of the UK 25% were in the Company Watch Warning Area and therefore at a one in four risk of filing for insolvency the figure was 28% south of the border

Only 14% were ‘zombie companies with negative balance sheets as against 20% elsewhere in the UK

This outcome may well reflect the support given to independent care home operators through the National Care Home Contract which sets the rates paid by councils for publicly-funded residents and which previously guaranteed a 4% profit margin

Now the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

(COSLA) has effectively imposed a ‘take it or leave it’

6% uplift in rates for the current NCHC renewal at a time when inflation has pushed costs sky high, interest rates have soared and there is an urgent need to raise staff pay rates to stem the rising tide of job vacancies in care homes

In a recent BBC interview with Karen Hedge Deputy Chief Executive of Scottish Care, which represents independent operators, she said the deal was the best COSLA could realistically offer but still doesn t cut it Care industry leaders have warned that on average one care home in Scotland is closing every week

Opus Restructuring & Insolvency partner, George Dale said:

This is a tragedy unfolding in front of our very eyes with increasing numbers of homes closing when there is already a shortage of capacity to cope with rising demand from a rapidly ageing demographic Not only is it a financial disaster, but deeply worrying for residents and their relatives rightly concerned at the health and social impact of the disruption of moving elderly and vulnerable residents possibly far away from their friends and family ”

The full Opus report on the residential care sector can be found here

The Care Show Announces Thirty Under 30 to Celebrate Young Talent in Sector

Entries are now open for the Care Show Thirty

Under 30 a brand-new initiative dedicated to fostering young talent in the care sector

The Care Show Thirty Under 30 is open to all professionals across the care sector This includes roles in residential care domiciliary care nursing catering, administration management, construction and design Individuals aged 29 and under or are turning 30 in 2023, can enter

The initiative is a celebration of tomorrow s leaders and their successes recognising 30 exemplary individuals who will receive official acknowledgement for their achievements so far and join a support network of like-minded individuals leading the sector to a brighter future

Applicants must submit a written entry and can either nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague peer or friend The deadline for nominations is Friday 25 August with the Class of 2023 announcement on Friday 15 September The Class of 2023 will be invited to attend a ceremony on day one of the Care Show on Wednesday 11 October at NEC Birmingham

A panel of esteemed judges from across the care sector will select the Class of 2023:

• Ali Al-Mufti Director Arcadia Care Homes

Ann Taylor Chairperson Kent Integrated Care

Alliance

Ben Miller Registered Manager and Registered Mental Health Nurse, Castleford House Nursing

Home Charles Cross, Chief Operating Officer, Anglian

Care Dudley Saywer Co-Chair Race Equality Reference

Group Skills for Care

Paula Cashmore Founder Quality Care

Management Support

Phil Harper Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care, Newman University

Rishi Jaweer Director The Jawa Group

Sophie Chester Glyn Director Coproduce Care CIC

• Zoe Fry Director The Outstanding Society

Community Interest Company

Zoe Fry, Director of The Outstanding Society

Community Interest Company said: I m thrilled

about the opportunity to be part of the inaugural Care Show Thirty Under 30 Awards as a judge It s an excellent platform to celebrate and showcase enriching careers in social care Witnessing so many talented individuals who have excelled at the beginning of their

NHS Sets Out Plans For Winter To Speed Up Discharge And Improve Care

Care ‘traffic control’ centres to speed up discharge additional ambulance hours and extra beds are part of wide-ranging plans to prepare for winter the NHS have announced

The robust new measures, due to be set out at the NHS England board meeting in Birmingham today will boost capacity and resilience across the NHS as well as building on the recent improvements in ambulance response times and A&E performance

Winter preparations have been well underway since the publication of the NHS’s Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan with over 800 new ambulances set to be in place to deliver over a million more ambulance road hours as well as 5,000 more sustainable hospital beds and hundreds of new virtual ward beds each month

The NHS will also be announcing a new scheme to encourage local teams to overachieve on performance measures with financial incentives provided for these areas

With more than 12 000 patients every day in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge a nationwide rollout of ‘care traffic control’ centres will provide one stop for staff to locate and co-ordinate the best and quickest discharge options for patients – either at home or into social or community care

The centres will bring together teams from across NHS, social care housing, and voluntary services in one place to help make live decisions and offer patients everything they need in one place

Around a quarter of local areas currently offer this service 12 hours a day seven days a week and this is set to expand to every area of the country by winter

Drawing information from electronic patient records to track patients and link up with housing services it is expected a third of patients could be discharged using this model by December

At the monthly board meeting the NHS also outlined how it is bracing for another winter facing the possibility of higher than usual levels of respiratory illness including Covid, flu and RSV Australia, whose activity often predicts what the NHS in England is likely to see in winter is experiencing one of the biggest flu seasons on record with children particularly affected, making up four in five of flu-related hospital admissions

The use of Acute Respiratory Hubs – where patients can get urgent same-day face-to-face assessment for conditions like Covid flu and RSV will also be expanded to be available in every part of the country Last winter when first introduced almost 730 000 patients used these services helping to speed up access to care and advice while reducing wider system pressures

With high levels of bed occupancy all year around hospitals are putting more beds in place for patients and are on track to hit 5 000 additional core permanent general and acute beds Thanks to the efforts of the NHS, more than 99,000 core beds will be in place across the country by December 2023 – thousands more than last year to boost resilience

£250 million of funding has been invested since the UEC recovery plan was published to boost capacity

and speed up discharge with local NHS areas are on track to create an additional 900 beds At George Eliot Hospital the additional funding has been used to build two new modular wards and 60 new beds ahead of the busy winter months while Leicester is in the process of rolling out three new wards a total of 76 new beds to reduce overcrowding in A&E, cut ambulance handover delays and speed up response times for patients

Local NHS teams will focus on preparations across a variety of services including mental health with plans to be put in place to strengthen ambulance response to mental health calls to raise the profile of all-age 24/7 urgent mental health helplines and to avoid long lengths of stay in mental health inpatient settings

Sarah-Jane Marsh, NHS national director of urgent and emergency care said:

“Winter is always a busy time for the NHS and our teams are already under significant pressure – so today we are launching a plan to further increase resilience across the country

“Thanks to the hard work that goes on day in day out and the ambitious measures in our urgent and emergency care recovery plan patients are seeing significant improvements in ambulance and A&E services over recent months

Ahead of winter we will not only have more ambulances and beds in place but we will also be continuing to work more closely as an entire NHS and social care system, increasing the capacity of community services that help keep patients safe at home

“We will continue to build on this progress and do everything we can to put the NHS on the front foot ahead of what has the potential to be another challenging winter with covid and flu ”

Health Minister Helen Whately said: The government is working closely with the NHS and social care to prepare for next winter

Our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan backed by record funding has already improved A&E performance and ambulance response times Thanks to that plan the NHS is getting 800 new ambulances, 5 000 extra hospital beds and 10 000 virtual ward beds

“Getting ready for winter early goes hand in hand with cutting NHS waiting times – one of the government’s top five priorities ”

Matthew Taylor chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: Health leaders will be grateful for the clarity this plan provides and will do all they can to help realise its aims to build further capacity and resilience

“The plan is based on sound evidence of what works, backed by data and learning from the last few winters Its publication now in summer will give the health service a timely opportunity to prepare for what will likely be an extremely challenging winter ”

Beachy Life For Care Home Residents

A group of 10 residents from Eston’s Astune Rise care home enjoyed a day at Saltburn-on-Sea complete with beach huts fish and chips and a stroll along the pier

The residents were joined by family members as they enjoyed a classically British day out organised by the care home s manager

Caroline Bowstead

Caroline booked a number of Saltburn s famously colourful beach huts giving the group a fantastic sea view as they tucked into their fish and chips lunch After allowing their food to digest they enjoyed a stroll along the pier with an ice cream stopping to talk to fishermen and watching the surfers

The day out is part of Astune Rise s commitment to providing a diverse range of activities for residents In addition to trips to local attractions the home also arranges for entertainers to visit residents engages with community groups such as Dementia Friends and the

Barchester’s Charitable Foundation

Barchester s Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chairperson; Simon McCall, Barchester’s Commercial Director After six full-filling years at the helm Barchester s CEO Dr Pete Calveley, has decided it is time to hand over the reins to Simon Dr Calveley will continue to play an important part in the running of the charity as a Trustee

Established in 2000 the aim of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation is to help older people and adults living with a disability or mental health problems in local communities across the country The charity provides grants to improve mobility and quality of life and each year the Foundation distributes over £150,000 to individuals, small community groups and charities across England Scotland and Wales

Responsible for the building of new care homes and Barchester’s change and acquisition programmes Simon McCall joined Barchester Healthcare as Commercial Director in 2020 He has been an active fundraiser for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation forming part of the core team in the mammoth Tour de Barchester cycle race for two consecutive years Despite

MFC Foundation and runs daily exercise and arts and crafts classes

Caroline Bowstead manager at Astune Rise care home said:

It was an amazing day out for our residents who all thoroughly enjoyed themselves Everyone was singing I do like to be beside the seaside on the minibus there and the beach hut company even put out extra deck chairs for us

I found out a resident who is Teesside born and bred had never been to Saltburn She was amazed at how lovely it was Though we were very lucky with the weather too

Some of them hadn t seen surfers in real life before and found it really interesting Looks like we may have to find a way to get them onto a board!

Dorothea Quinn, 85, a resident at Astune Rise, said “I had a great day out I love a go on the arcades at the seaside especially the 2p machines!”

Appoints New Chairperson

the heatwave that coincided with last year s race he enjoyed it so much that he took part again this year and spent four days in the saddle covering 276 miles of Barchester s South Division the Tour stopped at 15 care homes in the south to raise vital funds to continue the good work of the Foundation Simon is passionate about the Foundation s work he says The Foundation paid out its first grant in 2003 and since then it has given more than £3 2m to over 3 000 good causes helping to connect vulnerable people with their local communities I very much want to carry on that great work and continue to make a positive impact on local communities It is incredibly important to me that we continue our efforts to make a difference to older people and those living with a disability ”

Dr Pete Calveley CEO of Barchester Healthcare comments: I have very much enjoyed my work as Chair of the Foundation but now I feel it is time for some fresh thinking I m delighted to welcome Simon as Chairperson and I m excited to work alongside him I m certain he will bring a new approach and his commercial experience will be hugely beneficial in helping us shape the Foundation s future

Data Protection: The Crucial Requirement For The Care Sector

By Naomi Grossman, Learning and Content Manager at compliance eLearning and software company, VinciWorks (www.vinciworks.com)

Care clients often provide highly sensitive and personal data How companies in the care sector process and manage their data is of critical importance but can be complicated The healthcare industry is an active target for cybercriminals with nearly 35% of data breaches occurring in this sector alone last year

How can data breaches happen? It’s surprising how long the list is It can start with human error such as an email attachment containing personal data sent to the incorrect recipient or records deleted accidentally It could involve someone obtaining personal data by deception or unlawfully intercepting email or online form submissions A classic scenario is opening or clicking a link within a malicious email that contains malware or viruses Natural disasters such as fires or floods might also cause damage

is compliant and be the address for clients and authorities

• Get consent from clients for collecting processing or sharing personal data which is required under the UK GDPR

• Ensure your employees are trained regularly on GDPR and data protection best practices which include handling sensitive data recognising and responding to data breaches and obtaining valid consent from clients

• Ensure you have procedures in place to respond to data breaches which involve detecting investigating and reporting the breaches in a timely manner and minimising the impact of the breach

Review your company’s data protection practices on an ongoing basis to identify and manage vulnerabilities that could lead to a breach

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) replaced the Data Protection Act five years ago It is EU legislation whose impact is felt by every organisation that holds and processes personal data including companies operating in the care sector Significantly, GDPR introduced more substantial penalties for data breaches UK GDPR is basically the EU’s GDPR rules incorporated into UK law plus the UK’s Data Protection Act 2018 which fills in the gaps of GDPR The core provisions of EU GDPR all remain the same under the domestic UK-GDPR with some minor differences

More sophisticated scenarios involve a Denial of Service (DoS) attack which will prevent access to personal data for a while Then there are ransomware attacks which disable or encrypt access to systems or records containing personal data Cybersecurity attacks which involve an attacker accessing deleting or disclosing personal data are becoming increasingly common The bottom line is that adopting best practices to protect your client s data is vital

But how?

• Start by developing a GDPR-compliant privacy policy detailing how personal data is processed who it is shared with and how long it stays in your system

Appoint a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee data protection monitoring activities This individual will also ensure that your company

Check that your third-party data processors are GDPR-compliant and monitor their data protection practices

Conduct regular data protection audits to ensure compliance which involves reviewing privacy policies data processing activities and data security measures Take steps to address any areas of non-compliance

If there is a breach report it as quickly as you can Ignoring the issue or trying to cover it up could cost significantly more

Remember that any data breach should be documented whether reportable to the authorities or not Implementing a centralised breaches reporting system is the best way to do this This enables DPOs to ensure the entire organisation is involved in the GDPR compliance process It also guarantees that in the event the authorities come knocking the details of each breach are easily identified

110-Year-Old Kathleen Delighted To Receive Her First Card From The King

A Surrey care home resident has just celebrated her 110th birthday with friends and family

Kathleen Shaw the 2nd oldest individual in Surrey (15th oldest in the UK) is a resident at Aria Care s Knowle Park Nursing Home in Cranleigh

Kathleen celebrated her birthday on Friday 4th August with family visiting from all over England and the USA Guests including her fellow residents, joined her in small groups at a time enjoying afternoon tea and birthday cake

Local pianist Mary entertained guests with a range of classical pieces Kathleen’s granddaughter Portia performed her own piano and vocal composition based on Shakespeare s Midsummer Night s Dream residents were enthralled by her take on the tale and incredible vocals

Having received six cards from the Queen over the last few years Kathleen was thrilled to open her first from King Charles III

Kathleen likes to play a little on the piano but as she cannot see very well plays “the little Chopsticks tune” that she knows by heart She also has featured in the home s pantomime production of Snow White where she played the magic mirror thoroughly enjoying her line, “Old? I’m only 108 you know dear!”

She is also very popular with children from Cranleigh School who visit the home weekly as part of their voluntary action group The children love her ‘words of wisdom and when she tells them about her memories of incredible things like the Doodlebugs flying over during the war and how her parents would play the piano in the evening to get her and her sister to sleep

When asked what the secret to a long and healthy life is Kathleen replied eating broccoli and carrots”

Louise Taylor Wellbeing Coordinator described Kathleen as a truly marvellous charismatic and charming lady ”

What To Consider When Choosing A Staff Attack System For Care Settings

With reports revealing up to 85% of care workers experience abuse each year and thousands of serious attacks on carers recorded the need for reliable efficient staff attack systems in care settings has never been greater

Protecting care workers is vital for staff morale and productivity, but also patient care and long-term treatment outcomes

Choosing the right staff alarm system, therefore, requires careful consideration, and the weighing up of the following factors

EFFICIENCY & SPEED

Quick intervention is crucial when preventing a violent attack In care settings patients may become aggressive suddenly, with little to no warning

The most effective staff attack systems work rapidly allowing employees to summon assistance quickly and easily should they face abusive behaviour from a service user

PRECISE

Equally the accuracy of a staff safety system is a key consideration When an alarm is triggered the response team should be informed of the exact location of the call – allowing for rapid intervention and thus prevention of harm

This is particularly true for large facilities with multiple floors and rooms and in cases where multiple alarms have been activated simultaneously Pinpoint’s latest P2 Graphical Display Unit for example clearly demonstrates the call level and precise location of incidents on rotation enabling responders to allocate support as required

USER-FRIENDLY

Staff alarm systems for care workers should be simple-to-use and easily accessible In the face of hostility or violence carers should be able to activate their personal alarm quickly and without alerting the aggressor

This was a key factor in the development of Pinpoint’s new P2 System, which benefits from a more sophisticated discreet design Worn on the staff member s uniform, the P2 personal alarm is lightweight and easy to use Employees simply press a button on the device to call for assistance and in more high-risk situations where a service user is becoming aggressive the worker pulls a pin from the bottom of the device to sound an emergency alarm

ROBUSTNESS

Vandalism of safety systems is not uncommon in high-risk work settings as service users can tamper with or abuse the devices out of frustration Choosing a robust safety system is therefore an important and cost-effective measure for care homes

FOLLOW UP SUPPORT

When looking into staff attack systems, it’s wise to consider how much follow-up support is offered by the provider the length of the warranty period available and whether repairs or assistance with maintenance issues is available Doing this from the outset will prevent problems later down the line!

As rates of violence toward staff in Care settings increase so too does the need for powerful efficient staff safety systems Choosing the right system will depend on the environment in question the security needs of the staff and the threat posed by service users Keeping the above factors in mind will serve as useful guidance for facilities looking to make the best choice for the safety of their employees

Interested in learning more about Pinpoint’s P2 System? Visit www pinpoint ltd uk/staff-safety-system

Could New Drug Really Be The ‘Beginning Of The End’ For Dementia? Alzheimer’s Society Answers Your Questions

Last month marked a major turning point in the fight against dementia with the news that a new drug has been shown to slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease –the most common form of dementia

Dr Richard Oakley Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said donanemab could signal the beginning of the end for the diseases that cause dementia

The full results of trials announced recently revealed the drug is able to slow down the progression of Alzheimer s disease by over 20% for everyone who received donanemab on the trial A slowing of 35% was seen in those in the earlier stages of the condition

Alzheimer s Society estimates there could be up to 720 000 people in the UK who could benefit from new treatments like donanemab should they become available

It is hoped this marks the first step towards a future where Alzheimer s disease could be considered a long-term condition such as diabetes or asthma

And while those diagnosed may have to live with the disease they could have treatments that allow them to effectively manage their symptoms and continue to lead fulfilled lives for longer

Donanemab works with the body s immune system to clear amyloid – a sticky protein that builds up in the brains of people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and is thought to be involved in the causes of the disease

Alzheimer’s Society was at the forefront of funding research into the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease over 30 years ago – and continues to fund research that will be pivotal to unlocking yet more breakthroughs

Here, the charity answers questions about the new drug, the importance of a timely and accurate diagnosis and how to get support

HOW DOES DONANEMAB WORK?

It works with the body’s immune system to clear amyloid protein build up from the brains of people living with early-stage Alzheimer s disease These amyloid protein build ups are thought to be toxic to brain cells, causing them to get sick and eventually die leading to the symptoms of Alzheimer s disease

WHAT TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE COULD DONANEMAB MAKE FOR PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND

THEIR LOVED ONES?

Based on the latest results donanemab showed evidence of slowing down the progression of Alzheimer s disease by over 20% A slowing of 35% was seen in those in the earlier stages of the disease This represents a delay in symptoms getting worse of between 4 4 and 7 5 months

HOW FAR OFF ARE WE FROM TREATMENTS LIKE THESE BEING READILY AVAILABLE TO THE PATIENTS?

Realistically, 2025 is the earliest this drug might be made available via the NHS We need decisions as quickly as possible from the regulators MHRA and NICE

A drug will not become available in the UK or Europe without having strong evidence to show that it is both safe and effective as a treatment As well as this we need our NHS to be ready We can t be in a position where these drugs are available but people can t get them early when they work best

WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR ME IF I HAVE A DIFFERENT FORM OF DEMENTIA?

Unfortunately donanemab if approved would only be available for people living with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease There are no treatments available which stop or slow down the progression of other diseases that cause dementia This is why continued and increased investment into dementia research is absolutely crucial

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?

Dementia is a condition where problems with memory or other types of thinking make it hard for a person to do everyday activities by themselves It can be caused by many different diseases that affect the brain Alzheimer s disease is the most common cause of dementia accounting for around 60% of those with the condition Other types include vascular dementia Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia

WHY IS GETTING A DIAGNOSIS IMPORTANT?

A diagnosis can be daunting but nine in 10 people told us they benefitted from getting a diagnosis Getting a timely and accurate diagnosis of dementia can give you a better understanding of the condition and what to expect It can also help you unlock access to treatments support and care Alzheimer’s Society is a vital source of support for everyone affected by dementia If you need help visit alzheimers org uk or call 0333 150 3456 to speak to one of our expert Dementia Advisers To get a free Alzheimer s Society symptoms checklist which you can use to discuss your symptoms with your GP visit alzheimers org uk/checklist

CAN I GET INVOLVED IN DEMENTIA RESEARCH?

Yes you can In fact we will only see progress in clinical trials for new treatments if people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to join them It’s not all about taking new drugs or having invasive tests, some trials are as simple as answering surveys and anyone over 18 in the UK can sign up If you would like to know more, search ‘Join Dementia Research or visit Alzheimer s Society’s website

Combined Ser vice Of 40 Years For Staff At Falmouth Home Who Say They Feel “Privileged” To Work There

Three staff members at a Falmouth home celebrated a combined work anniversary of 40 years and say they feel “privileged” to work at the home

Angela Evans Patrick Mooney and Phillip Grey work at MHA Langholme and were recognised for their services to the home

Angela works as a care assistant and has been in her role for 20 years whilst Patrick who works as a cook and kitchen assistant has been at the home for

Speaking after the presentation Angela said: I feel privileged to be working at MHA Langholme and enjoy every aspect of my job

A friend of mine was working here and recommended it to me and I am so glad I went for it

I enjoy taking care of the residents and have great relationships with them and their families Patrick added: “Something must be right for me to still be here after 15 years and I do think this will be my last job

“You do have to be prepared as it is hard work, but very enjoyable I love putting a smile on people s faces and my advice for anyone thinking of starting in care is to stick with it and you will be rewarded ”

Case Study: Bathing Cushion Has Enabled Carers To Bathe A Man Who Was Previously Afraid Of Water

Staff at a Yorkshire assisted living complex can deliver dignified safe supported personal hygiene to a man with dementia via Aqua Liberty- a unique bathing support system

The gentleman lives in supported accommodation and receives 24 hr care

He has recently been diagnosed with dementia and has complex mental and physical disabilities He is non-verbal and is hoisted for all transfers He has high muscle tone in his arms and legs which mean he benefits from being immersed in water He previously enjoyed baths when he lived at home and this is something his family told the care team that he loved

Since moving into supported accommodation and being diagnosed with dementia, staff had been unable to support him to shower as he became distressed when the water hit his body

He would hit out at the people supporting him Staff tried to lower him into the bath via the ceiling track hoist but as soon as his body contacted the water he became distressed Staff had therefore been strip washing daily on the bed which was also distressing for this man due to the number of movements required whilst he was lying on the bed

The Occupational Therapist involved in the man s case Julie Snowden from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust felt that there were some issues with proprioception and him feeling unsafe and disorientated when he didn t know where his body was in space He also needed postural support as his core stability was poor and he benefited greatly from the feeling of being safe and cocooned

with the bath cushion already in place

Aqua Liberty is the only vacuum support cushion system that fits any bath and any user It is also unique in being developed in the UK in partnership with individuals with a disability and Occupational Therapists

The lightweight adjustable system comprises a central flexible backpiece that fits any bath It is quick and easy to secure into position and to remove Any of a range of mix and match vacuum posture cushions is then easily attached to the backpiece to provide infinitely remouldable, adjustable pressure-free support for the bather

In this case, a Comfortable Plus cushions was used Combining a corset and and seat in one, the Comfortable Plus Duo delivers correct torso and pelvis positioning stabilising her vertically and laterally, holding her in place without pressure By making use of vacuum technology the cushion can be precisely altered by carers to deliver optimal comfort as needed without pressure points

Commented Julie “Although he initially became slightly worried once his body came into contact with the bath cushion and he was sitting in it he became visibly relaxed Staff were able to support him to bathe for the first time! Bathing with the Aqua Liberty is now an essential part of his routine; a bath helps him to relax reduces muscle tone aids digestion and is something he now thoroughly enjoys

To find out more about the Aqua Liberty system including booking of free no obligation assessments visit https://www aatgb com/aqua-liberty/ On AAT s website www aatgb com you can also arrange a free trial of the system and ask any questions via

NHS Leaders Warn Cancellations Due To Industrial Action Are ‘The Tip Of The Iceberg’

With junior doctors set to walkout for the fifth time this Friday and with the number of cancelled appointments and operations set to hit 1 million, NHS leaders in England are warning the government that a dangerous business as usual approach is masking the true scale of the impact of industrial action on patients

The NHS Confederation, which represents the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has spoken to senior operations managers in hospitals and other parts of the NHS on the eve of the latest strike by doctors in training

They warn that after nine months of industrial action and with no solution on the horizon for ending the strikes involving consultants and doctors in training, dealing with strike action has become business as usual and is starting to store up long term problems

They outline five big risks and are urging the government and unions to get back to the negotiating table, warning that the longer-term knock-on effects of repeated rounds of industrial action are not being recognised

1 Cancelled operations: The official figures for the number of cancelled operations and appointments since strike action started in December is 835,000 and is set to pass 1 million by the winter However, senior operations managers say this is the tip of the iceberg with the official figures only recording cancellations on the day NHS trusts now routinely pre-empt the strikes by not filling slots that could otherwise be used for elective activity That means operations and appointments are often not being booked in which if calculated would place the number of cancelled procedures at a much higher level

2 Admin burden: With strike action among doctors in training and consultants now taking place each month, senior operations managers say they are spending around a third of their time on strike activities From ensuring safe cover on the day to the administrative impact of cancelling and rescheduling procedures This is preventing them from undertaking other planned work that is designed to improve the quality and efficiency of services

3 Reducing waiting lists: The NHS has managed to ramp up elective activity from pre-pandemic levels (106% in May 2023 against the 2019/20 baseline) but leaders warn that they are being held back with recurrent industrial action starting to bite Key elective targets are being put at risk, with the next milestone – that no patient will wait longer than 65 weeks by the end of March 2024 – in danger of being missed if strike action continues into another winter

4 Financial cost: Health leaders have again told the NHS Confederation of the mounting costs of industrial action NHS organisations are routinely having to pay senior staff premium rates to cover striking staff for urgent and emergency care NHS England estimates that the total cost of strike action so far is £360m To

compound the problem some senior operations managers have told the NHS Confederation that they are unable to afford to deliver extra elective activity over weekends as they cannot cover higher ‘weekend rates and weekend theatre costs

5 Increased pressure across the NHS: This issue is often masked, but NHS Confederation members working in primary care and other parts of the NHS are increasingly having to deal with the fallout from patients who have had their planned operations cancelled, often multiple times This is not only bad for patients but also increasing pressure on already fraught services that are delivered outside of hospital

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said:

Industrial action damage control has become a dangerous business as usual for the NHS – the very situation we warned the government to avoid – and nine months into strike action we are as far away from a solution for doctors as we have ever been

“Health leaders are doing everything possible to reduce waiting lists and meet key targets and have been ramping up elective activity against pre-Covid levels But repeated rounds of industrial action are chipping away at the NHS s ability to achieve future, more challenging, targets Our message to the government is: imagine what the NHS could deliver if we could only find a way to bring strike action to an end

“In the meantime the long-term impact of strike action is starting to be felt Some leaders have told us that staff have had to experience understandable frustrations from patients who have had their procedures cancelled, often multiple times We fear this might get worse before it gets better, as the number of cancellations due to industrial action will soon reach 1 million

“This is a huge number, but we know this is the tip of the iceberg as the official figures don’t fully take into account all the planned elective activity that would otherwise have been delivered

“Our members have suggested that these cancellations may actually be having a 2 for 1 effect as when these operations are rearranged they are knocking out other – usually less urgent – operations to accommodate them, meaning that a second patient suffers a further delay to their care

These are patients who may well end up in A&E or seek help from primary care as a result of complications or a worsening of their condition, having not been seen or treated due to a cancellation

But strike data just isn t recording that so we could actually be seeing in an absolute worst-case scenario, industrial action causing double the number of cancellations than what is being reported

We need to understand how much of an issue this is as it puts key elective targets at risk and has implications for winter plans with additional pressure put on primary care and urgent and emergency care as a result of these hidden patients waiting longer

87-Year-Old Care Home Resident Publishes His Third Book

A care home resident in Bracknell is celebrating after he officially launched his third published fiction book

John Bennett who lives at Care UK’s Bickerton House on Warfield Road was joined by members of the local community for a book launch party after publishing his third book Design for Life at the age of 87

John Bennett had a successful career in the construction industry before becoming a professor of Quantity Surveying at The University of Reading His research centre published many influential reports, including ‘Investing in Building 2001 endorsed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; and Trusting the Team which still influences international construction today

Between 1985 and 2012 he wrote four influential books describing the current theory and best practice of construction management including ConstructionThe Third Way’

Since he retired he has turned to writing novels; Design for Life is his third book following the success of ‘A Golden Future’ and ‘Heaven on Earth

Design for Life describes a significant stage in the life of Jake Brown who is very talented architect at the beginning of his career Life for Jake changes dramatically when he produces an outstanding design for a building to house the science department of the local university The resulting media attention leads to one of Britain’s leading architects Sir Andrew Zain inviting Jake to work with him in London

The team at Bickerton House wanted to put on a special celebration for John so decided to host an official book launch They invited members of the local community including Bracknell Library, John’s pub-

lishers as well as family and friends for the special celebration

The Head Chef prepared a special buffet canapés and prosecco for everyone to enjoy

John said: “The inspiration for Design for Life’ was my life-long love of great architecture and the issues arising around sustainability

“The book took about a year to write from the first ideas to sending the finished product to my publishers

“I love writing because it really gives me time to think and re-think serious questions that interest me

“‘Design for Life’ challenged me to think about my own life and my children my grandchildren and that my wife and I have been lucky enough to help them grow up into happy adults

Jo Anderson, Customer Relations Manager at Bickerton House said: “We were thrilled when we heard John had published his third fiction book and we knew we had to organise something to celebrate the launch

Here at Bickerton House we are always looking at ways to help residents celebrate important milestones and after some thought the team decided to organise an official book launch party – the perfect way to celebrate John’s new book and all his achievements

“I’d like to thank all the team for organising such a brilliant event for John I’d also like to say congratulations to John for publishing his new book We all can t wait to read it!

What A Hoot! Banbur y Care Home Welcomes Unusual Visitors

A care home in Banbury opened its doors to some feathered friends

Residents at Care UK s Highmarket House on North Bar Place, were surprised when a flock of owls flew into the home for a special visit

Among the group of three owls, was a majestic eagle owl named Suess as well as a cute tawny owl named Hazelnut from Al’s Owls ran by local expert Alan Charlett

The residents were able to interact with and hold the wideeyed creatures as well as learn more about their new feathered friends, prompting them to reminisce about animal encounters they d had in their younger years 68-year-old, Christine, a resident at Highmarket House, said: “I’d seen owls in the garden before but never held one – it was a lovely experience! The owls were so well behaved and I learned that you can tell if an

owl is nocturnal or not by the colour of its eyes which is fascinating ”

Francesca Cowley Home Manager at Highmarket House, said: “Here at Highmarket House, we’re always planning new activities and experiences to keep residents entertained and put a smile on their faces

Animals are a great way of improving relaxation and wellbeing in older people – the residents loved getting up close with the owls and learning more about the gentle creatures The visit prompted everyone to share their own animal-related stories and it was lovely to listen to these cherished memories

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to Al’s Owls for a fantastic afternoon – we re already looking forward to our next animal encounter!

Buying and Selling Care Homes

Key Insights

By Gareth Smyth, CEO and founder of Hilton Smythe (www.hiltonsmythe.com)

Furthermore understanding local authority funding policies is crucial as they can significantly impact a care home's financial stability

Compliance and regulation ensuring quality care

Compliance with regulations is non-negotiable in the care home industry Organisations like the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England Care Inspectorate in Scotland and Care and Social Services

Inspectorate in Wales set standards that must be adhered to Buyers and sellers must review compliance records and address any past or potential issues Sellers should also take proactive measures to enhance their care home's appeal by addressing any recommendations from regulatory bodies

PROPERTY CONDITION: BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

The type and condition of the property are significant factors in the sale or purchase of a care home A freehold property grants exclusive occupancy rights and potential for expansion, while a leasehold property has occupancy limitations and limited rights to the building s structure

The UK's care home industry is a thriving sector, catering to around 410 000 residents and generating an annual revenue of £15 9 billion

The market for UK care assets is estimated to be worth a significant £245 billion with approximately 11 300 facilities operated by care home providers, presenting private investment opportunities

Private equity (PE) investment in the health and social care sector has seen substantial growth in the last decade, with the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerating PE deals Over the past five years investors have injected around £7 5 billion into healthcare property acquisitions

While PE investors have the financial and professional resources to pursue acquisitions, smaller care homeowners targeted by PE should seek professional support to navigate these transactions successfully Investors find the care home sector attractive due to long-term drivers like an aging population and increased life expectancy However macroeconomic challenges in 2023 such as inflationary pressures and credit constraints may impact future growth Nevertheless PE firms involvement in health and social care can promote growth fund innovation and research and streamline costs to enhance healthcare

BEYOND THE BALANCE SHEET

When considering buying or selling a care home it is essential to look beyond the balance sheet and consider several crucial factors Assessing the care home s financial performance is a critical initial step involving close examination of financial statements, occupancy rates, and existing contracts with residents and service providers

According to a recent study by the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, up to half of for-profit care home groups are leasehold In the current climate as rents rise in line with inflation, some care home operators may have to increase their fees, while landlords profits increase It is estimated that care home landlords are making an annual profit of £515m Lease agreements can pose challenges during the sale process potentially delaying the sale Generally, a freehold care home holds more significant value than a leasehold one this coupled with land with planning permission in a desirable location can fetch in excess of £3 5m

Engaging a property surveyor to assess the physical condition of the care home is recommended They can identify necessary repairs maintenance, or upgrades and provide estimated costs, which will be invaluable during negotiations

STAFFING AND MANAGEMENT: ENSURING QUALITY CAREGIVING

Staffing and management are crucial considerations The qualifications experience and stability of the existing staff and management team should be evaluated A well-managed care home with a qualified workforce is more likely to provide exceptional care and retain residents

LICENCES AND PERMITS: LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND OPERATIONAL ASSURANCE

Ensuring that all necessary licenses and permits are in place and compliant with registration requirements is essential Reviewing any restrictions or limitations that could affect the operation of the care home is crucial Up-to-date licenses are vital for a seamless transition of ownership

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: EXPERT GUIDANCE FOR SMOOTH TRANSACTIONS

Navigating the legal aspects of buying or selling a care home can be challenging Engaging solicitors experienced in commercial property transactions is advisable to handle legal matters such as property title checks lease agreements contracts warranties and potential liabilities or disputes Early tax advice and guidance from a broker can optimise the sale structure and maximise the business value

Conducting comprehensive due diligence is essential Scrutinising documentation financial records operational procedures and potential risks or liabilities associated with the care home is crucial Sellers can consider a dry run of the due diligence process to identify weaknesses and take proactive measures to address them

VALUATION: UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE WORTH

Obtaining a professional valuation of the care home and the business is important to determine its fair market value Factors such as location size condition, financial performance, and growth potential should be considered Relying on experts in the valuation process ensures a fair assessment

FUTURE PROSPECTS: EMBRACING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Assessing the long-term viability and growth potential of the care home is crucial Demographic trends, evolving healthcare policies, and potential expansion or diversification opportunities should be considered Staying informed about the viewpoints of major political parties, especially during general elections is important as they can impact the industry

In summary navigating the complexities of buying or selling a care home requires a strategic and informed approach Engaging professionals experienced in care home acquisitions such as Hilton Smythe is paramount to ensuring a successful transaction By considering financial analysis compliance and regulation property condition staffing and management, licenses and permits, legal considerations, due diligence valuation and future prospects buyers and sellers can make well-informed decisions and maximise the value of care home investments

Carnival Comes to Surbiton Care Home

A care home in Surbiton is celebrating its tenth birthday with a Caribbeanthemed open day

The Carnival Open Day will bring the sounds scents and flavours of the Caribbean to Royal Star & Garter on 22 August from 2-4pm and is also open to the public Royal Star & Garter provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia The charity also has Homes in Solihull and High Wycombe

The open day will see the award-winning Home open its doors and showcase the outstanding person-centred care it provides

Staff opted for a Caribbean theme after asking residents how they would like to celebrate the Home’s 10th anniversary They spoke of their wish to attend Notting Hill Carnival which takes place on the streets of West London in August As residents are too frail to attend Notting Hill staff decided to bring the Carnival to the Home The celebrations also tie-in with the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush docking in England in 1948

The Carnival Open Day will include a procession and Carnival Queen steelpan drum band entertainment, Caribbean food truck and fruit punch

The Deputy Mayor of Kingston the Police the Fire Brigade service and Air Cadets will also be attending as will children from a nearby nursery who will be dressed for the Carnival celebration

Residents family staff and volunteers from Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton will also enjoy the event

Among them will be resident Bet who turns 100 in October and will realise a life-long dream of becoming a Carnival Queen Lesley O’Driscoll who is part of the Wellbeing Team which is helping organise the day, said: “Bet’s always wanted to be a Carnival Queen and is looking forward to having that wish come true ” Home Manager Helena Maher said: “We were thinking of ways to celebrate our 10th birthday, and residents said they’d like to attend Notting Hill Carnival That’s not possible due to their complex care needs so we decided to bring the Carnival to the Home We’re all looking forward to it and to welcoming people from the local community who would like to join us and who are interested in looking around the Home

She added: It also gives us a chance to celebrate the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush 75 years ago the generation of people that came to this country from the Caribbean and the great contributions they have made to our society

Royal Star & Garter staff come from diverse backgrounds and the Surbiton Home recently celebrated the Philippines Independence Day and Black History Month The charity has also organised activities to explore other cultures

The Carnival Open Day takes place from 2-4pm Entry is free but spaces are limited and must be booked in advance To do so please click here

Embark & Fair way Charity Cricket Event

Embark and Fairway enjoyed a brilliant day out at Wormsley cricket ground The event was to raise money for an amazing cause, for young people who had suffered severe injuries through sporting As well as an opportunity for our team to communicate and discover new connections by speaking to people they have never really had a chance to speak to It was well deserved and earned by Embark and Fairway their hard work which is shown day in day out whether it s booking shifts training marketing admin or managing We re always doing something positive; we have a

vision as a business and this is what we’re following with each step we take as a team Each time we watch our learners progress into employment in the care industry, we feel rewarded and filled with gratitude for everyone The day was surrounded with laughter and positive energy which spread around it was a chance to speak out about our vision It allowed us as a team to gauge our vision enabling us with building our team stronger meaning more collaborative working throughout our business

Music for My Mind and Quantum Care Re-Ignite Study

Using Novel Tech To Measure Effects of Personalised Music on People Living With Dementia

This July dementia charity Music for my Mind (MFMM) and Quantum

Care are delighted to restart a study that will use facial analysis technology to analyse physiological and emotional responses of people living with memory loss or dementia whilst listening to their favourite music

The hypothesis for the study is that personalised music listening will have an effect on reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms and improve relationships with carers and family

The study which previously had to be paused in 2020 due to Covid19, sees MFMM partner with residents living in Quantum Care homes

The team will work over several months with 80 residents who might benefit from the use of personally meaningful music as part of their care

With the support of families and carers a questionnaire about the resident s background and musical preferences during their teenage years is completed, and a playlist is created automatically based on responses This teen-age range or reminiscence bump was demonstrated during a 2022 MFMM study* to determine the age range during which popular music leaves the greatest impression on our memory

Each song on the playlist is played to establish which ones are responded to most positively by assessing changes in facial expressions and observing overall responses such as singing, tapping feet, etc Songs with the most positive responses will become the resident s

personalised playlist for use as part of their care

To assess the impact over time the team will visit regularly to record staff and family’s observations of how the music has been affecting the resident s well-being and mood

Debbie Gilard, Quantum Care’s Head of Corporate Services said of the partnership We are really pleased to be working once again with

Music for my Mind We have long believed in the positive benefits of music for people living with dementia and are delighted to be part of this research project

The study will be conducted by Music for my Mind s Research

Assistant Lucy Kerry a recent graduate with an MSc in Dementia Causes Treatments and Research (Neuroscience) with support from Programme Manager Dimana Georgieva and the charity s Founder and Chair Prof Keith McAdam

Of the study Prof McAdam said “Our shared vision is that everyone living with memory loss or dementia will have a playlist of personally meaningful music, as part of their care plan

Our study will lay the groundwork for larger-scale studies that improve the evidence base for music listening in dementia care ”

Participation will help improve the process for creation of personal playlists and their delivery in care home settings, making the wellbeing benefits of music accessible to more families across the UK The data will help to influence policy makers care providers and clinicians to deploy personalised music listening more widely within dementia care and social prescribing

A Focus on the Reminiscence Bump to Personalise Music Playlists for Dementia - Full article: A Focus on the Reminiscence Bump to Personalise Music Playlists for Dementia (tandfonline com)

Care Home Residents Receive Visit from Feathers, Fangs and Furries

Residents at Millway House in Andover have enjoyed a visit from a selection of rather interesting animal guests recently

The group of creatures – which included an owl, Guinea pig, lizard, snake and centipede – popped into the nurse-led care home from Feathers Fangs and Furries a local animal welfare organisation and everyone was excited to meet them Visiting Millway House as part of an animal therapy session, the special guests were taken around the care home to interact with residents

‘Animal therapy’ refers to the use of animals to help people with specific physical or mental health conditions and it has become more and more popular in care homes over recent years Claire Lousteau

Home Manager at Millway House says the benefits for her residents are huge

She said: “Interaction with different animals helps stimulate our residents brains and helps to keep them mentally active and engaged Animal therapy also helps to decrease agitated behaviours of resi-

dents who have dementia as it helps them to remember and talk about past pets and animal experiences

“The smiles on our residents’ faces said it all today – they were delighted to have the chance to meet and hold each of the different animals, and it was fantastic to see A huge thank you to Millway staff for making it happen ”

The team from Feathers Fangs and Furries made sure that every resident had the chance to say hello to its animals, and made a special visit to the room of a 103-year-old resident who was unable to make it to the lounge

Paul Smith from Feathers Fangs and Furries said “We love taking our animals into care homes across the region and it’s a real privilege to see the joy it brings Everyone at Millway House was very welcoming today and it s been a real pleasure to have the opportunity to drop by

Blueleaf Care Acquires Nexon To Form A Single Group

Blueleaf Care the nationwide business that helps care homes deliver better outcomes has acquired Nexon the national distributor of cleaning hygiene and healthcare products to form a single group

The acquisition is part of a stated strategy to become the market leader and grow the organisation to £100m turnover within the next five years

Blueleaf benefits from the merger by gaining access to Nexon s quality client base niche brands and further extending its geographic reach in the north Acquiring Nexon also gives it the opportunity to extend its offering beyond the ‘traditional care sector into new areas where Nexon is already established

Nexon benefits significantly from the depth and breadth of Blueleaf’s product range, enabling it to offer its clients a single source for all their purchasing needs including furniture equipment and medical consumables which they currently have to source elsewhere or can t currently provide Both sets of customers will also benefit from the greater buying power that a larger organisation can bring to offer lower prices in many instances than would previously have been possible

Nick Frogbrook Group Chief Executive says that merging the two businesses will make them stronger together: “The market is becoming increasingly competitive,” he says, “and standing still is effectively going backwards There is a first mover advantage in acting now; prices are continually being squeezed while

costs are rising and a larger group will have greater buying power to benefit our customers while being able to deliver greater efficiencies through technology, infrastructure and people ”

Don Green, Director of Business Development at Nexon, who will be joining the new leadership team, says the decision will create an excellent opportunity for Nexon and its customers: We have effectively reached our ceiling in terms of growth and what we can offer our customers he explains

“By merging with Blueleaf we will continue to partner with our clients in delivering the specialist cleaning and laundry products for which we are well known We are looking forward to being able to offer a much broader range of consumables and equipment at competitive prices and giving our clients an even greater level of support and service by joining with the team at Blueleaf

Blueleaf has spent the last 12 months focusing on improving its own systems operations infrastructure and teams and building a firm foundation on which to grow

Initially, both businesses will continue to trade as they are and will start to come together in 2024 as Nexon's clients are moved across to Blueleaf s more scalable systems and platforms

Migrating Nexon s clients onto the Blueleaf platform should be a simple case of lift and drop Nick continues Some training may be required in advance to head off any potential difficulties and realise the true benefits of the transition Ahead of any transition it will also be necessary to ensure operationally that the warehouse and stock are aligned and continue without any impact on clients even if the deliveries in the future may come from a different warehouse location

Ronnie Green (Procurement and IT) and Stephen Green (Ops Director) at Nexon will be part of a dedicated team assigned to the integration to ensure that any existing customer KPIs are met and contractual terms honoured

Please visit www blueleafcare com

Celebrating Afternoon Tea Week A Beloved British Tradition That Nurtures the Well-being of Our Elderly Population

Originating in the 19th century this tradition was introduced by Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford who desired a light meal to tide her over between lunch and dinner The concept quickly caught on and evolved into an afternoon social affair complete with finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and, of course a comforting cup of tea

stress and anxiety promoting mental wellness among the residents

SHARE YOUR CELEBRATIONS!

It’s almost time to celebrate Afternoon Tea Week which takes place between August 7August 13

Yes that quintessential British tradition which holds a special place in the hearts of many, is almost here

Steeped in history and elegance this cherished occasion provides a unique opportunity for communities families and friends to come together savour delectable treats, and celebrate the joy of human connection For our elderly population particularly those in residential and nursing care Afternoon Tea Week takes on an even more profound significance as we here at THE CARER proved last year when we had a wonderful response to our share your Afternoon Tea Week celebrations with us”

Beyond its delicious offerings this great British tradition fosters a sense of continuity, community, and mental well-being for our seniors creating cherished memories and brightening their lives

EMBRACING TRADITION: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AFTERNOON TEA WEEK

In the United Kingdom

Afternoon Tea Week is a cherished annual event that typically falls in August

Today Afternoon Tea Week provides an opportunity for people of all ages to come together and indulge in the elegance and nostalgia of a bygone era For the elderly population especially those in care homes this tradition can evoke cherished memories of past gatherings and instil a sense of continuity and belonging It also offers a chance for them to impart their knowledge of customs and etiquette to younger generations bridging the gap between the old and the new

FOSTERING COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION

In residential care settings community-building activities are crucial for the well-being of the residents Afternoon Tea Week offers a perfect occasion to bring everyone together in a warm and welcoming setting Sharing a delightful afternoon tea allows residents to bond with one another staff members and even family visitors The sense of camaraderie and unity forged during these moments contributes to a happier and more fulfilling living experience for the elderly

PROMOTING MENTAL WELLBEING

Furthermore Afternoon Tea Week provides an uplifting and enjoyable experience that can positively impact residents emotional well-being Engaging in the ritual of afternoon tea can stimulate reminiscence spark conversation, and elicit smiles and laughter all of which contribute to a more positive outlook on life The calming effects of tea and the soothing ambiance can also help reduce

Afternoon Tea Week is more than just an indulgence in delightful treats; it is a cherished British tradition that holds immense significance for our elderly population especially those in residential care By embracing this tradition care homes can foster a sense of continuity build community and connection among residents, and promote their mental well-being

So, we here at THE CARER would be delighted to share your Afternoon Tea Week celebrations with our considerable readership!

We have a wonderful prize for the lucky Care Home winner so please do send in photographs and a paragraph or two of what you did to celebrate this wonderful great British tradition and let us all savour the joy of coming together cherish the memories of the past and create new ones that will warm our hearts for years to come!!

Simply email us at nominate@thecareruk.com for your chance to win!

Tips and Advice for Celebrating Afternoon Tea Week in Care Homes

1 Decoration and Ambiance: Create an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of a classic tearoom with elegant table settings, fresh flowers, and soft background music

2 Variety of Treats: Offer a wide assortment of finger sandwiches freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam and a selection of scrumptious cakes and pastries to suit different tastes

3 Incorporate Traditional Tea Etiquette: Take the opportunity to educate residents on traditional tea etiquette such as holding the teacup with the pinky down stirring the tea gently and using the saucer

4 Special Tea Blends: Consider offering a variety of tea blends, including some with calming properties like chamomile or peppermint to promote relaxation

5 Interactive Activities: Organize fun activities like a hat competition or a quiz on tea-related trivia to engage residents and stimulate their minds

6 Involvement of Staff and Family: Encourage care home staff and family members to participate in the celebrations creating a sense of togetherness and solidarity

Afternoon Tea in Style with Euroser vice

First-Of-Its-Kind Dementia Course Created By People Living With Dementia

“I am still me, I am not my dementia.”

FOR the first time people living with dementia have designed a new postgraduate course for health and social care professionals, telling staff what they really want them to know about the condition

A group of Experts by Experience were given a blank canvas to construct the MSc module

Understanding the Me in Dementia (corr), with the University of Bradford s Centre for Applied Dementia Studies identifying the title topics exercises assessment and content - something which has never been done before

They will also be involved in teaching the module alongside academic staff at the university

At the first of 13 online workshops with 22 people living with dementia from all parts of the UK and Ireland, participants were asked to identify what they most wanted health and social care professionals to know Here are some of their comments:

Jacqui Bingham, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: “I am still me even though I have a diagnosis

Let me be me Don t squash me into your box of what you perceive I should be

Maq Quereshi from Stoke-on-Trent Staffs said “There’s a saying ‘If you have met one person with dementia you ve met one person with dementia ’ I wish the professionals would actually use that Often they treat everyone the same they don t know the background of the person they don t know what type of industry they’ve worked in and even what type of dementia they have “

Dory Davies from Flintshire Wales said: Don t assume We can still learn new things and people with dementia can still teach others new things ”

Chris Maddocks from Eastbourne East Sussex said See the person not the dementia Speak to the person don’t speak to the caregiver Don’t give us a diagnosis and send us away telling us to get our affairs in order - there are still things we are able to do

Allison (corr) Batchelor from Dundonald Northern Ireland said: Treat me with respect I am still me I am not my dementia Consult with people with dementia don t presume to know what’s best for me ”

Gerald King lives in Fife Scotland said A good life can be lived even after diagnosis of dementia Talk to me as a person rather than talking over me or past me, I am still quite capable of having a conversation ”

The project started in January 2022 and the module will be taught from September 2023 on the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies programme It can also be taken as a stand-alone, part-time distance learning module for health and social care professionals who care for people living with dementia The module includes sections on ‘Challenging stigma stereotypes and discrimination ‘Understanding the individual’ and Communication

Danielle Jones Associate Professor in Dementia Studies, said: “Our Experts by Experience play a leading role in our education provision within the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies People with dementia and their carers have been involved in all aspects of our research and teaching from marking students’ assessments to reviewing their work and developing the programme We wanted this module to be entirely produced by people who know the most about what it s like to have dementia so that professionals can learn from them ”

Clare Mason Dementia Care Trainer and Experts by Experience Lead said: “For too long, people living with dementia have felt they have had no say in the way they are treated The feedback we have had from creating this process shows people with dementia want to be heard ”

Jacqui Bingham 70 lives in Stockport Greater Manchester with her friend of more than 20 years Carole Perry Originally from South Africa Jacqui moved to the UK in 2000 and worked until 2018 as a funeral arranger She was diagnosed just after retirement with early onset Alzheimer s

Jacqui said “I have bad days and good days, but I am still me I can still catch a train to Bradford or to Norwich like I did last week to attend a conference

People say How can you do that on your own? I say Well I just sit on the train I’m not driving it ’

“This is why this course is so important People make assumptions about dementia but we are all different If you read the books you get a very black and white picture of dementia

This module aims to get underneath all that so healthcare professionals can learn from us

When I was first diagnosed I went to a Memory Clinic and one of the subjects was about eating properly It was as if, suddenly, with a diagnosis, you were expected to forget how to eat

I once asked what other subjects would be discussed but they wouldn t tell me ‘in case I might not come to them ’ But shouldn’t that be my choice?

A lot of the time people with dementia are told what is what we are not part of the conversation

Clare and Danielle really listen to us and if they don t understand something they ask more questions they don’t make assumptions They come into the dementia world

Previously when organisations have wanted input from people with dementia we have only been added as an afterthought This type of inclusion is too often very tokenistic and more of a PR exercise than anything else Over the last 20 years the University of Bradford has a proven track record of quality engagement and valuing its experts by experience

“I am looking forward to catching the train to Bradford to teach some of the module I won’t have a script, I will just be me And if I have a bad day or I m tired I know Clare or Danielle will be there to give me a little prompt That’s often all I need ”

Former truck driver Michael Andrews 64 was diagnosed with Posterior Cortical Atrophy a rare type of dementia which causes visual impairment in 2017 aged 57

Michael who moved from Lisburn Northern Ireland to Bradford 34 years ago said: After diagnosis I went through a really difficult time I didn t want to talk to anyone or see anyone

There was talk of me having to move into a care home even though I was - and still am - quite capable of living independently

Working with the University of Bradford as an Expert by Experience has been a lifeline for me It has given a purpose to help students and healthcare practitioners understand what it really means to have dementia

When Clare Mason first approached me to help devise this course I thought, ‘What do I know about writing a module?

But Clare and Danielle Jones have made it easy for us by guiding us through the process

When we started to meet as a group it was clear we all had experienced the same issues with how people perceive people with dementia the stigma surrounding dementia and how people communicate with people with dementia

They make assumptions about what we can and can t do

“We can still get involved, we can still do things Since working with the University of Bradford, I have been approached by other universities including Huddersfield Leeds Beckett and Bangor

“I really enjoyed being part of designing the module We had some funny moments too At one point, someone suggested the title Fifty Shades of Dementia

“I hope this module gives healthcare professionals a better understanding of dementia They have all the theoretical knowledge and all the books but we want them to understand that we are all individuals and dementia affects us individually

Applications for the MSc module Understanding the Me in Dementia are open until August 18 2023

Residents At Local Care Home Enjoyed Their One To One Live Music Perfomance

Residents and at Hugh Myddelton House care home in Southgate enjoyed a live music performance with the fabulous Morris Tamir Local singer performed a selection of classic hits including Dean Martin Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley

Residents joined in the singing clapped and made some requests for our favourite songs!!

Everyone had a great time and some residents were excited to show their dance moves

General Manager Jade Shea said Our residents and guests had a wonderful day singing along with the wonderful performers We do our best to provide a wide range of activities and entertainment at Hugh Myddelton House as part of the lifestyle enrichment programme for residents and this was one of our favourites!”

One resident said “I haven’t heard some of these songs in many years The classics never go out of style!”

Carer Promoted To Senior Who Completed The Embark Learning Course

Embark Learning proud to say during one of our IAG sessions over at Crown Wharf job centre in Walsall A young claimant named Liam approached our team and expressed his interest for our Embark Learning programme Liam progressed well through the course and completed it on Monday 26th June, he was offered a job as a support worker and health care assistant by Fairway Homecare Recently we have just been told Liam has excelled within his work therefore has now been promoted to a senior carer He has also completed his medication training with Embark Liam is working hard every week com-

pleting a total of 36 hours each week

Liam has also been a great influence for others as he told others about his training experience and where it has got him too today We can t thank everyone of the team at the job centres for supporting our SWAPS and employability programmes

It always makes us smile hearing success stories like these we remember why we do what we do Congratulations Liam!

Friends Of The Elderly’s Care Receives £3,000 Donation

Charity Friends of the Elderly’s Kidderminster Day Care which supports people who are living with dementia and a range of age related conditions has received a wonderful huge donation thanks to the 2023 Kidderminster Carpet Manufacturers National Golf Tournament

At a recent luncheon at The Kidderminster Golf Club Shirley Bradley, the charity’s Head of Day Care Services, was presented with a cheque for £3 000 by Shaun Lewis the Joint Chairman of the tournament Commenting on the donation Shirley said: “It’s wonderful to be chosen again for another year as one of the charities The Kidderminster Carpet Manufacturers National Golf Tournament supports To receive such a substantial donation is greatly appreciated ”

The annual two-day tournament saw many golfers take to the fairways and greens at Kidderminster Golf Club to take on the 18 hole course This year s tournament was very well supported and raised a substantial amount of money that we are pleased to be able to distribute to a few local charities one of which is Friends of the

Elderly’s Kidderminster Day Care Service ” said Shaun

“We will be using the sizeable generous donation money to replace the existing blinds in the Day Care Centre The new blinds will have lining that will keep the clients cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and will make such a difference continued Shirley “At Kidderminster Day Care, we deliver person-centred day care for people living with dementia and a range of age related conditions in a safe friendly and welcoming environment

There’s always something going on at Kidderminster Day Care for the clients to enjoy and take part in We offer a wide and stimulating range of interesting and enjoyable activities ” continued Shirley “They are all designed around the personal preferences hobbies and interests of our clients The activities include baking, gardening, quizzes flower arranging arts and crafts reminiscence and stimulating cognitive sessions and our very popular gentle exercise classes ”

St Helens Hall Care Home Manager Celebrates Her 15-Year Anniversar y with the Home

The manager of St Helens Hall Care Home has celebrated her 15-year work anniversary with the home

Amanda Clark joined the St Helens based home in 2008 as a Senior Care Assistant before working her way up to become Care Manager in 2011 and then Registered Manager eight years ago

Steven Hamblett Operations Director of Sandstone Care Group which owns the home, presented Amanda with champagne and a bouquet of flowers at a surprise party

He said: “Amanda manages the largest care home in our group which of course means it is the busiest She always works with a good sense of humour and finds the time to spend with residents and staff

“During the pandemic she managed the home through the most challenging times while showing great leadership and selflessness as she supported her team the residents and their families

She worked night and day alongside her team to ensure everyone received the support they needed She truly is an inspiring leader and living proof of fantastic career development We feel honoured to have Amanda in our management team ”

Amanda said: “I felt a calling to a career in care shortly after leaving school when my nan became unwell I left the college where I was studying something else and instead started an apprenticeship in care

I love my job and working with the team at St Helens Hall to provide excellent care to our residents When I started off I never thought I would become a Registered Manager but I’m proud of what I have achieved

We have had quite a lot of special occasions during the time I have been here including staff nominated for regional and national care awards and many residents turning hundred

“The job is extremely rewarding and I enjoy making sure the residents are well cared for happy and safe My management style is to be as approachable as possible and I have a good relationship with all the staff

St Helens Hall Care Home is a special place which is made even more so by everyone s personalities Covid was a difficult time but we all mucked in and supported each other did what we could and followed guidance to keep our residents safe

“I’m so glad I was inspired to go into care by my nan You need empathy, to be caring and lots of enthusiasm to provide great care and I feel just as passionate about it as a career today as when I first started out ”

St Helens Hall Care Manager Su Wood said: Amanda is approachable completely selfless and always puts people at ease She is a great manager can give directions and makes sure it is fair across the home

She s also brilliant with our residents and I often see their faces light up when she chats to them I just love working with her ”

Mother And Daughter Reunite In Dance

After Three Years And 11,000 Miles Apart

A delighted mother and daughter danced together in an emotional reunion at a Hampshire dementia care home after three years apart

Nalini Bhagwat a resident at Colten Care s St Catherines View in Winchester welcomed her daughter Asha all the way from New Zealand specially for the visit

Both are talented dancers and after Asha made her 11,500-mile (18,400 km) trip to the home, it wasn’t long before they were ready to show off some routines as a duo

A member of a Middle Eastern dance group in New Zealand Asha offered to entertain residents with a dazzling belly dancing performance dressed in a blue sequinned outfit

After a few minutes and an offer for spectators to join in Nalini was first to accept

Companionship Team Leader Laura Sheldrake said

“It was the first time in three years they had been able to dance together and Nalini was so keen to be involved She jumped straight up to be with Asha

“Fellow residents joined in with clapping and were amazed at what Asha was doing They kept saying how amazing she looked

Nalini told everyone That s my daughter as she watched with pride

We have never had a belly dancer perform here and when Asha offered I immediately said yes The look on Nalini s face while Asha was dancing was just pure joy

“We arrange a Zoom call for them every week since Asha lives on the other side of the world but it was lovely to see first-hand how close they are, hugging each other and dancing

“It was an emotional reunion but a very happy one indeed It was like they had never been apart

Asha performs belly dance routines in shows and even visits care homes in New Zealand so she was comfortable in offering to entertain our residents

“All the residents loved the music her beautiful costume and the dancing by her and Nalini It was such a fun morning ”

Asha said: “It was amazing to be able to dance for the residents and especially for my mum

Arrival of Ducks at Hasting Home with One Named After Late Father of Home Manager

A Hastings home has welcomed the arrival of two new pets in the form of runner ducks MHA Lauriston got in touch with JK Hatchings, a family run business who provide homes and schools the equipment to hatch their own eggs

After looking after the eggs for a month, earlier this week two eggs hatched and Ted and Jani were born

The home provides residential, nursing and residential dementia care for 60 residents Ted is named after the late father of Dionne McEwan the home manager and Jani is named after one of the staff members who works in the night team Speaking after the arrival of the ducks Dionne said: The ducks have been a wel-

come addition to the home

The residents love having them here and are looking after them with staff

“They love holding them and were keenly waiting for the eggs to hatch when we told them it was getting closer

“Some of them were lucky enough to watch the process and they were very happy

My dad passed away not long ago so for the home to decide to name one of the ducks Ted, is a beautiful thought

It s the first time we have had ducks in MHA Lauriston and we are hoping to have more hatch soon but let s see

Taking Care of Fire Safety

By Rob Yates, Head of Building Products Fire Safety in the UK & 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

Parklands Founder Thanks Staff, Community For Support Over Three Decades

The founder of Parklands Care Homes has paid tribute to his staff and the local community for its support over the past 30 years

Managing director Ron Taylor kicked off the 30th anniversary celebrations at a community event in the grounds of Parklands care home in Buckie the company s first care home

Hundreds attended the free event which was billed as an opportunity to thank staff past and present residents their families and local businesses and individuals who have supported the care group over the years

Ron Taylor founded Parklands in 1993 having been a carer for his grandfather an experience he said that had been life-changing

He said: “Three decades ago I embarked on a journey inspired by the love and care I provided to my own grandfather Being his primary carer was a life-changing experience that touched me profoundly

“It was during those precious moments that the seeds of Parklands Care Homes were sown – a vision of a care group that would deliver the highest standard of person-centred care to others, just as I had given to my grandfather

“When I set out on this path I never imagined that we would reach the scale we have – nine care homes two more under our manage-

ment, 700 employees, 400 older people in our care ”

Mr Taylor paid tribute to staff across the Parklands group He said: “I am humbled by the dedication of our staff and the love they pour into their work Their compassion empathy and selfless dedication have made Parklands what it is today

He also thanked the local community for its support particularly during the pandemic and said it was a privilege to care for older people: “Their smiles, their stories, and the joy they bring into our lives are what drive us to do better each day he said

He added: “For the past 30 years, we have strived to make every life we touch that little bit brighter That has always been our guiding inspiration I feel so humbled by what we have achieved together

To mark the anniversary occasion Mr Taylor buried a time capsule in the grounds of Parklands care home alongside his mother Ishbel Taylor, wife Elaine, and Denise Risk, the care home manager

The capsule included a signed lyric sheet from Speyside care home’s Heart Strings Choir, a poem from the team at Glenisla in Keith, a picture of the residents and staff at Parklands & Burnbank a Buckie Thistle scarf a miniature bottle of local Whisky and several local newspapers

Miele Professional Unveils Shining New Look For Its Test Wash Facility Experience Centre

Leading commercial appliance manufacturer Miele Professional have announced the reopening of its Test Wash Facility experience centre, providing businesses a unique opportunity to test out its commercial machines before investing

Located in Miele s headquarters in Abingdon Oxfordshire; the Test Wash facility has had a total redevelopment to enable a full working showroom to show the capabilities of the professional equipment across both laboratory hospitality and care

The redevelopment saw the entire centre being stripped out, removing unnecessary features to make way for updated models alongside new specially made furniture, as well as graphics with key messaging

Speaking on the significance of the reopening Simon Venni Sales Director at Miele Professional commented: “We know for any business purchasing commercial machines can be a big investment; especially in a time where collectively we are becoming more cautious about costs Thanks to the redevelopment of our Test Wash facility businesses can now come and try out our

commercial machines in person before purchasing This enables us to demonstrate that they are making the best investment for their business; as Miele machines are built to last for thousands of hours whilst continuing to deliver excellent results”

The Test Wash Facility experience centre will now allow a broad range of businesses to test a variety of Miele’s commercial machines across a range of sectors

Continuing Simon added: We also hope the reopening of the centre will challenge standards within the commercial equipment industry There is an expectation that regardless of where professional machines come from they will deliver great results Here at the experience centre, we encourage businesses to try and test our professional machines so they can see the results for themselves”

Miele will also invite local businesses in Abingdon to come and visit the centre where they can tour the Test Wash centre and enjoy a coffee before trying out the commercial machines

‘Day In The Life’ For Care England Team At Willows Care Home

Residents and staff at Willows Care Home were delighted to welcome two members of the Care England team recently George Appleton the organisation s Head of Policy and Charlotte Lezard, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, spent a day shadowing the Romford-based home s care and activities teams Suitably kitted out in carers’ uniforms and personalised name badges (which they kept as souvenirs) the pair really looked the part!

They started off by helping to serve breakfast to residents and then attended a clinical meeting with staff There they discussed the complexities of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) with the Willows team also providing a useful update on the introduction of the long-awaited Liberty Protection Safeguards After helping with the residents’ mid-morning tea round, Charlotte and George participated in the morning s activities in the lounge and spent time talking to residents Afterwards it was back to the dining room to help with lunch

When they put on their care uniforms they were completely transformed from policy professionals to carers ” said home manager Claudia Ramsamy “I was excited to show them what we do each day how we provide good care and take pride in what we do Everything ran very smoothly and the team was struck by how well George and Charlotte interacted with the residents

While Charlotte shadowed care assistant Liliana Graban and played hangman with residents George worked alongside Emma Charleston also a care assistant He was comfortable and relaxed too as he chatted with residents and, to everyone s amusement and delight, found a ‘girlfriend !

George described the experience as “incredibly insightful, helpful and immersive praising Willows phenomenal hospitality and paying tribute to the “brilliant” team

He said: “Working alongside some of your fantastic colleagues will certainly help underpin and inform our continued efforts to achieve a sustainable future for the adult social care sector ”

This was Charlotte s second day in the life experience at a care home She commented: “It was a pleasure to spend the day with a team who really demonstrated what person-centred care means The team were attentive to the residents while ensuring they maintained independence wherever possible You could really tell how much the Willows team cared about their work and the people they were providing care for Willows’ clinical manager Gail St-Juste Alcide added: “We wanted our visitors to relax and be completely themselves while at Willows although we do understand that there were a huge number of new people for them to interact with! It was a really positive learning experience for all of us

‘Their Grace Filled Our Hearts’ – ExDancer Praises Young Performers’ Care

A former ballet dancer enjoyed a surprise treat when 21 young performers turned up at her Dorchester care home to entertain her and fellow residents

Jill Kember took a special interest in the visit to Colten Care s Castle View in Poundbury by Dorchester Ballet and Dance Club

The ex-ballet school student and amateur performer watched as the dancers went through a series of ballet contemporary pieces and hip hop – which proved a new dance for some of the audience

She said: I m thrilled that the performances were showcased to all residents The costumes and grace of the dancers filled the hearts of all ”

London-born Jill had polio as a child and having no access to professional physiotherapy it was suggested that ballet might help her condition so she was sent to a ballet school in Bromley Kent

“Ballet practice did indeed help ” she said “I used to dance at events and galas that kind of thing It helped my recovery from polio and gave me the chance to live a normal adult life

Jill continued her interest in ballet while bringing up her family and working as a personal assistant at a Midlands doctors practice

“While I was never a professional, I still love everything about ballet,” she said

Team members at Castle View have continued to help Jill enjoy her lifelong passion for dance since she moved to the Bridport Road home in March 2021

Later that same year, they accompanied her to watch stars from the Royal Ballet perform in the grounds of Tudor mansion Athelhampton House ten miles from Dorchester

After the show Jill had a face-to-face chat with Principal Dancers Ryoichi Hirano and Fumi Kaneko

“We talked about their performance, dance in general and their experience of ballet companies I was thrilled they spoke with me ” Jill said at the time adding that one of her fondest memories was seeing the legendary Margot Fonteyn dance: “I still remember seeing her on stage at Covent Garden in 1960 It was in a first-night performance of Les Sylphides and she was astounding

Asked for her advice to young dancers Jill said: “Make sure you find a really good teacher someone qualified If you have the desire in your heart for dance then you will dance

Discussing the visit by Dorchester Ballet and Dance Companionship Team member Stephanie Jolliffe said: Jill and fellow residents loved it The young visitors performed different dances which some in the audience hadn’t experience before A huge thank-you to all involved ”

Paralympic Table Tennis Star Hosts Event For The Care Sector Ahead Of European Championships

Over twenty people who access care and support were encouraged to get active follow their dreams and discover new confidence with the support of British Paralympian Bronze Medallist Jack Hunter-Spivey Hosting an interactive online workshop with the charity Community Integrated Care on its acclaimed www What-To-Do co uk platform, the star instilled belief and positivity ahead of the European Para Table Tennis Championships in Sheffield 4-9 September

The experience brilliantly blended table tennis themed accessible exercises with motivational conversations Describing how he has overcome adversity in his life to follow his passion for table tennis and achieve his greatest dreams he encouraged the group with his motto life is one big adventure’

This experience was the latest effort by the charity to pioneer table tennis in social care Community Integrated Care supported hundreds of people to enjoy the sport creating table tennis hubs in many of its services and training support workers to deliver the sport in partnership with Table Tennis England It was awarded a

of Table

session to help inspire people to find confidence and self-belief

What To Do is an unbelievable platform that gives many people access to special opportunities, so it was great to be part of the community It was fantastic to share my story and see the passion that so many have for table tennis It was brilliant to see the appetite for the sport ”

Oliver Thomason Sports Inclusion Coordinator at Community Integrated Care led a warm up for the event inspired by Table Tennis movements He said “It was great to work with Jack and to get to know him too I loved discovering how he’d became a Paralympian As someone who has a disability I know the importance of having role models that inspire you Jack has taught me that anything is possible

Lewis Webster Sports Inclusion Communications Manager at Community Integrated Care said Jack s humour and unique ability to connect with people made for a brilliant session His belief in the potential of every person was inspiring

For him to take time from his training camp in Slovakia to deliver this experience was a testament to his character He truly is a star on and off the court ”

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Forbes Receives High Profile Recognition for their Sustainable Rental Solutions

Forbes Professional has recently garnered high-profile recognition for their commitment to sustainability and exceptional customer service A national provider of sustainable rental options for commercial laundry provision, Forbes Professional has been honoured with the prestigious Best Independent Retailer - Sustainability Award at the IER (Independent Electrical Retailer) Awards Forbes also received high commendation for its dedication to customer service, further solidifying its position as a leader in the industry

In an era where environmental responsibility is paramount rental presents itself as a more sustainable procurement solution than outright purchase supporting the circular economy and enabling multi-phase product cycles Forbes consultants work with clients

Girbau UK Launches Under Counter Washer and Dr yer Models

Well known for its robust commercial and industrial laundry equipment Girbau UK has launched its first professional grade Under Counter washers and dryers that fit underneath standard 900mm height counters Both machines combine energy efficiency ease of use and compact size with high quality durable construction making them ideal for a wide range of applications including care and nursing homes

The new Under Counter washer s strong stainless steel Active Drum™ design has hourglass lifters that guide loads to gentler central areas for better load balance and reduced wear on delicate items A 180-degree open-

ing door makes the machine easier to load and unload from a basket It is available with a choice of 6kg or 8kg capacity with either a pump or gravity drain

Quiet long-life operation is assured thanks to the washer s sturdy Quattro™ construction with durable shock absorbers that allow virtually vibration-free high-speed spinning Rather than cheap concrete counterweights the washer features cast iron stabilisers for higher spin speeds better water extraction and increased spin efficiency

The washer features an easy-to-use liquid crystal display user interface It features 28 flexible programs three of which are customisable as well as disinfection mop microfibre and allergy settings It also comes with in-built service diagnostics The delayed start function can be used to plan ahead and set machines to run off-peak to optimise use of cheaper energy tariffs

The new Under Counter dryer can also be stacked on top of the washer to save floor space The 6kg capacity model is available in both condenser and vented versions and the 8kg capacity model is vented The Sensi Dry system automatically determines the right drying time saving energy and assuring fabric care Its convenient auto programs save energy as the running time is automatically adjusted according to load size and the required dryness

Butterfly drying ™ tumbling in a figure of eight movement non-stop in one direction stops clothes from bundling and ensures long life durability of the motor and belt The efficient lint filter has an automatic indicator to remind users to clean it for optimum energy efficiency and safety

The dryer’s memory function remembers the last program used including any chosen settings so if nothing needs to change, you can simply press start for the next load

The new Girbau under counter washer and dryer are now available to order from Girbau UK www girbau com

Preser ving Identity and Preventing Loss:

Cash's Apparel Solutions' Centur y-Long Legacy

Cash's Apparel Solutions has been at the forefront of manufacturing woven nametapes for over a century, serving the nursing home sector and beyond Their nametapes have become synonymous with preserving identity, preventing lost garments and delivering personalised identity items and gifts

Preserving dignity Cash s woven nametapes provide a simple yet effective solution to labelling clothing in nursing homes minimising distress caused by lost garments, fostering an environment where residents are seen and respected for who they are Cash s has earned a global reputation for reliability and quality Their woven nametapes are sold and utilised worldwide serving as a testament to their effectiveness

In addition, Cash s Apparel Solutions goes beyond their renowned nametapes Their expertise in weaving and personalisation allows them to create a diverse range of identity items and gifts From personalized badges to custom keyrings and promotional products Cash s demonstrates their versatility in

meeting unique customer needs By offering tailored solutions, they celebrate individuality, making a significant contribution to the spirit of personalisation and fostering a sense of belonging

A Century of Excellence: Cash s century-long presence in the industry showcases their enduring commitment to excellence They have adapted and innovated, embracing modern technology and evolving customer demands Cash s unwavering dedication to their craft and the nursing home sector demonstrates their genuine concern for residents well-being and comfort

In conclusion, Cash s has established itself as a leader in manufacturing woven nametapes, personalised identity items and gifts With their century-long legacy of quality, reliability, and attention to detail Cash s continues to make a significant impact in the nursing home sector and beyond By preserving identity preventing loss, and embracing personalisation, Cash s Apparel Solutions truly embodies their commitment to enhancing safety dignity and individuality in care facilities worldwide

Visit www cashslabels com

DYSPHAGIA AND CATERING

allmanhall Explore Why Seasons Matter When Creating Menus For Your Residents

Having an array of food available all year round may seem like a good thing

However this vast choice can have a negative impact on the environment the economy and - perhaps more surprisingly - on the nutritional status of food

In general fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of their ripeness This is also the peak of their nutritional status

When out of season produce is helped to grow in the UK the environmental impact can be astronomical – local is not always better especially if growing it here out of season means carbon intensive methods

If transported to the UK from overseas, it will start to age whilst travelling This ageing leads to fresh foods losing nutritional density and not providing the same benefits as if eaten when freshly picked: between 5 to 40% lower in vitamins and minerals

Why does this matter in your care homes? Smaller appetites and therefore smaller portions make it vital that food served and eaten is as nutritionally dense as possible If

you can make your menus more in-season you are potentially increasing the nutritional density of your residents’ meals

What’s more in-season produce is also likely to be better quality and value!

2 TOP TIPS:

1 Know your seasons Work with a food procurement expert like allmanhall who fully understand the complexities of food supply and who can provide nutrition and buying advice You can also make use of allmanhall s seasonality guide

2 Provide variety Although sticking to seasons may mean you’re choosing foods from a smaller pool do still focus on variety to deliver a greater assortment of nutrients to support the overall health of your residents It will also help positively impact gut health through more diverse good gut bacteria

For further information please see the advert on this page

* Researcher University of Austin

The NACC Care Chef of the Year 2023 Finalists Announced

After some particularly challenging heats the line-up of care chefs set to compete in the national final of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Care Chef of the Year 2023 competition has been announced

In June, regional heats were held across the NACC Regions –Midlands, South East Scotland, North, South West and Wales – with care chefs demonstrating that they can compete with the best when it comes to culinary skills The prize is to represent their region in the national final scheduled to take place on 3rd October 2023

Once again this year s lead judge was Steve Munkley Vice President of Craft Guild of Chefs who attended each region to ensure continuity The chefs had to demonstrate to the judges their full understanding of the meals they are providing for their residents whilst introducing their own flair through contemporary flavours

The finalists who intend to impress the judges one more time include:

• Nigel Cooke – Eastcote Park Cinnamon Care Collection

Alex Millichamp – Chandler Court Care UK

• Chris Mattinson – Sycamore Court, Caterplus/Elior

Brian Preston – RBL Lister House – Royal British Legion

• Jessica Vreede – Guthrie House, Four Seasons Health Care

Graham Watson – Lauder Lodge Care UK

• Kasia Hab-Bialkowska – Highmarket House Care Home, Care UK

Chris Mitchley – St John’s House, Castlemeadow Care

Darren Nelson – Trymview Hall Care Home Care UK

Daniel Bree Hartwood House Cinnamon Care

Alex Connell Vegetarian for Life

Dav d Sharp Signature for Barnet Signature Care

The ninety-minute regional heat focused on the importance of food nutrition and positive mealtime experiences as part of quality care entrants are challenged to create an appealing and delicious twocourse menu (main and dessert) appropriate for people in a care setting The combined food cost for both courses should be no more than £3 50 per head based on three portions and it must be nutritionally balanced The menu must also feature at least one product from Unilever Food Solutions’ sector-relevant catering range

Lead Judge Steve Munkley said: “I have been incredibly pleased with the standards I have seen so far This is a really important competition that shows highlights the skills within the care sector ” Sue Cawthray National Chair of the NACC said Congratulations to the finalists of the NACC Care Chef of the Year competition 2023! The calibre of entries for this competition continues to be incredibly high and we have seen exceptional dishes created and served by chefs across the regional heats The finalists should be immensely proud of their efforts so far I know that they will want to impress the judges in October

DYSPHAGIA AND CATERING

Groundbreaking ProjectFIT IDDSI Drinks Solution: Revolutionizing Dysphagia Care in the UK

Refreshment Systems Limited (RSL) introduces the ProjectFIT IDDSI drinks solution catering to individuals living with dysphagia – a swallowing disorder affecting around 8% of the UK population Dysphagia can significantly impact a person s quality of life affecting nutrition hydration and social interactions RSL s innovative push-button solution provides hope and convenience to patients and caregivers/clinicians alike

Collaborating with colleagues in Belgium through Bravilor the ProjectFIT team developed a cutting-edge counter-top machine that delivers a range of hot and cold beverages with various flavours customized to specific IDDSI levels By automating the preparation process the solution ensures each drink is consistently prepared offering patients the preferred beverage without unexpected variations

The adherence to strict IDDSI guidelines guarantees the appropriate viscosity and texture for safe swallowing reducing the risk of choking or aspiration The automated process streamlines preparation saving valuable resources and allowing caregivers/clinicians to focus on patient care The elimination of manual preparation results in cost and labour benefits making it a financially viable option for healthcare providers

An essential feature of the ProjectFIT IDDSI drinks is their amylase-resistant properties, maintaining the desired viscosity throughout consumption, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience for patients

The solution offers a wide range of exciting flavours, including Orange Apple & Peach, Lemon Tea, Coffee, and Tea, encouraging patients to stay hydrated and maintain proper nutrition RSL and ProjectFIT plan to introduce even more flavours in the future expanding the range of enjoyable and safe beverages for individuals with dysphagia

With over 50 years of experience in coffee vending and providing solutions to the UK Care Home NHS and Private Healthcare markets RSL is a trusted leader in the industry The introduction of the ProjectFIT IDDSI drinks solution reinforces their dedication to enhancing the lives of dysphagia patients and caregivers/clinicians

The future of dysphagia catering in the UK looks brighter than ever before thanks to the groundbreaking ProjectFIT IDDSI drinks solution from RSL Focused on consistency safety and enjoyment this innovative solution promises to improve the overall quality of life for individuals with dysphagia marking a significant advancement in dysphagia care

Search for RSL Vending or contact us using details below

www refreshmentsystems co uk 0800 169 3686 info@refreshmentsystems co uk

Anglia Crown - Popular Dishes for Ever yone

Anglia Crown offer a wide range of hot and cold desserts that are ideal for a wellbalanced nutritional diet including choices that do not contain gluten Our Crown Choice and Advantage ranges include some fifty-eight dishes including our new 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

CLEANING AND HYGIENE

Omnitex Hygiene Products Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection

Omnitex represents all round protection and hygiene products Launched in 2015 it has quickly become a brand synonymous with high quality used everyday by thousands of individuals and healthcare facilities throughout the UK and Europe All products are manufactured in ISO9001 and ISO13485 certified facilities

Omnitex Body Cleansing wipes are a large size which the ideal thickness for a comfortable cleaning experience Bulk pack of 80 wipes with our unique enriching formula and microwaveable

Microwaveable for a warm bed bath

Lightly fragranced and with a honeycomb texture on Wipes facilitating better cleaning coverage absorbency and hygiene

• If following the 8-wipe bed bath protocol each pack will allow for 10 cleanses Cost saving Pack of 80 wipes

One wipe for each area of the body : Face Neck

Chest, Arms, Perineum Legs, Back & Buttocks

Dermatologically Tested

Latex Free Alcohol Free Parabens Free

• No water required

Omnitex is a Brand representing British Quality in PPE and Incontinence Products

A wide range of PPE Medical Grade Masks Shoe Covers, Disposable Aprons, Mob caps & Gloves

Omnitex also includes a premium range of Incontinence Bed Pads and Mobility Consumables

Contact 0141 778 6017 sales@omnitex-uk com or visit www omnitex-uk com

Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies including hand hygiene cleaning training and the adoption of new technologies to tackle the problem

As a result a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market including antimicrobial technology 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 MRSA, E Coli, Legionella Salmonella and mould by up to 99 99%

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www angloplas co uk

Swiftclean Support for Care Homes

these are the industry standards which are recognised as key in each specialist area

With all our services excellent work is only half the story In the event of an inspection you will need to be able to demonstrate that your care home is compliant; it won’t be enough for you to know that it is We provide all the required documentation including before and after photographs and post clean and maintenance reports so you can be sure that your service users are safe and you are protected from any liability for negligence

Contact us now to book in your free care home assessment on 0800 243 471 or email info@swiftclean co uk www swiftclean co uk

AND HYGIENE

Wipertec - Hygenic Wipes for Care

With over 25 years experience of manufacturing both dry wipes and wet wipes to ISO9001 standards, Wipertec offer both our own established brands and customer own private label

At Wipertic we recognise that if there’s one thing that is vital in care home environments it’s cleanliness!

Elderly residents become more prone to infection and illness and are not as resilient as they once were, which is why they are more disposed to the spread of infections

Furthermore a clean hygienic care home is not only vital for resident safety but also important in terms of aesthetic appeal a clean environment helps to foster a positive caring environment where residents feels safe and their loved ones assured With respect to residents personal hygiene one of the most crucial responsibilities that care home staff perform is ensuring and maintaining the personal cleanliness of residents

Correct cleaning minimises the danger of illness and infection enhances the resident’s overall health and wellbeing helping to keep them happier by increasing their sense of pride and dignity When bathing patients wipes are among the most regularly used items for incontinence care or general cleansing assisting in the safe and complete cleaning of residents in a comfortable manner

We at Wipertec can provide an extensive range of formats such as single sachet individual wipes packs canisters and buckets

Our products can be seen globally across a wide variety of sectors such as healthcare industrial retail education and many more

With the efficient service we provide, we like to think of ourselves as another valued member of your own team!

We would love to hear from you!

For any further information you require and to see our comprehensive range please visit us at www wipertecltd co uk

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 derived 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

•

With over 25 years experience of manufacturing both dry wipes and wet wipes to ISO9001 standards.

Mylux Dry Wipes

•

•

• Stronger and Thicker

• General Cleaning

Mylux Skin Wet Wipes

• Luxury wipes range, ideal for use on sensitive skin

• Polyester/ viscose spunlace fabric material

• Absorbent with a superior silky soft feel

MACERATABLE

• Designed for use in macerator systems

• Made from cellulose based airlaid paper

• Ultra absorbent, strong both wet and dry

We can provide an extensive range of formats such as single sachet individual wipes, packs, canisters and buckets.

We offer both our own established brands and customer own private label.

Our products can be seen globally across a wide variety of sectors such as healthcare, industrial, retail, education and many more.

BIOCOMP

• Biodegradable & Compostable dry wipe

• Plastic free and Eco Friendly

• Very absorbent

MULTIPURPOSE

Colour Coded Cleaning wipes for infection control

• 50% Viscose, much higher absorbency than industry standard fabric

Mylux Surface Wet Wipes

AQUASURF

Water based disinfection wipes

• Antibacterial & Antiviral (plus Coronavirus)

• Strong polypropelene fabric

• Ocean fresh fragrance

DETCARE

• Detergent cleaning wipes

• Perfect for general surface cleaning

• Strong polypropelene fabric

• Ocean fresh fragrance

BIOSKIN

• Biodegradable wet wipes range

• Very strong

MACSKIN

• Made from cellulose based airlaid paper

The efficient service we provide we like to think of ourselves as another valued member of your own team.

BIOSURF

• Biodegradable wet wipes range

• Plastic free and eco friendly

• Lemon Fragrance

SCRUB & CLEAN

• Technical abrasive fabric

• Antibacterial & Antiviral (plus Coronavirus)

• Degreasing formulation

• Lemon Fragrance

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

New Lines Added To Our Favourite Chamonix Designs

Skopos has more than 50 years’ specialist experience in the design and manufacture of high-performance FR contract fabrics for the care sector

As a key part of many care-home schemes our Chamonix upholstery fabrics provide a durable and stylish solution to contract furniture in demanding environments For 2023 we are launching our follow-on collection: Chamonix Deuxième brings a new colour story to contract upholstery A fresh influx of these three well-loved upholstery fabric designs Chamonix Deuxième provides even greater choice With 38 new Skus each design works beautifully alone or in combination, to create simple, contemporary and stylish contract

C&S Seating Ltd

C&S Seating Ltd have provided postural control equipment to residential homes hospices medical equipment services and NHS trust hospitals nationwide since 1991

With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls in a removable and machine washable Waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes

C&S Seating Ltd is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support – also available in two sizes which has removable side cushions and

BIOFROST

middle pommel for when more control of the abducted lower limb is required

Our popular and vibrant range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 colours provide a softer alternative ideal for the colder seasons and are designed to fit snug over our waterproof rolls for maximum protection and comfort

Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit www candsseating co uk to request or download a brochure pricelist or order form request an individualised quotation speak to an advisor or to place an order See the advert on page 5

MOWOOT II for Life Free from Constipation

MOWOOT II is a groundbreaking non-invasive and non-pharmacological solution to chronic constipation

Developed by a team of doctors and other healthcare professionals, the MOWOOT II performs gentle abdominal massage that speeds up intestinal transit in people suffering with chronic constipation

Clinically proven safe and effective easy to use relaxing and side-effects free the MOWOOT II Abdominal Massage Therapy System combats constipation allowing the sufferers to enjoy the freedom of a healthy life

Easy to use and comfortable MOWOOT II treats and manages chronic constipation in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson s Disease patients and when constipation is caused by drugs and pharmacological interventions MOWOOT II also helps people combat idiopathic chronic constipa-

tion such as suffered by menopausal and postmenopausal women and the older and elderly people

In clinical studies

MOWOOT II was found to increase evacuation frequency, soften stools, improve regularity reduce gasses and bloating and relieve abdominal discomfort

Just 10 to 20 minutes per day of relaxing abdominal massage therapy with MOWOOT II produces noticeable improvements Significant results are experienced few days after the first treatment Regular applications ensure lasting improvements and better quality of life

MOWOOT II – the effective solution to chronic constipation and the way to a healthier life!

For more information, contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 - www win-health com

See the advert on page 3 for further details

furniture pieces In an extensive palette ranging from staple neutrals to fashion-led brights colours can be selected and combined to fit with any chosen project scheme Orelle Marmotte and Slalom are provided with Crib 5 Flame Retardant backing soil and stain resist finish and a waterproof layer and meet the requirements for severe contract situations with 50 000 Martindale rubs offering a beautiful choice for any contract interior

The collection meets the requirements for Flame Retardancy standards across the UK and Europe, and meets IMO standards with the added benefit of the MED wheelmark for marine/cruise-line interiors Available immediately with short lead-times for larger order quantities Skopos are pleased to add this collection into their Accents range For a copy of our Chamonix Deuxième shade-card pls contact our customer service team: sales@skopos co uk or for free samples of Chamonix Deuxième or any of our collections, visit our website www skoposfabrics com or see page 5 for details

Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Pain Relief

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy

Gels are natural drug-free topical cold therapy gels for muscular and joint pain chronic arthritic pain postactivity muscle tension, general aches and overuse disorders Easy to use and fast acting, BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels relieve pain, reduce inflammation

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 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

T: 01835 864864866 / E: info@win-health com

/

W: www win-health com

See the advert on page 3 and the front cover

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 be maintained in a suitable condition order

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

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

ation of Yeoman Shield Fire ction 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

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

B-Sure Recycling Launches Waste Management Company

THE COMPLETE RECYCLING SOLUTION FOR ALL YOUR BUSINESS WASTE

B-Sure Installations a leading UK installation company for the care home and healthcare sector in the UK

The Leicestershire-based company has recently invested over £70k to launch a new waste management company B-Sure Recycling

The new enterprise helps customers many of which include residential care homes reach mounting waste management targets by providing a complete collection and recycling service of all types of business waste

How we manage waste is a huge environmental and business concern for the healthcare sector Reaching recycling targets through circular economy solutions are a significant part of environmental goals for the care industry explains Ross

Chambers Managing Director B-Sure Installations

THE COMPLETE

facilities Metal waste is collated wood-based waste is broken down and separated and plastic waste is granulated and bagged The recycled materials are then provided to B-Sure partners who create it into new products such as mats play areas PVC windows toys and many more new products Some items such as office furniture if they are in good condition are refurbished or resized so that they can be reused placing them back into the circular economy

THE COMPLETE CIRCULAR ECONOMY RECYCLING SOLUTION

B-Sure experts can provide an outline of the recycling process end to end and businesses who want to book the recycling

We provide all the tools equipment and advice of how to make the most of the new service for the benefit of the business and the environment with minimal disruption and mess https://bsureinstallations com/

ENHANCING RESIDENT WELL-BEING: THE POWER OF INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

and intuitive touchscreens these tables offer an inclusive and accessible platform for individuals of all abilities to engage in various activities

2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SENSORY STIMULATION: Engaging residents in interactive entertainment not only stimulates their minds but also contributes significantly to their mental health and emotional well-being Interactive tables provide opportunities for sensory stimulation as residents can explore vibrant visual displays listen to soothing music, and interact with tactile elements Such immersive experiences have been shown to alleviate stress reduce feelings of isolation and improve overall mood

player games or group activities residents can connect with others foster meaningful relationships, and form a sense of belonging within the care home community

In today s fast-paced world the role of technology in improving the quality of life for individuals of all ages cannot be underestimated This is especially true in the context of adult social care where the integration of interactive entertainment has proven to be a game-changer for resident well-being mental health and sensory stimulation Care and nursing homes across the UK have recognized the immense benefits of incorporating interactive tables into their facilities revolutionizing the way residents engage with technology foster cognitive skills promote exercise, and create an atmosphere of fun, laughter, and enjoyment for both staff and residents

1 TECHNOLOGY AS A GATEWAY TO RESIDENT WELLBEING: Gone are the days when technology was seen as a barrier to socialization and human connection Interactive tables have emerged as a powerful tool in bridging the digital divide and enhancing the overall well-being of care home residents With easy-to-use interfaces

3. IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS: Interactive entertainment offers an exciting and interactive way to boost residents cognitive skills Games and applications specifically designed for older adults help enhance memory problem-solving abilities and critical thinking From brain teasers to puzzles residents can engage in intellectually stimulating activities that keep their minds sharp and active The versatility of interactive tables allows for the easy customization and introduction of new applications as residents' needs evolve

4. PROMOTING EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING:

Physical activity is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, regardless of age Interactive tables can play a vital role in encouraging residents to engage in light exercises and movements Through games that involve physical gestures or virtual fitness classes residents can enjoy a fun and interactive way to stay active and improve their physical well-being

5. COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT: Loneliness and social isolation are significant challenges faced by many care home residents Interactive tables can help combat these issues by providing a platform for communication and social engagement Whether through video calls with loved ones interactive multi-

Safe & Sound Music & Movement+

The ‘Safe & Sound Music & Movement+’ chair-based exercise programme is winning awards as it helps maturing adults to become and stay physically and mentally fitter, healthier & cognisant

The programme has been in development for over twelve years and in 2019 & 2021 they were awarded ‘Best Holistic Health & Fitness Provider for Southern England in the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical awards

Utilising sitting standing & transitional movements the classes are

open to everyone regardless of their present abilities with adaptions to cater for all helping everyone to improve over time covering the whole of the body from head to toe

The plus in the title refers to all the other elements not normally covered in your run of the mill exercise class with interventions covering arthritis heart problems Parkinson s balance fall prevention mobility, flexibility, strength, diabetes and dementia as well as general mental & physical health & wellbeing

6 VERSATILITY AND FUN FOR ALL: One of the greatest advantages of interactive tables is their versatility They can be customized to suit the diverse interests and preferences of residents From interactive music sessions and sing-alongs to trivia nights and art workshops, the possibilities are endless The element of fun, laughter, and enjoyment is not limited to residents alone; staff members also benefit from witnessing the positive impact of interactive entertainment on residents lives creating a more fulfilling and rewarding work environment

As the adult social care landscape continues to evolve, integrating interactive entertainment into care and nursing homes is a forwardthinking approach that prioritizes resident well-being, mental health sensory stimulation, cognitive skills, and physical exercise Interactive tables have proven to be invaluable tools providing a versatile platform for a wide range of activities fostering social connections and enriching the lives of both residents and staff members alike By embracing these advancements care homes can create a vibrant and inclusive environment where joy, engagement, and fulfillment thrive

Frank Markham founder said

“We are leading the way, enabling people to become and stay physically & mentally fit, active and independent for longer

Although based in Dorset we are also developing an online training course to enable activity co-ordinators to provide the programme to their own care home s nationally

For further information call 07960 990771 or visit www holisticbodytraining co uk

INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

TV That Creates Connection And Conversation

Is Your Care Setting Using My Life TV?

My Life TV offers a unique solution for care homes and care providers supporting staff to deliver high quality, person-centred care The on demand wellbeing and care tool available on any internet connected device is specifically designed for people living with dementia and those who care for them It contains over 170 hours of content created and curated to meet the cognitive needs of people living with dementia

There is a rich mix of content from stimulating activities for individuals or groups including sing-a-longs quizzes chair yoga and art classes through to relevant reminiscence programmes and joyful entertainment, all accessible at any time of day and night From Bryce Forsyth s Generation Game to Gardener s World, Blue Peter and Delia, there are favourites taken from the nation’s archives There s an abundance of content to help continue people s personal interests and hobbies - and to spark new ones - from nature wildlife and animals to painting and poetry ballroom dancing to birdwatching cookery to crafts cars and cross stitch through to travel sports and music Subscribers can find something that is perfect for the moment the mood and the situation

The platform supports and enables reminiscence - so important for the elderly and for individuals living

with dementia - taking people back to recollect fond memories and times gone by There is a wealth of content, from Reminiscence with Jan, to historic programmes like A Year to Remember taking in key moments including the Queen’s coronation and England winning the world cup, as well as other stimulus to provoke memories and create conversation Your staff may not remember or understand how life was in the past but users often comment that My Life TV enables staff to get to know their residents better as well as helping families to enjoy time with their loved ones creating new memories and inspiring conversations

My Life TV works with trusted expert partners including Alzheimer s Society BBC Archive, National Trust, BFI and NAPA (National Activity Providers Association) as well as engaging with subscribers and users to ensure the platform adds real value is dementia-centred and grounded in supporting best practice care It is one of the reasons My Life TV has been cited as supporting outstanding care delivery by CQC (Care Quality Commission) Find out more about My Life TV at www mylifefilms org

‘Happiness is Our Forte’ – Musical Moments’

Musical Moments sessions are fun energetic, and fully accessible, involving lots of sensory props movement and singing – all of course to great music Director Maggie says “Music brings such joy and a sense of togetherness for people – something that we all really need ”

Every member of the Musical Moments team is passionate about the therapeutic benefits of music for groups and individuals with physical and mental disabilities people with dementia and other conditions as well as with care home residents The sessions are carefully designed to be fully interactive and inclusive so as to stimulate and include everyone in the room all while developing cognitive skills gross and fine motor skills and increasing social interactions

It s not just participants who benefit from these activities – they re also appreciated by carers staff and family members The pandemic has reignited public appreciation for those who’ve looked after vulnerable members of society and the Musical Moments team are passion-

ate about providing some light relief for caring staff, families and friends Family members can spend time with a relative in these sessions without the pressure of conversation – instead they can simply enjoy the activities together

Musical Moments work with consultants including an adaptive movement specialist and a Music Therapist who endorse their sessions and ensure they provide the greatest physical and mental health benefits for their participants All team members have full insurance safeguarding training and DBS checks

Above all, the Musical Moments team cares about bringing joy to the lives of others through music – something that really strikes a chord in a post-pandemic world

Currently operating in: North Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Essex, Leeds Liverpool and Solent areas

For more information to book a session or even join the team please see our website www musical-moments co uk or email: hello@musical-moments co uk See the advert on page 33

INTERACTIVE

Magic Table

The Magic Table® from Little Islands® takes the market leading Tiny Tablet and then launches it to a completely new level by building in a high quality sound system that allows everyone to join in the FUN!

Why not give us a call today to arrange your own personal live on-line demonstration Call 01282 869802 or email hello@littleislands

Immersive Music Experiences for Care Homes

Music can be an incredible tool for enhancing the quality of life and for evoking memories in people living with dementia and sensory impairments At Silent Memories we provide wireless headset packages for care homes providing a completely unique sensory audio experience for residents

WHY USE HEADSETS?

Create a fully immersive experience through the power of headsets helping develop a deeper sense of coherence communication and stimulation The headsets contain 3 channels meaning 3 different types of music can be set up at the same time to cater for a range of musical tastes Think meandering along to Mozart on channel 1 swinging to Vera Lynn on channel 2 or rocking out to Elvis Presley on channel 3!

By playing familiar tracks through headsets memories and feelings can be stimulated Music can be carefully chosen by loved ones and care workers to really enhance the experience for residents KEEP ON MOVING!

Care homes using Silent Memories have noted a distinct increase in engagement animation and stimulation amongst residents Using headsets allows them to opt in or out of the sessions The sessions can be taking place in a communal area and anyone not taking part won t be distracted by the activity With a long transmission range it also allows patients with limited mobility to take part in their own rooms

WHAT THE CARE HOMES SAY...

I have been astounded by the positive affects holding a ‘Silent Disco’ has had on my clients Silent Memories have played within our care home setting and we have been surprised at the way in which the impact of intimate personal music especially tailored to clients, has engaged the most static, distant clients and really ‘brought them back to life and brought obvious pleasure and joy to many others Briony Sloan - Homecroft, Bradford Please contact the team at Silent Noize to find out how we can help improve the quality of living for your residents info@silentnoizeevents com call 0203 727 5382 or visit www silentnoizeevents com

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

FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR

Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions!

Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers® The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad This results in less work for nursing staff improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads Wireless advantages include the ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless devices

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Safer for pat ents; less work for staff Bed and cha r pads available One monitor works with two sensor pads Integrates with most nurse call systems

A variety of options including: Call button Pager

Floor sensor mat

Wireless door/window exit alerts

TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR

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

FALLS MANAGEMENT

Cumbria Care Home Embraces AI Technology To Support Care Staff By Preventing and Detecting Falls

Futuristic technology that can detect and even predict and prevent falls is being tested at one of Abbeyfield s residential care homes in Cumbria The technology also eliminates the risk of life-threatening ‘long lies’ where a person falls typically during the night and can remain on the floor for an extended period

The pilot involving the installation of intelligent AI-powered Nobi smart lamps in residents’ bedrooms, is taking place at Hartland House, which is managed by the Abbeyfield Lakeland Extra Care Society part of the worldwide Abbeyfield group Abbeyfield s network of care homes sheltered living schemes and independent living complexes support 6,000 older people in eight countries to live happy, independent lives in a safe and stimulating environment with values of companionship and community at its core

If a resident falls the smart lamp detects this immediately and speaks to the resident, asking if they are okay In the event of no response or a call for help the intelligent lamp is pre-programmed to send an alert to care staff plus a computer-generated outline image to show where and how the fall has occurred

As well as ensuring no-one is left on the floor following a fall (the alert to care staff will ensure attendance within minutes) the lamp also helps to prevent falls from occurring When a resident sits upright in bed at night the lamp will shine soft light upwards to gently illuminate the room and if they then stand up to go to the bathroom for example the smart lamp will illuminate the entire room

The AI technology built into the Nobi smart lamp is even able to predict certain falls Changes in walking pace, length of stride and even the resident s posture when sitting will be detected and can be used to alert caregivers of a potential risk

The pilot is being funded by NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) which organises health and care services across the region

Asim Patel chief digital officer at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB said We are really interested in how technology can be harnessed to predict and prevent falls in the future and how it can be used to support our care workforce

“Falls are the biggest reason for hospital admissions in our region and this puts huge pressure on care staff and the NHS Piloting this new type of technology is really exciting because not only could it

reduce hospital admissions significantly but it could prevent some of our more vulnerable older people from seriously injuring themselves when they fall

Speaking about the lamps Leanne Scrogham Registered Manager of Hartland House said One of the added benefits of the lamps is that they help us to understand falls that occur

When a resident falls they typically can t remember how or why they fell but the clever Nobi lamps are able to show us a period of 15 seconds before and 15 seconds after a fall as well as sending us a still image of the person on the floor

“This sort of information is invaluable giving us a far better understanding of the incident and how it can be prevented in the future

“Use of the lamps also makes our care team more efficient as the need for unnecessary checks is eliminated This means that our carers can spend more time with the residents who need their help At the same time we are bringing added peace of mind to families so it really is a win-win situation ”

Around a third of people aged 65 and over and around half of all people aged 80 and over, fall at least once a year Being unattended following a fall is life-threatening and the length of time they are on the floor has a significant impact on the person’s recovery following a fall Fast assistance after a fall is therefore crucial in terms of saving lives improving recovery, reducing hospital stays, and decreasing care needs after hospitalisation

For more information about Abbeyfield, visit www abbeyfield com

Or for information on Nobi visit www nobi life

4 Reflections on Technology in Care: The Past, Present and the Exciting Future

condition and comfort These tools can help ease the workload of staff and provide them with digestible and accessible real-time information allowing them to focus on what matters most

2 SAFETY & ADMINISTRATION

We stand at a crossroads for the future of care

The sector has been in the spotlight much over the last few years and not often for positive reasons

Social care has become an increasingly political subject, and there is much discussion around the sector pertaining to Covid rules funding staffing levels and its uncertain future

One certainty is that our people are our most important asset It is they who set the tone and direction of the industry and are the beating pulse of its workings However, they have seen great challenges over the past 2 years and as a result we need to look to new ways to protect support and empower them

As we look at the next 5 and 10 years for the industry, we should look to face the problems of the sector head-on Whilst funding and policy are integral parts of the solution we must also look to generate solutions from within the industry itself

Increasingly technology has become an accessible and widespread tool in care and something that should be embraced as part of care s future

1 MONITORING

Over the past few years staff across the industry have provided outstanding care amidst highly challenging circumstances However, as demand for care increases the pressure on staff does too

We need to look to means to support staff in their work, and to enable them to focus on delivering hands on high-quality human care

New technology can allow for remote monitoring analysis and diagnosis of key needs Audible cues can detect signs and symptoms of a possible fall, and mattress management technology can pick up possible incontinence AI-enabled paincheck facial analysis can assist in analysing patient

The safety of our patients must be paramount, and technology is certainly a great tool to aid that Electronic patient care records are becoming more commonplace in healthcare settings and should be embraced in care settings too Software can monitor medication dosing help track a patient s condition over time, and flag things requiring immediate attention Digitally enabled mattresses can detect and alert to changes in physiology such as abnormal vital signs These technologies can also allow for better continuation of care throughout the care pathways ensuring that a patient is not a nameless folded sheet of paper but instead a holistic individual with records to match

3 THERAPY

Care needs are becoming both more complex and more understood Technology can, and has, enabled a breadth of new therapies for some of the more complex conditions For those suffering with dementia it has unlocked a new realm of possibility in memory care such as the use of virtual reality sensory enhancement chambers and movement/motion therapy chairs

4 DIGNITY

Arguably, dignity is one of the most important, and most overlooked aspects in developing the future of the care industry Dignity in care goes beyond how we direct interactions with patients –but must be at the core of their experience, through every aspect of their day-to-day Technology, when used correctly, is a greater enabler of a proud holistic patient care experience

Direct care alarms linking individual residents to portable devices held by staff can make alerts discreet Applications can keep family members abreast of a resident’s routine and day from afar Medication can be dispensed personally and in privacy All these developments allow ‘patients’ to reclaim their sense of person and to have their care be a subtle addition as opposed to an overt fact

Times are changing, and we as a sector must change with them Care has sat in the shadows for too, and it is time, with the help of the blossoming care technology field to bring it to the light

By Laurence Geller CBE , founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of both Geller Capital Partners and Innovative Aged Care

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MANAGEMENT

A Technology Enabled Response to Elderly Falls in the Community

Falls among the elderly are increasingly common and are a large driver of urgent and at times emergency community response

They are also a major cause of a decrease in quality of life loss of independence and when left without response for over an hour associated with hospital admission and long-term moves into care as a result

Every year, at least one fall will be experienced by:

1 in 3 adults over 65

Half of people over 80

Recent government modelling predicts that changes to activity levels will result in an increase to these numbers with:

110 000 more elderly adult fallers

• An additional cost of £211 million to the NHS as a result

However, not all falls result in serious injury and can be responded to by community-based falls services

ALLEVIATING AMBULANCE SERVICES:

Ambulance services are usually called to respond to people who have fallen in the community Some ambulance services have recognised the need to reduce callouts for uninjured falls and have delivered training sessions and issued equipment for social care providers to support elderly fallers in the community Programs from North East Ambulance Service & the Welsh Ambulance Service Trusts have seen results including 87% increase in in-house falls response

• Lifting equipment used in 56% of cases

A 32% reduction in calls to 999 from 115 care homes

THE RAIZER LIFTING CHAIR: A SOLUTION TO NON-INJURIOUS COMMUNITY FALLS:

The Raizer is a portable, electric lifting chair that allows a carer to provide rapid response for a non-injurious fall An intuitive design means the Raizer can be set up in under a minute and requires no staff training to use

A single carer can complete a remote-controlled mechanical patient lift in just 30 seconds once the chair is assembled

A Raizer lifting chair can help to:

Free up carers time: The process can take as little as 5 minutes from set up to lifting

Reduce long-lie times: Carers can respond to non-injurious falls quickly

Alleviate ambulance stress: Reduce the number of ambulances calls for non-injurious falls

REDUCING LONG LIE TIMES | THE LONG-TERM PLAN FOR COMMUNITY

FALLS:

The NHS Long-Term Plan aims to shift demand from acute hospital care into social care by offering joined up health and care services where appropriate

In practice this means an increase of community-based falls response teams as well as social care providers and emergency services working together to provide faster falls response to uninjured fallers

These teams respond to non-injurious falls that do not require ambulances and crucially reduce the number of long-lies on the ground for over an hour This is particularly important for the oldest residents a recent study showed:

• 59% of all over 90s have been found on the floor at some stage 88% of those who fell were unable to get up 33% of over 90s spent over one hour on the ground before receiving assistance

MOVING FORWARD:

Social care providers must explore innovative solutions that will allow ambulances to redirect their focus to the most urgent emergencies

Government services should focus on community-based falls response to alleviate system pressures by establishing a home-first approach to care that sees the healthcare support offered in a person s place of residence

Appropriate tech-enabled falls response equipment such as the Raizer Lifting Chair and falls responder training can address the over reliance on emergency services to respond to non-injurious community falls and contribute to a more efficient and effective emergency response system

For more information on the Raizer Lifting Chair

ww vivid care

Phone: 01423 799 960

Email: enquiries@vivid care

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

AND FALLS MANAGEMENT

Medpage Falls Management Products

Medpage Limited has been at the forefront in patient care product innovation for almost four decades During this time we have invented alarm clocks to wake deaf people, monitors for people with epilepsy to detect night-time seizures and alerting carers by radio pager Calendar

Clocks with memory prompting for people with dementia bed and chair leaving alarms with pager warnings for a carer and a vast array of electronic sensors

Our philosophy is always to produce products that people can afford, not just dream of Certainly the way world has been for the past few years that philosophy makes more sense today Our latest range of bed and chair sensor alarms for example cost a fraction more than they did 10 years ago Mainly due to the good old microprocessor replacing a bucket load of analogue components Does anyone remember op-amps and transistors?

There are close to 100 Medpage branded products to aid care of people who may be; a falls risk live with epilepsy suffer from stroke are a full-time carer professional healthcare worker, living with dementia Our products are designed, manufactured, and distributed governed by an audited quality management system You can trust us to delivery on every count

People generally these days are not so concerned with the past mainly what can we have today and what could we have tomorrow Simple

answer Today you could visit our website and explore the vast array of Independent Living Aids, Hospital Discharge Patient Home Support product packages

Domestic and Professional Carer Support products

Better planning today will bring better outcomes for tomorrow Take a look at www easylinkuk co uk

See the advert on page 7 for further details

Frequency Precision - Sensors and Pressure Mats to Monitor Those in Care

Technology has made people more connected with the world around them and the revolution in assistive care devices has made it possible for the elderly to spend their last years in a comfortable and familiar environment These devices have also made it easier for home carers to provide quality care for their loved ones while managing their own lives They allow you to care for your elderly whether they are travelling in the city for errands staying alone at home or staying in the same home as you They are also helping nursing homes provide better care for them with discrete monitoring and quick responses to emergencies

If you re looking for these kinds of assistive care devices for your loved ones or nursing home Frequency Precision produce some of the best systems available to help you with elderly care and mobility monitoring, ranging from bed, chair and floor

sensor mats through fall monitoring and GPS tracking to fully integrated nurse call plug or wireless systems

Contact us or come and see us at the COTS on Stand 36

Phone: 01837 810590

Email: contact@frequencyprecision com

Website: www frequencyprecision com

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 person’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 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 or see the facing page

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Sound and motion detectors will enable Nourish Care to monitor patients at a distance thanks to Ally integration

Nourish Care is to integrate with Ally the acoustic monitoring system which analyses sound and motion in a care home resident’s room at night to give information on sleeping habits behaviour and overall health

Using AI algorithms Ally can identify risks, help prevent falls and flag any potential health issues such as urinary tract infections

Customers of both platforms will be able to link their systems for in-depth insight into night-time events The integration is an important step towards preventing falls and allowing early detection to deliver more proactive care Any significant events recorded in Ally will automatically appear in Nourish alongside daily care records

Thomas Tredinnick, CEO & Co-Founder of Ally said, "We are hugely excited to integrate with Nourish as this represents another step forward to help care homes provide better care outcomes Independent assessments by the NHS over the past two years with our existing customers have evidenced that Ally delivers a 55% reduction in falls, a 20% reduction in hospital admissions and frees up 40% of night-staff time By syncing our data with Nourish care teams will have more time as well as better insights leading to even greater outcomes I m excited to see how together we can push to eliminate falls and preventable hospital admissions as we continue to empower care teams

Nourish Head of Product, Steve Lawrence notes, “We are excited to announce our partnership with Ally

Our aim is to assist care teams in adopting innovative preventive care models that minimise the risk of falls and enhance care outcomes by linking our two systems By presenting timely and relevant data, we will provide greater insight into shared intelligence and enable greater operational efficiencies We are eagerly anticipating seeing the benefits of this partnership for providers and the people they support and collaborating with Ally to further enhance the functionality of our integration and drive innovation ”

Carrie McDonald Clinical safety officer and lead, Nourish Care: "Falls can have a knock on effect into so many other areas of health and wellbeing and being able to mitigate them as well as predicting trends has a huge impact on our ability to care for an individual Each person receiving care has different risk factors and this partnership is yet another way that Nourish continues to demonstrate commitment to using technology to capture the whole person s experience in a purposeful way"

Susan Graham Home Manager at Harleston House said My whole team uses Nourish and being able to see the Ally events on the Nourish Timeline is really helpful My team has a good understanding of an individual s night time activity which influences the care provided throughout the day This information alongside daily care needs paints a bigger picture ”

Nourish Care is the market leading digital care planning platform that allows care services to record at the point of care streamline administrative processes and equip teams with the tools to provide more person-centred care and improve outcomes for the people they support Nourish works with more than 3 500 care services in the UK and overseas within residential homes nursing homes learning disability services mental health services and other care and support settings Nourish was one of the first digital care planning technologies recognised as an NHS Transformation Directorate Assured Supplier for the Digital Social Care Records (DSCR) programme at launch and was also the first accredited by the PRSB as a Quality Partner working to promote best practice standards for care

Ally is a resident acoustic monitoring system for care homes Ally s Resident Monitor uses sensors and AI to monitor care home residents when alone in their rooms at night The system alerts staff instantly when residents require care freeing staff from time-consuming regular checks that often wake up sleeping residents Supporting over 3,500 residents, it has been independently evidenced by the NHS and its customers that Ally releases 40% of staff during the night to deliver care where it is needed; reduces falls by over 55%; and decreases hospital admissions by 20% Integration with Digital Social Care Records further enhances best practice and fosters greater person-centred-care

John Lanyon, Co -Founder of KareInn (www kareinn com), reviews the Government ’s updated roadmap

The Government recently updated its roadmap for better data for adult social care, describing the plan as an important step in addressing transformation

In the updated roadmap the Minister of State for Care said that while some care providers local authorities and other organisations are trailblazers in the use of data digital tools and technology, overall adult social care as a sector lags behind healthcare while we have come a long way in improving the data that we collect and use, there is still much more to do

We are seeing every day how tech in care homes is helping to improve resident satisfaction and maximise operational efficiency From improved communication enhanced resident safety and wellbeing streamlined operations and a facility for data-driven decision-making the sector is slowly but surely seeing the benefits of digital But to keep up with the pace of change, any transformation needs to align with the important targets care homes must reach

ALIGNING WITH THE ASCOF

The Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) measures how well care and support services achieve the outcomes that matter most to people The framework plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality transparency and accountability of adult social care services

By setting clear objectives, measuring performance, and providing a framework for evaluation, the ASCOF encourages care providers to identify areas for improvement implement changes and monitor the impact of their interventions This drives a culture of learning and innovation, ultimately leading to better outcomes for service users

If we break down the benefits of digital and specifically data driven decision-making we can see just how it supports care homes in reaching their ASCOF targets, and how it will help them along the Government s data roadmap

DEVELOPING PERSONALISED CARE

We re seeing digital care records enable care homes to capture and store comprehensive information about each resident's needs, preferences, and goals This information can be used to develop personalised care plans and ensure that care is tailored to individual requirements By leveraging digital care

for

records effectively care homes can improve care planning documentation communication and monitoring of outcomes This in turn supports the objectives of the ASCOF promoting person-centred care, accountability quality improvement and the overall wellbeing of residents

Digital care records allow care homes to track and monitor outcomes related to the ASCOF measures By recording and analysing data on service user feedback, quality of life indicators, and other relevant metrics, care homes can evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions and make evidence-based improvements to their care practices

CREATING AN AUDIT TRAIL

Digital care plans help care homes meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate compliance with relevant standards These records provide a documented audit trail of care interventions ensuring transparency accountability and adherence to best practices in care provision

Digital can also streamline the documentation process by providing a centralised platform for recording care interventions assessments and outcomes This ensures that documents are completed efficiently and accurately supporting effective communication among care teams and ensuring the continuity of care

A FACILITY FOR INTEGRATED CARE

Crucially digital care records facilitate efficient and secure information sharing among care professionals residents and their families Individuals can access up-to-date information about a resident s care plan medications allergies and other relevant details enhancing communication and collaboration across the care team

The wealth of data that is created by digital care planning can be analysed to identify patterns trends and areas for improvement Care homes can generate reports and dashboards based on this data enabling them to monitor performance measure progress and identify areas where they can enhance the quality of care and outcomes

Data and the insights they provide are fundamental to ensuring that people who draw on care and support can access high quality care and achieve the outcomes that matter to them Digital care records play a significant role in helping care homes meet the objectives of the ASCOF

As the Government’s roadmap states, we are embarking on far-reaching reforms But we as a sector must continue to champion data and its benefits, to drive social care forward at the right pace We must continue to champion evidence-based digital technology, and its ability to deliver end-of-life altering care and personalised services that address persistent unmet needs across residential care

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Pass Profile 2023

PASS supports over 1 000 care providers every day giving them access to market leading care management tools hand in hand with unlimited 24/7/365 support from our dedicated and friendly PASS team

• Improve the quality of care

Deliver better outcomes

INTEGRATED HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Assured by NHS Transformation Directorate PASS provides a secure platform that allows you to plan record and evidence the care you deliver The only assured solution built specifically for the home care sector, it provides comprehensive real-time functionality and allows you to share progress against outcomes with customisable exportable reports

CARE PLANNING AND ROSTERING FROM A SINGLE PLATFORM

To meet the wider needs of the PASS community All-in-one PASS has recently been launched bringing advanced rostering functionality to our established digital care planning platform As a result advanced staff scheduling, payroll and invoicing functionality is now seamlessly linked with care planning and reporting, reducing the technical complexity, risk and overhead associated with integrating two separate systems

As a result PASS now provides an all-in-one suite of digital care management tools available from a single platform, designed to

Save you time

Increase the efficiency of your teams

Our commitment to the continual evolution of PASS is further illustrated by the addition of GP Connect The first product of its type to offer this feature PASS is still one of only a handful of digital care management solutions to have completed this NHS Digital integration, and is the only one offering it to the home care market PASS GP Connect provides authorised social care staff with realtime access to their client s GP records It makes medical information available when and where it is needed leading to improvements in both care safety and outcomes:

Visibility of allergies vaccinations and medications especially useful for clients unable to reliably share their personal information

• Using medical information to inform care planning

Ensuring that the right medication is delivered to the right person in the timeliest manner In one case this allowed the administration of antibiotics on a Friday evening aiding the service user s swift recovery from infection

Available to all PASS users at no additional cost, PASS GP Connect is significantly more efficient than waiting for a GP response It s also a positive step forward on the path to the DHSC s goal for widespread digitally enabled care and is in full alignment with their ambition for joined up care for everyone

Get in touch:

www everylifetechnologies com

hello@everylifetechnoloiges 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

Autumna Increases Enquiries For Care Homes Using Digital Mapping TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

to its impressive pedigree and how accessible the software was

"Plotting providers and care seekers from the last four years on the same map instantly gave us a clear picture of demand hotspots along with hotspots for the type and cost of care being sought It’s a different way of looking at our data and creates new insights which we ve been able to share with customers The approach eliminates a lot of risk for them by revealing which of their locations are best suited to invest in a premium profile so helps create a more reliable relationship with us

Four Seasons Health Care Group upgraded a single listing to the premium level and saw a 40% increase in enquiries As a result it decided to look at other areas and increased the number of upgraded listings to 40 homes and the number of enquiries generated more than doubled

“Seeing where demand is coming from on a map instantly reveals where we should invest in more premium profiles which helps maximise our marketing investment ” said Tessa Matthews Head of

Marketing and Digital, Four Seasons Health Care Group

Autumna the UK s largest directory of care home and retirement living providers is using digital mapping software from Esri UK to help its customers market their properties more effectively and increase queries from care seekers

Using spatial analysis to identify where most care seeker queries are coming from Autumna is able to tell care providers which properties are best suited to promote on its platform using premium profiles One care provider Four Seasons Health Care Group has seen queries from care seekers more than double across 40 care homes since using the service

The new mapping solution from Esri UK replaces manual processes using spreadsheets and static PDF reports By visualising query traffic on an interactive map dashboard the data is validated as users can see it is real Autumna introduced the new mapping technology as it wanted to understand the impact of location on searches for care homes and help care providers achieve the best ROI on their marketing spend

We needed to examine which care homes in the country were in the best location to receive the largest number of enquiries possible and we could only do this with geospatial technology ” explained Debbie Harris founder of Autumna We chose to work with Esri UK due

Leading digital social care records provider Nourish has partnered with Maldaba, whose Hear Me Now app enables people to capture and share information about themselves to support the delivery and tracking of high-quality, complex, personalised care

Hear Me Now allows those with learning disabilities to play a more active role in the planning and implementation of their care and well-being The app has been live since 2016 (originally known as My Health Guide) and was designed with and for people with learning disabilities It has since enabled groups such as those with autism dementia and other cognitive challenges to have more control over their care

People with learning disabilities die on average 20 years younger than the general population, and this technology aims to address inequalities in care in line with the LeDeR review and national agenda for service improvement for people with learning disabilities and autism

Combining Hear Me Now and Nourish’s expertise in digital care planning will bring benefits to service users their families and care providers alike and improve outcomes across the board

Esri geospatial technology is also being used to support Autumna’s recently launched Dashboard for Accelerated Discharge tool (D A D ) By automating the currently manual process of searching for care D A D works with discharge teams and care providers to identify available appropriate care within 60 minutes of a search request being performed Esri technology enables users to forecast how the demand versus availability is going to change in the future

Future plans include using the demand data to advise providers where is best to open a new care home Autumna is also planning to feed census and other demographic data into the system to understand population changes and trends over time which might impact the industry

The use of spatial analysis in the care sector is relatively new continued Debbie “We began working with Esri UK and experimenting with its geospatial software over a year ago and it s now integrated into our business We knew we had a lot of data that we weren’t using properly and location is perhaps the most important part of a search for care and very difficult to analyse without a map Now we can easily demonstrate where care requirements are coming from along with budget hotspots The geospatial approach lets us understand the care seeker better and the more we understand them, the more we can improve our processes

About Esri UK

Founded in 1969 Esri is the global market leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) software mapping and spatial analysis and today has 4 000 staff in 73 countries Esri UK customers include UK Health Security Agency, Public Health Scotland and NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit

Website: www esriuk com/health

Email: healthcare@esriuk com

Tel: 01296 745599

At Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust Hear Me Now allowed for a 30% reduction in service use which created space for reducing waiting lists and pressure on other areas of the service National care provider Hft were able to re-use 243 contact hours at a single service within a one-year period enabling greater independence in daily activities for people they support There are other efficiency benefits for staff as they are able to enter information alongside the person they are supporting in a more engaging way Lorenzo Gordon Director Maldaba Ltd comments: Partnering with Nourish is an important step in joining-up data so that it is entered only once and flows to the right people at the right time At Maldaba we see this as crucial to providing appropriate correct and timely support to vulnerable people and are delighted to be working with a provider such as Nourish who shares this vision

Denise Tack, Director of Partnerships, Nourish Care adds: “,The Nourish Partnership Programme is designed around partnerships such as the one with Maldaba with the impact on the end-user always being the core focus Now is the time for care-sector technologies to work together in partnership, ending the reliance on pilots and siloed solutions Digital transformation of our sector at scale can only truly happen if done collaboratively We are proud to be partnering with such a like-minded organisation and look forward to seeing the positive benefits for our customers and individuals receiving support ”

For further information on Nourish Care visit

Mass

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Managing Vital Communications: Mass Notification Systems In Healthcare Settings

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

By introducing a mass notification system in addition to our standard communication channels we can communicate efficiently with staff about network maintenance system maintenance critical infrastructure updates IT system failures and emergency planning This system has helped to reduce the impact to the IT Service Desk by not overwhelming them with calls and tickets raised by staff discovering problems during a maintenance window or problems we are already aware of Instead as a team we can focus on resolving outages as quickly as possible

Mass notification systems also offer advantages in terms of supporting emergency and lockdown procedures with some even offering pre-set “emergency response” alerts triggered by a hot-key combination to facilitate their use in time-sensitive situations Routine alerts – such as fire drills – can be automatically scheduled in advance Additionally, in situations where a mass response is required from staff – such as major trauma – staff can be notified instantaneously giving staff as much precious time as possible to prepare Mass notifications can also support forward planning for staff giving them advance notice of system

outages and technical upgrades

As with adopting any amendments to protocol, bringing staff along with you is crucial to ensuring a smooth implementation It s likely that there will be an appetite amongst your colleagues for adopting such a system; at Mid Cheshire colleagues were extremely receptive and co-operative due to the evident need to improve communication delivery

Having a clear chain of prioritisation of messages additionally will allow the system to work most efficiently Allowing too many people to access the system or issuing messages too regularly dilutes its effectiveness as the service should be reserved for critical messaging An overload of messages is likely to result in people not taking notice in the messages themselves rendering the service less effective Mass notification systems, available in many forms are a readily available tool to help you create clear lines of communication in a care setting By streamlining the transmission of key messages you can alleviate pressures on your colleagues at all levels ultimately allowing you to deliver the best care outcomes to clients and patients

Innovative care home software solutions from Ablyss

“It’s not just about what we do it’s about what we can do for you”!

There will be big changes over the next 12 months in the residential and nursing care sector With around 50% of homes still using paper systems to plan and record their care the NHS Transformation Directorate have big ideas which, whilst exciting, might seem daunting to those without the proper tools to make these ideas a reality

So where to begin? Well we here at Ablyss have 20 years of experience developing software for the care Industry We know how difficult running a care home can be at the best of times and we have drawn on our knowledge and experience to build a duo of care management offerings:

• Blyssful, our award winning cloud-based care management system for new and existing customers, making the system easily accessible from anywhere and by anyone with permission to do so

• Ablyss CMS, our on-premises solution can help you to plan and evidence the care that you provide, supporting you to achieve compliance within your business

The emphasis is on care management, recording, and analysis, and both solutions have been designed with the management carers and residents of the care home in mind The result is time saved admin simplified and safe and personalised provision of care, so you can focus more on those in need

With a fully UK based team, our care consultants are always on hand to provide training and answer your questions whilst our support team will help you to customise your system set up integrations with your other systems, and ensure your software is always up to date

Don t just take our word for it, here s a small selection of our many satisfied customers:

“It s not technology for technology’s sake Irrefutably, it helps us to deliver a much better service to our clients Elizabeth & Roberta House

“We invested in Ablyss CMS a number of years ago and it has proved to be one of the very best decisions we have made ” Prospect House We believe we can create a better way to manage and connect your care Seeing is believing so why not arrange a demo with one of our product specialists Visit

Technology Enabled Care: The Next Generation of Care Provision TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

At The Access Group we are aware of the challenges of maintaining quality care facing the care industry It is estimated that there are 1 98 million social care requests made every year and with limiting budgets and staff recruitment at a all time high it is getting increasingly difficult to ensure care providers are constantly delivering better person-centred care

We are delighted to announce our latest solution which will sit within our Workspace for Care Access Assure Our Assure ecosystem will sit at the centre of our care offering to prevent, monitor, and react to social care needs as they change Here our technology enabled care and digital telecare goes further than just a digital social alarm We combine both traditional reactive alarm functionality with proactive digital monitoring to deliver better proactive and preventative care

Our digital monitoring tools allows for continuous data capture and analysis for care providers and clinical consultants aggregating the data collected and transforming it into actionable insight In just a matter of 14

days our Assure ecosystem can learn individual daily routines to notify care providers and loved ones of any changes before something more critical takes place

The Assure ecosystem supports people recover across the care continuum to prolong independence provide reassurance, delay future care needs, and reduce hospital discharge delays to help budgets stretch further and help reach the demand easier

Technology Enabled Care is more than just a single component or sensor it s the combined sum of all its parts To enable this Assure integrates with 3rd party sensors and devices and a variety of our other care solutions This ensures we can deliver a level of intelligence and can help join up data to provide insight on wellbeing to deliver a preventative approach to care and improve care planning, care management, and care delivery to give individuals the freedom to do more

To find out more about how our digital telecare helps deliver better proactive and preventative care contact us today at www theaccessgroup com/en-gb/health-social-care/form/digital-telecare-demo-contact-form/

Syncurio: An Innovative Solution Unleashed Through Collaboration

In an industry where ticking clocks are as daunting as eroding margins the quest for comprehensive care home management software that reflects bespoke operational needs can resemble a significant endeavour Sensing a gap in the market a network of care home operators pooled their insights birthing Syncurio, a paradigm-shifting software, purpose-built for their unique sector

The genesis of Syncurio can be traced back to collective frustration Hindered by existing software options operators grappled with recurring challenges from managing absenteeism to accurate billing and budgeting Observing the domino effect these issues were having on business performance this network of industry stalwarts took the bull by the horns

The strength of unity proved encouraging as this network pooled their knowledge and insights Their objective: to counteract their shared pain points through collaboration culminating in the creation of Syncurio This comprehensive care management software is a product of firsthand industry knowledge catering to the distinct needs of care home operators Sarah a member of IT services at a major care home group commented The Syncurio team have been a pleasure to deal with - always eager to hear and act on feedback and suggestions for improvement ”

Syncurio is a product meticulously tailored to remove operator frustrations Its features include userfriendly interfaces intuitive scheduling tools a state-of-the-art clocking in mechanism and enhanced billing functions The software s robust data analytics capabilities offer operators invaluable insights into

resident care resource allocation and staff performance By leveraging cuttingedge technology Syncurio is upping the ante in the care home industry

The software’s user-friendly interfaces promote operational efficiency, allowing staff to navigate the system seamlessly optimising their time and enabling them to focus on providing quality care Operations Director, Jennifer said of Syncurio Being able to manage staffing budgets and rosters alongside resident fee data has enabled us to get the balance right between high levels of care and financial sustainability ”

Despite being a relative newcomer Syncurio is generating considerable market interest As word spreads about this trailblazing software, care home operators of varied backgrounds are expressing interest in signing up Syncurio s burgeoning success is inspiring for operators grappling with similar challenges and accentuates the benefits of this ground-breaking solution

Syncurio stands as an exemplar of the transformative potential of collaboration and innovation Within a short period it has proven itself as a game-changer surmounting the limitations of existing care management software and heralding an era of streamlined operations and enhanced communication The success story of Syncurio serves as a timely reminder of the catalytic results of industry-wide collaboration As Syncurio gains traction the care home industry is poised for significant advancements fuelled by the spirit of collaboration and the pursuit of quality care

To find out more give us a call on 020 4525 0299 | Email us at info@syncurio co uk

Buying Or Selling A Care Home

The care home industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years to meet the needs of an ageing population At the same time mounting regulations and rising operational costs make running a care home challenging In this article Paul Davies Head of Commercial Property at Harper James (www harperjames co uk), discusses the key considerations and procedures when buying or selling a care home

ARE YOU PREPARED TO PURCHASE OR SELL YOUR CARE HOME?

• Costs approach: estimating the cost to replace the care home with a similar one

Market capitalisation calculating the total value of a company s equity (often used for care homes that are part of a larger portfolio)

The appraisal process usually starts with an inspection to gather details about the property The appraiser then collects and analyses relevant market data and applies the chosen appraisal method to calculate the care home s value

PREPARING FOR SALE OR PURCHASE

Care homeowners sell for a variety of reasons

You may be disposing of an underperforming unit from your portfolio retiring from the industry or pursuing other interests altogether Whatever your motivation take care that it is well-informed and unrushed

Equally purchasing a care home is a huge commitment Reflect on your passion for high-quality care as well as your long-term goals to decide if this is the right field for you

REVIEWING YOUR PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL SITUATION

Before buying or selling assess your readiness for such a transaction

Personally consider your experience and expertise in the industry whether you are qualified to manage care home operations or if you'll need support and training Reflect on your strength of character and whether you have the resilience and business acumen to succeed Lastly contemplate the potential impact on your lifestyle, including time commitments and work-life balance

Financially consider how much can you afford to invest and your creditworthiness Bear in mind the inherent risks involved in taking on a business and what impact this might have on your personal finances

For sellers ensure financial records are all in order ready to present to potential buyers for scrutiny

DETERMINING THE VALUE OF THE CARE HOME:

The factors that influence the selling price include:

location occupancy rates

financial performance

• size and capacity

condition and age of the facility

• staffing and reputation

overall market conditions

Well-maintained care homes with higher occupancy rates, healthy financial records, and a strong reputation are likely to achieve higher selling prices Freehold buildings tend to be more valuable than leased premises Prices may also be driven up by limited supply and high demand

APPRAISAL METHODS AND PROCESS

Common valuation methods include:

Comparison approach: comparing the care home to similar local properties that have been recently sold Income approach: estimating potential income based on occupancy rates, operating expenses etc

What steps do you need to take to prepare for a property purchase

First, decide whether you are purchasing as a sole trader, in a partnership or through a limited company Next do your market research and define your requirements (location size specialised services etc) Recruit a specialist buying agent to identify suitable options Finally choose a professional advisory team to guide you through the legal and financial aspects of the purchase

Sellers often need to decide between two types of sale:

1 Asset sale - selling specific assets which make up your business

2 Share sale - selling the majority of shares in your business and handing over control

Option two is generally preferred because buyers acquire the entire business, and sellers get a clean break

EXPLORING FINANCING OPTIONS

There are both traditional and alternative ways to fund a purchase:

Commercial mortgage: this commonly used loan is typically secured against the care home premises Release built-up equity: this could be in other properties you own or within your portfolio

Seller financing sometimes sellers accept a large downpayment with the remainder via instalments with interest

Equity finance: seek private investment or equity-based crowdfunding Another option is forming partnerships to share the financial load

Talking to a commercial property solicitor can help you decide which funding method is best for your individual circumstances

NEGOTIATION ADVICE

Effective negotiation techniques for a successful transaction

Applying good negotiation techniques keeps things moving forward and involves being clear on your overriding objectives for the sale or purchase from the outset; maintaining flexibility for areas that do not impact your overriding objectives; using objective criteria such as market data inspections or appraisals to justify your position; keeping alternative options in mind; and finding mutually beneficial solutions

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS

Due diligence involves investigating what you are about to buy to uncover any potential issues

From a business perspective assess the financial performance of the care home and verify that it is meeting all applicable operating rules and regulations

Standard conveyancing searches and enquiries reveal important information about the property itself

This includes planning restrictions, outstanding charges, boundary disputes and ownership issues

Commissioning a property inspection will identify any potential issues such as structural damage hazards or necessary repairs

During this process commercial property solicitors will seek to negotiate any onerous obligations in the property deeds that may impact its value future use and ongoing costs This includes covenants which restrict certain activities on the property rights of way allowing others to use or access the land, or stringent clauses within leases such as wide-ranging repairing responsibilities

COMPLETING THE TRANSACTION

Exchange of contracts

Once due diligence is complete negotiations ironed out and funding arrangements finalised - it s time to sign and swap contracts This key milestone makes the transaction legally binding

POST-ACQUISITION CONSIDERATIONS

Ensuring continuity with staf f and suppliers

Following exchange, focus on implementing a smooth transition Establish open lines of communication with staff members and engage early with key suppliers to ensure continuity Get to know the residents and be considerate when introducing new measures

Making sure you remain compliant with the r ules and regulations related to the care home sector

All care homes are registered and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Going forward, ensure the care home continues to meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and that any new measures introduced are compliant

SUMMARY

As we’ve seen buying or selling your care home requires careful planning, research and preparation to ensure a smooth transaction Sellers should assess their motivations and ensure their financial records are in order, while buyers need to evaluate their personal and financial readiness Seeking legal advice at the outset will help you achieve the best possible outcome

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in size we assist at every stage of your business expansion

Global assists clients throughout the U K who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase development and refinance

We have organised over £1 8bn for clients in the past 30 years, providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt ease cashflow and develop businesses further

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

New RoSPA Qualifications-Certified Dementia Course Launches

As dementia rates rise, the importance of upskilling those working in the care sector on the condition has never been greater That s why leading qualifications provider, RoSPA Qualifications, has teamed up with EDGE Services a specialist people handling training provider to develop an innovative new qualification to help care workers understand the debilitating condition

The Dementia Care Key Trainer’s Certificate that runs as a two-day course provides delegates with the knowledge skills and confidence to train others in dementia awareness including how to spot symptoms, challenges it can present and how to work effectively Upon completion of the course delegates receive a certificate of achievement which is valid for two years

By the end of the course professionals will have learnt:

What is meant by the term dementia

• The different types of dementia and potential their causes

The risk factors signs and symptoms of dementia

• The current and projected statistics about the incidence of dementia including on the individual and those living with or caring for them

The main challenges facing those working with dementia

Effective strategies to assist staff working with people with dementia to reduce the impact of the challenges faced and how to improve quality of life

• The importance of record-keeping and documentation

A knowledge of the legal issues involved in working effectively with people with dementia

RoSPA Qualifications is an awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) that designs develops and certifies a range of vocationally related qualifications

EDGE Services is already a recognised RoSPA Qualification Centre, which enables it to deliver a suite of customised awards

Debbie Clueit, RoSPA Qualifications’ External Verifier, said: “We were delighted that RoSPA Qualifications was able to help develop EDGE Services’ Dementia Care Key Trainer’s Certificate – a highly important course for anyone working with adults with dementia

“As an intensive two-day course it covers a wide range of important topics from spotting the signs of dementia through to dealing with challenging behaviour and beyond Those who complete the course achieve a RoSPA Qualifications-approved certificate that is valid for two years

“We worked with EDGE Services to ensure the course was accessible and that it met the Level 4 Ofqual descriptors along with developing the learning outcomes content and assessment process ”

Ruth Hewitt Operations Manager at EDGE Services said “The course is aimed at those whose staff may work with adults who live with dementia - both in the health care sector and beyond It provides delegates with the expertise to train others in awareness of dementia that can be adopted to deal with symptoms, challenges and how to work effectively

For further information on RoSPA Qualifications please visit www rospa com/health-and-safety-qualifications

For further information on The Dementia Care Key Trainer’s Certificate please visit www edgeservices co uk/courses/dementia-awareness-key-trainer-certificate/

Policies and Procedures Within Social Care

The delivery of safe care is the paramount responsibility of social care providers Central to achieving this is the governance framework adopted by service providers And at the core of this framework are policies and procedures These enable the provider to comply – and evidence compliance – with relevant legislation and regulations as well as facilitating best practices supporting business needs and assisting in recognising and managing risks

Good governance care itself is an integral part of health and social regulation, Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)

Regulations 2014 stipulates that care providers must have systems and processes in place that ensure they can meet the requirements of Regulations

4 to 20A Policies and procedures not only ensure that providers are compliant with this regulation and working within the law; they also enable providers to drive improvement and protect the people who access services and receive care

Providers also have a legal duty of care to the people they employ Policies and procedures should provide clear guidelines to staff on how the organisation operates as well as informing them of best practices and processes to be followed

Policies should be reviewed annually as a minimum to ensure they are still fit for purpose and align with legal and regulatory requirements They should be reviewed not only by employees of the business but also by experts in various subject matters (e g infection control or medicines management)

For many small- to medium-sized providers there may not be the in-house skills knowledge and experience to complete such a robust annual review Many choose instead to purchase their policies and procedures from a reputable provider like W&P Compliance & Training, who will also complete reviews and ensure their policies and procedures remain up to date This way a provider not only ensures they remain compliant; they also benefit from best practice policies and procedures that provide a solid foundation for safe working practices and – ultimately – protect and support service users and staff Ben Erskine – Director at W&P Compliance & Training www wandptraining co uk | Tel: 01305 767104 See the advert on page 2 for further information

The roll-out of a free new e-learning module on healthcare waste - set up by Health Education England - is set to bring major benefits to the care home sector says leading independent healthcare waste management company Anenta

care sector

Created with the help of Anenta the new 30-45 minute training module available here is accessible free of charge via the Health Education England online portal

It outlines what waste should go into which waste stream, correct segregation practices, and other important waste related guidance This helps prevent low-risk items, which should cost £300-£500 per tonne for disposal as offensive waste from being disposed of as infectious waste costing upwards of £800 per tonne

Vitally the training also helps avoid the risk of waste contractors refusing to make collections from care homes due to their non-compliance which could put care services at risk of disruption This is avoided through the correct completion of a Pre-Acceptance Audit (PAA) which in the case of most care homes needs to be undertaken every five years - unless waste produced on site changes in its nature

Where a care home produces more than five tonnes of clinical waste annually a PAA will need to be undertaken every 12 months remaining valid until renewal date or unless waste types undeclared in the pre-acceptance audit are discovered

Commenting on the roll-out of the new free training, Graham Flynn, Director at Anenta, said: “We ve worked hard on the development of the new e-learning train-

Rising to the Challenge of Recruitment and Retention

By Jackie Tritton, Chief Clinical Officer at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care (www renniegrovepeace org)

The shortage of staff across the care and nursing sectors is no secret But with creativity and determination organisations are working around the challenges by maximising the resources they do have, while attracting new staff to fill vacant roles Here Jackie Tritton Chief Clinical Officer at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care tells us how her teams are recruiting, retaining and repurposing staff to ensure the charity can not only maintain services but grow them during a merger

“When the trustees of Peace Hospice Care and Rennie Grove Hospice Care announced their intention to merge last June it was with the ambition of serving a growing population of people living with progressive life-limiting illnesses reaching more people who need our support and strengthening our services This is all playing out against a backdrop of staff shortages across the entire sector that have blighted all care settings for years We knew that in order to deliver expanded services to our new larger patch we would need to think creatively about recruitment challenges

“In addition to the national challenges relating to the economy, NHS and the Covid-19 pandemic, our location in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire brings with it unique challenges These include proximity to a number of hospitals, including the big London hospitals, and specialist palliative care (SPC) providers, meaning there is a huge amount of employee choice in our area

“Over the past year we have been working hard on retaining our existing staff – through reviewing everything about salary progression pensions and benefits as well as working closely with employees to manage team morale and culture

“Despite this recruitment of new staff remains a challenge and we have a 31% vacancy rate in our clinical teams

Care As a Career

–

For us it has therefore been vital to focus on creativity in the way we work with existing staff and resources One example of this has been our nurse associate role By supporting our senior health care assistants to progress to registered nurse roles we can nurture existing talent and close recruitment gaps while rewarding the loyalty and hard work of our dedicated HCA workforce

We have also created Community Senior staff nurse roles to expand our Palliative care Response (PRT) teams These are highly skilled nurses who can support patients in the community during an emergency or sudden deterioration as well as supporting earlier discharges from hospital through intensive intervention to meet patients’ wishes

Other new roles – such as Allied Health Professional (AHP) assistant practitioners nurse consultants and paramedics are allowing us to expand the team and recruit new colleagues without relying on the existing pool of traditional registered nurses which we know is finite in number and much sought after across the board

“As well as upskilling our own staff we are actively working with partner organisations to share knowledge and develop the local workforce to meet the needs of local people with progressive life-limiting illnesses This includes rotational posts with organisations such as our local hospital and community trusts residential homes By supporting staff from these partner organisations to complete secondments or placements in our Inpatient Unit, we can support them in developing their palliative care skills, which enables them to care for more patients in their own setting reducing the needs for reliance on in-patient care either in an acute hospital or a hospice

Broadening the types and range of roles within our teams has been hugely beneficial to our organisation It allows us to make sure that the right person with the right skills is seeing each patient at the right time Identifying patients needs and matching them with the most relevant professional in the team is ensuring we have a multidisciplinary approach with a wide range of skills to support patient-centred holistic care This has reduced our reliance on registered nurses making up the majority of our clinical workforce and allowed us to continue delivering our vital services while setting out our ambitions for growing and strengthening services in the years to come ”

Not a Stepping Stone

‘Creating a Sustainable Skills Pipeline for Care’

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious there is a serious staffing shortage in care This is being exacerbated by increased Government scrutiny over the recruitment of migrant workers not enough high quality new entrants to the profession and by high staff turnover with many older, experienced workers deciding that enough is enough and quitting

A pervasive culture of low-pay and low value placed on care workers isn t helping It is no surprise that according to Advanced’s Care Providers Trends Report 97% of care providers say they have problems recruiting staff and 98% have trouble with employee retention

It isn t a job for just anyone During the hiring process 60% of employers in our survey said they received high numbers of applications from unsuitable candidates It is imperative that care providers can find ways to reverse these trends drive more applications from suitable candidates attract more high-quality talent and hold onto those people nurturing their skills and commitment for the long-term Many skills can be taught and developed but the best carers have caring hardwired into their DNA These are the people we want working in the care sector as we try to ensure a sustainable safe future for users and employees

One of the solutions may lie in the Government’s push to phase out paper record-keeping and encourage the implementation of digital records within the adult social care sector The aim is to achieve 80% compliance within the year by March 2024 with full compliance as soon as possible afterwards These will improve outcomes for those receiving care minimise safety risks allow staff to respond to needs more quickly and to share important information quickly and securely

This drive is part of a greater need to digitalise processes within care provision organisations There is a need to attract more school and college leavers into the sector to start what will ideally become a long and fulfilling career This digital-native generation expects to use technology in their working lives, so it makes complete sense that employers who have already implemented the latest software that helps people do their jobs more effectively will attract the best of that new talent

It is also crucial that employers look after their existing staff ensuring continuity of care for their clients and retaining experienced mentors for new recruits These employees have a wealth of knowledge skills and experience that is vital for ensuring the delivery of high-quality care all clients deserve Disillusionment cannot be allowed to take root here

By Andy Croudace, Director of Innovation at Advanced Health and Care (www oneadvanced com)

documents can’t be mislaid or lost keeping the data within secure and making it easy for staff to refer to specific care plans record diet and hydration information and other details for more joined-up and seamless processes Digital records also offer more protection for staff when things go wrong as there is an irrefutable evidence trail that shows all procedures were followed correctly Demonstrating compliance for CQC and others is crucial in such a highly-regulated sector

Implementing a Learning and Development (L&D) programme for each employee not only ensures compliance with CQC requirements and those of other bodies but also demonstrates to employees that each of them is valued accordingly If we want people to look at care as a career not just a stepping stone we much ensure that long-term prospects and new opportunities are visible and attainable Performance management can be a headache for managers dealing with staff working on different shifts, or a largely remote and mobile domiciliary team Two-way conversations on digital platforms around targets for quality and delivery of care, recording and rewarding achievements as well as flagging any need for further training or support make it easier to monitor and manage individual performance

We need to take care of the carers Many are attracted to the sector because it allows them to have more flexibility with shifts and days worked so it is crucial that employers maintain staffing levels enabling people to work the hours they want Persistent understaffing impacts heavily on the remaining team, putting them under increased pressure and at greater risk of burnout Managers are affected too and 62% of care provider managers told us they felt stressed and unable to cope all or some of the time 36% of these said they would have to take time off sick in order to be able to cope The last thing a short-staffed care provider needs is management absence, piling even more pressure onto others

Digital solutions can transform rostering challenges helping manage unexpected sickness or late requests for unspent leave more effectively Sector-specific technology can also improve the problems with void management experienced by 95% of care providing organisations giving them better visibility over crucial occupancy rates 58% of the respondents in our survey have developed their own manual processes including spreadsheets to help give them advanced visibility of the business These tools provide out-dated information for inaccurate decision-making while Cloud-based technology could give them instant access to accommodation and occupancy in real time

Employers can use the data contained in their technology platforms to help them manage many of the day-to-day tasks more efficiently supporting more effective recruitment and higher retention rates Employee data can be a powerful tool in gaining deeper workforce insights, helping employers identify trends that can help them make better decisions This might be identifying the hardest-to-fill shifts and then making recruitment for those a priority Or it may shine a light on the circumstances that lead to higher rates of sickness absence helping leaders to locate specific problems and make changes to reduce them

Digital transformation is the key to improving the employee experience

Specifically-designed care sector technology can massively reduce time spent on paperwork digitalising processes so repetitive sections of forms can be completed automatically This gives staff more time to deliver care to clients Digital

In conclusion technology can help elevate the status of the care delivery role improving employee experience and developing talent for a sustainable pipeline of career-care providers www oneadvanced com/campaign/new/health-and-care/advanced-care-trends-report-2023/

RECRUITMENT

Recruiting Success with CVMinder ATS

Care recruiting is currently challenging So why is CVMinder ATS a great choice for Care Providers?

Stuart Haddow MD suggests that its Ambassador Customers make the biggest difference Ambassadors include senior HR leaders from the Care sector “They have proven to be great at overcoming recruiting headwinds says Stuart CVMinder’s Ambassador Customers also guide CVMinder product improvement programme

Using that great guidance delivers a competitive advantage for all CVMinder Care customers Jack Morgan of Local Solutions agrees CVMinder has made the process as smooth and as streamlined as possible That s is critical when recruiting in a

demanding sector like care It gives us central control of everything and the management information we generate from CVMinder has helped to improve our recruiting approach Without CVMinder our recruiting costs would be much higher and good candidates would be lost in the administration clutter ”

Donna Newell of The Kent Autistic Trust says “CVMinder ensures that we are being responsive to applicants and the demands of our managers Having a one stop shop means that we can post and update jobs at the touch of a button Receiving all applications online and using filter questions enables our recruiters to shortlist batches of applicants swiftly ”

T: 01634 202 101

E: enquiries@cvminder co uk

W: cvminder co uk/care

In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse?

JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the healthcare industry such as health care assistants senior carers and nurses from overseas We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal proceedings and advices

WHY JJ?

• We have very minimal processing fees

We assist you to get a sponsorship license

Qualified and experienced candidates from

overseas Tel: 01704 808227

www jjcarerecruitment co uk

admin@jjrecruitment co uk