The Carer Digital - Issue #53

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The Carer Digital

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Issue 53

Sector Backlash at Government’s ‘Lip Service’ To Care in Queen’s Speech

Copyright House of Lords 2016 / Photography by Roger Harris. Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament.

The Government has been accused of paying lip service to social care in the Queen’s Speech yesterday (May 11) , betraying hundreds of thousands of older and vulnerable people who cannot get the care they need, care campaigners say.

The government has promised to tackle obesity and improve mental health support, however, there was no sign of long-promised legislation to reform adult social care. A single line in the Queen’s speech on Tuesday morning stated simply: “Proposals on reforms to social care will be brought forward”, and

further details of any forthcoming changes are now not expected until the autumn at the earliest.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) has expressed its fury that plans for social care reform were once again delayed, is calling for plans to be set out immediately and for the Government to be held accountable for their delivery.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “How dare the Government delay reform of social care yet again?

Older and vulnerable people have been betrayed and reform has been pushed down the road to some

indeterminate time.

“Yes, social care was mentioned in the Queen’s Speech but in reality, the Government was just paying lip service to the reform that is now so long overdue.

“If the Government is so committed to reforming social care, as the Prime Minister and other ministers keep telling us they are then we need to see it happen. We need some accountability and the Government to be held to account if it fails to deliver."

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

Nine words! That was all the government devoted to social care in the Queen’s speech, in which the Prime Minister failed to include any proposals to fix the nation's social care crisis.

Editor

Peter Adams

RBC Publishing Ltd Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1LG

TELEPHONE:

In July 2019 when delivering his first speech as PM, on the steps of Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: “My job is to protect you, or your parents, or grandparents, from the fear of having to sell your home to pay for the costs of care. We will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve”.

Yesterday in the Queen’s speech there was just a single sentence on the subject: 'Proposals on social care reform

will be brought forward.'

As our front-page story reveals, the sector is justifiably angry. A promise is a promise, and while we all accept that this has been an exceptionally difficult year for the government, to dismiss the future of social care with just one line, when the sector had, prior to the Queen’s speech warned the government that urgent action was needed, is outrageous.

Earlier this week council leaders warned: “Failure to act on securing the future of adult social care as we emerge from the pandemic will be a ‘bitter blow’ to the millions of people who draw on and work in these vital services, a cross-party group of council leaders said”.

The whole country knows the vital role the care sector has played and continues to play throughout the pandemic. At the beginning when the government released Covid infected patients back into care homes to free up hospital beds the sector was left to manage and deal with “a mess of the government’s own making” and rose to the challenge earning the respect and admiration of the whole nation.

I, rather like many others, found the government’s nine words rather predictable and dismissive, in very much the same vein as the phrases “lessons will be learned” and “this has been a wake-up call” - two tired old clichés we often hear during any crisis.

Two reports once again highlight the crisis the sector faces. One from Age UK, whose analysis reveals that the experience of living through the fear, enforced isolation and inactivity caused by the pandemic has sharply accelerated the care needs of significant numbers of older people.

And one by Access Social Care, a charity providing free legal advice for people with social care needs, which released a State of the Nation report revealing that demand for social care needs assessment advice – where individuals are entering the social care system for the first time or where their needs have increased – rose by a staggering 110% in two years. Clear indication prior to the Queen’s speech that the English social care system

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WEBSITE: www.thecareruk.com EDITOR Peter Adams is struggling with increased demand and is in dire need of reform.

We have often reported here at THE CARER that successive governments have kicked the can down the road, one can in many ways understand why, when former Prime Minister Theresa May attempted to introduce what was dubbed a “dementia tax” she lost her overall majority in the House of Commons which ultimately led to her political downfall.

What exactly was the issue Mrs May’s dementia tax? In part a terrible PR exercise. It was sprung on the public and was perceived to be a tax on the frugal and responsible members of society.

To introduce punitive measures where only a small section of society will pay for their care, taking away life savings and inheritance was never going to be a vote winner. At the time it was revealed that older people with a house of £300,000 could have a liability of £200,000.

It is estimated just 12 per cent of adults aged 55 or over are currently putting aside money to pay for social care later in life, and herein lies the problem.

It will take bold decisions with a long-term strategic plan and sustainable funding to result the social care crisis, which is what the sector was waiting for, and that will include encouraging the public to buy into a sustainable plan leading to their own care in later life.

One off “crisis management “cash injections, or cash injections for other reasons such as appeasing voters does the sector no favours.

Once again we have called on some of the industry’s “leading lights” for insight, advice guidance and best practice, and are always delighted to print the many “uplifting stories” we receive from care homes and staff around the country so please do keep them coming! I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 3

Sector Backlash at Government’s ‘Lip Service’ To Care in Queen’s Speech (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) In the Queen’s Speech the Government said it would bring forward proposals on social care reform.

But Mr Padgham said that wasn’t good enough. “We have had too many promises and pledges, we now need to see action,” he added.

“We need the Government to set out what it plans to do and set strict deadlines as to when it is going to do it, so that it is accountable to the hundreds of thousands of people who are being failed by this Government today and every day.”

Before the Queen’s Speech, the ICG wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to put the welfare and happiness of people before financial constraints and make social care reform a priority.

In the ICG’s letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Padgham says 1.5m people are now living without the care they need after £8bn was cut from social care budgets since 2010-11. There are more than 100,000 staff vacancies in the sector.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “This is a missed opportunity. Without the much needed, not to mention heralded, reform it is questionable as to how much longer the sector can be expected to limp on. A sector that supports and employs vast swathes of the population cannot be ignored.

We stand ready and willing to help the Government deliver its manifesto commitment, but the Health and Care Bill which has a focus on the NHS, is not the vehicle to deliver this huge shift as it will not produce the system change that is necessary to ensure the future sustainability of the sector”.

He added: “Sadly, we have been here before and it is simply unfathomable as to what will influence the Government to bring about reform; surely they can’t be waiting for provider failure and further chaos in the already overstretched NHS. The oven-ready plan is truly burning, or maybe the Government forgot to ever put it in the oven.”

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK and Co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance (CSA) said: “After an awful lot of dithering the Government has finally nailed its colours to the mast by formally com-

mitting to social care reform this year. The question now is how good the Government’s proposals will be, not whether there will be any at all, so this is an important step forward for the millions of older and disabled people and carers who deserve so much better than what’s often on offer to them today.

“Ministers have made it clear that they see a cap on sky high care costs as the centrepiece of their reforms, because it is so evidently unfair for anyone to be financially ruined by long term care bills. However, this is not the only unfairness in how care operates today, and it would be a bizarre outcome if we gave more protection to home owners, while leaving those with fewer assets to the current underfunded system. This would especially disadvantage sick and disabled adults who have just as much right to decent care as older people. So as well as bringing forward some kind of cap, there is no avoiding the need for the Government to invest billions more into care – topping council budgets back up again after having allowed them to fall so disastrously over the last decade.

“The final essential element is the need for the Government to professionalise the care workforce, giving care workers the terms and conditions, and career structure, that should rightfully be theirs’ after their magnificent performance during the pandemic. It’s high time we ended the situation in which care staff are constantly the poor relations of their equivalents in the NHS.” “If the Government brings forward a package of reforms of scale and ambition, backed up by the funding required, we will be able to hold our heads up high again as a nation, consigning our current, shamefully neglected social care system to the past, where it belongs. If this happens older and disabled people, and their carers, will be able to breathe more easily, confident that they will get the help they know they need.”

Social Care Institute for Excellence Chief Executive Kathryn Smith, says: “It’s hugely disappointing that a social care bill hasn’t been put forward today as a matter of urgency. It was good to hear that proposals will be brought forward in due course. However, today – and the budget in March – have been just the latest in many missed opportunities over the last few years to sort out social care reform; and time is ticking. In March, we and others called for the

Government to publish its proposals for the future of adult social care before the summer parliamentary recess; the Queen’s Speech was an opportunity to do that.

“The sector is seeing so many innovative new initiatives, from the use of co-production to strengths-based approaches. But to fulfil its potential the sector needs a sustained increase in funding, to stabilise the care system, particularly with the impact of Covid-19, and to bring the longterm reform that’s so desperately needed. Local councils commission many of the services that people who draw on services, and carers, rely on. Local leaders from across the political divide have also urged the Government to ‘fix social care’. We agree with them that any continued failure to provide long-term reform would be a disappointment.”

Commenting on the Queen’s speech, QCS’s Head of Care Quality, Philippa Shirtcliffe, said: “To mark the State Opening of Parliament yesterday the Queen spoke for around nine minutes, but the government, who wrote her speech, reserved just nine words for social care. All we learned was that proposals for social care would be “brought forward”.

For a sector with a history of funding, recruitment and retention challenges, this was not the message that hundreds of thousands of providers, and millions of service users, wanted to hear. They have been crying out for detail, clarity and reassurance for years now, but the government has offered them few crumbs of comfort.

Yesterday, it felt like the government was more concerned with the optics rather than providing the nation with a detailed policy summary of how it planned to repair the broken care system. Mr Johnson may be riding high in the polls right now, but he and his cabinet need to start ‘walking the walk’ instead of merely “talking the talk”.

This means not just promising to ensure that everyone “receives the dignity and security they deserve” but actually delivering on it. The government should start by outlining real policies and shouldn’t shy away from having an honest conversation with the public regarding the cost of fixing the social care system. That should be the minimum expectation and is the very least that millions of people deserve.”

The Independent Care Group is calling for a promise of urgent reform backed by proper deadlines. It wants: • A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded • NHS care and social care to be merged and managed either locally or nationally • Extra funding for social care, funded by taxation or National Insurance • Dementia treated like other high priority illnesses, like cancer and heart disease • A fixed percentage of GDP to be spent on social care • Social care businesses to be zero-rated for VAT.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Why Walking Is The Best Exercise

By Philippa Shirtcliffe, Head of Care Quality, QCS (www.qcs.co.uk)

Occasionally I suffer from writer’s block. Usually when it happens, there are either too many thoughts spinning around my head or I simply can't get into the writing groove. Whenever it happens I remember a quote by John Rogers, an author and businessman. He said, “You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.” Today, as I sit in my home office struggling to find my flow, it's the first part of the quote that really resonates with me. Knowing only too well that there’s no way that I can think myself out of my creative slump, I catch the eye of Lottie, our miniature schnauzer, grab my house keys, her lead and head to my local park.

I’m telling you this story because its National Walking Month and Mental Health Awareness Week, and I can attest that taking a leisurely stroll with Lottie in tow has mental and physical benefits, not to mention acting as a panacea for my temporary block.

I’m lucky because my employer, QCS, the UK’s leading provider of content, guidance and standards for the social care sector, champions exercise during our working day. The upshot is that in addition to doing my target steps each day, I am able to conduct meetings and take calls in the park if I want to - and if the weather allows.

I’m even more lucky, however, to live close to a Royal Park, a magical landscape spanning 1,000 acres. It's a park with many faces, which dramatically change with the seasons. Today a gossamer-like mist hangs on the trees like a giant spider web. It’s a hauntingly beautiful scene lasting just a few seconds before the May sun penetrates the gun-metal grey skies and the mist lifts revealing two large fallow deer. Even if you’ve seen them many times before as I have, these majestic animals are quite a sight to behold. Lottie doesn't seem to agree today, however. Her eyes peeled, ears pricked and nose eagerly sniffing the grass, she’s on the trail of squirrels or rabbits. Having caught the scent, she begins a quixotic chase.

It’s experiences like these in parks, heaths, woodland and fields that have reinvigorated so many of us in lockdown. But not everyone has been so lucky. Take those living in care homes, for instance. Covid-19 restric-

tions had meant that many residents living in care homes, who were fit and able to do so, have been unable to leave care homes, let alone spend time in the great outdoors. Thankfully, a recent change in government policy, which recognises a resident’s rights to make visits out of the home, has been implemented. While there are still likely to be a number of IPC rules to observe, the pleasure of visiting a favourite park, the sights and sounds of nature and the joy of reminiscing about shared past experiences, make it all worth it.

It has been an extremely challenging time for young adults with learning disabilities too. Many of the outdoor set routines, which are often dependent on volunteer help, dried up in the pandemic due to volunteers self-isolating or shielding during the crisis. The hope is that as the spectre of Covid lifts, the 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability, who experience more co-morbidity and health inequalities than the general population, will have unrestricted access to nature once more.

And walking in nature is the by far the best tonic. Not only does stepping-out in the fresh air act like a reset for the mind, partaking in a small constitutional each day has been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. For instance, if you were to walk at just two mph for 20 minutes each day, you would burn 70-100 calories (depending on age and weight). Making that a daily routine, as I do, burns seven pounds of body fat each year. That’s half a stone, which is quite amazing when you consider that walking is something that I really enjoy.

But, walking today with my dog in the idyllic surroundings of the park has also set the mental cogs whirring once again and helped me to deliver this column. Maybe I should base myself here I think. But as the inky blue skies turn black and the clouds unleash a torrent of cold rain, I’m glad to go back to my office. That said, rain or shine, I’ll be back in the park tomorrow.

To find out more about QCS, contact our compliance advisors on 0333-405-3333 or email sales@qcs.co.uk.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES You can find out more about National Walking Month 2021 by clicking on the below link: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/national-walking-month For more on Mental Health Week, click in the link below: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Anton Lesser Is Supporting Every Small Step – Making Dementia Carers Count Anton Lesser, star of Game of Thrones, Wolf Hal, Endeavour and The Crown, is supporting Dementia Carers Count's (DCC) flagship fundraising event for 2021. Every Small Step is a walking challenge alongside a series of emotive and informative podcasts. Aimed at raising awareness and vital funds for DCC’s work, this unique event celebrates the lives and contributions of the families and friends caring for someone with dementia in the UK. Every Small Step 2021 will be a five-day celebration running from Wednesday 16th to Sunday 20th June. On each day of the event, two specially recorded podcast episodes will be released, featuring the voices of family carers, comedians, authors, dementia campaigners and more. Anyone can show their support for friends and family members caring for someone with dementia by registering online. There’s the option to set a walking challenge for the five days – whether it’s 100 or 10,000 steps – and we aim to reach a cumulative step count of 700,000 each day: one for every family dementia carer in the UK. Attendees can download the podcasts for their daily walk, connect on a private Facebook group and meet other event participants in their area for the final walk of the challenge.

Anton Lesser has recorded a message of support, encouraging people to sign up for the unique event and help to raise £30,000 to fund DCC’s innovative digital services, which aim to provide remote support to family dementia carers across the country.

DCC is the national charity dedicated to family and friends who are caring for someone with dementia. The charity offers a range of expert-led services, designed and delivered by health and care professionals, in partnership with carers. These include in-depth one- and three-day courses, as well as online sessions and a Virtual Carers Centre for access to information and resources.

Trevor Salomon sits on DCC’s Carers Advisory Panel, is married to Yvonne who has young-onset Alzheimer’s and lives in a care home. Trevor said, ‘Taking part in Every Small Step is a unique opportunity to show your support for those who work tirelessly to care for a friend or family member with dementia. Family carers don’t get days off, especially not during the pandemic, and DCC has helped them stay connected by providing a much-needed sense of community. We can’t let family carers be forgotten, especially in current times.’

Claire Goodchild, DCC’s CEO, added: ‘After the success of last year’s event, we’re looking forward to sharing more of the stories of the carers that we meet and celebrating their invaluable contribution to society. The work of a family carer never ends, and by taking part in Every Small Step and raising funds for DCC, we'll make sure they get the support they deserve.'

You can register to take part in Every Small Step at https://dementiacarers.org.uk/event

Nursing Director Welcomes Significant New Interest In Nursing As A Career Care UK’s most senior nurse, Rachel Gilbert, Director of Care, Quality & Governance has welcomed news that the pandemic has brought an increase in interest from people wishing to train as a nurse – but wants to remind everyone that nursing has many facets, not just hospitals.

Her comments come after Google published data on the numbers of searches about nurse training in the UK. Those figures show that searches have gone up by more than a fifth during the last 12 months as coronavirus brought health and social care firmly into the spotlight.

In January 2021, there were 72,805 searches for ‘how to become a nurse’, ‘how to train as a nurse’ and ‘retrain as a nurse’, increasing from 60,170 one year earlier. Not surprisingly, the 21 per cent increase in number of searches about nursing was higher than for any other profession researchers have found.

Care UK employs more than 600 nurses who work in a wide range of roles in its homes from nursing individual residents to providing policy and clinical leadership for over 10,000 colleagues.

Increasingly, nursing in care homes is rightly being viewed at a national level with parity to NHS nursing – evidenced by the Government’s appointment of Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE as the country’s first Chief Nurse for Adult Social care and the fact that the Queen’s Nursing Institute has just published a set of standards and a practice portfolio for the 36,000 nurses employed in the adult social care sector.

Rachel is keen to point out the professional and emotional benefits of a career in care home nursing. She said: “People who are thinking of care homes as a place to progress their nursing career might have this outdated idea that the role would only be about issuing medication and managing incontinence. Whilst these are important and fundamental needs of people; working autonomously in what are nurse led services, creates skilled nurses with a whole range of clinical and leadership abilities along with, professional development, and career opportunities. The skills, competency and knowledge base required by adult social care nurses is wide ranging and something nurses are respected for and are proud of.

“Our nurses identify and support the emotional, psychological, social, physical and cultural needs of each person, recognising their unique qualities and history. We do this by tailoring our care and support for each resident, putting them at the centre of their care, building meaningful relationships from admission to end of life and enabling them to maintain choice, independence, control and to live a happy and fulfilled life.

“What’s so special is that nursing in a care home allows you to really get to know a person and follow their progress – often for the rest of their life and that truly is a privilege. You can see how your skills, knowledge and holistic approach to care has made a real difference for them.

That isn’t always the same situation in a busy local hospital.

“We too engage with and lead research, trials and work extensively with a wide range of partners in health and allied care services and roll out projects that seek to develop new ways of working that ultimately improve outcomes for people living in our homes. We have 18 homes rated as Outstanding by the CQC which is testament to the excellent quality of care and support we provide in our homes. Our nurses are to be applauded for the major part they play in this success.

Commenting on Professor Sturdy’s appointment as Chief Nurse, Rachel added: “Deborah is making a real difference to the narrative about adult social care nursing. For example, for the first time ever there is a national award category in the Nursing Times awards solely for nurses working in this sector. This recognition is fantastic to see and has been long overdue.

“So my message to any of the thousands of Google searchers who are considering a career in nursing is please don’t just think of how your career might take you down a hospital path. Take a look at how fulfilling and fascinating care home nursing can be and the career opportunities such as ultimately managing your own care home, or being the head of care and clinical services, that providers like Care UK can offer.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 5

It’s a “Postcode Lottery” on Visiting Care Homes says Ruthie Henshall West End Actress Ruthie Henshall has said it is still a “postcode lottery” if families can see their loved ones in care homes.

The government announced earlier this week that residents leaving their home to go for a walk or to visit a loved one’s garden will no longer have to isolate for two weeks on their return.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) removed the requirement for outdoor, “low risk” visits after being threatened with legal action by the charity John’s Campaign.

However, Ms Henshall said this does not go far enough and relatives of care home residents should have essential caregiver status by law, which would allow them to visit their loved ones in the case of another Covid outbreak.

Appearing via a remote television interview, Ms Henshall said: “As an essential carer, I go straight into her room, I’ve had the test, there are enough things to put in place now.

“I’m going straight into my mother’s room, I don’t see anybody else, don’t interact with anybody else.

Photo by EndaMarkeyPresents “Whereas a paid carer is going into everybody’s room, they are going home to their husband, their children are coming home from school, from work.

“And she needs touch. She can’t speak, she can’t walk. She has to be fed; her food has to be mashed up.

What does she have left but touch, love?

“And we all know having been starved of human affection, human touch, for the past year, we know how important that is.”

“We need to stop this postcode lottery that is going on with the care homes. People aren’t following the guidance so it needs to be law.”

Ms Henshall also described her mother before lockdown and how she has deteriorated since. “She was walking and talking, I had a phone conversation with her the day my father died, she was very aware.

“Four months later which we understood we had to keep them safe. She was in her room 24/7 on her own with an occasional visit from a carer. She has stopped talking, she can’t walk any more, her food has to be mushed up and her drinks have to be thickened. Now that happened in four months. You would expect some kind of deterioration but not like that.

“When I went to see her again, the care home manager said, ‘Oh my goodness the light is back on in her eyes.’”

Naddra Ahmmed, the Chair of the National Care Association, also appeared on the TV interview and said that the well-being of care home residents was at the centre of everything that they do.

She said: ‘We do follow the guidance give to us, and if you read the guidance, it is very clear, that it rests on the shoulders of the provider to ensure all the safety mechanisms that need to be in place before they facilitate any visits.

‘And I think most providers are trying to do that as far as they possibly can.’

Care Home Hosts Spring Olympics to Stir Activity Among its Residents A CARE home has hosted a ‘Spring Olympics’ event for its residents to fulfil their cravings for competition and activity.

Organised by the care staff, the week-long series of competitions at Mansfield Care’s Pine Villa featured rounds of pool, Jenga, and basketball, with a Sports Quiz to close the tournament.

It comes after the residents enjoyed a programme of competitions throughout the winter months which inspired the care staff to curate the Spring Olympics, creating opportunities for healthy competition and action.

Denise Williams, Pine Villa Care Home Manager in Loanhead, said: “The residents are all very competitive so we thought this would be a fun way to stay active and play some fun games.

“Seeing as the winter games week was such a success, we wanted to make this even better. We spent a few weeks organising and planning the activities that were requested by the residents, rearranging a few tournaments due to weather but still managing to fit in games everyone enjoyed.

“It was great fun. We tried to make it a little more competitive this time

round by splitting residents into teams.

“We hosted three separate games so that after each event we scored up the points and announced the winner at our closing ceremony where our residents enjoyed a spot of afternoon tea.”

As part of an ethos to provide the care we wish to receive in later life, Pine Villa, one of 11 care homes run by Mansfield Care, specialises in bespoke services to support its resident’s wellbeing.

Denise added: “We want residents to live in a stimulating environment and have activities and plans to look forward to. It’s been really challenging over lockdown with visitor restrictions, but the team has been extraordinary and really stepped up, coordinating more activities to meet our resident’s needs.

“These types of activities really help support our residents’ mental and physical health, so we feel it’s important to get creative and organise active games and events. Everyone enjoys them and looks forward to them, staff and residents alike.”

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PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Nursing Home Manager is Awarded Palliative Care Award for Bespoke End of Life Program Talking about End of Life wishes and palliative care with loved ones is never a comfortable conversation.

In support of Dying Matters Week, Park View Care Centre’s Award-Winning Registered Manager Emma Hernandez Wyatt talks about the importance of raising awareness of the subject and the specialist bespoke Palliative Care programme ‘Blue Horizons’ which she has implemented at the Nursing, Dementia and Residential Home in Ashford, Kent.

The term ‘a calling in life’ is definitely true about Emma’s passion and commitment to nursing, especially palliative care, “Just simply to be with them. To let them know that it’s alright to let go should they wish to and that they are safe and they are not to be afraid of anything. “ Emma was recently announced by Kent Care Awards, as 2020 Palliative Care Award winner in a special Covid safe presentation. The award was handed over

by Judge Ann Taylor, CEO of Hilton Nursing Partners and KiCA Chairperson.

The judges were looking for a candidate who demonstrated how special and professional they have to be to support someone who is at the end of their life.

She is also a finalist at in the same category at the South East Regional Great British Care Awards.

Emma was honoured to receive the award, not only for herself but for the rest of the team at Park View Care Centre, "This award was the well-deserved recognition for my team here at Park View. Whilst I lead the team here, and the award has my name on it, I am nothing without them.

Having identified at the beginning of her nursing career, her skill for hands on nursing and dedication to making those she cared for better, it was a personal reason which directed Emma to her calling in life. “I absolutely loved and adored my Grandmother; we were very close. When she became very sick, I cared for her but wasn’t there when she passed. I then totally understood the grieving process and wanted to help others both the patient and also the family.”

Over a number of years, having undertaking various specialist palliative and end of life training, Emma has developed, written and implemented a bespoke specialist person-centred program named Blue Horizons, with the motto

‘nobody dies alone’. Poignantly, the programmes name was the suggestion of Emma’s mum, “I was chatting to my Mother who has early stages of Dementia and asked what name she liked and Blue Horizons was born! it just felt right “ The uniqueness of the program combines components of Namaste Care, the Golden Standard Framework and the former ‘Six Steps of Success’ from the Pilgrims Hospice in Kent alongside the professional experience and specialist training of the team at Park View Care Centre.

The aim is to provide comfort and quality care throughout the stages of end of life and the different phases leading up to it. Family and loved ones are supported and informed along the journey; creating a comfortable and secure environment full of happy memory links.

One of Emma’s favourite quotes is “‘how people die remains in the memories of those who remain behind ‘this theory was introduced by Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice and palliative care movement. The quote resonated with me completely, therefore, when my beautiful daughter was born during the covid pandemic during the first lockdown, I chose Cicely as her second name.”

Family members are involved every step of the way by having regular chats with the dedicated team of carers and nurses so they can fully understand and ensure that both the families and residents are being met. This is usually done through ‘thinking ahead meetings’, these meetings support the team, to understand the preferred sensory links in the way of familiar smells, music and flavours that links them to happy memories; which is so important.

Keeping the resident comfortable and managing symptoms to ensure they have the highest quality of life for as long as they live. Sensory stimulation around touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste is implemented to support comfort and calmness. The team know that they have one opportunity to make it a perfect experience for both the resident and their family.

“To care for a resident and be there throughout, for their family and loved ones, is for me and the team at Park View Care Centre, an absolute honour and privilege. “, Emma Hernandez Wyatt.

Free End Of Life Training For Professionals In The Care Sector As part of Dying Matters Awareness Week, taking place from 10-16 May, Bristol funeral venue Memorial Woodlands has launched a new programme of free end of life training for professionals in the care sector.

In partnership with leading bereavement training provider Mireille Hayden of Gentle Dusk, Memorial Woodlands is offering care home staff and managers, who have been hit by loss during the pandemic, the opportunity to book free half-day training sessions.

The supportive programme of training includes information and practical skills around end of life care planning as well as a workshop for staff on bereavement. The sessions will take place virtually over two half-days.

Mireille Hayden, Founding Director of Gentle Dusk, said: “The past year has been extremely challenging for the care home sector and its staff and managers have been faced with bereavement on both a personal and professional level.

“I have been working closely with Bristol Memorial Woodlands to deliver these courses following requests from front-line staff and leaders. We have now piloted delivering the sessions in a bespoke whole-systems approach to a major local care home group. We received really positive feedback from everyone who attended so we decided to roll out the programme and offer it to more organisations who would benefit.

“The programme will be free for the next six months for all care homes in Bristol and surrounding areas. It supports open conversations and provides staff with greater understanding and confidence in addressing the issues around these taboo subjects.”

Bristol Care Homes has already provided its staff with the training.

Tania Bartholomew, Group Care Quality Manager, said: “Gathering information about our residents’ end of life plan is a really important

part of what our care staff do.

“This training explains the importance of knowing residents’ wishes, sharing those wishes with the right people and ensuring they are carried out with dignity.

“Our carers have experienced a lot of bereavement, grief and loss over the last year, some personal too, and having a safe place to express their feelings with people that understand, has helped them identify and deal with their strong emotions.

“It becomes a healthier conversation when we link our own grief to how we want our final days to be and how our lives will be celebrated.

The training draws these discussions out of heavy hearts and makes things seem much more optimistic and gives us an appreciation of how we really make a massive difference by simply talking about death.”

Bristol Memorial Woodlands is a 100-acre site in Alveston offering environmentally-friendly woodland burials. Trees andwild flowersare plantedaround the plots where loved ones are laid to rest and the area is managed by a charitable trust to ensure it will be open foreverfor future generations to visit.

If you would like further information or to book a training programme please contact Ella ella@memorialwoodlands.com.

For more information about our work, training and events please visit www.gentledusk.org.uk and www.memorialwoodlands.com

NCF Launch Kickstart Support Scheme for Members NCF has announced the launch of its NCF Kickstart Scheme to support members to access the Department for Work and Pensions Kickstart Scheme. The NCF Kickstart Scheme is in collaboration with Pathway CTM and Cohesion.

On 21 April NCF launched the NCF Kickstart Scheme with an introductory webinar which was well attended by NCF members, and are pleased to announce that the first applications have been submitted to DWP to recruit 30 young people into roles within the adult social care sector at National Care Forum member organisations.

What is Kickstart?

Kickstart is a scheme that provides funding to create new job placements for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.

What are NCF offering?

In conjunction with Pathway CTM (a dedicated Social Enterprise that supports young people with employability skills and employment opportunities), and long term NCF partners Cohesion Recruitment we have put together a unique package of support to offer NCF members the best possible Kickstart Experience.

A programme of monthly themed webinars created in conjunction with Cohesion to support workplace mentors and employers on a variety of themes including: • Creating a positive experience for new colleagues

• Learning styles • Dynamics of a team and organisation • Mentoring, Coaching and Buddying • Using reflection • Digital skills • A dedicated Kickstart Forum for peer to peer learning and sharing of experiences to promote best practice.

• Support for Kickstart placement participants from Pathway CTM This unique scheme offers a package of support not just for young people employed through the Kickstart Programme but also to care provider members of NCF taking part in the scheme, and their existing employees who are acting as mentors for their new colleagues.

Vic Rayner, CEO at National Care Forum said: “Working in a social care is amazing and an opportunity that we want as many people to experience as possible. Kickstart is a great way of matching up those interested in a career in care with organisations who can provide them with a varied and well supported opportunities to find out more. Over a six month period, people will be able to find out what the reality of working in social care is all about, and what it might mean for them and their future ambitions. We are really pleased to be working with Pathway, Cohesion and our members to make absolutely sure that each and every Kickstart employee gets the best experience of social care, and becomes a life long champion of the difference that care

makes to peoples lives, each and everyday.”

Amanda Marques, director of long term NCF partner Cohesion said of the scheme: “Cohesion are pleased to be working in partnership with the NCF and Pathway CTM to support members who decide to participate in the Kickstart Scheme. Attracting and retaining early talent for social care is more important now than ever and schemes like Kickstart have an important part to play. We hope to see as much take up as possible before the last intake in December.”

Brian Whittaker, HR & OD Director of Brunelcare – who have been operating their own Kickstart scheme for a number of months said of Kickstart: “The Brunelcare senior team was enthusiastic about the Kickstart scheme when it was announced as it represented a cost neutral solution to helping young people into (or back into) work and also an opportunity for us to attract new talent for the charity. So far we have 22 Kickstart colleagues working across the charity including within the IT team, Finance, HR and Property Services. We also have a number working in our various Care Homes. They are brilliant people doing a great job and enjoying the opportunity. This is a real win/win as we are in reality training people who can then apply for permanent vacancies. We have already had one person who joined through Kickstart successfully apply and be appointed into a full time role.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 7

Report Calls for £75,000 Care Costs Cap and Increase in Taxes to Fund Social Care A London School of Economics-led commission has called on the government to introduce a Dilnot-style cap on care costs of £75,000, and to put 1p on income tax, national insurance and VAT to secure the future of the NHS and social care.

The report calls for £102bn funding injection for the NHS and social care over the next 10 years and a £3.2bn one-off injection in social care.

The LSE–Lancet Commission, set up in 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS, also recommends making the means test for social care more generous by raising the point at which people have to pay for their own care from £23,250 to £100,000.

In the report, the commission suggest a long-term solution to NHS troubles with seven main recommendations, including “yearly increases in funding of at least 4 per cent in real terms” for health, social care and public health over the next decade.

The LSE–Lancet Commission on the future of the NHS: re-laying the foundations for an equitable and efficient health and care service after COVID-19 report published in The Lancet found the measures would improve financial protection for the most vulnerable.

The measures could be paid for by a one-off injection in social care spending of £3.2 billion in England in 2018/19 terms.

The report recommends funding for the NHS, social care, and public health should increase by at least four cent every year in real terms over the next ten years.

Co-chair of the LSE-Lancet Commission, Professor Alistair McGuire from LSE, said: “This report outlines an ambitious, long-term vision that looks beyond the election cycle. Our collective ambition should be as much about preventing ill-health and keeping people healthy as it is about treating people when they are sick.

“This means the NHS, social care and public health working in partnership with other public services, civil society and communities to improve the nation’s health, and deliver a health system that is prepared for future health shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that health and national economic prosperity cannot be disentangled, and health must be a key area as we rebuild post-COVID.” Based on tax revenue before the pandemic, the report proposes raising personal income tax, National Insurance and VAT contributions by a penny each by 2025-26, and increasing personal income tax and national insurance to two pence by 2030-31.

The changes would be phased in along with rises to several other, smaller taxes, including corporate and wealth taxes.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our NHS has faced huge challenges over the past year due to COVID-19 and we continue to support our incredible health and care staff who have kept services open for thousands of patients.

“We have made £63bn available for health services over the last year and an additional £29bn next year, including new investment to address backlogs and tackle long waiting lists which have built up because of the pandemic.

“Improving the adult social care system, including promoting integrated care, remains a priority for this government and we will bring forward proposals later this year.

“The new UK Health Security Agency has been established to protect the country from future health threats and ensure the nation can respond to pandemics quickly and at greater scale. Alongside UKHSA, the new Office for Health Promotion will promote and drive better health at all levels of government and healthcare.”

Surbiton Care Home Treats Staff To Well-Being Week Staff at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton have enjoyed a week of treats, pampering and a lot of TLC. They relaxed with meditation, mindfulness, tai chi, Indian head massage and reiki sessions, enjoyed healthy smoothies and snacks, and listened to talks about mental health awareness.

They were just some of the events and activities which took place during the Surbiton Home’s Staff Well-being Week. It ran from 26-30 April and concluded with staff enjoying a Caribbeanthemed party and barbecue with residents. Staff were later given a goody bag from Royal Star & Garter.

The charity provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia.

Staff also took part in a laughter yoga session led by Lady HaHa, had free haircuts, received eye care advice from Specsavers, and heard talks addressing pandemic fatigue and mental health.

Several of the events took place in the evening, to ensure night staff were not left out.

Talking about her staff, Home Manager Helena Maher said: “This is just a small token of thanks for all their courage, commitment and hard work, especially during the pandemic, when we’ve faced some really tough and demanding times. It’s a small gesture when you consider all they do. They are amazing and deserve it.”

Anna, a Nurse at the Home, said: ”I’ve been to laughter yoga, had an Indian head massage, shoulder massage, and spoken to the optician. It’s been a really nice week. It’s always nice to be appreciated, and we really enjoyed being pampered and spoiled.”

The cost of the barbecue was covered by a staff fund, which included generous donations from residents’ relatives over the past year. The son of a resident who died earlier this year also donated money for a steel band to play in memory of his mother.

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Mandatory Vaccines and Human Rights

By Natalie Marrison, Partner, Ramsdens Solicitors (www.ramsdens.co.uk) The introduction of mandatory vaccinations would potentially infringe Articles 5, 8 and 9 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA). The extent to which compulsory vaccines would infringe these rights continues to be a complex issue, as it is difficult to balance individual rights and public safety. The introduction may also cause some articles to conflict with each other, as Article 2 states that everyone has a right to life and a way of upholding this right is by vaccinating the population to protect the more vulnerable members of society.

Article 5 of the HRA stipulates that everyone has a right to liberty. This right is particularly complex because it can be deprived in order to prevent the spread of infection disease, provided that the method used is lawful, proportionate and unrestrictive (Article 5(1)(e)).

Difficulties may arise when a care user lacking capacity declines to take the vaccine.

Although it may be in their best interests to have the vaccine (which would uphold Article 2 HRA), the vaccine should not be administered if physical intervention is required. This was confirmed in the Court of Protection case of Re CR [2021] EWCOP 19 (12 March 2021).

Article 8 of the HRA affords individuals the autonomy to make their own decisions. This a qualified right, meaning a public authority may interfere with it in the interests of public safe-

ty. This therefore means that care users should be able to decide whether or not to receive the vaccine, but this does conflict with keeping the public safe.

Article 9 of the HRA gives everyone the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This therefore means that if someone denies the vaccine based on their beliefs, they should not be forced to receive it. This issue could arise with care users who follow particular religions, as their religion may condemn vaccines or the ingredients within them. Forcing someone to have the vaccine contrary to their beliefs could amount to discrimination. Similar to Article 8, Article 9 can be restricted for a legitimate reason. It could therefore be argued that public safety is a legitimate reason to introduce mandatory vaccines.

It is therefore difficult to say whether individuals will be forced to have the vaccines. On one hand, compulsory vaccines would contravene Articles 5, 8 and 9 of the HRA but on the other hand, these rights can be varied if it is in the public interests to prevent the spread of disease. It is probably more likely that the ‘vaccine passport’ concept may apply to future care home residents and that quarantine measures are maintained for care users who go out but refuse the vaccine.

How A London Cabbie Changed Careers During COVID to Become an Adult Social Carer

The Covid-19 outbreak gave long-time cabbie Ian the final push he needed to embark on a new career in adult social care and he has never looked back.

After spending 30 years driving a taxi in London, Ian Wakeling from Harlow, had fallen out of love with his job because it was becoming increasingly difficult to operate amidst roadworks, lane closures, and detours. When Covid-19 shut down the city, Ian decided that this was the sign he needed to take the plunge and investigate a career as an adult social carer.

Having initially ruled it out, assuming that he’d need to have qualifications to even be considered for a role, he started to investigate further when the pandemic made his cabbie role unviable.

On discovering that no prior experience or qualifications were needed because comprehensive training is provided, Ian applied and now has a full-time role as a Community Care Assistant at Essex Cares Limited.

Ian enjoys it so much that he is actively encouraging others to also consider a career in adult social care.

Ian, said: “I think there are probably a lot of fantastic candidates for care out there who might be put off by a lack of experience. It certainly prevented me from applying sooner, but they shouldn’t let that stop them. I had been a London cabbie all my life but I found out that many of my skills were transferable”.

Ian continued: “This job has really opened my eyes and given me a revived sense of purpose – whether I’m helping someone with their personal care or simply sharing a cup of tea, it’s so rewarding to know that I’m there when they need me to offer a vital shoulder to lean on.

“You often go into social care to change someone’s life, but it’s ended up changing my life for the better. Even a five-minute chat can make a big difference to those more isolated”.

There is a wealth of diverse roles on offer, all designed to provide

personal and practical support to help people live independently; from adults with disabilities, to older people or those with mental or physical conditions.

Workers can be based in the community, in care homes, hospitals or people’s homes with tasks ranging from supporting people to participate in social activities in the community, to helping with personal care, such as getting dressed or cooking meals.

Director of Adult Social Care, Nick Presmeg, said: “To start your career in adult social care, all you need is the right qualities, rather than specific qualifications. With on-the-job training and ongoing support, starting a career in care has never been easier.”

Ian added: “Working in adult social care is not just an emotionally rewarding role, it’s one of the most in-demand and varied roles too.

Working with a range of people with different care needs means that no day is the same. It can also provide great ongoing career progression and job security, which has become particularly important to many people during the pandemic.

“Make a difference to people’s lives, including your own, and apply today”.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 9

More Restrictions Eased for Care Homes

From Monday 17 May care home residents will be able to have more named visitors and more opportunities to make visits out with no need to self-isolate when they return.

As part of step 3 of the roadmap, the number of named family members or friends able to visit their loved ones in care homes will be increased from two to five, as the visiting restrictions continue to ease. A maximum of two visitors will be allowed at any one time or on any given day.

This follows a reduction in COVID-19 cases and the ongoing successful vaccine rollout with 95% of older care home residents receiving their first jab.

Residents will also be able to go to medical appointments, a workplace, educational setting, and day centres without having to

self-isolate on their return.

Minister for Care, Helen Whately said: “The measures we have taken during this pandemic have always been to protect our most vulnerable, but I have heard first-hand from those living and working in care homes how difficult the restrictions have been.

“Thanks to the phenomenal success of the vaccine rollout and a reduction in cases across the country, I am pleased we can now take another step towards getting back to normal, while protecting those in care homes from the continued risk of Covid-19.

“The new guidance allows more family and friends to reunite and reduces the need to self-isolate, which I know many have found incredibly challenging. As we turn the tide on this cruel virus I want to make visiting as normal as possible by the summer, and this is an important step on that path.”

The period when a COVID-19 outbreak in a care home can be declared over will also change from 28 days to 14 days after the last positive case assuming there are no Variants of Concern (VOCs) identified.

This means visits can resume sooner following an outbreak, once the relevant testing has been completed and provided all staff and residents tested receive a negative result.

Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Professor Deborah Sturdy said: “The pandemic has been so difficult for those living in care homes and our social care workforce have done a brilliant job of keeping their residents safe and supported. I know this change to the guidance will be a huge boost to so many, giving more people the chance to reunite with more of their friends and family.”

Chair of the Adult Social Care Covid-19 Taskforce, Sir David Pearson said: “I would like to thank all our social care workers for their efforts during the last very difficult year, and for having the vaccine and supporting those they care for to get vaccinated.

“This is a significant step on the road to normality for so many. We are only able to increase visits in and out of care homes thanks to the hard work of social care staff maintaining good infection prevention and control, and the effect of the vaccines in driving down transmission.”

The government announced an interim change in guidance last week to allow low-risk outdoor visits out, such as a trip to the park, a garden or the beach, without the need to isolate afterwards.

Thanks to the success of the vaccination roll out and the reducing level of infection across the country, the government is able to keep this guidance under review with a view to removing further restrictions as soon as possible.

Ewe Heard It Here First! Alsager Care Home Residents Have A Spring In Their Step Thanks To Wellbeing Campaign Residents of Alsager based care home, Twyford House, are enjoying increased happiness and wellbeing thanks to a specially designed activities campaign rolled out by the team.

Home to residents since its opening in August 2020, Twyford House has been offering engaging activities including intergenerational care initiatives, walking clubs and animal therapy, to put smiles on the faces of residents.

Residents have also had the opportunity to meet virtually with children and staff from Townhouse Nurseries in Alsager. This has brought about many benefits for all involved, including inducing laughter, prompting reminiscence, and boosting literacy, language and social skills.

One of the children at Townhouse Nurseries has even named one of the new lambs on her family farm after a Twyford House resident, Rosemary Roberts.

This is particularly special news for the care home to share, as Rosemary (Ro), is very fond of lambs and sheep, with her grandchildren calling her “Grandma Sheep”! Ro and her fellow residents were very excited to receive a visit from the new lamb.

Gentle sports and exercise classes are also encouraged at the home, with resident Pearl Maries proving herself to be a keen hula-hooper and an expert with a skipping rope!

Twyford House have reported vast improvements in the physical and emotional health of their residents since they moved into the care home and began partaking in the activities programme.

General Manager at Twyford House, Laura Locket, said: “The care, health and wellbeing of our residents is at the heart of everything we do here at Twyford House. The activities programme is specially designed and tailored to help and support residents, and we have seen such wonderful improvements.

Laura added; some of our residents were struggling with mobility when they moved into their new home, and they are now thriving, hula-hooping and even skipping! The whole team are looking forward to getting out and about more with residents once restrictions allow, to put even more smiles on their faces”.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 11

Fix Care Now: Public Demand Adult Social Care To Be A Top Priority For Government Post Pandemic Research released this week shows over two thirds (69%) of people say that social care should be a top priority for the Government with almost half (43%) believing the Government doesn’t care about the needs of older people.

The findings come after a challenging year for the social care sector, with care homes hit worst by the ravages of the pandemic. The devastating effects of Covid-19 follow years of proposals and broken promises to reform the sector which have been kicked into the long grass by successive governments.

This research demonstrates that the belief amongst politicians that there is a lack of public interest in the issue of adult social care, something identified in a recent report by Engage Britain, simply isn’t true. UK adults want the government to fix social care.

Polling on the issue was carried out by the charity MHA, which has been caring and supporting older people for more than 75 years, to coincide with the launch of its campaign #FixCareForAll. It supports more than 18,000 older people through care homes, retirement living and community-based services aimed at alleviating loneliness and isolation.

MHA Chief Executive Sam Monaghan said: “Our research clearly shows that the public now sees social care as a top priority for the country, and that this should be a key part of the Government’s ‘building back better’ agenda.

“For far too long older people and their needs have been neglected by successive governments of all political persuasions and the time has

come to finally fix care for all.

“We have all seen how devastating Covid-19 was to care homes, how many people lost loved ones during that time and how consecutive lockdowns have affected older people. It has made all of us think about what’s important and the kind of society we want to be.

“Over the last 20 years the adult social care sector has borne the brunt of many broken promises. There have been green papers, white papers, commissions, reviews, yet still the system remains broken.

“What we now need is decisive action from Government. We need to make sure care is properly resourced, we value our care workers, people have a say in their care, funding is transparent and accountable and delivered through financial regulation, and there is a seamless pathway with health services.

“The time for talking is over. Ageing isn’t an abstract concept, it’s something which we will all have to face one day so it’s in all our interests to get this right going forward. We need a clear plan to support the

future funding and framework to support older people. We have a growing population of older people who deserve respect and certainty for their future.”

Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “The pandemic has exposed the deep-rooted cracks in our failing social care system, demonstrating the desperate need for urgent reform. Never again must the 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and their loved ones face such hardship and loss, like they’ve experienced over the past year. Even now, some care homes are still lacking resource to facilitate or increase visits, meaning families are only seeing their loved one in care for a fleeting half an hour every few weeks.

“It’s hugely worrying to hear rumours of social care plans being shelved yet again, after years of waiting, years of our most vulnerable people being ignored and passed over. Now more than ever, the Government must bring forward their long-awaited plan to completely overhaul our social care system; this should provide free, personalised care and put it on an equal footing with the NHS. It’s also vital that proposals support and develop the essential skills required for the workforce to deliver the best care people with dementia deserve and so desperately need.”

Members of the public are encouraged to get involved in the campaign by using the hashtag #FixCareForAll on social media and visiting www.FixCareForAll.co.uk where they can find more details on the campaign and information on how to engage with MPs and elected representatives on this issue.

100-year-old Resident Repays 80 Year Old Kindness from Her Former University A Cringleford care home resident, and former Oxford university student, has celebrated her 100th birthday by making a special donation.

Avril Powell, from Care UK’s Cavell Court, marked the impressive milestone recently when she virtually presented St Hughes College at the University of Oxford with a donation of almost £2,000.

Avril studied Classics at the college during the Second World War, and has many fond memories of her time at Oxford. While studying, her fathers tailor shop in Exeter was bombed, and Avril felt she had to return home and give up her much-loved studies. Her family encouraged her to stay, and St Hughes College kindly funded her to complete the remainder of her degree.

Incredibly grateful for the generosity of the college, and the opportunities university gave her, it was Avril’s wish for her friends and family to make donations to the college in lieu of gifts for her 100th birthday, and

she was delighted to raise £1,930 in total.

Going one step further, the team at Cavell Court organised a surprise virtual meeting with the Principal of St Hughes, Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC FRSE, on Avril’s birthday, so that she could make the donation in person, and share her own memories of St Hughes.

Avril said: “I couldn’t believe how much money I raised for the college for my 100th Birthday, and it was a fantastic surprise to be able to thank the college personally for the way it has shaped my life.

“It feels wonderful to have reached 100, and to be able to spend it with my family after the last year was the icing on the cake.”

Karen Curle, Home Manager at Cavell Court, said: “Avril always speaks so fondly of her time at St Hughes College, and so it was no surprise when she asked her family to donate to them instead of buying her a birthday gift.

PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Why is the Government Consulting on Compulsory Vaccinations in the Care Sector and What Will the Implications Be for Care Providers and Their Staff

By Nathan Donaldson, employment solicitor at Keystone Law (www.keystonelaw.com) who has specialised in advising the care sector for more than 20 years The government has launched a five-week consultation on the possibility of mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for care home staff in England, questioning whether a vaccine may become a condition of employment. A decision is set to be reached in the summer.

Why is the consultation taking place now?

It is estimated that in some parts of the country, care home staff vaccination rates are below 70%.

Medical opinion estimates that vaccination rates need to be above 80%-90% to provide the minimum level of protection for care home residents. Currently only 53% of older adult care homes in England are meeting this threshold.

What are the justifications for compulsory vaccinations?

The latest medical evidence is beginning to show the efficacy of vaccinations in preventing coronavirus transmission and infection. For instance, Public Health England has predicted that the Covid jab has saved the lives of 10,400 over-60s. For this reason, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has commented that it is ‘a professional obligation’ for staff in a medical or care settings to have the vaccine to protect the most vulnerable.

Various government ministers have also suggested that it would be reasonable for employers to insist on vaccination. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that “making vaccines a condition of deployment is something many care homes have called for, to help them provide greater protection for staff and residents in older people’s care homes, and so save lives”.

As of April 2021, the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust has already written to its staff (and other Trusts) indicating that it is going to implement compulsory vaccination.

SO WHY CAN’T THE CARE SECTOR ALREADY REQUIRE MANDATORY

VACCINATION?

with care.

COVID-19 and the resultant pandemic is unprecedented in modern times. There is much diversion of opinion amongst employment lawyers, government ministers and even unions and professional bodies on the topic of mandatory vaccination.

Vaccinations are not presently compulsory in the UK. The Government can rely on the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases, but this Act specifically excludes the power to require a person to undergo medical treatment, including vaccination.

For such reasons, employers insisting on mandatory vaccination face several risks, which are summarised below:

PERSONAL INJURY

DISCRIMINATION Compulsory vaccinations in the workplace are potentially discriminatory due to an employee’s: • religion, • age, • disability and/or • gender

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS Compulsory vaccination may also be a breach of an employee’s human rights and in particular: The right to life (Article 2), namely the duty to protect life and failures to protect life.

The right to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 3): namely issues including serious mental or physical harm and restraint.

Right to liberty (Article 5): namely issues including mental health, mental capacity and restraint.

Right to private and family life, home and correspondence (Article 8): namely issues including autonomy, wellbeing and “vaccine passports”.

Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 9): namely issues including the right to exercise strongly held beliefs.

The right to be free from discrimination (Article 14): namely issues including groups of people being treated differently

DATA PROTECTION An employee’s health information is ‘special category’ personal data and employers must ensure they are handling their employee’s data

If an employee has an adverse reaction to the vaccination against their express wishes to having been vaccinated, they may bring a claim for personal injury.

For such reasons employers who implement compulsory vaccinations may face several legal claims from their employees. This could be both costly and incredibly time consuming.

In addition to legal risks, the Trade Union Congress have also stated that "… forcing workers to get the jab will harm trust and employee relations.”

WHAT ARE THE LIKELY OUTCOMES OF THE CONSULTATIONS? It may be decided that the current status quo will be unchanged.

Alternatively, it could result in a statutory basis for employers in the care sector to make vaccinations mandatory. This would likely include exemptions based on health grounds.

The government may take a middle approach of issuing non-binding ‘guidance’ which could offer the industry further support moving forward.

Care sector employers must balance ensuring the safety of their residents and staff, whilst also respecting employees’ freedom of choice.

Moreover, in absence of further statutory intervention by the government, it will be difficult to make vaccinations legally compulsory.

It is for these reasons that the government has rightly moved to consult on this topic, so that care sector employers will have statutory certainty as to what they can require of their staff.

It is hoped that the outcome of the consultation will result in legislation or guidance that will support providers to make long-term and pragmatic decisions to ensure the welfare of its employees, residents and their families.

It is also assumed that any steps to make vaccinations mandatory will have associated safeguards, through requiring informing and consultation obligations upon the employer and for legitimate exceptions to apply where vaccination would not be appropriate. Exceptions may include those relating to employees who have a disability, pre-existing medical condition or are of an age or religious/philosophical belief that would afford them reasonable grounds to refuse vaccination.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 13

UKHCA Supports Care Workers in Wales Calling for Waiver of £30 Registration Fee This Year United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has added support to calls for registration fees for homecare workers to be waived by the Government in Wales.

In April 2020 homecare workers in Wales were required to become registered with the statutory regulator, Social Care Wales, in order to work in social care. An earlier, voluntary, registration fee of £20, increased to £25 and has now increased to a compulsory £30 per care worker.

Currently the registration fee requirement only applies to homecare workers; Staff working in care homes are not required to register until October 2022, nor do others working in social care, such as those working as directly employed personal assistants. Registration is also not required for comparable roles in the NHS, such as for healthcare assistants.

UKHCA supports care workers calling for the £30 registration fee to be waived this year.

Colin Angel, Policy Director at UKHCA said: “We support the registration of the social care workforce, as it is intended

to improve their recognition as professionals. However, the application of a £30 fee currently places homecare workers at a financial disadvantage to their colleagues in social care and health.

“The pandemic has been an emotionally demanding and physically exhausting year for front-line homecare workers, and the high quality support they deliver continues to be vital. We need to retain our experienced and dedicated staff and attract new people with the right values to provide the care we all expect when we need it.

“UKHCA supports homecare workers in Wales and calls for the Welsh Government to waive the £30 fee this year and ensure future fee arrangements are equitable.”

Keri Llewelyn, Managing Director of All Care and UKHCA member said: “£30 may not seem a lot of money to some but to those care workers at the lower end of the wages spectrum it is a big chunk out of their household budget for little immediate benefit.

When You Can’t Go To The Wedding... Then The Wedding Has To Come To You! Wedding bells were replaced with the sounds of a truck air horn on Saturday 8th May, when Sarah Hunter - activities coordinator at Finney House Care Residence in Preston - married her Fiancé and truck driver, Dave Thomas.

Keen to ensure that her residents were able to see her resplendent in her wedding dress, she arranged to pop round from the Rose Suite at Preston Registry Office, to Finney House immediately after her ceremony. Her arrival caused quite a stir as her wedding car was a fabulous Peterbilt bonneted tractor unit, belonging to Paul Fox (Dave’s Boss who runs Fox Brothers transport).

What they didn’t know was that fellow activities coordinators - Jen Stutter and Lisa Kimble - had been planning a little surprise, pulling out all the stops to make this a day to remember both for Sarah and for the residents. Finney House’s reception area was transformed into a pop-up wedding party venue (Covid restrictions observed of course) complete with decorations, afternoon tea, sugared almond favours, wedding gifts, bucks’ fizz and even a wedding cake. They even made their own fascinators in the days building up to it!

‘We were both shocked and amazed,’ said Sarah, who added, ‘I couldn’t believe the amount of trouble everyone had gone to. One of our residents cried tears of joy when she saw me. I would have loved to have had them all at my wedding ceremo-

H.W. PICKRELL ny, but this really was the next best thing. It really helped to make this a magical day to remember.’

The new Mr & Mrs Thomas, Sarah and Dave, have made their home in Great Eccleston and plan to honeymoon in Krakow once travel restrictions have been lifted. They would like to thank everyone at Finney House for their special surprise and Paul Fox at ‘Fox Brothers’ for the generous use of their ‘wedding car’.

Ledbury Brain Injury Unit Puts On Circus Spectacular Staff and residents at a brain injury unit in Ledbury donned a variety of wacky outfits to raise spirits on World Circus Day. Market Lodge’s lounge was turned into a ‘Big Top’, with staff and residents taking on various roles such as ticket collector, food vendors and fortune teller.

Everyone was in high spirits as staff showcased an array of talents, including a ‘strong man’, jugglers and even one as a ‘performing seal’.

Tasty delights such as hotdogs, popcorn and baked apples were enjoyed throughout the afternoon.

Juls Simpson, Service Manager at Market Lodge -

which is run by Shaw healthcare - said: ‘It was such an amazing afternoon with lots of laughter and fun. While the world is slowly getting back to normal, we still understand the impact of the current restrictions on our residents, who manage an array of complex physical and psychological issues. Organising such events, with input from the residents, is a great way to raise spirits during this tough time.

“The bar has been set rather high now but I’m excited to see what will be suggested next.”

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PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

How to Ensure Safe Vaccine Storage

By Mike Butt, Managing Director at LEC Medical (www.lec-medical.co.uk) SO, HOW CAN CARE HOMES ENSURE COVID VACCINES (AND OTHER HEAT SENSITIVE MEDICINES) ARE STORED SAFELY?

are taken into account.

THE IMPACT OF BADLY STORED VACCINES The active chemicals in vaccines can change in molecular form when exposed to different temperatures. For example, measles and the combined MMR vaccines could have their potency reduced by higher temperatures, while the Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are sensitive to temperatures which are too cold. This potential to change applies equally to the Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford/AstraZeneca.

Vaccines naturally biodegrade over time and being stored outside their recommended temperature range may speed up the loss of potency. This impact cannot be reversed, and a vaccine may then fail to create the desired immune response and give protection – an unthinkable situation where vulnerable care home residents are concerned.

refrigerators cannot be used, for several reasons, including uneven temperature distribution (as a result of minimal air circulation) and a normal operating range of between 0°C and 10°C. The refrigerator used must be of an appropriate size for the quantity of stock to be stored, i.e. filled to no more than 75% capacity to allow adequate air circulation. It must also be reserved exclusively for the storage of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products and not for food, blood, milk, drinks, or anything else representing a contamination risk.

Care must be taken to ensure the refrigeration unit is sited in a wellventilated room maintained between 10°C and 25 C, away from external

HOW TO AVOID WASTE With annual Covid-19 booster jabs almost inevitable, care home leaders including Queen’s Nursing Institute Chief Executive, Dr Crystal Oldman, and the chair of the Independent Care Group, Mike Padgham, have made it clear that qualified care home nursing staff could administer vaccines to residents on site.

If your care home has the staff capability and capacity, this would be a logical step to take. However, the question every care home manager should ask themselves first is: “Do we have the correct facilities for storing the vaccine safely?”

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Figures for 2018 show that vaccine wastage had a list price value of around £6.3 million. In terms of doses, about half of the reported incidents were avoidable with many relating to incorrect storage. This is before Covid vaccines

It is vital to note that refrigerators used for the storage of medicines must be designed specifically for that purpose. Standard domestic

The ‘cold chain’ is designed to protect vaccines and other biologics from point of manufacture, through their transportation to pharmacies, where they must be safely stored before being distributed to the locations where they will be administered. During this process, Pfizer’s vaccine must be kept extremely cold: minus 70 degrees Celsius, whilst Moderna has said that its vaccine needs to be frozen too, at minus 20 Celsius. Once delivered to points of administration – which could soon include care homes - all the currently available vaccines can be stored for up to five days within strict 2 to 8-degree parameters.

Failure to store vaccines according to manufacturers’ strict temperature requirements can invalidate the expiry date and cause manufacturers to disclaim responsibility for any apparent failure of the medicine, as the safety and effectiveness of such medicines can be significantly compromised or unknown.

windows and heat sources e.g. radiators or direct sunlight, and at least 5-10 cm from walls and other units. To ensure its ongoing effectiveness, any vaccine refrigeration unit must be serviced according to manufacturer’s instructions and have its integral thermometer independently calibrated to ensure readings are true. The medical refrigerator must be cleaned regularly, and the internal stock should be stored according to first expiry.

Finally, ensure you have named individuals responsible and accountable for the receipt and storage of the vaccines, and the monitoring and recording of fridge and ambient room temperatures.

Providing in-house Covid vaccination in care homes is a very strong possibility. By embedding safe storage provision and practices from the outset, you will help to ensure that not one batch of vaccines is wasted.

Belong Macclesfield Helps Spring to Flourish by Enlisting Help from Community Belong Macclesfield, the dementia care specialist, has welcomed spring with its residents, thanks to the support of local businesses and their help with seasonal projects which are set to enhance the wellbeing of the local community.

Taking advantage of glorious sunshine, Belong colleagues were joined by 11 staff from facilities management specialists, Sodexo, based at AstraZeneca’s Macclesfield Campus. The volunteers lent their gardening, DIY and painting skills to spruce up the Upton Priory village’s grounds for Belong’s residents, apartment tenants and visitors to enjoy.

Together, the team weeded and planted the grounds, then painted the fence, before constructing houses for birds and bugs, feeders for bees and butterflies and sowed wildflowers, in a bid to encourage more wildlife, all whilst residents enjoyed the bustling outdoor activity from their windows.

Meanwhile, inside the village, Belong colleagues and residents made bird cake and held talks on the importance of nature to climate change. After a round of hard-earned refreshments for the volunteers, supplied by the on-site Bistro, the day culminated with the judging of a poster competition to promote World Earth Day.

In another project, Belong worked with its older people and those living with dementia to create special gifts for pre-school students at nearby St. Alban’s Catholic Primary School: a ‘Hello Spring’ book comprising decorated poems, along with an inspiring painting of flowers to mark the beginning of the new season. In return, the school’s own spring art book with children’s creations proved a hit as residents enjoyed reminiscing about their schooldays and sharing memories of picking bluebells.

Gina Titley, experience coordinator at Belong Macclesfield, explains the thinking behind the initiatives: “We wanted to involve the community as much as possible in our spring activity plans and give everyone something to smile about. Nature has such a positive influence on our wellbeing, as does working with others, and so we invited those around us so everyone could benefit.

“We’re ever so grateful to Sodexo for giving their time, effort and donations toward the gardening project to help make a difference on World Earth Day — they worked incredibly hard. And, our partnership with St. Alban’s school continues to prove the value of intergenerational relationships. When restrictions are lifted, we look forward to welcoming our friends and the rest of the Macclesfield community to the village for face-to-face visits with our residents again.”

Celebrating Internatational Nurses Day Residents at a Somerset care home have been enjoying a reminiscence session and craft activities to celebrate how much they respect the nurses who support them - and nurses up and down the country - in anticipation of International Nurses’ Day on 12 May. A couple of the residents living with dementia at Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington shared their memories of working as nurses when they were younger.

Activities co-ordinator, Richard Dempslake, said: “We were keen to let all our nurses, past and present, know how much their work is appreciated.

“It was especially lovely when one of the ladies we support, Barbara Doubtfire, shared her memories of working as a registered nurse in a children’s intensive care unit in the late fifties.

She got quite emotional.

“Her daughter tells us her mum was an inspiration and built a great relationship with patients and the families which she still has contact with.”

Richard and his team talked with their residents about the different kinds of experiences they’d had in their lives, while looking through pictures of nurses’ jobs including A&E, registered nurses, children's ward nurses and midwives.

The team supported residents to make - and

wear – nurses’ hats, talked about equipment that nurses uses and had interesting discussions about their internal organs, including a little quiz on the subject.

The residents also had a fun session making colourful art pieces using syringes containing diluted food colouring.

With music playing an important role in the wellbeing of people living with dementia, Richard Dempslake also treated participants to a playlist that included the Casualty theme tune, Night Nurse and A Spoon Full of Sugar, which residents enjoyed singing along to.

Care Home Donates For 4-Year-Old's Dream Red Trike Ashcombe House Care home in Basingstoke has presented a cheque to a local youngster Oliver, to fulfil his dreams to own a bespoke red trike. Residents

Oliver’s family set up a go fund me page and contacted local press and social media pages to spread the news of Oliver and his Determination, the

at the home read about Oliver’s story in the local newspaper and wanted to

trike would be like no other and specially made for Oliver with a cost of over

know how they could help.

£2000.

Oliver was born 10 weeks early with hydrocephalus, 2 types of spina bifida; one of which being the most severe, fixed talipes ( also known as ‘club feet’) and

Oliver Visited Ashcombe House, Worting Road, with his big Sister, Mum Pamela Curson and Gran to receive his cheque. He meet the staff and resi-

numerous other medical issues. To date Oliver has had in excess of 2o opera-

dents. Resident Margaret Sales was touched reading Oliver’s story and she was

tions and will sadly have more to come. Oliver is a very determined 4 year old

happy to hand over the cheque.

who despite being paralysed from the waist down he has found his own way of

Louise Lambert, General manager said: “We are always keen to show as

getting around, climb onto chairs, sofas and can even get up and down the

much support as we can to the local community, we are looking forward to fol-

stairs, Oliver has decided he wants to ride a red bike just like his peers do.

lowing Oliver and keeping in Contact”.

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

How Reducing Interruptions Can Help Tackle Burnout Within The Care Sector

By Stephanie Vaughan-Jones, Head of Healthcare at leading outsourced communications provider, Moneypenny (www.moneypenny.com/uk)

The adult social care workforce is the sector’s biggest resource.

Before the pandemic, it faced many adverse issues including absenteeism, recruitment, retention and turnover. COVID-19 has made some of these issues even more acute and the HSE recently revealed that stress, depression or anxiety account for 51% of all work-related ill health cases.

A major stress-causing factor within the workplace is interruption – from constant phone calls and emails to deliveries or dealing with contractors and demands from family residents, it can quickly feel like you’re constantly being distracted from your role of caring for the vulnerable. Failure to get mounting interruptions under control could prove extremely costly – to both quality of care and employee mental health.

Sending an email, listening to a voicemail, answering an unexpected call – these are all interruptions that can disrupt the flow of work. Data from Berkeley University has revealed that on average, interruptions take 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover from – even if the distraction is only a minute. This added pressure can cause already overstretched care workers to become stressed and anxious, particularly when they’re exhausted due to working extra hours. It’s a vicious cycle which leads to heightened absence and eventual attrition. Care providers that allow this to happen simply aren’t protecting their employees and run the risk of putting patient care and their reputation in jeopardy.

If there’s one thing the last 12 months have taught us, it’s that health is wealth and protecting a workforce’s mental state must sit at the top of every organisation’s agenda. Now is the ideal time to rethink company practices and the following tips offer a good place to start:

1. MANAGE TIME SENSIBLY While it’s vital to ensure maintain strong internal communications, try

Anna Chaplaincy: Here To Help!

Anna Chaplaincy began just over 11 years ago with one person - the former broadcaster Debbie Thrower, in Alton in Hampshire.

Now, it’s a rapidly growing, widely respected nationwide ministry with Anna Chaplains and people in equivalent roles, in places as diverse as Orkney and Cornwall, south Wales and the Scottish highlands, Cumbria and Kent, Cheltenham and Newcastle.

The purpose of Anna Chaplaincy – named after

the widow, Anna, in the Bible – is to offer spiritual care for older people and their carers, to advocate on their behalf and to champion their contribution to the wider community.

As Debbie Thrower explains: "Our vision is to see an Anna Chaplain in every small- and medium-sized community in the country, and for the Anna Chaplain name to become synonymous with spiritual care for older people."

Anna Chaplains work closely with care home managers and staff and carry out a wide range of activities in care homes and in the wider community.

In normal times, being an Anna Chaplain involves visiting older people wherever they may be living, meeting one-to-one, hearing life-stories, taking services and home communion, drinking tea, praying, making music or simply holding someone’s hand in

to avoid unplanned meetings and those about non-urgent issues. When meetings do occur, always use an agenda to stay on topic, reduce delays and minimise interruptions later in the day.

2. OUTSOURCE COMMUNICATIONS If staff know that external communications are being handled, they can focus on providing care without worrying about missing calls from worried families or new bed enquiries. Outsourced telephone answering support and live chat offer the ideal solution for keeping ringing phones from distracting staff from providing care, while maintaining quality care and communications.

3. OPEN DOOR POLICY Caring for elderly or vulnerable people on a daily basis can take its toll – it can be emotionally draining and carers become attached to those they are caring for, which causes stress and upset if their health deteriorates further or they pass away. It’s important that care professionals have someone to talk to, so encourage employees to talk openly and support one another. Dedicated helplines can be set up to provide care home staff with a direct contact with HR teams, or indeed for families of residents seeking advice or information around COVID-19 policies.

For more information about solutions that can improve efficiency, reduce distraction and mitigate burn out, visit www.moneypenny.com/uk/healthcare-answering-services/

companionable silence. They also offer pastoral support to front-line care home staff.

But for Anna Chaplains, as for everyone else, these have been far from normal times. They haven’t been able to go into care homes or make home visits for months but, ever creative and adaptable, they’ve switched to Zoom and FaceTime, window visits, telephone calls, handwritten notes and individual gift bags of tea and cake.

Former nurse, Sally Rees, was ordained priest and commissioned as Anna Chaplaincy Lead for Wales, in a small socially distanced but very special service at Brecon Cathedral late last September.

"I’ve been part of the Anna Chaplaincy network from the very first gathering,’ she says, ‘so I’ve been witness to Anna Chaplaincy growing.

"Lockdown has been very difficult for Anna Chaplains, their teams, and the people for whom we care. But in this time when we can’t ‘do’, our praying for people is no small thing – praying is never a small thing, but in these times I really do believe our

goal is to do that deeper prayer, which protects and holds and keeps."

As the whole area of social care, and support for the older members of our communities, moves centre stage as a result of the pandemic, (The Carer 12.04.21), Anna Chaplains are uniquely placed to share their wisdom and experience with practitioners and policy-makers alike. Increasingly, team leaders Debbie Thrower and Julia Burton-Jones are consulted by government, church leaders and academics and there is an increasing demand for Anna Chaplaincy training and resources. In an indication of the growing regard for the work of Anna Chaplaincy, Debbie Thrower was honoured to lead a special service on BBC Radio 4 to commemorate the 125,000 people who lost their lives in the first year of pandemic.

For more information go to www.annachaplaincy.org.uk.

Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry of the charity BRF. For more information go to www.brf.org.

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Care Home Group Pays Tribute To Nursing Staff On International Nurses Day - 12th May 2021 Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG) is celebrating the incredible work of its outstanding nurses on International Nurses Day on 12th May 2021. With more than 500 fully qualified nurses across 80 homes, the team plays an integral role in creating a safe and caring space for those who live there.

Phil Burgan, CEO of Maria Mallaband Care Group, reflects on the value of the passionate, hard-working team of nurses in the group: “We are immensely proud and appreciative of our team of nurses.

Each one shows true dedication to their role, often going above and beyond what is expected of them. On International Nurses Day we are celebrating their hard work and showing our appreciation with a small gift to each and every nurse on behalf of all the team."

In an industry that is usually known for high staff turnover, MMCG have many nurses and care practitioners that have remained for over five years. Chief Nursing Officer, Anna Masheter began at MMCG in 2012 as a nurse, became Home Manager, Clinical Development Nurse and Specialist Nurse consultant before her current role. Anna is proud of the journey she has taken: “At Maria Mallaband Care Group, we are always keen to support our exceptional care and nursing staff along their journey through training and career development and I’m excited to now be part of that journey with them. Although I have only been here four months, I can already see the great progress being made as we strive to lead the way in clini-

cal excellence.”

MMCG offers staff some of the best training and development opportunities in the care industry, providing clear career pathways for their staff. Among these is the Ofsted-acclaimed ‘Outstanding’ Nursing Trainee Associate University Programme, with 18 currently undergoing training and 8 due to graduate this summer. One of these trainees is Selina Wilson, who qualifies in August and previously worked in a call centre before finding her calling in care: “I have discovered a passion for learning in nursing and this has increased my confidence in my current role and as a person. I believe if

you are happy in your job, it makes a huge impact on everyone around you and could make such a difference to the lives of others.”

The group is committed to supporting the well-being of employees and aims for high job satisfaction. Staff have access to a vast range of practical benefits and rewards, including healthcare support, long-service recognition and the annual MMCG Care Awards. As certified Investors in People, the group also has several initiatives that support their nursing staff directly, ensuring each home is happy place to live and work. That has particularly been the case over the past year, as Kier Dungo, manager of Buckingham House explains: “I have nothing but praise with the support that the company gave us throughout the pandemic. From the beginning, the guidance and protocols are clear to ensure the safety of our frontline staff.”

As one of the UK’s leading independent care providers, MMCG has a passion for delivering high quality services, tailored to the individual needs of each resident. When asked why she chose to pursue a career in nursing, Adriana Sentes, Registered Nurse at Allingham House commented, “I like to help people; I like to go out of my way to care for people and a ‘Thank You’ from a resident or their family makes me feel very satisfied and proud.”

To find out more about the Maria Mallaband Care Group visit: https://www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk/

The Show You Care Award for Care Settings To mark National Vegetarian Week 2021, charity Vegetarian for Life has launched a new fund to help support older vegans and vegetarians living in care.

The Vegetarian for Life Show You Care Award is open to any UK care setting that supports one or more older vegans and vegetarians. Awards of up to £1,000 are available.

Says Dr Barbara Sharp, Chair of Vegetarian for Life: "We hope to support initiatives that will enhance the quality of life of older vegans and vegetarians.

"How about hosting a themed event based around veganism/vegetarianism or ‘Meat-Free Mondays'? Could you connect with a local caterer to provide an afternoon tea or take-away of vegan/veggie food? Or perhaps you could develop a life story book around an individual's veganism/vegetarianism, or used to connect with their interests, previous activities, or activism? The award is open to all proposals, both big and small."

THE NEW VEGETARIAN FOR LIFE DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOR CARE SETTINGS The Show You Care Award aims to improve life for older vegans and vegetarians within care settings. It is provided by the charitable organisation Vegetarian for Life.

Vegetarian for Life already provides grants to support the independence of older vegans and vegetarians in need, hosts an Annual Award for Excellence in Vegetarian Care Catering, and offers a wealth of training and other resources.

We believe that we can do even more to support the central role of food in the lives of older vegans and vegetarians in care settings.

We recognise veganism and vegetarianism as core to an older person's ethical, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs, driven by diverse influences and enacted in personal choices and practices. It is directly associated with personal identity and experiencing quality of life.

Therefore, Vegetarian for Life is offering a new development opportunity for those living and working in care settings, and others who have meaningful connections with them, such as family and friends.

Commencing in 2021, Vegetarian for Life will support successful applicants with awards from £25-£1,000 for initiatives within care settings that will enhance the quality of life of older vegans and vegetarians.

Awards will be made available to the applicants judged to have submitted the best proposals to achieve this aim. There will be a rolling programme of grant awards with the call for applications and submission dates being advertised across care sector networks, social media and detailed on the Vegetarian for Life website.

CRITERIA Vegetarian for Life is keen to encourage creativity, so we provide only essential criteria and some broad indicators to assist your application.

Harrow Care Home Celebrates the 76th Anniversary of VE Day Wilsmere House in Harrow weald marked the anniversary of VE Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember. The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing.

Head chef whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion.

Residents observed the national two minute silence and listened again to Churchill’s iconic speech and an address from the Queen. They reminisced about their memories of VE Day and watched clips of the celebrations that took place outside Buckingham Palace and all across London.

Lili Cocue General Manager at Wilsmere house said: “Many of our residents can remember the end of the war and we all know what it meant for our country so we wanted to celebrate the date and listen to our residents memories of the war and the experiences they lived through.”

Residents at Wilsmere House said: “I remember all the family gathering around the radio to listen to Churchill’s speech and it still gives me Goosebumps now, such an important date. It was wonderful to reminisce and to celebrate with all the staff and residents here, we’ve all had such fun and lots of cake!”

Stambridge Meadows Garden Spruced Up For Springtime The garden at Stambridge Meadows care home in Rochford has been revamped to provide a more accessible and enjoyable area for residents.

The idea behind the project was to ensure that more of the home’s residents could enjoy the sweeping countryside views to the rear of the home.

The garden has been made more accessible for residents with reduced mobility by laying a smooth, resin top, which has created a safe, flowing surface that is level with the home’s living areas.

Stambridge Meadows’ garden has sensory elements including specially chosen fragrant trees and shrubs, and flowering plants to add vibrant colour. There is also a water feature to add a calming element for those sat enjoying the countryside views.

The residents have enjoyed admiring the new garden from the warmth of the home over the winter months and are now excited to get out there to enjoy the warm summer days.

Barbara Lewindon, 87, a resident at Stambridge Meadows care home, said: “The garden looks wonderful and we are looking forward to sitting outside when the weather warms up and enjoy a cup of tea while watching the wildlife.”

Patsy Munyard, home manager at Stambridge Meadows care home, said: “We wanted our residents to enjoy the full impact of the five-acres of land we live on and for them to enjoy the panoramic views of the countryside.

“We have lots of wildlife that live around the grounds that visit on a daily basis, so we wanted to make the garden more accessible so our residents could enjoy spotting different animals and creatures.

“I love how the garden has turned out, it is an ongoing project that in the future we would love to be extended with different pathways to different areas of the land. The water feature is lovely and makes it a relaxing atmosphere for our residents to enjoy.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 19

New Report Reveals 110% Rise in Demand for Social Care Advice Over Just Two Years Access Social Care, a charity providing free legal advice for people with social care needs, has released their inaugural State of the Nation report which reveals that demand for social care needs assessment advice – where individuals are entering the social care system for the first time or where their needs have increased – rose by a staggering 110% in two years, providing further evidence that the English social care system is struggling with increased demand and is in dire need of reform.

The State of the Nation report is a new annual research report conducted by Access Social Care and their partners Mencap and Age UK, Carers UK and Independent Age, and looks into the state of social care affairs across England. It sources research into helpline data, including advice for carers, needs assessments advice demand and other key social care issues affecting carers, older people and people with a learning disability and their families.

The nationwide data in the report shows that the number of individuals calling helplines that need help with getting an adequate needs assessment to arrange social care provision, such as personal care, protection or social support services, has risen by 84% in two years. The report also highlights an increase in demand for advice on charging and paying for social care over the last two years, rising by 45%. More people are contacting helplines after they were left with far less income due to local council increasing their charges due to budget pressures and a lack of funding.

The demand for advice for unpaid carers also rose by a shocking 394% in just two years as helplines receive calls from individuals with problems struggling to cope with their caring responsibilities. The num-

ber of calls is increasing at an unsustainable rate as local authorities continue to tighten budgets. There was a significant spike in the number of calls recorded as early as March 2020, when the pandemic first began to affect the country, and has continued to rise in many areas of social care since that point.

Kari Gerstheimer, Chief Executive of Access Social Care said: “The demands on local authorities to provide social care are rising, whilst funding to pay for care and support has not increased at the same rate.

The staggering rise in calls into charity helplines is symptomatic of underfunding from central government. Every day millions of older and disabled people are going without the social care they need and have a right to.

“As local councils increase their charges to stay on top of budget restrictions, delay and deny people care to balance their books, more and more people are contacting helplines asking for help. Something has to change. Without extra funding from the government, the system cannot cope.”

Edel Harris, Chief Executive of the learning disability charity Mencap, said: This report paints an extremely worrying picture about the increasing unmet social care needs of people with a learning disability. We know that many people with a learning disability had their support cut or completely stopped at a time when they needed it most. Families’ carers had to pick up the pieces, but they are at crisis point. Charity helplines have been a lifeline for many, but for every call there will be many more struggling alone. The Government must act now. This is not the time to tinker with the system – the Government must think big and bring its social care reform plans forward urgently. We need ambition

and proper funding to create a world class social care system we can all be proud of.”

Needs assessment advice is required when people in need of social care are not provided with enough support, or people with no pre-existing support are told they do not qualify for support or cannot get an assessment to decide whether or not they qualify. Examples of preexisting support not being enough to support a person’s needs include the exacerbation of needs due to isolation during lockdown, or when day centre support has stopped, leading to escalation of a person’s needs. Many have been left with spiralling needs due to losing vital social care provision during the pandemic and these needs remain unmet.

Access Social Care’s State of the Nation report provides a unique insight into the challenges facing millions of people across the country in need of social care. This innovative, trailblazing research will be shared annually by Access Social Care and will be used as evidence to drive policy change and shine a light on a system in desperate need of funding and improvements.

Access Social Care provides expert legal advice to disabled people, elderly people and their family carers to ensure their social care needs are met and they are able to live fulfilled and meaningful lives.

The charity work with leading law firm partners, including Fieldfisher, Orrick, Baker Mackenzie, Slaughter and May, Shearman and Sterling and expert barristers in the field of social care to allow individuals to receive free expert legal advice.

To access the full report, please go to: www.accesscharity.org.uk/news-blog/state-of-the-nation-report

Sparks! Performance Lights Up Rotherham Care Home Residents at Moorgate Croft residential care home in Rotherham were overjoyed when World Beaters performed their dynamic drum and light show outside the home.

Rotherham council contacted Moorgate Croft to organise a performance of the Spark! street theatre show for the residents as part of the Rotherham Together project. The programme provides cultural events that bring Rotherham’s residents and communities together.

Three performers volunteered their time to entertain the residents in a 20-minute show that combined high-impact drumming, dynamic choreography and beautiful

multi-coloured LED lighting design.

Raymond Shaw, aged 92, resident at Moorgate Croft, said: “Simple words: brilliant, fantastic. I could have watched the drummers all night. I would definitely recommend them; it was fantastic that they changed colours. They were the best we have had, and I would love for them to come back.”

Ann Wood, manager at Moorgate Croft, said: “Thank you to Jane at Rotherham council for thinking of us for the Rotherham Together project. Our residents loved the unique show that Sparks! performed outside our windows and are eager for an encore. It was like nothing we’ve ever seen before.”

Why choose SANOZONE? ■ SanOzone generates Ozone and completes a deep and accurate sanitation cycle ■ Ozone sanitisation is cheaper and faster than alternatives like fogging ■ Swiftly cleans and sanitises rooms of all sizes, removing harmful microorganisms ■ Reaches every corner of location, acting more rapidly than other disinfecting agents ■ Machine generates ozone from the air, which decomposes to oxygen after use

SANOZONE CLEANS INDOOR SPACES OF ALL SIZES FOR COVID SAFETY Ozone sanitising is the most effective way to deep clean residential environments of all sizes and it is easier, quicker, and more cost-effective than manual cleaning or fogging.

Once in position, an easy-to-use key-pad enables the operator to set the optimal ozone concentration for the size of the room.

The system then automatically converts the ambient air into ozone that fills the room, sanitising floors, walls, ceilings, surfaces and equipment.

The complete sanitisation of an average sized room will take approximately two hours. This includes the production of ozone, maintaining the required concentration for total cleaning and then returning the room to its usual habitation state.

SanOZone is one of the most versatile and efficient sanitisation systems available to healthcare, commercial property owners and facilities management companies. It offers many benefits over manual cleaning and we believe that it is three times quicker and more efficient than alternatives like fogging.

THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SANOZONE ARE: • Highly efficient in the fight against Covid viruses • Effective against the majority of microorganisms tested • Requires only low volumes of ozone to kill bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses • A standalone system that eliminates the need for chemical substances • More cost-effective than traditional cleaning operations or materials • Automatic cleaning cycle; easy to move from room to room SanOZone units are fully mobile, easy to programme for hourly or daily cleaning and have acoustic and visual warning indicators for safe operation. As it creates its own ozone, no chemicals or additional cleaning products are required. There are no ongoing costs.

SanOZone Easybox systems are available from Barbel now, with prices starting from £1,750 ex VAT for the Easybox 5

For more information, contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net or visit the website at www.barbel.net

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

New Partnership Will Transform Activity Provision For Elderly People In Care Settings Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), the leading provider of content, guidance and standards for the social care sector, and the Daily Sparkle, an activity resource company for people living with dementia, have agreed an exciting partnership.

This partnership, which comes into effect today, will enable QCS customers to easily access the vast number of activities available in the Daily Sparkle, whilst at the same time the partnership will provide the Daily Sparkle readers with access to QCS's industry leading experts and influencers.

To celebrate this significant milestone, QCS subscribers can receive a six-week free subscription to the Daily Sparkle newspaper - which is the world’s first reminiscence paper for older people and those living with dementia - and all of Daily Sparkle’s activity resources.

Chris Harding, the Managing Director and founder of The Daily Sparkle, said, “We are

very excited to be working with QCS. To be in a position to offer our readers access to QCS’s extensive suite of best practice content will add a new dimension to the way in which we support, inform and create valuable and enjoyable activities for a greater number of people.”

Philippa Stevens, QCS’s Partnership & Alliance Manager, added, “QCS member homes constantly tell us how much their service users love to read The Daily Sparkle and participate in the myriad of activities it creates for them on a daily basis. We’re delighted therefore to be collaborating with the Daily Sparkle to promote greater engagement.”

To join QCS, contact our compliance advisors on 0333-405-3333 or email sales@qcs.co.uk.

Appointment Of High-Level Nurse Consultant Highlights How The Role Of Nurses Is Evolving Ahead of International Nurses Day on 12 May, specialist healthcare provider, Ludlow Street Healthcare, has announced the appointment of a new nurse consultant to lead a team of mental health nurses.

Dave Chapman has joined the team at Heatherwood Court as nurse consultant, an Approved Clinician specialising in mental health disorders, becoming one of only a handful of Approved Clinicians in the whole of England and Wales.

Approved Clinicians are qualified nurses who have specialised in a chosen area of practice and take on some of the responsibilities which would previously have been the reserve of doctors, psychiatrists, and consultants. The responsible clinician is the person with overall responsibility for a patient’s treatment in that area.

In his new position, Dave has taken over responsibility for the care and treatment of a group of patients, taking on a role usually filled by a psychiatrist.

Dave said: “This is a big step up from my previous role. The biggest change for me is how much of a leadership role I now have and my ability to make a difference not just to patients but for staff on the ward as well. I actively contribute to the continuing programme of service level improvements here at Heatherwood Court.

“I actually qualified as an Approved Clinician in my previous job but, despite allowing me to do the training, my last employer didn’t have a role for me. When I spoke to Ludlow Street Healthcare about the possibility of developing this new role with them, they were incredibly positive from the outset.”

This new appointment underlines Ludlow Street Healthcare’s commitment to giving their nurses tangible

development opportunities and a career pathway that offer their nurses a variety of choices in how they progress their career.

Jane Watkins, Founder and Deputy Chair of Ludlow Street Healthcare, said: “We are really pleased to welcome someone of Dave’s calibre to the Ludlow Street Healthcare team. We are always on the lookout for talented, driven mental health professionals and someone like Dave, who has a proven track record of excellence in his field, is a perfect fit.

“At Ludlow Street Healthcare we pride ourselves on the support that we offer our staff. When we tell them we will help them to succeed, we really mean it and Dave is a case in point. Mental health nursing is a challenging but incredibly rewarding profession and if we can help our staff progress, we will.”

Heatherwood Court is a low security hospital offering treatment and rehabilitation for men and women on a forensic mental health care pathway.

The hospital is one of the specialist services in the Ludlow Street Healthcare Group which provides care for adults over the age of 18 with complex mental health problems, autism, learning disabilities and neuropsychiatric conditions including dementia and acquired brain injuries.

Set up in 2005 by healthcare specialists, Ludlow Street Healthcare provides transition-focused healthcare and bespoke step-down services, including specialist assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and education, throughout Wales and the South West of England. The organisation has developed a reputation for its person-centred approach, community-focused settings and specialist staff.

Since its inception, Ludlow Street Healthcare has supported and cared for over 800 people. For over a decade, it has worked in partnership with the NHS, developing services and investing in the necessary health infrastructure and staff training, to support patients on their journey to recovery and a more independent and fulfilling life, through step-down to community living - improving social integration and inclusion.

National Resource Consortium (NRC) and Anenta Come Together to Manage We Care Group Healthcare and Clinical Waste Services Across 16 Locations in the North and Northwest England The UK’s leading network of independent waste operators, National Resource Consortium (NRC), has announced that it has joined forces with independent healthcare waste management company, Anenta, to oversee and manage the healthcare, clinical waste and disposal services for nursing and care home oper-

ator, We Care Group.

The partnership between both waste management companies is helping the nursing and care home group achieve savings of over 14% on their waste services from the offset, with further savings to come as services are standardised across all 16 locations in the North and Northwest of England.

The resource management network, NRC, combines expertise from the UK’s leading independent waste firms to deliver unrivalled waste collection and processing capacity for We Care Group. Acting as contract manager, NRC takes responsibility for the group’s volume waste management with all services provided by their network of local members.

Through centralised contract management, NRC has already consolidated We Care Group’s existing waste contracts with various waste providers into one single, reliable point of contact across eight locations, with eight more to come. Through the ability to mobilise a national network of providers, NRC offers a single rate solution with 100% UK coverage and the flexibility to meet all We Care Group’s local needs. As a result, We Care Group is already benefitting from a 1/7th saving on its waste costs for the on-boarded care homes, thanks to a simple and transparent pricing schedule.

The three-year fixed-term contract with We Care Group commenced in January 2021. All 16 locations are set to be under the single agreement by mid-2022.

Commenting on NRC’s appointment Paul Jackson, Director of NRC, said: “We Care was buying waste services locally, individually, site by site, and not benefiting from the cost, waste and recycling efficiency of consolidating their estate into one contract.

“Both NRC and Anenta offer compliance and service-based packages at competitive rates under a single agreement. This provides customers, like We Care Group, with greater transparency, control and peace of mind over their healthcare and clinical waste management, which is an essential service for any care provider.”

We Care Group operates 16 Care and Nursing Homes in Liverpool, Blackpool, Southport, Leeds, Hull and surrounding areas across North and Northwest England. Specialising in residential, palliative, end of life,

dementia, bariatrics and young mental health care, We Care Group provides all 735 residents with happy, safe and homely environments in which their care, wellbeing and comfort is of prime importance.

With Anenta’s dedicated, online contract management platform ‘Vector’, NRC will be able to deliver service efficiencies and identify savings that will be implemented across the group’s 16 locations.

Anenta’s cutting-edge, real-time smart technology, ensures that the We Care Group receives effective contract management against existing specifications. Going forward Anenta’s integrated solution, which ensures that services are correctly specified, will provide NRC with the data needed to offer We Care Group complete transparency and the ability to proactively manage their environmental services, all in one place.

Graham Flynn, Managing Director at Anenta, commented: “Anenta is delighted to be working in partnership with NRC to provide healthcare and clinical waste services for We Care Group. By consolidating multiple contracts, each of which has different end dates and varying prices, into one standard contract with uniform pricing, our real-time smart technology will provide We Care Group with vital savings worth many thousands of pounds each year.”

Working for more than 8000 customers, Anenta simplifies the process of healthcare waste management, collectively saving clients millions of pounds each year. Over the past five years, Anenta has saved its clients over £5.6 million.

Bernie Suresparan, Chairman at We Care Group, commented: “We selected NRC after reviewing all of our waste requirements with our procurement partner. We needed to gain control over our contracting process and to find savings – NRC offered us a centralised, managed process with initial savings – we are looking forward to developing our relationship with NRC and identifying future benefits.”

Find out more about NRC and Anenta by visiting www.uk-nrc.com

PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

Living with Incontinence and Dementia (Dementia Action Week, 17-23 May 2021) With Dementia Action Week on the horizon, Ontex is providing top tips for those living with, or caring for, someone with dementia who are also suffering with incontinence.

As age is the most significant risk factor for dementia and there is expected to be a growing number of people with dementia as the population ages. This in turn will have an impact on the number of people with incontinence as a person with dementia is more likely to have an accident, problems using the toilet or incontinence than someone of the same age who doesn’t have dementia if they are unable to follow these five steps.

THE FIVE CONTINENCE ACTIONS To be continent you must be able to: 1. Recognise the need to pass urine 2. Identify the correct place to do so 3. Reach the correct place 4. Hold on until you get there 5. Pass urine once you are there

ONTEX HAS FIVE TOP TIPS FOR ANYONE LOOKING AFTER SOMEONE WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH BOTH DEMENTIA AND INCONTINENCE. 1. Remember that some people may be resistant to receiving help for their incontinence issues as they feel embarrassed or like they lack independence.

2. As a carer it’s also important to look after yourself as well as those you are looking after. Dealing with dementia and incontinence can be embarrassing and frustrating so it’s important to make sure you have some quality

time planned to de-stress and look after your own wellbeing.

3. It’s never been more important to be hygienic. Wear gloves when dealing with used hygiene products and thoroughly wash your hands afterwards. Make sure that you dispose of the hygiene products and gloves appropriately (in sanitary bins, never down the toilet).

4. Humour can be a powerful tool for lightening a situation and creating trust between you and your loved one, it may also alleviate some of their embarrassment or resistance.

5. It can be completely overwhelming when there is so much product choice, which is why iD is here to try and provide products for all levels of incontinence from light to severe.

Ontex has recently re-launched iD Expert Slip and iD Expert Form brands, designed to support for those with moderate to heavy levels of incontinence The iD Expert Slip range has been designed for those who no longer feel they have control of their bladder and when urine leakage is heavy and cannot be controlled in any manner. These all-in-one products will help to manage moderate to heavy incontinence and have anti-leak cuffs and waist elastication to ensure a snug fit with a high level of absorption.

The iD Expert Form range has been designed for moderate to heavy urine leakage that cannot be controlled and is a pad style product that can be worn inside traditional underwear, or with our iD care fixation pants.

All the iD products feature an odour control system, 100% breathable cotton feel material and are dermatologically approved to help keep you and your skin feeling fresh and comfortable.

For more information visit www.id.direct.com or call our helpful advisory team on 0800 389 6185

Brave Cygnet Elms Patient Shares Her Experience with Autism and Urges for Greater Awareness of What People on the Spectrum Can Achieve “My autism is what makes me who I am and the world needs to stop punishing difference and start embracing it,” – Florence Grant A patient at Cygnet Elms has been praised for speaking out about her experience with autism.

Florence Grant (20) spoke movingly about the challenges she has faced at a special event at Cygnet Elms, a high dependency care service in Streetly Road, Birmingham, to raise money for the National Autistic Society and fly the flag for people on the autism spectrum.

Autism is a lifelong condition with no cure, although difficulties people with autism face in life can be significantly managed through intervention at an early age. According to the NHS Information Centre, autism is estimated to affect around 1% of the UK population.

Speaking to staff and service users at Cygnet Elms, Florence said: “Being autistic feels very lonely because I'm existing in this world that isn't made for me. I feel like I'm functioning on a different wavelength to other people.”

“There are all these unwritten social rules that everyone seems to intuitively understand except me. It's like everyone else has been given this instruction manual at birth, which I didn't get. I had to teach myself how to exist in the world. “ “The world is a very scary place for me because of all of this social pressure, and also because of all of the sensory input. Having sensory differences mean I experience the world more intensely than other people. This is often overwhelming. “ Urging greater acceptance and awareness of individuals with autism, Florence said she hoped people would focus on the positives those on the spectrum are able to achieve.

“Autistic people often have highly focused interests also known as special interests,” she said, “I love my ability to hyperfocus and how passionate I get about things. One of mine is the environment and climate change. I love how much I care about them and it makes me different from other people because I actually try and do something about it. “ “I feel things so deeply. This makes me extremely empathetic, and that makes me kind. My empathy combined with my experiences of

being different also makes me very accepting of others and non-judgmental.”

“I also notice all the small details and things that other people don't see. This can be very overwhelming, but it makes me good at maths and music because I see patterns that others don't.”

Recalling her childhood, Florence said she needed to conceal or “mask” her autism so that she could be accepted by other people and protect herself from being ‘outed’ or harassed at school. Masking is also called camouflaging and is a common social survival strategy for many autistic people. Masking can lead to serious mental health consequences including autistic burnout, depression, anxiety, and loss of identity.

“Over the years people have doubted my diagnosis and dismiss my struggles because they think I have mild autism. However, this is because I've put so much effort into masking. My whole body could be screaming inside, completely overwhelmed with anxiety, but I won't show it,” she said.

Open Your Fire Doors to Residents When someone is no longer able to live alone their self-esteem can be severely affected and can sometimes lead to depression too. This is turn can have a negative impact on general health and happiness. Promoting independence within your care setting can have a massive impact on someone’s happiness, health and wellbeing.

Care facility providers for the elderly have to make some incredibly important decisions to ensure that residents are safe and often make decisions on behalf of residents too. Providing a care setting that ticks all the right boxes to offer independent living can sometimes feel like a bit of a juggling act. On the one hand you must adhere to fire safe-

ty legislation and on the other hand heavy fire doors that close automatically when opened, hinder your goals of promoting the highest levels of independence for your residents. Finding a solution that achieves both of these goals is not as hard as you may think.

Fitting battery-operated door retainers, such as Dorgard, Dorgard SmartSound and Freedor SmartSound could not be easier and they provide you with a legal solution to holding your fire doors open.

Easily installed by your own handyman they can be fitted to existing fire doors. These devices ‘listen’ for the sound of your fire alarm and on hearing it will automatically activate and

“The thing is, even with all the effort I put into appearing normal, I still wasn't accepted. People still thought I was weird, rude or annoying, and they bullied me for that. It meant I didn’t have many friends.

Masking for so long led to autistic burnout. I can no longer cope with being in the world in the way I could before. Existing is just so tiring for me.”

“That is not a good thing. I shouldn't have to mask. I should be able to just exist in the world, authentically autistic and the world should be okay with that. They should accept me for that, but they don't. The world is prejudice towards autistic people.”

Concluding her presentation, she said: “My autism is disabling to me, it makes life very hard, but I have become better at communicating and expressing my emotions. This means that staff at Cygnet Elms and other people in my life understand me better now. “ “My autism is what makes me who I am. Autism is my strengths as well as my weaknesses. I should be able to exist freely autistic and proud. But for that to happen. The world needs to stop punishing deference and start embracing it.”

After Florence’s presentation, Riccardo Brade, an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Cygnet Elms said: “I’m really proud of Flo. The idea to give a presentation came from her because she wanted to tell people her story and express how autism affected her.

“When we first started working on a one-day event for Autism Awareness Week, we hoped to raise around £500, but Flo did such an amazing job she’s raised over £2,600. I would like to say a big thank you to Flo, all the service users and staff for their hard work and making the event a great success.”

“Because we have had such a good response from this event, we plan to continue working with the National Autistic Society to deliver further education and training to help people gain a better understanding of autism.”

A full version of Florence’s presentation can be watched from here: https://vimeo.com/534868905/27220eca29 allow your heavy fire door to close, preventing the spread of fire.

Heavy fire doors can pose a problem for frail and less mobile residents, as they try and negate heavy fire doors just to move from one room to another. By fitting a fire door retainer, your fire doors will open with ease or be held in the open position to make corridors and rooms easily accessible, even for those who are wheelchair users or who use walking aids.

To ensure that you can fit the right fire door retainer for your setting Dorgard have a range of products to chose from. For quieter areas, such as bedrooms or snugs Dorgard is ideal and for areas that are a little noisier, such as recreation rooms or dining rooms the Dorgard SmartSound is ideal and Freedor SmartSound offers the ability for a fire door to behave in the same way as a normal door, and can be pushed open with ease or will stay open at any angle.

Open your fire doors to your residents to give them their independence back. If you would like to discuss your needs further with our knowledgeable customer care team please call 0800 612 6287 or visit www.safelincs.co.uk/dorgards.

PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Antimicrobial Contract Fabrics Adaptawear Iona Nightie: Full Opening-Back Nightie for Added Reassurance Skopos has recently launched a new sub-brand, Skopos Pro-tect Plus, as a marker for all Skopos products offered with an antimicrobial finish. Skopos has been offering antimicrobial fabrics for over 15 years, however the new sub-brand helps to clearly identify this offer to our customers, at a time where extra reassurance within contract interiors has never been more relevant. Within Pro-tect Plus Skopos customers have a choice of fabrics for different end uses; Antimicrobial drapery fabrics, Antimicrobial woven upholstery fabrics, Antimicrobial faux leather and vinyls. The upholstery fabrics offer includes luxury velvet, printed fabrics,

vinyls and a large range of woven collections, mostly waterproof, soil and stain resist, perfect for caring interiors.

Many of our drapery and bedding fabrics can be finished with an antimicrobial treatment, so please ask. Choices include print base-cloths, plain and woven designs. All Skopos fabrics are flame retardant and tested to the high standards required for contract interiors.

Skopos antimicrobial fabrics have bacteriostatic, viralreducing and anti-fungal properties.

Free samples of our fabrics are available online or via our customer services team: sales@skopos.co.uk. www.skoposfabrics.com

CareZips Dignity Trousers ™

CareZips™ preserve dignity and privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes.

CareZips™ make diaper changes easier and faster, reducing workload, saving efforts, and saving time! CareZips™ help to deliver better standards of care!

Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the carers.

CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the second knee on the inside of the other leg. This zip facilitates total opening of the trousers at the crotch during diaper changes. The 3-zip system ensures fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patients or pull their trousers down.

CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They

are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort. Practical, durable, washable and noniron, the CareZips™ trousers are the perfect choice for daily use.

Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com

Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment to Patients That Are Isolating The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as it promotes social interaction between the service users and their carers. This innovative system is fully mobile and battery operated, allowing residents who may be unable to leave their rooms to also be included with ease.

The Jolly Trolley® comes complete with its own videos, quizzes, karaoke and other content, but personal music, photos and films can then be added from a USB stick to really bring out the magic!

Don’t just take our word for it here are just some testimonials from our very happy Health and Social Care clients:

Chester Park- Megan Allan, Activities “The fact that we can upload what is relevant to the specific Individual is so meaningful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears being able to be part of that residents memory journey. It has been an amazing addition to our care home – from staff and residents – thank you.”

Pennine NHS Trust - Beech Ward“we have been able to provide therapeutic activity & entertainment with ease to patients that are isolating” To see what the Jolly Trolley® can do for you, call us for a free demonstration on 0800 093 8499.

Write Your Life Story!

With Reminiscence Journal Game Imagine you’re playing a board game with your family and carers as you write the story of your life. You can do this using Our mission is to help the silver seniors to become more creative in the use of their imagination. To help them stay focused with their memory activity. To help them interact and avoid the feeling of loneliness and aloneness. To Help the seniors Preserve their stories through Print, video and Online publishing, keep record of their oral history with legacy building for future generations. To continue in making the life of the silver seniors relevant to the society. To help in bring out the hidden skills the Silver seniors may never know or recognize they possess.

The Pack includes a 120 paged journal, 40 cardboard game, a timer, two reusable maze games including a water includes:, Moviefy 360 marker. Playing the 40 cards prompts seniors to write in their life journal.

Website, 20 pictures flipbook photo album, 10 minute video, Life story flipbook with 4 paged Quiz.

Visit https://storytellingforsilverseniors.com or Email: info@storytellingforsilverseniors.com Call Jean On +44 791 630 6888 today

Ideal for those bed-ridden, struggling with mobility or needing palliative end of life care - the Iona nightie from adaptawear.com has been specifically designed with these people in mind.

This unique product comes with a fully opening back, shoulder openings on both sides, and easy poppers, which fasten quickly with limited effort. As the nightgown opens up completely flat, it can be put on from a lying or seated position, ensuring less stress for both the wearer and carer. The open back function with a generous overlap also ensures dignity when toileting and a quick drying cotton fabric is

comfortable and practical.

As well as the Iona adapted nightie, Adaptawear have a range of other back opening nighties, including their popular Petal Back range, and also fully front button nightwear. Their men and women's ranges feature a full range of adaptive daywear, including front fastening bras and comfortable cotton underwear; with a customer recently sharing they had ‘regained their independence with such helpful items.’

All items can be found at www.adaptawear.com or call 0800 051 1931 for more info. Don’t forget to use code CR10M at checkout for 10% off

Care Homes Pilot Diagnostic Telemedicine Developed by GPs video consultation platform allows clinicians and their patients to communicate easily, discuss test results and agree next steps.

The Hub reduces the need for clinicians to visit care homes and the need for residents to visit healthcare settings. In addition to improving patient safety, associated costs such as PPE and travel time and mileage are minimised.

Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and MP for Copeland (including Millom), said: “I’m delighted that some care home residents in my constituency will be among the first to benefit from remote diagnostics consultations with their GPs. Tools such as Teki-Hub have the potential not only to reduce infection risk during a pandemic Pathfinders Specialist and Complex Care centre for but also to help deliver care to more patients more physical health needs in Nottinghamshire and quickly and it’s great to see more organisations triKirksanton Care Home in Millom, Cumbria, are the lat- alling these new innovations.” est care homes to trial an innovative telemedicine unit To date Teki-Hub has been used to conduct which allows GPs to complete detailed assessments approximately 180 remote consultations. Initial evaluaon patients remotely – saving time and improving tion by NHS Arden & GEM CSU shows clinicians have patient safety during the coronavirus pandemic. been very satisfied with the quality of the audio and The Teki-Hub telemedicine solution, developed by images, and ease of system use, with an average satpioneering GPs Dr Stephen Katebe and Dr Omobolaji isfaction score of 4.7 out of 5. Over 90% of patients Iji, is already providing a solution to the additional risks who have responded to a post-consultation survey of in-person consultations during the COVID-19 panrated the overall treatment experience as excellent. demic in 18 care homes in England and Scotland,.

Initial trials also indicate that use of Teki-Hub can Unlike standard video consultations, the Teki-Hub reduce the need for ambulance callouts and emerunit includes high quality diagnostic equipment, gency hospital admissions. enabling GPs and other clinicians to undertake virtual Dr Stephen Katebe, co-founder of Tekihealth care home rounds, and respond to emergencies Solutions, said: “As GPs ourselves, we fully understand quickly, safely and efficiently. Teki-Hub can use WiFi, the barriers to providing swift and comprehensive care mobile or satellite networks to connect reliably to GP to care home residents – particularly during COVID-19. practices, community services or hospitals, with care With Teki-Hub installed, clinicians can see up to six home staff administering tests as directed by the clini- patients an hour, with no lost time spent travelling, cian. and without the additional risks currently associated The equipment includes a no-touch infrared basal with in-person consultations. We’ve seen a significant thermometer, and set of digital stethoscope, otoscope increase in demand for pilots as NHS organisations and tongue depressor attachments, allowing GPs to look to enhance the quality and safety of care, particconduct thorough assessments of a patient’s respiraularly during the pandemic.” tory, ear nose and throat, and heart health. The in-built Visit www.tekihealth.com or @tekihealth

Why Specify a Yeoman Shield Fire Rated Door Edge Protector?

When specifying for a structure, it’s important to be aware of the level of wear and tear a door can be exposed to in a public building.

Door edges, in particular, can be easily damaged or worn down by regular use – which can then render them non-compliant for fire safety regulations. To ensure that a project remains compliant, an architect can specify durable door edge protectors to add durability and longevity to doors.

Not only will specifying edge protectors increase the longevity of doors, they will enhance the cost efficiency of a project by reducing maintenance demands and the possibility of having to replace unsafe fire doors.

Yeoman Shield fire rated Door Edge Protectors are unique with a 2.0 mm Vinylac outer and a specially formulated 9mm PVCu reinforced core. They are FD30 (1/2 hour) and FD60 (1 hour) rated

with intumescent seals that are in accordance to the fire door’s specification. Fire rated Door Edge Protectors are suitable for commercial applications such as residential blocks, schools and hospitals etc.

Door Edge Protectors can also be specified with different fire seals, from a plain intumescent fire seal to a brush, fire and smoke variant.

Of course, for doors that are non-fire rated in an architect’s project Yeoman Shield also provide quality edge protectors without seals to enhance durability and reduce wear.

Source a full range of door protection panels and kick plates from a single supplier by choosing Yeoman Shield. Our door protection panels and kick plates offer the same lasting durability and quality as our door edge protectors.

Visit www.yeomanshield.com for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 29

CATERING FOR CARE

Dysphagia Call to Action

By Sophie Murray, Head of Nutrition and Hydration, Sunrise Senior Living (www.sunrise-care.co.uk)

In the industry we know that the numbers are rising for those who have swallowing problems and the skills required to modify foods are greatly needed in some sites as catering staff need much more than an ability to use a blender to break food down. This is as a result of the safety framework which ,many of us know called IDDSI, standing for International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative which has been built upon research of swallowing to be able to give very precise levels which comprise of very specific food and drink test to deduce if it is safe for the Level. Most foods can be modified but not all and the modification process requires equipment, techniques and knowledge. As foods themselves vary in texture, it is not as simple as adapting a recipe – a banana or an avocado are 2 examples of foods which can vary greatly in their ability to be soft enough to push a fork through with little pressure, and other foods such as white fish do not blend smoothly to a puree so may need to be replaced with an oily fish for a person who requires a pureed diet There are publicised cases of fatalities such as in 2017 when a care home was prosecuted and closed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), after a resident choked on porridge twice in one day and died.

Protocols and processes between care and catering teams needs to be watertight so that only those trained correctly modify the foods and this includes all snacks too – careful management to ensure safety as

well as choice are prime considerations – in itself this has challenges as a persons may have recommendations for Care homes seeking to buy in ready modified food need to ensure that this matches the menu properly and meets needs and choices so that there aren’t There IS only one qualification that can formally train and accredit Chefs called the Level 2 Award for Chefs in Healthcare but there are few providers offering this due to poor uptake and awareness https://www.cthawards.com/qualifications/culinary-programmes/cth-ioh-level-2-specialist-award-chefshealth-social-care/ There is also a framework for care teams called the Inter-professional Dysphagia Framework (IDF) which sets out the knowledge and skills care staff require to do safely care for a person with swallowing problems.

The IDF should be implemented in every care home to ensure residents receive safe and effective care but in reality care homes don’t all know about it and it needs translating to a workable process with solid training although it is written with good clarity.

Speech and Language Therapists are a great source of knowledge and support for care teams as they are the identified professionals who can diagnose a swallowing condition and recommend appropriate IDDSI Levels. IDDSI has set up a UK reference group so that best practice can be shared across the UK and organisations such as the NACC can provide support to care homes needing traning and awareness When risks are fatalities as a result of poor practice, there is much to do to ensure amazing food and choice is offered and residents are safe from harm as a result of choking or aspiration.

The high risk is choking and aspiration.

DISCOVER THE NEW MATCHING TOOL THAT WILL SHOW YOU WHICH BOUILLON IS BEST FOR YOUR NEEDS When it comes to creating great dishes for residents living in care settings, a quality base is key. With a good bouillon or stock at the base, chefs can transform everyday favourites into rich, flavoursome dishes.

Knorr® Professional is the UK’s number one brand for bouillons in foodservice*. They’re passionate about providing chefs in the care sector with the building blocks to creating dishes which make mealtimes memorable. They believe that, when it comes to choosing a bouillon, getting the right format for your needs is fundamental. Their range includes Powders, Jellies, Cubes and Pastes – which are also available in a Rich and Roast formats for an even stronger flavour. But how you use each of these formats will depend on a number of factors.

If you’re not sure which bouillon is right for your menu, then why not try Knorr® Professional’s new online matching tool. By answering just a few simple questions, the tool will help you discover the right bouillon for you in less than a minute.

Visit ufs.com/knorrprofessional to find out more

*Aggregated UK wholesaler value sales 52 w/e 21st August 2020

Planning Your Catering Budgets with allmanhall Alain Bremond-Torrent mused, “Sardines or not sardines, that is the question.”

Or indeed, some salmon, but what should it all cost?

In the face of unprecedented and extraordinary cost pressures, planning your budgets for the coming year is challenging. allmanhall (www.allmanhall.co.uk) can help.

Covid-19 has brought enormous pressure, with operational compliance costs and additional PPE taking their toll. Then there is Brexit – although a trade agreement has been struck, food costs are rising. All exacerbated by escalating business rates.

Food and catering related costs are a significant element of any care home or group’s budget. Scrutiny of key areas will enable planning and ensure good due diligence.

You may not have benchmarked your suppliers’ pricing for months if not years. How do your suppliers compare? Recipes should be accurately costed and areas for greater efficiencies and savings identified.

These unprecedented times present an opportunity - now may be the time to challenge long established ‘norms’, rethinking and reviewing your budgets for the better.

Contact independent food procurement specialists, allmanhall to arrange your free of charge benchmark via www.allmanhall.co.uk See the advert on the facing page for details.

Please mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 31

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS

Laundry is Critical as Covid-19 Survives on Healthcare Uniforms for Up To 3 Days As reported below, scientists at the De Montford University have been conducting an in-depth study of viruses with similar structures and survival patterns to Covid-19. The research was led by a team of microbiologist and virologist experts who monitored the stability of virus traces over 72 hours and evaluated different infection control methods. The results strongly reinforce the need for all healthcare workers’ uniforms to be washed on-site and using appropriate commercial or industrial washing machines.

The University discovered that the virus can survive on polyester for 72 hours, on cotton for 24 hour and on poly-cotton for 6 hours. The scientists contaminated various textiles with virus traces and analysed different wash methods, using varying temperatures with both domestic and commercial/ industrial laundry machines.

The results demonstrated that domestic machines did not fully remove the virus from contaminated textiles and that the water dilution and agitation was insufficient as a means of infection control. Their findings concluded that it necessitated detergent and a temperature of at least 67C for the virus to be efficiently killed.

Encouragingly, the research showed that the virus did not transmit to other items within the wash load. However, traces can transfer from uniforms to other surfaces and consequently it is crucial that uniforms do not leave the healthcare environment

and are processed in laundry machines that will reach the requisite high temperatures to ensure that there is no onward transmission. Dr Laird, Microbiologist and Head of Infectious Disease Research Group, is quoted on the University’s website as saying, Our findings show that three of the most commonly used textiles in healthcare pose a risk of transmission of the virus. If nurses and healthcare workers take their uniforms home, they could be leaving traces of virus on other surfaces.

Forbes Professional provides healthcare compliant commercial laundry equipment to the NHS, care homes and private hospitals across the UK. As proud partners of Miele, we offer premium laundry solutions that adhere to WRAS and CQC guidelines whilst enabling both sluice and thermal disinfection. Our commercial washers hold validated temperatures of 71°C for 3 minutes and 83°C for 15 minutes, killing viruses and bacteria in adherence with the most stringent hygiene requirements.

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Infection Control and Laundry Cash’s Labels- “The Name Study Published Behind the Name” In a study looking at how coronavirus behaves on three fabrics commonly used in the healthcare industry, scientists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have warned tthat traces can remain infectious for up to three days.

Led by microbiologist Dr Katie Laird, virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar and postdoctoral researcher Dr Lucy Owen, the research involved adding droplets of a model coronavirus called HCoV-OC43 – which has a very similar structure and survival pattern to that of SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19 – to polyester, polycotton and 100% cotton.

The results showed that polyester poses the highest risk for transmission of the virus, with infectious virus still present after three days that could transfer to other surfaces. On 100% cotton, the virus lasted for 24 hours, while on polycotton, the virus only survived for six hours.

“When the pandemic first started, there was very little understanding of how long coronavirus could survive on textiles,” said Dr Katie Laird, Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group at DMU. “Our findings show that three of the most commonly used textiles in healthcare pose a risk for transmission of the virus. If nurses and healthcare workers take their uniforms home, they could be leaving traces of the virus on other surfaces.”

In response, she advised the government that all healthcare uniforms should be laundered in hospitals to commercial standards or by an industrial laundry.

She has since co-published an updated, fully comprehensive literature review which evaluates the risk of textiles in the transmission of disease, highlighting the need to for infection control procedures when handling contaminated healthcare textiles.

“After the literature review, the next stage of our work was to evaluate the infection control risk of washing healthcare uniforms contaminated with coronavirus,” she continued. “Once we had determined the survival rate of coronavirus on each of the textiles, we turned our attention to identifying the most reliable wash method for removing the virus.”

Using 100% cotton, the most commonly used healthcare textile, the scientists conducted a number of tests using different water temperatures and wash methods, including domestic washing machines, industrial washing machines, on-premise hospital washing machines, and an ozone (a highly reactive gas) wash system.

The results showed that the agitation and dilution effect of the water in all of the washing machines tested was enough to remove the virus.

However, when the team soiled the textiles with an artificial saliva containing the virus (to mimic the risk of spread from an infected person’s mouth), they found that domestic washing machines did not fully remove the virus and some traces survived.

It was only when they added a detergent and increased the water temperature that the virus was completely eliminated. Investigating the tolerance of the virus to heat alone, findings showed that coronavirus was stable in water up to 60°C, but was inactivated at 67°C.

Next, the team looked at the risk of cross contamination, placing clean items of clothing in the same wash as those with traces of the virus. They found all wash systems removed the virus and there was no risk of the other items being contaminated.

Dr Laird explained: “While we can see from the research that washing these materials at a high temperature, even in a domestic washing machine, does remove the virus, it does not eliminate the risk of the contaminated clothing leaving traces of coronavirus on other surfaces in the home or car before they are washed.

“We now know that the virus can survive for up to 72 hours on some textiles and that it can transfer to other surfaces too.

“This research has reinforced my recommendation that all healthcare uniforms should be washed on site at hospitals or at an industrial laundry. These wash methods are regulated and nurses and healthcare workers do not have to worry about potentially taking the virus home.”

With the support of the UK Textiles Trade Association, Dr Laird, Dr Shivkumar and Dr Owen have since shared their findings with industry experts across the UK, USA and Europe.

“The response has been very positive,” said Dr Laird. “Textile and laundry associations around the world are now implementing our key messages in their guidance for healthcare laundering, to prevent further transmission of coronavirus.”

David Stevens, CEO of Textiles Services Association UK, the trade association for the textile care services industry, said: “Going into a pandemic situation, we had the basic understanding that textiles were not among the top transmission media for coronaviruses.

“However, we really had a lack of information about the stability of these viruses in different fabric types and in different wash programmes. This resulted in several misinformation floating around and excessive recommendations for washing.

“We have considered in detail the methodologies and research practices used by Dr Laird and her team and find this research to be reliable, repeatable and reproducible. The conclusion of this work completed

by DMU reinforces the vital role of contamination controls – whether it is domestic or industrial settings.”

To further the research, the team is also working on a project in collaboration with DMU’s Psychology team and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, surveying nurses and healthcare workers about their knowledge and attitudes towards washing their uniforms during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

Omnicell's eMAR Solution Helping Care Homes to Manage Their COVID-19 Vaccination Programmes As the COVID-19 vaccination programme is being rolled out across the UK, Omnicell’s eMAR solution has recently been enhanced to help support care homes to manage recording of the medication in terms of timings, dosage as well as the type of vaccination used.

As with any other medication, this vaccine needs to be managed and administered safely. New features to the eMAR care home solution have been introduced to ensure that staff can easily record the type of vaccine, when it was administered and whether it was the first or second injection.

As with all medication, residents have the right to refuse and should that be the case, the Omnicell eMAR solution also captures this information too.

The Omnicell eMAR system automates the entire medication management and administration process for each care home resident, ensuring they receive their right medication at the right time. Now, care home management and staff can have the COVID-19 vaccine status of each resident at the touch of their fingertips as part of the eMAR Reporting Suite.

The eMAR system gathers information, provides prompts and accurate instructions for staff and managers in real time at the touch of a button.

Each individual medication is identified through a barcode, normally applied in pharmacy, which can then be tracked at all stages from check in at the care home through to administration to a resident. It provides an invaluable medicines history for each patient and includes a simple alert and verification system to minimise the risk of medication errors in the home.

Residents in care homes take an average of 7.2 medicines per day. With each additional medicine comes an increased risk of errors in prescription, monitoring, dispensing or administration, adverse drug reactions, impaired medicines adherence which can lead to compromised quality of life for

patients. CQC’s annual state of care report found that safety was the biggest concern with one of the main contributing factors being poor medicines management.1 Recently, Omnicell UK, the market leader in medication and supplies automation, and Nourish Care, a leading electronic care planning provider, came together to provide a new integration that gives care staff greater visibility of a patient’s medication regime as part of their overall care plan.

Managing and monitoring resident’s medication regimes effectively can significantly impact the delivery and quality of care. Historically care plan-

ning and medication administration systems have been managed completely separately. This can potentially contribute to failings in support of residents’ care. The new integration means that Omnicell eMAR can now share data related to medication with the Nourish Care system, giving greater insight and driving best practice into the safety and individual care of each resident in the home.

Heather Bethune, Care Home Manager at Abbeyfield House Care Home, comments; "The new COVID-19 recording feature has been a huge help for our care home. All of the vaccine information is recorded in one place and it's presented alongside all the medication that we've administered - where it should be, so it's great to have a simple overview of everything that’s medication related. We can record the type of vaccine that resident has been given and the date they were administered it, this allows us to know when the second vaccination is required for each resident. The system allows you to input information retrospectively which is a great help when we have new residents join the home who have already had the vaccine.

It's a really simple and easy to use system that is helping us to manage the COVID-19 virus.”

Cyrus Hodivala, Medicines Adherence Sales Director at Omnicell UK & Ireland, comments; “Here at Omnicell we are constantly looking at new ways to respond to our clients needs with innovative solutions. And as such, we are pleased to announce the new features and enhancements to our eMAR solution which will help support care homes to manage their COVID-19 vaccination programmes. We anticipate that this will help to drive much needed times efficiencies for staff during this difficult time, as well as ensure patient safety within the care sector.”

For further information contact www.omnicell.co.uk/products/emar

ATLAS eMAR - The Only Proven eMar for Care Homes in the UK ATLAS eMAR is the only independently evaluated medication administration system that has been shown to eradicate 21 out of 23 medication error types, save 65 staff hours per month on medication, representing over £1500 savings per month and improve accountability by reducing missing entries by 85%.

There are four unique features of ATLAS eMAR: 1. Use of barcode validation to ensure all the rights of medicine administration are checked. This feature eradicates most common medication errors.

2. Automatic two-way link between the pharmacy and care home. This ensures that the pharmacy is aware of therapy changes made at the home and can sort out discrepancies with prescriptions before they become errors. The pharmacy can also see all prescription requests and the actual stock counts of each medicine at the care home. This leads to efficiencies in ordering, booking in and returning of medicines.

3. The data from ATLAS eMAR on medication administrations can now be viewed on most e-care planning platforms through our open API. This means that all aspects of resident care including medications can now be viewed in one place.

4. ATLAS eMAR can now be used on any suitable android device. This means that if you already have an android device for e-care plans, then you can run ATLAS eMAR on it, making it a very cost effective option.

ATLAS eMAR has a national network of enabled pharmacies and can work with any pharmacy, as long as they agree to support the care home with the technology.

The implementation is detailed and fully supported. Training is via on-line elearning and webinars. Over 95% of care homes who implemented ATLAS eMAR indicated that they would never go back to their traditional medication system.

Visit www.atlasemar.com or see the advert on page 44 for further details.

®

Well Pharmacy Partners with PainChek to Promote Person-Centred Care Well Pharmacy, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, is pleased to announce a partnership with PainChek®, the world’s first AI-powered pain assessment tool to help people who are unable to verbalise if they have pain, such as those living with dementia.

Sadly, pain often goes un-detected and under-treated in people with communication difficulties from medical conditions. The Well Care Home Services Team are actively signposting more than 350 care homes across the UK to use PainChek® as an effective solution to help measure pain in residents and promote the highest standards of care in residential homes.

This secure medical device is simple and straightforward to use via mobile or tablet. It uses artificial intelligence (facial detection and analysis technology) and smart automation to detect and score pain in real time allowing informed clinical decisions around appropriate and effective pain management to be made.

This partnership further highlights how Well Pharmacy are committed to offering a local community service with a real focus on person-centred care, quality and safety.

Tandeep Gill, Care Home Business Lead at Well Pharmacy said: “Well Pharmacy is delighted to partner with PainChek®. At Well we strive to offer an outstanding local service to care homes and their residents. PainChek® uses innovative technology to help residents who are not able to communicate for themselves to identify

the presence of pain.

“We’re delighted that through this partnership we are able to pass on an exclusive discount to benefit our care homes customers across the UK, so they can help improve the quality of life for their residents and offer person-centred care.”

Pete Shergill, PainChek® UK&I Country Director said: “About half of people living with dementia suffer from pain, but they are often unable to verbalise they have pain, and sadly, it goes unmanaged and untreated.

“Ensuring residents’ pain is assessed effectively is critical for care home operators, healthcare professionals and carers but it can be challenging.

Therefore, we are really pleased that Well Pharmacy is partnering with us to promote and deliver a quick and easy-to-use solution that will allow carers and healthcare professionals to measure pain in residents, document checks and make informed clinical decisions for effective pain management.

“By harnessing the power of medtech, care providers can deliver more efficient and effective care, streamline processes, and ultimately cut costs and save time – allowing staff to focus on delivering the highest standard of care.”

For more information, about Well Pharmacy’s Care Home Service please visit www.well.co.uk/carehomes For more information about PainChek® email: info@painchek.com or visit: https://painchek.com/uk/

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 27

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Seconds Save Lives: Clean Your Hands Skin and surface hygiene specialist, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, supports the WHO’s annual ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ campaign

Skin health and surface hygiene expert, GOJO Industries-Europe, is proud to be part of the global movement to improve hand hygiene and is once again supporting the World Health Organization’s annual ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ campaign. Its worldwide advocacy day falls on 5th May, and this year it is focused on achieving appropriate hand hygiene action at the point of care. Its ‘seconds save lives – clean your hands!’ slogan reinforces the message that taking a little extra time to practise hand hygiene makes all the difference.

To achieve this, healthcare workers should have access to goodquality alcohol-based hand rub products, clean water, soap, single-use towels and an adequate number of functioning sinks within patient zones. This enables hand hygiene practise at the five key moments: before touching a patient, before clean/aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure/risk, after touching a patient, and after touching a patient’s surroundings.

2021 has also been designated the ‘International Year of Health and Care Workers’, so focusing on their protection is just as crucial. The PURELL brand’s focus on ‘formulation without compromise’ means that products in the range have been proven to maintain skin health and have high antimicrobial efficacy. In fact, in scientific tests, PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub was found to kill 99.99% of the most common germs that may be harmful, including Coronavirus, with a contact time of just 30 seconds.

Chris Wakefield, Managing Director UK & Ireland, GOJO IndustriesEurope Ltd comments, ‘As a founder member of the WHO Private Organizations for Patient Safety group, we are strong advocates of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone – this past year has shown how this is more important than ever. We hope that this year’s campaign encourages everyone to do their part, as it takes commitment from all for hand hygiene programmes to be successful.

‘We strongly encourage everyone in the healthcare industry to unite in support of hand hygiene improvement. As well as healthcare workers cleaning their hands, IPC practitioners need to continue mentoring and championing the act, facility managers must ensure that supplies are available at every point of care, and policy makers should invest now to enable hand hygiene for all. Everyone, the general public included, must make clean hands a habit. It protects us all.’

Backed by a wealth of scientific expertise, and specialist formulations, GOJO has the technology and experience to work in partnership with healthcare managers to implement effective hand and surface hygiene regimes, and promote hygienic and compliant hand hygiene behaviour.

Assets, such as posters and product placement guides are available to download from GOJO’s dedicated ‘Hand Hygiene Day’ page at www.gojo.com/WHO-May-5 from mid-April.

Free advocacy toolkits to support the WHO Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign are available on the WHO website: http://www.who.int/infection-prevention/campaigns/clean-hands/en/ WHO invites everyone to use the hashtags #CleanYourHands #HandHygiene #InfectionPrevention on social media to ensure Save Lives: Clean Your Hands posts are picked up by the campaign.

For more information, call +44 (0)1908 588444, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

Fellowes Aeramax Pro Air Purifiers Certified to Remove 99.9% of Airborne Coronavirus and H1N1 Flu Leading commercial air purification manufacturer, Fellowes, is pleased to announce its AeraMax Pro air purifiers have shown a 99.99% airborne reduction of a coronavirus surrogate within 60 minutes of operation.

tified by Airmid Health Group Limited in Dublin, Ireland. When installed in a care home environment, AeraMax Pro therefore offers outstanding protection against the transmission of coronavirus 229E and the H1N1 virus between staff, visitors and vulnerable residents.

With the recent, intensified focus on the reduction of airborne transmission of viruses, a number of worldwide bodies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ASHRAE, as well as ‘healthy building’ scientific advocates, have recommended that portable air cleaners using HEPA filtration can help in the protection against SARS-Cov-2. This is particularly key for settings such as care homes, where occupants have an increased level of vulnerability to the spread of disease and therefore require this additional protection.

Dr. Rajiv Sahay, Director of Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory at Pure Air Control Services based in Clearwater, Florida commented: “These latest test results on the Fellowes AeraMax Pro air purifiers provided by an independent third-party accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) laboratory are significant. I continue to be impressed with the findings on the efficacy of this technology/device by Fellowes. Typically, singlestrand RNA envelope viruses (e.g. common cold coronavirus 229E, etc.) are used as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 to study the antiviral effect of a specific device.”

In response to this, air purification expert, Fellowes recently arranged for its AeraMax Pro purifier, which has a four-stage TRUE HEPA filtration system, to be independently tested for efficacy in the reduction of two of the most health-threatening airborne-transmitted contaminants seen in recent times – coronavirus and the H1N1 virus.

Certified by Shanghai WEIPU Chemical Technology Service Company, Fellowes AeraMax Pro air purifiers demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the aerosolised airborne concentration of Human Coronavirus 229E in a test chamber, reaching 99.99% airborne reduc-

tion within one hour of operation. As it is not yet possible, or ethically responsible to aerosolise Sars-CoV-2 for airborne testing in the current climate, the coronavirus 229E was used as a surrogate to Sars-CoV-2.

Fellowes Brands Global CEO, John Fellowes concluded: “Our company is proud to be of service to many businesses, schools, professional arenas and stadiums, and the fragile healthcare population’s reopening stories. While we’ve been providing health and wellness solutions to workplaces for years, our air purification business is among our most meaningful commitments to workplace health ever in our history.”

Furthermore, AeraMax Pro air purifiers have also been proven to remove 99.9% of the H1N1 virus within 35 minutes of operation, as cer-

For more information about Fellowes AeraMax Pro air purifiers, visit www.aeramaxpro.com/uk

Keeping Care Homes Clean: Practical Advice for Preventing Infections

By Professor Neil Bacon, Medical Director of GermErase and CEO of JVS Health (www.germerase.com) For care homes across the country, the Covid-19 pandemic gave “cleanliness” a new meaning. While hygiene has always been a priority - vital in ensuring that residents are both comfortable and well protected against infections - Coronavirus has given it a newfound importance.

As the Covid-19 infection rate continues to decline and more and more healthcare workers are vaccinated, we now face a pivotal moment in determining practices going forward. Will we continue to follow the “hands, face, space” mantra, or simply go back to the way we were working before?

Looking forward, it is clear that it would be a missed opportunity to revert to old hygiene standards - and not just due to the lingering threat of a coronavirus resurgence. Across the globe, the risks posed by superbugs, antibiotic resistance and future pandemics is growing, and we must ensure that the hygiene practices implemented during the past year due to COVID remain in place in order to minimise risks of new, potent infections.

For care homes, maintaining scrupulous levels of hygiene does not need to be an additional source of stress on already pressured and busy carers . A few simple steps can ensure that residents have protection from infections, even those which pose as large a threat as COVID.

CHOOSE THE MOST EFFECTIVE SANITISER, AND ENSURE THAT IT IS SAFE Over the past year sanitising hands has become a regular part of our daily routines. Care homes have encouraged the use of sanitisers amongst both staff and, when permitted, visitors, in order to prevent Covid transmission through contact.

Regular sanitising will be just as vital in protecting against infections in the future. However, staff must carefully consider the sanitisers used in the care home setting order to keep vulnerable residents as safe as possible.

The standard alcohol-based sanitisers widely used in care homes hold a number of risks when used by vulnerable residents. Not only can they exacerbate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, but if accidentally ingested they can cause alcohol poisoning resulting in serious illness.

During the pandemic cases of alcohol poisoning due to hand sanitiser have increased dramatically, particularly amongst children and older people.

A lower-risk option for care homes is ultra-low toxicity, non-alcohol based sanitisers. These carry fewer risks, meaning that staff can keep sanitisers in accessible spaces without worrying about residents.

This also promotes more frequent use of sanitiser, increasingly high cleanliness standards and efficacy of hygiene practices.

DISINFECTING SURFACES WITH PROTECTIVE DISINFECTANTS Staff must also consider the disinfectants used on surfaces in care home settings. Opting for a disinfectant with the highest efficacy possible against the broadest range of microbes will ensure protection against the widest range of infections, whether transmitted through

droplets, spores or blood.

Looking at the percentage of micro-organisms killed by a disinfectant is one good indicator of its efficacy. Although a disinfectant killing 99.9% of microbes may sound highly effective, it is vital to remember that one eliminating 99.9999% of microbes has 1000x higher efficacy.

Care home managers should also look for protective disinfectants, which not only kill the pathogens on a surface at the time of application but continue to kill those that come into contact with the surface for a specified period afterwards.

This is particularly important for communal spaces such as reception desks or dining tables, which may be coming into regular contact with different people, and so would need to be disinfected with a traditional disinfectant more regularly than possible in order to best protect against bacteria and viruses.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE & VENTILATE SPACES WHERE POSSIBLE The phrase ‘social distancing’ has become synonymous with Coronavirus, but social distancing and mask-wearing do not only reduce the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they can also give protection against airborne infections such as TB and MRSA. Even when social distancing and mask-wearing are no longer legal requirements, care homes should continue to consider ways to limit physical contact between staff, visitors and vulnerable residents, so far as this is possible without affecting the mental health of staff, residents and visitors.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 35

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL GermErase Launches to Give Confidence to UK Businesses and Hospitals, With Efficacy Against SARS-Cov-2 First British commercial product to be tested on live SARS-Cov-2, the virus causing COVID-19 Multi-surface protector kills up to 99.9999% of pathogens in under 30 seconds and provides a protective barrier for up to 48 hours British scientific breakthrough can turn the tide against hospital infections and superbugs, while supporting vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and saving the NHS billions GermErase, a new brand at the frontline of protecting against COVID19, infections and superbugs, has today launched its first product range.

Available as a cleaning spray and a hand spray with wipes, with aerosols and hand wash to follow, GermErase is a unique formulation that kills up to 99.9999% of pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19, in under 30 seconds – faster and more effective than the next best product. It bonds to surfaces to provide total protection without any reduction in performance for up to 48 hours and remains effective for 28 days.

GermErase has been tested to global standards in independent facilities at the University of Southampton, including on live strains of SARSCov-2. The British business has invested £1m in testing the product.

As 99.9% water, GermErase is safe and has low toxicity, meaning it does not irritate skin in the way alcohol gels can and, unlike alcohol gels, is not flammable. It uses common ingredients that have already been approved for medical and cleaning purposes and is ready to distribute at scale across the country via specialist cleaning supplier, Denis Rawlins Ltd. Professor Bill Keevil, Professor of Environmental Healthcare at the University of Southampton, comments, “An invention like this does not come across your desk very often. We have found that GermErase demonstrates remarkable breadth of efficacy against bacteria and viruses, speed of kill, residual efficacy and shows no evidence of antimicrobial resistance.”

GermErase is more effective than alcohol gel and, alongside vaccines, can help to turn the tide against COVID-19 and a broad spectrum of other dangerous pathogens. While alcohol gels and sanitisers – products recommended by the World Health Organisation – are dependent on concentration levels and a lengthy period of application, GermErase is easy to use and completely kills the virus within seconds with a simple spray.

The products can be used by medical professionals in hospitals but are also quick and easy to use by private sector businesses – giving employers and employees the confidence to return to work safely and unlock the economic recovery in the UK. GermErase will launch a consumer product range for the general public in Spring 2021.

The urgency of antibiotic resistance is well known among the medical community and increasingly by wider society. GermErase provides a defence by preventing infection, instead of relying on the development of new cures and antibiotics.

Inspired by the most human of stories, GermErase was invented by Rob Scoones, a former retail business owner. After losing someone very close to him, Rob dedicated his life to eradicating the superbug crisis in our hospitals and worldwide. Through the relentless pursuit of this vision, Rob developed the GermErase product, combining common ingredients in a way that has delivered remarkable efficacy against all known pathogens, including SARS-Cov-2.

It has been estimated that a 10% reduction in infections and superbugs in hospitals would save the NHS £1bn annually. GermErase can kill and protect against all known infections and superbugs and is available to use throughout healthcare facilities immediately.

Matthew Higdon, Chairman of GermErase, comments, “Our intention is for GermErase to become the first line of defence against infection for hospitals, businesses and families across the country. This product will allow us to get our freedom back and live with peace of mind that we are protected against pathogens like Coronavirus. Our ambition is for this British breakthrough to represent a landmark moment in the fightback against COVID-19, infections and superbugs.”

GermErase is the new British brand at the frontline of protection the fightback against coronavirus, infections and superbugs. It provides a new multi-surface protector proven to kill the virus that causes COVID-19 within 30 seconds and provides protection for 48 hours.

Clinically proven to be more effective than alcohol gel or existing disinfectant, GermErase products are the breakthrough Britain needs to get back to work, turn the tide against the Coronavirus in healthcare and save the NHS billions of pounds handling infections and superbugs.

Regular Cleaning Plays a Vital Role In Limiting the Transmission of Covid-19 In 2020, TCFM completed over 500 nationwide Covid-19 decontamination and electrostatic sprays, in 4-hour response times National Coverage Over the last six months we have completed specialist Covid-19 cleans across a dynamic, nationwide portfolio of sites for clients in a variety of industries, ranging from retail, distribution to corporate.

All calls for our Covid-19 cleaning solution have been attended to within 24 hours. Our electrostatic sprays kill Coronavirus on contact and offer up to 4 weeks protection from pathogens, providing you with: • A safe working environment • Employees which feel valued

• Credibility with your clients • Peace of mind TCFM is proactively working with a diverse portfolio of national customers to keep their sites safe including: Tesco, Yodel, Makro, RS Components, Travis Perkins, Wincanton and many others across a range of industries including distribution, retail, telecommunications and finance.

TCFM’s national coverage is key to responding promptly to calls for the Covid-19 decontamination solution, which mitigates disruption to BAU at even their most remote sites.

See the advert below for further details.

In 2020, TC Facilities Management (TCFM) completed over 500 nationwide Covid-19 decontamination and electrostatic sprays, in 4-hour response times.

As we enter Lockdown 3.0, TCFM is continuing to keep their customers’ sites safe across the UK with their Covid-19 decontamination solution.

The electrostatic spraying technology that TCFM offers provides 360° coverage to the premises, in contrast to traditional fogging methods which only protect surfaces. Environmentally f riendly, human and food-safe chemicals kill Coronavirus on con-tact, offering up to 4 weeks’ protection f rom pathogens.

This solution provides TCFM’s customers with: A safe working environment;

Credibility with their clients;

Employees who feel valued;

Peace of mind.

Working tto Working o Minimise Disruption A Across cross a National Portfolio P ortffolio TCFM is proactively working with a diverse portfolio of national customers to keep their sites safe including: Tesco, Yodel, Makro, RS range of industries including distribution, retail, telecommunications and finance.

TCFM’s national coverage is key to responding promptly to calls for the Covid-19 decontamination solution, which mitigates disruption to BAU at even their most remote sites.

Ho How wT TCFM CFM C Can an Suppor Supportt You You Thr Through ough Th The e Developing Developing C Covid-19 ovid-19 Cr Crisis isis TCFM is committed to supporting customers across the country to safeguard sites against Coronavirus as the situation continues to develop.

To ensure they can deliver a solution tailored to the requirements of your premises, TCFM offers a f ree site visit and quote for their Covid-19 decontamination solu-tion and a certificate on completion.

As many of your colleagues will be site-based, this will give them the peace of mind that you are committed to safeguarding their health and safety.

This identifies TCFM as a trusted partner in the fight against Coronavirus.

Haris Niksic, TCFM’s Head of Specialist Services, comments: “Our specialist service colleagues wor work extremely hard to prevent disruption d to y your our business while saffeguarding a saffe ew wor orking environment ffor or your colleagues and customers.”

To book your free site assessment & Covid-19 quote please visit: https://tcfm.online/return-to-work-safely-with-covid19-decontamination-cleans/ or contact Nicola Heywood directly on: 07920 539 265

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. 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 and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.

Safe Infection Control Solution Gives Day Centre Residents Increased Reassurance Award-winning First City Nursing, provider of nursing care that is rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, was swift to develop a robust Covid-prevention protocol prior to re-opening its day-centres following the first lockdown of the current pandemic. Central to this protocol is MicroSafe® disinfectant, a new arrival in the UK, making First City Nursing one of the pioneers to adopt this 100% toxin-free, highly effective disinfectant and one that sets the gold standard in safe sanitisation.

Covid-19 has forced us to look at infection control in a new way; none more so than in the care home and day-centre setting. There is mounting concern that many commonly used disinfectants may not be up to the job of dealing with a pandemic; contact time may be too long, efficacy questionable with often a moderate pathogen control and many include chemicals that could be harmful to health and the environment, especially when used with the frequency required to prevent spread of the virus.

The vaccination programme has brought down levels of the virus substantially and in turn a reduction in cases; but with the opening of care homes to one visitor per resident from the 8th March, there is still a risk that residents could be exposed to a new variant which may be resistant to vaccines.

Following the first lockdown, First City Nursing needed a disinfectant

that was effective, safe and easy to use around elderly and vulnerable residents in their care, particularly in day-centres where they gather for meals and socialising. It also needed to be kind to the environment and able to be stored safely. The day-centre environment, with a number of residents coming and going, could be a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria as well as contributing to the spread of Covid-19, therefore infection management is a top priority for First City Nursing.

“The day-centres are essential to the residents’ mental as well as physical well-being and it is important that they feel safe, especially within the current climate. We are careful to disinfect everything that is touched by staff and residents right down to their bingo chips, cutlery and handrails so we have a handy spray for intermittent treatment between fumigation sessions before and after new groups enter the centres. It is super easy and time saving; we simply spray and leave it to dry naturally within about a minute. We will be relying on MicroSafe to help us reopen the day centres as soon as possible post lockdown” says Kerry Harris, Community Living Manager.

MicroSafe is 99.9999% (Log 6) effective in killing viruses, bacteria and other pathogens within a contact time of 30 seconds, and has a proven track record of combatting epidemics around the world (MERS, SARS,

Ebola) as well SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in Australia and the Middle East. Purazine introduced MicroSafe to the UK in 2020 in direct response to the pandemic.

The result of 20 years’ research, the patented and internationally approved Microcyn® technology that makes MicroSafe so unique, uses an electrochemical process to produce Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) similar to the natural HOCl produced by the human immune system to fight pathogens. This process results in a pH balanced disinfectant, that is free of harmful chemicals. MicroSafe can be ‘fogged’ as a fine mist to ensure that no surface is left un-sanitised. Historically, HOCl disinfectants’ shelf life was very limited but uniquely, MicroSafe remains shelf-stable for two years, needing no special storage, handling or disposal and is kind to the environment.

Dr Hugh Martin, recent former Head of Agricultural Science at RAU and consultant with HOCl Trust said: “With this level of efficacy, contact time, shelf life and being non-corrosive, MicroSafe sets the gold standard in disinfectants making it ideal for use in clinical and care home settings as well as for general disinfection application.”

Dr David Cox of Purazine who distributes MicroSafe in the UK says; “It is clear, with new variants still being discovered, that we are going to have to learn to co-exist with Covid-19 and other viruses in the future but it is vital that our solution to the virus does not cause additional problems.

Increasingly, care homes are using MicroSafe as they have embraced the importance of putting measures in place to prevent Covid-19 that are free of harmful chemicals, efficient and easy to use, and most importantly limit the interruption in the vital care they provide for their residents.”

To book your Covid prevention protocol consultation please email staysafe@purazine.co.uk or telephone 03300 880660 or visit www.purazine.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 37

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL React-Air Pathogen Neutralisers

React-Air pathogen neutralisers have helped to ensure the safety of patients, visitors and staff in Britain’s care homes since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Britain.

Designed for use in virtually any indoor environment, the React-Air range utilises the power of UVC, HEPA 13 and activated carbon filtration to clean air and surfaces, killing viruses such as Covid-19, norovirus, flu and the common cold. Manufactured in the UK it is the only system of its kind and has already been successfully utilised in the fight against coronavirus in many care homes across the country.

There are 4 products in the React-Air range including

the React-Air X - a portable air sanitiser designed for use in hospital and care environments. Using a unique UV-C light array, powerful fans drive the airflow through the decontamination chamber, neutralising bacteria, viruses, pollen and odours, delivering clean and sterile air to a room. It can be used whilst people remain in the room and generates no harmful gasses, and at a fraction of the price of leading portable ozone generators.

When used in conjunction with normal cleaning techniques, it is highly effective in the fight against bacteria and viruses.

Deborah Blick of Parmenter Care said, “We realised it was a way of keeping our rrsidents, staff and visitors safe, primarily during the pandemic but going forward when this does pass. It won't just be Covid it can deal with, but other pathogens - flu, norovirus and many others.”

For further information, see the advert on this page or contact the Reaction Group Limited: www.reaction-grp.com or Tel: 0203 885 2299

Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff. With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection.

The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the

Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe methods to enhance the servicing provisions that are available to customers. The recently launched allinclusive rental proposition has proven particularly effective and popular with new and existing customers alike, not least as it reduces the operational, maintenance and financing headaches from sites which have more critical matters to address.

For more information about incontinence and bedpan waste disposal please feel free to contact the Haigh team on 01989 763131 or info@haigh.co.uk

PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL CleanRite, Proves Efficacy of Hypochlorous Against SARS-CoV-2 to Offer New Generation of Alcohol-Free Sanitisers Launching in the UK CleanRite sanitisers, a new dermatologically advanced solution to keeping surfaces and hands guarded against COVID-19 is launching in the UK in April 2021. CleanRite is a new generation disinfectant range to ensure surfaces, the air in areas such as care homes, as well as hands - are all protected from the SARS-CoV2 virus.

THE ‘WONDER’ OF HYPOCHLOROUS The CleanRite range of sanitising products are Hypochlorous-based (HOCl) which is an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial solution, proven to kill 99.9% of germs on contact. Specifically, Hypochlorous has been proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 in an independent lab test carried out by Richard Stanton, a Reader in Division of Infection & Immunity at the School of Medicine at Cardiff University. Fully regulated and child-friendly, CleanRite, which dries quickly and leaves no sticky residue, is perfect for use in care homes - as well as being dermatologically tested and suitable for use from birth.

Caroline Fogarty, Managing Director, CF Pharma, said, “In laboratory tests we were able to show that the Hypochlorous ingredient in CleanRite killed the SARS-CoV-2 virus within 30 seconds. Hypochlorous is a ‘wonder’ ingredient because not only is it free of alcohol and harmful chemicals, it is hypoallergenic and skin friendly. It is as natural as water and doesn’t need to be rinsed off. So not only is it people-friendly, but it is planet-friendly too.

“I believe that Hypochlorous is the future of everyday sanitisation. As we learn to live with the need for heightened sanitisation even after lockdown is eased, choosing something that is gentle on your skin, eyes, lungs and even the

environment makes CleanRite ideal for long-term usage.”

CLEANRITE – BOTH POWERFUL AND SAFE CleanRite is an alcohol-free hypoallergenic sanitiser. It is highly effective without dehydrating, irritating, stinging or damaging skin or eyes making it perfect for all skin types, including sensitive skin. CleanRite is highly effective on multiple surfaces and equipment including kitchen worktops (since it is food safe). And unlike most alcoholbased products, CleanRite is non-flammable.

Clare Hughes (MPSI BSc PHARM), Founder, CF Pharma said, “The advanced CleanRite formulation based on Hypochlorous, makes this ‘nature’s powerful disinfectant’. Indeed, Hypochlorous, which is produced naturally by the body’s white blood cells to support the human immune system in fighting infection and bacteria, has been used in wound-healing for decades.”

Caroline Fogarty said, “It looks like we are going to be living with the need for increased sanitisation for some considerable time. So being able to offer a sanitisation range that has a skin friendly pH for family use, from birth, makes CleanRite an essential tool for everyone as we navigate the new normal.”

AVAILABILITY CleanRite is manufactured in various sizes from 60ml to 4500ml with convenient 60ml and 150ml finger sprays for travel available, which are for sale on Amazon For further information, to view the full range of products or to place an order for your business, visit CleanRite CF Pharma http://cleanrite.ie

Care Home Industry Facing Customer Exodus Due To Infection Fears As care homes continue to contend with the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, new research reveals that care homes across the country are facing millions more in lost revenues due to customer fears around infection risk.

According to the nationally-representative survey into 2,000 members of the public, more than one in three Brits (34.5%) are less likely to trust care homes with their loved ones’ care due to fears around infection.

The findings also revealed that the overwhelming majority of the public (80.5%) would be reassured by visible proof that a care home takes cleanliness and infection control seriously. Significantly, 10.7% would be less likely to use a care home that did not have this proof, and 6% would no longer use a care home that could not prove that they adhered to the highest standards of hygiene and infection control.

The research was carried out by infection control specialist JLA, a trusted partner to thousands of care homes across the UK, as part of its “Infection Insights” campaign to improve industry standards, customer reassurance and peace of mind across the care sector.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was revealed that the events of 2020 have prompted a nationwide change in attitudes towards hygiene and infection control, with 77% of the public holding greater concerns in this area than a year previously – attributing this change directly to COVID-19.

Concerningly, over a fifth (20.4%) of the public also currently hold a poor opinion of hygiene and infection control in care homes, and do not believe standards are currently at the levels required. Just under a third

(30.1%) of Brits feel confident that care homes are clean and sanitised, and a further 10.7% reported that they believed standards are “excellent”.

According to the research, 87.6% of Brits now deem it important that a business has a good reputation for hygiene and infection control, and 58.1% of these proclaim a positive standing for hygiene “extremely important”. This indicates that hygiene ratings – traditionally a significant indicator of quality for many care home customers – have also become more important than ever before in the eyes of the public.

Ben Gujral, CEO at JLA, commented: “The events of the past year have laid bare the need for care homes to do everything they can to reassure anxious residents over the coming weeks, with major growth opportunities in store for those that do invest what is needed now.

“Expectations of the businesses customers will trust their money – and their loved ones’ health – with are virtually unrecognisable from even a year ago and, at a time where care homes need the continued loyalty of their customers more than ever before, it is crucial that they action all possible infection control measures to put the public’s minds at ease.

“Care homes that take the time to do this now will reap the benefits over the coming months, providing reassurance to those who need it, and ensuring the loyalty of customers both old and new for years to come.”

For more information about JLA, the research findings and for products which can help with infection control, please visit: https://jla.com/knowledge/icir-2021-care

ASAP Innovations Ensures Medi-Inn’s PPE Supply to UK Healthcare Sector is Maintained Throughout Pandemic Certified PPE manufacturer and leading supplier of medical and hygiene consumables join forces to ensure the UK healthcare sector continues to have access to certified PPE Following an unreliable and sporadic PPE supply during the beginning of the pandemic, supplier of medical and hygiene consumables, Medi-Inn partnered with ASAP Innovations, a leading manufacturer of medical PPE for the healthcare industries, to ensure dependable and trustworthy supply of critical equipment.

Throughout 2020, Medi-Inn – which manufactures and distributes medical and hygiene products to the UK healthcare sector – saw its supplies of medical gloves became sporadic and unreliable due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many central governments were buying PPE directly from manufacturers and as a result, manufacturing companies were bypassing distribution companies, even suppliers they had worked with for years. At the same time, demand continued to increase throughout the summer of last year and Medi-Inn was in need of a reliable and certified PPE provider that could ensure it was able to keep serving its customers at this difficult time.

Wayne Dobson, Managing Director, Medi-Inn explains, “In 2020 we were approached by ASAP Innovations as it was seeking a glove distributor in the medical field. While the brand was fairly new to us, we were familiar with its impressive presence in Asia and everything we had heard about the manufacturer was very positive. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as a partnership with ASAP Innovations meant we were able to continue supplying certified and high-quality PPE to

our loyal and longstanding customer base, at a time when they needed our supplies the most.

“ASAP Innovations’ packaging stands out from other products on the market and it also incorporates a grading system so that the different glove types are easily identifiable, which – as far as we are aware – is fairly unique. In fact, this design feature of the products is something we leverage in our marketing activities as the colour coding certainly increases brand awareness. We have been particularly impressed with ASAP Innovations’ development initiatives and are looking forward to supplying its soon-to-be launched vitrile gloves and children’s face masks.

“Despite the challenging circumstances we find ourselves in, the support levels we have received from ASAP Innovations has been second to none which has made our partnership run that extra bit smoother.

PPE is the sort of product where customers would complain if they had

problems with the quality of the products and seeing as we have had no complaints about ASAP Innovations products, we have the reassurance that our customers are more than satisfied with its products.

“When ASAP agreed to fulfil our requirement for the rest of 2020 and up until October 2021 we were delighted, and I believe this is just the beginning of a long-term relationship where MediInn can help establish the brand in the medical and hygiene sector in the UK. We are excited for what’s to come from our partnership with ASAP Innovations and we look forward to expanding business with the manufacturer in the months ahead,” Wayne concludes.

Sean Keller, Managing Director, ASAP Innovations adds: “We are delighted to have entered a partnership with a highly regarded supplier of medical and hygiene consumables to the UK healthcare sector. It goes without saying that healthcare workers have gone above and beyond to serve the public throughout what has been a very challenging year and we are very glad we have been able to continue supplying PPE to the people that need it the most, through our trusted partner, Medi-Inn. This is just the beginning of our partnership and we are thrilled to be able to continue providing certified PPE to the UK’s healthcare sector.”

For further information, visit Medi-Inn at www.medi-inn.co.uk and ASAP Innovations at www.whyasapco.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Reliant Care Solutions Ltd WHY SHOULD CARE HOMES MOVE FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONIC TIME SHEETS

The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.

HOW IS TIME AND MONEY SAVED BY DOING THINGS ELECTRONICALLY?

Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone to errors, and very labour intensive.

Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors.

Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".

THERE ARE MANY SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET WHY FACIAL RECOGNITION IS IMPORTANT AND HOW IT WORKS

Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure. Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams. Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually. It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.

HOW IS DATA PROTECTED? With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper.

For further information visit www.rcscare.net or call 03333 444 562.

WristPIT from Pinpoint The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist.

This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or a fixed call-point.

Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology (usually worn by staff for personal safety) has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water and also incorporates antimicrobial product protection, reducing the ability for bacteria to grow.

According to figures published by the National Reporting and Learning System, around 250,000 incidents where patients required assistance in hospital were reported in 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is requesting help and informs staff exactly where the patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated into existing Pinpoint Systems.

A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ with good battery level. When the battery requires changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is changed and the device has been retested.

In addition to being water-resistant, the WristPIT has been designed to withstand harsh environments and user tampering, meaning suitability for facilities where service users may be at risk of self-harm.

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use.

The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.

DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.

www.pinpointlimited.com

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Imagine a Piece of Equipment for Your Care Home CARE VISION That Can Enhance the Experience of Your Residents Mentally, Physically and Also Emotionally Inspired Inspirations have been working directly with care homes in developing their interactive touch screen activity tables over the last few years, to provide a range of screen sizes and units to suit every care setting.

Just think of a giant Android tablet built into a solid oak surround, on a base that houses a large battery to allow you to use it all day long and smooth running wheels for easy movement between rooms in your care home.

"This amazing bit of technology is making a huge difference to our residents" Melanie Dawson Manager, The Lawns at Heritage Manor ' The screen is 5mm tempered glass for your residents safety and sealed against fluid ingress meaning a spill of a cup of tea won't ruin your equipment. It also means an easy clean solution to stop cross contamination using any normal surface cleaner.

How to enhance your residents experience Mentally - Brain training apps, memory apps, quizzes, board games, reasoning challenges.

Physically - Exercise for the elderly online classes, hand eye coordination, increased movement to move hands around a large screen.

Emotionally- Reminiscence tours on Google Earth, past and present clips on YouTube of hobbies or interests, religious services and Group ZOOM calls to loved ones who cant get to visit in your residents person!

"We use it daily and would not be without it now, even the residents find it easy and fun to use. Thank you!" Sandie Evans, Registered Manager, Oakland's Care Home, Crickhowell All tables are made to order, if you'd like to enquire on a price guide and time scales for deliveries, just visit their website www.inspiredinspirations.com or scan the QR code on the right.

"We've noticed that quieter residents who didn't interact too much with others have suddenly been more active and more vocal." Lindsey Davies, Home Manager,Cwrt Enfys See the advert on page 10.

Care Control Systems Care Control Systems Ltd is proud to create the UK's best Care Management Software designed for use within all standard, niche and complex care settings. Care Control has been in constant development since 2010 and was made commercially available in 2016.

Since then we have expanded across hundreds of providers within the UK and are well recognised as leaders in our field.

Care Control is used by over 15,000 care professionals daily across the UK in multiple service types ensuring their services have

live, up-to-date essential information. Located in Tavistock, Devon our expert team is comprised of numerous industry specialists with many years of direct, hands-on care experience. This is one of our key USP’s.

Our Managing Director, Matt Luckham started the creation of the original Care Control Software in 2010 with the aim to provide essential, accurate information for Spring House Care House in Devon. Matt had purchased Spring House in 2010. Matt developed the software and then spent 6 years proving its functional-

ity within Spring House. It soon became apparent the software could add real value to other service providers and after numerous requests we decided to commercialise the software.

In 2016 Care Control Systems Ltd was founded and since then has gone from strength-tostrength with exponential growth.

We now have an exceptional team of more than 20 staff who have over 70 years of direct hands-on care experience between them. On top of this our team of Software Developers are experts in their field and are constantly developing our products to ensure they offer everything our customers expect in what is a particularly complex sector.

2020 has been a record year for Care Control with record numbers of customers choosing us, office expansion, overseas sales and an ever growing team to name just a few things. We are so excited for the future!

Visit www.carecontrolsystems.co.uk or see the advert below for further details.

At Care Vision we believe care may never be the same again. Outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything we do, with a clear purpose of Less Admin, More Care.

Growing up and working in a family owned care home, Rishi Jawaheer saw at first hand the main needs in the care sector; to cut down on the burden of manual paperwork while maintaining good practice and to encourage people to become more involved in care.

Using his experience as a registered manager, with some of the smartest minds in tech, Rishi was driven to create Care Vision, an all in one cloudbased care management, system incorporating all your care and admin into one easy to use system.

Presently the care industry has our work cut out to keep in line with statutory and legislative compliance in addition to the essential everyday tasks of looking after our clients.

Care Vision acts as a bridge which uses technology that organises care work, ensures a safer, better and more intimate experience for every member of the community, from administration, the carer to family, friends and the people we care for.

Care Vision provides An easy to use system for carers, managers, relatives; bringing care and admin into one platform; to manage time, attendance, rota, HR, housekeeping, maintenance and much more An E-mar system, fully compliant with NICE, reducing medication errors and keeping people safe An intuative daily notes section that can be completed at the point of service quickly and accurately A pictorial food order system that allows the individual to choose from a menu even if they forgot what a meal looks like Daily reminders in the form of care routines which reminds staff of key aspects of care for the individual

Care Plans / Risk assessments/ Life stories which allows you to customise care plans to specifically suit the person’s needs. Reminding all about one’s history and who Is important in one’s life A family app that allows families to keep track of their loved one’s wellbeing through videos and pictures, which has been essential during the pandemic.

Care Vision gives you the freedom to access it using mobile, tablet, laptop, or pc in real time whilst safely securing and storing data. within the platform.

Built flexibly to adapt to services of any size, large or small, Care Vision’s structured, interactive features engage carers in sharing information with the end-user and their family.

Registered manager and director of Summerhayes Care says “The carers have taken to Care Vision like a duck to water and the information that we are gathering is streets ahead of the previous system we used we are very impressed. They make it easy to understand and nothing is any trouble.

I highly recommend taking a look at this system if you are wanting to meet your quality standards and CQC requirements”.

Nationally our data has shown that working with homes Care Vision can save 2-4 hours every week per carer by reducing tasks that could be better spent with the people we care for.

As both carers and developers, we are unique in our focus on developing software that benefits the care sector.

This allows us to continually develop and update software for our clients.

The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you, come and join us, we believe the future of Social care is in good hands with “Care vision” Contact us at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809

PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

NURSE CALL AND FALLS PREVENTION Lotus Care Technology The New MPCSA11 from Medpage 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 lctuk.com for details.

Medpage is a family ran company, with a huge heart and resources gathered over our 35- year trading history. The majority of the technologies we design, manufacture and distribute originate from enquiries received from healthcare professionals and personal family care observations. Our product portfolio provides a wide variety of care solutions for epilepsy, dementia, senior care, special needs and sensory loss.

Our latest innovation, currently in use in several Hospitals, presents an effective fall monitoring, detection and reporting solution. The MPCSA11 is a complex software driven sensor monitor made to be user and operator friendly. This device has already proven successful in hospital and care home trials by reducing patient falls while

also reducing false positives from a safe patient. The device can monitor and interact with up to three sensor products: bed and chair occupancy pressure pads, PIR movement detection sensors and proximity signal products.

In use, a patient or resident rising from their bed would be considered a falls risk, but what if they are simply moving to sit in a chair close to their bed? A standard bed monitor would raise an alarm alerting care staff, who would arrive to find the person safely seated. The MPCSA11 would only generate an alarm if the person was out of their bed or chair for a selectable time duration. Learn more www.easylinkuk.co.uk/mpcsa11 Or see the advert on page 2.

Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions 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 patients; less work for staff Bed and chair 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 SENSOR PAD The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition. Our antibacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the sensor pad. Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bedside, in a doorway or other locations to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering. An optional anti-slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors.

Features include: Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 43

NURSE CALL AND FALLS PREVENTION

A Digital Future of Care in a Post COVID-19 Era The New Year brings good news and light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel with the roll out of vaccination programs, despite this the UK has been forced into stricter lockdown regulations. Health and care sectors are acutely aware of their responsibilities and the importance to look after technology that is fundamental to caring for the vulnerable and their carers.

Should systems fail, technology suppliers should provide help and assistance remotely with telephone support and using remote diagnostic tools. At Courtney Thorne we find that most issues are resolved over the phone, where this proves difficult and further checks or reconfiguration is necessary this is done by remotely accessing systems and running diagnostics. 95% of the service inquiries we receive are resolved this way reducing the need to physically attend the site.

Inquiries that cannot be rectified remotely will require an engineer to visit. To ensure the safety of residents, staff and the engineers themselves, service providers need to adopt stringent policies with rigorous

clarification processes concluding with written confirmation that there is no COVID-19 on site or where there is, that those suffering are suitably isolated. In the case of Courtney Thorne our process includes asking authorised care home management to fill out a questionnaire prior to our engineer turning up.

We also insist that our staff are regularly checked, including logging daily body temperature. Finally equipping field staff with necessary PPE, making sure it is always used and includes a hand washing regime before, during and after any site visit. Courtney Thorne provides our fieldbased engineering staff with overalls, gloves, face masks and plenty of hand sanitiser.

By diligently observing these protocols, and despite our staff visiting care homes and hospitals on a daily basis throughout the pandemic, not one of them has developed any COVID-19 symptoms at any time.

For further information visit www.nursecallsystems.co.uk or see the advert on this page.

Nurse Call from Edison Telecom We here at Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers needs for over 25 years, says director Bob Johnson.

Is your current Nurse Call “legacy”, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain?

We may have just the part and

expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to life, adds Bob, “Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care.

There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.” www.edisontelecom.co.uk

NURSE CALL

IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS

EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53 | PAGE 45

TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES What the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Skills, Knowledge, and Skills Gaps in Health and Social Care Confidence Delivered Online

By Nicole Bewley, Learning Curve Group (www.lcgonline.co.uk/carermag-skillsguarantee) It has been highlighted in recent years that the skills gaps within health and social care are set to be at an all time high with increasing numbers of vacancies across the sector. Nicole Bewley, Director of Skills at one of the largest providers of health and social care training, Learning Curve Group, explores the true impact that Covid-19 has had on the sector and ways that employers can adapt.

I don’t think anyone can argue that the work of those across the health and social care sector has never been more appreciated. As Covid-19 has devastated care staff in many ways, it has also increased solidarity as our care workers across the country faced the crisis head on.

For many years, health and social care has been tarnished as low skilled and low paid. Although care workers have not been afraid to show the harsh realities of Covid, with long shifts wearing PPE and losing patients and residents who haven’t seen their families in months, clapping for carers and praise for key workers has arguably glamorised the sector. University applications to study nursing were reported to be at a record high in February, increasing by almost a third. The work that carers have been doing for centuries has been under the microscope for all to see, and whilst the sector is incredibly rewarding, I think it would be wrong to suggest that it isn’t equally hard, both physically and mentally.

The Government launched a recruitment campaign to encourage people to re-skill and join the health and social care sector. Many sectors have been particularly hard hit from the pandemic; hospitality, aviation, travel and tourism, and it’s likely that they’ll take significantly longer to recover as we work through the easing of restrictions. With an aging workforce, and skills gaps left by brexit, if we don’t act now to fill vacancies, the sector is really going to struggle in the next few years.

As vacancies are left unfilled and we see an increasing strain on services as people are living longer, Skills for Care have estimated a need for 650,000 to 950,000 new adult social care jobs by 2035.

Employers across the sector need to look at how they are going to bridge the gap, and upskilling and reskilling is going to be key.

Supporting individuals to transition into the sector would support the recruitment drive, however, a holistic approach to their training to ensure they have the right skills and knowledge for the job is vitally important.

The government has announced a range of incentives for employers looking to support their staff with high quality training, and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee could be a lifeline for care providers looking for free training. Aimed at levelling up adults without an existing level three qualification, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee initiative from the government offers funding for a range of health and social care courses to individuals looking to progress their knowledge over and above the already free Level 2 qualifications.

This is extremely welcome news from the government, as it means that employers in the care sector can really focus on upskilling any staff who aren’t already qualified to level three, and also recruit new members of staff who might not have any care experience, but want to get into the sector, narrowing skills gaps and providing better overall care.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

With COVID-19 restrictions gradually easing and staff/employers looking ahead to a safer and more normal future, the Laser Learning team are proud to have supported both the large numbers of furloughed staff, as well as those in Care Homes and the NHS, who bravely worked on the frontline during the lockdown.

Through the Laser Care Certificate course and Skills For Care endorsed CPD short courses, we are continuing to deliver skills, knowledge, and confidence online, to the sector which was undoubtedly affected the most during this pandemic.

The Laser Care Certificate course provides knowledge to cover every standard included in the official Skills for Care specification. Every lesson includes bespoke video tutorials specifically for the Care Certificate course, as well as reading materials and good practice examples.

Furthermore, a mandatory quiz at the end of each lesson (which requires a 100% pass mark) ensures both competence and confidence. Managers are able to create their own accounts to enrol staff on the course

and track their progress.

All of the content is accessible remotely via computer, smartphone or tablet, enabling care professionals to make progress towards the certificate in a way that suits their circumstances.

Additionally, Laser delivers CPD short courses to help the ongoing development of skills and expertise of both furloughed staff, who had the silver lining of time on their side, as well as those working through the pandemic amidst concerns of job security. Two courses in particular – ‘Causes and Spread of Infection’ and ‘Infection Control and Prevention’ – were especially popular during this period. Unlimited use subscriptions are available at affordable rates, for organisations wishing to take advantage of a large number of short courses.

Whether you are an owner, manager or independent learner, please don't hesitate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course platform, and/or the CPD short course offering.

The Laser Learning team can be contacted on info@lasersys.co.uk or +44 (0)1753 584 112.

Engage With Your Residents - In-House Practical Training Workshop Scripts Bring About Happy Days Happy Days Dementia Activities & Design has created a new range of engagement training scripts for residential care and dementia homes. The workshops are designed to be presented in-house, saving time and costs.

Easy to follow training scripts are practical in nature and help care teams engage with elderly and people living with dementia. Through activity, discussions, role-play and practise with nostalgic materials, carers can feel more equipped to engage and enrich social care.

Packages include demonstration materials to use during your workshop. Training Scripts and engagement materials can be created to suit your organisation, care team requirements and resident interests.

Ideal for home care services too - Help your carers engage and create meaningful

moments during visits.

With Covid19’s restrictions and safety procedures, it makes sense to train your care teams on site. ‘Bringing your care teams together can build carer confidence, boost morale and uplift mood. If a carer feels good, this will reflect on the the person being cared for’ says Gillian Hesketh, MD of Happy Days Dementia Activities & Design.

Passionate about helping people living with dementia to live well, Happy Days also supplies nostalgic displays, reminiscence baskets, conversation prompts and more - See The Carer front page or Shop Online: www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk - We accept NHS purchase order numbers and care home accounts. Phone Gillian direct on: 07971-953620 or see the advert on page 1.

PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 53

TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Looking For Finance For Your Business?

Find Out What Your Main Options Are! “Many smaller businesses rely on established relationships when considering finance options” – this is a direct quote from a recent report from the British Business Bank, which states that 75% of SMEs only considered one finance provider in the last year.

That is great if you have a relationship with a lender who can provide your business with the right finance – but not so useful if you don’t.

Many small businesses are not always aware of the different options that could be available to them, and therefore can miss out on finding the right finance – simply because of this information gap.

The commercial finance market is extensive, and some products are not always easy to understand, but knowing what type of products are available is a first step to accessing them. We set out some of the key options below: Working Capital Loans: You have heard the saying – “Cash is King”. A

By Johan Da Silva, ASC Finance for Business (www.asc.co.uk) business needs working capital to operate, whether it is for growth, or simply to pay for stock, wages, or other expenses. Working Capital Loans advantage is that they can be drawn down quickly. are useful when looking to improve immediate cash flow and can be proInvoice Discounting: Invoice discounting is a specific type of finance vided on a secured or unsecured basis. which helps businesses with their cashflow. The business effectively sells Secured or Unsecured Business Loans: A secured loan will have your an invoice to the lender, to get their payment up front. The lender is then property (or building, equipment, or anything high value) as a security in repaid once the business receives their income from their customer. This case you are not able to keep up with the repayments. Unsecured loans form of finance can be particularly useful for businesses whose clients are similar but riskier for the lender as there is nothing to back up your loan have long payment terms. repayments. Many business loans are unsecured, but to ask for higher Asset Finance: Helps businesses acquire an asset and spread the cost amounts it is generally required to have a ‘security’. over time. Asset finance can also free up valuable working capital.

Overdrafts: Some lenders can provide a business with an overdraft facilPeer-2-Peer: P2P Finance is a newer way of raising capital. Instead of ity. The limit is often reviewed every year and it has a pre-agreed interest borrowing money form a single lender, the business effectively takes out rate. Businesses will be charged only on the amount they use. multiple small loans from lots of individuals – the provider simply ties all Commercial Mortgages: A commercial mortgage is similar to any other the loans together. It is a way of accessing finance without the need of mortgage but targeted to commercial purposes. It can be possible to a traditional bank. secure lower interest rates as lenders are keen on the security provided by There are many options available to small businesses, but it is important commercial property. to know which ones are right for you. Applying for finance can be really Bridging Loans: A bridging loan is a form of short-term finance where confusing and this is why it is important to have someone you trust working the borrower is awaiting future income (e.g. from the sale of a property, or on your side. Having a broker can help you navigate the process more easa long-term loan), but wants to access finance quickly and therefore needs ily, and there are different hurdles that having a broker can help you overto “bridge” the gap. Bridging loans can be quite expensive, but the key come.

Workers Added To Shortage Occupation List

By Kashif Majeed, Director at Aston Brooke Solicitors (www.astonbrooke.co.uk) The Social Care Sector has long called for senior care workers among other key roles to be added to the Shortage Occupation List. Aston Brooke Solicitors has worked with Care England to ensure that the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations are adopted by the Government.

Initially, the Secretary of State refused to add the role of senior care workers to the shortage occupation list and she was faced with widespread criticism from the sector.

This prompted calls from the sector to legal challenge the decision.

This recent announcement means that the Government has finally recognised the voice of the sector and this important change builds on the government’s delivery of the new points-based immigration system introduced in January 2021.

Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster said: “Every year we welcome healthcare workers from across the world to our United Kingdom, with many having played a key role on the frontline of the NHS during the recent pandemic. This latest set of changes, combined with our Health and Care Visa, will ensure they can easily get the immigration status they deserve.”

Professor Martin Green OBE said: “I am pleased that the Government has acknowledged the challenges of recruiting senior care workers and residential day managers, this is something we have long called for with our partner law firm Aston Brooke Solicitors. We hope that this is the

start of a process towards the creation of a migration system which supports rather than undermines the development of the adult social care workforce”.

Kashif Majeed, Director at Aston Brooke Solicitors welcomed the announcement and said: “The addition of the senior carer position to the shortage occupation list means care providers are now able to recruit suitable candidates outside of the UK on a minimum annual salary of £20,480. Prior to this announcement, the minimum annual salary payable for this role would be £25,600, which is unsustainable in the sector.”

As part of the points-based immigration system, people applying to come to the UK through the skilled worker route must reach 70 ‘points’ to be eligible for a work visa.

A job on the Shortage Occupation List is worth 20 points. Combined with the mandatory criteria – having an acceptable standard of English, an offer from a licensed sponsor and the required skill level, which are worth 50 points – will ensure people in these roles reach the 70 points necessary.

For any further queries or to make an application for a sponsor licence, please contact Mr Kashif Majeed on km@astonbrooke.co.uk See the advert on page 17 for details.

Workshops & Webinars: Empowering Social Care with the Tools To Be Outstanding Meaningful Care Matters is a leading care and organisational development group that specialises in helping health and social care providers to access a variety of support services.

The group helps to facilitate the creation, reinvigoration and sustainable implementation of person-centred care cultures where people matter, feelings matter, and we are ‘Free to be Me’.

Currently, care providers can make use of the group’s range educational and innovative online tools, including:

• Finding ways of balancing infection control and quality of life • Enhancing individual problem solving and communication skills in a safe environment What does the course involve?

• Six 60-minute zoom sessions over a six-week period with teams of 8 to 10 participants • Specific resources and tools from Meaningful Care Matters to support learning and outcomes • Wellness and mindfulness support with tools from The Coach Approach

BACK TO PERSON CENTRED CARE – THE IMPORTANCE OF SELFCARE

These webinar sessions offer support materials on 5 key topics unique to each home The weekly group support sessions can accommodate teams of up to ten. A facilitator will oversee the live discussion, exploring the impacts COVID-19 and other lifestyle factors that can result in decreased resilience and compassion fatigue.

Based on 5 sessions over 5 weeks, the forums cover ideas, strategies, and support mechanisms for how to achieve a meaningful connection.

The group sessions are split into two parts: 1. Connections Matter A 40-minute session where five key challenges unique to each home are reviewed, before looking at how they have impacted the team and how members can make positive changes to improve their well-being.

2. A Practical Approach A 20-minute session where practical implications are explored before looking at how to support the learnings from the aspect of the live webinar.

For more information on these online training sessions and other services Meaningful Care Matters provides, please visit www.meaningfulcarematters.com/

This online workshop will focus on the compassion fatigue that has become prevalent with frontline teams in this COVID pandemic.

The course is all about person centredness and coming back to the heart and soul of what care culture is about. Achieved through an action learning process, participants can: • Reflect - consider the feelings and emotions as well as the practical implications of operating in a person-centred way • Recharge - look at strategies that will energise and maintain mindfulness and well-being to help support individuals and teams • Regenerate – refresh the passion, vision, and structure of a personcentred approach in a tangible, practical and meaningful way Key outcomes include • Renewing the care team by bringing members together and having space to reflect on the emotional impact of working in the climate of COVID-19 • Building an emotionally intelligent and self-aware leadership team that has the confidence and clarity it needs to support person-centred approaches in challenging times • Establishing resilient and reflective care teams

ACTION LEARNING TO IMPROVE PERSON CENTRED CARE THROUGH MINDFULNESS