£1.75 where sold JUL/AUG 2022 Issue 19 T H E P U B L I C A T I O N F O R N U R S I N G A N D R E S I D E N T I A L C A R E H O M E S W W W T H E C A R E R U K C O M £1.75 where sold SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 Issue 62W W W T H E C A R E R U K C O M INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editor's Viewpoint 2 Afternoon Tea Week 27 Cleaning and Hygiene 37 39 Continence Care 40 41 Nurse Call & Falls Management 44 46 Technology & Software 47 52 Products and Ser vices 28 29 Catering for Care 30 33 Professiona , Train ng & Recruitment 53 57THECARERUK THECARER UKTHECARERUK Liz Truss to Scrap “Ring Fenced” Health and Social Care Levy New Prime Minister Liz Truss has confirmed during her first Prime Minister’s Questions that she will be reversing the 1 25% rise in National Insurance and will be scrapping the Health and Social Care Levy The National Insurance rise may be reversed as soon as November in Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng s upcoming mini Budget Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in September 2021 plans for a new ‘health and social care levy’ to fund increases in associated spending in England alongside reforms to the provision and funding of social care This fol lowed a previous pledge made upon becoming Prime Minister in July 2019 to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all” The levy was to be a 1 25% tax on earnings for employees the self employed and employers and was to tax earnings in the same way as National Insurance contributions (NICs) except that it will also apply to the earnings of over state pension age and was due come into force in the tax year starting in April 2023 The levy was to be “hypothecated in law to health and social care, which meant that the levy was ring fenced and was to be only to allocated for a par ticular purpose in this case a commitment that the £12bn raised will be used directly to fund increases in health and social care spending (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ) Laundr y Solutions 34 36 Dementia Care 42 43
Her Majesty was a patron of many health and care organisations and is being remembered as an ardent supporter for charitable causes including an unreserved commitment to care
And, sooner or later I suspect that the models that we see in Germany Japan and South Korea will have to be considered here in the UK
VIEWPOINT
PUBLISHED BY RBC Publishing Ltd Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1LG TELEPHONE: 01202 552333 (6 lines) Fax: 01202 552666 Email: sales@thecareruk com WEBSITE: www thecareruk com EDITOR Peter Adams SALES EXECUTIVES Sylvia Mawson David Bar tlett Guy Stephenson TYPESETTING & DESIGN Matthew Noades PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Charlene Fox Editor Peter Adams PAGE 2 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, Suite 4, Roddis House , Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team Whilst ever y care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom All rights reser ved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised
We here at THE CARER are very honoured and indeed humbled to share a number heartfelt trib utes from care sector providers representatives and residents following the death of Queen Elizabeth II (See page 12)
The fact that Prime Minister Liz Truss has now abandoned Boris Johnson s National Insurance increase to fund social care has not come as a surprise since it was of course part of her pledge when she was cam paigning to become Prime Minister
Unpalatable though it is we have to be encouraged to contribute to our own adult social care costs
Her words of support to the care sector in April 2020 were hugely inspirational
Adult social care has repeatedly asked successive governments for a definitive policy on how the sector be funded
That was at a time when the sector was experi encing its most difficult time in history I have said before that in October 2021 I sat in on a seminar where care providers were invited to share their experiences of life in their homes at the height of the pandemic and how they coped
Please do keep your stories and comments coming to editor@thecareruk com
It was as heart breaking as it was heart warming Stories of sadness and grief at the loss of residents, in some cases residents’ families, also in some cases staff plus the heartache of families being banned from enter ing and visiting loved ones to the other end of the scale stories of inspira tional leadership dedication and commitment from the sector as a whole
There is however no detail in her plans on how social care would be funded other than our new Health Secretary’s comments that it will come out of general taxation
I think for me, and possibly other observers as well, the issue is that dur ing the leadership campaign Ms Truss said she wanted to divert the addi tional funding allocated to the NHS this year raised through the 1 25 percentage point increase in National Insurance contributions to adult social care in order to tackle delayed discharges At the same time she vowed to reverse the NI rise, which she has now done, stating that funds will be raised through general taxation
However, with the current cost of living crisis and the government hav ing to subsidise rises in energy costs it seems implausible that taxes will be raised to fund adult social care
That can often be taken for granted and it was wonderful that her Majesty not only appreciated the dedication and hard work of the sector but shared that appreciation with the nation
Published by
Sector leaders have continually warned that tackling healthcare pres sures requires investment in social care particularly by raising wages for the workforce This is because the mounting vacancy rate in adult social care is a key driver of delayed discharges from hospital, reducing capacity to admit new patients
The 2 5 million over 50s in this position are equivalent to 12% or one
Liz Truss to Scrap “Ring Fenced” Health and Social Care Levy
UNMET NEEDS
in eight of the entire same age population in this country
Over three years of an estimated £36 billion the levy would have raised just £5 3 billion of that would have been allocated to social care
Care Levy towards the adult social care sector
The investment going to health and social care will stay exactly the same It s an important challenge we are facing and I m looking forward to delivering that
The removal of VAT and the Green Levy on energy bills
Martin Green continues: It is time that the Conservative manifesto promise to ‘fix social care’ is taken seriously and finally actualised under this new leadership Providers are still recovering from the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis chronic underfunding and the absence of a long term workforce strategy these will culminate to be the straw the breaks the camel s back Adult social care can only survive with the necessary support from central Government without which it will face total collapse We are continuing to find opportunities for the Government to take advantage of yet little has been acted on Change is needed and it is needed now to protect some of the most vulnera ble members of society
(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)
There s no doubt that the long term neglect of social care services by central Government is having very real consequences not only for the individuals whose lives are at best diminished and their families who often have to pick up the pieces but for other public services too especially the NHS What folly it has been for our politicians to be so careless about such a crucial public service it s high time that changed and I hope our new Prime Minister will turn the page and take a more intelligent approach to social care ”
Page one is on a trailer Matt The introduction of a per bed energy price cap equivalent to the proposed domestic energy price cap or the reim bursement of providers for the increased energy costs incurred by other means
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 3
The letter to the Prime Minister Calls for:
TACKLING CURRENT STAFF CRISIS
• 36% (930 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty get ting in and out of bed
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says:
On becoming Prime Minister Liz Truss has however confirmed that she will be reversing the NI rise and will be scrapping the Health and Social Care Levy
Caroline Abrahams Charity Director of Age UK and Co Chair of the Care and Support Alliance said: “To have as many as two and half mil lion over 50s now living with some unmet need for care is truly aston ishing and it shows how far below an acceptable level of operation our social care services have been allowed to fall This number is equiva lent to one in eight of the entire same age population and the lack of support must be having a huge impact on all these people s ability to live a normal life and participate in and contribute to our society
Latest data by Age UK and the Care and Support Alliance show that: 70% (1 8 million) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty dressing 18% (450 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty walking across a room 47% (1 2 million) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty bathing or showering
• 21% (540 000) of people with an unmet need for care are often lonely compared to 6% of people who have no need for care and 12% of peo ple who have a need for care which is met
“Instead of having in effect a ring fenced levy we will be funding health and social care changes out of general taxation Thérèse Coffey told the BBC
• 12% (320 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty eat ing
• The extension of the £400 energy rebate to vulnerable people in care and supported housing introducing parity in the way they are treated compared with those living in their own homes
• Zero rate VAT with immediate effect to inject £350m directly to the frontline
• Implement the recommendations of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee report and commit to addressing existing inequalities through increased funding to the adult social care sector
To commit to a long term workforce strategy for adult social care which aligns pay and benefits with the NHS and local authority run services
To remove with immediate effect the charges made by the Home Office and for the full reimbursement of recruitment costs by providers for overseas recruitment
We need her government to deliver on reform and drive forward the necessary reform plans at pace We know that the current £5 4bn earmarked is simply not enough to address the challenges facing the sector Never mind the next 100 days, the next 10 days will be pivotal, not only in her premiership but also for the many millions of people who work, use and operate adult social care across this country The reforms Boris Johnson [ as Prime Minister] announced will not and can not ‘fix social care’ because they don’t improve the quality and avail ability of care the new Prime Minister must go further
Thérèse Coffey who is the country’s third health and social care secretary in two months said spending on health and care will remain unchanged
• Directing a greater share of the money generated through the Health and Social Care Levy towards the adult social care sector
Martin Green the chief executive of Care England which represents care providers has written to Liz Truss calling for the direction of ‘a greater share of the money generated through the Health and Social
• 23% (600 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty using the toilet
• 7% of people in their 50s have an unmet need for care 12% in their 60s 15% in their 70s 21% in their 80s and older
Care providers have repeatedly called for money raised from the levy to support care homes and home care providers and to see better pay for care staff to tackle the current staffing crisis
Earlier this month Professor Vic Rayner OBE CEO of the National Care Forum said “We need her government to deliver on the care workforce and for an immediate need to increase the funding to adult social care to make sure it can offer staff the terms and conditions that recognise the vital life changing work they do We cannot run the risk that they cannot afford to work in care Care is the backbone of com munities up and down the country and they are the lifeblood of its delivery
At the moment all the data point to social care becoming weaker as time goes on, not stronger, particularly when you look at the state of the workforce where vacancies are increasing month by month This is scarcely surprising when you consider how uncompetitive the terms and conditions in social care now are the incoming administration must understand that they will not begin to turn the curve on quality and access in social care until they ensure care staff are properly rec ompensed for the incredible work they do ” DELIVER ON MANIFESTO PROMISE
Ms Truss’s NI reversal follows new analysis by Age UK for the Care and Support Alliance (CSA) which has found that a massive 2 6 million people aged fifty and above are living with some form of unmet need for care in England This is the best estimate so far produced for the numbers of people in mid life as well as of above State Pension Age who require assistance with one or more activities of daily living like washing and eating
The adult social care sector is under extreme pressure Long standing workforce and funding issues have been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis set to worsen in coming months Care England has deliv ered a blueprint of immediate action to the new Government to start the re stabilisation of the sector which current Government support packages have failed to do for energy workforce and funding This is essential to prevent widespread market collapse and to help com mence the journey towards a sustainable future for the sector given 45% of providers in the South East are considering exiting the market ”
To address the concerns raised in the Health and Social Care Committee’s recent reports at pace
Article supplied by QCS
• Lakeview Manor Care Home Catering Team
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II During her years of tireless service and dutiful dedication she was an inspirational figure to so many people for decades
Those of you who have elderly neighbours may want to go and check Hold out a hand of friendship as they may be experiencing memories of the past bringing into focus grief and loss they may have endured as a result If they are already lonely the sad news this week could increase their feelings of loss emptiness
If you are in a service that has a TV running just for background noise then think about the channels you may have on and what is being aired
• NACC Region of the Year Award sponsored by Meiko
Christopher Rees Head Chef Shipston Lodge Nursing Home
Vicky Meakin Kitchen Manager Aspen Court Mateusz Wojciechowski, Chef Manager, Westholme Care Home
Monmouthshire Meals Catering Team of the Year Award, sponsored by e f group
Do you know who to escalate any concerns to if needed?
Christopher Rees Head Chef Shipston Lodge Nursing Home
For more information on the NACC Awards 2022 and the NACC visit www thenacc co uk
Do your key workers have training to support some difficult conversations that may result from reading the papers?
• Are there simple activities which could be arranged for people who want to remember or celebrate the life of the Queen?
received
Angela Luckett religious and cultural coordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann said: “A lot of effort has gone into creating this book and our customers have been expressing how much more they are enjoying the services, with our personalised Siddur making it easier for them to participate We are very grateful to The Feinmann Trust and all those involved for their generosity and their thoughtfulness
Caroline Lloyd Head Chef Prince George House Care UK
Adding to the special nature of the occasion was the 80th Bar Mitzvah anniversary of resident, Harold Franks, who read the Va’etchanan haftorah portion of the service A beautiful Kiddush provided by the Feinmann Social Committee, followed in the on site Bistro for customers and their families to enjoy
Grief for Her Majesty The Queen offers useful advice from Cruise Bereavement Support of which the Queen was a Royal Patron and long standing supporter
The death of a public figure can raise questions and bring up people s grief especially from those who have a connection to the person who has died or remember someone close Some of the people you support may well be deeply affected by the death of the Queen
Sue Cawthray National Chair of the NACC said: Huge congratula tions to all the shortlisted finalists Care catering professionals continue to work and care for older and vulnerable people in incredibly chal lenging circumstances from staff shortages to the cost of living crisis and supply chain issues and not forgetting the impact of the pandemic that we are still feeling The agility tenacity dedication energy and brilliance that care caterers continue to exude across the country are encapsulated in the NACC Awards finalists and I am in awe of them all I very much look forward to the gala awards dinner where we will come together with fellow members colleagues and friends to reflect recognise and celebrate the amazing people in our sector Their fan tastic work and achievements make an enormous difference to the lives of so many through good food and nutrition and meaningful mealtime experiences I wish all the finalists the very best of luck!”
The new version distils hundreds of pages of a traditional prayer book into a focused large print version making it easier for Belong’s cus tomers including those living with dementia to follow and take part in the monthly services Countless hours of meticulous translation, translit eration and proof reading has brought the prayer book to fruition thanks to generous support of Belong Morris Feinmann chaplain, Rabbi Perez, and community volunteers Alex Crawford and Elaine Newman
or even anxiety and worry
Have you and your team discussed what you can do to support people through this current situation? Here are some suggestions:
Bespoke Prayer Book Created for Care Village
(www.qcs.co.uk)
PAGE 4 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
How can you keep people informed on the funeral and forthcoming commemorative events?
For some it feels strange or even a shock to feel very sad or upset about someone we didn t know personally But the Queen touched the lives of millions of people directly and indirectly in many ways, either through her family, connections from war time or events and televised broadcasts during the year
NACC
• Kiryl Drozdov Head Chef Elsyng House
How many of your residents, neighbours, friends or relatives have fond memories of the Queen or were young children during the last war in Europe and have vivid recollections?
You can ask your residents or relatives living at home or being supported by your care or support teams how they might be feeling about the loss of the Queen and how things will change now we have a new King Ask how this might be affecting them emotionally and mentally
Pam Rhodes Award sponsored by Anglia Crown
The project was the brainchild of Helen Lister Trustee of The Feinmann Trust which works closely with the Belong village to provide a Jewish cultural and religious input She said The goal was to produce a prayer book that was easier for Belong’s customers to handle and find their way around We are delighted that we can finally share the finished version with everyone and we are happy that it has been so well
What about pastoral advice and support that may be available in your community?
Community Meals Service, Bristol City Council
• National Chair s Award
Just knowing who in your circle may need a little bit of extra sup port a friendly face or a hand to hold a reassuring smile and words can make a huge difference to the people you care or love the most Fur ther information
Packaging
Valerie Kelly, Chef Manager, Houndswood House
A bespoke Siddur (prayer book) designed to meet the needs of older Jewish people residing at Belong Morris Feinmann has been unveiled at a special Sabbath service marking the culmination of years of collabora tion between the Didsbury care village’s chaplain and community volun teers
TALK TO THE PEOPLE YOU CARE FOR AND SUPPORT
Do you know where people can sign a book of condolence if they wish, either in person or online?
Whilst we are currently a nation in mourning there will of course be celebrations to come in the months ahead when Kings Charles III is crowned at his coronation and there will be a new era of the monarchy CONSIDER WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN YOUR CARE?
Our Care Catering Hero Award, sponsored by Bullseye Food
The government has released National Mourning Guidance for the public and businesses https://www gov uk/government/publications/the demise of her majesty queen elizabeth ii national mourning guidance
Chris Burdett Group Food & Beverage Manager Signature Senior Lifestyle
ICare GB Ltd
The HC One Catering & Housekeeping Team HC One Limited
Valerie Kelly, Chef Manager, Houndswood House
The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has revealed the shortlist for the NACC Awards 2022 The prestigious awards recognise and celebrate teams and individu als that epitomise excellence innovation, dedication and outstanding contributions within the care catering sector Across six categories including the new Bev Puxley Award, intro duced in memory of Bev Puxley a longstanding friend supporter and champion of the NACC who sadly passed earlier this year the finalists represent those working in or associated with care catering that deliver exceptional service every day from care homes Meals on Wheels services and Lunch Clubs to suppliers to the sector The overall winners will be announced at a special gala awards din ner on Thursday 6th October 2022, which is part of the NACC Training & Development Forum held at the East Midlands Conference Centre Nottingham The NACC Awards 2022 finalists are Care Establishment of the Year Award, sponsored by Hobar t UK Green Meadows Residential Home Metchley Manor Care UK • Chandler Court Care UK Karuna Manor Care Home TLC Care Meals on
The book is dedicated to the late Tom Einstein, funder of the prayer book and son of a co founder of the original Morris Feinmann Home set up during World War II to support Jewish refugees settling in Manchester Today it is run by not for profit dementia specialist Belong having opened the state of the art care village on the former Palatine Road site to continue caring primarily for the Jewish community
Care UK Food & Hotel Services Team, Care UK Residential Services
Valerie Kelly, Chef Manager, Houndswood House
Kitchen Team of Cherry Hinton Care Home Catering Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
There are a number of other charities that may be able to offer support: https://www hospiceuk org/our campaigns/dying matters/dying matters resources https://www britishlegion org uk/faqs Awards Shortlist Revealed Wheels Award sponsored by apetito Meals At Home County Enterprise Foods
The Bev Puxley Award, sponsored by Worshipful Company of Cooks
Coverage will be everywhere for many days to come so our QCS Policy Manager, Alison Lowerson, offers some advice on how you can assist them during this period of mourning
2022
The winners of the following coveted awards will also be honoured at the gala awards dinner:
What Impact Will The Queen’s Death Have on People We Care About?
2020 NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said:
“Our fantastic NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to deliver 126 million doses to date and behind the scenes they have once again been preparing to deliver the latest phase with the same speed and precision as we have had throughout the rollout
“The NHS will contact you when it is your turn to get an autumn booster and will be inviting the first people outside of a care home to book in ahead of the formal rollout in early September please book in as quickly as possible when invited to give your self protection this winter
The NHS will offer people the new next genera tion bivalent vaccine where appropriate and subject to sufficient supply being made available to the NHS
Euroser vice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents How about a delicious snack/pastr y trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents!
The JCVI and MHRA have stressed that the origi nal vaccines also continue to provide great protec tion and people should come forward regardless of vaccine offered
NHS Roll Out Booster Jab with Care Residents a Priority
The NHS will continue to advise local sites to allow immunosuppressed patients to self declare and attend walk ins to make getting the extra pro tection as easy as possible
Health and social care staff will also be eligible to get the autumn booster in line with JCVI guidance and in order to ensure NHS staff are protected all providers are being asked to ensure their staff are offered the autumn jab co administering with the flu jab where possible
Following the updated advice from the JCVI, the NHS set out plans for the next phase of the COVID 19 vaccination programme the largest and fastest vaccine drive in health service history
As many as 3,000 sites are expected to be part of the rollout including GP practices and community pharmacies with new sites joining the programme all of the time
The NHS has become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation bivalent COVID vaccine as it kickstarts the autumn booster rollout
Around 26 million people across England will be eligible for an autumn booster in line with guidance set out by the JCVI
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 5 Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroser vice uk.com sales@euroser vice uk.com Visit the website at www.euroser vice uk.com to see the full range Manufactured in the UK Euroser vice trol eys are an attractive and prac tical alternative to clinical a l u m i n i u m t ro l l e ys gi ve n t h a t antibacterial spray can be used freely to sanitise them Get in touch with our friendly, experienced sales team
“The NHS was the first healthcare system in the world to deliver a COIVD 19 vaccine outside of clini cal trials, and will now be the first to deliver the new, variant busting vaccine when the rollout begins at the start of September
Watch your resident's eyes light up when the beautiful tea trolley arrives!
The autumn booster campaign is among a pack age of NHS measures to prepare for winter, includ ing ramping up bed capacity and increasing the number of 999 and NHS 111 staff to deal with any additional pressure
We know that our GPs and community pharma cies have been integral to the success of the NHS Vaccination Programme due to their locations and relationships with local communities and so it is fan tastic that so many have opted to be part of the lat est phase of the campaign
I would strongly encourage anyone who is invited to take up both an autumn booster and flu jab to do so as quickly as possible it will give you maximum protection this winter”
The NHS will also being rolling out the flu vaccine and encouraging eligible people to take up the offer from the first of the month where possible Eligible individuals may be offered the flu and COVID jab at the same time with the doses approved to be co administered
More than 126 million COVID vaccines have been administered by NHS staff and volunteers since the first COIVD 19 jab was delivered outside of clinical trials to Maggie Keenan in Coventry in December
NHS director for vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: This winter will be the first time we see the real effects of both COVID and flu in full circula tion as we go about life as normal and so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for the latest jab in order to protect themselves
As with previous campaigns the oldest and most vulnerable will be called forward first, with people able to book in online or through 119 for as long as it has been three months since their last dose
PROVIDING PRACTICAL AND ST YLISH TROLLEYS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS
“It was great to see so many residents celebrating my birthday with me and I hope that everyone at Wren House enjoyed it as much as I have”
MAXIMISE
Muriel, a lifelong Manchester City fan, is an expe rienced traveller and has been fortunate enough to follow her dreams by travelling around the world alongside her husband Eric
allowed Muriel to travel to some amazing places with the Seychelles being her favourite place to visit
To maximise energy efficiency, there is plenty that can be done to engage staff and change behaviours With the potential to cut energy use by up to 20% through effective behaviour change establishing a strate gic staff behavioural training programme can be hugely beneficial Holding regular workshops that remind your staff of simple measures like the above engages your team in practical ways they can help and builds energy efficient habits But consistency is key so consider scheduling regular workshops to keep the tips top of mind
Wren House Manager Tracey Atkins said Muriel is loved by everyone here at Wren House she is a great character and makes us all laugh ”
Muriel said:“I’m delighted that after all these years, I still get to have a birthday party!
Warminster Care Home Resident Celebrates 104th Birthday
The demand for energy will only grow as we enter the cold dark winter months calling for more lighting and heat ing To help manage this, care homes must look to the energy efficiency measures they can take to ensure all waste is eliminated By implementing our recommendations for simple low cost or no cost solutions care providers can protect budgets and help keep residents warm and com fortable YOUR HEAT
Follow your dreams the words of advice from a Wren House resident who recently celebrated her 104th Birthday
Closing curtains and blinds before it gets dark will prevent heat escaping and will block cold drafts Thick curtains are much better at insulating keeping the cold out and the warmth in If you have long curtains and a radiator underneath a window, try to tuck the curtains behind the radiator to prevent heat from being trapped
After the struggles of the Second World War Muriel moved to Scotland with her husband Eric where he worked for Scottish Airlines Eric s job
uk)
PAGE 6 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 • We specialise in the sale and purchase of quality used wheelchair accessible vehicles and ambulances • They can be bought as seen or refurbished and sign written to your own requirements • Fully serviced, new mot & warranty • Engineers inspection supplied if required • Free deliver y service available • All buses comply with new legislation • Lease hire and purchase available • Always large stock of accessible vehicles Tel: 01268 521033 Mobile: 07860 894331 Email: sales@hwpickrell co uk Gardiners Lane Nor th, Crays Hills, Billericay, Essex CM11 2XE All current stock available to view at www.hwpickrell.co.uk H.W. PIC HKRELL .W. PIC KRELL NEW & USED ACCESSIBLE TR ANSPORT AT AFFORDABLE PRICES The current energy crisis is seeing care home budgets squeezed by soaring bills This is calling for drastic action to avoid threatening the level of residents care The recent announcement from Prime Minister Liz Truss, which unveiled her plans to stem the energy crisis hopes to ease the pressure However, in the absence of detail on the spe cific measures planned care home providers should take decisive action now
By Billy Pryke Business Development Manager Healthcare, Zenergi (www zenergi co
ENERGY EFFICIENCY TRAINING
An energy audit can play a key role in identifying your path to reducing carbon emissions The audit pro vides a comprehensive review of the energy used across your building to offer insight into areas where cost effective energy operating and carbon savings can be achieved with different levels of investment and a clear identification of return on investment
On September 3, Manchester born Muriel Whitworth celebrated her 104th birthday alongside friends and members of the Wren House communi ty
Heating is one of the biggest areas of spend for a care home during the winter and vital for maintaining residents comfort To maximise your heat and minimise your waste why not try some of these quick and easy tips • Set thermostats to the right temperature it may not need to be the same in every room so avoid overheat ing rooms unnecessarily and focus on heating the rooms that need it most
• Avoid placing large furniture in front of radiators that will prevent the warmth circulating around the room Bleed your radiators to ensure that any trapped air is released Warm water cannot circulate around your radiators when there is air inside which means it will take longer to heat up
Presents and decorations were in abundance at the Warminster care home as residents tucked into birthday cake all afternoon
Whilst travelling Muriel met some incredible people over the years One memory that sticks with her was during her honey moon when Clark Gable sat himself next to Muriel and her hus band When he got off the train he wished them a happy life together with Muriel thinking he was a very handsome and kind man
TAKING THE NEXT STEPS
While eliminating energy waste care homes must also consider their 2050 net zero roadmap as a priority Implementing energy efficient behaviours is a good start, however, more is needed to be done to reach this ambitious deadline
Balancing Rising Energy Prices With Dropping Temperatures
storage
Professor Banfield argues that “even in such diffi cult financial times the NHS must be prioritised and that that means putting staff first
settings
quarter clearly demonstrating the effect that NHS pressures are having on staff retention Since September 2015 we now have the equivalent of 1 857 fewer fully qualified full time GPs
both
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Professor Banfield encourages the new Prime Minister “not to see this problem from Whitehall or through sanitised visits”, but through the eyes of NHS staff who because of the pressures are “taking the unenviable decisions over which patient to pri oritise and which to leave waiting in distress
The letter also explains that reconsidering the recent pay award and tackling punitive pension taxa tion is crucial to boosting staff morale and retaining talented healthcare professionals especially as the country faces a crippling cost of living crisis
However suspending retire and return restric tions is just one small part of the problem and will have minimal impact on the overall numbers of doc tors leaving as it will only help a small minority of doctors who hold mental health officer status It will not address the problems faced by GPs or the majority of consultants To suggest otherwise and that this is the solution would be disingenuous
He says: “This is a workforce that stood up to the challenge of the pandemic, that went above and beyond to continue caring for patients and to deliver the lifesaving vaccination programme but is now being taken entirely for granted by the Government He tells Ms Truss You have an opportunity to right that wrong
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We acknowledged your commitment to sort out the problems with NHS pensions which are driving senior doctors from the NHS in their droves when we need them most The scale of this problem cannot be underestimated
Professor Banfield adds:
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The new Prime Minister must put the NHS at the very top of her priority list to avoid a once in a gen eration crisis snowballing out of control this winter says the BMA
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In a letter1 to Liz Truss Professor Philip Banfield the Association’s chair of council, sets out the extreme pressures facing the health service record waiting times overwhelmed community based serv ices and plummeting staff numbers and why it s more important than ever for Government to tackle them
Junior doctors GP partners and a significant pro portion of staff and associate specialist (SAS) doctors have all been held to multi year deals agreed in good faith prior to the pandemic The impact of the decision to exclude them from pay awards given to their colleagues hardly needs explaining To hold junior doctors for the second year running to a pay deal agreed before the pandemic and before spi ralling inflation hit, is simply callous ”
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easily transported and charged In addition, all
He concludes: “The NHS will be one of, if not the leading issue at the next general election and not to act on the issues I have outlined above will have a lasting impact for years to come
BMA Urges new PM to Tackle NHS Pressures, or Face an Uncontrollable Crisis this Winter
In fact, as of June 2022, more than 130,000 posts in secondary care in England were vacant the largest number of unfilled vacancies since June 2018 This is an increase of nearly 25% over one
“The recent pay award was in reality, nothing more than another pay cut ” it reads
Professor Banfield warns of the pressure in pri mary care warning that GPs and their teams are bearing the brunt of excessive waiting times while many are themselves overwhelmed with demand ”
The temptation for staff to move sectors is, the research states clear It is estimated that 30 per cent of care workers (237 000 of the 790 000) are paid at or within nine pence of the minimum level If a care worker paid at this rate had been able to secure a job with Tesco in June 2022 they would have seen as a minimum an immediate 6 3 per cent pay increase
He said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was in a real sprint to get ready for September and a deci sion to hire more overseas staff could not wait until a new prime minister is selected on 5 September
Mr Barclay told The Telegraph that he has ordered civil servants to
The health secretary has suggested more hiring for British jobs could take place in the Philippines India and Sri Lanka countries which Mr Barclay said produce more nurses than they need and also said the social care sector would benefit from hiring foreign workers who have nursing qualifications, but not a high enough standard of English for front line NHS work into non nursing roles
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: We agree with the health secretary that we need more overseas staff to ease the shortage but the truth is Home Office bureaucracy is stran gling the process
Care providers are waiting months to get their applica tion for a licence to recruit overseas workers approved and in the meantime care is suffering “So whilst we applaud the health secretary for highlight ing the issue he needs to get on to the Home Office and sort out the bottleneck otherwise a situation that is already dire, will be critical this winter
Care Providers Struggling to Compete with Supermarkets on Pay
The report went on to say: No wonder then that the Health and Social Care Committee concluded that it was not just an improvement in hourly rates of pay that was needed in social care but ‘a long term sustainable strategy which includes the prospect of pay progression professional development, training, and career pathways ’
For social care, the minimum rate for staff over the age of 23 in June 2022 was £9 50 the statutory minimum set by the national living wage It has been estimated that around 50 per cent of care workers (which would equate to 395 000 of the 790 000) earn within 30 pence of the national living wage level Unfortunately for social care and the people it serves in June 2022 nine of the 10 largest supermarkets were paying more than this
Last month Skills for Care revealed that the number of vacant posts in social care had shot up by 55,000 in the past year an increase of 52% ANNUAL RISE OF £1,000 THIS YEAR
Social care providers are struggling to recruit staff as new research reveals that entry level supermarkets are generally paying better wages than care providers can afford to pay Kings Fund research examined the minimum rates paid to staff by the 10 biggest supermarkets in June 2022 and compared them to the rate paid to care workers in the independent sector (which employs the vast majority of care workers, around 790,000 in total) The results are, they say chastening if not surprising
For the foreseeable future the opening of a new Aldi is set to be good news for local shoppers but bad news for the local social care sector and for the people who use its services
MPs taking evidence into the crisis earlier this year heard of care home managers saying: I dread hearing Aldi opening up nearby as I know I will lose staff ”
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 9
work at pace on proposals which will significantly increase overseas recruitment in the NHS, and made this announcement as part of a warning that the NHS could face a triple threat of Covid seasonal flu and the cost of living crisis this winter
WORK AT PACE TO INCREASE OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT”
“CRITICAL WINTER”
LONG TERM, SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY NEEDED
There has however been no progress on delivering such a strategy in adult social care and no sign that the government is seriously inter ested in developing one The government s impact statement on its adult social care reform programme has a whole chapter on the work force that manages to avoid even once using the word ‘pay’
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We value the huge contribution to society which care workers make day in day out This is why we are pro viding at least £500m to workforce development training and wellbeing This is part of an additional £5 4bn invest ment into adult social via the health and care levy which will allow us to continue a comprehensive programme of reform Local authorities work with private care providers to determine fee rates which should take account of wage
costs based on local market conditions April s increase in the national living wage means a full time care worker on the NLW will see their annual earnings rise by over £1 000 this year
Michael King Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said: With increasing pressures on council budgets and a growing number of people in need of care in this country we know that decisions about whether people have intentionally deprived themselves of capital can be a difficult and for the families
Deprivation of capital is when someone knowingly reduces their capital for financial benefit When coun cils are carrying out financial assessments to work out how much people should pay for their care they must sometimes make very nuanced decisions about whether someone has given away money, or deprived themselves of an asset with the intention of avoiding charges for care
The guidance we are issuing today sets out how we look at councils decisions and the common areas we find fault where we have been asked to investigate “We hope that by publishing this guidance those practitioners involved in making such decisions can have some clarity about the steps they need to take to ensure the decisions they make are fair and equitable
“Councils rightly expect that all those who can afford to contribute financially to their own care actually do so in accordance with national and local charging policies If people try to avoid paying for their care this ultimately puts further pressure on the system and the taxpayer and It is unfair to those who do make the expected financial contribution
involved emotive issue
“It's a challenge but one I love, and the job satisfaction is something that keeps me wanting to come back
Retirement is the last thing on my mind for now I am really enjoying my time at work and will continue to do so ”
She added: “I wouldn't have stayed if I weren’t happy, and I can't believe it's been 30 years since I started
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association s Community Wellbeing Board said: “Adult social care makes up a large proportion of council spending and with decreasing budgets and grow ing pressures delivering statutory services have become more and more challenging
A staff member at a Cheshire based care home has celebrated her 30 year work anniversary and says she is not even considering retirement
and approachable
“It was a nice surprise when the team called me in and presented me with my award, and it was a bit of a shock
Based on lessons from the complaints it receives the guidance is aimed at financial assessment practi tioners in local authorities It sets out the Ombudsman’s approach to investigating complaints from people whose local authority has decided they have intentionally deprived themselves of capital when assessing how much they should contribute to their care fees
Using casework examples the guidance highlights the common issues seen in the complaints the Ombudsman receives These include assuming all gifts are deprivation of capital wrongly applying the Personal Expenses Allowance to people who fund their own care and not keeping proper records of how decisions are reached
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 11
Some staff members call her Aunty and that s because when you spend time with her you realise how much care and affection she has
Staff Member Celebrates 30-Year Work Anniversar y and says “Retirement is Last Thing on Mind”
Councils support further guidance to ensure that work around possible deprivation of capital is handled fairly accurately and carefully
Suzanne Hitch started working as a kitchen assistant at MHA Handsworth in 1992 and to celebrate her achievement, the home manager presented her with a certificate and some flowers
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued guidance to councils on the often com plex issue of Deprivation of Capital decisions
Suzanne says she will continue to work for as long as she can and the friendly atmos phere of the home is what keeps her going
“I don't think I have ever thought about leaving and I really enjoy working here “I get on well with everyone from staff through to residents and everyone is friendly
Julia Ronan home manager said: Suzanne is a lovely lady and a huge asset to the home
She is always there for everyone and has a beautiful personality
“I am very proud to have staff like Suzanne here and she really is an amazing person ”
Ombudsman Issues Guidance on Care Finance Decisions
Adult social care services are under enormous financial strain and given councils responsibility to pro tect and spend public resources diligently they have a duty to act where they suspect deliberate depriva tion has taken place ”
She said: “I was eight years old when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen
“We lived on Kent Road in Blackpool and in our house we didn’t yet have a television as it was on order and hadn t arrived I can remember my grandma being very cross because she was going to miss the coro nation
Paying their tributes care home residents at Royal Star & Garter spoke of their love and admiration for the late Monarch
“We have spent this weekend sharing our memories, we have taken a stroll down memory lane we have laughed, remembering the excitement of the coronation the jubilee street parties we organised with close friends and neighbours and we have of course cried mourning the profound loss to the world We have been following the televised coverage and the documentaries charting the life of our beloved Queen Elizabeth We have begun to compose messages of support for the new King and his family and watched the official proclamation as it happened on Saturday morning
Our thoughts are with her family and King Charles III as he takes to his new responsibility as monarch and King ” Mike Padgham Managing Director of the Independent Care Group said: “We are saddened by the death of Queen Elizabeth II She was our beloved head of state our patriarch our Queen and the mother of our
Expressing his deepest sympathies to the entire Royal Family, Major General Tyler said: Her Majesty The Queen’s role as our Patron was just one aspect of a reign charac terised by support for good causes and devo tion to public service ”
Staff and residents at Fleetwood Hall Care Home have also been mourning and paying tribute to the Queen Bronnie 77 has been remembering the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
He explained that The Queen’s visits to Royal Star & Garter demonstrat ed “genuine support and enthusiasm for the veter an community and our important work ”
“Several others and I stood peeping between the bowsers to try and catch a glimpse of her arrival Queen Elizabeth II arrived on the airbase in a large shiny black car and when she arrived all the Army and RAF personnel stood to attention as she passed
Discussing Her Majesty’s lifetime of service RAF veteran Vera said: “There wasn’t anything more she could possibly do and still be human ” WAAF veteran Elsie said: She meant a great deal to me She was someone we could always look up to and admire for her hard work, and hope we could do just as well She worked very hard and I don t think anyone could’ve have worked harder ” Monica whose husband was in the Navy said: Her service was amazing and she went on for so many years We were very proud to have her as our Queen ” Ken who served in the Army said: “She was a very dutiful lady When she made that speech when she was aged 21 that she would devote her life be it short or long, she stuck to it I never met her but one felt connected to this lady Addressing the length of her reign, he added: “I think it was marvellous, and a wonderful achievement The fact she did it over 70 years was immaterial the fact is she was doing it so well I was thinking that if we have to give this Elizabethan era a label like we had William the Conqueror or Alfred the Great I would think Elizabeth the Dutiful
“For a young girl of eight the whole thing was like a fairytale There will never be another like Queen Elizabeth II Derek, 95 met the Queen while serving in the Navy
This has been an emotional time for all, but Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be forever in our hearts
“Watching the Queen on the television, I was in complete awe of all the soldiers in their uniforms with their shining helmets and medals I had never seen anything like this before I remember thinking how beautiful the Queen was and hoping that I would grow up to look just like her
CARE RESIDENTS REMEMBER THE MONARCH
Over this period of National Mourning the Excelcare family joined thousands of others across the country in paying their respects and honouring the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in their 32 care homes as well as in their Support and 4 Regional Offices They have created an online book of condolences where many have left touching heartfelt messages about the Queen s impact and service as well as collating video messages for a piece of memorial content in Her Majesty s honour:
QUEEN’S TRIBUTE TO THE CARE SECTOR
PAGE 12 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Contributions included:
“We ended up watching it at the Brockson’s corner shop Mr Brockson took us through the front door of the house a big novelty as we normally only saw the shop itself and showed us into the lounge We sat crossed legged in front of the television, and because I was one of the youngest I got a seat right at the front
Our gracious Queen of 7 decades will always be remembered for all her hard work and dedication to the nation My Dad John G (resident) was proud to serve her majesty along Charles and Ann when he was based at RAF Marham in the 50’s RIP”
He said: “I was at Church Fenton Airbase in Selby North of York when Queen Elizabeth II was due to arrive
WWII Women s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) veteran Phyllis who received a card from The Queen earlier this year to mark her 100th birthday said: I was born three years before she was so she s been part of my life I’ve always watched what she’s doing and what it meant and [thought] how lucky we were to have her because she was so dedicated I can t imagine a world without her and it’s very sad that she s gone
nation
“I was a heavy goods driv er for the RAF at the time We were told to expect her and that we were under instructions to keep a low profile
The Queen described as “Elizabeth the Great” has drawn a wave of reflection and remembrance amongst representatives in the care sec tor charities providers organisations and Britain s elderly generation to express their deep sorrow, and share their own stories about the country s longest reigning monarch
In April 2020 during the first Covid lockdown the Queen paid special tribute to care staff and other key workers, for their service during the pandemic in a televised address She said they had selflessly contin ued their day to day duties outside the home in support of us all adding: I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times ”
We arrived in Cape Town South Africa on 17th February 1947 While travelling over I can remember watching Princess Elizabeth playing rounders on board I never joined in the games but I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this side of the Royal family I interacted and spoke with Princess Elizabeth on many occasions and remember how kind and gentle she was and how very approachable ”
With another writing
“Many of the people in care will be thinking about her and remem bering the huge part she has been in all of their lives and how key chapters in their lives have been shaped influenced and in harmony with key elements of her reign from her wedding coronation jubilees, children, annual Queen speeches and many more Care set tings have always marked these moments with love and gratitude for her dedication and service and will be deeply saddened by the news of her death at this time
RAF veteran Michael was awarded his MBE from The Queen at Windsor Castle in 2012 He said: “It’s often said when she speaks to somebody it seems like there is nobody else around and I found that during the very brief time I was in front of Her Majesty She asked me various questions but was totally focussed on me and I found that quite extraordinary A most wonderful lady, extraordinary I’ll miss her, she was always there she was a constant
“A life well lived Queen Elizabeth will go down in history as the most loved admired and respected Queen in our history Rest in peace your Majesty You can truly know that you lived respected and died regretted ”
Tanglewood Care Homes said We have been truly blessed to live through the reign of Queen Elizabeth II we have watched her grow we have grown with her We have celebrated every landmark the birth of her children her grandchildren and great grandchildren we have par tied at jubilee celebrations and mourned the loss of her mother, her sister and her beloved husband Prince Phillip Her presence has been a constant, her loyalty to this country and to the commonwealth, unbounding and we shall be forever in awe of her and eternally grate ful to her ”
On Monday 19th September each home welcomed relatives and key community members across the group to watch the funeral procession together
Kenneth 91 met the Queen when she visited Church Fenton Airfield in Leeds
Care Sector Pays Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
He continued: As a veteran herself, Her Majesty had a natural affinity with our residents Always a proud advocate of the Armed Forces community The Queen s support for Royal Star & Garter never wavered It was an honour and privilege to have had Her Majesty’s patronage ”
Queen Elizabeth was part of the fabric of our lives and our older residents in particular shared so much history and life experience with her For them especially her loss with be deeply felt and mourned VETERANS PAY TRIBUTE
I was Seaman and on board for the 14 day trip was King George VI Queen Elizabeth Princess Elizabeth (soon to become Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margret Our Captain was Rear Admiral Agnew
“She was checking our RAF uniforms to make sure we had nothing out of place and I can remember her being truly great and very lovely She will be missed by so many people ”
When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, she insisted upon joining the Army where she trained as a truck driver and mechanic Five months later she was promoted to Junior Commander, which was the equivalent of Captain Her younger sister Princess Margaret was a Girl Guide and later joined the Sea Rangers She remains the only female member of the royal family to have served in the Army Royal Star & Garter a provider of care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia and was established in 1916 to care for severely disabled young men returning from WWI battlegrounds paid tribute to its Patron, Queen Elizabeth II who became the charity’s Patron in 1953 following the death of her grandmother Queen Mary and made several visits to the Richmond Home
“We like the rest of the nation are still trying to come to terms with the sad news it will take a while to process
Professor Vic Rayner OBE CEO of the National Care Forum said: We mourn with the nation in our loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who has been a model of dedicated service for over 70 years As the patron of many of our member organisations she has demonstrated unre served commitment to care charity and community through her ongo ing patronage and her previous patronage of members
The care sector has paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following the sad news of her death at Balmoral on September 8
He said: I was part of the crew on HMS Vanguard in 1947 when the Royal family travelled to South Africa
Government Outlines Plans to Help Cut Energy Bills for Businesses
This alongside the measures we are taking to boost the amount of domestic energy we produce to improve both energy security and sup ply will increase growth protect jobs and support families with their cost of living this winter
The staff used pink ornaments to decorate the Home, including its extensive gardens, and organ ised a series of afternoon tea parties Even relatives gave a hand by making wonderful cakes for every one to enjoy In total, the care home has managed to raise around £500 from raffles and donations
As with the Energy Price Guarantee for households customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme to access the support Support (in the form of a p/kWh discount) will automatically be applied to bills
The level of price reduction for each business will vary depending on their contract type and circumstances:
For businesses on flexible purchase contracts, typically some of the largest energy using businesses, the level of reduction offered will be calculated by suppliers according to the specifics of that company s contract and will also be subject to the Maximum Discount
New support for households businesses and public sector organisa tions including adult social care facing rising energy bills in Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been unveiled by Business Secretary
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 13
Non domestic customers on existing fixed price contracts will be eligible for support as long as the contract was agreed on or after 1 April 2022 Provided that the wholesale element of the price the cus tomer is paying is above the Government Supported Price their per unit energy costs will automatically be reduced by the relevant p/kWh for the duration of the Scheme Customers entering new fixed price contracts after 1 October will receive support on the same basis
Business Secretary Jacob Rees Mogg said We have seen an unprecedented rise in energy prices following Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, which has affected consumers up and down the country and businesses of all sizes
It will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022 as well as to deemed variable and flexible tariffs and contracts It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 running for an ini tial six month period for all non domestic energy users The savings will be first seen in October bills which are typically received in November
A parallel scheme based on the same criteria and offering compara ble support but recognising the different market fundamentals will be established in Northern Ireland
The residents and staff set up tables on the end of the Home s drive and served tea coffee and cakes to passers by neighbours, ambulance staff postmen and refuse collectors
Jacob Rees Mogg today (Wednesday 21 September) supporting growth preventing unnecessary insolvencies and protecting jobs Through a new Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non domestic customers (including all UK businesses the voluntary sector like charities and the public sector such as schools and hospitals) whose current gas and electricity prices have been sig nificantly inflated in light of global energy prices This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households
To administer support, the Government has set a Supported Wholesale Price expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity This is equivalent to the wholesale element of the Energy Price Guarantee for households It includes the removal of green levies paid by non domestic customers who receive support under the scheme
Karen Casey, one of Zetland Court’s Activities Coordinators said:
If you are not connected to either the gas or electricity grid equiva lent support will also be provided for non domestic consumers who use heating oil or alternative fuels instead of gas Further detail on this will be announced shortly
And with our plans to boost home grown energy supply we will bring security to the sector growth to the economy and secure a better deal for consumers
Care Home Goes ‘Full Pink’ to Help Combat Cancer
As we are doing for consumers our new scheme will keep their energy bills down from October providing certainty and peace of mind
Residents and staff at RMBI Care Co Home Zetland Court in Bournemouth have joined forces to raise money for Breast Cancer Now a charity that provides research and life changing care for people affected by breast cancer
“We suggested donations and they were very generous! The residents joined us and were very happy to meet the neighbours and wave to people on the open topped buses passing by
At the same time we are boosting Britain s homegrown energy sup ply so we fix the root cause of the issues we are facing and ensure greater energy security for us all
Prime Minister Liz Truss said: I understand the huge pressure busi nesses charities and public sector organisations are facing with their energy bills, which is why we are taking immediate action to support them over the winter and protect jobs and livelihoods
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said: We have stepped in to stop busi nesses collapsing protect jobs and limit inflation
The help we are already putting in place will save families money off their bills and the Government’s plans for businesses charities and public sector organisations will give them the equivalent level of sup port
Those on default, deemed or variable tariffs will receive a per unit discount on energy costs, up to a maximum of the difference between the Supported Price and the average expected wholesale price over the period of the Scheme The amount of this Maximum Discount is likely to be around £405/MWh for electricity and £115/MWh for gas subject to wholesale market developments Non domestic customers on default or variable tariffs will therefore pay reduced bills but these will still change over time and may still be subject to price increases This is why the Government is working with suppliers to ensure all their customers in England Scotland and Wales are given the opportunity to switch to a fixed contract/tariff for the duration of the scheme if they wish underpinned by the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme sup port
We will publish a review into the operation of the scheme in three months to inform decisions on future support after March 2023 The review will focus in particular on identifying the most vulnerable non domestic customers and how the Government will continue assisting them with energy costs
Q How can Specsavers Home Visits help?
Zetun Arif, an ophthalmic director for Specsavers Home Visits in the Greater Manchester area, speaks to The Carer about how important eye tests are in helping people live well with the condition and about the service the teams offer to people living in care homes
So that’s why regular eye tests are
Make communication as efficient as possible with seamless communication channels and you ll save time and improve quality of care
Although budgets are stretched often nursing care businesses are con cerned about saving money as there can be a common misconception that this should include cutting back on staff or resources and thereby diminishing quality of service
Keeping Eyesight Healthy for People Living with Dementia
With the care sector facing difficulties all exacerbated by inflation, nursing care business es can be left wondering how they can continue supporting service users to the same stan dards
Current increases in inflation
In addition to this inflation is making budgets even tighter with increas
Sight loss can lead to people feeling really isolated and if a person is also living with dementia it can make them feel more confused
Maintaining good eyesight can be a really important lifeline for people living with dementia and can help support the people who care for them
Maintaining good vision really matters for all of us but it s especially important for care home residents because they are more likely to have limited mobility and may be at a higher risk of falls
Our home visits teams are trained to support people living with dementia and the people who support them They ll work with to deliver a personalised service to your residents delivered with kindness patience and a smile
have affected all of us and nursing care businesses are no exception
An important way to make your money last longer is by allocating your resources effectively If you decide which carers should go where based on what will take the least time you re increasing the number of visits they can make saving on petrol and improving the continuity of care in
Many are aware of the obvious solution to relieve the pressure the sec tor is under more government funding But public money often takes months if not years to filter through and the care sector needs support now to counteract the effects of dramatic inflation Most care businesses don t have the time to wait for government support SAVING MONEY WITH EFFICIENCY
With prices rising faster than they have in 40 years at a rate of nearly 9 5%
We ll come to all types of care centre from community houses to residential homes to dementia special ist nursing homes and everywhere in between
or
Being left on their own in an empty room whilst unable to move from their chair
watching
In some services we’ll visit for a whole day and provide full routine free NHS eye tests to everyone who lives there while in others we ll visit new residents to give them a check up or see a single resident who is having particular issues with their vision
impor
However, saving money doesn t necessarily mean compromising the quality of care of your nursing care business if it’s done with careful con sideration You may have hidden efficiencies that you re not aware of that could help to support your nursing care business during times of tight budgets
We all know that there are some things in the nursing care industry that will always be done personally ie by an in person carer That s because stay ing social is an important part of recovery However as in other industries we’ve seen various benefits of automation in the nursing care industry For example automated reminder systems can remind service users to take medication to free up carer time Automation and technology are support ing those who need care to remain independent and recover at home with the support of care rather than relying on this
Diane Connor Activities Coordinator and one of the trainees said: This training emphasises the importance of being in someone else’s shoes and treating others the way you want them to treat you
are
Our optometrists use objective assessment techniques which don’t require responses from the person being tested, which means we can offer full support to people living with dementia even if they face chal lenges in communicating with us
What It Feels Like To Be A Resident
2 Improving communication
Having their face and neck washed by another trainee
RMBI Care Co is part of the Masonic Charitable Foundation For more infor mation please visit: www rmbi org uk
We supply NHS and private funded spectacles which we deliver and fit in person, and which are engraved with the person’s name so you can easily find their glasses when you need to Glasses start from £19 and the same offers apply as would in store To find out more visit www specsavers co uk/home eye tests
How efficient is your team s communication?
PAGE 14 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Being pushed in a wheelchair with artificially impaired vision
The harder it is for team members to communicate with each other the more time is wasted sharing simple information
To mark Alzheimer s Day on 21 September staff at RMBI Care Co Homes recently took part in an innovative training programme called Experiential Learning Through this training, staff have the opportunity to experience first hand what it might feel like to be a resident in a care home
1 Allocating resources
ing fuel prices making a bad situation even worse for nursing care busi nesses subsidising travel expenses of its carers 92% of providers are con cerned about the effect of the rise in fuel costs on the longevity of their business
Regular eye tests allow changes in vision to be tackled quickly and can also detect other eye conditions (such as glaucoma or cataracts) which may need further treatment at an early stage
homes, whether
Many of the things they may enjoy doing will involve good vision like television doing puzzles or craft activities
In the care industry, raising wages to match inflation is never easy but with over two thirds of workers in the independent care sector being paid less than the real living wage (£9 90), nursing care providers need to sup port their carers to retain quality talent in the sector
Q How does your ser vice work?
Being supported to eat a meal by another trainee
Mike Williams managing director Tagtronics (www tagtronics co uk) explains the impact of the current cost of living crisis on nursing care businesses and how to improve efficiency without compromis ing on quality of care
Why is maintaining good
Q. so tant for care home resi dents?
We provide training for our staff on dementia and how to successfully communicate with those living with cognitive impairment and we always take our lead from carers who know the individuals best
Here are some ideas for exploring identifying and quantifying your hid den efficiencies
it s left many businesses wondering how they can change their processes in order to save money
Q eyesight so impor tant for people living in care they living with dementia or not?
Maisie Bourne, the Home’s Training Manager said: “All staff at our Home, at every level have to go through this training It s important that we all under stand the challenges faced by our residents, whether they have a mobility need require support at mealtimes or need additional one to one support As part of the training session staff members also took part in a variety of scenarios such as:
RISING COSTS
your business which will increase the quality of care of your business as a by product
In the nursing care industry we’re communicating all the time whether that s to change a rota a patient s medication or to provide feedback on a visit The more time that your carers spend communicating the less time they spend caring for those who need it
Care Home Staff Experience First-Hand
One of the sessions took place at Prince George Duke of Kent Court in Chislehurst Staff members were presented with different challenges, such as wearing a wet incontinence pad throughout the training session, doing a crossword while wear ing goggles that simu late impaired vision and wearing gloves to simulate arthritis The aim was to help give them a bet ter understanding of how residents should be cared for and develop a greater sense of empathy in their roles
3 Automation and technology
Although saving time is important it s not the time to cut back on quali ty of care By identifying potential capacity and improving the efficiencies of your business you can save money and improve your care quality one service user at a time
The programme was first launched in 2014 and has been refined and expanded with different sce narios in recent years Louise Bateman Group Human Resources Director at RMBI Care Co , says: “Learning through experience can be very powerful; this programme has become a vital tool in supporting new staff members to empathise with residents and to care with compassion We want to ensure that we recruit individuals not solely upon their technical skills or abilities, but on the basis of their values and attitudes to care ”
Improving Efficiencies Without Compromising on Quality of Care
We have also seen a number of residents who are living with mild to mod erate dementia eager to take up some of the courses on offer At the end of each month we plan to hold a graduation ceremony for those who have achieved their diploma
Should any online commenters persistently post unfounded negative comments about your business then don t ignore it The Human Rights Act means that thankfully everyone has the right to freedom of expres
sion However restrictions do apply when concerning issues such as the protection of the reputation of others or preventing disclosure of informa tion received in confidence If you feel that someone has crossed this line and isn t willing to discuss the issue you can report these comments on the social media site, who should support you in taking care of the issue PROTECT YOURSELF WITH A POLICY
KEY MESSAGES
There is growing public recognition that care workers have long faced a formidable number of challenges These include low pay, poor terms and conditions hugely variable access to training, and limited opportunities for career development These have been exacerbated in recent years by increased rates of sickness and burnout during the pandemic and changes to immigration rules following Brexit which have led to intensi fied recruitment and retention challenges
While social media has proven to be a miracle marketing tool it also serves as a very public platform for stakeholders to air grievances or potentially breach end user privacy creating a ticking timebomb for many in the care sector Grace Mcgarry, PR and social media expert from Edson Evers (www edsonevers com), shares her tips on how to mitigate these risks in order to protect your clients and the reputation of your business
• Evidence demonstrates that increasing pay to competitive wages would reduce staff turnover, particularly for staff paid at lower wage levels Countries around the world have used a number of different routes to improve pay: Scotland and Wales are taking steps to standardise pay and increase it beyond the National L ving Wage and pay bonuses have been awarded n all three devolved countries Germany has introduced a sector minimum wage and policymakers are seeking to implement collective wage agreements to increase and standardise wages across the country The national pay and progression framework introduced in New Zealand has helped improve retention and this more attractive pay scale has also attracted new starters who are male younger or with graduate degrees
Garylee Rushforth lead lifestyle coordinator said:
International experiences suggest that measures must be designed and implemented together rather than introduced in isolation Unless reforms are designed in tandem they are likely to have limited effectiveness and could even risk exacerbating workforce recruitment and retention challenges The evidence base on the impact of the different measures is still emerging, and should be closely followed While there are many examples of positive impact there have been a number of notable unintended consequences which can be learned from For example mandatory training may introduce unnecessary rigidity making it more difficult to retain specific groups of staff Pay increases may further minimise the difference in pay for more sen ior staff and attempts to ntroduce guaranteed hours at a national level may not benefit all staff consistently
ers to recruitment and retention and such a system could be costly
This begs the question: do your colleagues know what you expect of them? And in turn what do clients and their families expect of you?
What Can England Learn From the Professionalisation of Care Workers in Other Countries?
Once your content is posted ensure it is closely monitored so you can quickly tackle any complaints Here the golden rule is to take the conver sation offline as quickly as possible Whether it’s a disgruntled colleague or a client’s family get in touch and offer a face to face meeting as soon as possible Believe it or not social media is often a last resort for frustrat ed families and showing that you are willing to listen can quickly disarm any digital conflict
So yes while the use of social media in the care sector can be consid ered a risk it s one that can be managed with a mix of care attention to detail and experience Therefore outsourcing your social media strategy is also something to consider in order to provide peace of mind knowing that you are reaping all the benefits and mitigating the risks
The review found that:
Garylee also said:
Care workers who receive relevant high quality training are more likely to stay in their role and be equipped with the skills and confidence to deliver better care Mandatory minimum training or the right to receive training are approaches used internationally to good effect Benefits to these approach es include improved outcomes for people drawing on services improved confidence and status among workers improved person centred care and reduced turnover Programmes tend to be most effective when training is rel evant to the role equitable in terms of access and sits alongs de alternative routes for workers to demonstrate their skills
The report reviews what the evidence shows about the professionalisa tion of care workers in other countries It draws on the experiences of those other countries to inform policy reforms that England may wish to consider as part of a longer term strategy for the adult social care work force in this country
AN EDINBURGH care home is encouraging lifelong learning for its residents as it partners with the Open University to form an in house college Cramond Residence will be launching Cramond college offering its resi dents an opportunity to strengthen their cognitive function by giving them the option to enrol in a variety of courses offered by the online university Courses will range from one to four hours and residents will receive a diplo ma for their efforts in a planned monthly graduation ceremony at the care home
REPORT
challenged the residents, and offered them a chance to learn a new skill
Yet while social media brings huge gains there are also pitfalls to be aware of namely how to protect your reputation and the privacy of your end users The sensitive nature of care services can quickly make social media a minefield even when no harm is meant take for example reports of a care home manager who was fired for posting pictures of res idents enjoying a Hallowe en party on Facebook
The opportunity has proven to be very popular with a large number of the residents at the care home expressing their interest in achieving a diploma
PAGE 16 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
A policy should cover how sensitive or confidential information must not be shared on any social media sites regardless of whether they are owned by the business or the people who work there While there are data protection laws in place to safeguard a resident or end user s privacy it is still vital to ensure your employees understand them before any dam age is done
In this digital age, social media is undoubtedly a fantastic tool for com munication It’s a quick easy and affordable way to promote your business and reach your stakeholders whether they be new and existing residents residents’ families or community members It s also a flexible medium with a range of platforms such as Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest or TikTok each with its own USP which allow you to post as fre quently as you like
Perceptions of care work as low skilled continue to persist despite the pandemic highlighting just how vital care workers are In recent years there has been increased debate around the professionalisation of this staff group which generally refers to the creation of a statutory register of staff and their professional regulation This new Nuffield Trust report reviews what the evidence shows about the professionalisation of care workers in other countries
Lastly one of the most effective ways to maintain control of your online presence is to create a social media policy This is a simple way to intro duce a framework covering clearly defined objectives which provides guidance to colleagues on what they should and should not post about This helps to make sure you re all singing from the same hymn sheet
STAYING AHEAD OF THE SOCIAL GAME
For example, though an employee might be the one liable for sharing confidential data from their own social media accounts, as soon as that post is ‘live’ then the resident’s privacy has been violated, thus harming your own reputation Your goal should be to prevent it from reaching this stage with clear policies and regular training
The day to day working terms and conditions of care workers in England need urgent attention Countries around the world have sought to
SEEK OUT SUPPORT
The Open University ticked all the boxes in terms of a meaningful activity while allowing residents to pick from a wide range of subject areas
‘Tweet In Haste, Repent At Leisure’: Becoming Social Media Savvy
address precarious employment and improve conditions in a variety of ways New Zealand funds home care workers’ travel time and travel costs while Germany has introduced childcare grants and additional days of annual leave Scotland is distinct in the UK for requiring providers to take staff well being into account in their staffing decisions Other countries such as Norway and Germany offer much more generous sick pay provision
I was determined to think of a way to develop our approach to activities that
The partnership is part of Cramond s aim to provide its residents with a richer and more satisfying lifestyle and hope the courses will allow for its residents to learn new skills and dive deep into subject areas of their choice
Care workers are first on the front line, delivering care in precarious conditions, but last to see meaningful acknowledgement of their perse verance Protecting the health and safety of these staff should be a long standing priority for employers and the DHSC and not just during a pandemic Ensuring that pay training and terms and conditions better reflect the value of care work to wider society is in the public interest A number of workforce initiatives have recently been introduced however and there is now an opportunity for policy makers to go further to reverse the deepening workforce recruitment and retention crisis in England As governments across the world are taking increasingly bold and creative action to embed workforce reforms there is much for England to learn as it pushes forward with planned reforms while considering further action as part of a longer term adult social care workforce strategy
When we initially suggested the idea of Cramond College to our residents there was great interest with over half of them being eager to take part with a lot having a keen interest in courses which focus on arts and history
Care workers are a diverse staff group One in four are from Black Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds and these groups are less well represented in senior positions Profess onalising the workforce and providing consistent opportunities to access training and development opportunities could help to address inequalities in progression and earnings and could also help attract underrepresented groups into the workforce
Evidence from the other UK countries shows that registration and pro fessional regulation can reduce risk to the public improve outcomes for people drawing on social care services improve confidence in the work force and can drive up workforce standards through mandatory minimum training England is the only country in the UK that has not introduced reg istration and professional regulation of care workers But the experience in Scotland and Wales also warns that it could introduce unnecessary barri
A strong approval protocol for the social media channels your business owns is an essential starting point This may involve circulating upcoming posts with different departments in the business who may have knowl edge which helps them to spot an issue or securing written consent from an end user if you want to share any images of them
Perceptions of care work as ‘low skilled’ continue to persist despite the pandemic highlighting just how vital care workers are Their dedication and capability has also been recognised in Baroness Cavendish s report In recent years there has been increased debate around the professionalisa tion of this staff group This generally refers to the creation of a statutory register of staff and their professional regulation and can involve improvements to pay training and career development and terms and conditions
Care Home Residents Prove You’re Never too Old to Learn
Would you like some good news? Healthcare pro fessionals can claim tax relief on their work related expenses And did you know that the quickest sim plest and most financially rewarding way to make a claim is via HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) online portal on GOV UK?
vehicles for work travel (this doesn t mean their journey from home to work)
Once
online and find out more useful information about claiming tax relief on work
We can t allow experienced care workers to leave the sector for equivalent better paid roles in the NHS or low pressure better paid roles in hospitality and retail A statement from a director in the social
We are the only national charity which exists to support care work ers who experience financial hardship and the increasing demand for our grants suggests that this workforce crisis will only get worse this winter The amount we give out in crisis grants is increasing by 55% from one month to the next, and over the last year there has been a 27% increase in care workers requesting support with daily living costs However despite this high demand and clear need for financial support we are struggling to raise enough funds and have been forced to temporarily close our national crisis grant programme while we attempt to secure additional funding
Healthcare work can involve long stressful hours Busy people who are short on free time may find themselves drawn to the many advertisements often seen online and on social media offering a quick and easy rebate from HMRC all handled by a third party company to save you the trouble These companies are known as repayment agents
HOW TO CLAIM
3 If you do choose to use a repayment agent to make a claim do your research and check the terms of the service and what fees you will be charged Don’t be caught out HELP FOR HOUSEHOLDS
The Commons report paints a picture of a dire situation one in three care workers left their jobs last year 95% of care providers are struggling to recruit staff three quarters of care workers are paid
Without fixing social care there will be terrifying consequences for the NHS unpaid carers and people who depend on care and support We must do all we can to keep care workers in the jobs they encourage new people to join the
The independent evaluation of government policy commissioned by the Health and Social Care Committee finds that the overall response to workforce issues to date has been inadequate The Committee chaired by Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP urges the government to increase annual funding for social care by £7 billion a year The NHS Confederation insists a £10 50 minimum care worker wage is needed to address the recruitment and retention crisis But central government remain defiant no more money We know that care workers who remain in the sector are overstretched working over time to deliver the complex care that’s needed in their communities The pressures existed before the pandemic they were exacerbated at its height, and now they’re worse than ever
you’ve submitted the claim HMRC will contact you if they need written confirmation of the payments
2 When you are ready to make a claim, the quickest and easiest way to do so is directly with HMRC
With chronic low pay and lack of opportunities for progression care workers have no choice but to leave their rewarding jobs supporting other people to live the life they want just so they can feed their fami lies This is more than a national crisis it’s a tragedy
The rising cost of living means many families and households are feeling the pinch Every penny counts and it’s never been more important for workers to claim all the money that they re entitled to WHAT YOU CAN CLAIM FOR Employees may be able to get tax relief on: uniforms and work clothing buying equipment professional fees and subscriptions using their own
Most importantly, there is always a fee involved in using an agent Depending on the company, these can be up to 50% of the refund and could also include an administration charge This can take a significant chunk out of any money you eventually receive
The information you give these companies to apply for your refund is almost always the same you will give HMRC if you apply yourself We would always recommend taking the time to look into applying your self before committing to a repayment agent, as you then get to keep all of the money you claim
1 Check GOV UK to see if you are eligible to claim tax relief on work related expenses
Social care is a notoriously fragmented system but for once every one is in agreement Without immediate action to fill 165 000 vacan cies in social care, the impact will be felt in hospitals and homes across the UK 85% of healthcare leaders agreed that the absence of a social care pathway is the primary cause of delayed discharges of medically fit patients and the latest monthly data tells us that there are 12,400 of these healthy patients stuck in hospital on any given day Over half a million people are waiting for a care assessment and it is the largely female workforce in social care who will have to take time off work to look after family members who can t get the care services they deserve
It s not just work related expenses that people are missing out on The government is offering help for households as a result of the increased cost of living pressures Check GOV UK to find out what cost of liv ing support you could be eligible for
love and
expenses on GOV UK Making this check will only take you about five minutes If you can make a claim and already have access to your Government Gateway account you can go straight ahead and make the claim there If you don t already have an account it is straightforward to set one up
The care workers who approach us for a grant can t afford to pay for fuel to support people in their community They often tell us that rela tionships are the most rewarding part of the job but that the workforce pressures are making it impossible to deliver high quality care The sector is still dealing with the emotional toll of the pandemic when many of the people who receive care lost their lives and frontline care workers are too burned out to deal with the next set of crises This all comes during a cost of living crisis which is pushing people in secure employment into poverty Citizens Advice report increasing numbers of people in negative budgets who are being referred to food banks
care sector was cited in the Commons report: I dread Aldi or Lidl opening a new store near any [of our] homes because every time four to five staff leave”
You can check your eligibility related
The ease of leaving everything to someone else can be very appealing, but it’s vital that you look into the company carefully and are fully aware of the specific terms and conditions involved
But short term funding is only one part of the answer We want to see care workers valued for their contribution to society by achieving parity of esteem and pay with their counterparts in the NHS, reward ed for length of service and recognised for their skills via care worker registration Care workers need better access to training and devel opment opportunities so that social care is seen as an exciting career for younger people with appropriate pay progression And fundamen tally there must be adequate levels of funding in the system to meet levels of demand for care services
PAGE 20 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Some people are reluctant to claim tax relief themselves they think it’s time consuming, chal lenging or difficult but in fact it s quick and easy to do
apply to HMRC directly for your own tax relief
The government is aware that some have taxpayers faced issues or felt misled when using agents that specialise in claiming tax refunds from HMRC HMRC has received complaints about a few companies relat ing to matters such as how transparent they are over their fees and how the relationship between the cus tomer and the agent works THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN CLAIMING TAX RELIEF
below the Real Living Wage Worse still when travel time is taken into account, many home care workers are paid below the national minimum wage The government proudly insist they ve invested £1 billion extra a year in social care without providing a breakdown of how this was spent and still their colleagues in the Commons say it s not enough They have allowed local authorities to raise council tax but overall cuts to their budgets have been calculated at £15 billion over the last ten years It simply doesn t add up to an increase This is gaslighting on an industrial scale
If anyone ever questioned the extent of the crisis in social care this past few weeks you could not escape the terrifying truth Two reports from the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee a report from the Levelling Up Committee updated workforce data from Skills for Care plus a survey of NHS Leaders published by the NHS Confederation are all raising the alarm The ravaged social care sector is experiencing the greatest workforce crisis in its history and this is having a devastating impact on quality of care NHS waiting times and patient outcomes We are hearing from heartbroken care workers who feel they have no choice but to find better paid work elsewhere as the job has become too overwhelming
sector "The Workforce Gaps In Social Care Are Terrifying – And Yet We’re Being Gaslighted By Central Government"
The best way to claim is to
We need government to take action now to address the workforce crisis in social care by increasing care worker pay across all public private and not for profit providers We have written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, to request funding so our charity can continue to provide life changing grants to care workers in crisis and keep them in the sector while solutions are found And we are appealing to businesses in social care, UK energy suppliers and the general public to support our cost of living crisis appeal so that care workers are not at risk of going hungry or homeless in 2022
for
Article supplied by The Care Workers' Charity
(www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk) ATTENTION HEALTHCARE WORKERS: The Best Way to Claim a Tax Refund - What Can You Claim and How Much Are You Missing Out On?
you ve made or if there s anything else they need to check ISN’T IT EASIER TO USE A COMPANY INSTEAD OF DOING IT MYSELF?
• working from home
because
tailored projects
testing for the public ended on 1 April as part of the govern ment’s Living with Covid plan, but asymptomatic testing continued to be used in some settings including care homes during periods
NHS leaders will put their faith in the experts that this decision is the right one but after over two years of the pandemic they know that it doesn’t take much for cases to increase again and that much of the spread of coronavirus previously including within healthcare settings was from people who were asymptomatic
An Introduction from the Black Women in Care (BWIC) Community
• Adult social care and hospice services (apart from new admissions)
“Our upcoming autumn booster programme will offer jabs to protect those at greatest risk from severe Covid and I urge everyone who is eligible to take up the offer ”
Certain domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings
My name is Adebimpe a business associate from the Black Women in Care (BWIC) Community ABOUT US
Our monthly empowerment series project, BWIC Careers’ Forum has reached over 2000 BAME women You can register for a free account at https://blackwomenincare com/membership/ to become a BWIC mem ber
Hello Readers, Trust you are keeping well and having a joyful autumn sea son!
Responding to the Government’s announcement Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said:
“As services gear up for rolling out the autumn boosters from next month, members have also reflected that the timing of this policy change could downplay how serious Covid still is and could undermine messages around the need to get vaccinated
roles and promote inclusivity and well being within the workplace through various need based
We will continue to share insights into black women as they relate to the health and care sector
Testing will also be available for outbreaks in certain high risk set tings such as care homes
“Nadra has true vision for the reform of our social care provision and she brings with her a collegiate leadership style and wealth of experience We are all very much looking forward to working with her and I m confident she will take the Alliance forward to tackle the next impending economic crisis social care sector faces with calm consideration and deep determination
Staff in adult social care services and hospices and residents of care homes extra care and supported living settings and hospices;
Nadra has served on numerous government task forces and she was the Vice Chairman of Skills for Care for 11 years having been appointed at its inception Nadra is a trustee of RBLI and Patron/President of numerous other charities She is the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent and a Kent Ambassador
Care Provider Alliance Welcomes Nadra Ahmed OBE, Executive Chairman of the National Care Association as Incoming Chair
“I am delighted and honoured to be the incoming Chair at the same time as our new Prime Minister The pandemic has shown just how vital social care is for people to live well in our communities We are on the brink of another complex and challenging winter along with a cost of living crisis the stark realities of how interdependent social care and the NHS are will be fur ther highlighted Social Care requires all parts of government to support our services assist carers and most importantly the millions of people we sup
• Parts of the prison estate and some places of detention; and
BACKGROUND British backgrounds and account for over 50% of the Black and other Minority Ethnicity (BAME) adult social care workforce Another report discloses that women perform over 85 percent of the direct care jobs in adult social care It is evident that BAME, particularly black women make up a large part of the workforce in this sector
Staff and detainees in prisons; and Staff and service users of certain domestic abuse refuges and home lessness services
Individuals will continue to be protected through vaccination and access to antivirals where eligible Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
OUR PAST PROJECTS
Similarly our annual Awards recognize passionate health and social care workers and in 2021 the premier Black Women in Care (BWIC) Awards and Summit had an enormous impact as veteran carers from African/Caribbean backgrounds who have never received such recognition in their care careers were award ed duly here are some awardees feedback
At BWIC we support care sector Nurses Care Assistants Social managerial well
Commenting on her new role, Nadra said:
Thanks for reading and do let us know if you have any questions at info@blackwomenincare com or call us on 03301749695
The health and social care sector in general depends heavily on migrant workers and with the current changes to immigration policy a further rise is imminent Recent findings show that 12% of the UK popula tion are of Black/African/Caribbean/Black
PAGE 22 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
“Thanks to the success of our world leading vaccination roll out, we are able to continue living with Covid and from 31 August we will pause routine asymptomatic testing in most high risk settings
Settings where asymptomatic testing of staff and patients or resi dents will be paused include:
Year round symptomatic testing will continue to be provided in some settings, including:
“This comes as the NHS is planning for what is widely expected to be the busiest winter on record with a triple threat of Covid, flu and norovirus and against a backdrop of 105 000 vacancies crumbling estate rising treatment backlogs and an under supported social care sector
"It has been a privilege to work with such an amazing group of dedicated people and lead the CPA over the last 12 months
The NHS (including independent health care providers treating NHS patients);
Regular
The role of CPA chair rotates annually across each of the ten associations Nadra follows Professor Martin Green OBE Chief Executive of Care England who served as the CPA’s Chair for the past 12 months
UPCOMING PROJECTS
“I am delighted to be passing the CPA mantel to Nadra who has been an essential part of our national ability to respond effectively and swiftly to the challenges of the pandemic and rapidly adapting to new ways of working
ADEBIMPE ADENEYE Business Development Associate, BWIC www blackwomenincare com
The coalition of national voices of adult social care providers in England the Care Provider Alliance (CPA) is delighted to welcome Nadra Ahmed OBE Executive Chairman of the National Care Association as the incoming Chair for the 2022/2023 term
port every day
Free of high case rates
“This reflects the fact case rates have fallen and the risk of transmis sion has reduced, though we will continue to closely monitor the situa tion and work with sectors to resume testing should it be needed Those being admitted into care homes will continue to be tested
care Managers to mention a few we support and encourage our members to rise into senior and
CONCLUSION
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Martin over the past year as he guided the voice of the sector through recovery from lockdowns Over the coming months the voice of the alliance will be crucial as we face the chal lenges of the energy crisis in addition to to addressing the long standing issues of funding recruitment and workforce wellbeing We will be ensuring the sector is understood by system partners and receives the recognition it deserves as a sister service to our health colleagues ”
“While the policy change could free up capacity within hospital and other services it remains vital that the experts keep this position under close review and if needed be prepared to revise it
The vaccination programme means Covid cases have now fallen to 40 027 and the risk of transmission has reduced Deaths have fallen to 744 and hospitalisations to 6 005 in the last seven days meaning wider asymptomatic testing can soon end as planned in most instances
The BWIC Skip for Carers event will hold between the 1st and 10th of October 2022, kindly find attached the event flyer it seeks to encourage people to skip/or walk in carers shoes by taking 2000 steps or doing 100 200 skips daily for 10 days while supporting carers to raise funds for offsetting their bills amidst the ongoing costing of living crisis More information on the event and donation is at: https //www justgiving com/crowdfunding/black women in care?utm term=96dAK3qjG We would equally be pleased if this is shared within your network for participation
Symptomatic testing in high risk settings will continue
The 2022 Awards and Summit will take place on 26th of November 2022 and we are currently receiving nomi nees at https://tinyurl com/ma55ajwp or https://blackwomenincare com/events/nominate here/ we would be delighted if this is shared with health and social care managers in your network Private and Public to nominate their outstanding colleagues Please note that the nominations will close on Friday 30th of September 2022
Having seen and experienced first hand cases of discrimina tion and workplace equality but rising through them with a skill set Olayinka founded the BWIC Community Platform to support Black women and other minority ethnic groups that work in Health & Social Care sector Alongside other seasoned care industry experts Olayinka believes that the well being of the BWIC community group has utmost priority on Personal and Professional development Similarly, it was profoundly prompted by the George Floyd protests for the Black Lives Matter movement that started in the US in March 2020
Regular Asymptomatic Testing Paused in Additional Settings
NHS staff and staff in NHS funded independent healthcare provision;
We hope to share insights into specific ways and best practices for Nurses Care Workers & Care man agers to support and manage their BAME staff as well as sensitize the UK community in general on work place equality and diversity
• NHS patients who require testing as part of established clinical path ways or those eligible for Covid treatments;
Outgoing Chair Professor Martin Green comments:
women working within the health and social
asymptomatic testing for Covid in all remaining settings in England has been paused as Covid cases continue to fall
Testing will remain in place for admissions into care homes and hos pices from both hospitals and the community, and for transfers for immunocompromised patients into and within hospital to protect those who are most vulnerable
BWIC is a Community Interest organization founded in 2020 born out of the founder s 15 year experience in the Health and Social Care sector BWIC Founder Olayinka Thomas started her Career as a Care Assistant She rose to become a Registered Manager after many years of experience, now a Social Care Consultant and a renowned Trainer
Using the PAL Assessments dashboard, care managers can improve the man agement of their teams, their budgets and their recruitment strategies They can schedule assessments see when they are due or overdue and review the history of all assessments by service user, care team, or location By understanding both progression and signs of regression, they can better coordinate and resource activities in the care environment, such as getting service users dressed in a timely manner and efficiently managing mealtimes In addition, many new resources have been added that will help with the training and development of staff who are caring for service users living with dementia
Quality Compliance System (QCS) is the leading compliance management sys tem for the care sector QCS provides over 140,000 care professionals with access to the most comprehensive set of customised policies, procedures and compliance toolkits, enabling users to stay compliant with the latest regulatory requirements With over 350 customised policies, procedures and compliance toolkits, QCS customers can be safe in the knowledge that they will always be up to date with any changes to legislation, regulation and best practice, whatev er happens
Royal Star & Gar ter Chair Major General Tim Tyler represented the charity at the funeral of its Patron, Her Majesty The Queen Here, he looks back on what was ‘a long and emotional day’.
MHA Langholme organised the trip for two residents Mike Ogden and Mike Harris
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 23
Linda Rowe, activities coordinator said: ‘The helicopter experience was great for the two residents and something I want to do for others
Home now after a long and emotional day I would like to extend Royal Star & Garter’s condolences to His Majesty the King and all the Royal Family We have all had time privately to grieve for a Queen who we all treasured in our own way They have all lost their Queen, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and been in the spotlight for days, and they now need time to themselves I am sure we all look forward to their full presence again, in time in the life of the country and more widely
When I asked residents if this is something they want to do both Mikes were really keen and I am glad we did it for them
I had the great privilege of repre senting Royal Star & Garter at the funeral service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey
My wife and I walked to Westminster from Kensington The roads were closed; there were police and security personnel to be seen but otherwise silence as if the world had stopped As we got clos er people emerged from everywhere all going the same way; there was a sense of expectation My wife headed for St James s Park and The Mall as I walked towards the inevitable security checks before entering the Abbey I met old friends and made new acquaintances all united in respect for Her Majesty and her extraordinary legacy
I was sitting next to two wonderful people Brian Roberts, recently awarded the MBE for his work with Healing Hands Network which provides support to those who are suffering from the mental, physical and emotional after effects of war, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and now to British military veterans; and Victoria Clayton of the Shire Horse Society which of course takes a special interest in the Household Cavalry drum horses We were sitting near holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross and among repre sentatives of all the orders of knighthood
Personally I felt it all happened really quickly but it was worth it to see our residents smiling
The Abbey was filling up I have been there before for ceremonial occasions but none like this It was immediately clear that this sad but uplifting event was bringing together peoples and organisations from every corner of the world The Queen and the Royal Family have a very strong relationship with the Armed Forces which I have enjoyed over the years but Queen Elizabeth had clearly had just as strong and invigor ating relationships with everyone!
ABOUT QCS
A Falmouth based care home organised a helicopter trip for two residents as part of a seize the day initiative
After the service I set off to find my wife in the packed St James’s Park I was crowded with people who wanted a photograph of the Order of Service People clearly respected the solemnity of the occasion and they wanted to be a real part of it and not just spectators
Care Home Organises Helicopter Ride for Two Residents Day Initiative
The helicopter experience gave them a bird’s eye view of Perranporth and was paid for by the home’s amenity fund
“It's great that we have the seize the day initiative as it encourages our residents to try something completely new or reconnect with their past, so it's a great initia tive ”
weight of history there today Five generations of my family have had Queen Elizabeth as our monarch I could feel this concentration of history and could sense the presence of the Royal Star & Garter residents, most of whom have lived through the changes witnessed by Queen Elizabeth our Patron for 70 years and who were watching the service on TVs in our Homes in Solihull Surbiton and High Wycombe Will there ever be an event like it again? How did one person manage to provide such a shining example over all those 70 years? What a challenge Queen Elizabeth offers us all and how do we respond? I wonder not how her successors will follow in her footsteps but what can we all do to support His Majesty the King and his Royal Family to continue her work as a unifying and inspiring force for good in our world?
Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) a leading SaaS platform serving over 4 000 social and primary care providers has today released major enhancements to QCS Dementia Centre that significantly advance care for service users living with dementia Customers can now capture store and review PAL cognitive assess ments within the QCS system and benefit from new resources that guide care givers on how to deliver the best possible care
Major General Tim Tyler’s Reflections on the Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
“When we went back to the home and told other residents you could see some of them were interested and hopefully next year I want to plan it for more resi dents
as Part of Seize the
The initiative encourages residents to re experience activities or events from the past or to do something they would like to do for the first time
tia can be cared for This demonstrates the invaluable role that technology plays in supporting and evidencing excellence in dementia care
QCS Enhances Dementia Centre to Improve the Lives of People Living with Dementia
We will continue to provide our ‘Care with courage to our veterans following the example set by Queen Elizabeth and with the continued love and commitment of our President Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra
Damaris Daniels QCS s Director of Content and Operations added We are delighted to launch the new release of QCS Dementia Centre which is the culmi nation of many months of close collaborative work between Jackie and our tech nology team As the care sector moves away from paper based systems and embraces digital care planning this highly accessible and scalable resource can play a greater role in championing person centred dementia care in a range of care settings
As the processions of dignitaries arrived: Heads of State Prime Ministers members of the Royal Household religious leaders of many many faiths and the Royal Family I found myself thinking of the
The pair were accompanied by two staff members Linda Rowe and Carol Woodland and travelled from Falmouth to Perranporth
Jackie Pool, QCS’s Dementia Care Champion, said, “With PAL cognitive assess ments fully integrated into QCS Dementia Centre along with all of the innovative resources that link to it QCS is transforming how service users living with demen
What a joy it was to be in my uniform again I lost count of the number of people who thanked me for all the organisation of the period of mourning and the funeral I explained that I had had no responsibility but they just wanted to thank the Armed Forces who are held in such respect There were many soldiers from various units assisting with security and directing and advising the visitors doing a fantastic job I stopped to chat to quite a few and that immediate empathy was obvious independent of rank and age just soldier to soldier These young men and women will in time be veterans and I am sure that Royal Star & Garter will be there to provide for any of them should they need our care
For more information visit www qcs co uk or call 0333 405 33 33 or email sales@qcs co uk
Afterwards they would not stop talking about it and had a great time and I was very happy to be a part of it
The atmosphere changed from the moment the coffin was carried into the Abbey The service was of course quiet contemplative and with a sense of sadness for an irreplaceable loss This was the place of the Queen’s marriage and coronation and now the place for us all to say farewell But the Archbishop of Canterbury reminded us that this was a moment for celebration of a remarkable life and the transition of Her Majesty into the heavenly estate to which Christians aspire For me the highlight of the service was the singing of the anthem composed for the service by Sir James MacMillen CBE based on St Paul’s letter to the Romans in which, after a quiet opening, the choir erupted into a joyous and almost chaotic ‘Alleluia’ If you didn t notice this you must listen again
More information on the new version of QCS Dementia Centre which is imme diately available can be found here: https://www qcs co uk/dementia centre/ To celebrate World Alzheimer's Day , QCS has partnered with Apetito on a Webinar and Q&A on Best Practice in Dining for People Living with Dementia', taking place today at 11:00am 12:00pm To register or view a recording, visit https //www qcs co uk/free webinar dementia friendly dining/
QCS Dementia Centre now fully incorporates QCS PAL Instrument which is the brainchild of Jackie Pool a world renowned dementia specialist and is a reliable and validated tool for assessing cognitive ability A PAL cognitive assessment identifies individuals at a Planned Exploratory Sensory or a Reflex level and pro vides care givers with the appropriate help and guidance on how to best support the service user based on their assessment level An individual's assessment result and the associated guide can also be downloaded and shared with other systems or with the service user's family
The EscoPod is a patented, high temperature heat pump technology designed to replace traditional heating systems with a high ef ficiency and fossil fuel free alternative The EscoPod AZH ActionZero s dedicated heat pump system for the healthcare industr y, has been designed specifically to deliver heating (and cooling) to non domestic buildings in the healthcare sector including hospitals nursing and care homes
Act onZero Senior Leadership Team at Townhal Summ t in the Sky Suite Penrose Of fices Cork Photographer: David Keane M nister for Pub ic Expend ture and Reform Michael McGrath of f cial y opens Act onZero s new manufacturing R&D centre n Tralee along w th ActionZero CEO Denis Coll ns Photographer: Clear y’s Photography Photography Services Tra ee Co Kerr y ActionZero par tners with Bon Secours Health System in group w de deal to reduce carbon emiss ons Pictured At the announcement from lef t Pau Fo ey Group Director of Supp y Chain Bon Secours Den s Co ins CEO ActionZero Cormac Murphy COO Act onZero Gerr y Ryan Manager of Faci ties & Ma ntenance Bon Secours TJ O Connor CEO Bon Secours Tra ee Photographer Valer e O Su livan
To find out how you can star t the process of decarbonising your nursing home today, call ActionZero today on +44 2045 090626 or visit www actionzero com/carer
Get in
The war in the Ukraine has, amongst other things, highlighted our overdependence on fossil fuels With uncer tainty around fuel supply and mounting energy costs we find ourselves in a global energy crisis
ActionZero describes themselves as a one stop shop They will manage a clients decarbonisation journey from end to end providing an af tercare package that includes Operations & Maintenance as well as ongoing per formance validation via data analytics
The EscoPod in action
Earlier this year ActionZero announced a par tnership with the Bons Secours Health System, the largest private hospital network in Ireland The ActionZero EscoPod AZH is currently being installed at the Bons Secours Hospital Tralee Co Kerr y with plans to expand the roll out of the technology across six other sites in the healthcare group
The EscoPod AZH solution enables healthcare organisations to address the very significant challenge that is decarbonising heat and it does so while putting money in our customers pockets a win/win where commercial opportunity meets social good ’ said ActionZero CEO Denis Collins former global executive with IBM and previous chairman of IDA Ireland Regional Development
We are thrilled to partner with Bon Secours; an organisation that are showing commitment to climate change and taking definitive action to reduce their carbon emissions
Yet, in the midst of all this uncer tainty, it s clear there exists a momentous oppor tunity An oppor tunity to embrace and accelerate the deployment of clean technologies to help achieve energy security and ultimately arrive at net zero
When it comes to climate change and the continued burning of fossil fuels business as usual is no longer an option Nursing homes and care homes provide a critical service ensuring patients and residents are cared for in a comfor table and warm environment The majority of facilities provide heating and hot water from fossil fuel boiler systems the fact is this must change As with ever y sector of society the care sector must become more sustainable But, when it comes to decarbonizing buildings and in par ticular heat there are significant challenges facing the care sector How do you decarbonise buildings rapidly cost ef fectively and without disrupting the critical service of caring for patients?
Not only does this technology replace the need for fossil fuels but it also produces multifunctional outputs that can be used for heating cooling and domestic hot water The EscoPod AZH also of fers significant energy ef ficiencies with savings of up to 70% and cost savings ranging up to 65%
The Challenge Facing the Care Sector
The Future is green
To suppor t the ongoing development and expansion of its EscoPod product range, ActionZero opened an Irish manufacturing and research & development centre in May 2022 From here the company will design and manufacture their heat pumps before expor ting them to clients internationally This site will create at least 50 high value engineering and manufacturing jobs locally With plans to invest €3m in the company over the coming three years, ActionZero projects sales growth of €50m over the next two years
touch
It’s time for Action!
The EscoPod Decarbonising Heat Rapidly & Without Disruption
Enter the ActionZero EscoPod
According to ActionZero COO Cormac Murphy ‘The EscoPod is coming to market at a time when companies are struggling to meet the increasing demands to decarbonise existing facilities We are excited to be part of the solution, supporting these businesses in their transition to zero emissions in a cost effective manner ’
Amongst the many benefits of this technology is the fact that it can be installed with minimal disruption i e , there is no need for costly building fabric or mechanical system upgrades which are typically required with conventional heat pumps This of fers many organisations a lifeline a realistic pathway to decarbonise their operations without enormous cost and business interruption
Lists of different activities that keep residents busy and entertained helping them to feel at home
• Relatable stories from people in similar situations, including residents and their families, to help them understand what life in the care home is really like
Reviews can even help to reduce the risk of a low CQC rating as you can identify areas for improvement before inspectors come in Achieving a good CQC rating is another way to reassure families that your care home is an excellent choice
Clear informative online reviews for your care home are an invaluable way to promote transparency They increase your credibility as you prove that your institution is open and honest This in turn helps families to feel confident that their loved one is in safe hands The more information that is available and the more posi tive testimonials they read the more likely a family is to trust your care home
Find out more about why online reviews are becoming so important for care homes at https://thecareruk com/why online reviews are becoming so important for care homes/
How Reviews Can Help Build Confidence in Your Care Home
PAGE 26 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 5
There are countless options out there mean ing it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or worried about making the right choice Add the emotional toll of these decisions and it’s not hard to see why people find it hard to pick a care home
‘In my opinion one of the most important lessons you can teach your staff is that they are the pilots of their own lives and what we think we become This lesson can be seen on the BrainSparx platform however I would also recommend remembering this for yourself Even in our darkest moments we must never forget that we are capable of creating positive change in our lives no struggle is permanent
AKW Extends its Range of Bidets
Considerate Ways To Support Employees Dealing With Stress and Anxiety has a bottom entry water feed
‘As a manger you’re responsible in part for the preservation of your employees’ health and wellbeing After an extremely challenging 24 months this is now more crucial than ever; as it s been reported that 1 in 6 working adults are suffering from stress depression anxiety or similar mental health has rightfully been positioned as a key priority among employers including those within the healthcare industry
Families look for several different things in care home reviews, including:
WHY REAL TIME FEEDBACK IS SO IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES
users
HOW REVIEWS CAN HELP IMPROVE YOUR CARE HOME
A consistent stream of reviews can enhance your brand presence online and increase conversion for poten tial customers Forget expensive and ineffective SEO tactics Google simply loves new, informative content The search engine is more likely to reward brands that display up to date content that is always being expanded on
WHAT FAMILIES LOOK FOR IN CARE HOME REVIEWS
Families are unlikely to trust a facility that only has a few reviews from back in 2015, and for good reason Why would they encourage their loved ones to live in a setting with so many unknown factors?
needs
With this in mind it’s vital that we never ignore signs of stress or anxiety in our employees; they may not come to us for help but that doesn’t mean they don’t need it After all it’s been reported that around 20% of employees feel they can t approach their managers with respective mental health issues We must be proactive Thankfully we have an ideal expert on hand to help Dr Ant The Brain Whisperer (www brain whisperer co uk) is a mindset specialist who helps businesses staff and CEOs alike enrich their mental health so as to improve their wellbeing and job satisfaction in turn To help you ensure your employees are supported he s now sharing his expertise
So how do you make it easier for families to trust your care home and be confident that you provide the best care? One way you can build confidence in your care home is by collecting and publishing reviews from current residents and their visitors
WHY ONLINE REVIEWS ARE CRUCIAL TO FAMILIES SEARCHING FOR SOCIAL CARE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES
it s important that you prioritise for your own mental health whilst paying close attention to that of your staff Mental health struggles often go unnoticed and as the care sector is home to demanding sensitive jobs that have only become more immersed in stress amid the pandemic this needs to be every employer s priority Thankfully you needn t do this alone; seek support from an expert invest in resources that ll support your team and remember that this is an ongoing responsibility
1 LISTEN AND ENGAGE
Word of mouth recommendations have always been highly regarded People are far more likely to trust an opinion from another person rather than a suggestion from an advert or a company
Reading these testimonies helps families make up their minds and feel secure in their choices as they should not have to leave their loved one’s future up to chance Reviews can equip them with the knowledge they need to make the best choices, and empower your care home to provide the best care possible
Choosing a care home is understandably diffi cult both for individuals entering the care setting and their families
Managing toilet hygiene independently is one of the key concerns of those who need car ers and for many using the toilet safely is one of the most important things they do each day That is why AKW a leading provider of bathroom accessibility solutions has extended its bidet range to ensure even more end users clinical and financial needs are met Seat like attachment bidet AKW offers the Side Entry Bidet that has been designed for installation on existing toilet pans and features an external side entry water feed This flexi bility means the bidet can be easily removed and re installed on another pan if required in the future However for a longer term seat attachment bidet solution AKW also offers its Bottom Entry Bidet that has been designed specifically for use with select pieces of sani taryware from AKW s Navlin and Navlin Doc M collections and
Now word of mouth recommendations are taking place online Individuals share their experiences and tips on the internet in a bid to inform others and help them make good choices Care homes should embrace this trend and use this as an opportunity to get the word out about their unique strengths
toilet pan seat height (410mm 610mm height range
Research shows that at least 40 reviews are needed for a person to trust a care home and 85 percent of people consider reviews that are more than three months old totally irrelevant Real time feedback gives resi dents a voice allowing them to talk about their own experiences
a
As a manger and/or business leader in the healthcare sector
One of the simplest and yet most effective things that you can do to support your staff is listen to them and genuinely engage They need to know that you truly care, have processed their feedback, and are willing to help If you can, sit down with your team members individually to catch up and establish any struggles they’re facing This way, you can help to create a plan for the workplace that’ll lessen their anxieties ’
Sometimes employees are apprehensive to raise their mental health concerns individually This may be a daunting prospect and the conversation may feel more comfortable in a group setting For this reason I would suggest considering a motivational speaker; by having an expert visit your employees in person and offer informed guidance surrounding mental wellbeing self confidence and success you can ensure your employ ees feel supported without any pressure
finished floor
staying
Many care homes do not encourage residents and their guests to shout about the facilities and staff that make a residence special The average number of reviews on Google for 400 care homes in the UK was only four and often these home residents or their families leave a single have a huge impact on your care home and the resi dents there
Proof that the care home can provide the kind of care their loved one requires These needs could include care for dementia respite old age challenging behaviour stroke epilepsy speech impairment and more • Reassurance that their loved one will be safe in their new home
A strong online presence achieved through reviews can make it easier to recruit great staff who want to work at an excellent facility Positive reviews also boost team morale letting current staff know that their hard work has been noticed and encouraging them to keep it up
By Suman Saha, Co founder and Medical Director at Doctify (https://www.doctify.com/uk)
4 NURTURE YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH
5 RECOGNISE THAT YOU’RE IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
set
top of bidet) can accommodate of different heights needs and ages and the fold up arms allow for ease of access (that support up to 18 8st (120kg) each) This bidet also facili tates wheelchair transfers and can help users safely navigate around the bathroom Ergonomic and contact free flushing The AKW Bidet Collection also includes a wide ergonomic bidet seat for optimum comfort An infrared sensor flush addition is also avail able for use with AKW s Navlin and Livenza Plus raised push button flush cisterns to enable contact free flushing where required AKW s Bidet Collection offers users an extensive range of competitively priced high qual ity bidet options that provide modern discreet toileting solutions To find out more download AKW s latest bidet range visit www akw ltd co uk/docu ment/akw bidet collection brochure/ For more information contact AKW on 01905 823298, Email: sales@akw ltd co uk or visit www akw ltd co uk See the advert on page 9 for further details to Meet Market Needs
‘As a leader, you can only enrich your employees wellbeing by focusing equally on your own If you are confi dent, happy, and flourishing, you will more easily be able to instil these feelings in your staff Equally, be honest with your staff; by showing that you’re human and discussing any problems you’ve personally overcome, you will not only build a strong team rapport but demonstrate the resilience that we are all capable of, with a helping hand along the way ’
Kind welcoming staff who can fulfil residents’ needs
reviews are several years old Fewer than 15 percent of care
‘Ensuring your employees have the resources to address feelings of stress and anxiety is crucial I would rec ommend investing in a platform which offers your staff access to expert led guidance information and support For example BrainSparx is a digital platform that s home to invaluable videos and advice which can help staff members re discover lost confidence and address these hurdles without feeling alone nor overwhelmed ’ 3 CONSIDER A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
The healthcare sector was put under immense unprecedented pressure during the pandemic and the consequences of this continue to be seen Many care workers themselves are struggling with stress and anxiety whilst managers and CEOs across the industry face feelings of burnout However despite the pandemic improving mental health awareness and acceptance, this continues to be a topic that many would rather not discuss; including care workers, who shoulder the responsibility of caring for our community’s most vulnerable
Flexible fitted bidet AKW has designed flexible height Rise & Fall bidet The height of the pan can be to meet everyone’s promoting toileting independence The easily adjustable from level to
2 INVEST IN SUPPORTIVE PLATFORMS
Evidence of high quality of care for res dents
review in a year This is a missed opportunity that can
Operating globally we source buy and blend the finest tea leaves so you can promise residents perfec tion with every sip
Tetley is No 1 in the foodservice sector 5 We’ve been serving quality cuppas to the nation for the past 185 years
“Eradicat ng
black tea remains a firm favourite
No of
And you did us proud We were truly overwhelmed the nomina tions we received and sent hundreds we are delighted to say! (And it did take us some time to plough through them all)!
perfect comforting
Designed with care professionals and caterers in mind the Tetley Hydration Handbook and Hydration Help Sheet offer insight and advice to help keep residents hydrated in all care environments!
Say Hello to the Winner of the Carer’s Afternoon Tea Week Competition…
NHS (2021) Water dr nks and your health nhs uk 3
ent dayparts
Dec 2019 5 Kantar World Panel L52W to Apr l 2022
We are delighted to announce that Hutton View care home Brentwood is the winner of our Afternoon Tea Week competition which we launched to celebrate one of our finest and quintessen tially great British traditions
That was it!
Once again we are sorry we could only pick one winner it was the most difficult of choices the nominations were truly wonderful and inspirational demonstrating the time effort care and dedica tion care homes around the country took to make afternoon tea week that extra special occasion!
Wentwor th Cour t Nursing Home Cheltenham Housteads Residential Care Home, Sheffield Nightingale Lodge Care Home, Hunstanton Sowerby House Care Home, Thirsk Amherst Cour t, Chatham Be more Lodge, Lymington Runwoodhomes Windmil House, Wymondham Haywood Lodge Care Home, Studley Southborough Nursing Home, Surbiton Torkington House West London Woodland View, Droitwich Spa THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 27
And some of our other wonderful entries:
tea
It can be hard to make sure your residents are drinking up to 8 glasses of water a day Tea counts towards the recommended daily water intake 2 this the beverage to serve as a way of keeping on top of hydration
making
As be to them a familiar
For The Cuppas That Show You Care
with Aquarate” openaccessgovernment org
So very well done to you all, and very well done of course to Hutton View Care Home
fruit and herbal options is important and goes
Whilst among drinkers having a range of tea blends including a long way in keeping your residents hydrated This way the day by catering to differ
Here at Tetley we understand the challenge of keeping your residents hydrated and the impor tant role a quality cuppa can play
bringing
1
you can maximise the opportunities to maintain hydration levels throughout
Carer Readers Celebrate Afternoon Tea Week 2022
...Hutton View Care Home in Brentwood
the nation’s favourite,4 by serving Tetley to your residents, you will
We have a range of free POS and merchandising material available to reassure residents that you serve the much loved taste of Tetley while having physical drink prompt reminders for staff Sources: Open Access Government (2022) dehydration elderly
2 Allegra UK World Panel Households Buying
2019 4 Kantar
3
Pro ect Tea
We wanted to encourage care homes to tap into the British Tradition of afternoon tea and delicious treats to help bring a bit of elegance and pomp to an otherwise “unremarkable time of day”
taste helping them relax and settle For the love of tea for the love of Tetley FOR THE LOVE OF TEA
A significant 20% of care home residents are dehydrated1 which can lead to hospital admission This is easily preventable by keeping hydrated
All that we asked was for care homes around the country to tell us about their tea week celebrations and send us some photo graphs of your events
Whilst we are tea masters we are also environmen tally conscious and committed to operating our busi ness in a way that supports the people and environment it touches With every Tetley cuppa that you and your residents drink you re helping us in reaching our sustainability and environmental goals MORE THAN JUST TEA
in the
With lots of refreshing fruit and herbal blends as well as Original and black tea Tetley has a solu tion for everyone when it comes to having a cuppa
EVERY CUPPA COUNTS
Everyone can benefit from free train ing! Parker Bell offers a free online PAT Testing course which is ideal Care Home Managers and maintenance staff It gives you all the information about your legal obligations and responsibilities It also covers practicalities such as:
BIOFROST® joint aches Enriched stimulates local blood flow muscle tension and joint stiffness and combats chronic pain include improved joint movements mobility pain relief in treated
• Where its used
Equipment needed
Hassle -and Stress- Free Bath Adaptations - Without Delay
amount of electrical equipment we now have in our homes makes sense
Vulnerable frames and architraves can also be protected from impact with Yeoman Shield to pre vent dangerous splintering and splitting as well as abolishing the time consuming repetitive need for repainting
(i e upper and lower back pain)
Probably everyone should do the course as it shows you basic electrical equipment safety; which given the
The core Aqua Liberty system uses suction technology to firmly attach to ANY bath Waterproof, infinitely mouldable vacuum posture cushions are attached to provide shaped support abduction and stabilisation exactly where needed head torso hips seat In this way the carer s hands are freed to safely concentrate on intimate care whilst minimising risk from stretching and weight bearing over the bath
Bath time it should be relaxing but if a client needs care support it is fraught with risk unless a major adaptation is undertaken
For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com or see the advert page 10
As a result of the pandemic many have found their working environment has changed dramatically You may no longer allow people/contractors on your premises PAT Testing is straightforward to do and can be easily managed in house Our free course will show you how you can PAT Test, and what’s more the HSE say any competent person can do it! How do you access the free PAT Testing Course?
AAT GB has developed a unique solution, that can eliminate the need for that major adaptation of replacing the bath and all the cost delay and disruption that entails It can be in place within 10 working days (subject to T&Cs)
Both employers and employees are responsible for inspecting and main taining electrical equipment in the work place So you should encourage all staff to do the course
Installing Yeoman Shield door protection products door protection panels edge protectors and PVCu glazing bead units will not affect the integrity of the fire door as all products have been tested in situ to the current standard required
What equipment do you need?
Frequency of PAT Testing is dependent on your Risk Assessment You need to include the routine inspec tion & maintenance of electrical equipment in your Risk Assessment and the risk should determine the fre quency Factors affecting the frequency include What the electrical equipment is How often ts’ used
Says Peter Wingrave AAT Director:
You can call us on 01392 364933 or email sales@parker bell co uk We are always happy to help!
with 10 herbal extracts BIOFROST® Active
greater
releases
Aqua Liberty is a game changer for supported bathing At a fraction of the cost and with none of the delay and disruption of replacing a standard bath for a specialist design Aqua Liberty provides a safe, supported, stable answer for client and carer alike ”
Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors
Who should do the course?
door
Relief and the BIOFROST® Active are natural topical gels that effectively relieve pain reduce inflammation and diminish swelling without drugs and drug related side effects Safe for people of all ages including the elderly and disabled people BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels work as standalone therapeutic modalities or alongside other interventions (i e drugs, physiotherapy, massage, etc ), providing affordable and long term cost effective solution to pain and discomfort BIOFROST® Relief Cold Gel contains only natural ingredients (i e ethanol menthol eucalyptus pepper mint MSM) for instant pain relief and to activate body s own healing Benefits are better joint movements last ing pain relief comfortable sleep fewer cramps calmed nerve pain reduced joint and muscular dis comfort less muscle fatigue puffiness and swelling BIOFROST® Active is a fast acting dual action cold gel with heat sensation for relief of muscular and
“Aqua Liberty has been the ideal answer for us as a care team The resident who needs it is now relaxed in the bath It is quick and easy to fit and remove It stows away compactly too That is really helpful in a bathroom that is used by other people and already includes a raft of assistive equipment We still have room to move ”
Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment to Patients That Are Isolating
ation of Yeoman Shield Fire ction products can also be nancially beneficial by halt ing impact damage from the start eliminating many repairs in the future and again will extend door lifecycles
The fact that we can upload what s relevant to the spe c fic Individual is so meaningful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears being able to be part of that res dents memory journey It has been an amazing add tion to our care home from staff and res dents thank you Pennine NHS Trust Beech Ward we have been able to pro vide therapeut c activity & enterta n ment w th ease to patients that are isolating To see what the
See the advert on the front cover
such as
How often should I PAT Test?
to provide correct postural support stabilisation and abduction wherever else required for daily life The Aqua Liberty system stows compactly away freeing up often restricted space in the bathroom for other users
Yeoman Shield s Fire Door Services can help to take the guess work out of fire door maintenance by providing fire door inspections condition reports remedial work and fire door installation all carried out by FDIS and/or FIRAS accredited team members
Activities Jolly Trolley® can do for you call us for a free demonstration on 0800 093 8499
• Who uses it
See the advert on page 11 Free Online PAT Testing Course We pride ourselves on the quality of our Taiwanese Anti piI fleece and the range of over 50 colours we offer We have been in the fabric trade for over 50 years and manufac turing our fleece blankets for over 20 years High volumes of our quality cosy fleece blankets are sold to the hospi tality nursery and pet sector This is due to the cost effectiveness of fleece along with the durability and washability The anti pil brushed sur face of the fabric lessens the bob ble effect found on many fleece fabrics of inferior quality Co ordination to a theme is nor mally achievable due to our wide range of colours and contrasting or matching edging stitch Own branding can be included in the man ufacturing process by adding a sewn in label Alongside our regular fleece blan kets which are available in a variety of sizes we currently have several clearance fleece options available in our two most popular sizes In keeping with our mission of the last 50 years along with all our other fabrics Ambassador Fleece Blankets offer great value for money backed up with the quality assurance and good service we have always offered Please contact a member of our helpful experienced sales team on 0161 624 4167 or info@ambassador textiles co uk for information and pricing See the advert on page 5 for details Ambassador Textiles Care homes are crucial for our society so it s important to ensure they re a safe setting to help staff carry out the best possible care With many family members and friends visiting their loved ones daily InVentry is essential to track who s entering and leaving your care home Visitors are met with a simple signing in process and their information is stored directly in the system This not only allows you to track who is onsite at any given time but it ensures an even faster sign in during repeat visits You can also ensure that the contractors you have onsite have the skills to do the job safely by asking custom questions before they sign in with options to include documents they may need to read upon arrival ensuring health & safety and the security of your site is always maintained InVentry can even help you become CQC and Care Inspectorate Compliant as our software allows you to receive star rated feedback from those who have vis ited your care home You can store this feedback within your system and note any actions taken to improve your processes and procedures! Head to our website: www inventry co uk or see the advert on page 7 Safeguard Your Care Home with InVentr y PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PAGE 28 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Adds Jane Turton Mencap home manager:
Fire Doors are an imperative part of fire safety and are consider ations of the design and maintenance of any building but especially residential Article 17 RRFSO states fire safety provisions (includes fire doors) must be main tained in a suitable con dition and working order
Full visual Inspect on How to do a PAT Test
Aqua Liberty provides a safe supportive pressure free option It forms perfectly and exactly round the bather to hold and support them safely There is no need for the carer to try and support them to suspend them safely during the execution of intimate hygiene care
It s simple, just go to www onlinepattestingcourse co uk Here you will be able to access the course, you just need an email address to sign up The course is made up of short modules and is simple to follow
Want to discuss further?
areas (i e back neck shoulders knees) discomfort free sleep less cramps and stiffness CE marked Class 1 Medical Devices, the BIOFROST® gels are made in Finland by Viking Lab Oy Distributed in the UK by Win Health Medical Ltd Win Health Medical Ltd / T: 01835 864866 / E: biofrost@win health com / W: www win health com See the advert on page 5 for details BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Pain Relief The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as it pro motes social interaction between the service users and their carers This innovative system is fully mobile and battery operated allow ing residents who may be unable to leave their rooms to also be includ ed w th 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 mag c! 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
Any competent person can PAT Test however you will need to use a PAT Tester that give you and outcome Pass or Fail It’s great if the PAT Tester has readings as well but they are not essential
Importantly the Aqua Liberty system is easily removed from the bath to allow its use by everyone else in the household The cushions themselves can be removed from the base
If you are the Responsible imperative you appoint a competent person to assist in meeting your duties under the fire safety order to ensure fire safety measures including fire doors are kept in working order
Having a good maintenance routine will dispel some needs of fire door replacement therefore being more cost effective
Benefits
What records to keep
Find out more about Aqua Liberty and book your free no obligation assessment here: https://www aatgb com/aqua liberty/
Care facilities typically exhibit significant but varied hot water and heating usage patterns which con tributes to the current 40% tally of UK greenhouse gas emissions generated by the built environment
managers owners and staff know what their residents need says James Mitton Managing Director of Mobility Furniture Company When we visit care homes we always gain valuable insights about real life situations for which our company can make a differ ence Working with these key members of staff we find solutions for residents and care home employ ees that make life more comfortable for everybody involved ” Call free today on 0800 810 8726 for a free brochure, or visit us at www mobilityfurniturecompany co uk/sale Furniture That Improves Health For Residents… And Staff Alliance Online Here at Alliance Online we are a com pany that have been operating in the care home and wider cater ing sector for over 23 years, we stock over a total of 20,000 products we understand the demands and needs for a care home especially in the upcoming Winter As the care home sector starts to stock up for the upcoming winter we believe that we can deliver certain necessities that will help cover and enhance the care home experience that many will be going through CHURCHILL SIMPLE MEASURES MUG Preventing dehydration and accurately measuring the amount required An example of an essential that a care home should be considering is the Churchill Simple Measures Mug that is designed to help care workers with being able to judge the perfect amount that is needed rather than trying to accurately meas ure by eye It doesn t need to be said the potential issues this can cause in terms of dehydration and precise drinking amounts PAPER HYGIENE From janitorial to paper hygiene and all in between Alliance Online can help any commercial care home with providing the necessary tools and appliances for the upcoming Winter It has happened on numerous occasions where a care home will run out of something they didn’t even know they were short on; this is why it is crucial that correctly restock ing the appropriate aspects of a care home are achieved in due time One of these sectors that will often be understocked is paper hygiene Toilet paper hand towels or facial tissues are used in abundance in the care home sector and need regular restocking For more information on our product lines or to see how we can help you and your business contact us on 01270 252 333 email us at hello@allianceon line co uk or visit our website www allianceonline co uk or see the advert on page 8 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 29
For free samples of our Anniversary Designs please log onto our website www skoposfabrics com Skopos Fabrics Ltd are dedicated to design, serv ice and best performance Our full service or fabric only option provides choice for our customers, with expertise in design, make up (curtains, cushions and bedding), fitting and installation Years of Design Excellence. Years of Skopos
Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions
Furthermore
Research has found that elevating the legs one of the main features of a rise and recline chair or adjustable bed reduces swelling of stiff and painful joints and enhances healing of injuries and wounds In fact experts have found that failure to elevate a limb can actually delay healing
Dr Rob Hicks popular celebrity media doctor acts as medical expert for Mobility Furniture Company
2022 marks the celebration of 50 years for Skopos fabrics! As a tribute to this milestone, throughout this year, we will be looking back at some of our favourite designs over this half century The 50th Anniversary Collection will see some of these authentic landmark designs reborn using contempo rary design production techniques The evolved designs will be developed in line with current trends for use within contract interiors today Each month
mission; it ensures that each wheelchair car rier model designed to cater to individual customers specific needs works with all stair types the company provides Stair Climbers for all ages them suitable everyone assessment
50
To help achieve climate neutral building stock by 2050 the industry is being challenged to reduce opera tional energy use over all other measures By increas ing the use of renewable energy supply and prioritising on site renewable energy sources the hope it to reduce both carbon and bills
Sustainability comes with a cost Whether in the form of new build projects or and far more likely the refurbishment of existing yet ageing facilities under standing the necessary capital investment operational savings and payback periods is going to be key
Another advantage of mobility furniture is that it helps care home residents sleep deeply and for longer stints which we all know is crucial to quality of life both physical and emotional Why? Because it allows people access to a range of sitting and lying positions that traditional chairs and beds simply do not have
even come with wheels a thoughtful touch for when residents struggle to walk between rooms And many come with wipe clean upholstery in case of unfortu nate spills
Some adjustable beds and rise and recline chairs
https://adveco co/sectors/healthcare/
All of these features reduce the workload for busy staff and improve the comfort of residents
AN UPBEAT APPROACH
WORKING WITH EXPERTS
Mobility furniture improves health of care home employees because it results in less lifting/weight bearing Press a button on the rise and recline chair and it supports the user to their feet Some adjustable beds have the same feature
and
for customers If you would like to find out any more information please see the details below: T 01787 379160 www thestairclimbingcompany com See the advert on page 7
Consort Claudgen launches Consort Connect app
Stair Climbing Company maintains one main
build our furniture with you in mind Telephone: +44 (0)1606 593456, Email: info@renrayhealthcare com www renrayhealthcare com or see the advert on page 3 for details Renray Healthcare Watch your resident s eyes light up when the beautiful tea trolley arrives! Euroservice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents How about a delicious snack/pastry trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents! Visit www euroservice uk com or see the advert on page 5 Ser ve Afternoon Tea in Style with Euroser vice
Consort Claudgen have launched Consort Connect app which allows users to have complete control over their heat ing remotely via their smartphone or tablet The app is free and downloadable from Google Play or Apple Store It can control Consort’s Wi Fi enabled heaters and SL heaters connected to an SLPBWIFI wireless controller It gives quick access to four operating modes and provides a 7 day timer with twenty four heating peri ods per day It is easy to set up and users can configure the settings of all connected heaters on
50
tation is for specification to default to a mixture of heat pumps and direct electric afterheat New system approaches including prefabricated packaged plant rooms also provide for better use of the spaces that already exist without the need to undertake expensive and disruptive building projects This is especially valid as demands for beds continue to increase, placing new demands on care facilities
these new designs will be brought to life as prints perfect for Care Interiors available on a wide choice of Skopos base cloths
and offers a free
Adveco can help achieve emission reduction targets With more than 50 years of specialised expertise in designing, supplying, and servicing hot water systems to the nursing and care industry, Adveco is the single resource you need for independent expert technical guidance on choosing and developing bespoke sus tainable applications today to get you on the right path towards net zero operation
WHAT ABOUT CARE HOME STAFF?
Mobility furniture can make life that little bit easier for people particularly those who struggle to do things that we often take for granted like sitting down and standing up Dr Hicks says It is great to be working with a forward thinking company that celebrates improving quality of life for older individuals
for
Addressing the efficiency of domestic hot water (DHW) systems whether through the implementation of heat pumps solar thermal direct electric water heating or even simple modernisation of existing gas appliances helps care facilities meet sustainability goals in a practical and cost effective manner It also delivers improved year round conditions for staff and clients in care providing access to spaces better suit ed to delivering medical care and assisted living For buildings already on gas and that rely on large amounts of DHW a large proportion of current UK care and nursing home properties solar preheat is the preferable option For new build properties the expec
HOW DOES MOBILITY FURNITURE BENEFIT CARE HOME RESIDENTS?
The Stair Climbing Company is one of the leading providers of powered Stair Climber solu tions which have been specifi cally designed to assist those struggling with mobility and independence issues facing people with disabilities
an excellent range of compact easy to use powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commer cial settings Offering innovative designs all of the company’s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition all of its Stair Climber’s come with a two year manu facturer’s warranty
making
the app Users can also view the energy consumption statistics Other features include a lock function open window tracking and response capability, and custom automations There is a self learning control ability utilising occupan cy and temperature sensors however this is only available on the SLPBWIFI controller and Consort heaters with Wi Fi and occupancy sensor
The
to improve quality of life through its range of high quality and custom devices with built in seats The safety and comfort of its customers is of the utmost importance to the company and
Sustainable Water For design and
For more information, contact our sales at 01646 692172 or visit www consortepl com or see the advert on page 6
& Cost-Effective Hot
Mobility furni ture has come on leaps and strides over the last few years Gone are the dreary semi functional chairs and beds of the past Today’s generation of rise and recline chairs and adjustable beds look smart, last for years and are better designed and more com fortable than ever before Even people without mobili ty problems are buying them especially when they are made to measure giving that perfect fit
Care Homes Renray Healthcare has been producing high quality furniture for over 50 years and is one of the UK s largest and leading suppliers to the healthcare sector Whether you require a fast efficient delivery of quality furniture or a full room installation and fitting service we have the experience and resources to handle your contract We manufacture and assemble our products in our own purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe to British Standards Hence we are able to ensure your furniture is produced to the highest quality working with you to plan and meet your projects time sched ule and budget We understand you are purchasing furniture that is fit for purpose stylish and will continue to perform well into the future which is why we
Many of our fabrics are antimicrobial com ing under the umbrella of Skopos ProtectPlus Skopos offer a full range of fabrics including upholsteries plus made to measure curtains bed ding and cushions for Care Interiors To request a quote for new curtains bed throws and cushions for Care please contact our sales team 01924 436666
As with all Skopos prints customers will be able to order the Anniversary designs across base cloths for upholstery curtains and bedding Qualities include waterproof upholsteries velvets drapery linen effect qualities and blackout/dimout fabrics
The Stair Climbing Company offers
Most residents need to avoid pressure sores and again mobility furniture helps by pressing a button on the chair or bed to gently ease people into different positions The alternative is a member of staff shifting the resident to a new position at risk to their own health
is
Mobility Furniture Company is one of the biggest mobility furniture companies in the UK Its wide geo graphical spread of representatives takes furniture to care homes for managers staff and residents to assess
Care home
10 Stay upright for at least 30mins after eating and drinking
co uk)
50% of people with Parkinson s Disease
Up to 19% of people with mental health illness where there is a link between dysphagia and side effects of med ication
5 High Risk Foods to avoid:
2 Signs, Symptoms and Characteristics
Dysphagia is a Difficult Diagnosis to Swallow
(www
• Difficulty managing specific foods textures or drinks e g excessive chew ing spitting food out losing food from the mouth food and drink remain ing in the mouth after attempted swallows
Dysphagia can occur in all age groups Swallowing difficulties can occur as a result of a wide range of conditions
1 What is Dysphagia?
However in the adult population dysphagia affects 95% of people with Motor Neurone Disease
2 Reduce distractions whilst eating and drinking
65% of people who have had a stroke
4 Eat slowly 5 Take small mouthfuls of food and fluid
8 Swallow twice on every mouthful
PAGE 32 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Language Therapy (Health Care)
4. Top 10 Safe Swallowing Tips:
By Carla Bartlett, Director of at Cygnet Health and Dominique St Clair Miller Director of Speech and at Cygnet Health Care cygnethealth
6 Pause between mouthfuls of food and fluid
• Coughing, throat clearing and/or choking when eating or drinking
3 Statistics
Hard Foods Boiled or chewy sweets, toffees nuts, seeds, large pieces of tough/chewy meat
Refusal of food and drink
Malnutrition e g losing weight weak skin hair loss
Dehydration E g Constipation strong urine UTI s
Dysphagia is the medical name for difficulties in swallowing Dyshagia puts a person at risk negative health consequences such as aspiration asphyxiation and/or choking malnutrition and dehydration which can all be life threatening If these risks are not managed appropriately people are at high risk of poor health hospital admissions and reduced quality of life Dysphagia is secondary to a primary condition such as neurological disorders e g stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Wilson’s Disease, head injury; head and neck cancer e g laryngeal cancer; disorders associated with the elderly disorders associated with trauma e g smoke inhalation; tracheostomy; ventilator dependent individuals; and learning disability to name a few Dysphagia can also be drug induced e g side effects of medication, and arise as a result from the treatment of diseases e g radiotherapy Swallowing may become difficult because the muscles and nerves used for chewing and swallowing become weak or uncoordinated Food or drink can go down the wrong way into the lungs instead of the stomach This could lead to serious conditions such as recurrent chest infections and aspiration pneumonia
Husks and Bread: Sweetcorn Bread crusts, Granary bread, Baguettes Stringy, Fibrous Texture: Raw vegetables and salad items, on ons raw hard fru t, melted cheese, Pickled vegeta bles, Bacon fat sausages
The majority of us enjoy snacks, meals and drinks without much thought or effort, for some people living with dysphagia this can be a difficult and frightening experience with potentially significant conse quences on health and quality of life
3 Avoid talking with food in your mouth
• Vegetable and Fruit Skins: Orange segments, grapes, tomatoes, apple peppers, potatoes, beans, potato skins
Speech and Language Therapy (Social Care)
• Mixed Consistency Foods: Cereals that do not blend with milk mince with thin gravy, soup with lumps soaked bread
There are also lots of things you can do to create an environment that is safer for eating and drinking Simple strategies like sitting upright, creating a calm environment, switching off the radio or TV and limiting conversation can make the difference for many individuals who require support It is important that we raise awareness of this life altering condition and are alert to its signs and symptoms to ensure those diagnosed with dysphagia are able to continue living a full and fulfilling life
CATERING FOR CARE
Reporting difficulties with swallowing med cation
9 Have small more regular meals
There are certain food textures which can be harder to manage if you have dysphagia As part of the assess ment process Speech and Language Therapists will provide specific guidance on how to make eating and drink ing enjoyable but safe experiences They will advise of any foods that may carry greater risks these may include: Crunchy Foods: Crunchy Toast Flaky pastry Dry biscuits Crisps Crumbly Items Bread crusts Pie crusts Crumble Dry or flaky biscuits
1 Sit upright when eating and drinking
Imagine that every time you are faced with eating food you feel tense and fearful you are terrified you might choke You barely have an appetite anymore and over time you lose weight when you don t mean to Imagine that every time you take a drink you cough and splutter so you avoid drinking to the extent that you become dehydrat ed and experience frequent urine infections This can be the reality for people living with dysphagia This is the reality for 560 million people worldwide At Cygnet Health Care Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) assess diagnose and formulate management plans to support individuals with different aspects of eating drinking feeding and/or swallowing difficulties The ultimate aim is to ensure safer swallowing whilst balancing quality of life with individ uals preferences and beliefs Our SLTs will seek support from other health care professionals where necessary They will also make recommendations based upon the difficulties an individual is experiencing Sometimes this will include positioning advice adaptive equipment specific oral motor / sensory exercises or swallow tech niques and food and fluid texture modification However for others simply managing the speed at which they eat or prompting them to take smaller mouthfuls and chewing for longer can be enough
FIVE FACT BOXES
68% of people with dementia living in care homes 15% of people with a learning disability
Care
• Repeated chest infections or those that requ re multiple treatments to clear
Imagine that every time you are invited out for a meal you have to think about whether you will be able to chew and safely swallow the food on the menu Imagine that you are told it is not safe for you to eat your favourite food anymore as it is considered high risk for choking
Anxiety around mealtimes food drink or when eating and drinking
Dysphagia is associated with an increased morbidity, increased mortality and a reduced quality of life People may experience the following signs, symptoms and characteristics which carry serious consequences:
7 Avoid high risk foods
Softer Foods, we believe that everyone should look forward to tasty, safe, and nutritious texture modified meals The It’s Made For You range is designed for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework standards and includes valuable nutrition
The mobilisation of the new catering suppliers and the transfer of existing ones to allmanhall was smoothly managed and supported expertly allmanhall s approach provides my team with reassurance and peace of mind ”
We recognise that everyone is busy so we have crafted a menu cycle that can be readily adopted by any care setting with the knowledge that the menu is nutritionally balanced and has been approved by a professional dietitian
Anglia Crown – Offering You The Complete Package
www allmanhall co uk
chicken beef lamb fish and vegetarian recipes We also offer a tasty selection of lighter bites desserts and breakfast options as well as mini meals for those with smaller appetites
The summer of 2022 will be long remembered as a hot one For many espe cially in the care sector perhaps it was a little too hot! As we are now moving towards autumn our thoughts are turning once again to those warming meals and the feeling of comfort that only good, wholesome food can bring
As winter approaches care homes are faced not only with the spiralling cost of food but also extraordinary energy price increases Heating and eating will be very real challenges faced by many allmanhall are able to ease some of the pressure faced by care homes Through negotiations, tendering and supplier management on behalf of care caterers, allmanhall are delivering value and support allmanhall s benchmarks on food costs give average savings of 12%
At It s Made For You we offer a delivery service that cares making it easy and convenient for our customers to eat delicious meals which can be delivered directly and safely to their homes This helps them if they cannot leave the house or go to the shops Plus people love to use our service as they can rely on a regular delivery of good quality and safe meals directly to their door by a friendly local Oakhouse Foods delivery driver Find out more at www Itsmadeforyou co uk
Our range of meals have also been developed to ensure the nutritional content will meet the nutritional needs of your patients whilst they follow a texture modified diet Research has shown that up to 50% of people with dysphagia are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition There could be numerous reasons for this including a reduced appetite or the inability to consume large quantities of food in one sitting Our range of classic and mini meals can help to ensure your patients are getting the most nutritional value from the food they consume The use of pre prepared It’s Made For You meals can also be a practical time saver and bring peace of mind to the person with dysphagia
Delicious, Safe Meals Delivered from It’s Made For
What s more additional categories such as janitorial and medical supplies recently showed savings of over 15%
You
Can Your Homes Afford Not To Work with
The range includes over 80 tasty dishes including
CATERING FOR CARE
The support goes further than that allmanhall provide advice on how to maximise catering budgets It s so important for care caterers to have information regard ing which products are stable and which are volatile when it comes to price movement allmanhall do exactly this For example having a greater proportion of stable products making up your residents menus will make it easier to manage the impact of rising prices
There’s currently a harsh spotlight on homes without
Nutritious, And
Texture Modified
Our current range includes Crown Choice and Crown Advantage meals avail able frozen with Crown Choice also available as chilled products We are always looking to keep our dishes current and reflecting current trends which is why we are now offering more vegetarian and vegan dishes than ever before The company now offers over 70 vegan and vegetarian dishes many have been accredited with the Vegan Society This approach led to the company being named a Veggie Wholesaler of the Year
strong procurement practices Despite chefs working tirelessly to cost recipes source the best value ingredi ents manage portion control and waste some will con tinue to struggle to produce food at a low cost without the experience of a procurement team to manage and negotiate price increases for them allmanhall also reduce the pressure on finance resources by consolidating billing and providing admin efficiencies and further savings
The two week cycle offers something for everyone Where a bulk service is required for resident dining we have it covered a similar menu using Crown Advantage dishes can be similarly employed The specially designed menu is cost effective, as it has already considered the financial balancing that is required in our sector and just as importantly it also helps with any staffing issues that you might encounter allowing properly trained Care Assistants to help with the complete delivery of the meals to your residents
St Martins Care
Why not visit the allmanhall team on stand 8 at the NACC TDF to find out more?
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 33
Mary Wedge Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown comments; “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we are proud to be a trusted partner with the care sector providing quality nutritious food 365 days a year We will con tinue to review our menus adapting to your needs whilst maintaining our vision of driving excellence in residential and care home catering The current range is now available Visit www angliacrown co uk for further details or contact us on sales@angliacrown co uk
Here at It’s Made For You
Allmanhall To Mitigate Rising Food Prices?
We make it our business to ensure that all clients fully adhere to the industry regula tions whilst providing a solution that is tailored the individual requirements For a small operation, or where space is of a premium, Miele’s Little Giants deliver on every level
They offer the utmost in utility flexibility and product quality whilst providing a stackable option to minimise their footprint and allow for easy scalability Our Complete Care pack age gives access to premium brands with no initial capital outlay comprehensive user training and support and a same/next day engineer response www forbespro co uk info@forbes professional co uk 0345 070 2335 How Efficient Is Your Laundr y Operation? THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 35 Girbau offers energy efficient high productivity laundry equipment for efficient in house laundry operation with control of turnaround times and quality of finish Visit Stand F51 at The Care Show NEC Birmingham 12 13 October to discover Girbau’s innovative new GENIUS Series Internet enabled wash ers with Sapphire software for remote performance and disinfection monitoring Designed to lower water and energy consumption while boosting pro ductivity Girbau GENIUS washers offer unmatched durability and a high degree of programmability together with high speed spinning and auto matic chemical dosing Additional features include robust chassis design high water extraction gentle Care Plus drum and an easy to use 10 inch colour user interface Girbau s Sapphire remote control software gives easy flexible and versatile control You can manage the laundry compile production reports and analyse data remotely in real time from any device In healthcare settings Sapphire can be used to configure washers to oper ate and record the use of thermal disinfection programs Girbau laundry support services include site surveys for refurbishment projects laundry design and production of full M&E CAD drawings Girbau can also advise on machine choice, clean and dirty area demar cation disinfection safe handling and operating procedures Maintenance and servicing remain key considerations for operators of on premise laundries With a team of company trained engineers and direct access to the factory for spare parts Girbau is able to respond quickly to any urgent customer calls with high levels of first time fixes Girbau UK s service operation supports on premise laundries for every type and scale of business from single premises to nationwide multi site operations Girbau UK was recently awarded We Invest in People Silver Accreditation by Investors in People Tel: 01462 427780 Email: sales uk@girbau com Website www girbau co uk Discover Girbau Laundr y Innovation at the Care Show
Clearly within any healthcare environment hygiene is of paramount importance and our Miele commercial laundry and dishwashing equipment ensures full compliance with all WRAS and QCQ stipulations With both sluice and thermal disinfection to kill viruses and bugs, our equipment eliminates any risk of cross contamination
With soaring energy costs and the care sector’s increasingly stringent hygiene and safety requirements it has never been more critical that care providers establish appropriate laundry operations It is important to note that upon inspection by the CQC domestic machines will not suffice within any care home as they fall short of the necessary guidelines for waste disposal and infection control New commercial laun dry machines can enable significant savings in both water and energy consumption whilst adhering to all applicable industry guidelines Notably heat pump dryers can consume up to 70% less energy than standard dryers, making them a hugely popular, and considerably more cost and environmentally efficient choice
Forbes Professional is a family run company established in 1926 that provides Miele s commercial laundry from our expansive nationwide infrastructure Our large network of in house field engineers allows us to deliver a multi award winning local based service to both small care homes and national care operators We have a solid understanding of the industry requirements and our dedicated account managers deliver a consultative service from complimentary site survey to on going service sup
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS
port
Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost, improve efficien cy and streamline supply chain management and will fully pro tect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories
We can complete a free of charge energy survey
This was a extreme case but when the laundry door is shut are you really aware what your dryers are costing you to operate?
Replacement of two of older machines can offer a hourly saving of a minimum of 20kwh which based of a 8 hour working day of 160kWh daily!
See the advert below for fur ther information
ing to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS www.laundrytec.com 0151 317 3127 info@laundrytec.com LaundryTec Ltd offer a unique approach to laundry equipment We don’t want to replace equipment or sign you into a long ter m agreement LaundryTec want to support your existing equipment, through PPM, Gas Safe Compliance and Quality emergency support BEFORE AFTER Quality, Innovation and Support We are also Lavamac distributors For 10% discount on all woven and iron non ametapes, add CARE2022 at the checkout! Valid to 31/10/2022
Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels woven badges care labels branded and promo tional swing tags garment accessories packaging and bar coding Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers brand by assist
Labels- “The Name
Cash’s Behind
Can you afford not to investi gate what your laundry is costing?
In these times of uncertainty with everyone facing ever increas ing energy costs do you really know how much it costs to operate your laundry dryers? Energy effi ciency has advanced enormously of the past few years and our Lavamac LDR350 has a connect load of 26 4 kWh
Recently we supplied 3 x LDR490 24 kg dyers and
Our LDR dryers can offer a return on investment that would make your head spin faster than on of our washers!
Visit www cashslabels com or see the advert on this page
At Cash s, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients brand equity through quality and innovation from design to distribution
the Name” Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising. PAGE 36 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Laundr yTec - Innovation and Support as Standard
replaced 3 x 37kg dyers and reduced the energy consumption from 210kwh to 90kwh!
Many older dryers are rated at a minimum of 36kwh
Countering Unseen Fire and Water Risks
TR19® Grease contains advice that property manager should choose as a member of BESA's Vent Hygiene Elite (VHE) scheme to provide these specialist services VHE members like Swiftclean can also provide post clean certificate certification which insurers are increasingly expecting to see, especially in the event of a fire, to demonstrate the property owners or managers compliance with the regulations
The cost of living crisis is also having a big impact on care services, and it is important that care homes look at their cleaning regimes and establish what products deliver the best outcomes whilst at the same time are the best value for money People often say that
How to Improve Confidence in the Care Sector
Professor Martin Green (https://pgpro co uk/en gb/)
OBE is an Expert Advisory Council member for P&G Professional
and the Chief Executive of Care England
In order to rebuild confidence after a global pandemic we have to ensure that we do things efficiently but above all we have to make sure that our services are hygienic and free from infection
The tragic loss of so many residents in the first stages of the Covid 19 pandemic has been exacerbated by the quarantine requirements of the Government It is vital that the care sector starts to think strategically about how it builds confidence to re establish positive relationships with the public and the people who will be future residents
Behind the scenes in a care setting the safety and wellbeing of service users partly depends on expert clean ing of kitchen and laundry ductwork as well as clean, safe water, ad Gary Nicholls, MD or duct cleaning and legionella risk experts Swiftclean, explains
Recent data suggests that the care home population has reduced by about 8% and this is due to many factors but the consequence is reduced occupancy and reduced income
The rise in Covid 19 cases over the last few months has further undermined people s confidence in the sector and care homes now have to do even more to reconnect with the public and improve confidence in our services Covid 19 also put a very clear focus on the issue of hygiene and infection control and people who are considering residential care are starting to ask more questions about cleaning and hygiene regimes
P&G Professional is well known and respected and has a range of notably superior cleaning and sanitising products for the health and care sector In recent years, the focus has been on Covid 19, but we must not forget there is a range of other viruses Norovirus and the flu virus have all been significant challenges for care homes but products such as Flash Professional Disinfecting Multi Surface Cleaner have been proven to kill these viruses as well as COVID 19
Care must also be taken in ensuring that the water system is free from Legionella bacteria
effective way to remove these
However there are many challenges facing the care sector Energy costs are soaring in the UK and this is of course having a massive impact on care providers Helping mitigate the effects P&G Professional products are formulated to provide an outstanding clean even in one wash on a short cycle or indeed when the temperature of the wash has been reduced
CLEANING & HYGIENE
A second frequently overlooked fire safety cleaning task is for removal of dust fibre and lint from laundry extract ductwork Tumble dryer fires are surprisingly frequent especially in their extract ductwork The drying process resulting a significant buildup of ductwork deposits which are highly flammable and should be regu larly removed to eliminate the fire risk Cleaning in accordance with TR19® also issued by BESA it s the most
If you have a mechanical ventilation system you will almost certainly have fire dampeners installed where the ductwork passes from a side room to a corridor to reinstate the compartmentalisation provided by an internal fire resistant wall Fire dampness comprise a set of steel louvres which normally remain open to allow the flow of air through the ventilation system but which automatically close in the event of a fire to delay it spread These must be 'dropped tested' at least every twelve months, in accordance with BS: 9999, to ensure that they will close if needed Any that fail must be repaired and re tested
Visit https://pgpro co uk/en gb/ to see P&G Professional's full range
The water system must be managed in accordance with L8 the approved code of practice issued by the HSE If you need any assistance which with legionella control you should choose a certified member of the legionella control Association to help you Visit www swiftclean co uk for further information and advice
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 37
Ductwork cleaning and fire dampness testing a specialist task and should be conducted by technicians with appropriate competence and training
No matter how healthy your kitchen kitchen extract ductwork must be regularly cleaned in order to remove the grease deposits that arise from cooking People often think that this grease layer must be really thick in order to pose a fire risk However the specification TR19® Grease which governs kitchen extract hygiene issued by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) requires for grease layer to be controlled with in an average of 200 microns This is about half the thickness of an average business card Anything more than this thin layer represents a significant fire risk The only solution to this problem is a reg ular complete removal of the grease layer by specialist TR19® Grease cleaning
The elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to Legionnaire s Disease the potentially fatal disease caused by Legionella You are legally required to always have a current Legionella risk assessment, which must be updated if there are any changes at all to the water system, owner ship of the property or designated Responsible Person
The effects of Covid 19 are still being felt across the care sector In recent months we have seen significant increases in the levels of Covid infection and despite that the rest of society seems to have moved on social care services are still on the front line of a global pandemic
if they see familiar products and recognise familiar smells when they go into a care home this gives them confidence in the cleaning regime and also a sense of homeliness
lifetime
In the transfer of an NHS Trust from one disinfectant to another there are many factors to con sider from ease of use to effica cy against healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) For many years, Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust (DBTH) used a chlorine dioxide (ClO2) based product as their universal one application quick kill rate disinfection solu tion When the supplier announced it was to cease pro duction they had to find a replacement solution Whilst scoping the market it was found that most trusts were using chlorine based disinfectants or a different brand of ClO2 based disin fectants Most other solutions were complicated in their mechanism or required a cleaning and disinfecting clean (two stage), which would be time consuming Information was sort from the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) to see what products were commonly used throughout the country and this is where DBTH were informed about Peracide™ an in situ peracetic acid (ISPAA) based disinfectant After further discus sion with the company, it was agreed that a trial should take place to confirm the claims of the product The product was introduced to the microbiologist and Director Infection Prevention & Control (DIPC) our Facilities management team and Health and Safety advisor The process of using the product needed to meet the needs of facilities and Health and Safety and the approval of the DIPC that the product had a successful kill rate to reduce HCAIs DBTH did plate assays to ensure its efficacy and when satisfied trialled Peracide on two wards to test its efficacy and ease in use
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Hygiene or
gets
by Research)
The results show that there is no cumulative effect of cleaning from the ClO2 based disinfectant as the counts at the end of the day were no different from before or after the clean The ClO2 based disinfec tant showed approximately no efficacy overall In comparison Peracide™ showed good efficacy to begin with and an overall reduc tion prior to the next clean
(hons)
levels
of Peracide™ from Sky Chemicals to Doncaster
Ali
On the other hand Peracide™ was considerably more effective and had lasting effect in a high traffic environment Peracide™ coming in a simple tablet form is easy to use is indicative of efficacy and is sta bilised in solution This accumulates to an easy to use visibly effica cious disinfectant with cumulative effect that supports long term infection control
“The staff are very happy with it!” Jayne, Ravenstone Care Home
Bassetlaw
Legionella
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cleaning had not been performed on either side room with Peracide™ prior to this test The results show that the ClO2 based disin fectant showed no effect at the intervals measured
Here are two of our satisfied customers:
Peracide
For further information see the facing
developed with
Thank you to the participants at DBTH for engaging in this trial and to the laboratory team who performed the necessary assays REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
Overall it was found that the ClO2 based disinfectant was almost entirely ineffective and was not suitable for use There are many possi ble reasons for this It could be a case of error in preparation as the for mulation can be difficult to use correctly, or that the solution was no longer efficacious as there is no indicative mechanism for the user It may also be an issue with the ClO2 based disinfectant in solution ClO2 exists as a gas which readily diffuses out of liquid solution with a diffu sion coefficient of 0 145cm2s 1 at room temperature (Lee Burgess Rubino and Auras, 2015)
Pneumoniae
Carol Scholey (RGN, BSc Liam Grimshaw (BSc MSc
(hons))
using
Peracide a powerful dual action oxidising agent that tar proteins, peptides amino acids of all pathogens, whilst surfactants and remove soil, making it perfect for cleaning and disinfecting in 1 easy process This versatility means it can replace other products and be safely used any
and
wide range of healthcare associated pathogens including spore form ing Clostridium difficile MRSA Norovirus Legionella E Coli Pseudomonas etc and will work to destroy established biofilms Peracide™ is both safe to use and environmentally friendly and is suit able for high level sanitising and disinfecting on porous and non porous surfaces Unlike other disinfectants Peracide™ is minimally affected by organic matter Upon breakdown Peracide™ is completely biodegradable producing carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen
page
kitchens
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 protect ed ones but with lower price tags You can order Angloplas products directly from its web site by going to www angloplas co uk and clicking Hospital Health and by the was the help of Prof Peter Wilson and Shanom of UCLH microbiological has been tested to all known
Peracide s innovative colour change sys tem makes it easy for users to see when it is active The solution turns purple to show peracetic acid is being generated pink when the solution is ready to use and clear when ready to be disposed of This ensures no solution is wasted or used while inactive
A New Frontier for Control of Winter Bugs
Pseudomonas
From this data, routine cleaning CFU counts with Peracide™ can be predicted Since there were slightly fewer CFUs than the pre clean it can be predicted that Peracide™ will lead to a cumulative effect over time as shown in Figure 2: Predicted cumulative effect of daily cleaning with Peracide
product
bacteria such
Lee Y Burgess G Rubino M and Auras R 2015 Reaction and diffusion of chlorine dioxide gas under dark and light condit ons at different temperatures Journal of Food Engineering 144 pp 20 28
where including washrooms and on any surface including stainless steel and fabrics is also recommended for use on equipment such as commodes bed frames and mobility aides It produces no toxic by products so it s safe for both your users and the environment
Salmonella and mould by up to 99 99%
Norovirus
As an alternative to a ClO2 based disinfectant Peracide™ was selected Peracide™ is a broad spectrum biocide, reacting to produce peracetic acid in situ which is a high level disinfectant that boasts strong, oxidizing properties Peracide™ is extremely effective against a
pathogens including:
This emphasises the absolute importance of regular routine cleaning and shows that Peracide™ is effective both in short and long term use DISCUSSION
C Difficile
Two side rooms on the same ward were selected The occupants were of similar admissions reasons and neither of which had any alert organisms so did not occupy the room for isolation purposes RESULTS
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TRIALS TRAINING DEMONSTRATIONS CALL US NOW www peracide co uk
Dr
is
info@skychemicals co uk
PAGE 38 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Introduction and NHS Trust Help 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 of the reducing of as
Quick Response code CLEANING & HYGIENE It s important to protect your residents from the rising rate of infections during the winter season and Peracide is the ideal solu tion Peracide is a colour activated in situ per acetic acid disinfectant tested to over 70 EN BS EN and ASTM standards It s even tested to kill COVID 19 at 1000ppm in only 30 sec onds in soiled conditions It
laboratory and
E coli
kill
Angloplas Dispensers
AND
MRSA E Coli Legionella
Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in pro ducing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry Angloplas range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion
clean
“The colour system works really well ” Nikki, Aucklands Rest Home
Available via NHS Supply Chain Product Code: Peracide 3g: MFB1002 or Peracide 6g: MFB1005 and via Bunzl
Streptococcus
In recent years, the need for rapidly efficacious high level disinfec tants has increased as HCAIs have become a significant issue HCAIs negatively impact the patient recovery, turnover and average cost by increasing the length of patient stays increasing costs associated with care increasing pathogenic effects and increasing the risk of spread to another patient
Last but not least at SEBO we believe that vacuum cleaners should be built to last and should be easily repairable Our vacuum cleaners are built to be durable and reliable; to have a long service life using few replacement parts Component parts are identified with the material they are made from so that they can be recycled more easily when their service life is over For more details contact commercial@sebo co uk
Clearly, a vacuum cleaner’s number one task is to clean The XP range harnesses the power of an on board computer to measure performance on the floor and continuously adjust the floor head to the optimum cleaning height completely automatically The power ful brush action pulls the vacuum cleaner forward so that the pushing force required to manoeuvre it is close to zero helping to make it light and easy to use for extended periods but also giving deep cleaning performance The integrated wand and hose mean that cleaning above the floor and reaching into awk ward places is easy The computer can also advise when the bag needs changing or when there is a blockage and the multiple access points and cassette style brush roller make the XP easy to maintain
The XP range of upright vacuum cleaners from SEBO are ideal for these health conscious times They feature independently proven filtration hygienic dirt disposal using sealable bags and are exceptionally quiet and light to use
Above this particle size the filtration level is very close to 100%
Many professionally cleaned facilities operate 24/7 It is therefore not always possible to vacuum when no one is around In these cases low noise levels are imperative Although there are regulations limiting the sound power level that a vacuum cleaner can reach subjectively the sound generated can still be unpleas ant even where the vacuum cleaner meets the regula tions SEBO sound engineers have successfully muted the harsh frequencies to which the human ear is sensi tive This has the result that with any form of back ground noise, the sound from the XP virtually disappears, making it suitable in many cases for day time cleaning Indeed, in any situation where low noise levels are important the XP range is ideal
Of course, once dirt is picked up, it is essential that it is retained in the vacuum cleaner and not released back into the air The Health and Safety Executive states that we never assume that any dust is safe and that all uncontrolled dusts are potentially hazardous Virtually all the dust and dirt which is picked up by an XP vacuum cleaner is safely trapped in the high filtra tion bag which can be sealed and hygienically dis posed of The filtration of the XP has been independently tested by the DMT Test Institute in Germany to filter 99 97% of particles of 0 3 micron
SEBO XP – Power with Responsibility THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 39 CLEANING & HYGIENE www.percacide.co.uk info@peracide co uk 0114 278 0222 Win the battle on Infection Control With a new generation of disinfection technology 10 reasons to change to Peracide Kills all known microorganisms including C difficile spores, E coli, MRSA, Legionella, Norovirus, Covid 19, Influenza and many more Innovative Colour Activation System Greater oxidiser than Chlorine and Hydrogen Peroxide Clean, disinfects and deodourises in one operation Works in the presence of organic salt Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non toxic and non corrosive Safe for use on patient mobility and shared equipment Non sticky and leaves minimal residue Full microbiological test report Long lasting solution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Available from Peracide Product Code: 3g MFB1002 or 6g MFB1005 or Sky Chemicals Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
It is a good idea to notify your GP if you are experiencing bladder weakness for the first time or if you already have blad der weakness and it has become worse RECOMMENDATION: Keep a Bladder Diar y Maintain a record of every time you experience bladder weakness
COMFORTABLE AND EFFECTIVE
Since 1976 Manfred Sauer have provided a range of innovative urology products to help suffer ers of urinary incontinence But unlike other providers our products are often designed and tested by both end users and healthcare professionals to ensure effective and user friendly so lutions that work This means your incontinence issues can be managed independently without worrying about frequent emptying or toilet access and do not impinge on your ability to live life to the full Read about four of our most popular product ranges which are all available on prescription
1 SHEATHS
Help To Manage Your Incontinence Issues Independently
HEALTHY EATING
Urinary incontinence affects millions of people in the UK Although a wide spread problem, in continence remains a taboo topic Embarrassment often stops people from talking about it let alone feeling able to access products and services that can help them So without the correct help and support the problem often remains unsolved which has a negative impact on people s lives
For people who have had a Nephrostomy and tubes are already in place our NephSys system can drastically improve their lives As well as providing a secure and sterile solution which consists of an adjustable elasticated belt; drainage bags and suspenders to secure the bag to the belt in the chosen position the system is also comfortable and discreet For help, support and advice, call 01604 595696, email helpline@manfred sauer co uk or visit www manfred sauer co uk for more information about each product or to order a free sample
sufficient fluids each day is essential for maintaining a healthy bladder If you don t drink enough your bladder will become overly sensitive You should try to consume at least 1 5 2 litres (or 6 8 glasses) of fluids each day
The shape of our Discreet Thigh Bag allows for it to be worn high up on the thigh area and can even be hidden under shorts skirts and even swimwear
Your diet should be balanced, not too high in fat, with plenty of fibre, and contain at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day Healthy eating is also important because being overweight can make bladder problems worse
We supply four main types of leg bags with varying capacities Perfect for being outdoors, and packed full of unique features and benefits you now have a choice when it comes to managing your incontinence issues
A smokers cough can place extra pressure on the muscles of the pelvic floor, increasing your chances of experiencing stress incontinence
• The Children's Bag with smaller capacity and proportions comes with a dis creet and secure twist tap that will not open accidentally while moving or out and about
• The Comfort Leg Bag range comes in variety of materials from velvet smooth real cotton and flock backing
FLUID
SMOKING
If you don’t drink enough your bladder will become more sensitive to smaller amounts of urine which means you will go to the toilet more frequently INFORM YOUR GP
Note the activity you were performing at the time the types of beverages and the quantity you consumed beforehand as well as the extent of the leakage
advisable to avoid certain types of drinks such as tea coffee
3. IQ CATHETER
Drinking
DEHYDRATION
DRINKS TO AVOID
Limiting fluid intake may actually increase the frequency of incontinence Drinking a total of 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day is recommended Unless advised to do so by your health professional, never restrict fluids to control incontinence
com or www ontex com PAGE 40 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 CONTINENCE CARE
There are a number of health risks associated with smoking
Top Tips for Managing Incontinence INTAKE
It is cola and chocolate as they contain caf feine which can irritate the bladder An irritated bladder becomes overactive which makes you feel as though you need to empty your bladder when it is not full
The Bendi Bag is ideal for wheelchair users who can sometimes find toilet access difficult
4. NEPHSYS
Thousands of people across the country must perform Intermittent Self Catheterisation (ISC) to effectively empty their bladder and having something that is simple to use soft flexible and easy to lubricate is essential That’s where our IQ Cath shines plus new for 2022 are male/paediatric and female single use hydrophilic catheters which are immersed in saline and ready for immediate use
The iD range of products is available to buy from www id direct
We offer 5 types of urinary sheath to facilitate the drainage of urine away from the body into a drainage bag They are made from either latex, or synthetic materials and available in a range of sizes We also offer skin friendly tapes straps and adhesives hair guards measuring tape as well as Preventox which cleans and protects the skin so you are always comfortable and have the best fit possible 2. LEGBAGS
PICTURES
As a result implementing pictures throughout your work or signage can be a great way to stimulate readers brain functions ensuring that your message cuts through Pictures can be particularly helpful for people with late stage dementia given that word based communication may not be possible Dementia can strip people of the ability to properly read and speak so the use of pictures and images where possible can really help consolidate your messages
• Reseach shows that the use of colours can help enhance the memory of people living with Alzheimer’s
Given that dementia can affect one’s vision and ability to understand text any message used in your document must be as easy to read as pos sible Font sizes are crucial to ensure your work is easily readable with at least size 14 recommended If your content contains a lot of information, break it up into reasonably sized chunks so that it is simpler to digest Dementia experts in the NHS warn against using block capitals as these can be more difficult to read particularly as dementia can cause visual impairments Both upper and lower case letters should be used for read ability as some people living with dementia will be able to recognise the
Memor y Lane Games - Reminiscence Games To Trigger Positive Memories For Those Living With Dementia
TEXT
Revealed: How to Create Dementia-Friendly Documents, Posters and Signage DEMENTIA CARE
Dementia causes the loss of cognitive functions such as memory and reasoning It affects more than 55 million people worldwide with almost 10 million new cases each year Living with dementia can be extremely difficult given that its effects can vary by nature and severity from person to person
KEY FINDINGS:
Pictures can be helpful to ensure your message cuts through Photographs are preferred to drawings or artists versions
Dementia can affect how a person views colours particularly how they differentiate between certain colours As a result, colours with a high level of contrast are easiest for people living with dementia to digest; for exam ple implementing bright or bold colours throughout the home can help separate objects
Asking where someone is from is such a common opening question for a stranger and universal small talk
SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL
Hi where are you from?
Beneath its simplicity the Memory Lane Games app is a powerful tool
Carers families and friends are able to enjoy interactions generated by playing the games with those in their care and can even create person alised quizzes using old family photos and create questions such as “Mum where did you go on your first holiday?" or “Where did you get married?”
• By using durable materials you can ensure the long term efficacy of your sign
The benefits to users and care homes are immediately evident Improved resident and staff wellbeing improved quality of family visits and a differentiated care home business
COLOURS
Known to be one of the most powerful tools of communication colour
we serve international care home groups with a SaaS platform enabling alerts based on their residents game play: highlighting changes in 7 clin ical data sets which are all game play related and have been established in our RCT Clinical Trial (underway) This data can be used to alert early interventions needed to address potential health issues like mini strokes or urinary tract infections for example
Reminiscence therapy involves simple tech niques to help those with memory loss or dementia to recall their memories This can improve self esteem and provide a sense of fulfillment improve mood and reduce agitation all of which are so valuable in the care of those living with a condition which doesn’t have positive outcomes It’s where the founders of Memory Lane Games started when they decided to make games for their elderly Mums
• Sans serif fonts like Arial in size 14 and above are easiest to read block capitals are not recommended as these can be difficult to differentiate between
Therefore bold contrasting colours can help to properly convey a mes sage but intricate patterns and colours can be confusing Associating different shapes with different deas concepts or decisions within your design can make your message easier for people living with dementia to understand
In addition to our popular free app (available in the usual app stores)
shape of a word before actually understanding its meaning
Pictures can play a vital role in helping dementia patients to communi cate more effectively by encouraging further memory retention Looking at photo albums and family pictures has been proven to play a vital role in engagement for people with dementia reducing feelings of isolation and helping strengthen personal relationships
PAGE 42 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Where we live and where we come from is fundamental to most people s sense of self identity and history and perhaps that’s why it’s a powerful topic in reminiscence therapy
Alzheimer s disease, the most common form of dementia, is thought to contribute to 60 70% of cases worldwide Though researchers are working tirelessly for a cure it continues to evade them However there are plenty of ways that we can make life easier and more comfortable for people liv ing with dementia
Print specialists Solopress have taken a look at how you can improve your inclusivity by ensuring your documents posters and signage are optimised for people living with Alzheimer s
With this thought in mind use bold bright contrasting text when designing dementia friendly documents Ease of access comes first so avoid loud patterns and stripes; these designs can be confusing and dis orienting Think simple vivid colour combinations SHAPES
Changing the overall shape of your signage is a subtle but effective way to create dementia friendly print Shapes associated with positive or negative feelings were found to reduce confusion amongst people with dementia, preventing them from becoming confused or lost in hallways containing those shapes
to enjoy using their favourite old photographs
Avoid making your signage using reflective materials reflections can be confusing to people with dementia
Glen Eckett Head of Marketing at Solopress (www solopress com) comments: “Dementia is an awfully cruel syndrome one which has the potential to strip people of their dig nity and personality However inclu sive design practices can go some way towards helping people living with dementia maintain some of their dignity With the above tips, any company can ensure that its resources are accessible and under standable for people living with dementia
If you would like to create a Memory Lane Game for your residents or to find out more about us please get in touch or download the app for FREE from the usual app stores
has a huge effect on the human brain and has the potential to trigger emotions and memories In fact academic research has shown that the right colours can help enhance the memory of those living with Alzheimer’s one of the most common forms of dementia
Helpforcarehomes@memorylanegames com
Think about how your document will be viewed Alzheimer s Society recommends using sans serif fonts for websites or digital content as they are deemed more readable on screen Staying consistent with your fonts is also helpful multiple fonts can make the interface and content confus ing for someone living with dementia
After quickly realising they were onto something the Memory Lane Games app now delivers professionally curated reminiscence and speech and language activity games across a range of topics such as music film food hobbies and pets All of our games are designed to be frustration free and encourage communication and socialisation, not to test
Dementia affects people in different ways and can even cause halluci nations If your signage or text must differentiate between two distinct ideas choices or options shapes can be a good way to highlight the dif ference between the two concepts
aged care
Up to 75% of people over the age of 75 have vision problems As we get older, our eyes become more opaque and this makes it more difficult to differentiate between hues It is therefore essential that contrasting colours are utilised in living spaces as they act as visual cues and ensure there are clear visual differences between surfaces
According to the Alzheimer ’s Society, 70% of care home residents are thought to have dementia or severe memory problems It is therefore crucial that care home managers understand how colour and design can support those with the disease and place residents’ needs at the centre of interior designs
occupants’ wellbeing, care and crucially independence Here s how:
The Dementia Friendly Colour Palette advises that soft tones are used for main walls, with only small hints of colour to create a sense of calm (think 60YY 83/062, 70YR 75/075, 30YY 68/024 and 70RR 64/034) For feature walls like the front of the living room and kitchen serving areas make sure more saturated colours such as yellows (43YY 74/339), muted purples (70RR 43/104), muted oranges (38YR 40/290) and teals (50BG 19/144)are used to contrast with the lighter main walls as this makes them stand out and draws the eye for maximum visibility
When it comes to doors that lead to regularly used rooms like bathrooms and living spaces, bolder shades should be considered such as navies (52BB 08/128), sage greens (90GY 29/121) and burgundies (54RR 09/276) These
colours make doors easier to see against the neutral tones on the walls In contrast staff areas and supply cupboards should be painted in the same colour as the walls so that they blend in and become less obvious helping to avoid any unauthorised access
For many, dementia can affect a patients’ ‘biological clock’ which means they often get confused when determining the time of day This means they can struggle to understand when it is appropriate to go to bed Incorporating calmer colours in the bedroom area, using blackout blinds, and adding softer golden lighting helps to instil a sense of calm and relaxation and encourages a more stable sleep routine that they can initiate themselves
We recommend using familiar or favoured colours For example, to recreate the front door of a childhood home by painting their bedroom door the same colour It is also important to include some personal items on shelving near the entrance, such as an old house number, family photographs or ornaments from their home so the resident can quickly identify it as theirs
For more ways to design living spaces for those with dementia, and to find out more about Dulux Trade’s offering for aged care and Dementia, visit: www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/en/content/occd
Encouraging the Independence of Dementia Patients Through Colour and Design
Upholding their autonomy is key, but with so many complex needs, knowing how to sustain dementia patients’ independence can be challenging To help, Dulux Trade together with the British Research Establishment created a Dementia Friendly Colour Palette which aims to bring colour to every room both figuratively and literally
The palette was born out of years of experience in design and a wealth of dementia research and knowledge with partners from Loughborough University and the Halsall Lloyd Partnership also involved in its conception The evidence based design principles it is founded upon assure designers that it is optimised to create an environment that champions
Hazard perception
To aid wayfinding further, it’s important to avoid high sheen flooring as this can appear wet or slippery to dementia patients, meaning they may not feel comfortable walking across it Similarly, dark flooring can often be perceived as a hole, and bold patterns or stripes can give the illusion that the floor is not flat or unstable, creating a sense of anxiety amongst those using these spaces The best option is to keep floors plain and ensure that they contrast with the walls and skirting to keep all surfaces easily identifiable
credit: BRE
Arguably the most important way of allowing a dementia patient to retain their independence is through involving them in the process It is vital that their living spaces are a reflection of them by surrounding them with décor that inspires a sense of homeliness and nostalgia
Calming colours
Keeping memories alive
Photo cred t: BRE Photo credit: BRE Photo credit: BRE
Consider colour and contrast to aid navigation
Photo
Promoting independence in individuals is essential to instilling a sense of self worth, and the colour and design of a room can play a significant role Here, Dawn Scott at Dulux Trade delves into how care home managers can best plan living spaces to make sure they are as effective and enjoyable as possible for those occupying them
Implementing strategic design techniques can heighten the awareness of potential hazards and reduce occupant risk For example, if items such as radiators are designed using stronger colours that contrast against the walls, it will make them more noticeable and reduce the chance of them being walked into or leant against and in turn, minimise burn risk Features such as light switches and signage can also be more easily identified if a coloured border is painted around them
PAGE 44 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
There are for example simple bed alarms chair alarms or multiple use products for combining bed and chair monitoring to allow the per son to move from their bed to their chair There are systems that use a cabled pressure mat sensor connected to an alarm controller, or pressure mat sensors with a self contained alarm transmit ter to signal a radio pager Carer alarm notifications can be by a single or multiple user pager or alarm receiver or an external alarm device You can find out more on the advert on page 2 or at www easylinkuk co uk/product/ product fall detection
Southern Care Maintenance Ltd
Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & Networks CALL AND FALLS MONITORING
Vayyar Care s instant fall detection and activity data enables personalised, proactive care manage ment Interoperable and integration ready with any nurse call system Vayyar Care and its wide network of nurse call and platform partners are leading the way towards a new accessible future of digital care Vayyar Care's touchless 4D imaging radar gathers the essential data caregivers need to protect resi dents as well as their dignity privacy and independ ence The solution delivers instant fall detection and 24/7 visibility on room presence mobility time at rest, bathroom visits and more It overcomes the limi tations and drawbacks of standard reactive tech nologies such as hard to reach buttons and cords unreliable mats embarrassing wearables and intru sive cameras Vayyar Care is fully interoperable with any nurse call system and care platform, enabling care providers to deliver person centred predictive care that enhances outcomes across the board https://vayyar com/care/b2b/
(SCM) Joins Forces with Vayyar Care "We are delighted to partner with Vayyar Care and are excited to work with people who have so much enthusiasm and passion for their product said David Knight Founder and Commercial Director of SCM
Care operators are constantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its reliability and dependability to their care operations, which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions
Furthermore, Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM so call bell data is linked straight to care plans This unlocks a huge benefit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents which ultimately promotes better response times and visibility for management to audit their perform ance
system we work with all major brands such as Aidcall ARM Courtney Thorne C TEC ENS, Intercall, Medicare, SAS and TeleAlarm
Many falls occur when a person at risk from falls leaves their bed or chair, particularly during the night By detecting an exit from the bed or chair early a carer or guardian gains time to attend and help the person usually preventing the fall WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE
NURSE
Medpage Falls Management Products
resident suffers a fall but doesn't receive prompt assistance will soon be a thing of the past This is sure to be a product that will continue to go from strength to strength in the marketplace "
The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call
Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say about Blaucomm NMS: We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic company with a reliable product We have a range of nurse call systems at different sites and the NMS system inte grates to them and allows us to compare response times between sites In addition the integration to Person Centred Software is revolutionary We would highly recom mend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!
Medpage supply a diverse range of equipment for detecting bed and chair exit
Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care plan ning and eMar now, the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care
Blaucomm’s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) is the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers, through its intelligent software, which delivers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them
The best solution in fall detection dovetails per fectly with our mission to provide our customers with the very best service Thanks to Vayyar Care long lies and severe complications that can occur when a
Medpage T/A Easylink UK have manufactured and distrib uted fall prevention and detec tion products for over 25 years We specialise in products for one to one care or small groups in a Care Home or Hospital Our systems are robust easy to set up and use and have a proven track record in helping to reduce falls in domestic and profession al care establishments How can they help reduce falls?
Vayyar Care, a global leader in automatic fall detection and remote monitoring has established a new partnership with Southern Care Maintenance Ltd (SCM) a premium maintenance and service provider for nurse call systems and home care equipment A first in class service provider SCM offers innovative solutions that leverage the most reliable technolo gies at the most competitive prices The collaboration will strengthen Vayyar Care s installation efforts across southern England and forms part of a unique ecosystem that includes lead ing industry providers such as Panacea Healthcare Group, Vayyar Care's principal UK distributor SCM's quality installations and post sales service will play a key role in delivering Vayyar s touchless solution to care homes and social care providers
To find out more about Blaucomm NMS visit www blaucomm co uk/healthcare
Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter calmer, and more tranquil
Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect
residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate INCLUDES A 12 MONTH GUARANTEE Nurse Alert Mats In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable
Silent Running - Tranquility in Care Homes
For more information
A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unan swered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers The University recommends “fit ting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a per
Similarly carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surround ings particularly those suffering from dementia these can be fluctua tions in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and exter nal sources for example telephones ringing loud conversations in cor ridors and call bells sounding often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents
son’s ability to concentrate It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a number of methods to reduce their impact in a care home These include zoning whereby there are separate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call In these circumstances dementia suffer ers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one zone whist less vulnerable residents live in an alternative “zone” Each “zone” can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil envi ronment for residents Pagers have been around for many years are a relatively simple and cost effective measure in reducing the levels of noise and can be added to most Nurse Call systems Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning e medication etc Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call sys tem With the Go app nurse call alarms are delivered imme diately and silently straight to the handsets alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the resi dents in the home
NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING www.nursecallsystems.co.uk
stressed also this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved staff are retained and CQC ratings improve Clearly the posi tive ramifications of a quiet Care Home run deep environment
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 45
Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less
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 differ ent needs They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier Visit www lctuk com for details
Lotus Care Technology
email us at: info@c t co uk • Nurse Call Systems • Fire Alarm Systems • Door Access • Staff Attack • CCTV • Infection Control • Dementia Care • Electrical Contracting w w w. L C T U K . c o m 0 8 0 0 8 4 9 9 1 2 1 s a l e s @ l c t u k c o m
Quiet and calm care homes ensure that resi dents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment
Call button
Wireless door/window exit alerts
TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD
Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years
A var ety of options includ ng:
The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the compe tition Our anti bacterial 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 loca tions to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering An optional anti slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors
Connects d rectly to most nurse call systems
Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions
Maintenance Ltd – New
Anti slip mesh for hard surface floors
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FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR
See the advert on this page for further details or visit www fallsavers co uk
Pager Floor sensor mat
NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING PAGE 46 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 As Southern Care Maintenance Ltd (SCM) mark their 35th anniver sary this year they contin ue to build upon their success with some excit ing new partnerships As a specialist inde pendent company SCM offer supply, service and maintenance of a large range of systems and equipment across two Divisions Fire Alarms and Nursing Equipment throughout the south east of England Always looking to offer their customers the best solutions leveraging the most reliable technologies at competitive prices they are delighted to have recently partnered with Vayyar the world s most advanced care solu tion Vayyar Care provides touchless fall detection and rich activity data that enables personalised predictive care Arquella offering AIDA Assist an app based nurse call system the tool of choice for forward thinking care services Person Centred Software the first fully mobile easy to use and market leading digital care management system with the ability to evidence over 50 care notes per resident per day Priding themselves on their quality of service and first class customer experience SCM is delighted to be partnered with companies who share the same passion and enthusiasm to deliver the very best solutions, solutions which make pro viding care the focus and priority See the advert on this page for further details or visit www southerncare co uk
Safer for patients; less work for staff
Upgrade your falls programme with the latest tech nology 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 simul taneously and support for many new wireless devices
Benefits include:
Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions!
Bed and chair pads ava lable
Integrates with most nurse call systems
Southern Care Partnerships
Features include:
Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately)
One monitor works w th two sensor pads
Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
A solution that benefits all! The Electric Mobile Trolley is better suited than a traditional wall mount or trol
The Wireless Battery Pack removes trip hazards and provides a helpful portable solution Simply add the lightweight battery pack to the trolley and easily move the touchscreen from room to room
With built in 2x15w front facing speakers and an HD video conferencing camera provides the perfect com munication tool to video call families, friends, and other care homes With the built in PC and Android 8 0 operating system, the user interface software is easy to use As soon as the touchscreen is turned on, the sys tem loads into a tablet style of multiple icons containing the software and Apps used daily without the need for a PC style login The included software also helps residents with health issues including Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Genee is a UK leading manufacturer of innovative technological solutions Genee plays an integral role across all major industries including health care to support patients residents and staff Having supported Care Homes through the pandemic The G Touch Wireless Care Home Solution is one of Genee s most impactful solutions yet The solution includes; the G Touch Interactive Screen Electric Mobile Trolley and a Wireless Battery Pack Its portability specially designed and simple to use interface as well as its multitude of applications are specifically built for residents and staff in mind
There s no doubt that we re all getting more tech savvy, and why wouldn t we utilise it our care settings too? It s what families expect to see and increasingly it will be what our residents expect too
By Rebecca Pearson, general manager for Bupa Care Services (www bupa co uk/care
That s why it s so important that we lay the groundwork now But most importantly technology is helping our people get back to what they love Our people tell us they want more time to care That s why they came into this profession So it s up to us to make this happen
The G Touch Interactive Screen is an engaging resource for residents and staff Available in 55 ’ 65’’ and 75’ the touchscreen itself has durable and toughened safety glass that can be easily cleaned The large screen provides for spectacular viewings of videos TV shows and movies In addition the size of the screen encour ages residents to participate in interactive activities
The G Touch Wireless Care Home Solution comes with 5 years’ on site warranty as standard with no additional costs Our dedi cated team will bring the equipment to the care home assemble and install the solution and test everything on site We will also support you with free online training to ensure your Care Home gets maximum use of this incredible solution Get in touch via: +44 (0)1902 390 862 sales@genee group com www genee group com
But it s not just about quality or compliance There are a wealth of games apps and tools designed to support older people while making it fun and interactive For example for those with dementia a memory game app can help enhance the time they spend with loved ones
How The Digital Revolution In Care Is Delivering The Best Outcomes For Residents
But across Bupa Care Services we’ve introduced handheld devices which allow carers to record every interac tion with residents in real time freeing up capacity for real high quality care
services) TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 47
Technology is at the heart of the government s new health data strate gy which includes an aim to increase digitisation in social care by 2024 But why wait? At Bupa our digital transformation is already underway
Technology has the power to change how we work in care settings more widely Care staff have always filled out paper notes throughout their shifts including details about medication wellbeing and feedback from the res idents As everyone will know it’s time consuming and inefficient and reduces the time that can be spent talking to residents and building positive long term relationships
ley The mobile trolley can be electronically adjusted by height and offers 90 degree angle adjustment from horizontal to vertical ensuring easy accessibility at different chairs and wheelchair height The four lightweight and strong steel integrated castors include locking brakes for safety
It also means that staff can record more detailed up to the minute accurate notes with more information about each resident s mood what they chatted about or what activities they had been enjoying
Compliance infection control and quality standards will always be top of the agenda Electronic medical records systems are designed to reduce the time it takes to administer medications safely and improve clinical outcomes with a joined up service that all health professionals can access This also makes it easier to refer back to previous notes to look for patterns with residents full medical history available at the touch of a button
Ultimately it s the human connection that is at the heart of our digitisation journey As residents adjust to a new life and environment or deal with dementia it’s the people caring for them that bring fun and laughter back into their lives Technology allows us to foster this human connection and ultimately get more out of our time together
G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution
One example of this is in dementia care where there are many opportu nities to incorporate technology For example Richmond Villages Willaston is a specialist village for people in the early stages of dementia where they re able to maintain a level of independence supported by homemakers At night residents are acoustically monitored and staff are alerted if there are unexpected noises or movement which might indicate someone is unwell or in difficulty
Digitisation is essential for the future Technology enables carers to spend more time on the most important part of the job; face to face qual ity care for residents Making processes more efficient with technology offers the opportunity to provide truly personalised care
All of our monitoring processes are also now stored in our digital quality and compliance solution which has been rolled out in each of our homes and villages It helps our home managers carry out quality monitoring and make swift changes to day to day processes if needed And regulatory partners can also be updated with the click of a button
Another step change is that this information can be accessed by residents’ families This helps build up a full picture of what life is like in the home and how their loved ones are doing day to day
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 48 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
As well as ongoing temperature recording Monika s system can be programmed to send audio and visual hygiene task reminders to staff These tasks are fully auditable with the system recording who has done what and when reducing the risk of human error and miscommunication Staff can therefore spend less time in administration and more time caring for patients
TRUE CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WITH OPEN API
Healthcare organisations face unique challenges from cost containment and multi entity reporting to new billing models and product offerings and a cloud based accounting system allows you to better understand your organ isation and succeed in the future
If you are looking for a care management system which answers all of your qual ity monitoring and compliance needs then looks no further than Care is Care is provides the intelligent software solution for care home and domiciliary care man agers and owners looking to roll all of their care and management functions into one electronic platform We know this to be true because unlike some other CMS s
net or see
With over 30 years’ experience, Monika is the MonikaPrime, of mind Regulations require certain substances to be stored at specific temperatures such as insulin antibiotic liquids and eyedrops Outside the required 2 8 degrees Celsius these medications can lose integrity making them ineffective and potentially harm ful; so having reliable and accurate temperature monitoring equipment is essential Staff can be nominated to receive alerts if the product moves outside a pre set safe temperature range so
training and
medication can be relocated before it loses integrity or be identified for destruction if it has become harmful This can also help identify faulty equipment, preventing the need for expensive repairs Alerts can be sent to any desktop, mobile, or Monika smart handheld PA device, all of which can access Monika’s cloud connected system offsite This is ideal for managers overseeing multiple care homes as it enables comparison between the location helping identify potential staff training opportunities for maxi mum safety
In a care or medical setting staff have proper
Care is was conceived designed built and is by registered
suite includes care and support care planning platform our policy app with over 200 high quality policies which are updated regularly and which also includes our supervision appraisals and training record apps and our audit app which templates all the essential audits and includes a record of inspection visits
better time to get on board
facing page Intelligent Care Software (ICS) TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 49
You need insight into your growing breadth of financial and operational data and we’ve built our healthcare accounting software with you in mind We provide compliant financials with continuous consolidation across multiple offices, practices and locations Sage Intacct healthcare customers have increased profitability by 30% with better insight for informed decisions realised 25% improvement in efficiency gains and taken departmen
managed
Monika Primed to Make Care Management Simple
we
REAL TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS
care certificate
expert in connecting teams and equipment Their flagship service,
is a complete safety hygiene, and compliance management system which eliminates the need for manual paperwork Monika’s innovative temperature monitoring equipment simulates the temperature of the perishable goods and vaccines as opposed to simply recording the tempera ture of the air in the cooling unit providing greater accuracy for peace
to juggle caring for residents and patients with
Sage Intacct’s real time reporting allows you to understand and measure performance for both financial metrics and operational outcomes Because every transaction in the system can be tagged with dimensions finance professionals can sort view filter and report on the specific information they need With greater insight our healthcare customers have reduced board budget reporting from three weeks to one hour and have improved revenues by 25% without adding additional headcount
managers and care home owners
tal reporting from 10 days to 10 minutes
At Sage Intacct, we re passionate about building accounting software that helps you better understand your business, maintain compliance, and suc ceed in the ever evolving healthcare industry
nurses
For more information on how Sage can help your business please visit: www sage com/en gb/cp/intacct carehomes/
The CARE is
hygiene checks medication management, and ensuring up to date records
At Care is can
get you started on your journey from paper or another care management system with minimum fuss plenty of support and all for what we believe to be good value for money
With eMAR mandatory a complementary coming in there has never been a https://careis the the
As healthcare grows in complexity so does your organisation You’re man aging multiple locations and practices, navigating changing reimbursement methods, and initiating cost reduction initiatives, while manual processes are draining your productivity
By Keith Hopewell, Director
Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive
True cloud technology with open API As an innovator in the cloud space Sage Intacct s multi tenant true cloud foundation brings robust technology infrastructure to your organisation without the high costs of man aging servers Our open API lets you connect to existing systems or those you are considering in the future This means you can leverage key data from electronic medical records payroll budget CRMs (including Salesforce), and other systems to track key performance indicators
BUILT FOR HEALTHCARE
2022
Visit www monika com/solutions/monikaprime for further details or see the advert on the facing page
advert on
of Operations UK & Europe, Monika (www monika com/solutions/monikaprime/)
and now Corona Virus
Fill of Your Staffing Needs with Care Hires
Care
7DY Info: visit www careaudits co uk email apps@careaudits co uk or call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887 Care Hires was founded to help Care Providers solve their staffing problems by making it easier to work with Staffing Agencies Now the Care Hires platform is in use all over the UK helping Care Providers to reach: Complete control over agency spend 100% Shift fulfilment 100% Staff compliance Reduced administration costs • And much more The Care Hires system is a neutral vendor platform where we source and manage agen cies on your behalf to make sure whenever you need you can find fully qualified profes sionals with just a few clicks No more calling multiple agencies, sending out a flurry of emails, and having to coordinate the responses Just post your vacancy, and your bespoke selection of agencies put forward pre vetted workers meeting your requirements The hours saved on hiring are matched by significant reductions in admin time including Consolidated invoices instead
We were able to implement the system ourselves and
Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says “It’s a paperless sys tem that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless ” CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs check ing that it s been checked actions required by whom by when including full resolution management Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement Steven Tegart from Talbot Group likes reporting and says I wish all my other systems were as easy to extract data for management reports as the CAREAudits Excel links
are now benefitting from management having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are
The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland by all care service providers in numerous locations There are thousands of carers checking everything from CQC Compliance Safety Medication Audits and Maintenance well as service users quality and wellbeing
The system allows care providers to audit or check just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non compli ances) in it s Web Portal Encrypted date and time stamped evi dence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system
100%
to
UK
Group, Priory Park, Hull,
Over £1 2 million saved so far on agency spend
The system has over 120 example audits to select from CAREAudits apps are extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of ever changing requirements App auditors can use CAREAudits with virtually no training it s that simple The Care Auditor s Hands Free Operation guides the user through each audit each question and answer with it s own help text standard answers and standard actions required ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider’s expert Users can download the app for a free trial and be up and running with the full system in min utes
Plus
More accessible communications by providing agency staff with our free mobile app they can easily access
Training
Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with adminis tration driven by ever increasing legislative compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone
Can you afford to miss out on this amount of money? Contact Care Hires for a free demo and in as little as 12 weeks from contract you could eliminate all the headaches that come from being under staffed Visit www carehires com or see the advert on the facing page
their work rota and be updated in real time about changes to their hours
We make finding staff and running your business more straightforward but what else? Although we focus on delivering quality rather than solely looking for direct savings because we help streamline the rates your agencies charge and save your office team so much time, we can still deliver huge returns:
Better cash flow for agencies because of the easier and faster timesheet management hours worked can be processed and billed to the client more quickly helping your cash flow
An average of over £8,000 saved per site on adm nistration
CAREAudits apps and systems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploy ing paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999
as
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 50 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
CAREAudits are a part of the Care Innovation HU4 of pay ng dozens of agency invoices covering each service or shift make one payment to Care Hires
apps
The CAREAudits System
THE CAREAUDITS SYSTEM
Easier timesheet management using the Care Hires app staff can clock in and out and send their timesheets for approval without the delays and bureaucracy of paper based solu tions
For just one customer we identified over £500 000 of annual agency savings on top of efficiency improvements
Steve Smith regional manager at Homes says
and
Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software devel opment as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector with a trustee of three charities a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a con sultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice
To realise all of the benefits above plus many more get in touch with us today
This information is then easily accessible by other system users sup porting a personalised care experience EVIDENCE Demonstrate quality of care deliver y
AutumnCare has a number of tools that assist in maintaining security and confidentiality including this lock screen func tionality for use in medication administration rounds!
How is technology and equipment used to enhance effective care and treatment delivery and support people s independence?
Because any changes can be affected at the point of care updates become a true reflection of the care (rather than a delayed update at the end of a long shift)
Additionally providing smart tools like care planning and eMAR soft ware to reduce the administrative burden will decrease staff stress
Additional cost benefits include savings on printing, paper, stationary and confidential waste bin collection These costs all add up very quickly and are enhanced by the savings in the administrative overhead
Furthermore, going digital reduces paper use and the carbon footprint of regular deliveries Therefore, going digital can help you become more environmentally friendly
Going digital makes it easy and efficient to evidence the quality of care you provide In addition as a digital system has a complete audit trail you can be assured the information you are providing is accurate and com plete
More time to care
But it’s not just health other characteristics such as emotion, likes/dis likes and how they correspond to a wide range of activities can be record ed
For example, the CQC states that the care provider should look to embrace technology that helps monitor care delivery During an inspec tion under the Effective key line of enquiry (KLOE) question E1 3 asks
On an electronic care system it is much easier to see what is going on if you are contacted out of hours or on the go A digital system allows you to log in remotely to see what has been happening across the entire care serv ice at a glance
Electronic care systems ensure that managers have real time access to notes and information to instantly understand the care provided and help identify changes that need to be made to improve the quality of care
AutumnCare Mobile allows staff to perform clinical assessments and capture notes at the point of care for increased accuracy and care recipient involvement RETENTION
PAGE 52 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Contact Chris Sharman
Improve staf f retention
TECHNOLOGY
Call 0800 009 2121
Controlling paper based systems can be an onerous job It generates reams of paper that can easily be lost, copied and, potentially, fall into the wrong hands
TIME
Costs and environment
Staff recruitment and retention remain long standing challenges for the care sector and many factors contribute to the successful retention of staff
Going digital can automate many of these tasks and enable recording care interactions in real time ensuring nothing is left undocumented and saving time that can be better spent providing care CONTROL
PROTECTION
Carers never have enough time to care but going digital can provide more
Furthermore digital allows you to determine who can access and what via permission controls Staff only see what they need to see based on their role
COSTS
Reduced risk
If you re unsure of how to get started in your digital transformation AutumnCare can help!
Improved quality of care
QUALITY
Social care is a highly regulated industry and going digital can help you safeguard your business With multiple regulatory bodies such as the CQC CIW Care Inspectorate RQIW Local Authorities and Safeguarding Teams not to mention families and the justice system Any of whom can make enquiries or perform inspections at any time and without notice
Using inbuilt alerts ensures that nothing is missed whether that s a care plan change or a fall report Using an eMAR will help reduce medication errors and ensure that the 6 Rs are always met
Email c sharman@autumn care
Morale is a crucial factor in retaining staff Using electronic care sys tems to change the focus from the administration to the delivery of care helps stage engage more with service users
Happier ser vice users
There are so many time consuming tasks such as writing care notes completing paper assessments filling in charts preparing handovers and countless other administrative tasks
AutumnCare provides specialist digital care planning and eMAR soft ware enabling providers to migrate to a digital system and providing the foundations for outstanding care We can walk you through what is required step by step as well as provide training and support every step of the way
Protect your business
AutumnCare contains a customis able Dashboard to provide Managers with a snapshot of what is occurring across the care service at any point in time
While the delivery of person centred care is paramount, care providers must also provide evidence of the care they deliver, and regulatory bodies actively encourage the use of technology
Digital care plans are the best way to achieve this!
Last and by no means least going digital can make your service users happier Digital systems enable you to spend more time caring and less time on administration
USERS
Better Control
10 Reasons To Go Digital With Electronic Care Planning and Medication (eMAR) Systems AND SOFTWARE
Manual systems carry many risks It is challenging to manage analyse and keep data and there is a lack of security Going digital with your care planning and eMAR can significantly reduce your risk
The most considerable cost saving that going digital can provide is time While the amount of time saved will vary between service types and roles, this alone makes going digital worthwhile
WONDERING HOW TO GO DIGITAL?
There are benefits to happy service users including positive reviews from family and friends, which may help grow your service
Digital care systems are safe and accessible, maintaining the security and confidentiality of your data This is difficult to achieve with paper because sensitive information must be locked away when not in use per GDPR
Improved visibility
With pre built assessments covering all aspects of health you can get to know your service users intimately
RISK
VISIBILITY
Going digital also allows the collection of data at the point of care which can be analysed to identify trends and risks and demonstrate corrective action
The Importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the Care Sector
Right to work checks reduce the risk of employing a person who does not have the right to work in the UK for instance where an earlier work visa has expired They are conducted in good time before or on the first day of employment and repeated when work permission is due to expire for example after three years of a Skilled Worker visa When conducted properly and in line with the Home Office s prescribed checks they also give employers a statutory excuse against a civil penalty of up to £20 000 per illegal worker in the event they are found to be employing someone illegal Without them an employer can be fined even if they had no chance of spotting that for instance a UK passport was a fake
Employers will from 1 October 2022 need to adopt new digital right to work checks for British and Irish nationals or revert to cumbersome manual in person checks
While the risk of employing an illegal worker may be no higher for the care sector than others, the risk of detection probably is even where an employer had no chance of spotting a fake document The care sector has always been of interest to the Home Office, more so than other health providers and some other sectors
For UK and Irish nationals employers are currently still relying on the temporary ‘COVID 19 adjusted right to work checks which allow checks to be conducted via video call as opposed to in person, with original docu ments
Historically, these checks have typically been undertaken manually and in person imagine being sat with HR
There is a strong link between CPD and staff retention and motivation CPD is mentioned in the NHS Long Term Plan as a strategy to motivate staff to stay in role and equip them with the skills to advance their professional practice Skills for Care found that 94% of employers with a low staff turnover cited investing in learning and development as one of the main activities contributing to workforce retention
The global pandemic and resulting changing working patterns have seen right to work checks change Manual checks are no longer available for peo ple with biometric residence permits biometric residence cards or an e visa for example those with pre settled status or a frontier worker permit That means the vast majority of people who are neither British or Irish pass port holders need to be checked against the Home Office online service normally using a share code provided by the prospective employee
Since April several government certified technology providers have emerged including our own right to work app Many of these platforms use AI technology to scan and read documents together with selfie digital photo graphs of new employees and will automatically record the name and date of birth of the individual pictures and the date of the check Checks can easily be conducted from anywhere in the country Whilst the Government would encourage employers to use an authorised Identification Service Provider with accredited Identification Documentation Verification Technology it is not essential Manual in person checks can continue but for large employers working across multiple locations that will prove cumbersome and time consuming The use of this technology does require the human touch Employers must satisfy themselves that a compli ant check was conducted, that the person in the selfie is not an imposter, and if names differ, they must establish why for example a recent marriage Checks must be retained for the length of employment plus two years
Upskilling and staying on top of best practice and techniques is essential in the Care sector as it directly impacts on safety and standards When you invest in CPD, you re ensuring care workers have the skills, knowl edge, and confidence to carry out their role safely and provide the best possible care Having gained qualifica tions and landed a job in the care industry should be the start of the learning journey rather than the end of it
Laser Learning is a Skills for Care endorsed provider of online CPD short courses and The Care Certificate course Our course materials are written by industry experts (including care home managers) and cover the knowledge needed for every standard in the Care Certificate and a wide range of CPD topics such as Infection control and preven tion Dementia and communication and Supporting adults with learning disabili ties
New Digital Right to Work Checks for British and Irish Workers , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
PROFESSIONAL
Whether you are an owner manager or independent learner please don t hesi tate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course and our CPD short courses The Laser Learning team can be contacted on info@lasersys co uk or +44 (0)1753 584 112
The likelihood of inadvertently employing an undocumented worker is very low but the impact could be high If procedures are not properly fol lowed employers have no statutory excuse against employing an illegal worker and could face substantial fines and other sanctions
The Home Office’s right to work guidance was altered in April 2022 to allow digital identification verification for pre employment checks Back then, it felt slightly academic as the government had not certified any providers to conduct those checks Whilst digital certification isn’t mandato ry and indeed it is still possible to conduct physical in person checks the move is designed to give the Home Office and employers the reassurance that checks are well managed
on day one of employment handing over a passport so they can check your face against the photo and then take a dated and certified copy
That will change from 1st October 2022 however when it will no longer be possible to rely on this concession and the Home Office wishes employ ers to conduct these checks via an authorised Identification Service Provider with accredited Identification Documentation Verification Technology AI TECHNOLOGY
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 53
It will says Gavin Webster at Vialto Partners (www vialto com) no longer be possible for employers to rely on virtual right to work checks introduced by the Home Office under its Covid 19 concessions for these individuals
Online learning is now the expectation for learning and development at work
and an affordable and accessible alternative to in person training When you’re looking for online resources, it s advisable to seek out a reputable provider with endorsements from leading organisations in the sector
Whilst the principle of the National Minimum Wage is a simple one that someone who works for one hour is not paid less than a set amount for that hour s work the calculation for determining whether or not someone is paid the National Minimum Wage is complex The issue is compounded as care homes commonly provide their junior staff with an hourly rate of pay equal to or only a little above the National Minimum Wage
I hear all too often about the shortage of skilled staff working within the health and social care sector All too often experienced and well thought of team mem bers burnout and leave the service or care sector com pletely This is felt more keenly as it is more than just needing to replace a staff member but it is the loss of that person’s skills abilities knowledge of the organisa tion systems and processes and knowledge about the individual needs of the people who are being support ed and cared for
Having made their concerns known and so blown the whistle’, it is widely known that the law states that the staff member may not be subjected to any detrimental treatment as a result of them blowing the whistle’ However, commonly care home providers leave themselves at risk of such a claim as they fail to ensure that the whistle blower s colleagues who may well have taken umbrage do not stop treating their colleague fairly and
5 PART TIME EMPLOYEES
By Amanda Bewert OT (Australia) | Managing Director, Meaningful Care Matters
with respect 3 FOREIGN LANGUAGES
All care home providers work hard to encourage their staff to make it known when they have identified health and safety issues, have suspicions of neglect or abuse or have any other concerns about the provision of care at their care home
WHY ARE PEOPLE THE GREATEST ASSET OF ANY SERVICE OR ORGANISATION?
If we understand that people are our greatest asset then we must ensure that we invest in their health and well being too In turn people who feel valued and appreciated will go the extra mile for the people we care and support, and the organisation
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
PAGE 54 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
As care home workforces become more and more diverse, the likelihood of a language other than English being spoken in a care home increases Care home providers want the best for their residents in terms of com fort and safety of course
An understanding of what payments a member of staff is required to make that will reduce their pay when cal culating whether or not they are paid the National Minimum Wage is also required Here payments by staff for their uniforms or training fees for example need to be considered
See the advert on this page for further information
When organizations and businesses consider their assists usually they list their tangible or fixed assets such as buildings and equipment but it is the human assets (people) that are the most important part of any
organisation particularly when considering the health and social care sector
Key Employment Considerations For Care Home Providers
1 NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
LLP (www freeths co uk)
This issue comes to light when, for example, care home providers reward their full time employees with addi tional time off, the right to refuse overtime or even the opportunity to choose their shifts In doing so, care home providers put themselves at risk of a successful claim for compensation from a disgruntled part time member of staff
The message of being valued and respected doesn t come from memos sent to staff They watch to see if the leadership walks the talk Lip service can only go so far; management can t just say they value their work ers They must show it in real terms
With over a decade s experience of providing employment law advice to care home providers Lee Ashwood of Freeths sets out his five common employment law pitfalls
As a specialist lawyer for the Care sector, Lee supports individuals as well as businesses of all sizes including many small medium or well known organisations He is an experienced litigator and provides pragmatic advice based on the objectives of his clients
By Lee Ashwood, Employment Director at Freeths
Sometimes this leads to an enforced requirement by a provider that English is spoken at all times by their care home staff or at least in certain circumstances However the law against discrimination is wide ranging and bans on speaking a language other than English in the workplace can often fall foul of it 4 POOR PERFORMERS
,
Time and again it is overlooked by care home providers that the law states that part time employees must not be treated less favourably than their full time colleagues because they are part time
They are the face of the service Ultimately people within your team are responsible the for the provision of care and services to the people you support They are integral to meeting not only regulatory compliance requirements but are also the face of your service and organisation Engagement = Productivity The more engaged team members are the more productive they are too People who are satisfied challenged and motivated are far more likely to be engaged and committed helping the service and organisation to achieve their purpose and objectives Skills and knowledge While all team members must possess specific competencies and skills related to their role some skills and knowledge are irreplaceable or take many years to develop This includes knowl edge of specific people being cared for and understanding of organisations’ cultures, systems, and work pro cedures
However as employment law does not prevent poor performance being dealt with swiftly and efficiently care home providers have no reason not to act, having first taken advice
Care homes are often inadvertently paying their staff less than the National Minimum Wage and so leaving themselves at risk of claims for compensation by their staff and of being fined
People – Our Greatest Asset!
With care homes struggling to recruit and retain staff and care home managers already busy it is often easier to overlook a poorly performing member of staff than it is to deal with them Setting aside the potential risk to the health and safety of residents failing to deal with a poor performer can greatly affect the morale of their col leagues with them possibly leaving as well leading to allegations of there being a difference in treatment and so discrimination
2 WHISTLE BLOWERS
The calculation requires an understanding of precisely what constitutes time spent working This can be far more than simply the time someone is rostered on shift and may include for example time spent handing over before or after a shift working while on a sleep in or while receiving training
GET IN TOUCH FOR ADVICE
Each of our five key questions is broken down into a further set of questions called key lines of enquiry which helps to ensure inspections are consistent and focus on the areas that matter most Inspections usually last a day and conclude with feedback from the
WHY JJ?
1 Are they safe?
A CQC inspection can be a stressful experience for you and your team but if you have the right preparation and knowledge to hand you can use the opportunity to shout about the great care you deliver within your setting
MOCK INSPECTIONS
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Regular feedback from the people receiving your service is a useful way of telling the CQC about the quality of your care Embed a way of obtaining feedback into your practice such as feedback forms in recep tion areas and email links to surveys (just be mindful of data protection and ensure you have the correct permissions)
Have a chat to your training provider about what training structures they can help you to put into place and make sure they offer training that will support staff throughout their learning journey
There are also training courses you can attend that will offer more in depth advice and guidance on how you can strive for that elusive ‘Outstanding’ rating
THE CQC carries out two types of inspections a Focused Inspection and a ‘Comprehensive inspection
The CQC will want to see evidence to back up any claims that you are meeting their fundamental standards It s helpful to have an evidence file on hand that you regularly update as you go along That way, you always have evidence to present on demand
2 Are they effective?
It also publishes other care settings inspection reports It may help to read through some Outstanding inspection reports to observe best prac tice and hopefully glean some useful information
PROFESSIONAL
A focused inspection is a smaller scale version of a comprehensive inspection and will usually be carried out if they have any concerns about a setting or if a settings circumstances have changed
The work the CQC carries out is vital in ensuring settings adhere to its quality standards and that every person receiving health and social care services are provided with safe, effective, compassionate care They do this by monitoring services across the country and carrying out at least one inspection every two years They will publish their findings in a report for each setting that includes a performance rating and areas to improve helping people to make informed choices about their care or the care of their loved ones
The feedback may not always be positive, but you can use this to demonstrate you have taken other peoples views on board and acted on it, something the CQC will view positively
In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse?
4 Are they responsive to people s needs?
Make sure you are familiar with the CQC their fundamental standards the five key questions and the inspection process The CQC website has lots of information that will explain all you need to know including guid ance on their fundamental standards and how to get the most out of inspection
Recruit either an outside agency or someone experienced in house to carry out mock tests throughout the year This will help give your team confidence when it comes to the real thing and will help you to identify any areas that need improvement Gather feedback
EVIDENCE FILE
A comprehensive inspection can last up to a day and will look to answer five key questions;
The rating system for the CQC is fairly
TRAINING
Make sure that when using an external training provider like Busy Bees Education and Training they are approved by awarding organisations such as Skills first or NCFE
JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the health care industry such as health care assistants senior carers and nurses from overseas We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal proceedings and advices
inspector in a feedback meeting which will cover a summary of findings any immediate actions and when you can inspect the report to be pub lished
Of the five key questions asked by the CQC only two need to be out standing for you to achieve an overall outstanding rating Of course you will want to do as best as you possibly can in all five areas, however there are probably two areas you can identify as being your strongest and focus your efforts on developing
Documents you may want to keep copies of in your evidence file include your policies and procedures records of any safeguarding inci dents staff information and DBS records health and safety assessments data protection forms equipment maintenance records and training plans and evidence of staff training
5 Are they well led?
The CQC will be looking to ensure all members of staff have the mandatory training certificates including health and safety and care cer tificates They will also expect any Outstanding care provider to have a training plan that covers entry level all the way through to higher level including specialist areas to support their knowledge and progression They also consider training to help boost morale and help with important issues such as recruitment and retention
Aiming for ‘Outstanding’; A Guide to CQC Inspections , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
THE INSPECTION WHAT TO EXPECT
3 Are they caring?
Care Quality Commission Inspections can be daunting but are a neces sary process for everyone who works within the acer sector Here Emma Warren, Head of Quality at Busy Bees Education and Training (https://busybeestraining co uk/) talks through the key areas to under stand and explains the steps you can take to ensure your setting achieves a top rating
If you hold a position within a care setting, you ll probably have heard of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) In a nutshell they are the regulatory body for all care provisions offering regulated activities across the health and social care suite in England whether they are provided by the NHS local authorities private companies or voluntary organisations
straightforward: outstanding good requires improvement and inadequate STEPS TO ‘OUTSTANDING’
If you strive for better outcomes there are some steps you can take to better prepare yourself and your team for inspections and, as a result, achieve a higher rating PLANNING AND PREPARATION
We have very minimal processing fees
Hopefully the inspection will go well with clear helpful actions for improvement However more action is needed across the sector to improve standards, with only 3 5% of care homes receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 55
His plea Harjap help me my solution? have you thought about recruiting foreign workers? Or students already in the UK who are already working part time in the sector? he did it and today his staffing problems have been solved
Harjap Singh Bhangal is a Director at Immigration Specialist firm GLS Solicitors (Global Legal Solutions) and is often seen on Sky News BBC News and is referred to as the “Immigration Guru”
2 years ago a relative of my friend with care homes in Lincolnshire came to see me He knew I was an immigration lawyer He was distraught and on the verge of packing it all in The issues?
Many potential employees are already within the UK on various types of visas however, and may already be working part time (20 hours a week) for you, in order to work for you they would need to be successfully spon sored by your company through your sponsor licence This would involve making a complex application to the UKVI and in essence asking them for permission for you to employ the worker full time Once permis sion is granted you then have the benefit of a full time
PAGE 56 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022
Under this licence you can also recruit carers and nurses from abroad
employee tied down exclusively to your company for at least a 5 year period This is often referred to as a ‘Work Permit’ If you wish to employee multiple foreign workers then we would need to convince the Home Office to grant you an appropriate allocation under the terms of your licence
A R E Y O U A C A R E H O M E O W N E R W I T H S T A F F V A C A N C I E S ? G E T I N T O U C H N O W ! Apply for a sponsor licence allowing you to employ foreign workers Fill your staff vacancies with skilled foreign workers Switch your part time foreign student employees into full time work permit holders Let us help you to navigate your recruitment and immigration needs We have access to skilled workers already in the UK ready to be employed by you CONTACT US : 020 8571 6889 0121 525 8899 I N F O @ G L S S O L I C I T O R S . C O . U K W W W . G L S S O L I C I T O R S . C O . U K
So how do we go about doing it?
The solution to current staffing crisis is clearly to recruit foreign workers and it is not as daunting as peo ple often make out There are many specialist firms of lawyers who can do the whole process for you and you can also save on hefty recruitment fees of employ ment agencies
As recently highlighted in the media there are cur rently over 100 000 vacant roles in the care sector Some 78% of providers who responded to the exclu sive survey carried out by the ITV News in conjunc tion with the UK Homecare Association said recruiting carers is the hardest it has ever been Many describe being at a “breaking point” Out of the respondents, 95% said they are unable to take on all the new clients in need of their help
Are You A Care Home Owner with Staff Vacancies?
In order to recruit foreign skilled workers whether they are already within the UK or directly abroad your company needs to be regulated by the UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration) This involves being licenced by the UKVI so that your business can successfully recruit for eign workers without fear of being fined or breaching any immigration rules set by the UK governments stringent policies
CONTACT US: 020 8571 6889 0121 525 8899 info@glssolicitors co uk www glssolicitors co uk
The UK Immigration system can be complex but with the right guidance can be navigated to benefit the care sector
PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
We can t find the workers nobody wants to work full time as they will lose their tax credits the British workforce are just not interested nobody wants to relocate to the sticks to work for us
If you urgently need staff then you should definitely consider applying for a UKVI sponsor licence in order to employ qualified foreign workers and help your business grow No business should be turning away / down work due to a staffing problem which has a solu tion
The Eden model, is built on what people say they want in a Home or a workplace which therefore attracts residents and team members alike
Homes are very busy places and the programme is therefore run on line for 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
The Eden Alternative
Geoffrey Cox
As an Eden Home builds its reputation upon the quality of life it offers to the people that reside there, it follows that occupancy improves
Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2022 | PAGE 57 Global assists clients throughout the U K who spe cialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase development and refinance We have organised over £1 8bn for clients in the past 30 years providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt ease cash flow and develop businesses further From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in size we assist at every stage of your business expan sion Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements Call us on 01242 227172 or e mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance net Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
WHY DO THIS?
As experienced Care Home practitioners we provide training to care home teams in sustainable innovation and positive leadership that empowers people to embed companionship, partnership working and vibrancy to build enriched quality of life into care homes
Develop a culture of care with wellbeing and positive relationships at its heart, with our 6 week online training programme Discover how to replace loneliness, helplessness and boredom with wellbeing, companionship, and meaningful activities, in just one hour of training a week
Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden alternative.co.uk
Sign up today and join the care evolution
With a positive culture a motivated and dedicated workforce It follows that positive innovation becomes more possible, sustainable and continuous
WHAT IS IT.
Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing
It is designed to motivate Care teams and is open to any individual to add their CV
The 6 weekly sessions are run online with a work book with links for further optional reading or viewing and should not be a burden to busy Homes teams and managers
Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www eden alternative co uk
It is designed to make business sense to providers
The model is efficient cost effective and the training is delivered by experienced practitioners in Care Homes
It is however effective You can try without obligation
It is a training programme which leads to accredita tion and focuses in detail on 7 domains of wellbeing 10 principles, and is particularly designed to address instances of loneliness helplessness and boredom
An inspiring approach to care
As a cohesive cultural progression programme it follows that innovation, modernisation and positivity increase
It is designed to support recruitment and retention
and people can do this at work or at home
When demand for services increase it follows that viability improves
As a programme that empowers staff and focuses on their wellbeing It follows that staff retention improves
It is designed to enhance viability
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