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incorporating
no.218 • £4.75
The Number One magazine for the care sector
Care leaders hits back at comments By Dominic Musgrave THE heads of two associations have hit back at comments NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens is reported to have made at an Age UK conference that he would be disappointed if care and nursing homes still existed 50 years from now. RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell said the comments came like a bolt out of the blue and flew in the face of projected demographic trends and future care needs. He added: “Whilst it is to be hoped that improved community services will provide enhanced support to older people living in their own homes, a massive increase in the number of people living beyond the age of 85 in the next 15 to 20 years will undoubtedly create pressure for more nursing home beds. “There are inevitably limits on what can be achieved in caring for individuals with multiple and complex health needs in their own homes. “Nursing homes represent a costeffective alternative to hospital. And for many people who come into our care, the nursing home environment offers a welcome change to the sense
of isolation they experienced when living alone.” “From Mr Stevens’ comments I suspect that he may not understand the intensity of typical nursing home patients’ needs.” Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, added that Simon’s statement ignores the reality of social care and the excellent services care homes provide to support citizens with complex needs in the 21st century: “We had high hopes that Simon Stevens would bring new and fresh perspectives to the NHS, but his statement on care homes is indicative of a system driven by dogma rather than need. “We would like to extend an invitation to Mr Stevens to visit a Care England member to see for himself how care homes are centres of local communities providing preventative, intermediate and longstay care in a compassionate and caring environment. “This is a sector which wants to be innovative and is looking at new care models. “We look forward to working with the NHS in developing this integrated approach across health and social care.”
Training reduces drug use by third
A project which allows older people and those with dementia living in North East care homes to look after hens in order to improve their health and wellbeing has been shortlisted for a top award. HenPower is one of seven schemes battling it out to be named the UK’s favourite National Lottery funded health project. The awards will be presented by TV star and actor John Barrowman (pictured above).
A TRAINING programme for staff has cut the use of inappropriate antipsychotic drugs, which double the risk of death in people with dementia, by a third according to research commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society. Over 100 care homes were recruited to receive the ‘Focused Intervention Training and Support’ (FITS) programme – which equips staff to understand complex behaviours in people with dementia and to deliver person-centred care as an alternative to harmful antipsychotics. When medication was reviewed, residents were more alert, active and communicative, with improvements in mobility, eating, sleeping and in achieving personal goals. Professor Dawn Brooker, the lead researcher, said: “We’ve shown that FITS training is feasible to deliver on a large scale, reduces the prescription of inappropriate anti psychotics and empowers teams to work in a personcentred way.”
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Residents recreate ‘South Pacific’ as part of project By Dominic Musgrave THE team and residents at a Sanctuary Care home in Charlton joined forces to recreate the classic film ‘South Pacific’ as part of an innovative project to enhance residents’ quality of life and develop creativity across the care setting. The project at Time Court was led by creative facilitators from Ladder to the Moon, a community interest company that supports care homes to become more vibrant places to live and work. Ladder to the Moon’s work at Time Court is part of Shine!, a national twoyear arts programme which uses creative arts to shine a light on the talents of residents across Sanctuary Care’s 61 homes. Mary Johnson, the home’s manager, said: “The experience of holding a filmthemed event has uncovered more of the interests and talents of our team and residents. “There have been real breakthroughs in the wellbeing of residents, and staff have discovered how embracing creativity can help them communicate more effectively with their colleagues and the people they care for.” Two Ladder to the Moon team members took on the roles of Hollywood director and film star to lead a series of workshops as part of a shoot at the care home. In the first session, a variety of films, including Some Like it Hot, The Sound of
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Resident Ivy Hudson with Ladder to the Moon creative practitioner James Austin Harvey. Music and Robin Hood, were discussed and residents voted for their favourite. It was the tropical theme of South Pacific that provoked the most conversation and enthusiasm for the home’s residents, so this was decided as the final film. As well as benefitting the home’s residents, the Ladder to the Moon project has also offered training to the care home’s team, enabling them to build relationships with residents through the film production process and involve residents who are less likely to participate. In the second session, residents and the team took part in a props and production session, with residents creating palm trees, tropical flowers and seascapes.
Mary added: “I have seen residents blossom in confidence and I really feel this project has strengthened the sense of community in our home. “One particular resident has always loved drawing but has not been as active with his hobby in recent years. However with encouragement and support from our team and the Ladder to the Moon facilitators, he drew an amazing parrot which was used in the film’s tropical set. He was delighted.” In the third session residents took on a variety of roles, including starring parts, behind the camera, costume and makeup and manning the clapperboard, to film the production.
Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Group Production Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio Manager: Stewart Holt Tel: 01226 734414 sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Database enquiries to: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ scriptmedia.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur. Follow us on Twitter @caringuk
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Grovelands care home in Yeovil was transformed into ‘Wonderland’ for a Mad Hatter’s tea party to celebrate National Care Home Open Day. Staff and residents at the care home invited family, friends and the local community to join them for tea and a slice of cake. Guests were entertained by Iris Jenkin, who got the group singing along to classics from Vera Lynn, The Beatles, The Andrews’ Sisters and much more. Newly appointed manager Ross Isbell said “We had a fantastic time and we were so lucky to be blessed with glorious sunshine so that everyone could get out into the garden. Thank you to everyone that came along and we hope to see you again for future events.”
Trust to study live music’s impact on home’s residents By Dominic Musgrave
RESEARCHERS are measuring the impact of live music concerts on older people living in a residential care home in Oxford. The Orders of St John Care Trust, University of Essex and Live Music Now have formed a unique partnership to measure the psychosocial effects of high quality live music performances on older people, including those living with dementia. The study will be run by Dr Murray Griffin and Dr Louise Marsland, of the University of Essex Ageing and Assisted Living Network, and will test a model they are developing to try and capture and measure soft outcomes which demonstrate enjoyment and engagement, such as length of smiles, amount of laughter and participation. The study will take place at Longlands, a residential care home in Oxford run by OSJCT, where a number of the residents are living with dementia. Care teams at Longlands and relatives will also be interviewed for their views on the possible impact of the live music concerts on the residents’ well-being, and in turn how it has affected their understanding of, and relationship with, the residents. Lead investigator Murray Griffin said: “We are delighted that Live Music Now approached us to undertake this exciting and innovative research. “While the use of music in the treatment of dementia is well researched, none has used
Victoria Elliot observation of aspects of engagement via video recording before, during and after interactive music sessions provided by highly talented young professional musicians.” Specially-trained Live Music Now musicians Dan Walsh and Nic Zuppardi of The Absentees will deliver live interactive concerts during their 10 weeks as ‘musiciansin-residence’ at the care home. Dan has been working with Live Music Now since 2010 and has performed throughout the UK in hospices, hospitals, special schools and care homes. Victoria Elliot, principal consultant for research and innovation for the OSJCT, said: “Universally across our 71 homes, home managers and care teams recognise the positive impact live music can have upon residents and particularly those with the most profound of dementias. As a Trust, we are fortunate, therefore, that our chief executive and trustees are committed to funding and supporting this project.”
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Band records an album of cover songs BARCHESTER Healthcare’s resident Gloucestershire band The Tin Shakers have recorded a charity album of covers for the company’s Charitable Foundation. The band, led by drummer Malcolm McDonald, have gigged together a handful of times already, raising £7,000 for the charity, and wanted to do something around songs that Barchester Healthcare residents loved to listen to in their early twenties. He said: “We decided to do a charity album for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation based on a calculation that if you were 20 when ‘Twist and Shout’ came out in 1961, then you are now 73. “So we recorded an album of covers from Stroud’s Skyhook Studios that includes some of the greatest hits of the 60s and beyond including: ‘Lilly the Pink’ with the Barchester Choir, ‘Boots are made for Walking’ sung by Barchester’s divisional director Helen Maiello, and ‘Summer Wine’, featuring the Charitable Foundation’s chairman Mike Parsons.” The Tin Shakers’ charity CDs will be for sale for £5 each, and will be available from Barchester care homes and offices. The band hope to sell 500 copies and the money raised will be matched by Barchester Healthcare.
Joe tastes success at care group’s annual cook-off By Dominic Musgrave JOE Fower, head chef at Watlington and District Nursing Home in Oxfordshire, won Sanctuary Care’s annual chef of the year competition. In the 90-minute cook-off he dished up a menu of lamb cooked two ways – a miniature shepherds pie and panfried lamb cutlet – with dauphinoise potatoes, baby vegetables and a red wine jus. Joe’s prize-winning dessert was a white chocolate crème brulee with summer fruit coulis and shortbread fingers. He said: “I am thrilled to have won the competition this year as the standard of entries has been really high. “I think it is so important to have competitions like this because it gives people a chance to show their creative flair and showcase the quality of care catering. “It shows people just how hard we work – we put exactly the same creativity and care into what we cook for our residents as we do into these competitions.” The competition, which was sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions and held at their head office in Surrey, has been running for five years and is open to cooks and chefs from Sanctuary Care homes across the country.
Joe Fower with his winning two-course creation. Entrants were tasked with creating a main course and dessert which would be suitable for people in a care setting. Their dishes were judged on innovation, nutrition, balance and of course taste. In second place was Bhanuben Patel, head chef at Aashna House Residential Care Home in Streatham, who produced a main of palak paneer, homemade naan bread and rice, followed by a sweet carrot Halwa with vanilla ice cream. Coming close behind in third place
was Viviane Takemoto, chef manager at Haven Residential Care Home in Harrow. Viviane, who won last year’s competition, produced a menu of stuffed chicken leg with sweetcorn puree and Marsala wine jus followed by coffee mousse with white chocolate cream, passion fruit coulis and coconut tuile. The panel of judges comprised Stephen Rees, Sanctuary Care’s operations director, Unilever Food Solutions’ culinary development chef Paul Wright and Derek Lockett, development chef at Brakes’ Brothers.
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The Countess of Wessex signs the visitors’ book at Greenhill House.
Countess of Wessex pays residential home a visit HER Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex GCVO visited Somerset Care’s Greenhill House in Cheddar. The recently developed purposebuilt residential home compromises of 20 bedrooms, a specialist dementia wing for 20 residents, care suites and a further 11 apartments which are for sale. The modern home features a hairdressing salon, comfortable lounge and dining areas, coffee lounge and a care home shop. The Countess visited Greenhill
House for a tour of the home and to meet the staff and residents, before unveiling two commemorative plaques, one for the care home and one for the communal area of the apartments. Alyson Martin MBE, chief executive of the Somerset Care Group, said: “We are delighted and honoured that Her Royal Highness visited Greenhill House. We are delighted with the new building, which provides comfortable and modern facilities for present and future generations of older people.”
Music therapy doubles well-being of residents RESEARCH undertaken on behalf of national charity MHA suggests music therapy is doubling the well-being of people with dementia at its care homes. Music therapy provides one-to-one assistance for residents with dementia, encouraging them to express themselves through music and thereby preserving their abilities to communicate for longer. MHA, which is the UK’s largest not-for-profit provider of care homes, has been convinced of the benefits of music therapy for people with dementia for several years and now employs its own team of 12 qualified music therapists to deliver support to residents nationwide. The trial, undertaken at homes in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire by professor Helen Odell-Miller of Anglia Ruskin University, is the first under-
taken on behalf of the charity and suggests that music therapy has a dramatic effect on well-being and lessens the incidence of anxiety and challenging behaviours. According to the results of the trial, residents’ well-being scores doubled in three months and were sustained at five months and even beyond therapy. Negative behaviours such as anxiety halved in three months and continued to fall beyond therapy. Helen said: “The reduction in behavioural problems for those receiving music therapy in contrast to those who were not receiving music therapy in the study, is extremely important for future care of this population. “Our findings also substantiate previous findings from another study in Scandinavia where similar outcomes have were reported.”
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Adam set to tackle cycle challenge ADAM Hutchison, director of Belmont Sandbanks Care Homes, will be using his pedal power to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society on September 24 as he cycles the 300 miles from London to Paris. Adam, 33 hopes to raise more than £5,000 by taking part in the event and other fundraising activities including summer fayres, dinners and cinemas evenings, which will be carried out throughout his care group as he looks to raise awareness of dementia in the community. He said: “I decided to take part in this challenge for the Alzheimer’s Society because of having such a close relationship with those who suffer with dementia through our care homes, and I have always wanted to give as much as I can to the cause. “The planned event with the Society enables me to achieve a personal goal by cycling to Paris, linked to raising money for a subject very close to my heart. “With working with those associated to dementia on a daily basis, I know how much the fundraising can change lives and support carers and families involved.”
Care home opens its doors for well dressing reveal By Dominic Musgrave A DERBYSHIRE care home welcomed members of local community to an activity-packed event in support of National Care Home Open Day, which included the unveiling of their first ever well dressing. Burton Closes Hall hosted a full day of entertainment including the reveal of the traditional floral tribute, which is now on display in the town centre as part of Well Dressing Week. Large crowds gathered in the grounds of the facility, which is housed within a historic country mansion, and enjoyed tours of the residence and a programme of activities which included refreshments, entertainment, stalls and prizes. Throughout the day members of the public and residents of the home participated in creating the floral tribute which, once complete, was unveiled by guests of honour; the Mayor of Bakewell Alyson Hill and town councillor Judith Twigg. Kim Bibby, care home manager at Burton Closes Hall, said: “Our National Care Home Open Day event was a huge success – we are delighted that so many members of the local community came along to see the grand unveiling of our first ever well dressing.
Residents of the home participate in creating the floral well dressing. “We opened our doors for National Care Home Open Day to give the public the chance to see firsthand what Burton Closes Hall is all about; to remind people that our care home is filled with unique and interesting residents and run by special people that really care. “It’s wonderful to know that the
community are really behind the work we do. “It was extremely moving to see members of the public and residents all working together to help create our floral tribute.” The event raised £287 for Burton Closes Hall through raffles and activities
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Radical changes to social care in Wales ‘huge step forward’
Jesse Marriner, who spent time in a PoW camp, with some of the soldiers that visited the home.
Soldiers visit home’s D-Day event TWELVE soldiers from the 12th and 47th Regiments Royal Artillery visited Pinewood Nursing Home in Chidham, near Chichester for a special event to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day. A number of staff members dressed up in wartime clothes, and residents and guests enjoyed a special meal of spam fritters, fish and chips, mushy peas and trifle. The home was decorated with flags
and wartime memorabilia, while a special wartime themed hamper was raffled. Personal memories were recorded during the weeks leading up to the event and displayed on a ‘misty past’ board, while entertainer Craig Stevens engaged everyone with a medley of wartime songs and stories. Residents also shared their wartime memories with the soldiers, especially those of D-Day which marked the end of the war.
RADICAL changes to the way social care is provided in Wales have been hailed as a “huge step forward” by private providers. According to Care Forum Wales, the reforms being introduced by the Welsh Government will eliminate the postcode lottery that has blighted the sector for many years. The changes were announced by Gwenda Thomas AM, the Deputy Minister for Social Services. She revealed that new national eligibility criteria for social care will replace the current “cliff edge decisions” where people only receive a service if they cross a certain threshold instead of responding to an individual's needs. She also outlined a new framework to support the provision of “person centred care”. Another key element was the introduction of a new regional structure based on the boundaries of local health boards to ensure the people who use services and their carers are at the centre of the changes. Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “The national eligibility criteria were signalled in the new Social Services Bill. It’s something we’ve campaigned for since Care
“What people want most of all is to know what the threshold is, when they are able to receive social care that’s state funded.” Forum Wales was set up in 1993, so in a sense we see this as a 21st birthday present. The key is consistency and transparency. What people want most of all is to know what the threshold is, when they are able to receive social care that’s state funded. “It’s an anomaly really because in the NHS we all understand that wherever you live in Wales there shouldn’t be a postcode lottery on services. “There has been for many years a postcode lottery in social care and this is a very important step forward in bringing about that consistency that I think the public want. “Importantly, the system is putting the person at the heart of it. It’s actually promoting well-being and early intervention.”
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Provider’s homes dress up to the nines for trip down memory lane SANCTUARY Care homes across the country got dressed up to the nines to take a trip down memory lane on National Care Home Open Day. Residents and the teams at the group’s homes hosted an array of 1940s and 1950s themed events, pulling out all the stops to ensure that the day was a real vintage affair. Meadows House Residential and Nursing Home in London was visited by Clive Efford, Eltham MP, Des Kelly OBE, executive director of the NCF and Steve Wood, managing director of Sanctuary Care, for a vintage garden party to celebrate the launch of their new sensory dementia gardens. At Ivydene Residential and Nursing Home in Ivybridge residents and the team stepped back in time to the rockin’ and rollin’ 1950s. There was a musical theme to the day with a juke box and live 1950s entertainment – as well as a fantastic high tea in traditional bone china. Activities leader Laura Charters said: “It was absolutely brilliant and the music went down a storm, everyone was up singing and dancing. “We are all on such a high from the day.” Chadwell House Residential Care Home in Chadwell Heath was trans-
formed into a 1940s Lyons Tea House with staff serving afternoon tea dressed as ‘nippies’ (1940s waitresses), while Wantage Nursing Home in Oxfordshire hosted a toe-tapping vintage tea dance to mark the occasion. Talented youngsters from Abbey Primary Community School in Leicester treated residents of Asra House Residential Care Home to a special dance performance at the home’s ‘Old Bollywood Classic’ themed day. The team also wore stunning saris and there was henna hand art, live music and a feast of Indian savouries. At Breme Residential Care Home in Bromsgrove visitors went down the rabbit hole for a Mad Hatters’ Tea Party while at Heathlands Residential Care Home in Pershore, the gardens were transformed into a 1950s seaside resort for a day at the beach. There were sandpits, a puppet show and ice-cream trike, with the Mayor of Pershore Tony Rowley opening the home’s new corner shop. Home manager Anita Fletcher said: “Everybody put so much effort into the day – it was absolutely amazing. Well done to the team for putting on such a wonderful day for our residents.”
Staff from Hay House Nursing Home in Broadclyst, Devon raised approximately £950 by completing a two-hour sponsored walk through Ashclyst Forest. The money will enable the residents to participate in a range of special activities including trips to the theatre and visits to the seaside.
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Thanksgiving service marks anniversary THE Abbeyfield Kent Society celebrated its 47th birthday with its annual thanksgiving church service. The Society marks its birthday each year by inviting its associates, staff, residents and their relatives from its 14 homes around the county to a service at St Mark’s Church in Tunbridge Wells. The annual event reflects upon the Society’s achievements over the past year as well as looking at its plans for the upcoming year. Children of St Mark’s Church of England Primary School joined the Society for the service, and performed a variety of uplifting songs for guests, while trustees and staff members gave speeches. Leon Steer, chief executive of Abbeyfield Kent, said: “We are so proud of how far we have come over the years and what we have achieved. “It has been an incredible journey, and I cannot wait to see what the next 47 years has in store for The Abbeyfield Kent Society.” Guests were then invited to catch up over tea and cake.
Speakers revealed for regional conferences THE stellar line-up of speakers has been revealed for Caring UK’s annual regional conferences. This year’s events, which have been sponsored by NatWest, have the title Elderly Care: Positive Choices, and, following the recent successful events in Weston-super-Mare and Torquay, they move north to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley and Leeds United FC’s Elland Road stadium on September 9 and 10 respectively. Speakers confirmed include Martin Green from Care England, Sheila Scott from the NCA and Ben Atkinson-Willes, product designer and founder of Active Minds. They will be joined by Guy Smallman from Coventry University and representatives from the CQC, Skills for Care and sponsor NatWest. Further names will be added in due course. Neil Garton, head of healthcare for NatWest, said: “NatWest are delighted to sponsor the 2014 Caring UK conference series. Care homes are a key part of the bank’s focus within the healthcare sector. “Our dedicated healthcare relationship managers are externally accredited by the chartered banker and concentrate solely on the sector. This means that they are experienced
Care England chief executive Martin Green OBE and Coventry University’s Guy Smallman will be among the speakers at Caring UK’s conferences. in the sector and can understand and deal with the opportunities and challenges that owners face on a day to day basis. “We set out to understand the ambitions of the care home operators, whether that be to improve performance, extend their home or for example grow their business by acquiring additional homes. “We then look to offer business expertise towards achieving those ambitions.” Running alongside all of the conferences will be an extensive exhibition, which will showcase all the latest products and technology for your care home.
“Our first two conferences were a massive hit,” said group production editor Dominic Musgrave, who will chair the events. “Since we started taking our events across the country they have gone from strength to strength, as can be shown by the calibre of speakers we have attracted for these conferences. “I am sure these events will be as successful as those that have gone before, and would urge any care home operators in the area to attend to listen to these distinguished speakers.” To find out more and to book your place at these must-attend events turn to pages 15 and 16.
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MP for Tatton George Osborne speaks with residents during his visit as part of National Care Home Open Day.
Chancellor visits Leycester House GEORGE Osborne, Chancellor and MP for Tatton, visited Leycester House in Mobberley as part of National Care Home Open Day. George visited to show his support for the home, and to learn about the residents’ lives, taking a tour, and joining the residents for a garden party. Residents took full advantage of their chance to have a chat with the Chancellor. Home services manager at
Leycester House, Joanne Johnson, said: “We were thrilled when we heard that George Osborne wanted to come along for the open day; we spent a great deal of time trying to promote the event to the local community, but we never thought we would get the Chancellor to come along.” More than 20 CLS care homes across the North West took part in the annual event.
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Leah’s care wins her through to finals Julie Gray, manager at Richmond Court, dances with George Douglas who celebrated his 79th birthday. Right: Councillor Fraser Tinsley dances with resident Betty Brown (73) with care home staff and visitors behind.
Mayor joins staff and residents for fun day STAFF and residents at Richmond Court care home were joined by Mayor of Greater Willington, Councillor Fraser Tinsley and members of the community for a fun open day. The home threw open its doors to members of the public on National Care Home Open Day and had stalls and entertainment for all ages to enjoy. Visitors were also able to take tours of the facilities on site and speak to members of staff about the specialist care on offer at the home. Julie Gray, manager at Richmond Court, said: “It was a fantastic day that was enjoyed by residents and all
the members of the community who visited the home. “National Care Home Open Day is a very important day in our calendar, as it allows members of the public to see what our care home is really about and enables us to chat to members of staff and residents, hopefully helping to change some peoples’ perceptions of care homes.” Richmond Court, which also has Raby Cottage and Binchester Court on site, provides care for 45 residents, including mental health and dementia nursing care and residential or respite care for people with learning difficulties.
AN Accrington carer has made it through to the national finals of a major competition showcasing excellence in social care. Leah Whelan, 25, a support worker and acting team leader with Accrington-based Affinity Supporting People, part of the Springhill Care Group, was earlier this year nominated for the WorldSkillsUK Competition for Health and Social Care. As a result, Leah recently took part in a regional heat, held at Shipley College, and scored third place in the competition, making it through to the UK national finals in November as one of those individuals with the top 10 results. WorldSkillsUK Skills is organised by the National Skills Academy for Social Care, and forms part of the world’s largest vocational skills competition. It organises competitions in partnership with organisations from both industry and education, and aims to find the best adult health and social care workers in the country. Leah was nominated by her tutors at Burnley College, where she is studying a Level 3 apprenticeship. During the competition she was required to demonstrate the delivery of excellent healthcare through a mix of written tests and live activities, assessed by a panel of judges.
Leah Whelan She said: “I’m in shock. This has been a very tough process and I’m proud to be representing Affinity at national level. I’d like to thank everyone in our team for all their support.” Lead judge Pat Pearson said: “Worldskills just gets better and better as a competition and a real showcase for how well social care is carried out. “It was a pleasure to observe such committed competitors taking part in this heat at Shipley College and to award prizes to some outstanding care workers and students.”
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NOT TO BE MISSED BY DECISION MAKERS IN THE CARE INDUSTRY
Elderly Care: Positive Choices Elderly Care: Positive Choices is the theme for Caring UK’s annual regional conferences. Our stellar line-up of speakers will offer expert advice on a wide variety of topics to enhance the quality of life your residents deserve in their later years, and also make your business stand out from your rivals to potential residents. Our top industry experts will pass on their knowledge on subjects including food and nutrition, activities and the care home environment itself, giving tips on what you can do to achieve and maintain the highest levels of care. Our first two conferences will be held at Rookery Manor in Weston-super-Mare and the Riviera International Conference Centre in Torquay on July 2 and 3 respectively. In September our events move north to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley and Leeds United FC’s famous Elland Road stadium. Running alongside all of the conferences will be an extensive exhibition, which will showcase all the latest products and technology for your care home. These really are conferences not to be missed, so to avoid disappointment please complete the booking form to guarantee your place.
For more information contact:
Exhibitor enquiries: Bev Green: 01226 734 288 Delegate enquiries: Lucy Dickinson: 01226 734 695 Refreshments served throughout the event including light lunch. Closes with a grand prize draw. Goody bag and attendance certificate for all delegates attending. In association with:
HEADLINE SPONSOR
Some of the conference exhibitors:
10th Sept Leeds United Football Club. LEEDS
Well planned, well presented conference, thoroughly enjoyed the day. Kathy Vound –Matron Manager/The Firs Nursing Home/Care West Country Ltd
Fantastic event. A great resource for new suppliers. Linda Cutty – Regional Manager/Aveland Court Care Home/Aveland Court Care Ltd
9th Sept Black Country Living Museum, DUDLEY.
Very informative event to attend, from seminar content and exhibition. Worthwhile day. Karen Glover - Exmouth Care Ltd
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Residents at Rodney House in Weston-super-Mare put their best foot forward with a host of activities to support National Falls Awareness Day. The activities were all designed to promote good balance and prevent falls, and included walking stick painting; cleaning glasses and shoes; and zimmer frame maintenance. Later residents were treated to aromatherapy foot massage. Nicky Tweedle, activities co-ordinator, said: “Ensuring that aids such as glasses and zimmer frames are clean and in good condition is a simple way to prevent falls in the elderly. Now that the sun is out our residents can enjoy the garden and our planned days out with newly serviced equipment.�
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Medicare opens sales and service centre in Scotland MEDICARE Systems Ltd has opened a new sales and service centre in Scotland. It is ideally situated to offer sales and support to the company’s many customers across the country. The office will be managed by Martin Reed, who has been in the radio nurse call industry for many years, and has now joined Medicare bringing to the company a wealth of experience in sales and servicing of radio products. Technical director Derek Gray said the appointment of Martin was a key factor in the decision to open a
Scottish branch. He added: “It was important that we have experienced individuals to manage the new branch, in the nurse call field each customer has their own requirements and understanding them and to be able to fulfil them is at the core of the company’s philosophy. “In Martin we have one of the leading figures in the industry to add to the wealth of experience already at Medicare.” Medicare can also offer spares and repairs for many other types of radio systems.
The importance of call bells ... By Gail Booker-Tyas
THE CQC describe residents call bells as a “lifeline” and if they are abused, are not regularly maintained and updated , then care homes are leaving themselves exposed to unsatisfactory levels of care being provided. It is also essential that reporting systems are closely monitored, paying particular attention to response times. As we all know, residents and their families pay particular attention to whether their calls for assistance are being dealt with responsively. A fully working system provides homes with the all important evidence that this is indeed being done. With this in mind, it is important that care homes take the time to make sure that their own nurse call systems are being given a regular “health check”. It is a CQC requirement to have your system serviced annually. This annual inspection must be undertaken by a reputable, qualified company and they should be able to offer help and advice on how to get the best from your current nurse call system, keeping it working efficiently and reducing
the likelihood of it needing to be replaced. Ultimately, if your nurse call system is no longer meeting the required standards, it may also be more cost effective to Gail Booker-Tyas install a new system rather than continue to spend money on trying to ‘fix up’ a failing call bell system. There are many providers of nurse call systems, with various options to meet a range of needs and of course to suit different budgets. When selecting a new nurse call system it is important to identify the specific needs of your home and ensure that these will be met by a new system. Once installed, it is vital that all staff are trained, with regular updates, in the correct use of all the features. After all, a system can only truly work to its full potential if it is fully understood by all users. Gail Booker-Tyas is sales and marketing manager at InstaCare Systems.
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Technology for those who care COURTNEY-Thorne’s wireless 08 Nurse Call System is highly flexible and when configured with dedicated assistive technology accessories, a customised nurse call system to meet individual resident/patient needs can be designed. Assistive technology accessories include bed exit or floor pressure mats, fall saver sensors, chair or bed watch sensors and enuresis detection. Alternative triggers such as air pressure switches, head operated switches, breathing monitors and a range of neck or wrist worn pendants all contribute to the design of a system that meets the needs of residents. As well as meeting the needs of those being cared for, Courtney-Thorne’s new CT-CLOUD product meets the needs of a care home management team by providing all nurse call data in easy-toread reports delivered to who you choose when you choose. Enquiries: Freephone 0800 068 7419, direct call 01202 573300, email sales@c-t.co.uk or
visit www.c-t.co.uk or www.nursecallsystems.co.uk
Family run business specialises in electronic systems InstaCare Systems is an independent specialist in nurse call systems. We are a family run business based in Exeter serving the South West. We specialise in the supply, installation, maintenance and integration of a wide range of electronic systems including wired and wireless nurse call systems including parts and accessories, staff attack, waterproof paging, fall monitoring solutions, CCTV, maintenance and servicing. Working with the major manufacturers, InstaCare offers truly independent advice on all the leading products. We provide a wide range of products and services at competitive prices, ensuring our systems deliver a solution that is tailor made to suit your
individual budget and specific needs. With over 30 years’ experience in the design, development and installation of systems within the care industry, we pride ourselves on continually offering our customers a personal and reliable service, all at the very best prices. Local company, local prices, local people. Enquiries: Call 01392 580023, email info@instacaresystems.co.uk or visit www.instacaresystems.co.uk
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A unique specialist dementia care unit in Liverpool has won a top national design award. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Top design award for dementia centre THE purpose-built £1.2million council-run Sedgemoor Dementia Support Centre in Norris Green opened last spring and was the first of its type in the country. Now it has beaten off competition from bigger and more expensive projects across the rest of the country to pick up the Best Care Complex award at the Healthcare Design Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate the way in which the needs and desires of residents are incorporated into the final design of buildings. Sedgemoor - which was built by construction firm Bullock - has been specially designed for people with dementia and provides assessment and respite facilities, with naturally lit spaces and an open plan layout to provide a calming atmosphere. It features a hi-tech, interactive 4D theatre, where people are able to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds and even smells of the past through old videos, cine footage, photographs and relevant scents, helping with cognitive therapy. Other features include: A circular design which is easy to navigate and with large windows. Extensive use of the colour red as it is stimulating for people with dementia.
A peaceful, secure and safe garden area where activities will take place. Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for adult social care, Roz Gladden, said: “When we were designing Sedgemoor, we were very careful to make sure that its design would help those who are touched by dementia. “Anyone who has visited the site knows that it is an absolutely superb facility, offering state-of-the-art support and care for those with dementia and their families. “We have an ageing population in Liverpool and all of the evidence shows there is going to be an increased need for this type of care facility, so it is particularly pleasing that it has got the seal of approval from health industry design professionals.” Sedgemoor is used by up to 30 people per day and includes a ‘telecare’ suite where staff will be able to fully assess people and identify the most suitable types of technology such as sensors and warning alarms to help them stay safe. Nikki Waud, Account Manager at construction firm Bullock, said: “We are delighted to have received such a well-recognised industry accolade as Pinders. This project was a real partnership in operation. “All the stakeholders worked hard to
Sedgemoor Dementia Support Centre representatives receive their award. deliver a non-institutionalised local authority building that has by far exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of quality and service. “The standard of design and finish easily contests with facilities available in the private market.” Sedgemoor is receiving visits every week from other local authorities and care agencies from as far afield as Poland and Sweden as they seek to emulate the outstanding facilities. Nikki added: “The team at Bullock take great pride in each and every care project they deliver and never lose sight of the needs of the end user. “This award is a great recognition of
Bullock’s proven ability to transfer outstanding design into functional buildings.” The building is also used for respite, and includes a hobby space where people can take part in arts and crafts. Outside there is a fully enclosed sensory garden including allotments and raised beds where people who are interested in gardening will be able to practice their horticulture skills safely. Work will get underway later this year refurbishing all of the bedrooms in the original part of the building to complete the transformation of the site.
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Franchise bought by company’s own regional support manager By Dominic Musgrave THE Nottinghamshire territory of Mansfield has been bought by one of Caremark’s own regional support managers. Phil Mason, regional support manager for the north east, has seen firsthand the benefits of owning a Caremark franchise which then inspired him to become a franchisee himself. Having worked with the franchisees in his own region over the past 18 months and supported them to grow and develop their businesses in their individual territories, Phil was keen to be part of the successful network of Caremark franchisees and build a successful home care business in Nottinghamshire. Consequently at the beginning of June, Phil and his partner Sarah Massey bought Caremark (Mansfield) and are now looking forward to bringing high quality home care to people in their new territory. With Phil’s sound business experience and Sarah’s extensive experience in the private care sector with the last 15 years at management level, together with their passion for the care industry at large, this dynamic couple are set to make their mark in home care in Mansfield. Commenting on this new venture
Sarah Massey and Phil Mason, new franchisees for Caremark (Mansfield) Sarah said: “When Phil began working for Caremark it quickly became apparent how much he valued the Caremark system. “I too, was quickly convinced that Caremark was the route we should follow. “Now a few months down the line our vision has become a reality and as well as the excitement of starting our own business we also have an opportunity to put something back
into the community I grew up in.” Having successfully completed Caremark’s Initial Franchisee Training course held at Caremark’s head office in West Sussex, Sarah is now applying for registration with the CQC. Phil will continue in his current role, supporting franchisees in his region whilst Sarah concentrates on running their new business, initially providing care and support to adults and older people.
TV star joins care home’s celebrations TELEVISION star Shane Richie and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey joined former mariners and local school children at The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society care home in Banstead to mark Seafarers’ Awareness Week with an afternoon of nautical activities. The event included a sea shanty sing-along, a tour of the facilities and the home’s specialist dementia annexe and the opportunity to talk nautical memories with residents. The charity, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year, invited the local community to attend, along with Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Susan Lochner JP DL, chairman of the society, Captain Duncan Glass, and trustees also attended to celebrate the occasion. Children from Woodmansterne Primary School visited residents and took part in a sing-along with the residents who in turn enjoyed sharing their nautical tales with them. Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society chief executive, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, said: “This was our second annual open day to mark Seafarers Awareness Week and we really enjoyed sharing the day with all who attended.”
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Crystal Mark awarded to care provider CHELTENHAM care home provider and charity Lilian Faithfull Homes has been awarded the Crystal Mark by the Plain English Campaign for its residents’ contracts. This is recognition of the work carried out by the group alongside its lawyers Willans, to make contracts as easy to read and understand as possible, avoiding over complicated legal jargon. Finance director Martin Hughes said: “When a loved one comes into care it can be a stressful and difficult time for the family. “We work hard to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible and that includes having contracts that are clear and easy to follow. The way we have revised our contracts reflects our honest and straightforward charity ethos. “Lilian Faithful Homes strives to offer residents and their families a different, positive care experience, leaving the families free to concentrate on what is important – getting the best possible care for their family member.”
Chairwoman is recognised NADRA Ahmed OBE, chair of the NCA, has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the Kent business community at a glittering ceremony. Run by Kent County Council and the KM Group, the awards recognise businesses leading the way in innovation, leadership and achievement in the county. Among her roles, Nadra is also a board member of Parkinson’s UK and a trustee of the Royal British Legion, learning disability charity MCCH and Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services in Gravesend.
In the final part of a three-part series of articles, Heather Manktelow, an occupational therapist experienced in facilitating therapeutic activities in a range of care homes and in the community, discusses ensuring every member of staff is an activity facilitator.
Giving your activity organiser support OTs and activity organisers in care homes sometimes find themselves to be disregarded by the care home team which can be very demotivating and de-moralising. This attitude needs to be changed in care homes, and to be cascaded down from the owners and managers. They must make clear at job interviews, in job descriptions, at staff meetings and supervisions that everyone is an activity facilitator, and must work as a team to support the O.T or activity organiser (if there is one). Activity organisers should receive ongoing training and supervision sessions to help them to define aims, objectives and outcomes of activities and to give them the underpinning knowledge and skills for their role. Those who deliver activities in care homes should be appreciated, respected and supported because they contribute so much to health, well-being, spirituality and quality of life for the residents. They need to be supported to avoid possible ‘burnout’. When you get it right The following two quotes help to evidence the benefits of activities. At a mental health and dementia nursing home in Devon the residents chose that they wanted to remember stories from the Bible. They were supported by the occupational therapist to re-create the story of Adam and Eve. Residents helped to make the props and took parts in the play-let, and the local priest was involved. A resident’s comments demonstrate what he got out of the activity: “Fabulous. The best bit was the way people smiled and laughed – it set people free. If you are able to smile and laugh it frees you from your troubles. People have been taught religious stories in a light-hearted
Heather Manktelow way before and it works….I’m sure Jesus laughed. “Singing the hymns also set me free. I have troubles, I guess everyone has but whilst I watched the show I forgot about them. It’s nice to remember the stories from the bible” At the same nursing home, a comment from the daughter of a resident demonstrates the difference that personalised activities can make to a person’s life: “I think activities in a home can be very under-valued by management, other members of staff and visitors. “Too many people have the attitude that those with dementia aren't worth bothering with or that ‘where’s the point they won't remember in a couple of minutes’. “Some people don’t seem to realise that when a person is made to feel ‘happy’ even if they can’t remember why they feel 'happy' the wonderful feel good factor can stay with that person for a long time. “When you are just sat in a home and there is almost nothing going on around you, you switch off into a world that is a very sad and lonely place. Therefore being part of an activity is so important. “I think my dad benefits from your visits because you bring life into his life. You treat him as an individual
who has needs, and who needs to know he matters. Your activities make him ‘happy’. “They make him feel that he is alive and that someone cares. “Being part of an activity also allows him to be part of a bigger picture giving him a sense of belonging. You found out what his likes and dislikes are and provide him with stimulation to suit his needs. Besides football dad loves music, singing and dancing. You found that out. Dad has lost the ability to have a conversation but you found that you can communicate with him and make him happy by singing with him. You always make him smile. Thank you so much.” Conclusion This article has explored some of the benefits, complexities and barriers to person-centred activity provision in care homes using a ‘whole-team’ approach, and has given some signposting to resources promoting good practice. As previously mentioned, activity is at the heart of the occupational therapy profession. Presently, there are few occupational therapists employed in care homes, but it is an emerging role for occupational therapists and it makes total sense that occupational therapists – specialists in activities, should be playing a larger part in training, guidance and leading the way to ‘getting it right’. Every individual in every care home deserves to be given opportunities to engage in meaningful activities of their choice as a right not a privilege. Why not print this article for a care home staff room that you know, and help to make a change? To see a full copy of the article, complete with the resources and references used in putting it together, visit www.caring-uk.co.uk
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Institute launches care home diabetes training By Dominic Musgrave THE Institute of Diabetes for Older People has launched a new diabetes care home training and educational course in a bid to improve standards. In response to a growing demand to raise the quality of diabetes care in care homes, IDOP has developed a comprehensive training programme, including teaching from leading experts, an authoritative workbook and a suite of e-learning modules. The programme covers an understating of diabetes and treating diabetes, including how to manage a hypoglycaemic episode, as well as issues specifically relating to diabetes in care homes. Three trainers from the Lancashire Workforce Development Partnership were the first to take part in the training. They received two days of the trainthe-trainers programme culminating in assessments through e-learning modules. The training programme has been developed following a series of pilots and encompasses the wide experience in this field and significant expertise of Professor Alan Sinclair, IDOP director and programme lead. Alan said: “In many cases older people with diabetes in care homes are suffering unnecessarily and even dying prematurely.
“Up to one in five older people have diabetes and a similar proportion may have undiagnosed diabetes. More than a quarter of care home residents have diabetes. “We know diabetes is associated with increasing age, family history, ethnicity, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. It causes premature morbidity, mortality and is a substantial health burden on individuals, health systems and society. “It can be more difficult to manage in older people because of other linked disorders or diseases and their treatments. Thus, it is not a trivial disease and poses many significant challenges to the delivery of effective and safe care. “We were delighted with how successful the first training sessions have been and we have received excellent feedback from the participants.” IDOP led the first-ever National Care Home Diabetes Audit in autumn 2012-13 in partnership with ABCD (Association of British Clinical Diabetologists). The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 English care homes, found shortfalls in screening for diabetes on admission to a care home, lack of a designated member of staff with responsibility for diabetes management and limited access to dedicated training and education for care home staff.
Mandy Thorn one of National Care Association’s vice chairmen, was awarded the MBE for services to dementia care in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2014. Mandy is the managing director of Marches Care Ltd, which is a nursing home for people with dementia in Shropshire. National Care Association chairman Nadra Ahmed said: “Mandy richly deserves this award for the superb work she undertakes in Shropshire and the wide ranging activities she undertakes on behalf of National Care Association.”
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HYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY SPONSORED BY
Scientifically proven and independently validated dry steam vapour technology D&S SYSTEMS has formed a working partnership with OspreyDeepclean: the only company within the cleaning industry to invest in independently validated scientific research into the validity of dry steam vapour (DSV) as an effective tool for sanitising and decontamination. In close co-operation with TNO (an independent scientific research facility in the Netherlands) and University College of London Hospitals, OspreyDeepclean devised a study to investigate and validate the safety, suitability and efficacy of DSV in daily and periodic cleaning practises. The study focused on the decontamination of ‘risk’ contact surfaces for patients and staff and the potential hazard of contaminant dispersion and aerolisation. DSV technology is simple to operate and turns an everyday cleaning regime into an effective deep clean. It neutralises odours from soft furnishings and carpets and it can be used to remove stains without the need for chemicals (including those caused by coffee and bodily fluids) Surfaces are left sanitised, decontaminated and dry; ready for immediate use as the inbuilt vacuum removes any water residue. Hard to reach areas are no issue for DSV either. It easily penetrates the
whole surface including cracks and crevices without causing any damage which, over a period of time, chemicals can. The research concluded that dry steam vapour delivers a cleaner envi-
ronment without the need for ecologically damaging biocides and provides a viable method for rapid disinfection and cleaning of high risk areas that are susceptible to cross contamination.
Choose the soft option PRESSURE ulcers affect approximately 700,000 people in the UK every year, taking four per cent of the NHS budget. Stop the Pressure’s SSKIN care campaign’s first hit point is where MEDORIS can offer a cost-effective solution. Surface: make sure the individual has the right support. Skin inspection: early inspection means early detection. Keep the individual moving. Incontinence/moisture: keep the individual clean and dry. Nutrition/hydration: the correct diet and plenty of fluids. With the individual’s comfort in mind, MEDORIS has developed a range of flexible, and very soft micro-bead products for positioning and pressure care to help prevent pressure ulcers. Many existing pressure care support surfaces can be uncomfortable for the user and are often expensive. Pressure ulcers most commonly occur at the sacrum and the heels so the MEDORIS M057 16Chamber Cushion and M061 6chamber Heel Support are just two products from their wide range which offer a very affordable benefit.
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Ascot hi-lo bath the preferred solution for care providers GAINSBOROUGH Specialist Bathing’s popular Ascot hi-lo bath continues to be the preferred solution for many care providers in long term care environments. The Ascot is a variable height bath with powered seat transfer and has been designed to deliver the highest levels of comfort, dignity and safety for both bathers and carers. It meets the challenges of high-traffic environments and ensures best practice in moving and handling through considered ergonomic design. The Ascot has an impressive, ultracompact footprint ideal for spacerestricted bathing areas and its easyto-clean surfaces assist with infection control procedures. Integrated, state-of-the-art assistive technology ensures the safe, smooth and efficient transfer of the client into the bath via a soft-touch powered seat. Once the bather is gently immersed in the thermostatically controlled water, the Ascot can be raised so carers can work without the risk of back or muscle strain. The Ascot has a maximum user
Freedom for inclusive design as Ideal Standard launches new range
weight of 150kg and can be supplied with a detachable transfer chair, plus a range of sensory options including air spa, chromotherapy lighting and Bluetooth® sound system.
IDEAL Standard, a leader in innovative and designdriven bathroom solutions, has unveiled its latest breakthrough: Concept Freedom. The new range of accessible bathroom products aims to include less abled customers, rather than alienate them, through a collection of ceramics, brassware and showers that are well-designed, elegant and functional. The range incorporates products that allow the specifier to create fully Part M compliant ensuites, demonstrating how wheelchair accessible bathrooms can be as contemporary and beautiful as conventional bathrooms. This new solution has been developed to meet the needs of the less abled, in conjunction with occupational therapists, while maintaining the design integrity of Robin Levien’s Concept suite. Tony Rheinberg, marketing manager at Ideal Standard, said: “Concept Freedom will be equally at home in care homes and residential situations where users need help in performing basic functions that we tend to take for granted. “Concept Freedom offers a complete solution to meet both the regulatory needs the operator and the comfort and aesthetic needs of the customer.” With sleek rails and raised height WC’s, Concept
Freedom allows additional support and comfort to be discreetly integrated into a bathroom layout, allowing users with various mobility needs to remain comfortable. The range includes raised height WCs for easier, more comfortable access, available as close coupled and wall-mounted. Extra large WCs will also be available for bariatric users, still with the same design excellence as the rest of the collection, ideal for care homes. Concept Freedom’s accessible basins come with wide side rims, making them more comfortable for wheelchair users. In addition, they have a subtle underside hand grip on the front edges to assist with wheelchair positioning or standing stability and conform to wheelchair clearance regulations. Designer Robin Levien added: “The Concept Freedom range is a real step forward for the accessible market. “The combination of sleek design and discreet support demonstrates that accessible bathrooms really can be just as contemporary as conventional bathrooms.” Enquiries: To find out more visit www.ideal-standard.co.uk or call 01482 346461.
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HYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY SPONSORED BY
Do you follow DoH guidelines on linen decontamination? THE Department of Health has issued guidelines for linen decontamination in social care. The guidance introduces a number of Essential Quality Requirements with which laundry service providers and in-house laundries should comply. Examples include the requirement that linen processing areas are specifically designed to minimise the risk of recontamination of linen and a new definition of infected linen. We have made a short summary of CFPP 01-04 available on our website www.berendsen.co.uk/ cfpp-01-04 All Berendsen's laundry service facilities are either already certified to BS EN14065, the highest
level of bio-contamination control certification or progressing towards it. Berendsen is well placed tohelp organisations meet the requirements set by DoH whether you are part of a group or a small independent care home. Enquiries: Call the team on 0800 612 7237 and find out how our outsourced laundry service minimises infection risks.
Armstrong supplies new washer to support unit ARMSTRONG Commercial Laundry Systems recently supplied a new Amazon W6 6kg washer extractor replacing an older model in Heffernan House operated by West Berkshire MENCAP in Newbury. The laundry also includes a Schulthess washer and a Huebsch LEZ dryer, also supplied by Armstrong. Heffernan House offers good quality long term accommodation for six young adults with learning difficulties and also has one training suite where a resident with milder learning difficulties can come for up to two years to gain life skills experience which will enable him or her eventually to move into independent accommodation. The laundry is used by the staff, and residents with support, and handles all the residents’ personal laundry as well as bedding towels and kitchen linen. The Amazon W6 is a tough, durable, fully com-
mercial machine designed to fit into the same space as a normal domestic washing machine, featuring rapid cycles and low energy consumption – making it the perfect, economical machine for small business units. Enquiries: Visit www.armstrong-laundry.co.uk
Have a lift with Clos-o-Mat
Beaucare’s Beauwash™ Range BEAUWASH™ is an efficient, cost effective and ecofriendly laundry cleaning products range, specifically formulated with healthcare establishments in mind. It is cleverly designed to provide superb cleaning performance at lower temperatures, shorter wash cycles and kill bacteria at just 30°C, providing a more sustainable laundry cleaning process in terms of overall running costs and for the environment. Available in powder or liquid form: 10kg tubs, 5lt, 10lt or 20lt liquid containers.
When combining the laundry liquid with automated dosing systems, it creates one of the most efficient laundry solutions available on the market today. Beaucare also offers advice on the most efficient way to run all healthcare laundry needs and provides expert fitting and maintenance of automatic dosing systems by its own service engineers. Enquiries call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com
TOILET height can impact significantly on a person’s ability to use the WC with ease, especially if they have mobility limiations or are transferring from a wheelchair. But there is now an effective solution. The Clos-o-Mat Lima Lift combines all the benefits of a ‘conventional’ Clos-o-Mat shower (automatic wash and dry) toilet with its integral douching and drying facility, with the added advantage of fully automatic height adjustability. This enables the wall-hung unit to be raised or lowered to each user’s personal requirements, to make getting on, off and using, the toilet as comfortable as possible. To further assist users, the Lima Lift incorporates arm supports, which can be raised prior to the Lift being actuated, or lowered with the Lift, actuated via buttons inset into the right-hand arm. Manufactured in the UK, by leading disabled toileting solutions provider Clos-o-Mat, the Lima Lift is produced in flush-finished or surface mounted options- optimising installation regardless of wall strength and services ducting and channelling, and
improving choice and bathroom/wetroom aesthetics. Enquiries: Full details are accessible via www.clos-o-mat.com
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residents’ clothing A real diamond in care homes Mislaid impacts home efficiency HYGIENE is obviously of paramount importance in healthcare establishments – and so is efficiency. With the SEBO DART UHS polisher, the need for wet mopping is substantially reduced while vacuuming and polishing are combined without the need to seal areas off during cleaning. The SEBO DART UHS polisher uses HTC twister floor pads, incorporating micro-diamonds to polish the floor. This eliminates the need for the use of chemicals or liquids and creates a super smooth floor surface, minimising the potentially biologically active surface area. The absence of liquids
has huge hygiene benefits as well as complying fully with health and safety issues. Constant use of disinfectants is a common cause of resistant micro-organisms. All this is dramatically reduced through daily cleaning with the UHS polisher, extending the period between disinfectant schedules and thus significantly aiding micro-organism resistance. SEBO also provides an extensive range of high-quality upright and cylinder, commercial or domestic, vacuum cleaners that can be used on any floor surface.
WITH more than 13 million items of clothing being washed every week in UK care homes it’s no wonder residents clothing gets mislaid and lost, especially when the name label has fallen off leaving the garment unidentifiable. Across the UK busy care home staff spends over 6,000 hours per week rummaging through lost property and residents rooms to find mislaid clothing. That’s a cost of nearly £2m. Time
that could be devoted to what your team does best, caring for your residents. Traditional methods of labelling such as sew-in and iron-on labels can degrade with constant washing, leading to faded names or the label coming off. Snappy TagsTM, the unique one-snap labelling system applies to garments in seconds. Snappy TagsTM won’t fall off, and the resident’s name is guaranteed not to fade.
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TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARESPONSORED BY
Quality monitoring initiative under fire from nursing home operators By Dominic Musgrave A WEB-BASED self-assessment system aimed at helping 58 private sector nursing homes across Worcestershire meet ever-increasing legal compliance standards has been branded “hard work and time consuming.” Residential nursing providers already using the tool in neighbouring Warwickshire and Coventry have claimed it is a “struggle to use.” And now it’s been rolled out in Worcestershire fears have been raised that data entered online may be used for punitive measures if it shows homes are not meeting the quality assurance mark demanded by clinical commissioning groups. The package – known as Care Homes Dashboard – has been developed by NHS Arden Commissioning Support in partnership with Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG and South Worcestershire CCG, to “monitor, manage and improve standards of care.” But so far it has failed to win universal support in pilot areas, according
to the head of umbrella care organisation, West Midlands Care Association, which represents private providers. Criticism has also come from Rakesh Kotecha, the regional care association director for Worcester and owner of a home in Bromsgrove. He said: “There’s been a number of meetings about this tool to implement quality assurance and the feelings are very mixed. “Some managers and owners felt that the information gathered and then displayed in an analytical way, would help them understand better their own businesses. “But the majority felt that it was yet another hurdle that the industry would have to jump for no additional money.” WMCA chief executive Debbie Le Quesne added: “Some of the homes in Warwickshire and Coventry have been using the Dashboard tool and frankly, have found it to be a struggle, hard work and time-consuming. “In a blame culture, homes are concerned, despite the CCG saying that they would not use the data for punitive methods, that it would in fact, be
the case. “I’m concerned too, that my members are already swamped with CQC must-do tasks, and while I appreciate the Dashboard is aimed at being proactive, it’s yet another tier of data management that managers and owners are expected to fit in to their already overcrowded work schedules.” Debbie added that although her association represented a huge swathe of Midlands’ providers, it had not been involved with the develop-
ment of the Dashboard, but had attended workshops in preparation of its launch. The Dashboard claims to provide assurance on a range of local and national clinical key performance indicators, such as infection control, falls, pressure ulcers and hospital admissions. It also includes a confidential ‘Serious Incidents’ and a ‘Never Events’ reporting portal, where providers can alert a local patient safety team of an incident in their home.
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Firms fined for safety failings following death of resident Abby Weighell, Middleton Hall’s Living Well coordinator, Margaret Fraser, daughter-in-law of Morag Fraser, Family Living resident, Nikki Morse, Living Well coordinator and Tom Edge, Family Living resident.
Staff get on their bike STAFF at a retirement village near Darlington came up with an inventive way of using pedal power to create healthy drinks for residents and visitors – a bicycle smoothie maker. The smoothie making machine was one of the highlights as Middleton Hall Retirement Village celebrated National Care Home Day. The bike smoothie maker has already whizzed up several smoothies for staff and residents as part of its health and wellbeing programme led by the award-winning retirement village’s Living Well team. Living Well manager Audra Hunt said: “The smoothie bike has caused quite a stir, literally, and has been great fun in helping us promote our new range of healthy smoothies.”
TWO companies have been sentenced for safety failings following the death of an elderly resident at a care home in Manchester. Irene Sharples, 92, was living at Alexian Brothers Care Centre in Moston when a heavy fire door fell on her during renovation work. She died just under four weeks later as a result of her injuries. The Healthcare Management Trust and construction firm Rothwell Robinson Ltd were both prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after an investigation found Irene, who suffered from dementia, had been able to wander into a building site at the home. Manchester Crown Court heard the Healthcare Management Trust Ltd, which runs the care home, had hired Rothwell Robinson Ltd to convert a ground floor bedroom and en-suite into two toilets and a store room. The company began the work on November 2, 2010 and several tradesmen, including two joiners and a plumber, visited the site over the following days. At around 7.30am on November 7, staff at the care home heard a loud thud and a cry for help.
When they went to investigate, they found Irene on the floor inside the former ground floor bedroom with a fire door on top of her. It took three people to lift the door off her and she suffered a broken hip. Irene spent eight days in hospital but her condition deteriorated when she returned to the care home and she died on December 2. The HSE investigation found the healthcare firm and building company had both failed to make sure the room was locked at the end of each day and also when it was left unoccupied. The fire door had been removed from the en-suite during the building work and leant against the wardrobes. Several other hazards were also spotted by the care home staff including loose skirting boards, exposed wiring, broken glass and rusty nails. The court was told Irene knew the resident who previously lived in the room and would occasionally walk into that room as she wandered around the care home. The Healthcare Management Trust, of Queen Anne’s Gate in London, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 in
prosecution costs after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Rothwell Robinson Ltd, of Holyoake Road in Worsley, was fined £10,000 with costs of £7,500 after pleading guilty to the same offence. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Laura Moran said: “Both firms clearly knew there were vulnerable residents living at the care home but they still allowed the door to what was essentially a building site to be left unlocked on numerous occasions. “Sadly, Mrs Sharples was severely injured when she wandered into the room, presumably looking for her friend, and ultimately lost her life because of the failings of the Healthcare Management Trust and Rothwell Robinson. “Following the incident, the companies introduced a new procedure which meant workers had to collect and return a key at the start and end of each day, and lock the door when there was no one inside. “If this system had been in place from the start of the building project then Mrs Sharples would never have been able to get into the room.”
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www.active-minds.co.uk
People with dementia denied care, claims government adviser PEOPLE with dementia are being denied specialised care and treatment because social services are holding the purse strings for people with the condition rather than health commissioners, a government adviser on health has said. Professor Martin Green, also chief executive of Care England, says if dementia was treated as an illness – as it should be – more people with the condition could access appropriate services. He said it was wrong that people with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, and their families, had to pay thousands for treatment from their own pockets, while other diseases had their funding covered by the NHS. “The system is like this only because we are dealing with older people,” said Martin, a Department of Health dementia champion. “Imagine if it was disease which affected children and young people – things would be very different then.” Martin was speaking at a study day on cognitive impairment and dementia at PJ Care’s Eagle Wood Neurological Care Centre in Peterborough, the UK’s only centre able to treat all neurological conditions on one site. Under the current system, despite dementia being classified as a physical disease of the brain, most essential care – such as helping with washing, eating and toileting – is provided by social services. Unlike NHS care, social care is means tested. This means an assessment of a person’s finances is carried out to see if they are eligible for help with the cost of care. The cost of funding care and treatment for people with various types of dementia was a major topic at the study day, called ‘Open Your Mind to… Cognitive Care: understanding behaviours that challenge’. Care campaigner Angela Sherman was among five speakers at the event.
The knit and natter group at Somerleigh Court in Dorchester.
Group creates blankets Professor Martin Green She set up her own organisation, Care To Be Different, to offer help and advice to people with problems accessing NHS funding. Angela stressed that funding through NHS Continuing Healthcare was available to many people with dementia – but thousands who are eligible are not told about it, or are wrongly denied it by the authorities. She had a marathon three-year battle to secure Continuing Healthcare funding for her own parents. Angela said: “There are two myths. The first is that if you have savings or assets over £23,250 you will have to pay for your care. That is so misleading, because that relates only to social care. “The other myth is that NHS Continuing Healthcare does not apply to dementia. It absolutely does – and so many people are told this quite incorrectly.” Other speakers at the event included Jan Flawn, founder and chair of PJ Care, who set up the company in 2000 after seeing young people with dementia inappropriately placed in care homes for the elderly. Jill Walton, a nurse adviser on dementia, who focused on the importance of support groups, and clinical psychologist Alistair Gaskell also spoke at the study day.
THE knit and natter group at retirement community Somerleigh Court in Dorchester has produced a number of therapeutic blankets and aprons to be used by people suffering from varying levels of dementia. Their creations, inspired by the original fidget blanket devised back in the 80’s, have been overseen by activities co-ordinator Cherie Folkard and close care team member Maralyn Dredge. Not only have the blankets found favour with some of the residents at their own adjoining Somerleigh Court Nursing Home, but also with other operators, who were shown them at a recent ‘Partners in Care Activities Forum’.
Cherie said: “We are very proud of our knit and natter group’s production skills. Not only have they perfected the fidget blanket and apron, which as well as being adopted by care groups in the UK, has attracted attention overseas, in Belgium no less. Added to which, they are also prolific knitters of baby hats and blankets, which are regularly sent overseas for many needy causes.” The fidget blankets or ‘boredom busters’ as some of the knitting group have christened them, are decorated with a variety of items which the users can relate to; buttons and button holes, working zip fasteners, along with ribbons and shoelaces that can be tied and untied.
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QUALITY IN CARESPONSORED BY
www.requiredsystems.com
Franchise qualification for care provider’s director MICHELLE Fenwick, director at Heritage Healthcare Franchising, has been recognised by the British Franchise Association (bfa) for her indepth knowledge of the franchise sector. Michelle is the only person in the care franchise industry to have been awarded the Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP) accreditation, the only nationally recognised qualification specific to the UK franchise sector. The QFP is formal recognition of an individual’s professional knowledge and experience in franchising. It demonstrates understanding of the complexities and best practice in franchising and commitment to continuously developing greater understanding of the sector. The qualification covers recruiting franchisees, understanding financial performance, monitoring franchisees performance and motivating franchisees. The final part of the assessment is by interview with an expert panel. Heritage Healthcare launched its franchising division last year and is looking for committed, ambitious and motivated people in various areas of the UK who have the desire to own, operate and develop their own business providing excellent
Chinese health experts visit hospice and home Michelle Fenwick quality care that enables people to enjoy independent lives in the comfort of their own home. Michelle said: “This journey has been my World Cup or my Wimbledon and I am delighted to have been awarded the only nationally recognised qualification specific to the franchise sector. “Since undertaking the qualification I have brought some of the new skills and knowledge to Heritage Healthcare’s franchising operation and implemented some of the shared best practice ideas.”
A DELEGATION of healthcare managers from China visited a hospice and care home in Worcester to learn how people nearing the end of their lives are cared for in the UK. The group of 20 experts from Guangzhou visited St Richard’s Hospice and Rashwood Nursing Home, near Droitwich, as part of their fact finding trip to understand how end of life care is delivered in the UK. The visits were organised by the Shrewsbury-based National Gold Standards Framework Centre which is the largest provider of end of life care training programmes for health and social care professionals. Professor Keri Thomas, GSF clinical director, and two of her colleagues,
were invited to a conference in Peking earlier this year by professor KK Cheng, professor of primary care at Birmingham and Peking universities, to inform Chinese doctors and health administrators about best practice in the UK. Keri said: “It was a great honour and privilege to be invited to China and to share what we have learned over the past 15 years, helping to develop a framework for all those involved in the care of people nearing the end of life. We are delighted to be able to welcome the delegation from Guangzhou and give them first-hand experience of what high quality end of life care really looks like in a hospice and care home.”
‘Inspirational’ recognition for CQC’s chief inspector THE CQC’s chief inspector of adult social care, Andrea Sutcliffe, scooped special recognition at an event celebrating the most inspirational women from all areas of healthcare. The Health Service Journal (HSJ) announced its 2014 Inspirational Women list at No 11 Cavendish Square, London where Andrea joined around 110 inspirational women and guests at a private reception to network and celebrate their success. This year’s HSJ Inspirational Women list celebrates the top 50 individuals who stand out for their passion and ability to innovate and drive forward transformational change. The HSJ judging panel commented: “Andrea is inspirational not just in what she does, but in how she does it. “She’s confident without being arrogant, ambitious for her work not herself, and always focused on the good she can do for others.” Andrea added: “I feel honoured to be included in the HSJ Inspirational Women list and would like to thank the judges and anyone who took the time to nominate me. “I am also humbled by the company
Andrea Sutcliffe I am keeping – there are some fantastic women on this list who are making a huge difference in the health and care world. “Alison Cameron, Gill Phillips and Dr Kate Granger have all used their personal experiences and understanding of services to lead the way in improving care. They are truly inspirational.”
Helping you to comply with the regulator IT IS not just CQC that require services in the care sector to be able to evidence compliance. Your bank and local authorities placing service users are becoming more demanding. The two major failures in CQC inspections are poor record keeping and drug administration. Required Systems Ltd has all the quality systems you need to be compliant, incorporating all the forthcoming changes from CQC. To find out more call 01236 782477 or visit www.requiredsystems.com
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Ben’s funky fitness classes sweep through Britain’s care homes ... By Dominic Musgrave FUNKY fitness classes for the older adults are sweeping through Britain’s care homes – thanks to a 28-year-old from Scarborough. Former personal trainer Ben Allen is bringing activities like ‘Strictly Fun Dancing’, cheerleading, pom-pom shaking and ‘Chairobics’ to care homes in what he calls ‘an hour of joy’ to the lives of older people. He launched his award-winning social enterprise business, called Oomph!, just three years ago, and since then more than 700 care homes have signed up to the party-style classes. “We aim for each session to provide an hour of joy in what can unfortunately be quite a silent life for many older adults in care homes,” said Ben. “We really are improving older adults’ quality of life. “Our classes involve everything from rock ‘n’ roll routines to exercise to Second World War songs – and Zorba the Greek also seems to be going down extremely well. “To see people’s eyes light up as they do a gentle jive and shake pom-poms to their favourite music is wonderful to see.” After graduating from Hull University, Ben borrowed money from his parents Nick and Sara Allen
– who run a seafront hotel in Scarborough – to qualify as a personal trainer. He combined a variety of jobs in fitness with a love of travelling for five years before he returned to the UK permanently, and investigated setting up his own business working with older adults. And it was when he visited care homes near his home that the idea for Oomph!, standing for ‘Our Organisation Makes People Happy’, was born. “I realised there was a need to improve the quality of people’s lives in care homes,” added Ben. “I wanted to help people benefit from exercise, while also creating a party atmosphere. That’s when the idea for Oomph! came along.” The business quickly took off, leading to a network of trainers being employed to run classes. Many were young people who had struggled to find work during the recession. As demand continued, Oomph! instructors trained care home staff themselves to run classes. Sunnyview House, in Beeston, Leeds, is one of the care homes regularly holding classes. Activities co-ordinator at the 84-bed facility, Debbie Fawthrop, said: “We started off holding one class a week, but they have been so successful and
Lee Marshall from Oomph! and Debbie Fawthrop, activities co-ordinator at Sunnyview House, with residents Edna Batley (left) and Edna Varley. popular that we now have two to ensure everyone who wants to take part can do so. “The classes are really well structured, the Oomph! instructor has a great personality, and he really knows how to get our residents’ attention.” Ben’s goal is to see Oomph! sessions in every residential home in Britain. “We want Oomph! to be part of a drive to revolutionise standards in
care homes, and so tackle a real social problem,” he added. “Our goal is to make millions of older adults across the UK – and eventually across the globe – healthier and happier.” In 2012, Ben was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Shell Livewire, the UK’s biggest community of young entrepreneurs. He was the first social entrepreneur to win the award.
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New type of retirement living unveiled By Dominic Musgrave EAST Lancashire will be home to a new lifestyle model for older people at Northlight, site of the historic Brierfield Mill. Known as Evermore, the village is being developed by Pendle Enterprise & Regeneration Limited (PEARL), the joint venture development company between Barnfield Investment Properties and Pendle Borough Council, on behalf of Evermore Wellbeing Limited. Evermore is a new housing and lifestyle approach that combines attractive property with support services to help older people retain independence and control. Founded by Sara McKee, it will change the housing choices available for people in later life and tackle social isolation among older people living alone.
The village in Brierfield is the first of its kind to be built in England and will feature a five storey building with 60 one-bed, self-contained apartments for sale. Each apartment will have a doublebedroom and en-suite, living room, kitchenette, and balcony. They will be clustered into households of 12, with each sharing communal living area and hearth including an open plan kitchen and large dining table. Tim Webber, managing director of the Barnfield Group, said: “We’re excited about having the ground breaking Evermore proposition in Lancashire first, and in such an iconic local building. “The Evermore concept combined with the fantastic regeneration of a landmark building will set the standard for what we demand of housing in later life.”
An aerial sketch of Evermore. Credit: David Morley Architects. It is expected that construction of Evermore at Northlight will begin in the autumn, with sales commencing next spring. This is the first village of at least 20 Evermore communities that will be built by 2020.
Sara McKee, CEO of Evermore, added: “Evermore’s philosophy is about providing older people with fantastic lifestyle opportunities in the heart of the community they know and love. “With amenities including a hotel, business enterprise centre, recreation facilities, restaurants, and a marina, I can’t think of a better location for our first village than Northlight.” The approach is inspired by the Green House Project in the US, which provides homes for older people that look and feel like a real home while also delivering high quality care. Research has shown its model has resulted in improved quality of life among residents, better quality of care, and higher staff satisfaction compared to traditional retirement homes.
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COMMERCESPONSORED BY
PrimeCare alliance slashes clients’ running costs ...
Qas Israr, Care UK project manager, and John Middleton, Metnor Construction site manager, at the site of the new home.
Home to create 100 jobs CARE UK has begun construction of a new £7.5m care home being developed at the heart of Cringleford in Norfolk. Upon completion the new 80-bed home is set to create 100 jobs. Representatives from building partner Metnor Construction joined forces with the care provider to mark the start of work on the site near Norwich. The home is set to open next summer and will offer residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, as well as palliative, respite and end of life care. Facilities will include a cinema, hair salon and a café. Designed to support residents to
live active and fulfilled lives, the state-of-the-art care environment will provide a welcoming ‘home from home’. Each individual bedroom will have an en-suite wet room, flatscreen television, adjustable profile bed and a 24-hour nurse call system. Qas Israr, construction project manager for Care UK, said: “When complete this new home will improve the provision of high quality care for older people living in the area. We take a great pride in the design, layout and quality of our care homes; factors which can greatly impact the everyday experiences of people living in a care environment.”
PrimeCare is working with ProVantage Procurement to help its customers reduce their running costs and redirect savings to front line services. ProVantage Procurement is a team of MCIPS qualified procurement specialists with over 50 years’ purchasing experience in the care and charities markets. It offers a free spend review to identify savings that can deliver PrimeCare’s domiciliary care providers quick expense reduction. Typically ProVantage Procurement can realise an average of 15 to 20 per cent savings on contracts that have been in place for several years. This could include office and front line service based items such as: Beds, furniture, soft furnishings, carpets and flooring. Fleet and transport. Utilities – electricity, oil/LPG, gas. Catering: food, services and equipment. Build projects, refurbishments, buildings maintenance, grounds maintenance. Telephony. Specialist equipment, PPE. Print, marketing, brand design, fulfilment. Rates reviews. Desktop PCs, laptops, printers and copiers.
IT Infrastructure, maintenance and support. Audit and legal services, financial planning advice. ProVantage Procurement is not a simple ‘savings share’ company. It helps companies identify the full cost of what they need so there are no surprises in the supplier’s small print afterwards. It will continue to support customers throughout the contract – without charge. How much does the service cost? There are no upfront fees. ProVantage Procurement’s primary objective is to secure the very best value for money for PrimeCare customers – not just the lowest price. It only looks to cover its costs by taking a small percentage of any savings made so that the bulk stays with you. MD David Waters met ProVantage’s Peter Roberts and Lisa Collier. He said: “Peter and Lisa’s combined skill and enthusiasm for what they do shine through and they can save many of our customers money on anything they need to purchase. I’d recommend giving them a call before making any purchases. It won’t cost you anything other than a few minutes of your time and may well save you thousands of pounds. They know what they are doing and do it well.”
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COMMERCESPONSORED BY
Rates have fallen – are Restricted budgets – restricted fees you paying too much? IF you’re seeking to restructure or increase your existing mortgage, Chandler & Co.’s status as an independent healthcare specialist means we have strong links with a comprehensive range of lenders. The combined experience of the partners including financial, management and care home ownership offers first-hand knowledge and expertise in the healthcare sector. As existing operators, you can consider the whole range of options available to you, including: Restructuring of existing loans. Equity release and debt consolidation. Purchase of additional businesses. Refurbishments and extensions of
existing business. Land purchase and new build schemes. Sale and leaseback finance. By combining finance for improvements with a restructure of your existing borrowings, it may be possible to enhance your business without increasing your monthly loan repayments. Terms include: Monthly repayments as low as £4,361.31 (per £1m borrowed). 75 per cent loan to value. No arrangement fees. 25-year loan commitment. Make an informed decision with a FREE financial review from Chandler & Co.
Global arranges 1.5 per cent loan SPECIALIST healthcare brokers Global Business Finance has arranged development funding to extend a Devon care home at the rate of bank base plus 1.5 per cent. After searching an extensive range of banks for the best deal the team at Global used their senior banking contacts to tap into an exclusive and unpublished funding scheme that general branch level banks cannot access. With over £1.5bn in completed loans, Global Business Finance is
recognised by the banking community as leading UK brokers in the healthcare field. The firm often deals directly at the highest banking level to secure loans for their clients. You too can benefit from over 25 years of care home sector knowledge and the exceptional contacts that these leading brokers have, along with their very dedicated and client friendly team, who work hard to tailor packages to clients’ individual needs.
AS we enter the second quarter of the financial year, the majority of local authorities within England have now completed the Annual Fee Review. Analysis of elderly residential care fees carried out by specialist healthcare property advisors HPC indicates an average uplift in the region of 1.7 per cent. While a number of councils have yet to complete the consultation process, this level of uplift at least seeks to give parity with rising costs. Having fallen significantly behind the Consumer Prices Index over recent years, this average review level is broadly in line with the April 2014 CPI of 1.8 per cent. Unfortunately, what the uplift fails to reflect is the
forthcoming 3 per cent uplift in National Minimum Wage (October 2014) coupled with a rising pension liability for many operators. The research, carried out by HPC, is detailed in full on the consultant’s website www.healthcarepc.co.uk Reflecting on the latest results, HPC director Nigel Newton Taylor said: “The failure of local authority fee levels to keep pace with rising costs will test the viability of an increasing number of facilities. Coupled with a strengthening property market, many care homes proprietors will undoubtedly seek to exit through alternative use sale – akin to the situation we saw at the start of the millennium.”
Burford Care Homes act for Bondcare in sale to Target Healthcare REIT BURFORD Care Homes has acted on behalf of Bondcare in the sale of two purpose-built care homes situated in Birmingham and Nottingham to Target Healthcare REIT. Bromford Lane Care Home and Beechdale Manor Care Home were acquired under a sale-andleaseback arrangement. Existing operator Bondcare will lease the homes for a period of approximately 21 years at Bromford Lane and 35 years at Beechdale Manor. The purpose-built homes provide residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as specialist high dependency care for up to 181 residents across the two homes. Target Healthcare REIT were advised throughout by Gary Walton of Walton Healthcare Property Consultants. Paul Burford (pictured) said: “Having sold Bondcare their first care home in 1997, I have built up a very good relationship with Leib Levison. “We were delighted to be instructed to dispose
of these two substantial homes and as usual, were able to use our uniquely confidential and bespoke services to ensure our clients were satisfied throughout.” Enquiries: Contact Paul on 07808 764748 or email paul@burfordcarehomes.co.uk
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How flexible are you? By Gillian Mair EMPLOYEES with 26 weeks' service now have the right to request to work flexibly for any reason. Requests from employees to change their working hours or place of work to a different location may be made for a whole host of reasons. It may be that someone wishes to carry out voluntary work, be able to collect their children or grandchildren from school or simply achieve a better work life balance. It is worth emphasising that, as before, employers are only obliged to consider a request, not to grant it. Also, as before, any refusal must be based on one or more of eight valid business reasons. These include an inability to reorganise work among existing staff, which can be a particularly tricky issue in the care sector, particularly if a request has been made by a support worker who is responsible for one to one care of a service user. However, one significant change in the rules is that employers no longer need to follow the detailed statutory procedures, that have been in place since April 2003, when considering flexible working requests. These required employers to follow a strict timetable when dealing with
‘The biggest benefit for employers will be the ability to follow a more simplified process when dealing with requests.’ requests and were thought by many to be cumbersome. Instead, employers will be allowed to use their own HR processes, provided they are 'reasonable' and the request is dealt with within three months (unless both parties agree to an extension). Acas has produced a Code of Practice – the Code of Practice for handling in a reasonable manner requests to work flexibly – and additional guidance to assist employers. The recommendations set out in the Code of Practice must be taken into account by tribunals when considering complaints brought under the new rules by employees, so employers would be advised to follow the code. In every case, it will be important for employers to consider the business case for each application, even if
Gillian Mair a number of requests are received at the same time. Factors such as an employee's role, what kind of flexible working arrangement has been requested, and the impact that granting the request would have on the individual’s team and the organisation as a whole should be considered. If a number of individuals have requested flexible working at the same time, it is important to consider how the business context will change once one request has been granted. If it is not possible to accommodate all of the requests it may be worth checking, for example, if anyone already on a flexible working pattern
would be happy to swap their nonworking day. It may also be worthwhile having a discussion with all the employees who have made the request to see if there may be room for compromise and to understand why each individual wants to work flexibly. If all of the requests would have the same impact on the organisation, there is a strong case for prioritising requests that may lead to a discrimination and/or constructive unfair dismissal claim if refused. Examples that might fall under this category include an employee requesting flexible working to look after a young child, or a disabled employee who asks to work flexibly to have additional breaks or to work part-time to overcome fatigue arising from a disability. Although June 30 2014 marked a significant change in the flexible working landscape, employers in the care sector should still be able to deal with flexible working requests in the context of their own organisational needs. The biggest benefit for employers will be the ability to follow a more simplified process when dealing with requests. Gillian Mair is a senior solicitor in the employment team of Brodies LLP.
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Fronheulog in Llandrindod Wells.
Charity purchases home SPECIALIST property adviser Christie + Co has sold Fronheulog Care Home in Llandrindod Wells on behalf of Roger and Lucy Millar. The freehold interest was sold for an undisclosed sum to Crossroads Care, a charity based in mid-Wales which provides support, services and recognition for carers throughout midand-West Wales. Fronheulog offers residential accommodation for 25 elderly clients in the heart of Llandrindod Wells and
is the first registered setting for one of the Crossroads charity. Rob Kinsman, regional director of Christie + Co, handled the sale. He said: “We are delighted to secure a successful disposal on behalf of Mr and Mrs Millar and wish Crossroads Care all the best at Fronheulog. The business has been lovingly operated by the Millars for a long time and we have no doubt that Crossroads will continue to provide the highest level of care for the residents.�
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CARINGPRODUCT NEWS
The horror of fixed rate loans THE banks’ regulator is still dragging its feet over a mis-selling scandal hundreds of care homes suffer from. Fixed Rate Loans were marketed eagerly by high street banks to care homes wanting to expand as demand grew over the last ten years. Allegedly they would ‘protect’ borrowers from rising interest rates. Only when rates fell did owners discover the true costs hidden in their loan contracts which often had 10 or 20-year terms. Sometimes these hidden charges
came to half the value of the loan. Businesses either had to pay a huge exit penalty or go on paying excessive interest each month. If you had a fixed rate loan (often called Treasury Loans or Tailored Business Loans) contact Claims (London) Ltd – currently helping many commercial borrowers with complaints against their banks. We show up unfair conditions, reduce monthly payments, win compensation and get exit penalties waived – saving owners a fortune.
New range for cognitive impairment launched SHACKLETONS has launched a new bedroom furniture range for the care home sector designed specifically to tackle cognitive and visual impairment. Called the Limoges Furniture Collection, the range is focussed on elegance and sophistication, combining contemporary styling with stunning visual and textural finishes. A key characteristic is the enhanced curved edge profile which gives a pleasing visual appeal and provides the added benefit of safety, keeping sharp edges away from those residents who could have mobility problems. The finishes available include two
contrast options in driftwood and mussel, whereby the drawer and door finish is distinctively different to that of the carcase. Double robe, vanity unit, dressing table and bedside cabinets with matching headboards are all available to complete a safe home from home environment. The Limoges range ensures it is fit for purpose in a demanding care environment. Curved edges increase safety, easy wipe surfaces ensure infection control is effective, and contrasting panels with simple finishes promote ease of use avoiding confusion for someone with dementia.
Simple solutions SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems. The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition. With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur. Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple... The WACMAT® will then be clean and odourfree, ready to perform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.
Matron Virginia Hughes and registered nurse Rose Sobers from Cranhill Nursing Home in Bath are pictured with Required Systems founder Peter Hawkins after the pair won a competition to win an audit tool as part of a competition held during Caring UK’s Elderly Care: Positive Choices conference sponsored by NatWest at Weston-super-Mare.
Hydration, hydration, hydration IT’S a well know fact that the elderly rarely drink enough. However, a lesser known fact is that there is a new drink product which has recently been introduced into the UK healthcare market which, could well have your residents asking for more. With thousands of healthcare establishments now using it in over 50 countries worldwide, Bolero is rapidly becoming a household name. What’s so different about Bolero? Bolero is a very inexpensive ‘sugar free’ powdered vitamin drink, which, when diluted, looks, smells, and tastes every bit as good as real fruit juices. Bolero can also boast an unrivalled range of over 30 delicious flavour options. The vast variety of Bolero’s colours alone can also dramatically increase interest in drinking, particularly from those with dementia. Bolero has been adopted by several of the UK’s largest healthcare groups, and was also the drink of choice in a
recent NHS initiative to promote better hydration and nutrition in healthcare. In conjunction with Caring UK (and subject to status) we are offering care/nursing homes a free trial of Bolero. Simply apply via emailing sales@bolerodrinks.com
Claim VAT back on your home even Nationwide turn back the clock if you are not VAT registered IT is true, care providers can reclaim VAT worth about £3,000 per bed for any residents who stayed in your home between 1993 and 2002 paid for by the local authority. You don’t have to be VAT registered to make a claim. We can usually find the information required with minimal disruption to your business. How is this possible? Well in 2002 a care provider called Kingscrest challenged the view held by HMRC and won. There is no cost to you unless we are successful. Typical claims: 50 beds – £240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287 beds – £1.25m. And the best part is that you get the money in your bank account before you pay us. Don’t forget the tax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.
25 years to 1989 prices
Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.
They have to clear:2000 - Queen Anne Chairs at only £115 2000 - Dining chairs from only £59 They deliver amazing furniture products of top quality, durability, and style with outstanding value! They supply lounge, dining and bedroom furniture with co-ordinating curtains and soft furnishings in the latest fabric designs and colourways. They cater for residential, nursing, dementia and special needs homes and deliver across the country with a two-week lead time. If you are doing a new build, an extension or a refurbishment you can ask for their show van to come to your premises or visit their showroom in Leeds. Nationwide are happy to supply a full turn-key operation or deliver one item to your home and everything comes with a four-year guarantee.
Enquiries: To see the new range of artwork, mirrors and lighting that have just been added to their vast range of products visit www.nursinghomesupplies.co.uk
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CARINGNEWS
Sleeping shift workers now entitled to minimum wage By Julia Gray MINIMUM staffing levels requiring care workers to be on site will mean they are entitled to the National Minimum Wage during sleeping shifts. If you pay staff a lump sum (sometimes called a flat rate, or an allowance) for a sleeping night shift, you may be breaching the National Minimum Wage legislation. A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case (Slavikovska) found that where there are minimum staffing levels requiring care workers to be on site, they were entitled to be paid the NMW. The rules on whether sleeping night shifts constitute “working time” (entitling staff to the NMW) are unclear and the case law is contradictory. Generally, the more likely the employee is to have to carry out any tasks during a sleeping shift, the more likely the Courts are to find they are entitled to the NMW rather than just a lower allowance. This doesn’t mean they can’t be paid a lump sum for a sleeping shift, but that when their pay (including lump sums) is averaged over the prescribed (12-week) period, it must not fall below the NMW. Success in court for claimants The most recent case involved a care
Julia Gray home in Surrey for people with learning difficulties. It provides some clarity, and gives a helpful summary. The ruling went against the employer. The care home was required by law to ensure the home was staffed at all times by sufficient suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons. The claimant was a senior care assistant and was required to work some sleeping shifts (9pm to 7am), during which she would be available to deal with emergencies. She was paid a lump sum of £25 for working these shifts. The question of whether or not the claimant was required to do any work while she was on a night shift was
disputed, but became an important finding made by the EAT: where an employer requires an employee to be on the premises “just in case”, the assumption would usually be that their time spent on shift is “working time”, regardless of whether they are sleeping and regardless of the likelihood of them having to carry out any tasks. The EAT referred to (and is consistent with) the 2013 case of Whittlestone v BJP Home Support. This was another case concerned with the entitlement of a care worker to receive NMW rate for sleep-over shifts. The BJP case went a step further as it also dealt with payment for travel time in between assignments – an issue which was highlighted by the media last year. What you should do If staff are paid a lump sum for overnight shifts, consider whether their shift is likely to constitute “working time” (either because they have tasks to complete during the shift, or because you are legally obliged to have someone on the premises). If they do, check whether you are paying the NMW. Julia Gray is an associate for health and social care law firm Hempsons, with a specialism in employment law.
Mayor joins residents for celebrations RESIDENTS and staff were joined by friends, relatives and The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Faruk Choudhury to celebrate 10 years of Stokeleigh Care Home in Stoke Bishop being owned by Hartford Care. The afternoon included a ceremony during which Faruk buried a time capsule to commemorate the 10th anniversary. He also toured the home and chatted to residents, staff and visitors. Its contents included relevant news publications and a selection of artwork and items created by residents of the home and pupils at the nearby Stoke Bishop Church of England Primary School. Hartford Care’s CEO Sean Gavin said: “We are very proud of the care we have provided throughout our 10 years at Stokeleigh. “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our 10th anniversary and to everyone who worked hard to make the event so successful. Here’s to the next 10 years.” The ceremony was followed by live musical entertainment.
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Finding the right people for your business is no easy task By Andrew Dean ATTRACT the right people to work in your business and you can increase profits and grow your business. However, it’s not always easy and one of the most overlooked aspects of recruiting high performers is retention and the acknowledgement that recruitment is only one piece of the jigsaw. Adopting a clear five stage process to your recruitment strategy is recommended. Focus should be on attracting and recruiting individuals whilst nurturing and guiding them through their careers with you. 1. Find The job market is fierce and finding a genuine high performer for your business requires sustained effort, tenacity and patience. It’s crucial you
find the right recruitment partner for your organisation to significantly expand the size of your prospective candidate pool. 2. Attract Develop a reputation for being a good employer. A workplace where people choose to work, feel a sense of personal achievement, satisfaction, individual purpose and security will attract high calibre employees to it. Be clear about your vision, the challenges the new employee needs to meet and how they can be successful in your organisation. 3. Recruit Once you have attracted the high performers you have to fully assess their suitability for your organisation, however, this process should be two way. Remember, you are being
assessed as a suitable employer as much as you are assessing the candidate’s ability to do the job well. 4. On board The first 3-6 months of a candidates’ employment are crucial to ensuring your employee is happy, engaged and productive in your business. Having a structured on boarding programme can lead to your new employee assimilating quickly and doing the job at the expected level in a timely fashion. 5.Retain Ask yourself the question “why would a talented person want to work here?” Ensure you have a formula in place to make your organisation more attractive to talented people. Providing your employees with exciting work, growth, development,
Andrew Dean wealth and reward are some points to consider. Andrew Dean, care director at Prospect Health, is a leading expert in recruitment services for the sector.
Car wash raises funds for summer fayre STAFF at Norwood Green Care Home in Middlesex held a car wash in the grounds to help raise money for the residents’ summer fayre. There was a huge show of support from the public, as cars lined up throughout the day for their exclusive car hand wash.
ID Cards The Stocks Hall Nursing and Care group welcomed four students from Edge Hill University into their Ormskirk home. The four students, Pip, Laura, Melissa and Kim are studying a Performance and Health BA course at Edge Hill. People living within Stocks Hall enjoyed entertainment and being actively involved in reliving a night out at the cinema. There was music, dancing, popcorn and dressing up for the occasion to enjoy.
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A surprise appearance from local war hero Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC made the day extra special. On seeing how busy everyone was, Johnson, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, rolled up his sleeves and helped staff wash some of the cars.
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