Caring UK April 2021

no.291 • £4.75 incorporating

April 2021

Time to start ‘stand up’ for social care

n Extra funding for social care, funded by taxation or National Insurance. n Dementia treated like other high priority illnesses, like cancer and heart disease. n A fixed percentage of GDP to be spent on social care. n Social care businesses to be zero-rated for VAT. The ICG points to 1.4m people going without the care they need, £8bn cut from social care budgets since 2010-11 and 100,000 vacancies in the care sector on any one day as evidence that social care needs urgent help.

Mike added: “Reform is long overdue; the Prime Minister has repeatedly promised it and it is time to deliver.

“Unless we get more funding into the sector to support care, ease the staffing shortages and improve the terms and conditions of the staff providing amazing care, the sector will continue to be fragile, as it was when Covid-19 struck last year.

“If people had lived as long as they do now when Nye Bevan created the NHS in 1948, the care of older people would have been included in the system then.

“It is time to put that right now by carrying out the sort of reform Bevan did for healthcare on the way we care for the country’s most vulnerable and in need of support.”

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A FULL-BLOWN campaign to ‘Stand up’ for social care would be a fitting way to mark the first anniversary of the Covid-19 lockdown, providers said.

The Independent Care Group says the country cannot let social care become so susceptible again and the time for total reform has come.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “At my own care group, we have cared for more than 100 discharged Covid19 patients.

“So, now it has to be payback time. One-and-a-half million heroic social care workers have put their lives on the line during Covid-19, it is time they got the recognition they deserve.

“To begin with it would be nice if the Government could give all carers in England a bonus, like the £500 administrations have given to carers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“And it is time we put social care at the front of the queue and served the millions of frail and vulnerable people with the care they need and deserve, in a civilised country.”

The ICG wants to see: n A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded. n NHS care and social care to be merged and managed either locally or nationally.

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Home takes part in pen pal scheme

Residents living in Care UK homes have been able to enjoy virtual sessions with a food expert. Residents in homes were able to join a live event with food historian Dr Polly Russell from the BBC programme Back in Time for... for a live interactive food tasting session designed to transport residents back to their younger years. Partnering with Care UK for the nationwide Food for Thought initiative, which sees care homes across the country celebrate their favourite foods throughout the decades, Dr Polly worked alongside the operator’s chefs to create a unique reminiscence menu. The menu features iconic foods from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and is designed to be used as a sensory tool to encourage reminiscence in older people.

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RESIDENTS at River Court care home in Watford have been keeping connected with young people at a time when social isolation has increased by joining the free YOPEY pen pal scheme.

YOPEY, the Young People of th,e Year charity, traditionally runs befriending schemes where young people visit care homes, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this has been put on hold.

Despite some visiting being stopped during the lockdown, the charity and its volunteers wanted to continue supporting care home residents at a time when they needed it the most, so decided to start a letter-writing scheme.

Home manager Bijoy Philip said feedback from residents has been extremely positive, describing the befriending scheme as “an opportunity to give some love and receive some love.”

“With everything else that’s going on in the world currently, the scheme has been a beacon of hope for our residents during the lockdown,” he added.

“Creating and maintaining social connections with our younger generation is key to supporting the mental wellbeing of our residents and, in turn, helps them to age well. We wanted to keep our residents connected with young people, as we see the many benefits that it brings to them.

“We want to thank the Wellbeing Team for their constant efforts in getting the residents involved in this great initiative.”

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CARINGNEWS

Residents sing to raise spirits RESIDENTS at a Bridgwater care home are among the lucky few who are able to enjoy a communal sing-song and all the feel-good benefits associated with it.

Jason Saunders, activities co-ordinator at Avalon Nursing Home, said: “Vaccines are all done here now, which is reassuring both for residents and their families, and having a good old singalong is a great way to celebrate that and let everyone know how happy it makes us all feel.

“The people we support at Avalon are all living with dementia, but musical memories are among the last to fade. It’s astonishing how some residents who struggle to find words for conversation manage to effortlessly remember all the words to their favourite songs.

“One of our gentlemen, Terry Davies especially likes to sing Danny Boy. What is lovely is that he often just starts off on his own, and then other residents are inspired to join in with him, and soon we have a sizeable group all

Jason Saunders sings to Brenda Winn. having a great time singing particularly lovely when the old favourites together. residents start singing on their “We also have regular own.” singing sessions for residents Although dementia who enjoy this, but it’s always is characterised by a

progressive decline in brain functions such as memory, understanding and thinking, studies in the USA have shown that the receptor in the brain which receives the music signal is never affected by dementia, and other research has proved that music lights up more parts of the brain than any other activity.

Familiar songs stimulate musical recollections stored deep inside the long-term memory, providing listeners with a unique and invaluable opportunity to feel more fulfilled in a world that can sometimes seem confusing and unfamiliar.

Jason added: “Group singing seems to have a therapeutic effect on our residents. If any of them are feeling a bit tense, it seems to dissipate very quickly and it’s evident how much they enjoy themselves.

It keeps peoples’ spirits up and brings us all together.

“We also have wireless headsets available so that individuals can enjoy music of their choice at any time, and these are very popular.”

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Healthcare Product Manager: Bev Green Tel: 01226 734288 Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant Sales Manager: Tracy Stacey Tel: 01226 734480 Email: cuk3@scriptmedia.co.uk National Sales Executive: Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk Publishers Script Media 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk Editorial 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.

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CARINGNEWS

Community thanked for solving timeline A HERTFORDSHIRE care home has managed to complete the elusive 163-year-old timeline puzzle of its striking central building thanks to the help of the local community and beyond.

Following the launch of a ‘history hunt’ last April to help unravel the mysteries of its long and eventful timeline, Foxholes Care Home, near Hitchin, has officially filled in all the blanks after being inundated with information sent in by the public, from as far afield as Switzerland and California.

Encouraged to send in their connections to the historic building, the general public along with businesses and organisations sent in information linking them to Foxholes, which is known to have been a manor house, maternity ward, Catholic boarding house, and care home.

Having started with an almost blank canvas a year ago, a flood of invaluable letters, news extracts, pictures, anecdotes, and documents have helped to create a comprehensive record of the building’s colourful history.

The completed timeline stands at: 1857 – Built in 1857, the imposing building started life as a Manor House. It was built by Quaker Francis Lucas, a banker, for his son, William Tindall Lucas, and his family – there is a road named Lucas Lane after the family, just north of the care home.

1910 – The 1910 Finance Act Valuation Office survey recorded Foxholes as a house, grounds, buildings and park c.17 acres owned by William Lucas, a local director of Barclays Bank in Hitchin and Luton.

1920 – When William moved to The Hall, Welwyn, Foxholes became the home of Philip Henry Devitt, of the ship owning company Devitt & Moore.

1923 and 1924 – Sir Philip bought Samuel Lucas’ orchard and garden immediately to the east of Foxholes in 1923 and the following year he bought Albert Nicholls’ former orchard and kitchen garden.

1926 – A fete was held in the grounds of Foxholes

for Sir Philip’s wife, the secretary of the Hitchin and District Diocesan Girls’ Aid Society.

1930 – Sir Philip then bought William Kitchener’s garden, but this land was not incorporated into the grounds of Foxholes. It is believed that Sir Philip may have been seeking to protect Foxholes’ rural surroundings following Hitchin Urban District Council’s 1926 town planning scheme, which envisaged a new road through Crow furlong with the orchard being zoned for housing, as well as new roads to the east and north.

1933 – The building was sold to Hubert Moss, provision merchant of Hitchin, following Sir Phillip’s move to Northaw Place.

1939 to 1951 – The building was converted into a maternity ward from 1939 to 1951, serving the people of Hitchin and the surrounding area.

1960s – The building was then used as a Catholic boarding school for boys in the 1960s - St Michael’s College. The site was also used as a home for retired priests.

1987 – The building became a nursing home for the general public.

2010 – The old nursing home is demolished following a £6.75m cash injection to transform the building into a luxury residential care home.

2012 – Foxholes Care Home, as it stands proudly

today, opens its doors.

A book on the history of Foxholes will now be produced, which will sit proudly in the entrance of the care home for visitors to read. Further copies will also be produced for anyone from the local Hitchin community, and those who contributed to the history hunt effort, who would like a copy.

Neil Gandecha, estate manager at Foxholes, said: “When we launched the history hunt last April, we never expected to receive such an overwhelming response from the public. Their generosity and support is the sole reason we’ve now managed to complete the timeline puzzle.

“Some of the stories sent in have been priceless.

We had one local resident, Gordan Woods, share with us that he was born at Foxholes in 1944 when it was a maternity ward, and that an unexploded bomb caused plaster from the ceiling to fall near to where he was sleeping when it landed nearby.

“North Hertfordshire Museum even got in touch to reveal they had a collection of Roman objects on display that were excavated from the kitchen garden by the Lucas family.

“And of course, there was Richard Blake’s amusing anecdotes of Father Lemon, the foulmouthed priest who came to Foxholes after helping prisoners escape back to the UK when he lived in Switzerland/France during the Second World War.” He continued: “On behalf of Foxholes, we really can’t thank the public enough for their support and we look forward to sharing the book on our history with everyone once completed.

“When the current lockdown is lifted and things settle down, we’d also love to invite everyone who has a connection to the building to come down and enjoy a tour and BBQ in the gardens.”

Anyone wishing to receive a copy of the book should email info@foxholescarehome.com highlighting their interest. Any further information about the building’s history can still also be sent in via email.

Advertiser’s announcement

Claim thousands for mis-sold energy CARE providers across the UK have been urged to reach out to Business Energy Claims after research revealed around threequarters of homes have been missold energy.

A host of care facilities have already reclaimed thousands of pounds with the help of the country’s leading organisation in tackling energy broker misselling.

Among those to have been helped a nursing home in Essex which won back a substantial sum on its gas supply following a review of its agreement with a supplier.

The manager of the care home, which can not be named for legal reasons, said: “It became apparent once we engaged with Business Energy Claims that there were excessive charges included in our rates and we are delighted that through their intervention we’ve been able to save so much.”

Around 90 per cent of care

facilities which are eligible to claim back substantial amounts of money are unaware of this fact, but Business Energy Claims’ experienced team of energy and legal experts are ready to assist.

Their aim is to help businesses across the country understand the nature of their deals with energy brokers and recover monies where they have been overcharged, for example through hidden fees and commissions which were not stated in contracts.

This is a multi-billion pound issue in the UK but Business Energy Claims has a simple process to check if a company has a claim, and how much they may be entitled to.

Among its other most recent successes was a £10,000 win for a care home in Sussex, which had been misled by its energy broker.

The home used the money to make upgrades to its facilities to benefit residents, with the nurse manager remarking that Business Energy Claims had been “professional and efficient” and “exceeded her expectations”.

Business Energy Claims director Callum Thompson said: “The care sector is such an important industry and it is a huge shame that anyone would look to take

Business Energy Claims director Callum Thompson.

advantage of such a worthy organisation.

“In our experience, approximately 75 per cent of care homes have been mis-sold to in some way.

“Care homes typically spend considerable sums on gas and electric and are therefore heavily targeted by energy brokers who are able to benefit from higher commissions as a result of their high consumption.

“We would urge anyone who

has used a broker in the last six years to get in touch as one single care home could have a case worth well over £10,000, and care home groups can extend to several hundred thousands of pounds, and this is money they are entitled to.”

If you believe your facility may have been affected, or if you’d like to find out more, call Business Energy Claims on 0800 689 4259 or visit http:// businessenergyclaims.co.uk/

how do I know if my business has a Business Energy Claim?

If you have used an energy broker to source your energy contracts in the last six years, you may have been mis-sold to and could be owed thousands of pounds in compensation.

what is an energy broker?

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An energy broker, or consultant, provides a service in which they assist businesses by offering them gas and electricity contracts from energy suppliers, acting as an intermediary or agent between the two parties.

over

90%

of businesses are not aware that they have been mis-sold to

42%

of complaints to OFGEM about mis-selling contained references of broker behavior.

Our average claim is over

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Lack of regulation means some brokers are inflating the cost of their energy without disclosing this to their customers…

how do brokers get paid?

who is Business Energy Claims?

Business Energy Claims are a team of energy and legal experts helping businesses to recover hidden commissions and losses from the mis-selling of Our aim is to change the business energy market enough that brokers remove mis-selling entirely, becoming more transparent in the process.

We offer a no-obligation review of a business’ energy contracts to identify the hallmarks of mis-selling and to ascertain whether you have a valid claim - NO WIN, NO FEE.

Most brokers operate one of the following ways of earning their fees:

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The clie nt agree s the brok a er for se fee with rvice, cli pays bro ent ker their could a fees. Th lso be a percenta is a saving ge of made fo r the cli ent.

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le 2.

Examp gy ur ener in to yo g r it a n m yu dd a or ever They a aning f e g the m in , r e u pric use d u o y y paid. g of ener hey are being and t , , e t c crativ contra very lu n or e b io t n p a nsum This c o c e h t roker is ger the big re the b o m e h nt . duratio making rokers most b d o h t e m the .

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1. mis-selling The Citizens Advice Bureau lists three practices that occur most often and /or cause the most damage:

2. lack of transparency 3. misrepresentation

For a no-obligation review of your business’ energy contract please call 0800 689 4259 or email info@businessenergyclaims.co.uk businessenergyclaims.co.uk

6

CARINGNEWS

Consultancy awards homes accreditation

Downton Abbey inspires day of mystery and fun AN art deco-themed Poole care home turned the clock back a whole century with a Downton Abbey-inspired day of fun.

Residents and team members at Colten Care’s Bourne View dressed as characters from the popular TV drama series set on a country estate in the post-Edwardian era.

Companionship team leader Karen Grant A’ Court said: “This was a marvellous excuse to dress up and play aristocrats for the day.

“While observing all the rules around social distancing and Covid prevention, everyone had great fun playing members of the 1920s landed gentry and the domestic servants who worked for them.”

The day began with a 1920s-style cocktail reception featuring Mimosas – champagne and chilled orange –

with sherry and soft drink options.

It was followed by lunch in the home’s glitzy Hepburn restaurant consisting of recipe ideas from a Downton Abbey cookbook specially prepared by chef Lorna Parsons.

On the menu were quail eggs, stuffed tomatoes, pork chops with mustard sauce, rustic potato cakes, Budapest cabbage and fruit and mint jelly.

The lunch whetted appetites for a murder mystery afternoon involving staff playing Downton characters and residents working through clues to solve the crime.

Among the roles featured were Lady Violet Crawley, the family matriarch played on screen by Maggie Smith, and the Earl and Countess of Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern.

A CARE and culture consultancy has awarded accreditation to a trio of care homes following the successful implementation of its person-centred care models.

Huntington House and Langham Court in Haslemere, Surrey, which make up the Huntington and Langham Estate, received recognition for establishing ‘The Dragonfly Approach’ and ’The Butterfly Approach’ respectively, while Beaumont Court in Launceston, Cornwall also received accreditation for fostering The Butterfly Approach,

by Meaningful Care Matters.

Peter Bewert, managing director of Meaningful Care Matters, said: “These accreditations highlight the outstanding work being done to transform the cultures of social care settings.

“Ultimately, we want to create places where overall wellbeing is increased, staff practice is reinvigorated, and safeguarding, mandatory reporting, and staff turnover is reduced.

“It’s coming back to the art and heart of care, where people, and moments, matter.

“It’s great to see these care environments stay committed to providing person-centred care cultures during these challenging times for the social care sector.

“We applaud them for their determination to offer an environment where people can thrive

The Huntington and Langham Estate. and enjoy the highest quality of life possible.”

The Butterfly Approach focuses on creating a person-centred care culture where people are ‘free to be me’.

The model values emotional intelligence, domestic household living, and the core belief that everyone living with a dementia has a unique story that has meaning and matters.

It is about putting the focus back on people and their emotions by helping carers access the interior world of the person they are caring for.

Similar to the Butterfly model, The Dragonfly Approach is for all care cultures, not just dementia-specific.

The model focusses on palliative care and hospice services, mental health, learning disability, and generalist health and social care settings.

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CARINGNEWS

High-tech donation ensures residents stay connected Resident Stuart Duffy with the Valentine’s Happygram he received from his wife Ann.

East Kilbride care home is first in UK to receive Happygrams AN East Kilbride care home is the first home outside of the USA to participate in a new initiative, Happygrams.

Kingsgate signed up to receive Happygrams in December and have since had more than 60 delivered.

The Happygram service enables family and friends to send a message to their loved ones and add photos, and the Happygram is then delivered to the care home.

Kathleen Crymble, activities coordinator at Kingsgate care home, said: “The residents have absolutely loved receiving Happygrams from their families.

“It’s genuinely heart-warming to

deliver and assist with the reading of the messages to residents who need a wee bit extra help.

“The photos are great and it’s good to see the smiling faces of the families – we also love seeing photos of family dogs.

“We remain the only home in the world outside of America to offer a Happygram delivery service and I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our residents’ famillies and friends who send in Happygrams.”

Family and friends of care home residents can access the service through www.happygram.org, where they can select the home they wish to send the Happygram to.

WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR A DISCREET SALE OF YOUR HOME WE ARE READY TO HELP THE MARKET AT LAST IS NOW CLEARLY ON THE MOVE

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RESIDENTS of Speedwell Court, a dementia-friendly residential care home in Southampton, have had their spirits lifted by the donation of a Facebook Portal Mini, giving them the opportunity to maintain a connection with their friends and family during the national lockdown.

The home, managed by The Abbeyfield Society, was designed by architecture firm Carless + Adams, which specialises in providing accommodation for an ageing population.

It opened in July 2019, and since then has welcomed many residents through its doors as well as the local community.

Deborah Holmes, customer relations manager at Speedwell Court, said: “We have been fortunate over recent months to have found many ways to keep our residents entertained, from taking part in the Motitceh Road Worlds for Seniors championship, to attending a ‘Gig in your Garden’ performed by Duo Guitar, to keeping fit with Joe Wicks and his exercise classes.

“However, aside from making sure they are safe from the virus itself, our residents’ separation from their families has been one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome.

“The residents and their families love the fact that they can still keep in regular contact. Seeing each other on the screen makes it so much better than just a phone call.

“With some families so far away in places like Australia and Italy, or even just a few miles away now we are back in lockdown, it has made such a difference and brings a smile to everyone’s face.”

Speedwell Court was famed in the area for its warm and inclusive atmosphere and, before lockdown, hosted regular ladies’ wine and dine nights, community café mornings,

gents’ lunch clubs and film showings, among numerous activities and events open to residents and the general public.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has meant that visits are strictly limited, and these social events have had to be suspended.

Lockdown has also meant that the residents, many of whom are living with dementia, are largely unable to see their family and friends face-toface on a regular basis.

However, the donation of the Facebook Portal Mini, which facilitates smart video calling over Messenger and WhatsApp, provides a new avenue for the residents to see and speak to their loved ones.

The donation came about through a quiz held by Carless + Adams for its network at the end of last year.

The winner was Michael Davey, associate director at McCann and Partners, who provided advice on BREEAM sustainability during the contraction of Speedwell Court.

Along with a bottle of Champagne, he was given the opportunity to nominate a care home of his choice that would receive the state-of-the-art device.

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Residents indulged in a cheese and wine tasting evening at HC-One’s Victoria Park care home in Coventry. Colleagues organised a selection of cheese’s and wines for the residents to try, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They had pork pies, handmade crisps, picked onions and grapes to accompany the cheese and wine. Some of the residents talked about some of the cheese they had never tried before. The Wensleydale cheese was liked the most as it had a sweet and sharp taste at the same time.

Pictured are residents Barrie and Doreen Wilkie.

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CARINGNEWS

‘Diamond Geezers’ club launched at care home BRENDONCARE Alton, run by Winchester-based charity The Brendoncare Foundation, has launched a new ‘Diamond Geezers’ club especially for the male residents within the care home.

The staff at the home know how important it is that every resident is supported in their social, physical and mental wellbeing.

More than a quarter of residents at Brendoncare Alton are men, and at times they were not keen on participating in activities because they were outnumbered by the women.

The new ‘Diamond Geezers’ men’s club has been established especially for the men to take part in a range of activities and social get-togethers.

Activities co-ordinator Andy Rogers said, “I wanted to create a space for men so we could incorporate their hobbies and interests and have the

social time together.

“The ‘Diamond Geezers’ men’s club is a time for men to get to know each other and do various activities such as table tennis, darts and indoor bowling.

“We are planning to get our maintenance team involved on some DIY projects and also arrange a ‘pub afternoon’ too.

“The men do behave differently when they are around other men and we thought it would be really beneficial to create that space. There is a lot of respect and you often hear ‘mate’ as a greeting amongst them. The indoor sports and games definitely brings out their competitive side.

“The ladies are not being left out though. We have also created a ‘ladies hour’ so they can have specific time for their interests and hobbies, without the men.”

Advertiser’s announcement

Proud to assist Asha Healthcare Group THE care sector has faced significant challenges over the last year with the Covid pandemic and the associated demands this has placed on every care home business in the UK. In addition to pressures of additional client care, PPE, staffing and testing, the everyday costs of running the business have continued.

Credo NE Limited has been working closely with Midlands based Asha Healthcare Group to assist them in reviewing the contracting of their Gas and Electric utilities following a contracting arrangement on which they were misled by an energy broker.

We were referred to the group by a large accountancy practice as they had become concerned about the contracting type and associated costs they had committed to.

We initially met with MD Heeren Mahadoo and gained an understanding of their concerns and collated relevant data.

Asha had been sold the contracting on various false pretences, contract

Asha Healthcare Group MD Heeren Mahadoo (left) with Steve Skipsey. documents were misleading and evidenced a significant uplift in total billing cost of at least 35 per cent more than currently being charged.

With the authority of Heeren we

raised a complaint with the supplier.

As is often the case, the complaint was rebutted. This necessitated an escalation to the energy ombudsman which we constructed for the client and submitted, all the time keeping the care home informed of developments.

The ombudsman concluded our client had been mis-sold in respect of the contracting, and the supplier failed to meet the outcome of the adjudication meaning the care home was free to re-contract.

This contracting has now been

completed and new supply has been arranged which is fixed cost, fully transparent and the proposed uplift by the energy broker has been totally removed.

Heeren said: “We are delighted with the support and assistance provided

by Steve Skipsey through Credo NE Limited.

“This has been an excellent relationship built through trust and their understanding of the issues we faced.

“Steve’s consultative approach has been truly appreciated while we have had so much of our own energy focused on overcoming the pandemic.”

Steve added: “We remain very aware that all care homes receive multiple calls a day from hard selling brokers and their sales teams and this can pressurise businesses into contracting, which can be costly.

“We value the relationships we have established so much that we generate almost all of our business from referrals via our clients and business professionals.

“We operate with integrity and believe transparency is key. Credo is OJEU registered and happy to assist care homes around the UK.” If we can be of assistance with any of your energy contract requirements, please contact me directly on 07500 048859 or email steve@credoltd.uk Alternatively, visit www.credoltd.uk

11

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

How safe are your ratings?

ABUSE of power and of the process of law is now common in our society, the norm even.

With delays of many months in bringing litigation by way of judicial review to a hearing in the courts, public bodies are growing increasingly blasé about any such challenge, and have become masters of the dark art of doing just enough to evade a hearing of such applications and the likely consequent public judgement. The Care Quality Commission is not merely no different from any other public body in this regard, it is a leader in the field.

In late 2013 CQC issued fixed penalty notices on a blanket basis without individual assessment to providers having a registered manager vacancy of six months or more. Not one of these was the outcome of an inspection.

They had dished out 570 such FPNs when my application for judicial review stopped the policy, preventing an estimated further 900 or so notices. In a letter to me dated December 16 2013 CE David Behan explained that, while they recognised the national shortage of suitable managers, they ‘had to do something’, and that the so-called “Registered managers project” was expected to be a catalyst for change.

A signed confession as to abuse of the process of law. Criminal penalties arise exclusively on an individual basis.

In early 2015 CQC started to apply the new Regulated Activities Regulations 2014 retrospectively. The regulations were actually in force from April 1 2015, but about 700 site inspections carried out before that date but not yet published were retrospectively stated to have been ‘judged’ against the new regulations, even including some carried out before the minister signed and published them in November 2014.

No signed confession needed here, just look at the front of the published inspection reports. The (unlawful) purpose was to avoid difficulties in prosecution of an ongoing breach if no warning notice had been issued under the old regulations prior to April 2015, under which it had been a necessary precursor.

CQC set a policy some time back of a blanket refusal to provide copies of inspection notes, behind a facade of allowing selective response to enquiry at their absolute discretion.

Providers are entitled to know the basis of a ‘case against them’ and the policy offends against the convention rights of providers under the justice system in this jurisdiction.

In April 2019 CQC set a limit on factual accuracy responses to inspection reports of 975 characters for each point made (a last-minute compromise on the 500-character limit of the sham consultation on it), requiring providers to use a new fac form that achieved that limit.

I served CQC with a Letter before Action by way of judicial review on June 12 2019. The fac response is the single final opportunity to challenge the accuracy and proportionality of a document that may be relied on in proceedings including criminal proceedings.

Arguments not made at the time (for whatever reason) may not be ‘raised’ in later appeal proceedings. Inspection reports are a component of the justice

system. CQC is part of the justice system and not the other way around, and has no authority to constrain the rights concerned. CQC withdrew the character limit on June 27 2019.

A core theme of the constraints placed on providers in recent years has been the relentless push towards elimination of the right of response and challenge to draft inspection reports.

In its, er, consultation on changes to the inspection regime CQC now proposes to reduce its use of site visits to conduct inspections. CQC is to “move away from using comprehensive, on-site inspection as the main way of updating ratings”. Predictable in 2021, although the last move away from site visits was abandoned after Winterbourne View.

CQC is marketing this change as “a less rigid approach that allows us to update ratings more often when we recognise changes in quality and to make our on-site inspections more targeted and flexible”.

The consultation document says: “We want to stop describing frequency of assessment in terms of ‘inspection’, and instead by how often we review quality and update ratings.”

The Care Quality Commission is in reality proposing to divorce ratings from (site) inspections. Why? Section 62 of the HSCA 2008 provides that where an inspection is carried out for the purposes of the Commission’s functions the Commission must prepare a report on the matters inspected, and without delay send a copy of the report to the registered person; and that the Commission must publish the (final) report. The explanatory notes to the Act make it very clear that this is intended to provide the opportunity for comment on the draft.

The Act does not explicitly provide that “inspections” must be done at site visits, but the explanatory notes to the Act make the intention clear beyond any argument that they should be: “In carrying out its functions, the Commission will engage with patients and service users and people involved in the provision of care and will also need to inspect relevant premises.”

Performance ratings are by regulations a “function” of the CQC. If CQC succeeds in divorcing ratings from inspections (or rather their definition of them as site visits), then there is no statutory provision requiring a draft report or the right of reply to the proposed ratings.

Game set and match on any right of reply to the findings and judgements of the overwhelming majority of inspections (or at least everyone else’s definition of them). It is no surprise that the consultation does not mention draft reports or right of reply in the new methodology.

Under settled CQC policy, ratings are the trigger for “special measures” up to and including cancellation of registration. What more needs to be said? This latest, and perhaps most serious, abuse of the rights of care providers by the Care Quality Commission must be stopped in its tracks. In the Courts if need be.

Email me at mail@hsc-prof.com to sign up for regular alerts and updates on coronavirus and the rest. Alternatively, visit my Facebook or Twitter pages at @ hsc_prof

York super-star care heroes wear capes for themed day MANAGEMENT at Handley House care home in York created a fun superhero themed day to thank staff for all of their ‘super’ work during the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

Staff were surprised with a fun superhero themed day to celebrate the care team’s dedication to providing person-centred care to their residents.

Home manager Rachel McNally said: “Our staff have been inspirational throughout the pandemic – not just for the way they have worked together to protect their residents – but also for how quickly and efficiently they have responded to numerous new

guidelines over the last few months.

“Our superhero for a day initiative really is a testament to how proud I am of the team for their continued resilience, dedication and commitment.”

The care team dressed up in superhero eye masks and capes which brought huge smiles to their residents faces, with some residents also joining in and sporting them too.

To mark the day, staff created a fun Tik-Tok video in their new superhero capes, dancing around the home’s garden and living areas, which was a hit with residents, friends and families.

12

CARINGSAFE HANDLING OF MEDICATION

® Well Pharmacy partners with PainChek to promote person-centred care Advertiser’s announcement

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

Sadly, pain often goes undetected and undertreated in people with communication difficulties from medical conditions.

The Well Care Home Services Team are actively signposting more than 350 care homes across the UK to use PainChek® as an effective solution to help measure pain in residents and promote the highest standards of care in residential homes.

This secure medical device is simple and straightforward to use via mobile or tablet.

It uses artificial intelligence (facial detection and analysis technology) and smart automation to detect and score pain in real time allowing informed clinical decisions around appropriate and effective pain management to be made.

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

Tandeep Gill, care home business lead at Well Pharmacy said: “Well Pharmacy is delighted to partner with PainChek®.

“At Well we strive to offer an outstanding local service to care homes and their residents.

PainChek® uses innovative technology to help residents who are not able to communicate for themselves to identify the presence of pain.

“We’re delighted that through this partnership

Tandeep Gill

Pete Shergill we are able to pass on an exclusive discount to benefit our care homes customers across the UK, so they can help improve the quality of life for their residents and offer person-centred care.”

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

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

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

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

FREE SERVICE SET TO TRANSFORM MEDICATION MANAGEMENT A free service that can help transform the services of care organisations by minimising costs and maximising the time available for patient care is now available.

Care providers across the country are benefitting from the service provided

by NHS online pharmacy PillTIme. PillTime pre-sort each service user’s medication into pouches, labelled with the dose, day and time – and provide you with a matching MAR chart.

The pre-sorted medication is delivered for free to your care home or care business.

Not only does the service help you to reduce medication administration errors and improve efficiency, but also..

HOW PILLTIME WORKS

You can wave goodbye to the troublesome dosette boxes and blister packs and be confident that those in your care won’t miss a dose again.

PillTime organises medication into clearly labelled, easy to open dosespecific pouches and delivers a month’s worth to your premises for free.

The pill pouches are organised on a roll, in the order they need to be taken.

Noting the time (for example Lunchtime, Friday) and the contents, the recipient can clearly see what they need to take and when.

PillTime use robotic technology at its on-site dispensary in Bristol to produce and fill pouches more quickly and safely than traditional chemist trays.

AI technology is used to ensure the contents of each pouch is 100% accurate.

This is all done under the supervision of their experienced pharmacists, who double-check the medication before it is sent out. This pharmacy innovation means it can easily identify any error in medication dispensing (for example, if the pill is cracked, or human error).

So, you get the doses you need, without any error or hassle and are less likely to make mistakes when presenting the medication.

PillTime can also dispense items that don’t fit into a pouch, such as inhalers or creams. So all service users can receive their full monthly prescription in one easy delivery.

care@pilltime.co.uk

• Better adherence and fewer missed doses.

• Saves time and reduces cost.

• Latest technology check every pouch for 100% accuracy.

• A simple alternative to error prone dossete boxes or blister packs.

HOW IS PILLTIME FREE?

The PillTime service is completely free of charge. A registered NHS online pharmacy, it is funded like any other community pharmacy and doesn’t charge you or the NHS any extra for the pouches or delivery.

If you pay for your prescriptions then this cost remains, however there’s no additional charge for delivery to your door. If your service user doesn’t pay for their prescriptions, you just have to let PillTime know their exemption status.

HOW TO REGISTER WITH PILLTIME

Simply email care@pilltime.co.uk or call 020 3909 4926 between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday to find out more.

When you register, PillTime will assign a dedicated account manager who will take care of all aspects of the PillTime service for you: • Manage orders to ensure timely delivery.

• Assist with delivery of acute medications within 24 hours.

• Assist with any medication changes.

• Liaise with GPs on your behalf.

• Regular ‘check-ins’ to ensure service satisfaction.

020 3909 4926

www.PillTime.co.uk

13

CARINGNEWS

“Emergence Plan” to support homes SUNRISE Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare have launched an “Emergence Plan” to guide the care home providers through the easing of social distancing measures over the coming months.

The launch of the Plan, which comes as government restrictions on care home visits are partially eased, hopes to address residents and families’ anxieties and expectations as the sector begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Plan details how Sunrise and Gracewell’s care homes will support their residents to improve clinical indicators, such as mood, appetite and mobility, which may have deteriorated since the start of the pandemic.

The protocol will also help to prepare residents to see their loved ones again by encouraging those residents who have lost confidence in social situations to partner with fellow residents and take part in group activities.

Anna Selby, who spearheaded the protocol in her role as head of Sunrise and Gracewell’s Covid-19 taskforce, said: “Every step of the pandemic the different lockdown periods have taken a period of adjustment… every time it’s been a rollercoaster, but not necessarily for our residents – for them it’s been quite continuous, and how difficult is it going to be to make that adjustment?

“When people have visits in the visiting room, and a family can come, some people find it quite overwhelming because they’re so used to that smaller contact.

“We need to start off with that meaningful conversation, not necessarily a clinical conversation, just ‘How are you feeling? What are you looking forward to? What does it mean to you?’, and test it out.

“And it may be that ‘I’m really looking forward to it and I’m fine, and I can’t wait and I’m going to start preparing and start ordering new clothes’, but other people might feel ‘Actually, I’m really overwhelmed’.”

Team members are also being asked to inform family members whose loved one’s cognitive abilities have declined over the last year and to have honest conversations about this in advance of their visit.

It is hoped that this will help to prepare family members and minimise any distress caused by this decline.

The Plan also invites team members to ask residents about their hopes and concerns about changes to social distancing restrictions and to provide the necessary reassurance about reconnecting with others.

Sunrise and Gracewell are also implementing a roadmap to guide the reintroduction of events and excursions at their care homes as restrictions ease.

Laundry challenges are de-creased with Professional Ironing Board 100 launch THE professional division of Miele has announced the launch of its Professional PIB 100 steam ironing system.

Designed with ease and convenience at its core, the PIB 100 is the ideal ironing solution for timepoor hospitality or care businesses that require a quality laundry finish and a fast turnaround, without taking up too much time or resource.

Comprising the compact combination of iron, steam generator, and ironing table, the PIB 100 has been designed to master the challenges of commercial use.

With a capacity of 4.5 litres, it provides at least three hours of uninterrupted ironing before refill.

It features precise and efficient steam technology, producing a thin film of steam unique to Miele, to glide effortlessly over laundry. Its fourbar steam pressure and 100g per minute delivery leaves a crease-free finish on even the thickest of materials.

Now available directly from Miele or through professional approved partners, the PIB 100 was delivered to long-standing Miele customer, care group Anchor Hanover, for trial and feedback before the official launch.

Joanne Linley, head housekeeper at Anchor Hanover’s Oulton Manor site, manages the day-today cleaning, laundry and rotas, and uses the iron for residents’ clothing.

She said: “The PIB 100 is brilliant. It’s strong and sturdy while being incredibly light.

“Even the smaller features, like the clip to hold the wire out of the way, make it so easy to use. It’s miles better than the ironer we were using before and we get through the ironing so much quicker.

“Unlike our previous model, it doesn’t require a specific heat setting for the steam to work efficiently; with the PIB 100 the steam is powerful even on a low heat and the iron glides up and down garments very easily.”

The PIB 100’s large ComfortZone ironing table increases efficiency with less repositioning required, while its honeycomb soleplate makes it ideal for more delicate items such as resident/guest garments.

The light-weight unit is supplied on lownoise wheels, so not to disturb residents/guests, and can be folded or unfolded quickly in two simple movements thanks to its patented 1-2-Lift system.

The PIB 100 also features an integrated display, providing the user with machine status, descaling intervals and water levels.

Its automatic rinse function removes mineral residue for the steam generator, meaning only minimum maintenance is required from busy staff.

Enquiries: To find out more about the PIB 100, click here.

Former cruise ship entertainer Ella joins care group A FORMER cruise ship entertainer seeking a new lease of life in social care is the latest recruit at a familyrun South East care group – joining at a time its own virtual world cruise docks in India.

Ella Yard, a cruise ship entertainer turned recreation and well-being champion at Nellsar’s Loose Valley Care Centre in Kent, has helped bring an authentic world tour experience to residents during the ongoing lockdown, having previously worked with the famous Disney Cruise Line.

In her role as youth entertainment host onboard the ship Disney Magic, Ella visited Russia, Finland, Norway, Estonia, New York, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Florida to name but a few destinations, allowing her to provide residents with the thrills of globetrotting from the comfort of their armchairs.

She said: “I’m delighted to have made the move to social care. I’m really enjoying spending time with residents who are all so lovely.

“I’ve always been a performer, having previously worked in theatre in educational settings and then as a youth entertainment host for Disney, but I’ve had no experience in care.

“So, it came to a nice surprise when I realised while the audience is different, I was able to transfer my skills across and provide people with fun and meaningful activities. It’s been such an exciting challenge.”

As part of the ‘Around the World with Nellsar Cruises’, a six-month virtual world cruise offering a welcome distraction from the pandemic to all 13 of Nellsar’s homes across Kent, Surrey and Essex, the care group continued its grand voyage with a visit to India.

Excited to disembark, residents enjoyed Indian-themed activities, decorations, music, cuisine, quizzes and films.

Staff members helped residents create rangoli pictures and marigold garlands to decorate the respective homes, while lanterns were also designed for a special light festival event to mark the ‘arrival’.

Having launched from Hong Kong last month to coincide with Chinese New Year, the virtual ship will dock at a different country each month with upcoming destinations including Spain, Italy, France and the Caribbean, before returning to the UK in August.

Viv Stead, recreation and well-being manager at Nellsar, added: “After the success of last month’s virtual visit of Hong Kong, which saw all our homes’ staff, residents and even relatives come together and fully immerse themselves in this light-hearted adventure, we’re delighted to see the same enthusiasm and uptake of our trip to India.

“We had to add it to our list, being such a colourful country with dazzling costumes, fine food and spices, and wonderful music.

“We even arranged for traditional bhangra dancing classes at some of our homes, as we wanted to soak up as much culture as possible and celebrate India for the incredible country it is.”

She continued: “We’re delighted to have Ella join us and help bring some authenticity to the cruise, having been globetrotting herself with Disney cruise line.

“Since the pandemic began, we’ve taken on people from all different backgrounds, some of whom hadn’t previously worked or even thought about a career in social care, just like Ella, but who have excelled in their new roles and are now crucial team members in their respective homes.”

The cruise liner will soon set sail for Spain, where it will dock on Wednesday, April 14.

14

CARINGNEWS

Group encourages nurses and carers to join Care Club

Residents and staff at Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton raised more than £1,800 for Winchester Live at Home. Pictured are, from the left: Companionship Team leader Kirsty Sawyer, resident John Hird, home manager Dee Lovewell and Beth Ward, Live at Home deputy manager.

Care home raises £3,000 for charities during lockdown BIG-hearted residents and staff at a Winchester care home have overcome lockdown challenges to raise more than £3,000 for charity.

Activities at Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton have featured manicures, weekly cake sales, sessions on a rowing machine, a brave-the-shave haircut and walking hundreds of laps around the garden.

As their main charity to support, residents chose the Winchester Live at Home Scheme, which helps older people living in their own homes who may be experiencing feelings of isolation or loneliness.

Altogether, Abbotts Barton has raised more than £3,150 for various charities in the past year, with £1,800 going to Live at Home.

Other organisations to benefit include Macmillan Cancer Support

and Children in Need.

Home manager Dee Lovewell said: “We are proud to have raised such a fantastic total for our charities this year including Winchester Live at Home.

“Fundraising is always an enjoyable experience for residents and staff and it helps residents continue to play a part in the communities we serve.”

Resident Peter Winchester completed a 26-lap walking challenge around the Abbotts Barton garden – one lap for every mile of a marathon – raising £230 in the process.

In a sponsored, three-day ‘nailathon’, every resident at Abbotts Barton received a manicure, with £150 raised.

Team members also spent eight hours taking turns on a rowing machine, bringing in a further £340.

H.W.Pickrell Gardiners Lane North, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2XE Mobile: 07860 894 331 Fax: (01268) 284951

A CARE home operator is encouraging nurses and care staff to sign up to a new not-for-profit agency.

Mike Lyons, managing director, and Lindsay Rees, director of health and care for Encore Care Homes, which has four purpose-built care homes based across Dorset and Hampshire, are looking to welcome 500 residents to sign up to Care Club.

The not-for-profit care agency has been created in response to Encore Care Homes’ partnership with the NHS to temporarily welcome in extra non-Covid residents at short notice to reduce the pressure on hospital staff as coronavirus patient numbers rise.

Strict Covid-19 protocols are in place at Encore with all incoming residents being tested before they arrive at the care home.

The new resident also undergoes a period of self-isolation, with the team’s support.

All care home residents are tested for Covid-19 on a weekly basis, with staff accessing twice-weekly Lateral Flow rapid testing.

Mike said: “We have had a fantastic response to Care Club since its launch, but we are still welcoming applications from caring, committed people looking to become a member of our new care agency.

“It’s a great opportunity for Dorset residents to use their existing care skills to play their part in reducing the pressure on NHS staff by supporting our new non-Covid residents coming in from the local hospitals.”

People with care experience are invited to become a member of

the club, which features a range of roles including registered nurses, care practitioners, senior healthcare assistants and healthcare assistants based in Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch.

Benefits for Care Club members include high rates of pay, a cash bonus for every full shift worked, and the flexibility of choosing the care home they wish to work at, as well as their hours.

Care Club members will also be included in the rollout of vaccines across Encore Care Homes, which includes Fairmile Grange in Christchurch, Oakdale in Poole, Great Oaks in Bournemouth, and Hamble Heights in Fareham.

Lindsay added: “I have a great sense of pride for everyone working in our care homes, and I am so grateful for their hard work and dedication at this challenging time.

“The Care Club is a great way of creating an opportunity for our existing team and the new staff joining us to work flexibly and feel valued for their tremendous efforts in response to the dynamic situation the coronavirus pandemic presents us with.”

People who are looking for a change of career and are new to care are also encouraged to sign up to Care Club.

They will be provided with an induction and full training, a ‘Buddy’ to work alongside as they get to know the role, and ongoing training support.

Applications are now open for all roles across Dorset at Encore Care Homes.

Telephone: (01268) 521033 email: sales@hwpickrell.co.uk www.hwpickrell.co.uk

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Residents and team members at Sunrise of Bagshot marked the care home’s 12th anniversary. Resident Eileen Butler also celebrated her birthday on the same day. In 2009 The Countess of Wessex opened the home’s doors to one resident. Four members of staff have worked at the facility since it first opened. These are chef Tina Tastula, head of housekeeping Tracey Kirkland, dining room supervisor Karen Cleator and housekeeping team member Yamanti Gurung. Sunrise of Bagshot’s in-house dining team made lots of food and a cake to mark the occasion. Everyone listened to music, and residents were able to choose their favourite songs.

CARINGTECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Re-establishing grandparenting relationships crucial post-lockdown suggests research RESEARCH by North West charity Ready Generations, working with the University of Stirling and not-forprofit care village operator Belong, has highlighted the importance of rekindling relationships between grandparents and grandchildren as the nation emerges from lockdown.

The research, presented in the Care to the Nest report launched as part of national Intergenerational Week, involved surveying grandparents at Belong villages about what they enjoyed about their grandparenting role, as well as what they found more difficult, and how this might have changed as a result of the pandemic.

Of those questioned, 98 per cent reported that they had spent considerably less time with their grandchildren over the course of the pandemic, while 72 per cent said that their enjoyment of time spent with grandchildren was of great importance to them, and 73 per cent felt they played an important role in teaching life skills to their grandchildren which was more difficult when not physically together.

Many said that while technology such as video messaging apps has been important in retaining contact, it has not been a substitute for faceto-face interactions.

Pre-covid, spending time outdoors was ranked amongst activities grandparents most enjoyed sharing with their grandchildren, closely

followed by teaching life skills, such as baking.

Belong deputy chief executive Tracy Paine said: “The research supports what we’ve long known about the mutual benefits of intergenerational connections for both older and younger people and emphasises the need for new models of care that facilitate these interactions.

“Belong is committed to bringing together people of all ages to enjoy meaningful activities and relationships, and we are excited to be working closely with Ready Generations as we prepare to launch our first intergenerational care village, incorporating a nursery, next year.”

The grandparents’ roles in the lives

of grandchildren and its potential to impact positively on well-being was also explored as part of the research.

The majority of grandparents identified with a range of support responsibilities. Nearly three quarters identified strongly with companionship accountabilities (including being a friend, story-teller and entertainer). Grandparents most identified with being a listener.

Well over half saw themselves as providing instructional support (defined as being a mentor, disciplinarian and emotional nurturer), with 75 per cent reporting taking on the roles of problem solver and ‘wise elder’. Over half said that they gave practical support, such as

INNOVATION IN CARE MANAGEMENT

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financial assistance, transport and health advice.

Sue Egersdorff, founder of Ready Generations, added: “The data highlights the urgency of rekindling intergenerational connections as we emerge from the pandemic as they matter so much to both grandparents and their grandchildren.”

A key finding was that grandparents identified with different accountabilities dependent on the age of their grandchildren.

The more grandchildren within the younger (four-10 years old) age group category that grandparents had, the more likely they were to identify with the companion and instructional support roles.

The more grandchildren within the 11-18 age group, the more they identified with the practical supporter accountabilities, indicating the changing nature of the grandparenting role as children grow and transition through infancy and childhood into young adulthood.

The invaluable role of grandparents in providing childcare was also highlighted by the research.

Over a third of those surveyed provided at least one form of childcare on a regular basis prepandemic.

This reduced considerably over the course of the pandemic despite the government’s allowance for childcare bubbles.

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15

16

CARINGTECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Advertiser’s announcement

Dementia deaths during the pandemic should sound a clarion call for change

By Jackie Pool IT has had a devastating impact on our lives, but for those living with dementia, Covid-19 has exacted a particularly cruel toll.

The latest figures published by the Alzheimer’s Society earlier this month estimate that 34,000 people with dementia have died since March 2020.1 Many have died in care homes.

But why? On this point, a recent investigation conducted by the Alzheimer’s Society is very revealing.

The investigation, which is backed up by a survey, highlights the damaging and ruinous effect that “isolation” and “lack of social contact” can have on symptoms.

The Alzheimer’s Society reports that 92 percent of the thousand-plus people who were interviewed said that the pandemic “had accelerated… dementia symptoms”.2 In my role as dementia care champion at QCS and drawing from more than 30 years’ experience working with those living with dementia in the NHS and the care sector, I didn’t find the Alzheimer’s Society’s findings at all surprising.

The question is, what can we as a nation, do to prevent such an unnecessary loss of life from ever happening again?

Firstly, as a caring society, we need to recognise the crippling impact that social isolation and lost contact with families has had on morale.

As the Alzheimer’s Society survey shows, loneliness and a lack of cognitive and social stimulation also seems to have accelerated the symptoms of dementia.

Keeping the family unit together

and connected must be an integral part of a person-centred approach, should we find ourselves in the same situation again.

The vaccination programme, which has already been rolled out to the majority of elderly people in care homes, will go a long way to helping is maintain this equilibrium.

Meanwhile, however, we can support people to prevent or fight their dementia symptoms in other ways.

As explored in my recent book, ‘Reducing the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias’, a favourite saying of the Alzheimer’s Society ‘what is good for the heart is good for the head’ rings true.

In this respect, my research revealed the importance of diet, regular exercise and good sleep in keeping the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

Sleep and diet are particularly important. Studies by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke shows that eight hours of deep sleep – that’s slow-wave sleep – plays a critically important role in cleansing the brain of toxins that if left to accumulate over a long period of time can lead to dementia in some people.

Diets, which are rich in antioxidants and low in glutton, are vitally important too – not just for those living with a form of dementia, but for everybody – particularly those with a family history of the condition.

On this note, many people make the mistake of cutting fats out of their diets, but including sugar snacks.

We know, for example, that excess sugar intake over a long period of

Jackie Pool time, doesn’t just have negative repercussions for the body, but the brain too.

My research, which is backed up by that of other academics, found that the brain isn’t keen on glucose metabolism.

It hardens the receptors positioned at the end of each brain cell, preventing messages from being communicated from one cell to the next.

Some fats, on the other hand, provide a tonic for the brain.

Take omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in cold water fish, such as salmon, in nuts and in plant oils, for instance.

They have anti-inflammatory properties, which are good for brain cells.

As part of healthy lifestyle, if eaten regularly, they may even reduce the plaques and the tangles that form in brain cells, which sometimes lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

But, looking further ahead, next-generation medications and diagnostics are the key to a brighter future.

Already there are some potentially game-changing developments afoot.

It is hoped that Aducanumab, an anti-amyloid drug being developed

by Biogen, will, to quote a Biogen

press release “reduce the decline in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease…”.3 However, it has yet to be approved by the FDA, the EMA and the MHRA. While it is impossible to predict the future, in a decade’s time and subject to approval, it could be that anyone, who is considered potentially vulnerable to accumulating excess pTau 181, the protein responsible for the classic Alzheimer’s disease pathology of tangles and plaques, could be prescribed preventative medication in their 40s or 50s – or maybe even earlier.

Not only would this be a groundbreaking development, it would also save many lives each year.

In the meantime, current medications, therapy, social stimulation and best practice learning, which will prove just as important when these life-changing drugs arrive, remains our best defence against Alzheimer’s disease.

To find out more about QCS, contact our compliance advisors on 0333-405-3333 or email sales@qcs. co.uk n Jackie Pool is dementia care champion at QCS.

References 1. Alzheimer’s Society Pandemic’s toll: over 34,000 people with dementia dead; care home deaths third higher than thought Date: 01.03.21 https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/202103-01/pandemics-toll-over-34000-peopledementia-dead-care-home-deaths-thirdhigher 2. Alzheimer’s Society Pandemic’s toll: over 34,000 people with dementia dead; care home deaths third higher than thought Date: 01.03.21 https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/202103-01/pandemics-toll-over-34000-peopledementia-dead-care-home-deaths-thirdhigher 3. BIOGEN PLANS REGULATORY FILING FOR ADUCANUMAB IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE BASED ON NEW ANALYSIS OF LARGER DATASET FROM PHASE 3 STUDIES Date: 22.10.19 https://investors.biogen.com/news-releases/ news-release-details/biogen-plansregulatory-filing-aducanumab-alzheimersdisease

Organisations unite to demand support A COHORT of 18 organisations from across the UK’s health and social care sectors, including National Care Forum, Care England and the National Care Association have called on PM Boris Johnson to take urgent action to improve the level of technology-enabled dementia care across the country’s social care sector.

The group has submitted an open letter to the PM signed by around 100 private sector, not-for-profit organisations as well as private individuals, calling on government to improve the financial and strategic support for dementia care of the future, to allow social care organisations to embrace the power of technology and innovation to improve the care for people

Professor Martin Green OBE with dementia and those who support them.

Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: “The

United Kingdom has made significant progress on improving support and recognition for people living with dementia, however, we need to maintain the momentum, and to reach for the ambitious goals that we set for the Dementia 2020 Challenge.

“We require the government to make good on their commitments, and for our society to improve their support for people living with dementia.”

The open letter also demands that the government conduct an urgent review of the status and progress of the commitments set out in the Dementia 2020 Challenge, and is the foundation of a new campaign: ‘The tech revolution: dementia care’s time has come.’

Led by medical technology company PainChek, the campaign launches at a time when dementia continues to be the UK’s biggest killer, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the then Prime Minister David Cameron launched the Dementia Challenge 2020 Report in 2015, he explained what the government wanted to see in place by 2020 in order for England, which was to be: n The best country in the world for dementia care and support and for people with dementia, their carers and families to live. n The best place in the world to undertake research into dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

CARINGTECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

19

The new CareDocs website now live WE’RE excited to announce the new CareDocs website is now live!

As the UK’s leading digital care planning and management software we felt we could be saying more to help care providers discover the benefits of digital care management systems and how businesses can be transformed by implementing technology.

Our goal is to give you a clear sense of how CareDocs can benefit you, your business type, its size, your staff and of course, your residents.

Over the last few months we’ve been hard at work creating a hub to place detailed information about our features, benefits, products, services, customer reviews, events, resources, company information and blogs.

Our website now better expresses who we are, both through its text and updated branding.

CareDocs was launched commercially in 2008 but our software and values go back even further to make us the first digital care management system of its kind.

Our website is a great platform for us to share our history and showcase our passionate team, as well as what you can expect from your customer

Staff ‘heat-maps’ reveal precise costs of care to individual residents

journey and what separates us from the crowd.

Find out more about our dedicated business development managers and how they help you get started, how our support team keeps everything running smoothly and the different ways our knowledgeable trainers can teach you how to use the system effectively to provide solutions for your setting.

We have also included information on how existing customers can get the most out of our software and services.

Come and visit us to see how CareDocs benefits care homes and nursing homes.

Read testimonials written by other business managers and see how we’ve provided solutions to their challenges, and view care sector blogs created just for you.

VISUALISED time ‘heat-maps’ of more than 5,000 care home staff are being used by operators to help reveal precise care resources – and costs - provided to any one individual resident.

The heat-maps, enabled by location technology are precisely recording staff movements during a shift, including exact minutes spent delivering in-bedroom care.

By marrying job roles and pay grades to staff wearing digital tracking fobs, the data shows small dots for a small amount of time and large dots for longer periods.

Viewing the heat maps on a computer or digital device, operators and managers can see and assess accurate labour costs for staff supporting any one resident thereby helping operators with overall financial management.

The unique Pinguu technology, now used in more than 50 homes by 5,000+ staff across the UK, also removes the burden of paper records and reduces risk of non-compliance as staff no longer need to manually log in and out of bedrooms and responses to Nursecalls.

Care operators also say the technology is also enabling them to better allocate staff resources in a home.

“The technology has allowed us to make changes to improve care for our ladies and gentlemen as and when they need it and also identify peak times of activity within the home so we can staff

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accordingly,” said Helen Davies-Parsons, CEO of Dormy Care Communities, which operates four luxury homes in England and Wales.

“We’ve used location technology for many years as it helps us understand where the unexpected demands on staff time might come from.

“It’s also helped to identify changes in care need, such as when staff start spending more time delivering in-bedroom care to a lady or gentleman overnight.”

Gary Woods, operations director at ENS Digital, added: “Home operators and managers love location technology as knowing where their staff are, particularly the amount of time they’re spending with individual residents in bedrooms is enormously helpful.

“It gives them the opportunity to really understand where their staff costs are going and the cost of care per individual resident.

“Ultimately this allows them to manage their staff better and more efficiently thereby saving money.”

“Also, the digital data it generates provides the information required for CQC inspections.

“The five outcomes they look for during inspections can be evidenced through the effective use of technologies which includes location technology.”

Enquiries: Email info@ensdigital.co.uk or call 01624 832821.

20

CARINGNEWS

Kathryn and Shelby share their walks with residents

A resident at a dementia specialist care home in Oxfordshire celebrated an exciting milestone recently when she turned 100 years old. Ruby Riches, who resides at Rosebank Care Home, was inundated with gifts, phone calls and cards on her special day from the local community, as well as a card from the Queen. Staff at the care home in Bampton counted more than 100 cards that she received, some from her former paper girls, from her time working at the post office. As the former headteacher of Clanfield Primary school, Ruby was delighted to receive a video message from the current headteacher wishing her a happy birthday, and the children also created a presentation filled with videos and pictures in celebration of her special day. The team at Rosebank also arranged a live Zoom call from her favourite entertainer to sing to Ruby, as well as a birthday cake.

New training platform launched to support career progression SPECIALIST dementia care provider Vida Healthcare has invested in its staff and the social care talent of the future with the launch of Vida Academy.

The training platform has been designed to support all of Vida’s staff, including new starters and senior managers, and provide opportunities for career progression.

The Academy promotes lifelong learning across the organisation and establishes staff as dementia ambassadors.

A range of courses are offered through the training platform, including a mentorship programme for staff to support new starters, house managers development programme, student placements, and a reinvigorated Care Certificate offer.

Sharon Oldfield, trainee home manager at Vida Grange, said: “Since it was launched, the support and opportunities that have been provided by Vida Academy have allowed me to learn the skills needed to become a trainee home manager at Vida Grange, with the opportunity to be the home manager for our new care home, Vida Court, once it opens later this year.

“I wholeheartedly believe that if you work hard and never stop learning, the opportunities for development in your career are endless.

“I took a leap of faith when I joined Vida and through its ongoing commitment to supporting its staff, this choice paid dividends for me.”

The training platform also includes a dedicated app which provides regular activity updates and opportunities, alongside the latest research, development and best practice in dementia and social care.

The Academy is coordinated by John and Helen Daly, learning,

RESIDENTS in the Sheffcare chain of care homes in Sheffield are enjoying the power of a good country walk… without even having to leave the comfort of their armchairs.

Sheffcare volunteer coordinator Kathryn Rawling realised that she could share some of her favourite lockdown walks by simply filming herself and pet Jack Russell cross Shelby and then distributing the footage to the 10 Sheffcare homes throughout the city, following a successful pilot at the Burnt Tree Croft home in Upperthorpe.

“I can’t say it was entirely my own idea because I had actually been working on a project with Sheffield Hallam University where things like tram rides had been filmed for people living with dementia,” she said.

“But seeing how that had worked inspired me and I realised I could share some of my own walks.”

With Shelby for company, Kathryn’s first venture was a 15-minute stroll throughout the picturesque Rivelin Valley.

And inspired by that success, she then went on to capture a snowy stroll through the Bolehills area near Walkley.

The footage can now be watched by residents via laptops, phones and tablets and even made much bigger if shared through the Sharp interactive touch tables which are now a feature of all Sheffcare homes.

“My idea now is to create a library of films featuring some of our residents’ favourite Sheffield walks,” added

Sheffcare volunteer coordinator Kathryn Rawling with her pet Jack Russell cross Shelby.

Kathryn.

“The really nice thing is that everybody loves seeing Shelby as we go along, and the people who have seen the films up to now all seem to really focus on him and say it makes them feel even more a part of it.

“At a time like this, when our residents are going out much less than they would normally, this is at least a way to share the outdoors with them and it’s been very rewarding to see how much it’s appreciated.”

Kindness postcards delight residents Sharon Oldfield development and performance programme managers at Vida Healthcare.

John and Helen bring more than 36 years of health and social care experience to Vida and the training platform.

Helen added: “We launched Vida Academy with our current and future staff in mind.

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to support our workforce in their career progression, and provide the highest quality of care to our residents.

“Sharon’s experience, and those of our other staff members who’ve completed courses through Vida Academy, highlights the vital role that training plays in encouraging people to view social care as a serious career which can have such a significant impact on the lives of so many vulnerable people across the country.”

RESIDENTS at a Lowestoft care home have been left delighted after receiving a flurry of kindness postcards from local students during the third lockdown.

Pupils from East Coast College created and sent the postcards, which included drawings, motivational quotes and heartfelt messages, to spread smiles at Wellbeing Care’s The Dell during isolation.

Assistant manager Daniella Penedo said: “For the staff and pupils at East Coast College to think of us as recipients for their kindness postcards is wonderful.

“The residents have been blown away by the lovely gesture, and to know that someone has taken the time out of their day to send loving thoughts, has made them feel very special.

“We’re very grateful to East Coast College, as well as other members of the public, who’ve helped ensure our residents feel connected to the local community at this time of isolation.”

Amongst the 30 handmade postcards were messages of reassurance, encouragement and appreciation, as well as wishes of sunshine and happiness for all.

The students, aged 16-18, came up with the idea as part of a community action project designed to spread cheer and kindness at an otherwise

difficult time.

Having taken part in work experience at the care home before the pandemic and enjoyed bonding with the residents, the students chose The Dell to receive the postcards as a way of keeping in contact and showing residents how much they are cared for.

Following the success of the postcards, students at East Coast College are now working on their next project, which will see them create a ‘Happy Memories’ jigsaw puzzle for residents to enjoy.

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22

CARINGNEWS

Group recognised for supporting its staff in Investors of People review

One of Britain’s top opera singers gave an exclusive ‘tenor on the terrace’ concert for music lovers at a Dorset care home. John Hudson, who has sung for English, Scottish and Welsh National Operas, performed a selection of pieces at Colten Care’s Castle View home in Poundbury. While physical distancing rules meant he had to sing outside on the terrace, he had no difficulty projecting his voice so all inside the home could hear him. Team members put up a gazebo and flooded the terrace with jars of tea lights to mimic a stage, while in the home hey arranged armchairs in rows to create a theatrical feel.

MARIA Mallaband Care Group has successfully passed its latest review with Investors in People.

Accreditation was also secured by Countrywide Care Homes, a part of the operator.

The review took place across 10 of the group’s homes, with remote interviews of 78 members of staff. The comprehensive process scrutinised key aspects including leadership, values and behaviours, staff empowerment and recognition of high performance.

A range of practical considerations were also covered.

Chief operating officer Vicky Craddock said: “We are delighted once again that both Maria Mallaband Care Group and Countrywide Care Homes have been awarded this accreditation.

“This rigorous three-year review covered one of the most challenging years our industry has ever faced.

“We are immensely proud that we have not only maintained the high standards set for ourselves at the last review but have exceeded them. Our sincere thanks to our entire team for making this happen.”

Feedback from IPP highlighted that the group had responded “extremely well” to the challenges faced from Covid-19.

Every single member of staff interviewed agreed that they had been well supported throughout the

Maria Mallaband’s Brunel House Care Home in Wiltshire. pandemic, with regular updates, to work from home who were able to. guidance, and PPE to keep everyone The review also recognised the as safe as possible. provider’s commitment to further The importance of staff safety was improving both its recruitment and reaffirmed by the introduction of learning and development processes. the HUB and facilitation of virtual For example, the turnaround for communication via Microsoft Teams. online recruitment and selection has Along with the provision of been reduced from 21 days to five company laptops, this enabled many days.

Advertiser’s announcement

Be suspicious of ‘free’ offers CHANGES to UK immigration law make it easier to recruit senior carers and nurses from beyond the European Union.

But care homes ought to be suspicious of ‘free’ offers of candidates from unscrupulous international recruitment agents.

Recent government updates put nurses and senior carers on the national occupations’ shortage list, allowing care homes to hire skilled staff from as far afield as India and The Philippines.

Yet this demand has encouraged bogus recruitment agents to exploit and profiteer from care workers abroad who are desperate to work in the UK. This ultimately harms the care industry and patients alike.

“Some agents are offering candidates to care homes for free.

This sounds great, but they demand extortionate fees from candidates,” said Craig Roberts, business development manager of Avanta Care in Leeds.

“The agent then pockets that money with no incentive to properly match or screen them – any job will do, regardless of fit.”

As care work recruitment specialists, Craig reveals these agents have even offered his company what are essentially bribes to place candidates into unsuitable jobs – in exchange for a cut of the money the care worker paid in hope of building a better life in the UK. But in an arrangement like this,

Craig argues the candidate often feels exploited, unhappy in an unsuitable job, with little loyalty to their employer.

Likewise, when they inevitably resign, the care home is back where they began – understaffed with a gap in their rota. Ultimately, everyone loses except the bogus agent, and patient care suffers.

“At the end of the day, care homes want somebody who’s going to honour an agreement,” added Craig.

“Someone who sticks around in the job long enough to give quality care and make a positive difference to patients’ lives. And if candidates get ripped-off that’s never going to happen.”

Craig thinks the care industry now faces a moral choice. If an agent offers candidates for free, be wary – ask how they’ve been sourced.

Ask what fees are being paid and by

whom – are they fair and justifiable?

Look into how individuals are vetted, matched to roles, and whether they’re settled comfortably into UK life.

Fundamentally, Craig believes this is about respect for fellow human beings with aspirations, families, and a willingness to leave everything behind, so they can contribute to the value of our care sector.

“Our services are unique and extremely valuable. And done right, yes, there should be a fee to pay, but who pays and how much?” Craig added.

“It seems wrong to me that candidates are bullied into paying the full, inflated cost while care homes aren’t asked to invest anything, and agents pocket someone’s life savings.”

To help tackle the issue, Craig visited India where he found widespread exploitation and

profiteering. So, instead of entering into partnership with agents who don’t share Avanta Care’s ethics, he set up his own recruitment base employing fairly paid, local staff, who recruit and train healthcare workers from the country.

These candidates are then matched with appropriate care jobs in the UK, and only pay fees that cover costs like visas, identity checks and professional accreditation.

The UK care home then pays Avanta Care a fair fee for a committed employee, yet saves up to £15,000 over the course of that employment, compared to recruiting nationally.

This issue of ethics is part of a wider moral debate about how we, as a society, reward key workers, especially after their service during the coronavirus pandemic.

“These people come to earn a living doing difficult, stressful, caring jobs in a foreign country,” Craig concluded.

“Is it fair that they should pay huge sums of money? Or is it fairer and ethical that we all pay reasonable, proportionate fees to make sure everyone gets what they really need?

“I don’t know about you, but I want to do the right thing. When I speak to my clients, all they want is the same thing: good, reliable staff who are hard-working, and workplaces where everyone gets treated with the same human dignity.”

If you would like to discuss hiring international workers, call the Avanta Care team on 0113 827 2347.

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CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL

25

Advertiser’s announcement

Anti-microbial technology in fabrics – a route to improved infection control in care homes ONE of the key lessons learned by care homes in 2020 was that the more you can do to prevent the spread of infections, the better.

Multiple studies convey that environmental contamination is a substantial source of cross infection within healthcare environments1,2, in both residents’ rooms and in communal areas.

Care homes should consider new technologies that tackle this issue, such as the anti-microbial properties of recent fabrics and upholsteries that are effective in the elimination of bacteria and microbes.

However, not all anti-microbial technologies function the same way, with many not providing long term protection.

Most of these short-term technologies use migrating anti-microbials, where applied chemicals travel out of the material and chemically kill micro-organisms.

They are effective for shorter periods, but are unlikely to imbue the long term protection care homes are looking for.

Developments and innovations in this area have provided a few long-term solutions of antimicrobial resistance on furniture.

One example of this is the Shield Plus technology which, unlike all other technologies in the marketplace, is non-migrating, non-leaching and non-depleting, providing long term resistance and aiding the infection control fight in care homes.

The Shield Plus anti-microbial technology works by attracting microbes, stabbing their cell walls and electrocuting the biochemicals within.

This way of eliminating the bacteria and microbes eradicate the possibilities of organism adaptation and subsequent immunisation.

The non-migrating technology remains permanently bonded with the fabric and stays effective for the entire duration of the fabric’s life.

Spearhead’s newly launched range of fast delivery furniture features fabrics that incorporate this technology as standard.3 As environmental contamination is one of the major sources of pathogen transmission in care environments, it is paramount care homes should ensure that they choose the right type of fabrics for their furniture and look for long-lasting resistance to infection, built in to furniture, to maximise and protect residents, visitors and staff.

Visit Spearheadhealthcare.com to see a full selection of furniture that incorporates this technology.

References 1. Weber, D.J., Rutala, W.A., Miller, M.B., Huslage, K. and Sickbert-Bennett, E., 2010. Role of hospital surfaces in the transmission of emerging health care-associated pathogens: norovirus, Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter species.

American journal of infection control, 38(5), pp.S25-S33.

2. Weinstein, R.A. and Hota, B., 2004. Contamination, disinfection, and cross-colonization: are hospital surfaces reservoirs for nosocomial infection?. Clinical infectious diseases, 39(8), pp.1182-1189.

3. Shield Plus by Panaz (Accessible at: https://online. fliphtml5.com/cvkmp/xtqw/#p=1)

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CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Duplex has the answer to the challenges of floor cleaning DUPLEX advocate Tracey Kirkland, who is head housekeeper of a large care home in Surrey, recently said: “I work in a large care home where in recent years we introduced the Duplex machine to our range of cleaning appliances.

“We found the Duplex machine to be very user friendly and light enough to be suitable for all users, including the smaller built person, like myself.

“The cleaning power of the machine is incredible; I was sceptical when our company first introduced the Duplex but on first use I became a complete fan.

“The Duplex is not only easy to manoeuvre around but very quiet compared to the other cleaning machines I use.

“Also, there are no nasty chemicals used – it works by steaming – which is environmentally friendly, a very important factor with our residents in mind.

“You have only to watch the machine work to see how powerful it is on hard floor surfaces, it is amazing and I have used many machines but none clean and sanitize like the Duplex.

“The surface of the cleaned area is dry almost immediately which reduces the risk of slips and falls immensely.

“Not only does the Duplex clean hard floors, it also cleans carpets of urine, faeces and other spillages common in a

care home but again leaves the carpet with very little drying time required which is an asset in this environment.

“It is easy to set the machine up, light and easy to use with excellent results and again easy to clean afterwards.

“If we experience any problem with the Duplex a quick phone call is made and an engineer is on-site within four days latest.

“No problems or questions are too small or too large to ask.

“We have generally the same engineer if required so a good professional relationship has formed. If requested a query will be passed directly to our engineer who can advise and quite often sort issues out over the phone.

“Having said all that we have little experience of any issues and all maintenance of the machine is dealt with during our six monthly service visits.

“On first receiving the Duplex machine we were given a full installation and training session by a Duplex representative – all was explained clearly and we all were able to try the machine and ask all our questions which were answered in clear simple terminology.

“If you are thinking of purchasing a new machine for cleaning carpets and hard floors why not just book a demonstration before making a decision – you will be as pleasantly surprised as we were.”

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28

CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

CareHomeLife join forces with P&G Professional to launch Microban 24

LEADING healthcare company CareHomeLife, whose core purpose is ‘to honour our loved ones with dignity’, is set to revolutionise infection control in care homes throughout the UK. A dedicated provider of world-class care products and services, their strengthening partnership with Procter & Gamble Professional sees them distributing a ground-breaking disinfecting cleaning range to the UK private care home market.

The Microban 24 line of professional cleaning products offers unrivalled protection against bacteria, not only initially killing 99.9 per cent of bacteria and enveloped viruses1 including SARSCoV-22 but continuing to kill bacteria for up to 24 hours3, even after multiple touches.

Today’s market-leading antibacterial cleaners only kill on contact and allow bacteria to start growing immediately after a surface is touched again.

Eddy Fishwick, chairman of CareHomeLife, said: “Infection control is pivotal for our customers, more so than ever throughout this pandemic.

“Adding Microban 24 to our product portfolio means that not only are we continuing to help care homes to create safer, healthier environments, but also helping them to increase protection for employees and residents from virus transmission on common surfaces. That’s utopia as far as I’m concerned.”

CareHomeLife’s portfolio of trusted, best-in-class products is backed up by outstanding service from their team of helpful experts.

Through forming strong relationships with care home customers, the team listens and responds to the wider operational aspects care homes face and clearly understand the importance of professionally cleaned spaces.

On-hand to provide advice and guidance, the team ensure care homes utilise superior quality cleaning products and systems that are highly cost effective while meeting all the regulatory infection control standards.

This facilitates the safest, most hygienic surroundings for residents to live in.

Since its debut in North America in February 2020, Microban 24 has become a staple across the US and Canada.

The range sold out at most retailers within an hour of hitting shelves, and now represents some of the top-productivity SKUs in all of P&G. With an attractive citrus scent and comprising of a multi-purpose cleaner and a bathroom cleaner, the range is complementary to CareHomeLife’s portfolio, working to maintain surface hygiene and cleanliness for longer.

As a preferred distributor of P&G Professional’s

range of trusted brands such as Flash, Ariel and Fairy, CareHomeLife is certain this new addition will be welcomed by care homes nationwide.

Marketing manager Debbie Smith added: “Under our solutions-based services, we provide tailored housekeeping, incontinence, and laundry systems, which help care homes drive down costs, improve efficiencies, and be outstanding.

“We’ve been supporting the private care sector for more than 40 years.

“Partnering with world-class brands like P&G Professional means we positively influence the industry through the provision of high-quality products designed and optimised for care home use.

“With Microban 24 I’m confident that we’re offering our customers the best possible chance available to them right now to boost their current cleaning processes, specifically in high touch areas, aiding infection prevention.

“Our intent is to continually help care homes to improve care and the overall wellbeing of their residents. This product fits right into that space.”

You can find out more at carehomelife.co.uk/ microban References 1. When used as directed, Microban 24 kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria, tested in accordance to European norms EN13697 and EN1276 in five minutes contact time, and kills 99.9 per cent of enveloped viruses, tested in accordance to European norm EN16777 in five minutes contact time. Microban 24 does not provide 24-hour residual virus protection.

2. When used as directed, Microban 24 kills 99.9 per cent of SARS-CoV-2 according to EN14476 in five minutes contact time. Microban 24 does not provide 24-hour residual virus protection.

3. When used as directed, Microban 24 kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria for up to 24 hours, tested in accordance with BSI PAS2424.

Advertiser’s announcement

Laundry is critical as Covid-19 survives on healthcare uniforms for up to three days AS REPORTED by the BBC, scientists at the De Montfort University have been conducting an in-depth study of viruses with similar structures and survival patterns to Covid-19.

The research was led by a team of microbiologist and virologist experts who monitored the stability of virus traces over 72 hours and evaluated different infection control methods.

The results strongly reinforce the need for all healthcare workers’ uniforms to be washed on-site and using appropriate commercial or industrial washing machines.

The University discovered that the virus can survive on polyester for 72 hours, on cotton for 24 hours and on poly-cotton for six hours.

The scientists contaminated various textiles with virus traces and analysed different wash methods, using varying temperatures with both domestic and commercial/ industrial laundry machines.

The results demonstrated that domestic machines did not fully remove the virus from contaminated textiles and that the water dilution and agitation was insufficient as a means of infection control.

Their findings concluded that it necessitated detergent and a temperature of at least 67°C for the virus to be efficiently killed.

Encouragingly, the research showed that the virus did not transmit to other items within the wash load.

However, traces can transfer from uniforms to other surfaces and consequently it is crucial that uniforms do not leave the healthcare environment and are processed in laundry machines that will reach the requisite high temperatures to ensure

that there is no onward transmission.

Dr Katie Laird, microbiologist and head of the Infectious Disease Research Group, is quoted on the University’s website as saying: “Our findings show that three of the most commonly used textiles in healthcare pose a risk of transmission of the virus.

“If nurses and healthcare workers take their uniforms home, they could be leaving traces of virus on other surfaces.”

Forbes Professional provides healthcare compliant commercial laundry equipment to the NHS, care homes and private hospitals across the UK. As proud partners of Miele, we offer premium

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Our commercial washers hold validated temperatures of 71°C for three minutes and 83°C for 15 minutes, killing viruses and bacteria in adherence with the most stringent hygiene requirements.

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Where invoices are requested and agreed, payment must be received within 15 days from the invoice date. We understand and will exercise out statutory rights to claim interest and compensation for the debt recovery costs under the late payment legislation if we are not paid according to agreed credit terms. An interest rate of 8% above base rate will apply for late payment.

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31

lamontjohnson .com Totally Confidential No Obligation

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SELL

PHONE OR MAIL US

FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION APPRAISAL

Company achieves landmark success with its third CQC outstanding rating

Page 32

Designers go ‘green’ with their new collaboration

Page 34

New Nottingham care home to create 50 jobs

Page 35

07920 475 440 lamontjohnson@btinternet.com CARE HOME SALES NATIONWIDE

£12m care village completed in Solihull CONSTRUCTION firm Stepnell has delivered a new £12million care facility in the West Midlands.

The state-of-the-art scheme – located in Eastcote, Solihull – was completed in just over 18-months on behalf of Cinnamon Care Collection, which has been recognised as a top 20 recommended care home group for the past three years.

The care and retirement living development, named Eastcote Park, is ready to open its doors to residents next month, providing residential and respite care, as well as a dedicated community for those living with dementia.

Albert Josephs, head of development at Cinnamon Care Collection, said: “We are excited to be opening the doors to our new, luxury retirement village for the West Midlands.

“Construction firm Stepnell has done an outstanding job in completing Eastcote Park over the last 18 months – so much so that we are planning to appoint them for future Cinnamon sites.

“Every detail within the care home and the retirement village has been carefully planned to the highest standards, using the finest quality furnishings and fittings throughout.

“Stepnell is continuing to increase its portfolio

Eastcote Park in Solihull.

of high-end luxury care homes in the UK, and our care specialists pride themselves in understanding the importance of a beautifully designed living space and the impact it can have on the people living there.

“We are really pleased to be able to continue our successful relationship with Cinnamon on another care home in Stourbridge, due to commence on site shortly.”

The two-storey build features a 50-bedroom care

home and two additional apartment blocks that house 34 two-bedroom retirement apartments, with personal and private lift access for first-floor residents.

The former garden centre and once brownfield site has been transformed with landscaped gardens, as well as a restaurant, bar, fitness suite, cinema room, hair and beauty salon and multiple lounges.

Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stepnell, said: “We are really proud to have delivered this fantastic, advanced care facility for one of our repeat clients and one of the most highly regarded care home providers in the country.

“As a former brownfield site, the land provided several practical challenges for us – such as surface water issues – as it is surrounded by countryside.

“We also had the added pressure of lockdown for a large chunk of the build, requiring us to adhere to government guidelines to ensure that we could stay on site to deliver the project on time and on budget.”

Architects Harris Irwin carefully designed the facility with dedicated areas including sensory, reminiscence and visual stimulation to help support those living with dementia.

lamontjohnson.com

WITH THE SALE OF 3 HOMES AGREED IN JUST 7 DAYS, AND WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO SELL 4 MORE HOMES THE MARKET IS CLEARLY AT LAST NOW ON THE MOVE

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Our success in the sale of Care Homes is second to none in the care sector, and has been achieved through the 40 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes, Learning Disability Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.

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32

Company achieves landmark success with its third CQC outstanding rating

New Care has appointed Lisa Astley as the registered home manager of Ashlands Manor, its 57-bed care facility in Sale. Lisa, who has more than 15 years’ experience in care home management, was attracted to New Care after hearing fantastic reports from a former colleague who works for the company. Responsible for a team of approximately 80 employees and 57 residents, Lisa’s key objective is to ensure all residents continue to live long, fulfilled lives with the best team providing exceptional care in a safe, comfortable and vibrant environment. She is tasked with the overall operational responsibility for the day-to-day running of Ashlands Manor and is very much looking forward to a successful career with New Care.

HOME Instead Wimbledon and Kingston has become the first homecare provider in the country to have received three consecutive CQC outstanding ratings.

It’s a double celebration as the company recently delivered its millionth hour of care since opening 10 years ago.

The inspectorate highlighted in its report how well-led the company is, and how supported staff were to deliver exceptional care to elderly and vulnerable people across Wimbledon and Kingston, even among the challenges of the pandemic.

Clare Jeffries, owner of Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston, said: “It’s an absolute honour to achieve landmark success as a home care provider and get CQC outstanding for the third time.

“Our team of caregivers have certainly been put through their paces amidst the pandemic, but their dedication and hard work has meant that they have done a fantastic job keeping elderly and vulnerable people in the area safe.

“I want to thank each one of them for contributing to our wonderful achievement.”

Clients of Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston, and their relatives, were asked about areas of the service, including its responsiveness and efficacy.

Clare Jeffries

Caregivers were also surveyed, and the CQC highlighted their ability to deliver personalised care.

The CQC also praised Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston’s initiatives that keep clients engaged, healthy, and connected to others.

These include virtual ‘love to move’ sessions that keep people active, memory cafes, supper clubs and singing sessions were all highlighted as having positive outcomes for clients.

Advertiser’s announcement

A lawyer’s perspective on whistleblowing

By Neil Grant

detriment for doing so 4. Undertake to protect the identity of the worker making the disclosure, unless required by law to reveal it, and to support them with access to mentoring, advice and counselling.

Also keep them informed of the timing of any action and steps to be taken 5. Confirm that any clauses in settlement agreements will not prevent workers from making disclosures

THE Care Quality Commission’s Performance Report, presented at the February CQC Board Meeting, noted that there had been more than 20,000 whistleblowing enquiries in the previous 18 months.

Their significance in terms of CQC activity cannot be overstated given that 54 per cent of all inspections are triggered by information of concern, of which 42 per cent is classed as whistleblowing, 28 per cent safeguarding, 24 per cent complaints and six per cent other information.

Playlist for Life, a UK charity promoting the power of music for people with dementia, has announced the appointment of Michelle ArmstrongSurgenor as its new executive director. She joined the charity in 2019 as head of operations and has held the role of interim executive director since August. Michelle has extensive experience in the private and voluntary sector, beginning her third-sector career in 2013 at Cancer Research UK, before taking on the CEO role at Hearts and Minds — the Scottish health-in-arts charity. She is currently a member of the board of trustees for Aberlour Children’s Charity and was previously a panel member of The Scottish Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel. Earlier in her career Michelle worked for various multinational organisations in locations across Europe, the Middle East and Canada.

What is whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing is the term used when a worker passes on information concerning wrongdoing.

He or she “makes a disclosure” or “blows the whistle”. The wrongdoing will typically be something they have observed at work.

The dismissal of an employee will be automatically unfair if the reason, or principal reason, for their dismissal is that they made a “protected disclosure” as defined by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 or PIDA for short.

Workers are also protected from being subjected to any detriment on the ground they have made a protected disclosure.

The categories of wrongdoing covered by PIDA are (1) criminal offences, (2) failure to comply with an obligation set out in law, (3) miscarriages of justice, (4) endangering of someone’s health and safety, and (5) damage to the environment, as well as covering up wrongdoing in any of these five categories.

To amount to a protected disclosure, the worker must have a reasonable belief that the information

Neil Grant tends to show wrongdoing and that disclosure is in the public interest.

PIDA encourages disclosure to the worker’s employer. However, disclosure to third parties such as CQC and the HSE will be protected if the worker reasonably believes that the wrongdoing falls within the remit of the third party body, and the information disclosed is substantially true.

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Code of Practice This guidance stresses the importance of employers encouraging whistleblowing as a means of reporting wrongdoing and managing risks to their organisations.

It is considered best practice for employers to: 1. Make staff aware of an easily accessible policy or written procedure 2. Train staff on how to make a disclosure and managers on how to deal with disclosures 3. Develop a culture where staff feel safe to make disclosures, that they know who to go to and that they are confident they will not face any

Responding to whistleblowing Providers should approach whistleblowing disclosures as they would complaints, accidents and incidents.

The same investigative principles apply.

The issue should be adequately documented, and any immediate safety issues addressed. It then needs to be properly screened.

Is it just an internal matter or does it require notification, say, to CQC and safeguarding? It will need to be thoroughly investigated and a conclusion reached.

If it is referred to safeguarding, the local authority may ask the provider to investigate the matter or choose to investigate the matter itself, depending on its seriousness.

Where there is possible criminal wrongdoing, the case will be referred to the Police for investigation.

There may be additional matters that need to be actioned by the provider, such as the introduction of safe and appropriate controls, to ensure there is no repeat of the wrongdoing in the longer term.

Finally, the provider should look for any trends as part of a lessons learned process. n Neil Grant is a Partner at Gordons Partnership LLP Solicitors.

33

Windfall charity donation to home A RESIDENTIAL care home in Greater Manchester has received a charitable donation of £500,000 following work by insolvency specialists Smith & Williamson.

Hatton Grange in Hyde was chosen as the beneficiary by the trustees of the Bowlacre Home charity, whose own Hyde-based residential care home closed in November 2018 due to financial difficulties.

Bowlacre Home subsequently entered into administration.

Surplus funds from the subsequent freehold property sales of Bowlacre Home, encompassing the residential care home itself, together with adjoining bungalows and flats, provided the unexpected windfall for nearby Hatton Grange.

Trustees of Bowlacre Home, run by a charity established 65 years ago to provide for elderly care in Hyde, selected purpose-built Hatton Grange as it met their local charitable criteria.

The donation was realised through work by Smith & Williamson, which provides restructuring and recovery services and advisory consultancy through its departments, led nationally by Greg Palfrey.

At the request of the trustees, Steve Adshead and Mr Palfrey were appointed administrators of Bowlacre Home at the High Court of Justice on 23 November 2018.

Immediately prior to this, the trustees had, in conjunction with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and Stockport Council, arranged secured alternative accommodation for all 23 residents.

Greg Palfrey of Smith & Williamson.

Although all staff were made redundant, most quickly found employment elsewhere within the care sector – a number moving with residents to their new care homes.

Greg, who works out of Smith & Williamson’s South Coast office in Southampton, said: “Despite the best efforts of trustees and staff, Bowlacre Home’s future as a care home was financially untenable, with losses rapidly mounting.

“There was a shortfall in the number of residents needed to meet breakeven and costs were escalating, including higher insurance premiums.

“It was against this testing background that the key source of funds to satisfy creditors’ claims was

specialist healthcare business agents

disposal of the freehold properties.”

A full marketing campaign was undertaken, inviting offers from various types of purchaser, in particular care home operators and property developers.

A number of offers were made to purchase the care home, along with eight bungalows and four flats with live-in tenants.

A sale was successfully concluded at a price that provided sufficient funds to satisfy all creditors’ claims.

Bowlacre Home consequently exited administration and entered members’ voluntary liquidation – a process for solvent companies.

Greg added: “As we head into spring 2021, all creditors have been paid in full, including statutory interest of eight per cent per annum.

“With the surplus funds, Bowlacre Home’s trustees selected Hatton Grange as the beneficiary of a £500,000 donation.

“While it is sad to see the demise of a care home like Bowlacre Home, after decades of caring, trustees can take comfort from the fact that elderly residents in the district will benefit from this surprise windfall.”

“It is satisfying to realise this level of surplus and see it being applied to such good local use - and in trying times.

“I would also like to thank the trustees for their support and understanding during a difficult time for them.”

The £500,000 realisation follows similar work by Greg and his team in the charity sector.

Alcedo Care Group has appointed Catherine Hill as head of quality and compliance. Taking the lead on all areas of product and service quality including the rigorous auditing of internal systems and procedures, safeguarding and meeting Care Quality Commission and local authority regulations, she is responsible for ensuring the ambitious North West-based home care group continues to deliver exceptional care as it embarks on a concerted growth plan this year. Well qualified for her new role, Cathy has worked in the health and social care sector for more than 18 years, working for just two companies during that time, and working her way from support worker to senior manager registered with the CQC. Approximately 10 years ago she became passionate about compliance and quality, taking the leap into compliance management from which she has never looked back.

Independent expertise, nationwide knowledge

SOLD

3 Dimensions Care Ltd, Devon and Somerset

We are delighted to announce the recent successful sale of 3 Dimensions Care Ltd, on behalf of the outgoing Directors. 3 Dimensions is a specialist residential and educational provider for children and young adults, operating out of three locations in Devon and Somerset.

When industry knowledge and wisdom are needed, when a discreet sale is desired, our clients choose DC Care to sell their healthcare business.

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34

Designers go ‘green’ with their new collaboration Perseus Land and Developments, the specialist developer and facilitator of bespoke care home and retirement accommodation for older people, has appointed a new acquisitions director to facilitate its expansion and capitalise on its strong pipeline of opportunities.

William Chambers, founder of PropSki, joins Perseus as a qualified chartered surveyor with more than 14 years’ experience in real estate planning, investment and development, spanning the care, retirement, residential and commercial sectors. He joins from Barwood Capital, the Northamptonbased UK regional real estate investment and development specialist, where he has spent three years as an investment director sourcing, acquiring and managing development and investment opportunities within the healthcare and industrial markets.

Perseus will look to capitalise on Will’s knowledge and network within the healthcare and commercial markets.

SPECIALIST care home architect and project management consultancy Northstar has teamed up with sustainability experts Sustainable Construction Services to create a one stop shop for designing new sustainable care homes.

The first scheme to benefit from this tie-up is a proposed 80 bed care home in the south of Bristol which has been designed for award-winning specialist care provider Cornerstone Healthcare Group.

Northstar’s planning and design director Danny Sharpe said: “Bristol City Council is one of the leading authorities on climate change and sustainability so, from the outset I wanted to come up with a design which would utilise low carbon technologies and renewable energy.

“Also, our client – Cornerstone Healthcare – is very committed to cutting their carbon footprint and given that the construction industry as a whole accounts for 35 to 40 per cent of energy related CO2 emissions, this project seems like a very good way to start.”

At concept design stage, Northstar began by orientating the new building to maximise sunlight and daylight and looking at various construction techniques for delivering the new home.

At the same time, SCS began by examining the carbon emissions involved in the life cycle stages of the construction of the proposed building.

Their assessment then went on to examine the carbon emissions during the life cycle stage during the

An artist’s impression of the proposed 80-bed care home south of Bristol. building’s operational use and finally, electricity as well as installing Air the deconstruction of the building.

Source Heat Pumps to work alongside This study allowed the team to a high efficiency gas fired boiler plant. arrive at a bespoke combination of The building’s ‘green’ credentials building elements which minimised have been further boosted by the ‘embodied carbon emissions’. introduction of a ‘living green roof’ In developing the designs the team and SUDS drainage. set high standards for the thermal “The initial aim was to go for a efficiency of the building far in excess certification of ‘Excellent’ from of Building Regulation standards. the World’s leading sustainability In other words, the building would assessment body – the Building use less energy as it would retain heat Research Establishment in the winter and stay cool in summer Environmental Assessment Method for longer. but we are on target to exceed that Having reduced the amount of as things stand,” said Ian Holmes, non-renewable, fossil fuel energy director in charge of project needed to heat and cool the building, management for Northstar.

Northstar sought advice from The Northstar / SCS sustainable Keyplan Engineering on the most design partnership is in discussion effective renewable energy sources to with other care home developers and minimise carbon emissions. operators who can see the attraction Their advice was to install Solar in future proofing designs while Photovoltaics on the roof to generate cutting future operational costs.

Trust purchases new care home site in Portsmouth Kevin Shaw has been appointed as chief executive officer of new assisted living brand Santhem Residences and care home design and construction business Savista Developments.

Kevin, who previously worked for Audley Villages as managing director, will lead the expansion of Santhem Residences delivering luxury assisted living accompanied by service of the highest standard. He will also lead Savista’s planned growth to build and fit out the next generation of Hallmark’s care homes and retirement communities. Within his role as chief executive officer, Kevin will also play a vital role in supporting the creation of Santhem Care – a new homecare proposition.

GLOBAL property adviser Knight Frank has advised The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust on the acquisition and strategy for a new care home development site in Portsmouth.

This comes after Knight Frank was instructed to source RNBT a suitable care home development site within the Portsmouth area, which led to the successful purchase of the current site.

RNBT has completed the transaction for a state-of-the art scheme in Portsmouth, as part of the Trust’s Centenary Project to develop a care home dedicated to veterans of the Portsmouth Naval Base.

The scheme will encompass 66 beds and will be developed by LNT Care Developments.

The new home has the potential to create between 50-60 jobs in the city and bring both economic and social benefits to the community.

Permission for the scheme was granted by Portsmouth City Council last October, with preparations for construction having since been successfully completed.

Nick Fletcher, chairman of trustees

An artist’s impression of the new care home. at The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, said: “We are delighted that the City Council has given the go ahead for this most important project which will deliver residential, nursing and dementia care for naval veterans in Portsmouth, the Home of the Royal Navy.

“It will be the centrepiece of our centenary – what better way to mark our hundred years of care than by building such an impressive and

important care home for naval veterans.”

The Royal Navy has given its full support for the development, which is to be named Admiral Jellicoe House after the founder of RNBT, and has presented the home with a badge taken from the Crest of a 1938 battleship which was to be named HMS Jellicoe.

The scheme aims to complete in late Spring 2022.

35

Operator and construction specialists launch scheme HALLMARK Care Homes and care home construction specialists Savista Developments have launched an inter-company leadership and innovation programme, the Care Accelerator.

The programme is designed to equip participants with leadership skills by enabling them to develop and implement their innovative ideas.

Chair of Hallmark Care Homes and Care England and CEO of Savista Developments, Avnish Goyal, said: “We pride ourselves in never standing still which is why I’m so excited about this programme where we are leading the way on protecting the environment and working on ways of delivering better quality care for residents.

“The Care Accelerator programme will not only develop some amazing talent within our teams but help us to implement some of the creative suggestions and solutions that are put forward during these sessions.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank Barclays Eagle Labs, Codebase and Dr Lianne Taylor for all their support with this programme so far. Their knowledge is invaluable and we are very grateful to be working with them.”

The Care Accelerator programme is believed to be the first of its kind in the social care sector. Its 17 participants have been recommended for inclusion by senior management and will work on three projects

Avnish Goyal An artist’s impression of Rivendell View.

New Nottingham care home to create 50 jobs to position the companies’ care homes and development sites for the best possible future in terms of relationship-centred care and reduce carbon footprint.

The projects will focus on ways to recruit, retain and develop nurses, to operate care homes in an environmentally sustainable fashion and to provide building operations that are carbon neutral.

The programme will consist of six sessions which will give the participants the leadership skills to progress an idea into an opportunity.

It will be supported by Barclays Eagle Labs and Codebase and will include speakers such as Dr Lianne Taylor from Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia. The programme will culminate in a final presentation from the participants and a graduation ceremony in June.

NOTTINGHAM’S newest care home, Rivendell View, is recruiting for up to 50 team members ahead of its eagerly awaited launch later this year.

Positions available include care management, care assistants and kitchen and domestic staff. The new team will complete a thorough induction period before the home opens in May. Rivendell View, which has benefitted from a £10m investment, will be provider Ideal Carehomes’ 24th facility and boasts a lavish cinema, an airy botanical room leading onto landscaped gardens, a traditional tea shop, beauty parlour and opulent Sky Bar. The caring staff team will be focussed on creating a welcoming and fulfilling lifestyle for the people who live at Rivendell View via their round-the-clock support, regular and varied activities, healthy and nutritious food and laundry and housekeeping service.

Managing director Stacey Linn

said: ‘We are very excited to be opening our third luxury care home in Nottingham and are keen to hear from people living in the local community who are seeking fulfilling careers within care.

“While our environments are second to none, it is our staff team who make our homes the best places to live and who help our residents to retain their independence whilst supporting them to live an active lifestyle.

“We are looking for people who really want to make a difference and would like to be part of the Rivendell View story right from the very start.”

Staff will have access to some of the most innovative and supportive care technology in the industry and will be provided with a recently updated uniform, offered in a range of colours determined by job role, as well as all the PPE they require.

Ideal Carehomes will also facilitate the Covid-19 vaccine for any new members of staff who have not yet received the jab.

“Our fingerprints are all over every sale”.

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From corporate clients to private owners and charities, our experience provides the right advice and support throughout the deal process.

Whether acting for the seller or purchaser, our areas of expertise include: • Nursing and Residential Homes • Independent Hospitals • Specialist Care Homes Including Learning Disability & Mental Health • Children’s Services and Schools • Turn-key Developments • Vacant Properties • Land and Development Sites

Achieve the result you want and sell your care business confidentially.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SALES & ACQUISITION SERVICES

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36

CARINGNEWS

Group’s link with Fair Kitchens is a first for sector

Shelley (pink) dancing with residents.

Carer saves man’s life THE newly appointed deputy manager of Darley Hall Care Home recognised symptoms of a stroke when a resident’s husband called for a friendly catch up.

Shelley Bardell spoke to Terry Henderson regarding his relative staying at the home when she recognised his speech becoming slurred.

She had undertaken an intensive first aid course only a few months before the incident.

The three-day crash course (intended to improve residents’ care) proved key to his survival.

“I had noticed that something was wrong with Terry’s voice,” Shelley said. “It was as if he was struggling to get his words out.

“Having worked in the care sector for many years, particularly caring for the elderly, I was able to recognise the development as a possible symptom of a stroke.”

She took immediate action while continuing to comfort and reassure Terry.

She informed him that she was

calling his daughter Katie to ask her to check on him.

Katie arrived at her Dad’s house and found him with a newly developed ‘droop’ to one side of his mouth.

She called the doctors’ surgery, who promptly visited Terry and checked him over before calling 999.

The attending doctor requested an ambulance as they too suspected that Terry was having a stroke.

He was taken by ambulance to The Royal Derby Hospital’s A&E Department where he was assessed and treated for the dangerous condition.

Terry added: “If it had been up to me, I might not have reacted as quickly as Shelley did. “ I am extremely grateful that Shelley reacted in the time frame she did as this saved precious time in the treatment of the TIA. “Without their care and compassion, the happy ending to this story could have been non-existent.”

Terry is now back at home, recovering from a TIA (a mini-stroke) and is taking things steady.

CARE UK is the first care sector organisation in the world to join the global movement #FairKitchens, which is aiming to make the happiness of catering teams as important as diner satisfaction.

Co-founded by Unilever Food Solutions in 2018 to inspire a healthier and more inclusive culture in hospitality, #FairKitchens now has more than 20,000 community members learning from each other’s approaches and creating a more resilient and sustainable businesses in the process.

The long-term ambition is to make “Fair Kitchens” a point of preference, recognised by potential team members as good places to work and potential diners as an assurance mark of a high quality dining experience.

Hotel services manager chef James Clear will lead Care UK’s contribution to #FairKitchens by sharing lessons and success stories from his colleagues in the care sector as to how to build a respectful culture in which people are valued and treated fairly.

He said: “I am very much looking forward to working with a movement which focuses on ‘people first’, which is something Care UK truly believes.

“When I joined Care UK I was inspired by food and services director Jon Bicknell’s vision of ‘Dining with Dignity’ which ensures the dining experience for our residents is the best it can be.

“I have learnt that to deliver this you need an engaged, motivated team. I am looking forward to sharing how we do this with others across the globe so it can benefit their businesses too.”

Care UK will also join discussions on wider issues affecting the industry’s future; such as attracting talent.

Announcing the new partnership, #FairKitchens said it was looking to

James Clear work with the care sector because of its unique working environment and the lessons it can offer operators in other areas of hospitality.

It highlighted the freedom that chefs in care often have over menus and the satisfaction that comes from creating person-centred service for individual residents as plus points.

The sector was also praised for offering more sociable working hours and appealing to a diverse community of employees.

Alex Hall, executive chef at Unilever Food Solutions and #FairKitchens ambassador, added “I am very excited to have Care UK as a partner of the movement.

“There is a lot the catering industry can learn from the people centric way it runs its operation.

“I also think it is a brilliant opportunity to showcase the care sector as a place to work, especially in light of the pandemic.

“Sharing the stories and examples from Care UK could inspire others to consider it as an alternate career path.”

Firms reveal record results

Gwen Smith celebrated her 100th birthday at Dene Holm Residential Care Home in Northfleet. The eldest of three siblings, Gwen was born in Orsett, Essex but moved to Gravesend as a young child. Her father was a seed merchant with shops in Gravesend, Northfleet and Dartford, which Gwen later worked in. Gwen’s family made sure her special day was a success, despite the current lockdown, sending cake, balloons and bunting in, as well as ensuring the safe delivery of some very special post from Buckingham Palace. After a day of opening presents and video calls with family, Gwen enjoyed a buffet tea, followed by a well-deserved nap.

SUNRISE Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare have revealed record results in their 2020 ‘Have Your Say’ survey of all team members.

The survey of 3,460 team members received an average Engagement Score of 87 per cent with the survey’s five key questions and 76 per cent with all 21 questions.

Sharon Benson, human resources director at Sunrise and Gracewell, said: “These results demonstrate the continued sense of purpose that is felt amongst our team members.

“2020 was one of the most challenging years for the care home sector, but I’m proud that we have recorded an increase in some of the key indicators that measure the experience of team members across Sunrise and Gracewell.

“We’re committed to continue improving the experience of team members across both our 46 care homes and support office, and we look forward to building on our

successes as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Results from the survey found that 96 per cent of respondents agree that they understand what is expected of them in their role, a nine per cent increase from 2019, and 92 per cent said they enjoy the work that they do.

A further 88 per cent said they are proud to work across both the Sunrise and Gracewell brands, with 92 per cent also saying they feel able to make a positive contribution to the success of the organisation.

Sunrise and Gracewell also recorded an ‘Employee Net Promoter Score’, an index of how likely team members are to recommend the care providers, of +29.

84 per cent of team members also expressed positive emotions when asked how they feel in their roles, with many expressing feelings of commitment, happiness and motivation.

CARINGNEWS

The evolving role of a live-in carer in a changing world

By Paul Reynolds COVID-19 has arguably changed our lives forever. Throughout the pandemic, communities have had to adapt and react to a different way of living which some are seeing as ‘the new normal’.

As what the future will look like starts becoming clearer, the role of the live-in carer, too, is beginning to evolve.

The World Health Organisation officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic on March 12 2020.

Since then, the perception of what we used to consider ‘normal’ has completely changed.

For those whose relatives or friends require additional support, the effects of Covid-19 have been felt particularly strongly.

As well as being concerned about whether the care would be able to continue with physical distancing measures, friends and family living far away have had the added worry of who will be there to help if their loved one should experience a fall or if their health declines unexpectedly.

While this has been a worry long before Covid-19, lockdown restrictions may have made people reluctant to travel as they would have usually.

Then there is the added worry that the person receiving care is living alone and the emotional repercussions this causes.

The holistic, personal side of live-in care can sometimes be overlooked as the focus is drawn to the physical activities such as assisting with mobility or hygiene.

These areas are, of course, essential

Paul Reynolds aspects of a live-in carer’s daily work, but the emotional support and reassurance generated by being a constant presence for the customer is just as important.

And for the loved ones of those at greater risk of a fall, the knowledge that a trained professional is on hand to provide the necessary assistance is undoubtedly a huge comfort.

Falls occur for many reasons, but the primary one is age. Around 30 per cent of people aged 65 or over will experience a fall at least once a year, increasing to 50 per cent in those aged 80 or over.

Though most cases do not involve serious injury, falls can result in a loss of confidence, which is where the gentle encouragement of a live-in carer can be a great benefit.

With hospitals under pressure from a backlog of procedures as a result of Covid-19, managing the availability

of hospital beds will become more challenging.

At the beginning of 2021, as England entered its third national lockdown, Covid-19 patients occupied more than 30 000 hospital beds, resulting in other operations being postponed1.

At a time where resources are stretched, and will continue to be so for some time, recovering at home with short-term live-in care may be an ideal solution for both the patient and hospitals, depending on the procedure.

The former will be able to return to the comfortable surroundings of their home environment and reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 while on the ward, and hospitals can dedicate resources where they are needed.

Furthermore, live-in care packages can be arranged within a short time frame, as little as 48 hours in some instances, meaning that support can be available ready for hospital discharges and convalescence, and a bed can quickly become available.

‘Bed blocking’, as the issue is known as, costs an estimated £900million for NHS England alone.2 It is thought that around £700 could be saved per bed per night with an early discharge, and the ongoing support afforded by live-in care thereafter reduces the risk of a patient being readmitted.

Prevention in this way can also ease the long waiting lists hospitals will be contending with as surgeries begin getting back underway.

Perhaps one of the lasting lessons we can take into the new world is that happiness and social interaction can never be taken for granted again.

According to a Mental Health

Foundation survey3 conducted in November 2020, almost half of the UK population (45 per cent) had reported feeling anxious or worried in the course of the previous two weeks. A quarter of people also stated feeling lonely.

The same survey illustrated that seeing family or friends (25 per cent and 16 per cent respectively) would alleviate these feelings of loneliness, and 61 per cent reported that kindness, either from someone or to others, has a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.

Each and every day, a live-in carer demonstrates kindness often without thinking. Though they may see an act of kindness such as making a person’s favourite meal, helping them get to the shops or get onto a video call with loved ones as part of their job, there is no doubt that carers are instrumental in lifting the spirits of the individual in their care.

Though the new world is still in its infancy, those with specific care needs must not be left behind. And for the carers supporting them, their importance cannot be understated. n Paul Reynolds is the co-founder of care provider In Home Care.

References 1. https://www.hsj.co.uk/ coronavirus/exclusive-new-datareveals-the-23-trusts-with-over-athird-of-beds-occupied-by-covidpatients/7029244.article 2. https://www.liveincarehub.co.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LICH_ Report-2020-final.pdf 3. https://www.mentalhealth.org. uk/our-work/research/coronavirusmental-health-pandemic/keystatistics-wave-8

Homecare firm to create 750 jobs Care team’s excellence HOMECARE provider Alcedo Care Group is set to create up to 750 jobs across the North West this year.

In January alone, the family run firm appointed 95 new staff members.

And in the coming months Alcedo Care forecasts a further 500 permanent new positions, approximately 100 at each of its existing offices located in Blackpool, Southport, St Helens, Preston and Lancaster.

A further five offices are planned to open this year too, with another 250 jobs required to support this expansion.

Managing director Andy Boardman said: “As a family run business, and with family values at the forefront of everything we do, recruiting the right people is essential.

“Combining quality, clinical governance, training and investment in technology, we ensure each and every member of the team is fully prepared and supported to enrich the lives of our clients and allow for independent living at home.

“As we continue to grow at each of our existing offices across the North West, and with an additional five offices due to open, recruitment will play a key part of our strategy this

recognised at Awards

Andy Boardman year. We have forecast approximately 750 permanent positions and are proud to be able to provide significant job creation across the North West after such a difficult year due to the pandemic.”

The company, run by Andy and his wife Jo, aims to bring something different to the sector based on recruiting only the very best carers and retaining them by placing value on job satisfaction, training, continued professional development, internal promotion prospects and pay structure.

STAFF and residents at Brinnington Hall care home in Stockport have been celebrating as they triumphed at the NHS STAR Awards.

The awards are organised by NHS Stockport CCG and Stockport Council as a way of recognising and thanking the region’s social care workers for their hard work over the past year.

The Brinnington Hall team was awarded the coveted ‘Excellence in Quality’ accolade which is testament to their commitment to going above and beyond to provide personcentred care for their residents.

Home manager Rachel McIntosh said: “We are absolutely thrilled to take home the ‘Excellence in Quality’ star award.

“I would like to thank each of our brilliant Brinnington Hall staff for their dedication to their roles, you are all nothing short of inspiring and you should be extremely proud of yourselves.”

The awards were established in 2017 and each year hundreds of nominations are received from the

public and care workers with a panel of industry experts given the task of deciding the winners.

During the course of the pandemic, staff at Brinnington Hall have been at the forefront of infection control policies through their ‘Ideal Fresh Living’ initiative which ensures the importance of fresh air, hygiene and sanitisation and government regulations are always in mind.

As well as working hard to keep residents safe, the care team has also kept everyone smiling with activities such as creating a four-hole crazy golf course in the garden, showcasing their very own version of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and reuniting a couple for a special lunch on their 49th wedding anniversary.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the glittering awards ceremony was held virtually with councillor Jude Wells, cabinet member for adult care, Mark Fitton, director of adult social services at Stockport MBC and Anita Rolfe, executive director of nursing and quality assurance for Stockport CCG in attendance.

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CARINGNEWS

Open your fire doors to residents

Staff and residents at Ferrars Hall in Huntingdon wished Winifred Scott a happy 101st birthday recently. Winifred, known as Win, has lived at the care home since September 2018. Like many residents, she is keen to see her family and was delighted that her son Peter could wish her a ‘Happy Birthday’ in person following the easing of lockdown restrictions. Win celebrated her milestone birthday with afternoon tea with her friends at the care home.

Originally from Ireland, she moved to England aged 17. As a girl she was a keen dancer, winning medals in Irish step dancing. On leaving school she trained as a nurse and started at Archway Hospital in London and went on to work at Hounslow Hospital.

WHEN someone is no longer able to live alone their self-esteem can be severely affected and can sometimes lead to depression too.

This is turn can have a negative impact on general health and happiness.

Promoting independence within your care setting can have a massive impact on someone’s happiness, health and wellbeing.

Care facility providers for the elderly have to make some incredibly important decisions to ensure that residents are safe and often make decisions on behalf of residents too.

Providing a care setting that ticks all the right boxes to offer independent living can sometimes feel like a bit of a juggling act.

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

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

Easily installed by your own handyman they can be fitted to existing fire doors.

These devices ‘listen’ for the sound of your fire alarm and on hearing it will automatically activate and

Reunited couple reveal the secret to a happy marriage A LOVING couple recently reunited at their care home following a threemonth separation have revealed their secrets to a happy marriage.

Husband and wife for 65 years, Ivor and Pansy Warren are celebrating being back together again after Covid-19 meant having to spend three months living in separate homes – their longest time apart since the start of their relationship.

Now happily residing in a shared room at St George’s Care Home in Beccles, the pair have been reflecting on their happy marriage and have revealed their secrets to success.

“Make sure you tell each other you love each other every day,” said Pansy.

“And try not to argue. But if you do, always make sure you resolve the argument before bedtime. Never go to sleep upset with one another.”

Agreeing with Pansy, Ivor added:

“Accept your partner for who they are, respect them and be loyal. You must always be loyal.

“Be affectionate too, and remember that as long as you have each other, you have everything you need.”

The contented couple, who married in 1955 after a two-year courtship and have two daughters together, have been inspiring care staff since their arrival at the home.

Bonnie Howe, service manager at St George’s, said: “Ivor and Pansy’s relationship is wonderful and so heart-warming to witness.

“When you see them interact with each other, it’s clear that they’re still just as much in love today as they would have been on their wedding day – if not more so.”

The couple celebrated their 68th Valentine’s Day together last month, with their care home organising a romantic afternoon tea for two.

allow your heavy fire door to close, preventing the spread of fire.

Heavy fire doors can pose a problem for frail and less mobile residents, as they try and negate heavy fire doors just to move from one room to another.

By fitting a fire door retainer, your fire doors will open with ease or be held in the open position to make corridors and rooms easily accessible, even for those who are wheelchair users or who use walking aids.

To ensure that you can fit the right fire door retainer for your setting

Dorgard have a range of products to chose from.

For quieter areas, such as bedrooms or snugs, Dorgard is ideal and for areas that are a little noisier, such as recreation rooms or dining rooms the Dorgard SmartSound is ideal and Freedor SmartSound offers the ability for a fire door to behave in the same way as a normal door, and can be pushed open with ease or will stay open at any angle.

Open your fire doors to your residents to give them their independence back.

Compact service trolleys offer cost-effective solution

A BROAD range of service trolleys produced by UK manufacturer Gratnells has been popular for many years across the health and care sectors.

Thanks to the antimicrobial additive used in the frame and storage trays, an enhanced level of protection against a range of microbes is guaranteed.

In fact, the BioCote® additive is shown to be up to 99.99 per cent effective in combatting surface contamination from a range of bacteria and viruses.

The trolleys are particularly popular for the storage of all types of PPE. The single column compact trolley set comes with four shallow trays and a deep tray, providing plenty of storage capacity on a very compact footprint.

It is widely used as a general service

trolley, a bedside trolley and more recently still as a vaccination hub trolley.

The size of the single column unit makes it an extremely versatile service trolley addition in the care home. It can be moved easily when required and locked in position for added safety if needed.

The frame is fully welded making it very strong and also easy to keep clean.

As an added benefit, all Gratnells trolley and tray sets come assembled, carry a five-year warranty and are available to buy direct from the manufacturer with free delivery included.

Enquiries: For more information contact Gratnells on 01279 401550 or see the full range online at www.gratnellsmedical.com

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Proudly supporting the

WORKING WITH THE WORLD’S BEST HEALTHCARE WORKERS

All senior HCAs have passed our accredited Care Certificate training course before arrival in the UK

The Government has launched the Health & Care Visa to ensure UK health and care services have access to the best global talent.

WE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

Helping clients obtain a Sponsor Licence (if required)

The new visa makes it quicker, easier and more cost-effective to hire healthcare professionals from around the world.

We recruit skilled, qualified and experienced nurses from our bases in India, the Philippines and beyond, and place them as senior care workers at care facilities throughout the UK. There are very impressive savings to be made on agency fees, as well as many other benefits, such as improved consistency of care and staff retention - You tell us your requirements and we take care of the rest.

As we are 100% confident you will be delighted with our service, you can spread our fees over the duration of the visa - Which works out to be as little as £20.00 per week!

Plus, as a special introduction, we are offering new customers a 50% discount on their first healthcare worker!

Call us now on 0113 827 2347 to discuss recruiting senior carers.

Do you have nursing positions you need to fill? We also have a large database of nurses available for interview. Email for further details.

avantacare.com | recruitment@avantacare.com

We source the leading talent from around the world

We make sure candidates are fully compliant

We ensure candidates are not burdened with agency fees

Arranging interviews

Supporting candidates through travel & arrival

Ongoing support

THE ART OF COMFORT

To find out more call: 01924 868 470 For more information visit: shackletonsltd.co.uk