Campfire songs bring generations together

AN evening of traditional campfire songs and entertainment has brought generations together as Ashton Manor care home in Lancaster welcomed 10 Guides from the 6th Morecambe pack in Torrisholme.

Residents of the home operated by Evermore Care enjoyed a trip down memory lane, being treated to hot chocolate and marshmallows and singing songs together with the visiting Guides who were fulfilling a promise to serve their community, a pledge Ashton Manor manager and Guide leader Joanne Tyson herself made back in 1989.

She said: “This has been a wonderful opportunity to share my passion for care with the younger generation, and also share my passion for Guiding with the residents of Ashton Manor.

“I know that many residents enjoyed reminiscing about their own experiences of Guiding and Scouting, which was really special to see, and their storytelling definitely inspired our visiting Guides.”

“With growing up in the area, I have a lot of passion for engaging Ashton Manor with the local community and this event is a great example of why I love working at Evermore.

“The team here are equally as passionate about enhancing the experience for our residents with activities and events that bring people together and engage the community we are part of.

“We really pride ourselves on our person-centred philosophy, and so we are very pleased that the evening was a great success.”

Members of Yorkshire and The Humber Care Association Alliance are signing up to a Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to work together to improve care.

The memorandum is built around four principles which will guide what the Alliance does: Dignity, Collaboration, Confidence through Integrity and Courage.

The Alliance comprises Barnsley Independent Care Home Providers Association, Bradford Care Association, Hull and East Riding Care Association, The Independent Care Group (North Yorkshire and York), Kirklees Care Association, Leeds Care Association, Sheffield Care Association and Wakefield (Independent Sector Liaison Group).

Each represents dozens of individual care providers, from the private and not-for-profit sectors, looking after adults with physical, sensory or learning disabilities, people with mental ill-health, and older people. This includes care and nursing homes, home care services, shared lives schemes and retirement communities, extra care facilities and day care.

Two members of the YHCAA have just become Board members on the national Care Association Alliance, an umbrella body for care associations across the country.

Independent Care Group chair Mike Padgham and James Creegan, CEO and Chair of Kirklees Care Association, will speak for the Yorkshire and Humber region on the national body.

Mike said: “We are delighted to be signing up to this Memorandum of Understanding and taking another vital step forward towards bringing our organisations closer together for the benefit of all care providers in our region and the thousands of people who rely on us for their care and quality of life.

“This Memorandum and our representation on the national Care Association Alliance cements us as the only recognised, official representative care bodies for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

“At this time, when social care is under such unrelenting and unprecedented pressure, it is vital that, as a sector, we speak with a united voice and fight together for improvements to social care.”

The Alliance’s overall aim is to provide leadership, help, support and advice to its membership, share best practice and work with care commissioners, including local authorities and NHS bodies and other partners to improve the quality of life of those living with a care need.

It will work on things like improving fees for providers, helping providers get access to training for staff, informing regional and national care policy by sharing information and trends, lobbying and building greater awareness of social care and care providers.

James added: “With this strengthening of our connection, we look forward to adding more organisations and building this regional voice for social care providers and those who receive care.

“Our promise is to bring the worries, issues and challenges facing social care providers to the attention of regional and national decisionmakers and to lobby for actions that will improve the sector.

“The four principles will be at the forefront of everything we do. We will strive to give people dignity and a good quality of life, to work together and support each other towards that aim, to work with integrity and to work with courage, to challenge the status quo.”