Caring UK December 2015 by Script Media

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December 2015

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no.234 • £4.75

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Older people ’let down’ by Government

By Dominic Musgrave

OLDER and vulnerable adults receiving the care they need in their own home have been let down by successive governments, a sector leader told homecare providers. Speaking at the annual conference of the United Kingdom Homecare Association , the body’s chairman Mike Padgham warned that the Government’s autumn spending review would be ‘make or break time’ for many providing homecare. “Thousands of people are going without the care they need in their own home – breaking the promises not just of this government, but of successive governments, of every political colour,” he told delegates gathering at the Kia Oval. His words came as Age UK revealed figures that showed that a million people aged over 65 with a care need were not getting the help they needed. “In 1989 they released a film called Back to the Future 2, in which the main characters went forward to October 21, 2015. “I wonder, if they had included social care in the film, what sort of future would they have predicted? A utopian vision of older people cared for properly by a society that treated them with the respect and dignity

they deserved? “Or frail, vulnerable adults denied the knock on the door they look forward to, due to a lack of money? “I know providers who are thinking of calling it a day and those who simply will not be able to afford to deliver contracts properly next spring.” The UKHCA has launched a Save Our Homecare campaign, including a petition calling on the Government to address an expected £750m shortfall in homecare spending, in the autumn spending review. The petition is well on towards reaching its 10,000 target to provoke a Government response. Mike added: “To see stressed, hard-pressed domiciliary care providers struggling to deliver proper care in the tightest ever financial climate. More people are needing homecare and yet less and less money is being invested into it. That makes no sense. “If, as a country, we need better roads, better national defence, better healthcare – we wake up to the fact that somehow we have to pay for it. And yet even though everyone is agreed that we want better care for older and vulnerable people, the country is cutting, rather than increasing, investment in it.”

Conference venues and theme are announced

Residents and colleagues at Mills Meadow care home in Framlingham in Suffolk received a special visit when music superstar Ed Sheeran popped in to cut the ribbon to the home’s new ‘Sheeran Suite’, which will provide nursing care for older people. Ed , who grew up in Framlingham, was happy to sit and chat with residents and their relatives at the care home, as well as posing for selfies with Care UK colleagues who work or support the home.

THE dates and venues have been announced for next year’s care providers conferences organised by Caring UK’s sister company Script Events. The events, which will have the theme ‘Elderly Care: Leading the Way’, will be a must-attend for care operators and managers. The first two events take place at Newcastle Racecourse and Herons Reach Hotel in Blackpool on May 18 and 19 respectively. The next conference will take place at York Racecourse on July 13, while the final two will be held at the Holiday Inn, Plymouth on October 5 and Cheltenham Racecourse on October 6. Speakers already confirmed for the event include representatives from Care England, the National Care Association and The Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling. Further speakers will be revealed over the next few months. For full details about next year’s conferences turn to page 30.

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Staff are not receiving adequate dementia training, study finds By Dominic Musgrave CARE home staff are not being provided with the training they need to support adults with dementia, joint research by Community Care and UNISON has found. The analysis of 300 inspection reports from the CQC shows even specialist dementia care homes are failing to provide training on the condition to their staff. Care workers are also missing out on vital training in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and the legal requirements that aim to protect people who do not have the capacity to make decisions. The analysis of 125 care homes rated ‘inadequate’, 125 ‘requires improvement’ and 50 ‘good’, found: Training gaps were identified in 71% of homes told to improve by the CQC. Dementia, safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act were the topics that fared worst. Almost half (49 per cent) of the homes told to improve by the CQC were breaching regulations that require them to ensure a suitably trained and supported workforce.

Heather Wakefield Training gaps were found even in five homes rated as ‘good’. They were also in the three topics specified above, suggesting a widespread issue with training in these areas. The research shows there is a direct link between poor care and poor training opportunities for staff. More than a quarter of homes told to improve by the CQC had gaps in demen-

tia training. In many cases, this lack of training had resulted in people with dementia being treated with no empathy or understanding of their care needs. Heather Wakefield, head of local government at UNISON, said: “This research highlights the shocking lack of investment in our residential care system, leaving clients vulnerable to inadequate care as a result of insufficient funding to support required training, appropriate staffing levels and safeguarding mechanisms. “The UK is one of the world’s richest countries and we can afford to treat our elderly citizens better than this.” Community Care reporter Rachel Carter added: “Our investigation shows residential care workers are being let down time and again by a failure to invest in training, support and supervision and this has contributed to serious failings in care. “These workers are caring for some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and it is absolutely essential they receive adequate training. It is clear from the findings that cutting back on training is detrimental to workers and the people they care for.”

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Heffle Court wins NAPA ‘home grown’ award High Sheriff John Holt opens the community dementia garden surrounded by representatives from the charities and organisations who came together for the project.

Sensory garden launched A MULTI-SENSORY garden designed and built specially for people with dementia and their carers has been officially opened in Doncaster. The High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, John Holt, and the Deputy Mayor of Doncaster, Coun. David Nevett did the honours and launched the garden, which is based in The Walled Garden at St Catherine’s House, Woodfield Park, Balby, and is part of the social enterprise called Flourish. The community dementia garden has been created after a consortium of charities and organisations came together to push the idea and the project forward. Staff at Flourish Enterprises, based at St Catherine’s House, Balby, offered a plot of land in their Walled Garden, professional garden designer Caroline Watkins drew up the plans and costed the project for free, donations

of materials were received from the Doncaster dementia charity Donmentia, Flourish Enterprises, B&Q and the Alzheimer’s Society. The project was funded to the tune of £20,000 thanks to funding from the Postcode Lottery, Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group, Doncaster Council and the Older People’s Mental Health Services at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust John said: “I was a great honour to open the community dementia garden and I hope Doncaster residents and those from further afield head to the garden and enjoy their time there. “It’s a great asset to have for the community. It is always great to see so many organisations working together for such a worthwhile cause.”

HEFFLE Court care home has won the ‘Element 1 – Grow Your Own’ category of the NAPA Fine Dining Experience 2015 awards. The home, in Heathfield, East Sussex, was given a certificate and £150 prize at the National Activity Providers Association gala tea ceremony in London. As part of the judging process, staff engaged with residents and the local community to grow and celebrate their own produce. Judges said of Heffle Court’s entry: “The team at Heffle Court made the most of every aspect of this element. Initial discussions with the residents generated a canvas collage of favourite food and veg which became the wish list refined by the catering team. “Reminiscing about past hobbies, watching gardening DVDs and visiting garden centres ensured maximum involvement of the residents.” Judges said they were also impressed that the local MP visited and donated some of his own home grown plants to the cause. Nearby pre-school children were also involved with helping to pot up seedlings, and community volunteers cleared ground and painted tubs. There was also a plant watering rota for residents and relatives, with seedlings carefully watched and

potted on. Judges went on to say: “Excitement grew as the plants grew and there was a real sense of responsibility for their welfare emerged. One resident in particular regained a passion for gardening, helping to maintain his independence and offering a shared activity with his family.” The Heffle Court team are planning a harvest lunch to celebrate their home grown achievements with the local community. Debby Potter, home manager at Heffle Court, said: “I am extremely proud of our colleagues and residents for pulling together to achieve this award. We have a wonderful care home and working together to achieve this ‘grow our own’ award has been extremely positive for all involved. Well done everyone!” Heffle Court has also been shortlisted as a finalist for Element 3 of the NAPA Fine Dining Awards – ‘The Chef’s Masterpiece’ with the possibility of a further £150 cash prize and certificate following a masterclass with Mark Sargeant, restaurant owner and Knorr ambassador in Leatherhead, Surrey. The Element 3 category required Heffle Court’s kitchen team to create a special fine dining menu following close consultation with residents, including technical elements in the meal.

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Kenny’s contribution is perfect tonic for award

Residents of Dene Holm Residential Home spent a nostalgic day remembering their adolescence at the Fort in the Forties event at New Tavern Fort in Gravesend. Accompanied by staff of the Northfleet facility, the group of residents spent an afternoon viewing vintage vehicles, reminiscing to retro records and soaking up the ambiance at the wartime weekend event. Fort in the Forties takes place each year and invites guests to fully embrace a 1940s environment, through reenactments, performers, food, drink, stalls and exciting visual displays.

Group brings IT to older people BUCKINGHAMSHIRE care provider Caremark (Aylesbury & Wycombe) is to hold an information morning and a demonstration of a new tablet designed to make it easy and safe for its older clients to communicate with friends, family and care workers. This innovative idea will also enable them to manage their medication needs, listen to the radio and play brain games, all on one compact device. Caremark has worked closely with a respected IT company to bring about

a new tablet device which is easy to use and visually straight forward for people who are not confident with computer based communications. Janis Anderson, MD of Caremark (Aylesbury & Wycombe) said: “We believe it has huge potential to reduce isolation for older people, or those with physical or learning difficulties and reduce the costs of some simple care needs, so that people can use their available funds for more community based companionship and support.”

A MEMBER of staff who helped create a traditional ‘pub’ for residents at a Glasgow care home has been nominated for this year’s Scottish Care – National Care Home Awards. Kenny Roy, maintenance manager at Bupa’s Craigbank Care Home has been shortlisted in the Ancillary and Support Staff category for his daily dedication to residents and to improving the environment of the home and gardens. One of the key reasons for Kenny’s nomination was his extensive involvement in the construction of ‘The Doncaster’ – a ‘pub’ which aims to provide a recognisable social environment for residents to relive the past and share memories and stories. Kenny worked with residents on design ideas and then set about making them a reality, transforming a previously empty space into a traditional ‘pub’ environment. The innovative idea to help residents and their relatives connect and socialise has proved very popular, with table football and darts providing plenty of entertainment for all. Additionally, when horticultureloving residents expressed an interest in spending more time in the care home garden during the summer, Kenny went above and beyond. He gave the residents the opportunity to choose their favourite plants and

Kenny Roy built new gazebos and seating areas in which they could keep cool while enjoying the warm summer weather. Home manager Alan Twigg said: “Kenny’s nomination is in recognition of the incredible job he does, day in day out, and his constant commitment to the residents of Craigbank. “He has a wonderful rapport with everyone at the home, and includes the residents at every possible stage of his work – from letting them choose the colour of paint and wallpaper for different rooms to getting their input on what kind of decorations they would most like to see in the pub.” “He worked tirelessly to make the pub idea a reality and it’s had a huge impact, but that’s just one example of his commitment to and passion for the job.”

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Integrated communication channels to improve care By Ollie Watson

Staff and residents living at Stocks Hall Care Home in Ormskirk were transported to Wonderland where they were treated to a tea party and a host of games and activities. Eye catching costumes with frolics and fun became the order of the day as staff from Stocks Hall care home in Ormskirk dressed up as their favourite Alice in Wonderland characters.

WELL-COORDINATED services are at the heart of the government’s strategy for integrated care. With the Integrated Digital Care Technology Fund, this has resulted in money being awarded to join up social care and NHS initiatives. This is an exciting development and shows commitment to the integration of health and care services. As a result of this, several local councils and trusts are now displaying inspiring visions for how integrated care ideals can be put into practice. Barnsley Council is one of these. It has decided on a clear direction for its integrated care projects with information sharing between different services. Such information sharing powered by technological advances can now pave the way for improved care. Joining up falls management The starting point for this at Barnsley has been to consider how responses to older people’s falls can be handled as proactively as possible by the care services. Falls currently cost the NHS over £2 billion per year and systems for treatment and rehabilitation of falls are poorly coordinated. Anything that helps to reduce falls will have a double impact of improving olderpeople’s wellbeing, as well as reducing cost for an already stretched care system. The Independent Living At Home Service (ILAHS) in Barnsley will pioneer a new pre-emptive falls strategy where those using the telecare system who fall but do not require hospitalization will receive an additional visit from their re-ablement team. The team will perform a further fall assessment and give advice on how to prevent future falls. Research shows that older people who have a non-hospitalised fall very commonly have a subsequent fall that does require hospital treatment. It is hoped that the Barnsley strategy will spot and prevent a percentage of these subsequent falls, and make the patient feel better taken care of. Technology leading the way To help realise the strategy, Barnsley is turning to integrated technology for its ILAHS. The council’s vision is supported by NHS England through a “Tech fund 2” award, which funds the falls management project. With the help of technology partner CACI,

Barnsley’s ILAHS is integrating the existing telecare system with CACI’s re-ablement system, Cygnum. Cygnum lets care providers plan their resources, schedule visits, and capture patient information at the point of care. Up until this point, re-ablement and telecare services have not automatically shared digital information. This has meant that only one team, not both, has got the necessary information about critical incidents. The data integration will now join the dots to capture who has had a non-hospitalised fall and then automatically trigger a re-ablement visit. The information gathered in this visit will also be shared with the NHS Trust’s Patient Administration System (PAS), giving wider community health teams a more complete patient history. The advantages of integrating community care scheduling with telecare do not stop there, however. The new flow of information between services will also create whole new data sets that can be analysed to offer an improved care service in the future. In the longer term, it is these new data analytics capabilities that will really transform the sector. By mapping out patterns in falls and hospital admittance rates across geography, demographics and seasonality, for instance, preventive strategies can be adapted even more accurately. Data-driven integration Falls management is only the first step on Barnsley’s path to integrating more and more services between social care and health. The technical links made between existing systems will enable future service areas and pathways to be joined, as well as enabling additional systems to be integrated – for example social services case management and GP systems. Tech fund 2 has accelerated the move towards integrated health and care services. It’s not always easy to envision how this integration will end up looking in practice, but Barnsley’s new project provides us with an exciting example. Integrated care is one of the most important advances for Britain’s care system in our time and technology is driving it forward. Ollie Watson is a director at CACI.

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Care home’s visitors to ‘experience dementia’ By Olivia Taylor GUESTS to a south coast care home will experience what it’s like to live with dementia, thanks to a revolutionary training course. Hamble Heights, in Fareham, will host a day-long Virtual Dementia Tour which uses specially designed clothing, equipment and sounds to simulate the effect of living with midrange Alzheimer’s. The course, run by Training 2 CARE Ltd, is the only medically and scientifically proven method for a healthy brain to encounter what dementia is truly like. The home, run by Chorus, is inviting local healthcare professionals and support groups along to the special training day as part of its campaign to become a dementia resource for the entire local community. Chorus CEO Peter Curtis said the Virtual Dementia Tour would change the way both healthcare professionals and family members thought about dementia. He said: “This is a truly groundbreaking course that allows a person, even if just in a small way, to empathise with the feelings and sensations someone experiences when they are living with dementia. “Dementia is not only about memory loss, it deprives all the senses and

can severely affect vision, hearing and touch creating a world of fear and confusion. “We want to offer this training experience to our local healthcare professionals as we are confident it will challenge thinking about the illness and further improve the care we all want to provide to people living with dementia.” The invite-only training day will tke place on November 26 at Hamble Heights care home, Botley Road, Southampton. Virtual Dementia Training has been experienced by 1.2 million people in 17 different countries across the world but is relatively new in the UK. Peter added that staff at Hamble Heights had undergone the training themselves earlier in the year and it had directly improved the care the home was providing. He said: “We are now able to recognise the environment, the people and the situations in the same way that our residents with dementia identify circumstances. “Equipped with this knowledge we can work with these challenges to make life at Hamble Heights more enjoyable and comfortable for our residents. “Everyone working in dementia should experience this training – it will transform the way they provide care.”

Hanover Housing Association remains the only national housing provider to retain its RSPCA Community Animal Welfare Footprint.

Provider retains footprint WITH loneliness and social isolation amongst older people on the increase, Hanover Housing Association has continued to recognise the benefits pets can bring to later life. For the fifth consecutive year the company has retained its RSPCA Community Animal Welfare Footprint, and remains the only national housing provider to achieve this accolade. The success is thanks to Hanover’s continued commitment to residents’ health and well-being and to the importance of responsible pet ownership. Kevan Forde, head of service improvement for Hanover, said: “Hanover actively welcome pets to

632 estates. We very rarely turn away a pet – even on our extra care estates where residents can sometimes require more support. “This approach works because our pet policy is based on responsible ownership: we encourage residents to consider alternative short or longterm pet care arrangements if their circumstances change.” The RSPCA’S Community Animal Welfare Footprint is part of a scheme designed to celebrate, promote and reward the work of housing providers and other bodies in a number of areas that have an impact on animal welfare. The scheme has three levels bronze, silver and gold - which carry progressively demanding criteria.

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Care home success lands Margaret an award nomination By Olivia Taylor

A CRALI woman who has battled against dementia to lead a better life has landed a well-deserved award nomination. Margaret Lamb, 72, developed dementia at a younger-than-average age, and became a resident at Bupa’s Balnacarron Care Home in St Andrews, Fife, three years ago – a decision that has helped to dramatically improve her quality of life. Staff at Balnacarron were quick to recognise the lack of confidence and low self-esteem that Margaret was suffering from when she arrived at the home. But her sheer determination and the right standard of care has seen her fight back to enjoy a fuller life, which now includes singing in a local choir and going on regular walks with the care home dog, Bonnie. Margaret has now been nominated for the Care Home Resident Achievement Award at the 2015 Scottish Care – National Care Home Awards, which recognises her commitment to leading a normal life. Elaine Onyiuke, home manager at Balnacarron, said: “When Margaret first came to live with us she had lost a lot of her independence and her

self-confidence was low. “We were eager to go out of our way to make sure she received the best possible care to help her regain her confidence and sense of personal freedom. “When we discovered that she used to be part of a choir, we encouraged Margaret to become involved with singing again and she now sings with her choir every Tuesday, which made a huge difference.” Margaret has now regained much of her independence and is able to venture out on her own in St Andrews thanks to a GPS tracing device acquired by the care staff. She is also part of a gardening club and regularly volunteers at the local Salvation Army charity shop. Elaine added: “We knew she had previously been a keen walker, so we pushed hard and persevered to get the GPS tracking device, which has worked really well. She is now able to get out and about daily on her own, and often goes for a coffee or a walk on the beach in St Andrews. She also really enjoys taking Bonnie along with her.” Margaret’s willpower has now been recognised by the award nomination, which Elaine and her colleagues believe is very well deserved.

Eden House staff and residents celebrate their success.

Eden House rated outstanding STAFF at a Bishop Auckland care home are celebrating after being rated outstanding by the CQC; one of the first in the North East to achieve this status. Eden House was rated outstanding in four out of the five inspection categories, giving them an overall grading of outstanding. The purpose-built residential care home, operated by Helen McArdle Care, was given lots of positive feedback from the inspector. He was particularly impressed with way that staff treated people with dignity, respect, kindness and compassion, the level of training provided in the dedicated Helen McArdle Care Training Academy and the innovative pureed food technique that the com-

pany has brought to the UK from Europe. Helen McArdle CBE, chairman and founder of Helen McArdle Care, is delighted to see that the care and facilities provided at Eden House have been awarded outstanding. She said: “It is extremely difficult to achieve an outstanding CQC report; we work very hard to provide the highest quality of care and to be innovative in all that we do, so for that to be recognised is fantastic. “We couldn’t have achieved this excellent result without the hard work and dedication of every single member of staff and the support of residents, relatives and healthcare professionals. I am so proud of the whole team.”

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Children of terrorist victim are guests of honour at awards A youth volunteer initiative group in Hartlepool have been running reminiscence events with residents of Queens Meadow care home. The group of young volunteers turned up in 1940s military uniform, told stories about the past and organised a sing-along with residents. Activities coordinator Debbie Wilkes said: “It was amazing to see these young people arriving in the World War II period costumes. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the singing. Not only did the activities help them recall their youth but they also enjoyed spending time with the young people.”

Residents take up the reins THE ‘horsey’ smells and sounds of the stables unlocked fond memories for equestrian enthusiasts and Belong Wigan residents John Green and Bob Smith. John and Bob, both wheelchair users who live with dementia, each enjoyed a morning of horse carriage driving at the Thompson House Equestrian Centre, in Standish, which provides inclusive, one-to-one lessons for people with special educational needs and disabilities of all ages. Taking charge of the reins themselves, both Belong residents led

their horses in a canter then gallop around the stables; displaying a clear knack for the sport. Sensory-based activities, providing gentle stimulation through sound and smell, have been shown to help improve focus, communication and memory for people living with dementia. Marie Calderbank, an experience coordinator at the community care village,, said: “The activity seemed a perfect fit for John and Bob, and they both clearly loved the experience. We’re already looking into booking more sessions in the next few weeks.”

AN emotional tribute was paid at an awards ceremony to the dedicated and much-loved care worker Trudy Jones who was killed in a terrorist attack in Tunisia. Members of Trudy's family and colleagues were guests of honour at the annual Wales Care Awards, sponsored again this year by Barclay's Bank. The evening was hosted by TV presenter Lucy Owen and entertainment was provided by mezzo soprano Sioned Terry. Trudy, from Blackwood, Caerphilly, in South Wales, who was an activities co-ordinator at the town's Highfield Nursing Home, was one of 38 people killed when a gunman began firing at tourists on a beach in Sousse. She had been on holiday with her partner Dave when she fell victim to the terror attack in June this year. Her grown-up children, sons Ryan Gardiner, 18, Wayne Davis, 28, Gavin Davis, 32 and daughter Dana Brichard, 26, attended the glittering ceremony at City Hall in Cardiff. While Trudy's life was cut tragically short, Gwenllian Davies, Wales’ oldest person at 110-year-old, – who has

lived through two world wars – is still going strong, She was born on the same day, October 5, 1905, as the first aeroplane flight, and was honoured with the Craig Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by FISC Healthcare. The Bryn Terfel Foundation Wales Care Award for promoting the Arts in Social Care went to Gillian Green MBE, who has brought the joy of music to places it wouldn’t normally reach. One of the highlights of the evening was the Dignity in Care Award sponsored by the Welsh Government and were there was a four-way split for gold. The honour was share by activities organiser Michelle Derrick from the ^ ^ Swn y Mor Care Centre in Aberavon, in Neath Port Talbot; support worker Wayne Brookfield, Community Living, Wrexham County Borough Council; senior support worker Sharon Aspey, who works for Embrace Ltd in Denbigh, in Denbighshire; and home manager Wayne Bickford, who works for Ucan Ltd, in Treharris, Mid Glamorgan.

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Gradus launches Carezone carpet range CONTRACT interiors specialist Gradus has extended its carpet portfolio to include the new Carezone range, specifically designed for care homes, care facilities and accommodation. The range is available in 12 contemporary colours, which include a choice of popular natural shades, such as Warm Stone, Soft Taupe and Natural Truffle, along with a selection of brighter colours, such as Lilac Heather (plum), Mineral Spring (blue) and Moroccan Flair (terracotta). Karen Burman, floorcoverings product mmanager for Gradus, said: “The Carezone carpet range has been designed to complement modern interior design trends in care homes, care facilities and accommodation. “The range is ideal for bedroom and lounge environments and can be used to create attractive and practical interiors which provide comfort for residents, staff and visitors.” Carezone is a cut pile carpet made from 100 per cent polypropylene yarn and is supplied as a four-

Field View wins group’s memory box challenge By Olivia Taylor

metre wide roll with an impervious backing and comes with a 10-year wear warranty. Enquiries: For further information on the new Gradus Carezone range, contact Gradus Technical Support on 01625 428922, visit www.gradusworld.com or tweet @Gradus_World

A PROJECT has helped Blackhall Colliery care home residents bring back some wonderful memories and create some new ones too – after being named as regional winners in a competition to design their own memory box. Field View created their wining wedding-themed reminiscence box with the help of staff, residents, families and visitors who donated items. Residents discussed memories of their own wedding day and attending the weddings of others to come up with ideas. Items included traditional good luck charms, vintage fine bone china tea set and silver cutlery that would have been used at the wedding dinner, wedding photos and English wedding dresses, veils and garters including a 1960’s wedding dress. The memory box was given an international flair by including traditional African and Chinese wedding attire, photos of Hindu wedding ceremony, incense sticks and Henna. The competition, dubbed the ‘Memory Box Challenge’, was organised by Maria Mallaband Care Group and Countrywide Care homes to launch the start of their Dementia Strategy Project 2016. The group’s 70 care homes across

England, Scotland and Ireland took part with each given a budget of £50 to product a memory box containing a collection of items to help stimulate activity, conversation and positive feelings and memories. The final decision on winners was made based on the content ,smells and tastes included, level of activity and involvement of residents and families, I’s usefulness in future ongoing reminiscence activity and the ability to pass on the box as an activity resource to share with other homes. Care manager Michelle Howarth said: “Whilst having a great deal of fun and a great talking point around our home we also discovered that our residents had lots of stories and tales to tell of times gone by.” “The memory box brought back many happy memories for our residents. They were enthralled by the beauty of the present day weddings gowns included in our display. The ladies compared them to those which they had worn on their own wedding day, many of our ladies were married in suits as the war years were a time of great austerity and the rationing of goods was enforced.” Following the success of their wedding-themed memory box the home created another vintage memory box containing household items, toys and ornaments.

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Provider recognised as being one of the best AN independent care home company has been recognised as one of the best performing businesses in the Highlands. Parklands Group, which operates seven care homes across Moray and Highland, was named Outstanding Performing Business at the Highland Business Awards. The company has announced ambitious plans to build two new 40 bed care homes, one at Grantown on Spey, for which it has already received planning permission, and another in Fortrose, for which planning permission has just been submitted. It is hoped both homes will open by the end of next year, at a cost of £3.5million each. The new facilities will be modelled on Parklands’ modern care homes in Tain and Muir of Ord, which opened last year to widespread acclaim. As well as residential care, the new homes will provide respite and convalescence care. Rooms will be significantly larger than the minimum standard set down by the National Care Standards. Managing director Ron Taylor said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award from the Highland Business Awards.

Parklands’ success is fundamentally about our staff. We employ almost 500 people across the Highlands and Moray, many of whom have been with us for over a decade. I am grateful to all of them for their hard work and commitment to our residents. “This is an exciting time for Parklands as we progress plans for new care homes in Grantown and Fortrose, building on the success of our latest homes in Tain and Muir of Ord. “The Highlands already has a higher proportion of people aged 65-74 than the Scottish average and forecasts show we can expect to see a steady increase in this demographic, eventually resulting in an increase in elderly care needs.” Parklands Group was also recently shortlisted for a Scottish Dementia Award, along with partners Robert Gordon University and NHS Highland, for their work with people living with dementia. Urray House, a newly opened Parklands care home in Muir of Ord, became the first in the UK to support a student dietitian on placement who worked with care home residents with various stages of dementia to explore food memories from their childhood and during the war.

Some of the staff and family members who took part in ‘Le Tour de Shields’.

Team get on their bikes for charity fundraiser FAMILIES and staff at a High Barnes care home geared up for a sponsored bike ride to raise money for a cancer charity and for the home’s residents. Twelve riders made up of staff at Barnes Court, their partners and family members of residents at the home formed the cycling squad who took part in the sponsored coastal bike ride dubbed ‘Le Tour de Shields’. The route stretched a total of 7.5 miles, with riders making their way from sister care home Garden Hill in South Shields back to Barnes Court in High Barnes, Sunderland. Both homes are operated by care provider Countrywide Care Homes. On their return the cyclists were presented with medals and trophies

before celebrating with residents with a champagne toast and party in the home’s bar. Julie Haram, activities coordinator at Barnes Court, said: “It was a tough challenge for all of us, especially since many of us hadn’t been on a bike for years, but everyone made an amazing effort and refused to give up.” The Barnes Court team raised over £500 in sponsorship money, which will be split between charity Macmillan Cancer Support and the home’s residents’ fund, which goes towards additional life-enhancing services such as outings and social events so that those in care to continue to live life to the fullest.

CARINGNEWS

Care home owners missing out on tax relief windfall By Mark Tighe GIVEN that care homes are ultimately about providing comfort to their residents, the image of turning one upside down and shaking it vigorously is probably a little gauche. But at the same time, picturing a building held aloft with beds, furniture, residents and carers all tumbling out is useful in terms of explaining what capital allowances are. Intrinsic fabrication Essentially, everything that wouldn’t fall out of a care home if you flipped it upside down — what’s known as your building’s ‘intrinsic fabrication’ – is what you can claim capital allowances tax relief against. We are talking about things such as air-conditioning, lighting and heating systems, pipework, electricity and fire alarm cabling — and other ‘embedded’ features like lift installations and ventilation. All of these items represent a significant cost to a care home business, and are therefore tax-deductible as ‘capital allowances’. The good news is that because of the extent of the ‘intrinsic fabrication’ care homes contain, they generally do far better than most other commercial properties. Tax windfall in Tamworth In our experience, nine in 10 care homes will be due a tax windfall, with the average amount of unclaimed capital allowances found in care

homes in the region of £144,000. But it can be a lot more than that. For example, the owners of a threestorey, 30-bedroom care home in Tamworth, Staffordshire, instructed us recently to carry out a capital allowances audit. Having surveyed the property in detail, which they had purchased for just over £1m, we discovered £385,435 of unclaimed capital allowances in the intrinsic fabrication of their care home, mostly within their heating and ventilation systems and lift installation. This was roughly 40 per cent of the purchase price and has made a massive difference to their business, since the net tax benefit to them (at their higher tax rate) was £154,174 (40 per cent of £385,435). This tax rebate was given in the form of an initial lump sum payment and then ongoing tax relief. Care home owners in the dark Unfortunately, because most accountants are unfamiliar with capital allowances and how to identify them, care home owners themselves are almost always in the dark. This isn’t ideal as it’s a tax relief they have a right to claim under UK law. Following new laws announced in the Finance Act 2012, it has become even more important for care home owners to have capital allowances on their radars. The reason for this is that, since 2014, any unclaimed capital allowances must now be identified and documented before or at the

Mark Tighe point at which a commercial property is bought or sold — or they will be lost forever. Identifying capital allowances So what’s the process of identifying unused capital allowances? Well, we start by establishing the capital allowances history of the property. Firstly, we look at the details of any prior claims made by the accountant. If we feel that unclaimed capital allowances exist then we will carry out an in-depth forensic survey — or audit — of the entire site. We are essentially identifying items that fall within the definitions of Plant and Machinery as laid down in the Capital Allowances Act 2001 and will therefore qualify for capital allowances. Using cost models and data sources approved by HMRC, we then produce a report detailing the reasons for us making a capital allowances claim on

items within the property along with a breakdown of the proposed claim amount. We send the report and guidance to the client and their accountant on how to submit the claim to HMRC. The result is almost always positive. One final thing: it’s worth pointing out that most capital allowances firms, including ourselves, will only charge a fee if the capital allowances identified are substantial — at Catax Solutions, for example, we only charge a fee if the unclaimed capital allowances identified amount to over £50,000. This means that there is no risk and no up-front cost for care home owners. Right not privilege Ultimately, capital allowances are a right and not a privilege, and if care home owners have incurred the expenditure or costs involved in buying, building or adjusting their building, then they deserve the tax benefit. And with average unclaimed capital allowances soaring into six figures, who can afford not to look into it? Capital allowances in brief Capital allowances are a form of tax relief available to anyone incurring capital expenditure buying, building or making adjustments to commercial property. In plainer English, they are a way to reduce your tax bill. That’s all you really need to know! Mark Tighe is managing director of capital allowances specialist, Catax Solutions.

Former deputy PM visits home

Nick Clegg MP and Hill Care staff.

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP attended a Macmillan coffee morning hosted by Sheffield care home The Laurels and The Limes. The MP for Sheffield Hallam met residents – including the home’s oldest, 103-year-old Hilda Broomhead – as well as relatives, staff and visitors. One of thousands of coffee mornings being hosted across the UK for the cancer support charity, the Hill Care home raised over £100 in donations. The money will go towards

medical, emotional, practical and financial support for those with cancer. MD Wendy Waddicor said: “I’d like to thank everyone who came along and helped make the event a huge success. We run coffee mornings and other fund raising events across the Hill Care group, as they not only help raise valuable funds for great causes, but are a boost for our residents who enjoy meeting visitors and taking part in the activities.”

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Residents set sail on virtual cruise Rogers House residents and staff at Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate.

Residents relive youth at fair RESIDENTS of Rogers House relived their youth when staff treated them to a day out at Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate. Residents at the Wigmore residential home enjoyed an afternoon of nostalgia and reminiscence when they took a highly anticipated trip to the classic British seaside town. Accompanied by staff of the home, residents took a sunny stroll along the beach before visiting the newly renovated iconic amusement park, Dreamland, where they tucked into lunch at the diner and relished browsing the attractions. They even bumped into the Mayor of Margate, who happened to be at the park at the same time and was happy to stop for a chat.

With almost 100 years of history, Dreamland is Britain’s oldest amusement park, which hit its peak of popularity in the 1960s; thus, the charming park provides plenty of memories and opportunities to reminiscence for the older people of Kent. Lorraine Laker, care co-ordinator at Rogers House, said: “The residents had a wonderful day exploring Margate, many of them used to holiday there when they were younger, so they really enjoyed comparing their memories of the town to how it is now. “A lot of the focus at Dreamland revolves around nostalgia and the residents loved browsing the old photographs and playing on the retro arcade games.”

A CARE provider is continuing to enhance the everyday experiences and social lives of the elderly people it cares for, with its most recent concept taking residents to the seas as part of a virtual cruise, complete with a captain and ‘on-board’ waiters. Morris Care, which boasts a portfolio of seven homes across Shropshire and Cheshire, held a cruise-themed day at each of its sites, whisking residents on a first-of-itskind ‘staycation’ which enabled them to enjoy the virtual delights of Europe with friends and family. “As a family business with over 25 years of clinical care excellence, Morris Care is truly leading the way in innovative and creative approaches to care,” said Lindsey Marren, home manager at Stretton Hall Nursing Home in All Stretton. “By placing a great emphasis on the social wellbeing of our residents, we’ve witnessed individuals blossom time and time again, as they’re able to socialise, participate, interact, and gain additional skills and experiences. “The key is getting to really know a person – as well as their life history – so we can tailor their care to their specific needs. And, because we knew through our engagement with our residents that a large proportion

visited European destinations and enjoyed cruises in years gone by, the virtual cruise events were the perfect opportunity to help them reminisce, share experiences, and even enabled some to try new foreign cuisines.” As part of the cruise events, staff decorated the seven care homes extensively, with rooms adorned with flags and various European-themed props, complementing a variety of exciting culinary foods available on a menu which was developed by Morris Care’s executive chef Paul Ratcliffe, who formerly worked on Royal Caribbean Cruises. “Food is highly emotive, and during our cruise days we wanted to not only unlock those special memories evoked by food and the senses, but encourage residents to sample new culinary delights,” added Paul. “My mission was to offer a menu that allowed them to experience a feast from the Mediterranean, with traditional favourites from Italy, France and Spain, as well as some more unusual dishes for them to try. “Dinner was followed by a choice of ‘mocktails’, as well as a luxurious gala dinner hosted by the Captain. And judging by the amount of laughter and enjoyment we witnessed amongst residents, family, friends and staff, it was most certainly worth it.”

Resident Lillian Benson holds Betty the bearded dragon.

Furry friends flock to home RESIDENTS at Holcroft Grange care home in Warrington were entertained by a visit from Home Safari, the animal encounters workshop. They enjoyed holding and petting a number of exotic animals while learning facts about their diets and natural habitats. Following their recent visit to Knowsley Safari Park, Holcroft Grange residents were excited to welcome the weird and wonderful creatures into their home. Whether snake, skunk, or bearded dragon, residents showed no fear when they came faceto-face with the unusual animals. Betty, a bearded dragon, proved a surprise hit among the residents of Holcroft Grange. Animal-assisted therapyis well known for its benefits to older people.

By encouraging residents to ask questions while forming a bond with the animal, ATT improves the wellbeing of older people, as well as bringing them together to socialise and later reminisce about their memories of the day. Nicola Newens, activity coordinator at Holcroft Grange, said: “We’re always on the lookout for interesting activities and experiences here at Holcroft Grange. “Home Safari was a great way to bring our residents together to try something new, and everyone was really excited to see and hold the animals. “The residents had big smiles on their faces throughout the visit and were talking about it for days afterwards.”

CARINGNEWS

Couple celebrate 66 years of marriage By Olivia Taylor A COUPLE recently celebrated a special milestone at CLS care home The Laurels in Winsford, Cheshire. Winifred Blackham and husband Doug celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary and 70 years since they first met with a special lunch together at the home, followed by chocolate cake. Doug and Winifred met in Northwich 70 years ago during Victory over Japan day on August 15, 1945 when Doug was home on leave from the RAF. Winifred recalled how Doug was wearing his air force uniform when they first met. She said: “He looked very handsome.” Just over four years later, while working together for Imperial Chemical Industries, Doug and Winfred were married on August 20, 1949 at The Holy Trinity Church in Castle, Northwich. The couple settled down and lived together in Rudheath until Winifred moved to The Laurels. Doug, who celebrated his 90th birthday 11 days after the 66th wedding anniversary, visits the CLSrun care home once a week and telephones Winifred every day to send his love. The couple have two sons, four grandchildren and three great-

Winifred Blackham and husband Doug.

Staff members Jo Leawood and Jayde Glynn on board the new minibus.

grandchildren. When asked about the secret to a long and happy marriage, Winifred said: “Give-and-take, and a lot of love.” Doug added: “To have good temperaments and to take each day as it comes. The most important thing is that we love each other to bits and always have.” Gwenda Francis, home services manager at The Laurels, added: “Winifred has been a resident here at The Laurels for six months and is a wonderful lady. “It’s always lovely to see a couple that have been married for so many years, and it was a real pleasure to be involved in their special day. Everyone here at The Laurels would like to wish them all the best.”

SEALE Pastures House care home in Acresford, Swadlincote has made a significant investment that will further enhance the lives of its residents. The home, which is operated by Akari Care, has taken delivery of a new minibus that will allow its residents to go on more day trips and visit some of the local sites and scenery. Previously, staff and residents relied on using one of the local coach firms but cost and availability became an issue, restricting the number of trips out. The purchase of the minibus comes on the back of a refurbishment at the

Investment to benefit residents

home, which included the creation of a hairdressing salon, coffee shop and extensions of the conservatory and lounge areas. Diane Leary, manager at Seale Pastures House, said: “We are always looking at ways to provide our residents with further enjoyable activities. Day trip opportunities have been restricted because of availability issues with some of the town’s coach operators, but this is no longer an issue, which is excellent news for the home. “The minibus looks fantastic and the residents are excited to take advantage of it and visit some of the town’s attractions and venues.”

CARINGNEWS

Staff honoured at annual ceremony SOMERSET Care Group held its annual awards ceremony at the Somerset County Cricket Ground, Taunton, at which several members of staff were honoured for their dedication and achievements.

The team at Moore Place care home in Esher had fun when they had an introduction to Nordic walking. Bea Zomer, Nordic walking instructor from Walk Fit, visited the home to show the care team this style of ‘total body workout’ walking. Home manager Miranda Morgan said: “The whole experience was very interesting. We want staff and residents at Moore Place to be healthy and happy, so we will introduce this type of walking to those who are interested in keeping fit.” Nordic walking is an athletic sport but can also be enjoyed both by non-athletes as a health-promoting physical activity. Performed by applying force to specially designed walking poles, this exercise engages muscles which normal walking does not, to increase heart rate and energy consumption.

Residents wear it pink for charity RESIDENTS of a Worcester care home were tickled pink after raising vital funds to help combat breast cancer. Northwick Grange Care Home held the special charity event for the official Big Pink Day for breast care awareness on October 23. Residents at the home were joined by their families, friends and neighbours for the fun day, where they held a special pink cake sale, a

‘big pink quiz’, raffles and a sold items from bric-a-brac stalls. Raising an impressive £160.50 for Breast Cancer Care, they also enjoyed a buffet lunch. Kelly Gatfield, manager at the home, said: “We had an amazing time at our own pink party and I’d like to thank everyone who attended to help us raise money for such an important cause.”

Awards were presented in the following categories: Best newcomer Winner: Daniel Guy – Grovelands. Highly commended: Teresa Copping – ATD Plymouth, Kayleigh Nichol – Popham Court; Outstanding learner Winner: Cindi Bronger – South East Community Services team. Highly commended: Summer Green – Realise Poole and Bournemouth team, Alison Lirette – Taunton and Chard Community Services team; Outstanding contribution to activities Winner: Dovile Himsworth – Preston Park House. Highly commended: Tracey Chesterman – Grovelands, Stephanie Steer – The Halcon Centre; Inspirational trainer Winner: Anna Zrelli – Acacia Training and Development, Taunton. Highly Commended: Catherine Mewton – Acacia Training and Development, Plymouth; Creative innovation Winners: Sandra Levett and Jean Robinson – Mendip Community Services team. Highly commended: Christine Huggett and Daniel Hobson – Frith House, Charlotte Jeffrey – central office; Dignity in care Winner: Katrina Humphreys – Wiltshire Community Services. Highly commended: Sue Kirk – Realise South West team, Sarah Hunt – Gloucester Community Services team; Quality dementia care Winners: Anne Bidder and Maria Pearce, Gloucester Community Services team. Highly commended: Gemma Brimson – Wiltshire

Community Services team, Victoria HughesJones – Critchill Court; Customer service Winner: Abigail Crocker – central office. Highly commended: Tricia Yahya – The Priory, Therena North – Burnworthy House; Central support team Winner: IT Caresys team – central office. Highly commended: Payroll team – central office; Make a difference Winner: Janet Conway – The Halcon Centre. Highly commended: Iris Jenkin – volunteer at Grovelands, Patricia Dare – Taunton and Chard Community Services team; Inspirational senior manager Winner: Sue Harvey – central office. Outstanding manager Winner: Tricia Yahya – The Priory. Highly commended: Melanie Hedgecock-Reeves – central officer, Jenny Futcher – Wiltshire Community Services team; Inspirational line manager Winner: Victoria Hughes-Jones – Critchill Court. Highly commended: Corrine Gamblin – Sedgemoor and West Somerset Community Services team, Krisztina Baranyi – South East Community Services team; Outstanding worker Winner: Ellie Green – central office. Highly commended: Roy Matthews – Lavender Court, Jackie Priddy – Realise South West; Outstanding care worker Winner: Stuart Knight – Sedgemoor and West Somerset Community Services team. Highly commended: Sarah Hunt – Gloucester Community Services team, Josie Green – Critchill Court; Community services team Winner: Darrin’s team, Alfred Court – Realise South West; Care home of the year Winner: Polars, Bembridge (Isle of Wight). Highly commended: Oak Trees, Bridgwater and Grovelands, Yeovil.

CARINGNEWS

Ellen Brown, care homes divisional manager at apetito, shares her advice on how to give residents plenty to look forward to in 2016 …

A year of celebrations

Almond Care operations director Arno Senah has been shortlisted in a category of the Midlands Business Awards. He said: “It’s an honour to be shortlisted in the Midlands Business Person of the Year category of the Midlands Business Awards and I’m hoping that Almond Care’s current run of awards success continues.” Last month Almond Care was shortlisted in two categories of the LaingBuisson Awards, and in June it won the professional services category of the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards. The specialist home care agency will find out if Arno has won next February when the awards ceremony will be held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Bickenhill, Solihull.

PARTY planning will naturally be at the front of minds as care homes focus on the final preparations for Christmas and New Year festivities. Amid the busyness of the season it may seem hard to turn attention to the year that lies ahead, but there are numerous opportunities to carry the festive atmosphere through the months to come. After all, the benefits of socialising are well recognised and seasonal events are a good chance to reduce any feelings of isolation, helping residents feel included whilst also focusing on what interests them as an individual. With this in mind, ask them about the events they used to happily anticipate while living in their own homes and what food they used to enjoy on these occasions. The right ingredients From Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Curry Week and Halloween to birthdays and anniversaries, a few simple steps can make these events a chance to hold a party that residents, their families and the wider community can look forward to. Food is at the heart of any celebration, and at apetito we have a selection of party menus that can be tailored to suit individual requirements – including any special dietary needs and cultural influences

Salvation Army band – 150th anniversary. – as well as the theme of the occasion itself. For example, for summer birthdays we find that a lavish buffet of light bites including ice cream and cake, often goes down a treat. We’re also on hand to help with decorations, menus and posters, plus advice on music and table settings to suit the tastes and needs of residents. For instance, we would recommend a simple layout for those with dementia or memory problems who can become easily confused about what is being served to them. Marking your own traditions As well as calendar events such as the ones I’ve listed, each home will have their own causes for celebrations. One of our highlights of our year

was helping a Salvation Army care home we work with to host a summer party for residents to mark the church and charity’s 150th anniversary. Singing, dancing and an abundance of food from apetito – plus a performance from a local dance school and, naturally, the Salvation Army band – created a welcoming, positive atmosphere. The wider community was invited to come along, allowing even more opportunities for residents to socialise. We certainly enjoyed ourselves as much as the residents! With a little prior planning, homes can ensure that residents have chances to get together and celebrate throughout 2016.

Councillors place first roof tile on retirement development

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Worcester care home to create up to 100 jobs

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Staying ahead of the curve – by Andrew Long Page 39

Assisted living development begins THE Royal Bank of Scotland has implemented a refinance facility for family-run care home operator, Holy Cross Care Homes Ltd. In addition, the bank has released working capital to allow an independent living development of 14 bungalows to commence in the grounds of their existing care home, Bradeney House, in Shropshire. Bradeney House in Bridgnorth was established in 2006 to provide residential care to the elderly, those suffering with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and substance abuse. Holy Cross Care Homes is now expanding this 101 bedroom residential care home to provide 14 twobedroom properties within its seven acres of land. This development will create a community feel, with the advantage of nursing staff on hand at Bradeney

House, as well as being fully alarmed in case of need. This development will complete in February 2016. Holy Cross Care Homes Ltd bought their first care home in Shrewsbury, Holy Cross, in 2001 which provides 57 residential rooms. They employ 200 members of staff across the group and will see the creation of a further 12 jobs at Bradeney House to support the independent living development. Les Jones, director of Holy Cross Care Homes Ltd, said: “We are still very much a family run business with my wife, Jane, on hand each day as a care manager and my sister, Julia, taking care of the financial side of the business. “We have considerable experience of running two reputable care homes in the Midlands and we are excited about making best use of the extensive grounds we are fortunate to have

Richard Henshaw (national business development manager at RBS), Kam Sangha (senior healthcare relationship manager at RBS), Jane Welsman-Jones (director of Holy Cross Care Homes) and Les Jones (director of Holy Cross Care Homes). at Bradeney House to create a high spec independent living environment. Thanks to our new banking partner, The Royal Bank of Scotland, we can achieve this.”

Kam Sangha, senior healthcare relationship manager at The Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Supporting customers with their expansion plans for the benefit of all is very rewarding.”

Councillors place first roof tile on retirement development By Olivia Taylor THE chair of Hart District Council and the chair of Church Crookham Parish Council joined Anchor and Bouygues UK staff to celebrate the first roof tile being placed on Keble Court, Anchor’s new retirement apartments. Coun. Alan Oliver and Coun Pat Lowe helped the Anchor team by placing the first tile onto the roof of the building, marking the momentous milestone in the construction of the luxurious retirement development. The local councillors also enjoyed a tour of the site, which will have 72 one and two bed luxury, independent living apartments. They then had the opportunity to go up to the roof and enjoy the views from the top of the building. Anchor’s Keble Court will have a wealth of on-site facilities, including a hair and beauty salon, a coffee shop, several lounges and beautiful landscaped gardens. The retirement properties, which are being offered exclusively for sale through Hamptons International Estate Agents in Fleet, are due to open next summer . Coun. Alan Oliver said: “This is exactly the kind of property we need in Fleet and Church Crookham; I feel

Councillors Alan Oliver and Pat Lowe place the first roof tile on Anchor's Keble Court. residents will be very happy here. Keble Court will be a great opportunity for older people living independently but looking for something a bit more manageable.” Anchor’s housing operations director Howard Nankivell added: “This is a proud moment for Anchor and it’s wonderful that Councillors Oliver and Lowe have joined us to celebrate this milestone in the construction of what will be a fantastic development.” Keble Court will provide over 55s

with everything they need to enjoy an independent lifestyle while having peace of mind knowing there is support on their doorstep if they need it. From luxurious apartments through to first class facilities, every feature of Keble Court has been designed to meet the specific needs of older people. As well as having a thriving community of like-minded people, the development is within easy walking distance of nearby shops and amenities.

Care group to open its new home LUXURY elderly care provider Hadrian Healthcare Group will open its latest care home shortly. The Manor House, Knaresborough is the company’s 10th purpose-built care development in Yorkshire and the North East since 2008. The £7.3million home is close to the town centre and will provide both residential and dementia care. The Manor House has 75 spacious furnished rooms each with private facilities, landscaped gardens, residents’ bar and restaurants, hair and beauty salon, spa and wellness suite, library and shop. A team of in-house cooks will prepare all the catering using locally sourced fresh produce, and a lifestyle co-ordinator will organise relevant social activities for each resident. All accommodation is arranged in small living groups creating a homely environment. Jas Gill, managing director of Hadrian Healthcare Group said: “Our aim is always to provide high quality person-centred care in a luxurious, carefully designed setting. “The Manor House is right in the heart of the community and we’re looking forward to becoming an active part of the community too.”

Worcester care home to create up to 100 jobs

Manuel Hipolito, Charlotte McDonald, Anita O’Neill (home manager), Lady Dannatt, Sam Woods (customer relations manager), Susan Groves, Sarah Prentice, Norman Joyce, Inge Brown, Gladys Marshall and Joan Brash.

Grand launch for new facility THE team at Cringleford’s newest care home Cavell Court joined with members of the local community and a host of VIPs for a grand launch to celebrate the official opening. Lady Philippa Dannatt of Keswick, former High Sheriff of Norfolk, was invited to perform the ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Care UK home, while nominated charity for the year, The Cavell Nurses Trust, also marked the occasion by planting a Miss Edith Cavell rose in the gardens. After the official proceedings were complete, there was fun for all the family when the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary and its feathered friends arrived. Representatives from the charity, which operates an owl care and

rehabilitation centre, were on hand throughout the day to give guests the rare opportunity to get up close with the owls. Home manager Anita O’Neill said: “As with everything we do at Cavell Court, our residents and their families were at the heart of the launch celebrations and we were delighted to also have some very special guests on hand to perform the official opening of the new care home. “It was fantastic to welcome so many local people to Cavell Court, and the visit from the owl sanctuary helped to bring all generations together. We really did celebrate in style and our grand launch was a day to remember.”

A LEADING luxury care home developer is building a state-of-the art facility in a village near Worcester that will create up to 100 jobs, with £5.1m funding from Yorkshire Bank. The new site will add to Majesticare’s existing portfolio of eight care homes located throughout England. The 66-bed private home will be based in Fernhill Heath. Construction began in summer 2015 and is due to complete in October 2016. The development will have a specialist dementia care unit and feature prestigious, five-star facilities including cinema rooms, private dining areas and salons. Steve Oakes, director of Majesticare, said the new care home will have a positive economic impact on the surrounding area by opening up a diverse range of job opportunities. He added: “We expect the new home in Fernhill Heath to create up to 100 jobs for local people. As a business, we aim to develop luxurious and nurturing environments in all our locations, however Fernhill is particularly special, incorporating hotel-like facilities while maintaining a homely feel. This will create a positive, engaging environment for our residents to live, and staff to work in.” Majesticare is a new customer to Yorkshire Bank, which has provided a development facility to assist with the

Representatives from Majesticare and their financial partners at the site of the new Worcester care home. total project cost of £8m. The deal was introduced by Gary Burns, business development manager at Midlands Asset Finance, and was delivered by Graham Harper, healthcare director with the specialist and acquisition finance team at Yorkshire Bank. Graham added: “Majesticare has a strong reputation for leading the way in building luxurious care homes and providing an exceptional standard of care. We are proud to have funded this development which will boost employment in the surrounding area.”

Staying ahead of the curve By Andrew Long BY time of printing this column, the Chancellor will have delivered his much anticipated Autumn Statement and accompanying Comprehensive Spending Review. This year, the words from the despatch box are going to ring louder than ever through the social care sector, given the Budget’s introduction of the National Living Wage for all workers. Certainly, Number 11 cannot ignore the fact that increased wages, which account for the majority of care providers’ expenditure, alongside the snowballing regulatory costs, is not sustainable for the long term. The sector has been calling for reform for many years, and in the wake of Southern Cross’ collapse, it looked like we might achieve change. Sadly, there is still a suspicion around the profitability of providers and a misunderstanding of the private/Local Authority split. Granted, it may prick ears when big financial institutions are vying to buy stakes in providers or where there are multi-million pound deals to buy homes. It leads us to question, if the sector is struggling so much, how is this possible? Is it the financial providers themselves, pumping debt into the business, that are responsible for the downfall rather than the level of costs and disproportionately low care fees? This would certainly be an easy answer but I strongly disagree with

Andrew Long the premise. As I have outlined previously, the residential care market cannot be looked at as a single entity. There is undoubtedly a two-tier market in place and what we are currently witnessing is the increasing divergence between the two. Such a split is not the result of ownership models, but the quality of asset and customer base it is seeking to attract. Even within single operators, we can see the business starting to divide between the quality core assets, which will fill easily with self-funding residents, and the older stock of homes which mainly attract local authority residents and the low fee levels they generate. The latter is not sustainable for the long term as all providers now rely, to a greater or lesser amount, on their core assets to attract private fee payers or high top-up fees for Local

Authority residents. This will, however, only be a problem for the short-term but the resolution is not something I can imagine will be palatable to the Government. Unless there is a distinctive move on Local Authority fees, we will see ever more restructuring of major providers who will concentrate on their quality assets and private-fee pay model, with some exits from the market of the lower quality stock of homes. The need for care places is not going to decrease, in fact, the demographic predictions are quite clear that the need for beds is going to increase exponentially. For providers with better quality stock, they will continue to perform well and carry on investing by increasing their portfolio of new assets. They appreciate that whilst these assets will predominantly attract private fee-payers, once the old stock of lesser quality assets have left the market, there will be supply/demand mechanisms in force which mean local authority fees will also have to better reflect the costs of care. At some point, the balance of fees for quality providers will therefore have to be restored and in all likelihood, will swing in favour of the provider. The Chancellor just needs to decide whether he wants to be proactive about it and beat the curve, or wait until there is little other option available. Andrew Long is development director at LNT.

Company appoints care head ECL: The Care and Wellbeing Company has strengthened its development in the health and social care sector with the appointment of a head of care. Michele Dunn will be responsible for developing high quality care services and pathways which maximise customers’ independence. She will have a specific focus on ECL’s Short Term Support service, which helps people regain everyday living skills following an illness or spell in hospital. Her core skills are in providing customer focused care, recruiting teams of the highest standard and managing service performance. Michele’s appointment comes as the Care Act 2014, which came into force in April this year, gives more focus on supporting people to live independently for longer and introduced a new standard of care needs assessment. Michele said: “I’m thrilled to have joined ECL at such an exciting time. Short term and reablement support is a growing industry and the benefit of supporting people to regain their independence at home is becoming increasingly recognised in both community and in healthcare settings.”

CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Care provider recognised as a top Knightsbridge selected as preferred supplier to Scottish NHS performing mid-market company CANFORD Healthcare Limited has been named as one of the region’s top 20 companies achieving sustained growth. Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP’s analysis of the mid market (companies with turnover between £10m-300m) has shown that Canford Healthcare is one of the Central South’s success stories, reporting impressive growth during the last four years. Malcolm Thixton, lead partner at BDO in Southampton, said: “Mid market companies are driving growth in the Central South region and are crucial to our economic recovery. “Canford Healthcare is a great example of a business that, led by a strong management team, continues to embrace market opportunities and take advantage of the economic upswing.” Canford Healthcare was originally formed in 2007 by directors Brian Cooney and Barry Lambert with the aim of providing specialist, high quality

residential and domiciliary care services for the elderly. Enquiries: For more information visit www.bdo.co.uk/news/the-mid-market-theessential-south and www.canfordhealthcare.co.uk

New campaign aims to tackle issue of medication non-adherence JAGA Heating Products UK has announced that its industry-leading Low Surface Temperature radiators are now available with a specialised Arthritic TRV adaptor. The new arthritis-friendly adapter fits easily onto the radiator’s standard TRV head and enables better grip for those with a loss of dexterity in their hands. Phil Marris, managing director of Jaga Heating Products UK, said: “Arthritis is a common condition for occupants in these premises, but we hope this new design feature will at least help residents to retain precise control over their heating comfort.” The NHS estimates that 10 million people in the UK live with arthritis, many of whom are over the age of 65 and live in care homes. By combining the Arthritic TRV Aid with Jaga’s safe-to-touch LST radiator technology, care home operators can ensure they have the most appropriate heating package for maximising

residents’ comfort and well-being. The arthritic TRV is compatible with the Jaga Thermostatic Head, High Level Valve and Remote Controlled Head, which are used across Jaga’s range of LST radiators. This includes the Guardian, Sentinel, Maxi, Tempo and Phil Marris Cocoon – each of which features Jaga’s energy-efficient low-H2O technology, which incorporates highly responsive heat emitters that are fast reacting to ensure occupant comfort and can provide energy savings of between nine and 16 per cent. Enquiries: Visit www.jaga.co.uk

MH Care is created to deliver a complete management service FOR the last five years Mark Higginson has predominantly undertaken ‘turnaround’ work, building a strong track record working hand in hand with operators, regulators, commissioning authorities and financial institutions. This has led to the creation of Mark Higginson (MH) Care, which delivers a complete management service that addresses operational and financial issues to a more discrete approach aimed at solving specific problems. Mark has over 20 years’ experience of working in health and social care. He is a registered learning disability nurse and has a professional qualification in social work. Mark has come up through the ranks nursing in various areas across mental health, learning disability and elderly services. He has held senior managerial positions across all three sectors, developing a broad skills set that has enabled him to work successfully in a number of highly complex care environments.

Claim VAT back on your home even if you are not VAT registered IT is true, care providers can reclaim VAT worth about £3,000 per bed for any residents who stayed in your home between 1993 and 2002 paid for by the local authority. You don’t have to be VAT registered to make a claim. We can usually find the information required with minimal disruption to your business. How is this possible? Well in 2002 a care provider called Kingscrest challenged the view held by HMRC and won. There is no cost to you unless we are successful. Typical claims: 50 beds – £240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287 beds – £1.25m. And the best part is that you get the money in your bank account before you pay us. Don’t forget the tax repayment is free of tax – it

is extra profit. Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.

Simple solutions

Enquiries: Email enquiries@mhcareltd.co.uk or visit www.mhcareltd.co.uk

New – SuperFast Thermapen® 4 thermometer THE SuperFast Thermapen is the UK’s number one selling food thermometer measuring temperature over the range of -49.9 to 299.9 °C. Used by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, it offers a combination of speed, accuracy and convenience of use. Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd, the UK manufacturers of the Thermapen thermometer have now made it even better. Advanced technology makes the new Thermapen 4 even more intuitive than previous models. The patented 360° self-rotating display automatically turns so the user can read the thermometer in any position — in either hand, left or right. The Thermapen 4 knows when it’s dark and turns on the backlight for you, making it easy to read in poorly lit areas or complete darkness. Alternatively, just touch the sensor window with your finger and the display lights up.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE Furniture has been selected as the preferred supplier for the Scottish NHS, which will see the company provide contract furniture to more than 200 hospitals across Scotland and the Isles. Knightsbridge has secured two tenders, one for hospital and healthcare furniture and one for the challenging environments sector. This will see the company provide 205 Scottish hospitals, community hospitals and healthcare facilities with furniture from its expansive and design led collections. The Scottish NHS tender, which Alan Towns (left) and Peter Denham. covers all 14 health boards across Scotland and the Isles, focuses on price which has lasted more than 60 years. and quality of product with a major focus on “At Knightsbridge, we use our extensive customer support and service. experience and heritage to create a practical, yet Alan Towns, managing director of Knightsbridge stylish twist, perfect for the healthcare and Furniture, said: “It was a highly competitive challenging environment sectors.” selection process, and we’re pleased to have been Enquiries: Call 01274 731442, email chosen as the preferred supplier to the Scottish enquiries@knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk or NHS, which continues our working partnership visit www.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk

The Thermapen 4 is powered by a single AAA battery with a life expectancy of 3,000 hours in normal use. Both low battery and open circuit (broken probe) are displayed, when applicable. Enquiries: Call 01903 202151, email sales@etiltd.com or visit www.etiltd.com

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems. The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition. With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur. Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple... The WACMAT® will then be clean and odourfree, ready to perform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

Beaucare launches comprehensive new medical catalogue OUR most comprehensive catalogue to date is packed full of all the everyday medical equipment and consumables a care home requires. We have broadened our product offerings within a number of ranges, including introducing new nursing profiling beds, which were showcased at the Birmingham Care Show last year, and dementia care products to mention a few. We guarantee a one-stop shop policy, with orders placed by 5pm being delivered next day at no extra cost. Beaucare® Medical Ltd, established since 1992, is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to individual care homes, care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts. Enquiries: To obtain your copy call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

QCS add Ed to senior management team Nurse call for dementia care AID CALL exhibited at last month’s Care and Dementia Show as one member of their newly created Innovation Tours. Here we could discuss our latest product releases and, importantly, demonstrate how our systems support those living with dementia. Our nurse call systems are designed to reduce response times to emergency calls, improve the standard of these responses by increasing the amount of information available to carers and to facilitate the care of those with more complex care needs. It encourages better communication and reassures residents, and their families, that help is always nearby.

Features such as the dementia clock and easy-to-use reminder calls can assist more vulnerable residents and an all-encompassing call logging system will monitor staff performance. We also offer a silent paging system which has proven to be of huge benefit on dementia wings, where loud alarms can cause undue distress. Additionally, the systems’ peripheral devices and assistive technology help carers to support falls management, learning difficulties and dementia. They facilitate greater independence, provide preventative as well as reactive care and mean the system benefits those without the necessary cognitive ability to utilise a conventional nurse call system.

QUALITY Compliance Systems has appointed Ed Watkinson as its new head of care quality and compliance. Ed has experience across a variety of roles in the care sector. He has been a registered manager, area manager, care manager, and senior commissioner. He has most recently worked as a regulation manager for Barchester Healthcare. Ed was central to the development of the CQC’s new inspection methodology and the fundamental standards whilst working on secondment as part of their policy team last year. Ed has also served as a planning and commissioning manager for Buckinghamshire County Council, and as methodology developer and regulatory inspector for CSCI

Alan Rosenbach, chair of the QCS quality and compliance panel, said: “We are fortunate to have Ed on the team at QCS. “He has an extensive knowledge of regulation as well as a deep commitment to supporting high quality, safe care and support for people using services and their families.” Sheila Scott OBE, chair of the Care Providers Alliance and care strategy consultant for QCS, said: “I am delighted Ed is joining us at QCS. He brings a wealth of experience and insight into the fundamental standards which will benefit all of us including the users of the system.” Ed will lead the development of new quality assurance, compliance and care management policies and procedures.

Get award-winning door signs direct ... Shackletons chosen for FOR award winning, top quality room and residents’ door signs be sure to look at the Badgemaster range. It’s already the choice of thousands of residential and nursing homes. There are gold or silver plates with smart, replaceable engraved inserts – clear, durable and easily changed. Choose from two sizes (25mm x 200mm or 50mm x 200mm), now with handy end-stops that make for secure, tamper-proof identification of room use or occupier. Just let Badgemaster know your requirements, eg name of room or name of room user.

Your handsome doorplates should be with you in five days or less. If room use or details change, the service for replacement inserts is just as quick and efficient. A full range of recognised International symbols, directional arrows and Braille is available. Also slide-across room status facility e.g. Vacant/Engaged, Do Not Disturb etc. Corporate logos can be added for a small extra cost. These are the name signs that have won the coveted Hospital Management Today Award for top performer – signage category – four times.

group’s latest project OLEA Care hired Shackletons to provide a bespoke service for their latest care home, Fernlea in Hazel Grove Village, Stockport. Shackletons worked with the group to develop a light and airy environment that benefitted from individual design characteristics from room to room to provided interest and variation. Maintaining the quality feel, bespoke fitted bedroom furniture and wall mounted media panels were designed and manufactured for 48 private rooms. The three communal lounges were furnished to create an individual ambience and private seating areas were also created away from the main lounges to offer quiet spaces for residents to sit comfortably in solitude. Varying styles of furniture, textiles and colours were adopted; from a seaside theme in a fresh Aquamarine colour in one, to a spectacular main lounge complete with a bespoke Shackletons crafted 2.4m aquarium,

and a sophisticated upstairs lounge featuring chandeliers and cosy fireside chairs; each setting received a five star treatment. Sara Jane Farrow, regional sales manager at Shackletons, said: “Olea Care were looking for a bespoke and high end quality finish that would withstand the day to day challenges of a very busy care environment. “Olea Care and Shackletons developed a strong working relationship. “As with any new build there were the usual challenges but we all worked together as a team. It was a pleasure to work with them and see their plan come to fruition.” Bringing the whole concept together the Shackletons installation team worked within the parameters the site set them and were flexible with installation dates to ensure, delivery, unpacking and placement of furniture was achieved successfully leaving every room clean and tidy and ready for viewing.