read ppy Chri stm as a H to all o ur e rs and a
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no.254 • £4.75 incorporating
December 2017
The Number One magazine for the care sector
Care home celebrates landmark birthday
Urgent action needed warns association By Dominic Musgrave
UNHEEDED warnings over the state of social care have left the care of our oldest and most vulnerable adults in danger, a providers’ group has warned. The Independent Care Group says it has been warning for more than a decade that underfunding would eventually mean people going without the care they need in care homes and their own homes. And as a major report warned of a huge shortfall in care in the coming 20 years, the group said urgent action was needed now to prevent real hardship for people who deserve better. Chair Mike Padgham said: “We and many, many other bodies, politicians and experts have been warning for more than a decade that serious underfunding of social care was going to leave this country short of the care we need and now we see the evidence of that happening. “We know there are already more than a million people in this country going without the care they need and this latest report warns that the situation is going to get much, much worse in the next 20 years unless urgent action is taken.” Property experts JLL warned in a report on social care capacity, that there was going to be a huge
demand for care homes, with an extra 139,000 beds needed over the next 10 years and 351,000 by 2036. In that period it warned that an increase in the workforce of 540,000 care home workers would be needed. It also warned that over the next 20 years the country would need a further extra 682,000 people to work in care settings other than homes, including homecarers. BBC You and Yours reported in August that there would be a 3,000 bed shortfall by the end of 2018 – 70,000 beds by the end of 2026. “I have twice written to the Prime Minister and to the Minister responsible for social care, Jackie Doyle-Price, inviting them to visit the frontline of social care to see for themselves the challenges the sector faces, but have so far hit a brick wall,” Mike added. “Providers have suggestions to help the crisis, including merging NHS care and social care to provide a more cohesive care system, providing incentives to get more providers and staff into the sector and making greater use of the independent sector to provide more cost-effective care. “We are promised a Green Paper on care this autumn, but as these latest figures demonstrate, the need for action is urgent as people are going without care now.”
Excitement is building for the inaugural Caring UK Awards in partnership with headline sponsor Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, which are being held at the National Railway Museum in York on December 8. The event is being hosted by entrepreneur and star of series 10 of The Apprentice Katie Bulmer-Cooke (pictured above). She said: “The care sector is vital to so many people and their loved ones, and this event will be shining a light on those who truly deserve recognition for their work.”
A BOGNOR Regis care home has celebrated 10 years of providing residential care. Elizabeth House, which is owned and operated by Shaw healthcare, marked the occasion with drinks, cake and musical entertainment. The party included guests such as the Mayor of Bognor Regis, Councillor Phil Woodall, as well as Shaw healthcare’s deputy CEO Suzanne Hughes and Abbie Johnson, of West Sussex County Council. Home manager, Marian Drake, said: “This party was a lovely way to mark the occasion. I have a great team here who work so hard to provide the high standard we pride ourselves on, ensuring we get to know residents and families to offer the individual care people need.” The home works closely with Seaford College, whose students visit the home and support the residents on activities in the community. It has been a winner at the last two ‘Star Awards’, organised by Shaw healthcare to celebrate excellence in care across the UK. A team leader, cook and senior support worker, who have been at the home since it opened, were also presented awards on the day, while the home marked the fiveyear anniversary of two domestic assistants and a support worker.
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MP praises staff for ‘great compassion’ and ‘devotion’ By Dominic Musgrave STAFF at a Hastings care home have been praised by the town’s MP for their ‘thoughtfulness’ and dedication to caring for residents. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary and MP for Hastings and Rye, read how Kellie Carter and Kimberly Mann from Hastings Court care home had given up their evenings off to accompany a devoted couple on a special evening out. John and Celia Mortimer, both in their late 80s, were treated to a ‘date night’ at the Sussex Exchange after Kellie overheard them discussing how much they would like to go out to dinner. The couple, who’ve been married for more than 60 years, moved into Hastings Court in January 2016 after John’s Parkinson’s disease and Celia’s deafness made living at home too difficult.
Kellie Carter and Kimberly Mann. In personal letters to the caring staff members, Amber congratulated them on their work and said she was “pleased to know that we have such compassionate staff in our local care homes.” “To give up your night off to
treat this couple to a special evening is so compassionate of you,” she said. “I cannot commend your kindness enough.” Kellie and Kimberly were thrilled to have their efforts recognised by the town’s MP
but said as far as they are concerned they’re just doing their job. “We were so surprised to get the letters,” added Kellie. “It was wonderful to know she’d read the story and felt moved enough to write to us. “But care here is all about helping people to live as they want to live, to carry on making special memories, and if that means going the extra mile then we’ll do it.” Hastings Court is a purpose built, 80 bed care home on the outskirts of Hastings that provides person-centred residential, nursing and dementia care. Registered general manager Georgina Gamble, who also received recognition from Amber, said: “We are delighted that our MP has acknowledged the lengths we will go to, to give our residents quality of life. “I am very proud of Kellie, Kimberly and the whole of my team.”
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
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Alice joins nursing care home team
THE Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society’s Banstead-based nursing care home, Belvedere House, has welcomed a new deputy clinical manager to its award-winning maritime care team. Alice Mitroi joined Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society nine months ago as a staff nurse, before being appointed to the new role recently. Alice will work alongside the specialist care team to continue delivering a high standard of service and care for all 68 residents at the Surrey facility. The role also includes providing clinical supervision to registered nurses – a key focus for Royal Alfred. She said: “The Royal Alfred team consists of exceptionally caring and professional people; the dedication they have to the residents is incomparable and I am excited to move into this role. “I have cared for various age ranges throughout my career but feel that working with the elderly is the most enjoyable and rewarding. “I love getting to know the residents and hearing their stories, and at Royal Alfred they have a lot of them to share. “I look forward to ensuring everyone is involved with providing the best possible care to our residents.”
Caring staff make it three in a row THE quality of care provided by staff at a Worcestershire nursing home has been recognised with a prestigious industry award for the third time in a row. Kidderminster’s Brookdale Nursing Home, which cares for up to 40 residents, is one of only two care homes in Worcestershire to have received the 2017 Gold Standards Framework’s ‘Platinum’ status. The status recognises how staff at the home consistently support and care for residents who are nearing the end of their lives to the highest possible standards. It is reviewed every three years, with the Brookdale team previously being awarded Gold Status in 2011
Claire Brookes and Liz Baker from Brookdale Nursing Home with the award. and 2014. Brookdale where staff were kept During the three-year period fully aware of each individual between assessments staff have to resident’s condition so they could undergo regular audits. do the most possible to make their Liz Baker, manager of Brookdale final months or days as contented Nursing Home, said: “It is extremely and comfortable as possible. difficult to meet the very rigorous The home also works closely criteria for the Gold Standards with local GPs on recognising early Framework so to have done so three whether someone is reaching the times in a row is an exceptional end of their life so that appropriate achievement by our team. arrangements can be made and “It is testament to the hard work relatives kept fully informed. and outstanding care provided by Brookdale Nursing Home is part our staff to our residents and their of the privately-owned Redwood families. Healthcare Group. We are like one big family and It is registered with the Care they go above and beyond every Quality Commission to provide single day.” accommodation for 40 older people Part of the accreditation was down to a coding system used by who require personal care.
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New member for dementia action alliance
RMBI Care Co. has joined Dementia Action Alliance to connect with similar organisations across England to help people living with the condition. The association brings its members together to ensure that people with dementia and their carers have a better experience when accessing care and support. The group, which formed in 2010 with the launch of the National Dementia Declaration, has so far achieved a number of positive outcomes for people with the condition, including the creation of dementia friendly buildings, awareness building in local schools, and creating a dementia friendly hospital charter. It also campaigns for improved outcomes for groups including LGBT+, people in rural communities and Black, Asian, Minority Ethnics. Anne Child, specialist pharmacy and dementia lead at RMBI Care Co., said: “We are proud to join the DAA to make an active change for people living with dementia. Raising awareness in the community is vital to help those affected and ensure they can access support quicker and receive the best care possible.”
Home spans generations by working with school SANDOWN Park in Windsor is bringing generations together by working with a local pre-school. Every fortnight the care home welcomes children from local group ‘First Steps’ to spend time interacting and socialising with the residents. The home, which is part of the Healthcare Homes Group, provides care for up to 95 residents, many of whom live with dementia. It specialises in providing specialist dementia care and in the provision of innovative projects to support those living with the condition. Following a successful project in 2015-2016 in which local army wives visited the home with their young children, this new initiative has been brought to life, and has been successfully underway since April. The Windsor/Datchet Children’s Centre made contact with Sandown Park and First Steps Pre-School, which is based near the home, to pilot the project and to see if the children and adults benefited from the experience. Four or five children aged between two and four spend time with residents that wish to take part in the visit. The children join them in arts, crafts and activities and encourage everyone to join them in singing and
Young and old interact at Sandown Park. making music. Activities coordinator Marie Snowball said: “It’s really wonderful to see the young and old interacting in this way. We know that ‘intergenerational care’ has been found to be effective with supporting dementia patients, so when we were approached by First Steps we knew this was something we wanted to pursue. “We are always looking for new ways to connect with residents and provide them with events or activities
that spark happy memories or make a special connection with them. The children provide just this. “Whether residents choose to simply sit and watch the children play, or get involved and join in the games and activities with them, we really see them light up and enjoy their visit.” Sandown Park is a finalist in the ‘Best Dementia Garden’ and ‘Best Interior Dementia Design’ categories of the prestigious national Dementia Care Awards.
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Secrets of home care firm’s success Home Instead Senior Care was the first home care provider to receive an ‘outstanding’ rating under the Care Quality Commission’s new inspection regime in 2015. Since then, the company has gone on to receive many more, a total of 18 outstanding ratings – more than any other home care provider. Here, following the most recent CQC outstanding at its South Devon office, Home Instead Senior Care’s MD, Martin Jones, offers some insights into the secrets of the company’s success.
ACROSS the UK, only two per cent of home care providers have achieved an overall outstanding rating. Clearly the CQC is looking for some very special qualities before they award the most coveted of ratings and we are often asked how we’ve achieved so many. We believe it really is a combination of factors – some big ideas and others small and seemingly insignificant things that add up to outstanding. These things are drawn from our ethos, our approach to home care and the people we employ. For us, it’s all about relationships – this one seems almost too obvious to mention but the genuine friendships that exist between our clients and caregivers clearly shine through and is mentioned in all our outstanding inspection reports. My favourite story picked up in a report is of a client who loved karaoke. When her caregiver took her
shopping they made sure they had a CD of their favourite songs, played the music loudly and took turns singing along. The client just loved it! The fact our care visits are a minimum of an hour also mean that we not only have time to care but to really spend time with, and get to know our clients. It’s about going that extra mile – our caregivers are recruited for their caring and compassionate natures. Inspection reports are littered with stories of caregivers doing something extra to help their client and going above and beyond. One example is a caregiver who created a special handcrafted clock system for a blind lady so that she knew which channel to select after one had finished through the day so she could always find her favourite TV programmes. It’s about listening to what the client needs and using initiative to help them live their life well. We ask ourselves – does this pass the ‘mum’ test? ie. Is the care we are providing of a standard that would be good enough for our own mothers? The answer to this question has to be ‘yes’ and it starts at the recruitment stage. For example, when we are looking for caregivers to join the team, we ask ourselves if we would be happy for them to care for our mum. Passing the ‘mum test’ encompasses everything that we do. Some lovely examples include caregivers offering clients choices. It’s not ‘this is what
Home Instead MD Martin Jones you are wearing today’ but ‘which of these two jumpers would you like to wear today?’.. Training our caregivers is also key. Recruiting the right caregiver is only the start of the journey – equally as important is providing the best training and working environment for them to thrive in. We make sure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their own clients’ needs effectively. Reports state that caregivers feel well trained in all aspects of home care, they understand their role and are truly proud to work at Home Instead.
Supporting family members plays another important part of becoming ‘outstanding’. Yes, our role is to care for our clients, but we are also very supportive of family members. One told inspectors ‘They are friends not carers. They make time to talk to relatives. They always listen and support me too.’ Another client’s relative told an inspector how staff had shared little tips with them that made a massive difference to the way they supported their relative. This particular client was living with dementia and experiencing problems with eating. The caregiver suggested to his family that meals be served on plain, brightly coloured plates as this would help their loved one to identify the food. They also suggested that portions be kept small. It’s also about creating strong connections to the wider community. Examples include running dementia training, issuing scam awareness advice and holding information days for older people. It goes beyond education through, as our offices give back to the community through things like Christmas gift giving schemes and donating books with advice around caring for people with dementia to local libraries. There is no one way of becoming outstanding – providing you have a vision for making a difference to people’s lives and do everything that you can to deliver that, then outstanding care should fall into place.
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Harmony House home manager Theresa Ingram-Gettins and her dog Thorn.
Sponsored walk success for care home manager THE manager of a Nuneaton care home is celebrating raising more than £1,240 for charity through a series of sponsored walks. Theresa Ingram-Gettins, who managers Harmony House in Chilvers Coton, took to the local beauty spots for three days, covering 5.5k each day to raise the money as part of the Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk. She was joined on each leg of her journey by her daughter Carrie, who requires a wheelchair but did as much of the walk as possible, and her dogs Zeus, Thorn, Poppy and Loki. Poppy formally belonged to Theresa’s husband, who lives with advanced Alzheimer’s. Theresa said: “I am delighted to have raised such a significant amount for an amazing charity. Alzheimer’s
is a horrible disease that affects me personally, and many people whom I come into contact with through my job, and I am proud to be able to make a contribution to the Alzheimer’s Society. “The happiness of our residents is a key priority for us at Harmony House, and being able to make a donation to a charity so close to our hearts, that does such vital work is fantastic. “The walks were lovely, and I got to enjoy the beautiful weather and views, while doing my bit in the fight against dementia.” Harmony House Care Home forms part of Larchwood Care and is managed by Healthcare Management Solutions. The service provides residential care for up to 57 older people.
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Top awards for Scottish carers By Dominic Musgrave
Rachel Cadd (left) and Ann-Marie Baker.
Group strides forward with strategic appointments OAKDALE Care Group has made two strategic appointments in readiness of its imminent expansion plans. The group opened Kingfisher Court in Sutton-in-Ashfield earlier this year and is due to open two new homes in the next six months, all being built by specialist care developer LNT Care Developments. Rachel Cadd has been appointed as home manager for Timken Grange in Duston, Northampton, which will open in January. She has a wealth of experience in the care sector, holding positions at Olympus Care Services, Northampton County Council and Greensleeves Care. Ann-Marie Baker will be joining the head office team as group admissions manager, with her key responsibility
being to develop a first class customer service journey tailored to each individual enquiry and resident. She has moved to Oakdale from a similar position at Gracewell Care. Oakdale co-founder and CEO, Andrew Long, said: “Rachel and AnnMarie embody the ethos and cultural values we are looking for at Oakdale: they are hard working, passionate and highly professional individuals who have the residents’ interest first and foremost. “They reflect Oakdale’s forward thinking approach and attention to individual care. We are delighted to have them both join us at this key stage in our development, with two more care homes to open in the next six months at Northampton and Hertford.”
A GROUP of carers have been recognised for their outstanding performance and dedication at the Meallmore Staff Awards. The provider opened the doors of its first nursing home for the elderly in 1987, marking this year as their 30th anniversary and a special occasion for the company, the 2017 awards and the staff. Members of staff from Meallmore’s 23 care homes across Scotland came together at Perth Racecourse to celebrate a successful year and recognise employees who make a difference to the lives of residents and their family members. With 12 awards categories, including Excellence in Support Services, Staff Newcomer and Carer of the Year, hundreds of nominations were put forward by residents, their families, visiting professionals and staff. The company now employs in the region of 1,600 staff and all were eligible for nomination. Gerry Hennessey, managing director of Meallmore, said: “Celebrating success and recognising the hard work of all our staff is extremely important to everyone at Meallmore, especially during our 30th anniversary year. Our annual awards
ceremony is a date which everyone looks forward to and brings all our teams together under one roof to celebrate all the effort each member of staff puts in throughout the year. “I would like to congratulate our worthy winners and also personally thank all our Meallmore staff who go above and beyond to provide the highest standards of care for our residents.” Award winners: Staff newcomer – Rhys Cunningham, Parklands; Excellence in dementia – Kayleigh Gibson, St Modans; Manager of the year – Heather Harold, Auchtercrag; Nutrition and eating well – Brian Gollan, Ivybank House; Excellence in support service – Linda McCulloch, Mearns House; Specialist adult care worker – Michael Clarke, Manor Care Home; Nurse of the year – Claire Harper, Kincaid House; Senior care worker – Gillian Hall, Crimond House; Carer of the year: Caroline Geddes, St Olaf; Head office and field based support – Daniel McDonald, Caulfield House; Meaningful activities: William Cawley, The Oaks The prestigious Chairman’s award was presented to Debbie Simpson, care home manager at St Modans. Winners were presented with a certificate, trophy and an iPad, with runners up receiving a certificate of recognition.
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Industry secures its first accredited professional catering qualification
Group’s outstanding staff are recognised OUTSTANDING employees at Hallmark Care Homes were recognised at a national and glittering Bollywood-themed awards ceremony. Team members across Hallmark’s 16 facilities dressed up in authentic Indian dress to honour the care group’s 20th anniversary and had their hard work celebrated at the Hallmark Care Homes’ Awards. The event, held at The Beaumont Estate in Windsor, Berkshire was jointly hosted by Welsh singer and radio presenter Aled Jones and Hallmark Care Homes managing director Avnish Goyal. At the ceremony, which was attended by over 250 people, 23 team members were recognised for
going above and beyond in their care provision across 16 categories ranging from care home team of the year to care chef and dementia care champion. In advance of the event, each finalist had been nominated and interviewed by senior Hallmark executives and their category sponsors. Operations director Cheryl Wanklyn said: “We are extremely proud to recognise our team members who have demonstrated excellence within their field of work. “The awards evening was an opportunity to recognise and award those particular employees who go above and beyond and are outstanding in their everyday roles.” Goats, sheep, chickens and donkeys were among the farm animals that visited Jewish Care’s Betty and Asher Loftus Centre in Friern Barnet. Residents, relatives and staff from the three homes, Lady Sarah Cohen House, The Kun Mor and George Kiss Home and Rosetrees enjoyed stroking the animals from ARK mobile farm, patting the friendly Labradors and feeding apples to goats, while ducks and geese splashed about in the bird bath.
THE first professional catering qualification for health and social care catering – Level 2 Award in Professional Cookery in Health and Social Care – developed by the National Association of Care Catering, Hospital Caterers Association and the awarding body of the Institute of Hospitality, has been officially approved on the Ofqual Regulated Qualification Framework. Organisations will be able to apply to become approved centres to offer the qualification from January. The qualification is designed for people who cater for patients and residents in a health and social care setting and focuses on developing their awareness of diet and appetite issues that may arise in this environment. The qualification tackles the subjects of nutrition and hydration and food modification in health care settings. Learners will study the impact of nutrition and hydration on health and wellbeing, how it relates to population subgroups, and understand the roles of multidisciplinary teams, national standards and guidelines. They will also learn about the effect of dysphagia on patients and how to plan, prepare, cook and finish food for patients with the condition.
The Level 2 Award in Professional Cookery in Health and Social Care is part of the IOH suite of hospitality industry qualifications and complements existing NVQ qualifications in professional cookery. Neel Radia, the national chair of the NACC officially launched the accredited qualification to delegates at the NACC Training and Development Forum. He said: “We’re thrilled to be able to announce to NACC, HCA and IOH members, and the wider care sector, that at long last there is a qualification that recognises and supports the specific knowledge and skills needed to cater for people in health and social care environments. “The Level 2 Award in Professional Cookery in Health and Social Care is the result of hard work and a strong, committed collaboration between the three associations. “The absence of a health and care catering qualification has been a long-term cause for concern and this is a huge step forward for our sector. Our chefs and caterers are incredibly talented and knowledgeable and this qualification gives them the official training and recognition they deserve, and as new recruits enter the sector it will ensure that we can continue to raise standards in care catering.”
Advertiser’s announcement
Residents welcome new display Emergency evacuation ALMOST 100 years on since marking the end of the Great War, residents at an Extra Care Housing estate in Stifford Clays, Essex have welcomed a new colourful display to help commemorate Remembrance Day. The display, which has been made for older residents at Hanover Housing Association’s Elizabeth Gardens development, is thanks to the efforts of housing professional Lucy Gooch, who was inspired by the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ art installation at the Tower of London. She said: “Last year we received lots of poppies from the local Royal British Legion representative after the Remembrance Sunday events had taken place. “They were destined to be
destroyed, but I thought that we’d actually be able to use them to create our own special tribute for the residents. What we have now is something that helps commemorate all those who have died serving their country since the outbreak of World War I.” Residents attending the unveiling of the new display included 96-yearold Daphne Wilson and 90-year-old Joyce Frame. During the Second World War, Daphne worked in a munitions factory in Hertfordshire, while Joyce was one of the Land Girls, serving in the Women’s Land Army and carrying out agricultural work such as milking cows and picking fruit, as many farmers had been called up to the military.
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bucket shaped seat, giving a sense of security for moving and transferring. Strategically placed handles distribute the load between as many operatives as appropriate, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injury and providing a more comfortable and dignified transfer. All of the products are made in the UK and the manufacturing process conforms to ISO9001 and ISO13485 standards, the products are CE compliant and meet manual handling operations regulations. All sling models provide a safer, more comfortable and more dignified means of transferring and re-positioning an individual.
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Family Portrait Fortnight launched by care group HALLMARK Care Homes has launched a new company-wide event for its 1,000 residents and relatives called Family Portrait Fortnight. The event, which recently took place throughout all 16 of the group’s facilities, was created to help build relationships between residents and their loved ones, as well as residents, relatives and the care home team. On a designated day each residential, nursing and dementia home had a professional photographer visit to take portrait images of residents and their visitors or the care team, which were then theirs to keep. Each individual event was supported by the homes’ lifestyles team, who arranged some additional activities to take place during the Family Portrait
Fortnight celebrations. This included: professional entertainment, bubbly and access to each home’s hairdressing and therapy facility s residents could have their hair and nails done and feel special in advance of having their picture taken. Group lifestyles’ manager, Debbie Sharples-Kirkbride MBE, said: “The purpose of Family Portrait Fortnight was to create a lasting memory for residents and their loved ones. “As you get older, less photographs are taken. Family Portrait Fortnight created a sense of occasion and brought generations of families together to take advantage of the opportunity so they have a professional photograph they can keep, be proud of and show to others.”
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CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement
eGym – encouraging more over 60s to be physically active STRENGTH training has been proven to tackle some of the major conditions affecting seniors from dementia to diabetes from osteoporosis to a reduction in muscle mass. Through the provision of an intuitive, motivation, automated system which delivers a progressive, full body workout in just 30 minutes, eGym has developed a solution which aligns perfectly to the needs of the older generation. 17 per cent of eGym users are aged over 61 and 56 per cent of these are female. Four reasons to invest in eGym Getting results – fast Data collected across eGym’s global, installation portfolio has evidenced that users, aged 65-85, using eGym regularly over a three-month period, have achieved an average strength improvement of 20 per cent. At this phase of life, this can mean the difference between an independent life and a life of dependency on others. This level of success is attributed to two main factors. Firstly, all equipment set up and workouts are automated. This means the user does not have to remember
details such as number of repetitions or resistance. The user simply has to perform the exercise, following guidance on movement patterns and pace provided by a high quality visual interface. This makes effective strength training possible for people who struggle to retain information or suffer from dementia. Secondly, data from every workout is recorded and can be accessed by the trainer. This enables programme reviews to be based on actual activity not just information provided by the user, increasing effectiveness. Creating safe workouts In addition to the automated set up and the pre-programmed workouts which help ensure users only train at recommended levels, the eGym system also automates regular maximal strength tests. Once these maximum values have been recorded, the system ensure resistance levels remain within recommended parameters, helping prevent muscular strain or soft tissue damage. Introducing some fun! eGym uses gamification and
advance through a series of activity levels. This creates an opportunity for friendly competition between users and tangible reasons to keep training. Improving sociability People crave interaction with others. The more sociable the training programme, the more likely it is to influence a long-term commitment. In addition to encouraging communication between trainer and user, the eGym system also promotes interactions between users, creating social networks of likeminded people. People who train with others are proven to train for longer periods than those who train alone.
motivational messaging to inject fun into working out. This keeps users engaged and encourages a long-term commitment. Users are fed regular details of the health benefits associated with the level of physical activity they are achieving and an opportunity to
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Summary eGym is evidencing high levels of engagement in the over 60s. This age group has been seen to stick to their training regime for twice as long as their younger peers. For all the reasons outlined above, eGym offers an effective training solution to any facility keen to engage an older demographic in regular strength training. For more information about eGym and the benefits it delivers, email sales@egym.co.uk
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20/11/2017 17:10
Building the future of care – it starts with you the king’S fund, no.11 cavendiSh Square, london, W1g 0an
13th March 2018
chairED By FioNa PhiLLiPs Platinum SPonSor
From the organisers oF
care roadshows
SpeakerS from
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CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement
Accessible hotels in two great locations SAFEHANDS Holiday portfolio started in 2011 with the purchase of the New Mayfair Hotel on Blackpool’s New South Promenade. In February 2015 Safehands expanded its holiday portfolio with the opening of The Esplanade Hotel in Llandudno, North Wales. Both Hotels are registered to provide a unique holiday experience with a specialist in house care team capable of offering a complete package of care, ranging from personal care through to social and leisure support. Both Hotels occupy enviable positions with panoramic sea views of the great British coast line. Both hotels have undergone a complete renovation and refurbishment programme costing over £7m, to accommodate various groups of people with accessible accommodation you can rely on. Accessible bedrooms All bedrooms are appointed to a very high standard, most have sea views and are beautifully decorated. All bedrooms are equipped with large specially designed shower rooms complete with grab rails and shower chairs, most of which have an electric profile bed with built in sides. We have a selection of rooms with overhead tracking facilities, all rooms have accessible wardrobes, digital television and a hospitality tray. For extra reassurance all hotel rooms are fitted with an emergency call system linking rooms to reception and care staff. Quality dining We have our own in-house chef’s with over 20 years’ experience in cooking traditional and authentic cuisine. Using local suppliers to provide us with fresh produce, you can be assured of good quality home cooked meals throughout your stay.
Accessible care packages For guests travelling without their usual carers who want a holiday care package or those travelling with their own carers who may want to give their carers a break whilst away on holiday, Safehands is able to offer a variety of care solutions. Choose from a range of services from half hourly through to 24-hour packages. All carers are fully trained to CQC and CSSIW standards, care is provided by our in-house team of carers. We are able to provide personal care along with social and leisure outings. Our care staff have a wealth of experience working with people with varying disabilities, underlining our commitment to valuing people as individuals. Ensuring our approach to care is delivered in a dignified way.
We still offer waitress service so guests and carers can relax and enjoy a hearty English breakfast, traditional Sunday roast not to mention our famous freshly battered fish and chips, along with a selection of our homemade vegetarian options. Wheat-free, dairy free and other dietary requirements are available, including a variety of delicious children’s meals. Fantastic entertainment We put a lot of time and energy into our fabulous live entertainment packages that feature every night from 8.15pm, along with bingo and raffles to keep everyone entertained. Throughout the year, the hotels will host a range of top stars from the nation’s favourite soaps, including Coronation Street and Emmerdale, along with our fantastic star tribute acts, so look out for our specially themed weekends, you won’t be disappointed.
Specialist equipment To make your holiday as easy as possible, we will endeavour to supply, free of charge, specialised equipment you may require during your stay with us. All we ask is that you notify us when making your booking. Fully accessible travel solutions Pick-up and return transport is available from £25 per person. Call our sales team for a competitive quote. Travel in style on our fully accessible minibuses, which can pick you up from your door at the start of your holiday and return you at the end. With Safehands’ fully accessible transport service you can be sure of a relaxing start to your holiday experience. n For more information visit www. safehandsholidays.co.uk or call our reservations team on 0333 999 8888.
The lived experience – Alzheimer’s Society’s quality of life audit Improve the lived experience of people with dementia in your care setting with our three part consultancy service for £1,785 plus VAT
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Our high-quality consultancy service will provide your staff with a comprehensive understanding of how to confidently and effectively support people with dementia to live well. Our specialist consultant will conduct a day-long observation within your care setting and compile a comprehensive report detailing the quality of care, communication and your environment. We will highlight your organisation’s strengths in supporting people with dementia and make recommendations, where necessary, for improvements you can make to enhance the lived experience of people with dementia.
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CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
Care group provides best apprenticeships in United Kingdom By Dominic Musgrave
Ken Skates AM, Gill Kreft, Lesley Griffiths AM and Mario Kreft at the opening.
Virtual care home sparks an economic renaissance A CARE organisation has been hailed for helping to spearhead an ‘economic renaissance’ in North Wales after opening the first virtual training centre of its kind in Wales. Pendine Park has invested £250,000 in massively refurbishing the 8,000 square foot building on Wrexham Technology Park where they will be training the social care professionals of the future. Pride of place goes to the Pendine Academy of Social Care which includes the ground-breaking new virtual training centre featuring totally realistic recreations of a residents’ lounge, bedroom and dining area. Pendine Park has eight care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon and employs around 800 staff. Their success story was part of an economic renaissance in Wrexham according to Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure, who officially opened the complex.
Proprietor Mario Kreft MBE explained their Academy of Social Care was capable of providing firstclass training for more than 2,000 people a year from Pendine Park and other care organisations. He said: “These new premises represent an overall investment of £1.75m in training over recent years. “Our aim is to raise the bar yet again in delivering a high quality, award winning service, with a commitment to arts and the communities we serve at the heart of everything we do. “Our training academy was set up in the mid-1990s and for the past 20 years we’ve been developing the concept of a teaching care home based on a similar principle to a teaching hospital. “These new premises will enable us to put this idea into action, giving the care practitioners we train the chance to experience a simulated care home environment in a truly hands-on way. We believe this innovation is a sector first for Wales.”
THE apprenticeship scheme run by a care home and retirement housing charity has been rated the best in the country. Anchor has come tops in the Rate My Apprenticeship Award, beating the likes of Virgin Media, Deloitte, Land Rover and BAE Systems. The award saw apprentices from across the UK rate their apprenticeship, basing their views on how valued they feel, the support they get on programme, development opportunities and how much they earn. Katie Rankin, Anchor’s qualifications and apprenticeships manager, said: “We’re incredibly honoured to be voted the number one employer of apprentices, especially as it is our apprentices’ feedback which has got us there. “We’re passionate about developing future talent, giving young people the opportunity to gain new skills and make a real difference to older people’s lives. We’re extremely proud of all of our apprentices; they inspire us and make us proud every day. “I would like to thank all of the care homes and teams who have supported apprentices to date, with more than 55 of our 120 care homes and three offices supporting an apprentice so far. “We know this programme helps to develop young people into fantastic carers and is a very worthwhile investment to support us into the future.”
The Anchor Apprenticeship Academy gives young people opportunities to combine learning with hands on experience working in their care home. There have been five cohorts of apprentices since June 2015, with 50 having secured a permanent role within Anchor. The apprentices can either work in one of Anchor’s care homes or in the support teams in the charity’s main offices in Bradford, London or Newcastle. Anchor launched its apprenticeships’ scheme as part of its drive to professionalise the care sector as well as addressing the shortfall of one million carers needed to look after the country’s older people by 2025. At present only 10 per cent of young people work in care. Pearl Thomas, 20, who works at Birkenhead Court care home in Birkenhead, said it was no surprise the apprenticeship, which she graduated from recently, had received such an accolade. She added: “I have learned so much about how to deal with different situations and I now have the confidence to provide the best care possible. “I enjoy my job and have a great sense of achievement that I am helping and giving back to those who sacrificed a lot in their life. “I would recommend care to young people as you can learn so much. A downside to the job is seeing the difficulties older people have living with dementia or arthritis, but as a carer I can support them so they live life to the fullest.”
Advertiser’s announcement
CEO talks health and social care sector DEBBIE Gardiner, CEO of Qube Learning Limited, said: “The health and social care sector is expanding with great job and career opportunities within the public and private sectors. “Advances in medical science has increased life expectancy significantly; a male child born since 2014 can expect to live to 79.2 years of age and a female child to 82.9 years of age. Furthermore, a male child has a 21 per cent chance of reaching at least 90 years of age and a female child has a 32 per cent chance. “You can see why there is a demand for people of all ages to embark on a career in health and social care, and enrolling onto an apprenticeship programme offers flexibility, the opportunity for individuals to earn whilst they learn and empowers the employer to collaborate on co-designing the programme to meet their business needs.” We work with many high-quality employers to deliver apprenticeship training that enhances the health and social care service-user experience. Below are just some of the customers we work with who demonstrate investment in staff development through apprenticeship training: n Avery Healthcare n BMI Healthcare n brighterkind n Caring Homes Group n Central and North-West London NHS
Foundation Trust n Consensus Support Services n East Kent Mencap n Elizabeth Finn Homes n Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust n Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust n Leonard Cheshire Disability n Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust n Milton Keynes University Hospital n Priory Group n Springfield Home Care Services Limited n Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust n Viridian Housing Debbie added: “Qube Learning offers an innovative framework of traineeship and apprenticeship opportunities, ensuring there is a return on investment for businesses across the
whole of England. “Career progression and prospects are good in this area of work but it is a sector that is often overlooked by young people and this is something we want to change. There is no doubt that working in health and social care isn’t for the faint hearted – people work hard but there is a massive sense of achievement and fulfilment too. “In March we held our first annual awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hotel in London and I’m delighted that so many awards were won by apprentices and employers from within the health and social care sector. “Our outstanding achiever award went to Elizabeth Whitehouse, who started her career as an apprentice at Avery Healthcare at the age of 18. “She has completed two Level 2 apprenticeships and a Level 3, has become a senior care assistant and is now embarking on a leadership and management programme. “Higher apprentice of the year award winner was Diane Lomax from Avery Healthcare. Diane worked as a healthcare assistant and was spotted as somebody with potential due to her passion for training and development within the sector. “Diane was promoted to regional training officer and embarked on a Level 5 leadership and management apprenticeship and quickly become a role model within the organisation.”
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CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
When it came to appointing its new chief executive, Balhousie Care Group knew just who to sit in on the interviews: the residents themselves. Caring UK found out more.
Group lets residents do the recruiting THE care home group invited residents, their relatives and staff members to conduct panel interviews in a move that brings a whole new meaning to peer-to-peer recruitment. The result? Steve White, the winning candidate, faced grillings like he’d never had before in a job interview. Steve, who was named as the company’s chief executive in September, said: “I have to admit those were tough interviews, the toughest I’ve had in my career. “But the questions the panels asked were great. It gave me an immediate insight into the workings of the homes. “Our homes are not only the residents’ homes, for family members who visit often they become a home-from-home for them too. That’s why my interview process made absolute sense.” As part of his recruitment process, Steve also had interviews with chairman Tony Banks and the Balhousie Care Group board. Allison Taylor, a resident at Balhousie Wheatlands in Bonnybridge for seven years, sat on one of Steve’s interview panels along with her husband Trevor, who lives nearby. Each of them submitted a question in advance that they wanted to ask. They quizzed him on how he saw the home progressing and how he would address recruitment and staff turnover. Allison, who used to sell antiques and has also managed a catering company, bar and bistro, said she had never been involved in group interviewing before. She said: “There were eight of us in the panel and one observing, and there were two panels and two candidates. Each panel interviewed one candidate
Balhousie Care Group’s new chief executive Steve White. and then switched over to interview the other. “I think it’s absolutely brilliant that Balhousie did this sort of recruitment, especially for such an important position in the company. You learn so much from listening to the person being interviewed and what goes on at his level.” Trevor, a former landscape gardener, added: “It was nice to get a chance to see and to speak to someone who is coming in as head of the company. So often you get to being CEO of a company and you’re a bit of a mystery to the others in the company. “Also, there were so many different people on the group that it meant a diversity of questions.”
Involving its residents in the recruitment process is part of Balhousie Care Group’s Participation Charter, launched in March 2017. The first of its kind within a care home setting, the charter commits to residents getting a bigger say than ever in the care they receive. It is a culmination of a company-wide drive at Balhousie towards personalisation of care and increased participation across its 25 homes, an initiative called ‘Together We’re Great.’ Balhousie Care Group’s Participation Charter was created by Balhousie residents and staff and inspired by National Involvement Network and the Association for Real Change Scotland. In an NIN report published last year, organisations reported that participation charters provided a framework for continual improvement, embedded the values and culture of an organisation, provided a catalyst for change, and led to improved staff recruitment. Grace Sloan, care home manager at Balhousie Wheatlands, said the responses from her staff had been positive too. She said: “We work hard within the home and the group to consult with our staff and check in with them on everything from ideas to the day-to-day logistics of providing high quality care. “Asking staff, as well as residents and family members, to sit in on these interview panels reinforced that commitment from Balhousie. “It also meant Steve could hear on-the-ground issues and concerns and get a real feel for our business.” Balhousie Care Group this year celebrates 25 years in the care industry, having grown from one home in 1992 to 25 homes today.
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From all the teams at Caring UK Caring UK Care Conferences Caring UK Awards
CARINGINTERIORS, DESIGN AND FURNISHINGS
Home celebrates ‘re-opening’ A TAUNTON care home which has been undergoing a series of improvements and refurbishments, is celebrating its ‘re-opening’ with a visit from the Mayor of Taunton Deane. Larchwood Care’s Sherford Manor recently hired experienced new manager Katrina Ball and invested more than £300,000 in renovations, and the improvements the home has
made were acknowledged in its most recent CQC report. The Mayor of Taunton Deane Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey joined residents and staff in celebrating Sherford Manor’s next chapter with a small party and a toast to their new beginning. She took a short tour of the facilities, and spoke to residents about their lives and experiences.
Elderly rip wax strips off John’s legs to raise funds HAIR raising pain helped care home worker John Drury collect over £400 for elderly residents living with dementia. The deputy manager of The Beeches Care Home, in Stockton on Tees, had his legs waxed to raise the funds. He was joined by brother Paul and father-in-law Damien Brewster for the painful challenge – which saw residents getting involved by ripping the strips. John said: “I know it’s a bit extreme having your legs waxed. “We had a few comments from female colleagues but we all decided to step up and do it for the good of the residents. “It was a painful experience but well worth it as our goal is to change the lives of the residents. “We’re still collecting the sponsor money but, so far, we’ve collected over £400, which will be added to the total already raised for the sensory
Advertiser’s announcement
room.” The funds will be used to buy equipment for the home’s specialist facility for those with dementia, including projectors, bubble lights and empathy dolls. Helen Wood, home manager of The Beeches, said: “We consulted with the residents and their families and decided that, to enhance the quality of life of the residents whose dementia is at a more advance level, we would create a sensory room. “We worked out the overall cost of the furnishings and specialist equipment and have been fundraising for much of the year. “Staff members and their families, relatives and members of the community have been fantastic in their support of this goal. “I can only thank John and his family members for really going the extra mile to add to the total raised so far.”
Care Home Murals create amazing wall spaces CARE Home Murals design and print wallpaper murals exclusively for care homes and other establishments looking after those with dementia. Importantly, these murals use vibrant, colourful imagery that is rich in content and realistic detail to engage the viewer and encourage conversation. A significant benefit these murals offer is the efficient use they make of wall space to bring a genuine sense of the outside world into a care home. Last year Care Home Murals designed a Haberdashery themed shop mural for Caldwell Grange, Nuneaton (Runwood Homes). Sam Chater, care manager at Caldwell Grange, said: “A year on and our mural looks as beautiful as ever. It has enabled us to create a meaningful space that our residents
enjoy every day as they move around their home.” Care Home Murals supply their designs printed to order on a range of traditional paste-the-wall and selfadhesive wallpapers. All are long-lasting with a durable, wipeable finish and are easy to install. Prices are affordable, starting at around £165+vat for a standard 1-Drop Shop Front mural. Although an extensive collection of wallpaper designs is available for purchase on their website, Care Home Murals continue to produce imagery to suit customers’ specific requirements. Michael Potter added: “We are always happy to work with a customer to create murals that are just right for their care home and their residents.”
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CARINGNEWS
Belong Newcastle appoints manager
Katy Cresswell, Valerie Holland and Joyce Morton.
National awards recognise group’s outstanding carers THREE care professionals have been recognised for their exceptional contribution to improving the lives of Bluebird Care customers at the company’s annual awards in London. The awards promote the extraordinary work of the operator’s employees and highlight the opportunities for a rewarding career in the care sector. An independent panel of judges named Joyce Morton, from North East Lincolnshire, as the carer of the year, while Valerie Holland from the Eastbourne franchise won registered manager of the year and Katy Cresswell from Bluebird Care Slough,
South Bucks & South Wycombe won team member of the year. The three national winners were chosen from 18 regional finalists, who had been shortlisted from the 19,000 Bluebird Care staff across the UK. As part of the nominations, the judges heard about Joyce Morton’s “cheery disposition that warms the hearts of anyone she interacts with,” and Katy Cresswell was noted for her “outstanding leadership” and “exceptional, unrelenting positive attitude”. Valerie Holland’s colleagues said that she was “one of the most loyal, hardworking and trusted individuals.”
ALISON Peake has been appointed general manager of specialist care village, Belong Newcastle, which is set to provide a range of dementia and nursing care services, facilities and accommodation when the village opens early in 2018. Alison brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience of health and social care, both with Belong and in her previous roles as hospital matron and hospital director. She takes up leadership of Belong Newcastle from her previous role as lead nurse at the organisation’s Crewe care village. Commenting on her appointment, Alison said: “I’m delighted to be taking up this post with Belong Newcastle and look forward to the months ahead as we prepare for opening and start to recruit to key positions in the village. “This is set to be a very special village for us due to the unique opportunities that will be created by the Belong Heritage Gallery and we are really excited about its potential to engage people with dementia and new and meaningful ways.” Located at the site which incorporates the iconic Maxims nightclub building, Belong Newcastle will incorporate the Belong Heritage Gallery, thanks to a £1.8million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which is enabling the building’s restoration
Alison Peake as part of the project. The gallery will include a range of facilities designed to celebrate the building’s heritage, including Sammy Bell’s Tea Room, a recreation of the Old Pomona Inn and a reminiscence gallery. A timeline will chart its history from its origins as a 17th century home, through to its development as Newcastle’s first pottery, a staging coach inn and more recently its incarnation as Maxims nightclub. Belong’s deputy chief executive, Tracy Paine, said: “We are delighted to welcome Alison to lead the Newcastle team – she has vast experience in working with older people and is very passionate about the care village model. We are sure that her enthusiasm for this role and warm personality will be a great asset to the new village.”
CARINGCLEANING, HYGIENE AND LAUNDRY
Home laundry equipped on fixed price hire agreement BOURNBROOK Manor Residential Home in Selly Park, Birmingham is housed in a beautiful Queen Anne ivy clad house with attractive gardens and prides itself on the friendly, family atmosphere it creates for its 21 residents. It is registered to care for the elderly, including those with dementia, and nearly all of its 21 rooms have en suite facilities. The small laundry, equipped on a fixed price hire arrangement by Armstrong Commercial Laundry systems, is fitted with a Primus washer and a Huebsch dryer. It handles everything from the home including all bedding, towels, kitchen and dining room items and the personal clothing of all the residents. The fixed price hire programme covers all maintenance and repair issues including parts and labour throughout the length of the agreement,
and allows care homes to install a fully compliant laundry without the capital outlay and makes budgeting easier – there are no nasty surprises if a machine needs repairing. Enquiries: Call 01635 263410, email enquiries@armstronglaundry.com or visit www.armstronglaundry.com
“Better than a throne!”
A NEW gadget at home is enabling a Muscular Dystrophy sufferer to stop feeling scared, and transformed a frequent, daily activity into “a delight”. And, says former teacher turned disability blogger Rosemarie Lawy, it has revealed a hidden benefit: the security it is giving her means she now feels safe enough to leave her wheelchair and walk a few steps. “It takes me five minutes or more, but that feeling of independence!” she said. “It’s only the few steps from the bathroom door to the toilet, but it is invaluable to my self confidence, and part of my exercise regime to retain what little muscle I have left.” The gadget in question is an Aerolet Vertical toilet lifter, from Closomat, which fits over her WC to help her get on and off the loo at her home in Muswell Hill, London. Enquiries: Visit www.clos-o-mat.com
Award-winning Valet Battery Upright ‘cuts the cord’
CARE home cleaning teams can now ‘cut the cord’ and vacuum more quietly and productively following the arrival of the UK’s first cordless commercial vacuum cleaner. The award-winning Valet Battery Upright – now available from Truvox International – is a light yet powerful upright vacuum, designed for maximum productivity. Powered by a lithium ion battery, the VBU provides more than 60 minutes’ continuous runtime. In the Cleaning Show 2017 Innovation Awards, the machine won in the carpet cleaning category. Built to Truvox International’s robust standards, the Valet Battery Upright weighs only 5kg. A convenient carry handle makes it easy to transport between cleaning jobs. Ideal for daytime cleaning in sensitive settings, the machine works quietly and safely around residents, visitors and other staff, and navigates obstacles with no risk of trips or snagging – or interruptions to switch power sockets. A battery level indicator ensures the user knows when their machine will need re-charging. A full
The ultimate in infection control
re-charge takes no more than 2.5 hours. The battery delivers 312W of vacuum motor power and a 3,000rpm brush speed. Enquiries: Call 023 8070 6600, email sales@truvox.com or visit www.truvox.com
VICKI Wilson, national trainer for Beaucare® Medical, was invited to showcase the CareClean™ range at the Lancashire County Council infection control conference, which was attended by NHS Nurses and Carers. The specialised chemical cleaning range, which garnered a lot of attention at the conference, is formulated to BS EN 1276 and BS EN 13704 standard and is designed to simplify any healthcare Final Chosen Option facility’s chemical usage. Approved by NHS Infection Control, the range features colour coded labelling to minimise the risk of cross-contamination and to help ensure that the Pearce Services Uk Branding proposal
right product is being used correctly. Beaucare’s Versan Disinfectant for Disease Control is an ideal accompaniment. It is a broad spectrum hard surface disinfectant and is effective against C.Difficile spores, Norovirus, MRSA and more. Beaucare provides free support materials and national training, offering instruction on minimising the risk of cross-contamination and guidance on cost effective application and dosing. Enquiries: Call 01423 873666, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com
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CARINGNEWS
Woodland walk extends golden era for home A SALISBURY residential and nursing home has topped the field in a citywide gardening competition for the fourth year in a row. Judges at the Salisbury City Council Garden Awards honoured Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge with its second ‘Gold Gilt’, the highest grade given by the Royal Horticultural Society, first awarded to the home two years ago. The repeat success follows the creation of a new woodland walk which residents helped to develop with gardener Lesley King and other staff members. The wheelchair-friendly path, at the back of the home, stretches for more than 30 metres amid pear trees, ferns and primroses, and leads into a small orchard complete with raspberry and blackberry plants and a bug house. Along the way are benches, bird baths and wooden leaning posts with paintings of birds done by residents in the home’s craftwork sessions. Competition criteria included layout, atmosphere, plant variety, sustainability and provision for wildlife. In their citation for Braemar Lodge, judges wrote: “Incredible thought is
put into including the residents in every aspect of the garden. Evidence of residents’ creativity is apparent throughout from beautifully painted birds to pottery plaques and ladybird pebbles. “The inspired addition of a woodland walk extends the opportunities for a stroll around the garden and has also increased the number of seating areas. It increases the access to wildlife, literally taking people closer to insect boxes and birdlife.” Home manager Alison Bremner said the home was now looking to strengthen community links to help make the garden even more accessible for local people. “A tie-up with the nearby Friends of Victoria Park community initiative is under way and plans are in hand to include the garden in next year’s National Garden Scheme. She added: “It was lovely to see a party of our residents and team members attend the award ceremony at the Guildhall, meet the Mayor of Salisbury and come away as Gold Gilt winners once again before an audience of around 100 people.”
Home celebrates 10 years of care and staff’s long service
ASHLEY Gardens Care Home in Maidstone held a special party to mark 10 years of providing care in the town. The facility is part of the Healthcare Homes Group and provides nursing and residential care for up to 89 residents, many of whom live with dementia. The event also celebrated and recognised members of staff for their long service. The Mayor and Mayoress of Maidstone, Councillor Malcolm Greer and Brenda Greer attended to present the awards, along with the group’s chief executive officer Gordon Cochrane. A number of staff were recognised for long service at the home, having all joined in 2007, including:
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Jo Mazza – home manager. Linda Laing – senior night carer. Amy Dinnage – senior carer. Heather Reed – senior carer. Maria Bozic – night carer. Elaine Webster – suite manager. Elaine Hunt – laundry assistant. Jo said: “Over the past 10 years I have seen a lot of changes in the home, and in the care industry as a whole, but what has remained consistent throughout that time is our continuous passion for providing the best possible care for our residents and for creating a place that they can truly call their home. “This is only achieved through the hard work and dedication of our staff and it was wonderful to publicly thank them for their continued commitment.”
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CARINGNEWS
Excellence celebrated at ceremony THE National Association of Care Catering crowned the winners of its annual awards at a gala dinner. The winners of the eight prestigious awards exemplified excellence, innovation and exceptional service in the care catering sector and a commitment to improving standards and experiences for all, from service users and their loved ones to the people on the front line. This year’s inspirational winners were recognised and celebrated by their fellow NACC members and industry colleagues at the special event held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. Award winners were: Care Establishment – John Wills House, St Monica Trust; Meals on Wheels – West Sussex County Council; Catering Team – Gracewell of Horley Park; Catering Manager – Stuart Keown, dining service coordinator, Sunrise of Banstead; Our Care Catering Hero – Joy Whitlock, head chef, Harton Grange; Region of the year – South West; Pam Rhodes
Outstanding Achievement – Roger Bayliss; Chairman’s Award – Era Varellas. Neel Radia, national chair, NACC, said: “Heartfelt congratulations to all our award winners in our 30th anniversary year. Every single one of them, and all the finalists, exemplify exactly what is so great about the care catering sector. “They all have an unwavering
commitment and desire to raise standards of catering through innovative and exceptional service, and ultimately improve the lives of the people they are feeding. “I know for a fact that the judges had a tough time selecting the overall winners from such a fantastic pool of entries. Observations by the judges, such as ‘a model for success’, ‘a supremely well-led
team’, ‘commitment and boundless energy’ and ‘outstanding service’, sum up perfectly the award-winning characteristics that are plentiful within our sector. “Catering for the elderly and vulnerable requires specific skills, knowledge, responsibility and care, and the NACC Awards are proof that we continue to push the boundaries and raise the bar.”
Julie Hopkins specialise in care homes are to be believed opportunities are rife, care home property yields are rising and investors are queuing up for a piece of the action. Part of this is based on an assessment of growing demand and an assumption that some of this will come from private individuals who will be happy to pay for quality service in the mid to upper service tiers. A superb level of care is seen as the driver of commercial success. There is interest in building new retirement villages and in both new
build and major refurbishment of existing care homes. Part of this is because by utilising modern building standards and energy efficiencies, they can be cheaper and easier to run, but they can also be more appealing to recruiting and retaining staff. But, it is just as much about being attractive to the more profitable privately funded clients. There is still a place for the traditional independent residential home operating as part of small groups, but they do need to be alert to the shifts in the market. For some care home operators, selling in a reasonably buoyant market may be an attractive option, but most are in it for the long term. With the correct support and advice in place to help manage existing financial pressures, this can give care home operators the financial control they need to ensure on-going future success and expansion. It will also add real value to their business longterm. n Julie Hopkins is care home and care at home specialist at accountants Albert Goodman.
Conflicting pressures for care homes By Julie Hopkins THE care home sector is caught in an interesting position at the moment. On the one hand it is faced with unprecedented financial and staffing pressures leading to a squeeze in profitability. On the other hand it is a time when demand is growing and according to the property agents, opportunities are abundant. Many care homes need to be assessing their situation both for the short term and into the future. To understand the dichotomy is a good starting point to appreciate the difference between public funded care and that which is paid for privately. Despite the government increasing the pot by one billion pounds, very little seems to have come through to independent care homes who can be left with an income that barely covers costs. Compound this with the reducing number of overseas workers and the rising minimum living wage, it is not surprising that many care homes are
really struggling. For some care homes, the answer has been to very closely examine monthly outgoings and to increase the proportion of privately paid for beds. However, many are not comfortable with the idea that private clients are then in effect subsidising those funded by the local authorities. In order to assist with care in the community, there are funding opportunities for ‘not for profit’ and social enterprise ventures, but attention needs to be paid to application deadlines so they are not missed. Particular areas where this is being looked at focus on home care, day care, supported living and community care. With an ageing population profile and pressures on caring for the elderly in traditional family structures where there is a need for all adults to be out to work, the situation is not going to get any better. This in turn will increase demand for care services whether in a care home setting or the persons own home. If the property agents who
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CARINGSOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY Advertiser’s announcement
Katherine House – using Electronic MAR to make managing MARs easier ... BRISTOL based care home Katherine House started using Electronic MAR six months ago with a view to making it easier for staff to record the administration of medicines to residents. Electronic MAR is a simple piece of software loaded on to a tablet or phone that allows staff to record what medicines have been administered – and when – digitally instead of using a paper form. Care home manager Vivienne Withers said: “Electronic MAR is incredibly easy to use. Our staff have picked it up very quickly – even those who aren’t particularly used to using technology.
“Now that using the digital record sheet is part of our daily routine we can train a new member of staff to use the product in around half an hour. The staff at Electronic MAR have been great in providing training to get us set up and have worked hard to tailor the product to our needs.” Vivienne reports that medicine rounds are becoming quicker and that Katherine House staff “look very professional” when using their tablets to interact with residents. She said: “Making the decision to invest in licenses for staff is part of our forward-looking ethos. “We’re keen to be progressive and are always looking for ways to make
Blackwood chief named as one of Scotland’s housing leaders
THE head of one of Scotland’s leading housing and care providers has been named as one of the most influential people in the sector. Fanchea Kelly, chief executive of Blackwood, has been named on Inside Housing’s ‘Power List’ – a definitive run down of those leaders who are championing solutions to important issues facing the sector. She joined Blackwood in September 2013 and has more than 20 years’ experience in senior housing and care roles across Scotland. Her entry in the list notes that as ‘former head of inspection at then regulator Communities Scotland, she has one of the widest experiences of housing management in the country’. It continues: ‘In her current role at
Blackwood, she encourages new ideas from staff. Earlier this year, her team won the Outstanding Approach to Promoting Digital Inclusion award at the UK Housing Awards, with its CleverCogs system’. Fanchea said: “It’s great to be included in Inside Housing inaugural list and I am very pleased that they paid tribute to CleverCogs, highlighting how we at Blackwood are using technology to make peoples’ lives better.” CleverCogs is Blackwood’s digitally enhanced care system which works to keep people independent, in control and in their home, with its touch screen home hub at the heart of the software.
VR therapy aids residents BUCKINGHAM Palace, Bamburgh Castle and Beamish Museum were just some of the sights enjoyed by Stockton care home residents in a single afternoon. Virtual reality technology allowed the elderly residents to travel to some of the country’s most recognisable landmarks – all without leaving the comfort of their armchairs. North East based social enterprise Reminiscience held the VR therapy session at Mandale House Care Home in Thornaby. The residents’ likes and interests were taken into account before
they were given a VR film tailored to their personal choices. The films are shot in 360 degrees to make the experience more immersive. Headsets are then placed over the residents’ eyes so they can glance in any direction to get a different view. Sarah Robinson, activities coordinator at Mandale House Care Home, said: “I watched the film from Beamish Museum. It felt so real, like you were actually there, walking on the cobblestone streets. “When the residents used the VR headsets, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience, talking about what they saw for a long time afterwards.”
it easier for our staff to do their jobs and to help the residents. If new technology exists to make life easier then why wouldn’t we use it as long as costs are reasonable?” As well as speeding up medicine rounds and making it easier for staff to complete the forms accurately and in a timely fashion Electronic MAR has also delivered management benefits for the Katherine House team. “It is really easy to pull off all sorts of reports via the web-based portal,” added Vivienne. “We can now easily access useful management information without having to store bulky paperwork and manually
compile reports. “As the reports are all formatted in a standard way it’s easy to spot any gaps and we now don’t have to worry about not being able to read someone’s handwriting, missed signatures or whether medicine has been administered. Electronic MAR makes it easy to see when medicine has been administered and in what dosage and provides a full audit trail too.” To find out more visit www. electronicmar.co.uk to download an information sheet or contact us on 0117 911 3889 or on info@ electronicmar.co.uk to arrange a visit or a free no obligation online demo.
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Outstanding staff recognised at Somerset Care Group Awards THE Somerset Care Group recently held its annual awards ceremony, which recognises staff for their outstanding achievements, contribution and dedication. Over 420 nominations were received this year, more than 100 than were received in the previous year. Of those nominations, 187 came through for the People’s Choice award, which was open to nominations from Somerset Care’s customers and their family members. The Somerset Care Group Awards was held at the Somerset County Cricket Ground in Taunton and hosted by local VIP Ben McGrail, Somerset correspondent for ITV News West Country. The annual event recognised teams and individuals across 18 different categories: Best Newcomer: Winner – Toni Priddle from Rowden House in Frome. Highly Commended – Lauren Mathieson from Somerset Care’s Central Office in Taunton and Jack Goodland from Grovelands in Yeovil. Learner/Apprentice of the Year: Winner – Sandra Endean from Acacia Training and Development’s Plymouth branch. Best Contribution to a Care Environment: Winner – Karen Ward from Somerset Care’s Central Decorating team. Highly Commended – Janet Wells from Grovelands in Yeovil. Volunteer of the Year: Winner – Anne Trerise who volunteers at Grovelands in
Yeovil. Highly Commended – Wessex House Volunteers team from Somerton. Mealtimes Matter: Winner – Wendy Slater from Sydenham House in Bridgwater. Dignity in Care: Winners – Selina Welch, Sue Taylor and Marie Johnson from the Wiltshire home care team. Making a Difference in Dementia Care: Winner – Karen David from Somerset Care’s Central Office in Taunton. Outstanding Support Role: Winner – Jane Taylor from Somerset Care’s Central Office in Taunton. Highly Commended – Michelle Sims from the Taunton home care team and Karen Walls from the Halcon Centre. Partnership Working: Winner – Cooksons Court in Yeovil and Yeovil District Hospital. Highly Commended – ATD Employability Team in Plymouth and Stockmoor Lodge and Stockmoor Village Co-operative store. Impact on Learning and Development: Winner – Gemma Healey from Acacia Training and Development in Taunton. Support Worker of the Year: Winner – Russell Bennett from the Wiltshire home care team. Highly Commended – Anne-Marie Ford and Debbie Comaskey from the Realise service. Community Carer of the Year: Winner: Geraldine Park from the South East home care team.
New book focuses on the secrets to ageing healthily and happily RESPECTED fitness industry veteran Ken Heathcote has released a new book, which focuses on the secrets to ageing healthily and happily. What does a fitness class that is now in its 86th year have to do with retaining your mental capacity well into your 90s? Why do these people eat what they want; ignore the experts on the Mediterranean diet and the fivea-day and drink tea to hydrate themselves? Why do they value the company of others above the exercises they do in a class? All of these questions – and much more – are answered in We’re Going to Live Forever. The book contains stories from inspirational older people, interviewed by Ken, who has observed their habits when it comes to movement, exercise and nutrition, as well as the social benefits they gain from being physically active.
Telling the story of everything from an exercise class which is enjoyed by people well into their 70s, 80s and 90s to Ken’s own Lake Windermere open water swim at the age of 82, the book reveals their secrets to eternal youth. Ken said: “We’re Going to Live Forever was inspired by the people of this book and a television programme of the 1970s called Fame. “It would seem almost incidental that the best brains in the world agree with what these people do and how they do it and why it works. “I, on the other hand, just watched it unfold, joined in the fun and started a journey of a lifetime.” Enquiries: For more information or to purchase a copy of Ken’s book visit www.kenheathcote.co.uk
Highly Commended – Witold Wachelko from the Wiltshire home care team. Residential Carer of the Year: Winner – Mollie Keirle from the Halcon Centre. Highly Commended: Lisa Dyte from Stockmoor Lodge and Carol Morris from Croft House. Nurse of the Year: Winner – Wendy Remiszewski from Stockmoor Lodge. Highly Commended: Alice Green from the central clinical team. Outstanding Contribution to Activities: Winners – Tracey Chesterman and Rebekah Bruce from Grovelands. Highly Commended – Keileigh Butler from Sunningdale Lodge and Jaine Thorne from Burnworthy House. Inspirational Leader: Winner – Kevin Mellor, manager of the Halcon Centre. Highly Commended – Corrine Gamblin from the West Somerset home care team, Kerry Stanley from the Bank team and Jane Holley from the Crewkerne home care team. Team of the Year: Winner – Southlawns care home in Street. Highly Commended – Acacia Training and Development’s Senior Team. People’s Choice: Winners – Sarah Whittington and Natasha Sumner from the Mendip home care team. Highly Commended – Emily Marshall from the Crewkerne home care team and Joanne Collingbourne from the Realise service.
West Lancashire based Care Provider, Stocks Hall Nursing and Care Group has got into full blown celebration mode as it celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company first opened its doors in 1987, beginning with Stocks Hall Residential Care Home in Ormskirk. Now the group has six homes based around West Lancashire, East Lancashire and Merseyside, over 720 employees and a homecare and nursing services department. It marked the occasion with a party of celebration for the people living at Stocks Hall, staff, past and present, plus community and family members. They welcomed Deputy Mayor of West Lancashire, Councillor Noel Delaney and Deputy Mayoress Ann Stubbert as their honorary guests for the occasion. Live entertainment was provided by Bamhoot Music.
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Carterwood expands with two new appointments
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Chepstow home sold to first time entrant
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Home Office targets care home Sponsor Licences
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Home highlights value of women in construction By Dominic Musgrave STAFF from the site of a new residential and dementia care home in Rothley have visited a local primary school to highlight to the children the value of women in construction. Nicola Mather, communities manager for LNT Care Developments who are currently in the final sprint of constructing Mountview Care Home, visited Christ Church & St Peter’s CE Primary School last week. Nicola, who ensures that all LNT Care Development sites are engaged with the Considerate Constructors scheme, gave a presentation to over 250 children, revealing the jobs which are available for women, and men, in construction. She was also keen to highlight the dangers which can be found on construction sites. LNT Care Developments has an established relationship with the school, having already donated plants and gardening equipment. This relationship will be further cultivated by Mountview Care Home once it opens at the end of the year. Home manager Sue Shaw also visited the school
with Nicola to give the children an insight into life in a care home and to help them understand certain characteristics of people living with dementia. Sue said: “It is great to begin building a relationship with the local community even before Mountview has opened. “The children were extremely interested in what life is like in a care home, and were really surprised at some of the activities our residents will take part in, such as pet therapy, chair exercises and pop-up restaurants. “I think the cinema room will be a hit with the children when they visit.” LNT Care Developments donated paints to enable the children to take part in a poster competition about being safe on site. The winning entry will be seen at all of the company’s sites in the future. Mountview, which will be operated by Ideal Carehomes, has also enlisted the children’s help to bury a time capsule at the home, and to name the three floors of the building. The home will provide a home for 66 residents when it opens at the end of this year.
Pupils from Christ Church & St Peter’s CE Primary School in Mountsorrel with the donations from LNT Care Developments and Mountview Care Home.
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Merry Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful New Year Our success in the sale of Care Homes has been achieved through the 36 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, and is second to none in the care sector. We specialise solely in the discreet sale and acquisition of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.
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Consultant surveyor appointed SPECIALIST healthcare property consultancy HPC has expanded its team with the appointment of Sophie Bagley to the role of consultant surveyor. Sophie is a chartered surveyor with over 16 years’ post-qualification experience across a range of property sectors, including healthcare, residential development and property finance. She has extensive experience acting on behalf of financial institutions, investors, developers and healthcare operators both in the sale and acquisition of development land, and the associated feasibility and viability
work. Sophie added: “I am looking forward to working with the HPC team. “They have established themselves as one of the UK’s foremost consultancy practices in the social care Sophie Bagley arena and there are some exciting new projects for us to start work on straight away.”
Carterwood expands MULTI-award-winning property consultancy dedicated to social care, Carterwood, has continued to expand with the creation of two new roles leading to the appointment of Jane Thackray as HR and facilities manager and Anne Jenkins as HR and communications assistant. Carterwood has seen strong yearon-year growth since its inception in 2008. This year alone, the firm anticipates growth of 35 per cent, and has recruited six additional team members, taking the total headcount to 21. Co-founder and director, Amanda Nurse, said: “We’ve created these new roles to prepare and support the business in its continued expansion.
Jane brings a wealth of experience in the social care sector and previously spent five years as head of HR and training at Newcastlebased charity, Dementia Care. Jane’s role at Carterwood sees her responsible for employee relations, HR and training strategy, recruitment, performance management and ensuring a safe, comfortable and happy environment for our employees. “Anne’s diverse experience, including six years with care developer, Castleoak, is invaluable as she takes on administrative duties for recruitment, induction and training, as well as various other admin responsibilities for colleagues, shareholders and consultants.”
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Home sold to first time entrant
SPECIALIST business property adviser Christie & Co has sold Castle Court Residential Home in Chepstow to first time entrants to the care market. The sale was completed by way of a transfer of shares in the trading company, EVH Limited. Castle Court is an impressive period property with accommodation over four floors that is registered to accommodate 25 elderly clients in 24 bedrooms, of which 19 have their own en-suite facilities. The home had been run by the outgoing directors since the mid 1980’s and the new owners, Mr and Mrs Srishangaran, are first time entrants to the sector from the South East. They will seek to build on the excellent reputation that the home
Castle Court Residential Home. has achieved, and will maintain its position as one of the most respected and well regarded homes in the area. This sale was completed with funding secured through specialist commercial finance broker Christie Finance.
Frontier completes deal FRONTIER Estates has completed a pre-let and forward funding agreement of four premium retirement homes. The four new schemes in Watford, Bedford, Flitwick and Letchworth will provide a total of 308 rooms for One Housing Group, who have entered into new 30-year indexed leases on the properties which will be completed in 2019. The deal cements One Housing’s expansion into the private care home sector with the development of a new, premium, private care home brand, Baycroft, a portfolio of luxury, state-of-the-art care homes,
dementia facilities and senior villages throughout London and the South East. The new developments have been forward funded by Aviva’s REALM fund for a total commitment of approximately £70m. Frontier were advised by Colliers International. Adam Lenton, head of healthcare for Colliers International, said: “Working with John Knowles in our national capital markets team we were delighted to bring together three such strong entities specialising in the sector to create this deal.”
Home Office targets care home Sponsor Licences
By Kashif Majeed
THE Home Office has placed an even greater focus on the importance of compliance of UK care homes in a bid to eradicate poor management practices which have existed in the past. The increase in unannounced visits to the care homes follows on from Operation Magnify which highlighted a number of care homes that were not complying with the Home Office’s rules and regulations specifically relating to the employment of nonEEA skilled migrant staff. The social care representative bodies such as Care England and others have claimed that the Home Office tougher action on care homes is not justified. However, despite the protest made by the care sector the Home Office has continued applying pressure on care providers. One of the main pre-requisites for a care home to employ non-EEA skilled care workers in the UK is to obtain a Sponsor Licence from the Home Office. Care homes are required by law to comply with certain obligations in order to maintain their Sponsor Licence. Recently, the Home office has placed greater emphasis on ensuring that care homes are com-
plying with the rules set out by them and the Sponsor Licensing Unit. In order to ensure that this is being done effectively, the Home Office have sanctioned regular compliance visits to care homes. A care home that is found to be in breach of the rules and regulations may find their Sponsor Licence being suspended; or in a worst case scenario it may be revoked. The revocation of a sponsor licence would have a significant impact on the care home as well as the employment status of the migrant workers. When a licence is revoked, the employers can no longer continue to employ or recruit nonEEA staff. The current migrant staff has up to 60 days to either find new employment, or leave the UK unless the care operator challenges the decision through a Judicial Review at the High Court. The decision to revoke the licence from a care home would mean that they would have to turn to agency staff in order to fill the gap left by foreign sponsored workers who are no longer eligible to work for the business. This would have a considerable financial impact on the business, and in a worst case scenario, force the care home to cease trading.
What does this mean for the social care sector? It is the sole responsibility of the care providers to ensure that the correct measures are taken and that procedures are followed carefully when recruiting non-EEA migrant workers. The onus is on the care provider to make sure the entire process, starting from the recruitment stage, tracking and monitoring of the migrants as well as HR procedures are followed in accordance with the Home Office Guidelines. There is also a genuine concern that a Sponsor Licence revocation would have a considerable impact on the resident’s right to private life under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. It is feared that if a licence is revoked, the ensuing problems for the care home would have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents. It is therefore of utmost importance that care homes are made aware of the rules and regulations set
out by the Home Office so that the care providers may act in accordance with the law. Another major concern is that this ongoing issue will have an impact on care providers and the services they offer. A decline in the quality of care for the residents will not only compromise the health and safety of the residents, which is the primary concern, but that it will also lead to complaints from disgruntled families who rightly want the best care for their loved ones. It is imperative that all care providers comply with the rules and regulations of Immigration compliance as stated by law. There is a strong need for the issue to be taken seriously, and more effort needs to be taken to warn care homes of the repercussions of not complying with these new regulations. Employers who fail to comply with the strict Home Office guidelines will be liable to face civil penalties of up to £20,000 per employee, and may also face up to two years imprisonment. n Kashif Majeed is a director at Aston Brooke Solicitors.
Season’s Greetings & Best Wishes for 2018 from all at HPC Tel
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CARINGNEWS
Valerie with Tudor House activities co-ordinator Emma Brook.
Staff from St Mary’s Court Care Home with Terri Pike (left) and Mark Wadforth (right) are celebrating after being shortlisted for three awards.
Dedicated home’s staff Resident to tackle cycling shortlisted for awards
challenge for charity A RESIDENT at a North Yorkshire care home is completing a cycling challenge to raise money for BBC Children in Need. Valerie Waites suffered a severe stroke in April which left her without the use of her right side and resulted in the loss of much of her speech. As part of her physical rehabilitation at Tudor House Nursing Home in Selby, Valerie uses a floor-mounted exercise bike which she can operate from her armchair. Keen cycling fan Valerie’s challenge is to cycle the 10km from Tudor House to her home village in stages – much like her beloved Tour de France.
Activities co-ordinator at Tudor House, Emma Brook, said: “We often hold charity events at the home and encourage residents to get involved in fundraising where possible. When the idea for this challenge came up, Valerie was immediately keen to participate.” The former school dinner lady and grandmother of two has always supported Children in Need. Husband Will added: “It’s really encouraging for Val knowing that people have sponsored her and the challenge is giving her additional incentive in her own road to recovery. I’m really proud of what she’s achieved!”
STAFF at two Braintree care homes have been shortlisted for three accolades at The Prosper Essex Care Sector Awards. The New Deanery and St Mary’s Court care homes have also recently been shortlisted for nine regional and three national awards. Head of maintenance Mark Wadforth is in the running for the Unsung Hero Award, while home manager at St Mary’s Court, Terri Pike, has been shortlisted for Outstanding Leader, and St Mary’s Court and The New Deanery care homes have been shortlisted for the Essex Care Sector Team Award. Sonnet Care Homes CEO, Julia Clinton, said: “We are over the moon to have been shortlisted for even more awards. “It is great for the teams to get
some well-deserved recognition for their commitment to each resident’s well-being, and for how hard they all work on a day-to-day basis.” ‘Prosper’ is a collaboration between care homes, Essex County Council, the health sector, UCLPartners and Anglia Ruskin Health Partnership, which is aiming to improve safety and reduce harm for vulnerable care home residents, including reducing hospital admissions and deterioration in their health and quality of life. The Prosper Essex Care Sector Awards aim to celebrate the excellence of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to improve the safety and reputation of care homes across Essex.
Home upgrades to Touchsafe Pro BUSHELL House is one of the longest standing residential care homes in the UK, with a rich heritage that dates back to 1722. Situated in the beautiful village of Goosnargh, three miles north of Preston, Bushell House now homes up to 31 respite, convalescence and permanent residents, after opening its doors in 1743 as a charitable trust to care for the elderly. The trustees of Bushell House maintain the Georgian retirement homes extensive history while ensuring its residents are still provided with the best possible care. Responsibility for that care largely falls to Sue Barr, the registered manager, who often attends healthcare conferences to keep up with the latest developments in carer technology. As the care home has been using Aid Call products for over 15 years, Sue frequently visits the nurse call provider’s exhibition stand, which is where she was introduced to the new Touchsafe Pro wireless system. Having been considering an upgrade for some time, Sue requested further information about the new system, which ultimately prompted her decision.
the system was carefully planned to accommodate the requirements of all the individuals that depend on the service. Sue said: “Stuart has always been exceptional in looking after us over the years I’ve worked with him. He’s provided us with an excellent maintenance package that goes along with the system and ensures we never have any problems at all.”
Planning Bushell House’s local nurse call and assistive technology specialist Stuart Barclay worked closely with Sue to ensure the Touchsafe Pro Nurse Call system would meet the needs of all her staff and residents. The installation and maintenance of
Installation The renovation of any element of a residential care home is a delicate process, as there are often many elderly residents continuing their day-to-day activities during the installation. Aid Call promised Sue that there
of all our staff and residents. You could tell they were familiar with working in a care home environment because they knew exactly how to behave, and clearly understood the need for the installation to be completed quickly without compromising any quality.”
would be minimal disruption to her staff and residents while the new system was installed. The Touchsafe Pro utilises wireless technology, which limits disruptive installation because there is no need for cables to be fitted. Sue added: “Although the upgrade was a necessity, it isn’t easy for our residents to have any disruption to their normal routine or their home environment. “Their happiness and safety is my main priority so I needed to make sure that neither of those things was compromised and I couldn’t have been happier with the installation of the Aid Call system. “The installers were so tidy and efficient, as well as being considerate
Features Sue added: “Our previous system worked well for many years, but it was quite loud and my staff and I could continuously hear alarms going off throughout the residence, including in our break room which made the carers feel as though they didn’t get a proper break. “With the silent feature of the new system, there’s no longer any unnecessary noise throughout the house which provides a peace and quiet that definitely makes it feel more like a home. “The Bluebell pagers also make very limited noise and the water proof feature is great for my staff since they no longer need to worry while they are bathing residents. “They log in to the pagers with their own ID at the start of each shift and the Touchsafe Pro panel allows me to see where all of my staff is at any one time and how long certain tasks are taking. “All that information is logged and readily available for me to review which has been great for monitoring purposes. The entire system is so easy to use and both the staff and residents are very pleased with the decision to upgrade.”
CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS
What is best practice to deliver first-class nutritional care for dementia sufferers? Badge manufacturer Graham Mold (FDC), John Bancroft MBE (Badgemaster) and Paul Bevan (Mazars).
By Jane Murphy
MORE than 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, many of whom struggle with eating and drinking. As dementia progresses, eating and drinking difficulties are a major factor contributing to poor health, frailty and reduced quality of life. By the time someone with dementia moves into a care home, they may be already experiencing significant weight loss and other nutritionrelated problems. This can trigger further physical and mental deterioration, which means that supporting people living with dementia to eat and drink well can make managing nutrition (and hydration) quite a challenge for busy care and nursing staff. Researchers from Bournemouth University (professor Jane Murphy and Joanne Holmes) have been exploring this issue and how to encourage people with dementia living in care homes to eat and drink well. As a result of their research project funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing, they have developed training tools for care home and nursing staff which are full of tips to help improve nutrition. Jane, lead investigator, said: “We recognised that there was a need for research in this area as there were no evidence-based approaches or training programmes to provide staff with information about good nutrition. “People with dementia may need much longer to eat due to poor co-ordination or becoming tired more easily. Others may be losing their appetites or facing difficulties with chewing and swallowing. As dementia progresses, many people become less able to sense thirst so may be unaware they are dehydrated. “We worked together with local care homes, charities and the Borough of Poole Council to explore the issue and have now developed a workbook and training film packed full of ideas for staff to try out that can be used at any time. “It’s been a great experience to work in partnership with all these organisations as we’ve been able to
“As dementia progresses, many people become less able to sense thirst so may be unaware they are dehydrated.”
in £1.2m investment
Jane Murphy gather different perspectives and ideas. It’s helped us to create a much richer resource than we could have produced on our own.” The training workbook and film help to explain the importance of good nutrition and provide staff with lots of practical tips and ideas to try out. These include: n Keeping people interested in food by getting them involved in food preparation activities, including growing their own fruit and vegetables n Eating meals together with carers, which allows people to copy actions if they’re struggling to remember how to eat n Jogging people’s memories by providing people a visual choice between foods instead of a written menu n Adapting the physical environment to make it more appealing and thinking about the colours, smells and lighting used at meal times The ideas included are based on examples of best practice gathered by the research team. The resources have been used by health and social care staff in the UK and has already helped people with dementia to be supported to eat and drink well. Further evaluation work has shown that this is making a difference to practice and the wellbeing of people with dementia with staff implementing more person-centred approaches to nutrition-related care and importantly, is leading to weight gain in people who were at risk of or losing weight. The training film and workbook are freely available from the website www.bournemouth.ac.uk/nutritiondementia. The workbook is now available as a downloadable PDF version that can be printed off or completed online. n Jane Murphy is a professor of nutrition and co-leads the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University.
A NOTTINGHAM-based manufacturer of bespoke name tags and badges has received a £1.2million investment from Frontier Development Capital. The deal will see the business pursue further expansion plans, including welcoming new director Ian Bradbeer FCMA to the existing management team. Established in 1992, Badgemaster produces around 250,000-300,000 badges each month for more than 30,000 customers, with approximately five million people wearing its badges every day. The business has delivered products for clients including Harrods, Selfridges, Waitrose, John Lewis, Boots, Nandos, Thorntons, Virgin Atlantic, O2, Centre Parcs, Costa, Easy Jet and Premier Inn. In 2006, the firm was awarded the Royal Warrant for its work supplying badges to the staff of the Royal Households, achieving worldwide recognition. John Bancroft MBE, managing director at Badgemaster, said: “Badgemaster is built on strong customer loyalty and a track record
for delivering quality badges at competitive prices. Being able to provide our clients with an extensive range of products with a focus on customer service and quality has helped us to achieve continuous yearon-year growth. “With this new investment from FDC, we can plan and prepare for the next exciting chapter in Badgemaster’s story. We want to ensure that the business continues to improve, evolve with technology, invest in our staff and establish an even stronger management team to take the business forward in the years to come.” John Bancroft MBE founded Badgemaster with his wife Vicky in 1992. The pair have grown the business each year, with the firm now employing a 88-strong team at its manufacturing facility in Newstead, Nottinghamshire. John was awarded an MBE in 2013 for his services to business. Freeths and Nelsons provided legal advice for FDC and Badgemaster respectively.
20% OFF dignified, waterproof scarf bibs from Care Designs CARE Designs’ Pashmina Scarf Style Clothes Protectors combines the look of a stylish ladies’ scarf with the waterproof practicality of a bib and so and can be worn all day with a high level of dignity. The two silk-like fabric layers on the front are highly absorbent whilst the waterproof layer on the back keeps clothes dry and has quick fastening Velcro for ease of fitting. Available in three pebble prints colours and two plain colours. Get 20% OFF; use code CAREDESIGNSCUK4 at the web-shop checkout! Enquiries: Call 01223 840236, email purchasing@bibetta.com or visit www.caredesigns.co.uk for a brochure.
Simple solutions
SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems. The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition. With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur. Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple... The WACMAT® will then be clean and odourfree, ready to perform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.
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Beaucare Medical completes successful MBO HARROGATE-based Beaucare Medical, one of the largest independent providers of care home supplies throughout the UK, has completed a successful management buy-out supported by £3million in funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial. The facilities include Santander’s Growth Capital funding, which is targeted at the UK’s most dynamic, fast-growth businesses. The MBO team includes Heather Mawrey, newly appointed as managing director having been with the firm for 11 years, and Joseph Storr, the firm’s new commercial finance director. Joseph joined Beaucare in 2015 having a background in finance working within the healthcare and manufacturing industries. Jonathan Brown, founder, will continue to play an active role in the business, moving to the new position of chairman. Established in 1992 by Jonathan, who initially sold products doorto-door and used his garage as a warehouse, Beaucare Medical has become one of the preeminent healthcare and hygiene supplier to care homes in the North and across the UK. He said: “The senior management team has worked for Beaucare for many years and it gives me immense pleasure to recognise the commitment and hard work they have invested into making Beaucare the industry leader it is today. “I’m delighted to be able to hand
over the reins to a team who I know will continue to drive the business forward. “The funding and support from Santander has been invaluable throughout the MBO process and we look forward to working with them further.” With significant success targeting markets in the South West and the South East, the company has seen double digit growth over the past two years. It is looking to build on this momentum and invest for growth by recruiting 12 more engineers, increasing its fleet size, and potentially building a second site in the Midlands. The £3million provided by Santander includes a mixture of full primacy banking, foreign exchange, Growth Capital and credit card facilities. Paul Land and Andy Kerr of TLP Capital Partners acted as corporate finance advisors, law firm LCF Law advised the MBO team with Gunnar Cooke acting for Santander and Freeths acting for the vendor. Alastair Morris, relationship director at Santander Business Banking, added: “Beaucare Medical has experienced excellent growth and is strategically targeting new markets in the UK to add to its already impressive portfolio. “As the largest supplier of care home supplies and a strong history of growth, we are delighted to be supporting Heather and Joe as they look to drive the business forward.”
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"An inspiring insight into the healthy living secrets of the older generation.” Dominic Musgrave Caring UK magazine
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