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no.235 • £4.75
The Number One magazine for the care sector
Funding crisis threat to care companies By Dominic Musgrave CARE homes and domiciliary care companies across the UK are threatened with closure because of a looming funding crisis, it has been claimed. And the planned introduction of the living wage in the social care sector will have ‘catastrophic’ consequences unless more money is found to pay for the spiralling costs of care. The Five Nations Care Forum, which represents the sector in the home nations and the Republic of Ireland, is so worried it has written to Chancellor George Osborne warning him it could push many care and nursing homes and domiciliary care companies over the financial edge. According to the Five Nations, the social care workforce deserve to be better rewarded but nobody has worked out how it's going to be paid for. They say the fact that more and more people are living longer is putting huge pressure on the social care sector – to the point where it is becoming “unsustainable and financially unstable”. People working in social care are due to start receiving the living wage, set at £7.20 an hour, from next April.
Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales and a founder member of the Five Nations, was also concerned about the impact on the older and disabled people who use care services. He said: “We call on Government and the devolved Ministers to ensure that care services are adequately funded now and in the future. It is right that care workers should be well rewarded for the important work they do. However this is unrealistic for publically funded care providers given current prices paid by commissioning bodies for care. “It has been estimated that the cost of funding the National Living Wage in the care sector in the UK will be in excess of £2.3billion by 2020. “It is vital therefore the Chancellor addresses the growing deficit in the social care sector and that funding is provided to ensure the devolved departments with care commissioning responsibilities have adequate funds to meet the care and support needs of the population. “We are concerned that the rising costs of delivering care, if they are not met with an adequate increase in funding, will have catastrophic implications for the sector.”
Provider and University join forces for project
A receptionist from Skipton and a resident at a Horsham care home are the joint winners of a national Christmas card competition run by Barchester Healthcare. The designs of Terry Witham (pictured above), who works at Threshfield Court, and David Bower, who lives at Westlake House, have been chosen by Barchester Healthcare, and their designs will appear on a charity Christmas card to be received by people in the UK. Both pictures were chosen from hundreds of entries sent into Barchester’s Christmas Card Competition by staff and residents. Full story on page 28.
SHEFFIELD care home and home support service Sheffcare has joined forces with the University of Sheffield to take part in a pioneering project aimed at supporting an ageing population. The IN LIFE project aims to prolong and support independent living of older adults with cognitive impairment, through interoperable, open, personalised and seamless information and communications technology solutions. Sheffield is the only British city taking part in the programme, with the University working closely alongside Sheffcare, the not-for-profit provider of housing and social care. The IN LIFE project is exploring how existing flexible ICT solutions could assist older people with cognitive impairment in organising, carrying out and completing everyday tasks, giving the opportunity to continue living independently for longer. The solutions will support home activities, communication, health maintenance, travel and mobility.
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Heritage project sparks WWI centenary song written by pupils and residents By Olivia Taylor A YEAR-LONG project spanning the ages has seen pupils and older people collaborate in a performance of their own WW1 centenary song. Tenants at Winton Court in Gateshead teamed up with 40 children from Parkhead Primary School and artists for the regular music, movement and songwriting sessions. Supported by older people’s charity Equal Arts, the project has been a leading example of how creativity can benefit those living with dementia and the important role community has to play in wellbeing. The project was celebrated with a performance of Postcards from Home as part of the WW1 Centenary event for the community with food, music and entertainment. Carole Bertram, manager of Winton Court, which is run by Housing and Care 21, said: “People living here have benefited greatly from the sessions with Equal Arts and the children. “It is fantastic to see them able to learn from one another and to see their smiles when they sing. “As people get older not everyone has the ability to get out into their communi-
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A pupil from Parkhead Primary School with residents from Winton Court. ty and a project like this allows the community to come into care settings. “The sessions bring such benefits to those involved I’d like to see them run at every extra care court.” Douglas Hunter, Equal Arts co-director, added: “Loneliness within care settings is a hidden issue and this partnership is an excellent example of how people in care settings can be actively involved in their communities and the benefits this can bring to their wellbeing and quality of
life.” During the sessions Year 6 pupils and tenants have worked with Equal Arts’ artists Mona McCarthy and Nicky Rushton exploring what it means to leave home and your loved ones behind. The project, made possible with Heritage Lottery funding of £10,000, has seen the group visiting Tyne and Wear museums and working with visual artist Cath Walshaw as they researched textiles from the era.
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Pam’s efforts recognised at Care Awards PAM Jarvie, a volunteer at the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society in Banstead, has been recognised for her dedication with an unsung hero award at the Surrey Care Awards. The run up to Christmas is a busy time for veteran volunteer and chief decorations supervisor Pam, who dedicates around four days a week of her free time to helping the smooth running of the 68-bed home. But bringing a bit of sparkle to the décor to delight the residents and tenants isn’t her only skill. Pam started volunteering during the years her father was a resident at the care home. She decided to continue her service to help other residents in the same way she helped her own father and received the accolade in honour of the invaluable insight and support she bring to all aspects of daily life at The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society. Care home manager Anne Kasey said: “Pam is a reassuring listener for friends and family because she is such a lovely and approachable lady. People feel able to share any concerns they have with her and she’s always happy to provide any extra support we need.”
Michael takes the plaudits at culinary competition By Olivia Taylor A CHEF from a Salford care home has been crowned ‘Akari Care Master Chef 2015’ – an innovative competition aimed at promoting British produce and nutrition in the care industry. Michael Byrne, who works at Beech House, was one of five finalists in the national competition, which included chefs from across Akari Care’s 39 homes throughout the UK. Celebrity chef Richard Phillips, a regular on The Lorraine Show and Saturday Kitchen, endorsed the competition and Will Devlin, head chef at ‘The Windmill’, one of Richard’s establishments, judged the final, which took place at Catton Hall Estate, Walton upon Trent. The initiative was a collaboration between Akari Care and food service provider Brakes, with the finalists preparing two meals – a main course and a dessert – using only ingredients and produce from Brakes. Michael said: “I am delighted to have won this competition and it is an honour to have had my culinary skills recognised by a professional chef of Will’s calibre. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time from the regional heats all the way through to the final and it has been great to meet fellow chefs from Akari
Tim Pepper, of Brakes, Alison Boote, operations director at Akari Care, winner Michael Byrne, professional chef Will Devlin and Tony Stein, founder of Akari Care. and draw on their menus that are served at their care homes.” Lynn Fearn, deputy CEO at Akari Care, added: “It was a tough decision to make as all five finalists prepared some fantastic dishes and impressed Will, but as with all these things, there can only be one winner and I would like to congratulate Michael on an excellent job. I would also like to thank Will for kindly offering his time to judge the competition and offering valuable advice to our staff.
“Our catering staff across all of our care homes throughout the country work extremely hard to provide our residents with a variety of different meals, which satisfy their dietary and nutritional needs. “Akari Care Master Chef 2015 has proved to be a massive success and was received well by everyone at the company. It has been great to team up with Brakes for the initiative and we are looking forward to working with them moving forward.”
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Kevin marches onwards to fundraising success
Youngsters from Middlesbrough FC play dominoes with residents at Mandale House.
Club’s teens entertain care home’s residents TEENAGE volunteers from a Middlesbrough FC youth scheme have been entertaining elderly residents at a Stockton-on-Tees care home. Mandale House in Thornaby welcomed over a dozen volunteers from the football club’s National Citizenship Scheme. The group – all aged between 16 and 17 – spent several hours at the home engaging with the residents. Two groups played dominoes and bingo and another painted the home’s ladies’ nails.
A sing-along was led by one of the youth group’s members and others cleaned the outside of the premises. Sarah Robinson, activity coordinator at Mandale House, said: “Engaging with young people has an incredibly positive effect on our residents. It can lift them for days. “The young people of the Middlesbrough FC National Citizenship Scheme should be immensely proud of their voluntary work and we can’t thank them enough for coming to see us. We hope to see them again in future.”
CHAMPION Bield fundraiser Kevin Rowe has yet again put his best foot forward into the Scottish countryside to raise funds to support people living with dementia. Kevin led a group of walkers from the group to complete a 27-mile section of the John Muir Way over a weekend, starting with a 13-mile hike from Bield’s Whitehill Court Day Care in Kirkintilloch to Bield’s Thornton Gardens care home in Bonnybridge. Many of the team took a welldeserved rest on Saturday evening then set off again Sunday morning, completing the 27-mile long trip at West Port day care service, Linlithgow. The walk along John Muir Way encompassed attractions such as the Falkirk Wheel and the Antonine Wall, as well as offering scenic views of the canal and woodland nearby. Kevin said: “The terrain was fairly flat meaning that people of all ages could join us on the walk, from our older service users to our younger staff members. “We enjoyed a great weekend of sunshine. But the hot weather, although great for appreciating the views, did make walking a bit heavygoing. “Overall 22 people took part in the walk, 17 walked on the first day and eight on the next meaning that we had a great mix of people from staff
Kevin (centre) with two of the walkers who joined him on his 27-mile challenge. and carers to tenants. I think we covered pretty much the whole spectrum of ages too – from a oneyear-old child to men in their seventies. It was great to see. “The fact that there were lots of people walking with us meant we all motivated each other on the walk and we all had a good laugh. “We had an amazing weekend with a lot of laughs and it was made extra special because we knew we were raising money for such a worthwhile cause at the same time.” Over £2,000 was raised, which will benefit many of the care services run by Bield to help those living with dementia.
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‘Innovative’ village approach to dementia adopted at Balcarres By Olivia Taylor A DUNDEE care home is raising the bar across the country in its support for people with dementia as it gears up to develop an innovative ‘village’ for its residents. Bupa’s Balcarres in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, is set to create a flourishing social hub, providing unique benefits for its residents living with dementia. The project is the first of its kind among the group’s care homes across the UK. The home has already introduced a putting green and bus stop cafe to its garden space. Now, Balcarres will continue to break new ground with plans to add a working post office, grocer’s and thrift shop, all of which are specifically designed to help those living with dementia to connect with previous memories. The current garden features have been provided with help from the Dundee community, with one local individual constructing the putting green by hand, and Dundee City Council donating the bus stop. Lynne McLean, home manager at Balcarres and the guiding force behind the project, is thrilled at the difference the project has already made for the residents. She said: “We are so excited to see
the reaction from the residents once the new ‘village’ features are completed in the garden. They are such clever and simple ideas that I’m sure other care homes will want to view what we have done. “The creation of the bus stop cafe and putting green is so important to help people living with dementia. It allows them to re-connect with previous memories or recognisable social surroundings in a safe and familiar environment. “We are very excited to continue to expand this project and add the post office, grocers and thrift shop, as these kinds of features have been proven to provide residents living with dementia with cognitive stimulation which relieves any feelings of anxiety and confusion. “We are aiming to make it as authentic as possible for the residents so the shops will have opening and closing times throughout the day and we will take them out in small groups so it will be like a real day out. We even have fake money so they can actually purchase the products. “We always aim to provide the highest level of care to all our residents and we believe the ‘village life’ setting is a fresh and innovative way in which to do this.” Lynne explained where the concept
A member of staff and resident enjoy a cuppa at the bus stop cafe at Balcarres. to develop the project at Balcarres came from. She said: “The bus stop cafe was the main trigger for the rest of the features. Once we had the bus stop, I thought ‘Why don’t we add more onto this?’ “We are very thankful to all the kind
and generous people who have lent a hand to date, and would encourage anyone living locally who would be keen to get involved with the project to get in touch, so we can continue to provide the residents with even more beneficial facilities and features in the near future.”
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Care provider live trials exclusive smart system By Dominic Musgrave A PIONEERING new smart care system has been trialled successfully at a Blackwood care home in Stirling. Clever Cogs technology, which can be installed in various compatible touch screen devices, influences everything from the ability to open curtains and switch on TVs, to ordering shopping and ensuring a constant connection with family, friends and carers. It also provides extra security with features that allow users to see who it is at their door before they open it, as well as ‘alert’ and ‘help’ buttons which can connect residents to members of staff in seconds via the video link system. Innovative care services provider, Blackwood, is passionate about embracing technology that improves the lives of people with disabilities and recently held the successful live trials of its latest groundbreaking technology at its Broom Court care home in Stirling. During this first trial, each resident had a personal communication device, tailored specially to their needs, installed in their room for each of them to use and familiarise themselves with. Each resident, in time, will also be able to personalise their devices to reflect all of
Blackwood has been trialling Clever Cogs at its Broom Court facility in Stirling. their own requirements and interests. Customers and staff have now given the state of the art system the thumbs up, highlighting one of the main benefits is allowing customers to be able to view care takers online rotas so they always know who to expect and are constantly up-to-date with any changes. Residents also benefit from the added extras the hi-tech system offers, from enabling them to receive updates on their
favourite football team to being able to wind down at night with a movie. Colin Foskett, head of innovation at Blackwood, said: “Our smart technology is one of the most exciting and innovative projects we have worked on to date. By putting our customers at the centre of the design process we are shaping a technology enabled care system that will improve people’s independence and help them control how their own care is delivered.”
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Positive response to technology initiative A WEST Devon care home is using technology in an innovative way to ensure family and friends are involved and informed regarding the care of their relatives. Spring House Residential Home in Tavistock has recently implemented a system that enables family and friends of residents to access care plan information via their tablet device. The system, called Care Control, enables the care home to provide secure access to residents’ care plan information from anywhere in the world. Matt Luckham, owner and registered manager of Spring House, has been impressed with the feedback. He said: “We moved to an electronic system a number of years ago now, primarily to improve the staff responsiveness and to ensure that we evidence all of the care we provide. “I was a little apprehensive about opening up the system to family members. However, the feedback we have had has been incredibly positive. “We explained to family members (who wanted access) that we would need permission from the resident first, and that the information that they would see would not be censored in anyway. “This was always about transparency, openness and expanding the support network for some of our very vulnerable residents.” A number of family members now
Care Control enables care homes to provide secure access to residents’ care plan information from anywhere in the world. have access, including sons and daughters living in Australia, Canada and USA. However, the system is not just used by family members living abroad. One daughter of a resident who lives local to the care home has been really impressed with the system. “It is incredibly difficult when you are forced to rely on other people to look after your Mum,” she added. “You still want to be involved, but often you feel cut off from the care
that is being provided. With this system I have been able to access Mum’s care plan ‘whenever I want, wherever I am’. “I can view pictures of Mum taking part in activities, review the care notes and even contribute to areas such as Mum’s life history. “It has transformed my view into the care that Mum receives, and has really helped reassure me that Mum is in a safe, happy, caring environment."
Matt is excited about the potential for this system. He added: “This kind of access is the future. Care homes have got to become more inclusive. Yes, it does expose the care home to further scrutiny, but is that really a bad thing? “For me, this is about bringing the family members closer to the home, getting feedback that helps us provide a better quality care package, with the ultimate benefit of a happier, healthier and more content resident.”
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Corrie stars drop into Lever Edge care home
Resident Eric Robinson’s image in the 2015 annual report.
Residents relive their youth in charity’s latest annual report THE Abbeyfield Kent Society has unveiled its 2015 annual report, based on the theme, ‘We Weren’t Born Old.’ The care provider is a firm believer that annual reports don’t have to be boring, each year, taking on an innovative format to present its accounts. The Society has previously created a 1960s record, a photo album and a comic book, and this year it took on the theme of a classic storybook. The book features poignant photographs of the Society’s residents looking in the mirror, with their reflection a photo of their younger self.
The photos are accompanied by a brief life story, highlighting the fact that the Society’s residents weren’t born old. Leon Steer, chief executive of the Society, said: “The statement, ‘we weren’t born old’ may seem obvious, of course no-one is born old but many people seem to label older people and forget that they too were young once. “With this report, we invited our residents to tell their stories of growing up and the significant moments in their life, to show everyone who comes across a copy of the report that older people have lived their lives too.”
CORONATION Street stars put a spring into elderly residents’ steps when they popped into Lever Edge care home in Bolton. The Corrie favourites met the residents after the visit was arranged by kind-hearted Boltonian Mark Price, who helps to put a smile on the faces of people in need. The visitors included Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Eva Price, Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster, Dean Fagan, who plays Luke Britton, Tisha Merry, who plays Steph Britton, and Katie McGlynn, who plays Sinead Tinker. During the meet and greet, one resident took to the floor to dance with on-screen mechanic Luke, as
others chatted and watched. Seventeen residents were then taken by a fleet of Rolls Royce and Bentley cars to Club 3000 in Walkden, where they were treated to bingo and a silver service meal. Lynda Johnson, manager of Lever Edge part of the Hill Care Group, said: “The residents absolutely loved the visit from the Coronation Street stars. Many of the residents are Coronation Street fans and they remember the old stars of the soap through to today. “They were thrilled to see the actors who they know from the show. They really are such lovely people. “They spent a long time with us at the home chatting with the residents.”
Ken Rebair visits the mask at he Great North Museum in Newcastle.
Group’s chairman vows Resident who created replica to keep people at the of Tutankhamun mask takes a trip down Memory Lane heart of organisation By Olivia Taylor THE chairman of Scotland’s leading provider of housing, care and support services for older people has vowed the organisation will ensure people who use its services are at the heart of its future decisions. Gerry O’Sullivan, chairman of Bield, said the last year was very successful in implementing new plans and strengthening the core services of the organisation – helped greatly by the involvement of tenants and residents. He said: “One of Bield’s great strengths is that it is a learning organisation and through the process of implementation we have continued to make refinements to the service, most importantly going to a much greater effort to involve and engage tenants and residents in what we do. “The board approved a new Tenant Engagement Strategy earlier in 2015, following extensive discussion with the Partnership Forum. “As part of the Tenant Engagement Strategy, a scrutiny body will be set up which will look in some depth at key areas of performance from a tenant perspective and recommend improvements.
“This is a real opportunity for tenants, who are effectively the ‘customers’, to shape the services Bield provide. “Feedback from our customers is crucial. That’s why we want continue to develop our Tenant Engagement Strategy through the partnership forum. “This will ensure we continue to improve our communication at a local level and truly take account of tenants and customers’ views when we make decisions.” Bield is dedicated to providing quality care which will enhance and enrich the lives of older people in Scotland in line with it’s ‘Free to Be’ philosophy which lets people make their own choices about how they live their lives whilst being there to offer support if needed. Gerry, who was speaking at the Bield AGM in Edinburgh, added this would not be possible without the hard work of the group’s employees. Gerry said: “The dedication of our staff never fails to amaze both myself and Bield Chief Executive, Brian Logan.“None of what we do at Bield could be achieved without the hard work, dedication and professionalism of our staff at all levels.”
OVER four decades since completing a life-size replica of the infamous Tutankhamun burial mask, care home resident Ken Rebair was reunited with his masterpiece after visiting the museum which houses it. He began work on the replica mask in 1972 after being inspired when the iconic treasure, discovered in 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter, was displayed at the British Museum. Ken obtained copies of the photos from the museum and used these to create a scale, ensuring his model maintained the correct dimensional proportions. The replica, painstakingly carved from beech wood, took Ken two years to complete, finishing work on the mask in 1974. After hearing about his incredible achievement he was approached by the Great North Museum in Newcastle to see if they could feature the mask as part of their Ancient Egypt exhibition. Ken now lives at Astor Court in Cramlington, a care home that offers nursing and residential care for the elderly and those living with dementia, after being diagnosed with dementia. After hearing about his story, activities coordinator at Astor Court,
Ken with his finished burial mask masterpiece back in 1974. Richard Dobinson, decided to take Ken on a trip to the museum to see the mask in person – over 41 years after he donated the mask. Richard said he was thrilled with Ken’s reaction to seeing his mask again after all these years. He added: “There was some question as to whether Ken would recognise the mask as he has advanced dementia but as soon as we came to the cabinet his face lit up, it was amazing to see. “Ken started telling me all about how he’d constructed the mask, how he’d mixed his paint to match the original. It was absolutely incredible.”
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Ellen Brown, care homes divisional manager at apetito, looks at how homes can increase their efficiency in 2016 ...
A challenging year ahead WHEN George Osborne presented his recent Autumn Statement, the failure to address the lack of funding for the care sector was seen by many operators as the latest big blow to the Industry. It seems that barely a week passes without reports on the financial pressures facing care homes and, with the introduction of the National Living Wage in April, 2016 is certainly shaping up to be another challenging year. In our work with care homes across the country, I’ve witnessed first hand the impact that local authority cuts have had on budgets and the prospect of the National Living Wage is understandably causing real concern. Of course, care home owners and operators wouldn’t dispute that employees should be paid a fair wage – after all, while incredibly rewarding, care work can be physically and emotionally demanding at times and often involves long hours – but how are they going to meet these increased costs? Exploring the options As we saw from the Autumn Statement, the potential for any additional support from the state to help homes meet these costs can’t be
relied upon. Care homes could look to increase their budgets by raising their own costs, but the challenge of funding care is an obstacle many families are already struggling with. Another possibility would be to cut costs by losing staff members, but this will inevitably have a detrimental impact on the levels of care that homes are able to offer their residents. Therefore, a key focus has to be launching an efficiency drive to identify where other savings could be made without compromising on quality.
Ellen Brown
A helping hand Having committed to becoming Living Wage employers ourselves, we’re only too aware of some of the challenges homes will face. However, the support we offer could not only lower catering costs significantly, but actually deliver other benefits too. Working with a specialist food provider is proven not only to increase resident satisfaction, but also deliver tangible savings. Being able to offer a broader choice of meals with portion sizes to match, reduces food costs by greatly cutting down on waste. There are also savings to be made on labour costs, by removing
complexity in the kitchen and reducing the time spent preparing meals. This can often save homes tens of thousands each year. We fully empathise with the repeated requests by the care home industry for the Government to step up and provide the support that is so desperately needed. However, in an age of austerity, we also need to be realistic. Looking to where we can drive efficiency without impacting on quality needs to be at the top of everyone’s agenda. To book a FREE tasting session with the apetito care homes team, visit www.apetito.co.uk/care-homes or, for more information, call 0800 542 2631.
Springhill Care Group founder Ken Nolan (left) and FISC Healthcare managing director Eddy Fishwick (right).
Duo added to line-up KEN Nolan and Eddy Fishwick have been added to the speaker line-up for the 2016 care providers conferences organised by Caring UK’s sister company Script Events. Ken established the award-winning Springhill Care Group after qualifying as a Registered Nurse (Learning Disabilities). Leaving the NHS, he committed himself to delivering high quality, person-centred services for adults and older people. The group has grown to incorporate three care homes – Springhill, Accrington, Birch Green, Skelmersdale and Riversway, Bristol. Eddy is managing director of FISC Healthcare, which has more than 40 years' experience in the social care sector. Through forming strong partnerships with its customers, the company has evolved its proposition to not only supply consumables but to understand and respond to the wider operational aspects of running a care home. Its CareHomeLife brand partners
with owners/managers to provide solutions that continually improve culture, style and elegance in care homes to exceed care standard, improve staff retention and maximise occupancy. Caring UK editor Dominic Musgrave said: “We are delighted to add such distinguished names as Ken and Eddy to our speaker line-up for 2016. “With representatives from Care England, the National Care Association and The Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling already confirmed, our conferences area shaping up to be must attend events for all care home and domiciliary company owners/managers.” The ‘Elderly Care: Leading the Way events take place at Newcastle Racecourse on May 18, Herons Reach Hotel, Blackpool on May 19, York Racecourse on July 13, Holiday Inn, Plymouth on October 5 and Cheltenham Racecourse on October 6.
Sharon Watts has taken over the reins as manager at Somerset Care’s Wyndham House in Minehead. Sharon started her career with the group 15 years ago at Croft House as a relief care support and domestic assistant. Over the years she then progressed to a supervisor position at the Williton care home. In 2013, Sharon was then offered the position of deputy manager at Wyndham House, working alongside manager Tracey Delbridge. Speaking of her appointment, Sharon said: “I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to manage such a wonderful care home. The residents and staff make Wyndham House a fantastic place to work and I would like to thank everyone that has supported me.” Sharon started her new role in the middle of November.
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Tatiana named employee of the year at Pride Awards By Olivia Taylor A TEAM leader at an Abergavenny care home has been named employee of the year at the Sunshine Pride Awards. Tatiana Kwinta, who works at Penpergwm House – a residential home, day centre and home care provider – was put forward by a work colleague, with the support of the whole business. Managing director Priscilla Llewelyn joined Tatiana and her daughter as the ceremony at The Three Counties Hotel near Hereford, where it was announced that she had won the accolade. Priscilla, who has run Penpergwm House for 28 years, said: “Tatiana is totally dedicated to her job and everyone associated with it. She works five 12-hour shifts a week and has only ever missed a day’s work once. “This was due to heavy snow fall in the Welsh Valleys where she lives, and indeed on that day she did try and make it to work but was forced to turn back. “She is extremely popular with all the staff and she cannot do enough for our residents. Visiting doctors and nurses speak very highly of her and family members of residents sing her praises. “The home had no hesitation putting her name forward for the Sunshine Pride Awards and now, having won the award, it is
Tatiana Kwinta with a resident at Penpergwm House. a perfect way of showing her how much we all appreciate her and the wonderful job she does. “Tatiana thoroughly deserves to be recognised in this way.” Tatiana started work at Penpergwm House nine years ago as a general assistant. At that
time she spoke very little English having moved to this country from Poland. She has since worked her way through the ranks to become a team leader, with responsibility for a team of carers and the health and wellbeing of the 34 clients at the home.
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Provider shortlisted for HR Distinction Awards
Care staff receive awards for outstanding achievements MORE than 200 care workers from across Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire have been recognised for their outstanding achievements and quality of care in this year’s Orders of St John Care Trust Employee Awards. Categories awarded within each county include Carer of the Year, Young Carer of the Year, Leader of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Hospitality Award and Unsung Hero. In addition, 16 employees from across OSJCT received Care and Quality Accreditation Awards in a range of categories, including Dementia Care, Infection Prevention and Control and Medicines Management. 127 members of staff also received certificates for completing qualifications in Health and Social Care, Dementia Care, Moving and Handling, Team Leading, Food Production and Cooking and Cleaning and Support Services Skills,
Health and Social Care, Hospitality and Training and Business Administration. Long service awards for up to 45 years’ employment with the Trust were also then presented to 35 employees. Dan Hayes, acting chief executive for OSJCT, said: “Our employees go above and beyond, and all work extremely hard to ensure the best care for those who choose to live in our homes. “Our annual Employee Awards are a way to recognise those that have gone the extra mile and an opportunity to celebrate their continued dedication and hard work.” “The selfless individuals who work in our care homes across the country are the backbone of the Trust, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide the high-quality, personcentred care we pride ourselves on delivering to our residents.”
Royal College of Nursing accredits programmes THE Royal College of Nursing has accredited HC-One for not one, but two of their in-house programmes; their Care Assistant Development Programme and their Future Leaders Programme. The RCN accreditation of HC-One’s Care Assistant Development Programme highlights HC-One’s commitment to the development of senior carers, and ensuring there is an opportunity to progress within this role. The accreditation of the Future Leaders Programme gives HC-One’s registered nurses the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, and is a transferable qualification. Both accreditations will sit alongside the Institute of Leadership and Management Centre Accreditation as part of the Academy@HC-One. RCN accreditations recognise organisations’ learning and development initiatives, guarantee they are up to date, of high quality
and effective in educating nurses. Their purpose is to promote best practice and contribute to public and patient safety by ensuring access to quality-assured learning initiatives that support nursing and health care delivery. An RCN accreditation means these programmes are automatically associated with the high standards of the RCN and their commitment to professional development. HC-One’s director of people development, Alison Innes-Farquhar, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this important element of our inhouse learning and development programme has been accredited by the RCN. “By developing our colleagues in this way, we will be able to continue to attract and develop the best nurses and carers to our homes, to provide the kindest care to all of our residents. We are proud to provide for a stable group of well supported and highly professional colleagues.”
CARING Homes Group, has been shortlisted for the HR Distinction Awards in the Occupational Health and Wellbeing category for their ‘Living in my World' dementia training. Due to an ageing population, and an increase in the rates of dementia and Alzheimer's, Caring Homes Group HR team created a pioneering training course to provide their carers with a full understanding of what it is like to live with dementia. ‘Living in my World' is a training programme, accredited by City and Guilds, that has been rolled out to all 60+ residential and nursing homes in the Caring Homes chain and has been instrumental in ensuring exceptional levels of care. Laird MacKay, managing director, Caring Homes, said: "The course has already made a very positive difference to the lives of thousands of
people living with dementia, their families and the dedicated colleagues who support them. It has also created a great career pathway for colleagues, providing a clearly signposted training route to enhance their skills in dementia care." The Living in my World training course offers three levels of award: ‘My World' (bronze), ‘Understanding my World (silver), and ‘Supporting my World' (gold). The bronze has been developed for all Caring Homes' colleagues in mind, whereas the silver is aimed at colleagues in a care role and the gold level is for nurses and senior care colleagues. The courses include face-to-face training, self-learning activities, an assessed workbook, plus an elearning knowledge test. The awards will be announced at a gala ceremony on February 3 at the ICC Birmingham.
Homecare firm celebrates Investors in People status A LANCASHIRE homecare provider s celebrating after it was awarded Investors in People Silver status. Mosaic Community Care, part of the family-run Mosaic Care Group, becomes one of the top two per cent of companies in the UK to gain silver status, meeting more than 100 standards to demonstrate the way it trains and develops its staff. Managing director Claire Fryer said: “We are extremely proud to have been awarded the silver standard. This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to staff training and development. “We know that in order to give our clients the best service we need to have the best people working for us, and as a business we are focused on building a highly-skilled and motivated workforce. This award is for our team and they thoroughly deserve it. “We are now setting our sights on progressing to the gold standard which reflects our attitude towards employee development and continuous improvement.” Mosaic Community Care provides a diverse range of domiciliary care services across Preston, Fylde and Wyre for people who wish to retain
Claire Fryer their independence in their own homes including disability care, dementia care and nursing. Investors in People sets the standard for better people management and defines what it takes to lead, support and manage people well for sustainable results. It is underpinned by a rigorous assessment methodology and a framework which reflects the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry.
Home’s apprentices graduate ALL five care apprentices at the Woodstock Residential EMI Care Home have been awarded their Health and Social Care qualification at a special graduation ceremony. The group, who have been working at the Nellsar care home since May 2014, have completed a variety of assessments, including safety and personal learning, to provide them with the skills and experience needed to build a successful career within the sector. The graduating apprentices
include Louise Seal, Kirsty Hook, Leah McColl, Samantha Suttling, and Kendra Edwards, who have all gained their qualifications with Connect 2 Care, a specialist health and social care training provider, which is a subsidiary of the leading apprenticeship supplier for the Hospitality Industry, HIT Training. Manager Gail Edey said: “Training our carers is an important part of this commitment, and our apprentices represent the best of the next generation.”
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A West Bridgford care home has been crowned the winner of the Commercial Interior Design Project £250K+ by the Northern Design Awards 2015. Caring UK reports.
The Garden Room on the residential floor (left), the Gentleman’s Club seating area (right) and the entrance lobby (below) at the award-winning The Grand.
The Grand wins prestigious interior design accolade THE category celebrates innovation and creativity within a commercial building, and the 82-bed facility, which opened in April, instantly appealed to the judges. Beating off five other finalists, including luxury restaurants and retail headquarters, the judges recognised the particular design challenges that a care home presents, and The Grand received the prestigious accolade for its nterior design, which blends functionality with a homely appeal and pleasant ambiance. The home’s in-house interior designer, Katie McGoff, was briefed to create an environment that improved the life of the residents by carefully marrying the conflicting needs of clinical care with a welcoming home environment and adding a dash of glamour. She said: “We strived to create a care home that was different. The biggest challenge is that the visual impact always has to play second fiddle to functionality and the clinical needs of every resident. “I wanted to ensure that however traumatic it had been for the resident
and their family to enter the care home, it looked and felt like somewhere they wanted to live. “With their en-suite bedrooms I aimed to create an elegant but homely space. With the public areas, such as the dining rooms and day rooms, I believed it would be a mistake to try and replicate the home and instead opted for the more aspiring boutique hotel setting. “The Art Deco period was a primary inspiration as it evokes a feeling of
opulence and glamour. “The lobby is a feature of the care home that was designed and dressed to give the wow factor and emphasise how The Grand does not feel like an institution, and it leads into the stylish coffee shop and hair salon that provide destination places for the residents. “This glamorous look continues in the dining rooms and large communal day spaces, where designer wallpaper and lighting are mixed with
specialist furniture which was carefully chosen to give a hotel feel. In addition, we also created a more intimate day room on each floor using the inspiration of a gentleman’s club, with these spaces offering a quiet reading room or a fun and playful room for small groups of residents where games and activities can take place. “Specialist furniture was required throughout the home, but each and every item had to be considered as to how it could be adapted to ensure it did not look institutional; including profile beds that were customised in walnut to tie in with the décor and all chairs which were designed for the elderly, with much consideration given to the mix of fabrics used for the Art Deco opulence. “As the home also specialises in dementia, this meant another level of thought in the design process so colour schemes were selected that considered residents’ emotions and soft furnishings that could stimulate memory, including wallpapers of the locality and artwork of old movie stars.”
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Jump benefits charity A TEAM from The Manor House Nursing Home in Chatburn raised more than £1,500 for charity with a free-falling parachute jump. Proprietor Janet Harrison, her daughter Katie, son Stephen and partner Kate Rawlings received the early morning training at The Black Knights Parachute Centre at Cockerham. Thankfully, this involved being strapped to an experienced parachutist for the actual free fall. The intrepid team climbed into the small aircraft to fly to 15,000 feet, which was above the clouds and had 40 per cent less oxygen in the air.
It was predicted all heart rates would be over 200 beats per minute, which turned out to be an under estimation. Despite the lack of oxygen, the atmosphere was jovial in the aircraft until it was time to leave, then fear set in. With trepidation, each of the team was thrown out of the aircraft. However, everyone found it exhilarating, as well as frightening, while free falling at 124mph. When the parachutes opened, it was exciting floating down while admiring the coast with a bird’s eye view. Luckily, all had a gentle landing without any injuries.
Paul Gleaves, who often volunteers to run the tombola at the home's charity events.
Home’s autumn fair a success PARKLANDS, the CLS-run care home in Poynton, Macclesfield, is set to spread a little warmth this season after raising £770 for charity at its Autumn fair. The facility, a registered charity itself, held the event to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the residents’ activities fund, which is used to pay for trips and days out. The Autumn fair, which is held annually at Parklands, boasted a number of stalls run by the home’s staff and residents, including a ‘guess the weight of the cake’ stand, a tombola, and a raffle. Many of the stands were made possible by prize donations from local
business and members of the community. Two members of staff at Parklands, Chris and Sue Rowley, asked the care home if it would become involved in their fundraising activities for the MS Society as their son has the condition. Denise Gleaves, activity co-ordinator at Parklands, said: “The Autumn fair was a huge success and we were completely bowled over by everyone’s generosity. We’d like to give a big thanks to those who donated prizes and came to visit us on the day. “As a registered charity ourselves, we’re committed to supporting good causes and everyone is looking forward to doing so again in the future.”
The families of residents at a Newton Aycliffe care home were put through their paces en route to raising more than £600 for charity. Aycliffe Care Home, which is operated by Akari Care, has donated the money to the Alzheimer’s Society after taking part in a Memory Walk, in Chester-Le-Street. Family members of residents at the home took part in the walk and were joined by resident Peter Barron, as well as deputy manager Christine White and senior carer Claire Gauden. Christine said: “It was lovely to see so many people of all ages joining in. I have done this walk in memory of people I have had the privilege of getting to know and care for along with their families and loved ones.”
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SPONSORED BY
www.sky.com/business
‘Amazing’ effort doubles group’s funds raised for Children in Need A TAP-DANCING Pudsey and a pantomimestyle minibus trip were among the ideas as family-owned Colten Care doubled its Children in Need fundraising this year. The care home provider held events at all of its 19 homes during the recent BBC appeal, raising a total of £3,867.74. That is almost twice the figure for last year, £1,968.56. Activities managers totted up the final amount after collection boxes, raffle proceeds and pledges of support were counted at each home. Fernhill, Colten Care’s dedicated dementia care home in Longham, Dorset, was the venue for an hour-long sponsored tap dance by Pudsey bear. Activities Organiser Karen Grant-A’Court took to the floor dressed as the famous charity mascot. The home’s choir, involving residents and team members, sang classic tunes to accompany her as she danced. Fundraising at Belmore Lodge in Lymington involved a fancy-dress pantomime party from the home going out and about in a specially decorated spotty minibus. Complete with Pudsey, Aladdin and the Widow Twankey, the group sold homemade cupcakes on Lymington Quay and made a visit to children at Pennington Infant School. Held several days after the annual telethon, an auction of donated items at Avon Reach in Mudeford helped raise
Belmore Lodge staff party with children at Pennington Infant School. £1,500, the largest amount from a single Colten Care home. Colten Care has a deliberate policy of linking activities programmes with fundraising for charities chosen by residents. In 2014, the 19 homes raised nearly £25,000 for charity. Over the past five years, the figure is more than £110,000. The 2015 total, which includes £2,700 for Macmillan Cancer Support, will be revealed
early in the New Year. Karen Burdon, Colten Care activities manager, said: “Our residents and team members really value being part of the community and raising money for worthwhile causes. It’s entirely up to residents which charities we support. Once the choice is made, we all get behind it. To have doubled our Children in Need support in a year is amazing.”
New approaches to resident activities for the New Year The New Year is upon us and there is no better time for exploring new activities. As we look forward to what 2016 has to offer, James Tweddle, a director at Sky Business, looks at ways in which some of the most popular programming for older people can be used to encourage and support activities which promote health and wellbeing. The beginning of a New Year brings fresh starts and resolutions. This time of year provides the perfect opportunity for care providers to encourage the people they support to try some new activities, and for the providers themselves to look at and try different, fun ways of getting their residents active. Whether it’s setting up a game of chair football to get residents in the mood for the next live Premier League match or coordinating a lively sing-a-long to their favourite musical, Sky’s entertainment package can help get residents motivated and active. By
joining popular programmes with innovative activities, it’s never been easier to encourage people to get active. For all residents, regular exercise improves cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness, bone and functional health and reduces the risk of unhappiness and cognitive decline. If planned with enough thought, care homes can deliver activities that have the additional benefit of complimenting and enhancing therapies that residents are already undergoing. For those residents living with dementia, cognitive and psychosocial therapies are proven to be highly effective treatment methods. For example, recent research by UCL explored the effectiveness of dementia treatment therapies, and suggested that Cognitive Stimulation Therapy can be a highly effective intervention which leads to the improvement of the memory and
‘Care home staff can complement such therapies with activities that are designed to stimulate memory and improve fitness, by thinking creatively about how to engage residents.’
quality of life of people living with dementia. Care home staff can complement such therapies with activities that are designed to stimulate memory and improve fitness, by thinking creatively about how to engage residents. Quality TV programming can be a useful tool to help with this creative engagement. As the population ages, the number of people living with dementia looks like it will increase; care homes can turn to modern technology that is at their fingertips to provide new and exciting activities for residents that
not only keep them entertained, but which also complement existing therapies to promote overall health and wellbeing. With themed movie sessions and inspirational documentaries, Sky TV brings your residents together, stimulates their senses and enhances their wellbeing. To discuss Sky’s TV packages for care homes, please contact James Tweddle, sales director at Sky Business, james.tweddle@sky.uk or call 07557 847381.
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Card competition won by receptionist and resident
West Sussex home care provider Caremark (Pulborough) helped to start the Christmas festivities in their local community by joining in with the big Christmas lights ‘switchon’. Many of the lights are original designs drawn by children from the local school. This year’s winning entry of a ‘Rockin’ Robin’ was drawn by seven-year-old Isla Harvey. Following the presentation of her prize from Mary Wardell, PR executive from Caremark’s head office, Isla was asked to turn on the lights with Mary and get everyone in the Christmas spirit. Isla is pictured with Mary Wardell, PR executive at Caremark Limited, her mother Lisa and younger brother, as well as Caremark CEO Kevin Lewis.
Residents enjoy panto performance RESIDENTS at a Worcestershire care home have been enjoying the adventures of Jack and the giant as a professional pantomime was put on as part of their Christmas entertainment. Legendary tale Jack and the Beanstalk was performed for dozens of residents and their families at Welland House Care Centre in Malvern. Staff, who put together a year-round programme of events for residents, organised the show with a specialist company who regularly visit care homes to entertain residents. The
A SKIPTON care home receptionist and an 87-year-old Horsham care home resident are the joint winners of a national Christmas card competition run by Barchester Healthcare, and their designs will appear on a charity Christmas card to be received by people throughout the UK. David Bower, who lives at Westlake House, painted a trio of presents propped against a red post box, while Terry Witham, receptionist at Threshfield Court, embroidered a Christmas tree studded with green gems. Both designs were chosen from hundreds of entries sent into Barchester’s Christmas card competition by staff and residents. The sale of the cards will help raise money for Barchester’s charitable foundation, which helps older people and other adults living with a disability in the UK by offering grants to improve independence, mobility and quality of life. David’s daughters Jan and Sue are delighted that their dad has achieved this after a difficult time in his life.
Some of their earliest memories involve seeing him sitting in the front room with his easel. After a series of strokes four years ago he was left unable to walk or communicate, and had to learn to use his left hand for basic tasks. Now at Westlake House, with regular visits from local artist Ann Harris, David has again learned to put paint to paper and, for the first time in his life, not only has he won a competition, one of his creations is now in print. Liz Higson, general manager, said: “I am thrilled that David’s artwork has been chosen for this year’s Christmas card. He is a real inspiration and we are so proud to have such talented residents at Westlake House." Terry added: “There is always a needle and fabric near me and I loved the Christmas tree pattern, which I enjoyed creating. “I only entered the competition at the last minute and was surprised when it was one of the winning designs. I trust all will enjoy the Christmas tree card and the true message of Christmas as we celebrate.”
annual pantomime followed a hugely successful performance of Puss in Boots last year. Manager Jeanette Bedford said: “Our residents all enjoyed what was a fantastic show along with their family and friends.” Welland House also has other events taking place over the festive period including bell-ringing, a Christmas Fayre and a residents’ party. The residents will also get to enjoy a singalong with carols from the Welland Primary School Choir and a performance from entertainers, The Poppy Sisters.
Pupils from St Mark’s Church of England School entertain residents at the service.
Charity celebrates with annual lantern parade Santa prepares to bring gifts into the Christmas market at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury. With him are Jackie Cash, head of care (left), and Sylvie Rodulson, activities organiser.
Festive market raises over £500 A SALISBURY care home’s Christmas market raised more than £500 towards its residents’ nominated charity, Age UK. The free-to-enter event at Braemar Lodge featured traders’ stalls selling gift ideas plus decorations and other items handmade by residents. Visitors were welcomed with roast chestnuts and marshmallows and enjoyed finger buffet food and live carol singing as they toured the
market. The £524 collected on the night brings the total amount raised by Braemar Lodge for Age UK this year to £1,600. Sylvie Rodulson, Braemar Lodge activities organiser, said: “Many thanks to all who donated raffle prizes and everyone, including residents’ relatives and guests, who attended on the night. It was a brilliant start to the festive season.”
THE Abbeyfield Kent Society – a charity that provides housing and care for older people across the county – celebrated Christmas with a seasonal church service and lantern parade. The annual event takes place each December at the picturesque Friars in Aylesford and provides residents of Abbeyfield Kent homes with an opportunity to attend a seasonal service with their close friends, family, staff and contacts of the Society. Each year, the festive celebration sees the community of Kent coming together to celebrate Christmas with a seasonal church service, followed by a candlelit parade around the scenic grounds as the sun sets. After the collective parade, guests were invited to warm up and indulge in a mince pie and hot drink in the
tearoom, while they socialised with other guests and chatted about the event. Pupils from Aylesford’s St Mark’s Church of England School sung a range of seasonal carols throughout the service and one pupil presented a reading. Leon Steer, chief executive at The Abbeyfield Kent Society, said: “Aylesford Priory is a wonderful venue for a Christmas event and it provides a very special backdrop for our lantern parade. “It is very important for the Society that our residents are able to enjoy a special Christmas service, and we do all we can to ensure they are afforded every opportunity. “This year's lantern parade really was special, everyone at the Society is already looking forward to next year.”
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Jean celebrates 25 years at Pudsey nursing home By Olivia Taylor
The garden at Milton House.
Garden gets a re-vamp thanks to Prince’s Trust STAFF and residents at Milton House in Bridgwater are delighted with the look of their new garden. The home initially started working with Bridgwater College’s Prince’s Trust team in the summer, when they helped to make photographic versions of the nursing home’s menu. Their most recent task was the revamp of the garden at the home, including some gardening, power washing and painting of the outdoor furniture and planters. The Prince’s Trust team worked hard to raise funds for the project by offering to pack bags in supermarkets, and had vouchers donated from B&Q and Wilkinsons,
with The Walled Gardens of Cannington donating the plants. Home manager Julie Bohot said: “This was a challenging project and they should all be very proud. They really were a fantastic group of young people and I feel proud of they work they did. “It was lovely to see the confidence of the young people grow as they became involved in their work. They were very committed to completing this work in the specified time and worked so hard to include all the things we wanted.” The students also created an underwater mural for one of the home’s bathrooms.
A NURSING home manager who started her career working one shift a fortnight has celebrated 25 years’ service. Jean Thorpe, manager at Radcliffe Gardens Nursing Home in Pudsey, near Leeds, joined the home in 1990 as a registered nurse. Since then the mum-of-two has held various positions within the home, before becoming manager of the 33-strong team five years ago. And, 25 years on, 61-year-old Jean said she couldn’t imagine working anywhere else as she celebrated the landmark with colleagues and residents. She added: “It’s great place to work. It’s very homely, everyone is friendly and the staff are marvellous, we all get on. “When I first started I had young children and I worked one night shift every two weeks. As time went on I started doing more shifts and when the children were older I became full time. “I have achieved various qualifications over the years, including the NVQ registered manager’s award and I completed palliative care training at the University of Leeds. I also worked as deputy manager before I became manager.”
Radcliffe Gardens manager Jean Thorpe (centre) with senior carer and activities co-ordinator Joanne Baxendale and deputy manager Karen Marston. To celebrate Jean’s 25 years’ service colleagues presented her with flowers on the home’s Wear it Pink Day in aid of Breast Cancer Now. Radcliffe Gardens, part of the Mosaic Care Group, is a 19 bed nursing home offering specialised services for elderly people who have complex health needs. Mosaic Care Group managing director Claire Fryer said: “Jean has a wealth of experience and is a highly valued member of the team who is well liked by staff, residents and their relatives. “I’d like to congratulate her and thank her for her dedication and commitment.”
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Competition recognises budding young artists PUPILS from Huish Primary School were awarded for their pieces of art, which are now on display at the newly-built Cooksons Court care home. Earlier this year, Somerset Care invited the pupils to take part in a competition as part of the opening of their new Yeovil facility. For ‘Getting to know my Grandparents’ the children were asked to produce a piece of artwork based on their grandparents’ childhood. The artwork could include their hobbies, the food they liked, toys they played with and songs they sung. At the prize-giving the pupils also performed two songs ‘Thank you Lord’ and ‘Midnight’, which the residents enjoyed listening to. Chantal Kirkland, business manager at Cooksons Court, presented the winners with a £20 Love to Shop voucher as their prize and revealed their artwork on display within the home. Runners up received a £10 Love to Shop voucher and, due to the talent of all the entries, the other
Aileen Sharples with her son Paul and his new wife Julia on their wedding day. Competition winners from Huish Primary School with Chantal Kirkland, Cooksons Court business manager. entrants received a £5 WHSmith voucher. She said: “We were blown away by all of the entries for this competition; it was incredibly hard to pick just three winners. I would like to say a huge thank you to the pupils at Huish Primary School. The winning pieces of artwork on the walls have received lots of compliments and we think they are the perfect addition to our new home.”
Whitby home retains Gold Award status WHITBY care home Peregrine House has retained its Gold Award status awarded by the independent standards organisation Investors in People. Internationally recognised, the Investors in People accolade is awarded to companies who have
been rigorously assessed for their performance in leading, supporting and improving their employees. Only three per cent of qualifying organisations achieve the highly coveted Gold Award status, which the caring Peregrine House team are delighted to have achieved again.
Church bells ring for ‘interactive wedding’ AN 89-year-old resident was delighted to enjoy a front row view of her son’s Gloucestershire wedding from the comfort of her home, thanks to the dedication of staff at her Wigan community care village. Aileen Sharples was overjoyed for her son Paul on his ‘big day’ but was nevertheless disappointed that she would not be able to attend the ceremony and watch the happy couple exchange their vows. Learning of this, Belong staff quickly stepped in, making arrangements for a second wedding to be simultaneously held at the village, linking the two events using an iPad and FaceTime. Everyone gathered around Aileen as she watched the ceremony take place, and then joined her afterwards
for a champagne toast and slice of wedding cake. Once the wedding was over, Aileen spoke to Paul and her new daughterin-law Julia using FaceTime to wish them both congratulations and a wonderful honeymoon. Belong experience coordinator, Marie Calderbank, added: “We make it our business to always go the extra mile. “This is our second interactive wedding at Wigan and staff really pulled out all the stops to make it a success. It was lovely to see Aileen’s face light up as soon as it all began.” The occasion sparked conversations and reminiscences among all those involved, who enjoyed recalling their own memories of weddings they had attended in the past.
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Annual Care Cook of the Year competition is officially launched THE National Association of Care Catering is seeking out the best care cook in the UK as their Care Cook of the Year 2016 competition officially launches. The current title holder, Oliver Smith, head chef at Wetherby Manor care home, declared the competition open at Food Matters Live, where he demonstrated to visitors what it takes to achieve excellence in care catering. Entries are now being taken, with the deadline of Friday, February 5 2016. Sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Cooks and Premier Foods, the NACC Care Cook of the Year competition champions the care catering sector and the specific skills, culinary and nutritional knowledge and creativity of those operating within it. Chefs and cooks from across the sector – residential homes, local authorities and other care organisations, including community services such as meals on wheels, day centres and luncheon clubs – are encouraged to enter. The competition challenges entrants to create a nutritionally-balanced, two-course menu (main and dessert) that is suitable for service users in a care setting. The combined food cost for both courses must be no more that £1.50 per head based on four portions and it is to be produced in just 90 minutes. Participating chefs and cooks will be expected to demonstrate nutritional understanding of the foods they are using, plus culinary flair in flavours, execution and presentation. However, whilst providing a platform to showcase talent, the appro-
A Water Orton nursing home which prides itself on providing its residents with a home from home experience has extended its warm décor and personal homely touches to the garden. Orton Manor has recruited a landscaping company to give its grounds a dementia friendly makeover including a seating area, peaceful waterfall feature, high and low flower beds, an endless pathway and plenty of bright and aromatic plants to give it a colourful and relaxing feel. Residents are now able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine in spring and summer and the fresh air and surroundings in the autumn and winter under the heated shelter.
priateness for the target clientele must always remain a priority. All paper entries will be judged by a central judging panel that will be looking for innovation, costing, suitability for the environment, adherence to nutrition guidelines, taste and overall menu balance. Successful entrants will be invited to compete at a regional cook-off in March 2016, where they will have 90 minutes to produce their dishes and demonstrate their skill set under the watchful eye of the competition judges. Neel Radia, national chair, NACC, said: “At long last awareness of the importance of catering in the care sector is growing. Our population is steadily ageing and the demand on the care catering sector is increasing. “Catering for the elderly and vulnerable comes with specific challenges, such as the risk of malnutrition and the impact of reduced appetites and eating difficulties caused by conditions such as dementia and dysphagia, so chefs and cooks really must be on top of their game.”
Footballers visit Jewish care home residents LEYTON Orient players Sam Ling and Scott Kashket recently paid a Mitzvah Day visit to residents of Jewish Care’s Vi & John Rubens House in Redbridge. Whilst there, both Sam and Scott met with a whole host of residents, talking to them while posing for photos, and gave tickets out to resi-
dents, staff and volunteers for a forthcoming Leyton Orient home game. The visit, which has become a regular annual fixture, was particularly special for one resident, Tilly Stern, as she proudly introduced her great grandson Scott, an Orient forward, to other residents.
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Group appoints its first digital skills trainer By Olivia Taylor
Ravi Gidar, director and owner of Gold Care Homes, Queensway House activity coordinators Tracey Rogers and Sharon Flanagan and chief operations officer David Slater.
Caring duo rewarded TWO dedicated care workers from Hemel Hempstead were rewarded for reaching the highest of standards and achieving excellence at the annual Hertfordshire Care Awards, which was celebrating its fifth year. Sharon Flanagan and Tracey Rogers, from Gold Care Homes-run Queensway House, won the Engagement & Wellbeing Specialist Award, sponsored by Eyeway Signs, at the glittering gala bash. They picked up the prize in front of a packed 380-strong audience at the ceremony hosted by the Hertfordshire Care Providers Association, in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council, at Knebworth Barns. They, along with their fellow award winners, received special praise from VIP guest and former X Factor star Andy Abraham. Sharon and Tracey organise a huge range of activities for the residents
living with dementia at Queensway House, offering choice and control over decisions to make them feel valued. The activities stimulate the senses and encourage participation, which boosts self-esteem and fulfils emotional needs. They were also instrumental in setting up Queensway House’s seaside-themed tea room, where residents can socialise, make new friends and have an enjoyable experience in a safe environment. And they made a resident’s dream come true when they arranged for him to have an unforgettable trip out in a Ferrari. Sharon said: “The individuals decide what they want to do as it’s their home, “We’re constantly thinking of new things to do, so it’s a lovely job. We get so much pleasure from seeing what they get out of it. We love our job.”
ONE of Scotland’s most innovative housing and care providers has announced the appointment of its first digital skills trainer. Shawn More graduated recentlywith an MSc in Human Resource Management from Edinburgh Napier University, and landed the unique position after spending just three weeks on a placement with Blackwood. The newly developed role will see Shawn responsible for the creation and delivery of training programmes to instruct employees and customers on using Blackwood’s new smart technology enabled care system. He will work as part of the ambitious charity’s recently unveiled tech and innovation division, which aims to identify, support and develop the latest design and technology to help those with disabilities live their lives to the full. He said: “I’m thrilled to step up and take on this exciting new role. After one year at University studying Human Resource Management, I feel I have a sound knowledge of how to develop Blackwood’s exciting objectives and train staff and customers for the future. “I have been given a fantastic opportunity working with Blackwood as we are an engaging, innovative
organisation that invests in changing the care and housing sector for the future. “It’s definitely an inspiring time to be a part of the organisation as it gears up to revolutionise the housing and care sector with its impressive reputation of service quality and new technological innovations.” Blackwood’s new smart technology enabled care system will explore how technology can be integrated with professional care services to enhance independent living. It will ensure services users are constantly connected with friends, relatives and carers. Likewise, connected touch screen devices could influence everything from the ability to open curtains, switch on TVs, provide medication reminders or order shopping. Fanchea Kelly, chief executive at Blackwood, added: “We are delighted to bring the new role of digital skills trainer to Blackwood as it will enable us to continue to grow as industry innovators. “The pace of change in technology is unprecedented and the potential for improving and enhancing the lives of the people we work with is incredible. We are determined not only to keep up with that, but to be at the very forefront of this area, and Shawn will play a huge part in helping us achieve our goal.”
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Putting people in control of their own care could ease loneliness epidemic By Tim Cocking, MD, Bright Care
SCOTLAND’S MSPs, to their credit, do tend to get there in the end. A new report highlights what professionals in the care sector have known for decades, that loneliness and social isolation is a human tragedy on a massive scale. Holyrood's Equal Opportunities Committee recently recognised calls from campaigners that loneliness should be treated as a public health priority on a par with poverty and poor housing, and acknowledged links with dementia and malnutrition. But it is a big step from recognising that a problem exists to working out an implementable plan of action to deal with it, and in this regard MSPs are as in the dark as everyone else about what to do about it. The fact is that, since caring became an industry instead of a familial responsibility, it has focused more on practical assistance with tasks such as personal care, cooking and cleaning rather than the emotional wellbeing of the people in its care. The statutory care at home ‘pop-in’ model, which allows no time for emotional connection, has for many older people become somewhat dysfunctional. For many elderly people, who feel they are part of a system of care at home which simply processes then abandons them – it can actually exacerbate the problem of loneliness. They may justifiably feel that the
care worker is just another person who doesn’t really have time for them. This can be as much of frustration for care workers who simply want to provide the highest quality care they can within the constraints of this model. It has fallen to the private sector to rethink the whole model of domiciliary care, factoring in a recognition that older people in receipt of care services are sentient and sensitive human beings who should be afforded meaningful social interactions through quality time. Despite the best efforts of an underresourced statutory care system, it is clear that there is no over-arching state solution to the issue of older people who are on their own for extended periods of time. It is simply cost prohibitive to look after people 24 hours a day. The scale of the problem far exceeds the capability of any one local organisation or national body to address it. There are many social clubs, lunch clubs, day centres and local voluntary organisations serving our older generation, all which have a valuable purpose, but they are a drop in the ocean in the context of wider social isolation. Campaigners talk about elderly clients who sit on a bus all day because it is free and they have nowhere else to go, and people who visit their GP every week because they have no other company. The days of elderly parents moving in with their families in their declining years are, by
The head chef from Perry Manor care home in Worcester is celebrating after being crowned chef of the year at Care UK’s annual Residential Care Services Stars Awards ceremony. Peter McGregor beat off stiff competition from chefs at 114 care homes nationwide to be presented with the prestigious accolade. Peter won over the panel of judges, which included Care UK Residential Care Services managing director Andrew Knight, with his supreme of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and chorizo, served with a red wine and thyme jus. Peter also created an apple puff pastry tart with fresh blackberries and ice cream for dessert. Pushpa Sagoo, home manager at Perry Manor, said: “Not only is Peter a skilled and creative chef but his excellent leadership skills have built a brilliant kitchen team. He has a Michelin-star restaurant background which shines through in all the food he cooks.”
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and large, long gone. Most people have careers and children and can’t fulfil the loneliness need – that is a simple recognition of reality. But that generation could be made more aware of what can be done to alleviate the loneliness that older people suffer, and accept that they could afford to contribute towards more fulfilling lives for parents and elderly relatives. And if MSPs really want to address the issue, they could perhaps start by challenging the public sector assumption that ‘free’ care – ie care that has been paid for by someone else – is the only model of value. This mindset does not take into consideration that many older people, who have looked after themselves all their lives, do not want to be dependent, and see imposed, hasty public sector provision as a kind of defeat. It is an understandable viewpoint that there could be a social stigma about paying for companionship, but that should be weighed in the balance against the indisputable fact that such an arrangement can make elderly people feel more in control, with a greater sense of true independence. MSPs could remind themselves of the original provisions of the Beveridge Report – the foundation of the welfare state – in which William Beveridge said that the state, “in organising security, should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility”.
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New year, new trends Page 41
Eco retirement homes scoop building award
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Foundation stone officially laid at new care centre
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Care home expansion creates 25 jobs By Olivia Taylor BENORER Care Home in Lochore has opened a specialist complex care unit and expanded its dementia care provision, creating 25 full-time jobs. Part of the Avondale Care Group, Benore’s new Robert Allan unit will provide high quality care for residents with complex needs. The new facility can cater for up to eight residents suffering from a range of high-impact conditions such as MS and motor neurone disease. Lister House, the dedicated dementia facility at Benore, has also been extended with the creation of a further eight bedrooms taking its capacity to 48 – an increase of 20 per cent. This latest expansion of the familyrun business was backed by Clydesdale Bank, who provided £1 m funding in a deal facilitated by relationship manager Graeme Muir.
Adrian Hendry, director at Avondale Care Scotland, said: “We’re very pleased to have increased the number of people we can accommodate and the types of conditions we can care for. “We have taken on a significant number of staff to meet the specific and complex needs of our new residents. “The number of staff we have hired means that we now offer higher staffing-patient ratios than the industry average. “Our new unit is named after my father, the late Robert Allan Hendry, who founded the Avondale Care Group 25 years ago. I’m sure he would be very impressed with what we’ve built.” Stephen Buchan, head of Clydesdale Bank’s business and private banking centre in Edinburgh, added: “Clydesdale Bank is proud to
Graeme Muir, relationship manager at Clydesdale Bank, with Adrian Hendry, director of Avondale Care Scotland. support businesses targeting growth. “It is fantastic to see the Robert Allan unit delivering high quality care and contributing to the local economy by creating 25 jobs.
“Avondale’s investment in the Robert Allan and Lister House facilities confirms the business’ ongoing commitment to providing the highest standards of care in West Fife.”
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New year, new trends By Andrew Long
AS we welcome the New Year, it seems a good time to reflect on the current trends gripping the social care market. We’ve heard lots of concerns over the past year about the future of the industry and the impact of Local Authority fee pressures, exacerbated by the move to the National Living Wage. To date, the lack of any real Government commitment to help the market – beyond a derisory rise in Council Tax – has meant the social sector has had to realign its ducks. This has led to a definite surge in the development of assisted living/extra care schemes which look have a strong future in the elderly care market. We’ve been here before and don’t have to cast our minds back too far to remember the flurry of these developments in the mid-2000s. The appeal of a combined lifestyle living with care options added as and when required is indisputable. Buy or rent an apartment with a range of services from not much, to a full import of domiciliary care – the flexibility is a strong proposition to any elderly prospect. The level of commitment by developers sadly waned during the
‘The appeal of a combined lifestyle living with care options added as and when required is indisputable.’ recession and subsequent stall in property-based lending, but this latest resurgence looks to continue gaining momentum. So what has changed in the last decade to add fuel to the interest in assisted living developments? Firstly, we’ve seen a significant and sustained shift towards a private-pay market in social care, as a result of ensuring sufficient returns on capital to cover the cost of borrowing and shoring up against overly dependent residents referred by cash strapped local authorities. Providers have thus reviewed their care services and how they can best meet the needs of their target clientele. Assisted living/extra care offers the independence, flexibility and lifestyle opportunities – and return - which is now hard to achieve in a traditional care setting. From a financial perspective, the UK entry of developers like Life Care Residences, coupled with the cost of capital for development being relatively benign, has fuelled more interest in the potential
upside of successive sales of apartments. With interest rates at record low levels, confidence has peaked for the purchaser who can anticipate a healthy uplift in equity from their own residential property with which to invest and retain some savings. McCarthy and Stone has also shown the model can work across a range of potential customers, not just the most affluent, having modified their offering to suit the local client base. This may mean taking account of care features at development stage to future-proof the accommodation for customers’ later years, ensuring they can stay in residence longer. Others will maintain a more residential focused model and be robust about wishing to move people into registered care settings when dependency requires it. Generally-speaking, the expectations of elderly accommodation far outstrip those of the past, with a more active and socially mobile customer-base.
Andrew Long Like in the care home market, we are seeing a strong recognition that enhanced facilities such as cafes, libraries and cinemas, are desirable features for the next generation likely to enter a care-setting. These facilities and lifestyle offerings are well suited to the assisted living/extra care model. Such developments will therefore establish an attractive place to spend later years and ultimately create a stable platform for the assisted living/extra care market longer term. Andrew Long is development director at LNT.
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New owners secure future of homes
Anchor and construction partner Castleoak have celebrated the opening of the show suite at its £12.5m luxury retirement living development in Weybridge, Surrey. Over 60 people visited the new show suite during its opening weekend, providing a first preview of the high specification retirement apartments that are now available for reservation. The development of 65 one and two bed luxury, independent living apartments offers a wealth of on-site facilities including a hair and beauty salon, a treatment room, a coffee shop, lounge and reading room, a tranquil rooftop retreat and landscaped gardens. The retirement properties, which are being offered exclusively for sale through local estate agents, Hamptons International, Weybridge, will open shortly.
Eco retirement homes scoop building award
THE future of three Lincolnshire care homes has been secured after they were transferred from current owners LACE Housing to specialist care provider Country Court Care. Eccleshare Court near Hartsholme Country Park in Lincoln, Ruckland Court in north Lincoln and Neale Court in North Hykeham are now owned and managed by Country Court Care. Nick Chambers, chief executive of LACE Housing said: “We’re very pleased to have secured the future of our three care homes, protecting 160 jobs and safeguarding the care of our residents.” “This transfer means that residents will continue to receive the highest standard of care from staff they know in surroundings that remain familiar to them. “As an investor in excellence, LACE Housing will be able to concentrate on the further development of a wide range of specialist housing and support services for older people across Lincolnshire, including Housing with Extra Care and transport. “Over the coming five years we plan to invest nearly £20million in specialist housing for older people in
Country Court Care managing director Alykhan Kachra with Nick Chambers, chief executive of LACE Housing. the county. It’s the start of a very exciting chapter for our organisation.” Alykhan Kachra, managing director of Country Court Care, said: “We have more than 30 years’ experience in the care sector and we share similar values and aspirations as LACE Housing. “Our strategy means we are committed to continued investment in the care sector and Country Court Care is already a major employer in Lincolnshire, employing over 700 staff and owning 16 other care homes with a total of over 700 beds.”
By Olivia Taylor AN ECO retirement development has won a national building award for the consistent high quality of its zero carbon bungalows. The Waterside, which is part of Middleton Hall Retirement Village, near Darlington, scooped the Development of the Year award, 11 to 50 units at a glittering ceremony for The Bricks 2015, in London. The Bricks recognises the exceptional work of developers and contractors who go the extra mile to deliver quality construction and design. The awards took place at One Embankment in London and were hosted by TV star Alexander Armstrong. Judges praised The Waterside’s ‘exceptional standards of finish that the development consistently achieved.’ The Waterside is the first zero carbon retirement development in the UK and each of the 35 bungalows are fitted with wood burning stoves, triple glazed windows and thick insulation and benefit from electricity generated from PV (photovoltaic) panels. The first residents have already received little or no energy bills with one resident receiving £125 back from the Feed-in-Tariff. Jeremy Walford, managing director at Middleton Hall Retirement Village,
Joe Starkie, The Waterside site manager, Middleton Hall’s construction manager Graeme Bell and MD Jeremy Walford collect their award. attended the event with The Waterside’s construction manager Graeme Bell and site manager Joe Starkie. “I’m delighted that all the hard work and clear focus on quality throughout the Waterside has been recognised. “Apart from the innovation in building the first zero carbon retirement housing in the UK, the attention to detail has been apparent by how pleased all our customers have been in moving in.” The £9m expansion of Middleton Hall Retirement Village’s accommodation and facilities has included creating a new Orangery with a cafe, bar and shop, selling produce grown at Middleton Hall and by local organic suppliers.
New Century Care appoints CEO PHIL Smith has joined New Century Care as its chief operating officer. He joins the group after more than 10 years at Sunrise, where he was senior director of operations. New Century Care is investing in strengthening its senior management team to ensure it is well placed to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Phil Smith’s appointment as chief operating officer is further evidence of the company’s investment. Phil said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at New Century Care, at a very exciting time for the company. “This role provides an ideal opportunity to broaden my skillset within the care sector.”
David Bellamy OBE and his wife Rosemary help to open The Manor House with Councillors Christine and Andrew Willoughby and Hadrian Healthcare Group’s owner and chairman Ian Watson.
Luxury care home opens LUXURY elderly care provider Hadrian Healthcare Group’s newest home, The Manor House Knaresborough, is now open. Guests of honour at the celebration opening event were Dr David Bellamy OBE and his wife Rosemary as well as councillors Andrew and Christine Willoughby the Mayor and Mayoress of Knaresborough. The £7million Manor House provides residential and dementia care. Lisa Turnbull, manager of The Manor House said: “Our aim is for all our residents to enjoy a new and enriching chapter of their life with us. Moving to The Manor House is a lifestyle choice. “Residents can enjoy their new home where support is always available as well as being in touch with family and friends and maintaining their interests. “Our staff take pride in making a
difference to the lives of our residents and their families. Each person’s care is based on their individual needs, making sure each person is involved in the decisions about their care and accommodation.” The Manor House has been designed both for residents’ privacy and with areas for social events including family, friends and the community. The interior is light, bright and spacious. Furnishings are luxurious and comfortable, and carefully chosen colours, textures and accessories create a homely feel. All suites are appointed with private ensuite bathroom facilities. The home is designed to reflect a community within a community with a residents’ bar and café, numerous bistros and a purpose designed hair and beauty salon as well as a whole suite dedicated to resident wellness including massage, foot spa and occupational therapy.
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Make care more accessible to fix our broken system By Stephen Sloss WE ARE now at a critical point in the provision of social care. Within the next 17 years the number of people over 65 is projected to rise by nearly 50 per cent to over 16 million. Further to this, 90 per cent of the UK population already don’t qualify for local authority support and must self-fund their social care. The fact that adult social care in the UK is under increasing pressure is indisputable. How can social care budgets being cut by £4.6bn and perceptions of poor care and abuse becoming rife, in conjunction with an ageing population, constitute anything less than a crisis? While the austerity battered public sector tussles with the storm surge policies of government and world events, ordinary people have to navigate an unnecessarily complex care system. On all sides of public, private and government sectors, care and health have been left behind when it comes to getting the benefits of the transformational modernisation opportunities afforded by technology, web and
digital solutions. We live in an era with a modernising older generation, who are increasingly willing to use new technology in their daily lives from talking to their grandchildren via FaceTime, to booking their holidays online, and using online forums for their hobbies. The suggestion that 70 per cent of 80-year-olds will be online within the next five years is revolutionary, as it creates a gap in the market for more innovative ways to improve social care. Therefore, if the worsening care crisis already exists alongside the rise of the ‘silver surfer’, why not put them hand in hand to help address some of the issues faced? Now is the time to make access to care simple and more understandable rather than witnessing the continuing ‘all or nothing’ approach to care support through current eligibility and rationing systems. We have an opportunity to turn every single UK citizen into a private consumer of care, but to do so we need to have the right solutions in place that make it easy for anyone to plan, set up and manage their own care arrangements, or those for their relatives.
Stephen Sloss The way we buy houses, cars, organise travel, go on holiday, pay our bills and taxes, and do almost everything else has been transformed by the way we use online services.
In these industries the systems have been transformed, relationships with consumers have changed and processes are unrecognisable from their prior state. Why not in the care sector? A truly unique, online marketplace like www.mycaresupermarket.com can make social care far more accessible, by simply putting everything in one place: a wheelchair, a fulltime carer or even access to local clubs and events. For elderly users of the site, it provides them with an opportunity to regain their independence and purchase services themselves as opposed to consistently having to depend upon younger family members or the State to run their lives for them. As more of us live longer, a greater level of preparation for old age is needed and a rethink of how we’ll finance our care, starting in younger years. We need to bring the benefits of the web into the heart of care to educate us earlier, to inform us of options and possibilities we could not have imagined, to stay independent, safe and happy in our own homes longer. Stephen is CEO at Salvere and board director at Skills for Care.
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Changes affecting staff and employers By Ben Stepney When are my staff working and when are they not working? There have been two recently reported cases concerning what is deemed to be working time. One concerned sheltered housing wardens, the other Spanish technicians. But both will be of interest to care sector employers as they could effect how you pay your staff, whether now or after the introduction of the living wage in April 2016. Is travelling the same as working? The first case concerns employees who do not have a fixed place of work and who spend their working time travelling between different sites. This could be particularly relevant for domiciliary care providers who employ carers to care for numerous different elderly and vulnerable people in their homes. The claimants were Spanish technicians who installed and maintained security equipment at various client sites. Each technician used a company vehicle to travel from their homes to different sites and then return home at the end of the day. Their employer did not regard the journey from home to the first assignment, and from the last assignment to home, as working time. They treated the working day as starting from the time the technician arrived at their first assignment and ending when they left the last
assignment. The technicians brought a complaint that their journey from home and journey to home should be treated as working time for the purposes of the Working Time Directive. The European Court of Justice agreed and found that their working time started when they left home and finished when they returned home. The court found in their favour because travelling was an integral part of being a peripatetic (travelling) worker and when such workers have to travel to a customer designated by the employer, they must be considered to be at work. So UK employers of travelling employees now need to take into account these journeys when calculating their employees’ working time for the purposes of the Working Time Regulations (WTR) to ensure that they are still compliant with employees’ rights to: Work no more than an average of 48 hours a week (unless they have signed an op out). A daily rest break of 11 hours. A weekly rest break of 24 hours. This case may also be relevant when determining working time for minimum wage purposes. The definitions of working time in the WTR and in the Minimum Wage Regulations are different, but this case could be cited in future litigation concerning what counts as working time for minimum wage purposes by travelling employees. Some domiciliary care providers do not count time travelling between
appointments, as well as the journeys from home and to home, as working time for minimum wage purposes and so only pay employees for the time spent providing care. But if an employee’s working time for minimum wage purposes is subsequently deemed to include time spent travelling, then those employees may not be receiving the minimum wage. My view is that it is only a matter of time before we have a ruling that time spent travelling between appointments should count as working time for minimum wage purposes and that this European case as another small step in that direction. Is a sleeping worker working? The second case is the latest in a series of case about whether workers who are ‘on call’, that is not actively working, and even asleep, were entitled to be paid the minimum wage during that time. This case would be of interest to all employers who have staff on-call during the night. The claimants were sheltered housing wardens in accommodation units for vulnerable people. Their core hours were 08:30 to 17:30 Monday to Friday. On four nights a week the claimants were required be in their tied accommodation units throughout the night and to respond if the central alarm system was activated. They were entitled to claim time off in lieu or overtime payments if they were called out during the night, which rarely occurred. The claimants claimed that the time
when they were on-call four nights a week was working time for which they were entitled to be paid. The good news for employers is that the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that this did not count as working time. The EAT held that on-call hours would only count as working time where an employee is required to work throughout the night as part of their core contractual duties. Examples include a nurse dealing with telephone queries during the night. In these cases the employee is considered to be actually working throughout the whole period. However the EAT said this was an on-call case where the worker’s main job is separate from and is not carried out at the same time as the on-call period. This category is likely to include jobs where the workers are required to sleep on the premises, such as a housekeeper. In these cases the worker is deemed to be working only when the worker is awake for the purposes of working. So there’s an easy distinction to put into practice! But joking aside, it does give some guidance to employers of the types of scenarios where employees who are on-call will not be able to claim that the time should count working time for minimum wage purposes. Hopefully future cases will add more clarity to this guidance. Ben Stepney is an associate solicitor in the employment team at Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP.
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Foundation stone officially laid at new care centre THE Orders of St John Care Trust has launched construction for a new, state-of-the-art care centre in Trowbridge. The new £6.1million 64-bed care centre, which is set for completion during winter 2016, will include two floors dedicated to providing residential and specialist dementia care and will comprise of four 16-bed households, each one complete with its own kitchen and communal living space. Linking the two households on the ground floor will be a central destination area, called the Street, which will feature a cinema, corner shop, hair-salon and a garden room/café. Secure landscaped gardens will also be accessible from each of the ground floor households, along with a communal landscaped garden accessible from the garden room/café. Robin Khokhar, assistant operations director for OSJCT in Wiltshire, said: “We’re excited about this new OSJCT care home development in Trowbridge, not least because it means we will once again have a facility to support the older people in the town – and on the site of our previous home. The Foundation Stone ceremony enables us to let everyone know that the work is now well
underway and that people can look forward, as we are, to seeing a brand new building emerging from behind the fencing around the site. “Later on next year, once the project is further advanced, we will be arranging open days so that members of the public can come and see for themselves the high quality facilities we will be offering. “It will be great to show off a beautiful, well equipped new home, using our innovative household model, where people will be able to get all the support they need to continue to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling lifestyle in homely surroundings.” The home is being built by Stepnell in partnership with The Orders of St John Care Trust, which will provide the care in the new home. Joint managing director, Tom Wakeford, added: “We look forward to helping deliver this leading-edge specialist dementia care facility for the local community in Trowbridge and the surrounding area. Stepnell has a strong record of providing high-quality residential facilities built to the most demanding standards and our team is excited to be bringing their expertise to this important development.”
Genesis has launched 65 extra care units for rent at its City Park West development in Chelmsford, Essex. The new build apartments at Freeman Court allow tenants to live independently with the support of a well-trained on-site team, with facilities ranging from providing lunches to assisting with mobility. A wide range of care is available, from medication management to help getting out and about. The development offers communal spaces for socialising, including cafes, therapy and beauty rooms and a seated courtyard area. A range of one and two bedroom apartments are available in a variety of sizes and layouts. All apartments offer private kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor space in the form of a balcony or terrace. Each room has been specifically designed for those with limited mobility with wider doorways, a wet room-style bathroom and emergency call buttons in every room.
Existing operators buy former hotel EXISTING operators John and Wendy Marsh have purchased Hillside House in Devon with funding arranged by Chandler & Co. Exciting plans are underway to convert the former hotel into a 12-bed all single luxury residential care home, and they have further plans to build 12 more rooms on the 16-acre site. They have been pleasantly surprised at the early interest in the local
area. Word has travelled quickly and enquiries are already being made regarding the opening date. John said: “Chandler & Co have given us invaluable assistance over a number of years. They have provided a first class service from start to finish and we would gladly recommend them.” Finance was arranged by Sean Hurden.
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The need for an integrated platform By Paul Hardy The opportunity The Five Year Forward View has integrated care at its heart. The models that deliver this may be different – multispeciality community provider model or primary and acute care system model – but the general principle of integration is the same. However, it is not only care that need to be integrated. For the new models to truly flourish they need rock-solid foundations; there must be harmonisation of key assets like estates, IT and equipment – what is really needed is an integrated platform. Why an integrated platform? Currently there is too much fragmentation between a number of different stakeholders such as: GPs, GP provider organisations, provider trusts, local authorities, CCGs, NHS property services limited, community health partnerships and care homes. All of these organisations have their own equipment, IT systems and premises. Whilst there may already be some harmonisation – such as the ability for different NHS organisations to share information electronically – for integrated care to truly flourish this needs to go much further. Organisations involved in integrated care need to think about issues such as the extent to which they have or want a common IT architecture – or
whether middleware could be a solution, allowing IT systems to ‘talk’ to each other. Another key issue is likely to be whether they seek co-location, encouraging communication and joint working between members of the team from different organisations. Put together these amount to the integrated platform from which clinical staff will be delivering care to patients. Getting this base right will make it easier for them to do so effectively and productively; getting it wrong could adversely affect service delivery. Estates Estates present potentially difficult issues for partners in an integrated care model – but also many opportunities. One possibility may be operating from the same base or sharing several different buildings. This will need careful planning to ensure all stakeholders’ needs can be met and potential conflicts avoided. Flexible agreements can be drawn up allowing the stakeholders to use the pooled premises either at short notice or on a more permanent basis. If sharing is permitted then there needs to be a clear understanding and demarcation about which organisation retains responsibility for issues such as: CQC compliance, repair and maintenance, statutory and regulatory compliance, premises
assurance model issues and security. If estate rationalisation is possible as a result of integration then surplus property may be sold off. What to do with the proceeds of sale needs to be clearly documented in advance – the proceeds could be used to improve the remaining estate or to “pump-prime” new services or to fund new-builds such as step up/step down care. One consequence of vertical integration could be that some primary care premises such as GP surgeries may no longer be needed. In some cases one of the stakeholders may wish to acquire them but they may be sold on the open market. This will raise questions about how proceeds of sale should be treated. In other cases, stakeholders may agree that new premises need to be acquired – for example, if services are to be co-located but no existing premises are suitable. Again, issues around funding a purchase or lease – and how ongoing costs will be met - will need to be discussed and resolved by partners. The realities There are some obstacles to overcome. The NHS estate has been described as fragmented, complex and opaque. That does not mean that it cannot be integrated, simple and transparent – it’s just about knowing how to achieve this. FYFV rightly puts the interests of patients at its heart. The reality is
that currently the key stakeholders are all separate organisations with separate legal personalities and responsibilities. Whilst the stakeholders will undoubtedly welcome integration there are still responsibilities that they must discharge. They must ensure that they participate fully without undue financial or legal exposure. One way to address this could be through a strategic partnering arrangement, which records the principles of integrations and intentions of partners. The answer The starting point is of course is robust governance and clear documentation to set the structure for the interaction and integration between the organisations. FYFV is a leap of faith for the NHS as it requires a paradigm shift in the way that the various stakeholders view their relationships with each other. The legal documentation that provides the framework should reflect that. It should be clear, simple and easy to understand. Rather than focusing on the parties entrenching their positions, the documentation should strike that sweet spot of supporting integration whilst also protecting the interests of the organisation. Paul Hardy is a partner at Hempsons.
Rosina and Mark Darnell with Kevin Shapland at the opening.
At-home care company moves into new offices THE local office of at-home care company, Home Instead Senior Care, held a special celebration to officially celebrate their move to Regent Park in Park Farm, Wellingborough. The event not only played host to Home Instead elderly clients and their families, but also welcomed a few familiar faces from the local community. Kevin Shapland, president of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, was present to cut the ribbon and officially open the office. The Home Instead Senior Care team, led by business owners Mark and Rosina Darnell, were joined by their office team and caregivers,
members of the local Rotary Club, and national office staff who all raised a toast to their new premises. The visitors chatted happily to the many Home Instead clients who also attended the celebration and shared in some tasty nibbles and drinks. Mark and Rosina say the new offices will enable them to train more caregivers in-house and provide an even better working environment for their team and were both thrilled with how well the event went. Mark said: “We are delighted with our new home because it puts us closer to the centre of the community that we serve and this is something that definitely calls for a celebration.”
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Providers announce rise above the Living Wage IDEAL Care Homes will be paying all its staff above the living wage, despite inflation being near zero per cent for the past year. The lowest paid in the organisation will now therefore be paid £7.50p/h, which represents a 15 per cent increase on Ideal's current lowest wage. National minimum wage reached £6.70p/h in October, but the Ideal wage will now be 30p per hour above the Living Wage. Newly appointed chief executive Matt Lowe said: “The introduction of the living wage has given providers like us the opportunity to demonstrate our dedication to a quality care offer and recognition of how hard our staff work to create such great places to live. “Offering an above living wage, never mind minimum wage, rise is a no brainer for us and puts us ahead of the curve in the sector.” While the Chancellor’s announcement to introduce the Living Wage from next year has been met with caution by many in the sector, Ideal believe it will help them improve their offer to residents. The decision to make the introduction at this early stage, reflects Ideal’s understanding that quality care requires motivated and committed staff. Sarah Colling, head of HR, added:
“Ideal wants to recruit and retain the best staff. We believe the raise in hourly pay will show our staff how committed we are to their roles. “It’s not all about wage, however, and we believe that providing our staff with full training, regardless of their role, is vital to creating the right caring environment. Their achievements as carers are central to our achievement as a provider. ” Carers are all encouraged to upskill with training throughout the year. The “Your Ideal Future” programme also develops carers on the path to becoming a home manager. Braintree based Sonnet Care Homes has announced its decision to increase rates of pay to a minimum of £7.25, ahead of the Government’s introduction of the National Living Wage of £7.20. Staff at The New Deanery and St Mary’s Court residential care homes are benefitting from the increase, which the group introduced at the beginning of November. CEO Julia Clinton said: “We are determined to attract and retain the best possible teams to work in our care homes. “Whilst our wages are already amongst the best in the area, we feel it is important to step up and acknowledge the National Living Wage now, rather than wait until April next year.”
DC Care has completed the sale of Haisthorpe House Care Home in York. John Britcliffe, owner of Haisthorpe House Care Limited, instructed DC Care to find a buyer ‘off-market’ for the home in August 2015, and within a few days a purchaser was sourced. The home has been purchased for an undisclosed amount by a specialist operator, who plans on extensively renovating it into a specialist home for adults with learning disabilities. The sale completed within three months, largely due to the solicitors acting on behalf of both vendor and purchaser. Alison Taylor, DC Care specialist business appraiser, said: “When I was asked to appraise this home, I knew who to introduce immediately. We can often identify when something will suit a particular purchaser, through years of building relationships with operators. This in-depth, specialist knowledge helped to ensure the sale was as quick and smooth as possible. I’m very pleased we were able to complete the transaction in only three months.”
New builds near completion CARE home architect and design specialists NorthStar is on-track for 2016 completion on three elderly residential care projects. In Norfolk, Bedfordshire, and Gloucestershire, NorthStar managed care projects are taking shape to offer the latest extra care, dementia and residential care provision. From luxury long-term residential, nursing and dementia care in
Norwich and Gloucester, to an extra care village in Bedford, the much needed developments are taking shape and will see a combined 199 beds complete by the spring. Director Danny Sharpe said: “We’re definitely building speed and looking forward to seeing these much needed care facilities complete and benefitting the elderly of Bedford, Norwich and Gloucester.”
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CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS
Assisted living project is flagship scheme SHACKLETONS worked with Cestria Community Housing to change perceptions of older peoples housing and overcome a shortage of highquality housing for the over 55s in Chester-le-Street. The flagship state-of-the-art £6.5m assisted living scheme ‘The Elms’ features 48 two-bedroom apartments, four one-bedroom apartments, two two-bedroom detached wheelchair adapted bungalows and four twobedroom semi-detached bungalows designed specifically for people aged 55 and over who require support with their healthcare or housing. Shackletons provided a full turn-key solution that supported Cestria Community Housing’s response to the recommendations set out in ‘The HAPPI Report’ – a Government report which aims to encourage a healthy
and active lifestyle for people aged 55 and over. With wellbeing in mind, Shackletons embraced the vision for improving the quality of life for our ageing population through high quality sustainable furniture with an innovative precedent that raises the bar and challenges those preconceptions of what retirement accommodation should look like. Being ‘care aware’, Shackletons ensured all furniture was adaptable in its function to meet the needs of the elderly should their needs and abilities alter; such as mobility, and support – it’s essence being independence, no matter the individual’s ability. Encouraging social interaction within the communal spaces, the scheme’s use of natural light was embraced to create a pleasing
environment with designed and manufactured bespoke seating and occasional furniture for the beauty/treatment room, IT suite, internet café, and office/community exhibition space. Sarah Thompson, regional sales manager, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Cestria Community Housing and help them comply with a number of design standards, including the Habinteg Wheelchair Design Guide, Lifetime Homes and Design Quality Standards. “We were incredibly privileged to have worked on this flagship project and are really happy to see our input and product being appreciated by residents and the community alike.” Ann Prentice, owner of Live In Spaces, added: “Creating the interior design for The Elms enabled me to
incorporate colour, pattern, local heritage and familiar items into this flagship assisted living scheme to support wayfinding, conversation points and reminiscence into key areas of the building. “While ensuring that my design considered the practical and sensory needs of the future resident, in particular those with visual impairment, physical disability and dementia I wanted to provide Cestria Community Housing with an ‘eye catching’ interior design proposal which stood out from other schemes and brought good practice and practical solutions to make this scheme as fit for purpose and enjoyable as possible for the people who will live there. My aim – to create an interior design which makes people smile.”
Nurse call for dementia care Badging staff meets AID Call exhibited at last month’s Care and Dementia Show as one member of their newly created Innovation Tours. Here we could discuss our latest product releases and, importantly, demonstrate how our systems support those living with dementia. Our nurse call systems are designed to reduce response times to emergency calls, improve the standard of these responses by increasing the amount of information available to carers and to facilitate the care of those with more complex care needs. It encourages better communication and reassures residents, and their families, that help is always nearby. Features such as the dementia clock and easy-to-use reminder calls can assist more vulnerable residents and an all-encompassing call logging system will monitor
regulator’s outcome staff performance. We also offer a silent paging system which has proven to be of huge benefit on dementia wings, where loud alarms can cause undue distress. Additionally, the systems’ peripheral devices and assistive technology help carers to support falls management, learning difficulties and dementia. They facilitate greater independence, provide preventative as well as reactive care and mean the system benefits those without the necessary cognitive ability to utilise a conventional nurse call system.
Hotels for disabled people, their carers, friends and families SAFEHANDS Holidays is part of the Safehands group of companies, which incorporate Safehands Care and Safehands Nursery’s – both of which have branches throughout the north west of England. Safehands has specialised in the delivery of all aspects of care for the past 19 years, and is able to offer a range of unique care solutions to all our clients regardless of age or
disability. Confidence and commitment from investors and managers throughout the company has seen Safehands grow into a substantial multi-million pound care orientated business. Our mission statement is “to transform the life opportunities of people with disabilities, improving outcomes, allowing equality and increasing involvement and inclusion
SINCE 2010, healthcare practices regulated by the inspectorate must meet service delivery criteria including the clear identification of individual staff members. The guidance publication entitled ‘Essential standards of quality and safety’ specifies that, for providers to achieve the required standard of care and welfare of people who use their healthcare services, their users “can be confident that, wherever possible, they will know the names and job titles of the people who provide their care, treatment and support” (part of Outcome 4C). Compliance with this standard is simple according to Badgemaster, the UK’s leading supplier of name badges. “Providing name badges to customer-facing staff is a proven and very cost-effective solution to the Care Quality Commission regulations,” said John Bancroft MBE, managing director of Badgemaster. Nottinghamshire-based for 22 years, Badgemaster designs and manufactures ready-to-wear employee name badges for thousands of hospitals, surgeries and care homes and well understands the
needs of healthcare professionals. Badgemaster’s experience suggests that its own high product and service quality is greatly valued where time and budget come under pressure. John added: “Badgemaster has built excellent customer loyalty by providing a wide choice of name badge styles with clothes-friendly and patient-safe fasteners and high quality logo reproduction, together with a very fast and easy ordering and delivery process, all at the most competitive prices with no minimum order. “It’s also notable that many of the customers who compliment our staff for being so friendly and helpful are in the healthcare sector.”
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CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS
‘Fantastic' personal care for MS sufferer Liz A POSITIVE mental attitude is helping one Multiple Sclerosis sufferer adapt to her changing needs – to the extent where even her toilet is ‘fantastic’. Liz Farrelly, 46, from Paisley, was officially diagnosed with primary progressive MS a decade ago. Her independence has deteriorated over time, but the unique ability of her toilet – a Clos-o-Mat Palma Vita – to be adapted to her changing needs has meant that she can at least still undertake her personal toilet care with as little help as possible. Looking like, and capable of being used as a conventional WC, the Palma Vita has in-built douching and drying. So there is no need to wipe, or be wiped, clean afterwards, and the user is effectively and hygienically washed and dried to a consistent standard. A range of accessories, which can be fitted at the outset or afterwards, enable the toilet to be tailored to individual needs. “My Occupational Therapist suggested the Closo-Mat back in 2009, as he felt it would give me more independence, as I was still on my feet then,” said Liz. “It has been absolutely fantastic. “We’ve been able to been adapt it to cope with my needs as they change. Now, I can’t use my legs, and I have a catheter. A hoist enables my carers to transfer me to the toilet, the Clos-o-Mat’s integrated arms help me balance on the loo on my own, a touch sensitive switch means I can operate it with my feet, and the horse-shoe seat and spray help me properly position myself to deal with my catheter. I feel clean and safe. “Life’s too short, you have to look at the good in the world: as a little girl said to me the other day, I still have the freedom to see and do so many things, including eat ice cream. And with the Clos-
o-Mat I can go to the loo on my own. I’m a lucky lady.” The Clos-o-Mat Palma Vita is Britain’s topselling wash and dry toilet, and the only one that has a raft of accessories to enable personalisation to individual needs, at the outset, and as their needs change over time. Over 150,000 permutations exist. Clos-o-Mat is also unique in being manufactured in Britain, and supported by in-house design advice, supply, installation, commissioning and after-sales service & maintenance. Enquiries: Call 0161 969 1199, visit www.clos-o-mat.com or email info@clos-o-mat.com
Medicines Management Guide from Rosemont A GUIDE to medicines management and older people is available from Rosemont Pharmaceuticals. Called ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’, the booklet aims to help healthcare professionals learn more about how medication works, how the ageing process affects medicines, common adverse drug reactions, the definitions of compliance and concordance as well as to give an overview of some of the legal aspects of medicines management. The content of the guide is based on current best practice and the most up to date evidence about medication management. The focus is on the care of older people, who have a higher prevalence of illness and take around 50 per cent of all prescribed medicines (Kelly 2011). Four in five people over 75 take at least one prescribed medicine, with 36 per cent taking four or more medicines (NSF 2001). To receive a free copy of ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’, email marketing@ rosemontpharma.com Enquiries: Rosemont Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Rosemont House, Yorkdale Industrial Park, Braithwaite Street, Leeds, LS11 9XE. Call 0113 244 1999 or visit www.rosemontpharma.com References Kelly J , Wright D, Wood J, (2011) Medicine administration errors in patients with dysphagia in secondary care: a multi-centre observational study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(12), 2615–2627 Department of Health, Medicines and Older People: Implementing medicines-related aspects of the NSF for Older People, March 2001
The one step solution for labelling clothes IF YOU ask a relative of someone in a care home if they have any concerns, fairly soon they will tell you that they find it distressing to see their loved one in the wrong clothes. Lost, unnamed, and incorrectly labelled clothing is a timeconsuming problem for care home managers, and care home staff spend a huge amount of time ensuring they have correctly identified each resident’s clothing: after all our choice of garments is a vital part of our identities. Snappy Tags are discreet and resemble small buttons, making them comfortable and unobtrusive to the wearer. Names are permanently laser etched into the tag, ensuring that they will never fade, even in multiple harsh industrial laundry conditions. Snappy Tags are simply snapped onto the garment seam or laundry label using the Snappy Tag
applicator, and although they will not fall off in the laundry process they can be easily removed using the applicator and reapplied to a new item of clothing. Care homes who have implemented Snappy Tags agree. Dale-Jaimé Matthews, from the St Cloud Care group, said: “Snappy Tags have made it so much easier to keep track of all of our residents clothing since introducing this product throughout our care homes. “We have for years been trying to find a product just like this, everything else we have tried has failed. “Now nothing gets lost and the staff, relatives and residents have one less thing to worry about. “The little tags have given back hours of time to our laundry staff and have provided peace of mind with the residents and their families for their items of clothing.”
Claim VAT back on your home even if you are not VAT registered IT is true, care providers can reclaim VAT worth about £3,000 per bed for any residents who stayed in your home between 1993 and 2002 paid for by the local authority. You don’t have to be VAT registered to make a claim. We can usually find the information required with minimal disruption to your business. How is this possible? Well in 2002 a care provider called Kingscrest challenged the view held by HMRC and won. There is no cost to you unless we are successful. Typical claims: 50 beds – £240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287 beds – £1.25m. And the best part is that you get the money in your bank account before you pay us. Don’t forget the tax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.
Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.
Simple solutions 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.
Chubb provides integrated fire safety solution for Northwards Housing Beaucare launches comprehensive
CHUBB Fire & Security Limited has been chosen by Northwards Housing to design and install fire alarm systems integrated with existing assisted living solution technology to protect residents at five sheltered housing developments. Chubb is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. Chubb has worked with Northwards Housing Association for more than five years, providing assistive living solution systems and monitoring services through its Chubb Community Care business. Chubb Fire & Security won the new fire alarm contract following a detailed tender process, involving several client meetings and site visits. Alan White, Northwards Housing’s principal engineer for home improvements, said Chubb is a name the housing provider trusts. He added: “Our excellent relationship with Chubb Community Care, together with Chubb Fire & Security’s professional, industry-respected reputation made the company an obvious choice
new medical catalogue
for our fire safety requirements. “Chubb impressed us with its understanding of the latest British Standards and ability to provide designs compliant with the latest regulations. Since the fire alarm system needed to integrate with the existing assistive living solution system, the contract has benefitted from both companies coming under the Chubb umbrella.” Enquiries: For more information visit www.chubb.co.uk
OUR most comprehensive catalogue to date is packed full of all the everyday medical equipment and consumables a care home requires. We have broadened our product offerings within a number of ranges, including introducing new nursing profiling beds, which were showcased at the Birmingham Care Show last year, and dementia care products to mention a few. We guarantee a one-stop shop policy, with orders placed by 5pm being delivered next day at no extra cost. Beaucare® Medical Ltd, established since 1992, is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to individual care homes, care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts. Enquiries: To obtain your copy call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com
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If you’ve got a story for the next issue of Caring UK magazine email it to Olivia Taylor at ot@scriptmedia.co.uk
Signs
Free seminars at Show THE Manchester Cleaning Show is a new regional spin-off event to the largest dedicated cleaning and hygiene exhibition in the UK, The Cleaning Show. This is a chance for those responsible for cleaning and hygiene to meet with suppliers, test new products and attend a range of free seminars including: Cleaning in the healthcare sector. Illegal workers in the cleaning industry – solutions for employers. The impact of chemicals on
cleaning operatives. Case Study: Manchester leading the way. Attendance monitoring – using technology to manage a cleaning workforce. Pest management – what every cleaning contractor should know. Held at Event City, Manchester from 6-7 April 2016, care home owners, cleaners, suppliers and distributors are invited to register for their free pass now at www.cleaningshow.co.uk /manchester
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