no.267 • £4.75 incorporating
January 2019
The Number One magazine for the care sector
Nottingham care home named best in country
Positioning aids improve quality of life ADULTS with conditions such as Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and dementia often spend long periods laying in one position, which can cause problems with breathing, digestion, circulation and negatively affect mood. Now a research study has shown that night time positioning aids can help to alleviate these effects. The study was carried out by The University of Salford with 12 residents at Four Seasons Health Care’s Cameron House Care Home in Bury. A prescription for the night time positioning aids was written for each participating resident to meet their respective needs and was used over a study period of 12 weeks. The positioning aids consist of specially designed pillows and support systems to take pressure off the body, to make sleeping more comfortable and to prevent residents from getting into positions that could adversely affect them. They were made by specialist manufacturer Simple Stuff Works. Carol Bartley, lecturer in occupational therapy at the University of Salford, added: “Many health professionals have been calling for research into the effect positioning aids have on adults with complex needs, but this is the first time that any serious analysis has been carried out. We’ve found the
effects have been significant across a wide range of measures.” The results showed significant improvements to residents’ quality of life, including improved sleep for 70 per cent of the participants. Almost two thirds reported less pain and the remaining 40 per cent had no pain, including a resident amputee who no longer experienced phantom pain in his leg by the end of the study. Pain medication (analgesia) was reduced or discontinued in 40 per cent of the participants. Asthma medication was able to be discontinued for one participant by the end of the study. Food and fluid intake was also improved, with 50 per cent of the residents gaining weight, while 20 per cent also saw a reduction in the need for laxative medication. Choke risk was also reduced by half, including one participant who started the study requiring continuous assisted feeding while seated/lying in bed, but by week 12 was able to sit unaided and feed himself. Depression was seen to decrease by almost a third. The study participants showed higher levels of social engagement in the day, such as taking part in activities and games and better interactions when relatives came to visit.
A residential, nursing and dementia care home is celebrating after welcoming Colchester United legend Bobby Hunt as its first community ambassador. Foxburrow Grange provides services to 69 people with a range of care needs including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, general and specialist nursing, and end-of-life care. Bobby and his wife Sylvia have both been regular visitors to the home since their first visit in April with the Colchester United youth team. Bobby, who used to play for the club, lives with dementia and had visited the home to give a talk to staff and residents.
LANDERMEADS has been crowned the UK’s best care home at the Caring UK Awards 2018. The Nottingham care home won both National Care Home of the Year and Regional Care Home of the Year Midlands and Wales at the awards, held at Leicester’s Athena venue at the beginning of December, as well as the Excellence and Innovation in Dementia Care category. The home is owned and run by Ros and Rob Heath and their son, Jay. The awards, organised by Script Events in partnership with Caring UK and headline sponsor Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank PLC, celebrated the success of winners in 20 categories. The evening was hosted by journalist and broadcaster Christa Ackroyd, and was attended by more than 400 guests. Event director Judith Halkerston added: “All our winners have had an arduous journey to this point – the standard of entries was very strong and every facility that walked away with an award should be extremely proud. “Our awards’ night was an amazing celebration of the care industry – being in December many of the shortlisted homes used the occasion as their Christmas party and it was lovely to see everyone having such a great time.” Full round-up starts on page 17.
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Operator is first in Europe to test trailblazing technology TANGLEWOOD Care Homes has become the first group in Europe to test gamechanging fall detection technology. The Lincolnshire care provider is testing the new technology at its flagship care home in Spalding – Cedar Falls – a regional centre of excellence for dementia care. Pioneered in the UK by healthcare technology start-up FrontDoor, in partnership with Korea-based Kardian, the technology is a radar system which is placed on the ceiling of a bedroom. The system monitors movement and can detect falls, heart rate and breathing patterns using advanced artificial intelligence driven algorithms. Nike Ajewole, operations director for Tanglewood, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with FrontDoor and others on this ground-breaking system. “The technology we have at Cedar Falls has the potential to be rolled out in community care as well as care homes. “The system affords residents the independence they want, while providing carers and loved ones the real time information they need for peace of mind. It was a no-brainer for Tanglewood to get involved.” The trial is currently in its second phase and FrontDoor is working with
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Tanglewood to test the monitoring and detection rates of the system. The companies are also collaborating on an app for carers and family members. Tom Shelbourn, founder of FrontDoor, said: “Technology is key to solving the increasing challenges in social care, from combatting rising costs to tackling loneliness and isolation. It is invaluable to have a forward-thinking partner like Tanglewood on board. “Elderly people in the past have relied on wearable technology to send for
Tom Shelbourn from FrontDoor and Nike Ajewole from Tanglewood. help if they have fallen – but many do not like wearing these devices, or simply forget to. “Unlike bulky wearable solutions, our radar sits discreetly on the ceiling and is not reliant on the user at all. “The radar’s ability to monitor heart rates and breathing in a contactless way is incredibly exciting to us. “Prevention is very much the future and this technology can help us predict and prevent emergencies such as falls and heart attacks before they happen.”
At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk
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Editorial Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Group Production Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio Manager: Stewart Holt Tel: 01226 734414 sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Database enquiries to: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ scriptmedia.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur. Follow us on Twitter @caringuk
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CARINGCHRISTMAS IN OUR CARE HOMES
An RAF veteran is helping the charity which cares for him to raise money by designing one of its Christmas cards. Ted’s Winter Scene watercolour is being sold by The Royal Star & Garter Homes in its 2018 Christmas card catalogue. The design, complete with a dusting of festive sliver glitter, is the top-selling card in The Royal Star & Garter Homes’ Christmas catalogue. Ted, a former pilot who served in the RAF for 33 years, lives at the charity’s home in Surbiton. Residents of Watling Court Extra Care Housing Scheme got together to kick start the festivities with an evening of decorating. Their festive decoration evening is an annual occasion for the residents to get together and put up the scheme’s several trees and hang the many ornaments. Armed with plenty of mince pies and mulled wine to keep them going, the group of residents and staff got together to prepare their home for Christmas. With a tree in almost each room, they certainly had their work cut out, but they worked together to get them all decorated and looking beautiful before the evening was over. Teen actors brought seasonal cheer to care home residents in Chichester with a sneak preview of action from classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. Ten cast members from Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s Christmas production walked over to nearby Wellington Grange to sing and act in an intimate performance in the residents’ lounge. The visit was the latest in an ongoing partnership between the Theatre and Colten Care home designed to bring the joy of live drama directly to residents.
Pupils at Cramond Primary School delivered Christmas presents to people living with dementia and their carers as part of a gift appeal for the elderly. Gifts were delivered to the Cramond Dementia and Carers Lunch Club by Primary Six pupils at the club’s Christmas lunch. The Christmas Gift Appeal was organised by local care home, Cramond Residence. Throughout December, gifts were also delivered to elderly members of the community living in isolation, as well as members of the Almond Mains Initiative, a lunch club for elderly people living in Cramond, Barnton, Almond, Cammo, Davidson’s Mains, and Silverknowes.
The arrival of Christmas was marked at The Royal Star & Garter Homes with the annual Starlight services and turning on of the festive lights. The Starlight services were held at St Matthew’s Church, Surbiton and St Alphege Church, Solihull, and celebrated the lives of people past and present linked to the charity, which cares for disabled veterans. Among those attending the services were relatives and friends of residents who have passed away. They were open to the community and included readings, poetry and carols. A Christmas tree at each church was also adorned with dozens of stars, each bearing personal messages written by friends and family in memory of loved ones no longer with us. A fleet of reindeers took an afternoon off from pulling Santa’s sleigh to fly into a Bampton care home to recreate the famous Nativity scene with staff. The seasonal creatures joined Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus for a special performance at Rosebank, which was narrated by a resident and featured staff dressed as angels and shepherds. Residents joined in on a selection of their favourite Christmas carols during the show.
Staff of Connors House Residential Care Home in Canterbury treated residents to a day of Christmas shopping in the city centre and a festive pub lunch. Residents were keen to head out and do some Christmas shopping, so staff of the home kindly volunteered to take them on a festive outing. The residents spent the morning stocking up on gifts for their loved ones, with the help of the staff, before taking a well-deserved rest and warming up in a cosy pub. They enjoyed a festive lunch together, before heading home with their purchases.
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Charity launches VIPS dementia scheme
Operator’s international acclaim CARE village operator Belong has achieved international acclaim for Excellence in the Third Sector at the Investors in People Awards 2018, in recognition of its people management practices. The accolade, which recognises the best organisations of 500+ employees in the not-for-profit space, has celebrated Belong for its investment in class-leading recruitment, training and development programmes. The organisation demonstrated high levels of employee engagement, achieved through a mix of road shows, innovative dementia training
programmes, inspirational coaching, culture of continuous improvement and effective change management. Belong chief executive, Tracy Stakes, said: “It is an honour to have won this international award. Providing our people with development opportunities is a huge part of Belong’s culture, ethos and commitment to high quality care and so to be recognised for our work in this area, by the UK organisation acting as the standard bearer for people management, is extremely gratifying.”
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FRIENDS of the Elderly has teamed up with dementia experts from the Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester to adopt an innovative dementia programme. Professor Dawn Brooker’s team will be helping the care provider embed a Gold-standard framework for personcentred care across its care homes, community services and central office. The Values, Individuals, Perspective, and Supportive, or VIPS, framework for person-centred care, leads to improved quality of life for people living with dementia and aims to support a culture of compassion and understanding across an entire organisation. VIPS, which stands for Values people, Individual’s needs, Perspective of the person living with dementia and Supportive social psychology, is held up as the gold standard in the delivery of dementia care. Dawn said: “Improving the outcomes for people living with dementia requires a whole organisational approach, from senior management and human resources to quality assurance and frontline staff. “Helping people to empathise and to see life in a care environment from the perspective of a person living with dementia is the key to the success of this programme. “Once the culture moves to a point where everyone is valued no matter what their cognitive ability, and is seen as an individual, then huge improvements manifest.”
Mark Wilson The latest evidence shows that there are improved clinical outcomes for people living with dementia who experience this level of support. These include lower levels of agitation, depression and distressed behaviours. Mark Wilson, director of community integration and dementia lead at Friends of the Elderly, added: “We are committed to providing the highest quality of care and support and using the VIPS Framework is the next stage in our development. “While dementia can be a life changing condition Prof Brooker and her team have proven time and again that with the right approach people can be supported to live well and fulfilled lives. It is up to us as care providers to use this guidance, our creativity and hard work to ensure we deliver on that promise every day.”
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Primary school in regular visits A LYTHAM St Annes primary school has forged an ongoing link with a recently opened care centre and will be delighting residents with regular visits. The junior school children (aged between eight and 10) from Heyhouses Church of England Primary School will be visiting the The Hamptons care centre two or three times each month for an uplifting afternoon of fun and interaction with the residents. Each visit will take a different theme and encourage the residents and children to work together on a stimulating activity that involves them working as a team, taking turns and communicating with each other. Visits will last for around an hour and aim to provide interaction, engagement, laughter, conversation and entertainment for all involved.
For the children, a visit to the care home links to the personal, social and health education element of Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum building the children’s understanding of the world around them and their knowledge of citizenship. For the residents, it continues their connections with young people in society, builds confidence and their ability to interact with others. It is also a good opportunity to encourage independence and mobility – all while having fun. Home manager Lorraine Disley added: “Our residents enjoyed their first meeting with the children from the primary school and we’re really looking forward to our regular visits. Bringing children and the elderly together has so many benefits, these will be wonderful afternoons for all involved.”
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Home awarded platinum status PROSPECT House Care Home celebrated its recent success in achieving the National Gold Standards Framework platinum status accreditation, a hallmark of excellence in care homes. The Malpas based nursing and dementia care specialist has progressed from ‘Beacon’ to ‘Platinum’ status after continually meeting the standards since 2009. The award focuses on organisational and systems change within the home that supports all elderly residents as they near the end of their lives, and leads to quality assurance that
is recognised by the CQC, NHS Choices, commissioners, and by other indications of quality provision. Caroline Rowland, matron of Prospect House for the last 30 years, said: “We have always prided ourselves on the excellent care we provide and GSF has helped us formalise this taking our care to the next level, ensuring that residents receive the high quality care they want in their chosen place as they face the last stage of their lives. “I am so grateful to my team for their continual hard work and dedication.”
NACC Care Chef of the Year 2019 competition opens for entries THE National Association of Care Catering has begun its annual search for the nation’s best care chef. The NACC Care Chef of the Year 2019 competition is now officially open for entries. The prestigious culinary competition is open to all chefs and cooks working in the care sector, from care homes, day centres, lunch clubs and meals on wheels services to local authorities and other care organisations, including hospices. The entry brochure can be downloaded at https://www.thenacc. co.uk/events/nacc-care-chef-of-theyear-2019 and the deadline for entries is February 1. Entrants must create new, exciting menus, following the competition rules, that adhere to a strict budget and meet the nutritional and dietary needs of their clientele. Neel Radia, national chair of the NACC, said: “We’re thrilled to launch NACC Care Chef of the Year 2019. “The competition has a strong reputation for showcasing the culinary excellence that the care sector exudes, so we’re very excited to see what this year’s talented entrants produce in their mission to join the exclusive club of NACC Care Chef of the Year title holders. “I urge all care chefs to enter the NACC Care Chef of the Year competition and reap the many benefits it offers. I look forward to watching this exciting competition unfold.” The NACC Care Chef of the Year competition challenges entrants to create a nutritionally-balanced, twocourse menu (main and dessert) that is suitable for service users in a care
2018 winner John Grover of Auchtercrag House in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. setting. The combined food cost for both courses should be no more than £2.25 per head based on three portions and it must be nutritionally balanced. The menu must also incorporate one of the Premier Foods products listed in the competition entry brochure. Participating chefs will have 90 minutes to produce their dishes and the judges will be looking for clear nutritional understanding of the foods they are using and how they benefit their clientele, plus culinary flair through flavours, menu balance, execution and presentation. All paper entries will be judged by a central judging panel and the successful entrants will be invited to compete at the regional heats in March. The two highest-scoring competitors from each regional heat will secure a place in the national final on June 5 at Stratford-uponAvon College.
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Group celebrates its staff BOROUGH Care recently held its annual Employee Awards to celebrate the hard work and dedication of people working for the company. Staff were nominated for awards in 10 categories. The winner of the ‘Above & Beyond’ category was Amanda Harrison, who works at Bamford Close in Cale Green. She is always thinking of ways to improve the environment and to make daily life brighter for residents. The ‘Aspiration Award’ was won by Robin Bowden, from Lisburne Court. Robin joined Borough Care in 2017 and since then she has shown great enthusiasm for learning and developing herself. Meadway Court’s Judith Burgess won the ‘Best Newcomer’ award. Judith joined Borough Care in August and is already well settled into her role. The ‘Best Team’ accolade went to the laundry team at Reinbek, who work together to ensure that not only is the laundry done efficiently but they engage with residents as they go about their daily tasks. Jessica Hallworth from Cawood House in Brinnington took the honours in the ‘Engaged’ category. Jessica is always a team player. She likes to involve residents in every way she can and ensures they have smiles on their faces. Denise Lyons from Marbury House was this year’s ‘Unsung Hero’. Denise has been fantastic at supporting the catering team since Borough Care transferred its meal service back in-house earlier this year. She has built great relationships
with all the chefs and has helped develop new starters who join the team. The winner of the ‘Inspiring Leader’ category was Nerys Carpenter from Shepley House. Nerys’ vision has had a positive impact on the home. Since moving to Shepley House she has made a huge difference and created a lovely home for residents to live in and a great place for staff to work. Mei Lloyd, who also works at Shepley House, scooped the ‘Thinking Differently’ award. Mei carries out her role as an activity lifestyle facilitator with great enthusiasm. Imaginative and creative, Mei is always thinking of new ways to engage with residents, making sure there is a variety of different activities on offer. A number of staff were recognised
Star recognised at prestigious Care Awards
for ’Making a Difference’. Those picking up this accolade were Georgia Dawson from Bamford Close, Linda Hamnett from Bruce Lodge, Michelle Gallimore from Bryn Haven, Caroline Hegarty from Cawood House, Donna Allwood from Lisburne Court, Maxine Haughton from Marbury House, Meadway Court’s Carol Stavordale and Sarah Robinson, Lisa Jewsbury from Reinbek, Judy Knowles from Shepley House, Lindsay Hadfield from Silverdale and Wellcroft’s Kelly Bramley. During the awards evening, Borough Care staff who have completed 30 years’ service received a long service award. These included Christine Millett from Wellcroft, Sandra Sutherland and Pat Nugent from Silverdale and Meadway Court’s Julie Carter.
A CARE home worker who rose to internet fame earlier this year was recognised at this year’s prestigious Scottish Care Awards, which recognises the very best of those working in the industry. Ross Balmer, who works at Balhousie Care Group’s Dalnaglar care home in Crieff, Perthshire was runner-up in the Emerging Talent category at the awards. Joining Dalnaglar just over 18 months ago, Ross has found his vocation in the care sector and is currently working in a carer role while studying to become a nurse. Ross made national headlines earlier this year when a video taken of him jiving with an elderly resident to Elvis Presley was shared widely online. Claire Docherty, head of operations, said: “Everyone at Balhousie Care Group is immensely proud of Ross’ achievement in the Scottish Care Awards. “It is wonderful to see individuals at various stages in their career making a real difference to people across our care homes, from staff to our residents and their families, by providing the very best of care.” The glittering awards ceremony was hosted by Michelle McManus at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.
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Care home plea for clarity on policy
Eagle resident Norman Kent with Nike Ajewole from Tanglewood and Debra Owen, manager of Cloverleaf.
Name for new home chosen THE new Tanglewood care home in Lincoln will be called Cloverleaf. Eagle resident Norman Kent thought up the name and won a competition organised by Tanglewood Care Homes to find a name for its sixth Lincolnshire home. He chose the name because the word ‘leys’ means a piece of land set aside for grass or clover, and clover still grows on West Common near the new home. To be in clover means to live a carefree life of ease and comfort, and of course four-leaf clovers are considered a lucky omen. “We were delighted to receive more than 90 entries in our competition,” said Tracy-Ann Shelbourn, founder and director of Tanglewood Care Homes.
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“There were some excellent suggestions, ranging from local history and RAF connections to links with nature and wildlife associated with West Common. Choosing the winner was a team effort and the name that stood out for all of us was Cloverleaf. Thanks to Norman for thinking up such a suitable name.” Norman told Tanglewood he would spend his winnings – £100 of Amazon vouchers – on 10 humidity and temperature monitors which he planned to distribute to elderly residents in the local community. But Tanglewood bought the monitors as a bonus prize so Norman can spend his winnings on something for himself. Cloverleaf will open in Lincoln in the spring, offering 72 beds for elderly residents.
THE head of a care home network has made an appeal for the Government to clarify the future of social care policy due out soon as the national crisis deepens. Donna Briggs, managing director of Springhill Care Group with three homes in Accrington, Skelmersdale and Bristol, said: “We along with other providers need to know what we are dealing with for the short and longer term. “We can only plan based on what information we know to provide the relevant services being demanded from a growing ageing population, and this delay affects everyone including our residents and our staff. “Developing the skills of our workforce is crucial and a part of Springhill’s commitment to providing the best in care but we need to understand what we are dealing with for the future.” Springhill Care Group’s Caring Heroes campaign was launched to help raise awareness of the lack of skills and the way care sector employees are undervalued. The campaign has won the backing of industry bodies including Care England, Skills for Care and the Care Workers Charity, along with MPs Graham Jones of Hyndburn and Rosie Cooper of West Lancs. A Green paper on the future of adult social care with recommendations
Residents from five local care homes are showing off their artwork at Nynehead Court’s Orangery. The show, called ‘Celebration’, has been coordinated by Stable Arts at Nynehead Court and features work from residents of Nynehead Court, Oaktree Court, Chelston Park and Gardens, Camelot House, and Court House, Cullompton. It runs until January 6 every day except Tuesdays, and is free to attend. The artists recently attended a tea party with the Mayor and Mayoress of Wellington at Nynehead Court, and featured entertainment by accordion band ‘Off Cuts’. Mary Kembery, arts coordinator at Stable Arts, is pictured with the Mayor and Mayoress of Wellington.
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Donna Briggs for new funding was expected before the summer recess of Parliament, then delayed until autumn and now winter. Springhill Care Group submitted written evidence to the public accounts committee setting out a case for increased awareness of career opportunities within the care sector, how a more joined-up NHS and social care network would reduce hospital admissions and the need for increased funding for workforce development. Activity in the Caring Heroes campaign can be followed on social media using #caringheroes
Mayor enjoys cultural celebration SOCIAL care provider Optalis held a cultural awareness day to highlight to its customers, staff and partners the importance of cultural diversity and harmony. The event, which celebrated different cultures, brought together more than 100 individuals who joined in with the festivities at Westmead Day Service in Wokingham, Berkshire. Julia Harris, Optalis assistant director of non-regulated services, said: “The event was organised by our ethnic minority development worker Nighat Ellahi who visits community organisations and groups that might not ordinarily be aware of the services Optalis
provides. Nighat also runs other focused activities such as carers’ groups specifically designed for the needs of these groups.” The Mayor of Wokingham Borough, Councillor John Kaiser, attended the event and talked to both customers and staff about the cultural activities held on the day as well as seeing some of the services offered by the team at Westmead such as Rebound Therapy and therapeutic exercise. The event provided an afternoon of dancing, drumming, group singing and refreshments as guests enjoyed a range of music and vegetarian food made by a local carer’s group.
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Big Breakfast benefits school NYNEHEAD Court’s Big Breakfast raised £303 for Milverton Community Primary and Pre-School. The events are a regular occurrence at the home and take place in its Orangery from 8.30am until 10.30am, with the profits donated to a chosen cause. Previous beneficiaries have included the League of Friends of the Taunton Hospital, Musgrove Park, the Inner Wheel, West Buckland Pre-School, and Marie Curie. Staff and pupils from Milverton
Community Primary School and Pre-School and Nynehead Court staff served a total of 86 breakfasts at the event. The money raised will be used to purchase interactive smartboards for some of the classrooms at the school, which are a useful tool for both teachers and students. Home manager Angela Watkins said: “We are always delighted to host Big Breakfast events for good causes, and are grateful to the local community for their continued support of our fundraising activities.”
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Group raises the bar with exercise classes for all Michelin star is a recipe for success at care home CATERING to the taste buds is one of the UK’s finest chefs, Paul Wright, as he takes up his full-time position as chef at the Malpas based Prospect House residential care home. With more than 26 years in the catering business, the former Gleneagles and Michelin Star chef brings his lifetime love of food to residents with an overhauled menu that reflects residents’ most treasured food memories and preferences together in a dining experience they will never forget. Paul said: “I am thoroughly enjoying bringing fine dining to residents at Prospect House. “From a particularly favoured South African curry, to a Friday fish and chip special, my menus are created with the residents and always feature good quality, and where possible, local produce.”
A YORKSHIRE-based care group is helping both its elderly residents, and younger people with a wide range of disabilities that it cares for, to improve their mobility and wellbeing, thanks to a partnership with a health specialist that spans 18 years and has now delivered approximately 10,000 fitness classes. Czajka Care Group engaged the services of Sue Birkbeck in 2000, to help encourage all its residents to take steps towards a healthy lifestyle. Konrad Czajka, managing director, said: “We have always understood the importance of exercise for both physical and mental wellbeing, but understandably it can be incredibly daunting for older people, and those with disabilities, to have the confidence to try a class for the first time. “That’s why we originally decided we should work with just one person, who has the right skills, manner and approach. Sue is excellent with our residents, never pushing people into things they can’t face, but encouraging them to take small steps that they feel comfortable with. “She visits all five of our homes at least once a week. From small beginnings, she has developed lots of inspirational classes that have become really popular. With an inclusive approach, it’s fair to say she
has enticed even the most sceptical residents into her classes and had a hugely positive impact on the lives of the people we care for.” Sue, who also offers reflexology when she visits, said: “The key to the success of my classes is the adaptations I offer to accommodate every individual person. Some people may not be able to use their
legs for example, so I demonstrate the full move involving arms and legs, but always offer a variation just using the arms, without singling people out. This makes everyone feel comfortable and it’s a delight to see so many people coming to my classes week after week and year after year. “I normally start the classes with a warm up, stretching routine and do a lot of work on flexibility. My programme is built around strength, balance and co-ordination. I make the classes fun with music. I use a variety of resistance bands and balls as part of the classes and I really enjoy seeing the progress people make. Some of my class members are over 90 years old, and some residents at Staveley Birkleas are much younger, but with life-changing disabilities. What everyone has in common is a determination to do their best and enjoy themselves.” In addition to the work with Sue, the company also recently helped some of its elderly residents reduce their chances of having accidents through an innovative new developmental scheme to improve balance. The Nymbl Balance System is a comprehensive system for measuring, tracking and improving balance, and seven residents from Czajka Care Group’s Brookfield Care Home took part in the four-week programme.
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Special recognition for care home resident
A GROUP of professional entertainers put on a performance on behalf of the Not Forgotten Association for a Christchurch care home resident, in recognition of him raising over £50,000 for serving personnel and veterans who are wounded, injured, or living with a disability or illness. Mickie Driver staged a performance at Fairmile Grange with other professional entertainers from The Not Forgotten Association, to thank resident Roy King for the support he has provided over the years. Andrea Davey, wellbeing assistant of Fairmile Grange, said: “We were delighted to welcome Mickie and his talented team of performers into Fairmile Grange. “Two years ago Mickie performed at Windsor Castle, where he helped celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, so it was a privilege to watch him and the other entertainers perform for us. “Roy has achieved so many wonderful things over the years. Several of Roy’s friends from The Not Forgotten Association and Royal British Legion also came to support Roy and watch the fantastic show. “It was lovely to see Roy being appreciated by so many friends. Not only was this a special day for Roy, but the entertainment was also thoroughly enjoyed by all of the other residents and guests.”
At the age of 18 Roy joined the RAF as an aircraft electrician in Transport Command in Abingdon, where he stayed until he was 23. A few years later in 1979, Roy moved to Bournemouth and joined the Royal British Legion in 2000. Following this, in 2006 Roy became a fundraiser for The Not Forgotten Association, which is supported by the Royal British Legion and a range of other causes. During Roy’s time at the Royal British Legion Club he was in charge of organising the entertainment and was introduced to professional entertainer Mickie. Recognising Mickie’s talent, Roy
provided opportunities for him to perform at the Royal British Legion whenever possible. Mickie, who is also a fundraiser of The Not Forgotten Association, regularly stages performances for the charity, with his group of professional entertainers. As well as supporting Mickie, Roy and a small group of his friends also raised over £50,000 for the charity. This was subsequently acknowledged by The Not Forgotten Association and the Christchurch Borough Council, who presented Roy and his friends with a certificate, in recognition of their outstanding achievement.
Balhousie Care Group has announced a new manager for its care home in Pitlochry. Pablo Vilar, a qualified mental health nurse, has joined the Perthshire care home after previously working for another care home company in Inverness. With over a decade of experience working in the care industry, Pablo brings a wealth of experience to the role, from trouble shooting in an operations role to his people-facing work in bar and restaurants before going to university. He has even worked in construction, so his experience is vast, but one common theme links all his roles together.
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CARINGNEWS
Staff recognised at annual awards SOMERSET Care held its annual awards ceremony recently, recognising staff from across the group for their outstanding achievements, contribution and dedication. 470 nominations were received this year, with more than 120 of those for the People’s Choice award, which was open to nominations from Somerset Care’s customers and their family members. The ceremony was held at Somerset’s county cricket ground in Taunton and hosted by Ben McGrail, a correspondent for ITV News West Country. The event recognised teams and individuals across 19 categories: Best Newcomer Winner – Sarah Jeans (Realise South West) Highly Commended – Ffion Morgan (Lavender Court), Christopher Jones (Sedgemoor Home Care) and Sally Roberts (Oak Trees) Learner/Apprentice of the Year Winner – Sam Griffiths (Halcon Centre) Highly Commended – Annie McMahon (ATD Plymouth) and Wayne Nunn (Realise South West) Best Contribution to a Care Environment Winner – Kenneth Lewis (Lavender Court) Highly Commended – Dawn Cann (Burnworthy House) Volunteer of the Year Winner – Stuart Pittard (Wessex House)
Hugh’s team (Realise South West) with their People’s Choice award. Highly Commended – Susie Winner – Claire Vittery (Recruitment Mansfield (Wyndham House) and team, Central Office) Addison Gorman (Croft House) Highly Commended – Mandy Thorne Mealtimes Matter (Halcon Centre) Winner – Rafal Pietrzyk (Bank team) Partnership Working Dignity in Care Winner – Home First Pathway One Winner – Jamie Knight (Burnworthy team House) Impact on Learning and Making a Difference in Dementia Development Care Winner – Arthur Brooks (Realise Winner – Joanna Perkins (Mendip South West) Home Care – Emma Sheppard Technology and Innovation Centre) Winner – Maria Chappell Williams Highly Commended - Karen Yard (West Somerset Home Care) (Taunton Home Care – Petals Active Support Worker of the Year Living Centre in Taunton) Winner – Carol Stowe (Realise South Outstanding Support Role West)
Highly Commended – Nigel Morgan (Realise South West) and Tanya Edwards (Realise South West) Community Carer of the Year Winner – Anna Smale (Taunton Home Care) Highly Commended – Carol Russell (Mendip Home Care) and Verity Bridger (West Somerset Home Care) Residential Carer of the Year Winner – Chloe Pavey (Lavender Court) Highly Commended – Penny Read (Sunnymeade) and Daniel Douglas (Grovelands) Nurse of the Year Winner – Anne Shields (Calway House) Outstanding Contribution to Activities Winner – Jaine Thorne (Burnworthy House) Highly Commended – Kelly Pike (Lavender Court) Inspirational Leader Winner – Joanne Leigh (Realise South West) Highly Commended – Andrea Bacon (Realise South West and My Willows) and Trudy Bower (Fletcher House) Team of the Year Winner – Halcon Centre Highly Commended – Burnworthy House People’s Choice Winner – Hugh’s team (Realise South West) Highly Commended – Paula Tonkinson (BaNES Home Care) and Mike Barrington-Heaven (Taunton Home Care)
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Pupils from Year 5 at St Johns C of E Primary School in Maidstone dedicated a whole term to discover what life was like in the 1950s. They immersed themselves in the era, learning about the coronation of the Queen, popular TV shows, famous musicians and the fashion of the time. It all came together for their special 1950s day, where every pupil and teacher dressed to impress in their 50s style outfits. Barty House residents were invited along, to tell the children some real-life stories of the era.
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MORRISON Community Care Group has implemented an innovative new app platform, StoriiCare, in its two care homes. They will use the system to improve efficiency in recording care activities and to keep family members connected with their loved ones. The new StoriiCare software will save staff time and enable families to connect with their loved ones from around the world. The platform has been implemented in Abbotsford House
05/12/2018 10:16
in Glasgow and Abbotsford House Luxury Suites in Milngavie. Managing director of Morrison Community Care Group Paul Sokhi, said: “By using modern technology such as StoriiCare, our staff have more time to care for our residents rather than spending it on paperwork and admin.” The platform also enables the care homes to display upcoming activities for residents and photos of recent activities on TV screens around each facility.
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Care Providers Conferences 2019
Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales, with Subis the orangutan at Chester Zoo.
New scheme to care for orangutans and the planet launched A CALL has gone out to care homes across Wales to support a new campaign against single-use plastic and the wholesale destruction of rainforests to make unsustainable palm oil. Care Forum Wales is urging care home owners and other social care providers to do their bit to save the planet. Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “”Plastic pollution is a problem we can no longer ignore. It is poisoning and injuring marine life and disrupting human hormones. It is littering our beaches and landscapes as well as clogging our waste streams and landfills. In short, it is now threatening the survival of our planet. “The Five Nations Group is calling on social care providers to join the battle to combat the increasing menace posed by single use-plastic. “The social care sector exists to serve the public good. It is an integral part of the rich and vibrant tapestry of our communities. “It represents all that is decent about humanity. “As the leaders of this vital sector we have the opportunity to demonstrate in a very practical sense that we also care about our planet.” The issue of palm oil hit the
headlines recently after Clearcast, the body which assesses adverts against the UK code Broadcast Adverting, banned the Christmas TV advert by Deeside-based Iceland Frozen Food using a Greenpeace animation telling the story of rainforest destruction and the impact on the orangutan. According to Clearcast, the advert was deemed too political because it highlighted the impact of palm oil on the environment. The new Care Forum Wales strategy was agreed at a meeting of the Five Nations Group in Cardiff hosted by Care Forum Wales which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The group, which is also made up of social care representatives from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire. They particularly want to reduce the use of single use plastic and palm oil and are asking members to do what they can to reduce their carbon footprint. Details of the campaign were included in the Cardiff Communique drafted at the meeting. Among others it was sent to Ken Skates AM, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Transport, who has already endorsed the idea.
The way to ‘Outstanding’ care
Delivering the latest care news and information that will enable your managers and homes to be at the forefront of ‘Outstanding’ care Listen to National speakers and experts, network with like minded operators, enjoy demonstrations in the exhibition hall of the latest products and technology that are designed to enhance your home, join us for lunch to debate the speakers notes and achieve practical solutions to roll straight out on your return. Ashford International Hotel, Kent -10th April Bournemouth Football Club - 11th April
St Mellion International Resort Hotel - 9th July
Webbington Hotel & Spa, Weston Super Mare -10th July Colchester United Football Club - 23rd October York Racecourse - 6th November
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Teenagers team up with home A GROUP of local 16 and 17 year olds have been thanked by a Camden care home for supporting residents with dementia as part of the National Citizen Service. The teenagers visited Wellesley Road Care Home over three days, where they took time to design arts and crafts, play games and read to the residents, with the support of the home’s activity coordinators Rupert Alexander and Ve Homer. The 13-strong group also painted a mural of a bus stop on the wall of the living room. Familiar surroundings – such as bus stops, pubs and other common locations
– can provide comfort for people with dementia and help them trigger memories. Kim Harris, operations manager at the Shaw Healthcare-operated care home, said: “It was a pleasure welcoming the group of teenagers to Wellesley Road and let them develop their own skills. Their efforts made the days of many of our residents and allowed them to engage in various creative activities. “The mural will act as a reminder of the impact the group had on our residents and Rupert, Ve and I thank each one of them for taking time to support us.”
Tel: 01226 734288 www.caring-uk.co.uk Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.uk
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Wednesday 10th April 2019
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Thursday 11th April 2019
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St Mellion International Resort PL12 6SD
Tuesday 9th July 2019
Webbington Hotel & Spa BS26 2HU
Wednesday 10th July 2019
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Colchester United Football Club CO4 5UP
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
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York Racecourse YO23 1EX
Wednesday 6th November 2019
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CARING UK AWARD WINNERS
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Activities Team of the Year: Woffington House Care Home, Tredegar Gwent THE dedicated, friendly and supportive team at Woffington House stood out in a category full of strong, inspirational candidates. They passionately believe that great teamwork can achieve great things . Woffington House recognise that “people need to matter,that they need love and need companionship” , that everyone has something to offer and that they are valuable to their community. Through their intergenerational work they have formed strong bonds with local schoolchildren and other groups and have taken part in some inspiring projects that their residents fully engage in and enjoy. Embracing Technology through their Digital Heroes initiative has not only had a positive and lasting effect on their well being but also reduced the need for medical interventions and has helped bridge the gap between generations. The team at Woffington should be celebrated for their innovative approach to care and for being role models within the sector.
Quality in Housekeeping: Halliwell Care Home, Tunbridge Wells, Kent HALLIWELL has been chosen for first place because of the focus on personal touches across the care environment and the involvement of housekeeping and care team to help retain independence of residents and mobility for as long as possible. There is an inspirational team who are committed to working together
and recognise the importance of good communication, delivering dignity in care and professional approaches to working. The head housekeeper has been a finalist on two occasions for the National Care Awards. There are some great examples of positive experiences to support the nomination.
Volunteer Team of the Year: Care Home Volunteers, Chippenham CARE Home Volunteers was established in 2014 after they recognised that volunteers were rarely used for befriending residents in care homes. Their inspiring work has grown since then, offering a strong connection to their local community by recruiting volunteers locally to help enhance the lives of residents in a care home. Improving their well being, engagement and social interaction. Care Home Volunteers has designed a comprehensive programme of recruitment, training and support for their volunteers to complement the work of care staff. The training and support offered is designed to overcome obstacles identified when volunteering in a care home particularly vetting and administration and the extra burden sometimes placed on care staff. Working with 16 different care homes with their locality they currently have 30 volunteers. Care Home Volunteers are worthy winners of this category and deserve to be recognised for identifying and addressing a need in care homes.
Best Outdoor Environment: Grace Muriel House Abbeyfield St Albans THE overall winner of this category, Grace Muriel House Abbeyfield places an equal emphasis on the importance of having access to outdoor space and have created a wonderfully inviting garden with a huge wow factor. Their beautiful garden has become the heart of their community with lots of areas of interest – they ave a fabulous sensory garden, summerhouse, join in with the most creative door step scheme and have a bug hotel.
Their garden is accessible and safe, the summerhouse is linked to their call bell system, encouraging residents to feel like it’s their space , reminding them of happy times gone by tending their own gardens. Their whole approach to their outdoor space, especially through the Breath of fresh air programme, recognises the health benefits of being outside, trains staff about these benefits, the staff then encourage the residents to take an active part in their garden no matter what their ability.
Catering Team of the Year: The Old Vicarage, Devon THE Old Vicarage has been chosen for first place. Meals are promoted as the most important part of the day and treated as high priority. The catering team recognise and understand the importance of good nutrition and delivering person-centred approaches and its impact upon health and wellbeing. There is a dedicated and loyal catering manager who leads a team of six staff, and has been working at the care home for 25 years and works in collaboration with residents to suit their personal
needs and food preferences. There are theme days, activities involving food, menus are adapted to suit and the team use home-grown fruit and vegetables and source produce locally. What sets the care home above the others is that the team seem to truly engage families in the dining experience eg for tea parties, birthdays (with a dedicated separate room)and engage with local communities to fund raise for local charities eg coffee mornings, fetes and ‘ bake off’ competition.
Best Initiative in Care: The Haven, Colchester HAVEN has been chosen for best Initiative for a number of innovative approaches and engaging with technology to support the delivery of care and improve quality of life. The home prides itself on using new initiatives and technology including ‘Light your Night’ and ‘Sparkle’, a comprehensive safer care home toolkit, indoor sensory garden and virtual reality. The home has provided data to show the impact that their initiatives have had on reducing number of falls which is impressive (by nearly 50 per cent in 12 months).
The manager who introduced the Light your Night initiative is keen to share and rollout and spread to other care homes across the county (rather than promote this for commercial gain) and has been adopted in a local hospital. The Haven care home stands out from the crowd against others through their innovative approaches for residents as well as engaging with people living in the local community eg providing free water bottles, Christmas lunches to tackle loneliness. Highly regarded by CQC.
CARING UK AWARD WINNERS
Dementia Care Team: Hastings Court Care Home DESERVING of first place for Dementia Care Team is Hastings Court Care Home because of the strong person-centred approach from staff to create a happy and supportive environment for them as well as residents and engaging with families that feels like home (this is supported by positive feedback from families). There is an ethos of compassionate
care to support residents to remain independent by understanding their life histories to offer choice, personal preferences and activities are a key component of this. Staff are valued and recognise the importance of team working and are passionate about the quality of care they provide and go above and beyond their day job.
End of Life Team of the Year sponsored by Fraser and Fraser: Red Rocks, The Wirral YOU can tell a lot by an organisation’s submission. Professional, attention to detail and thorough is how I would describe the submission by Red Rocks. They were runners up last year but are worthy winners this year. The feedback from families is amazing! This family run home has been operating for over 70 years
which is quite astonishing and during that time period has simply got better and better. Quality assurance lies at the heart of what they do as well as continued training of staff and many families both here and broad choose Red Rocks as a final home for their loved ones.
Excellence and Innovation in Dementia Care sponsored by Spearhead Healthcare: Landermeads, Nottingham THEY won last year and they’ve won again! An exceptional application with an incredible evidence base. A philosophy and approach which is surely the envy of many. Through difficulties and hardships this family run business with their excellent team of staff have transformed this care home. Picking up awards is now routine
for Landermeads but it’s down to their informal approach and the genuine passion for what they do. People living in the home are not residents but family members. Staff and residents work together and there are no formal barriers. You feel happy and reassured just reading their application!
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Commitment to Training and Development sponsored by Independent Care Group: Aveley Lodge, Colchester LINDA Alday has done an amazing job here. A commitment to training is all about internal culture and the way in which an organisation does things on a daily basis. This isn’t just about mandatory and professional training but a philosophy and it is clear Linda has helped to shape
and influence this. You can see and feel the passion in the application. Linda and her team work tirelessly to ensure staff receive the appropriate training to aid their personal development and progress but more importantly this ensures that residents live with dignity.
Regional Care Home of the Year Midlands and Wales sponsored by Matrix: Landermeads, Nottingham
THERE is a real family ethos in this services which shines through with a strong workforce development plan especially the focus of residents being part of the team. I like the care being ‘with not for’ for the
people they are caring for. The inclusiveness extends to no staff room and meals being taken with residents. This a great example of change management.
Regional Care Home of the Year South sponsored by Care Home Bedfinder: Oaklands Court, Horam A SIMPLE but effective ethos which embraces innovation. The ethos of the service shone through the submission about the effective use of technology and the thinking behind the innovations. It was nice to read about the whole family approach: taking families on
outings. Clearly residents feature strongly in the service with some of them winning competitions in the community. It is good to read about the use of the service as a hub for local charities to hold meetings and counselling sessions. The low staff turnover is an accolade in itself! Well deserved.
CARING UK AWARD WINNERS
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Regional Care Home of the Year North: Ward Green Lodge, Barnsley THIS is an impressive independent service with a clear ethos. They have used technology really well to develop their services with clinical observations which replace traditional medical routes of pills. The use of a biometric finger print entry system is ahead of its time for care services but has positive outcomes. The use of innovative sinks of inflatable sinks for residents who cannot get to the hairdressing area add an extra layer of dignity and privacy for the people they care for. There are also some nice touches of bringing outings to the home when people are unable to participate – I especially like bringing the beach with fish and chips and ice cream to the service – simple effective. The service has also developed the cinema concept which enables residents have a wide choice of activity.
Care Employer of the Year sponsored by ServiceSport: Hendra House, Ludlow, Shropshire
Regional Care Home of the Year Scotland: Rubislaw Park, Aberdeen THERE has been considerable investment in this service and they have managed the change well to reap the rewards. The mealtimes feel like a unique experience in the service which must take some exceptional skills, motivation and enthusiasm from the team delivering it. The additional services offered are well thought out, simple but effective like therapies and a chauffeur. The service gives the feel of a hotel that you could call your home. There is a richness in the service with the residents at the centre.
THE winning home’s owner goes above and beyond for both his residents and staff team. So it’s no surprise that the home was the first in its region to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the regulator given the amount of time he, his wife and the team put in to making the lives of the residents as happy as possible.
Numerous examples were given of how the owner has gone out of his way to help both staff and residents over the years, and there was clearly a lot of love and respect for him, and that he gets the best out of his staff. All of them are treated exactly the same and the home itself is a lovely, warm, clean facility that has a very happy atmosphere.
Management Team of the Year: Broadlands Residential Home, Lowestoft THE bigger a team is the harder it is to manage. Communication becomes much harder to keep open and fluent, but at our winning care home this hasn’t proved an issue due to the amount of love and respect that flows through all levels of the workplace. The management team aren’t seen as management as such, or it’s more that they are all seen as equal, on the same level, there for the same purpose and to the same end. The management never allow the
home to stand still, they are always pushing it forward and looking at how to continuously improve and develop the home in a multitude of ways. They ensure they are continuing to up-skill the staff through training and courses that qualifies them far above the requirements of their role on paper. They want the staff to feel invested in and valued, but they also want to make sure that the staff are confident and able enough to offer so much more than standard care.
Care Group of the Year sponsored by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank: Stonehaven Care Group, Newton Abbot IT MIGHT be an age old adage, but putting customers first is at the heart of our winning care group. It was that resident first approach to care which helped them stand out in a busy, unregulated market when they first began in the 1990s. And it is through spreading their winning approach to other facilities that they now have a 10-strong portfolio of care homes, with 272 residents. Many admin tasks are handled by a dedicated team at head office, leaving the staff on the front lines, in the homes
themselves, able to focus fully on delivering outstanding care. Managerial meetings mean ideas can be shared across homes and best practice can be implemented using the wide range of strengths across the staff. For example, a home which had a great atmosphere assisted in replicating that atmosphere at another home struggling to create it. A dedicated mentoring service also means managers always have a source of advice if they need it.
Care Team of the Year sponsored by Caring UK: Brookdale, Bury THE winning home is a warm, friendly place which is clearly in good hands. The team are determined to offer their very best to ensure the residents have the best life they can - and they will continue to unite to improve and develop as they go. Staff tell people with pride that they work at our winning home, are protective of the home’s reputation and always do their best to enhance that.
The manager has never heard anyone say ‘That’s not my job’. Nursing and building on high standards and dedication, the manager sees as a vital part of her role, and she has built up a warm rapport with her team. She feels that what the team has created is a community – her, staff, residents and families all look upon our winning care home as their home.
CARING UK AWARD WINNERS
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Outstanding Achievement sponsored by Shackletons: Pat and Mike Parkin from The Old Vicarage, Otterton National Care Home of the Year sponsored by Safehands Holidays: Landermeads, Nottingham THE Caring UK Awards’ National Care Home of the Year 2018 is no stranger to picking up awards … that’s down to their incredible hard work and genuine passion for what they do allowing them and their
excellent team of staff to transform their care home. With an outstanding CQC rating and a unique approach, our worthy winner is Landermeads.
WORKING in care for over 30 years Pat and Mike provide much more than care. Their focus for people is about quality of life. They treat residents as a member of their own family and instill this vision amongst all staff. They are both now in their 70s but are still going strong offering support to staff and residents alike. The evidence in support of their application is overwhelming and their family members also work across the home. Over the past
30 years they have touched the lives of many people, leading by example and showing what dignity and respect really look like. They have run 30 annual coffee mornings, made countless friends and treat their home as a passion not as a business! This is a successful family run business built and made by two dedicated individuals who have demonstrated commitment to care for over 30 years. Worthy winners!
Congratulations to our runners up Best End of life Ford Place Nursing home
Catering Team Aveley Lodge
Excellence and Innovation in Dementia Care Byker Lodge
Quality in Housekeeping Fern House
Outstanding Achievement Award Nicky Blake, Caring Forever, Beccles
Activities Team St Margaret’s
Commitment to Training and Development Stow Healthcare
Volunteer Team Thornbank Care Home
Regional Care Home South Avondale Regional – Scotland Creggan Bahn
Best Outdoor Environment Stowlangtoft Hall
Regional – Midlands and Wales Avery South Lodge Regional – North Vida Grange Dementia Care Team Sefton Hall
Care Group Saint Cecilias
Best Initiative Sefton Hall
Management Team Abbeyfield The Dales
Care Team Brandon Park Care Employer Vida Healthcare
CARINGNEWS
Care is a sector that’s hard to get right – but for our society’s sake, we must By May Prentice RETAIL, manufacturing, leisure – every sector makes its own contribution to Scotland’s overall economy. Residential care for our older people, however, is a sector whose role is vital not just to the economy but to society, so the health of Scotland’s care businesses is extremely important. Unfortunately, creating a thriving business in the care sector is challenging. My employer, Silverline Care, operates six homes in Scotland and two in Yorkshire. Our business model is to buy residential care homes which have gone into administration – something that happens all to often – and turn them first and foremost into high quality facilities, but which also happen to be successful businesses. Because a care home needs high occupancy to work as a business, before we buy a property, we must get under the skin of why they have gone into administration and what needs to be done to remedy that issue. This usually involves significant investment on our part in the capital infrastructure of the home, to ensure it provides the high-quality environment that our residents deserve. Springhill care home in Kilmarnock, for example, is a beautiful B-listed
Georgian building which had been neglected through lack of investment, leading to decreasing occupancy because the local authority was choosing not to place people there. After buying Springhill we invested heavily in restoring the building to its former glory, but providing a great care environment is not just about physical improvements. Where a home has been in administration, employees are often demoralised, which is understandable after the difficult time they’ve been through. However, with the right leadership and support, you can restore morale and unleash their potential. In my experience, when staff feel they are being listened to, they are full of great ideas. Because happy employees provide better care, I believe that developing people is vital to a successful care business. After many years as a nurse and then a care home manager with Silverline, I was recently promoted to the position of regional operations manager for Scotland. While this is obviously fantastic for me, it has also allowed another employee to be promoted internally into my old role. It also demonstrates to the wider team that there are career development opportunities within the company. We are now supporting any member of our team who is interested through
May Prentice a new Open University qualification in nursing – there’s currently a shortage of nurses across Scotland, so we want to grow and develop our own. We’ve had a lot of interest so far in this opportunity. Earlier this year we took the decision to relocate our support office from London to Glasgow, bringing finance, HR, compliance and technology closer to most of our homes so they can provide hands-on support. Although we’ve succeeded in creating a successful care business, I believe there are things that could be done to make that goal easier to achieve. For example, homes offering a high-
quality service could be rewarded, in terms of the rates that are paid to them by local authorities. If we don’t want our elderly languishing in hospitals, encouraging care providers to strive for excellence is essential. A recent influx of additional legislation regarding residential care has required extra training and support for staff, and even additional employees in some circumstances. Providers receive no added funding from local authorities to cover this added work. As a result, many smaller operators are being squeezed out. Margins are narrow in the care sector and you need to be able to build scale to survive. There’s also a lack of long term vision. If local authorities and health boards were prepared to pay a bit more for higher quality care, this would save money in the long run in terms of a reduction in the provision of acute healthcare. It would also provide people with a far better quality of life than they would get in a hospital. Ensuring that the provision of highquality residential care can work as a business model is vital – and not just because our ageing population deserves it, but because our society depends on it. n May is Silverline Care’s regional operations manager for Scotland.
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CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
Sophie adds to training drive at care home
Care home ‘NRICHes’ meals for its residents A WEST Sussex care home has received a prestigious gold award for its innovative approach to residents’ nutrition. Staff at Elizabeth House, in Bognor Regis, took part in the Nutrition Resources in Care Homes programme, a method of ensuring that care home residents are supported to maintain a healthy diet. Run by Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the programme also teaches staff to identify and tackle malnutrition. Ahead of its participation, each of the home’s individual care plans for its residents were audited with a focus on screening for malnutrition using the malnutrition universal screening tool. In addition, staff were encouraged to adopt a ‘food first’ approach – ensuring that malnutrition could be treated as quickly as possible – as well as learning of the importance of a pleasant and supportive mealtime environment and the appropriate prescribing of oral nutritional supplements. Following a special programme of training in communication skills, malnutrition screening and NRICH
catering throughout the summer, staff were asked to implement what they had learnt over a two-month period, before being reviewed against pre-set action plan targets. Awarding the home a gold certificate, the review pointed to several areas of success, describing the home’s menu as “varied and nourishing,” and highlighting the good practice of staff when one-toone feeding was provided. Home manager at the Shaw healthcare-run home, Marian Drake, said: “We are delighted with the positive feedback and have already begun work on the ongoing recommendations provided by the report. “We recently purchased a smoothie maker – and will soon have another – will which enable us to make more nourishing drinks, especially for high risk residents. “The gold accolade is testament to the hard work of the staff at Elizabeth House and their commitment to ensuring that our residents are provided with the very best care, which includes meals that are nutritious and suited to their individual needs.”
SPRINGHILL Care Home in Accrington is demonstrating its commitment to training its staff with the appointment of an experienced professional. With a strong background in social care, including a BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Leeds and roles in domiciliary care, Sophie McIntosh has joined the team as learning and development coordinator. She has worked as an assessor in fields including medical administration, health and social care, business administration and the assistant practitioner diploma. Sophie previously worked as coordinator at Gloucester private
training provider Summerhouse, and has recently completed her first module of an MSc in Mental Health Sciences with the Open University. She said: “I believe training is key to any workforce and in order to deliver high-class training, you must constantly develop yourself. “I’m very excited to work with all the staff at Springhill at all levels to source and deliver the most relevant training for them, ensuring they reach their potential and deliver the highest standards of care for our residents.” In her new role she will work closely with the Springhill Care Group’s head of learning and development, Mike Lakins.
Group praised for its training and development at Awards A CARE provider has scooped a top industry award for exceptional employee training and development at this year’s Scottish Care National Care Home Awards. Inverness-based Meallmore triumphed in the coveted training and staff development category for its ‘Good to Great Upskills Academy’ Senior Care Worker programme. The CPD accredited, three-day interactive training course was developed by the care provider to build and strengthen the care, leadership and management skills of its employees. Unique to Meallmore, the programme is open to those in senior care and management positions across its 23 care homes. It aims to advance career progression by providing personalised
development plans and one-on-one mentoring, enabling participants to learn new skills and enhance selfawareness. Karen MacDonald, learning and development manager, and Hazel Barrett, quality support manager, led the team in the development of the ‘Good to Great’ initiative. Karen said: “I was over the moon when they announced our names. This award not only recognises the team behind the scenes of the programme, but is also a testament to just how much Meallmore invests in its employees. “The feedback from those who have completed the Good to Great programme has been fantastic so far, and we hope to continue delivering and advancing it for many years to come.”
Programme launched to support staff with end-of-life care
BIRMINGHAM St Mary’s Hospice has launched a support programme for care homes aimed at improving end-of-life care for people and their families. The ‘Six Steps for Care Homes Programme’ is designed to enhance end of life care through facilitating organisational change and supporting staff to develop their skills and knowledge. Originally developed and rolled out in the North West by the NHS, the programme includes facilitating advance care planning, anticipating the needs of residents, and giving staff the confidence and skills to have difficult conversations with residents and families. At the launch, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice invited 10 local care homes to sign up to the programme which can be delivered in a number of different ways – including tailored workshops – to support, educate and empower workers. The purpose of the programme is to provide a low-cost and effective way for care home staff to improve resident and family experience of end of life care, whilst helping to reduce unnecessary and sometimes distressing hospital admissions. Lynne Partington from the Six Steps Programme, said: “We are delighted to hear Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is using the Six Steps for Care Homes Programme as a model to improve end-of-
Kate Palmer life care to care home staff. “By having a dedicated care homes facilitation team, the Hospice will be able to create a stronger partnership between them and the independent care sector, helping to reduce costs for the NHS and improve quality of life for residents who are at the end of their life.” Previous evaluations of the Six Steps Programme have already demonstrated an increase in care home staff’s knowledge and skills, helping to improve end-of-life care for residents. The Hospice is aiming to achieve similar results
through their exciting new facilitation team. Kate Palmer, care homes clinical nurse specialist, added: “As more people live longer and with a number of complex illnesses, we know that there will be an increase in the number of people living in care homes. “That’s why we want to work in partnership with these organisations, to make sure staff have the right skills and knowledge to provide vital end of life care. “Over the past six months, the Hospice has been scoping out exactly what education, training and support care homes across Birmingham need – we believe the Six Steps for Care Homes programme is the perfect model to help increase staff’s confidence in providing palliative support. “What’s fantastic about this programme is that it will be a two-way partnership – so whilst we will be sharing our knowledge with care homes, we will also be listening to feedback and constantly evolving the programme to ensure we’re delivering the best possible service. “By collaborating, we can make sure that more people who need vital end of life care are able to access it in a place of their choosing.” Care homes across Birmingham and Sandwell will be able to ‘step on’ to the programme in January and ‘step off’ in August.
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Ground-breaking dementia recognition for Filey home
Keyren Anderson and Ann Norris.
Chef tastes success with five-star food rating A WIDELY respected chef based at a Hagley care home has played a key role in it achieving a top status for the quality of its food. Keyren Anderson, who works at Chandos Lodge, has helped the residential home gain a coveted five stars following a recent unannounced inspection from the Food Standards Agency. He has been instrumental in maintaining and improving food standards for residents. Improvements includes food management, cleanliness and a new nutritional menu which give residents a balanced, healthy diet. The menu at Chandos Lodge, which is put together in the home’s new kitchen, has also seen the introduction of more locally-sourced food including fruit, vegetables and meat. Keyren said: “Our food and cleanliness has always had brilliant feedback but in recent months we’ve been able to take things to a different level in terms of quality and
consistency. “We want to provide our residents with lots of healthy food options which includes locally sourced products, as well as the introduction of more herbs and spices, such as turmeric and ginger, which are great for wellbeing. “The feedback from the Food Standards Agency’s inspectors has been fantastic and we look forward to continuing to work with them through their Safer Food, Better Business programme.” Keyren added that residents regularly have the opportunity to try different foods before they’re added to the home’s menu. The news comes after the home, which is managed by experienced care professional Ann Norris, was given an award for its approach to helping people with dementia. Chandos Lodge is part of the privately-owned Clarendon Care Home Group and is registered with the Care Quality Commission for 34 residents.
Nurses from care homes across the South focused on clinical leadership and best practice at a conference in Bournemouth. More than 70 registered general and mental health nurses, plus senior operations managers, attended the Colten Care event. The aim was to celebrate and consolidate skills and learning through an interactive, handson day of presentations and workshops. The agenda was designed around both acute and chronic conditions. Topics under discussion included sepsis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, frailty, professional leadership and the administration of medicine.
New Required Systems KLOE Audit Tool AN online cloud-based Audit Tool giving you instant access, that will assist you to evidence compliance to the way the KlOES are being inspected by CQC. Very easy to use and will save you time. Go to our web site to see the comprehensive on-line demo. Enquiries: Call 01236 782477, visit www.requiredsystems.com or email peter@requiredsystems.com
CARE leaders in North Yorkshire are celebrating after one of their members became the first in the area to gain national accreditation for ground-breaking dementia care. The Hylands care home in Filey has become the first to gain the national Butterfly Care Home Accreditation. The Butterfly Award, run by dementia care organisation Dementia Care Matters, is recognised internationally as an indicator of best practice and quality of life in the care of those with dementia. The Independent Care Group, of which The Hylands is a member, has sent its congratulations to the home. Its chair, Mike Padgham, said: “This is a great accolade for The Hylands and recognises great and groundbreaking work in the challenging environment of caring for those with dementia. “It takes a great deal of commitment and dedication to introduce and embed the culture change needed
to gain Butterfly Care Home Accreditation and is a real feather in the cap of the Hylands that it has become the first in Yorkshire to achieve it. “We fully endorse the Butterfly Care Home Accreditation and the work of Dementia Care Matters.” The care home is owned by Tony and Diane Rhoden. Diane said: “After deciding to provide care for clients living with dementia we invested in our project with DCM – the transformation was almost instant, with our clients benefitting from a calmer, more loving environment, and this is only the start, as staff continue making a connection with their emotions and learning to share them, the love can only grow.” The Butterfly Household Model of Care was founded by Dr David Sheard, founder of Dementia Care Matters and a leading dementia care consultant, in 1995.
Home managers go from ‘Good to Great’ with care provider A SCOTTISH care provider is paving the way for excellence in care home management thanks to its introduction of an exclusive leadership initiative. Inverness-based Meallmore Ltd. has developed a new ILM accredited, four-day interactive programme, ‘Good to Great Leadership & Management Skills’, which enables its top performers to strengthen and develop their care management skills. Unique to Meallmore, the programme is open to employees in current management positions and also to individuals known as shining stars who are keen to progress their career to a management position across its 23 care homes. The programme aims to foster advanced career progression by providing personalised development plans and one-on-one mentoring. Successful applicants will complete the programme and return to their respective care homes with new skills and enhanced self-awareness. Gerry Hennessey, managing director of Meallmore Ltd, said: “We’re committed to delivering exceptional standards of care and our care home
managers are a vital part of this as they have a hugely positive impact on residents, their families and carers. “This is why we’re very excited to offer this ILM accredited programme to those keen to develop their leadership career within Meallmore.” “It provides them with the exact tools they need to build on their personal strengths and develop their leadership and management potential.” “There are already several individuals who have completed this programme that have been promoted into a higher role.” The four-day programme covers topics such as value led leadership, personal effectiveness, effective leadership communication, delivering positive outcomes and quality service, complaint handling, change management and budgeting skills. Focus topics are designed to foster fresh perspectives and tangible action plans for taking charge and inspiring leadership. The group was recognised with a Silver Employer of the Year award in the 2017 Investors in People Awards, which they will retain until 2020.
CARINGLAUNDRY AND INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement
New care home opens its doors to Miele
ELM House, a recently opened care home in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, has taken a proactive stance on infection control and the environment using high quality Miele laundry equipment installed by Liver Laundry to maintain a clean environment for the home. Managers at the 34-bed care home have created strict procedures for cleaning and laundry activity in a bid to ensure that bed linen, towels, flannels and clothing are washed to the standards required by The Department of Health’s Health Technical Memorandum 01-04 (HTM 01-04). Due to issues such as incontinence, many items get heavily soiled resulting in demanding daily laundry activity. Following building work that converted Elm House from a children’s home to a care home for the elderly, the owners engaged laundry equipment provider and Miele partner, Liver Laundry to conduct a site survey. They advised Elm House’s managers that Miele offered the most suitable equipment for the home, given that it machines promise quality, reliability and durability. The owners decided that they wanted biomass boilers in order to be more sustainable. Their choice of tumble dryers had to reflect this, and Liver Laundry installed two Miele PT 8333 HW dryers that are powered just
Senior executives of the Healthcare Homes Group have exchanged suits and ties for care assistant and domestic uniforms to work in frontline facing roles, to undertake residential and domiciliary care duties. CEO Gordon Cochrane undertook maintenance duties at Shipdham Manor residential home in Norfolk, along with Sam Dixon, HR director, who worked with the home’s laundry and domestic team. Operational heads Helen Gidlow and Anthony Beorby spent the day at the Watton branch of the group’s Manorcourt Homecare business, while a further three members of the management team undertook kitchen duties, supported activities coordinators and did housekeeping tasks at both Ashley Gardens care home in Kent and Fornham House care residence.
by hot water, minimising the home’s reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Liver Laundry also installed two PW 5105 washing machines. Colin Bell, co-owner at Elm House, said: “When we first opened our doors we had countless things to think about, but thanks to Miele hygiene doesn’t need to be a concern. “We’re a premium care home that offers a range of activities from physiotherapy to hairdressing. But delivering high quality care to residents is the top priority for us. This includes ensuring that everything in our environment, particularly items used by residents, are kept thoroughly clean. The new Miele machines are great at ensuring this.”
Electrolux Line 6000 Dryers – dry more in less space and time ELECTROLUX has launched the new Line 6000 Dryers, a groundbreaking range that will set a new bar for professional laundries. The heat pump technology is available for all models together with the other heating alternatives. The Electrolux Line 6000 Dryers are a game changer in the laundry business, providing maximum productivity, high drying performance, outstanding speed in reduced footprint and exceptional savings. Together with electric, gas and steam versions, the heat pump is suitable for all models. You will be amazed by the shortest drying time on the market ensured by this technology: the smaller machine takes 44 minutes to dry 6kg of garments, and the larger ones are even more efficient.
Moreover, the heat pump dryers allow you to save more than 60 per cent on your energy bill compared to traditional models: this makes them the right, sustainable solution to boost your profitability. Ultimately, thanks to their thoughtful design, the new Electrolux Line 6000 Dryers can be considered as ergonomics and usability champions, earning the prestigious four-star rating in compliance with international standards. This means the machines have been intensively user-tested to make sure operators feel less tension, effort and strain, and can therefore work comfortably. Enquiries: Call 08444 631 261, email epr.info@electrolux.co.uk or visit www.professional. electrolux.co.uk
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CARINGNEW FOR 2019
Discount on guide to help adult social care providers improve their CQC rating IT’S IMPORTANT that care providers are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to lead their service effectively. Skills for Care helps create a well-led, skilled and valued adult social care workforce, and their online bookshop has a range of popular resources for managers and care workers. This January, selected publications are available at a discount. This includes the ‘Good and outstanding care’ guide, which supports adult social care providers to improve their service and prepare for their next CQC inspection. The guide shows the key characteristics that differentiate CQC ratings and shares recommendations and best practice under each area of inspection. It draws on practical examples and inspection reports from providers already rated good and outstanding. This learning can help other employers assess their current performance and identify key areas to improve their service and CQC rating. Some of the shared learning is simple and effective, whilst
others are more innovative and transformational. The workbook edition of the guide has activities and self-assessment checklists to benchmark what you’re doing now and decide where to make improvements. This January, get your copy of the workbook for a discounted price of just £30 (usually £35). This is just one of the guides in the Skills for Care January sale. Enquiries: Find this publication and more at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/bookshop
Have you considered leasing a minibus for your care home? BEING able to take your residents out for day trips enhances their experience of being in your care. Ensuring you have a suitable vehicle will be top of your priority list. Minibus Leasing UK supply care homes across the UK with minibuses of all types. We offer a personal service to all customers, ensuring specific needs are met. You have one point of contact throughout the process. Our experienced team have a full understanding of the needs of care homes. We have mature relationships with minibus conversion companies, who install wheelchair lifts and other special requirements. We can arrange for your minibus to be branded with your care home logo. And importantly, we can guide you through all the legal requirements.
What to consider when leasing a minibus for a care home To ensure every specific need is met, we will ask questions such as: 1. What will the minibus be used for? 2. How many seats are needed? 3. What is the ratio of carers to care home residents that is required to be carried in the minibus? 4. Will there be a requirement for disabled access either now or in the future? 5. How long will the minibus be needed for? Our latest leasing offers can be found at www. minibusleasinguk.co.uk Enquiries: To have an informal chat with one of our team or to get a quote on a specific minibus please call us on 01491 615516 or email sales @minibusleasing.co.uk
Fully comprehensive interior design service available THE care interiors team at Spearhead are qualified experts in care home design and can deliver a fully comprehensive interior design service, designed to meet and exceed the expectations of the care environment. This makes it functional for your carers, and welcoming to the residents that call you care home, ‘home’. From flooring to seat cushions, everything the team recommends for use has been designed specifically for care home resident’s needs, without compromising on looks. What’s more, the regular face to face contact you receive means that you do not have to deal with multiple
suppliers, as this can all be done through your Spearhead point of contact; and also ensures that time is taken to make sure you get a result that is bespoke to your residents needs, including dementia designs. The team has experience working with a range of care home interior design projects, ranging from a single room to an entire care home fit-out. Using our high end virtual design software, we make sure you are happy with your designs, before work is even started. We would love to hear about your next care home refurb project, or show you our care home specific showrooms; located in Stafford and Kilmarnock.
Professional dancer Ian Waite was the guest of honour at the opening of a new £13m Hallmark care home in Girton, Cambridge. Ian, who is best known for his appearances on the BBC hit show Strictly Come Dancing, cut the ribbon in front of 200 guests as part of Arlington Manor’s official grand launch event. As part of the residential and dementia care home’s special event, guests were invited to view the home’s state-of-the-art facilities, which includes a cinema, hairdressers, therapy room, and café.
Caring about comfort for nearly 60 years FOR nearly 60 years, Shackletons have taken pride in producing highquality furniture. Shackletons are renowned for their chairs and dedication to creating comfort. Mass production is no substitute for the attention to detail, pride and traditional knowledge of their skilled workforce. Shackletons’ furniture requires an army of highly skilled craftspeople to manufacture. Polishers, upholsterers and fabric cutters to name a few, whom all take pride in the furniture they produce. Shackletons’ furniture is made with a keen and discerning eye for quality and detail. The fine detailed work that goes into
the finished product is astounding. For example, the polishers inspecting the even coating of lacquer on chair legs and woodwork. Even productions ability to pattern match complex and meticulous fabrics. Shackletons’ handmade chairs and furniture relies on the latest CADbased design technologies, master craftspeople, traditional production techniques, and the best materials. Just one production area of their Yorkshire factory is automated and their manual-based approach achieves the delicate balance between support and softness for the kind of comfort that only human experts can create.
Their dedication to quality extends beyond their factory floor to their offices. The entire Shackletons team aim to provide their customers with a level of service which matches the level of quality of their product. Each customer is assigned a dedicated account manager contact. These direct contacts begin to forge long-lasting working relationships that are valued. Customers constantly remain in an exchange with Shackletons, from their first contact through design, production and delivery, then aftercare. A dedicated account manager provides a single point of contact and
can discuss requirements, project progress and deadlines. Shackletons’ commitment to comfort and quality can be seen in their case studies online. From supplying furniture to care homes as well as hotels and other healthcare facilities. There is no questioning the quality and finish of their furniture. Their new website is an epitome of their chairs and furniture quality. Along with showcasing new collection pieces which are now online. As 2018 draws to a close, 2019 marks 60 years in business. Honouring their diamond year, there is plenty planned to mark this amazing achievement.
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CARINGNEWS
Recruitment and retention of staff is key for sustainable homecare By Melanie Weatherley PROVIDING quality care, charging a fee that local authorities can afford and balancing the books – all at the same time – is becoming more and more challenging, as care providers wait for the Government’s elusive Green Paper on social care funding. Add this to the increasing expectations of service users and their families, and the growing numbers of regulators with an interest in our sector, and an objective observer might wonder why there are any providers left. Care providers strive to provide quality care for their residents and understand that the key to achieving this is to have the right number staff with the right attitudes and competencies, supported by a committed leadership team. Finding, and more importantly, retaining the right staff has never been more difficult or more essential to ensure the long-term health of each organisation and our sector as a whole. We know all this, but what are we doing about it? Staffing costs are often the most significant expense for care providers, but they are rising thanks to pension contributions and the increasing competition for skilled, experienced staff (particularly nurses). These increases, along with the cost of developing our workforce, must be included in fee negotiations with local authorities and NHS Commissioners. We have a fantastic workforce
Melanie Weatherley which can support the NHS in its desire to care for people as close to home as possible. But if this is to be sustainable, we need to have enough resources to reflect their skills. Permanent staffing costs are a challenge but the biggest challenge, which needs tackling head on, is the cost of agency staff. The only way to reduce our dependence on agency workers is to improve our ability to recruit the right staff. Providing social care is not often seen as a career of choice. However, the workers on the front line know that it is one of the best and most rewarding jobs in the world. It comes with challenges, but the satisfaction of working with people and putting back into the local community is one
we need to shout about as a sector. We need to do more to educate our young people and those who influence them. When young people come to us for work experience, do we provide them with an insight into our world that inspires them to become a social care professional, or reinforce the view that they need to work harder at school or college so that they can do something else? Working together with other providers through your local care association, you could provide a positive experience which could: n Improve recruitment of young people who have studied health and care. n Enable existing staff to develop through coaching and mentoring opportunities. n Provide your service users with the opportunity to interact with interesting young people. n Build connections with education providers who may have courses that could support your staff in key topics such as IT. But this is just the start! You might be aware that the Department of Health and Social Care has launched a social care recruitment campaign in partnership with Skills for Care. The campaign is currently being piloted and will be rolled out nationwide shortly. The campaign is not in the same league as the multi-million-pound recruitment drive within the NHS, but as providers we need to engage with the programme and make it work for
us. I would encourage all care providers to support this campaign and do what they can locally to reinforce its message. By working together with each other and national organisations such as Skills for Care, providers can use these and other initiatives to improve recruitment and retention at minimal cost. Care providers have become experts at managing the challenges of rising costs and a variety of regulations, while attempting to negotiate fee increases with authorities that struggle with reduced funding. As a sector, we are committed to working with colleagues across health and social care to develop new ways of improving the quality of life experienced by our service users, but we can’t continue to do this when we are concerned about the sustainability of our organisations. Without a vibrant, sustainable social care sector, the pressures on the NHS will increase. We have been promised a Green Paper on the long-term funding of care since early 2017, but now we hear that it will be 2019 before it is released. Without changes to the long-term funding of care, we need significant investment to stay alive. The crumbs from the NHS’s long-term plan may not be enough. n Melanie Weatherley is CEO of Walnut Care, chair of Lincolnshire Association and co-chair of Care Association Alliance.
Team puts provider at forefront of expertise A SOUTH coast care home provider has tripled its investment in highly specialist nurses to help support more people and families living with dementia. Colten Care has welcomed two more Admiral Nurses to its team, including one at consultant level, under an expanding partnership with Dementia UK. The move follows the success of a first Admiral Nurse, Kay Gibson, in developing a group-wide dementia care strategy. Kay’s ongoing input will be strengthened by new appointees Adam Smith and Tracy Logan, with the trio working together to support residents, families and communities at the group’s 20 nursing homes, including its five dementia-specific settings. Adam is one of only a handful of consultant Admiral Nurses nationally and the first to be appointed by a private provider. An Admiral Nurse for several years, he has moved to Colten from Dementia UK where he had consultant responsibility for the South of England and Wales. He previously worked for the Royal British Legion, being operationally responsible for developing its Admiral Nurse teams in Hampshire and Somerset under an independent
The new Colten Care Admiral Nurse team, from the left: Adam Smith, Kay Gibson and Tracy Logan. living support programme. At Colten, Adam will lead the development and clinical supervision of the Admiral Nurse team.
He will be based at St Catherines View in Winchester and also have direct responsibility for Newstone House in Sturminster Newton, Dorset.
Tracy joins Colten with extensive experience as a learning disability nurse, helping people with complex mental health needs. Based at Linden House in Lymington, one of her first tasks will be helping the families of residents settling into a newly opened floor of 15 bedrooms. Elaine Farrer, Colten Care’s operations director, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Tracy and Adam to our team, building on Kay’s great work. “By investing in our Admiral Nurse provision we are delivering on our promise to help residents and relatives overcome the challenges associated with dementia. It is fantastic news for our continual journey of improvement for the benefit of residents, families and communities.” Since Kay was appointed in 2016, Colten has evolved a dementia care strategy focused on clinical care, companionship and other parts of the care mix. To support families, she has run regular community drop-in sessions, something the wider team will continue. Kay will now be based at The Aldbury in Poole and also have responsibility for Fernhill in Longham.
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Mayor marks final stage of construction at site
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Construction begins on care home and assisted living development
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Home to undergo £2.3m extension and refurb
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Group expands portfolio with new premium facility A SPECIALIST provider of upmarket care homes for elderly people is set to add to its portfolio by opening a new state-of-the-art development in North Nottinghamshire, with support from Yorkshire Bank. Crown Care Group has been provided with £4m in funding to assist with the development of a luxury 78-bed home, due to open in Hucknall in 2019, which will be specially designed to accommodate those suffering from dementia. The new facility will create a minimum of 40 full time jobs, plus a further 20 roles once the site is fully operational. The new development comes with a plethora of features which will help to provide the highest standard of living to residents, including full wet-roomen-suites for every room, alongside a café, hair salon, library and bistro. The home will also include lounge areas, TV and activity rooms, as well as treatment rooms where
Gail Fielding, director of health and social care at Yorkshire Bank, with Michael Ladhar. professional beauticians will offer spa treatments and more. Alongside this, Crown Care will provide both residential and respite care to its residents with dementia.
The provider currently operates 14 care homes across the North East and Yorkshire with its headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is undertaking an ambitious
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expansion plan, involving investment in excess of £115m to create care villages and residential homes across the UK, providing 700 jobs in the process. Managing director Michael Ladhar said: “We are a family-owned business and we pride ourselves on providing thriving homes with a philosophy of care that puts the needs of our residents at the centre of everything we do and how we do it. “Crown Care is investing not simply in new homes but in taking the whole concept of care to the next level. “We are delighted to partner with Yorkshire Bank on our Beaumont House development in Hucknall. “The Bank has a record of supporting a number of care projects and the development finance option perfectly suited our needs. “Thanks to Yorkshire Bank, we will be building a facility to provide the highest possible standards of care for residents in Hucknall.”
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Highgrove House, Worthing
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SOLD Antron Manor Care Home, Cornwall
ST. HELENA’S CARE HOME HUYTON LIVERPOOL
Sold on behalf of Mrs Maureen Gillman, a 33 registered home offering 32 individual bedrooms. The home as a trading business had been in continual family ownership for over 30 years and has been acquired by the Manchester based Aspall Investments Ltd.
Hart House. Reg 10. Southend on Sea, Essex
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GROUP OF 3 HOMES SUCCESSFULLY SOLD IN THE SOUTH EAST Hart Care Essex Ltd.
ESSEX BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES GROUP
Providing & Promoting Rehabilitation & Recovery In Mental Health
Head Office PO Box 2347 Woodford Green Essex IG7 5WH Tel: 020 8501 5002 Fax: 020 8500 9339 Email: info@hartcare.co.uk
O to th di so si O cl tr ad
To whom it may concern We have recently sold our group of three Essex care homes through Lamont Johnson Ltd and were very impressed with the professional service they provided. The service provided by Grayson Taylor was exceptional and he was contactable at all times through a quite tricky and delicate process. The sale was a quick process from start to finish but did involve some extremely complicated matters which Grayson would deal with in a quick and professional manner whilst dealing with our buyers.
g 11 dge. Re Hart Lo Heath ll Chadwe , Essex d r o f Rom Hart View. Reg 8 Westcliff on Sea, Essex
Sold on behalf of Hart Care
We had previously used a different company to try and sell another care home of ours, who charged us upfront fees and then provided a really poor service without any sale taking place. Lamont Johnson Ltd charged us NO upfront fee, worked efficiently to make a sale and took a well earned fee at the end of the sale. I can fully recommend Grayson Taylor at Lamont Johnson Ltd, as you will get a great service and will only pay a fee if they actually sell your care home, so there is a big incentive there and they will earn it.
Mr S Hart Company Director
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Kind regards Grayson Taylor, Managing Director, Lamont Johnson with the Hart brothers, and Dawn Taylor, Director, Lamont Johnson.
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CARE HOME FARNHAM SURREY
There have been times in the last few months that we did not think that we would get to this stage that the business have sold successfully. The whole due diligence was tiresome, and if it had not been for your constant support throughout, extensive professional advice, expertise in the care sector, and unfailing good humour, we are not sure if we would have carried on. We are very grateful that you were so flexible in working with us. We know of no other agent who would take calls and reply to texts and e-mails in the evenings and weekends, not just occasionally, but throughout the process from the sellers and buyers. Your commitment to us and the process was exceptional, and was very much appreciated. You were aware that we were extremely sensitive that any sale should be conducted discreetly and we know that must have made life difficult for you. However you introduced us to the perfect buyer, whom shared our philosophy of care, and the whole matter was completed with minimal fuss for residents and staff. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone considering selling their homes. Thank you and Dawn for your support and advice throughout the process.
gH
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Sharston H
Grace House,Registered for 21, all single bedroom accommodation with potential for further expansion.
ire ome, Chesh
SOLD
David and Rhiannon Walker Drew Care Limited and Redwalls Care Services Limited
Our success in the sale of Care Homes is second to none in the care sector, and has been achieved through the 38 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide. Our proven track record is confirmed by our clients recommendations, and their continued trust in us over the years, with additional purchases and resales.
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Investment to rebuild home
RUNWOOD Homes Senior Living has invested £6million to rebuild a former Warwickshire County Council owned care home. Four Acres has been transformed into a modern and expanded version of the former residential care setting, completed to a high specification and now open to new admissions. This state-of-the-art care home, close to the town of Redditch, has been specially developed to cater for older people, including those living with dementia, creating a spacious and homely assisted living facility perfectly suited to accommodate
seniors seeking a luxurious residential offering. The home benefits from a concierge service, multiple lounges, desirable dining areas, courtyard garden, hairdressing and beauty spa, sociable café and kitchenettes to encourage independent living. Runwood Homes has remained closely connected with Warwickshire County Council since taking over the ownership of Four Acres and seven other of its homes five years ago and continues to offer council referral places as well as appealing to selffunding clients.
The finish line is in sight for Hampshire’s newest retirement village. Titchfield’s Friary Meadow, named in reference to the nearby Abbey and the likely historic use of the fields around it, is now offering visitors the chance to see a completed apartment as well as the three-bedroom town house show home and reserve off-plan. Situated between Southampton and Portsmouth, the £35m development will offer a selection of 86 luxury homes, comprising of apartments, bungalows and townhouses. It is based on the ‘extra-care’ living model, as recommended by the Department of Health, which aims at giving older people the opportunity to retain their independence for longer, including their financial independence, by enabling them to own their own properties, thereby protecting their equity.
Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor John Morgan with Councillor Philip Corthorne, cabinet member for social services, housing, health and wellbeing.
£24m development opens HILLINGDON Council has invested £24m in an innovative new extra-care housing development, which has been built to the University of Stirling standard for dementia care. Grassy Meadow Court in Hayes, West London, is designed to help older people to carry on living independently, and is already on track to achieve a ‘Gold’ Dementia Design Accreditation Award for its unique design. The housing development was opened by Councillor John Morgan, Mayor of Hillingdon, and will provide 88 modern extra-care flats to older residents, as well as communal facilities and a dedicated dementia centre. Close attention has been given to the detail, colour and design of the building, which enables residents with dementia to navigate with ease
and remain independent. Councillor Philip Corthorne, Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for social services, housing, health and wellbeing, said: “These two large housing developments will provide older residents with the very best facilities to continue living fulfilling and independent lives.” The development offers residents and their families peace of mind, with professional care on-site 24 hours a day plus a range of communal facilities, including two central courtyard garden areas, a dementia centre, restaurant, cafe and hairdressing salon. Hillingdon Council is also investing in another extra-care housing development, Park View Court in Yiewsley, which will provide a further 60 extra-care flats and will open in 2019.
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Two high quality residential homes · Acquired by experienced operator · Sold as going concerns · Predominantly purpose built · Combined registration of 68 · Retirement sale
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38
Mayor marks final stage of construction at site
Maxine Bennett, director, Wylde IA, Amelia Greenstreet, marketing co-ordinator, Carterwood, Grace Wheelwright, graduate research analyst, Carterwood and Sam Partridge, studio manager, Wylde IA.
Company scoops award CARTERWOOD has won the South Gloucestershire medium business category in workplace and interior design consultancy Wylde IA’s Happiest Workplace competition, which is now in its fourth year. The winners received their awards at an awards ceremony hosted at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, attended by staff from shortlisted finalists. Carterwood managing director Amanda Nurse said: “The absolute essence of what we do stems from a very dedicated, hardworking and fun team, all of whom reflect our core values, which include working hard and having fun.
“The directors and senior management team are thrilled that the team feel they have such a happy environment to work in.” Aztec West based Carterwood impressed the judges with its relaxed, open and informal management style, where all employees feel genuinely valued. Staff enjoy many social activities throughout the year, their birthday off and a weekly selection of organic fruit. The company has also implemented a flexible ‘leisure time policy’, which allows staff to use time off for personal commitments and helps create a healthy work life balance.
WETHERBY’S newest care home, Windsor Court, welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress for a sneak peek of the new facilities. The 66 bed home is coming up to completion, and the Mayor marked the occasion by laying the last external ground stone on the site. Councillor Galan Moss and his wife Sandra donned their hard hats and high visibility jackets to take a tour of the building with home manager Paula Mountjoy and site manager Graham Frost. As they walked around the twostorey home, which is due to open in January, Paula revealed her plans for residents including clubs, trips, activities and community events. As the tour progressed to the large en suite bedrooms, Graham explained the environmental design features and sustainable aspects of the home such as ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating and LED lighting. Paula who is dedicated to developing Windsor Court as a key part of the local community, said, “We were so pleased to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress of Wetherby to our new home. “This takes us one step closer to completion and we can’t wait to open the doors to the people of Wetherby
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and beyond. With a luxurious, safe and innovative environment and exciting social calendar for our future residents, Windsor Court is so much more than just a care home and I know local people will be impressed.” Windsor Court will be operated by Ideal Carehomes and has been designed to embrace social activities and aspirational lifestyle choices for residents. The home will offer residential and dementia care to older people who will live there on an inclusive fee basis, enjoying the modern facilities without the worry of additional costs.
Wynbrook’s new assistant site manager Joshua Brookes and trainee assistant site manager Darren Tonks.
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Home manager Paula Mountjoy with the Mayor and Mayoress of Wetherby as they lay the last external ground stone.
Our success in the sale of Care Homes has been achieved through the 38 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.
For a no obligation appraisal and advice on how we can help sell your home, phone us on 07920 475 440 or mail us at lamontjohnson@btinternet.com
CARE HOME SALES NATIONWIDE
CARE home builders and residential property developers Wynbrook has appointed two new specialists in site management roles, and is also investing in the career development of two existing employees through external training programmes. The two new hires are Darren Tonks and Joshua Brookes, who have joined Wynbrook as an assistant site manager and trainee assistant site manager respectively. Darren has a wide range of commercial building experience and was previously an assistant site manager for Wildgoose Construction. His first role with Wynbrook will be to assist in the site management of a new 70 bed care home development that is being constructed in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire. He said: “I was drawn to Wynbrook due to their professional approach to construction and reputation for good quality workmanship. I very much look forward to developing my existing knowledge and hopefully managing my own site in the future.” Joshua has been working for Wynbrook on a freelance basis for a
number of years. He added: “When I was approached to join Wynbrook on a permanent basis I jumped at the chance because I really enjoy working for them. “They have sponsored me to attend a part-time two-year construction and a built environment course and while it’s strange going back into the classroom, it’s been really beneficial to my career development.” Wynbrook is also supporting the ongoing career development of Sarah Morris and Michele Annison. Office administrator Sarah is attending a two-year construction and built environment course to provide her with enhanced construction knowledge and assist her in providing support to Wynbrook’s office and site-based staff. Accounts administrator Michele is being sponsored to undertake accounting AAT examinations. She began working at Wynbrook as a general administrator and now assists with accounts administration. In her most recent module exams, Michele achieved an outstanding 97 per cent.
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Construction begins on care home and assisted living development WORK has begun on the construction of a ground-breaking 55-bed assisted living development and a 77-bed care home which will provide residential and dementia care. The new luxury development is being built at a cost of £23m across a 3.3-acre site in Hutton Essex, by multi-award-winning care provider, Hallmark Care Homes. The site’s construction team was recently joined by Hallmark Care Homes managing director Ram Goyal and Mayor of Brentwood Councillor Sheila Murphy to officially mark the start of the build. Ram said: “We have over 20 years of knowledge and experience of building award-winning care homes. We are excited to be able to create an engaging new care community at Hutton. “The home and assisted living development will provide residents with a place where they feel safe and supported to live an active and fulfilled life.” The assisted living development will feature luxurious one and two bedroom apartments with a fully fitted kitchen and bathroom. Communal areas inside the building include a fully staffed café/bistro, a bar and library as well as a wellness centre with bespoke gym equipment which will enable residents to
“The home and assisted living development will provide residents with a place where they feel safe and supported to live an active and fulfilled life.”
exercise at their leisure. Meanwhile, facilities at the care home will include a café, cinema, hairdressers and therapy room. Each bedroom will have an en-suite wet room and all of those on the ground floor will have access to their own patio. Other innovations at the home will include five roof terraces, an outdoor log cabin and landscaped gardens with 77 newly planted trees and a sensory walk for residents and visitors to enjoy. The Hutton development is scheduled to open its doors to its first residents in early 2020. The new development will be the Essex-based care group’s 21st care home and first venture into assisted living.
specialist healthcare business agents
New owner for Leeds homes SPECIALIST care property consultant HPC has confirmed the sale of two care homes in Leeds, with a combined registration of 68 beds. St Armands Court and The Hollies are located in Garforth and had been operated by the Hobman family for more than 30 years. St Armands Court is an entirely purpose built property providing 40 beds, with the smaller Hollies having 28 beds in a period property which has been substantially extended and adapted. The business had always operated with strong occupancy levels and was put up for sale due to retirement. The owners had known HPC directpr Ian Wilkie for many years and approached the company when the time came to sell.
He said: “Having known the Hobman family for many years, we are delighted to have been able to assist them in the sale of the business. “The deal actually completed in September, but it is only now that we are able to confirm details.” The business has been acquired by Garforth Care Homes Ltd, whose director Harvey Zemmel has more than 30 years’ experience in the care sector, having previously run a number of care home groups. Ian added: “We are especially pleased to have overseen the transfer of the business to Harvey Zemmel, whose knowledge and experience will undoubtedly result in the continued delivery of first class care by these two excellent care homes.”
Independent expertise, nationwide knowledge
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DC Care is delighted to announce the recent successful sale of Abbey Care Home, a purpose built care home registered for 20 service users, residing within substantial grounds in Romford, Essex. The business has been sold on behalf of Rajiv Patel to Oakley Care Homes. When industry knowledge and wisdom are needed, when a discreet sale is desired, our clients choose DC Care to sell their healthcare business.
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40 Advertiser’s announcement
Team strike management deal
Artist’s impression of Galanos House.
Credit: Portess and Richardson Architects.
Home to undergo £2.3m extension and refurb CONSTRUCTION and refurbishment specialist J Tomlinson has been appointed to deliver a £2.3m extension and refurbishment project to a Warwickshire-based care home owned and run by The Royal British Legion. Galanos House is one of six facilities owned by the Legion, exclusively providing short and long-term care to serving and ex-service individuals and their dependants. The work comprises construction of two extensions, which will provide 10 additional dementia care bedrooms to the home’s award-winning Poppy Lodge and a new community hub which will include a day care facility, café and treatment rooms. In addition, J Tomlinson will also be providing associated landscaped
gardens and extended car parking to support increased occupancy within Galanos House upon completion of the extension. Pete Woods, director (commercial refurbishment) at J Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to work with The Royal British Legion on this project, which will provide additional space for individuals requiring extra care. “As a business, we are active supporters of the armed forces community, having recently been recognised as a Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award winner after signing the armed forces covenant during early 2017 We look forward to working with the Legion as the project gets underway.” The project is due to complete next autumn.
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LNT Software Ltd directors Fiona Hale (managing director) and Leigh Ellis (technical director) have successfully led a management buyin. The deal (value undisclosed) sees the management team take executive control of the business and acquire shareholdings from parent company LNT Group (LNT). Following the completion of the deal, LNT will act as investor and provide non-executive support to the management team. The company has been renamed CoolCare Ltd, losing its close association with the LNT brand. Fiona said: “Being part of the LNT Group has given CoolCare an abundance of experience from our sister companies’ operational knowledge of running care homes. “CoolCare has an undeniable competitive edge when designing our software. It is an amazing product derived from decades of sector knowledge. “CoolCare has been a small fish within the LNT pond. The MBI gives us the best of both worlds: LNT is giving Leigh and me the autonomy to run the business, but is staying on hand to offer advice when needed. “We love CoolCare so are hugely grateful to Lawrence, and the LNT Board, for their support of the MBI.” Leigh added: “There are more than 700 care homes using CoolCare products. Our latest product, CoolCare4, is the only specialist care home management software available
Fiona Hale (managing director) and Leigh Ellis (technical director). on the market. “Whilst it’s still in the early days of roll-out, there will already be over 100 care homes using CoolCare4 by the end of 2018. Building on our specialism and delighting our customers with our user-friendly new features is core to our plan going forward. “We’ll be continuing our investment in the development team to ensure we take centre stage of the care software ecosystem.” Over the next five years, CoolCare will continue to specialise in care home management software, building on partnerships with complimentary software providers in the sector in fields such as care planning, eLearning and eMAR systems. Stephen Moore from Cavu Corporate Finance was the advisor on the transaction.
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CARINGNEWS
Agency ends year on a high WITH another successful year at an end and 2019 dawning, the closing stages of 2018 saw a flurry of activity for DC Care. Many care businesses we are instructed to sell saw offers being accepted on them by our respective vendors or entered the formal legal due diligence process following a successful valuation. Additionally, we have observed a significant surge of interest in all businesses and subsequent viewing requests. Despite the ongoing political turmoil, it demonstrates that the care sector is still buoyant and demand for quality care facilities remains high. All the signs point to potentially another record-breaking year in 2019
for us. Alison Willoughby, Northern region director, said: “I feel our strength definitely lies in our specialism and combined knowledge. “With a national presence and an experienced team, we are ideally placed to advise owners wishing to sell anything from a small specialist care home to a large group.” In the run-up to Christmas the DC Care team personally oversaw the final stages of many sales heading towards completion. Some of our most recent completions include Abbey Care Home in Romford and the confidential sale of a purpose-built care home in Yorkshire, registered for 60 clients.
New case study now online WORKING in collaboration with HomeSmiths, Shackletons has published a new case study featuring its furniture and cabinetry at Fairfield Residential Care Home, a new build 40-bed care home in North Oxford. HomeSmiths director Jacqui Smith said: “The home manager was keen to use Shackletons since she had worked with them before and knew that she could rely on them for quality furniture. “From a design perspective we knew that the Shackletons range was going
to offer us the right style of chair for the scheme and importantly a comfortable seat for the resident. “We always research the area in which the project is being built to link it with the local history. For this project, we took inspiration from the University Of Oxford Botanical Gardens.” Following completion of Fairfield, HomeSmiths was made a finalist for the 2018 SBID International Design Awards in the Healthcare and Wellness category.
New picture Window Stick-Ups available CARE Home Murals has launched a new range of Window Stick-Ups – an exciting new addition to its portfolio of tried and tested wallpaper murals. These self-adhesive prints present a reliable, quick and easy way to add beautiful and meaningful imagery to walls for residents to enjoy. As with all its wallpaper mural products, these Window Stick-Ups have been carefully designed for application in care homes, featuring spectacular vistas full of natural colour to brighten up dull spaces and lots of detail to interest the viewer. Design director Michael Potter said: “Customer input into the design is, as always, at the forefront of our concept. Purchasers have the opportunity to easily tailor the type, style and size of their Window StickUp, or ‘picture on the wall’, just as they want it, ensuring it works for their residents and fits with their care
provision philosophy.” Another significant advantage Care Home Murals provide is the opportunity for customers to personalise their Window Stick-Up with an image of their choice as the scene in the window. This could be a view local to their care home and relevant to their residents, or perhaps a particular resident’s favourite vista. This is very easy to do – simply upload your photo with your chosen Window Stick-Up online purchase. The complete range of Window Stick-Ups may be viewed and purchased online. Many different sizes are available, with various window frame configurations to choose from. All are printed onto a self-adhesive repositionable material that is firerated and easy to apply to most painted wall surfaces.
Making the most of New Year opportunities WHILE other business slow down over the festive period, for care home management it is one of the busiest times of the year. Staffing levels have to be maintained, often with non-standard rota changes, and occupancy levels can be more volatile than usual. In the run up to Christmas, the number of respite stays is likely to increase as people seek company over the holidays; hospitals look to free up beds; and families go away over the festive break. Moving into January, the impact of the administrative burdens of all the changes will be being felt. Head office staff come back and resume chasing up contracts, the timesheet checks will be in full swing and the discharge of respites being planned. It could be a stressful start to the year but for homes using digital administrative systems such as CoolCare this is an easy process. Rather than processing piles of paperwork, CoolCare has done it for them. Resident records are quickly added and updated, keeping occupancy figures up to date. Respite contracts are being correctly billed against the predefined local authority contract terms. Staff clock-ins over the festive
period have automatically updated the timesheet with the bank holidays paid at the correct overtime rates. All is in hand and the admin sorted, ready for the New Year. January then offers a good time to get organised for the year ahead and make the most of the benefits the post-Christmas period brings. A review of care home staffing and rotas is always worthwhile at this time of year. It’s often over the Christmas period
that job-seekers start looking for new opportunities, so being organised with your recruitment needs means your care home can get a head-start on securing the best candidates to join your team. The New Year also often sees an increase in the number of care home enquiries. The heightened awareness of their loved-one’s needs often sees families seeking appropriate care for their elderly relatives. It is during these often-forgotten months
of January and February that care homes need to be preparing for more community engagement. Turnaround of rooms is likely to be higher too, as festive respites head home. Occupancy activity will also be high, with many enquirers to support through the decision-making process; new residents to assess and welcome to the home, and return-to-home planning to undertake. Record-keeping and organisation are key to manage this through, without it impacting on the wider management of your care home. Setting tasks in CoolCare’s occupancy management tools ensures our customers keep track of the comings and goings of your home. Finally, for care homes whose holiday year ends in March, they need to be thinking about the remaining holiday entitlement of staff and planning this carefully. Checking that staff have used their entitlement in good time ahead of March 31 and planning their remaining days over the final three months of the year, will prevent the end of year holiday bottle-neck. Utilising CoolCare’s reporting will identify under usage, and annual leave can be effectively planned through the staff calendar and rota.
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CARINGNEWS
Broadcaster to chair conference
Event to showcase latest care home hygiene products THE Cleaning Show, one of Europe’s biggest trade events dedicated to commercial cleaning, is set to include a range of major exhibitors who work closely with the healthcare and care home hygiene sector. These include Polyco Healthline, which provides protection and hygiene products including reusable and disposable gloves, workwear and bags – and i-team, who supply a range of healthcare cleaning equipment. They will be joined by Diversey, who offer a range of products which set out to reduce the risk of infection in care homes through a mix of cleaning, disinfection and hand hygiene solutions. Other companies exhibiting who have products and services targeted at the care sector include Greenspeed, who specialise in environmentally friendly cleaning equipment and products, and TTS – who manufacture cloths and mops designed specifically for healthcare and care home environments. Cleaning chemical experts Evans
Vanodine and disinfectant and sanitiser specialists Mirius will also be attending the three-day exhibition. The Cleaning Show expo will also feature suppliers, manufacturers, training organisations and trade organisations who are all involved in the cleaning, facilities management and waste management sectors. Stan Atkins from The British Cleaning Council, the national trade body which co-produces The Cleaning Show, said: “Cleanliness in care home environments is always very high on the public health agenda and the consequences of getting it wrong are very serious. “It’s therefore critical that people involved in care home hygiene regimes keep up to date with the latest products, services and research in this area, and The Cleaning Show is a great way to do that. “I would therefore encourage anyone involved in care home cleaning to register for a free ticket and attend the show in March.” The Cleaning Show takes place at ExCeL, London from March 19-21.
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BBC broadcaster and dementia charity founder Sally Magnusson will chair the second annual Future of Care Conference on March 19 at The King’s Fund in central London. Sally has presented a range of programmes for the BBC over the years, from Breakfast News and Reporting Scotland to a range of documentaries and investigations, including Panorama. She is also the author of 10 books to date, including the best-selling memoir, Where Memories Go: Why Dementia Changes Everything, and founded the music and dementia charity, Playlist for Life in 2013. She said: “I helped to care for my mother during the many years she lived with dementia, and I wrote Where Memories Go out of a passionate desire to raise the
standards of elderly care. After her death, I founded the music and dementia charity Playlist for Life. For all these reasons, I’m delighted to be chairing the conference.” The Future of Care Conference will see a selection of leading experts and reputable names from across the care industry come together to present the latest updates and ideas shaping the forefront of the sector, with key speakers including chief executives from Care England, the Care Quality Commission, the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, the National Care Forum, Skills for Care and many more. Sally added: “I’m particularly interested to hear the latest updates and experiences of those working within the industry, and am looking forward to discussing what’s next for the sector.”
Beaucare launch CareClean™ Premium Laundry Range BEAUCARE® Medical announces the launch of their CareClean™ premium concentrated laundry range, the new lines include bactericidal laundry detergent, fabric conditioner, destainer and sanitiser dedicated for use in professional environments including the care industry. The range is a cost effective solution which incorporates a powerful bactericidal action, along with the capability to work at low temperatures and deal with severe soilage problems. The detergent incorporates a spring fragrance
for long lasting freshness. All of the range is designed for use through Beaucare’s automatic dosing machines, ensuring ease of use for the care home laundry staff. They are available in 20, 10 and five-litre durable plastic tubs with secure screw lids for safe storage. Full product information literature is available on the range. Enquiries: For further details on the CareClean™ Laundry, contact the sales team on 01423 878899.
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.
Dignified, waterproof scarf bibs from Care Designs CARE Designs’ pashmina scarf style clothes protectors combine the look of a stylish ladies’ scarf with the waterproof practicality of a bib and so and can be worn all day with a high level of dignity. The two silk-like fabric layers on the front are highly absorbent whilst the waterproof layer on the back keeps clothes dry and it has quick fastening Velcro for ease of fitting. Available in three pebble prints colours and two plain colours. Get 15 per cent OFF; use code CARE-CUK6 at the web-shop checkout! Enquiries: Call 01223 840236, email purchasing@bibetta.com or visit www.caredesigns.co.uk for a brochure.
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