Caring UK - Dec 2020 - Jan 2021 by Script Media

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no.290 • £4.75 incorporating

December 2020/January 2021

The Number One magazine for the care sector

New initiative shows smiles behind masks BIRCHWOOD House care home in Tunbridge Wells and sister company Birchwood Care Services, operating in the community, have unveiled Birchwood Smiles – a new initiative to show the smiling faces of its staff behind their masks. Every team member will now wear a lanyard around their neck, with a large picture of their smiling face on it. This will help them to engage with residents and clients, even when wearing full PPE. “So much of caring is about making a human connection and we wanted to remind our clients that there’s always a smiling face behind the mask,” said Wendy Ryan, manager of Birchwood Care Services. “If you smile at someone, nine times out of 10 you’ll get a smile back, and what’s important to remember is sometimes we’re the only people our clients see in a day. “For those who have dementia this is even more important. Continuity and routine are essential. A familiar face helps build rapport and trust. We want to create a positive, happy feeling for all clients.” This simple gesture is already proving effective. Although there are hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine being rolled out

soon and elderly people will be the first to receive it, Birchwood is preparing for PPE being a part of daily life for some time to come. Birchwood has adapted its services throughout the pandemic, locking down Birchwood House early in 2020 and introducing family visits to Birchwood House in June, using a fully secure visiting area. Birchwood Care Services has adapted by significantly reducing staff interaction and making more use of video and telephone supervision. Birchwood Care Services also held its first virtual Care Awards in 2020, to keep morale high and thank staff for their continued efforts. Categories included “Going over and above” and “Best compliments from clients”. Keeping clients’ spirits up throughout has been a priority, with organised afternoon teas, a Harvest Hoedown, Halloween and Guy Fawkes celebrations for the elderly people Birchwood cares for. Owner Niral Patel added: “It’s our team’s smiling faces that so often get mentioned by residents, clients and their families. “So, everyone loved the idea of Birchwood Smiles and quickly got behind it, and we’ve been able to roll it out across all of our staff.”

01937 849 268 www.dccare.co.uk sales@dccare.co.uk

Coventry home wins competition

Dementia care specialist Belong Crewe has released a 2021 calendar to raise funds for a telescope for the village. Featuring its residents as life models, the project has recreated some of the world’s most iconic portraits for the calendar which can now be enjoyed by the local community. Fourteen of the residents have modelled as famous paintings for the calendar, including works from some of history’s most renowned artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh and Grant Wood, spanning from 15th century Northern Renaissance to 1930s Modernism. All profits from the calendar will go towards the organisation’s fundraising activities, with the team aiming to purchase a telescope to enable the village’s residents to enjoy stargazing.

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BRANDON House Care Home in Coventry has been crowned the winner of the McVitie’s Tasties biscuit decorating competition in partnership with the National Activities Providers Association. Residents beat off stiff competition from more than 200 entries to take the top spot in the challenge which asked care homes around the country to get creative and make a biscuit masterpiece built on a memory. Judges were wowed by Brandon House’s entry, which involved a biscuit garden complete with a church, pond, greenhouse and motorbike garage. Each resident turned their special memory into biscuit form. The residents’ personalities shone through and warmed the judges’ hearts. Manager Sheryl Davis said: “When we saw the competition we jumped at the chance to get involved. “We had a discussion with our residents about our theme, which evoked all sorts of wonderful memories. “We like competitions at Brandon House, and we like biscuits even more. “All of our residents and colleagues are thrilled to have won and are looking forward to having an Alice in Wonderland style afternoon tea.” Residents and the care team at Brandon House will be rewarded with a special afternoon tea package worth up to £1,000.

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Home’s residents appear on television programme RESIDENTS at Bryan Wood care home in Huddersfield became stars for the day when television cameras visited the home to film an episode of the hit CBBC series, Our School. The home featured in the episode ‘Age Is Just A Number’ and welcomed students from Ryburn Valley High School to talk about life as you get older. When the students arrived at the home, Margaret Bradley, 85, Cynthia Appleyard, 82,Terry Wheat, 76, John Kaye, 62, Rachel Powell, 82, and Cynthia’s husband Eric Appleyard, 85, each engaged with the young people and shared their hobbies with them and chatted about their lives. To return the favour for the hospitality, the students invited the residents to their school for an afternoon tea party. Bryan Wood manager Jenny Hanson said: “Our residents were thrilled to be a part of the show and I’d like to thank Ryburn Valley High School for their kindness, in particular the wonderful students we met for the show. “It was a once in a lifetime experience for us – it’s not every day you get to be on the TV. “Community bonds are so important for care homes and we have made some great connections and friendships with

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Healthcare Product Manager: Bev Green Tel: 01226 734288 Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant Sales Manager: Tracy Stacey Tel: 01226 734480 Email: cuk3@scriptmedia.co.uk Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk Publishers Script Media 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk Editorial Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Group Production Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

Residents Rachel Powell, Margaret Bradley, Cynthia Appleyard, John Kaye and Terry Wheat. the children at Ryburn Valley. on young pupils as they prepare to move “Although we’re unable to have visitors from primary to secondary school and at the moment, we would love to see the challenges they might face. them all again soon to catch up with each This episode featuring Bryan Wood was other.” filmed prior to the coronavirus pandemic The programme ‘Our School’ focuses and any lockdown restrictions.

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

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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Home Instead owner named EWIF Franchisee of the Year

Resident Barbara Aggett taking part in the baking session.

Online baking connects residents and families CARE home residents and their loved ones are getting together online for a series of artisan bread baking masterclasses. Home baking became hugely popular during lockdown earlier this Spring and now residents at Hamberley Care Homes can get in on the action, alongside their families. The Well Bread Bakery will see residents and their loved ones bake together over Zoom and take expert classes from local artisan Master Bakers. The sessions will specifically teach ‘mindful baking’ to help residents relax and learn basic mindfulness techniques, as well as dementiafriendly sessions to stimulate the senses. Paul Hill, CEO of Hamberley Care Homes, said the launch of The Well Bread Bakery was a great way to help

residents and their families stay active together. He added: “During this challenging time our priority is always to keep our residents safe, and we have stateof-the-art Covid-secure visitation suites to make sure our residents can continue to socialise safely with their loved ones. “But we wanted to do more than that. The Well Bread Bakery will give residents and their loved ones an opportunity to be active together through a shared experience that will hopefully be fun, interesting, and tasty.” Each week the amateur bakers will learn to perfect a new artisan bread recipe, chosen by residents and staff, starting with tasty Irish soda bread, then brioche with camembert, sultana and walnut loaf and finally rosemary soda bread.

CATHARINE Chalton, owner of Home Instead Senior Care Wirral, has picked up a national business award which recognises her leadership, mentorship and business acumen. Catharine has been named as Woman Franchisee of the Year 2020 from the Encouraging Women into Franchising awards. EWIF is a not-for-profit organisation, providing advice and guidance to women looking for a route into the franchise industry. Their mission is to educate, inspire and empower women considering or involved in franchising through a network of ambassadors. Her Wirral business is part of the Home Instead national franchise network which has 224 offices across the UK. Catharine opened her homecare company in 2007 with her husband, Mike, and was recognised by the organisation for excelling in her role as both a franchisee and a representative for franchising. The award was presented to her by Amy Thomas, from McDonald’s Franchise Recruitment and Reputation, during a virtual ceremony. Catharine said: “I am overwhelmed and thrilled to have won this award. It means so much that I’ve been recognised, not only as a business owner, but as a woman who has had an influential effect on the British franchising industry. “I’m proud to be a franchisee of Home Instead and to represent them

through this prestigious award.” Catharine has served on the board of the British Franchise Association since 2013. She is also active in her local community, with her office running their own charitable arm ‘The Wirral Care Foundation’, which supports small, local initiatives. 2019 was a stellar year for Catharine, as her Home Instead office achieved their highest ever turnover, with a team of 180 staff. The year also saw them deliver their millionth hour of care. Her office was also awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission .

Advertiser’s announcement

Helping you with your winter energy costs By Steve Skipsey AS WE move into the winter season and temperatures fall, heating costs rise as thermostats are dialled up. When it comes to the energy costs of a business, it is essential to ensure your costs are under control. The key issue we come across when looking at clients bills, is when the business has been entered into contracts that are both inappropriate and more expensive than necessary. Unfortunately, billing is not always straightforward and often a business can find itself tied into contracting that is a long way from what the business thought it was entering into. This is where we can help – We’re Credo Limited; a family-run energy consultancy firm who specialise in a variety of sectors including education, charity, hospitality, and are currently working closely with care homes. So much is changing within this sector and we’re excited to have been invited by Caring UK to help care homes adapt in this ever changing world. So many contract offerings are inappropriate and whilst some protection is in place via regulation, all too many businesses fall through

Steve Skipsey the cracks and receive little or no assistance from the regulatory bodies. When working with a client, we like to gain understanding of the business we are assisting. How important is a stable cashflow to you? How far out do you like to forecast costs? What are your views of the market (if any)? Do you have preferred suppliers? Once we understand your priorities, we can tailor contracting to your requirements, NOT ours. Ultimately, we aim to provide the right contract at the right price, which will allow our customer

to conduct its primary business effectively. As a family company we take pride in the fact that our support does not stop at the signing of the supply contract. Queries with suppliers can be time consuming and onerous and we are always available to support in obtaining the right outcome for your organisation throughout our relationship. For many owners this ‘added value’ is high in their priorities. With this in mind, we value the

relationships we have established so much that we generate almost all of our business from referrals via our clients and business professionals. We operate with integrity and believe transparency is key. Credo are OJEU registered and happy to assist care homes around the UK. n Steve Skipsey is a director at Credo (North East) Limited. If we can be of assistance with any of your energy contract requirements, please contact us on 07500 048859 or email me on steve@credoltd.uk Visit www.credoltd.uk

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Group celebrates care practitioner graduates

Advertiser’s announcement

Nationwide staffing provider enforces One Home Policy WITH recent reports from Public Health England suggesting that agency workers – often employed on zero-hours contracts – unwittingly spread the Covid-19 infection between care homes, one nationwide care staff provider is protecting care home residents and staff through enforcing their One Home Policy. Bluerock Healthcare, based in Leeds, has always understood the infection risk to care home residents and existing team members posed by short-term staff who work in multiple homes. Along with the introduction of robust testing for all supplied staff, it has established its One Home Policy to strengthen its position on infection control during the pandemic. The policy outlines that its staff are fixed to a single care home and no other. Rebecca Scales, operations director at Bluerock Healthcare, said: “We recognise the infection risk that staff working in multiple homes can have

on the spread of coronavirus. “Our temp to perm offer combined with our One Home Policy ensures that we’re doing everything we can to protect staff and residents at all times.” Bluerock operate on a temp to perm model enabling care home managers to test drive new employees with existing staff and residents before employing them directly to their home. The model reduces the risk of making permanent hires that turn out to be unsuitable further down the road. It’s a model that is particularly advantageous during the pandemic to ensure residents receive continuity of care rather than seeing a revolving door of bank staff. The model minimises the risk of short-term staff spreading coronavirus between homes while helping care home managers to build their best staffing teams.

A CARE home provider has celebrated the graduation of several employees who have undertaken the company’s internal Care Practitioner Development Programme. Harold Santiago at Bethel House in Barton-on-Sea in Hampshire, Michelle Thomas at Springfield Nursing Home in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, and Jennifer Harrison and Aleksandra Kraus at The Elms in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, have all graduated and have become care practitioners. Leah-Marie Smith, Hartford Care’s HR director, said: “I am delighted to congratulate and celebrate with our recent Care Practitioner Programme graduates, who have all worked so hard to complete the programme and take up their new roles. “We are looking forward to rolling the development programme out to more homes in the Hartford Care family in the coming months.” Hartford Care, which runs 15 care homes across the South of England, launched a trial of its bespoke programme at Highfield Nursing Home in Ryde, Isle of Wight, in April 2019, with two care assistants graduating as care practitioners. The eight-month programme was then reviewed and rolled out to

Jennifer Harrison and Aleksandra Kraus, newly qualified care practitioners at The Elms Care Home in Bembridge. three further homes in the group at the beginning of this year, with the next cohort due to be rolled out to a further four homes in January. Hartford Care’s Care Practitioner Development Programme consists of workshops, coursework, competency assessments and reflective practice, with the opportunity to undertake a formal qualification at the end. It covers a range of topics including undertaking clinical observations, infections and sepsis, acute medical conditions, hydration catheter and stoma care, advanced medication management and a series of leadership topics such as getting the best out of individuals and teams, and having difficult conversations. Rustington Hall care home in Littlehampton hosted a masquerade ball for residents and staff. Residents decorated their own masks and regular singer Alexis provided the entertainment via Zoom. Staff dressed up in their best ballgowns and suits, while the residents loved the music and dancing while enjoying Champagne and nibbles.

Advertiser’s announcement

Helping residents maintain a healthy body ONE in three people over the age of 65 and one in two over the age of 85 fall every year. These odds are shortened for care home residents who are three times more likely to fall than other community persons and 10 times more likely to sustain a significant injury as a result. 40 per cent of care home admissions are falls related and unfortunately there is a culture and belief that falls are inevitable and maintaining safety can result in mobility being restricted. The care home population is estimated to rise by 23.3 per cent by 2021. Care home residents accounted for 28.83 per cent of all people (aged 65 or over) admitted to Emergency Departments with a fall between August 2014 and July 2015; and notwithstanding the growing impact on unscheduled care, falls also lead to pain, fear, loss of independence, a poorer quality of life and can ultimately contribute to death. Non-use of muscles due to a sedentary lifestyle or periods of inactivity caused by hospitalisation can dramatically enhance the decline in muscle mass, metabolic health and functional capacity.

This loss of muscle power caused by disuse can be especially detrimental in the elderly. Exercise training has the potential to improve many of the above-mentioned issues. Recent studies also suggest that exercise is of benefit for the mobility and physical function of people with dementia. Scientific evidence has shown that

exercise training and physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful, being generally used to improve/maintain physical and functional capacities, has been found to have positive effects on the ability to perform activities of daily living. Physical frailty is seen as a fact of life for nursing home residents, with many unable to do even the simplest

tasks of daily living. Body weakness can also contribute to accidents in the nursing home, with falls being a prime example. Service Sport Care Home division believe that preventative care is important in what we do to help improve the residents’ physical and mental well-being, which in turn improves their quality of life. Exercise is a prime example of preventative care, helping residents become better equipped to fight disease and infirmity. Research has indicated that the elderly can reap many benefits from an exercise programme. Service Sport Care Home division’s qualified staff work with managers, activity co-ordinators and residents that want this type of support to create health and fitness programmes for purpose built residents’ bespoke well-being gym. Residents’ well-being gyms are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, designed to provide a simple circuit training workout or an individually tailored programme, offering residents cardio and strength training to help their bodies become stronger and more flexible, helping to facilitate their independence.

CARINGNEWS

Group celebrates care practitioner graduates

Advertiser’s announcement

This loss of muscle power caused by disuse can be especially detrimental in the elderly. Exercise training has the potential to improve many of the abovementioned issues. Recent studies also suggest that exercise is of benefit for the mobility and physical function of people with dementia. Scientific evidence has shown that

Body weakness can also contribute to accidents in the nursing home, with falls being a prime example. Service Sport Care Home division believe that preventative care is important in what we do to help improve the residents’ physical and mental well-being, which in turn improves their quality of life. Exercise is a prime example of preventative care, helping residents become better equipped to fight disease and infirmity. Research has indicated that the elderly can reap many benefits from an exercise programme. Service Sport Care Home division’s qualified staff work with managers, activity co-ordinators and residents that want this type of support to create health and fitness programmes for purpose built residents’ bespoke well-being gym. Residents’ well-being gyms are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, designed to provide a simple circuit training workout or an individually tailored programme, offering residents cardio and strength training to help their bodies become stronger and more flexible, helping to facilitate their independence. ian.brown@servicesport.co.uk

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Veterans at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton have been busy writing Christmas cards to loved ones, thanks to a kind donation from a local businesswoman. Independent greetings card publisher Emma Bryan gave the cards to help spread some festive cheer among veterans at the home. Residents wrote the cards on November 27 – known as Festive Friday, when the greeting card industry starts to encourage the sending of festive cards – after they were dropped off by Emma earlier in the week and quarantined. She also handed over cards donated by Davora, a Manchester-based firm that supplies ethnic and specialist cards. Emma is pictured with some of the cards she donated. Colleagues and residents at HC-One’s Elmwood House care home in Boston received some Christmas donations from their friends in the local community. Members of staff went to pick up a 6ft Christmas tree and six poinsettias that had been donated by Bells Garden Centre. The tree has been placed outside the home, in between the two lounges, so that every resident can enjoy it and get into the Christmas spirit. It has been decorated with different sized baubles and with a star on the top with help from the residents. The team has been sent lots of Christmas treats including mince pies from the nearby petrol station.

The team at Meadow House nursing home in Swaffham has mobilised resources for ‘Operation Christmas Tree’ in an effort to help spread cheer around the local area. The community usually enjoys a range of events, including a local Christmas tree festival held in their local church, but Covid-19 has caused the majority to be cancelled. Meadow House’s business administrator, Caroline Cryan thought of an idea, and with the support from activities coordinator Charlotte Walsh and home manager, Joanna Jankowska, has created ‘Operation Christmas Tree’. The project involves care homes, schools and other organisations across the area putting up Christmas trees in their front gardens or outside areas to create a trail for members of the public to enjoy. Residents at HC-One’s Highgate care home in Glasgow created some 2021 calendars with a picture of themselves on the front to send to their loved ones to use next year. Colleagues at Highgate recently came up with the idea for residents to create a personalised Christmas themed calendar with a photo of themselves on the front so that they could send it to their loved ones to use next year. When residents first heard of the idea they couldn’t wait to get started and show their family and friends what they had created. Residents enjoyed getting pampered on the day of the photoshoot and enjoyed posing in front of the camera even more.

Residents are experiencing the magic of Christmas at Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 care homes across Kent, Essex and Surrey. Staff across the group’s homes have sprinkled cheer and rallied their teams to put on an extravaganza of events, all adhering to infection control protocols, to bring smiles, excitement and Christmas to life for its elderly residents. Hengist Field Care Centre turned its courtyard into a winter wonderland, while another Kent home, Woodstock Residential Care Centre, got residents feeling festive while baking Christmassy treats such as pies and pastries. Loose Valley Care Centre in Maidstone set up a German-style market, and Lukestone Care Centre, also in Maidstone, handed out gifts to surprised residents in its Christmas grotto.

Business owners, school children, organisations, health professionals, local providers, staff, family, friends and members of the public are rallying together to create a magical Christmas for the residents at Claremont House and Lodge nursing home in Caister-on Sea. Manager Christine Morgan is creating a Christmas wonderland in the grounds of the home, and has called on the local community to get involved and help make it a festive spectacle. Christine posted in local social media groups to request donations of decorations or trees to help make the garden as spectacular as possible. She has since been inundated with trees, lights, decorations and ornaments, along with offers of help to come and decorate. Residents and colleagues at HC-One’s Ash Court in Knotty Ash celebrated Elf Day. Elf Day, which supports Alzheimer’s United Against Dementia, meant that staff and residents went the extra mile and dressed as elves for the special event. Christmas music was played and everyone had a festive sing-along which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Residents also enjoyed capturing the memories on camera and all posed for an ‘elfie’. Residents thought it was a great opportunity to get dressed up and have a lot of spontaneous fun as well as lots of laughter.

A sparkling taste of Hollywood magic and fun has brought Christmas festivities to life for dozens of residents. Complete with red carpet walkway, giant-sized Oscar images and glitzy tinsel, Colten Care’s art deco-style Poole home Bourne View staged a movie-themed seasonal gala. Residents received star treatment with ‘paparazzi’ snapping them on arrival for pre-lunch drinks. The buzz continued as they took their places in the hotel-style foyer and Audrey Hepburn dining room for a three-course lunch of smoked salmon cornet, roast beef and Black Forest chocolate roulade. The fun was topped off with a film quiz and raffle in aid of the home’s two nominated charities, Poole Young Carers and Caring Canines.

CARINGNEWS

Homes take part in Cake Off event

Violinist delights residents with impromptu ‘Proms’ A CLASSICAL violinist surprised and delighted music lovers at a Dorset care home when she performed live during a visit to see her 100-year-old grandfather. Just a few weeks after performing at the BBC Proms, Katie Stillman entertained residents of Colten Care’s Castle View in Poundbury near Dorchester. In line with the home’s Covid-safe visit protocol, she stayed behind a see-through screen at the entrance as her audience watched and listened from the foyer inside. Katie, co-leader of Manchester Camerata and a renowned soloist and chamber musician, played movements from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the opera Orfeo ed Euridice by the 18th century German composer Christoph Gluck. The impromptu recital took place on a visit to Katie’s grandfather John Stillman. The centenarian had only

recently watched her on national television at the Proms playing Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in her role as principal violinist for London’s Aurora Orchestra. Castle View’s companionship team leader Katya Williams said: “We couldn’t take our residents to the Proms this year, but luckily the Proms came to us. “It was absolutely delightful to see our residents enjoying the magic of Katie’s playing. What an exquisite treat.” As well as orchestras in London and Manchester, Canadian Katie has co-led the Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras and the Britten Sinfonia. She is a founding member of the Barbirolli Quartet which has performed extensively across Europe including at festivals in Aix-enProvence, Verbier and Aldeburgh.

A GROUP of 12 care homes across the South East of England got to make their cake and eat it as part of a bake off event covering Kent, Essex and Surrey. Donning aprons and wielding whisks, residents and staff at Nellsar, a family-run group of residential and nursing care homes, baked their way to success in a showstopping competition – with not a soggy bottom in sight. Dubbed ‘The Great Nellsar Cake Off’, the event saw an array of indulgent and creative cakes entered into a competition, which was held in part to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of residents – a core strategy at Nellsar – and to coincide with the nation’s beloved Great British Bake Off returning to screens. A panel of sweet-toothed judges were tasked with the difficult decision of picking the cream of the crop, casting judgement on creative concept, resident involvement, and standard of finish to determine three prize winners. Viv Stead, recreation and wellbeing manager at Nellsar, said: “The Great Nellsar Cake Off was full of fun, friendship and flour – lots of flour. Our residents fully immersed themselves in the competition and we were lucky enough to see some incredible designs. “With the pandemic not likely to

pass any time soon, it’s so important to keep residents engaged, stimulated and happy, and that’s what this lighthearted competition was all about. Well done to everyone who took part – treat yourselves to a well-deserved slice and cuppa.” Meyer House Care Centre in Erith, Kent took first place with a seaside themed cake, while Princess Christian Care Centre near Woking, Surrey scooped second place with a Wedgwood inspired Queen’s cake. The Old Downs Residential Care Centre in Hartley, Kent secured third place with a fruit and sponge design of its home. A special prize also went to St Winifreds Care Centre in Deal, Kent for its creative concept of featuring aspects of its residents’ lives, which included lawn bowls and cocktails. While cash prizes of £200, £100 and £50 were given to the winners, every home’s delightful designs were worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake.

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Resident Florence Dunbar preparing cakes.

Residents get a slice of the action RESIDENTS at Manor House care home in Little Weighton experienced a taste of the Great British Bake Off with a selection of cakes and bakes in celebration of the show’s return to TV screens. The home held the themed afternoon with bakes whipped up and provided by the staff including scones, pastries and cakes. Although judge Paul Hollywood wasn’t present, residents didn’t fail to step into his shoes and sift through the bakes, looking out for soggy bottoms and flaky pastry in the battle to be star baker.

Residents indulged in the tasty treats and offered their opinion to the bakers amongst the staff. Home manager Leanne Hatch said: “We have many fans of the Great British Bake off at Manor House and it’s always so mouth-watering to watch that we thought what better way to kick off the season with our own competition. “The staff have enjoyed taking part and getting a few tips of improvement from our wonderful judges. “It’s brought back lots of memories for our residents of cakes they used to make which has been lovely to hear.”

How safe are your ratings? By Richard Fairburn IN AUGUST our friends at the CQC trialled a new infection control protocol (ICP), selecting three hundred care homes at random and 59 or 139 (depending on which account you read) “high risk” care homes with pre-existing concerns. The enquiries were under eight headings to cover the measures for preventing Covid-19. That protocol is now consolidated into the general inspection system. Further information can be found at https://www.cqc.org.uk/ guidance-providers/residentialadult-social-care/infectionprevention-control-care-homes Inspecting officers “must” complete the starter form, the “ASC Inspection Information Gathering Tool: infection prevention and control”, which offers prompts and a one-liner box for each of the eight categories, with the instruction: “Add only concise and relevant notes/observations here to support your finding”. As with much of the increasingly independent-minded methodology of inspecting officers these days, utterly lacking in any checks and balances, this form is used when it suits, and not when it doesn’t. Of course, if findings are found, there will likely be further enquiry and additional paperwork (or notes entered onto the Microsoft Surface Pro laptops now in use). The problem comes when you get your draft report. Reports are set out as against the

key lines of enquiry, and not against this new protocol. Even if you have been given feedback on the ICP findings, you will likely be hard-pressed to find references to the eight outcomes in your draft report. If that is the case then your inspecting officer is in breach of section 61(2) of the Act for failure to submit to you a copy of the section of the report that will shortly result in publication of the ICP ratings on the world wide web. What to do about this new challenge? Well, you could try selling your care home before the next inspection. Alternatively make sure that you ask for a copy of the basic form at the time of feedback and/or for feedback on each of the eight sections. You could ask for a copy of the form when doing your fac response, although my success rate so far is nought out of one even when they were ordered to disclose it by the Lead Judge of the Care Standards Tribunal. HSC Professional (Consultancy) now offers consultations on Zoom. Email me at mail@hsc-prof.com to sign on for regular alerts and updates on coronavirus and the rest. Visit my Facebook page or Twitter page at @hsc_prof to view my videos on notifications, Riddor and more. facebook.com/HSC-ProfessionalConsultancy-1715456902020143/ And please stay as safe as you can.

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Maritime charity cuts The roll out of the first its carbon footprint coronavirus vaccine – Advertiser’s announcement

SURREY-based care home The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society is reaping the rewards of its green initiatives after cutting its plastic usage by 74,000 items per year to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint. The maritime charity caters for 68 residents at its Belvedere House nursing care home and has prevented 52,000 plastic cups and 22,000 wet wipes from reaching landfill by rolling out an environmental plan, fronted by staff. Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, Margaret Brazier of and Anne Kasey. chief executive the Society, said: “Although public awareness and willingness to reduce carbon emissions is currently high on the news agenda, we identified the need MARITIME charity The Royal to begin investingSociety in green technology Alfred Seafarers’ is bidding many years agoof and experiencing farewell to two its are longest-serving the every day. staffbenefits members who are retiring “As collectively a not-for-profit organisation, after serving 95 years we have to manage the challenge supporting residents and tenants of at keeping costsSurrey-based down where possible the Society’s care home. while delivering outstanding level Home manageran Anne Kasey retires of innovative to allfollowed our residents after 37 years’care service, that depend on us for atogood quality by executive assistant the CEO, of life. Margaret Brazier MNM, who will be “Whileafter investing in green retiring 58 years. technology wasCEO, a big Commander investment for The Society’s the home, not only are beginning Brian Boxall-Hunt, said:we “We are sad to reap the financial rewards, but can say goodbye to Anne and Margaret be proud of our efforts to reduce our as they retire. carbon as much aswho possible. “Theyfootprint are two individuals have “Our staffso have been this dedicated much notpivotal just toto the and the fact have prevented Society, but they the seafaring community

thousands of unnecessary single-use plastic objects from being thrown away demonstrates our ability as a collective society to drive meaningful environmental change.” In addition to this, the senior management team has been working to reduce the home’s reliance on fossil fuels over the last three years by installing solar panels, which have cut electricity bills by around 15 per cent. The site’s sustainable pellet-fired biomass boiler has reduced gas usage by around 20 per cent and a 135m borehole has also been sunk to supply fresh water at a projected saving of £8,000 per year, allowing the charity to invest in facilities for the home and its residents. itself. It’s important to recognise Alongside its worktotothe reduce waste their contribution Society, as and carbon emissions at its careis 95 years’ service between them home, The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ certainly impressive. Society has that also they produced a top tips “The fact have both guide forsuch like-minded businesses worked long careers at The to reducing plastic waste: to the Royal Alfred is testament n Prevent by all charity wewaste stand contamination for. We wish them using a second to separate nonthe best for the bin future and hope to see recyclables. them at our Annual General Meeting n Recycle contact lensesguests.” at your next year as our special nearest opticians. The pair, who have been work n Use microfibre clothssince instead of colleagues and friends 1983 wet wipes can the be washed when Annethat joined Society,and have reused seen a raft of changes over their n Useatrecyclable paper strawstwo rather time the charity, including than plastic.of the home, the 150th relocations n Use compostable cups as opposed anniversary of the Society and to single-use plastics. countless Royal and celebrity visits.

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legal considerations By Neil Grant THE approval of the Pfizer vaccine is wonderful news for the care sector, with the anticipated roll out to care homes being before the Christmas. Hopefully the approval of the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine will follow before the end of the year. We all want to protect people in care homes and more widely, and immunity through vaccination offers real hope after a hugely challenging year. But what are the key legal issues in administering the vaccines to care home residents? Vaccination for Covid-19 is not compulsory. This means that consent will need to be obtained directly from each resident or, should a person lack capacity to make the decision whether or not to have the vaccine, a best interests decision will be required in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. If there is a health and welfare power of attorney in place or a court appointed deputy, this would avoid the need for a best interests decision as they would be able to consent on behalf of the resident. The law requires all best interests decisions to be made on an individual basis, and they cannot be blanket decisions. For persons aged 16 and over, the provisions of the MCA in relation to mental capacity and best interests are mandatory. As far as CQC is concerned, the consent and best interests requirements are found in Regulation 11 of the Fundamental Standards (Need for Consent). A breach of this regulation can lead to enforcement action, which could be in the form of criminal prosecution against the registered provider and registered manager. In the majority of circumstances, the relevant professional making a best interests decision under the MCA will be a GP. However, when making a best interests decision about whether an individual should have the vaccination or not, it is not simply a

Neil Grant clinical decision. As an example, a person lacking capacity may have a needle phobia therefore receiving the vaccination could cause them serious distress. In order to administer the vaccine to someone in such circumstances, it is possible that the person may need to be restrained. In order to be certain that the right decision is made for the resident, it will be important to look at the whole picture. This process will involve consulting with all interested parties such as family, advocates, care home staff and management. In all likelihood, it will only be in relatively rare situations that the risk/benefit analysis does not come down strongly in favour of vaccinating a resident without capacity. However, in order to ensure that the rights of residents are protected, it is important that the registered provider and manager apply the law correctly and keeps accurate records of decisions taken. Thank you to everyone in the care sector for all of your amazing work this year. 2020 has brought unparalled challenges, and the health and social care provider team at Gordons Partnership Solicitors wish you all the very best for the year ahead. n Neil Grant is a Partner and Senior Lawyer at Gordons Partnership LLP Solicitors. Brunelcare, a Bristol based charity with nearly 80 years’ experience in caring for older people, has launched a new campaign to celebrate the work of its employees and inspire others to join the team. Workers from across the charity have had fun taking part in a comic-book style photoshoot and being turned into Brunelcare’s very own superheroes. The campaign aims to highlight the incredible work ethic and abilities of those working in the care sector during these unprecedented times.

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Well known illustrator delivers drawing class for group’s residents RESIDENTS at more than 20 Care UK homes were treated to a masterclass in drawing with nationally renowned artist and animator Gary Andrews as part of the celebrations for the 2020 Big Draw Festival. During the online sessions, residents and team members were able to join in as Gary, a former illustrator with internationally-known companies, taught everyone how to draw a variety of endangered birds and animals, including koalas, polar bears, puffins and sea turtles. He also explained various drawing techniques, such as shading and under-drawing. At the end of the session, residents were invited to ask questions and submit requests for animals they wanted him draw with his friendly bat proving one of the most popular. Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, the monthlong Big Draw Festival promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. ‘A Climate of Change’, this year’s theme, focuses on the relationship between people and their environment, and offers an opportunity for older people to reminisce about their favourite nature spots, as well as trips in younger years to the great outdoors, and how our focus looking after our planet has changed in recent years. Care UK’s dementia expert Suzanne Mumford said: “Drawing, arts and crafts are much loved activities in a great many of our homes. “People are often surprised to find that we have many talented artists who have drawn or painted throughout their life and we love being able to support them to continue or even rediscover that pastime.

Random acts of kindness brings joy to community “But whether someone is an accomplished artist or has only doodled on their shopping list it doesn’t matter – we’ll encourage them to have a go if they’d like to. “Gary’s session worked at many levels, some residents enjoyed drawing along using his tips of the trade while others were happy to enjoy the spectacle of animals appearing on the page. “Drawing is especially beneficial for older people, including those living with dementia. It improves motor skills, helps with concentration and can often stimulate conversations about long forgotten memories. Most important of all, it’s an enjoyable and relaxing activity to do.” After a successful participation in the Big Draw Festival last year, Care UK renewed its partnership in 2020, becoming the main health and social care partner and leading the way in changing perceptions of life in a care home by promoting activity-based care and encouraging other care homes to follow suit. Across the country, more than 70 homes have been getting arty and working with their local communities virtually to create works of art.

STAFF at Nottingham care home Fairway View have selflessly contributed stock from their own kitchens alongside generous donations from the local community to provide essential food and toiletry packages to local families who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. The team partnered with food banks around the area, donating essential goods packages including toilet roll, hand soap and sanitiser, long life milk, tea bags, fruit, tinned goods, fish and meat, vegetables, pasta and some treats including biscuits, chocolate and gummy sweets.

Lifestyle manager Heidi Duffy said: “There are so many people throughout the nation that have been heavily impacted by this virus. “When we heard the heart-breaking accounts of how some families and their children were not able to obtain the food they needed, it became apparent that we could really help. “Everyone has rallied round to gather as many donations as possible and it has been incredibly rewarding to know that we have helped families in the area.” Residents helped staff organise stock and pack bags ready to be delivered to the local food banks.

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Mollie Towns has become a model for Balhousie Care at the age of 91. A resident of Balhousie Moyness in Dundee, Mollie and her captivating smile are gracing leaflets, posters and other collateral as part of the operator’s latest marketing campaign. She was chosen to illustrate the company’s new ‘confidence in care’ campaign, which bears the slogan ‘Caring for our loved ones has never been more important’. Gillian Drummond, brand and communications manager at Balhousie Care Group, said: “Mollie was part of a photoshoot done at Balhousie Moyness. Her beautiful smile and that lovely fluffy jumper just spoke to us – they’re heartwarming pictures and fit in with our campaign perfectly. She’s the perfect model and poster girl.”

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Keeping a close eye on care home residents’ health ... A PROJECT that involves keeping a close eye on the health of care home residents has been extended for a year – after a trial showed impressive results. The Docobo telehealth project was initially piloted for six months in two care homes in Maidstone, Kent. In the first three months, it resulted in a 32 per cent reduction in hospital admissions, a 25 per cent reduction in 999 calls, a 67 per cent reduction in 111 calls and a 44 per cent reduction in all GP contact. As a result of this success, it is now running in four care homes, with three of the homes in Maidstone and one in Tonbridge. The project was paused during the first wave of Covid-19, but resumed and extended in September. Using a Docobo telehealth solution, staff at the care homes carry out simple health checks with residents each day and record these via a Docobo app. This system is closely monitored by the complex Docobo frailty complex care nurse Julie Rodi outside care team at Kent Community Health NHS Chestnut Lodge. Foundation Trust which can instantly see if a home residents. resident’s health is stable or deteriorating. “The result from the trial showed a clear The team can then immediately step in with the reduction in unplanned hospital admissions and most appropriate action, which might be as simple contact with emergency care services, which is vital as carrying out increased observations to monitor for these key NHS services, and we expect the level a patient more closely, or tweaking a patient’s of reductions we are seeing will remain the same, medication. as the number of care homes we support, increases. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust “Together with the excellent results we have project manager Andy Platt said: “We extended achieved, it’s also important to realise how using the project because the clinical team at KCHFT this is benefitting care home residents. and staff at the first two care homes established an Arquella_Marketing_CaringUK_Final01_CMYK_OL.pdf 1 17/03/2020 15:55:08 “Their health is being closely monitored and excellent relationship and a new way of working, which resulted in improved outcomes for the care any deterioration in their health is detected much

quicker than before, resulting in spending less time with GPs and in hospital and more time feeling comfortable in their homes. A visit to A&E can be stressful and unsettling.” The project has seen KCHFT and care home staff monitoring residents with long-term conditions, such as heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The care home staff do simple healthcare checks with residents each day and ask condition specific questions, such as have they felt dizzy, short of breath or more tired than normal. They record this information using the Docobo app, which is installed on a tablet. Andy added: “The complex care team at KCHFT closely monitors the data trends and will quickly detect if a resident’s health is deteriorating. “We have set up parameters for each patient and if their observations fall outside of these, an alert is sent to the on duty complex care nurse who would then respond to the alert. “The project is reducing pressures on urgent care services. It also means the Complex Care Team can focus on the patients who urgently need the specialist care that they provide. “The care homes we worked with during the trial were very positive about this project and said it has resulted in their staff becoming more confident in looking after residents and carrying out basic observation checks, including blood pressure and temperature. It has helped improve their knowledge and skills.” The care homes involved in the project are The Oast, Chippendayle Lodge and Eastfields, in Maidstone and Chestnut Lodge, Tonbridge.

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First visual track and trace technology lauded as “game-changer” THE launch of the UK’s first visual track and trace technology for care homes has been heralded as a “game-changer” in the fight against Covid-19. PinGo electronic-badges are the first to offer real-time flashing image alerts and vibrations to staff, visitors and residents in care homes if they enter a ‘red-zone’ of less than 2m from another person. And if someone tests positive for Covid-19, PinGo produces a ‘rapid-test’ list, ranking those most at risk of possible infection. This enables care homes to send instant alert messages to listed staff and contact visitors. The tailor-made system by digital care technology specialist ENS is already being used by two leading care home operators. One of them, Dormy Care, praised the technology as a “game-changer” in helping to reduce the spread and rate of infection of Covid-19 within care homes. Helen Davies-Parsons, CEO of Dormy Care Communities, which operates four luxury homes

in England and Wales, said: “We are thrilled to be using the new PinGo technology in Foxhunters Care Community in Wales. “With our aim to provide the highest possible infection control standards across all of our Dormy Care Communities, this takes it to another level and could be a real game-changer. We are extremely happy with the results so far.” As the government encourages care homes to provide safe visiting opportunities, PinGo is helping homes to open their doors to visitors, with some across the country having been closed for over 8 months. The badges worn by staff, visitors and some residents not only help enforce 2m social distancing but also identify precisely where in a care home a badge-wearer goes, who they come into contact with, at what distance, and for how long. The badges’ accuracy to within 50cms also allows for extra monitoring such as visits to handwashing stations. Enquiries: Visit www.pingoprotects.co.uk

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CARINGTECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Advertiser’s announcement

Fogging and ESS treatments should be part of your IPC programme By Philippa Shirtcliffe IT HAS cloaked the world in a dark shadow, but with a national vaccine programme underway, and testing vastly improved, it finally feels that Britain is winning the battle to contain Covid-19. But, even the rollout of a vaccine, shouldn’t fool us into thinking that this extremely clever, and insidious disease is in retreat. It has not been defeated or even contained. It will take time – perhaps upwards of a year – to immunise a sizeable portion of the UK’s 66.65 million population. To complicate matters, there will be complex logistical challenges to negotiate, which will require worldclass collaboration. The government and the NHS will also need to ensure that take-up of the vaccine is high. This will require clear, consistent and powerful messaging. However, it is not just the anti-vax community that ministers need to reach, but also a minority of people, who believe in immunisation, but are concerned that more robust testing needs to be conducted, before rollout. But with all of the talk of the vaccine, there is a danger of complacency setting in and also that key IPC messaging as vaccine communications gather pace. As I have written consistently throughout the pandemic, the government must not only continue to put out Infection, Prevention and Control communications, it must re-double its efforts to highlight the importance of IPC messaging in its public information campaigns. While robust Infection, Prevention and Control strategies are fused deep within the DNA of every care provider, it is vital that they implement much stricter IPC measures long after service users and staff have been vaccinated. Even when Covid has been tamed, there will be other viruses – some of

Philippa Shirtcliffe them perhaps even more deadly – and governments, scientists and the health and social care sectors need to be constantly vigilant, communicative and collaborative in their approach to Infection, Prevention and Control. They also must continue to embrace innovation and share IPC best practice with the wider sector. At QCS, when the pandemic struck, we created a Covid Hub, which is free to access. To date, the Hub has been visited nearly 125,000 times, and the IPC policies, which are constantly updated, have been accessed 7,500 times. When taking IPC strategy to the next level, however, best practice content has proved equally popular. We have written lots on decontamination and have constantly stressed the importance of cleaning high traffic areas and contact surfaces in a care home. But not only does it take time to wash walls, floors and clean desks, how do you know that the deep clean has fully neutralised the Covid-19 virus, which can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours?

There are, however, innovative control measures, which may not be part of an existing IPC programme, that managers put in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Take fogging and electrostatic spectrum spray treatments, for example, which are beginning to be used much more frequently in care homes. In case you’ve never heard of fogging, as the name suggests, to reduce coronavirus, fogging involves a specialist contractor pumping a cold, dry chemical fog into a room to eliminate any of the virus. Hylton Phillips, the managing director of Sanondaf Surrey, a disinfection and decontamination and infection specialist, regularly carries out fogging in care homes. He said: “The advantage of deploying a disinfection method like fogging is that antiviral disinfection solution can kill all harmful microbes, allowing a resident to be back in his or her room in 90 minutes.” But Hylton, who has rapidly expanded his business since he began operating two-and-a-half years ago, says that electrostatic spectrum spray treatments (ESS) have grown in popularity too. He explains that ESS treatments have increased in demand “because they are safe, highly cost-effective and efficient”. “A resident only needs to be away from their room for an hour, which is perfect for busy care homes,” he added. But Hylton thinks it is the effectiveness of the treatment that sets it apart. He added: “When we apply the ESS, we know that it will target everything in the room. “That’s because the hydrogen peroxide chemistry – which also contains silver – sticks to everything. And most importantly, after forming a protective bond, the silver ions will fully neutralise the virus – wherever it is. Indeed, if nobody enters that room or communal area, those ions can

SCOTTISH care home provider Balhousie Care Group has been trialling rapid response Covid tests in two of its homes as the country moves a step closer to in-home care visits. The group, which operates 26 facilities across Scotland, is halfway through a four-week trial of rapid response anti-gen tests among 100 care staff across two of its largest homes, Balhousie St. Ronans in Dundee and Balhousie Wheatlands in Bonnybridge. The nasal swab tests, using lateral flow devices, take place on-site and results are received within 30 minutes. The care provider’s move – hot on the heels of the first Covid vaccine being approved, and on the eve of a

mass rapid response visitor testing programme by Scottish Government – comes after months of problems with mass staff testing, which has been taking place among care home staff since June. Balhousie Care Group has been public in its frustration over the turnaround time of the weekly PCR swab tests currently being used. The group is still seeing delays in results of four to seven days, with hundreds of staff test results never returned. Jill Kerr, group chief executive officer of Balhousie Care Group, said: “Since schools and universities returned at the end of August, we have experienced significant issues with delays and non-return of tests. “We have been in regular contact with the Scottish Government to

share our frustrations and propose solutions to these issues, including rapid response testing using LFDs.” Balhousie’s own solution is a software system run by Test Assurance Group which has developed a platform allowing on-site testing throughput to within 30 minutes from the point of test. Seven months in development, the TAG platform – which runs via a GDPR compliant app – is designed to be able to cope with large-scale antigen testing simply and effectively. Balhousie Care Group stressed that each of the trials was being run in parallel with the regular staff mass testing that is taking place in its homes. Jill added: “We are very much at trial stage and, realising that

stay in place for up to three months.” That said, Hylton shares QCS’ view that while these treatments have the possibility to radically enhance IPC programmes, on their own, they should “not be regarded as a silver bullet”. “IPC must be deeply woven into the safety culture of every care provider,” he added. “ It must be built on solid but organic foundations, which are constantly being re-visited. “With this structural framework in place, care providers can then consider in which scenarios fogging would be most effective, in which instances ESS might be best utilised, and how regularly both treatments are needed in a home to ensure outstanding IPC.” At QCS we wholeheartedly agree. Perhaps the remarks of Professor Jonathan Van-Tam are most telling though. At a press conference to announce the licensing of the Pfizer vaccine last month, much to the chagrin of Boris Johnson, the deputy chief medical officer said: “I don’t think we’re going to eradicate coronavirus ever. “I think it’s going to be with humankind forever.” That serves as the most powerful reminder that maintaining and continuously improving IPC culture in the care sector will remain crucial in the fight against coronavirus and other viruses. In containing them, fogging and ESS will no doubt play a fundamental role in the IPC programmes of the future. Watch this space. For more insight and information, please visit the QCS coronavirus updates page or click on https:// www.qcs.co.uk/coronavirus/howeffective-is-fogging-in-fightingcoronavirus/ To book a disinfection treatment, contact Sanondaf UK at surrey@ sanondaf.co.uk or visit its website at www.sanodaf.co.uk n Philippa Shirtcliffe is the head of quality at QCS.

Group trials rapid response Covid tests

the current PCR tests are the gold standard in terms of accuracy, we aim to continue to compare and contrast results between PCR and rapid response tests. “What we would like now is for Scottish Government to closely consider our results, and for rapid response LFDs to be the primary mode of testing for care home staff.” Balhousie Care Group’s investments since the pandemic began have run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds. These have included thermal imaging cameras in all homes, an online visitor booking system, fogging machines, group-wide hygiene training, and a bespoke staff phone app to enable better communication.

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2020 is a year we’ll remember for all the wrong reasons but the team here at Barons Furniture would just like to say thank you to all in the care sector. Let’s make 2021 a year to remember for all the right reasons! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

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Looking forward to seeing you all at the Caring UK Conferences 2021. Wishing you a well deserved Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

We understand that this Christmas season will be different but we would still like to wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas season and we look forward to working with you to provide all your Care Home requirements in 2021.

W: caringukconferences.co.uk / T: 01226 734288

W: spearheadhealthcare.com / T: 0345 180 1800

Designing and supplying furniture for all your comforting needs. With over 14 years’ experience in creating beautiful and practical interiors for the care home industry. We wish all care providers season’s greetings and look forward to working with you in the near future.

W: sommer-rose.com / T: 07495 471038

Access 21 Interiors would like to offer our continued support to all Care Providers and take the opportunity to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year. As a gesture of thanks, we are offering a 2.5% discount for orders placed in 2020. W: access21interiors.co.uk / T: +44 (0) 20 8339 6133

All of us at HPC would like to wish you a safe and happy Christmas and look forward to working with you in 2021 and beyond.

W: healthcarepc.co.uk / T: 01937 222107

Warm wishes from CareDocs! We understand there’s no off-season for care providers. Whether you need software or hardware support for your CareDocs digital care management system, a friendly member of staff is standing by to help. First-class services don’t need to stop.

W: caredocs.co.uk / T: 0330 056 3333

May we wish you a happy and festive Christmas and hope that we can look forward more optimistically to a new year filled with good health and happiness for all.

E: sales@shackletonsltd.co.uk / T: 01924 868470

Start 2021 with an easy to use Electronic MAR system. Eliminate missed signatures and meds. Alerts given for missed meds. Quick & simple audits. Track medication stocks. All training included in monthly subscription. Quote “NY21” for 50% off set up fee for contracts signed by 31st January.

W: eletronicmar.co.uk / T: 0117 911388

Standex Systems Ltd (ePlan) has been trading in the UK for over 25 years, we provide the completely integrated Electronic Care Management Software Solution which includes: Electronic Care Planning, Rostering & Staff Allocation, Time & Attendance and much more. E: info@standexsystems.co.uk / T: (01604)646633

Looking for Care Home/Domiciliary Care insurance, look no further than Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Ltd. Wishing all Care Providers and Residents a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

E: info@phoenixsrs.co.uk / T: 01273 977221

Wishing all our customers and their residents a very merry Christmas and good health and happiness for 2021!

W: caredesigns.co.uk / E: enquiries@bibetta.com

Wishing all Care Home Providers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Wireless Nurse Call Specialists

W: medicaresystems.co.uk / T: 0800 849 5123

CARINGINFECTION CONTROL Reassuring staff, patients and visitors through hygienic best practice A SURVEY about how Covid-19 has affected perceptions of cleanliness and hygiene in the healthcare sector, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kimberly-Clark Professional™, shows that 28 per cent of respondents are confident with levels of cleanliness and hygiene in healthcare locations, and 68 per cent feel safe visiting a healthcare location now*. Kimberly-Clark Professional™ has introduced the 360˚ Hygiene & Protection programme to help the healthcare sector deliver the highest possible levels of hygiene and restore confidence. Hygiene is already top of the agenda in a clinical healthcare environment. However, the new data shows that additional focus must be given to public areas such as foyers, washrooms and waiting rooms to ensure hygiene provisions and surface wiping protocols are not only effective in these high traffic areas but also reassuring. According to the research, across all healthcare locations, waiting rooms and washrooms are the top two areas for urgent hygiene improvement. Three-quarters (75 per cent) think waiting rooms are the most important area to improve hygiene, while 67 per cent think public washrooms also need improvement. 70 per cent of respondents wanted to see more sanitisers, while 59 per cent want to see employees actively cleaning, with procedures clearly communicated. Looking at senior care homes, or long-term care facilities, 86 per cent of respondents perceive visiting as high to moderate risk. In care homes, 77 per cent showed concern about toilets, while 61 per cent considered hygiene levels in washrooms as the most important aspect. The 360˚ Hygiene & Protection programme offers healthcare facility support through considering need areas, and tools to assess your facility and identify germ hotspots. High Frequency Touch Points – objects such as door handles, sink fixtures, lift buttons, and stair

rails that need frequent cleaning and disinfection to help break germ transmission. Kimberly-Clark Professional™ offers a free no obligation Virtual Hygiene Walk – bookable through https://home.kcprofessional.com/UK_PR_ TTNS_0920 – to review and provide expert guidance on cleaning and hygiene protocols, recommending the right product solutions to tackle key hygiene hotspots. * Source: How has COVID-19 affected perceptions of cleanliness and hygiene? Harris Interactive on behalf of Kimberly-Clark; July 2020. UK n=1,097 Enquiries: An in-depth guide for the healthcare industry is available at https://home.kcprofessional.com/ UK_PR_Health_1120

Visiting suites keep residents and their relatives connected A CARE operator has devised and built new visiting suites, with the majority of its services due to have one by the end of November so residents are able to spend time with their loved ones safely this winter. Following brainstorms with local care teams and building teams, Barchester Healthcare has run a successful pilot and is now rolling out these visiting suites as the safest and most practical visitation solution during the upcoming months where outdoor visits will be hampered by the weather. Barchester CEO Pete Calveley said: “The current pandemic has raised many questions in regards to family and friends visiting residents, and how care homes can balance the needs of infection control with the safety of residents, patients and staff. “We have been looking closely at this and exploring many routes to help solve this problem. Careful planning, trials and preparation, along with a large investment has enabled us to adapt existing indoor rooms at homes where this is possible, and for those where it isn’t we are putting safe Covid secure indoor visiting suites in the gardens or outdoor space. “We are confident these Covidsecure spaces are the most practical and comfortable solution for the winter months.” The visiting suites are similar to a living room type space, complete with soft furnishings, lampshades,

cushions, and internal room heating to create a welcoming and warm environment for residents to spend time with their loved ones. The room has an intercom system fitted so residents can clearly communicate, and engage in conversation, while being able to see their friends and family through a Perspex glass divider fitted for safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. The visiting suites have been built as spaces that are hygienic and sealed with a Perspex glass divider fitted to control airflow. Visitors to these rooms may only access via the external entrance in the outdoor area that does not require entry to the home. Infection control protocols and safe social distancing are in place for every visit, including a hand sanitiser station. Cleaning of the visiting suites will take place after each visit to ensure chairs, seats, hard surfaces including windowsills, and the Perspex glass divider are wiped down appropriately.

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OneSpray’s long-lasting surface and skin sanitisers are proven to significantly reduce the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses. Using revolutionary antimicrobial technology, they protect for up to 30 days on surfaces and 24 hours on skin. With the winter months bringing further risk alongside the Covid-19 pandemic, a growing number of Care Home groups across the UK are using OneSpray’s solutions to help protect their staff and residents. The solutions are water-based, containing no alcohol or harmful chemicals meaning they are gentle on both the surface and skin, as well as being odourless. Tested to the highest standards and verified by over 150 independent tests worldwide, the products have multiple EN accreditations, including EN14476 against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses and EN1500. A single application of OneSpray’s Surface Sanitiser protects surfaces against all known pathogens for up to 30 days and will not be washed away by regular cleaning practices. One application of OneSpray’s Hand Sanitiser remains effective for up to 24 hours and will not be washed away, unlike typical alcohol-based solutions. It is even dermatologically tested. In simple terms, once dry the solutions bonds to the surface, leaving a protective layer containing positively charged microscopic ‘pins’. These pins attract the negatively charged pathogens, piercing their cell membrane, akin to popping them like a balloon. This ‘mechanical kill’ type process can be repeated over and over. The products are used extensively across the UK and worldwide, including by Transport for London, Network Rail, United Airlines, Qantas and across multiple other sectors including healthcare, education, manufacturing, sport and many more.

To find out more about how OneSpray can help protect your care home, staff and residents call 03300 577 148 or email info@onespray.com Supporting data, references and testimonials are available upon request. We recommend our products are used in conjunction with good cleaning and hygiene practices.

CARINGINFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Products proven to protect surfaces for up to 30 days from application THROUGHOUT the course of the 2020 pandemic, the care home sector has undoubtedly endured a challenging period. With an increased risk to staff and residents, there has been a lack of fundamental government support at all levels, leaving owners and managers with increased challenges. Infection control is naturally a top priority for care homes but never before has the risk been so acute. With a lack of direction and support from government, the onus is left to the individual homes to determine the best course of action. An obvious change has been to implement either significantly increased or continual cleaning procedures. However, as Channel 4’s Dispatches showed on October 26, while this can be effective if carried out perfectly, the results can be highly inconsistent in reality, as that policy is susceptible to human error. It also comes at a cost, in terms of both product and labour. Dispatches looked at continual cleaning procedures undertaken in Tesco, Costa Coffee, hotels and public transport, using ATP testing in a number of sample areas to determine the presence of organic material. The results were very mixed with an unsettlingly high number of samples showing very high counts of bacteria, despite supposedly being clean. The conclusion was that while the process can work, it leaves open the risk of human error, whether that be missing an area or it simply not being feasible to continually clean every surface. OneSpray offer a solution to help mitigate that risk, with innovative antimicrobial technology that is proven extensively to protect surfaces for up to

30 days from application. Groups of care homes are already using their solutions, alongside major transport networks, airlines and airports amongst others business worldwide, across multiple sectors. Containing no alcohol or harmful chemicals, and

proven against EN14476 and EN1500, the unique longevity of the products will help protect staff and residents alike. For information call 03300 577148 or email info@onespray.com Alternatively, visit www.onespray.com

Advertiser’s announcement

Anti-microbial technology in fabrics – a route to improved infection control in care homes ONE of the key lessons learned by care homes in 2020 was that the more you can do to prevent the spread of infections, the better. Multiple studies convey that environmental contamination is a substantial source of cross infection within healthcare environments1,2, in both residents’ rooms and in communal areas. Care homes should consider new technologies that tackle this issue, such as the anti-microbial properties of recent fabrics and upholsteries that are effective in the elimination of bacteria and microbes. However, not all anti-microbial technologies function the same way, with many not providing long term protection. Most of these short-term technologies use migrating anti-microbials, where applied chemicals travel out of the material and chemically kill micro-organisms. They are effective for shorter periods, but are unlikely to imbue the long term protection care homes are looking for. Developments and innovations in this area have provided a few long-term solutions of antimicrobial resistance on furniture. One example of this is the Shield Plus technology which, unlike all other technologies in the marketplace, is non-migrating, non-leaching and non-depleting, providing long term resistance and aiding the infection control fight in care homes. The Shield Plus anti-microbial technology works by attracting microbes, stabbing their cell walls and electrocuting the biochemicals within. This way of eliminating the bacteria and microbes eradicate the possibilities of organism adaptation and subsequent immunisation.

The non-migrating technology remains permanently bonded with the fabric and stays effective for the entire duration of the fabric’s life. Spearhead’s newly launched range of fast delivery furniture features fabrics that incorporate this technology as standard.3 As environmental contamination is one of the major sources of pathogen transmission in care environments, it is paramount care homes should ensure that they choose the right type of fabrics for their furniture and look for long-lasting resistance to infection, built in to furniture, to maximise and protect residents, visitors and staff.

Visit Spearheadhealthcare.com to see a full selection of furniture that incorporates this technology.

References 1. Weber, D.J., Rutala, W.A., Miller, M.B., Huslage, K. and Sickbert-Bennett, E., 2010. Role of hospital surfaces in the transmission of emerging health care-associated pathogens: norovirus, Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter species. American journal of infection control, 38(5), pp.S25-S33. 2. Weinstein, R.A. and Hota, B., 2004. Contamination, disinfection, and cross-colonization: are hospital surfaces reservoirs for nosocomial infection?. Clinical infectious diseases, 39(8), pp.1182-1189. 3. Shield Plus by Panaz (Accessible at: https://online. fliphtml5.com/cvkmp/xtqw/#p=1)

CARINGINFECTION CONTROL

Advertiser’s announcement

Kent care home group chooses Duplex CHARING Healthcare is a company with family origins and currently has 10 care homes across Kent and Medway which deliver dementia residential care, nursing home care and also learning disability care. They provide warm, safe, friendly care homes with the very best in personal care and support. With their experience gained from more than 20 years in the care sector they are well placed to support clients and their families in their search for the right home in which to start the new chapter in their life. With cleaning and hygiene practices already a high priority and the coronavirus pandemic unfolding earlier in the year, the management at Charing Healthcare decided to look at ways of enhancing their regimes. Charing Healthcare director Senna Osman said: “We had a Duplex Steamer at one of our homes for a few years which was great. “Then Covid hit and when we started to look at measures we could put in place to assist and elevate our infection control procedures and the Duplex Steamer instantly came to mind.

“We then purchased eight more machines for our other homes which have been great. “The team at Duplex arranged the delivery and training for the machines very promptly and have supported us anytime we need help. Thank you.” The machines Senna chose were the hugely popular Duplex 340 Steam and Duplex 420 Steam floor cleaning machines which

clean and sanitise both carpets and hard floors utilising the power of steam which has been proven to kill 99.998 per cent of bacteria. These models have been used to help keep care homes up and down the country clean and sanitised for many, many years and are light and easy to use. They need no harsh cleaning chemicals to achieve superior

results which combined with their low water usage mean they are environmentally friendly and ecologically sound. They are also highly effective on hard to clean safety flooring scrubbing deep into its slipresistant surface thus helping to avoid dangerous slip hazards. Duplex not only provides Covid-secure demonstrations, when machines are purchased a certificated training and installation session is carried out which covers the use and care of the machine. Duplex southern area business development manager, John Still, added: “In addition to the Covid19 security requirements we have as a company such as use of PPE, social-distancing, minimal staff presence and hand-washing facilities, Charing Healthcare provided temperature testing on arrival, track and trace risk assessment and large rooms in which to carry out the training. “The whole experience of carrying out the training sessions was well-organised with a dedication to the staff and residents paramount.” Visit www.duplex-cleaning.com or call 01227 771276.

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Duplex have been supplying cleaning machines to the care sector for over thirty years and in that time our machines have been helping to keep care homes clean and sanitised for staff, residents and visitors in all parts of the country. These premium grade machines are made for the most demanding tasks and are especially relevant with the ongoing issues caused by the current pandemic with their ability to deliver steam at temperatures high enough to kill 99.998% of bacteria.

Request a Covid-19 safe demonstration. These will follow any customer rules currently in place and our own stringent safety policy.

Request an onsite demonstration www.duplex-cleaning.com

01227 771276

Fax 01227 770220 info@duplex-cleaning.com Unit 27 Joseph Wilson Ind. Est Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3PS.

CARINGINFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Colten Care case study The challenge Colten Care is one of the UK’s leading care home operators, with care homes across the South of England. They design and build their own properties. Colten Care and Developments employ more than 1,000 staff across 21 care homes. Due to the wide range of uniform and workwear requirements across their multiple locations, the challenge of ordering branded garments on a fast delivery basis was something they had always struggled with. They were buying from several different suppliers when ideally they needed a single source provider that could provide their complete range of garments, that were fit for purpose, on budget and with fast delivery. Our solution We conducted a full review of the Colten Care uniform and provided alternative garments that made

immediate improvements to the look and feel of their uniforms and improved wearer experience. All garments are now ordered through their designated e-store and we have a no MOQ policy so the purchasing department can order what they want, when they need it at an agreed fixed contract cost. The orders are then delivered within a five-day service level agreement. Colten Care has an allocated personal account manager at TMD to look after any queries and questions. The outcome Colten’s purchasing department says: “The administration and resources required to manage the orders being placed with multiple suppliers had become a real headache for us. “Now we place a weekly order through our own e-store and we take delivery within five working days. It’s saved us so much time”

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Property adviser recognises outstanding care workers with inaugural accolades GLOBAL property adviser Knight Frank has launched the inauguration of Knight Frank’s Healthcare Heroes Awards which recognises outstanding people within the social care sector. Submissions focused on individuals who had shown tremendous leadership, empathy and compassion throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as leading efforts around infection control and commitment to creative thinking to ensure social care residents and customers felt safe and secure throughout these unprecedented times. Julian Evans, head of healthcare at Knight Frank, said: “We are thrilled to acknowledge the amazing people that work within the social care sector, this year more than ever. “Care providers have managed the Covid-19 pandemic brilliantly, particularly given challenges including lack of testing and PPE, and we received many nominations on behalf of some truly outstanding people working within the sector. “Our Healthcare Heroes Awards showcase those inspirational individuals who have been undertaking exemplary work in the most difficult of circumstances and have recognised some richly deserved winners. Standout Healthcare Heroes included: n Karen Johnson – HC-One n Luke Owen – Bupa n Daniel Inglis – Balhousie n Sally Gregory – Sanctuary n Peter Widdowson – Country Court n Frank Cummins – Caring Homes n Lorraine Windsor – Runwood Homes n June Hoggart – Barchester Healthcare

Luke Owen with his award. n Candy Sharratt – Dormy Care Julian added: “Despite the fantastic work of the UK healthcare sector, the pandemic has also unfortunately highlighted the lack of investment by successive governments into the sector, and therefore the urgent need to prioritise preventative and crisis funding. “This is even more the case as further economic turbulence likely results from us entering a recession and as Brexit looms. However, already investors and lenders are viewing the healthcare and senior living sector as an opportunity for a ‘flight to quality’. “The care bed shortage and supply versus demand crisis has definitely not evaporated, and if anything has been emphasised by the crisis. “We urgently require inward investment into the sector as we are currently at a vital crossroads where we face a national bed crisis unless significant inward investment in the UK care home sector is made immediately.”

Advertiser’s announcement

CLOTHING AND PPE FOR THE CARE INDUSTRY Essential products for healthcare professionals Taylor Made Designs are experts in supplying uniforms, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and merchandise to the UK care industry. We offer off the shelf garments or a bespoke design service. We also provide online ordering and storage & fulfilment options. *Terms and conditions apply. Free next day deliveries on orders over £50.

For clothing visit: www.tmdonline.co.uk For PPE visit: www.tmdppe.com Call our sales team on 01202 473311

Gompels put packaging under the microscope A TWO-month rigorous exercise conducted by an environmental researcher has enabled Gompels to classify the environmental impact of all stocked products. Gompels now has the ability to calculate and score each product with an emissions rating. A new environmental dashboard allows users to see their carbon emissions based on their purchasing decisions. Olivia, who conducted the research, said: “Making sustainability a priority

is something that is not going away, it will only become more important over the coming years. “Gompels is making massive improvements to its worst offending products and will be sourcing eco-friendly alternatives for customers who want to reduce their environmental impact.” Gompels hopes to launch the dashboard to its existing customers by the end of the year and has had lots of positive feedback during testing.

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CARINGNEWS

Residents see herd of shire horses in action RESIDENTS of a Surrey care home have been enjoying the sight of one of the UK’s last working herd of shire horses helping to manage the land on their estate. The Huntington & Langham Estate in Hindhead has given its residents a rare glimpse of a bygone age, thanks to its land management needs – which requires shire horses to tackle land that’s unsuitable for heavy machinery. Within the estate there’s a steep valley which, for decades, used to be home to coniferous trees, the pine needles of which have left the soil very acidic – leading to continual bracken growth. The trees had been removed to improve the natural habitat on the estate, looking to encourage native wildflowers and scrub. However, the bracken growth is preventing re-generation – which has called for the specialist offering of the heavy horses. Ordinarily, the herd helps manage the conservation of the Royal Parks in London, but Huntington & Langham has employed them on a four-year project – giving residents the opportunity to enjoy a sight that was far more common in their youth, but what has now become a real rarity. Charlie Hoare, director of the Huntington & Langham Estate, said: “It’s fantastic seeing

the horses at work – and it evokes all sorts of sentimentality and nostalgia. “Our residents have been thrilled to see it, with many of whom having recollections of working shires in their younger years. “One of our residents, Molly, says she has vivid memories of horses and carts in the roads – not just in the fields. “Given that around the time of the First World War, there were a million shire horses in the

UK – now I think the number is as low as 1,500 worldwide, making them incredibly rare. “We have a very specific need at the estate, and the shires can do things that heavy machinery simply can’t. “Hopefully their usefulness will continue for a long time – as there really is no sight quite like it.” The work of the horses has been having a very positive impact, with the estate seeing a massive increase in foxgloves this year, which subsequently attract lots of insects, which in turn attract small birds and then larger predators, such as birds of prey. The finally balanced ecology of the estate enables residents to enjoy a wealth of flora and fauna, which can be enjoyed from bedroom windows as well as on walks. Charlie added: “We take our estate management responsibilities very seriously, and offer a really diverse outdoor environment for residents to enjoy. “The long-term result of the endeavours of the shire horse herd will improve the diversity of wildlife and plant life, but, for now, our residents are simply enjoying watching them at work, while treating them to a carrot or two at the end of a hard day. “It’s been really lovely to see.”

Advertiser’s announcement

Integration between systems will drive safety in care and medication administration process CARE home residents regularly don’t receive the correct support with medicines in line with what is documented in their care plan according to the latest CQC ‘Medicines in Health and Adult Social Care report’1. Omnicell UK, the market leader in medication and supplies automation, and Nourish Care, a leading electronic care planning provider, have come together to provide a new integration that gives care staff greater visibility of a patient’s medication regime as part of their overall care plan. Managing and monitoring a resident’s medication regimes effectively can significantly impact the delivery and quality of care. Historically, care planning and medication administration systems have been managed completely separately. This can potentially contribute to failings in support of residents’ care. The new integration means that Omnicell eMAR can now share data related to medication with the Nourish Care system, giving greater insight and driving best practice into the safety and individual care of each resident in the home. This provides care givers with the following: n Sight of the latest prescribed medications, supporting carers in assessments and reviews without having to switch between two separate technology systems. n Information on when new medication has been prescribed to residents, so it is possible to monitor or adjust care plans accordingly. n A summary of the medication, dose and time administered to better understand the medical history and individual pathway of a resident.

n Ability to correlate the data for medication administered with other information such as falls, accidents and additional incidents. Omnicell eMAR automates the entire medication management and administration process ensuring each resident receives the correct medicine dose at the correct time. The system gathers information, provides prompts and accurate instructions for staff and managers in real time at the touch of a button. Each individual medication is identified through a barcode applied in pharmacy, which can then be tracked at all stages from check in at the care home through to administration to a resident. It provides an invaluable medicines history for each patient and includes a simple alert and verification system to minimise the risk of medication errors in the home. Residents in care homes take an average of 7.2 medicines per day. With each additional medicine comes an increased risk of errors in prescription, monitoring, dispensing

or administration, adverse drug reactions, impaired medicines adherence which can lead to compromised quality of life for patients. CQC’s annual state of care report found that safety was the biggest concern with one of the main contributing factors being poor medicines management. Nourish’s customisable and easyto-use software supports recording at the point of care, saving time and allowing for more accurate notes. Access to information ensures that care teams are kept up-to-date and can make informed decisions for better care. With records that are secure, accurate and compliant, evidencing care becomes more manageable and care management more organised. Now with the latest integration with Omnicell, Nourish empowers care teams further with contextual medication history and usage helping to ensure better care decisions are made both at moments of care and when planning care needs.

Cyrus Hodivala, medicines adherence sales director at Omnicell UK & Ireland, said: “While the care sector has undoubtedly made great strides to ensure the safer use of medicines across its services, there are still areas for improvement. “A disconnect between care planning and medication management could be contributing to the problem of poor support of residents with their medication regimes highlighted in the CQC ‘Medicines in Health and Adult Social Care report’. “As leaders in innovation within the sector we have developed an answer to this problem. “The newly enhanced eMAR system for care homes links to and works in conjunction with individual care plans providing the care giver with crucial data and insight. “We’re anticipating this will help to drive much needed efficiencies and drive patient safety within the care sector and hope that it eventually becomes the gold standard when managing medication administration within care planning.” Nuno Almeida, founder of Nourish Care, added: “Our mission is to support care teams to provide high quality care and we have worked on a number of integrations and projects to deliver this. “This latest collaboration with Omnicell is entirely consistent with our mission and provides care teams the choice of having an eMAR system with evidence of quality. “We are also looking forward to working with the combination of the care planning and medicines management data as part of our Nourish Analytics.” References 1. https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/ default/files/20190605_medicines_in_ health_and_adult_social_care_report. pdf

CARINGNEWS

Home fined £150,000 after man died from Legionella disease A CARE provider has been ordered to pay £167,670 at West Hampshire Magistrates’ Court after a 56-year-old man died from Legionella disease while in its care. Sentinel Health Care Limited, which runs the Fordingbridge Care Home in Fordingbridge, Hampshire pleaded guilty to two charges, firstly failing to provide safe care and treatment, resulting in avoidable harm to Andrew Clegg while he was resident at the home. The company also pleaded guilty to failing to provide safe care and treatment exposing other service users to a significant risk of avoidable harm. Sentinel Health Care Limited was fined £75,000 for each charge and ordered to pay £17,500 prosecution costs, plus a £170 victim surcharge in a prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission. This is the first time CQC has used its prosecution powers against a provider in a case where a person has contracted Legionella. Rebecca Bauers, CQC’s head of inspection for adult social care, said: “This is a distressing case and our sympathies are with those affected by Mr Clegg’s death. “Mr Clegg had every right to expect safe care at the Fordingbridge Care

“The Health and Safety Executive has very clear guidance on management of Legionella in care homes and this was clearly not followed.” Home and Sentinel Care Services Limited has a specific legal duty to follow the Health and Safety Act to ensure the home was safe for people. In this case their negligence allowed Legionella bacteria to develop and grow in the water supply putting people living there at risk. “The Health and Safety Executive has very clear guidance on management of Legionella in care homes and this was clearly not followed. “Where we find any provider has put people using its services at risk of harm, we take action to hold them to account and protect people. “We hope this prosecution reminds care providers that they must always ensure people’s safety and manage risks to their wellbeing.” Fordingbridge Care Home is a home for people needing nursing or personal care.

Resident Rose Ellis performs the official ribbon-cutting to open the botanical lounge. On her left is home manager Julie House and on the right operations manager Julie Jones.

Green and serene as home opens botanical lounge A NEW Forest care home has ‘brought the outside in’ with the launch of a peaceful oasis to support residents’ mental and physical wellbeing. The botanical lounge at Colten Care’s Belmore Lodge in Lymington features an abundance of lush plants in a bright, airy space that will evolve in line with the seasons and residents’ interests in gardening. Home manager Julie House said: “It’s widely acknowledged that plants are good for you. Gardening and engaging with the natural world is a positive and therapeutic activity that improves both mental and physical wellbeing. “This botanical room is a quiet, serene space well away from any screens or commotion, somewhere

you can experience a fresh-air feeling all year round.” There’s also a living wall and planters containing plant varieties known for being among the best at absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air. They include dragon trees, spider plants, aspidistras and mother-inlaw’s tongue, all helping to create a fresh, therapeutic ambience. Gardeners at the home have added some further seasonal cheer to the greenery through colourful cyclamens, orchids and poinsettias. While the first-floor lounge is open to residents at all times, it is hoped it will also become a focus for the home’s garden club which meets regularly throughout the year.

Advertiser’s announcement

Access 21 Interiors comes of age ACCESS 21 Interiors is 21 years young this month. Looking back over the period has made me think of the changes that have taken place, and there have certainly been a lot and all very positive ones too. In the beginning, many contractors did not always appreciate the special needs of the sector, nor individual user’s needs whereas now there is a much better range with products made to meet these challenges. Chairs were rather standard and usually offered in beige, red, blue or green vinyl. Thankfully things have improved – there is now a wonderful palette of hundreds of colours, in both faux leather and soft yet impervious, breathable fabrics, many of which are anti-microbial. Collapsible arms ensure easy transfer from wheelchairs to chair and a variety of wheels including castors makes handling and movement easier. The variety of size options (height, depth, width and seat heights) means that chairs can be found to ensure the comfort of most individuals. Some tables can be height adjustable in fourlegged or pedestal options to suit a range of wheelchairs. Covid has resulted in a foam shortage to which the latest innovation is foamless chairs. Foam shortage is an important point to bear in mind when ordering as it will cause delay affecting a variety of items including beds and cushions. Heavy, standard curtains with deep pelmets on tracks have given way to a selection of curtains with various headings including poles and eyelets or structured shallow pelmets which allow more light into the room. Roman blinds, roller blinds or verticals are now often used, sometimes alone or even combined

with the curtains to give a fresh, co-ordinated look. There is a much wider range of flooring available now from impervious backed carpet to laminates, vinyls and real wood. I think the biggest change has been a huge move from institutional finishes to domesticlooking contract ones, to create homely and smart environments that residents can be happy and comfortable in. We have expertise in working in all types of care and can offer positive solutions for most

challenges you may have. We offer a menu of services from which you can take as little or as much as you need, including interior design (including specialist design for dementia), window and floor coverings, artwork, signage, tableware, towels and bedding to create co-ordinated and fresh spaces. Decorating and project management are also offered. Further details can be found on our website www.access21interiors.co.uk or by calling us on 020 8339 6133 or emailing Sue@access21ltd.co.uk

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

#Lockdown2: AAT’s #openforbusiness AS England heads into its second lockdown, AAT is already getting set to support people in need of support. Britain’s only truly national stairclimber provider is ensuring its nationwide team has every tool necessary to support healthcare professionals ensure hospital discharge is safely expedited. Further, anyone needing postural support to live – to sit, sleep, bathe – can still be equipped with the appropriate solutions. AAT’s team can work alongside OTs and homecare teams to assess, advise and specify the most appropriate options for each individual, and then train carers where necessary to ensure the one they care for is supported and safe. AAT’s services can be accessed in all popular processes – actually on site where safe to so do, remotely via telephone and video calls, or LiveChat via its website www.aatgb.com “A report by Healthwatch England found that one in five people discharged from hospital during the first lockdown had unmet needs at home,” said AAT director Peter Wingrave. “Part of that is due to the perception that changes to a home environment have to be an ‘adaptation’. “Occupational therapists and all involved in safe transfer to and around home need all the support they can get to manage people’s needs quickly. “It amazes me that, at the clerical/ administrative level, a real, effective, proven and reusable solution can be deemed worthless because it is not screwed to a wall or built of brick.”

He added: “The limitations to effective solution providing do not lie at the professional levels of OTs, carers. “The entire AAT team stands ready anywhere in the UK to meet the needs of, and support, OTs and carers through these difficult and demanding circumstances. “There is a massive opportunity to empower more people to get home, and access their home, by looking at immediate, short-term assistive technology – technology that is often already in equipment stores, or can be hired. “We have to be on hand to support OTs so they can maximise those solutions. All they need to do is click or call.” Enquiries: Visit www.aatgb.com or call 01978 82 18 75.

Smart swaps for surfaces DO your current surfaces meet your hygiene requirements and give your staff, patients, residents and visitors the reassurance they need? At Altro we’re hearing how the favoured flooring and walling materials of the past now present difficulties for our present and future as care homes adjust to life in a world dealing with coronavirus. Carpet tiles or carpets are designed to be vacuumed and not cleaned daily with the detergent required to clean viruses. You would need to wet clean the carpet or carpet tiles with detergent daily at 56ºC in order to kill any virus. Detergents can easily stain carpet, while over wetting carpet tiles can cause them to curl, the growth of mildew and the occurrence of odours. Modern vinyl floors offer an ideal alternative. There are many options now available with similar sound reduction properties to carpet tiles. Comfort underfoot is also a key performance benefit of many vinyl floors,

so a switch from carpet to vinyl need not lead to a compromise on comfort or acoustics, and provides carers, staff and residents with a homely look too. The biggest benefit of vinyl over carpet is cleanability. High quality vinyl floors can be cleaned at up to 60ºC. No different detergent or process is needed when you already have the ability to spray, steam or power clean the flooring. Vinyl floors are cleaned faster, with products less likely to cause damage to the floor and dry faster for a speedy return to service. With budgets under scrutiny too, you need to have confidence that what you invest in will maintain its appearance and performance for years to come. Quality vinyl flooring is a proven, robust solution, not affected by indentation from wheelchair or beds, and with guarantees of up to 20 years. Enquiries: Call 01462 489 516, visit www.altro.com or email enquiries@altro.com

CareDocs: unrivalled care management system support AT CareDocs we like to think of our customers and colleagues as a family, because once you join us, we stay right beside you throughout your digital care management journey. From setting you up with your equipment and software, to teaching you how to use it, the high standards we provide externally are very similar to our onboarding process internally. We also love to celebrate achievements both big and small for all members of the CareDocs family, because recognising one another’s success encourages growth, motivation and better results. Giving support is at the core of our values. After all, that’s why CareDocs was developed, to give you a helping hand in recording and managing care and creating top quality personcentred care plans. But we’re much more than just a software company. We pride ourselves on providing a friendly first-class customer service to help you deliver the best possible care. Whether you need help with the software, have a question about a feature or benefit, need to talk to us about your hardware or want one-on-one or group training, we’re standing by to assist from our Bristol

head office. We understand the care sector doesn’t take a break, so we’re also proud to have a UK-based outof-hours support team to cover evenings, weekends and bank holidays. The best part is there’s no extra charge. No matter how many times you need to get in touch we won’t ask for a penny, because we believe supporting each other is invaluable. You can take advantage of phone calls, emails, live screen sharing demonstrations, training videos and manuals, step-by-step guides, live webinars, and when safe, personal visits direct to your door, wherever you’re based in the country. So we would like to celebrate free, unrivalled support for all our customers since 2008, helping care homes and nursing homes be the best they can be.

Single-handed solution to moving obese patients ANYONE involved in the healthcare sector with obese people on a day to day basis is aware of the growing cost – not just in stronger equipment, but the additional people – and therefore time – cost in moving and handling. There is a means to reduce the strain and achieve positive outcomes on every level: AAT’s powered bariatric mobility stairclimber. The equipment, developed in conjunction with the ambulance services, is already used by various public and private sector organisations across the country. It enables just one team of two, irrespective of build and strength, to easily move a person weighing up to 230kg/ 36st up and down stairs, into an ambulance, hospital or back home. The German-engineered, class one medical and crash test certified device looks like a compact wheelchair with an integrated harness. A battery powered motor pack behind smoothly and safely drives the unit delivering 300 steps from a single charge. Lightweight with a high balance point, the machine is easy to operate and manoeuvre. Finitely adjustable controls enable the operator to set the stairclimber to whatever speed/rate of action is comfortable to transfer the patient to where required. When not in use, it folds neatly away optimising storage space. “Spending by NHS Trusts on bariatric provisions runs into £millions/annum,” said Peter Wingrave, AAT director.

“The figures available only relate to equipment and services. What about the hidden cost? The extra crews and staff required to move a bariatric patient? The delays because more than one team is needed to move the patient?” “In that alone, the manpower cost could be cut by at least 50 per cent just by providing our piece of kit. “But it’s not just about money. It’s about safety for everyone involved. It’s about single-handed care. It’s about that most basic human right – dignity for the patient. Taken together, that’s best value.” Enquiries: You can find out more about AAT’s bariatric stairclimber at https://www.aatgb.com/cr230/ or by calling 01978 82 18 75.

Roll of

HONOUR 2020 C A R I N G U K M AG A Z I N E

- Jessica Southern – THE LODGE, PLYMOUTH

Jess helped to create themed weekends for staff and service users to help maintain morale.

- Mandy Bramley –

CHANDOS LODGE IN STOURBRIDGE

Mandy is always bubbly and full of life, ensuring our residents are not impacted by the negativity that comes with Covid.

- Linda O’ Brien –

COCHRANE CARE HOME, JOHNSTONE

Linda kept the home running smoothly in the absence of both the manager and the deputy manager in the same week.

- Kirsty Dagless –

ST VINCENT CARE HOMES LIMITED, LEE ON THE SOLENT Kirsty regularly worked over her contracted hours and even moved in to the care home when there was an outbreak of Covid-19, staying for five weeks.

- David English –

BOWBROOK HOUSE, SHREWSBURY

David has continued to work tirelessly and meticulously 14-18 hours every day for more than six months, ensuring safe working environments for the teams.

- Mercy Rhuppiah – BELVEDERE LODGE, BRISTOL

The staff love working alongside her and she has a great rapport with both residents and families.

- Cheryl Williams –

THE OLD VICARAGE, CHIPPENHAM

Cheryl and her team have gone above and beyond to facilitate the health and wellbeing of both the families and relatives at this really difficult time.

CARINGNEWS

Care village’s residents paint a healthy picture

Resident John Ridge with Judy Sherwood.

Homes raise money for charity STAFF and residents at two Nottingham care homes have teamed up to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society by completing sponsored walks through their homes In celebration of ‘Memory Month’. Residents at Coppice Lodge in Arnold and Fairway View in Bulwell have been inspired over the past few months by the remarkable fundraising efforts of Captain Sir Tom Moore. They decided to take the challenge to raise money for the charity by completing laps of their homes’ ultrawide hallways, social lounges and gardens. Ideal Carehomes’ regional director for the Midlands, Gaynor SmartMcCann, said: “I am so happy to see how successful our sponsored walks have been.

“Our teams have been brilliant in organising the walks and our residents have embraced it with such gusto. “Thank you everyone who generously donated and congratulations to Coppice Lodge and Fairway View –well done for spreading such positivity at a time when people need it the most.” The sponsored walk for the Alzheimer’s Society, which is dear to everyone’s hearts, took more than a week to complete and was a significant achievement for residents who in total achieved a combined distance of 10km. The teams initially aimed to raise £200 but, following generous donations from relatives and local business, the two homes achieved a total of £680.

A PRESTWICH-based artist has been working with residents at a Didsbury care village on an innovative autumninspired art activity, designed to help keep spirits high as lockdown restrictions continue. Working with leaf stencils and edible paint, the residents of Belong Morris Feinmann have been applying their artistic flair to produce individual biscuit designs reflecting the change in season. The initiative, which was the brainchild of artist Chava Erlanger and supported by local charity Forever Manchester, saw participants delight in decorating and sampling the creative confectionery. Experience coordinator Angela Luckett said: “Art has always played a big role in life at the village and we are so thankful to those in the community, such as Chava, who have helped us continue this despite the challenges of Covid-19. “Painting the biscuits was such an engaging and novel activity, especially as many of our residents had never done it before, and it certainly brought a smile to everyone’s faces at this difficult time!” To create a vibrant environment for residents to enjoy the art workshops and other activities, the team at Belong Morris Feinmann have transformed the village’s Venue into a clubhouse. Catering for one household at a time in line with village ‘bubbles’ and social distancing requirements, the

Resident Mindel Rose decorates one of the biscuits donated by artist Chava Erlanger. space is designed to accommodate a variety of pursuits, ranging from knitting and reading to games and music. The village has also received donations from a number of local organisations over the last few months. This included dementiafocused community music project SoundUp Arts, which produced an array of themed activity packs and accompanying DVDs to help get residents’ creative juices flowing through a series of arts and craft sessions, sing-a-longs and movement-based activities.

Advertiser’s announcement

Nametags4Carehomes is winning the war against lost property LABELLING clothes seems simple. So what’s the problem? Some Name Tags simply fall off. Some are chunky and uncomfortable, others are tricky to apply, and many are difficult to see. Our dual purpose Easyfix Clip & Iron on labels are the best-selling care home labels. Unlike other chunky and cumbersome ones on the market, these button-like clips are so tiny that they won’t cause any irritation to the skin. And the label attached is the perfect size for visibility. The labels can either be fixed on in seconds using the clips, or ironed on. Easyfix Clip Ons are the best solution to this ever-present complaint from care home residents and their families. Easyfix Clip Ons combine the durable nature of button tags with the greater size of iron on labels. This makes labelling and identifying clothes quick and

easy. And the labels won’t come off. What’s more, our Clip Ons are made from the same materials as our Iron Ons, meaning they can be ironed onto clothing if desired. Unlike iron on labels of bygone times, we use advanced material technology to develop an iron on

label that will fuse into a garment and so can never come off, even at high washing temperatures and industrial tumble drying. Choosing NameTags4CareHomes is the best way to ensure that laundry operations run smoothly, and no resident finds his or her self

without their clothes. Our Super Sticky SupaTags are great for non-clothing items that might go walkabouts, such as walking frames, toiletries, glasses cases etc. We use an incredibly sticky, non-toxic adhesive and top of the range printing to guarantee satisfaction. Photos of the residents can even be added to make the belongings more easily identifiable. Our bespoke online care home ordering system makes our labels simple to order. Same day despatch and next day delivery means your labels can be with you the moment you need them. Coupled with our high-quality products, it’s no wonder hundreds of care homes already trust us to supply them with hundreds of thousands of labels. Prices start from £8 for 34 Clip Ons with discounts available for first time orders and loyal customers. Visit www.nametags4carehomes. co.uk or call 01242 519191.

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PHONE OR MAIL US MP welcomes new home to Dudley community

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Operator opens new £12m Essex care home virtually

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Spades in ground for dementia care home

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£2.3m extension to create dementia wing FORNHAM House care residence in Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, is nearing completion of a significant extension programme that will see the creation of a new selfcontained, dementia-specialist wing for up to 17 people living with the condition. Owner Healthcare Homes Group says £2.3million is being invested in the project, which will see the creation of additional new facilities for adults living with dementia who require specialist care. This will create a further 10 to 15 new job roles at the home, which already employs 70 people from the local area. In addition to the 17 new en-suite bedrooms, a lounge area and dining room are being created, together with an extensive decked area and internal courtyard. The secure wing will be furnished with comfortable, modern fittings yet will be in keeping with the traditional

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setting of Fornham House, which sits centrally within landscaped, walled gardens. The visitor parking is also being extended.

The project is being undertaken by Horizon Construction. David Smith, director of estates and property services for Healthcare Homes Group, and project manager

for the Fornham House project, said: “The Group is investing in extending Fornham House to create a new dementia-focused wing that will offer much-needed additional care services for those living with the condition. “We have been working with our construction partner Horizon Construction, who take great care in delivering on time and are respectful in the way they work; particularly ensuring minimal disruption to existing residents.” The extension follows the recent addition of a temporary garden visiting ‘pod’, which enables residents to meet family members in a Covidsafe environment. The wooden cabin, named the ‘Rainbow Room’ by residents, has a Perspex screen to separate visitors from residents and an intercom to make communicating easy. The room is also equipped with heating when required, insulation and nurse call buttons.

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Seasons Greetings To our many clients from everyone at Lamont Johnson.

May you have a safe, happy and peaceful New Year Our success in the sale of Care Homes has been achieved through the 40 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, and is second to none in the care sector. We specialise solely in the discreet sale and acquisition of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.

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Operator gets go ahead for Southampton care home

The new home manager at Caring Homes’ Brook House in Towcester is looking forward to developing the team, welcoming the first residents and their families in October and building up links with the local community. Bogdan Gancean trained as a nurse in Romania and has also lived and worked in Italy. He has a degree in Psychology and experience in mental health care, as well as managing nursing and residential services. He said: “I enjoy the challenges care home life can present and take my responsibilities very seriously, striving to maintain a safe and happy environment, promote great care and make a positive difference to all of our residents’ lives.”

PLANS to build a new luxury care home in Southampton have finally been given the go ahead. The new 80-bedroom Covid-secure care home will be built on the old Bargain Farm site in Nursling, on the north-west side of the city. Work on the site is due to begin in the first quarter of 2021 with the home welcoming its first residents in the summer of 2022. The care home will include 80 en-suite bedrooms, a spacious café bistro, a private dining room, a hair salon and nail bar, activity room/bar, a cinema, spacious resident lounges, dining rooms and quiet lounges. The home will also be designed with the highest safety standards in mind, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additional features include a bespoke Covid-secure visitation suite (The Family & Friends Lounge), in-built thermal imaging technology in the entrance lobby (to ensure all visitors to the home, including staff, have their temperature taken on a daily basis) and a ventilation system which ensures air in resident and day spaces is fully changed every 15 minutes. It will also have hand washing and hand sanitising stations throughout for staff, residents and visitors. The home is being built by Hamberley Development – the sister development company of Hamberley Care Homes.

An artist’s impression of the new care home. Director Daniel Kay said the home would be a significant addition to quality care provision in Southampton. He added: “There is a recognised short-fall of high-quality care home beds in the local area and we are confident that our new luxury Hamberley Care Home will help meet the needs of older people in Southampton and the surrounding area. “The building will be of the very highest standard, from a safety and wellbeing perspective and also in terms of luxury and comfort. We look forward to welcoming our first residents in 2022.” A bespoke neurological rehabilitation facility will be also

built adjacent to the care home by Hamberley Development. This centre will feature physiotherapy and medical consulting rooms together with a therapy gym fitted with state-of-theart rehabilitation equipment as well as lounges, dining rooms, cinema and a café bar. The facility will also include a self-contained step-down apartment. This service will be operated by Inspire Neurocare, part of the Hamberley Group, and will provide rehabilitation care, long-term care, respite and palliative care for people with brain and spinal injuries as well as complex neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Home’s extension to enhance and expand living space for residents

Lifelong carer Peter Norman has been appointed general manager at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme after leading the dementia specialist care village through Covid-19. Peter’s passion for caring for others began at the age of 11, when he became a family carer for his late great-grandmother. He has since built a career in social care that spans over two decades, developing his skills across numerous roles in the sector. Most recently, Peter took on the position of acting general manager at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme in May and has supported the village to be largely Covid-free for several months.

A SURREY care community’s extension plans are in full swing, with construction underway. The extension of the Huntington & Langham Estate in Hindhead will see 12 new bedrooms added to the offering, alongside two additional lounges for residents to enjoy. In addition, a new wheelchair friendly road will provide access to more areas of the estate, including its animal grazing fields and parts of the woodland. A combination of two specialist family-run care homes, the Huntington & Langham Estate is set within 30-acres of garden and woodland. Its outdoor environment includes fields that are home to sheep, horses and chickens, as well as extensive woodlands, honey-producing beehives, and a lily-bedecked pond frequented by a variety of waterfowl. The new road will provide greater access to these areas for residents, allowing them to spend more time outdoors – something that’s regarded as ever more important in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The extension and expansion of its communal areas will also allow for greater space inside for both residents and staff alike. Although the estate’s extension plans were in place ahead of the pandemic, its emergence has served

to highlight the importance of enhanced living areas to allow for suitable distancing measures. Charlie Hoare, director of the Huntington & Langham Estate, said: “Opting for 12 rooms allows us to welcome more residents, but it also helps us to maintain our ethos, which is to present a familiar, homely environment that’s focused on household living. “Limiting it to 12 rooms also means we’re able to allocate ample space for everyone to live comfortably and safely.” In addition to the extra rooms, the

extension will double the communal space for existing bedrooms, allowing for two additional lounge areas, which will offer views over the valley. Alongside added space, residents will benefit from more choice as to where they go in the home, be that a lounge with a television, or a quieter lounge further down the hallway. They will also have more choice around activities. For instance, those who opt to dine early can do so in one lounge, while those who prefer to eat later can chat, play cards, read and more in the other. Completion is predicted for March.

MP welcomes new home to Dudley community SOUTH Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson paid a special visit to Dudley’s newest luxury care home, Sedgley Court, to mark its upcoming launch next month. Sedgley Court is Ideal Carehomes’ latest development and has benefitted from a £10million investment, which once fully built will provide all the finishing touches you would expect from a luxurious new home. The spacious en-suite bedrooms and latest care technology will allow the newly appointed team to deliver person-centred care in a dignified manner, promoting independence as far as possible. Gavin toured the site and was even able to have an exclusive first peek inside at the state-of-the-art facilities. He was complimentary about the new amenities available on site for residents to enjoy including large social and dining areas, ultra-wide corridors, a plush cinema room, a luxurious Sky Bar with far reaching views over Baggeridge village, a vintage tea room complete with balcony area and airy botanical garden rooms leading onto spacious landscaped gardens. During the tour, which was subject to current government guidelines, the pair discussed ways that new residents would not only become

Gavin Williamson MP plants a tree in the garden at Sedgley Court in Dudley. part of the friendly Sedgley Court community but also continue to be at the heart of their familiar Dudley community. Gavin was particularly interested in Kim’s commitment to combatting loneliness in older people, as she

specialist healthcare business agents

explained how the dedicated lifestyle co-ordinators will provide a varied activities and social calendar that is tailored to each resident’s interests and hobbies with the aim of helping them to make new friends within the home. Future residents will be able to remain in close contact with their loved ones via Skype and Facetime and the home will have a dedicated ‘social room’ which will be specially equipped to ensure that guests can safely visit, subject to Ideal Carehomes’ policies and local and government guidelines that are in place at the time. To commemorate his visit, Gavin planted a commemorative tree in the garden. Home manager Kim Dean said: “We had a wonderful time showing Gavin around our site and being able to discuss some of our key initiatives around infection control and also about our vision for the Sedgley Court lifestyle. “The tree we planted is a fantastic addition to our home and is a great way to represent how Sedgley Court will grow and develop into a blossoming part of the community.” The home recently hosted exclusive preview days which provided potential residents with an opportunity to explore the facilities.

New Care has appointed Anne Hughes as registered manager at Grosvenor Manor Care Centre in Chester. In her new role she takes responsibility for the state-of-the-art 81-bed care facility, its residents and 100-strong employee team. Anne is also tasked with ensuring the home complies with Care Quality Commission regulations and will oversee ongoing training and development. Well qualified for her new role, she was previously manager at a smaller care home in the North West. Anne is also a registered nurse with many years’ experience, qualifying as an enrolled nurse in Scotland before completing her conversion course to registered nurse in Chester in 1992.

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On behalf of Mr Balkrishna Patel, DC Care is delighted to announce the recent successful sale of The Cedars Residential Care Home located in the traditional market town of Halstead in Essex. 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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Operator opens new £12m Essex care home virtually

Sharon Badelek has joined Inspired Villages Group, the Legal & Generalbacked later living business, as its chief financial officer. She brings more than 20 years’ experience of growing customer-centric businesses across the UK retail, leisure and healthcare sectors. Her previous roles include CFO and CEO of Novus Leisure, which operates at more than 40 venues across the UK, group finance director at Vue Entertainment, where she was key in their expansion across the UK and Europe, as well as group financial controller of Virgin Active and CFO of Westpoint Veterinary Group. Sharon is supported by a team of 18 finance and investment professionals, and will be working closely with Tatiana Smith as group finance manager.

A PROVIDER opened its new £12m care home, Hutton View, in Essex using technology in what is believed to be the first virtual opening of a care home due to the current restrictions. Hallmark Care Homes’ live stream was made with support from an external specialist broadcast company and was hosted by chair and CEO of Savista Developments, Avnish Goyal. He said: “We are delighted to have completed our second Savista project to the highest standards, incorporating the latest technology and ideas not only from the sector but from our teams and our recent innovation challenge. “We are continuing to innovate with our pipeline of projects and we will continue to raise the bar by creating beautiful environments that enhance the quality of life for older people. “Hutton View provides inventive solutions to care and a lot of consideration has gone into this home to ensure we are meeting the ever-changing needs of future residents.” During the event guests were invited to hear about the vision of the how the home was created, participate in a panel discussion with Hallmark’s dementia and relationship centred care experts and take a virtual tour of the 77-bed home’s state-of-the-art facilities. These include a luxurious hair salon, therapy room, a café complete with its own aquarium, connected to a distinctive bar, large screen cinema and surround sound complete with

The team with Avnish Goyal and Ram Goyal present a cheque of £5,000 to Hutton Community Centre. a starlight ceiling, and a music room are also designed to create the with a baby grand piano, vinyl record ultimate outdoor experience for player and LPs and selection of residents with a putting green, aviary, musical instruments. summer house with a kitchen and Other design innovations include an WC, greenhouse and gardening club indoor Covid safe visiting area with area, and even a gazebo. a glass partition, well-stocked library Around 300 local businesses and and games room, a top floor activities care professionals logged on to room with a second bar and large hear from Avnish and Hallmark’s outdoor terrace. managing director Ram Goyal, as The home also boasts a farmhouse well as witness the ribbon cutting kitchen and further activity area with ceremony to formally open the home. prompts which use the Montessori During the event guests were approach to support people living also encouraged to tweet in with dementia. their questions, thoughts and Outside there are numerous areas comments with £5 donated to which encourage residents to get Hutton Community Centre for every fresh air all year round and support tweet received using the hashtag the company’s Together Dementia #HuttonViewLaunch Hallmark then Strategy. raised this to £5,000 to support This includes five outdoor terraces the community centre’s plans to on all the upper floors. refurbish the kitchen and social areas The spacious landscaped gardens by spring 2021.

Dementia care refurbishment scheme handed over to Royal British Legion

Cornerstone Healthcare has appointed Feruna O’Donovan to manage its new service, Marula Lodge in Mytchett, Surrey. Feruna is a registered nurse with more than 10 years’ experience in healthcare management within the NHS and private care homes. Feruna brings a wealth of clinical management experience and a track record of improving care standards and engaging and managing large teams. Feruna added; “This is a great time to be part of Cornerstone Healthcare and I’m excited to be joining Marula Lodge right from the start. My aim is to create a centre of excellence that provides the best possible care for our residents and their changing needs.”

A STATE-of-the-art dementia care refurbishment scheme delivered across a live Royal British Legion care home has been handed over by J. Tomlinson’s refurbishment and engineering team. The £2.3m project took place at Galanos House in Warwickshire – one of six care homes owned and run by the Legion, which provide short and long-term care designed specifically for veterans and their families. Iain Davies, director (refurbishment and engineering) at J. Tomlinson, said: “We are pleased to have successfully handed over a highquality refurbishment scheme to the Royal British Legion. “J. Tomlinson’s considerable experience deliver unobtrusive building and maintenance works across live, specialist care environments saw us working closely with the client’s wider project team to efficiently deliver a Covid-19 safe scheme, with the safety and wellbeing of residents and staff at the forefront of our combined efforts.” Works undertaken by J. Tomlinson included creation of two extensions to support increased capacity within the home, as well as landscaping and car parking works.

The £2.3m project at Galanos House in Warwickshire. As well as providing 10 additional dementia care bedrooms to the home’s Poppy Lodge, J. Tomlinson also worked with the client to create a new community hub which features a new day care facility, café and treatment rooms. As part of the project, the company installed new energy-efficient features to help futureproof the building and maximise the comfort of residents and staff. These included a new building management system, new boilers, underfloor heating, LED lighting and

thermal insulation. A portion of the project was delivered throughout the pandemic, with J. Tomlinson working closely with client, the Royal British Legion, to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents, staff and visitors throughout the scheme. This was achieved through phased and weekend working, clear segregation, detailed risk assessments (reviewed daily) and regular, meetings with the wider project team to communicate and share key updates and best practice.

Spades in ground for dementia care home THE final stage of development work at Church Farm Care’s Rusticus site in Cotgrave, Nottingham has started on site – while full planning has also been achieved at the Skylarks site in West Bridgford – bringing its vision of a revolutionary model of dementia care one step closer to reality. The work at Rusticus will include alterations to the internal layout of the existing building to increase visibility and provide greater flexibility of spaces to promote independence, comfort, and quality of life for residents. The latest work for Rusticus is the fifth and final phase of the development following previous upgrades to the site including the reception and staff facilities, as well

as the addition of balconies to the accommodation. This phase sees the addition of Hickling Lodge, a state-of-the-art 30-bedroom standalone building with day lounges, kitchen and laundry. There will also be the addition of three detached, two bed assisted living pods, which will have 24-hour access to nurses and carers, as well as further parking and landscaping – including a walk-through aviary. The work will also see the development of Socius, a social hub, which will include a cafe, hairdressers and cinema for both residents and the community to access and enjoy, with completion due next September. In addition to the work at Rusticus, a purchase of land and full planning

has been achieved at its Skylarks home in West Bridgford. The extension to the Skylarks site will add much-needed facilities for residents and the local community. Patrick Atkinson, owner of Church Farm Care Ltd, said: “It’s been an extraordinary and challenging year so far for us – as it has been for care homes up and down the country – but we’re really thrilled to have shovels in the ground for the expansion of our Rusticus home and plans now in place to develop Skylarks even further. “Our ethos is a model of care centred on creating “families” of residents that live together based on their interests, life experiences, and personalities.

“Our extension plans are not just about creating more comfortable and accessible environments but about helping to integrate family members into the community through features that bring the public into the centre – when they are again allowed to do so of course. “The work at Rusticus for instance includes additions to the current onsite salon and cinema, with a new café that will be open to the public as well as a walkthrough aviary with a snaking path for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.” In 2019, more than 45 letters and emails were received by Rushcliffe Borough Council in support of its extension, particularly focusing on its hydrotherapy pool.

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Planning success for replacement facility destroyed by fire New owners for The Cedars DC Care has sold The Cedars, an established and well-regarded care home in the market town of Halstead in Essex, on behalf of Balkrishna Patel and his family. The Cedars is a partly purpose-built care home registered for 63 clients. The property itself is a country mansion originally built in c.1800s. The home has had an interesting and varied history and has been extended in recent years to deliver state-of -the-art accommodation for those requiring nursing and residential care. The Cedars also specialises in caring for those living with dementia. The home has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Stow Healthcare, an established family-operated care group that owns and operates a collection of boutique nursing and residential homes within East Anglia. DC Care’s southern region director

Andy Sandel appraised The Cedars and oversaw the sale with assistance throughout the sale process from negotiator Michelle Natkus. He said: “We are pleased to have concluded this sale on behalf of Mr Patel and his family and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. “When DC Care was initially instructed to sell the property the emphasis was certainly for a discreet sale and as such it was clear to me that the ideal purchaser would need to be an experienced provider with the confidence to know what can be achieved in the Halstead area. “Our industry knowledge and experience therefore enabled us to approach potential buyers, without the need to openly market the home and we were delighted to see the business purchased by a successful operator in Roger Catchpole of Stow Healthcare.”

Buckfast Abbey care village is approved AMBITIOUS plans to create a state-of-the-art care village on land adjoining Buckfast Abbey have been unanimously approved by Dartmoor National Park Authority’s planners. The scheme will create a complex for people of all ages, with around 124 supported apartments, a 60-bed nursing home and a 32-bed specialist dementia unit. It will be built on a derelict site formerly occupied by the Axminster Carpets Spinning Mill, which closed in 2013. Up to 170 jobs are expected to be created. The eco-friendly village will include swimming and hydrotherapy pools which will be open to the public, plus a new community hall. There will also be craft workshops, a sensory garden, a restaurant, bar, hairdressing salon and cinema. The complex has been designed by KWL Architects from Newport in South Wales. DNPA members described the scheme as ‘exciting, iconic and desperately needed.’ Buckfast Abbey’s finance manager Jonathan Deacon said: “We are thrilled that the scheme has been passed. We would like to thank the design team and the planning officials involved for all their support.” Several environmental issues have been addressed, including the protection of a colony of rare Horseshoe Bats. Jonathan added that the impetus for the development had come from the Abbey’s monastic community:

“The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict, written in 516,” he added. “This mostly deals with how to live a monastic life, but there is a very important section on how to treat guests as if they were Christ himself. “To this end, Benedictine monks and nuns over the centuries have set up homes and hospitals to care for the sick and the elderly. “This tradition continues and the monks were also keen to replace the 120 jobs lost to the local community when the spinning mill closed its doors.” The village will be similar to two complexes run by the St Monica’s Trust in the Bristol area. Jonathan said: “It’s important to stress that this will not be a retirement village – it’s to provide accommodation and support to people of all ages. “This may include someone in their 20’s who has a degenerative disease but wants to continue a normal life for as long as possible with appropriate help. “We aim to create a rich and stimulating environment, with our gardens and communal areas, workshops, day trips and a range of craft and educational activities. We are also hoping to supply outreach and domiciliary care to the surrounding area.” The Buckfast Abbey Trust will oversee the running of the care village, which will have its own dedicated health team and be registered with the CQC.

TODD Architects’ design for a 132-apartment extra care facility in Crewe, replacing a scheme that was devastated by a fire in 2019 and displacing nearly 150 residents, has been recommended for planning approval by Cheshire East Council with full support from all councillors in attendance. The new Beechmere Extra Care facility, designed by TODD Architects for Avantage, is to be built within the same footprint of the original building but will offer a more contemporary approach to assisted living. The scheme aims to provide residents with a community focused environment and will comprise twobedroom apartments along with a restaurant, village hall, lounge, winter garden, fitness suite, activity room, IT room/library, hairdressing salon, and various support services. The apartments are mixed tenure but will be predominantly affordable housing for rent with a proportion for shared ownership and the remainder for sale. Andrew Murray, director at TODD Architects, said: “We are delighted to finally get the go-ahead to rebuild Beechmere and reintroduce what is an important facility for the county’s community. “We have worked closely with Avantage, Cheshire East Council and partner organisations to create a scheme that will be a benchmark in the provision of quality housing for older people, in an environment which offers a lifestyle choice, security and support.” TODD Architects’ design for the new Beechmere will see a three-storey, H-shaped building constructed with a four-storey atrium connecting the two wings. Every opportunity has been taken to create spaces where residents,

staff and visitors can interact at different levels, allowing individuals the flexibility to engage on their own terms. Corridors, for example, have been purposely designed with interaction between residents in mind; an alcove at the entrance to each apartment offers an informal area off the corridor in which residents can chat and mingle. The atrium will form the busy hub of the community, with various activity centres branching off, including the library, lounge, village hall and craft room. These will overlook and open into the community village garden, enhancing resident experiences by creating views ‘to’, ‘from’ and ‘between’ the internal and external surroundings. An informal café area will spill out into the atrium from the south-facing restaurant, which has its own terrace and outdoor eating area. The landscape is another key element in supporting the wellbeing of the residents and TODD’s design actively promotes the use of the outdoor areas for exercise and relaxation and provides social spaces for the residents and community groups to meet and chat. “We are passionate about designing innovative elderly care buildings that focus on improving resident experience. We have designed Beechmere to primarily be an enabling environment for the residents, supporting their individual care needs and providing lifestyle choice,” added Andrew. “Beechmere also creates a ‘bridge’ for older people in the surrounding community who will be actively encouraged to participate in events and to make use of the facilities within the development.” A Maidenhead sheltered care service has assured residents that it will be business as usual despite the running of the service being transferred to Optalis. Lady Elizabeth House is a sheltered care service which has 29 self-contained, wheelchair accessible apartments, each of which is fully equipped with a spacious kitchen, lounge, bathrooms and bedroom. On-site care and background support will be provided by Optalis in partnership with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the registered social landlord and Housing Solutions.

Site acquired on group’s behalf SPECIALIST care property consultants HPC has acted on behalf of Angela Swift Developments Group Ltd in the acquisition of the former Eccleston Fire Station in St Helens. ASDG is pressing ahead with plans to redevelop the site to provide a luxury care home. The building occupies a site of just over one acre in an established residential area, and opposite a significant housing and neighbourhood retail development completed around five years ago.

ASDG managing director Angela Swift said: “We are delighted to have completed this purchase, which will be a great addition to our development portfolio. “We very much look forward to creating one of our next generation of luxury care homes on this site, which will be complemented by our exceptional design principles.” With views over the adjacent Mill Wood nature reserve and lake, the new home will benefit from the setting and a tranquil outlook.

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