Caring UK November 2016

November 2016

no.243 • £4.75 incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector

‘Tipping point’ predicted for social care

By Olivia Taylor

WITH pressures rising on demand, access and cost, the quality regulator is raising concerns about how long safe, high quality and compassionate care can last.

In its annual assessment the Care Quality Commission found that, despite challenging circumstances, as at July 31 2016, 71 per cent of the adult social care services that had been inspected were rated ‘good’ and one per cent were ‘outstanding’.

However, two per cent of adult social care services were rated ‘inadequate’.

Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England said: “Despite the excellent work of social care workers and managers, underfunding is damaging the sector.

“The current funding settlement entirely disregards demographic change, the pressure on the market, and the impact on people receiving care.

“As CQC highlights, more and more people are living with unmet needs for care, and more providers are pulling out of unaffordable caring activities like nursing.

CQC’s emphasis on providers turning down contracts reflects the impossible market for care: Care England members are still

being asked to care for adults with complex needs for as little as £2.25 per hour.

“This undoubtedly affects the NHS, where delayed discharge figures will not improve while social care remains starved.”

Around three-quarters (76 per cent) of NHS services, care homes, general practices and other services that had been rated as ‘inadequate’

by CQC were able to improve their ratings following re-inspection. 23 per cent went from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’ and 53 per cent went from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

While this shows that regulation can support providers to offer people better care, CQC’s analysis also revealed that some services are failing to improve despite being given clear information on where improvement is needed.

47 per cent of providers that were re-inspected following a rating of ‘requires improvement’ were not able to improve their rating, and in eight per cent of cases, the quality of care had deteriorated so much that the rating was downgraded to ‘inadequate’.

Half of services rated as ‘requires improvement’ that were re-inspected (904 out of 1,850) had no change to their rating. In 153 cases the care had become inadequate.

CLS receives Investors in People Gold Standard

Actor Steve Speirs helped to open a new £800,000 refurbishment at Hallmark Care Homes’ Greenhill Manor in Merthyr. The Pirates of the Caribbean star unveiled a plaque alongside the town’s Mayor, Councillor Margaret Davies, to mark the end of the work at the home, which has taken 16 months to complete. The home’s new facilities now include an old-fashioned pub, a luxurious hair salon, a farmhouse kitchen which will encourage residents to get more involved at mealtimes, a cinema and a café. Greenhill Manor provides dementia, nursing and young physically disabled care for 120 residents.

CLS Care Services, comprising Belong Villages and CLS Homes, is celebrating after being awarded the Gold Standard by Investors in People.

While CLS has held IIP accreditation since 2005, this is the first occasion that the care provider has been awarded the Gold Standard, joining the top 13 per cent of accredited organisations in the UK. The assessment took place at four CLS care homes, four Belong villages and the Central Office with involvement from staff across the company.

The IIP Gold Review Report on CLS Care Services highlighted excellence in values and customer focus, along with a culture of openness, trust and confidence between management and staff.

Phil Orton, head of people at CLS Care Services, added: “Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and as such we are committed to being one of the best employers and investing in our staffs’ skills and development.

“Being IIP Gold accredited is a fantastic achievement, and we’ll continue to build on feedback from IIP to ensure we are operating at the highest possible standard.”

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Villages’ residents take part in cycle fundraiser

By Olivia Taylor RESIDENTS, relatives and staff from North West specialist care provider Belong joined forces to take part in a three-hour cycle fundraiser, organised to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise for older people.

The fundraiser took place in the exercise studio of the care villages in Atherton, Crewe, Macclesfield and Warrington, all of which are equipped with specially adapted cardio and strength equipment to support the needs of older people.

Sharing their experiences with one another via Skype, the four villages combined reported an impressive 180 miles between them.

As well as encouraging older people to engage in exercise, the event raised funds for the villages, which will go towards the running and

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Editorial

Residents and staff who took part in the three-hour cycle marathon. instructors qualified in fitness maintenance of the exercise and exercise for older people. studios and funding resident The exercise studio is also activities. open to members of the Belong is committed to public who wish to use the supporting people to live village facilities. well through exercise and, Belong lead exercise as such, all village customers instructor, Barbara Tait, have access to an exercise said: “Maintaining an active studio equipped with lifestyle is important at all specialist gym equipment, which is supervised by stages of life, but many

people underestimate how much exercise can benefit the wellbeing of older people.

“As a low-impact activity, cycling puts very little pressure on joints or muscles, and has been proven to lower blood pressure and improve sleep patterns and mood, amongst a number of other things.”

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Care leader calls for referendum on social care

By Olivia Taylor

Meridian Healthcare’s Augustus Court Care Centre hosted two exciting events during September, which aimed to inspire and evoke the memories of residents and guests.

The M&S Company Archive Memory Box event was full of original garments from the 1940s to the 1970s, with the occasion evoking memories and inspiring conversations of fashions of the past. Internationally renowned Yorkshire artist Ashley Jackson also paid a visit to the care home to talk all things Yorkshire, providing an insight into his specialist landscape watercolour work.

A LEADING advocate has suggested a referendum on social care in a bid to provoke more action on the crisis facing the sector.

Speaking at the National Association of Care Catering’s Training and Development Forum in Nottingham, UKHCA chair Mike Padgham said social care was fed up with too much talk and too little action.

He told delegates that billions had been cut from social care budgets, leaving the care of older and vulnerable adults in peril.

“Could we have a referendum on social care and ask the nation if they are prepared to pay more to care for older and vulnerable citizens?” he asked delegates.

“We have had report after report, commission after commission, endless talks upon talks, and nothing seems to change.

“Unless I’m very much mistaken, social care didn’t feature much at the Conservative conference! Does that show the priority social care holds?

“Speaking on television the Prime Minister said she wanted people’s

experience of care homes to improve.

“But all she could offer to make that happen was the Better Care Fund, the social care precept and a vague promise of a more joined up approach between health and social care. We need more than that and we need it now.”

Mike also suggested that people needed to be educated earlier on the need to treat older people with respect and dignity and that a system could be explored whereby people have to put a little by from their wages each month to pay for their care later.

“Above all, we are all going to need to be yet more vocal. The Government is swamped with calls upon its attention: Brexit, immigration, the economy, the list is endless and we dare not ask where, in all of that, social care even comes,” he added. “Get social care right and the benefits to people receiving care will be enormous – and well-deserved. And the benefits to stretched NHS resources, in terms of relieved pressure on hospitals by caring for people in the community instead, will be enormous too – surely that is irresistible.”

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Care provider welcomes 16 new workers to its teams

A BARNSLEY home care provider has welcomed 16 new care workers to their teams.

The enthusiastic group of learners, who spent a week in Caremark’s Barnsley offices undergoing their mandatory training, were described as ‘absolutely first class.’

Cathryn Fewster, registered care manager, took the new recruits through their Dementia Friends training sessions and asked them to record what being a good care worker meant to each of them.

She said: “We had some fabulous examples and reference points. We want them to empathise and it really gets people thinking.

“It can get very emotional too and we had a few tears as it means so much to people.

“We want to help our staff see the person and connect with the human being, the person in the centre of what we do.”

The newly trained care workers now start their practical field training and will shadow experienced care workers until they are ready to take on their own clients.

Special day brings back memories

INTERNATIONAL Friendship Day brought back a lot of special memories for people living in Barchester care homes, where staff organised events and spoke to residents about the people most dear to them.

97-year-old Mary Reynolds, who lives at Wimbledon Beaumont Care Home, shared the story of her lifelong friendship with Cathy, whom she met when she was 10.

The two friends were separated during World War II but continued to write to each other every day for the next 80 years.

Mary said: “Cathy and I have been friends for 87 years since we met at school aged 10.

“We were inseparable until parted by WWII and both married.

Our husbands were not congenial but it made no difference to our friendship.

“When apart we wrote to one another every day and posted every Monday, even during the 20 years my family and I spent in Kenya. We shared all our lives and thoughts and hopes.”

Mary’s story of lifelong friendship is one of many that came to light on International Friendship Day.

Residents Bessie and Ivy toasting friendship.

In other Barchester care homes across the country, stories were shared, cards and bracelets were made and messages were written for loved ones.

Mallard Court in Bridlington not only spoke of old friends, but also celebrated the newer friendships which are formed when people come to move into a care home.

Bessie and Ivy both live at Mallard Court, and met for the first time when they moved into the home in 2014. Bessie used to work as a nurse and Ivy was a

hairdresser and a home carer.

The women immediately bonded when they met and soon became the very best of friends, regularly sharing a cup of tea or a glass of sherry and a chat.

Staff at Mallard Court made sure the pair were able to enjoy a glass or two together on International Friendship Day. Lifestyle coordinator,Steve Moss even brought along his Labrador, Tiah, who is a regular visitor at the home.

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Residents test cushion for wheelchair users RESIDENTS at a Glasgow care home have been among some of the first to try out and provide invaluable feedback on a unique and innovative invention for wheelchair users.

Blackwood’s Belses Gardens, which provides integrated accommodation for people with physical disabilities, hosted a focus group with designer Corien Staels, in which residents were invited to test her temperaturecooling wheelchair cushion, named Wheelair.

Belgian native Corien, who is currently working on an Entrepreneurship Masters at the University of Glasgow, spoke of how she had the idea for the cushion design when writing her undergraduate dissertation.

She said: “The idea was sparked from a conversation with my course supervisor, who is a wheelchair user, which opened my eyes to the temperature problems faced by those in wheelchairs and the lack of products available to control this.

“My Wheelair design allows the user to better regulate their body temperature through airflow which removes the heat and moisture that builds up behind the back, and therefore cools them down while simultaneously increasing their comfort.”

The residents at Blackwood’s Belses Gardens were eager to try out the cushion and were able to offer plenty

of essential feedback for Corien, such as their preferred colour and type of material and any possible improvements.

Corien added: “Co-creation, making products alongside others, is very important to me and it was fantastic to hear the Blackwood residents’ input. I’m not in a wheelchair myself so I don’t know what works best and without the advice from those who will eventually be using the products, my design cannot benefit them.

“Being at Belses Gardens and talking to the varied group of residents helped me think ahead on how I can better solve the user’s needs with my products and also gave me many ideas for future projects.”

Paul Richoux, social media co-ordinator at Blackwood, said: “We are so thrilled with the positive response the cushion received and wish Corien all the best for the future of her fantastic invention, which our residents are already keen to get their hands on.”

After finishing her dissertation, Corien plans to fully focus on the product design. She has been awarded a Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship, which will allow her to work full-time on the business from September onwards, while receiving valuable mentorship and support.

Her ultimate goal is to get the Wheelair® cushion to the stage where it will be offered on the NHS.

Academy wins two awards ENVIRONMENTAL Excellence Education, a respected training academy for best practice in cleaning and environmental excellence, has been presented with two awards at the recent BICSc award ceremony.

Bernadette McDermott, business and curriculum manager, took assessor of the year, while director James Marston took the international delivery award.

Such has been their success and, following an exciting demonstration

by Duplex’s Barry Wilmot and Mike Conroy, they have expanded their product range to include the Duplex 340 Steam and Jet Vac Eco in order to provide greater scope and cutting edge opportunities to their clients, students and end users.

CEO Delia Cannings said: “We strive to provide cutting edge

initiatives and latest technology choices to our clients. Our training suite in Birmingham provides the perfectly controlled environment to test, evaluate, experiment, make comparisons and ultimately make informed decisions prior to investing in new equipment and cleaning resource.

“We are seeing an avalanche of clients from across the sector seeking new technology opportunities and at the same time reviewing efficiencies, productivity rates and best practice values. Exposure to modern technology in cleaning terms means blue sky thinking, researching the options and being a little daring.

But most of all, giving clients the opportunity to try before they buy allows them to make informed choices and invest wisely.”

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Eileen’s winning design earns her a shopping trip A CARE home resident enjoyed a trip to Coventry for a shopping spree with vouchers she won in a competition.

Eileen Williams, who lives at Herald Lodge care home in Canley, won the competition to design a shield, which was run throughout 15 care homes within the Ideal Carehomes group to celebrate St. George’s Day. She designed the shield with Herald Lodge care assistant, Sian Hallinan, and was picked for first prize with both Eileen and Sian winning £50 in vouchers to spend.

The rules of the competition were that the shield had to reflect the home and was to be created by a member of staff and a resident working together within the home.

The competition was the brain child of Ideal Carehomes’ regional activities executive Natalie Ravenscroft, who wanted to promote lasting friendships between residents and staff.

Eileen and Sian decided to work together and create a shield with an Angel theme.

Sian said: “It was a lovely activity to take part in, especially because of the close friendship I have with Eileen.

She is such fun to be around and

we had a good giggle while we were designing the shield. We decided on an Angel theme as a way to work the name of Herald Lodge into the picture – The Herald Angels. The idea of an Angel is protection and care with them watching over us, which is exactly what we do for our residents.”

During the shopping trip, Eileen particularly wanted to stock up on some new make-up, and Sian was on hand to advise on lipstick colours.

Eileen ended up choosing a bright pink number called “Kiss Me Quick” and she also stocked up on face creams and bath treats before heading for tea and biscuits.

Eileen recently celebrated her 90th birthday and has lived in Coventry all her life.

The trip prompted her to reminisce about shopping with her family in years gone by.

She particularly remembered the Old Broadgate area and was amazed by how much it had changed since her last visit.

She said: “I loved our shopping trip, we had such a lovely time together.

It was great fun and I really liked the tea and biscuits in the posh restaurant.”

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Couple renew wedding vows after 66 years DAVID and Gwen Bird, residents of Davenham care home in Malvern, have renewed their wedding vows 66 years after first tying the knot in 1950.

The service took place at the chapel within the care home, which is run by national charity Friends of the Elderly, and was witnessed by fellow residents and family.

David, 90, and Gwen, 86, met at a dance at Moor Pool Hall in Harborne, Birmingham when Gwen was just 17 years old and David, 21.

They went on to have a big white wedding at St Hilda’s Church in Warley Woods, Birmingham, on June 1, 1950.

They have two sons, David and Jonathan, and two grandchildren.

James Wadlow, the general manager of Friends of the Elderly Malvern, said: “It was wonderful to see Mr and Mrs Bird declare their love for each other once more and renew their vows.

“Occasions such as this are very special to our residents – we all enjoyed lots of tea, cake and of course a few bubbles to toast Gwen and David.”

Flintshire project helping people stay independent WELSH Government investment in a rehabilitation project in Flintshire is helping people stay independent and saving the NHS money, Minister for Social Services and Public Health, Rebecca Evans, has said.

Step-Up, Step-Down provides short stay beds to support people coming out of hospital who are medically fit, but not yet ready to go home, and where a homecare package is not yet in place.

The beds are also used to help people in the community who become unwell – avoiding hospital admission and long-term placements.

The Minister visited Llys Gwenffrwd Residential Care Home in Holywell to see the success of the service, which has been rolled out across Flintshire thanks to the Welsh Government’s Intermediate Care Fund.

ICF aims to help people maintain their independence and support the integration of health and social care services.

Over £10million has been invested in ICF across North Wales so far in 2016-17.

In 2015/16, it is estimated that the Step-Up, Step-Down service in Flintshire avoided over 3,200 hospital bed days at a saving to the NHS of around £1.1m, against an investment of just over £335,000.

The project is also continuing to reduce the levels of delayed transfers of care across the region.

Rebecca said: “We are investing in both our health and social care services because people, especially older people, rely on both to meet their care and support needs.

“Our investment in the ICF is helping people stay out of hospital and remain independent, while also saving the NHS money and reducing delayed transfers of care, which have a negative knock-on effect on the whole NHS system.

“It has been fantastic to see and hear first hand how our investment

in this preventative project has helped people regain their confidence after illness or accident and help them make a safe transition back to living at home.

“It has also ensured people living in the community who have become unwell have been able to build their strength back up, without the need for full admission into hospital.

“I also really appreciated the opportunity to meet the team responsible for delivering this crucial rehabilitation service. Their dedication is ensuring people in Flintshire receive appropriate, timely care and support.”

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Adele’s dedication to care home wins industry praise

By Olivia Taylor THE swift action of a specialist dementia care home to rectify an unsatisfactory and inadequate inspection report has turned it into a model of improvement in practice, for the industry.

The turnaround of Upperthorpe’s Leahyrst Care Home in just five weeks was led by new manager Adele Stokes. The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Denise Fox, met staff and residents and was one of the first visitors to the improved home.

Manager Adele Stokes said: “Only by working very closely and transparently with the Care Quality Commission, Clinical Commissioning Group and Sheffield City Council were we able to achieve such positive results, in a relatively short period of time. Their support and invaluable expertise has been exceptionally beneficial.”

Her dedication to duty received high praise from Roy Young – managing director of Broomhillbased Silver Healthcare Limited that also run two other sites in the city.

He said: “Adele’s knowledge, drive and compassion can only be described as exceptional. She has

completely changed the culture of the home.

“She is truly inspirational – she even moved in to the home 24 hours a day to ensure she could address all issues that arose and maintain the safest possible environment.

“We’ve been providing good care in Sheffield for the past 30 years and have never received such an unsatisfactory report before.

Adele has worked in public and private care sector for the past 33 years.

She added: “Every resident we deal with is “someone’s loved one” and our behaviour and standards must reflect that constantly without question. You cannot compromise on respectful and dignified care; it should be the very essence of all that we do.”

“I’ve seen practice that has brought me to tears in my career – that would never ever happen on my watch. I demand nothing but the very best for the Residents and families that put their trust in us. We’re in a very privileged position being allowed to care for people’s relatives and it is a true honour to impart the knowledge gained in turning around Leahyrst to other care providers.”

CARINGNEWS David and Caroline Balmer, joint owners and directors of Worcester homecare company Caremark (Worcester & Malvern Hills), took part in the popular 10km Worcester City run, raising funds for Worcester Carers.

The local charity share the same building as Caremark, and the Balmers were keen to support the organisation. Worcester Carers provide support to thousands of unpaid carers in Worcestershire, and provide valuable training courses to those needing extra help.

New group role for Debbie AWARD-WINNING care provider Hallmark Care Homes has appointed Debbie Sharples-Kirkbride as group lifestyle manager.

Debbie, who has over 12 years’ experience working for a renowned care home provider and an in-home care service, hopes to lift the profile of activity provision in the care sector.

She plans to do so by supporting Hallmark Care Homes’ 15 lifestyle leaders with their activity planners, working alongside them to create events that resonate with residents and creating partnerships with local and national organisations.

Debbie brings with her over 10 years healthcare experience working for Anchor, where she was awarded an MBE for her services to older people.

She said: “I am delighted to be

Debbie Sharples-Kirkbride working at Hallmark Care Homes and I am looking forward to supporting the lifestyle teams and using my experience to enhance the quality of life for our residents.”

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Group’s customers protected by ‘Safe and Well’ fire visits

By Olivia Taylor

HOUSING and care provider Midland Heart are working in partnership with West Midlands Fire Service to deliver education and awareness sessions for vulnerable people living in various housing schemes across the West Midlands.

Frontline firefighters and expert WMFS prevention staff will be making ‘Safe and Well’ visits to Midland Heart customers.

The free visits will assess the physical risks of fire in a home, and also look at health, social and lifestyle factors to help people improve their health and wellbeing, with the ultimate goal of reducing their risk from fire.

Station Commander Sam Burton said: “We’re really pleased to be linking up with Midland Heart in this way.

“It’s an exciting new project that will protect vulnerable people and help them to live healthily and safely.

“Our Vulnerable Person Officers support people with complex needs and create vital links with other support services. Each session is adapted to suit the needs of the individual.”

Sam added: “Most people

probably associate us more with our emergency response work.

However, this initiative encompasses the other two core areas of our work, prevention and protection, by focusing on more vulnerable clients who are at greater risk from fire and on the properties in which they live.

“As well as the ‘Safe and Well’ sessions with clients, our Fire Safety Inspecting Officers will be working with Midland Heart staff to look at all aspects of safety within their buildings, from the fire risk assessment to the fire safety training records.

“This is in addition to their annual fire safety audit.”

Paul Johnson, health and safety advisor at Midland Heart, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with West Midland Fire Service. The ‘Safe and Well’ checks offer a holistic approach to assessing and supporting our customers’ health, wellbeing and safety.

“Our customers are our first priority, this partnership will make a positive difference to many lives.” “‘Safe and Well’ checks already play a significant role in reducing preventable fire deaths and injuries at home, with around 27,000 already delivered every year.”

Residents at a Braintree care home have relived fond memories after being treated to a theatrical experience with a hint of Swedish pop culture. Aspen Grange care home welcomed the ‘stars’ of ‘Mamma Mia’ to perform in front of its residents and staff, which included renditions of the ABBA songs featured in the play and film.

New post for award-winning Victoria SOMERSET Care has appointed Victoria Hughes-Jones as manager of Critchill Court care home in Frome.

Victoria is a familiar face to both staff and residents at the home as she has been working as deputy manager at Critchill Court for the past year.

Victoria started with Somerset Care in 2008, working as a community team supervisor in the Wiltshire Community Services team.

Throughout her career with Somerset Care, Victoria has been recognised on a number of occasions for her hard work and commitment to both her colleagues and the customers of

provider’s services.

Last year at the Somerset Care Group Awards, Victoria was announced as the winner of the ‘inspirational line manager’ award and presented with a highly commended award in the category of ‘Quality Dementia Care’.

Victoria will be attending this year with her colleagues after the care home has been shortlisted in the ‘team of the year’ category.

Speaking on her appointment, Victoria said: “I am very excited about my new post and I’m looking forward to achieving the best for the residents at Critchill Court.”

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A leading North East care organisation has appointed one of the country’s most experienced chefs to head its catering operation. In a first for the company, Newcastle-based Malhotra Group plc has created the role of executive chef and recruited Master Chef of Great Britain, Norman MacKenzie, to the position.

Walk raises over £500 for charity

RESIDENTS, staff and relatives at a care home in Glasgow have donned their walking boots for a charity close to their hearts by taking part in a ‘Walking Your Way To Healthy’ fundraising event.

Thanks to their efforts, the group from Bupa’s Quayside care home, together with family, friends and members of the local community, raised £552 for Age UK. The generous team did the sponsored walk around the local area near the care home, with all donations going towards the chosen charity which aims to help people make the most of later life.

The sponsored walk was organised as a part of a wider effort by Bupa to raise money for Age UK, which saw 48 of the group’s homes across Scotland and the North of England donate over £2,100 to the charity.

Lyn McConville, home manager at Bupa’s Quayside care home, said: “We are always looking for ways to raise money for this deserving charity, and we thought the fundraising walk would be the perfect way to do this and get fitter at the same time.”

Award winners, back row left to right, Beechwood Park activities co-ordinator Roseanne McKinsley, Beechwood Park home manager Kellymarie Jack, regional manager Jackie Morrison, Strathview support worker Linda Richie and Hillview senior maintenance officer Brian Hutchison; Front row, left to right Marchglen deputy manager Marek Tarnawski on behalf of Aberfoyle Unit, Hawkhill senior care assistant Kasia Domanska, Marchglen head Chef Lorraine Ashbridge and Forth Bay care assistant Chloe McNally.

Excellence recognised at awards ceremony TEAM members from Caring Homes’ seven Scottish care homes gathered together at Marchglen Care Centre in Fishcross, Alloa with great anticipation.

They had assembled for the awards ceremony for the company’s first Scottish Recognition Awards.

In May and June, colleagues and relatives submitted their nominations for eight categories: Nurse of the Year, Care and Support, Nutrition/Eating Well, Management/Leadership, Specialist Adult Care, Meaningful Activities, Care Newcomer and Support Service.

Following interviews, the shortlisted candidates were invited to attend the awards ceremony, together with colleagues across the homes with more than 15 years’

service. Designed to celebrate excellence, the awards were the brainchild of Caring Homes’ regional manager, Jackie Morrison.

Each category had clear criteria for evidencing outstanding and committed work, and each nomination was endorsed by a line manager or team’s line manager.

Jackie said: “These awards have been incredibly important for employee engagement and they have been a huge success.

“There were a great many entries, with people being nominated up to six times.

“On the awards day, there was a real buzz in the room and all were very deserving winners.”

Winners and runners up in each category received a certificate and vouchers, as did the 33 long service colleagues, six of whom had

accumulated more than 20 years at their respective homes.

Winners: Nurse of the year – Angela Baird (deputy home manager, Forth Bay); Care and Support – Linda Ritchie (support worker, Strathview); Nutrition/Eating Well – (Lorraine Ashbridge, head chef, Marchglen); Management/Leadership – Kellymarie Jack (home manager, Beechwood Park); Specialist adult care – Aberfoyle Unit care team, Marchglen; Meaningful activities – Roseanne McKinsley (activities co-ordinator, Beechwood House); Care newcomer (joint winners) – Chloe McNally (care assistant, Forth Bay) and Kasia Domanska (senior care assistant, Hawkhill House); Support service – Brian Hutchison (senior maintenance operative, Hillview).

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Scottish social care workers to receive the Living Wage

By Alan Price THE Scottish Government previously made a Living Wage commitment where, as part of the 2016/17 Local Government settlement, all adult social care workers in Scotland will receive the current Living Wage rate.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently by the Living Wage Foundation and is calculated according to the cost of living in the UK. The current UK Living Wage is £8.25 an hour and is updated annually in November.

The Living Wage is not a statutory rate of pay and employers can voluntarily choose to pay this rate and pass on the yearly increases to staff, meaning it is different to the legally required National Minimum

Wage and National Living Wage set by the government.

Although the Living Wage is not a legal requirement, the Scottish Government has agreed with Local Governments that all adult social workers will receive £8.25 per hour from October, regardless of the workers’ age at this date.

Importantly, this agreement does not require wages to be further increased when the new Living Wage rate is announced in November, and workers will still receive £8.25 an hour until further spending review negotiations take place in 2017/18 and beyond.

This commitment applies specifically to care workers in Scotland who provide direct care and support to adults in care homes, care at home and housing support settings, as provided by

‘Although the Living Wage is not a legal requirement, the Scottish Government has agreed with Local Governments that all adult social workers will receive £8.25 per hour from October, regardless of the workers’ age at this date.’

the Scottish Social Service Sector report on Workforce Data.

This will cover all purchased services, including specialist support services for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health difficulties and substance misuse issues. The new Living Wage rate will apply for all hours worked.

In the care sector there are common areas which could cause the worker to be paid less than this rate, such as sleeping time and travel time, so social care employers should ensure that they are correctly recording working time so the correct hourly rate is paid. Employers should also be aware of the risk of not paying the committed rate when tendering for work from Local Governments.

It is not possible for tendering scoring exercises to specifically include payment of wages above legal minimums but tendering authorities can take account of fair work practices when awarding tenders.

As the Living Wage commitment of paying social care workers £8.25 per hour will constitute fair work practices, any failure to pay this

Alan Price amount could affect the award of tenders for future work.

Personal assistants are not explicitly covered by the commitment but guidance released in partnership with the Scottish Government suggests that it may be possible for workers to complain of unequal treatment or discrimination if they do not receive £8.25 per hour.

Employers of personal assistants should take in to account this risk when deciding whether to increase the amount they pay or maintain the current rates of pay. n Alan Price is an employment law and HR director at Peninsula.

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CARINGNEWS

Kelly honoured with Recognition Award MANSFIELD based home care provider Caremark has presented team member Kelly Reid with a special award.

The Recognition Award is designed to congratulate and thank any Caremark Mansfield care worker who does something extra special, deals with an extraordinarily difficult situation, or is nominated by a colleague or customer for this award for providing exemplary support. This is the first time this new award has been presented to any staff.

Kelly recently attended a routine call to her client and on opening the door discovered there was a major emergency.

Her client was on the floor, bleeding profusely having fallen from the top to the bottom of the stairs, hitting the stairlift on the way down.

The husband was on the phone to the emergency services and was obviously distressed and going into shock.

Quick thinking Kelly assessed the situation, took control of the phone call, spoke to the paramedics and followed their instruction with regards to tending to her client.

The paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and Kelly then focussed her attention on the husband, who was obviously in need of support. She reassured him, telephoned the family, stayed with him until they got there and contacted the stairlift company

Celebrity TV florist Jonathan Moseley and Burton Closes Hall Care Home manager Carl J D Fisher.

Celebrity florist treatment for Bakewell care home Caremark (Mansfield) care worker Kelly Reid receives her award certificate. to arrange for repairs, as the lift had been damaged when her client fell - an important attention to detail as her client’s husband relies on this equipment.

Despite the crashing fall, Kelly’s client escaped any broken bones, which was miraculous and is currently recovering well in hospital.

A letter of praise and thanks was received by Caremark for Kelly’s quick and professional actions.

Her calm approach and control of the situation ensured a difficult and distressing incident was managed swiftly and effectively.

CELEBRITY TV florist Jonathan Moseley will revamp the garden of Burton Closes Hall Care Home after a hugely successful Bakewell Show.

The home sponsored the awardwinning designer’s floral exhibition, which proved a popular attraction for the thousands of visitors who flocked to the annual event.

Jonathan was the expert floral judge on BBC2’s Big Allotment Challenge and is currently in residence at Chatsworth House, producing arrangements for the Duke and Duchess.

Following the Bakewell Show, he donated three of his arrangements to the care home and now plans to help residents design a sensory garden for those living with dementia.

Several of the home’s residents also visited the horticulture marquee, where the floral exhibition took place.

Carl J D Fisher, home manager at Burton Closes, said: “The Bakewell Show was a huge success and we were delighted to take part for the third year in a row.

“It was amazing to watch Jonathan work on his stunning displays and we are absolutely thrilled he chose to donate several to the care home.

“His generous offer to visit the home and design a sensory garden for our residents really topped off an amazing few days at another fantastic show.

“We’re already looking forward to next year and to welcoming Jonathan to the care home soon.”

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CARINGNEWS

Utilising design services to improve care at home and in care homes

By Sean Hughes

HOUSING can make a real huge difference to people living with dementia.

Older people want to live independently for as long as possible and about three quarters of people who have dementia still live at home.

Half of them live alone, proving that with the right support it is possible to live well with dementia.

In the United Kingdom around 850,000 people are living with dementia and that is set to rise to over one million by 2021.

These estimates will present the biggest challenge to the health and social care in the UK. Dementia is the word used to describe the symptoms of a range of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular disease. It mainly affects older people, and research indicates that they are more afraid of dementia than cancer.

It’s because they are afraid of losing control, losing their homes and independence. Many people affected by dementia have no diagnosis, and even if they do, they are not given basic advice, for example that in some cases increasing the light level can make more difference than the medication does.

Older people want to live independently for as long as possible and about three quarters of people who have dementia actually still live at home. Half of them live alone, proving that with the right support it is possible to live well with dementia.

People with dementia and their carer’s are often surrounded by

health and social care workers who don’t know a huge amount about the condition. For many it is hard to know where to turn for advice.

Everyone has a unique experience, but in general there are two possible routes with dementia. On one track you stay as well as possible for as long as possible, living life the way you want to. On the other you go downhill faster than you need to, for reasons that are often avoidable.

Everyone would like to avoid unnecessary trouble and expense, and to delay some of the difficult situations that might arise. Sensible, practical advice on how to do this is in short supply.

Design interventions can be seen as a treatment for someone living with dementia at home, or in a care home.

In the same way as some medications help treat symptoms related to dementia.

Therefore housing and related services, together with other interventions, can improve the quality of life for someone living with dementia and reduce their need for long term care.

Positive outcomes of good design can include lower levels of agitation, confusion, restlessness, wayfinding, reduction in falls, interaction, and disorientation because the person is less distressed. Dementia-friendly design can also reduce pressure and stress on families, neighbours and staff.

The environment is critical to the wellbeing of someone living with dementia. A person with dementia may have impaired memory, reduced ability to reason and learn,

Sean Hughes therefore the environment needs to compensate and have cues for the person to make sense of where they are and what is happening around them.

Principles for design Rooms need to be apparent to its purpose and function; first impressions make a big difference.

It is vital that refurbishments and adaptations are carefully thought through so that their benefits (and any unforeseen consequences) are understood.

This will minimise the likelihood of spending time and money on ‘improvements’ that add to the challenges people with dementia face, rather than reducing them.

Understanding the impairments of old age and dementia is the first step towards creating living environments which support their needs, keeping them safe from dangers such as

falls, which can have a devastating effect on an older person; allowing the freedom and confidence to use their abilities to the fullest extent, in all things from the mundane to the creative; aiding memory in day-today living; and reinforcing personal identity. The challenge is to design enabling buildings thoughtfully, with concern for the people who will live there.

Design is about more than shaping the physical environment to counter the impairments which come with dementia. It involves addressing standards, practices and behaviours of professional staff and changing the way people with dementia are engaged with the environment in which they live.

Getting design right can make a fundamental difference to the lives of people with dementia, improving their life experiences and increasing their life expectancy.

Lighting for older people should be twice those required for a younger person and every effort should be made to let in as much natural light as possible, after all it is free. Check the windows are clean and visible. n Provide objects that offer cues to location (if necessary). n Check that appropriate signage is placed to offer direction. n Declutter the environment – start with small important areas and gradually expand this over time. n Personal design. n Understand colour and contrast. n Acoustic panels can be available for all environments. n Sean Hughes is director of SPH Consultancy.

Hambleton Grange residents go under the sea RESIDENTS from Hambleton Grange care home in Thirsk went on a journey under the sea when they visited the Sea Life Sanctuary in Scarborough.

The trip was booked after several residents proposed the idea during Hambleton Grange’s social committee meeting where residents set the activities and trips they would

like arranging during the upcoming month.

The suggestion was a firm favourite for several residents and there ended up being 10 residents who wanted to go.

Natalie Ravenscroft, regional activities executive for Ideal Carehomes, accompanied the residents on the trip.

She said: “What a great day the residents had at the Sea Life Sanctuary. The best bit had to be going through the tunnel where you could see the fish swimming over your head – everyone loved it and didn’t want to come out.

“We had a lovely lunch and all too quickly it was time to come home. I can’t wait to see where the residents

at Hambleton Grange want to go next.”

Ideal Carehomes, which operates Hambleton Grange, is revolutionising residential care by ensuring all staff are including activities within their daily routine for residents and that trips, suggested by the residents, are always on the menu.

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CARINGINTERIORS AND FURNISHING

Refurbishment project unveiled at care home THE Orders of St John Care Trust, which runs 18 care homes throughout Wiltshire, has unveiled a £240,000 refurbishment project at its Marlborough facility.

The renovation project has been designed to help further meet the physical and social needs of residents living with dementia at Coombe End Court.

As part of the project, the 60-bed care home now has a ‘destination area’ that includes a new café and bistro, cinema, corner shop and an informal seating area, as well as the home’s hair salon, which was given a full makeover.

The ground floor’s 20-bed household has also undergone a major refurbishment, which was completed by Thames Ceilings Ltd and interior designer, Colourways.

This part of the refurbishment project has resulted in the latest in dementia design being implemented in the home, including homely environments in the form of a new communal kitchen, themed interior design and open plan architecture for residents with limited mobility.

In conjunction with the refurbishment, enhanced and in-depth training in dementia care is also being provided to employees working with residents with dementia, as a way of further ensuring the highest and most up-todate practices are implemented.

Chris Poole, Wiltshire assistant

The Burnley care home is a finalist in the ‘Most Stylish Care Home’ category.

Heather Grange shortlisted Mayor of Marlborough, Councillor Noel Barrett-Morton, and his wife Susan, open the new cafe with OSJCT chief executive Dan Hayes and chairman Don Wood. operations director for OSJCT, said: “The refurbishment at Coombe End Court has been a significant project, and one that we are very proud of. It is very important to us that all our residents enjoy the high standards of care within a comfortable and modern living environment.

“This refurbishment has helped make Coombe End Court one of the most reliable, state-of-the-art dementia care homes in the region.”

HEATHER Grange care home in Burnley is one of three finalists for the ‘Most Stylish Care Home’ by Hilden Style Awards.

The awards are designed to find the leaders in the style stakes when it comes to care homes. Each year they aim to find the unsung heroes excelling in interior design, and this year they are on the look out for the care home providing the ultimate guest experience through stylish design.

Stylish design in care homes has to take into account the balance between it being functional, practical and stylish that is not only homely but inspiring and stimulating to live with.

The six judges, ranging from interior design journalists to architects and

editors of interior magazines, will be looking for an interior that is practical, comfortable, welcoming, good looking and stylish.

Donna Laird, home manager said “We are absolutely delighted and very excited to have been shortlisted as a finalist.

“We know we seek to offer the highest of quality care and outstanding facilities, as well as providing residents with a functional and practical setting, but we also ensure that style meets comfort in a calming and homely environment.

“We take great pleasure in hearing from our residents and their families how they feel at home at Heather Grange, but to be recognised and listed as one of the best is a real moment in our history.”

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CARINGINTERIORS AND FURNISHING

Innovative designs for an integrated solution Teal LIVING brings innovation in furniture design and contemporary spaces to the UK’s largest integrated health & social care services for older people, Haven Court, a hub for person centred care and support in South Shields.

Developed by South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, the state-of-the-art facility employed the expertise of the healthcare furniture manufacturer to deliver furniture designed to promote safety, comfort, and independence throughout the innovatively designed consulting rooms, communal, dining and lounge areas, roof terrace, and day service spaces.

Complementing the purpose-built hub, Teal LIVING provided a fully project managed service to drive the vision of providing a ‘haven’ for older people, their carers and families.

With a focus on ergonomic design, distinctive styling, infection control, postural support, pressure management and dementia, design and materials were applied creativity to provide hi-end tailor made solutions that would meet the specific needs of residential and respite care, day and rehabilitation services.

The multi-million pound facility brings together key health, social care and voluntary sector services to improve the range, quality and co-ordination of care and support to enable the ageing population live independently for longer.

Sara Jane Farrow, national sales manager at Teal Living, said: “As one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of furniture to the NHS and mental health sectors we were delighted to have been selected to work with key stakeholders on such an innovative scheme.

“Our R&D experience and knowledge helped drive the interior design for Haven Court in what we believe has created a space that inspires and invigorates in a very non-clinical way.”

Mark Kirkpatrick, project lead at the Integrated Care Services Hub, South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Teal stood out not only because of the quality of their products but because they took the time to understand our development and it’s unique requirements.

“From our initial meeting we had assurance that they would take

us right through the process to a successful outcome.

The service was excellent, the whole Teal team were extremely knowledgeable and responsive and got everything in place for our scheduled open day – the all round package of quality , support and price

cannot be faulted.”

Based in Lancashire with its own manufacturing, Teal is a family business owned by the Senator Group with 40 years’ experience manufacturing for healthcare environments within the NHS and mental health sectors.

CARINGFIRE, SAFETY AND SECURITY

Home’s safety tested in a ‘highly realistic’ fire drill A FAMILY owned care home provider put team members on the spot in a surprise fire drill complete with ‘smoke and fire’, attending fire crews and simulated casualties.

The exercise was sprung on staff at Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge in Salisbury in partnership with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service and training provider Franklins Fire and Safety.

The home’s safety procedures were prompted to swing into action when a ‘smell of burning’ was noticed coming from a ground floor room, the ‘incident’ escalated and urgent decisions had to be made.

Various aspects of the home’s response were tested including how well fire safety procedures were followed, how easily fire exits were used and how quickly people were accounted for.

The pre-arranged arrival of fire crews added to the sense of a real emergency taking place.

Colten Care even brought in ‘actors’ from other homes to pose as confused or passed-out residents amid the simulated smoke and flames.

Donna Nightingale, a senior health care assistant in the thick of the action, said: “I was one of a team of

four who needed to determine the source of the fire and, if safe, get everyone out.

“The smoke and simulation was startling – we thought it was a genuine fire! The learnings we have taken from it will stay with us forever.”

Roisin Dunne, Colten Care’s health and safety manager, said the aim was to see how the team reacted to what they thought was a genuine situation and learn from that as a result.

She added: “Our commitment to safety goes well beyond statutory requirements. Our homes are of course built to the very highest fire standards but it is still essential that all staff, visitors and contractors know what to do in an emergency.

“Thanks to our partnerships with the fire service and Franklins we can conduct such a highly realistic scenario over and above our routine, regular fire drills.

“Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring everyone’s safety in the event of a real fire.”

The exercise was co-ordinated by Steve Ruscoe, fire safety officer for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service, who worked alongside Paul Franklin, director of Franklins Fire and Safety.

Firefighters prepare to check a bedroom at Braemar Lodge care home.

Following a detailed debrief, home People took charge very well. manager Alison Bremner and Steve “Every premises has its own features presented the findings at a meeting and no two incidents will ever be with the managers of Colten Care’s the same, so a full evacuation drill other 19 homes across Hampshire, such as this can help you deal with Dorset and Sussex. unexpected issues that might crop up.

The idea is that learnings are “Our message to all managers of incorporated into group-wide policies premises is that they should look and procedures around fire safety. at their training and staff and ask Steve said: “Overall we were very themselves honestly if they would be happy with the way the drill went. ready to cope in an emergency.”

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CARINGFIRE, SAFETY AND SECURITY

Using third party certified fire providers for your requirements can avoid disaster IN September, BAFE registered company Fire Crest (extinguisher. com) was called into a local care home after a pump had caught fire in their loft the previous evening.

Earlier in the year, Fire Crest inspected their system and installed a detector in this area to alert staff and their elderly residents as early as possible.

This early warning enabled everybody to evacuate carefully and for the Fire and Rescue service to extinguish the blaze quickly.

Minimal damage was caused and more importantly nobody was harmed by the fire Fire Crest are one of BAFE’s many companies registered to both the BAFE SP101/ST104 (Maintenance of Fire Extinguishers) scheme and BAFE SP203-1 (Fire Detection and Alarm Systems) scheme.

They recognise that competence is of vital importance for the fire protection industry.

Third party certification validates this competency for many fire protection companies all over the UK, providing a clear indicator of who is able to perform important specific tasks required to keep your building safe from fire.

Vince Allison, from Fire Crest, said: “After the fire the Care Quality Commission and fire brigade

needed assurance that the system was working fine before residents could return to their bedrooms.

“We tested the area, repaired melted cables to door magnets and the home was ready to be used fully the next day.”

Robert Catanzaro, founder of Fire Crest, added: “Being BAFE registered authenticates our ongoing commitment to provide the best quality service to provide the greatest fire safety solutions for our customers.

“I am extremely proud of our team here at Fire Crest and cannot commend them enough for their diligent work to help keep our customers safe.”

Without the detector in this void the care home could have gone up in flames.

This early detection is a reminder to care homes and all businesses to ensure that your fire safety systems are provided and regularly maintained by a third party certified company.

This has the potential to save lives and also your livelihood.

The responsible actions taken by this care home in using a third party certified provider has created a safe environment to be in from fire.

Even if fires do occur, the earliest possible detection is in place

with a well maintained system.

Unfortunately there are far too many false alarms which have led to Fire and Rescue Services having to modify their responses.

The assurances given by using third party certificated providers will demonstrate that a genuine activation has occurred.

Unlike security systems which are regularly switched off when opening the premises and switched on again upon leaving, fire systems are on all the time – and sometimes get overlooked.

By making sure that everything is in order and maintained regularly by a third party certified provider, there will be a much-reduced risk of false activations.

These systems will work at the most critical times to protect life and property.

You wouldn’t use an unregistered gas engineer, so why would you run the risk with your fire safety provider?

Use BAFE registered companies to ensure you are using certified competent people for the works you require.

For more information regarding the BAFE schemes or to find a third party certified competent fire protection company near you please visit www.bafe.org.uk

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35

CARINGCATERING SOLUTIONS

Compact prep station for the compact kitchen

IN A busy kitchen, chefs want to be able to access fresh ingredients instantly.

They also need to keep them refrigerated, for food safety. And in today’s kitchen, the job has to be done in the smallest space.

That’s why Williams has launched a compact version of its marketleading Onyx prep station.

Combining a preparation work surface with top-mounted ingredients wells, undercounter storage and Williams’ advanced refrigeration technology, the new Onyx CPC2 delivers a prep solution that’s both practical and energy efficient. It’s ideal for a wide range of food prep including pizza, sandwiches, salads, tapas and desserts.

The Onyx CPC2 comprises a two-door, 355 litre storage counter with four GN 1/1 shelves. The top mounted wells can hold up to four 1/3 Gastronorm pans.

The new unit measures just 955mm wide. The CPC2 joins the established Onyx range which features three-, four- and five-door models.

A critical aspect of prep stations with ingredients wells is maintaining the chill in the pans. Many models chill from below – but if the pans are open, warm air from the kitchen can compromise food safety.

An alternative is to blow a curtain of cold air across the top of the pans, but in conventional designs this wastes energy.

However, in the Williams system the internal airflow plus the air curtain circulate cold air around the ingredients pan, ensuring absolute temperature control. The air is then drawn back into the refrigeration system, where it is recycled to save energy.

The tough construction features an easy to clean stainless steel interior and exterior and 75mm polyurethane foam insulation, which has excellent thermal efficiency, with zero ODP and

low GWP. Williams’ CoolSmart controller adapts to changing conditions, such as quiet periods, to minimise energy use and maximise service life. The Onyx can be connected to a variety of temperature monitoring systems for HACCP compliance.

Practical features include self-closing doors, a night cover for ingredients wells, and barrel locks for security.

Removable racking and shelving and a removable crumb tray make the Onyx easy to clean. Its high performance refrigeration system means it can operate safely in ambients as high as 43°C. Customers can customise their Onyx CPC2 with a range of options such as drawers instead of doors, a hinged cover, a choice of worktops including granite and polypropylene, and a stainless steel back.

Enquiries: To learn more about Williams’ extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk

Carbon footprint label first for Winterhalter

WHILE energy saving is a headline story, drivers like corporate social responsibility, consumer demand for sustainability and concern around carbon emissions are leading major foodservice operators to focus on the big picture – how to reduce their impact on the environment and underline their green credentials.

Commercial kitchens are significant consumers of energy and other resources. While energy labelling under the Ecodesign Directive will tell buyers how energy efficient a piece of equipment is, it won’t tell them its lifetime costs. Or its carbon footprint.

In order to make a truly informed decision, and to enhance their environmental credentials, foodservice operators will need to know these figures – which is where the Carbon Trust’s expertise in footprinting comes in.

Winterhalter is the first catering equipment company to achieve carbon footprint certification through the Carbon Trust. This has been supported by the development of a new tool, meaning that buyers can use a simple calculator to compare the lifetime carbon footprint and expected energy costs of any Winterhalter model, based on their anticipated levels of actual use.

The Carbon Trust worked with Winterhalter over 18 months to develop the calculator. In order to ensure it accurately predicts the life cycle carbon footprint and energy use, it incorporates a wide range of factors: from manufacturing and transport, through warehousing and distribution, to energy use and total operating consumption.

The calculator will allow operators to compare the carbon footprint and running costs of different Winterhalter models.

For example, a Winterhalter PT L ClimatePlus passthrough warewasher, operating 14 hours a day and processing 50 racks per day, will produce 3,666 kgCO2e per annum, or 36,660 kgCO2e over a typical 10-year lifespan.

“Ultimately we hope other manufacturers follow our lead, using the same criteria as defined by the Carbon Trust, so that buyers will be able to accurately compare carbon footprints of models from different suppliers,” said Paul Crowley, marketing manager of Winterhalter UK.

The Carbon Trust calculated and certified the carbon footprint of all of the warewashers marketed and sold by Winterhalter in the UK, looking at 34 units across five product ranges.

This found that under normal usage, well over 90 per cent of the carbon footprint is associated with energy in use, highlighting the importance of energy efficiency.

Enquiries: Call 01908 359000, visit www.winterhalter.co.uk or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.

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CARINGCATERING SOLUTIONS

Ellen Brown, divisional manager care homes at apetito, introduces apetito’s new dining experience, created in partnership with care home managers to meet the dining and nutritional needs of residents.

Experience meets residents’ needs WE know the importance of great meals in care homes. For residents, it’s one of the highlights of the day where everyone gets together to chat and enjoy some delicious food.

For apetito, it’s all about making sure residents can enjoy our great tasting, nutritionally balanced meals in a stimulating and interesting environment. That’s why we’ve developed our brand new dining experience concept which brings the look and feel of a restaurant to care homes.

We want everyone to enjoy mealtimes, and that enjoyment comes as much from the food as from the environment. At apetito we believe that everyone deserves to eat good food and to look forward to eating it.

There’s a huge emotional focus on food in our everyday lives, so why should that change when an older person enters a care home?

The Care Quality Commission’s 2012 report ‘Dignity and Nutrition Inspection 2012’ discovered that people living in one in six care homes (87 homes) were not always supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts. “Not having enough dining space or tables to allow people to have their meal at a table if they wanted. Some people, for example,

had to have their meals seated in a chair in the lounge.” By contrast, the CQC identified what worked well, where homes had created the best environment for residents, so that they could sit comfortably within a relaxed, calm atmosphere, to eat wellpresented meals at well-presented tables.

At apetito we serve around 14,500 people every day in UK care homes, so we’re confident that we know how to get the best out of mealtimes and make them an enjoyable and social experience.

So from creating a restaurant brand in partnership with your home and resident’s needs and requirements, through to dementia friendly menus and crockery, at apetito we go beyond simply supplying great tasting, nutritious meals to delivering a great dining experience, which ultimately helps your residents to maintain weight and stay healthy.

One example of a successful partnership has been with charity Community Integrated Care at their EachStep Blackburn specialist dementia care home.

Phil Benson, manager of EachStep Blackburn, has been particularly impressed with the apetito meal experience, commenting that “apetito meals have gone down so well with

people we support – helping them to maintain weight and enjoy wonderful dining experiences.”

Since opening, 32 out of the 33 residents at EachStep Blackburn have not lost weight since the apetito dining experience was introduced.

Indirectly, when someone eats well, other areas of their lives become

easier as well.

Phil added: “This is key to providing person-centred support and enabling people to lead full and happy lives.” n If you’d like to chat to apetito about your bespoke dining experience and book a FREE tasting session, visit www.apetito.co.uk/carehomes or call 0800 545 2631.

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CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Do you need nurses / healthcare assistants?

MediEnlist recruit healthcare staff from the EU for care providers in the UK. MediEnlist provide cost effective permanent and temporary recruitment solutions for the health and social care sector.

Their health care recruitment process is far more than matching CV’s to job vacancies.

MediEnlist aim to reduce the amount of time you spend sifting through CV’s.

With a wealth of experience in both nursing and the health care recruitment sectors the MediEnlist team of dedicated professionals work together with your company to ensure the best possible candidates are put forward for your selection process.

With their head office based in the UK, satellite offices based across the EU, and the help of strategic partners, MediEnlist are able to source qualified nurses and healthcare assistants for positions within the United Kingdom.

MediEnlist continually develop a network of high quality skills talent from across the European Union.

This, in combination with active training and development of potential candidates ensures that our placements have the necessary skills, qualifications and professional registrations required to integrate seamlessly within your organisation.

MediEnlist consists of two divisions.

Briefing for Dementia Friends at Wellington School.

‘MediEnlist Staffing’ offering permanent staffing recruitment solutions.

Pay only an affordable one-off fee for each candidate successfully employed and ‘MediEnlist Locums’ offering temporary staffing solutions at highly competitive rates.

MediEnlist have always graded the English language skills of their candidates, ensuring that communication is never an issue.

However, the new NMC English language competence controls for candidates from within the EU are rigorous, and it would be surprising if candidates did not require any additional training.

In anticipation of the new controls, MediEnlist have gathered resources and partnered with English language schools to assist candidates prior to sitting the IELTS test.

With a combination of initial assessment, e-learning and face to face tuition, MediEnlist candidates can feel confident when faced with IELTS.

Pupils become Dementia Friends PUBLIC-spirited students at Wellington School have opted to become Dementia Friends, which aims to teach people what it is like to live with the condition and how they can support those living with dementia to feel a part of the wider community.

Fourteen sixth-formers and Year 11 students attended an initial briefing session run by Jason Lejeune, training manager at Camelot Care, and then made a visit to the nursing home.

The organisation has been providing nursing and specialist dementia care for 15 years, and now operates nursing homes in Wellington, Plymouth, Bridgwater and Yeovil. The majority of their residents are people living with dementia.

Jason spoke to the students about the ways people who become Dementia Friends can help those with the condition. The youngsters have chosen to become involved as part

of Wellington School’s Community Volunteer Programme Jason said: “From spreading the word about Dementia Friends to your own family and friends, to visiting someone you know living with dementia, every action counts, and there are many small ways you can help. The students were very interested to hear what they could do if they choose to become a Dementia Friend, and this introduction was then followed up by a series of visits to Camelot House and Lodge.

Jason, who was trained by Alzheimer’s Society as a Dementia Champion to promote the Dementia Friends movement, described to students that their participation can be tailored to suit their own inclinations and time available.

Jason said: “It was really interesting to get initial feedback from the students, many of whom are clearly motivated to do what they can to help.”

CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Firm specialises in health and social care training TRN (Train) are a national training provider established over 15 years ago with a grade 2 ‘Good’ Ofsted report.

Benefitting from the experience of a team which have backgrounds as diverse as nurses, care home managers, child care specialists, team leaders and children and young people specialists TRN (Train) can deliver higher clinical skills to upskill your existing staff to healthcare practitioners giving valuable support to your existing nurses.

TRN (Train) work with a maximum of 35 learners per assessor. This guarantees quality training on a more personal one to one level than can be expected from other training providers with higher case loads.

The holistic approach to learning taken by TRN (Train) provides money saving bespoke packages and delivers fully funded nationally recognised qualifications free of charge.

In the academic year of 2015/2016 TRN (Train) had an apprenticeship success rate of 82 per cent and a success rate in adult learning programmes of 95 per cent.

An Ofsted independent survey shows 97 per cent of learners would recommend TRN (Train) to a friend.

With over 100 e-learning CPD courses available, including over 40 e-learning courses specifically aimed at the health and social care sector, you can keep your staff compliant and satisfy regulatory or legislative

requirements at the time and place that best suits you.

Staff can be allocated training, which can be completed on PCs or mobile devices with an internet connection.

More importantly, there is no need to arrange groups of your workforce to take time away from their primary duties to attend training together.

The user friendly step-by-step online courses have been developed to give cost effective comprehensive training using todays technology to bring the classroom to you.

TRN (Train) offer the majority of their e-Learning CPD courses at only £14.99 each, with only one or two qualification courses costing slightly more.

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41

CARINGNEWS

Dementia study finds failure to reduce antipsychotic prescribing

By Olivia Taylor A STUDY by five universities has found that there was no sustained reduction in the prescribing of anti-psychotics to dementia patients in UK care homes following the government’s 2009 National Dementia Strategy, which recommended a review of their use in light of potential serious side effects.

The research – led by professor Ala Szczepura at Coventry University – examined prescribing data between 2009 and 2012 from over 600 care homes across the country, concluding that there was no significant decline in anti-psychotic prescribing rates over the four year period. Antipsychotics were originally developed for use in patients with schizophrenia or psychosis, but the study shows that ‘off-label’ prescribing of these drugs to treat the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia is a common practice in care homes.

According to the research, which was carried out by Coventry University; University of Warwick; Lancaster University; University of East Anglia; City, University of London; and technology company Invatech Health: n Care homes in the highest prescribing 20 per cent are more

likely to be located in a deprived area. n Care homes in the lowest prescribing 20 per cent are more likely to be served by a single GP practice, which could indicate that those homes benefit from a consistent message that is absent from homes served by multiple practices. n Average annual expenditure on anti-psychotics was £65.60 per care home resident (based on 2012 prices), which is less than one per cent of the annual cost of a UK residential home place for a person with dementia. n There was a six-fold variation between the geographical areas – in this case the areas covered by the former primary care trusts (PCT) – with the highest and lowest prescribing levels.

Ala said: “Care homes remain the forgotten sector in UK policy debate around the use of anti-psychotics.

This appears to be due to a lack of systematic monitoring of prescribing data in these settings.

“Our study has not only identified a failure of the National Dementia Strategy to produce a sustained decrease in use of anti-psychotics, it’s also shown large regional variations and has found evidence indicating that their use is higher in care homes in deprived neighbourhoods.”

Residents rock around the clock MUSIC mad residents of a Gloucestershire care home have relived the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll in support of Alzheimer’s sufferers across the country.

Staff at the Knoll Care Home in Tuffley put on a show with classic hits from the 1950s and 1960s for residents, their friends and families – raising £100.

The idea came from staff who wanted to do something special to raise awareness for World Alzheimer’s Day. Staff dressed up in their best leather jackets and retro outfits for the day, with those not taking part made to pay a £3 fine. As part of the fundraising day, staff also turned the home’s dining room into a replica of a classic American diner.

Singer Brian Slade, whose mother

also suffers from dementia, performed songs from the 50s and 60s.

Money raised from the event will go towards days out and activities for the residents, many of whom live with dementia themselves.

Debbie Smith, manager of the Redwood Healthcare Group owned home, said: “Alzheimer’s is a condition we are all too familiar with and the key to living with it is to keep the mind active and stimulated.

“Our residents love the music of the 1950s, especially rock ‘n’ roll, and our staff saw the opportunity to put on a fantastic event, raise vital funds and give advice and support to families all in one go.”

The event also featured a raffle and afternoon tea for residents, families and friends.

43

Are independent homes being properly valued

Page 45

Group adds nursing home to its portfolio

Page 47

Construction starts on luxurious 90-bed Surrey care home

Page 49

Builder hands over keys to £7.8m home A LEICESTERSHIRE based care group has been handed the keys to its latest project – a new £7.8m facility in Derby.

Adept’s Kiwi House was built by Nottinghamshire based specialist builder Wynbrook Care Homes, and has the facilities of a luxury hotel.

From whirlpool baths and easy access en-suite wet rooms to ‘Flicks’ cinema and a pub called the ‘Horse and Hound’, the new care home promises its residents everything possible to ensure they can enjoy an active social life.

Kiwi House offers an environment where residents have their own personal space yet still feel secure and cared for by an intimate team of caring professionals. The Adept team is passionate about ensuring residents can live enriched and fulfilled lives.

Residents will live in one of six suites, occupied by up to 13 people.

Each suite has its own lounge, dining room and lifestyle kitchen, where residents can get involved in setting up for meal times or make their own tea, coffee and snacks. Outside there are carefully landscaped gardens which over look Kiwi park.

Keen gardeners are encouraged to help to maintain the gardens, or residents can simply wander around and enjoy the tranquility and parkland views.

The total value of the home is now £7.8m, of which Adept secured a £4.65million loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dave Lock, managing director of Adept Care Homes, said: “Wynbrook has helped us turn an architectural drawing into reality. By bringing together and project managing all of the specialist contractors this project required, I believe we have built a care homes that will transform the perceptions people have of what to

Steve Day from Wynbrook with Dave Lock of Adept Care Homes. expect from life in a care home.

“Kiwi House really is one of the most “We are delighted with the finished progressive and modern care homes we have built. care home and feedback from the first residents to live here has “Adept have clearly recognised this and provided a environment where been really positive as they see the same team members every day and residents can remain socially active receive intimate personal care and and as well as access support of care professionals as and when they attention.”

Wynbrook director, Steve Day, said: need.”

Are independent homes being properly valued?

By Ian Wilkie A GLANCE through the pages of the current commercial property press will reveal that demand for sites for new care home developments continues unabated.

Full page adverts vie for attention alongside those of discount retailers and chain restaurants.

The care sector is clearly an industry on the up, with an apparently limitless appetite for new development land.

Yet this is also the sector which sees daily reports of care home closures.

At the time of writing, another has just come through on the news feed, along with the distress that inevitably brings.

A relative of a resident describes it as a “horrendous situation”, and the care home owner says that there is no longer any choice, the funding levels being so low that they “will soon get into a situation where we can’t give the care required by law.”

What, then, are we to make of this Jekyll and Hyde business when it comes to valuing?

We know that much of the new development is still following the private-pay market, abandoning the

publicly funded sector on the basis that it lacks the ability to generate returns required by commercial investors.

In turn, these brand new assets, delivering high profits, are valued at the very top of the market range, as we might expect.

It is what is happening in other parts of the food-chain that raises questions.

New development still represents a relatively small percentage of total care home provision, so the values ascribed to such properties provide little in the way of comparable evidence to the valuer, other than in valuing similar assets in a rarefied area of the market.

On the other hand, the pressure that we are seeing on some more aged property assets has created a trend amongst corporate operators for disposing of these.

Many of these care homes are being sold off at heavily discounted levels, enabling some fortunate operators to pick up earlier-generation, purpose built care homes for values representing exceptionally low profitmultiples or prices “per bed”.

Add the availability of this stock to

Ian Wilkie the continued availability of overleveraged businesses being sold off by administrators, and it is clear that there exists something of a discount market at present.

That may not last forever, however it is a real feature of the current care sector.

The question is whether these sales function as valid comparables for the remainder of the market, any more than do the new, private-pay care homes.

Should a successful, well run and profitable care home, owned by an independent operator, be assessed by the same parameters as underperforming assets being sold off by corporate operators in order bolster their balance sheets?

It would seem unreasonable for that to be the case.

These corporate disposals might almost be viewed as quasi-distressed sales.

Somewhere between the highest values of the shiny new assets, and the rock-bottom prices paid in the great care home sell-off, there should be a third tier.

Independent operators, who maintain good quality care homes, deserve that recognition for their efforts. n Ian Wilkie is director of Healthcare Property Consultants Limited.

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Group adds nursing home to portfolio A HEREFORDSHIRE care home group has added another nursing home to its portfolio.

Herefordshire Care Homes has acquired Hazelhurst Nursing Home in Bishopswood, Ross on Wye to bring the total number of homes in the group to six.

The purchase comes as Charnwood Care Home was awarded ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC – the first facility in Herefordshire, projecting it into the top one per cent in the country.

Hazelhurst Nursing Home is set in 18 acres of land and is currently registered for 42 with outline planning for another 13 room and a separate specialist dementia care unit.

Karen Rogers has been looking to strengthen the nursing home offer for the group, and she is also keen to stay within Herefordshire.

She said: “We have a belief that choosing to live in a care or nursing home is increasingly a preferred choice for many older people,

reducing loneliness and isolation and giving people back friendships and a sense of purpose.”

This belief is lived out in Herefordshire Care Homes where the occupation of residents is the main priority. The operator has links with employers, schools, local colleges, theatre groups, and also a wide range of volunteers who support people with activities such as gardening using polytunnels, acting, swimming, private dining, walking groups, poetry, baking and whatever people choose to do. There is a strong focus on good health, which includes regular exercise and good nutrition.

Karen added: “Each individual’s wellbeing is at the heart of what we do. I am looking forward to getting to know the residents, their families and the staff in the coming weeks and enhancing the care and experience they already receive.

“We have an aim to be ‘Outstanding’ in all our homes and have a reputation for being the first choice for care provision in the county.”

Home sold to growing regional operator CHARLTON Kings Care Home in Cheltenham has been sold by specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co. The 34-bed residential care home, previously owned by a popular local

businessman, is set in one of the most affluent areas of the Cotswold town. It was acquired by regional operator Fidelia Care and is their second purchase following the acquisition of Lypiatt Lodge in 2015.

High Trees Residential Care Home in Enfield.

Repeat business for DC Care WHEN DC Care sold Victoria Lodge, Romford in 2013 the owner, Mrs Hurril, said she was delighted with the service she had received from the specialist property agents.

In fact she was so pleased, that when the time came to sell her other business, High Trees Residential Care Home in Enfield, DC Care was the natural choice to find a buyer.

Andy Sandel, southern business appraiser for DC Care, said “We were really pleased to be instructed on Mrs Hurril’s remaining home, as I think it showed faith in our ability to get the job done.

“When we sell a business for

somebody there are a lot of ups and downs throughout the process, and you usually end up getting to know your client pretty well.

“High Trees was an interesting instruction for us in that on one hand it is situated in a very sought after north London location, however as a 12 bedded residential home, it was not going to be everybody’s cup of tea.

“The perfect solution came when a specialist learning disability provider, keen for more property in London, realised the potential of the building, and submitted an offer subject to vacant possession.”

49

Construction starts on luxurious 90-bed Surrey care home CARING Homes has begun construction of a new 90-bed care home in Camberley, Surrey.

The purpose-built home, to be named Kingsclear, will be a state of the art replacement for a former outdated care home on the 1.05 hectare site.

Planning permission was granted on 23 December, 2014 and the contract was awarded to MP Brothers – the building firm responsible for work at Caring Homes’ Home of Compassion in Thames Ditton.

The build has reached first floor level and anticipated completion is May 2017.

Produced by Oliver & Robb Architects, the design considers the current and future needs of a care home, with provision for both private pay and local authority sectors and a combination of residential, nursing and dementia care.

The aesthetics of the building are strongly influenced by the vernacular, adopting Edwardian architectural features. Visual and architectural interest to the facades are achieved with a mix of heights, facings of brick and smooth render on external walls, and two differing roof colours.

Ornamental timber fretwork, the diverse palette of materials, as well as tile hung cladding to faces of feature bay windows, add to the building’s

charm and character.

Centrally positioned on the site, the H-shaped form has north and south wings creating easterly and westerly facing courtyards that take advantage of the early afternoon and evening sun. To maintain the privacy of neighbouring properties, a central three-storey section is flanked by two half torey sides with hipped roofs at the ends of the wings.

Particular features of this new home are the loggia and first floor roof terrace with 1.78m high glass balustrades offering a seamless view out across the secure landscaped garden. Internally, Kingsclear will have light and bright spaces, with easy access between these and the external terraces, courtyard and gardens.

Nicola Thornton, planning and building development manager for Caring Homes, said: “We are delighted to be using MP Bothers and Oliver & Robb again for this large project as we are very pleased with the work they did for Home of Compassion.

“At Kingsclear, we are again investing in creating a highly desirable and top quality care home in an area of the country where there is demand not only for the best care, but for modern facilities within a characterful building.”

A CGI version of what the new home will look like.

Topping out ceremony at home CHAMBERLAIN Court, Hallmark Care Homes new 72-bed care facility in Tunbridge Wells has reached a major milestone in its construction.

The residential and dementia home, which will be the care group’s 16th facility, had its last roof tile recently installed signalling that it is on schedule to open next summer.

Chamberlain Court, named after the provider’s award-winning architect Richard Chamberlain, is being built at a cost of £11million across a one -cre site.

The home when completed will provide a spacious, luxurious and sociable environment where family members are encouraged to spend time in the home, participate in activities and spend time with their loved ones.

Facilities at the home will include a cinema, hairdressers, barbers and therapy room. Each bedroom will be

elegantly furnished, have an en-suite bathroom and those on the ground floor will have access to their own patio.

Other communal areas comprise of a café, a celebrations room and several dining rooms which will enable relatives to have a meal with their loved ones on occasion.

Outside there will an activities room for residents and landscaped gardens with raised planters, giving residents the opportunity to get involved in the gardening at the home.

Hallmark Care Homes managing director, Avnish Goyal, said: “We have years of knowledge and experience of building award-winning care homes.

We are excited to be able to create an engaging new care community at Tunbridge Wells. Chamberlain Court will provide residents with a place where they feel safe and supported to live an active and fulfilled life.”

Group breaks new ground ONE of Scotland’s largest housing and care providers marked its continued commitment to invest in new affordable homes by celebrating the start of construction works on their new site in Edinburgh with a formal sod cutting ceremony.

Bield’s development at Fleming Place, located on the site of the former Eastern General Hospital, will create 40 apartments for peopled aged 50 and over, providing social housing for rent for up to 106 people.

Working in partnership with J Smart & Company, the total projected cost of the development is £4.92 million with an expected completion date of February 2018.

Gerry O’Sullivan, chair of Bield, said: “We’re delighted to see the first pieces of the project falling into place as we play our part in ensuring that Scotland leads the way in providing

affordable, quality homes.

“The development has been made possible with the help of £2.22million of Scottish Government funding, managed and administered with help from The City of Edinburgh Council.

“In these difficult economic times, it is a good example of what can be achieved by greater partnerships between the private and public sectors. It means Bield have been able to continue to deliver new affordable housing which meets the needs of the older people of Edinburgh.”

The properties at Fleming Place will provide tenants with all the high quality features that are typical in a Bield property. With a focus on being ‘barrier free’ with level access shower rooms and enhanced security, these apartments will offer the highest level of independent living in line with Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos.

51 www.requiredsystems.com

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Robotic animal therapy wins residents’ seal of approval RESIDENTS at an Orders of St John Care Trust nursing home in Oxfordshire have given a robot their seal of approval.

For the last three months, residents at Longlands Care Home in Blackbird Leys have been getting to know Paro, a therapeutic robotic harp seal as part of a study undertaken by Oxford Institute of Population Ageing based at the University of Oxford.

Developed by a Japanese company and introduced to the home by anthropology MSc student Aggy Petersen, Paro is an advanced interactive robot, which offers all of the benefits of animal therapy without posing any health or infection risks. As Paro does not require feeding, exercise or toileting and never gets bored or wants to wander off it is ideal for use in care homes.

By interacting with people, Paro responds as if it was alive, moving its head and legs, and making sounds just like a real baby harp seal.

The introduction of Paro has had a number of benefit to residents. “In just a few weeks we have seen great changes in some of our residents,” said Victoria Elliot, principal care consultant at OSJCT. “When residents interact with Paro, their whole demeanour changes. It is very compelling and I can only describe it as being akin to the reaction that holding a grandchild would have. For instance, one of our

A resident with Paro the therapeutic robotic harp seal. residents who prefers to stay in her room, says that seeing Paro makes her day and her life worth living.

“Perhaps most importantly, she says that Paro makes her feel wanted.”

The £5,000 robot has five kinds of sensors: tactile, light, audition, temperature and posture, through which it can perceive people and its environment, reacting to light and dark, and whether it is being stroked or held by moving its head and legs and making sounds, just like a real baby

harp seal. Aggy is exploring the impact of using a therapeutic robot in an English care setting.

She added: “The study is still in its infancy and we have already observed some encouraging effects on the social interaction of residents at the care home.”

Paro will leave the home at the end of November, though the Trust is investigating the feasibility of purchasing its own therapeutic robot to replace the seal sized hole that will be left.

Home accredited with top rating for end-of-life care

RMBI care home Queen Elizabeth Court in Llandudno has received an award for its outstanding dementia care services following a visit from Dementia Care Matters. The ‘Butterfly Service’ status is a nationally recognised kitemark that identifies homes committed to achieving excellent dementia care and providing residents with a high quality of life. Only a small selection of care homes in the UK have received the prestigious award and staff at Criccieth Lane, the home’s dementia support house, received the highest possible rating ‘Level 1’ and now join several RMBI care homes that have been recognised for their dementia care services. Home manager Michelle Beer said: “We are delighted to receive the kitemark award for our high standards of dementia care at Queen Elizabeth Court. We have a tremendously dedicated staff team that is passionate about supporting our residents to have a high quality of life. It’s a real honour to be recognised for our commitment to dementia care.”

New Required Systems document download manager AN online, cloud-based system giving you instant access to the most up-to-date procedures and forms required to evidence compliance with the new CQC Fundamental Standards for England.

We provide all the policies, procedures, forms and audit tools you need to comply with legislation where you are based.

Enquiries: Call 01236 782477, visit www.requiredsystems.com or email peter@requiredsystems.com

THE Malthouse residential care home in Gillingham, Dorset has been awarded with the highest possible rating for its end of life care.

The home, part of the Healthcare Homes Group, provides specialised care for the elderly and has been inspected by experts from The National Gold Standards Framework and awarded ‘Beacon’ status.

The GSF is a national training and accreditation scheme which helps staff in a range of care settings across the UK to provide a gold standard of care for people nearing the end of life.

The Malthouse enrolled on the GSF accreditation scheme in 2013 and has undertaken a full training programme, embedding the gold standards throughout the home.

The first award attained for end-oflife care was at Commend status and, having re-accredited three years later, the team has now achieved Beacon.

Inspectors assessed the home against 20 standards of best practice, including whether the preferences and wishes of residents were respected and carried out, and how the home sustains and builds on its good practice to ensure the highest quality standards are met.

The report commented “the GSF is truly embedded in this residential home. The residents enjoy an excellent ratio of staff to residents, it is a pleasure to visit a home with no staffing issues.”

Inspectors called the home “warm, friendly and welcoming” and stated

that “The management and staff are firmly committed to GSF as a way of life, ensuring through activities, outings, parties and entertainments that residents live well until they die.”

The report also highlighted the quality of the relationship between staff, residents and relatives, commenting that “because the staff are very local they are a very stable workforce, this enables staff and residents and relatives to form close bonds. One relative spoken to said that his mother was treated with great respect and love and he felt so reassured about her care when he was abroad, he described the home as excellent.”

The Malthouse management team were formally presented with their Beacon status at a special presentation event in London.

Home manager Claire Stredwick said: “Enrolling in the GSF programme was extremely important to us so that we could follow best practice to take our care standards to the highest level. We are responsible for the support and care of people at their most vulnerable, during the end of their lives, and we pride ourselves on making this time as comfortable and dignified as we can.

“Our new Beacon status is recognition of the professionalism and dedication of every member of the Malthouse’s team, who care so much for our residents and will do all they can to further improve the service we provide.”

52

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Collection exudes firm’s inspirational statement

Temporary kitchen is home from home for staff during refurb THE Harpenden Bethesda Home in Hertfordshire needed a kitchen refurbishment, but was struggling to find a way to feed its residents and staff during the project.

That was until home manager Debbie Scott contacted PKL in May about the September project An experienced PKL sales team member visited the home personally, and carefully walked the site with Debbie to check the space and access available, before putting together an installation plan to bring the kitchen conveniently close to the home’s dining room.

It was decided that a patio area was the best place for the Field Kitchen, and although it was a tight fit and had some challenges with access, it was nothing that the PKL delivery team couldn’t handle.

Their skill, acquired over the last three decades delivering more than 500 temporary kitchens a year, every

year, meant they took it in their stride. The kitchen was delivered on time at the beginning of September without a hitch, and was soon a home from home for the Bethesda kitchen staff, letting them easily slip back into their vital work to produce 40 hot breakfasts and lunches each day.

The top-quality equipment, installed in the kitchen to fulfil the home’s requirements, performed without a hitch and allowed catering to continue without interruption during the refurbishment.

Debbie Scott said: “The all-in-one solution solved a big headache for us and it’s been really good during the hire.

“The cooks settled in well to their new surroundings and felt very much at home there. I don’t know how we would have managed the refurbishment without the Field Kitchen to be honest; it’s been a great solution.”

SHACKLETONS is making an inspirational statement and creating amazing spaces with new design led furniture collections that exude the company’s unmistakeable trademark quality and craftsmanship.

Illustrating how to turn your care environment into a home from home, the perfect portrait of colours and coverings complete the company’s brand new bedroom, dining and seating ranges for care.

Just released to the market for autumn and winter, the ranges present clean lines to classic and contemporary styling, and have been carefully designed and crafted to create comfort in any room.

Jason Bloom, national sales manager at Shackletons, said: “We continue to innovate and create new ranges that are designed for optimum comfort and quality.

“Our new autumn/winter ranges make a statement while embracing the very latest in design.”

Shackletons has been in the business of creating comfort for over 50 years and are the UK’s leading design and manufacturer of specialist contract furniture for the healthcare sector.

Store unveils new website

Company can service and repair most laundry equipment makes WARWICK-LPD provide service and repairs to most makes of commercial laundry equipment.

Located at our Coventry Service Centre, the company covers the West Midlands and the surrounding area; this allows them to respond same day/next day to all breakdowns.

All service engineer vans are stocked with all popular parts to ensure a first fix repair.

Backup is by way of further stock

at Coventry, supported by the head office.

For complicated breakdowns, machines are often removed from site and fully overhauled.

With winter approaching now is the time for dryers to be fully serviced to ensure they are working efficiently and for mandatory CP12’s to be completed, Call outs start from £65 and hourly rates are only £50 per hour.

CARE Supply Store has announced a major revamp of its online platform, bringing together one of the largest collections of products available to the market.

The launch of new website www. caresupplystore.co.uk coincides with an expansion in the product range.

Consolidating requests and insights gained over the years, the company’s new direction promises to make it easier than ever for care homes to procure the supplies they need.

CEO Jon Shepherd said: “Over the years we have received a lot of bespoke requests from home managers, often well beyond the scope of the care sector itself.

“These gave us the idea of expanding our own range, so that the more detailed requests can now be routinely catered for. We tried to

address the needs of the changing market and in particular the emerging luxury care market.

“As a result, we can now offer products as diverse as catering appliances and luxury hotel style bathroom toiletries, in addition to our broad care offering.

“Our ambition was to offer everything a care home manager could ever possibly need to order, all in one handy location, at competitive prices. And with over 30,000 products available, we may very well have achieved our aim.

“We are pleased that our newlydesigned platform is finally ready to go – we have always believed in exceeding our customers’ expectations, and we now look forward to being able to do that every day.”

53

CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Market leading pressure care technology ALERTA Medical is a new leader in the design and manufacture of innovative alternating pressure relieving mattress systems, delivering solutions for care providers to proactively prevent and treat the development of pressure ulcers.

Developed and proven with the end user over many years, Alerta Medical alternating pressure relieving mattress systems have been designed to overcome common flaws in other alternating mattress products on the market.

Alerta Medical pride themselves on innovative functionality, superior quality and reliability – resulting in improved patient outcomes and peace of mind for care providers.

The Alerta Medical alternating pressure relieving mattress systems incorporate SensaCare Truflo Technology™ – constant auto pressure sensing through an air sensor and microcomputer regulator to provide ultra-low interface pressure and promote an even ambience for natural sleep patterns and stable blood circulation with UltraSilent™ pump operation.

Alerta Medical offer a comprehensive range of alternating pressure relieving mattress systems, covering all risk levels, complimented by the addition of an alternating cushion system.

The key benefits of the Alerta Medical range include:

n Multi-stretch PU cover to avoid searing. n Ventilated air cells to control moisture. n Auto pressure sensing for consistent distribution of air. n Multiple cycle time control for efficiency. n Digital 2-Panel LED display for ease of use. n Ultra-Silent™ pump operation to avoid disturbance. n Power failure and air loss warning. n Panel lock to prevent tampering. n Static and seated function with auto-firm.

Enquiries: Call 08452 088 097, email sales@alertamedical.com or visit www.alertamedical.com

Medicines management guide from Rosemont

A GUIDE to medicines management and older people is available from Rosemont Pharmaceuticals.

Called ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’, the booklet aims to help healthcare professionals learn more about how medication works, how the ageing process affects medicines, common adverse drug reactions, the definitions of compliance and concordance as well as to give an overview of some of the legal aspects of medicines management.

The content of the guide is based on current best practice and the most up to date evidence about medication management. The focus is on the care of older people, who have a higher prevalence of illness and take around 50 per cent of all prescribed medicines (Kelly 2011). Four in five people over 75 take at least one prescribed medicine, with 36 per cent taking four or more medicines (NSF 2001).

To receive a free copy of ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’, just email marketing@ rosemontpharma.com Enquiries: Call 0113 244 1999 or visit www.rosemontpharma.com

Gentle care from Gerflor KILBRYDE Hospice in East Kilbride, just south of Glasgow in Scotland is a voluntary independent 10-bed hospice providing specialist palliative care to patients with life-limiting progressive illnesses.

In 2012 an appeal to raise the money necessary was backed by Scots engineering entrepreneur and honorary president of the hospice Jim McColl, who donated £200,000 to the project.

Rangers FC manager Ally McCoist, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and comedian Andy Cameron were also patrons of the appeal.

As a new build, the project needed some 2,000m2 of high quality flooring that would not only look stunning, but would also stand up to the rigours of daily use.

A mixture of Gerflor’s Taralay Impression Comfort, Creation 70 Luxury Vinyl Tile and Planks and Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O, together with products from their SPM handrails was specified.

Enquiries: Telephone 01926 622600, email contractuk@gerflor.com or visit www.gerflor.co.uk

Bibs washable at up to 80°C MADE of our exclusive professional grade PRO80™ fabric, our tough bibs are washable at up to 80°C to kill all bacteria.

The soft fabric has an inner waterproof barrier for protection, is absorbent, virtually stain resistant and super durable, offering you great value.

The smart looking bibs have new, fold-out pockets and are available in three sizes and two colours.

Try one now with 15 per cent OFF! Use promo code CAREDESIGNSCARINGUK3 at the checkout or by phone.

Enquiries: For a brochure call 01223 840236, email purchasing@bibetta.com or visit www.caredesigns.co.uk

Goodman Sparks re-equips the laundry at Sheffield care home ABBEY Grange Nursing Home in the Firvale area of Sheffield, owned and operated by Country Court Care, provides residential, nursing and dementia care and has an excellent reputation in the area.

A large converted and extended character building, Abbey Grange has 74 single rooms, most of which have en-suite facilities.

Recently the laundry, which consisted of three washers and two dryers installed by Goodman Sparks on a rental deal in 2002, needed to be re-equipped.

Having been happy with the equipment and the service from Goodman Sparks, the management had no hesitation in asking them to carry out the

re-equipment.

They installed three new Amazon RX105 11kg washers, a Huebsch Loadstar 16kg dryer and a Huebsch stacked dryer, providing two x 13.6kg drying capacity in the same footprint as a single dryer.

The job required some re-designing of the laundry to accommodate the double dryer and took about a week in total. During this time Goodman Sparks collected all the dirty laundry from the home each day, processed it in their own laundry and returned it the next day.

Enquiries: Call 0800 988 8058 or visit www.goodmansparks.co.uk

Simple solutions

Beaucare’s Beauwash™ range

BEAUWASH is an efficient, cost effective and eco-friendly laundry cleaning products range, specifically formulated with healthcare establishments in mind.

It is cleverly designed to provide superb cleaning performance at lower temperatures, shorter wash cycles and kill bacteria at just 30°C, providing a more sustainable laundry cleaning process in terms of overall running costs and for the environment.

Available in powder or liquid form: 10kg tubs, 5lt, 10lt or 20lt liquid containers. When combining

the laundry liquid with automated dosing systems, it creates one of the most efficient laundry solutions available on the market today.

Beaucare also offers advice on the most efficient way to run all healthcare laundry needs and provides expert fitting and maintenance of automatic dosing systems by its own service engineers.

Enquiries: Call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems.

The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition.

With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur.

Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple...

The WACMAT® will then be clean and odourfree, ready to perform time and time again.

Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone.

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

54

York care staff climb Three Peaks for residents’ fund

Flowers, chocolates and cake marked the 20th work anniversary of Ingleby Care Home worker Judy Wilson. The 73-year-old was rewarded for her two decades’ service at the home by manager Carol Singleton. Carol said: “Judy has been with us since 1996, moving from domestic staff to carer to kitchen assistant, but doing so much more for the home and our residents. She regularly entertains with her singing and dancing and, just last year, took part in the home’s ice bucket challenge to raise money for the residents’ fund. During her service she has only ever had five days’ sick leave – which is incredible in a 20-year career. We can’t thank her enough for her dedicated service and for brightening the day of our residents and staff.” Before joining Ingleby Care Home, Judy spent 20 years working for British Gas.

TWO members of staff from Ebor Court residential and dementia care home completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the residents’ fund.

Care assistant Chloe Hawkins and senior care assistant Jessica Grainger, completed the 24-mile walk in 13 hours and took on the peaks of Pen-yghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Chloe and Jessica were inspired to take the challenge after residents mentioned their desire to build a water feature for the gardens at Ebor Court.

Donations rolled in for the pair and they raised a staggering £831.25 for the residents’ fund.

Both Chloe and Jessica completed considerable training for the walk, which includes 5,200ft of ascent, and were thrilled but sore once they had accomplished the feat.

Chloe said: “We love a challenge and wanted to raise money for our residents, but we didn’t expect to

raise as much as we did.

“It was really tough on the day but the thought of what we were doing for the residents kept us going. We worked as a team to get through it and the feeling once we had finished was amazing.”

Back at Ebor Court, the residents revealed how proud they were of the pair.

Not only will they have a water feature, but they have picked out a greenhouse, hanging baskets and a comfy seating area to enjoy during the summer months.