Caring UK November 2017

November 2017

no.253 • £4.75 incorporating

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Tickets selling fast for first Awards night

By Dominic Musgrave

TICKETS are selling fast for the 2017 Caring UK Awards; with shortlisted care home, sponsors and guests all looking forward to a great evening on Friday December 8.

This year’s awards, organised by Script Events in partnership with headline sponsor Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, are taking place at the National Railway Museum in York – hosted by entrepreneur and star of series 10 of The Apprentice Katie Bulmer-Cooke – and recognise excellence and achievement throughout the care industry.

And with just a few weeks to go until the big night, excitement is building.

Katie said: “I’m very much looking forward to hosting the Caring UK awards, and seeing those striving for excellence in this sector have their hard work, exceptional skills and so much more rewarded and celebrated.

“The care sector is vital to so many people and their loved ones, and this event will be shining a light on those who truly deserve recognition for their work.”

Derek Breingan, head of health and social care from headline sponsor Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, added: “Fantastic response to the Caring UK Award nominations and with tickets

already selling fast this is proving to be a well needed and well supported event for the sector.

“Looking forward to a night of celebration.”

The expert panel of judges tasked with the difficult task of choosing the winners includes Care England chief executive Professor Martin Green OBE, National Care Association executive chairman Nadra Ahmed OBE, the Alzheimer’s Society’s head of training and consultancy Raj Kapoor and renowned adult social care consultant John Kennedy.

The Caring UK team are currently in the process of visiting every shortlisted facility up and down the country, and healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave said they have been overwhelmed by the high standards they have seen.

He added: “The standard of entries has been higher than we could ever have imagined, and we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone on the night.

“It was difficult enough for us to narrow the number of entries down into a shortlist so I don’t envy our judges who are going to have to choose the winners.

“The event itself at the National Railway Museum will be a celebration of all that is good in the industry and the perfect party to start Christmas.”

Prestigious accolade is awarded to coordinator

Residents and staff at The Hamptons care centre in Lytham St Annes enjoyed a cuppa and a cake when they took part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan. In addition to the coffee morning, the care centre also held its own ‘bake off’ challenging members of the team to bring in their own show stopping creations for tasting and judging by the home’s discerning residents. Head chef Lee Newsome was the judge of the bake off and the two winners were nurse Sarah Monks and senior care assistant, Beauty Chembe (pictured above with manager Lorraine Disley). The event at The Hamptons raised £225.

A PRESTIGIOUS care industry award has been won by Hannah Mulholland, activities coordinator at Harper Fields Care Home in Coventry.

The Vegetarian for Life Award for Excellence in Vegetarian and Vegan Care Catering recognises individuals who have responded creatively and spiritedly to the challenge of catering for vegetarians and vegans in a care home setting.

Launched by the celebrated charity VfL, the annual award highlights the importance of catering well for older vegetarians. VfL’s 2014 survey suggests that around 6,500 older vegetarians and vegans live in care homes.

Hannah said: “I am overwhelmed and truly honoured to be receiving this award because it combines my two passions in life: ensuring the residents in my care are healthy and happy, and promoting a vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle.

“Many vegetarians and vegans will soon reach an age where they need assistance. If we show them that we support their beliefs in every regard then we will show the true meaning of personcentred care.”

Runner-up was Phil Hildrew, head chef at Bryn Eithin Residential Care in Colwyn Bay.

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Care home helps resident maintain Jane Austen link A HAMPSHIRE care home has enabled a 95-year-old resident to keep alive her family’s strong ancestral connections with Jane Austen.

Helen Lefroy is a descendant of Jane’s friend Anne Lefroy, whose nephew Tom was reputedly a romantic suitor of the novelist.

Anne’s son Benjamin also married Jane’s niece Anna and the families remained in close contact when Jane’s brother Edward was bequeathed Chawton House by distant relatives the Knight family.

Helen recalls visiting Chawton House as a girl from her own family home at nearby Farnham in the 1920s and 30s.

Now living at Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton care home in Winchester, she has been helped to participate in events marking the 200th anniversary of Jane’s death.

Staff at the home involved Helen on minibus trips to the recent Sitting With Jane public art trail featuring 24 ‘book benches’ in and around Basingstoke.

Along with fellow residents, she has also visited the Jane Austen exhibition at Winchester library and a special service in memory of the novelist at Winchester Cathedral.

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Editorial

Helen Lefroy, left, at Abbotts Barton’s Regency afternoon in honour of the Jane Austen anniversary. Peter Russell, one of the home’s volunteer team members, is dressed as Mr Darcy.

The home’s ‘Austen season’ culminated all those amazing family connections and in a Regency afternoon with staff and provided a great deal of interest for other residents, including Helen, all dressing residents too. The commemorations up in period costumes. have even prompted one or two of our Abbotts Barton home manager Dee overseas staff to start reading Austen Lovewell and Colten Companion Janet novels as they had not heard of her Orchard were among those who helped before.”

Helen and fellow residents enjoy the Janet added: “We feel very privileged to Austen anniversary. have enabled Helen to keep her personal Dee said: “It has helped Helen rekindle Jane Austen connection going.”

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

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CARINGNEWS

Operator works with Trust to launch ‘pets at homes’ policy

Ermine House resident Stella Jarman with volunteer Helen McLoughlin.

Residents enjoy annual fun day LINCOLNSHIRE care home residents spent the afternoon reminiscing at an old time themed fun day recently.

Over 100 residents and employees from the 15 Lincolnshire care homes run by The Orders of St John Care Trust attended the event, which was held at The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa. Residents were treated to afternoon tea and musical entertainment by Bruce Taylor, and were encouraged to sing along to some golden classics.

To help get into the spirit, residents and employees put on their glad rags

and dancing shoes.

Caroline Dunagan, Lincolnshire assistant operations director for OSJCT, said: “All our residents, colleagues and friends loved the nostalgia, dressing up, dancing and singing along to songs from yesteryear.

“Our summer fun day event is really important for our residents because not only does it provide socialisation and reminiscence but the trip out for the day and making new friends is an effective way of boosting a feeling of well-being.”

THE Healthcare Homes Group, which provides residential and nursing care in homes across the South and East of England, is demonstrating its commitment to supporting residents who wish to bring pets into the environment through its work with the Cinnamon Trust.

Eight of the group’s homes are now registered with the charity as ‘pet friendly homes’, with more to follow suit.

The Cinnamon Trust is a national charity that works to respect and preserve the relationship between owners and their pets.

It works in partnership with owners and care providers and has a network of over 15,000 community service volunteers.

The homes that have registered with the Cinnamon Trust and have committed to consider pets coming in to their homes on an individual basis are: n Olive House residential home, Newton Flotman, Norfolk. n The Manor House, North Walsham, Norfolk. n St Leonard’s residential home, Mundford, Norfolk. n Meadow House nursing home, Swaffham, Norfolk. n The Malthouse residential home, Gillingham, Dorset.

n The Hillings residential home, Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire. n Home Close residential home, Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. n Foxgrove residential home, Felixstowe, Suffolk.

A majority of the group’s 35 homes also have various forms of pet therapy in place, with many benefiting from visits from local ‘Pets as Therapy dogs, while others have ‘resident pets’ including cats or birds, or encourage visitors to bring in their own friendly pets to visit residents.

Helen Gidlow, chief operating officer at Healthcare Homes Group, said: “The Cinnamon Trust is a unique charity, focusing on the hugely positive effects that pets have on elderly people.

“The Trust’s objective is to respect and preserve the treasured relationship between owners and their pets, and we are delighted to have started working with the Trust to be able to offer the opportunity for residents to bring their muchloved companions into the home environment, wherever feasible.

“We assess each application on an individual basis, and at this stage eight of our homes have registered with the Cinnamon Trust to support them in assessing and handling such requests.”

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A Somerset nursing home where hugs and laughter have replaced boredom and sadness was named Care Home of the Year by the National Gold Standards Framework Centre for End of Life Care. Caring UK reports.

Somerset nursing home named GSF Care Home of the Year

CHOLWELL House, in Temple Cloud, which specialises in care for people with dementia, was judged by an expert panel to be delivering the best end-of-life care, beating off stiff opposition from five other homes on the shortlist for the award.

In line with their wishes, all residents at Cholwell House who died in the last year, did so at the home rather than in hospital, and there have also been no crisis admissions to hospital since 2010.

The judges, who included national independent experts from the care homes sector, assessed all six finalists against 20 standards. Cholwell House excelled across the board.

In their report, the judges said residents at Cholwell House and their families enjoyed “thoughtful, understanding and compassionate care” throughout their stay.

They added: “Cholwell House is an extraordinary example of the very best kind of care for dementia patients at the end of their lives and throughout their stay at the home.”

Fiona Trezise, registered manager of the 46-bed home, said the success is the culmination of a major transformation in the way it looks after its residents.

“When I started at Cholwell House in 2008, we had no clear way of looking after people at the end of

Cholwell House in Temple Cloud,, Somerset. life,” she added. “They were really dark days. So, it’s an amazing honour to win this award. It is fantastic recognition for all of the staff here.

“They truly do give themselves and are so motivated and passionate about providing the best care they can.

“GSF has helped us to give gold standard care and to celebrate lives and have fun. We have had a lot of deaths recently but nothing has diminished their commitment. I hope we can use this opportunity to support other homes in Somerset to adopt GSF to help improve care for more people.”

Fiona says everyone from the directors to the maintenance man share the same vision that Cholwell House should be seen as a way of life and not a care home.

She added: “Cholwell House will be the last residence for everyone who comes here, so as soon as they arrive it is about end of life care in its widest sense.

“It is the ultimate privilege as it is the last thing you can do for someone and gives an enormous sense of satisfaction to support them and their families. I want everyone to have the best possible memory of their loved one.”

Fiona invites every resident and their family to a meeting, soon after admission, to discuss how and where they would like to be cared for, in the form of an Advance Care Plan In line with their wishes, all residents at Cholwell House who died in the last year, did so at the home rather than in hospital and there have also been no crisis admissions to hospital from the home since 2010.

All of the shortlisted homes demonstrated sustained, quality end of life care, when they were assessed by the GSF team three years after their initial accreditation.

The other shortlisted homes were: n Amberley Lodge, Surrey. n Birtley House, Surrey. n Bluebirds, Milton Keynes. n Ebury Court, Romford. n The Aylsham Manor, Norfolk.

Fiona says staff, who don’t wear uniform, are encouraged to show their emotions, adding: “We call ourselves a feelings based nursing home. When you walk in people will be having hugs and giving them a kiss and having a laugh and joke. People need love and security – emotional care is paramount.”

As well as the Care Home of the Year Award, 14 homes were receiving the GSF Quality Hallmark award for the first time, while 68 were being re-accredited and reocgnised for a second time.

Awards celebrate home’s residents

By Olivia Taylor

Home opens doors to Mayor AN Oldham care home opened its doors to members of the community recently to celebrate its new look.

HC-One’s Avalon Park welcomed in The Worshipful The Mayor of Oldham Metropolitan Borough, Councillor Shadab Qumer, to officially open a new coffee shop area and enjoy a tour of the newly refurbished facility.

Visitors were given the opportunity to look around the home and enjoy an afternoon tea and homemade cakes with residents, their families and staff.

Amy Robertson, home manager, said: “We’re delighted to have welcomed in the Mayor to our beautiful home and we hope that visitors got a real sense of the open

door policy that exists here at Avalon.

“Our home has undergone an extensive transformation over the past few months to make it a place that our residents feel truly at home and comfortable in their surroundings.

“We’re looking forward to showing everyone around.”

Avalon provides short and long term residential, palliative and specialist dementia care. Its team of experienced staff have specialist knowledge of stroke, Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease and sight and hearing impairment.

The HC-One owned home also boasts an on-site hair salon, café, nail bar, GP and minibus for day trips.

RESIDENTS at Meadow House care home in Swaffham enjoyed an afternoon and evening of glitz and glamour at a special awards ceremony.

The home, which is part of the Healthcare Homes Group, provides residential and nursing care for up to 38 residents, and specialises in providing care for those with physical disabilities including Multiple Sclerosis.

The event was put together entirely by the care team, as their way of showing the residents how special they are.

The group’s finance director Matt King attended the event to host and thank both residents and staff.

Every resident was individually recognised and rewarded during a presentation in the afternoon, before drinks, canapes and a dinner was served to residents by the care staff dressed in waiting staff clothing.

Residents then enjoyed a black tie ball with music and dancing.

Staff made sure that everyone

could enjoy the glamour of the occasion by sourcing formal black tie outfits for all the residents from donations and from local charity shops.

Belinda Jones, activities coordinator for Meadow House, said: “We are thrilled with the success of the event, which every one of our residents thoroughly enjoyed.

“Our residents are such fantastic individuals, many of whom are living with very challenging conditions.

“They have such a positive outlook on life and we try and make every day as enjoyable as possible for them.

“This was our chance to make them feel really special and to celebrate each of the wonderful qualities they all bring to the home individually.

“This wonderful idea of celebrating our residents came from our dedicated staff member Tracy Eves, which all the staff embraced by donating time and energy into making this fantastic vision into reality.”

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CARINGNEWS

Elderly and young take part in social media sensation

By Dominic Musgrave

A children’s choir delighted and entertained residents at a Shrewsbury care home with songs from the past. The pupils from Bicton CE Primary School stirred the memories and had the audience singing and clapping along at Morris Care’s Isle Court home in Bicton.

The children were invited as part of World Alzheimer’s Month and chose and learned favourites including ‘Do-re-mi’ from The Sound of Music, ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ and ‘Jerusalem’.

Pictured are pupils Nicole Bewley and Daisy Hutcheson with home manager Roberto Tumaliuan and Isle Court resident Audrey.

Home’s coffee shop opens THE Hive coffee shop at Capricorn Cottage, Fleet Hargate was formally opened by councillor Rodney Grocock and Christine Grocock, the first lady of South Holland.

Pavanotti entertained the residents, their families, neighbours, friends and staff who came to support the home on this special occasion.

Manager Chris Jones said: “We are very excited about The Hive.

“It represents a significant step

in the right direction for Capricorn Cottage in terms of increasing levels of independence, promoting choice and providing the opportunity for the people who live here to enjoy new experiences.

“It will be managed by residents with as much or as little support from staff as is needed.”

The Hive will be open to the public on Wednesdays from 10am to 12 noon.

A SOCIAL media sensation occupied care home residents and teenage volunteers as part of a project in Blyth.

Northumberland Rocks, as the activity is known, involves Northumbrians painting stones and pebbles and hiding them in the county’s famous beauty spots.

The free activity has taken Facebook by storm, with a dedicated group attracting almost 8,000 members, as it encourages participants to be creative, get outside and explore the countryside in an attempt to find others’ decorated stones.

They appeared all over the county during the summer, with those who discover the stones taking a photo and posting their success on the social network.

Residents at The Oaks Care Home are the latest to take part, alongside young volunteers from charity Catch 22’s National Citizenship Service.

More than a dozen 15 to 17-yearolds spent two days at the home running arts and crafts sessions, which involved decorating the stones for others to discover.

They also held pamper sessions and a coffee morning for residents and their relatives, serving cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee.

The volunteers also spent the time learning about dementia, its affects and how to care for those living with the condition.

A resident at The Oaks Care Home alongside young volunteers from charity Catch 22’s National Citizenship Service.

Paige Gallagher, activities coordinator at The Oaks Care Home, said: “It was great the students chose The Oaks for their social action project. The residents thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.

“Initially, the students thought they understood what dementia was, but it was a revelation for them to see how quickly things like memory loss can take hold.

“This made them more determined to make a lasting impact on the residents’ lives.”

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If a door is unbalanced it can naturally swing open or closed, or it can swing with a draught. This can result in a resident wedging the door open and invalidating it as a fire door. The Guardian closer offers a low level control on the door, which stops it from drifting from its open position, at the same time as allowing it to operate freely to the user.

The Guardian door closer is the only unit on the market specifically designed to meet the needs of residential care facilities.

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CARINGNEWS

Doreen celebrates 30-year landmark

Residents from Lyncroft Care Home in Wisbech made a special delivery to the neonatal, intensive care unit at Peterborough City Hospital. Accompanied by home manager Jan Davison and administrator Shirley Cousins, Madaline Medler and Vera Sooley delivered a large box of colourful blankets and tiny hats to the unit. They were met by Esther and Mags, nurses from the NICU unit, who explained how grateful they were for the donation.

Staff get on their bikes for charity STAFF at Belong Atherton, the stateof-the-art care village in Greater Manchester, have raised over £1,000 by completing a sponsored bike ride to Blackpool.

The funds will go towards purchasing specialist ‘Vecta’ equipment for the village.

The equipment can transform any room into a multi-sensory, therapeutic environment for people receiving end-of-life care.

The sponsored cycle ride began at Belong Atherton, where the team were waved off by residents and

other staff members. They cycled the distance of 49 miles to Blackpool in just over seven hours.

The effort was sponsored by family members of residents at Belong Atherton, staff, visitors and members of the local community. A local pub, The Canal Turn, also had a collection which raised £135 on the day.

The amount raised in sponsorship will go towards the £3,000 target needed to purchase the Vecta equipment.

Other fundraising activities are being planned.

SENIOR care assistant Doreen Knight has spent a lifetime caring for others at Caring Homes’ Walstead Place in Haywards Heath and is celebrating 30 years in the role.

Doreen, who is described by home manager Jacquie Ferguson as ‘the epitome of what a carer in 2017 should be’, first started working at Walstead Place in 1987.

At that time her children were school age so she commenced on night duty, gradually moving onto day duty and helping out in a variety of departments throughout the home.

Jacquie said; “I came here as manager in 2010, so have known Doreen just over seven years.

“I would say that Doreen is the epitome of what a carer in 2017 should be – conscientious, kind, committed to her residents and the job in hand.

“Doreen is a pleasure to have on my team, I wish I could clone her and make a blueprint to share amongst all carers.

“She continues to work tirelessly and has no plans to retire yet, I look forward to working with Doreen for some years yet.”

Doreen was recognised for her outstanding work in the field of older person’s care last year, winning the Care Home Worker Award 2016 from

Doreen is with a celebration cake by chef Ingrid McNicol, who has been at Walstead Place 19 years herself.

West Sussex Partners in Care.

She was also given special recognition for her achievements at the Caring Homes Group Recognition Awards 2017.

Doreen combines her care role with activities at Walstead Place, working alongside the other activities co-ordinators.

She has also developed a passion for dementia care and has been instrumental in developing activities for people with the condition.

Doreen also acts as a mentor to junior colleagues, having trained as a ‘buddy’, passing on her knowledge and expertise to the benefit of the residents at Walstead Place.

Three new trustees appointed

BRUNELCARE, the Bristol based charity and housing association, has strengthened its Board by appointing three new trustees: Deborah Evans worked as a senior manager and chief executive in the NHS for 35 years. For the last five years Deborah has been managing director of the West of England Academic Health Science Network; an NHS funded body whose role is to stimulate innovation in the NHS and to spread best practice in care.

Barbara Hardy is an academic lawyer specialising in legal philosophy and the impact of law on policy, especially within the social housing sector. In addition to her law career, Barbara has over 30 years’ business experience in the private and commercial banking

sector, NHS and Civil Service.

Gill McLeod is an experienced senior housing professional with a proven track record in successfully delivering high quality projects.

Gill is a PFI project director with the Aster Group and has been a Board director of Silbury Housing Ltd since November 2015. Earlier in her career Gill set up a women’s refuge in Chippenham and was also involved in homeless services.

Steve Boardman, chair of trustees, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to recruit three more high calibre trustees to join the Board.

All three are leaders in their own professions and I have no doubt they will strengthen the Board in our mission to provide top quality care services for elderly people.”

CARINGNEWS

Home celebrates anniversary RIVERSWAY Nursing Home in Bristol opened its doors to friends and family as it celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The purpose-built nursing home has spent two decades at the forefront of quality care in the region, and a series of special activities took place to mark the milestone.

Musical entertainment included an accordion player, singers, an acoustic duet and brass band. A magician also visited to demonstrate some tricks.

Visitors to the home included senior staff from Springhill Group, with founder and chairman Ken Nolan giving a speech looking back over 20 years in business.

Residents and staff took part in activities outside and inside the home, throwing sponges at staff

members in one particularly popular game.

The home was decorated with garlands for the day and funny photo opportunities were available, with slideshows telling the story of Riversway’s history so far.

Jan Wilkins, general manager, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people celebrating this milestone in Riversway’s history and enjoying themselves so much.

“Our staff have played such an important role in this success and we can’t thank them enough for their support over the years.

“The care sector has changed so much in 20 years, and we’re looking forward to the next 20 with excitement and enthusiasm.”

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Association engages MPs to help protect Meals on Wheels services

Carterwood has appointed social care professional Sara Livadeas as a senior consultant. Sara is working on a range of bespoke projects, as well as Carterwood’s new staffing analysis report. With more than 20 years’ experience in the social care sector, Sara is a non-executive trustee of the Disabilities Trust and works with several other organisations, including Care England, Housing LIN, Skills for Care and Urban Land Institute. Sara’s previous roles include commissioner for Oxfordshire County Council and strategy director for the Orders of St John Care Trust. She added: “I’m thrilled to be working with Carterwood. My career ambition is to improve the quality and choice of services available to people who are ageing, and it’s great to be working with like-minded people.”

MEALS on Wheels Week returns on November 6-10 and the National Association of Care Catering, the event organiser, will be leading a series of activities to raise awareness of the important role the service plays in modern society, including a round table discussion with MPs. The debate will engage MPs from across the political parties to discuss what more can be done with the Government to sustain Meals on Wheels Services in the UK. Meals on Wheels services have been under continual threat of closure due to ongoing social care budget cuts, and NACC research released last year revealed that the number of councils providing Meals on Wheels to vulnerable older people had dropped below 50 per cent for the first time.

In support of Meals on Wheels Week, NACC members across the UK will be getting involved in awareness raising activities in their regions, including pop-up luncheon clubs and

VIP on Wheels events that will see local dignitaries, MPs and celebrities visit the services currently on offer and even make a few deliveries themselves.

A social media campaign will also be launched on Twitter that will spotlight service users and what the Meals on Wheels service means to them and the quality of their lives.

Neel Radia, national chair of the NACC, said: “The past year has been ground-breaking for our Meals on Wheels campaign.

“The shocking results of our research, which showed less than half of UK councils now offer a Meals on

“Meals on Wheels Week 2017 is all about maintaining the momentum and working to find solutions to protect services from further closures and even reinstate those that may have fallen foul of budget cuts.

Wheels service, simply could not be ignored, and the media attention it received propelled our vital message into public consciousness and onto the political agenda.

“Meals on Wheels Week 2017 is all about maintaining the momentum and working to find solutions to protect services from further closures and even reinstate those that may have fallen foul of budget cuts.

“We’re thrilled to have secured the opportunity to discuss the issues with MPs and find potential solutions to sustain and protect services.

“This shows that the message is reaching the right people and this is a positive step forward for our campaign and the future of Meals on Wheels.

“As uncertainty around social care budgets continues and the winter months approach, our campaign is as vital and relevant as ever. The message is very clear.

“The Meals on Wheels service is much more than just a meal. It’s a crucial lifeline that supports the elderly and vulnerable in the community and a preventative service that helps relieve the pressure on the NHS. “We urge everyone to get involved in Meals on Wheels Week activities in their regions and engage with us on Twitter to help spread the word even wider.”

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CARINGNEWS

Barchester celebrates its 25th anniversary

Safety first at flagship new development

By Dominic Musgrave CASTLE Retirement Living is putting safety first at its flagship development – Castle View Windsor – by investing in a fire strategy which exceeds all legal requirements.

The move follows the recent fining of a retirement home operator for failing health and safety measures after a fatal fire, and the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.

Due for completion in October 2018, the new urban retirement village in the heart of Windsor will have a multi-faceted, fire safety strategy to ensure resident welfare goes beyond legal requirements.

This will afford greater protection for the 63 homes for the over 55s including 12 one bedroom, 43 two bedroom and eight three bedroom apartments, together with an additional 72 bed care home.

Additional fire prevention investment includes installing automatic sprinklers in all corridors, in addition to smoke and heat detectors in each apartment, all linked to a central fire detection centre with 24-hour managed attendance in all buildings.

Castle View Windsor has also been built with a more expensive concrete frame across its structure for greater fire resistance, while fire resistant cladding will meet all the latest compliance requirements.

Further measures throughout the development will include an active escape policy with three main escape stairwells, and all apartments will also have generous balconies accessible to fire appliance ladders.

Under pinning the safety-first strategy is also a developmentwide no smoking policy which was announced by Castle Retirement Living to not only create a more pleasant environment for residents, but also in response to advice issued by the London Fire Brigade last

“I believe our investment in our fire safety strategy will make it one of the most protected retirement developments nationwide.”

October; this recommended no smoking at all in care homes – in 2016 alone it identified 120 care homes in London caught fire accidentally.

Robin Hughes, managing director of Castle Retirement Living, said: “With not only my parents due to be amongst our first residents, all safety is of a paramount importance to me.

“The recommendations from the Grenfell tragedy will take time and I want our building to lead the way in fire safety so we have taken the decision to put sprinklers in all corridors and common areas for our 65 apartments.

“By making the decision now – 13 months before we open, we assure all residents of the very best thinking in fire safety – even though we are a low rise building with every apartment having a balcony accessible by the fire brigade.

“I believe our investment in our fire safety strategy will make it one of the most protected retirement developments nationwide.

“While our no smoking policy has not yet proven to be legally enforceable as homes and residential care homes are currently exempt from smoke-free legislation, we have found all our 14 reservees to date extremely supportive and committed to our initiative.”

BARCHESTER Healthcare is celebrating 25 years since it was founded and works began to transform a derelict, 17th Century listed farmhouse into its first home.

When entrepreneur Mike Parsons purchased Morton Hill in the Cotswolds in 1992, his aim was to start a provider capable of delivering high-quality care in luxurious surroundings.

25 years on, Barchester runs 201 care homes across the UK, seven independent hospitals and currently has the leading quality ratings among all the large providers running services in England.

Celebrations for the anniversary will take place in Barchester homes and hospitals across the UK during October.

From tea parties to live music sessions, staff and residents are planning a range of events and hope to welcome others from the community to celebrate with them.

To mark the milestone, all staff who have worked at a Barchester-run

home for 25 years will receive a gift.

Four of these individuals will receive further recognition in the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ category at this year’s Barchester Care Awards, an awards ceremony for staff and volunteers.

Chief Executive, Dr Pete Calveley, said: “Barchester has grown rapidly over the last 25 years and is now one of the UK’s leading care home providers in terms of both size and quality ratings.

“The values set out in those earlier days, remain at the heart of this organisation and we continue to work hard to achieve high-standards in every aspect of the care we deliver and to promote independence, dignity and choice for the individuals living in our homes and hospitals.

“Our 25th anniversary is a great opportunity for everyone who is a part of Barchester today to celebrate their contribution to its continued development. It’s also a fine excuse for a party, which is something Barchester staff and residents know how to do very well.”

Revellers at a care-themed ball have raised £5,000 for a national charity. Care providers from the Athena Health Care Group, which has homes in Ormskirk and Southport, launched the Community Activities Hub earlier this year to bring together care home residents from both areas to make friends, enjoy day trips out and hold idea sessions with other care providers for the elderly community in the North West. The group staged the Athena Charity Ball – attended by guests including the Mayor and Mayoress of Sefton and the Mayor of Maghull – at the Ramada Hotel in Southport to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Wing named after artist A WING at Pelton Grange Care Home has been named after Chester-LeStreet artist George Levitt.

The painter and photographer has been a long-term friend and supporter of the home, having donated eight works that are now enjoyed by residents and staff.

As a thank you for his ongoing support, a wing of the care home was renamed The George Levitt Wing, and an exhibition was held in celebration.

A ninth painting, of the exterior of the care home, was commissioned by the previous manager and now has pride of place in the entrance to the new wing.

Current home manager Les Burnett said: “I believe it’s really important to celebrate local talent and George has lots of it.

“He’s donated paintings to the home throughout the years and it seems only fitting for us to acknowledge his generosity.

“Residents see places they recognise in George’s paintings, such as Durham Cathedral, and they enjoy

Artist George Levitt and home manager Les Burnett at the opening of the renamed George Levitt Wing at Pelton Grange. the fact we have artworks linking them to the place they know and love.”

George is a founder member of the Chester-Le-Street Art Society and has previously exhibited at galleries across the North East, including the DLI in Durham, Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead, and Hatton Gallery in Newcastle, among others.

SPONSORED BY

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Advertiser’s announcement

Digital care planning lets carers spend their time where it matters the most DUE to an increased workload and heaps of paperwork too much time is spent on administration rather than actual care.

Studies show that digitising care plans in support of care delivery helps increase the time available for the residents.

A case from Orton Manor Nursing Home in the West Midlands shows that their carers went from completing paperwork to delivering care and spending more time with the residents.

In this case, no quick fix was found, only hard work slowly digitising and keeping a well-determined focus on going paperless has helped.

“We can now deliver the care and spend time with the residents, which is what everyone of us goes into care for.”

– Registered Manager, Gemma Broth Easy to use The most important feature of Sekoia, which is the supplier of the digital tool, is how user-friendly it is.

In a tablet, different apps are available to let the carers complete basic documentation and access residents care plans, making the scope of work more person-centred.

Director Shahzada Ahmed lets us in on his thoughts switching away from paper:

seen significant changes in families and residents noticing much greater time that is allowed in direct contact from carers and service-users without the need for duplicating paperwork.”

Facts & Figures/ Statistics 33% less time spent on administration A typical care home experiences a huge reduction to the time care staff spends on paperwork.

For example, one care home has reduced its paperwork by 33% when examined in a benchmark study.

50-92% fewer mistakes Most care homes reduce the number of incidents by preventing loss of information at handover to colleagues and temporary staff.

In the third party conducted Sekoia studies, the reduction ranges from 50-92%.

Incidents are reported and logged in real time, date stamped and recorded.

“I wanted something more, something that would integrate the different platforms into something that would be much more userfriendly, so that my carers were using the technology to be able to deliver a much higher standard of care, to give

more care time, to free their time up.”

The carers are delivering a more personalised service. Shahzada Ahmed has noticed this change: “I have seen measureable return on investment for me, I have held resident meetings, family meetings and I have

1,200,000 care tasks a month In the UK, Denmark and Sweden, Sekoia has been fully rolled out at around 100 care homes, supporting more than 1,200,000 care tasks a month.

For more information go to www. sekoia-care.co.uk

15

SPONSORED BY

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Nursing home first to achieve Experienced highest possible CQC rating patient care GODSWELL Park is the first general nursing home in England to be rated outstanding in every area: being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well–led.

The home in Bloxham, Oxfordshire provides nursing care and support for older people, some of whom may be living with a variety of physical disabilities including Parkinson’s disease or stroke, or who may be requiring palliative care.

Michael Bone, chairman of Godswell Park, said: “I am so very delighted with these results which endorse our complete commitment to offering the best that is possible in nursing care.

“I was inspired to set up a care home after the struggle I had to find a place that could care well for my own mother, and this is a wonderful legacy for her.”

Although a very small number of other social care providers have attained this accolade, Godswell Park is the only standalone nursing home in England out of the 18,000 that are registered with CQC to achieve a score of outstanding in all five inspection areas.

Michael explains why being rated outstanding in nursing care is so important: “Elderly people requiring nursing

specialists

care are some of the most vulnerable in our society,” he added. “It is important that staff have ample time to support them individually so that each resident may continue to live as fulfilling a life as possible.

“To achieve this with an outstanding score means not only that this is happening, but that it is carried out to the highest standards, with kindness and care.”

Godswell Park’s management has invested heavily in staff training and personal development, as well as technology and equipment. The home has a computerised care planning and medication system to ensure it offers the most advanced approaches to residents’ care.

It recognises the importance of combining the use of technology

It’s all about the care

WHAT does quality mean to you? Here is one definition; the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.

With the recent Competition and Markets Authority study launch the focus is largely on consumer and contract issues. How the consumers are charged for services and are they fair, or at the end of the contract will the estate have hidden and unknown expenses to deal with?

Top ups have been around for a while and I’m not referring to telephone contracts. This is where a local authority will only cover a certain amount.

How do you get the rest and is the request fair?

Who do you ask for payment when an individual cannot pay?

Justification, asking for evidence of unexplained or hidden charges, unexpected fee increases, confusing requests for top-up payments, or occasions when they feel that complaints have not been handled fairly. Does competition between care homes drive quality and value for money, or is this where the business looks for cost savings, which may impact the quality of service offering?

The question is, are care home providers treating their residents fairly, in particular in relation to information provision, contract terms and business practices?

The provision of information by care home providers and authorities and whether that facilitates residents making the right choice are important questions. How do we ensure that a potential user of care home and housing services finds and connects to the right service provider?

Additionally how do we ensure that there is a quality check both during the service provision and after the service ends?

Does regulation affect competition between care homes in terms of quality and price?

If you look for a care home in a certain location how do you differentiate between the quality and value of service? Should we not be considering value for money in the care offer?

Within the regulatory bodies how can we ensure the consistency of the Inspector through the journey of a business? We are all different. We all interpret information in different ways. If there is a change of Inspector, how do can we ensure that there is consistency and transfer of the tacit knowledge from one Inspector to another?

The role and nature of competition between care homes is paramount.

How do you as a potential user or someone looking for a service for a friend or relative, choose

the right facility? n Is it the kerb appeal? n Is it the service you receive from the staff and will it be same throughout the stay? n Is it the quality of the food and not just what’s on the menu? n Is it the smell? n Is it the location? n Is it the reputation of the provider or did you have a recommendation? n Is it expensive? n Will I be able to afford it for as long as stay there?

How we make choice and selection is different for all of us.

My own background has been building care and retirement facilities across the UK and internationally and more recently moving to digital healthcare as a tool to enable an improved service offering, not just the telecare models, looking into the future these technologies will completely change our lives.

I believe the future model of care is yet to evolve, into one which is not driven only by money alone, and one that enhances quality of life for an individual living alone at home, in care home or in specialist housing.

What if there was a business model to challenge the status quo to innovate the models that exist to give the consumer an ‘exceptional’ experience beyond their expectations.

The future will be challenging for the ageing population, affordability will be the greatest challenge. Furthermore there is the question of health. This may be the primary concern for most.

Ageing well for as long as possible without a major illness if not more than one. In a home that meets your changing needs.

I would welcome the opportunity for conversations of any type whether from working on a new project or an old one, through to helping you improve your environment and service through bespoke evaluation surveys.

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and individualised medical care with traditional approaches to well-being, including an eight acre accessible garden and grounds with its own flock of Soay sheep.

Michael added: “We look at innovative ideas and best practice being used in other parts of the world and bring them back to Oxfordshire, such as our sun room, complete with sandy beach, which was pioneered in Sweden. We were the first care home in the UK to incorporate this in our premises.

“My aim has always been to provide the best possible care for the elderly at fair value. This CQC report has shown that it can be achieved, and I’d like to thank each and every member of staff at Godswell Park who make it happen.”

MEDPAGE Limited has manufactured quality affordable caring technologies for over 30 years.

We specialise in providing bespoke design and development solutions for patient care.

We were challenged recently to develop an alarm solution for a wandering resident in a care home on a limited budget.

The alarm was to operate independently from the house nurse call system and required to send notifications to the carer mobile phone with time and dated incident reports.

This we did with 100 per cent success. The alarm is now a mainstream product sold nationally.

Reassurance and confidence in a supplier is paramount to a successful business relationship, especially where healthcare is concerned.

You can rest assured that when you buy and use our products you are connected with a company with backbone and a passion to offer care technologies that deliver performance and quality.

17

18

CARINGNEWS

No reprieve for nurses who fail the current English test aimed at curbing immigration

By Kashif Majeed ANYONE hoping for a change in the IELTS requirements for nurses coming to work in the UK have been disappointed with the outcome of the recent stakeholder consultation process.

At the last meeting of the NMC board at the end of September 2017, it was announced that the board are still gathering data and reviewing the situation and any decision appears not to be on the horizon.

Therefore, overseas nurses need to continue to work towards achieving a score of 7.0 in all four skill areas with a minimum overall score of 7.0.

The IELTS rules introduced to curb immigration were set to be relaxed after they prevented native Englishspeaking nurses from working in the NHS and the private nursing sector across the UK. The NHS has a shortage of 40,000 nurses and the private nursing sector, recruiters and NHS employers have

been lobbying for a reduction in the IELTS scoring system.

This would allow thousands of nurses from countries such as Australia, India and the Philippines to work in the UK. Stakeholder feedback demonstrates that there is general support for the overall level being set at 7.0, but with flexibility in individual domain scores.

It is widely recognised that many English-speaking nurses struggled with the written part of IELTS – an essay-based exam.

The NMC accepted that it could undertake further research to explore why the writing domain consistently scores lower and the impact of lowering the score to 6.5.

Some stakeholders have suggested that a language test which incorporates the clinical and social skills needed by nurses would be more appropriate than IELTS. The outcome of the stakeholder meeting resulted in a recommendation to improve

Kashif Majeed signposting and support from the NMC in relation to preparation for the IELTS test, including gathering and sharing best practice from

employers.

It has also directed that the NMC explore a new strategic solution, considering in particular the OET. Finally, further explore the writing element of IELTS and the evidence base for any change.

In that respect, the NMC are exploring the possibility of introducing another test that may be more relevant for the social care sector.

At the moment, the favourite seems to be the Occupational English Test (OET). The OET assesses the language proficiency of a range of healthcare professionals, including nurses and is successfully implemented in other countries.

In conclusion, there is no actual solution to this controversial issue but at least the wheels have been set in motion and it remains to be seen whether there will ever be a reprieve for nurses to work in the UK. n Kashif Majeed is a director at Aston Brooke Solicitors.

Group celebrates ‘Staff Appreciation Week’ EMPLOYEES at Holmes Care Group have enjoyed celebrating their annual ‘Staff Appreciation Week’.

The group scheme recognises and celebrates staff members’ contributions to the company.

Throughout the week several company-wide events and activities were planned for over 1,000 employees, to thank them for their dedication to advancing the Holmes Care Group mission.

Staff Appreciation Week events and activities include hand written thank you cards, certificates of appreciation, special promotions, prize raffles, free lunches and other

special offerings.

‘Staff Appreciation Week’ was introduced by the company to demonstrate to employees just how much they are valued.

Since its launch, the initiative has become so popular that employees are continually coming up with new ideas to make each year even more special and rewarding.

Holmes Care Group was recently recognised for their Staff Appreciation Scheme at the 2017 Employee Benefits Awards after being shortlisted as finalists in the ‘Most Motivational Benefits’ category.

Fundraiser Jim Bumby and councillor Hazel Dalgliesh-Brown with staff and volunteers from Sowerby House.

Home welcomes cycling hero to celebrate fundraising success SOWERBY House is celebrating after raising £205 for Macmillan, and receiving a visit from local fundraiser Jim Bumby and councillor Hazel Dalgliesh-Brown for afternoon tea.

The Thirsk home raised money in support of Jim, the nephew of one of Sowerby House’s residents, who cycled with his brother-in-law Simon from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 15 days for the cancer charity.

The duo hoped to raise £3,000, however they have already beaten that target, with the current total sitting at nearly £3,500.

Jim took the floor at Sowerby House to deliver a short speech about his cross-country adventure and offered congratulations to the home for their

fundraising efforts. The home raised the money by hosting a garden party and a raffle.

Katie Hodgson, deputy manager at the Larchwood Care operated home, said: “The residents were very keen to raise money for Macmillan, as it is a charity close to all of our hearts.

We are delighted that Jim and Simon did so well, and that Jim was able to come and tell the residents about the journey.

“It is essential to the care and wellbeing of our residents that we do in activities that make them feel part of the local community. We enjoy coming up with stimulating and interesting fundraising ideas as part of our varied activities package.”

Three staff members from Gleavewood, the Minster Care-run residential home in Cheshire, pulled on their pyjamas and laced up their walking boots to take part in a sponsored walk. Gemma Critchley, Sarah Cheadle and Wendy Leigh walked over seven miles from the home in Weaverham to Crossways care home in Lostock Gralam, which is also run by the Minster Care Group. Once they arrived at Crossways, the trio took a short break before turning around and walking all the way back to Gleavewood for a total distance of 14.4 miles. The team raised £465 thanks to donations from Gleavewood staff members, residents, relatives, onlookers and friends of the home. All proceeds will go to Gleavewood’s activities fund.

19

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

Homes financed to generate own electricity on-site and save thousands in energy costs CARE providers are being urged to take advantage of funding under a Government scheme that can slash energy costs.

The scheme is being offered to care facilities by Switched On Solutions, who work closely with the care sector to help reduce energy costs. The aim of the scheme is to provide an onsite electricity generation system which produces both power and heating Care homes can either purchase the equipment outright in which case electricity generated is free from outset, or they can sign up to a lease like agreement with free supply, installation and ongoing maintenance of the equipment. Electricity generated is then provided at a discounted rate which could see energy bills cut by approximately 25 per cent initially and rising thereafter.

John Jessop, project manager for energy use reduction, said: “The main benefit is reduced energy costs. The electricity generated onsite can go a long way to meeting the power demand for the care home. Under the free installation scheme, the discounted rate paid for electricity is linked only to the RPI. Grid electricity prices have increased at a significantly higher rate than RPI, which means that the savings over the coming years will be greater still. And of course, after the initial period, all electricity produced by the equipment is free to the care home.

“The scheme is all about helping care homes to save money and be more energy efficient. We understand that it can be harder for smaller care home to raise the capital to purchase the equipment, so the offer of having freely installed equipment is proving attractive to many.”

All equipment comes with 24-hour, round the clock maintenance, and is also there as a back-up heat and electricity generator to maintain essential functions in an emergency grid-power loss situation.

The energy comes from an on-site combined heat and power solution, which is up to 50 per cent more efficient than equivalent national grid generation, thus reducing carbon emissions and being better for the environment. The combined energy comes from a gas fired electricity generator.

The key difference is that the heat from the generation process, which would otherwise be wasted, is captured and used to meet the heating demands of the care home.

The value of freely installed combined heat and power (CHP) equipment can run to £50,000 or more with similar sums being achieved in savings in energy costs over the lease period referred to above.

And those numbers are per home, so for care home groups, the values can be significant and the contribution made to carbon emission reduction by self-generation across a group will also be noteworthy.

John added: “CHPs are an ideal solution for those with a natural gas supply. Of course, there are care homes that do not have natural gas and have to rely on heating for their premises from boilers fuelled by LPG or oil.

These fuel costs are very expensive. So we can install biomass generators at those sites which reduce energy costs enormously.

“The care home can have installed heat and power generation equipment with zero capital outlay and zero ongoing maintenance costs. “Maintenance costs can prove to be a costly burden for many care homes with older equipment.” John, added.

The project is in part Government funded under the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme administered by OFGEM (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets).

John, said: “Some people think it’s too good to be true, but this is part of a Government initiative to improve energy efficiency and money has been earmarked for the care industry. It’s a no-lose situation.”

The capital value of equipment installed can be tens of thousands of pounds per generator, meaning significant value is added to care home businesses.

John added: “When we’ve spoken to care homes, some of them are using boilers that are many years old. As well as being inefficient, they break down and can be costly to maintain.

Biomass generators can once again be installed for free. They also generate both electricity and heat and in this case the fuel cost savings can run to hundreds of thousands of pounds in the long term” The team from Switched On Solutions understand how important efficiency and cost savings are when it comes to running a care home. They help their clients to save money, add value to their businesses and reduce their carbon footprint.

Switched On Solutions will even make sure scheme users maintain power during the installation period, meaning there is no disruption to their business.

For further information, please contact their Energy Use Reduction Project Manager, John Jessop at john. jessop@switchedonbrokers. com or go to www. switchedonbrokers.co.uk/ helping-care-homes-lowerenergy-costs/

20

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

Manufacturer launches new Guardian fire door closer EXIDOR is a proud UK manufacturer based in Cannock, Staffordshire specialising in the care home market.

Already UK market leaders in emergency escape hardware and electromagnetic closers, Exidor are experts in their field of fire door closers as well as escape systems.

Exidor is well established in the care home market with their 9870 swing free and hold open electromagnetic door closer, but responding to the specific demands of a care home environment, have now launched their Guardian closer, which is specifically designed to meet these needs.

Swing free closers are designed for use in this market as in normal conditions they operate as if no closer is fitted, such as a resident would experience in their own home.

Only in the event of a fire and the fire alarms being activated, does the power of the closer engage to ensure that the fire door closes as it is required to do.

One issue with using swing free door closers is the risk of causing injury to both carers and residents through the door slamming due to windows and doors being left open, particularly during the summer months In normal function Exidor’s

Guardian offers the features of a standard swing free closer, but with some notable safety features that allows it to stand out as the ultimate door closer for care homes.

The Guardian offers finger protection with its anti-slam function which hydraulically controls the motion of the door, regulating any slam action whilst still allowing the convenience of the door operating as though there is no closer fitted.

The hydraulics within the unit are also used to create drift resistance.

If a door is unbalanced or caught in a draught, it can swing open or closed.

If a resident wants the door held at a particular point, such as left ajar for a hint of light at night, there is a temptation to wedge or prop the door in position.

This will stop the closer working as it should in the event of a fire and

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will leave the building and occupants vulnerable.

The drift resistance within the Guardian unit means that there is a slight drag on the unit holding it in position, but still it remains free to swing open and closed when pushed or pulled by a door user.

These features allow residents ultimate control over their doors during normal function and help to ensure that, in the event of a fire, the closers can do the job they are designed to do, and shut the door safely and securely helping to support and maintain the integral passive fire protection within the building.

In a time when our awareness is heightened to the devastation that a fire can cause within a multioccupancy building, Exidor’s Guardian closer offers peace of mind that residents and care workers are being protected by their surroundings.

Exidor also offer a highly efficient selection of matching mechanical doors closers that help complete their range of closers ideal to match all the needs of your care facility.

Available in a wide range of stylish covers and finishes, Exidor can provide the ideal look for almost every environment.

21

CARINGNEWS

Recover lost time with Snappy Tags ACROSS the UK, busy care home staff spend over 6,000 hours a week rummaging through lost property and residents’ rooms looking for mislaid clothing.

That’s a lot of hours spent on this fruitless task. With this in mind, one company has identified a quick, easy, and cost-effective solution to labelling residents’ clothing.

Snappy Tags® are discreet and resemble small buttons, making them comfortable and unobtrusive to the wearer. Care homes who have implemented Snappy Tags® agree: Robert York, CEO of Nazareth Care Charitable Trust, said: “I was so impressed when I first saw Snappy Tags that I bought them for my own mother, who is a resident in one of our Houses.

“We have never had an issue with Snappy Tags falling off in the laundry and I am very happy to recommend them to families of residents in all our locations”.

The team at Snappy Tags laser-etch either names or room numbers into the tag, ensuring that they will never fade, even in harsh industrial laundry conditions.

Tags are simply snapped onto the laundry label or garment seam using the applicator. The brilliant thing about this product is that they are re-usable and they can be re-applied to a new item of clothing quickly and easily.

Dale-Jaimé Matthews from St Cloud Care added: “Snappy Tags has made it so much easier to keep track of all of our residents’ clothing... everything else we have tried has failed.

“The little tags have given back hours of time to our laundry staff and have provided peace of mind with the residents and their families for their items of clothing.”

Prices start from £9.95 (inc VAT) for 25 tags. Snappy Tags® offer single kits for individual resident’s right through to packages for your whole home.

A carer has won an award at the second annual Kent Care Awards for her dedication to homecare in the area. Hollie Berry was awarded with the Homecare Worker of the Year accolade and impressed judges with the care and compassion that she provides to all of her service users. Hanah Roberts and Donna Barker, also from Nurse Plus, were shortlisted in the Dementia and Registered Manager and Carer of the Year awards. This is the second year that Nurse Plus has won at the awards, with Mary Harvey winning the Home Care Registered Manager award in 2016.

CQC report: Technology = an opportunity to improve healthcare THINKING beyond the traditional and turning to technology could help relieve pressure on care providers and their staff, and improve the quality of care.

So says the Care Quality Commission’s new State of Care report. The findings reinforce an approach Closomat, Britain’s leading provider of intimate care solutions for the elderly and disabled, has been promoting.

Assistive technology helps (where appropriate) reduce reliance on care provision, enhances quality of life, mental wellbeing, and helps achieve person centred care.

“Would you want someone to help you on and off the loo? To wipe your bottom?” said Robin Tuffley, Closomat marketing manager. “The CQC, in its report, says ‘providers need to think beyond traditional boundaries to reflect the experience of the people they support’.

“It adds ‘technological innovation offers an opportunity to drive improvement in healthcare services.

“We actively support new ways of delivering

care that are designed to improve the quality of care for people..

“Technology, such as a toilet lifter, wash & dry (bidet) toilet , already exists to meet that forwardthinking strategy. Providers do not necessarily view it in that way, yet it is – it is assistive technology.”

Enquiries: Call 0161 969 1199 or email info@clos-o-mat.com

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CARINGNEWS

Improving protein intakes in older people living in the community

A NEW study from Bournemouth University has investigated how to increase protein intake in older people living in the community.

The study found that for the majority of people a simple intervention, such as adding sauce to a lunch meal, made a significant difference. The effects were sustained in the following meal too.

Low protein levels can lead to health complications, particularly in older people, as it can speed up the loss of muscle mass which can make them more vulnerable to falls, poor mobility and a loss of independence.

However, managing and increasing protein intake is difficult in environments such as residential care homes or hospitals, but can be even more difficult for people living in the community.

Lead researcher, professor Katherine Appleton, said: “Our previous research demonstrated the value of adding sauce to an older persons’ meal as it helped to increase the intake of protein-rich foods at that meal.

“However, for the health benefits

Katherine Appleton to be worthwhile, high intakes of protein-rich foods need to be sustained for longer than a single meal.

“We know that it is possible for the benefits of the higher intakes to be reduced by a lower intake in the following meal, so our current study was designed to see if effects were maintained at the next meal too.”

52 participants completed the study, which saw people eating a lunch meal of chicken, potatoes and vegetables either with sauce or with no sauce.

This was followed by an evening meal with cold buffet and picnic style

“We cannot yet explain the difference between the two groups. But these differences show the importance of taking into account individual preferences and tastes.”

food. Participants were allowed to eat as much or as little as they wished until comfortably full.

“For the majority of people, the addition of the sauce led to an increase in their protein intake at lunch,” added Katherine. “And this effect was maintained over the following meal as well. Importantly, the increase in protein intake in this group was high enough following the meal with sauce, that their health could be affected.

“We did also find that for a significant minority, protein intakes were reduced as a result of adding sauce.

“We cannot yet explain the difference between the two groups.

But these differences show the importance of taking into account individual preferences and tastes.

“For health professionals and those working with or caring for older people in the community, this research suggests that simple interventions to increase protein intakes can be successful,” said Professor Appleton.

“This can help to improve people’s health and reduce the need for treatment or hospital admissions. However, as with all care, it’s important to personalise any intervention and take into account the individual’s tastes and preferences.”

Phil Caine has been appointed general manager of specialist care village Belong Crewe, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge in managing care homes. Phil has been a ‘home grown’ manager with Belong, having started his career with CLS Group (as it was previously known) in 1991 as a YTS trainee. He quickly progressed through various care related roles to become a manager, expertly managing a number of care homes. Phil also has experience of providing specialist dementia care and supporting colleagues to develop their skills and confidence. Turning his hand to management, Phil joined the Belong management team as support manager, helping to successfully open Belong’s fifth village in Warrington in 2014, enabling it to become the vibrant village community that it is today.

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25

CARINGNEWS

‘Activity coordinator of the year’ is in first job in care industry

classes, crafts and music to outside entertainers. There are also organised outings, while people who remain in their own rooms are offered one-toone time during the mornings.

Tamzin added: “My approach is to understand each person’s uniqueness and what activities have most meaning and enjoyment for them.

Everyone is creative in some way and nurturing our creativity gives us purpose.

“It may be through baking cakes, arts and crafts or music, so let’s organise groups who share those interests. It may be poetry so let’s arrange readings or write poems to enter competitions.

“It may be that their garden was their interest, so let’s get them into the gardens or create an indoor garden in their room.”

Tamzin arranges special experiences for residents through a “wishing well” scheme that runs at Oakfield and all brighterkind homes.

Jeremy Richardson, chief executive of brighterkind, added: “Tamzin’s award as best activities coordinator recognises her total commitment to her job and to the people she keeps happy, active and creative.”

TAMZIN Moloney from Oakfield Care Home in Weston Park, Bath, has been named ‘best activity coordinator of the year’ in the prestigious National Activities Providers Association Awards 2017.

She was selected by the judges from 180 entries for this award.

Tamzin, who has been activities coordinator at Oakfield for nearly three years, said: “This is my first job in the care industry and now I wonder how I could ever leave it. The best thing about it is seeing someone completely absorbed in an activity and the smile it puts in their eyes.”

She was previously involved in volunteer work. In naming Tamzin as best activity coordinator of the year, the NAPA judges praised her for going above and beyond what would normally be expected in her job and for her creative, sensitive and personcentred approach, which was all about the residents’ interests.

Tamzin has also been singled out by the CQC in a recent inspection report rating Oakfield, which is run by operator brighterkind, as ‘good’.

Group activity sessions are held for residents in the home during the afternoons and vary from exercise

Ben Curtis, left, presents a cheque for £250 to Adina Grace, of Cricklade Open Door, with a little help from Cricklade assistant town crier Chris Atkins.

Grant will open doors for elderly people A SECOND community grant from care at home provider Bluebird Care Swindon is literally a door opener for older people in Wiltshire.

Because £250 has been awarded to Cricklade Open Door, which was selected from several organisations that applied.

The charity is based in Jenner Hall in Cricklade and runs a café, lunches and activities for older people.

The money will be used to provide activity equipment and other materials for members.

Ben Curtis, Bluebird Care Swindon managing director, said: “We were delighted to receive several

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“They were all very worthy causes, but in the end we selected Cricklade Open Door because of the excellent work they do in supporting older people in the Cricklade community, in providing activities, support and friendship.”

This is the second grant Bluebird Care Swindon has given this year, with the aim of supporting organisations which work in the area to help elderly people living in the community. The first was awarded to Eastcott Community Organisation.

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CARINGNEWS

Home’s manager delivers lecture to future nurses A MANAGER from a Glasgow care home has helped educate others on developing a successful career in the industry, by giving a guest lecture at a top Scottish university.

Using her own career as evidence, Heather Martin, a deputy manager at Bupa’s Deanfield facility, delivered an interactive and informative seminar to a group of second year nursing students at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Heather’s lecture was aimed at improving education and raising awareness of the array of clinical procedures undertaken by care nursing staff. It also looked to highlight the levels of expertise required in the profession.

Specifically, she focused on enteral feeding – the process whereby nutrition is delivered via a tube – demonstrating the best and safest way to carry out the various methods of this, and then encouraging the students to practice for themselves.

Heather also spoke about how working for care homes can lead to a very rewarding career, telling of her own personal experience to encourage others to follow in her footsteps.

She said: “My lecture was very

practical so all the students were able to get quite hands on.

“It highlighted the huge variety of clinical work involved in working in care homes and the huge support network available to care home nurses. Enhancing education of student nurses and helping address some of the misconceptions regarding nursing in a care home is a passion of mine as aged care nursing is complex and requires a range of clinical and emotional skills.”

Having spent time caring for her brother who had learning disabilities and a disabled neighbour, Heather realised she had a passion for caring for others, and has now worked with Bupa for 10 years.

She added: “My interest in care was sparked years ago after helping my brother and neighbour. I found helping them both very rewarding and realised it was something I would like to do as a career.

“I’m very lucky as I find my job extremely satisfying and am able to give back to those around me on a daily basis.

“After the seminar, all the students spoke to me at the end and said they found it beneficial for their future careers, which was fantastic to hear.”

Alex Ramamurthy, CEO of the Care Workers Charity receiving the cheque from Caring Homes Group Chairman Helena Jeffery with the evening’s host, singer Ronan Keating.

Provider partners with charity CARING Homes Group has announced its support for the Care Workers Charity and membership of its Supporters Club.

The new partnership was confirmed at the operator’s annual conference and recognition awards, held to celebrate the best in care and support across the group.

During the event Alex Ramamurthy, CEO of the Care Workers Charity, spoke about the charity and its work.

More than £2,000 was raised at the event through a charity raffle, and a cheque presentation for more than £17,000 was made by Caring Homes

founding director Helena Jeffery and the evening’s host singer Ronan Keating.

Paul Jeffery, CEO, Caring Homes Group, said: “I am delighted that Caring Homes Group has pledged to support the Care Workers Charity as the work which the charity does in supporting current, former and retired care workers is invaluable in the sector. The people our colleagues support on a daily basis rely on them to be there and it is reassuring to know that the Care Workers Charity exists to provide help for care workers who may need it.”

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CARINGNEWS

The Beth Johnson Foundation and older people’s charity Anchor have launched a new report that recommends the innovative use of drama, music and dance in care homes to help people living with dementia. Caring UK found out more.

The power of drama, music and dance in helping residents with dementia ‘EXPERIENCES of Being’ details the use of drama, music and dance in 17 care homes across Surrey run by Anchor.

The report shows the positive effect it has, particularly for those living with dementia, the biggest cause of death in the UK. The study, funded by the Beth Johnson Foundation, found that creative activities can soothe and stimulate at the same time, bring back memories from the past, and help to engage underused but still active areas of the brain.

With research from Dementia UK

“We’re keen to embrace innovative ways to enhance the lives of our residents and, with such positive results, this project has been a pleasure to be part of.”

showing that one in three people born in the UK will develop the condition in their lifetime, the study was commissioned in response to the need to improve the quality of life for those living with the condition.

For six months, Anchor trialled the integration of drama, music and dance workshops into its dementia care, offering the sessions at 17 of its care homes in Surrey, with over 200 residents benefiting from the scheme. With many proven benefits, all participating homes have since introduced the workshops to the list of activities full-time.

The benefits included improved wellbeing and an increased quality of life. Positively impacting mental health, the workshops strengthened the self-esteem and self-confidence of residents. While musical activities helped improve cognitive ability and memory recall.

On a physical note, the sessions inspired increased movement and physical exercise from residents through the encouragement of dance or subtle actions with hands or feet.

BJF and Anchor hope the report encourages all those working with older people across the UK to consider the use of arts-based activities to bring positivity and creativity into the lives of those living with dementia.

Jane Ashcroft CBE, chief executive of Anchor, said: “We’re passionate about ensuring that older life is for living and providing the best possible care for those living with dementia.

“We’re keen to embrace innovative ways to enhance the lives of our residents and, with such positive results, this project has been a pleasure to be part of. I hope others learn from the report and are encouraged to introduce similar creative activities.”

This work is endorsed by Russell Grant, a passionate supporter of dementia research having lost his grandmother to Alzheimer’s.

34

CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Owner wins award

Attendees to the Together Dementia Strategy launch event at Chamberlain Court Care Home in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Hallmark Care Homes launches its Together dementia strategy AWARD-winning provider Hallmark Care Homes has launched a new, three-year dementia care strategy at both Ty Enfys in Cardiff an recently opened, state-of-the-art Chamberlain Court in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The morning events, which were attended by industry professionals and local dignitaries alike, informed visitors of the 11 key outcomes of their Together strategy which has been developed following extensive consultation with 100 residents, 75 relatives and 100 team members.

The strategy details the actions Hallmark Care Homes will undertake as part of their vision to be recognised as the leading provider of highquality relationship-centred care for all residents by 2020, and will be supported by the creation of a number of specialist dementia care roles.

This includes; a Dementia Strategy Lead, a Hallmark Care Homes’ Dementia Nurse in England and Wales, three peripatetic Dementia Trainers and a Dementia Care Coordinator in larger Hallmark homes.

Hallmark is also introducing an Outstanding Relationship Centred Home in Dementia (ORCHID) award to recognise homes which have successfully implemented the strategy.

To support the strategy from the very onset, new tools for recruitment, including an attitudes to dementia questionnaire, have also been created to ensure that team members recruited have the compassion and sensitivity to care for someone living with dementia.

Included within this strategy will be extensive dementia training for new team members as part of their induction, which will extend to relatives and members of the local community as part of their commitment to become a dementia friendly organisation.

Hallmark’s 16 homes will also sign up to John’s Campaign, which acknowledges the importance of working with family and friends to improve care outcomes for loved ones.

In addition to this, Hallmark Care Homes will look into increasing connections with the national and

“This strategy will equip our team with the tools and confidence to enhance the quality of life of residents living with dementia and we are looking forward to the journey ahead.” local Dementia Action Alliances and will continue to fundraise for Alzheimer’s Research UK with the intended target of £25,000 by December 2018.

Managing director Avnish Goyal said: “2017 is a very exciting time for Hallmark Care Homes, with our 20th anniversary and the launch of our Together Dementia Strategy, which will further enable our team members to deliver high-quality, relationshipcentred dementia care to residents.

“We understand the importance of working with residents, relatives, team members, external professionals and the local community, which is why our strategy is called Together and it has been written in collaboration with representatives from all of these groups.

“This strategy will equip our team with the tools and confidence to enhance the quality of life of residents living with dementia and we are looking forward to the journey ahead.”

The strategy launch events included presentations from Avnish, dementia strategy consultant David Moore and June Hennell, who has an MBE for her services to people living with dementia.

June spoke about her personal experiences of dementia after her late husband was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia in 2009, and stressed the importance of individuality in each case of dementia and working with relatives to improve care delivery.

CAROLINE Balmer, joint owner and MD of Caremark in Worcester & Malvern Hills, was crowned this year’s ‘Inspirational Achiever of the Year’ by Pitman Training, beating hundreds of other entrants from across the globe for the prestigious award.

She was selected as one of three finalists from scores of international entries in recognition of her achievements in 2016, notably the setting up of a dementia home care service here in Worcester.

Last year saw Caroline successfully launch and grow her new dementia-focused care business, study for and complete her degree studies in dementia, as well as train for and run a 10k marathon to raise money for a local charity.

Before launching Caremark, she worked in the care industry for more than 15 years and witnessed first-hand how dementia can affect a family, as her grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Through the devastating experience, Caroline was driven to start her own business to provide the high level of service she feels

those in need deserve.

Commenting about her achievements, she said: “I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished in one year of business.

“I’ve literally gone from picking up the keys to an empty office, to becoming a blossoming business in just 12 months, as well as completing my degree.

“It’s been hard work but it’s worth it when you see the difference you’re making in the community.

“I’ve built a diverse team of truly wonderful people who go out every day and provide care, support and companionship to people in their own homes.

“It’s something I’m so passionate about and it’s both exciting and rewarding to watch it grow and change people’s lives.”

The win comes on the back of an earlier success in June when Caroline and her team at Worcester & Malvern Hills were presented with ‘The Rising Star’ award by Caremark Limited, the franchisor, at their annual corporate conference in recognition of her outstanding performance throughout 2016.

Margaret Watkins, training manager at Czajka Care Group, Samantha Birch, deputy training manager at Czajka Care Group, Lynne Taylor, registered manager at Fairmount Nursing Home, Kasia Serwatka, training officer at Fairmount Nursing Home and Katarzyna Labecka, deputy manager at Fairmount Nursing Home.

Yorkshire operator racks up five Gold accolades ALL five of Czajka Care Group’s care and nursing homes now boast the prestigious Gold Standard Framework Accreditation Quality Hallmark Award, after Fairmount Nursing Home in Nab Wood near Bradford was presented with the prestigious accolade.

Czajka Care Group’s Brookfield Care Home and Staveley Birk Leas Nursing Home, which are also both in Nab Wood, secured the awards earlier this year. The company’s Currergate Nursing Home and Beanlands Nursing Home, which are between Skipton and Keighley, already held the accreditations.

As part of the award, care homes are put through a rigorous assessment programme and the homes’ team members have to complete an intensive nine-month training programme.

Inspectors also carry out a comprehensive review across all areas

of care that residents who are nearing the end of their lives receive.

Konrad Czajka, managing director of Czajka Care Group, said: “For all five of our homes to achieve the Gold Standard Framework is a major achievement and demonstrates the high standards that flow throughout our organisation”.

The inspectors praised how the Gold Standard Framework is embedded in Fairmount Nursing Home’s day-today operations.

They also highlighted how its range of facilities, including the bowling green, clubhouse, bar, restaurant, gym, swimming pool and extensive gardens, all add to the quality of life for both residents and their families.

The National Gold Standards Framework Centre now plans to use examples of Czajka Care Group’s work to showcase best practice and inspire other operators throughout the UK.

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Middleton Hall celebrates 10 years as a retirement village

By Dominic Musgrave AN AWARD winning retirement village celebrated its 10th birthday and completion of its latest independent living development with a lunch for residents.

Ten years ago the first residents moved into Middleton Woods, marking the beginning of what would become Middleton Hall Retirement Village, near Darlington, County Durham, from an historical care home, first established in 1900.

Since the independent living apartments opened, the village has added to its award-winning repertoire with the completion of the ecofriendly Waterside development.

The 39 dormer bungalows are believed to be the first carbon neutral retirement properties in the UK. It has won numerous awards, including a Northumbria in Bloom Award recently, and was assessed recently as outstanding in every area by the Care Quality Commission.

Jeremy Walford, managing director of the retirement village, said over the last 10 years, the business had more than doubled in size, housing 184 residents in six different facilities and employing 175 people.

He added: “It took some courage from customers ten years ago when we first opened Middleton Woods as we were asking people to buy into a vision of Middleton Hall as one of

the foremost retirement villages in the country, offering an aspirational lifestyle.

“It’s been wonderful to see how so many have enjoyed living well in their own homes here but without the risk of social isolation.”

During its development, a range of additional facilities has been added including Middleton Court, which provides nursing care, Middleton Oaks, a new care facility offering small group living, Middleton Spa with a swimming pool, gym, exercise studio, hairdressing and therapy services, the Orangery cafe and an all-weather bowling green, pitch and putt course, boules, putting and sports pavilion.

Jean Barr, resident of Middleton Woods, Jeremy Walford, managing director of Middleton Hall Retirement Village, and Marion Pickersgill, Waterside resident.

Award winners announced

Care provider opens new branch in Surrey North HOMECARE company Clarriots Care has opened a new branch in Stainesupon-Thames, Surrey North.

The office will help support people in the area and ensure that customers get excellent care, high-quality customer service and value for money.

The care service provider will cover Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath, as well as surrounding areas of West London.

Harpreet Rajasansi, owner of the new Surrey North office wants to provide a multicultural approach to the care market.

She said: “We strive to deliver the best quality of care possible.

“I want people to feel that they are receiving exceptional care, no matter

THE winners of NASHiCS’s annual Safety in Care Awards have been announced.

The prestigious awards were open to everyone who works in the social care sector, across the UK, both members and non-members of NASHiCS, whose dedication, skill and knowledge deserved recognition.

Nominees were required to submit evidence of innovation and measurable benefits to health and safety management of their organisation Winners were: Individual of the year award – Heather Foster, health and safety advisor, Leading Lives; Learning and training award – The Richmond Fellowship, Scotland; Best practice award – Aneurin

Brown, head of health and safety and estates, Hallmark Care Homes.

Finalists were announced at the Safety in Care Awards dinner as part of the national conference entitled ‘The Fair Way to a Safer Way’. In excess of 120 social care professionals attended the conference over the two days.

Chris Jackson, national chair for NASHiCS, said: “Congratulations to our winners and runners up.

We received a very impressive set of nominations this year, highlighting some high-quality and thought-provoking initiatives and it is encouraging that so many providers are taking responsibility for developing new, efficient approaches to managing health and safety.”

their ethnic background or cultural beliefs. We very much want to be part of the local community, ensuring we are always available to listen to care worker and clients.”

The branch was officially opened by the Mayor of Spelthorne, Councillor Vivienne Leighton.

The team will be led by registered manager, Mina Gandhi, who has 17 years’ experience in the sector.

She added: “We deliver on the promise of providing exceptional care, offering a tailored matching service based on individual requirements.

“With the wealth of services that we have to offer I’m very much looking forward to delivering care in the community.”

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Residents and staff at HC-One’s Acacia Court received a visit from local MP Stuart Andrew to take a tour of the care home. The MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough met with 101-year-old Francis Moran after viewing her living quarters, before witnessing some of the activities taking place at the Pudsey based home, including an armchair exercise class. Helen Fowler, care home manager, said: “The residents were touched that he’d made the time to come and visit and he was really impressed by the high quality living standards that we enjoy at the home.”

Stuart is pictured with Helen.

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Highfield House Residen tial Care Home Limited High Street, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7AN Tel/Fax 01963 350697 e-mail highfieldhouse@ yahoo.co.uk Website www.highfieldh ousecastlecary.co.uk

BY LAMONT JOHNSON

Dear Grayson We just wanted to say a special thank you for all the support you have giv the sale of our Residential en us through Care Home.

It is incredible to think, that almost 30 years ago , when we purchased our you at Taylor National, tha business through t you would also be handli ng our sale too.

The complex journey thr ough to completion of the sale has not been withou and not one I would wis t its problems h to repeat in a hurry, and cer tainly not do alone.

Thank you for your advice and support along the wa y. You have always been have needed you and we there if we have appreciated your exp ertise and knowledge.

With many thanks, again.

SOLD Highfield House, Castle Cary, Somerset

Kindest regards

Philippa Biddlecombe Philippa and Stephen Bid

dlecombe

by 1987 SOLD ylor to Grayson Ta ombes c the Biddle LD by 2017 RESOylor on Grayson Tahe behalf of t bes Biddlecom

NO ‘‘UPFRONT’’ FEES

Grayson Taylor (Managing Director, Lamont Johnson) •1981 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Taylor National •2001 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of DC Care •2012 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Lamont Johnson

Our success in the sale of Care Homes has been achieved through providing a professional and personal service, combined with the expertise, industry knowledge and experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, gained over 36 years of specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.

Our proven track record is confirmed by our clients recommendations, and their continued trust in us over the years, with additional purchases and resales.

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Provider wins three extra care contracts

Page 41

Expansion on cards at Colten Care after bank deal

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Swanton Care appoints new leadership team

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Landmark village on the cards for Canterbury

By Dominic Musgrave DEVELOPERS behind plans for the Mountfield Park project have announced that Canterbury could become the first location in the UK to have a village designed and built for the needs of people suffering from the degenerative dementia condition.

The village would form part of Corinthian Land’s 4,000 home Mountfield Park scheme planned for the southern outskirts of the city.

Land has been earmarked for the dedicated dementia village which could become home for up to 250 sufferers.

If given the go ahead, the village will be the first community of its kind in the country.

The idea for the dementia village is modelled on a successful scheme, Hogeweyk, already operating near Amsterdam, Holland.

Simon Wright, chief executive of Corinthian Land, visited the Dutch facility recently with leading care home provider Avante to see the village for himself.

“It was very impressive,” he said. “And in my opinion just the kind of facility we need across the UK as the number of dementia suffers is set to

rapidly increase.

“I would like to build the first one in Canterbury.

The concept is simple yet ground-breaking; we build a village for dementia suffers which can also accommodate their carers and immediate family and make it totally safe and secure.

“Within the village there would be a range of facilities such as shops, a care centre, a cinema and recreational facilities.

“Housing would be a mix of accommodation with a focus on encouraging couples affected by dementia from not having to split up.

“I’ve had personal experience of witnessing this cruel disease first-hand. I would, therefore, like to make the development of a dementia village a priority and start work on building it as soon as possible.

“While we have the building expertise we do not pretend to know everything about the care system so we will partner with a highly-respected care provider who will run it.

“Residents will buy or rent their accommodation and fund their own care within the village. I can’t think of a more empathetic way of dealing with this major issue.”

Lamont Johnson

Simon Wright

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Glen Arun, Horsham, Sussex, Reg 35

Highgrove House Worthing, Sussex

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If you are thinking of selling your Home now, or in the near future, there is no one more qualified or as experienced as Lamont Johnson.

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41

Provider wins three extra care contracts

By Dominic Musgrave

THREE extra care schemes in West Sussex will soon be having care provided by local homecare company Caremark (Pulborough) following their success in winning tenders.

Residents at Leggyfield Court in Horsham, Osmond Court in Billingshurst and Lanehurst Gardens in Crawley will now have any required care and support provided by the Caremark care teams at its Pulborough office.

The successful outcome is the culmination of months of hard work from staff at both the Pulborough office and Caremark head office.

Harinder Dhami, care manager at Caremark (Pulborough), said: “We are very excited to take on this new challenge and look forward to starting with the residents of all three extra care schemes.

“This is a very satisfying outcome following months of hard work and I know my team are really delighted we have won these schemes.”

Extra care schemes such as these provide a real sense of independent living for the residents within the privacy of their own flat, but also offer a lively community life to everyone living in the block, giving the individual the best of both worlds.

“The purpose of extra care schemes is that it is a home for life. These schemes will have daily events going on, such as coffee mornings, musical

Home manager Diane Stone, healthcare assistant Sam Livingstone, Mayor of Surrey Heath Councillor Valerie White and home administrator Carina Peters.

Mayor gets a preview of home Harinder Dhami entertainments, summer fetes in the garden as well as Christmas parties,” added Harinder.

“The schemes also have hairdressers, chiropodists and opticians who visit. They also have a fully commercial kitchen with a chef so that residents can enjoy a hot meal or sandwiches and lighter meals in the dining room.

“By request and for an additional payment, lunch can be sent to the resident’s room and this would form part of their care package.

“The schemes are well set up for families wishing to visit with the lounges being available for them to use as well as visiting their loved ones in their own apartments.”

MAYOR of Surrey Heath Councillor Valerie White was among those who came for a preview of Kingsclear by Caring Homes.

The luxury Camberley facility opened its doors for a special event for members of the public, including those who may be interested in finding a care home now or in the future.

Home manager Diane Stone said: “There was a constant stream of visitors and everyone was very impressed with the beautiful gardens and the rooms, especially the impressive cinema room.

“There were also a lot of compliments about the wonderful team we have recruited here and visitors commented on how everyone seemed really happy and obviously love their jobs.”

There was entertainment during

the day from vintage vocal trio The Hoochie Toots and refreshments made by the Kingsclear hospitality team.

As well as meeting the Kingsclear team there was also information, advice and guidance available from industry professionals and local community groups including Care Fees Planning Advisors, Lasting Powers of Attorney Solicitors, Alzheimer’s Café, Camberley Diamonds WI and Camberley Physio.

Kingsclear by Caring Homes is designed around the needs of its residents and will provide the highest level of residential, nursing and dementia care for up to 90 residents.

All aspects of Kingsclear have been chosen to provide maximum comfort and wellbeing for residents in a homely environment where the highest standard of care can be given.

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42 Mark Aitchison, chief executive, Colten Care (left) and Paul Stewart, relationship director, Solent Healthcare, NatWest (second right) with (left to right): Chris Richardson, director, commercial banking, NatWest; Elaine Farrer, operations director, Colten Care; Carey Moore, regional director, NatWest, and Rick Otten, co-chairman, Colten Care.

Expansion on cards A FAMILY owned care home company is set for further expansion after agreeing a £26million financing package with its new banker.

Colten Care, which owns and operates 20 homes across the South including 11 in Dorset, says it is planning to open a new home every couple of years following the deal with NatWest.

Work is already well-advanced on its 21st home, costing in excess of £10m, in Poole, while a £1.5m ‘top to toe’ refurbishment has just been completed at its Canford Chase home in Branksome Park, Poole.

Mark Aitchison, chief executive, said: “This new finance will allow us to continue with our growth strategy of building new homes, while at the same time maintaining current homes to our exceptional standards.

“Colten Care is different from many other companies in our sector. We are a family owned company with no

external shareholders to satisfy and we own the freeholds of all the homes we operate.

“We operate with very conservative levels of bank debt which is all long term reflecting our responsibilities and commitment to the elderly care sector. We will not do anything which has the potential to put our residents and the care they receive at risk, they are at the heart of everything we do.

“We’re very pleased to have NatWest on board and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

The refurbishment at Canford Chase involved all 54 bedrooms and en-suites plus lounges, bathrooms, hair dressing salon, dining rooms, corridors and all the outdoor spaces.

It was carried out by Colten Care’s sister company, Colten Developments, over an 18-month period and was done in phases to enable the nursing and residential home to remain open throughout.

Home with planning guaranteed for sale STUNNING Grade II listed residential care home situated within approximately 18 acres of land, close to Bakewell town centre.

Having planning in place for a redevelopment of the existing home into two large, luxury apartments AND for a new modern care home with 60 bedrooms, four communal living rooms and lift access to all floors. With glorious panoramic over Bakewell’s famous show grounds, this site is just a few minutes walk from the many amenities, shops, pubs and public transport links of Bakewell town centre.

The current owners require that the staff and residents of the current care home are transferred to the new facility, in so doing creating a good initial income when the site is complete and ready to open. n Use Class C2 residential institutions. n Detached care home for development. n Planning passed – new 60 bed care home. n Set within approximately 18 acres. n Prime location close to Bakewell centre. n Stunning panoramic views n Rare development opportunity. n Planning reference NP/ DDD/1110/1185. n £1,750,000 Coombs Road, Bakewell, DE45.

n 18 bedroom detached house for sale, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45.

Bakewell offers a wide range of shopping options, from traditional well known brands to boutique independent store and regular specialist markets.

The famous show grounds offer a range of events throughout the year, but if that all sounds a little too busy, there a few more picturesque towns to take relaxing stroll around.

Situated on the banks of the river Wye, Bakewell is the largest town in the Peak District National Park and it’s attractive architecture, medieval arched stone bridge and numerous courtyards attract artists and photographers as well as numerous sightseers.

Regular events include bustling outdoor market on a Monday, the highly entertaining livestock market, the July festival and well dressing and the renowned Bakewell Show in August. To arrange a viewing contact Your Move on 01773 825 456. Or via email belper@your-move.co.uk

Don’t wait for Ryanair to happen to you – managing annual leave

By Zairab Zabier BY now, most of us will have heard about the self-inflicted plight of airline company Ryanair, and the misery which lies in wait for tens of thousands of their customers over the coming months.

The company faces a huge financial hit, not to mention immeasurable damage to their trading reputation, as frustrated customers seek alternative arrangements and, in many cases, compensation.

All this because, as Ryanair has explained, they made a mess of managing the annual leave arrangements of their pilots and other core staff.

Dealing with staff holiday requests needn’t cause tumultuous pain and chaos when managed in a logical and fair way.

Below, we offer some sensible tips and guidance to businesses on how to handle this sometimes problematic issue.

Firstly, follow a policy which avoids too many employees taking annual leave at the same time.

Use an open and visible method of showing how annual leave is allocated by having, for example, a departmental leave calendar on open display.

Zairab Zabier Make it known to all those staff affected exactly how many employees can be off at the same time. This can be affected by (long term) sickness absence, so be clear in showing how this will be taken into account.

Certain times of the year are of course more popular than others: eg, Christmas, New Year and other festive occasions as well as school holidays.

Avoid implementing a ‘first come

– first served’ policy, instead opting for a rotation of the most popularly requested annual leave dates.

It is good practice to encourage staff to spread their holidays over the leave year.

There is always a member of staff who builds up too much untaken leave, and this can cause a ‘bottle neck’ effect when the leave year draws to a close and that employee is faced with having to take all their remaining leave within a short

period of time or carry it over; a situation compounded when more than one member of staff is doing it.

Neither situation is desirable. To avoid this type of scenario, staff leave should be monitored throughout the year and bottle necks avoided by, for example, setting deadlines for blocks of leave to be taken.

Finally, try to ensure that employees manage to take a block of at least two weeks’ leave within each annual leave year.

This way, employees are less likely to experience ‘burn out’, something which is more likely to affect staff who take their annual leave allocation in bouts of one or two days at a time.

It is also easier to manage longer blocks of leave; equally, however, be wary of employees who request to take all their annual leave in one block.

This may be acceptable in a one-off situation where an employee wishes to take a ‘holiday of a lifetime’, but as a standard practice, it should be studiously avoided; a six-week holiday, for instance, will mean an employee working for several months without a holiday break. n Zairab Zabier is managing director and solicitor at Zenith Lawyers LLP.

43

Swanton Care appoints new leadership team SWANTON Care and Community has appointed a new leadership team following the recent acquisition of the company by Apposite Capital.

Andrew Shelton-Murray is now serving as interim CEO until the arrival of new full-time CEO Garry Cross later in the autumn.

Andrew, formerly of Danshell and Inmind Healthcare, has worked in the health and social care sector for more than 30 years. At the end of his tenure as CEO he will become a nonexecutive director on the Board.

Garry, formerly commercial and acquisitions director of the Lifeways Group, who has worked in the sector for a decade with prior senior management experience in the retail and leisure sectors, will join the company in November.

They are both joined by new operations director Gary Thompson, who as the former head of Autism Care UK together with a senior director role with Lifeways brings over 25 years’ experience in social care.

Andrew said the arrival of the new team marked an exciting next chapter in the history of the adult social care provider.

He added: “Swanton has already started to provide a robust care pathway and has a dedicated and very experienced team. Under my leadership, and then Garry’s, we will

Two joint ventures acquired for £40m

Andrew Shelton-Murray build an organisation that delivers the highest quality care and support for our service users, their families and our commissioners.

“It’s no secret that the social care sector has faced unprecedented financial challenges in recent years but I am confident that we can invest in the right places and build an organisation that will be truly leading edge and be outcome focused.

“The success of this organisation simply depends on delivering outstanding and truly person centred services and that is exactly what we will do in the coming years.”

LEGAL & General has acquired Inspired Villages Group, formed out of English Care Villages, and specifically, the acquisition of the assets of two joint ventures between English Care Villages and Places for People, for around £40million.

To assist in the process, Legal & General commissioned a Carterwood comprehensive older people’s housing market assessment report to provide essential due diligence.

Inspired Villages currently has two schemes, in Warwick and Cheshire, comprising over 300 homes and a gross development value of around £110million.

Phil Bayliss, head of later living at Legal and General Capital, said: “Our move into the retirement housing sector is of major strategic importance. Addressing the chronic

undersupply of age-specific housing in the UK, we believe our longterm capital can deliver significant housing, health and wellbeing benefits for those in later life.

“High quality data and analysis is key to attracting institutional capital into the retirement housing market, and Carterwood’s comprehensive market assessment report gave us the clarity we needed to complete this substantial acquisition.”

Ben Hartley, co-founder and director at Carterwood, added: “Legal and General is a valued client and we are delighted to continue to support their investment decisions.

“The acquisition of Inspired Villages is highly significant in the older people’s housing sector and reflects the market’s strengths and prosperity.”

44

CARINGNEWS

Legrand establishes new partnership with Anchor Bursary scheme launched AIMING to connect and share care practices across the Commonwealth, CommonAge and Quality Compliance Systems has launched the QCS bursary scheme at the CommonAge launch event sponsored by Quality Compliance Systems at Marlborough House, London.

The QCS bursary will be used to help fund care and retirement professionals from developing Commonwealth nations to come to the UK to study and experience our care sector.

QCS CEO Mat Whittingham said: “The opportunity to come to the UK to contribute to and learn from our care sector will have an enormous impact upon the quality and the consistency of care being delivered in

these developing nations.

“Vulnerable people across the Commonwealth will benefit from this fantastic scheme and the UK sector will benefit from the rich diversity and international experience those colleagues from Commonwealth countries will bring. QCS is proud to partner with CommonAge to support this fantastic initiative.”

CommonAge is an accredited Commonwealth organisation, which was founded in Australia in 2013.

Its purpose is to ensure elders in all Commonwealth countries are supported to enjoy the highest possible quality of life in their senior years and to continue to contribute wisdom and experience to their communities.

ANCHOR has partnered with Legrand’s Assisted Living & Healthcare division to maintain the grouped living systems and nurse call systems that keep its staff and residents safe and supported.

Anchor is England’s largest not-forprofit provider of care and housing for older people, working with more than 40,000 customers.

Legrand Assisted Living & Healthcare is providing comprehensive maintenance to all of the Anchor care homes throughout England on a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year basis.

The maintenance work will be carried out by Legrand’s Tynetec and Aid Call brands in partnership with two approved installers; S.E.A in Kent and Incom Systems in West Yorkshire.

This will ensure the company provides effective ‘on the ground’ maintenance coverage for Anchor’s extensive range of properties.

Tynetec manufactures and supplies grouped living systems, access control systems and telecare solutions to local authorities and housing associations across the UK, and Aid Call has been the leading UK provider

of wireless nurse call systems for over 40 years.

Together the business units supply Anchor with a complete solution which will maintain the high quality of care the not-for-profit organisation has always provided its residents.

Legrand’s acquisition of the maintenance contract has additionally created five new jobs within the Tynetec and Aid Call business units.

Two service engineers and three administrators have been recruited to assist with the maintenance of Anchor’s retirement homes and villages.

The team will be communicating with Anchor on a daily basis to ensure that they provide the highest quality of security and support to the elderly population of England.

Sales director for Legrand Assisted Living & Healthcare, Wendy Kendall, said: “Legrand is proud to be working in partnership with Anchor and we now see ourselves as an extension to the Anchor team, given that we will be working very closely with the organisation to ensure the continued safe provision of their valuable services.”

seen as a social occasion and there are many proven benefits of eating together.

For many people, this provides an important means of communication, a time to bond with friends or family and enjoy each other’s company.

Unlike today’s youth, who although obsessed with food, spend mealtimes glued to their smartphones, the older generation will have grown up regarding mealtimes as an important time to socialise.

Typically, this was done gathered around a dinner table, as for many families, this was the only time of day they could connect with one another.

These days, we eat standing in the kitchen, on public transport, at the computer and even walking along the street.

The average care home resident in the UK is over 85 years old. Born during the war years, they will have grown up during this period and experienced the country’s rapidly changing attitudes towards food.

Having lived through the end of rationing and the beginnings of Britain’s food revolution, today’s generation of care home residents will have accumulated a lifetime of varied and interesting dining experiences, both at home, in restaurants and in countless other settings.

Arguably, mealtimes hold a greater social and emotional significance for this generation than for young people today. People born in the 40s grew up in a country with an ever changing and diversifying culinary scene.

Everything was new and exciting, and mealtimes were still seen as the optimum time to socialise with family and friends.

However, financial constraints in

the social care sector mean many care homes struggle to provide their residents with high quality food, not least to serve this in an attractive and modern environment. Making the move into a care home is a huge and unsettling change for most and many people have to adjust to a totally new lifestyle. This can include a new living space, new neighbours, friends and new routines. However, one element which should be maintained as best as possible is a residents’ diet.

As discussed, for people living in care homes today, food and mealtimes have been a source of comfort, communication and exciting discoveries all their lives.

We all know that food needs to be nutritionally balanced, attractive and great tasting to maintain health and wellbeing, but it is also important to remember that food is incredibly emotive.

This means offering varied menus and giving residents as many options as possible. It means giving residents the choice of where and with whom they eat their meals, so they have power over their own dining environment.

For those of us born in more recent decades, we take the outcomes of the food revolution for granted; we have unlimited choice and can eat whenever, wherever we want; mealtimes are no longer sacred.

However, for those residing in care homes today, this is not the case.

The importance of mealtimes for residents can never be overlooked and should always be treated accordingly, by looking beyond the food and at the dining experience as a whole. n Ellen Brown is divisional manager – care homes at apetito.

The importance of dining experience

By Ellen Brown BRITAIN is in the midst of a food revolution. With the rise of celebrity chefs, cookery programmes, food bloggers and culinary festivals, what, where and how we eat is celebrated now more than ever before.

This frenzied obsession with food may seem like a modern affair.

However, the beginnings of the phenomenon are rooted in post-war Britain, going back more than 60 years. Rationing was not repealed until 1954, which had allowed bad eating habits to become engrained – British food was an international joke.

However, the post-war global economy in the 1960s saw a dramatic rise in the standard of living. Suddenly, restaurants were opening at a rapid rate and as travel and immigration increased, so did the prevalence of international restaurants and foreign cuisines.

So, throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the population began to see food as more than just fuel, instead embracing it as part of a good lifestyle. Eating is indeed an emotive act – from a young age we learn that consuming nourishing foods can make us feel good when we’re hungry or sick.

As the revolution progressed and new foods and ways of eating became readily available, the population learnt that eating different foods, in different environments, can make us feel different ways. The act of eating became an increasingly significant part of people’s lives. Thus as the food scene went through a period of growth and change, so the contemporaries gathered a range of new and exciting dining experiences.

Of course, dining experiences

Ellen Brown are not only generated by the food eaten. The setting and atmosphere in which a person takes their meal can completely define their dining experience.

A high-quality meal served in a restaurant with gentle colours, good lighting and soft background noise makes a much more pleasant experience than eating the same meal in an unattractive, unclean and noisy environment. In the past, as food and mealtimes began to receive greater focus, more attention was paid to the environments in which food was served and eaten.

There was not only a greater prevalence of restaurants of all qualities and cuisines, but themed, novelty and experience restaurants gained popularity – a sign that dining environment was becoming an integral part to the overall experience.

Another significant element of dining experience can be who a person shares their meals with. For centuries, mealtimes have been

45

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Society’s quality of life audit Break includes Zoo visit

IMPROVE the lived experience of people with dementia in your care setting with Alzheimer’s Society’s quality of life audit.

Our high-quality consultancy service will provide your staff with a comprehensive understanding of how to confidently and effectively support people with dementia to live well.

Our specialist consultant will conduct a day-long observation within your care setting and compile a comprehensive report detailing the quality of person-toperson interactions, non-verbal

communication and the physical environment.

The report will highlight your organisation’s strengths in supporting people with dementia and make recommendations, where necessary, for improvements you can make to enhance the lived experience of people with dementia.

We will also conduct a followup observation to evaluate the effectiveness of any recommendations implemented and provide further guidance and support.

KAREN Dixon, operations manager for Safehands Holidays, and Kirsty McErlean have worked together organising short break holidays for the residents of Westbourne care home in Birmingham for the last six years, and this year was no different.

Residents Philip, John and Arthur were joined by carers Gary, Matt and Chelsea for an August midweek break.

Gary has been supporting the gentlemen on their holidays to Blackpool for the last four years so knows a holiday would not be complete without their regular visit to Blackpool Zoo. Karen arranged with Gary to join them on their visit to the Zoo to take some pictures and have some social time with them.

The sun was out and all the animals were parading out and about enjoying the sunshine. We saw the lions, tigers, gorillas and giraffes, but the sea lions

were the stars of the show.

Blackpool Zoo has a fully accessible outdoor arena that hosts a special sea lion show. Trainer Kalib and Sea lions Gina and Ania put on a fabulous show demonstrating various skills.

Regular guests Angie and support workers Bridie, Emma and Paul from Cheshire also joined the group on the Zoo trip. Bridie and Angie have visited the New Mayfair Hotel for many years and are also regular visitors to the Zoo.

Market leader supports providers Gompels ensure you’ll never run out of essentials again GOMPELS Healthcare is a family run business with traditional values; good customer service isn’t good enough – it has to be consistently great!

“I have been ordering from your company for a number of years now and I would just like to say what a great team of staff you are. Each one of you is so polite and helpful every time and nothing is too much trouble. You are all a real credit to the company and I highly recommend this company.

Well done!”

Tracey Smith, (customer).

We now stock 2,000 products. We’re passionate about providing the best quality range of essential every day products for care homes, at the very best price.

Our unique supplier, sourcing and negotiating skills mean that we get better prices by buying in bulk – the savings get passed on to our customers!

Hang around for personal hygiene JUST because someone may need help in the bathroom doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice style.

Closomat, Britain’s market leader in supported intimate care has taken that to heart.

Its new look Lima Vita wall-hung toilet enables people to take advantage of the aesthetics and household cleaning benefits of a wall-hung WC, and simultaneously benefit from enhanced personal hygiene.

The Closomat Lima Vita offers all the hygiene benefits of its floor-standing counterpart, the Palma Vita, Britain’s best-selling automatic shower toilet.

The Lima Vita looks like, and can be used as, a conventional WC. It has hidden advantages over a traditional toilet.

Its built-in washing and drying facilities save the user having to manually clean with toilet tissue, with all its potential hazards in terms of ability to tear off toilet paper, and use it effectively.

CareDocs is an innovative computer-based care planning and home management system developed for care providers.

Favoured by care establishments throughout the UK, CareDocs is the market leader in care planning, and supports care providers in achieving the highest standards in CQC compliance.

Policies & Procedures are now integrated into CareDocs, saving

care providers hundreds of pounds every year, and providing customers with more value for money.

Fully editable, with notifications automatically sent when there are legislation changes or other updates available, this unique addition allows for easy reviewing, approval and auditing of all your documents, including the ability to see if all your staff have read and understood the latest version.

NEW – stylish Pashmina Scarf Bibs from Care Designs CARE Designs’ waterproof Pashmina Scarf Clothes Protectors are now available in stylish NEW pebble prints in three chic colours.

The innovative garment combines the look of a stylish ladies’ scarf with the waterproof practicality of a bib and so and can be worn all day with a high level of dignity.

The two silk-like fabric layers on the front are highly absorbent whilst the waterproof layer on the back keeps clothes dry and has quick fastening Velcro for ease of fitting.

Get 20 per cent OFF now; use code CAREDESIGNSCUK4 at the checkout!

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

The douching delivers the best washing and drying performance available in bidet toilets, to leave the user consistently and hygienically clean and dry.

Enquiries: Call 0161 969 1199 or email info@clos-o-mat.com

Simple solutions

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

The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition.

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

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

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

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

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

More affordable, more absorbent.

New incontinence range DEVELOPED over 12 months, Anov – the name of the new range, provides more absorption than leading incontinence brands and incorporates a variety of premium quality products.

Beaucare® Medical is the exclusive stockist and distributor of the new Anov incontinence range in the UK. It is estimated that incontinence affects between three and six million people in the UK. It affects both men and women of any age, but is more common in women.

The new Anov range includes products to suit all degrees of incontinence including Light Pads, Shaped Pads, Slips, Pull ups and Pants.

Operations director Heather Mawrey said: “We were aware that care home budgets were being squeezed and that residents’ comfort was key. We developed the new Anov range over 12 months with those factors in mind.”

To accompany the launch, Beaucare is providing care homes with full product training and support materials to help assess each patient for their individual requirements.

Contact Beaucare for more information plus a full comparison between the Anov product range and the leading brand.

Enquiries: Call 01423 873666, email sales@ beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

46

CARINGNEWS

Home opens with state-of-the-art digital facilities A 120-BED Riverside care home for the elderly, which is part of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games legacy, has recently opened in Dalmarnock following a £17million investment project, featuring a cutting edge AV system from SSUK and LG. The flagship care home is designed to have a non-institutional character, scale and layout with stunning architectural design to match.

Each zone has a high-tech feel, with state-of-the-art commercial displays fitted throughout.

Commercial integrator SSUK specified a networkable AV system

for the project, connecting each room fitted with an LG display, creating an inclusive and unified environment for residents.

In its four wings, each bedroom is fitted with a 43-in SM5KB LG display, where residents can view live footage of the communal and outdoor areas via the CCTV network. The rooms are designed to allow residents to stay in their rooms without feeling excluded.

Outside of the bedrooms, communal sitting rooms are fitted with 55in UH5B LG displays which stream live TV shows in ultra HD resolution, delivering immersive

viewing experiences.

An NEC large format display is also installed in the meeting room space, with presentation facilities and a connection to the networked AV system.

A state-of-the-art cinema system is installed on the ground floor, with a 5000 lumens P501X NEC projector and projection screen, both with remote powered retraction for a highend finish.

Janice Ritchie, service manager at Riverside, said: “We want to create a truly inclusive feel and it is important that the technology we use is non-

intrusive and provides real value to our residents and our staff.

“The new display system will allow us to provide better levels of supervision and it is very easy for us to navigate due to each display being linked to one central platform.

“SSUK provided us with fantastic support throughout the training process, so that we can manage the system ourselves.

“We think our building has set a high standard for other care homes.”

The building achieved a BREEAM Excellent status and is connected to a district heating system.

Home’s residents find their voice with choir A CARE home in Uddingston is offering a unique form of musical therapy which has residents singing its praises, and now it’s calling out to the local community to get involved.

Bupa’s Highgate facility has established a weekly choir group which runs every Friday afternoon and has proved hugely popular as a social activity for its residents.

Now the home is hoping to expand its group of around 15 residents by opening its doors and inviting those living locally to come along and join in.

Led by the care home’s activity coordinators, the choir use YouTube to access classic and recognisable songs such as Flower of Scotland and Auld Lang Syne, to help participants reconnect with previous memories.

They practice the same selection

of 12 songs every session, allowing the residents to become more and more familiar with each weekly sing-a-long.

Janine Boyle, activity co-ordinator, said the positive impact that activities such as this can have on residents.

She added: “Although the group aren’t hugely confident singers yet, they’re all very eager to take part and all look forward to the Friday afternoon sessions.

“It’s great to see everyone coming together and getting involved in the singing and dancing as it really lifts the atmosphere in the home.

“We’d really like it if members of the local community were keen to come along. It’s great fun for all involved and would be hugely beneficial for our residents as they really enjoy meeting and socialising with new people.”