Caring UK October 2015

October 2015

incorporating

no.232 • £4.75

The Number One magazine for the care sector

New survey predicts a ‘care crash’

By Olivia Taylor THE results of a National Care Association survey of independent care provider members shows that 24 per cent of care providers could exit the market.

The very people the residential care sector relies on to provide high quality care are being squeezed to the point where many are considering an exit from the sector, which could create a serious bed shortage and have serious repercussions for the wider NHS. The National Care Association predicts that – due to a £375million black hole in state funding – such an exit could equate to the loss of 40,000 beds in the independent social care market, and the worsening of a bed-blocking crisis already in evidence across much of the NHS. National Care Association chairman, Nadra Ahmed OBE, said: “The chronic underfunding of social care by local authorities is prompting the systematic collapse of the independent social care market, which could, in turn, mean thousands of frail older people will not be able to access the care and support they need at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

“This will create a pathway into the NHS, which the State can ill afford, resulting in hospital admissions for non-acute conditions.”

The National Care Association points to a critical shortfall in average council funding of about eight per cent for a typical care home placement as the significant contributory factor in the likely exodus of care providers.

This underfunding, together with the impact on care sector overheads of the introduction of the living wage from April next year, is seriously eroding the viability of many care home businesses.

Without increased funding from local councils in recognition of the true cost of care, the predicted market crash, the National Care Association believes, will spell the end of the road for many independent care homes.

Nadra added: “In short, under very real threat is a UK support service which is essential to local government and NHS care provision.”

I What do you think of the National Care Association’s findings, and of the predicted market crash? Let us know by emailing ot@scriptmedia.co.uk

Company founder wins top accolade

A Bollywood-themed bash brought residents, their staff and families together to mark a hugely successful first decade for Sunrise of Banstead staff. Although the weather was more Banstead than Bangalore, the rain didn’t dampen any spirits as everyone got in the party mood. Staff welcomed guests in full Bollywood dress with a platter of Indian snacks prepared by Sunrise’s team of chefs. As the celebrations got into full swing, Lionel Blair arrived onstage to perform. Lionel then joined general manager Suzanne Spurgin in toasting to further success and cutting the specially made birthday cake.

THE founder and director of an award-winning Gloucestershire homecare company has scooped a top accolade.

Steve Mills, who founded DoCare with his wife Una 10 years ago, was named businessperson of the year at the annual Stroud Life Business Awards.

DoCare employs over 100 staff, and covers 1,000 square miles of Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and West Oxfordshire.

Steve said: “While I am really delighted to have been named business person of the year, I regard this as a win for the whole team.

“It’s our fantastic staff who make DoCare such a successful company.

“We’re a family business, and the support I have from my co-director Una, our general manager Sue Mothershaw and the team is phenomenal.

“When we set up DoCare, our aim was to provide quality homecare by training our staff to the highest standards, and making every day a better day for our clients.”

3

CARINGNEWS

Yorkshire in Bloom Gold for ‘stunning’ care home

By Olivia Taylor WETHERBY Manor care home in Wetherby has scooped a gold award at this year's Yorkshire in Bloom competition.

The awards ceremony was held at York Racecourse and was attended by over 350 guests.

Wetherby Manor was a joint gold winner in the public and private charitable establishments category.

The judges described the gardens as ‘stunning’ and the quality of planting as ‘first class’.

They also said the underlying philosophy and thought given to the structure, design, planting and maintenance of the gardens were to be commended.

Gardening and maintenance are carried out by Pullan Landscape Construction and Maintenance headed

by Neil Copley.

Vegetables and herbs grown in the garden, some of which are produced by the thriving residents' gardening club, are used by Wetherby Manor's chef.

Judith Scurr, manager of Wetherby Manor, was presented with the award on

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk Healthcare Product Manager: Bev Green Tel: 01226 734288 Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.uk National Field Sales Executive: Tracy Stacey Tel: 01226 734480 Email: ts@scriptmedia.co.uk National Sales Executive: Mandy Edwards Tel: 01226 734692 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.uk

Publishers Script Media 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

Editorial

Judith Scurr (manager, seated left) and Joanne Ogden (quality assurance manager) at Wetherby Manor with Neil Copley (second left) and the Pullan Landscape Construction & Maintenance team. behalf of the team.

She said: “Everyone at Wetherby Manor is really thrilled to win this award.

“We aim to make the gardens a talking point for residents, visitors and staff throughout the year and a lot of hard work goes into the seasonal planting.

“Passers-by often compliment our

hanging baskets and our private garden is a lovely place for residents and their friends and families to enjoy.”

Wetherby Manor provides residential, dementia and nursing care for elderly people and supported care living apartments at Linton House. It is part of Hadrian Healthcare Group.

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

Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Group Production Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio Manager: Stewart Holt Tel: 01226 734414 sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Database enquiries to: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ scriptmedia.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur.

Follow us on Twitter @caringuk

4

CARINGNEWS

Top award for Midland Heart

By Olivia Taylor

The region’s best home-baked goods, handicrafts, vegetables and floral displays were showcased in Lincolnshire as 100 care home residents came together to display their work. The Orders of St John Care Trust hosted its fifth annual harvest festival at The Venue in Navenby. As part of the event, residents from 15 care homes paraded a selection of flower arrangements, preserves, vegetables, baking and crafts, with a ‘Best In Show’ awarded to each category. Trustee Jill Hughes judged the entries alongside other OSJCT members of staff. Anita Rudd, OSJCT’s Lincolnshire activities and volunteer manager, said: “Our residents enjoy this annual event as it’s an opportunity to not only socialise and showcase their hard work, but to also get back involved with an old hobby, like gardening or baking.”

MIDLAND Heart has won a top RoSPA award for its commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention at work.

Midland Heart was presented with the Healthcare Services Industry Sector Award at a recent ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel.

Run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, it’s one of around 20 prestigious annual awards for which the industry competes.

Unlike the majority of RoSPA’s awards, which are non-competitive, the industry sector awards seek to recognise organisations that have demonstrated the best health and safety management performance within a specific sector.

Judged across 10 key performance areas, each entrant must demonstrate a consistently high and continually improving performance which sets them apart as the ‘best in sector’.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “The RoSPA Awards encourage improvement in occupational health and safety management.

“Organisations that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems, such as

Midland Heart, contribute to raising standards overall and we congratulate them.”

This is the fifth year Midland Heart has entered the scheme, gaining gold in the non-competitive programme as well as winning the Healthcare Services Industry Sector Award and the RoSPA QSA Platinum Award in 2013.

Pete Jones, head of facilities management and health and safety at Midland Heart, added: “This is the second time in three years we have been presented with an industry sector award which demonstrates our commitment to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers and visitors.

“Ensuring consistently high levels of health and safety is embedded in our culture and everyone plays a part.

“The RoSPA award is testament to the systems we have in place, how they are adhered to and how they continually evolve to meet new risks within the business.

“We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as a sector winner as it sets a benchmark for other organisations to aspire to.”

Midland Heart, which manages over 33,000 homes and supports 70,000 customers, first received a RoSPA gold award in 2011.

6

CARINGNEWS

CQC rates Galanos House outstanding

By Olivia Taylor

Staff, residents and relatives at Abbots Barton in Winchester enjoy a bird of prey display which included some low flying.

Flying visit marks garden launch A FLYING visit by several birds of prey proved a popular attraction when a Winchester care home unveiled its new-look garden.

Residents, staff and relatives at Colten Care’s Abbots Barton home were treated to a one hour display, including an owl, falcon and a hawk.

The visit, by the Eastleigh-based Falconhigh display team, marked the end of a major garden refurbishment.

The updated garden includes a larger patio area, new walkways and new trees and plants.

Charles Hubberstey, Colten Care’s head gardener, assisted by Abbots Barton gardener Emily Truman,

officially opened the refurbished garden by cutting a ribbon.

Janet Orchard, activity organiser, said: “The garden looks absolutely fantastic and everyone is delighted.

“We had a wonderful day, with the birds of prey proving particularly popular.

“There was lots of interaction between the birds and our residents.

This was the fifth visit by Falconhigh and it’s always one of the highlights of the year.”

The special day also included a raffle, which raised £137 for the home’s adopted charity Asthma UK, and a summer supper.

THE CQC has found the quality of care provided by Galanos House in Warwickshire, West Midlands to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in March.

Galanos House is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 90 people. There are three units providing residential, nursing and care for those with a diagnosis of dementia.

Inspectors found staff were caring and compassionate and people were being provided with safe, responsive, caring, effective and well led care.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

The report on Galanos House highlights innovative and creative practice used by staff and a clear commitment by managers to continually improve. All of the people receiving care inspectors spoke with were highly complimentary about the care and treatment provided and there was a positive atmosphere within the home.

The registered manager and deputy manager shared a common vision to provide a care environment where people were enabled to carry on

living their lives, pursing their interests and maintaining their relationships.

Sue Howard, deputy chief inspector of adult social care in CQC’s Central region, said: “We found that people living at this home and their relatives were overwhelmingly positive about the quality of their care.

“Inspectors found many examples of the home’s management implementing innovative approaches to ensure care was delivered to a high standard.

“Galanos House was a community and each person was seen as having an important and vital role to play within that community. Every person was valued and respected irrespective of their mental or physical health.”

“People at Galanos House had fulfilling lives because they were engaged in activities that were meaningful to them. People with skills or hobbies were encouraged to share their interests with others.”

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care, added: “The quality of care which our inspectors found here was exceptional and I am very pleased that we can celebrate the home’s achievements.

“An outstanding service is the result of a tremendous amount of hard work and commitment. I would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved.”

8

CARINGNEWS

Investors in People Gold award for care specialist

By Olivia Taylor

Avery Healthcare regional manager Mike Wilson during the watery challenge.

Challenge benefits charity A REGIONAL manager for a leading care home operator paddled hundreds of miles through two nights on the water to raise money for his son’s nursery.

Mike Wilson, who works for Avery Healthcare, canoed from Birmingham to London – a total of 140 miles.

Together with three friends, none of whom had even picked up an oar before the beginning of this year, they navigated a total of 166 locks, which involved hoisting the canoe out of the water and porting it onto the next stretch of water.

Mike is fund raising for the Peter Pan Special needs nursery in Newcastle Under Lyme.

He said: “My three-year-old son

Finley was diagnosed last year with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and subsequently we were linked in with the Peter Pan. “We were very lucky as normally a waiting list is common place for new referrals, but for us the stars must have aligned as when we were referred there was a vacancy the following day.

“The work the staff do is tremendous, but the nursery is a charity that requires at least £250k to run per annum.”

The team has already raised nearly over £3,000 but needs help to reach their target.

You can donate at https://www.just giving.com/140canoe/

REGARD, which provides residential care homes and supported living services across the UK, has been awarded the Gold Investors In People standard.

It makes them only the fourth out of 17,000 organisations in the UK, which care for people with learning difficulties and mental health needs to achieve the prestigious award.

The Investors In People assessors praised CEO Sandie Foxall-Smith and her team for the way they have been enthusiastically driving up standards while keeping service users and caring at the centre of everything.

Staff will be sharing the success with those they care for with special celebration tea parties across the country on September 30. Previously Regard, which has its headquarters in Kingston-upon-Thames, had achieved the silver standard.

People with learning disabilities and mental health needs receive a variety of services from Regard throughout the UK, many in bespoke supported living services or specialist residential services with others receiving outreach services.

Investors In People specialist Sylvia Zachariah said: “It has been a genuine pleasure to undertake this review of Regard. The wealth and weight of evidence was quite

overwhelming. The CEO and her team are fully committed to continuous improvement across all aspects of the organisation and have never wavered.”

The Gold Standard was awarded after visits to Regard care establishments, its headquarters function and after interviews with staff at all levels. Some 147 additional pieces of evidence building on the Silver accreditation were studied.

Sylvia, who looked into every aspect of the management and running of the firm, praised the quality of management and the way staff work.

She added: “It quickly became obvious that people continue to be focussed on the notions of excellence and quality; they are fully committed and passionate about delivering the best possible outcomes for customers, patients, stakeholders and the organisation.

“Your employees are highly motivated and are fully embracing the person centred approach, which is the foundation of their work. It is rare that I find a cohort of staff so committed to improving the life of those in their care.

“People fully understand the concept of customer care which for them is ensuring service users can lead fulfilling lives and are being supported in the most appropriate person centred way.”

CARINGNEWS

Staff and residents enjoy the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Kenilworth Manor.

Party supports cancer charity RESIDENTS at a Kenilworth care home held a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to support a national cancer charity.

Joined by family and friends, the staff and residents of Kenilworth Manor donned their best bonnets in the tradition of Lewis Carroll’s iconic Wonderland stories.

Celebrating their ‘un-birthdays’ the residents of the home in Thickthorn Orchards collected £542 in aid of Breast Cancer UK, as well as putting some of the money raised towards an activity fund for residents.

The home, where activities are a key part of life, organises Scrabble games, exercise sessions and outdoor walks

as often as possible, while residents get to spend time in the gardens.

Joy Thorpe, activities coordinator at Kenilworth Manor, said: “We had a wonderful time in our own Wonderland after residents got involved and made some fantastic decorations for our tea party.

“We’ve raised funds towards treats and activities that help residents get together and be the close-knit, welcoming and friendly community we have built at Kenilworth Manor.

“Thanks to the generosity of our families and friends we have also contributed to a very worthy cause in the form of Breast Cancer UK.”

11

12

CARINGNEWS

Operator appoints manager CARE home provider Lambhill Court Ltd has announced the appointment of Elaine Rankin as operations manager.

She has worked in similar roles prior to this appointment and brings with her a wealth of experience and an enviable reputation, having worked in the care sector for more than 28 years.

Elaine is a registered nurse who has previously worked as a home manager, peripatetic manager and operations manager for both small independent companies and larger corporate firms.

She said: “I was looking for a new challenge and this post came up. I joined Lambhill Court Ltd as I feel the team is committed to ensuring the best quality of care is achieved in each and every service and it has a great reputation in the industry.”

Chief executive officer Sunita Poddar added: “Elaine has a really strong background in care and we’re delighted to welcome her to the Lambhill Court Ltd team.

“We know all the residents, their families and co-workers will benefit greatly from her appointment.”

Home dreams up Poldark-themed ceremony for general manager

By Olivia Taylor POLDARK fan and Hallmark Care Homes employee Rebekah Smith, was given the surprise of her life recently by her fiancé, team members and residents of the care home which she manages.

Using the guile of Cornish smugglers, they secretly organised a Poldark-themed ceremony at Admiral Court care home in Essex, ahead of her wedding to the intended, Mick Allan.

The couple are both fans of the hit BBC TV drama, as are staff and residents at the home, which specialises in nursing and dementia care.

The ceremony featured invitations, flowers, food and costumes all inspired by the period drama.

Residents acted as bridesmaids and groomsmen and even surprised the bride-to-be – unaware of the theme until the big day – with an appropriate outfit.

Mick, 46, really looked the part, dressed as the dashing Captain Ross Poldark – played on TV by heartthrob star Aidan Turner – while Rebekah, 47, was dressed as heroine Demelza Carne.

She said: “The theme was a complete and amazing surprise as myself and my fiancé are fans of

Best man Derrick Handley presents groom Mick Allan with a Cornish frippery bracelet.

Poldark. We are even going on our honeymoon to Cornwall near where it is filmed.

“The team and residents at Admiral Court are very close knit, so it was lovely to include them in my wedding celebrations.”

Walking down the aisle to the Poldark theme, Rebekah was accompanied by matrons of honour Pat Hemmings 76, Irene Warner 87, Winnie Headley 90, and Flo Pamment 87.

She and Mick were presented with 18th century-style vows by best man Derrick Handley, 94.

The mock wedding had been

months in the planning and was attended by over 60 guests.

Sarah Savidge, who organises events and activities at the home, said: “We started planning in December and we always met up in secret with the residents. We starting reminiscing about the residents’ weddings, their dresses, locations, food and gradually the residents starting contributing ideas to Rebekah’s wedding.

“Everything from invitations, flowers, dresses, wedding jewellery, vows, and food was either made by the residents or involved their input and I think it was incredibly therapeutic for them to get involved.”

14

CARINGNEWS

Springhill appoints manager SPRINGHILL Care Home in Accrington has appointed a new general manager to maintain it as one of the region’s leading facilities.

Curtis Bennett, a registered mental health nurse, will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the home.

He has extensive experience within the health and social care industry, having begun his career as a cadet nurse, before going on to own and manage care homes for more than 35 years.

Curtis also holds the registered care home manager qualification.

He said: “I was attracted to the role at Springhill because of its reputation and its core values which put people first.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know our residents and their friends and families, while working with the team to make sure we maintain Springhill’s position as one of the leading homes in the North West.”

Donna Briggs, MD at Springhill Care Group, said: “Curtis will use his knowledge and vast experience to ensure Springhill maintains its reputation for delivering the highest quality in care and specialist services.”

Home ‘revs’ up garden with tribute to iconic bus depot

By Olivia Taylor A WISHAW care home has transformed its garden in tribute to the former bus station which used to occupy the site.

Residents and staff at Bupa’s Kirknowe Care Home decided to create a fitting homage to the iconic Wishaw Bus Station, which closed down in 1991, by creating a garden feature inspired by one of its most popular bus routes.

The 240 bus from Glasgow to Wishaw was a lifeline route for residents in the Lanarkshire area, providing transport across the region to the city centre.

The act was also a nod to many of the home’s residents, who were employed at the depot in their working years.

One resident in particular, George McWilliams, who is now in his eighties, still proudly displays his bus conductor badge in his room.

He said: “It’s great to see the Wishaw Bus Station receive a tribute from everyone at Kirknowe – and one that will hopefully last for years and years to come.

“Many of us have fond memories of the 240 bus from Glasgow to Wishaw and it’s a nice way to bring back the

Kirknowe Care Home’s tribute to the former bus station. good times.”

Margaret Cunningham, home manager at Kirknowe Care Home, says she is thrilled the garden feature is such a hit with residents at the home.

She said: “The local bus depot has so much history with many of the locals in the town and with many of our residents.

“When we decided to renovate the garden we knew we had to come up with a unique idea which everyone

would love – and a tribute to the Wishaw Bus Station was the one which stood out the most.

“Conceiving the design also allowed residents and staff to come together and reminisce about memories of their time working at the bus station.

“We feel it’s very important to create environments that are homely, comfortable and allow residents to feel at ease – and this is just another example of the way in which we do so.”

CARINGNEWS

Vera with her son Colin and his partner June.

Vera celebrates 100th birthday A POPULAR pensioner who is a resident at Victoria Lodge Care Home in Birmingham recently celebrated her 100th birthday with more than 100 guests.

Vera Longcroft was born in 1915 at Marston Green Hospital in Birmingham, to Rose and Arthur Greenhill.

She grew up in the Small Heath area of Birmingham with her brother Horace and sister Ivy. Proprietor Sue Howard, who has been running Victoria Lodge for the past 25 years, said: “Vera has been a resident with us now since January 2008.

“She is a very special lady, a joy to care for and it was a pleasure for our staff, residents and families to share such a momentous occasion.’’

Vera remembers leaving school at the age of 14 and starting work in a local dairy.

She also went to work at Lewis’s department store in Birmingham city centre, where Vera met her husbandto-be Sidney Longcroft.

Vera and Sidney were married in March 1937 at Hall Green Baptist Church, and went on to have two sons, Colin and Keith.

Vera enjoyed 67 years of happy married life and lived in Solihull.

17

CARINGNEWS

Chrissie Miller has become a high flying 100-year-old after fulfilling a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel in a hot air balloon. She took to the skies after staff at Bield's Glasgow Flexicare Service were able to arrange the flight as part of their Wishing Tree initiative. Chrissie, and her main carer, Jacqui Malarkey, were able to enjoy an hour-long flight, 1000ft over rural Perthshire. Jacqui said: “The hot air balloon ride was a really wonderful experience. Chrissie was absolutely delighted with the afternoon. The flight took about an hour and then when we were back on the ground Chrissie was greeted with some whiskey and a birthday cake, which was a true surprise.�

19

21

CARINGNEWS

Care provider launches new instant feedback initiative at its homes

By Olivia Taylor

HC-ONE has launched a new initiative to receive instant feedback about the quality of care and services being provided in its homes.

This is not just for residents and relatives, but also for HC-One staff and visitors.

The company has so far installed new user-friendly touchscreen tablet computers in the reception areas of 174 of its homes, an easy and convenient way to provide regular feedback.

Using these tablets, residents, relatives, visitors and staff are able to respond to a series of questions about their experience in the home, such as: whether people receive a warm welcome to the home; whether there is a positive atmosphere in the home; and whether other colleagues are appropriately prepared for visitors.

It will also assess the level of staff support and engagement with Residents and the home’s cleanliness.

The information gathered will be used to ensure that the highest standard of care is provided to residents.

HC-One’s chairman Dr Chai Patel said: “We have launched this innova-

A wish came true for fast car enthusiast Joan Reese when a Dorset care home arranged a special trip in a BMW convertible. The 92-year-old had told staff at Colten Care’s The Aldbury in Poole that she wanted to “feel the wind in my hair”. Activity organiser Sarah Ingram passed the request to her boyfriend, Antonio Wellman, a sales executive with Ridgeway Bournemouth BMW.

Recognising the benefits of PSCs A member of staff has her say at an HCOne home. tive initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to providing the best experience and kindest care for residents.

“This scheme will also ensure that our homes are a great place for our dedicated colleagues to work, and for relatives and members of HC-One’s local communities to visit.”

HC-One began installing tablets in its homes in June. Since then, over 6,500 pieces of feedback have been received across the country.

CARE home owners and staff across the UK are recognising the benefits of personal service companies and investing vital savings back into client care, according to contracting specialist Nova, an established expert in setting up and administering PSCs. “Care providers are recognising the advantages of engaging nurses, domiciliary workers and support staff, through their own limited companies and some are widening the offer to include trade supplier arrangements,” said Nova business development manager Philip Thomas. “Completely compliant with current legislation, the fixed term contracts enjoy the same conditions and duty of care as other employment contracts and there is no cost

to the business, only a competitive weekly charge for the candidate, who can increase their take home pay through qualifying business expenses amongst other financial benefits of Nova’s PSC.” Nova works with the UK’s leading recruitment agencies and healthcare employment specialists, offering a wide range of compliant employment solutions.

23

Range of exhibitors increases and diversifies at newly branded show THE newly branded Care & Dementia Show – formerly known as Care Show, Birmingham – will run alongside the International Dementia Conference.

It is a must-attend event, bringing together care professionals and health care suppliers to help the sector better support and care for older people and those affected by dementia.

Over one million people in the UK and 75 million people worldwide are predicted to have dementia by 2030.

Care professionals can attend Care & Dementia Show to explore the range of cutting edge products and services on offer from over 250 suppliers to help provide better care.

Chris Edwards, event director for UBM’s Care & Dementia Show said: “The range of new exhibitors taking part in this year’s show is striking.

“From technology, health and safety, uniforms and utilities through to bathing, furniture and professional services, there will be a wealth of choice for all involved in addressing the needs of those affected by care of older people and dementia at this

year’s Care & Dementia Show.”

This year’s event will introduce a ‘Start-up Academy’, providing new companies with the opportunity to showcase their innovations.

The Academy is a competition aimed at uncovering the very best in start-up innovations from across the UK and will be judged by a committee of professionals from throughout the care industry, with a shortlist of the most inventive companies given a free

stand at the show within the new Start-up Pavilion, offering the opportunity to meet with the industry’s senior decision-makers. Thought-provoking education is also offered to attendees, with Care & Dementia Show running two simultaneous, free of charge conference programmes featuring pioneering speakers in panel discussions and presentations to address the key issues facing the care of older people and dementia industries today.

The live build feature will return for the 2015 event and there will also be opportunities for visitors to network and meet new faces within the industry and build on existing business relationships.

For full details on who is exhibiting, products at the show and all visitor attractions, plus to register to attend the Care & Dementia Show or the International Dementia Conference, visit www.careshow.co.uk

24

Advanced Health

CareDocs CareDocs is an integrated solution for care planning and care home management. Designed by care home owners, it’s a user-friendly package that makes person-centred care planning quick and easy. Managers have immediate access to all the information they need to ensure important tasks are not overlooked, saving time and resources.

D54

Contact: 0333 500 5115.

Beaucare® Medical Ltd Beaucare established since 1992, supply the full range of medical, nursing, hygiene supplies and capital equipment to the care home and healthcare sectors nationally. Alongside our product offerings we have a dedicated service department, which undertakes the servicing of care home equipment at competitive rates, such as electric profiling nursing beds, patient lifting hoists and slings.

Advanced Health and Care provide market leading software for care home owners, homecare agencies, schools, supported living providers and local authorities. Advanced offer integrated solutions spanning care home management, electronic call monitoring, care planning, financials and staff HR. Advanced use technology to allow organisations to increase efficiency and compliance.

Contact: 01233 722670.

J40

ARM Alarm Radio Monitoring Ltd has been manufacturing and supplying market leading wireless systems and integrated solutions for over 20 years. Wireless solutions include ARM Nurse Call, ARM Staff Alarm, Fire Alarm systems, Door Access & Door Intercoms, DECT Telephony & Paging systems to enhance your Nurse Call / Staff Alarm system.

Contact: 01423 878899.

Contact: Visit www.arm.uk.com

Intercall

Access 21 Interiors

Intercall supplies industry-leading technology into care environments providing security, comfort and assistance to users. Our commitment to innovation through continuous research, development and improvement has made Intercall the best-selling care system in the UK. Visit us on stand L30 to witness the launch of the new Intercall Touch Series product range.

L30

A flexible service offering everything from a ‘little extra sparkle’ to full refurbishment and new build, making your rooms comfortable, desirable, easy to market and adding value. Choose from interior design, project management, furniture, curtains and finishing touches with no minimum order.

Contact: www.intercall.co.uk

Contact: 020 8399 3091 or visit www.access21interiors.co.uk

Caring UK

Aid Call

CARING UK is the number one magazine for managers in the elderly care sector.

Our editorial pages feature top columnists, parliamentary and legal updates, news, people stories, event and exhibition previews, conference coverage, diary dates and business and property news.

Contact: 01226 734288.

F40

F12

Aid Call are market leaders in the production of wireless nurse call technology and offer a wide range of products and bespoke solutions designed specifically for care homes and hospices. Our nurse call solutions are the product of over 35 years of industry leading experience, an ongoing investment into research and design, and the invaluable feedback of our loyal customers.

Contact: 0800 052 3616

D16

K52

C10

25

Connect to Care

Royal Bank of Scotland RBS is part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, a large international banking and financial services company that provides a wide range of products and services to personal, business, commercial and large corporate and institutional customers. Our team of specialised relationship managers work across the Healthcare Sector serving business customers with a turnover of ÂŁ250K and above.

C64

National training provider for the care sector, Connect 2 Care (C2C), offers a wide range of professionally recognised health & social care apprenticeships, short courses and traineeships to help increase the overall effectiveness, confidence and profitability of staff working across the range of care home functions.

Contact: Richard Wilson on 07889 644 508.

Contact: 0800 954 2803 or visit www.connect2care.net

FowlerUK

Power Plate

Fowler UK specialises in the supply, installation and maintenance of commercial laundry and catering equipment. Our service department can tailor make a package to suit your business requirements, from reactive call outs to fully inclusive contracts covering all parts/ labour /annual gas service and certification. Finance options available from outright purchase, lease and rental.

Contact: 01200 444430.

L32

Manufactured and distributed globally by Performance Health Systems (PHS), Power PlateÂŽ is the world's leading brand of whole body vibration equipment. At the Care Show, PHS will be showcasing their strength and balance solution for falls prevention.

Contact: Chris.brown@powerplate.com or call 0207 317 5000.

Powerplate.com

F16

C63

26

Line-up of leading global dementia experts unveiled THE UK’s first cross sector International Dementia Conference will bring together leading figures from across the world and from a variety of different industry backgrounds to learn and share ideas on the best solutions to tackle this global issue.

These professional experts will be joined by specialist architects and planners, nurses and occupational therapists as well as specialists in dementia from sectors including housing, local authorities and care homes.

45 concurrent session presentations will address topics ranging from assistive technology, case finding, meaningful activity, end of life care through to design, environment, staff education, attitudes, language and support and many more valuable areas for dementia discussion and debate.

The International Dementia Conference has been established by Stirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre, as an interactive, educational platform to drive understanding.

Running alongside the dedicated Care & Dementia Show (www.careshow.co.uk), it will also offer practical support.

Organisers are specifically inviting decision makers from housing providers and associations; architects, designers and town planners; local authorities; social workers; GPs, CCGs and NHS professionals including occupational therapists, doctors and nurses.

The conference will be addressed by Dame Joan Bakewell as well as plenary speakers from France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Hong Kong, the USA and the UK. They will include: Professor Timothy Kwok, Director of Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Professor Manuel Carrasco, AitaMenni Hospital, Psychiatric Research Institute, Spain.

Professor Alistair Burns, National Clinical Director for Dementia, NHS England and Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Manchester.

Professor Tara Cortes, New York University College of Nursing.

Dr Sridhar Vaitheswaran MD, MRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (India).

Shirley Law, Head of Learning & Development, Dementia Services Development Centre

29

Clean, fresh and soft clothes means happy ‘paying guests’

By Paul Robinson WE all refer to the people that live in care homes as residents.

I used to refer to them as such, but the manager of a care home that I once visited corrected me by telling me that they are much more than residents, they are in fact paying guests.

The first thing that the paying guests in a care home do in the morning is to get dressed. This usually sets their mood for the day.

If their clothing is clean, fresh, soft and smells nice they will probably start the day with a smile on their face.

If their clothing isn’t particularly clean, has lost its brightness, is a bit itchy and it pongs a bit, they will probably start their day in bad mood, as I would and you probably would too.

To ensure that they start the day in a good mood, use good quality laundry detergents and softeners.

Washing laundry has three functions: To achieve a visibly clean wash result.

To achieve a hygienically clean wash result – most laundry products state the minimum amount that should be added per wash load, this is to ensure that the washing is hygienically clean, using less than the recommended level will not guarantee a hygienic wash result.

Respect the fibres – some detergents are particularly aggressive and should

not be used on delicate garments, like personal clothing. A good fabric conditioner will prepare the washing for finishing and thereby make the ironing easier.

Unfortunately Paul Robinson all too often the care home laundry has one objective – to do the washing as cheaply as possible Sites that spend as little as possible on their detergents end up carrying out a lot of re-washing or replacing items that just won’t come clean, and then spend extra time doing the ironing, because they didn’t respect the fibres.

The average weekly cost for a paying guest at a residential home in the North West of England is £500. The cost of nursing care can be £1,500 per week.

Shorrock Trichem can supply products to create a fantastic wash result for approximately £1 per week. Not too much to ask is it?

Cheaper products have less ingredients and therefore do not perform as well as more expensive products.

Therefore they have to be dosed at

higher levels to do the same job, and even then, because they don’t have some of the ingredients that the more expensive products have they never achieve the same result.

Buy a cheap laundry detergent liquid for £10 for 10 litres and dose it at the recommended 30mls per kg in a heavy soil wash in hard water (most of England has hard water).

Recommended dosing level: Soil level dosage (ml/kg dry goods).

Light 8ml (soft water) up to 12ml (hard water).

Medium 12ml up to 15ml per kg of dry clothing.

Heavy 15ml to 30ml per kg of dry clothing.

Cost per wash in a 10kg washing machine is £0.30.

Buy an expensive laundry detergent liquid for £28 for 10 litres and dose it at the recommended 10mls per kg in a heavy soil wash in hard water.

Cost per wash in a 10kg washing machine is £0.28 and the washing will be whiter and brighter There are some very aggressive powders on the market for use on whites in commercial laundries that use very hot water as part of the cleaning process.

These powders are not designed to wash personal clothing, but they are cheap and some care homes use them.

Paul Robinson is a laundry professional at Shorrock Trichem Washcraft.

30

Workshop unveiled for care professionals CARE professionals are being urged to consider the benefit of investing in management systems which streamline their existing kitchen and laundry provisions, ahead of a oneday workshop aimed at staff from across the care industry.

Leading laundry and food service provider, Electrolux Professional has announced plans to host a care excellence day at its Luton Centre of Excellence on Wednesday, October 14.

Held in conjunction with Care England and Sealed Air, a global manufacturer of protective and specialty packaging for food and consumer goods, the day will demonstrate how laundry and kitchen management systems can help to maximise health and nutrition best practice in a variety of different care environments.

Thorough the demonstration of bespoke solutions, the event will show care professionals how a complete laundry cycle management processes which incorporate barrier and traditional laundry concepts, can guarantee complete cleanliness and infection control.

As the first and only HACCP International Certified laundry manufacturer, Electrolux Professional is able to offer equipment that meets the most stringent of food safety standards.

This gives attendees the opportunity

to interact with a world-leading product range, and visitors are invited to bring garments or linen to put the machines to test.

In light of last year’s government report which recommended a set of food standards that should become routine practice across NHS Hospitals, the event’s attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in food preparation and cooking to find out more about how certain catering equipment can help to safely deliver a consistently nutritious menu that every resident will enjoy.

At Electrolux Professional, all modular cooking solutions are

manufactured to fit together as a suite, which offers economies of scale at the point of installation and bespoke kitchen solutions can be created for the care sector based around their capacity, ongoing budget, including energy usage and menu ambitions.

Darren Lockley, head of region for UK and Ireland at Electrolux Professional, said: “With care staff expected to improve standards despite being faced with budget cuts and stretched resources, we feel it is important to promote the ways in which certain processes can be implemented to significantly improve both their residents’

hygiene and their establishment’s efficiency levels.

“Not only will attendees be able to see how our wide range of food service and laundry solutions can make a real difference to their daily duties, but it will also provide opportunities to discuss the concerns facing the care industry and how some of its challenges can be overcome.

“Through demonstrating our products, we hope to change the way staff think about laundering and catering in the care setting, and place an emphasis on health and safety which is a hugely important consideration.”

A cleaner wash using less energy FOR care homes laundry can be a big problem.

Domestic washing machines can’t cope, commercial ones are too big and expensive, and outsourcing can be pricey and difficult to manage.

That’s why Samsung developed the Professional Laundry range.

It’s big enough to deal with awkward loads like king size duvets or the team’s muddy away kit, but small enough to fit in the utility room. It also has a sanitize programme that meets CQC standards.

The Samsung Professional Laundry washer, model WF431, has a 14kg capacity. Although it retails at up to 60 per cent less than competitors’ models, it is packed with clever energy-saving and performance-enhancing technologies. In addition it is backed by a comprehensive two-year parts and labour warranty.

One of the smartest features is the digital inverter motor. Because it is direct drive it has fewer moving parts and, being brushless, it creates little noise or vibration.

Compared to conventional motors, it uses 50 per cent less energy and delivers a reliably long service life.

Enquiries: For more information visit www.franciscopro.com or www.rbdistrbutors.co.uk

The answer to the age old red bag dilemma What is the red bag dilemma?

THE red bag arrives in the laundry, tightly sealed, containing foul and infected clothes that are ready to be washed at 65°C. The laundry assistant notices that there is a cardigan in the bag.

This is the dilemma!

The operator can’t open the bag and remove the cardigan, as this would contravene the Department of Health code of practice which states that foul and infected linen should be sealed in a red alginate bag, which should first be washed at a minimum of 65°C, without being opened.

However, the operator knows that if the bag is put in the washing machine and washed at 65°C, then the cardigan will be ruined, this will upset the resident and the resident’s relatives, who will then demand that the cardigan is replaced at the care homes expense, which will further upset the manager and the care home owner.

Halo Commercial is the answer to the dilemma!

Our unique Halo products combine low temperature bug kill and odour elimination, with the ultimate in cleaning performance. This next generation laundry detergent range is designed to

deliver results in the most demanding laundry environments.

The active ingredient, Hygienilac, inhibits transport of nutrients, leading to death of microorganisms.

Halo Commercial is scientifically proven to destroy: H1N1 flu virus.

C difficile spores.

MRSA bacteria.

Within five minutes contact time at a temperature as low as 30°C. Halo should be used instead of conventional laundry detergent, because it decontaminates and disinfects the linen at reduced temperatures further reducing laundry costs.

Enquiries: Contact Shorrock Trichem on 01942 875325 or speak directly to Paul Robinson on 07771 928196 or email paul.robinson@shorrocktrichem.com

33

CARINGNEWS

Workplace pensions in the care sector

By Matthew Mitten INCREASING numbers of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) – those employing up to 30 members of staff – are getting closer to their auto-enrolment staging date, where they will be required to put workers – who meet certain criteria – into a workplace pension scheme.

In the tax year 2016/17, we will see a peak of just over 600,000 small businesses needing to auto-enrol.

And, as a result, many commentators have confirmed that they believe the pensions industry will face a capacity crunch. Only time will tell...

Providers across the sector won't turn down business, but what I think we will face is a situation where they price themselves out of the market through the introduction of higher fees.

I hope we don't face another round of headlines around 'rip off pensions' – auto-enrolment is in place to support those not already saving into a pension to do so.

Pension providers shouldn’t tarnish their brands; this could be their time to really shine.

Business owners/managers, who will be responsible for enrolling their employees into a workplace pension, are unlikely to be ‘willing buyers’.

Dealing with providers which may have increased their costs is going to prove frustrating.

When it comes to the care industry, a large proportion of employees are

likely to be low paid.

And selected care home managers will have no previous experience when it comes to pensions.

The language will be new, and their payroll systems could be complex – with monthly, weekly and casual worker pay runs – adding another layer of complexity.

The following provides some hints and tips for care home owners/managers starting their auto-enrolment journey: Definition of earnings The first thing an employer needs to understand is the definition of earnings; which earnings will be included in the pensionable salary and – more importantly – which are not.

You could try researching yourself, visiting TPR’s website or referring to a specialist such as Enrolsme, who can help you work out the definitions.

Selecting the right pension provider From there, they then need to select the pension provider they would like to use when automatically enrolling their employees into a pension scheme.

This is where planning becomes key. We encourage businesses to start thinking about their auto-enrolment journey as soon as possible – delaying could mean they have little or no choice when it comes to selecting the pension provider.

Engage your employees Employers need to make a decision

on how they will engage their employees.

Will they opt for the bare minimum – both in terms of the offering, but also how they communicate?

Or will they aim for a quality scheme, which will then act as a catalyst for communicating this to their workforce?

Care home managers need to encourage their employees to support and get behind the new benefit being provided.

Seek the right support Researching pensions isn’t an easy task – how does the average small business owner know what ‘definition of earnings’ is?

Or which of the pension providers are best to use for their scheme?

Many are likely to feel out of their depth.

It is therefore important they seek the right levels of support for setting up the scheme.

What many won’t know is that if the business and payroll data are straightforward, the pension can be set up in a matter of hours.

It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming and laborious task.

Matthew Mitten Know where you stand now Whether a business employs one person or 29, I would urge them to have an appreciation of where they stand now.

They should look to get their pension provider selected and on board

as soon as possible, that way they will ensure they are ahead of the masses that auto-enrol (mainly in 2016).

Matthew Mitten is a director at Enrolsme.

34

CARINGNEWS

Carer takes legal action against ex-employer over minimum wage

Bield employee Kevin Rowe and his friend Natalie Ross.

Footsore friends walk 100 miles for charity A FOOTSORE pair of fundraisers have marched almost 100 miles to raise hundreds of pounds to help older people living with dementia.

Bield employee Kevin Rowe recruited his friend Natalie Ross to join him on his latest fundraising effort for Bield’s care services.

The pair successfully completed a 96-mile walk along the Kintyre Way in six days, raising over £400 which will go towards providing care service across Bield’s developments in Scotland.

Starting in Tarbert and finishing west of Southend, they walked on average for eight hours or 16 miles every day.

Kevin said: “I am so pleased with

the money we have managed to raise by walking the Kintyre Way and especially with Natalie’s efforts as this was her first long-distance walk. It was also her suggestion originally to raise money for Bield at the same time so she was the real driving force behind it.

“The money raised will benefit Bield tenants in so many ways and I would like to thank everyone who has donated. We greatly appreciate it and your money will help us enhance and enrich the lives of the older people we care for.”

Following on from this fundraising walk, Kevin will also be leading a 27 mile walk along the John Muir Way from Kirkintilloch to Linlithgow.

Couple celebrate 60th anniversary A COUPLE recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at Wealstone, the CLS-run care home in Upton, Chester.

Janet Fennel, who lives at the home, and husband Ralph marked 60 blissful years of marriage with a party at the home, where they were toasted by friends, family and staff.

Janet and Ralph’s story is a classic tale of two childhood sweethearts making a life together.

The couple first met in Walton on Thames in 1937, and they started

seeing each other when they were just 13.

The couple had four children (three boys and one girl), and they have nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

They moved to the Chester area eight years ago to be closer to their son Peter.

Home manager Joy White said: “Janet is such a lovely lady, and we’re all very fond of Ralph, so it was a real honour to be part of their special day.”

A CARER is taking legal action against her ex-employer after she was not paid for the time she spent travelling to and from appointments.

Caroline Barlow, 56, worked as a homecare worker for MiHomecare – a nationwide homecare services provider with 35 branches which cares for people who need help and support due to old age, illness, disability or infirmity.

It is estimated that they employ around 6,000 homecare workers, many of whom, lawyers believe, may also have a claim.

Caroline, a mother of two, worked for the company from October 2014 to February 2015 attending an average of eight appointments per day at various locations in the SouthWest of England.

She would travel to these appointments in her own car, often spending several hours a day driving to get to see people in their own homes.

Leigh Day, the law firm representing Caroline, has launched a legal action in the employment tribunal, which challenges MiHomecare’s practice of not paying carers for the time they spend travelling to and from care appointments.

It is estimated that 883,000 people receive domiciliary care in the UK with over 500,000 people employed in the sector. According to lawyers at Leigh Day, the number of claims could run into thousands costing care

providers millions of pounds in unpaid wages for staff.

According to the investigative organisation Corporate Watch a leaked internal MiHomecare document calculated it could owe workers from just one of its branches as much as £80,000 for not paying travel time.

Jasmine Patel from the employment team at Leigh Day, said: “Without payment for her travel time, Ms Barlow was being paid less than the minimum wage per hour and we believe that this is an unlawful deduction of wages.

“Ms Barlow’s travel to and from appointments was a necessary part of her job and as such, she should have been paid for it.

“Leigh Day understands that there are potentially thousands more homecare workers working for MiHomecare, and other care providers, who are also being paid less than the National Minimum Wage” Caroline added: “My job involved going to see people in their own homes and performing a range of tasks to ensure that these very vulnerable people had someone to care for them on a regular basis.

“By the nature of the job I had to travel to people’s homes to carry out my work.

“It is only after doing the role that you realise just how much of your day is essential travelling.”

Rosie Myers has raised £6,500 for care home organisation Nightingale Hammerson by cutting 12 inches off her hair. The money raised will help support the cost of providing care to the residents of Hammerson House where Rosie’s grandfather, Gordon Myers, lived for four years until he passed away in May 2014.

A plaque commemorating the 18-yearold’s fundraising efforts and the memory of her grandfather is going to be placed in Hammerson House. She said: “I'm so pleased to have raised so much for Nightingale Hammerson. They took such good care of my Grandpa in his later years so I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported me in this.”

36

CARINGNEWS

Staff members and their children from High Lee Care Home in Luddendenfoot took part in the Alzheimer's Society 10k memory walk in Leeds. In total £320 was raised to help lead the fight against dementia. Prior to the walk, High Lee care staff did a meet and greet in Hebden Bridge, advocating and educating people on ways to be dementia friendly and promoting the dementia friends. A spokesperson for the facility said: “Staff at High Lee feel passionate about fundraising and promoting dementia friends as they see and know the devastating effect dementia has on a person and their family and friends.”

Pub is just the tonic for residents A BUPA care home has come up with an unusual tonic for residents – by providing them with their own traditional pub and beer garden.

Bupa’s Golfhill facility in Glasgow opened ‘The Dennistoun Arms’ as a concept to provide a recognisable social environment for residents to relive the past and encourage the sharing of memories and stories.

Although the ‘pub’ is a not a licensed premises, it is fully equipped for social activities with dartboard and karaoke machine.

The Dennistoun Arms opens on to the beer garden area, complete with outside tables and pub umbrellas as well.

A range of drinks are also provided, and the ‘bar’ has already proved a huge hit with residents, relatives and staff.

Susan McDonald, home manager at Golfhill Care Home, said: “By providing The Dennistoun Arms we have created a comfortable and familiar social setting for our residents, which is a great way for them to relax.

“While it is open to all residents, we have found it has a particular appeal to male residents, allowing them to reconnect with their traditional notion of ‘going for a pint with your pals, and we hold many of the men’s clubs at The Dennistoun Arms.”

Colin Green addressed the audience at Orton Manor Nursing Home in Water Orton.

Historian speaks at meeting FRIENDS of Orton Manor Nursing Home in Water Orton held one of its regular community meetings with guest speaker, local historian, Colin Green.

Home manager Iram Khan recently commissioned a set of old local photographs from Colin’s huge archive.

These will become a permanent display at the home and resource for reminiscence activity with residents.

Among the photographs was one of Jones the butchers’ shop that had stood on the site that is now Orton Manor Nursing Home.

Colin’s commentary was drowned out by the buzz of interest and conversation that the photographs generated as they were passed around. However, his delightful insights and anecdotes were not lost, and his passion for local history was very much appreciated.

37

CARINGNEWS

In light of the recent World Alzheimer’s Month (September), Ellen Brown, care homes divisional manager at apetito, looks at how to support staff when catering to residents with dysphagia …

How can you help your carers at mealtimes?

IN the course of our work with care homes, we come across so many examples of the difference good nutrition makes to the health of elderly people.

I’ll never forget meeting a lady with dementia and could only muster two teaspoons of food a day.

It’s staggering – and incredibly sad – to think how she was existing on such little nourishment and her carers were very excited to see the difference a change in diet made.

Since being served food she really looks forward to eating, her appetite has increased dramatically and the change to her wellbeing has been unbelievable.

As one in six people aged 80 and over have dementia1, catering to residents with this condition is a challenge that most care homes face every day.

For carers, ensuring that residents with dementia have a positive dining experience can prove a major challenge...

Ask the experts Sadly, dysphagia can often accompany dementia and if this is the case, it’s vital to seek input from a speech and language therapist (SALT), who will be able to ascertain which stage residents are experiencing.

You’ll then know which of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) Dysphagia Diet Food Texture Descriptors you’ll have to adhere to when preparing food.

SALTs can also be willing to hold training sessions on preparing meals that fit the descriptors.

Similarly, some suppliers provide free specialist training on food preparation and service for special nutritional needs such as dysphagia so don’t be afraid to ask about this.

Choose your champions Appointing designated ‘Nutrition and Hydration Champions’ is a very useful way to engage staff and ensure that nutritional care for all residents, including those with dementia, is managed and monitored at all times.

Ideally, you would choose one carer and one member of the catering team and don’t forget to include them in any training on dysphagia you arrange for your home.

Avoid distractions It’s widely recognised that creating an environment conducive to the enjoyment of meals is especially important for residents with dementia.

Therefore, where possible, avoid scheduling any visits that require the attention of your carers during mealtimes.

Finally, when choosing suppliers to work with for all aspects of your care provision, I would urge you to look for those who have an appreciation for the skills needed to support those who care for those living with dementia.”

For advice on helping residents dine with dignity or to book a FREE tasting session with the apetito care homes team, visit www.challengeapetito.co.uk or call 0800 542 2631.

Ellen Brown

38

SPONSORED BY

www.requiredsystems.com

Research study to help shape future of dementia care Broomfield Gardens tenant May Close.

Tenants get tech savvy A VERY Sheltered Housing development in Airdrie has been helping their tenants develop their digital skills – and keep in closer contact with their families - after securing a grant from a local charity.

The Voice of Experience Forum, a charity in North Lanarkshire that helps older people’s voices to be heard, awarded Broomfield Gardens £1,400 which they used to purchase four iPads for the tenants.

Yvonne McQueen, development manager at Broomfield Gardens, said: “I applied for the grant because the tenants wanted to learn new skills by getting online.

“For their generation, using computers and the internet is still relatively new to many.

“The tenants use the iPads to Skype and FaceTime in particular to contact loved ones which is hugely beneficial, especially for the tenants whose family cannot visit very often.”

After receiving the iPads many of the tenants embarked on a six week training course in order to learn more about the internet and the technology.

A STUDY, which will shape the future of education and training around dementia within the NHS, has been launched by health researchers at three Yorkshire universities.

The research team, led by Claire Surr, professor of dementia studies at Leeds Beckett University, alongside collaborators from the University of Bradford and the University of Leeds, will investigate the most effective approaches to training health and social care staff about dementia.

Results from the study will help ensure that money is invested in effective training that supports better care for people with dementia.

The study, the ‘What Works?

Evaluation’, is funded by the Department of Health’s Policy Research Programme on behalf of Health Education England and is due to be completed in July 2017.

Speaking about the launch of the study, professor Claire Surr said: “Providing high quality care for people with dementia relies on knowledgeable and skilled staff.

Research shows that effective education and training can, lead to better quality care.

“However, we also know not all training is effective, meaning it is wasting time and money. We need to know more about what effective dementia training, looks like and this research will provide the field with good evidence about the ingredients needed for effective dementia training.”

The ‘What Works?’ study will involve a survey to gather data on existing dementia training programmes. The researchers will then conduct more

detailed research on selected programmes to look at how effective they are and identify ways they can be improved. They will then work with a number of organisations to implement the best training programmes they have identified to see which produce the best outcomes for people with dementia and provide the best value for money.

Professor Jan Oyebode from the University of Bradford added: “Dementia and dementia education finally have the profile and attention they deserve. We are heartened that Health Education England are putting money into this rigorous, in-depth evaluation of training, and at Bradford we are very pleased to be playing a central role in this, along with Professor Surr.”

The results of the research study will be used to develop policy and commissioning guidelines for use by the Government, Health Education England and Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs), alongside good practice guidelines for health and social care organisations and education and training providers.

Professor David Sallah of Health Education England said: “Health Education England is committed to ensuring that the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with dementia in England should be among the best in Europe.

“We are particularly interested in knowing whether and how education and training is having a positive impact on staff attitudes, skills and behaviours; and delivering better outcomes for people living with dementia and their carers.”

Group to implement solutions BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Care will implement a suite of solutions including a HR and finance system from Advanced Business Solutions to gain better efficiencies, control and visibility of financial information.

The organisation will save up to three days a month with the new OpenAccounts finance system, which will go live, with the rest of the product suite in October.

The organisation will also go live with electronic workflow solution

eBIS, document management technology (powered by V1), dashboard reporting technology (powered by Intuitive) and Advanced’s Payroll Bureau service, which will all seamlessly integrate into the Finance and HR systems.

Buckinghamshire Care was established in October 2013 and helps and supports thousands of adults both at home, through its reablement, homecare and laundry services.

The new CQC Essential Standards – call now to arrange your free trial ALL our Policy/ Procedures have been brought into line with the new 2014 Legislation and to make it even easier to demonstrate compliance we have developed a module that shows you how to meet each of the five new categories.

Enquiries: To find out more call 01236 782477 or visit

40

CARINGNEWS

Badgemaster steps production up a gear for its fastest ever service BADGE manufacturer Badgemaster has debuted new two-shift production system, giving them the capabilities to almost double capacity and deliver some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry, not only in the UK but across Europe.

Production at the company’s site in Newstead, Nottingham is operating a two-shift productive operation, running from 6am2pm and 2pm-10pm five days a week.

The changes will make a significant reduction in turnaround times, meaning customers can now benefit from the speediest ever service.

It is now possible for urgent orders being placed as late as 4pm being able to be processed and go into production the same day.

The ramp up in production is a result of a significant period of growth for the company with orders at all time high, securing on average 200 new accounts per month since the beginning of 2015.

Major new rollouts taking place in recent months include high street names such as Argos, Avis, Coral, Carphone Warehouse, Next, Disney and WH Smith.

In the hospitality sector these include Premier Inn and Best Western and transport and travel companies including ScotRail, Virgin/East Coast Trains, Virgin Atlantic and TUI, which in new business alone spans an estimated additional quarter of a million wearers.

Under the new regime, the UK

The Badgemaster team.

Staff see their latest machine producing over 1000 badges per hour.

based manufacturing site will be capable of processing on average 2,000 individual orders per day.

Badgemaster’s managing director John Bancroft MBE, who founded the business with his wife Vicky in 1992, is thrilled with the company’s achievements – not only in terms of the business and it’s customers – but also for the wider industry.

He said: “ The badge making business is driven by three things: quality, price and turnaround

times, and in order to succeed you need to be delivering on all three in equal measure.

“These most recent developments allow Badgemaster to step it up a notch, allowing us to raise our game to previously impossible standards.

“Our customers of course benefit greatly from our investment, so does too the wider community via employment, investment in local economy and advances in our technological capabilities.

“A two-shift production is just one of many ways our business has become stronger, and I am thrilled the business can grow organically through customer demand.

“We are now the largest name badge making company in the UK, almost certainly in Europe and making our mark on the global landscape.

“I thank our loyal and skilled staff and, of course, our ever increasing customer base for such an amazing achievement.”

Badgemaster has taken on a dozen new members of staff, with more to come in the forseeable future.

These latest additions take the company’s roll call up to over 100, boosting the local landscape in what was once known in north Nottinghamshire and surrounding area as an ‘employment blackspot.’

Significant investments in additional state-of-the-art technology has not only boosted the factory’s technical capabilities in production but also aided the skillset of the company’s ever growing workforce.

“We are a British based manufacturer, whose business is currently booming, and that is something I am incredibly proud of” added John.

“At a time when the wider industry is awakening to the social and ethical issues, risks and wider issues of manufacturing overseas, at Badgemaster we are very proud of our Made in the UK status.

“Keeping business, jobs and skilled workers within the UK and within our industry will only do good things for our wider economical future.”

For more information contact the Badgemaster customer services team on 01623 723 112, email customerservices@badgemaster.co.uk or visit our website at www.badgemaster.co.uk

41

Final phase to begin ahead of schedule

Page 42

Pre-existing funding available to finance new projects Page 44

Operator sells part of portfolio to HCP Page 46

Event celebrates refurbishment A LEADING charity and housing association has celebrated the completion of refurbishment on its Paddock Wood supported home with a celebratory event.

Staff at The Abbeyfield Kent Society gathered with residents and associates at Margaret Fisher House in Old Kent Road to celebrate the refurbishments, which have added en-suites to all 10 rooms as well as two new self-contained apartments alongside the home.

The new apartments aim to provide independent living for over 55s, with bespoke fixtures and fittings ensuring the home is suitable for people with disabilities.

Staff are also on hand to check on residents daily, and the Society’s domiciliary care provider, Caring Companions, can provide care if required.

Zena Thomas, head of supported

housing at the Society said: “Loneliness is currently a huge problem amongst older people. We hope the addition of the two apartments will boost the Margaret Fisher House community.

“Residents of the apartments are free to walk across to Margaret Fisher House and share the communal space, enabling all residents to enjoy a pleasant social life.”

The building work was able to take place as the Society received two donations from The Frederick Drury Ware Trust, which contributed £100,000 and Jo Passmore, a Trustee of the Margaret Fisher Charitable Trust, who contributed £300,000 to support the refurbishments.

Jo, who attended the event and has worked closely with the Society for over 25 years, said: “Margaret Fisher gave her name to the Paddock Wood home and took a keen interest in all

Guests at the celebratory event at Margaret Fisher House. that happened there throughout her flowers each week. life.

“It was Margaret’s wish that “She set up the Margaret Fisher trustees would continue to provide Charitable Trust, which continues to financial support, should they feel support the home, providing fresh there was a worthwhile cause.”

42

Final phase to begin ahead of schedule

By Olivia Taylor

Clifton Court in Doncaster.

Closed care home’s sale complete DC CARE has completed the sale of Clifton Court care home, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire.

The home, which was an asset of Mirus Care Limited (in liquidation), was originally registered for 33 elderly clients and closed late last year.

Upon instruction from Begbies Traynor LLP, DC Care carried out an extensive marketing campaign, to attract purchasers looking to continue to use the property for care provision.

The home was sold to specialist care provider Community Places Ltd.

They are carrying out substantial alterations to the building so they can develop and deliver a bespoke service, working closely with commissioners.

A spokesperson for Community Places said: “We put service users at the very heart of what we do and we are so pleased DC Care was able to let us know about this opportunity.

Peter Herberts, for Begbies Traynor, added: “We are happy that Clifton Court is continuing its life as a care home and that it will be an integral part of the local community.”

CONSTRUCTION of the new Richmond Witney retirement village is progressing so well that, having sold almost all of the Village apartments within the initial phase, the decision has been taken to start with the final phase of building ahead of schedule.

There is a wide choice of properties available, with the average twobedroom property providing some 1,000 sq ft of living space, up to a very generous 1,500 sq ft.

Many are privately located, south facing with views over the wild grass meadow, and with easy access to the spa and other central facilities.

Apartments are well appointed and include a spacious kitchen, living room, one or two bedrooms and en suite bathrooms.

They are finished to a high standard, with kitchens featuring granite work tops and Bosch and Neff white goods, and separate laundry cupboards to avoid using precious space in the kitchen.

The new £30million Richmond Witney includes all the facilities that have made the other Richmond villages so popular, including a wellness spa with swimming pool and gym, hair and beauty salon, a library, IT room, terrace café, quality restaurant and garden bar, and all set within beautifully landscaped

The bowling green at Richmond Witney village. grounds with a bowling green and nature reserve beyond.

Managing director of Richmond Villages, Paddy Brice, said: “These properties are ideal for those thinking about living independently and want their own front door, yet like the idea of being in a safe and sociable community with support and assistance close at hand if required.

“We listened carefully to what our clients wanted which included having a large living space and up to two large bedrooms, especially important if someone is downsizing. We are delighted to be able to press ahead with the final phase so soon, and underlines the strong demand for quality retirement living we provide.”

43

Former cattle auction site transformed into scheme

By Olivia Taylor A FORMER cattle auction site has been transformed into a luxury assisted living scheme, providing a home to 73 residents and employment for up to 100 people.

Construction on the £7m scheme at Ponteland in Northumberland is almost complete, and operators Crown Care are now recruiting nursing staff ahead of its opening in the Autumn, paying above the living wage of £7.25 an hour.

The Royal Hampton will provide residential, nursing and dementia care; two three-bedded bungalows and four three-bedded town houses with associated car parking, service amenities and garden area.

Crown Care engaged Newcastlebased architects Alston Murphy Associates to design the development to the highest specifications alongside the building contractors, Chester-le-Street’s Meldrum Construction.

Wendy Conn, Crown Care’s managing director of healthcare said: “The Royal Hampton really will be a care centre with the wow factor – it is the jewel in our crown.

“It will include an internet café, cinema, spa services, library and a music hall, alongside quiet lounges for residents and those staying with us for a

The Royal Hampton in Ponteland will create up to 100 jobs. short time.

“Each of the single bedrooms will have en-suite shower rooms while there will be a number of suites with private lounges and kitchens to help our residents maintain independence. This is the perfect site for us.

There will be a large area of landscaped gardens and it is close to the town centre so our residents will be part of the community.

“We are looking to deliver the best quality environment the region has to offer while providing the highest possible standards of care to ensure

those who come to live here or stay with us for a short time get the care, attention and lifestyle they deserve.”

Architect Ian Murphy said: “We have built more than 80 developments in the care home sector around the country and the Royal Hampton will be the most spectacular.

“We have looked at a whole range of developments for inspiration and come up with plans of the highest specification. We believe this is the sort of development which can become a blueprint for future assisted living schemes.”

Firm’s director can help with difficult issues DAVID Beattie (director of Care Ideals) has been working in senior positions in the healthcare industry since 2002.

He has been very successful in dealing with difficult and complex operational and clinical issues.

David’s extensive experience includes: The turning around of systematically damaged hospitals and care units.

Significantly improving the care being provided to service users.

Building of constructive relationships with regulators and commissioners In 2014, David decided to start Care Ideals, which is a management consultancy service that provides positive, long-term solutions for healthcare businesses, their service users and their staff.

David can work with you in many ways, including helping you to prepare for any type of inspection (in England, Scotland or Wales).

He can assist in getting warning notices and bans on referrals lifted; and will increase occupancy and profitability.

In addition, David can compile plans and strategies that will improve and future-proof your business for the long-term.

44

Kidlington home gets go-ahead

Pre-existing funding available to finance new projects ...

PORTHAVEN Care Homes has successfully obtained planning consent for a new facility in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

The home will be built to Porthaven’s award winning specification, and will provide 24hour residential and nursing care for the elderly, including residents living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

The home will comprise 70 spacious bedrooms, each with its own wetroom, and residents will benefit from numerous communal facilities including a café, hair salon and nail bar, cinema room, leisure and wellness room, a private dining room for special family occasions, as well as several lounges and dining rooms.

Each room will be designed to incorporate the best of current innovation in care home design while maintaining a warm, safe, comfortable and homely environment.

John Storey, chief executive and founder of Porthaven, said: “Not only will we be providing a much needed service for the residents of Kidlington and Oxford and the surrounding area, but the home will also directly employ up to 90 local people.”

By Olivia Taylor BUSINESSES in the care home sector may be unaware of pre-existing funding available within their organisations to finance new projects, according to Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s head of healthcare Derek Breingan.

Derek was speaking at the ‘Work Smart to Create an Outstanding Care Home’ seminar, which recently took place at the Village Hotel in Leeds.

Hosted by DWA Architects and Yorkshire Bank, the event provided practical advice to healthcare businesses from across the UK on how to deliver top class care homes in an industry facing increasing expectations, rising prices and increased resource pressures.

Around 25 professionals from the industry attended the session, which included presentations on architectural design, planning, funding and money management.

Derek spoke about the need for businesses to analyse costs and look at existing sources of funding from within their businesses before taking the step to develop a care home.

He said: “With a growing population, improvements in healthcare, and people living longer, there’s a lot of pressure on the care

Derek Breingan home sector to deliver.

“This means right from the start businesses must have robust plans in place to ensure their developments are built on time, on budget and to the highest quality.

“We’re here to help commercial businesses in the care home sector source appropriate funding to grow.

What many companies don’t realise is

they may already have access to funding which can be made available by securing financial support packages against hidden value in their existing properties.

“The Bank can help them identify this value, as well as providing the support necessary for their care home to be built, from the development stage all the way through to completion.

“Our size gives us the agility and flexibility to spend time with clients and find solutions which fit their specific requirements.”

Multi-award winning DWA Architects, who have a wealth of experience in developing care homes, spoke to attendees about designing a care home fit for 2015 and beyond.

David Ward, chief executive, added: “We are delighted to have co-hosted this event with Yorkshire Bank, and it was a pleasure to welcome professionals from across the industry and provide practical advice on how to develop an outstanding care home.

“Having worked in the care sector for more than 26 years, it was a fantastic opportunity for us to share our knowledge and expertise, and we hope that this will have a positive impact on future care home developments.”

45

A tale of two markets

By Andrew Long WE continue to be bombarded by headlines declaring the fragile state of the social care market, especially in residential and nursing care.

Local authority budgets are reducing, providers are feeling the bite from fee pressures and rising wages, and this is all pointing towards slipping standards with less profitability for operators.

It is certainly true that the market is not an easy one to operate in, but then again, it never has been. Social care is, and probably will remain, one of the biggest public funding dilemmas the country faces.

One thing that is undeniable, however, is that there will always be a need. The pressures of demographics cannot be ignored – we are an ageing society with vastly growing expectations. There will therefore always be a market for care providers, but there will be increasing focus on the quality of their offer.

The latest ADASS survey demonstrated that councils are astute to this issue. In the short term, the impact of fee pressures will impact those care providers who are running on a shoe string, with little budget for anything, let alone capital investment.

Those who have quality stock of care homes, in state-of-the-art, purpose-built environment with a care offer which meets the expectations of the next generation remain secure.

They have the potential to build their

Andrew Long private client base, achieving occupancy and fee levels that will enable them to reinvest in their portfolio, ever improving their offer to client and maintaining business performance.

Our sister company, Ideal Carehomes, recently sold 24 care homes in its portfolio to the Anchor Trust for over £100m who also bought two turn-key care homes from LNT in the past six months.

LNT also has a significant pipeline of demand from third parties keen to buy our turn-key homes. You only need to flick through the pages of any of the care press and they are talking about the influx of American REITs buying into the UK care market.

This doesn’t point to a market that is

failing- quite the opposite for those who offer a quality product.

When asked, Christies & Co. commented that they “have long seen a two tier market where older style (pre-existing as they are known) converted care homes are increasingly under pressure from newer quality provision. Both residents and families, and also operators and funders place a significant premium on high quality built-for-purpose homes.”

LNT Carehome Developments see this trend continuing, with demand every-increasing from providers of all sizes looking to add to their portfolio.

Over the past couple of years we have turned our sights to the South and are now developing and selling homes nation-wide. Providers recognise that the efficiency and future-proofing of purchasing a fully-equipped, dementia friendly home not only has benefits for the residents but for staff and efficiency too. Our turn key schemes are universally accepted by banks, private equity and institutional funders, demonstrating the strength of the quality-care model.

Despite the plethora of issues facing the market, there is a cross-census that a quality asset accompanied by an excellent care offer makes good business sense in the market and this view is strongly supported by funders.

For more information on LNT Carehome Development’s turn key schemes: http://turnkeyplus.co.uk/ Andrew Long is development director at LNT.

Topping out ceremony at new home

A PURPOSE-built care home took a step closer to completion as the team behind Garforth Care Home in Church Gardens was joined by councillor Mark Dobson to celebrate the traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony.

Garforth is the latest state-of-theart care centre to be built by independent provider Meridian Healthcare and will offer residential care for up to 58 residents.

The home promises superb accommodation, with those living there benefitting from a range of facilities including the Elegance hairdressing salon, a spa and an onsite gymnasium.

Meridian Healthcare’s managing director, Paula Keys, said: “Meridian Healthcare has been providing high quality care across the North of England for over 25 years and we have used all of that experience in developing Garforth Care Home.

“Every aspect of this new development has been designed with its residents in mind, from the carefully considered layout of the living accommodation to the accessible landscaped gardens.”

Garforth Care Home will join Meridian Healthcare’s Premiere Collection.

46

Operator sells part of portfolio to HCP

By Olivia Taylor

The Beeches in West Cornwall.

Luxury nursing home changes hands THE Beeches, a luxurious nursing home in West Cornwall, has changed hands in a deal brokered by specialist property adviser Christie + Co. Outgoing vendors Peter and Lesley Pool established the home in 1988 and built an enviable reputation for providing the highest standards of care to residents.

The 28 bedroom property has now been acquired by Patrick and Mirjam Wintershoven for an undisclosed sum.

The home will continue to be run by the present manager, with Patrick

and Mirjam overseeing the operation and ensuring the quality of care continues at the home as it has done over the last 28 years.

John Crocker, director at Christie + Co’s Exeter office, handled the sale.

He said: “The Beeches generated tremendous interest with multiple offers received from both first-time buyers and existing operators.

“We are delighted to have ensured a smooth transaction for Peter and Lesley, and we wish Patrick and Mirjam all the best with their new venture.”

DEVELOPMENT led care home operator New Care Projects has concluded the sale of part of its portfolio for an undisclosed sum to HCP, a specialist California-based health care investment REIT. The operation of the two homes, Allingham House Care Centre in Timperley and Manorhey Care Centre in Urmston, has been taken over by Maria Mallaband Care Group with immediate effect.

The transaction offered New Care the opportunity to dispose of the mature trading assets, which had become a prime target for corporate acquisition not only due to their new build nature, but also as a result of their location in the affluent borough of Trafford.

The multi-million pound deal allows New Care to exit with surplus funds to fuel their ambitious expansion plans; designing, constructing and operating ‘new generation’ purpose-built care homes across the UK. New Care provides a unique concept in the care sector founded by ‘builder and nurse’ team, Chris McGoff and Dylan Southern, following controlling interest investment by the McGoff brothers and a minority group of serial equity investors.

New Care Projects CEO Chris McGoff.

New Care Projects’ CEO, Chris McGoff, said: “We are very pleased to see this deal conclude, as not only did we take comfort in the fact that our excellent reputation and legacy was being transferred to suitable custodians, but it also acts as a catalyst for the future growth of the New Care platform which we hope will become synonymous with raising standards in elderly health care provision.”

In reaching a conclusion of the sale of the two homes, New Care Projects was advised by Manchester-based law firm Field Fisher and Grant Thornton.

New Care Projects has retained full ownership of their third and recently completed care home, The Grand, in West Bridgford in Nottingham.

47

Minimum wage increase could be ‘catastrophic’ for care homes

By Joe Bates THE proposed increase to the minimum wage, which is set to hit £7.20 an hour from April 2016, could force care homes out of business and significantly reduce the care available for state-funded residents.

In order to overcome this challenge, care home managers must drive cost efficiencies and identify additional revenue streams to supplement their income as a matter of urgency.

Wages are by far the largest expense incurred by care institutions, with staff pay accounting for up to 70 per cent of turnover. In addition, a large percentage of employees, approximately 40 per cent, are currently paid the minimum wage. In view of this, care homes are likely to see a significant increase in their wage bill at a time when budgets are already stretched, leaving them at risk of financial distress.

Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, recently estimated that local authorities currently commission care for the elderly at £71 a week below its actual cost.

A rise in the minimum wage, without any corresponding increase in government funding will further reduce the economic viability of providing care provisions to state-funded residents as well as reducing the

social impact of not-for-profit organisations.

Unlike some long-term public sector contracts such as the running of prisons or janitorial services for hospitals, care home grants do not adjust for inflation, which means the full cost increase must be absorbed by the care operator. To stay afloat, care homes must take measures now to bolster the balance sheet and improve their cash position.

First and foremost, care home managers should begin by exploring what other services their institution can provide in order to boost income. To make best use of available resources, there are two immediate options; day care and domiciliary care.

Day care provision provides an ideal expansion opportunity, as the service appeals to a wider pool of potential customers and allows staff to utilise their current expertise. In addition, the cost of caring for each resident per hour is reduced as overnight care and private living space are not required. It also provides a useful diversity of people using the home and stimulation for the residents.

Domiciliary care may also represent a possible avenue for expansion.

Again, this provision utilises the existing skills set of employees and training can easily be provided to new staff brought in to service additional

Joe Bates demand. Care-at-home services are calculated on a case-by-case basis so are subject to change; it is thought that in this area local authorities will bear a significant proportion of the expense incurred by the increase to minimum wage. As a result, institutions may wish to rebalance their resources across both live-in and home-based care to reduce their financial burden.

Aside from increasing revenues, where possible efficiencies must be made to reduce organisations’ cost base. Crucially, only non-essential services should be considered for decommissioning and any changes made must not affect care standards

as a whole. Typically, it is likely that value-added amenities will be the first to fall in the name of cost-cutting, including holistic therapies, entertainment and group outings, which is a great shame as far as quality of care is concerned.

Supplier contracts should also be reviewed. Smaller institutions may wish to drive economies of scale by sourcing a number of different services or supplies from the same vendor, in order to secure a cost saving.

Similarly, larger firms may find that putting large contracts to tender for numerous homes in a specific region or nationwide, could prove more cost effective.

The company accounts should be carefully examined to provide a break-down of spending. Services that are currently outsourced such as recruitment or cleaning could potentially operate more efficiently inhouse and drive further cost savings.

In the period leading to April 2016, it is vital that care home managers take measures to ready themselves for an increase to the minimum wage.

As margins are further eroded by a burgeoning wage bill, firms must make a concerted effort to drive cost savings and explore other revenue streams in order to survive.

Joe Bates is a partner and care homes specialist at accountancy firm

48

CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Care Roadshows visit Cardiff and London this Autumn FOR the past five years, Care Roadshows have been taking place across the UK providing care home owners, managers and all those working within the sector with updated from industry leaders and showcasing the latest innovations on the market.

This autumn, the event will be coming to two new locations, visiting Cardiff City Stadium on October 20 and Epsom Downs Racecourse on November 17.

Both events offer attendees a packed day out including informative seminars, hands-on workshops and a wide range of products and services to explore from dedicated care providers.

Enquiries: For further information and to register for your free tickets visit www.careroadshows.co.uk

What is the red bag dilemma?

THE red bag arrives in the laundry, tightly sealed, containing foul and infected clothes that are ready to be washed at 65°C. The laundry assistant notices that there is a cardigan in the bag.

Girbau UK appointed exclusive distributor of GMP Ironers GIRBAU UK has been appointed the sole distributor of GMP roller ironers in the UK. Ideal for smaller on-premise laundries in care and nursing homes, GMP ironers offer substantial productivity gains and a high quality professional finish.

GMP ironers are energy efficient, easy to use, reliable and robust. An accurate twin-sensor temperature control system and enhanced insulation reduce heat dispersion and improve heat distribution evenly across the ironing surface for better ironing, reduced energy loss and improved energy efficiency.

The large control panel is simple and extremely easy to understand and use. Users can easily adjust ironing speed and temperature to suit all types of fabric. Accurate and reliable temperature sensing and control prevent wasteful energy loss and protect laundry from scorching.

The range of GMP ironers available from Girbau UK includes the GMP 100.25, GMP 120.25, GMP

140.25, GMP 140.30 and the largest GMP 160.30.

The first number of each model denotes the ironing width of the roller (from 1.0 to 1.6 metres), the second number denotes the roller diameter (250mm or 300mm). Larger models offer higher productivity of up to 50kg of ironing per hour while smaller models are more compact and affordable.

Enquiries: For more information visit www.girbau.co.uk

New printed fabrics on the Skopos stand at the Care Show SKOPOS Fabrics are excited to be launching their new print collection at the Care Show in Birmingham in November.

Skopos launches new print collections each year and, with each design available on a wide choice of basecloths, designs can work well for care and hospitality interiors .

Anthem has a nod to dancehall days and movement within the design mark that gives a handcrafted, artisan feel to the print.

The collection is a perfect solution for soft furnishings in bedrooms and public spaces, with fabric options including blackout, dim-out, regular drape qualities and a waterproof upholstery base cloth in the mix. Including a simple organic design, a textured stripe and some soft geometrics, the collection offers a contemporary solution.

This collection will blur the gap between hospitality and care, providing inspirational designs which work well with the Skopos range of upholsteries, providing a fresh solution for hotel interiors and providing a quirky lift to interiors for care.

Anthem is available this Autumn with short lead-times and small minimums.

This is the dilemma!

The operator can’t open the bag and remove the cardigan, as this would contravene the Department of Health code of practice which states that foul and infected linen should be sealed in a red alginate bag, which should first be washed at a minimum of 65°C, without being opened.

However, the operator knows that if the bag is put in the washing machine and washed at 65°C, then the cardigan will be ruined, this will upset the resident and the resident’s relatives, who will then demand that the cardigan is replaced at the care homes expense, which will further upset the manager and the care home owner.

Halo Commercial is the answer to the dilemma!

Our unique Halo products combine low temperature bug kill and odour elimination, with the ultimate in cleaning performance. This next generation laundry detergent range is designed to deliver results in the most demanding laundry environments.

The active ingredient, Hygienilac, inhibits transport of nutrients, leading to death of microorganisms.

Halo Commercial is scientifically proven to destroy:

H1N1 flu virus.

C difficile spores.

MRSA bacteria.

Within five minutes contact time at a temperature as low as 30°C. Halo should be used instead of conventional laundry detergent, because it decontaminates and disinfects the linen at reduced temperatures further reducing laundry costs.

Enquiries: For further information contact Shorrock Trichem on 01942 875325 or speak directly to laundry care professional Paul Robinson on 07771 928196 or email paul.robinson@shorrocktrichem.com

Claim VAT back on your home even if you are not VAT registered IT is true, care providers can reclaim VAT worth about £3,000 per bed for any residents who stayed in your home between 1993 and 2002 paid for by the local authority.

You don’t have to be VAT registered to make a claim. We can usually find the information required with minimal disruption to your business.

How is this possible? Well in 2002 a care provider called Kingscrest challenged the view held

by HMRC and won. There is no cost to you unless we are successful.

Typical claims: 50 beds – £240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287 beds – £1.25m.

And the best part is that you get the money in your bank account before you pay us. Don’t forget

the tax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.

Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.

Simple solutions Skopos is an ISO9001 accredited company and has over 35 years’ specialist experience in the design and manufacture of high performance FR contract fabrics for the healthcare and hospitality sectors.

Enquiries: To find out more visit www.skoposfabrics.com

Ontex introduces care home product and support guide to iD-Direct A NEW guide to continence training and product solutions for care home professionals has been produced by Ontex Healthcare to support its growing iD-Direct incontinence care and personal hygiene programme.

The iD Care Home and Product Support Guide provides advice on the extensive iD Expert range and related solutions, as well as the training and support the company offers care home staff. iD-Direct benefits from having one of the largest and best-qualified field support teams in the UK continence care market, constituting CRB-checked male and female nurses.

Training and education are overseen by the company's clinical support team.

Carers also benefit from having access to iD Expert eLearning: accredited by the Royal College of Nursing, this online tool has been developed to increase knowledge and understanding of incontinence and help keep to-to-date with best practice.

There are currently 10 modules available, including one dedicated to carers, with further modules in development.

Enquiries: Contact www.id-direct.com

The answer to the age old red bag dilemma

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.

Beaucare launches comprehensive new medical catalogue OUR most comprehensive catalogue to date is packed full of all the everyday medical equipment and consumables a care home requires.

We have broadened our product offerings within a number of ranges, including introducing new nursing profiling beds, which were showcased at the Birmingham Care Show last year, and dementia care products to mention a few.

We guarantee a one-stop shop policy, with orders placed by 5pm being delivered next day at no extra cost.

Beaucare® Medical Ltd, established since 1992, is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to individual care homes, care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts.

Enquiries: To obtain your copy call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

49

CARINGNEWS

Danfloor to exhibit at Show danfloor will be returning to the Care and Dementia show in Birmingham with our range of innovative and high performance carpets which are ideal for the care cector.

Visitors will be able to see the selection of colours and designs available from the Equinox Collection and Economix range, which both offer fully impervious carpets, advanced anti-microbial yarn coatings and an array of

design opportunities.

For those seeking design options for dementia care settings our Equinox Tones and Economix ranges are ideal as the tonal designs make them not too distracting to the eye.

So why not come along and visit stand I34 and also meet our little friends who help to tell the story of the 100 per cent sustainable fibre which is used within the Economix range.

Public Health Minister to speak at conference THE Care England annual conference & exhibition, ‘What’s New? A Year of Change’, will take place on November 12 at the Church House Conference Centre, London.

The event will take a close look at the current social care landscape and assess the challenges for next year.

Jane Ellison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, will deliver the opening address and present her vision for improving the care of long term conditions.

Other influential speakers include Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, Dr Clive Bowman, consultant physician and gerontologist and Ian Smith, Four Seasons chairman, who will deliver the provider’s perspective.

All providers, not just Care England members, are welcome to attend this event, which also features an exhibition and seminars from leading sector product and service suppliers.

Further information is available from www.careengland.org.uk

20th birthday for Medpage’s MP5 seizure detecting alarm THE Medpage MP5 Epilepsy Alarm had its 20th birthday recently.

It is hard to believe the very first Medpage epilepsy alarm was sent to a customer 20 years ago.

Did you know it was an OT that gave us the idea for the MP5? While trying to find a solution to help a family with a young daughter having more than her fair share of seizures, many of them going undetected resulting in regular hospitalisation, we were introduced as a company that may be able to help.

Indeed we did, and so the MP5 was created. The MP5 remains the most affordable seizure monitor priced at £205 + VAT.

The MP5 monitor can be used with the two alarm pagers supplied, or it can connect directly into a nurse call system.

How many seizures has the MP5 detected?

We wondered how many seizures our monitors may have detected over the years, quite amazing – read on.

With over 20,000 serialised epilepsy alarms supplied since 1995 (for the MP5 model only), we have calculated an approximate number of detected seizures based on one seizure detection per week (and a lot of other factors) per monitor to be in excess of two million.

If you have got a story for the next issue of Caring UK mgazine, email it to reporter Olivia Taylor at ot@sciptmedia.co.uk

New beginnings for West London nursing home WEST London residential care home Parkfield House nursing home in Hillingdon once again takes on a grand theme after a new management team transformed it with a stunning interior refurbishment thanks to healthcare furniture and interiors specialists Shackletons.

Making the most of the impressive Georgian residence, once the home of Lady Hillingdon, Shackletons partnered with interior design company HomeSmiths to create a distinguished interior refurbishment reminiscent of the building’s magnificent past.

Through design consultation with staff and residents the 44 en-suite bedrooms, dining facilities, lounges and reception area benefitted from a discerning interior overhaul creating an uplifting environment for residents and staff to enjoy.

Home administrator Sue Martin said: “From specialist chairs, fit to accommodate comfort and mobility requirements, to occasional furniture and soft furnishings, Shackletons thought of everything needed to make Parkfield House a bright and beautiful place to live and work – our

residents absolutely love it.”

Shackletons and HomeSmiths partnered to deliver a supportive living environment that not only considered resident and staff preferences but the complex needs of elderly care and adaptive design accommodating sensory and mobility impairment, physical comfort and safety.

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

50

Home’s residents take a walk on the wild side RESIDENTS at Crossways, the CLSrun care home in Northwich, Cheshire, took a walk on the wild side recently, when exotic animal handlers from Zoolab visited the home, bringing a host of weird and wonderful creatures along with them.

All the residents showed no fear when getting up close and personal with the exotic animals; Ray Milner, 89 and Constance Pendlebury, 69 took their chance to touch a giant snail, Margaret Jones, 88 made a new friend in a bearded dragon, while Freda Stagg, 89 showed some serious nerve by holding a giant cockroach.

Freda said: “All of the animals were so lovely and beautiful, I actually couldn’t help but give some of them a kiss.”

Zoolab is an animal handling

experience company, with a network of regional teams who provide a range of tailored activities, from primary school education workshops, to holiday entertainment, to animal therapy. Zoolab is a regular visitor to CLS homes.

Crossways home manager Paul Bowman said: “We have a very full programme of activities here at Crossways, but Zoolab visits are always a highlight.

“The residents can’t help but get excited when they see an animal they have never seen before, let alone when they get the chance to hold them. The handlers are fantastic at getting everyone interacting, which is exactly what these activities are for; that and putting a smile on everyone’s face, staff included.”

Memory Walk raises more than £500 TWO TEESSIDE care homes raised over £500 for the Alzheimer’s Society by staging a Memory Walk in Albert Park, Middlesbrough.

The walk was organised by The Beeches and The Gables care homes and involved residents, family and

Signs

staff.

It is part of a national campaign to raise money to fight dementia, with other Alzheimer’s Memory Walks taking place across England, Wales and Northern Ireland throughout September.

Catering development manager Del Penman and head of catering Sean McArdle with a selection of Smoothfood dishes.

Provider is first in UK to introduce innovative pureed food technique A NORTH East care company is the first in the UK to introduce an innovative technique in pureed food to help their residents, and others in the country, with dysphagia.

Helen McArdle Care started trials of Smoothfood in their care homes earlier in the year, and have seen such positive results they have now trained all of their chefs in the new technique and rolled it out across the whole group.

Developed in Germany by Biozoon in 2011, Smoothfood is a unique pureed food technique intended to give elderly people, who have problems eating solid food, more nutritional and enjoyable meals.

Unlike other pureed food solutions in the UK, which can be dull and look artificial, Smoothfood uses special thickening and gelling agents within pureed food, so that when it sets, has the correct texture but crucially, can be broken down easily in the mouth.

The pureed food is then shaped back to its individual form, in order

to be aesthetically pleasing as well as very tasty.

Sean McArdle, head of catering at Helen McArdle Care, said: “Five years ago I attended a training course called ‘Focus on Undernutrition for the Elderly’ and part of the course was a practical session based on preparing food and feeding people that have difficulties swallowing.

“During the training we shaped and moulded food to make it look more presentable, still calling the food peas, carrots, casserole. I found this difficult to understand as I knew that the pureed food would never have the texture of the food it was supposed to be.

“Although I had some understanding of the distress that people must go through when they have difficulties swallowing and eating, until this training I never realised just how limited the options for food and hydration were. From that day I was determined to make it better.”