Caring UK Weekly - Issue 30

Issue 30 21.10.20

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Village group launches new Covid guide MEASURES introduced to protect older people from Covid-19 may be as detrimental as the virus itself, according to a charitable organisation.

Belong, which operates seven state-of-the-art care villages across the North West and Midlands, has released a guide to help families and friends of people with dementia recognise and overcome some of the barriers created by isolation, face coverings and social distancing.

Belong’s Admiral Nurse, Caroline Clifton, said: “As an organisation that specialises in dementia care, we were already very aware of the harmful effects of social isolation and loneliness on people with dementia.

“As such, we were able to quickly respond within Belong villages to the potential risks of people experiencing a rapid downturn in their physical and mental abilities, due to reduced opportunities for exercise and social interaction.

“Our focus has therefore been very much on finding ways to overcome these challenges and maintain the positive wellbeing of customers.”

To help others in the community, Belong has developed a Covid-19 guide, harnessing the expertise of its dementia specialist

Admiral Nurse team to offers tips ranging from nutrition and activity ideas to ways of maintaining exercise and social interaction while restricted to the home.

It also offers strategies to communicate with people living with dementia when wearing a mask or face covering, as well as advice on how to explain Covid-19 restrictions.

Caroline added: “The past six months have been a steep learning curve for everyone, and we were keen to produce something that could help support families in the wider community to recognise potential issues, especially for those who may not have formal assistance in place.

“The guide combines best practice in dementia care with innovative strategies we have found really useful throughout the pandemic, and we hope it enhances the lives of people affected by dementia during this difficult time.”

Belong was one of the first care operators to safely introduce garden visits at its villages earlier this year, amidst growing concerns over resident wellbeing when family visits were suspended.

The guide is free to download at https://www.belong.org. uk/sites/default/files/belong_ dementia_care_guide.pdf

Care home celebrates Robin’s life

Residents at HC One’s Pendleton Court have had some new company in the form of some robotic pets. The Salford care home residents have been receiving sessions with the robotic animals. They interact with the residents and react to different touch or movements. The cats purr and vibrate which makes them almost seem alive. In keeping with infection control, all the pets are sanitised after each resident has a hold and before passing onto another. Home manager Melissa Stanton said: “I have never seen such an amazing reaction to anything before they are amazing, everyone should have one.”

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STAFF at a care home in Kettering have been celebrating the life of the UK’s oldest man with Down’s syndrome, who passed away just weeks before his 79th birthday.

Robin Smith had lived at Northleigh since 1986, and was a popular, well-liked resident.

The home threw a ‘night to remember’ party on what would have been his 79th birthday to celebrate his life. Staff served up his favourite cake and snacks, sharing their best loved memories of their friend.

Billy Fulcher, support worker at Northleigh residential home said: “Robin was the legend of Northleigh. I was so happy to work with such a caring and special individual.

“Robin was more than a resident to me – he became part of my family. He touched everyone’s heart in that way. I take great pleasure in knowing I was part of his life. He had such a beautiful soul and he had a laugh I will never forget. He lit up a room with his twinkly eyes and cheeky smile and no one that met him could resist adoring him.”

Robin, who was born in 1941, was originally given a life expectancy of 12 years due to his condition, but instead, defied the odds, and was still full of life as a septuagenarian.

He is said to have had a very active lifestyle right to the end, enjoying helping in the home, yoga and aerobics. He could often be found watching the horse racing or singing and dancing to his favourite Cliff Richard and Elvis.

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Roll of

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

Have you nominated your lockdown hero?

Nominate your lockdown hero who has gone over and above in these most testing of times in the Caring UK 2020 Roll of Honour.

We want to hear from you if you know someone who has gone above and beyond in 2020 to make a difference and help their residents and colleagues get through these harrowing times.

The Caring UK 2020 Roll of Honour will appear in our January 2021 issue.

Send your nomination to events@scriptmedia.co.uk and we will be featuring some of your stories in Caring UK magazine, and our weekly Caring UK digital newsletter.

Closing date for entries is Friday December 4.

We can’t wait to read your stories ‌ Sponsorship opportunities are also available by calling 01226 734 605

3

CARINGWEEKLY

Residents’ dating advice reaches a million people DATING advice from residents of the state-of-the-art Belong care village in Newcastle-under-Lyme has proved a surprise social media sensation.

With decades of courtship behind them, the octogenarians decided it was time to pass on a few tips from their experience to young people embarking on the search for love.

With messages penned, support workers created a series of photographs showing residents holding up their words of wisdom.

The photographs, which have been posted on the care village’s Facebook page, have since been viewed by more than a million people and received more than 22,000 reactions, comments and shares.

Among those offering the benefit of their experience was Winnie Barnes, 89, who advised people going on a date to be mindful of their appearance: ‘make sure you look nice.’

Going to the cinema was the most popular recommendation for what to do on a first date from residents, including Brian Pugh, 84, who said: ‘Take them to watch a nice picture.’

Another resident, Ken Rawlinson, 93, advocated for leaving love to chance, counselling that finding the right person was about: ‘The right day, time and person.’

Concerned entirely with more practical matters, Elsie Price, aged 95, encouraged people to ask of

prospective partners: ‘Have they got plenty of money?’

Emma Palin, experience coordinator at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: “It was fascinating, and often humorous, to learn about love and dating from people with such life experience. I never thought it would attract such attention.

“With all the restrictions currently in place, we’ve had to be resourceful with finding new ways of keeping residents entertained and stimulated to be creative themselves. This was huge fun and led to hours of reminiscence – mostly of happy times, though not always.”

Not everyone at the care village was so enthusiastic about the prospect of achieving happiness through love.

When asked for her thoughts on dating, Mary Booth, 86, dismissed romantic notions altogether and said: ‘Don’t bother.’

Raft of changes at home FOUR new starters, further recruitment and a revamped food offering are just some of the major changes at two Gwynedd care homes.

The Meddyg Care Group, which runs two specialist dementia nursing homes in Porthmadog and Criccieth, is also set to roll out a new career structure that will help the organisation become a Living Wage employer.

The new recruits bolster what managing director Kevin Edwards describes as a skilled and passionate workforce, with additional hires on the horizon, including a family liaison officer.

Meddyg Care has also introduced apetito, a dedicated supplier of meals for the health and social care sector.

The changes were progressed

throughout lockdown, during which time no residents tested positive for the coronavirus.

Kevin, who took over the running of the Porthmadog site in October 2017 before bringing The Pines nursing home in Criccieth under the Meddyg Care umbrella in April 2018, said: “It’s been a strange and worrying time for residents, their families and our staff.

“We worked hard to reassure all by implementing new measures to prioritise the health and safety of everyone. We’re thrilled to not only welcome new members to the team but to continue recruiting.”

Meddyg Care has a waiting list at both homes and Kevin believes the focus on employee development to ensure high-quality care is central to their success.

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4

CARINGWEEKLY

‘It’s been a breath of fresh air’ says oil exec turned handyman

Home creates miniature golf course as part of competition BRINNINGTON Hall in Manchester has been crowned the North West regional winner of Ideal Carehomes’ annual ‘Gardens in Bloom’ competition thanks to the creation of a four-hole crazy golf course.

The contest, which launched in June, encourages both staff and residents to work together to embrace their love of the great outdoors by devising and implementing an exciting revamp for their outdoor spaces that everybody can enjoy during the summer months.

Home manager Rachel McIntosh said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to be crowned the regional North West winner.

“All of the credit must go to our amazing residents who embraced the competition with such gusto.

“We are extremely grateful to have had such overwhelming support from our residents’ families, our staff team and local businesses that generously donated to our garden project.

“It really has been a labour of love and we are so glad to see the judges were as thrilled with our garden creation as we are.”

Residents and staff introduced a new golf theme for this year’s garden masterpiece, deciding on it during

their monthly committee meeting.

They all agreed to create a fun space with lots of activities and things to do and see.

The team created a wooden crazy golf course with brightly coloured handmade obstacles including windmills, castles and towers for residents to enjoy.

Since unveiling the course, residents have created small golf tournaments and regularly compete to achieve the best par per hole.

Miniature themed gardens have also been created including a ‘fairy garden’ featuring mini fairy houses, a ‘bug garden’ to attract new wildlife, bee hotels and a ‘rainbow garden’ to pay homage to the key workers’ rainbow symbol that has united the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents wrote messages on rainbow painted wooden spoons which now sit among the flowers to display their messages of appreciation, hope and love to the key workers.

The home now enters the final round of the competition, whereby Ideal Carehomes’ panel of judges will visit all regional winners to decide upon a national victor.

Staff at HC One’s Brandon House have created personalised cushions for residents. Home manager Sheryl Davis and nursing assistant Amy Keogh have made “This is me” cushions for all of the residents at the Coventry care home.

They enable the residents living with dementia to have prompts about themselves, and so can bring a conversation about themselves and their families with carers and staff at the home.

Sheryl and Amy found this to be a simple yet effective idea for the staff to learn about the residents. Sheryl said: “I wanted to do something quick and easy for the staff to read and get to know the resident, its person-centred story of life and hobbies.” The cushions tell anyone about the individual, even what music they like to listen to or when their birthday is.

They can be used on the residents’ beds, chairs or taken on trips to the hospital.

FROM regulating oil exploration in Russia to changing lightbulbs in a care home, Paul Law’s career has gone in an extraordinary direction.

But the former oil and gas exec says his new job, heading up maintenance at Balhousie Alastrean, is a “breath of fresh air”.

It’s a lot to do with his new job’s location: the former country house and sprawling estate in Tarland, Aberdeenshire.

“Working here has really opened my eyes to the hard work care home staff do,” he said. “The care people are getting here is second to none.

“And these are paying customers so we all have to make sure they’re getting the best service we can give them. That includes my daily maintenance checks.”

Formerly known as the House of Cromar, the property was built as a country retreat by Lord Aberdeen and then became a retirement home for the RAF. Today it is owned by the RAF Benevolent Fund and managed by the award-winning Balhousie Care Group.

Paul, who lives in nearby Banchory, was wanting a change of pace after 32 years working all over the world in a job which include Ministry of Defence work.

He now loves that he’s a short

Paul Law commute from work, and doesn’t take his job home with him.

But while the pace is slower and the surroundings breathtaking, Paul has his work cut out for him; the expansive property boasts 51 en-suite rooms and five lounges. Paul readily admits he had “never stepped foot inside a care home” before getting this job.

In his spare time – which, happily, he now has much more of – Paul enjoys his cars: a 1967 MGB GT, a BMW Z4 and a 4×4.

Provider expands operations team with appointment MEALLMORE Ltd has promoted Carol-Anne Foote to the newly created role of commissioning and business development manager.

The new position will see CarolAnne working with the operations team to develop the company’s portfolio of facilities providing person-centred care and support, while also expanding the offering of care to people across Scotland on both existing care homes and new developments.

Carol-Anne started her career as a registered mental health nurse and has more than 20 years’ experience in the private care sector.

She joined Meallmore in 2005 as manager of Forthland Lodge in Edinburgh, before becoming area manager for the central east region of Scotland in 2008.

During this time she gained an SVQ in Management and has completed a Master’s degree in MBS in Innovation and Leadership at Letterkenny Institute of Technology in Donegal, Ireland.

Carol-Anne said: “I was drawn to Meallmore 15 years ago because of the company’s great reputation for putting quality at the centre of care.

“During this time I’ve found it to be a company which not only sticks to its values but allows its values to drive decision making.

“This ensures Meallmore continues to provide the highest quality care for

Carol-Anne Foote our residents.

“I feel lucky to have developed my career with such a caring and supportive company, and I look forward to supporting the operations team in their efforts to further develop the quality of the care that they offer in this exciting new role.”

Carol-Anne will be responsible for looking after new services to ensure Meallmore’s quality care standards meet and exceed those laid out by the Care Inspectorate.

Her first task is to oversee Meallmore’s newest care home, Greenan Manor in Ayr, recruit staff and welcome its first residents.

The purpose-built care home is due to open its doors this winter.

5

CARINGWEEKLY Advertiser’s announcement

Christmas decorations – a new approach DECORATING your home for Christmas is always an enjoyable event for both residents and staff.

But this year, as we deal with Covid-19, we might like to put some thought to the amount and type of decorations we plan to put up.

Recognising the difficulty in keeping Christmas trees and traditional decorations clean and tidy, Care Home Murals now offer an effective solution with its new Pop-Up Christmas Roller Banners.

We are all familiar with roller banners, and we know how visually striking they can be.

Care Home Murals has produced a new range, featuring specially created festive designs, that present a simple and practical alternative.

At 2m high and almost 1m wide, these colourful Pop-Ups are certainly eye-catching as well as convenient.

At the time of going to press, designs include

richly decorated Christmas Trees, Christmas Firesides with stockings ready for Santa’s visit, and delightfully accessible Christmas Carols.

Pop-Ups are suitable for any room or corridor, taking up minimal space against a wall or in a corner.

If you have found traditional decorations cluttering your home or hindering movement for staff and residents – and the tea trolley – Pop-Ups could be the perfect answer.

Each Pop-Up comes ready for use and is very easy to put up with built-in feet for added stability.

The printed surface is tough and smooth making it easy to wipe down and keep clean.

Of course, nothing compares to the traditional Christmas decorations that we know and love.

But when space is at a premium and cleanliness is paramount, these Christmas Pop-Up Roller Banners are a perfect alternative.

The Pop-Up Christmas Roller Banners come complete with a carry-bag, so they may be easily and safely stored for use next year. n Care Home Murals design wallpaper murals exclusively for care homes.

Their murals are more than just beautifully decorative.

They have significant purpose and offer many benefits for care home residents, including those with dementia.

Inspiration for their mural designs comes from their customers – carers who have a desire and vision to use wall imagery to enhance the environment and day-to-day lives of their residents.

Their team of professional mural artists, illustrators and photographers have created a range of murals that seeks to meet these aspirations as imaginatively as possible.

For more information visit www.carehomemurals.co.uk

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Each Pop-Up is 85cm wide x 200cm high and comes complete with a carry-bag Single Pop-Up £150 Any 2 Pop-Ups £280 Any 3 Pop-Ups £390 Prices include delivery and VAT

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6

CARINGWEEKLY Advertiser’s announcement

The importance of staff training post-Covid

By Martin Green ONE OF the many things that the Covid-19 crisis has taught us is the high level of skill and competence among the British social care workforce.

Throughout this pandemic, social care staff have been on the front line and shown they are true professionals with a desire to do everything possible to support people in care homes across the UK. In light of this knowledge, business owners must recognise the importance of training and development for the social care workforce to not only instill confidence in themselves, but also instill trust in both residents and their families.

This is ever more important as we face a world that will be increasingly dominated by the threat of contagious diseases.

Staff therefore need to understand how to support people by creating the most hygienic and safe care home environments possible.

What has become apparent over recent months is that if people are going to be properly supported and the risk of Covid-19 infection effectively managed, a care home business requires a strategy which recognises the importance of every member of the social care team.

It is particularly important to acknowledge the contribution of domestic and support staff – the

Martin Green pandemic has shone a light on their vital contribution and cemented the understanding that these team members are absolutely essential to the delivery of high-quality and safe care.

In discussions about training, managers often focus on the care team, but it is important to remember that the support teams are equally important and it is they who create a hygienic environment in which

people can live safely.

In order to create a clean and hygienic environment, there are two elements to consider.

Firstly, cleaning products and the brands businesses choose, and secondly, how staff training is managed to ensure correct usage.

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen great emphasis on cleaning and a real focus not only on trying to find products that are trusted by staff and residents, but also have a track record of delivering effective results in an away-from-home environment.

Products preferred by professionals, such as those in the PP&G Professional portfolio (Fairy, Ariel, and Flash), ensure a feeling of wellbeing in the minds of residents’ families and staff because they are familiar, in both sight and smell from their home environments.

The products also require minimal training, as each is labelled with simple how-to-use instructions to ensure the user understands how to work with them effectively.

Since the start of the pandemic, around seven per cent of care home staff have tested positive for Covid-19 – this makes it vital that care homes pay close attention to how they train staff in infection prevention and control.

This is critical to help prevent any infection taking hold within care services, and it is also vital because the sector needs to ensure that families and loved ones have

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confidence in the way in which an infection is managed.

We cannot underestimate the importance of not only delivering a clean environment and training staff, but also following strict prevention and control guidelines – such as proper distancing, personal protective equipment, and frequent handwashing.

The issue of infection control within care services has been brought into sharp focus by the development of the infection-control fund, which the Government has been distributing to care providers in order to ensure that the infection rate in care homes is kept to its absolute minimum.

For one of the first times in our recent history, this has put the issue of cleanliness and hygiene right at the top of the Government‘s agenda with a particular focus on Covid-19.

The fund also provides care home businesses with more money to spend on good quality, tried and tested products, such as those available within the P&G Professional portfolio.

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CARINGWEEKLY

“Winter is coming…” – a lawyer’s perspective

By Benjamin Bull THE meaning behind these words is less one of warning but more an emphasis to be constantly vigilant and adaptable in the face of unprecedented demands on the social care sector.

Care providers should scrutinise their contract management practices with a view to preventing the accrual of debt and to maximise fee recovery.

Contract management Care providers should collate and detail the various terms and conditions in force under placement agreements.

This is best done using a centralised contract database.

The ability to effectively manage contracts will afford providers the ability to (i) achieve and maintain operational efficiency, (ii) ensure value for money, and (iii) allow for cooperation between stakeholders.

The above can be achieved by being able to (i) adhere to applicable deadlines, timelines and milestones in contracts, (ii) access relevant information for the safe provision of care, and (iii) report and review performance under the terms of the contract and regulatory framework.

Cash flow Social care providers are more sensitive to cash flow now than before Covid-19.

It is therefore important to ensure cash is recovered for services rendered.

Efficient contract management will identify cash flow issues.

Addressing non-payment of fees early drastically increases the likelihood of recovery and helps identify unsustainable placements.

Protecting cash flow There are two main methods by which a care provider can ensure

Knitters create ‘fish’-tastic aquarium for care home

Benjamin Bull payment of fees from a private resident.

Firstly, there is the personal guarantee whereby a next of kin, usually a son or daughter, is made liable for any unpaid fees under the terms of any placement contract.

This provides an alternative avenue to recover unpaid fees and focusses the mind of the guarantor on the financial viability of the placement.

Secondly, a charge can be registered on the resident’s property.

This is suitable where the resident is moving out of a property they own and is looking to fund the placement from the proceeds of sale. A charge formalises the above so the provider then does not need to waste resources chasing payment.

Conclusion Providers should focus more than ever on the fundamentals of running an efficient business.

Putting these operational steps in place, or refining them, will ensure the service is safer, more efficient, and more likely to withstand the stress test of a pandemic winter. n Benjamin Bull is a solicitor at Gordons Partnership LLP.

Gompels put packaging under the microscope A TWO-month rigorous exercise conducted by an environmental researcher has enabled Gompels to classify the environmental impact of all stocked products.

Gompels now has the ability to calculate and score each product with an emissions rating.

A new environmental dashboard allows users to see their carbon emissions based on their purchasing decisions.

Olivia, who conducted the research, said “Making sustainability a priority

is something that is not going away, it will only become more important over the coming years.

“Gompels is making massive improvements to its worst offending products and will be sourcing eco-friendly alternatives for its customers who want to reduce their environmental impact.”

Gompels advised that they hope to launch the dashboard to their existing customers by the end of the year and have had lots of positive feedback during testing.

LOCKDOWN knitters in Somerset have been clicking their needles to create an aquarium with a difference for residents at a care home in Wellington.

Responding to a call from the activities team at Camelot House and Lodge for knitted sea creatures they duly picked up their needles and came to the rescue.

“It’s been pretty tough for our residents these past few months due to the Covid-19 restrictions,” said the home’s activities co-ordinator Richard Dempslake.

“Sadly, it’s been very difficult for them to see their friends and families and we’ve been doing all we can to keep their spirits up.

“That’s when we came up with the idea or repurposing an unused fish tank that we had in storage into a sensory aquarium with knitted sea creatures.

“For people with dementia or

Alzheimer’s disease it is particularly important to energise their minds and to create talking points.

“Sensory tanks give visual stimulation to our residents and become an activity in themselves – such as naming the sea creatures or asking for their favourite knitted creature.”

Richard, along with Sophie Carter, Kathy Burge and Amy Lemon, dressed the tank with tinsel, artificial aquatic plants and LED lights and fish hanging down from wires.

The creatures, which include tropical fish, a crab and even a mermaid were all made by local knitters Christine Wall, Julie Bolt and Karen Kerslake.

Christine, who runs weekly ‘knit and natter’ sessions at the Salvation Army’s hall in Taunton who make knitted items for local care homes and community projects, said the fish were fun to make.

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THE 2021

CARING

UK AWARDS Thursday 2nd December 2021,

THE ATHENA,LEICESTER We are extremely sad to bring you the news that we have taken the incredibly difficult decision to cancel this year’s Caring UK Awards.

All nominations for this year’s awards will be carried over to next year – and nominees will have the opportunity to update their nominations should they wish to ahead of the closing date.

Thank you for all your nominations and support and we look forward to celebrating your amazing feats in 2021. Thanks too to our sponsors for your continued loyalty and support.

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Care Home Division

9

CARINGWEEKLY

Ground-breaking nursing home in Camberwell taking shape DEVELOPMENT of a boldly designed new nursing home in Camberwell is well underway, bringing hundreds of jobs to the area and addressing the high demand for nursing care in the borough.

Country Court is the national operator behind the new home which will specialise in nursing care, residential care, dementia care and short-term respite care for up to 99 people.

It will provide an affordable luxury care offering in Southwark, while retaining a sense of community.

The care home has yet to be named and Country Court is asking for suggestions from people in the local area.

“We are very excited about our latest nursing home development,” said Alykhan Kachra, managing director at Country Court.

“Our aim with this project is to create an environment that promotes healthy living and apply that to the design of our care home.

“By choosing to work with architects that have not worked on a care home before we have been able to approach the project from a completely new angle, while still reflecting our usual family and community-led approach to care.”

The ground-breaking project has been developed in partnership with WGP Architects and Horizon

Building Contractors and features bold contemporary design and focus on creating a sense of community for residents.

The result is a thoughtfully considered mixture of ‘fabric first’ interior, with careful use of natural materials and good light – both natural and artificial.

The building plan features a central common space with atria linking between floors to give a sense of community.

The facilities in the home will be designed to make life comfortable

and enjoyable, allowing people to live safely and as they choose; there will be numerous communal lounge and dining areas, roof terrace and themed activity spaces.

The interiors will represent a marked departure from most care homes with careful positioning of mini-atria between compatible floors, and utilising a penthouse level for either pre-bookable private dining spaces in addition to a ‘clubhouse’ that can serve either as an additional activity space or a refined social space.

Tracy Murray, a member of the housekeeping team at HC One’s Cedar Court in Wigston, has braved the shave to raise money for a cancer charity.

She volunteered to complete the ‘Brave the Shave’ campaign in honour of her father who passed away at Cedar Court earlier this year. Tracy has so far raised £1,700.

Advertiser’s announcement

Don’t delay your combi-cleaning, warns food equipment provider RATIONAL is warning that it’s essential for kitchen staff to follow the cleaning procedures recommended by their machine’s manufacturer in order to keep combi steamers operating safely and efficiently.

The market-leader says that, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, some operators are choosing to delay cleaning in order to save money.

“We are already seeing an increase in service callouts arising from this,” said Trevor Lath, national service director of Rational UK. “It’s a problem that will be affecting all combi steamer brands.”

Typically combi steamers should be cleaned every day as part of the kitchen routine.

Most quality machines have self-cleaning programs that make what would be a time consuming and unpleasant chore effortless.

On Rational’s new iCombi Pro the iCareSystem tells operators when they need to run the programme to clean the combi, so it minimises the use of chemicals – because it only asks for a clean when it’s necessary.

The iCareSystem also deals with scale, so there’s no need for a separate water treatment system, or for expensive professional descaling.

“The problem is that some operators are ignoring the iCareSystem’s alerts, on the assumption that delaying a clean and descale will save them money and won’t really do any harm,” added Trevor.

“This is not the case.”

Deferring cleaning routines will lead to the build-up of dirt and scale, which may compromise cooking results, increase energy consumption and

running costs and ultimately lead to equipment breakdown.

If a descale becomes necessary it could cost hundreds of pounds.

There are additional risks: the Rational detergent cleaning tablets don’t just clean and descale the machine, they also break down fats and grease, preventing drains from blocking and subsequent kitchen floods.

“At the very least, you’re looking at unwanted costs and unwanted downtime,” he added.

“Worst case scenario, you could block drains, flood the kitchen and damage the appliance permanently.”

By making the equipment unsafe, not cleaning the combi may even compromise HACCP. “The answer is simple,” added Trevor.

“Follow the machine’s alerts, or the manufacturer’s guidelines, and run the cleaning programme when it’s required.”

HACCP data available from the iCombi Pro combi-steamer and via Rational’s ConnectedCooking platform will give the operator a comprehensive summary of the combi steamer’s daily operation, including the number of cleaning programmes that have been run during a specified period.

Rational is the leading provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iVario multifunctional cooking system and the iCombi Pro combi steamer, the company delivers 95 per cent of all conventional cooking applications.

Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone. iKitchen is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking – iKitchen delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking solutions.

For information and brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations and webinars, call +44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com

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