Time To Thrive initiative now includes teeth
WALFINCH home care’s Oxfordshire team is supporting local people’s oral health as part of the Wellness With Walfinch campaign, part of its Time to Thrive initiative.
“We are promoting access to information about oral health, especially for older people, who may be at risk of neglecting oral care,” said Kam Gill, managing director of Walfinch home care’s Oxfordshire office.
“Walfinch’s Time To Thrive initiative is about delivering active and proactive care to improve physical and mental health, not just for our clients, but for our whole community.”
Kam recently arranged for an oral health specialist to make a presentation to people who attend the community physical exercise classes that Walfinch Oxford offers free in the village of Ducklington.
The oral health presentation was given by Sophie Burton, the oral health improvement manager at Community Dental Services CIC, funded by the Oxfordshire County Council, which promotes oral health programmes and education services to communities.
Kam added: “Oral health is not just about avoiding toothache – though that can make it harder to speak, eat and take medication, all of which can impact quality of life.
“It’s also linked to conditions such as malnutrition and
aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection.
“Being unable to chew food properly because of tooth problems can also affect your digestive system, which affects nutrition and general health.”
Kam has in-depth understanding of the importance of oral health care because she was a dental technician before she entered the home care sector.
She said: “It may be tempting for people to de-prioritise oral health as they get older, but looking after our oral health is especially important now.
“Patients who are registered with an NHS dentist can find themselves de-listed if they fail to visit every six months, which means they have to pay more for private dentistry.
“From both a health and finance point of view, it really makes sense to look after your teeth.”
Kam is in the process of arranging training in preventative oral health for her care team, in line with the Royal College’s recommendation that social care providers should give their staff appropriate training about oral health and care.
“It will enhance the skills of our care team and also provide them with a continuous professional development accreditation, while helping them enhance the wellness of our clients,” she added.
Paintings and sketches by a former soldier have been displayed at a care home in High
More than 60 pieces of art by Michael Mossop were put on show in the reception area at Royal
&
where he now lives. They included works he had created before moving to the care home, as well as artwork the 94-year-old has painted while living there. Michael took up painting and sketching soon after retirement, around 40 years ago. Staff have encouraged him to continue with his hobby since he moved to Royal Star & Garter in February 2021. He also enjoys taking part in arts and crafts activities put on by the Home’s wellbeing team.
Residents volunteer to go hands-on
COMMUNITY-minded care home residents in Poole have gone hands-on to help families hit by food poverty in the Dorset town.
A party of willing volunteers from Colten Care’s Canford Chase made a personal visit to Poole Food Bank’s hub at the St James’ Church Centre, known locally as Jimmy’s.
Companionship team leader Vicky Day said: “After a cuppa we got to work helping to sort some of the many donations they receive from local suppliers and businesses. We helped to date donations and sort them into categories ready for meal preparation bags to be made. These bags contain everything needed to make a nutritious meal.
“We aim to continue our support for the food bank through collections and visits.
“It’s always a humbling experience to visit and see what goes on. The team there put in so much hard work to help others in need.”
Under the direction of project manager Ian Stoney and his team, they helped to sort and date donated food items ready for meal bags to be made up.
They also worked alongside fellow volunteers to check and categorise toiletries and non-food donations.
It was the third visit that residents at the Colten Care home have made to the food bank this year.
One included the delivery of 30 packed lunches that residents Molly Thatcher, Barbara Rivett and Pamela Kateley prepared and brought on the home’s minibus.
Wycombe.
Star
Garter,
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Staff making their mark volunteering around community
WATERHAVEN Place, a new luxury care home in the Connaught Care Collection which will open its doors shortly, is already making waves in Chichester through a series of community-based projects.
In the run-up to launch, the home has dedicated its 26-strong team to various initiatives — including community litter-picks, Christmas gift-wrapping sessions, supporting community groups, and volunteering at local charities.
During the last two weeks of October the team had already clocked up 1,250 hours of voluntary work for 10 different charities, the first being a community litter pick around the Shopwyke Lakes development.
The team have continued the good work by supporting local causes like Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, The Cat and Rabbit Rescue Centre, St Wilfrid’s Hospice, UK Harvest, Aldingbourne Trust, Royal British Legion and Sage House.
Ronnie Feszecsko, deputy manager at Waterhaven Place, said: “Our voluntary projects are about much more than filling time before opening.
“We wanted to help the staff develop the teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills they will need to run an exceptional care home. In particular, it has been wonderful to be able to give something back to these organisations; who consistently do amazing work in very challenging situations.”
Waterhaven Place has also been helping out in local green spaces, including popular local sites like Old Bridge Meadow, Hesworth Common and Fishbourne Playing Fields. The team helped to clear invasive vegetation, plant native wildflowers and assist with habitat management
to support biodiversity.
Waterhaven recently arranged a Chichester-wide scavenger hunt designed to help the team build some of the crucial care skills they will need when the home opens. Divided into teams, the participants were asked to complete fun tasks themed around core skills like hand hygiene, basic first aid and compassionate personcentred care.
Ronnie added: “These charitable projects are not just a short-term diversion for us until the home opens. Rather, we want to show that Waterhaven Place will be an active and dynamic part of the town, and that our staff are ready to help-out in various ways. Our message to Chichester is: we are here to help, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and fun.”
In the run-up to Christmas the home will be undertaking more volunteering projects with Chichester Foodbank, Heart for the Homeless, Chichester City Council and The Fire Fighters Charity.
The home’s opening event will be more than a mere ribbon-cutting ceremony. All its charitable partners from around town will be invited, and the team will lay down plans for ongoing engagement and support for these organisations.
Charities set to merge to enhance services
TWO charities that care for Armed Forces veterans and their families living with disability, neurological conditions or dementia, have agreed to work towards a merger.
Royal Star & Garter operates three care homes in Solihull, High Wycombe and Surbiton, and Care for Veterans (formerly the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home) operates a single home in Worthing, West Sussex.
A merger of these two historic charities will bring together all their existing services and expand the Royal Star & Garter group to four care homes.
Consolidating services will enable the charities to share expertise, resources and support functions, to provide a more effective, efficient and wider-reaching offer to the veteran community of all ages.
Chair of Royal Star & Garter, Major General Tim Tyler CB, said: “I am delighted to be working with the board of Care for Veterans with a view to bringing its home, residents and staff into the Royal Star & Garter family.
“Both charities were founded as a result of the Great War, have shared similar experiences and ambitions ever since and today share common
goals. Royal Star & Garter’s long-term strategy is to ensure consistently high-quality care is provided for those living with disability and dementia among the military family.
“This merger is absolutely consistent with this, and the two charities will develop and learn from each other for the benefit of our current and future beneficiaries.”
The charities have signed a memorandum of understanding that recognises the importance of supporting current residents and staff and enhancing the services delivered to veterans and their families.
David Williams, chair of Care for Veterans, added: “Bringing together Care for Veterans and Royal Star & Garter into a single group unites two charities with a combined history of over 200 years of caring for the veteran community.
“A merger will leverage the expertise of both charities to the benefit of veterans and their families in need of care. It will also strengthen our financial and operational resilience to ensure that high quality care is provided at the Worthing home now and into the future, while preserving the legacy of the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home/Care for Veterans.”
Operator’s staff recognised at awards ceremony
THE dedication and commitment of staff from Black Swan Care Group has been recognised at a glittering awards ceremony to mark the company’s 30th anniversary.
The Black Swan Care Awards took place at Dunston Hall Hotel, south of Norwich, where more than 250 people gathered to hear stories of outstanding care and support to the residents of the care company’s 22 care homes across East Anglia.
Winners were announced in 15 separate categories – selected from more than 1,200 nominations from across the care homes including nominations from staff colleagues, residents, their friends and families and professionals who visit.
Guests were welcomed at a drinks reception, before enjoying a three-course meal before the announcement of the winners.
Founder and company director Brett Burton retold the 30-year history of the operator’s development from its humble origins of the purchase of its first care home in Hunstanton in West Norfolk to the present day with the group’s 22 care homes providing
care and support to nearly 750 people across East Anglia, including adults with physical or learning disabilities and older people, including support for people living with dementia. Managing director Tom Lyons thanked the staff for their hard work, commitment and dedication.
He added: “These awards are fantastic recognition of all the hard work our care and support staff deliver every single day and night to our residents.
“We received a phenomenal number of entries across the categories and sadly there can only be a
limited number of winners. To be nominated or shortlisted as a finalist is an incredible achievement and something to be proud of.”
The winners of the categories were presented with a uniquely designed trophy from the company directors and representatives from companies associated with Black Swan.
Winners were: Commitment to Training – Maria Prodan, Park House, Great Yarmouth; Community/ Partnership – Jo Taylor, Kings Lynn Residential Care Home; New to Care – Bami Akinremi, Valentine House, Silver End; Maintenance – Justin Sibthorpe, Belamacanda, Little Clacton; Learning Disabilities Outcome – Zoe Wilkey, Drummonds, Feering; Dementia Care Outcomes – Libby Allen, The Beeches, East Harling; Positive Outcomes in a Care Role –Kelise Jones, Park House, Great Yarmouth; Positive Outcomes in Supporting Homes at Night – Kerynn Gurton, The Haven, Boston; Remote Support of Our Care Homes – Kasia Winiarska, peripatetic manager; Domestic Award – Sonia Green, Chiswick House, Norwich; Catering – Jose Mabini, The Lodge, Walton-on-the-Naze; Activities – Lorna Jones, The Gables, Chatteris; Residents’ and Relatives’ Choice – Rachel Roberts, Laurel Lodge, Norwich; Motivational Leadership – Em Galvin, Valentine House, Silver End; Outstanding Contribution – Sandra Rowe, Nightingale Lodge, Hunstanton.
The 15 award winners with the Black Swan directors.
David Williams with Andy Cole.
Programme benefits the community
RESIDENTS at a Littlehampton care facility have been benefitting from a new events programme aimed at keeping them active.
Norden House provides residential care, nursing and specialist support for people with dementia and older people’s needs. It has been specifically designed to empower residents to continue living full and satisfying lives. The programme has been set up to support residents to go into the community and experience ‘normal’ life as well as bring people together.
Manager Andrea Barker said: “Keeping active, both physically and mentally, is imperative as we get older. But for people with dementia it’s even more important as it can help prevent falls, improve people’s moods and help them deal with the stress of the condition.
“Our new activities programme will provide lots of opportunities for our residents to move and connect but perhaps most importantly it will take them outside of Norden House where they can enjoy our community and experience similar things that they did when they lived in their own home.”
Residents recently visited Ferring Country Centre and spent the day at Dales Farm and an aquatics centre.
Operator is acquired for undisclosed sum
NEW Care has been acquired by Lovett Care for an undisclosed sum.
The Cheshire-based operator was established 15 years ago and has built a successful business, designing and delivering purpose-built new generation care facilities in desirable village and town locations. Covering Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, New Care has a portfolio of 15 facilities (1,057 care beds).
Chris McGoff, CEO at New Care, said: “We are delighted that New Care is now in the reliable hands of Lovett Care who share our values, high standards, and above all our care for the residents for whom New Care is home.
“We are confident the homes will continue to thrive and be a success with Lovett Care.”
Newcastle-under-Lyme-based Lovett Care is a provider of elderly care homes across England and Wales. Established in 2009, Lovett has grown to a portfolio of 16 homes (1,091 care beds) and is committed to becoming the ‘best-in-class’ provider in the elderly care sector, though continued investment in its facilities, systems and people.
Following the transaction, the combined group will have a portfolio of 31 homes (2,148 care beds) with
Birtley House Nursing Home honoured an extraordinary milestone as resident Margaret Arni celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by two school friends, both of whom are also centenarians. Margaret, who won a scholarship from Sandfield School 90 years ago, to the Guildford County school for girls (Farnham Road) and is still close to her best friend Joyce Joyner nee Burges from school, and another school friend, Margorie Townsend both of whom joined her to celebrate her 100th birthday. Margaret currently lives at Birtley House Nursing Home, while her friend Joyce lives independently in Guildford. Margaret and best friend Joyce speak daily at 5pm – a tradition they credit with “keeping them going”.
A WWII veteran has celebrated her 103rd birthday with a party in Solihull, ‘attended’ by some of Hollywood’s top stars. Action film fan Joyce Ensell enjoyed a party at Royal Star & Garter to mark her big day. Three years ago the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force veteran had celebrated her 100th birthday with a surprise video message from Jason Statham and a life-size cardboard cutout of the star. She has now added to her collection, with life-size cardboard cut-outs of The Matrix actor Keanu Reeves and Gerard Butler, of 300 fame. On her birthday she enjoyed a party with other residents, and chose to tuck into a fish and chips supper.
a strong regional presence in the North West and Midlands as well as a growing position across attractive markets throughout England and Wales.
Lovett Care CEO Keith Crockett added: “We are delighted to welcome the residents and our new colleagues at New Care to the Lovett Care family and are looking forward to working and growing together.
“This is a key milestone in our long-term strategy and consistent with our commitment to deliver the best quality care in attractive market locations.”
The combination will also bring together two award-winning operational teams with a strong track record of building, filling and operating high-quality future proof care homes.
Former paratroopers dropped in at Broughton House Veteran Care Village to help D-Day veteran Peter Belcher celebrate his 101st birthday. Peter served in the Army during his time in the forces between 1937 and 1949, first in an airborne division and later with the Parachute Regiment. Members of the Parachute Regimental Association joined in the celebrations at Broughton House for his special birthday. Peter was applauded into the veterans’ mess by family, friends, residents and staff. The guests were entertained by singer Sarah Dennis, who is known as the Veterans’ Sweetheart. Peter, who has lived at Broughton House since April 2023, also received cards and greetings from pupils at nearby King David School.
Ivy Hart marked her 105th surrounded by a haul of well wishes from the community. She enjoyed her big party with her family, friends and 270 cards after carers at her home, Belong Crewe care village, put a callout to locals in a bid to make the centenarian’s milestone day her best one yet. After the request spread via social media and word of mouth, the team surprised Ivy with the remarkable outcome of the appeal. More contributions came from nearby Pebble Brook Primary School, with pupils providing their rendition of Happy Birthday. Live entertainment followed, as did the presentation of gifts and a special cake made by the village’s in-house bistro team. Crewe Town Mayor, Councillor Dawn Clark also dropped by to share her favourite Ivy stories, having known her for a number of years.
Guiseley Manor Care Centre in Leeds.
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Illegal immigration destroying the UK’s care industry, claim
ILLEGAL immigration is destroying the UK’s care industry by hampering efforts to hire legitimate workers from overseas, according to an entrepreneur.
“Both the outgoing Conservative and incoming Labour governments have tried to show they are controlling illegal immigration by fudging the figure for overall immigration,” claims Carl Mannion, 43, who owns Beloved Homecare, which provides home care services to elderly, convalescing and disabled clients, enabling them to live as independently as possible.
“The government cannot stop the numbers coming over by boat, but they can absolutely control visa numbers, making it harder for legitimate migrants to live and work in the UK and impacting severely on recruiting new care workers.
“Meanwhile, illegal migrants are arriving, burdening the state with accommodation, health and welfare needs without adding to the work force. The Government cares more about those numbers than caring for our elderly.
“Official figures estimate the UK is currently short of 1.25million care workers to look after its ageing population. There are only 700,000 of them, while Age UK says there are two million people aged 65-plus who have unmet needs for care and support.”
NHS Digital reported that more than 26,000 older people died waiting for social care in 2022/23.
Carlset up Beloved Homecare with his wife Rachael, 41. They employ 80 care workers and the company has been assessed as “Good” by the Care Quality Commission in its most recent inspection (2022). As well as 2 “Good” inspections by their Wales branch in 2023.
PAUL Newman, chief executive of Greensleeves Care and an advocate for the health and social care sector, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2025.
The award recognises Paul’s exceptional contributions to improving the lives of older people and advancing health and social care standards across the UK.
He said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this recognition, which reflects the hard work and dedication of so many colleagues and partners in the health and social care sector.
“This award is a testament to their commitment to improving the lives of older people. As I prepare for the next chapter of my career, I remain as passionate as ever about raising standards, fostering innovation, and creating environments where older people can thrive.”
Paul’s career spans over three decades, during which he has transformed organisations and championed innovative approaches to care. As chief executive of Greensleeves Care, he has overseen significant growth and innovation, leading 28 care homes with a
Based in Wirral, the company operates in the Wirral and Flintshire and has a turnover of more than £2million a year.
Carl added: “Yes, we are woefully short of staff, but recruiting UK residents can be exasperating when you are competing with higher paying jobs and the benefit system in the UK.
“Labour says ‘we’ve got brilliant, highly-skilled people in this country who want to work’. Show me where they are. We listed a vacancy at the local Job Centre for two years and had zero applicants.
“The area where we work and live is filled with people who make unemployment a career and this mentality has been passed down across multiple generations.
“People are able to calculate that staying on benefits is worth it because it pays for housing, and council tax as well as cash to pay for living – it brings in the equivalent of a £19,000 annual salary.
“A likely scenario is we hire a young mum on a part-time contract, but
focus on delivering outstanding residential, dementia and nursing care.
Paul has also been an advocate for collaboration between health and social care. As the founding chair of the Ageing Societies Committee at the British Standards Institution and head of the UK delegation to the International Standards Organisation, he has been instrumental in developing global frameworks for dementia-inclusive communities and ageing societies.
Paul will take up a new role as chief executive of We Care Group and Summit Care Group in March.
she’s soon ringing in sick for at least two days of her 20-hour working week. She might then message that she can’t work her weekend shift as it will overrun her employment hours allowed on Universal Credit.
“Conversely, our migrant workers are more dependable, but we just can’t get enough of them. Then I had a eureka moment and decided to set up a care worker training centre in Sri Lanka. They get to know the job out there and hit the ground running here. We arrange driving lessons and make a real difference to them and their families and local communities back home.
“But just as we were getting started and after investing thousands of pounds, we found we just couldn’t get enough visas due to this clampdown to make overall migration numbers look better.
“Admittedly, it’s also partly due to scams where would-be migrants pay up to £30,000 to ‘an agency’ for supplying a visa and a promised job and accommodation in the UK, only to land here and find nothing waiting for them after selling everything they own or borrowing up to the hilt.
“The Home Office also audited us due to suspicions of money laundering or exploitation. We had to deal with no less than four different Home Office departments to straighten that out, all arriving at our offices and terrifying our overseas staff – the red tape was staggering.
“Accommodation is a whole other topic. Migrant workers must have accommodation, but can’t rent themselves for several reasons, so we ended up buying houses and then renting them to ourselves so we could accommodate our new employees.
“Even devolution causes issues.
When we acquired a neighbouring care operator in North Wales, we entered the minefield of regulatory differences between England and Wales.”
In 2016, Carl set up a health and safety consultancy and, recognising his latent entrepreneurial skills, has since branched out into other sectors.
But he insists that the care industry was not on his radar: “That changed when my Nan fell ill in her final years and I saw that neglect, poor training, and low pay was rife in the industry.
“Many care operators don’t pay their staff for travel between appointments, so they are at the mercy of poorly managed rotas and, not unnaturally, don’t always spend as much time with clients as needed.
“My wife Rachael was also in the care industry and aware of the poor standards and outcomes for both ‘clients’ and carers. We realised there had to be a better way.
“And the need is only going to grow. Everyone talks about living longer, but not about chronic health conditions or dementia. Yes, you may live to be 95 but you might need a carer for 15 years before you die. Nobody talks about the differentials between the two. We set up after the pandemic and currently care for 126 people, mostly elderly, and we now plan, through a £50million private equity raise, to expand into running care homes in the North West and specialising in mental health support.
“We also run, at our own expense, a UK-based training centre to provide national qualifications to our overseas staff because they aren’t eligible for any funding or apprenticeships whatsoever – a further slap in the face for people who have answered the call of our country.”
Carl Mannion
Crofton Springs in Cheltenham has donated the proceeds from its grand opening to the Mayor’s charities. The charities, including Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and Friends of Sandford Parks, offer support to the community, which the team at Crofton Springs also hope to provide. Home manager Jordaynie Russell said: “Despite only opening our doors in October, we have been astounded by the sense of community in Cheltenham and the warm welcome we have received. As well as providing top quality kind care to our residents, it’s our intention to always give back and support people around us through fundraising and regular events, open to everyone, which you can find on our Facebook page.” The Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Paul Baker, collected the home’s donation on his second visit.
Paul Newman
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