Caring UK - March 2022 by Script Media

no.302 • £4.75 incorporating

March 2022

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Studies aim to improve sleep for sufferers TWO new research programmes are helping find new ways to support people with dementia who experience problems with sleep. The TaIlored ManagEment of Sleep (TIMES) study led by the University of Exeter will develop a tool to help people with dementia and other memory problems, by producing care plans that are tailored to individual needs. Funded with £2.4million from the National Institute for Health Research, the team combines expertise from the universities of Oxford, Hull and Leicester, working with University College London, Aston University, and the University of East Anglia, alongside Innovations in Dementia. Study lead Professor Chris Fox, from the University of Exeter, said: “Sleep disturbance can have a major impact on daily living for people living with dementia or memory problems, and can make it difficult for carers to cope. 'Many different factors can upset sleep, so help needs to be tailored to individuals. “Medicines help some people, but sleep medicines used longterm can be harmful or stop working. Our study will help people find the best approach for them.” The NightCAP study is testing a training programme for care staff to provide them with skills and strategies for improving night-time

care. The study is funded through a £400,000 award from Alzheimer’s Society, and is a collaboration with King’s College London, the University of East Anglia and the Aston University. Study lead Dr Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter, said: “We know there’s an urgent need to support care staff and help them to use practical, effective ways of caring for their residents who are up in the night. “Night shifts in care homes are often understaffed and we know that there is very little training provided for staff working these hours. “There is also a need to increase awareness amongst staff and GPs about the importance of reviewing hypnotic drug prescriptions and only using them in people who really need them. “We’re now looking for care homes to join us, to put our NightCAP staff training programme to the test so we can establish what really works to improve night times for staff and for residents.” Dr Ian Maidment, reader in clinical pharmacy at Aston University and a member of both study teams, said: “We need to find ways to manage sleep problems without medication, which can cause many problems including confusion, falls and broken bones, and symptoms of dementia.”

Residents and staff at a Dorset dementia care home turned the clock back to ancient Egypt with a colourful day of costumes, hieroglyphics and history. Team members at Colten Care’s The Aldbury in Poole donned Egyptian-style robes edged in gold card with one, clinical lead Nimpha Salmon, even touring the home dressed as a mummy. The day was the culmination of a season of themed activities including craft sessions focused on making and decorating bookmarks with characters from Egypt’s ancient writing system. The fun was led by companionship team leader Sue Miles, who has studied Egyptology and visited the country five times, including making a two-day road trip up and down the banks of the Nile.

Awards nominations now open OPERATORS wanting to put themselves forward for recognition have been urged to enter the Caring UK Awards. Nominations for this year’s event are now open at www.caringukawards.co.uk The awards, organised by Script Events in partnership with Caring UK, recognise excellence and achievement in all corners of the care industry. And with more than 20 categories up for grabs, there’s something to suit every

COM

LAMONT JOHNSON.

Carpeted and Standard Floor Sensor Pads Available

New Better Wireless Fall Monitoring Wireless Options: • Call button • Pager • Floor sensor pad • Door/window exit alerts

GRAYSON and DAWN TAYLOR

DISCREETLY Totally Co nﬁ dential SELLING No Obligation CARE HOMES NO NATIONWIDE “UPFRO NT” FEES OR INFLATED FOR OVER COMMISSION RATES! 40 YEARS SELLING? Phone: 01937 842 758 m: 07920 475 440

type of care business. Caring UK Awards director Judith Halkerston said: “We’re extremely proud that the Caring UK Awards are for every care business – our awards are free to enter and our judging criteria means that it’s not down to the size of your facility but how you run it.” Trophies will be handed out at a glittering ceremony on Thursday December 1 at the Athena in Leicester.

One monitor works with two sensor pads

Carp

eted

Standard

• Antibacterial • One-year warranty • Integrates with most nurse calls

Freephone: 0800 032 4789

Floor Sensor Pads

AFFORDABLE FALL MONITORING SOLUTIONS

fallsavers.co.uk

DOC 12.85012B.12

The right guidance and support at the fingertips of every member of your team Join over 140,000 satisfied users & 5,000 organisations nationwide

Compliance, guidance and best practice

Any device, anywhere, any time

Residential Care, Supported Living, Domiciliary Care, Clinics and Care Services

Exceeding requirements and expectations

Start your free trial today at www.qcs.co.uk/caringuk or call 0333 405 33 33

CARINGNEWS

Staff go the extra mile CARE home staff collectively ran 900 miles across January, raising thousands of pounds towards stem cell transplants on behalf of a colleague diagnosed with blood cancer. The New Deanery and St Mary’s Court in Bocking installed treadmills to help 30 team members run 30 miles each, raising more than £2,500 in sponsorship and gift aid donations for Anthony Nolan, the stem cell donation charity. Jane Sadowski, manager of The New Deanery, who inspired staff to take up Anthony Nolan’s ‘Zero to Hero’ challenge, said: “I can’t begin to tell you how humbled I feel for the achievements made by our staff for an organisation who do so much good. “The team have once again surpassed themselves. Because of them, many people will be given a fighting chance against cancer.” Teams from both facilities, which are part of Sonnet Care Homes, wanted to show their support for Jane after she was diagnosed with blood cancer towards the end of last year. Activities manager Jo Whitehouse discovered Anthony Nolan’s Zero to Hero challenge and received interest from every department, including housekeepers, carers, nurses and kitchen staff. She added: “Some people were understandably nervous about reaching

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Healthcare Product Manager: Bev Green Tel: 01226 734288 Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant Sales Manager: Tracy Stacey Tel: 01226 734480 Email: cuk3@scriptmedia.co.uk Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk Publishers Script Media 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk Editorial Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk

their 30-mile targets, but team spirit took over and everyone gave it their all. We were also joined by two family members, our local vicar, Father Rod Reid from St Mary’s Church; our finance director Jo Moore and our CEO Julia Clinton.” Jo created a JustGiving page with a £1,000 goal which was passed within the first two weeks of the challenge, with sponsors ranging from friends and family to care home residents and their relatives. Every staff member was able to run 30 miles in January by using the treadmills at work and organising routes in their spare

time, helping raise more than £2,500. One team member, Nikki Wheeler, even decided to run 30 miles every week in January. The amount raised will be enough to add 63 potential new donors to the stem cell register through Anthony Nolan. Jane concluded: “Thank you seems feeble. My gratitude knows no bounds but my pride in this exceptional team reaches new heights. “God bless you all who give me the strength to fight on when I thought nothing could inspire me to do so.”

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 Production Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio Manager: Paul Hopkinson Tel: 01226 734711 ph@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.

Electronic MAR / Medication Recording Used by 1000’s of care professionals to ensure complete records

Good

96% of our customers have a Good rating or better

Outstanding

Less time with paperwork = more time to care

www.electronicmar.co.uk

22% of customers have improved from a Requires Improvement rating to Good

Real-time Alerts = no gaps

Ensure your evidence is complete for CQC

Automatic Stock Notification

“More time with residents and less time on paperwork” Training included

Call: 0117 911 3889 Web: www.electronicmar.co.uk Email: good@electronicmar.co.uk

CARINGNEWS

Marisa recognised for contribution to nursing care Operator helps toddlers bring songs and smiles to residents RESIDENTS at independent living sites are taking part in activities and getting a positive boost thanks to energetic young guests. Songs & Smiles is an intergenerational music group that brings together 0-4 year olds, their parents and local older people to boost wellbeing, reduce loneliness and create strong and happy communities through song and dance. Guinness Care (part of The Guinness Partnership) is funding the visits at its sites in Blackburn and Rochdale.

Health and wellbeing co-ordinator Catherine Parsons said: “This scheme is a wonderful opportunity for different generations to connect with each other and we’re delighted to be able to fund it. “Isolation and loneliness are proven to have significant detrimental effects on people’s mental and physical health. “This is one of the many projects we support to help improve the lives of our older customers.” The sessions, run by The Together Project charity, will continue at the five sites until July.

lamontjohnson.com

LamontJohnson LAMONT JOHNSON P R O P E RT Y ADVISOR S

TO THE CARE SECTOR

SPECIALISING IN THE DISCREET SALE OF CARE HOMES, SPECIAL NEEDS HOMES AND SITES & DEVELOPMENTS FOR C2 USE NATIONWIDE Grayson Taylor (Managing Director Lamont Johnson)

•1981 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Taylor National

A SOUTH East care group is celebrating after one of its senior staff members was awarded one of the highest accolades in the profession for her ‘exceptional contribution’ to social care. Marisa Spice, learning and development manager at Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 care homes throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex, has been given the prestigious ‘The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service’ for her contribution to nursing care. The Queen’s Nursing Institute Awards recognise those committed to high standards of practice and patient-centred care. The QNI supports innovation and best practice to improve care for patients. Recognised for her high level of commitment to resident care and nursing practice, Marisa received the highly sought-after accolade during a recent online awards ceremony which included a pre-recorded speech from the Prince of Wales. She was commended for her commitment to the principles of excellent nursing care to the benefit of Nellsar’s residents, and the ability to demonstrate an outstanding contribution to both residents and the profession over and above the normal call of duty. In addition, she was praised for demonstrating passion and enthusiasm for nursing. Marisa said: “I’m so proud and honoured to receive this incredible accolade. “Having worked in social care for more than 15 years, my career has provided me with so many rewarding experiences, and this is something I continue to value now. “I have always enjoyed learning more about how to help others and this is for all people; residents, staff, families, health and social care professionals, and also other suppliers and providers I work or network with. “I’m passionate about working collaboratively with others. Progress

Marisa Spice is more likely when like-minded people come together and share their knowledge and experiences. “I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful colleagues, who are at the heart of everything I do. I’m so proud to be a part of a rich and diverse culture of caring individuals, who are determined to develop themselves and improve the quality of life of those in their care.” Marisa’s nursing career began in 1995 and includes substantial time working in intensive care before joining social care in Mallorca, Spain. Her nine years abroad saw her employed in various roles including nurse, clinical coordinator and nursing home manager, whilst enabling her to develop her Spanish language skills and obtain her Spanish nursing pin. Having enjoyed a variety of roles with Nellsar since 2013, from registered nurse to operations and compliance manager, Marisa now specialises in learning and the development of the care group’s staff teams. Over the past four years, Marisa has been involved with a number of Skills for Care developments, including contributing towards the ‘Deployment of qualified registered nursing associates in social care settings guide’ (2021).

•2001 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of DC Care

•2012 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Lamont Johnson

GRAYSON AND DAWN TAYLOR SELLING CARE HOMES NATIONWIDE FOR 41 AND 36 YEARS RESPECTIVELY

LOOKING TO SELL PHONE US TODAY

07920 475 440 Office@lamontjohnson.com

OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE

The team at Braywood Gardens in Carlton, Nottingham, have taken the time to thank their local hospitals for their continued hard work and dedication. Staff members at the care home made their way around the town delivering home made hampers filled with treats and goodies to the John Proctor Ward at Lings Barr Hospital. They work closely with these wards to ensure residents have the smoothest and most comfortable transition from the hospital to the home. Customer relations manager Lydia Morris said: “The wards we work with work so hard to make sure their patients are well cared for and safely ready for discharge. This hard work does not go unnoticed, and we want these members of staff to know how much they are valued and appreciated.”

Laundry and Dishwashing for Care and Nursing Homes Designed to Meet the Hygiene and Quality Standards of the Care Sector

Complete Care Forbes No repair bills No capital outlay Breakdown cover Monthly payments

Rental, lease and purchase options available - Call now for a quote or to book a free survey

Forbes Professional www.forbespro.co.uk | 0345 070 2335 | info@forbes-professional.co.uk | since 1926

CARINGNEWS

Art gallery helps smash myths about care home activities RESIDENTS at care homes across the nation have been drawing in a crowd with the world’s biggest ever care home art exhibition. Residents in almost 40 Care UK care homes have taken part, with more than 50 pieces of artwork on show in a virtual gallery. From Edinburgh to Kent, residents across the UK submitted artwork as part of the partnership between the care home provider and pioneering charity The Big Draw, which promotes the therapeutic benefits of drawing as a tool for learning, expression, and promoting positive wellbeing. From recreating Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to collaborating with local school children to create giant collages of forests, and drawing

and painting artwork that highlights important topical issues such as the impact of climate change, residents have been ‘etching’ to put their creative skills to the test. Kate Mason, director of The Big Draw, said: “We’re thrilled Care UK has chosen to partner with The Big Draw for a third year running to promote the benefits of art on improving physical and mental wellbeing. “We loved seeing the residents’ wonderful artistic talents in their immersive virtual art gallery which offered a truly fascinating experience into our theme around nature. “We want to say a big thank you to Care UK for taking part and look forward to working with the residents and the team on future projects.”

Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, the monthlong Big Draw Festival promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression, and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. After a successful participation in the Big Draw Festival last year, Care UK renewed its partnership becoming the main health and social care partner and leading the way in changing perceptions of life in a care home by promoting activity-based care and encouraging other care homes to follow suit. Suzanne Mumford, Care UK’s dementia expert said: “We’re excited to be showcasing the residents’ talents on the worldwide stage with our online exhibition that is free

for anyone to enjoy. The Big Draw Festival is a fantastic initiative which residents have enjoyed and looked forward to for a third year running. “Creative activities play a big part of life within our care homes, and we actively encourage residents to continue lifelong arty hobbies and try new expressive pastimes through imaginative and creative activities planned by our lifestyle team. “Drawing has a variety of benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia, as it provides an alternative way to communicate and express emotions, and an opportunity to relive happy memories. “We certainly have some very skilled and talented artists who can now say their artwork features in an exhibition – one which certainly looks the art.”

STAY SAFE WITH SMART WIRELESS NURSE CALL Safer, more efficient care

WANT TO TRY? Call 0800 086 2496

Find out more www.c-t.co.uk

IT’S TIME TO GET INVOLVED IN THE CARING UK AWARDS 2022 NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE

THE ATHENA,LEICESTER Thursday 1st December 2022 Hosted by Emmerdale star Dean Andrews Congratulations on a fantastic event – we had a super time and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to share so many success stories across our industry. Well done to the Script team. We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Regional Care Home of the Year Midlands and Wales and are all still on a high. Thank you so much. Sarah Hammond, Rotherwood Group Firstly, I wanted to say a massive thank you to you guys on such a wonderful event! It was such an incredible way to finish off the year for us all and to be able to get together with everyone and celebrate was such a great feeling. You always pull off such an amazing night and this year was no exception so congratulations to you all. Alex Ball, Stow Healthcare Group Virgin Money was delighted once again to be headline sponsors of the Caring UK Awards. After such a difficult 18 months it was great to be able to get together and recognise the outstanding achievements from individuals and teams across the social care sector. Graham Harper, Virgin Money It was clear from the outset that the attendees were excited to be nominated and were using the ceremony as an opportunity for a night off and to have a glamourous end of year party. As a sponsor it was good to see our branding and our video on the big screen throughout the night and it was good to speak with existing customers and other industry professionals. It was a fun evening and I would highly recommend it for suppliers and nominees. Iain Corrigan, Cool Care

As a first time sponsor of the Caring UK Awards, being part of the event was very rewarding. As a specialist provider of outsourced neutral vendor recruitment solutions to the health and care sector, we firmly believe in celebrating the incredible work of organisations across the country, who deliver excellence every single day in challenging conditions. The event was well organised and thoroughly enjoyable – and the opportunity to present the award for the Best Initiative in Care made the occasion even more special. Congratulations once again to all the finalists and winners. Gill Hope, Geometric Results Inc

people after what has been a very challenging year for businesses in our sector. All the nominees were worthy of an award on the night, and it was truly inspiring to see so many people who, on a daily basis, provide care for the most vulnerable people in our society. It was a great experience to present the award to Roden Hall, winners of the Midlands & Wales Care Home of the year.. a really enjoyable event. Martin Jones, Fusion eCare Solutions

As long standing sponsors of the Caring UK Awards, we are immensely proud to support this major event that promotes social care provided throughout the UK. Sir Anthony Ullmann, Shackletons Ltd

We have been proud to support the Caring UK Awards 2021 in their efforts to honour and recognise excellence in the healthcare sector. We would again like to congratulate all nominees and winners and particularly the winner of the award we sponsored which was Scotland Care Home of the Year which was won by Abbey Court Care Home in Glasgow Gary Walton, Walton HPC

This was the first time Learning Curve Group have been involved with the awards, and we were very pleased to be able to sponsor the Commitment to Training and Development Award. The whole evening was an excellent celebration of the fantastic work that happens every day within the adult social care sector. The pandemic has placed an additional and unprecedented demand on care providers, so it was great to see care staff being recognised for their dedication and the levels of care they provide. Chris Grieveson, Learning Curve Group

As sponsors of the Caring UK Awards, N&C Phlexicare were delighted to attend the glittering awards ceremony. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners for their commitment to excellence, particularly in face of the arduous challenges of recent times. ‘ It was an amazing night, and we are honoured to have been a part of it. These awards are a wonderful celebration of the outstanding service offered by care professionals who go the extra mile to serve the vulnerable in our communities. David Forbes, Nicholls and Clarke Group

I wanted to support our industry through sponsorship at the recent Caring UK Awards. The event was a lovely evening, an opportunity to meet

www.caringukawards.co.uk or email tb@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

CARINGNEWS

Group unveils training centre as part of development overhaul Job campaign

BRUNELCARE has launched a new recruitment campaign for 2022 to attract new starters to begin a career at the charity. ‘Part of Something More’ showcases more than 40 of Brunelcare’s employees, telling Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Somerset why they love working at the charity. It will be running for 12 weeks, and Brunelcare will be bolstering the charity’s presence on buses, billboards, rail and radio. Sandra Payne, director of nursing and care services, said: “The Part of Something More campaign gives us the opportunity to share the experiences of those who work with us at Brunelcare. “This will hopefully encourage people to join us; whether they are experienced and wishing to progress their career or completely new to social care, we look forward to welcoming them into the Brunelcare family.”

A GWYNEDD care home group has opened the doors to a new training centre as part of bold plans to increase high-quality dementia support within North Wales. Meddyg Care, which has two homes in Criccieth and Porthmadog, has completed work on the dedicated space next door to the company’s head office. The facility, which occupies the former Cambrian News office in Porthmadog, has been renovated from the ground up to allow for staff development and specialised courses focused on the care sector. Meddyg Care training and development manager Samantha Bowley said: “This investment will ensure Meddyg staff are kept up to the highest possible standard within the industry and we are thrilled to be in place in the new centre. “One of our major goals for 2022 is to ensure all our employees are meeting and surpassing the relevant frameworks necessitated by Social Care Wales, and the new centre will allow these courses to be completed in ease and comfort. “We want to further take advantage of the new space over the coming 12 months to further enhance the range of educational programmes we offer our team and having these additional resources will allow us to make that push in a more focused manner.”

Meddyg Care training and development manager Sam Bowley outside the new training facility at the company’s head office in Porthmadog. However, it won’t just be Meddyg employees which will be able to take advantage of the new building, with the premises also available for other care groups and businesses within the region for use. Organisations utilising the new site will have access to a lecture theatre which will seat 10 under social distancing regulations, an e-learning centre, and a practical exercise simulation room.

Learners can examine online educational resources and simulate on-site situations utilising technology such as hoisting machines to help ensure the best manner of practice is undertaken in the home when dealing with residents. The opening of the centre marks the second phase of Meddyg Care’s overhaul of staff professional development, following a revamp of its induction programme for new starters in 2021. Managing director Kevin Edwards added: “We are dedicated to ensuring all of our team members have the resources and opportunities available to them to not only better themselves and their skillsets, but also provide the highest quality of care to our residents. “This training centre is the bedrock on which this directive is built on, and I believe this development will be a major boost not just to Meddyg but the entire region’s care sector as it provides a dedicated space for education within Gwynedd which is open to all. “Having a specialised site employees can attend which is close to where they live and work will cut out the need to travel for hours to attend similar locations and will further encourage them to put their own personal development more in the spotlight.”

CARINGNEWS

Operator celebrates its first five nursing associate graduates

Aladdin’s magic shines bright at home’s panto THEATRICALLY minded residents at a Hampshire care home have performed their first live production as a newly formed drama group. The pantomime classic Aladdin ‘premiered’ at Colten Care’s Woodpeckers home in Brockenhurst much to the delight of actors and audience. Home manager Priya Joseph said: “This was a theatrical first for Woodpeckers. It has been lovely to see our resident actors and storytellers become actively involved. “They clearly enjoyed every moment on stage and who knows where they might go next. Maybe the West End beckons. “And we’re so happy too that fellow residents got to witness a live pantomime show in their own living room.”

Residents put forward the idea of forming a group at the end of last year. At a meeting with staff, it was agreed to stage a pantomime as the Woodpeckers Players and rehearsals of Aladdin began. Everyone involved felt they would have fun bringing to life the muchloved tale of the genie in the lamp, with its famous story elements such as a beautiful sultan’s daughter, a magic carpet, three wishes and an evil sorcerer. Team members sourced novelty props and costumes while Colten Care’s music and arts partner Fiona Pritchard lent her expertise to direct the show with a musical soundtrack and sound effects. The cast featured five residents and three members of Woodpeckers’ companionship team.

Advertiser’s announcement

The reality of easing social care restrictions By Ian Wilkie

THE government recently announced that from Monday January 31 there would be no limit on the number of visitors allowed into care homes, self-isolation periods will be cut and that care homes now only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 rather than 28 days. Whilst this announcement is undoubtedly welcome, not least to those in care and their families, the cautious reaction from care leaders reflects the dissonance between government and the social care sector which has been a feature of the pandemic. The statement from Minister for Care Gillian Keegan that she is “delighted we can ease restrictions in care settings and allow unlimited visits” has the tone of someone grasping the opportunity to be the bearer of good news, without addressing the nuanced issues of care home operation. It is abundantly clear that we are seeing staffing stretched to an extent rarely seen before, caused by combined issues including Covid isolation, loss of unjabbed younger staff, Brexit and pay-rate competition. An operator described it to me very

recently as a vicious circle, in that for the first time they are having to use significant numbers of agency to cover staff absences, but the agency staff by definition travel from home to home, increasing virus transmission, which in turn leads to greater absences. It seems unlikely that the Care Quality Commission will be any more lenient on operators, and equally the operators’ primary concern will rightly be the welfare of residents and staff. Some controls must inevitably remain in place, and for those to be effective, they must be appropriately staffed. The implicit message in the government’s announcement that the vaccination programme has solved Covid and care homes can now fling open their doors to allcomers, is fanciful at best. n Ian Wilkie is a director at HPC. Healthcare Property Consultants – www.healthcarepc.co.uk

SIGNATURE Senior Lifestyle is celebrating the graduation of its first cohort of five nursing associates. They are now able to carry out practical care to residents at four Signature care homes at Bentley House, Reigate Grange, Cliveden Manor and Moorlands Lodge. Guy Horwood, clinical and care training manager at Signature Senior Lifestyle, said: “Congratulations to our first cohort of nursing associates who can now put their training and knowledge into practice for the benefit of our residents. “Each graduate has achieved remarkable things in such testing circumstances, and their efforts are truly appreciated.” Over the last two years, Mihaela Minea (Signature at Bentley House), Klarika Laszlo (Signature at Cliveden Manor), Asha Sharma and Kristine Ringa (Signature at Reigate Grange) and Sarah Smith (Signature at Moorlands Lodge) have embarked on a training and learning course that has included 25 hours a week placement experience. The graduates worked in intensive care units, met the challenges of remote learning and gained valuable social care experience during some of the most challenging times the sector has ever witnessed. The programme forms part of a wider strategy at Signature, where the organic growth and development of its own staff is at the forefront of their priorities. In addition to the comprehensive training and support, each nursing associate will benefit from a competitive wage of £15 per hour. Signature Senior Lifestyle also recently announced a significant increase in paid leave for team members on hourly rates contracts, rising from the industry standard of 20 days to a minimum of 25 days a year, plus bank holidays. Long-serving colleagues are also entitled to up to 30 days’ leave a year through a £1.2million investment per year into its workforce as part of their ‘Wake Up To Better Benefits’ campaign. Guy added: “Signature Senior

Signature at Reigate Grange’s Asha Sharma and Kristine Ringa, two of the recently graduated nursing associates. Lifestyle takes great pride in empowering its team members with industry leading training and career opportunities required to organically grow our teams and retain our valued colleagues. “What’s more, we’re committed to continue offering industry-leading careers through our newly launched ‘Wake Up To Better Benefits’ campaign. “We now look forward to seeing our graduates further their development, put their existing qualifications to good use, and be joined by further graduating cohorts in the future.” Each graduate now has the option to extend their training for a further two years in order to become fully qualified registered nurses, allowing them to manage individual care plans and progress further in the sector. Signature Senior Lifestyle is encouraging its cohort of graduates to engage with this opportunity as they look to provide further training and development for their colleagues. A further cohort of six graduates are currently also undergoing nursing associate training and are set to graduate in 2023.

Supplying nursing and care homes for more than 40 years CLH Group Ltd – a reliable healthcare supplier to nursing and care homes for more than 40 years. Since 1975, family run business CLH Healthcare has been providing a wide range of products and services into the healthcare sector. Supplying domiciliary care providers, nursing and care homes, hospices and the NHS across the south of England, CLH Healthcare’s steady growth has been based on the foundation of strong business ethics, integrity, trust, and building longterm relationships with customers and suppliers alike. As one of the largest independent healthcare suppliers in England, CLH are able to offer quality products with value for money, a reliable delivery service complete with 95 per cent of deliveries being delivered by their own fleet of vehicles, and always has more than 4,500 products in stock. At CLH Healthcare, the team always strives

to provide the highest levels of customer service possible, with their ethos being – ‘Committed to Care’. Visit our stand at the Caring UK conferences at St Mellion International Resort and Webbington Hotel and Spa, Weston Super Mare. Enquiries: Visit clhgroup.co.uk or telephone 01392 823233.

Do you find Payroll a pain? With our Staff App product, empower your staff to take care of their own paid hours.

How many times a week do you answer this question? Staff App’s easy leave request feature and holiday balance data fixes that problem.

 0113 3979 555 |  SALES@FUSIONECARE.COM

CARINGNEWS

Webbington Hotel and Spa Thursday, March 31

St Mellion International Resort Wednesday, March 30

Below is a selection of the exhibitors at our first two ‘DELIVERING EXCELLENCE IN CARE IN CHALLENGING TIMES’ regional conferences. Exhibitor opportunities are still available by calling Bev Green on 01226 734288. Alternatively, email bg@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Access 21 Interiors

If you are looking to remove the hassle from your new build or refurbishment project, whilst saving time and money, we can help. Good design ensures that your bedrooms are easier to market, increase the value of your home whilst improving its environment and comfort. We work exclusively for the care sector providing interior design, project management and procurement services including furniture, curtains/blinds, carpet, artwork, tableware, towels and bedding. No deposit. No minimum order. We work anywhere within the UK. If you think we can help then please contact us for further information or to request an obligation free consultation. Eda Brooks Cleaveland Mews 9 Cleaveland Road Surbiton KT6 4AH Telephone Number: 020 8194 2221 eda@access21ltd.co.uk

CareHomeLife

We are a dedicated and award-winning supplier of world-class consumables to hundreds of care homes across the UK. Our reputable portfolio includes medical consumables, world-class cleaning and laundry products and systems, as well as mobility equipment. With over 40 years of experience in healthcare, we understand the challenges of running a care home. Our team of helpful experts assist care homes to reduce their consumables spend by doing much more with fewer, but more effective products. Backed-up with product training and ongoing service support, our solutions save care home staff time and effort, save organisations money and ensure the safest and most hygienic surroundings for residents to live in. We can even help care homes to reduce our impact on the planet. Our core purpose is to honour our loved ones with dignity and we strive to do this by continually helping care homes to improve care and the overall wellbeing of their residents. With thousands of products available for next day delivery and our friendly, knowledgeable experts on-hand, we’re ready to assist care homes with their everyday needs. Contact 01772 425310 or visit www.carehomelife.co.uk

apetito

We are passionate about making a real difference to people’s lives with delicious meals for everyone to enjoy. We are the leading experts in producing delicious and nutritious food, partnering with over 600 care homes and serving over 20,000 residents daily. Our chefs, dietitian and nutritionist take pride in creating dishes for specific dietary requirements and nutritional needs without compromising on a delicious meal. Our meals are created with sustainably sourced ingredients and designed to enhance health and wellbeing. We have more than 200 delicious meals to choose from to meet all dietary and cultural preferences including our ethnic and cultural range, free from meals and our award-winning Texture Modified range. We know every care home is different and we tailor our approach to fit the needs of you and your residents, working in partnership with you to ensure you have all the support you require to nourish, care and delight your residents all the while running an efficient and cost effective kitchen. Talk to us about how we can partner with you to support your residents’ health and wellbeing. https://www.apetito.co.uk/care-home-meal-services/

Cloister Uniforms

With more than 30 years’ experience manufacturing for the Healthcare market, we can confidently say we will meet your uniforms needs. Our Devon sales base is happy to discuss individual needs and will find the right fit for you. Whether it’s from stock supported lines in our Leyland factory or a bespoke uniform manufactured in your own colour and design, you can trust Cloister Uniforms to supply high quality garments at affordable prices. We can also supply chefs wear, workwear and scrubs including Skechers, Cherokee and Dickies. We have a full in-house personalisation and design service too. A vast sourcing network allows us to access unprecedented ranges of garments, proven versatility in response to the pandemic we even manufactured our own high-quality scrub sets and gowns within six weeks. We are running an introductory offer giving an extra 10 per cent off our already competitively priced scrubs, just quote Caring22 when ordering. Contact admin@cloister-uniforms.co.uk or call 01752 345346 www.cloister-uniforms.co.uk

CareDocs*

CareDocs is an innovative, easy-to-use, digital care planning and management system built by care experts for residential and nursing care homes. Founded by two brothers – both care home managers with a shared goal of reducing time-consuming tasks involved in the care process – they developed a system that would allow them to focus more on caring and less on paperwork. Originally created in the late 1990s and launched commercially in 2008 to support first-class care, thousands of users across the UK now use our desktop, mobile and web-based systems. We’re committed to giving you the best possible experience when recording and managing care by using our sector expertise to find modern solutions and design efficient digital care tools. We’ll be with you every step of the way, including providing free system installation and initial training. Helping people give and receive outstanding care is our passion, and supporting the care community with discovering the benefits digital transformation is equally as important to us. https://www.caredocs.co.uk *Exhibiting at St Mellion only

InstaCare Systems*

InstaCare Systems is the leading independent specialist of all things nurse call, paging and digital care planning in the South West. We help our customers with everything from a pressure mat to an annual maintenance service, right through to a new system install. We work with all the leading nurse call and digital care plan suppliers as fully supported trade partners. This means that not only are all our engineers fully trained and supported by the manufacturers themselves, but we are able to provide a truly independent service to our customers. So, they get the same high quality leading brands, at the most competitive prices, all with highest level of customer service from a great local company. 01392 877267 info@instacaresystems.co.uk www.instacaresystems.co.uk *Exhibiting at St Mellion only

We must also thank Required Systems for sponsoring the delegate goody bags and Shackletons for sponsoring the refreshments

Turn to pages 15 and 16 for full details of how you can book your place for these two events and to find out where and when our other must-attend regional conferences will be taking place in 2022.

CARINGNEWS

Webbington Hotel and Spa Thursday, March 31

St Mellion International Resort Wednesday, March 30

Little Islands

Little Islands create bespoke interactive environments and products that stimulate, engage and help to build bridges of communication. Through the structured use of colours, textures, sounds, images, music and technology we can stimulate multiple senses in a real and focussed manner, assisting our clients to make connections with the happy memories of the people in their care. From our Design in Mental Health Network Award winning Jolly Trolley® and Living Wall, through Seaside Sensory Rooms and our NEW Jolly Journey, to the complete interior design of the Pinder’s award winning Willowbrook Care Home, our passion is in creating environments that are stimulating, practical and enjoyable for service users and staff alike. Tel 0800 093 8499 Email hello@littleislands.org Web www.littleisland.org Facebook www.facebook.com/littleislands Twitter www.twitter.com/littleislands1 Linked In www.linkedin.com/company/little-islands Instagram www.instagram.com/little_islands_1 Pinterest www.pinterest.co.uk/Little_Islands The Jolly Trolley https://vimeo.com/666584700

OM Interactive

OM Interactive have been pioneers in the development of motion-activated projections for multi-sensory use since 2005. Their ground breaking interactive Mobii table/floor provides adults in care with meaningful person-centred activities that encourage movement, positive outlook, social opportunities and shared laughter with powerful visuals, colour therapy, games, quizzes, music and reminiscence content. The many applications include; virtual aquariums, physical/target games, butterfly meadows, childhood memories and nature colouring; something for everyone. The system is fully mobile and height adjustable so it can be used wherever interactivity is required. Photos, artwork and music can be easily added to provide even greater personalisation. https://omi.uk/

Medicare Systems

With over 30 years’ experience in the nurse call industry, Medicare Systems are the chosen supplier to many independent care home providers, care home groups, NHS trusts and hospitals, private hospitals, hospices and clinics. Experts in the design and manufacturing of wireless nurse call systems, with the use of the latest technology and innovative software, we continually strive to meet the changing requirements of care providers and individual’s user’s needs. Medicare Systems provides bespoke wireless nurse call systems to meet your budget, whilst ensuring they are quick to install, durable, easy to use, clean and safe with antimicrobial additive’s within the plastics for use in the care environment. Due to the versatility of the Medicare system we are proud to have been the chosen supplier to the Excel and NEC Nightingale Hospitals. www.medicaresystems.co.uk

Shackletons

Shackletons has been manufacturing handcrafted furniture in England for over 60 years. We have built a strong reputation as a premium supplier of upholstered furniture and cabinetry for residential care. We work closely with our clients creating practical and stylish environments whether it be a new build, refurbishment project or a small replacement order. We take pride in our craftsmanship, creating every piece with care to the highest technical standards. We strive for excellence. All our products are created by our team of in-house designers and highly skilled craftsmen. Design led and customer focussed, we continually provide a range of outstanding quality products designed with the resident in mind. 01924 868470 shackletonsltd.co.uk

NAPA

The National Activity Providers Association is the UK’s leading activity and engagement charity. We champion the role of the activity provider and support care services to prioritise wellbeing. We promote activity, arts, and engagement and believe that everyone has the right to live content, creative and connected lives. Our services create opportunities to develop the essential knowledge, skills, and confidence required to practice a person led approach. NAPA provides a range of professional and practice development opportunities including programmes of accredited learning, activity support, practical tools and resources to support activity provision. 01494 590421 Email info@napa-activities.co.uk https://napa-activities.co.uk

Your Mobility

Your Mobility specialises in providing dementia friendly seating solutions to folk in care homes and private homes. Our chairs are high quality with a focus on design and innovation in order to provide comfort, functionality and safety for the user and ease of operation for the care giver In addition, we offer a complete refurbishment service for any of your existing specialist chairs that may be past their ‘first flush…!’ In essence we offer new for old – with massive savings. Please visit our stand to see examples of our work. We also offer on all our new chairs a seven-Day ‘Try before you buy’ option and of course all sales are accompanied by a comprehensive assessment of the user’s needs. There is also a short term rental option. “It is amazing how something as commonplace as a chair, when designed and manufactured for those with specific needs, can make a massive difference to a service users quality of life.” Call us anytime on 01600 732709 or visit www. yourmobility.org

Speakers at our first two conferences include

Vic Rayner OBE – chief executive officer, National Care Forum

Hilary Cragg – solicitor and partner, Nash & Co Solicitors LLP

Eddy Fishwick – chairman, CareHomeLife

Hilary Woodhead – executive director, NAPA

Neil Eastwood – founder and CEO, Care Friends

Government Health Guidelines Muscle strengthening activities - Twice a week Balance and coordination activities - Twice a week

MOVE MORE FOR LIFE The Benefits of Moving More Meeting a target of 150 minutes per week may be daunting to those who currently do very little, but research shows that any activity, however small, can provide benefits in terms of health risk reduction. This could be as simple as swapping sitting in a café with a friend to wandering around a park with a friend. Or, for those who are mostly chair-bound, this could be standing up during advertising breaks on TV. People who can work towards and become ‘active’ according to government guidelines are likely to see benefits in terms of their muscle strength, endurance, balance, and posture, which could improve many aspects of their lives

The Move More TV content platform, will help all your residents achieve this return to increased levels of activity. Sessions are available in 5/10/15/20/30 durations to aid progression and focussing on specific areas and effects that ageing has on the body. All the workouts on Move More TV have been created by fitness professionals who specialise in older adults.

According to AGE UK:

INSTANT 24/7 ACCESS

29% of people aged between 65 - 74 are physically inactive

MULTI ROOM USE FOR GROUP OR 1-1 USE

47% of people aged between 75 and 84 are physically inactive 70% of people aged over 85 are physically inactive

LOW MONTHLY COST

7 DAY FREE TRIAL AT WWW.MOVEMORETV.COM #MOVEMOREFORELIFE

Caring UK Care Providers Conference Delivering excellence in care in challenging times

SPEC IAL OFFE R

Delivering the latest news, information and products that will enable owners, managers and staff to be at the forefront of delivering Care Excellence

BOOK

£20 sin

NOW

£30 tw

gle de

legate

o dele

St Mellion International Resort PL12 6SD

gates

Wednesday 30th March 2022 Webbington Hotel & Spa BS26 2HU

Lunch & refres hmen ts includ ed

Thursday 31st March 2022 Holiday Inn, Barnsley S75 3JT Wednesday 15th June 2022

Good y ba attend g & an certifi ce cate

York Racecourse YO23 1EX Thursday 16th June 2022

CARING UK CONFERENCES 2022 IAL SPEC R OFFE

BOO

Bolton Whites BL6 6SF Wednesday 24th August 2022

NOW

te lega e de l g n i s tes £20 lega o de w t 0 £3

h& Lunc ents shm refre uded incl

Ramside Hall, Durham DH1 1TD Thursday 25th August 2022 Dunston Hall Hotel, Norwich NR14 8PQ Tuesday 25th October 2022 Kettering Conference Centre NN15 6PB

& bag y d o ce Go ndan e t t a e ficat certi

Wednesday 26th October 2022

Delegates will receive a CPD six hour attendance certificate at the end of the conference

Tel: 01226 734412 www.caringukconferences.co.uk Email: cr@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

C ARING UK CONFERENCES 2022

BOOKING FORM

Delivering excellence in care in challenging times Single delegate rate £20 per person Two delegates £30 Event attending: South West

St Mellion International Resort PL12 6SD

Wednesday 30th March 2022

South West

Webbington Hotel & Spa BS26 2HU

Thursday 31st March 2022

Yorkshire

Holiday Inn Barnsley (M1, Junction 37) S75 3JT

Wednesday 15th June 2022

Yorkshire

York Racecourse YO23 1EX

Thursday 16th June 2022

North West

Bolton Whites BL6 6SF

Wednesday 24th August 2022

North East

Ramside Hall, Durham DH1 1TD

Thursday 25th August 2022

East of England

Dunston Hall Hotel, Norwich NR14 8PQ

Tuesday 25th October 2022

East Midlands

Kettering Conference Centre NN15 6PB

Wednesday 26th October 2022

Delegates attending (Please print in block capitals) Title

Name

Surname

Job Title

Booked By: Ms/Mr/Mrs/Dr................................................................... Position....................................................................................... Organisation......................................................................................................................................................................... Address................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................... Post code.......................................... Email......................................................................................................... Tel....................................................................... Please sign and date here to indicate you have read and accept the booking conditions: Signature............................................................. Date:..........................................

Payment Method

I enclose a cheque payable to Script Events.

Invoice me.

Phone for my credit/debit details.

BOOKING CONDITIONS

All places booked must be paid within 15 days of booking and before the conference unless otherwise agreed with Script Events. A telephone or fax booking must confirm when and how payment will be made A refund will be given, less £20 admin, fee for cancellations received more than 15 days prior to the conference. No refunds will be given with less than 15 days to the conference. However, delegate substitutes will be accepted to the day of the event at no extra cost. Where invoices are requested and agreed, payment must be received within 15 days from the invoice date. We understand and will exercise out statutory rights to claim interest and compensation for the debt recovery costs under the late payment legislation if we are not paid according to agreed credit terms. An interest rate of 8% above base rate will apply for late payment. Script Media Group is committed to protecting your personal data. By attending our events, we provide you with an opportunity to meet and engage with our exhibitors. Our events create business to business relationships and give access to relevant industry people, products and services. We share your business information with the exhibitors and speakers so that they can review the companies that have attended today’s event, we DO NOT share personal information without your consent.

Please tick to receive a regular copy of Caring UK

Please tick to receive information from exhibitors

Caring UK Conferences, Script Media Group Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS Tel:01226 734412 Fax: 01226 734478

NUTRITION & CATERING SOLUTIONS

Advertiser’s announcement

apetito launches free Guide to Care Home Catering AS STAFF shortages and rising costs continue to impact on the sector, leading care homes meals provider, apetito, has launched the Guide to Care Home Catering. The free guide looks at how care homes can take control of rising costs in the kitchen whilst maintaining high quality, delicious mealtimes. General manager for care homes Richard Woodward said the Guide to Care Home Catering has drawn off apetito’s extensive experience of creating great dining experiences for care home residents, and has been developed to give homes helpful advice and support during a time of turbulence and increasing cost: “We know that care home providers are looking at ways they can maintain high quality mealtimes with delicious food that residents will really enjoy whilst reducing overheads. “A big challenge for homes right now, is how they can protect the home, and especially mealtimes, from staff shortages and unpredictable absences. “Our guide helps homes understand how they can do this whilst also updating them on the latest advances in catering for residents living with dementia and in many cases with

dysphagia, as well as how to cater for special dietary requirements. “It takes time for a home to design to nutritious, balanced menu and ensure it is cost effective and we have called on all our experience in this market to offer help and support

which we hope will be useful.” It explores the latest advances in catering for residents living with dementia, talks to professor Jane Murphy of Bournemouth University about the importance of tailored solutions for dementia residents, and

sets out how specialist dietary needs can be catered for on a consistent, stress-free basis. Importantly, the guide shows how to ensure that unpredictable staff shortages (due to illness or selfisolating) can be covered in ways that are easy and cost-effective whilst allowing homes to serve nutritious and tasty meals that residents will enjoy. It is packed with useful information and guidance for care homes to consider in the current economic conditions. It also picks up the growing movement towards decarbonisation along with a growing call for sustainability pledges and gives advice on Net Zero whilst putting forward the business case for why this is important to care homes. It also gives helpful support and advice on where to start, and how to measure a home’s current carbon footprint as well as how to set out targets before making commitments that are realistic and workable. The guide shows this can be made relatively straightforward with outputs adding significant value to a home’s marketing messages and even driving notable cost savings to the bottom line.

Advertiser’s announcement

THERMAPEN® ONE IDEAL FOR HACCP COMPLIANCE

Non-contact thermometer gives reliable and accurate readings THE non-contact forehead thermometer from Electronic Temperature Instruments, the UK’s largest digital thermometer manufacturer and exporter of electronic thermometers and temperature probes, is CE 1639 approved and manufactured in accordance with Class II EU Medical Device Directives 93/42 EEC. The thermometer gives reliable and accurate temperature readings and allows the user to check forehead temperatures quickly with no-touch infrared technology for safety and hygiene. The thermometer is quick, accurate and easy to use.

Press power (on/mem) button to turn the instrument on, hold the instrument within four centimetres (40 mm) from the centre of the forehead and press and hold the ‘Start’ button until you hear one beep (unless muted) indicating the reading is complete. Readings should take approximately one second. The built-in fever alarm (three short beeps followed by one long beep) will sound whenever the oral equivalent temperature exceeds 37.5°C. The Non-Contact Forehead thermometer stores your last 25 readings for easy recall and periodic monitoring.

DESIGNED FOR KITCHEN PROFESSIONALS Manufactured in the UK, The New Thermapen ONE offers faster, more accurate temperature readings in just ONE second!

thermometer.co.uk

NUTRITION & CATERING SOLUTIONS A new manager has been appointed at The Oaks Care Home in Newtown, Powys. Daniel Hart is the new registered manager of the luxury, purpose-built care home which offers residential and nursing care as well as dementia care. Daniel, who has worked in the care sector for more than 20 years, has ambitious plans for the home. He is recruiting a fine dining chef, an additional activities coordinator and working on a schedule of events to get residents out into the heart of the community. Daniel said: “I don’t want our residents’ social lives to stop just because they move into a care home. I believe it’s extremely important for them to carry on with activities that are dear to them.” Orchard Care Homes has announced the appointment of Jo Stratford-Smith as director of people and talent. She joins the operator’s senior leadership team with immediate effect and brings a wealth of experience to the organisation gained through her work at Four Seasons Health Care, where she directed HR strategic initiatives across 260 sites and affecting 16,500 employees. She will report directly to CEO Hayden Knight and will be responsible for driving the people agenda ensuring alignment with the company’s wider strategic initiatives. Jo said: “A key part of my role will be to continue to attract, develop and retain the right people within an increasingly competitive market; people who share our passion for delivering high quality, person-centred care across our homes.” Samantha Hansford has been appointed the general manager at Signature at Southbourne. She joins the award-winning luxury care home with a wealth of experience. Initially working within the hospitality sector, it was not until she entered the care industry as a care assistant in Weymouth in 1999 that she found her true passion for caring for others. On starting in social care, she immediately fell in love with the work and has not looked back since. Showing tremendous commitment, dedication and skill within her roles, after just eight years Samantha achieved the remarkable feat of being appointed to run her first care home. Remaining in this position until 2015, she has gone on to progress within the industry and gain a vast amount of expertise. Published academic dementia researcher Dr Isabelle Latham has been appointed as researcher in residence in a pioneering move from Hallmark Care Homes. Isabelle joined the award-winning family-run business this month following a lengthy career as senior lecturer at the Association for Dementia Studies and University of Worcester. In her new role, which is the first of its kind in the care sector, she will focus on research involving the care of people living with dementia and will work closely with Hallmark’s 19 homes to capture ‘reallife’ ideas for research. She will also support the Hallmark teams to conduct and evaluate their own research projects and implement their findings, utilising her 25 years of experience. Isabelle will retain her affiliation with the Association for Dementia Studies through an honorary post, creating a unique and mutually supportive partnership between the university and Hallmark Care Homes.

Caroline Newton, has chosen Warrington as the place for the next step in her career by preparing to relocate to the Latchford care village, Belong, where she will be heading up care as the new registered manager. She will be responsible for 24-hour care, including nursing and specialist dementia support. Caroline demonstrated an exceptional performance at Belong Atherton, the Greater Manchester care village which is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, and she was also named ‘best carer who contributes to activity provision’ at the 2018 National Activity Providers Association gala. Caroline joined Belong in 2014 and was inspired to progress to lead senior support worker while juggling a young family and studying for the diploma in leadership for health and social care level 5. A theatre and drama professional has been appointed as the new experience coordinator at dementia care specialist Belong Macclesfield. Charlotte Parton will lead the Upton Priory care village’s experiences and activities programme for its residents and apartment tenants, as well as for its adult day care service for the wider community, known as ‘experience days’. The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts alumnus will be drawing upon her wealth of expertise, having already worked extensively alongside schools, businesses and care homes, facilitating performances, arts workshops and craft sessions. Whilst obtaining her theatre and community drama degree qualification, Charlotte played a key role in ‘More Than... Blanket Baths and Bedpans’ – a celebration of the history of the NHS in the city.

The team at Avalon Nursing Home in Bridgwater has been boosted with the arrival of a new recruit Ewa Kuwalek, whose specialism in creative arts is adding a new dimension to the therapeutic activities on offer to residents. Ewa has come to Avalon after qualifying with a post-graduate diploma as an art therapist in her native Poland. She has spent 18 years working in a daycare centre leading workshops for people with disabilities and the elderly, providing social and health rehabilitation through art. Ewa said: “I offer a very wide range of activities and try to use new therapeutic methods with lots of different materials. I use felt, various paper textures, pastels, watercolour paints and many others. We also combine art activities with music.” Ewa is pictured with resident Shirley Kearle. Sarah-Jane Clapson has joined Avante Care and Support’s executive management team as director of care operations. Sarah-Jane, known by many as SJ, has held a series of executive, trustee and senior positions over the last 30 years. She has a Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. Throughout her career SJ has won a number of industry awards and Global Bupa Awards. She joins Avante from Bupa Care where she was head of outstanding and a regional director. SarahJane said “I am absolutely delighted to join Avante Care and Support and proud to be a part of their exciting future.”

NUTRITION & CATERING SOLUTIONS

Jason pulls his weight A FORMER chef is playing a key role in providing healthy and nutritional diets to residents at Orchard Care Homes’ portfolio of residences across the North of England and the Midlands. Jason Hunter, 35, from Leeds, started his career in the catering trade in 2002, working in hotels and restaurants for five years, including boutique hotel Malmaison in Leeds. He joined Orchard’s Paisley Lodge Care Home in Armley, Leeds in 2007 where he worked as a chef for 15 years, creating menus to suit individual resident’s needs. “Good nutrition is important, no matter what your age. It gives you energy and can help control weight. It may also help prevent some diseases, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, type two diabetes, and certain cancers”, said Jason. “We put great emphasis on providing all our residents with food that not only has the right amount of calories and nutritional value but appeals to their tastes. After all, meal times are often a highlight in terms of social activity.” After winning Orchard’s chef of the year title in 2018, Jason took on the role of catering lead on a six-month secondment and proved he was very much up to the job. Supporting all the kitchens, Jason collaborated with individual chefs to create healthy menus for the residents ensuring they have their preferences and regional dishes that are a firm favourite. He has also supported chefs on the presentation

of modified diets to be more appealing to the eye. The Covid pandemic was a particularly challenging time, bringing with it many obstacles. With mental health a high priority, Jason addressed an alarming industry trend which saw some residents losing weight due to the anxieties and isolation of the lockdown. Jason is involved in the Nutrition and Hydration Champion programme and provides support and advice to teams, enabling them to assist residents with poor appetites to enjoy the meal time experience. This has had a positive psychological impact for residents, as well as improvement in wound healing and pressure ulcer prevention. He has developed menu resources for the teams and encouraged cake competitions seeing many residents get involved and as a result of Jason’s work, weight loss across the portfolio has reduced by four per cent. As part of his mentoring of kitchen staff to recognise the individual needs of residents, Jason works on a oneto-one basis with them to discover what foods they like, when they like to eat and other personal choices, developing individual menus to suit their needs. He recently supported a resident struggling with poor appetite and by spending time with him discovered what he liked and enabled him to receive his favourite vegetables each day. He also arranged for extra support to be provided at meal times and helped develop a plan for this.

Boosting wellbeing and sustainability goals in 2022 BRITA VIVREAU has launched its first fully customisable water dispenser, providing care facilities with instant hydration at the touch of a button. In addition to its sleek design, the Extra C-Shape boasts advanced hygiene and sustainability features, offering safe and great tasting filtered water while protecting the planet. This includes unique ThermalGate™ technology: ThermalGate™ n Automatically heats the dispenser’s tap to thermally disinfect it. n Protects against retrograde

contamination from external sources such as physical content. n The technology is on duty even during inactive phases such as overnight or the weekend, this means no manual effort. To find out more on the BRITA VIVREAU Extra C-Shape, head to www.brita.co.uk/ new-extra-c-shape Or for more information on BRITA VIVREAU visit www.brita.co.uk/waterdispensers/industries/hospitals-healthcare Enquiries: Contact Sarah Hussey, business development executive at BRITA VIVREAU, on 07852 791 291 or shussey@brita.net

19 Chris Williams, Runwood Homes’ group hospitality manager.

Provider introduces bitesized nutrition initiative RUNWOOD Homes group hospitality manager Chris Williams and group development chef James Cotton have launched their bite-sized nutrition initiative to further support those living with dementia. It is designed to further educate kitchen teams across the group on suitable foods for residents with differing needs and requirements. Chris said: “Our initiative provides a nutritionally balanced diet and is person-centred, meaning residents who may not have felt comfortable eating certain foods can now feel included. “Myself and James are excited about

training our chefs with these simple recipes to prepare, cook and serve.” The initiative was created as a way to further improve the mealtime experience for every resident. It will promote dignity and independence as it reduces the need for hands on assistance. The initiative will also provide a nutritionally balanced diet; providing finger foods that aren’t buffet style. It is both person-centred and inclusive, as residents who may have difficulty using cutlery due to dementia or another condition can still feel included and comfortable in the mealtime experience.

CARINGNEWS

Mopeds to ease staff crisis

Care home sponsors junior football team A FLEDGLING junior football team from Colne has been given a boost after a nearby care home paid for new kit for the entire squad and coaches. The Colne FC under 11s team and management received new shirts, emblazoned with the logo of Larchwood Care, the operator of Wordsworth House in Burnley which facilitated the sponsorship. Many residents at the home have been involved with grassroots football during their lives and are delighted to

see the team in their kit. Regional support manager Rachel Clough said: “It’s really important to Larchwood that Wordsworth House is part of the community so being bale to support this local team is brilliant. “Sport instils important values and characteristics in young people, and many of the players will make lifelong friends through the team. “I’ll be bringing some of the residents down to watch matches and look forward to seeing lots of wins.”

AN innovative and forward-thinking home care provider has come up with a creative solution that could help ease the care crisis across the North West. Alcedo Care Group is trialling a new initiative and has purchased five mopeds for employees to use during work hours, representing an investment of more than £20,000. Currently only 10 per cent of the company’s workforce are walkers, however, more than 50 per cent of applicants received recently for new jobs are non-drivers. By purchasing the mopeds, Alcedo Care is now able to recruit people it would not have otherwise been able to, allowing the firm to achieve its goal of recruiting 100 people per month. The company is paying for employees to undertake the nationally recognised CBT course, ensuring they are compliant and legally able to drive the mopeds. It is also providing comprehensive insurance and full safety equipment,

including gloves, a jacket and helmet, so that they are fully protected when using the mopeds to visit clients. Andy Boardman, managing director at Alcedo Care Group, said: “This is a pilot scheme for Alcedo Care, but we really do believe the mopeds will help with our recruitment drive throughout 2022. “With plans to employ 1,000 people and having noticed that more than half of all applicants were non-drivers, we needed to come up with a viable solution that helps our team get around to our clients. “The mopeds, combined with our comprehensive training programme and increased pay, means we no longer need to focus on solely recruiting people from within the care sector.” If the pilot scheme works well, Alcedo has made a commitment to purchasing many more mopeds, ensuring there are between 10 to 20 vehicles located at each of Alcedo Care’s 11 offices across the region.

Advertiser’s announcement

Liberty Protection Safeguards – not quite what was intended By Neil Grant

AT THE time of writing this article on 17 February 2022, we are still waiting for the draft combined Code of Practice on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Liberty Protection Safeguards, the successor regime to the overly complex and bureaucratic Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. In December 2021, the Department of Health said the draft Code would be published in early 2021. The common understanding is that it has been drafted and is waiting for Ministerial sign off, possibly even by the Cabinet. Certain things have not gone to plan with the LPS. Their implementation has been delayed by the pandemic. It was due to come in from April this year but that has been abandoned. The primary legislation setting out the new framework was passed back in April 2019. Almost three years on there is no clear implementation date and it is unlikely to be introduced this year. A more realistic guess would be April 2023, although even the Government has decided against setting another implementation date. One hopes the draft Code of Practice will come out before Easter,

Neil Grant at the latest. There will then be a three-month public consultation followed by a few months, no doubt, to digest the responses. It will be interesting to see what the draft Code says about what a deprivation of liberty under the LPS regime. Originally the Government tried to limit what is a deprivation of liberty by introducing a statutory definition. Ultimately this was abandoned when the House of Lords challenged the definition and proposed an even broader version than the current test from the Supreme Court case of

Cheshire West back in 2024. If the Government does try to flex the test of what is a deprivation of liberty, be prepared for legal challenges. The other thing the Government has had to row back on is imposing statutory obligations on registered managers to coordinate the LPS assessments. There were concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as well as the obvious fact that registered

managers are busy enough as it is with running care homes without having to do the lion’s share of the work in relation to the LPS. However, this has only been parked and may be resurrected in the future. In the meantime, we wait and hope that the draft Code will set out sensible and clear guidance for the sector as opposed to permissive waffle. n Neil Grant is a Partner at Gordons Partnership.

CARINGNEWS

Dementia unit is first in the UK to receive outstanding accreditation KIER Hardie’s Ty Enfys Dementia Day Care Unit has received the ‘Meaningful Care Matters’ outstanding accreditation – the first to be awarded in Wales. The audit by Meaningful Care Matters found the quality of life experienced by day care patients at Ty Enfys was at the highest level, with outstanding care provided by loving and engaged staff who really cared deeply for their patients whilst bringing joy, dignity and meaning to their care. Angela Edevane, MTCBC’s head of adult services, said: ‘’We are immensely proud that our dementia day service Ty Enfys has achieved this accreditation. “Ty Enfys is the first fully integrated health and social care day service to achieve this accreditation in the UK and has been the result of joint working between MTCBC, CTMUHB, the Regional Commissioning Team – which sits within the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Partnership Board – and Welsh Government through the ICF programme. “Ty Enfys provides meaningful day time opportunities for people living with a dementia alongside outstanding dementia care and supports carers across Merthyr Tydfil and Cynon to enable them to continue in their caring role.

“This achievement is the result of a true partnership working and the diligent efforts of the team at Ty Enfys to make this accreditation a reality.’’ The Ty Enfys capital project has seen integrated care fund capital of £1.6m utilised to completely transform the physical environment of a joint health and social care dementia day service. The day care unit’s mission is to provide high quality care to support

individuals from the age of 55 years old who have been diagnosed with Dementia that is of a moderate or severe nature. There are many activities at the day centre which are designed to encourage individuals to participate at different levels, depending on the level of their condition, ensuring they receive the most effective care possible. The centre supports and manages

patients’ health while helping with memory retention, maintaining independence, and assisting patients with their social lifestyles. The highly experienced staff ensure that all of this is achieved at every opportunity, but also help with other complex elements of care such as giving medication, helping with personal needs, and assisting patients with eating and drinking. All of this is done with great care and consideration ensuring they support their day patient’s dignity throughout the caring process. Peter Bewert, managing director of Meaningful Care Matters, added: “We’re delighted to see Ty Enfys becoming the first day care unit in the UK to be awarded an outstanding accreditation of The Butterfly Approach. “It has been testing time for the social care sector, so we applaud their determination to offer an environment where people using their services can thrive and enjoy the highest quality of life possible. “We look forward to assisting more day centres in facilitating the creation, reinvigoration and sustainable implementation of person‐centred care cultures. It’s coming back to the art and heart of care, where people, and moments, matter.”

Health & Social Care Lawyers You Can Trust “Each ny eﬀort builds on the next, so that brick by brick, magniﬁcent things can be created.” - Robin Sharma At Gordons Partnership, we understand that a problem shared is a problem solved. Let us guide you through any legal issues you may be faced with to reach your oppmal outcome, with a team you know and can count on.

sols@gordonsols.co.uk www.gordonsols.co.uk London 020 7421 9421 | Guildford 01483 451 900

DID YOU KNOW WE CAN PROVIDE C

The Bond Hotel, FULLY ACCESSIBLE

is a family-run hotel that has been p with disabilities for o

MOBILITY EQUIPMENT ABBA MANIA

RESPITE BREAKS CABARET PACKAGES GROUP HOLIDAYS

AMAZING ADELE

ELTON IS BACK!

IT’S MADNESS!

NEW ACTS AND TRIBUTES AT

At The Bond Hotel our priority is taking care of the prac comfortable and homely

With amazing cabaret every night, delicious home c Blackpool’s famous attractions. The Bond Hotel oﬀers a u

FULLY ACCESSIBLE HOLIDAYS 202 BLACKPOOL AND SKEGNESS

Specialising in holidays where your mobility, learning disability or mental health will never stop you having a good time!

Call: 01253 341218 www.bondhotel.co.uk

DE CARE FOR YOUR RESIDENTS

tel, Blackpool

u o y f o e king car

en providing holidays for guests for over 35 years.

DNESS!

Having th

e best tim

BOND BRYAN ADAMS RO CHER IS AT THE CKS

GOOD GOLLY IT’S DOLLY!

S AT THE BOND FOR 2022

he practical sides of your break whilst providing a omely environment.

Freshly prepared for you!

home cooked meals and situated minutes from ﬀers a unique and enjoyable holiday all year round.

022

MENTAL

HEALTH

Makin

g mem

INCLUSIVE

COMPLETE

CARING SOLUTION

DOOR TO DOOR TRANSPORT

NEW FOR APRIL 2022

SKEGNESS FULLY ACCESSIBLE SELF CATERING COTTAGE

Holidays With Care Packages Available Free Use of Mobility Equipment Tailored One-to-One Support

FANTASTIC

PLACES TO VISIT

ories!

BOOK YOUR

2022 STAY

LIVE

CABARET

TODAY!

EVERY NIGHT!

SCAN ME WITH YOUR CAMERA TO VIEW OUR BROCHURE

The Bond Hotel | 120 Bond Street | Blackpool | FY4 1HG

CARINGNEWS

Partnership helps provider achieve massive growth

Councillor Brian Duell with resident Mary Baker.

Care operator supports defibrillator campaign HADRIAN Healthcare has donated £1,000 on behalf of residents at the Manor House Gosforth to ensure a potentially life-saving defibrillator can be installed at St Aidan’s Community Centre. The home was approached by Councillor Brian Duell to support the appeal for the vital community resource, which will be available for everyone to always access, including the Manor House should it be needed. Resident Mary Baker, who lived in Brunton Park where the home and the community centre are located for

55 years, handed a cheque over to Brian to complete the fundraising. Customer services manager Marion McAndrew said: “Although we hope that it will never be needed, the defibrillator will be a really important community resource, which could save a life and I am delighted that we have been able to help make this happen. “Mary was thrilled to have the opportunity to present our cheque to Councillor Duell. “She knows the area so well and the community centre has been a part of her life for a long time.”

A PARTNERSHIP between two Midlands-based businesses has helped a Mansfield home care provider to increase its team of care workers tenfold in just seven years. Premier Community and Access Health and Social Care, a division of The Access Group, first began working together in 2014. Since then the former has expanded from around 50 care workers to a team of more than 500. Daniel Isterling, group managing director of Premier Community, has spearheaded the growth. He said: “Reaching the landmark of more than 500 staff gives a great opportunity to reflect on our steady and sustainable growth over recent years. “The homecare market is a challenging and unpredictable sector, none more so than the last two years, and it’s a testament to our team’s skill and dedication that we have continued to deliver the highest standards of care. “The support and solutions we get from Access has been a huge part of this growth. “As a fellow East Midlands business, we enjoy working in tandem to help both companies grow, and with Access having a huge presence in the health-tech arena we benefit from their reach and knowledge too. “Over the years we have been first to see the advantages of Access’ unique

and ever-growing eco system of care products. We love a system that innovates and solves problems – and it will be vital in our ambitious growth plans looking ahead.” The family-run business is now one of the largest independent homecare providers in the region and has even opened its own mobility retail stores. Alongside its homecare services, Premier Community now offers a wide range of products to assist with mobility, including stairlifts, mobility scooters, and living aids. The growth has been thanks in part to its application of Access Health and Social Care’s Workspace for Care platform and its wider expertise in the sector. 600,000 active recipients of care are now supported by Access technology across 6,000 care homes and 4,500 homecare providers and the company recently opened its global headquarters in Loughborough. Steve Sawyer, managing director of Access Health and Social Care, added: “It has been great to develop a strong working relationship with Dan and his team at Premier Community and even more satisfying to see the benefits the business has seen as a result of our solutions. “These collaborations work best when it’s a cooperative process and we have been able to learn a great deal from Premier Community as a customer. “

H.W.Pickrell Ltd BRANDED UNIFORM &WORKWEAR Multi-site, care industry specialists.

Gardiners Lane North, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2XE Mobile: 07860 894 331 Fax: (01268) 284951

Telephone: (01268) 521033 email: sales@hwpickrell.co.uk www.hwpickrell.co.uk

Polo Shirts from £5.95 with logo

Name badges and identity lanyards

PPE Gloves, masks & sanitiser

NEW & USED ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORT AT AFFORDABLE PRICES We specialise in the sale and purchase of quality used wheelchair accessible vehicles and ambulances. They can be bought as seen or refurbished and sign-written to your own requirements. 12 months M.O.T and 6 months warranty.

Tunics from £14.95 with logo

• FREE DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE • ALL BUSES COMPLY WITH THE LATEST REGULATIONS Your single source provider

Corporate wear

ONLINE ORDERING & REPORTING STORAGE & FULFILMENT To enquire, call our sales team on 01202 473311 or visit www.taylormadedesigns.co.uk

• LEASE HIRE. LEASE PURCHASE AVAILABLE • ALWAYS LARGE STOCK OF ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES • OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK SUNDAY BY APPOINTMENT

All current stock available to view at:

www.hwpickrell.co.uk

Do you need an easy and legal solution to holding fire doors open? Dorgard is the answer

Dorgard

Dorgard SmartSound

Easy to install 1 year battery life Suited to low noise levels Programmable night-time release

Suited to higher noise levels 3 year battery life Programmable night-time release Anti-drag carpet protector technology

Freedor SmartSound

Deafgard Fire Alarm Monitor

Fire door acts as a normal door, swings freely 3 year battery life Suited to higher noise levels Programmable night-time release

Battery operated fire alarm monitor for deaf or hard of hearing Automatically activates when the fire alarm sounds Vibration pad and strobe light

FREEPHONE: 0800 612 7908 www.safelincs.co.uk Ref:CUK/A21

26 CARINGFIRE

SAFETY AND SECURITY Advertiser’s announcement

Keeping the elderly safe from fire DUE TO fragility, limited mobility, health issues and mental health problems the elderly are often more vulnerable in terms of risks of accidents and also in emergency situations. Care settings have a duty of care to provide an environment for their residents that takes these vulnerabilities into account, whilst also ensuring that residents can live as independently as possible. Fire doors play a huge role in protecting elderly residents from the spread of fire, however heavy selfclosing fire doors can lead to a negative impact on their independence and mental wellbeing. In trying to minimise these negative impacts care settings often break fire safety rules by wedging heavy fire doors open, risking the spread of fire and endangering lives. By simply fitting a fire door with an automatic fire door retainer the door can be legally held open, and it will close automatically on the sounding of the fire alarm. Inexpensive battery solutions, that your handyman can fit, such as Dorgard fire door retainers

and Freedor SmartSound wireless door closers can offer a great solution to this issue. With a stylish finish that suits all locations you can legally hold your fire door open, increasing the independent mobility of residents, which in turn can free-up valuable time for your carers. Having the ability to hold fire doors open in this way also increases air circulation and reduces the risk of infection from illnesses such as Covid-19 and flu. Pro also offers a ‘one glance’ check to verify that the entire system is functioning correctly. Freedor SmartSound, a wireless, battery-operated free-swing door closer, gives care settings the flexibility to leave the fire door open at any angle and for the fire door to function and feel like a regular door. When the fire alarms sounds Freedor SmartSound automatically switches back to performing as a traditional overhead door closer and will automatically close the fire door, maintaining compartmentalisation to reduce the danger from fire.

Group ordered to pay record amount for safety failings

Verify your fire safety contractors MITIGATE the risk from fire as best as possible with evidentially competent contractors. What is crucial, and sometimes overlooked, is the verification of a contractor’s suitability for all the works they have been employed to deliver. BAFE Fire Safety Register stress the message “don’t just specify, verify”. Verification of any contractor’s claims of their certification should be performed to demonstrate reasonable steps are being taken by premises management. What is more important here however is that any life safety works required are being performed by appropriately certificated organisations. Discussing verification in this way makes this action sound far more arduous and time consuming than it really is, and it can alternatively be referred to as simply acting with due diligence. Requesting the relevant and valid documentation of the third-party certification specified (i.e. the certificate), and then checking this with the applicable body (e.g. BAFE or the appropriate UKAS accredited certification body) cannot be described as

difficult in the slightest. Any legitimate third-party certificated fire safety organisation will be more than happy to provide this information, and the appropriate certificating/registration body would also assist in confirming its authenticity (which is strongly recommended). The CQC question safety as a key point to review services. They describe being safe as “protected from abuse and avoidable harm.” Avoidable harm is mitigated risk (through suitable actions) and fire safety should absolutely be one of your priorities under this category. Remember – don’t just specify, verify. When sourcing help, make sure you specify competent fire safety organisations and verify their third-party certification is appropriate and valid for the work required. BAFE Fire Safety Register BAFE is the independent registration body for third-party certificated fire safety organisations across the UK. Enquiries: Search for or verify an organisation to help fulfil your fire safety obligations at www.bafe.org.uk

A CARE home business run by private health and care provider BUPA has been ordered to pay a record £1.04m after a resident died in a fire while smoking at one of its care homes. BUPA Care Services (ANS) Ltd was fined £937,500 for fire safety failings and ordered to pay £104,000 prosecution costs at Southwark Crown Court. It is the highest ever fine for fire safety breaches in the UK. London Fire Brigade brought the prosecution against BUPA under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order after it was called to the blaze at the Manley Court care home on John Williams Close in Brockley in March 2016. Cedric Skyers, a 69-year-old wheelchair user at the home, died in a fire whilst smoking unsupervised in a shelter in the garden of the home. A care assistant saw the fire from a first-floor window and called 999 before staff attempted to put the fire out, but he died from his injuries. A subsequent investigation found that although a smoking risk assessment had been carried out for Cedric, it did not assess his use of emollient creams, which can be flammable if allowed to build up on skin, clothing or bedding. Additionally, apparent burn marks indicative of previous incidents were found on his clothing after his death, something which care home staff

said they had not been aware of. They said that if they had been, they would have ensured more regular checks were made when he was smoking. The Brigade brought the case as there had been a failure on BUPA’s part to comply with fire safety duties which placed Cedric and other residents at risk of death or serious injury in case of fire. The Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, Paul Jennings, said: “Mr Skyers’ family should rightly have been able to trust that he would be safe in a care home, when sadly the opposite was true. “Such a large fine highlights the seriousness of BUPA’s failure to protect a vulnerable resident in its care. BUPA pleaded guilty to contravening Article 11 (1) which relates to the management of fire safety measures. Specifically, it accepted that it had failed to: n Ensure staff understood the risks from the use of emollient creams. n Warn residents using paraffinbased products not to smoke or require precautions to be taken such as the use of a smock or apron. n Instruct staff not to leave a resident using paraffin-based products smoking unsupervised. n Carry out an individual smoking risk assessment of the resident as normal with the control measures in place.

CARINGFIRE SAFETY AND SECURITY

Advertiser’s announcement

Flexible, family-run company can meet your business and legal expectations WE ARE often contacted by clients who have had the standard Fire Risk Assessment completed and found it contained brief references to riser/ service cupboards, fire doors and compartmentation. UK Passive Fire Solutions will always review the assessment for you and assist where we can, but in a lot of cases we find the assessment will also have comments that mitigates the assessor’s responsibility such as “recommend further investigation” and “report based on items found at the time of the assessment/survey.” This would suggest there are more areas to investigate which are beyond the scope of the FRA. In these instances, we must recommend a Passive Fire Protection/ Compartmentation Survey be completed. It is a common mistake to believe that, by having an annual Fire Risk Assessment completed, all fire safety obligations have been fulfilled. Unfortunately, this is not correct. Whilst an FRA will cover some aspects of fire compartmentation, it is intended to concentrate on fire safety signs and notices, identify the fire hazards, emergency lighting, testing and maintenance, training and drill procedures and suitable records, to

name a few. A PFP survey assesses the building in more detail. Poorly maintained fire doors, voids in ceilings and service shafts and penetrations made in walls, floors or ceilings can become paths through which fire and smoke can spread. By identifying these failures within the fabric of the building, specialist

repairs can be made to reinstate the compartmentation of the building to maximise the time available to evacuate the property, and or prevent a fire from taking hold in the first place. We would always recommend you discuss your requirements fully before commissioning any survey/ assessment.

If you just ask for a FRA, the likelihood is that is all you will get but a competent, third-party accredited assessor will be able to discuss and offer a service that will suit your needs. Once you have detailed information on what is needed, do not sit on it. The problems are not going to go away by themselves. If you have not already spoken to us at UK Passive Fire Solutions, now would be a good time. As a family-run business, we believe in building relationships. Our flexible approach allows us to work with you before and throughout the project to ensure you can meet your business and legal expectations with the minimum of disruption. UK Passive Fire Solutions hold third party accreditation with International Fire Consultants and Association for Specialist Fire Protection. We work closely with certified fire risk assessors and door inspectors. With regular site visits from our senior management throughout the project, we aim to provide the best service available. We can also arrange credit terms to spread the cost of the project over an agreed time period to ease the pressure on your budget.

Unlock the power of effective marketing for your care home Severe staffing shortages and falling incomes caused by the pandemic are pushing many providers to the brink of survival. Whether you are from a small independent home or a large organisation with a variety of brands, all homes and agencies have the same objective and are facing the same challenges. The best possible marketing campaign to make your business the most attractive to potential new staff and residents has never been more important, and this is where we can help. At Script we know care, backed up by more than 20 years of serving the industry through Caring UK magazine, as well as the highly successful Caring UK Awards that are now in their fifth year. Benefits of marketing to increase occupancy: • • • • •

Boosting brand awareness. Reputation management. Qualified lead generation. Improved conversion rates. Educate prospects and loved ones.

Benefits of marketing on recruitment: • • • • •

Greater reach. Stronger employer branding. Improved candidate quality. Maintaining staff pipelines. Acceleration of recruitment process.

With our knowledge and expertise of the industry, Care Solutions from Script is with you every step of the way and we can tailor a marketing package to save you time and to suit your needs and budget. Powerful Print

Perfect PR

Bold Branding

Professional printed matierials for your care home such as;

Our team of experienced journalists and PR specialists can offer;

Show your professionalism and a consistent brand image with;

• Brochures • Indoor and outdoor banners • Flyers / leaflets • Posters • Letterheaded paper and compliment slips • Business cards

• Press release writing

• Logo Design • Full brand guideline development • Existing brand refresh • Branded merchandise such as pens, mugs, lanyards, workwear etc. • Social media graphics and content

• Social media post content writing • Copywriting • Blog / newsletter content writing

So what are you waiting for? It is vital that your care business stands out from the crowd to attract new residents and staff. Who better to help you do this than the team behind the country’s most successful B2B magazine for the industry. We’ll take away the hassle and provide professional marketing which will deliver results for your business. Based in Yorkshire, we have an award-winning team that prides itself on producing a range of top-quality work at competitive prices. To find out how we may be able to help your business, contact Dominic Musgrave today by calling 01226 734407 or email dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

Immigration law update: expansion of the health and care visa scheme

By Gulnaz Raja

how the criteria has been met. The employer is also expected to comply with all their sponsor duties with key personnel allocated roles and responsibilities. Assigning a CoS does not guarantee the worker will be granted entry clearance or permission. The worker must meet all the immigration requirements of the route in which they are applying. There is also a fee payable by the employer per CoS. In addition, the employer is required to pay an immigration skills charge for each year of sponsorship.

ON December 24 it was announced by the government that care workers, care assistants and home care workers would become eligible for a health and care visa for a 12-month period. To understand the pressures and issues placed by the social care sector, at GNR Solicitors we have taken a deeper dive to help care providers understand the requirements. Sponsorship licence The employer must have a sponsorship licence if they want to sponsor an oversees national who is not a settled worker and does not have immigration permission to work in the UK. This includes most EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who arrived in the UK after December 31, 2020. The employer must ensure the worker is eligible. Currently the employer must meet the immigration requirements for the skilled worker route as the health and care visa forms part of the skilled worker route. The employer will be required to meet the specific requirements for a licence such as salary requirements as well as other factors. The government announced that the inclusion on the shortage occupation list will stipulate an

Gulnaz Raja annual salary minimum of £20,480 for carers to qualify for the health and care visa. To apply for a sponsorship licence, this attracts an application fee dependant on the size of your organisation. Certificate of sponsorship When an employer is granted a licence, they must assign the worker a valid certificate of sponsorship, once the allocation has been obtained, using their sponsorship management system account. However, before doing so, the employer must ensure that the worker meets all the eligibility requirements and be able to explain

Worker’s immigration application To qualify for a health and care worker visa, the applicant worker will need to provide their assigned certificate of sponsorship reference number provided by the employer. This must be an approved UK employer who holds a sponsor licence. The applicant will also be required to meet various other eligibility requirements. Applicants will also be able to bring their dependants, including partner and children. Applicants will be required to pay the visa application fee, however they will be exempt from the immigration health surcharge. It should be noted that the above information is correct as per the latest government announcement

of December 24 2021 but may be subject to change. At the time of writing this article (early February 2022), the precise immigration requirements for care workers, care assistants and home care workers are still due to be published to see if there are any additional requirements. The above does not constitute legal advice. n Gulnaz Raja is the founder and CEO of GNR Solicitors – a boutique immigration and employment law firm. This article must not be reproduced without her prior permission. Gulnaz is a solicitor with more than 10 years’ PQE experience. Prior to establishing her own practice, she worked in law firms as well as within financial services in London, working on major regulatory compliance review and legal implementation projects. If your organisation requires support with sponsorship or visa applications, our immigration team can assist your business with every aspect of sponsoring overseas workers as well as with all the compliance requirements and ongoing legal duties. Our employment team can also support with all aspects of employment law, including HR outsourcing support as employment tribunal matters. Call 07576 346 994 or visit www.gnrsolicitors.co.uk

Dementia specialist gains Approved Awarder status SPECIALIST dementia care provider Vida Healthcare has secured Care Certificate Approved Awarder status from South Yorkshire Region Education and Careers. The certification enables Vida Healthcare to issue industry recognised Care Certificates to care professionals, allowing greater confidence in the abilities and professional standards of care throughout the region. Vida has been granted Approved Awarder status in light of its ability to demonstrate quality care and support processes, and the high quality of training and care delivered by employees throughout its facilities. The operator will now appear on the list of Care Certificate Approved Awarders, promoting the employer as a good example of good employment practice, and additionally evidencing to CQC and contractual partners that staff training commitments are of superior quality. Bernadette Mossman, healthcare director at Vida Healthcare, said: “Care Certificate Approved Awarder status builds on our existing certifications to demonstrate our industry leading commitment to the delivery of exceptional care. “The person centred approach of Care Certificate Approved Awards aligns perfectly with Vida Healthcare’s approach

Staff at Oakland Care’s Elmbrook Court care home in Wantage.

Bernadette Mossman to personalised professional development. “We are immensely proud of our variety of accreditations. In combination with our recent certification for our Positive Interventions in Dementia Care programme, our new status as Care Certificate Approved Awarder allows us to stand out as an employer which is committed to high standards of quality in all delivered services.” Formed in 2017 as part of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System, South Yorkshire Region Education and Careers supports health and social care partners in the region to access quality assured education and training. Helping to increase effectiveness and create opportunities for skill development, SYREC aims to give care professionals the confidence to deliver outstanding care.

Group is a ‘Top Employer’ for second year running LUXURY care home provider Oakland Care has again been named in this year’s Top Employers UK list. The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR best practices survey. This in-depth survey covers six HR domains consisting of twenty topics such as people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, well-being, diversity and inclusion, and more. The title is sought after around the globe, with more than 1,600 Top Employers in 120 countries across five continents certified by the Institute. Recognised as the only social care provider on the list in 2021, the care home group has again held this coveted position for a second year running.

Chief executive officer Joanne Balmer said: “To have received this prestigious accreditation for the second year in a row is something we are extremely proud of. “We have a talented people and development team that create a positive environment for our team members and provides opportunities for them to develop and flourish in their careers. “Looking ahead to the future, we hope to build on our achievements and further establish ourselves as a leading employer not only within the care home industry, but also in the UK.” Oakland Care has not rested on its successes, but remained committed to a better world of work through excellent HR policies and people practices.

CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Care homes are facing many challenges, from infection control and Covid, to staff shortages and rising energy costs. Richard Page, UK head of care homes at Elis, explains how making a simple change to how laundry is processed can have benefits that extend far beyond infection control.

Why infection control is just one of the benefits of outsourcing laundry HOW the laundry is managed can have a bigger impact on the care home than is sometimes realised. It may impact infection control standards and compliance but also staff availability, running costs and capital expenditure, how smoothly the care home can operate, the satisfaction of residents and families, space availability and even the quality of the bedlinen and towels. While traditionally care homes often handled the laundry themselves, many are now recognising the advantages of outsourcing to a specialist, as is the norm in many other sectors, including the NHS and hotels. Here are the top six ways that care homes can benefit from outsourcing to a specialist care home laundry provider, like Elis. 1 – Infection control and compliance It is essential to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control; an important part of care homes’ CQC inspection. However, when laundry is done on site it can be difficult to consistently follow the strict procedures that help prevent cross infection and ensure compliance with the Department of Health’s HTM 01-04 regulation. Requirements such as the full segregation of clean and soiled items, the validation of wash processes and the stringent handling and transportation procedures can sometimes be difficult to maintain, especially when space is limited. Outsourcing to Elis ensures immediate compliance, both now and in the future. With experience of working for hospitals and care homes across the UK and the world, Elis ensures that infection control is built into every process. It is accredited to the highest European standard in infection control (BS EN14065) and expert at laundry compliance, so care homes don’t have to be. 2 – Reliability, simplicity and peace of mind When a care home runs its own laundry it can be hard to avoid machine breakdowns, or even fires, and unexpected staff absences. They all create extra pressure and make it hard to maintain standards. With a network of laundries across the UK, each with multiple state-of-the-art machines, back-up facilities and stock and its own delivery fleet, Elis provides a guaranteed, reliable service, day after day. The local Elis laundry collects soiled items, hygienically launders and maintains them and returns them to an agreed schedule. Elis uses the latest technology in all aspects of its service, with tiny 2d Barcodes on linens and on special residents’ clothing bags, enabling meticulous tracking of items and meaning lost items are a thing of the past. Residents have their own dedicated bags, into which garments are placed, so Elis knows exactly where each resident’s items are in its fully tracked service.

3 – Cost reduction and control Using the Elis service can be a more cost effective approach to care home laundry. It can free up care home capital, as there is no equipment or linen to buy and can provide efficiencies and cost savings because Elis operates on an industrial scale and passes savings on to customers. With competitive fixed priced contracts and no risk of unexpected laundry costs, the service also helps with cost control. The usage of linens is tracked to provide complete cost transparency and there is flexibility to adjust quantities if demand changes. Care homes can benefit from taking a look at their in-house laundry costs, including staff, water, electricity, gas, detergent, machine rental and breakdown costs and comparing with the cost of an Elis laundry service. 4 – Freeing up time and space With staff shortages and illness, outsourcing laundry can also have the benefit of freeing up staff to focus on other tasks. It also significantly reduces the time that management need to focus on laundry. It takes away the hassle and provides a simple, reliable solution. The removal of in-house laundry equipment also frees up space for other activities or even for another bedroom.

5 – Hotel quality Items are provided on a cost effective rental basis, with no large up-front costs. High quality linen creates the perfect centrepiece for each resident’s room and fluffy white towels create a homely feel. Bed linen and towelling are professionally finished using specialist driers, ironers and folders, to give a hotel-like quality, while every item of residents clothing is carefully washed and fully CQC compliant. 6 – Efficiency and sustainability Elis is able to use gas, electricity and water more efficiently than individual homes, and so partnering with Elis means that care homes are choosing a more sustainable approach to laundry. Elis is Carbon Trust accredited and the first laundry and textile services company in the UK to state its intent to attain Net Zero carbon emissions by 2045. Elis partners with thousands of care homes around the world. From small independent homes and hospices to large care villages. Elis provides solutions for linen and residents’ clothing, workwear and uniforms, chefs’ wear, table linen and kitchen cloths. Elis also provides washroom, mats and floorcare services. For a trial without commitment email uk-carehomes@ elis.com or call 0808 1969160 or for more information uk.elis.com/en/sectors/health-social-care/care-homes

CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Gainsborough achieves industry-leading delivery times for specialist baths DESPITE major global supply chain issues, Gainsborough Specialist Bathrooms, the respected UK manufacturer of power assisted baths for the care sector, is now delivering its specialist bathing solutions in only six weeks or less. For more than 35 years and as part of the Gainsborough Healthcare Group, Gainsborough Specialist Bathrooms has been successfully designing, manufacturing and installing its award-winning baths for care homes, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. Similar to all manufacturers, Gainsborough has had to overcome significant difficulties sourcing components and electronics in a timely manner. With smart thinking and strategic planning Gainsborough can now once again provide the fastest delivery of accessible baths within the healthcare sector. This represents a significant advantage for care providers and ultimately vulnerable bathers as utmost hygiene can be provided without delay. Gainsborough Healthcare Group CEO Peter Eckhardt said: “Being able to facilitate quality specialist bathing solutions as quickly as possible has

always been our mantra. “The pandemic has indeed challenged this proposition. “However, through the sheer commitment of the Gainsborough team I am delighted to say we have reinstated the fastest bath supply times in the sector and intend to maintain this position of authority.” When it comes to safe, antimicrobial and durable bathing systems, Gainsborough understands healthcare providers need solutions fast. Hence it delivers accessible baths efficiently, within budget and always

Advertiser’s announcement

on time. This trustworthy approach is also reflected in its G360 services which offer complete bathroom and wet room installations. By choosing Gainsborough all clients can access the established expertise of this proven specialist so final bathroom designs provide the very best in terms of both practicality and aesthetics. Employing the latest in assistive fixtures, each scheme is 100 per cent focused on the needs of the bather whilst supporting best practice in moving and handling. Protecting staff

from potential musculoskeletal injury and subsequent time off work is just as critical so care performance levels are not compromised. Gainsborough provides the following benefits: n Shortest bath lead times in the industry. n Total bathroom support from concept to completion. n Largest range of specialised baths for varying acute and rehab needs. n Long term value, ultra-energy efficiency and trustworthy bath performance. n Proven established manufacturer for over 35 years. n Dedicated to care and CQC excellence. n Leading antimicrobial BioCote technology built into every bath. The inclusion of BioCote in Gainsborough products offers a unique hygiene solution which complements infection control processes. This silver ion technology is integrated into bath surfaces during manufacture so cannot be wiped or worn away. Once installed BioCote provides 99 per cent 24/7 protection against influenza A H1N1, E.coli, Salmonella and CRO, CRE, VRE and MRSA.

Advertiser’s announcement

Forbes delivers a streamlined solution for care operators Gompels gives you more OUR free online tools are designed to make managing your account quick and easy, no matter if you have one site or 100 sites. Here’s a few of our favourites: Business dashboard – intuitive dashboard for easy site comparison Clear graphs and charts give you a quick overview of your spending trends for each site. Get instant site summaries and a quick overview of annual spend, which updates in realtime so you are always in the know.

current spend, look at your usage by product, or work out how to spend less, our online tool will provide you with all the data you need.

Environmental dashboard – helping you to reduce your carbon footprint Join us with working towards a cleaner planet and view your carbon emissions based on your purchasing decisions with Gompels. We’ve calculated the environmental impact of each product to give you annual emissions, recycled content, emissions by material and individual site data. We are sourcing ecoalternatives for our worse offending products to help you (and us) reduce our carbon footprint.

COSHH library – all of your datasheets ready to download in one click Quickly and easy to download, COSHH datasheets for the products you have purchased with Gompels. Our clever system automatically updates your library if a datasheet gets modified, keeping you compliant and safe.

Analytics – expenditure and buying trends at a glance with customisable reports Gompels analytics gives you all your order data in one easy to use place. Whether you want to know your

Core lists – set a core list of products to centralise your purchasing Our core lists feature allows groups to centralise their purchasing, by removing products you don’t want your sites to buy. Core lists are proven to reduce spend on unwanted products and increase your profits.

Online training – online training courses with multiple choice questions and certification We’ve created a range of free online training videos with supporting workbooks to help your staff keep up to date, some come with a certificate on completion. We’ll even alert you when staff need to refresh a course they have previously taken.

A NATIONAL care group needs to know that they are delivering a consistently high standard of care and in order to do this they need to ensure that they are working with service partners that they can trust. When it comes to laundry provision, centralised procurement and management teams want to know that they will have access to a streamlined process for all account and service management. Established in 1926, Forbes Professional offers a nationwide delivery of a local-based service, with the security and reliability that comes from being a multi-award winning, CHAS approved business. We have an expansive network of depots and field engineers including our own in-house Gas Safe engineers. This enables a highly responsive service and maintenance response, which is mobilised via a dedicated hotline at our head office. We work closely with clients to devise the solution best suited to their requirements; conducting comprehensive site-surveys, offering detailed CAD designs and always specifying the most appropriate, industry compliant machines. We choose our manufacturers carefully to ensure we are offering the highest quality of both product and service. For the care sector, hygiene is always of paramount importance

and our commercial laundry equipment fully adheres to the relevant WRAS and CQC guidelines for infection control. We are proud to be Miele National Partner which enables us to offer market leading, energy efficient machines including a wide range of heat-pump dryers. All of our laundry equipment is available for rent, lease or purchase with maintenance. Our Complete Care rental solution gives access to premium equipment without upfront capital outlay and with no repair or replacement bills for the life of the contract. Clients are assigned a dedicated account manager who remains their point of contact, centralising all account management for a highly efficient process that keeps things simple for both procurement teams and care management staff.

The Manchester Cleaning Show is back for 2022

BUSINESS MEDIA LTD

INFORMING, INSPIRING AND

CONNECTING THE INDUSTRY Organised by the British Cleaning Council and Quartz Business Media the Manchester Cleaning Show taking place on 6-7 April 2022 at Manchester Central, has become the ultimate destination for the cleaning and hygiene sector to connect, learn and discover new products, services and suppliers. By visiting the Manchester Cleaning Show, you will have the opportunity meet face-to-face once again and source and test hundreds of the latest products.

cleaningshow.co.uk

ORGANISED BY:

Spring Deals Lemon Floor Gel

buy 1 get 1

Free Dispenser

Sanell Antiviral & Antibac Multi Surface Spray

when you buy 2 x 3 Alcohol Hand Sanitiser

half price

when you buy 5 cases of 28

save

only

free

half price only

save

buy 1 get 1

£23.84

£3.38

£10

67p

£1.75

with offer 99340

per 5 litres with offer 99343

Gompels Gentle Wipes

per 750ml with offer 99338

per 60 wipes with offer 99370

Disposable Aprons Flat Pack

save

Luxury Quilted Toilet Paper

save

£3

£2

£3.80

when you buy 2 Large Extra 20 pack

when you buy a case of 20

when you buy 2 x 72 pack

only

per nappy with offer 99331

per 100 aprons with offer 99349/99348

£1

43p

26p per roll with offer 99346

Spending in control? Easy to use tools that save you 15% Business Dashboard and what it can do for you…

Get an instant site summary by: • pence per ‘place’ per day • pence per day per site • percent of budget spent • amount of credit remaining

Expenditure Alerts stop the over-spending…

STAY in the know

Core Lists

set approved products… Help streamline the ordering process and uniform the products across the homes with a Core List. Use with our approval system to give flexible control that can be tailored to cater for all homes.

manage the

budget for every site

control orders

Your Business Dashboard is updated with every new order placed.

gompels.co.uk/dashboard

gompels.co.uk/alerts

For more information have a chat with your Account Manager

MORE ONLINE WWW.GOMPELS.CO.UK

specialist wholesale supplier to 1000s of UK care homes

Please see website for latest prices

CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL Advertiser’s announcement

Country Court choose Duplex AS A family run company, Country Court provide the kind of care and nursing we’d want all of our loved ones to receive. They strive to make life comfortable and enjoyable for all their residents, allowing them to live safely and as they choose. Their individual care plans are designed to foster independence and for those in greater need, to ensure the best quality of life possible in warm and welcoming environments, an approach that makes their care homes award-winning. Their homes are designed to be exactly that – a home. For their residents who are mobile, they’re a place to live as they would normally, with the added pleasure of having company (and no chores). For their residents in need of nursing, their facilities are exceptional, geared to the compassionate administration of individual medical care. Following a recent trial of the Duplex cylindrical brush floor care machine with steam, Country Court decided it would be the perfect partner to maintain the standards of cleanliness they strive for in their homes. With an ever increasing diversity of floor finishes the Duplex was able to make a noticeable difference to all surfaces without the use of harsh cleaning chemicals. The group has already installed machines into a number of their homes and plan a steady rollout to the remaining sites in the coming months. Group estates director David Hicks said: “We needed a cleaning machine that will look after our carpets, tiles and our increasing amount of slip resistant vinyls. “The Duplex Steam performs incredibly well in all these areas and the users find it particularly easy and simple to operate.”

Duplex has been supplying the care sector since 1987 and particularly the Duplex Steam models, with their unique ability to clean and sanitise all types of floor surfaces including carpets, Altro, vinyl, ceramic tiles, profiled rubber and wood without the need to change brushes have been and continue to be extremely popular. The Duplex is the only cylindrical brush floor cleaning machine with steam injection. On carpets steam is excellent for refreshing and revitalising fibres and removing stains and on hard floors, particularly profiled and safety flooring, the

High Performance Cleaning Machines

Free on-site demonstrations Clean and sanitize with steam Multi-surface steam cleaning Light and easy to use Combine cleaning with infection-control Robust and reliable Nationwide sales and service support Free on-site training & installation Request an onsite demonstration www.duplex-cleaning.com

01227 771276

Fax 01227 770220 info@duplex-cleaning.com Unit 27 Joseph Wilson Ind. Est Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3PS.

Duplex Steam leaves surfaces dry in seconds and is approved by Altro, the well-known manufacturer of slip-resistant safety flooring. From bedrooms, bathrooms, treatment and sluice rooms to kitchens, lounges and corridors, Duplex can supply a solution to most cleaning needs. Duplex continue to go from strength to strength in the care environment with a versatile machine that is easy to use and environmentally friendly with its emphasis on low water usage and without the need for harsh cleaning chemicals to achieve outstanding results its green credentials are superb.

lamontjohnson.com

LAMONT JOHNSON SOLD

LamontJohnson

P R O P E RT Y ADVISOR S

TO THE CARE SECTOR

WENHAM HOLT NURSING HOME HAMPSHIRE

50+ REGISTERED HAMPSHIRE NURSING HOME DISCREETLY SOLD IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS Totally Conﬁdential No Obligation

Wenham Holt a prestigious 50 registered Nursing Home, set in 6 acres of rolling gardens and grounds, close to Liss on the Hampshire/Surrey borders, has just been sold by Lamont Johnson to the Barchester Group. The Home has been in the existing Gorvin family ownership since 1978, comes with an excellent reputation and a CQC rating of“Good” in all five categories.

SELLING NATIONWIDE FOR OVER 40 YEARS

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF SELLING, PHONE GRAYSON or DAWN TAYLOR TODAY

01937 842 758

m.07920 475 440

Office@lamontjohnson.com

37 SELLING CARE HOMES NATIONWIDE

lamontjohnson .com Totally Conﬁdential No Obligation

Allegra Care and Moorfield add 133 beds with two acquisitions

Page 39

Cheshire care home shortlisted for two prestigious accolades

Page 40

Specialist lender completes £11m loan on development

Page 41

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF SELLING

PHONE OR MAIL US FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION APPRAISAL

07920 475 440 Office@lamontjohnson.com

Bank supports new entrant to market ALLICA Bank has delivered its first commercial mortgage within its recently launched healthcare division, enabling the purchase of a 21-bed Shropshire care home. Hartlands Rest Home, a residential and dementia care home in Oswestry, has been providing elderly care to the community for more than 35 years. The home has performed extremely well historically, providing highquality standards of care to its residents, reflected in its consistent ‘Good’ ratings from the Care Quality Commission for all five categories (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led). The loan – totalling nearly £500,000 – enabled the purchase of the company from its previous owner, who was retiring after running the home for its 35-year history. Allica said the new owner is a first-time buyer that has extensive experience in the care home sector, and they will be supported by the

standing and excellent regulatory performance and reputation in the community, made it a transaction we were keen to support. It’s fantastic, too, to see Allica’s new healthcare division able to make a mark so quickly.” David Ward of Christie Finance, the firm that helped arrange the loan, said: “In a sector which is seeing many challenges, this transaction shows the appetite that exists to support both new entrants and existing operators in acquiring quality, well run and profitable care homes. “We’re proud to assist such a strong borrower as they enter the market for the first time. “Allica’s approach to this transaction is evidence of relationship banking doing its job of working with the customer to understand the requirement and is a testament to the real value that care specialists can bring to the sector.”

Hartlands Rest Home in Oswestry.

existing management and operational staff, who will continue to manage its day-to-day activities. Anthony Newman, specialist relationship manager at Allica, says the bank is pleased to have been able

to support such a promising business. “We are delighted to be able to help our customer acquire his first care home,” he added. “Their experience in the care sector, combined with the care home’s long-

LAMONT JOHNSON LamontJohnson NO

“UPFRONT” FEES or INFLATED COMMISSION RATES!

THREE COMPLETED SALES IN 6 WEEKS circa £15 MILLION P R O P E RT Y ADVISOR S

SOLD SOLD WENHAM HOLT NURSING HOME HAMPSHIRE REGISTERED

ELM LODGE BEDFORDSHIRE REGISTERED

SOLD IVELHURST NURSING HOME SOMERSET REGISTERED

OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE SELLING CARE HOMES NATIONWIDE

Our success in the sale of Care Homes is second to none in the care sector, and has been achieved through the 41 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes and sites/ developments for C2 use nationwide.

TO THE CARE SECTOR

Totally Conﬁdential No Obligation

LOOKING FOR A DISCREET SALE? CALL US TODAY

01937 842 758

m.07920 475 440

Office@lamontjohnson.com lamontjohnson.com

38 Advertiser’s announcement

A unique advantage in the market By Alison Willoughby IT HAS been just over three months since I joined the Fleurets team and our healthcare sector launched, during which time I have seen an extraordinary demand for both existing businesses and developers. This has put Fleurets at quite a unique advantage in the market, able to leverage our strong links with the established side of our leisure property business – drawing on more than 200 years of experience in the sector, to service the growing demand in the healthcare sector with development and land opportunities. This is proving especially true in the supported living and specialist care market, with a number of instructions being marketed across the entire Fleurets network. In such a short amount of time, I have already seen first-hand what we can deliver for clients on both the disposal and acquisition side with our in depth knowledge and experience in two very specialist sectors. Most recently, this resulted in an offer of an off market joint venture scheme, which was brought to life by leveraging our existing connections in the leisure side of the business. I joined the team back in December as divisional director and head of healthcare, and it has been

anything but a slow start. While the industry is still trying to navigate through an array of issues including increasing utility costs and a staffing crisis, I have been speaking to a multitude of operators who have a clear remit for growth – be that via acquisition or construction. There is a strong appetite within the industry for growth, and Fleurets are perfectly positioned to provide for this. It was Fleurets’ professionalism, integrity and existing reputation that drew me towards joining the team and it is those qualities that have already been recognised within the healthcare industry and which I plan to continue carrying forward as we grow our presence within the industry. I will be at the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards in March and Fleurets is a proud sponsor of the Caring UK Awards and look forward to meeting up with old and new contacts. During my almost 20 years in the care real estate industry, I have worked on transactions at individual, regional and national corporate level. Each deal is unique and at Fleurets we put clients at the forefront of every transaction, working with your existing professional advisors, or helping you access the right experts for you.

Alison Willoughby

LOOKING TO SELL YOUR CARE BUSINESS?

If you would like a confidential discussion about the possible sale of your care business, restructuring your portfolio, or your acquisition plans contact us today.

07879 073 195 Alison.Willoughby@fleurets.com www.fleurets.com

Allegra Care and Moorfield add 133 beds with two acquisitions ALLEGRA Care, a UK-focused care home operator, and Moorfield Group, a UK specialist real estate fund manager acting on behalf of Moorfield Real Estate Fund IV, have completed the acquisition of two nursing, dementia and care homes in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk from Alysia Caring, adding a further 133 beds to the partnership’s nursing, dementia and care homes portfolio. Cherry Blossom, an 80-bed home in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, and 53-bed Magdalen House in Hadleigh, Suffolk, are modern, fit-for purpose homes with 100 per cent of the beds having accessible wetroom en-suites, each allowing for the implementation of Allegra Care’s bespoke household care model. The homes provide a range of care services tailored to residents’ needs, with options for specialist dementia care and 24-hour assisted living. Cherry Blossom and Magdalen House also offer residents a range of community facilities and wellbeingfocused amenities, including spacious lounges and purpose-built gardens. Charles Ferguson Davie, chief investment officer of Moorfield, said: “The acquisition of these two high-quality homes reflects the partnership’s ongoing intention to expand its ownership of homes in this region of the UK. “The local demographics are

39 Advertiser’s announcement

Magdalen House in Hadleigh.

DC Care is 20 supportive of the demand for high quality nursing, dementia and care homes and our partnership with Allegra Care is intended to take advantage of our combined investment and operational expertise to provide exceptional levels of care to the residents.” This acquisition is the latest for the joint venture between Allegra Care and Moorfield aimed at creating an initial £125million portfolio of modern, fit-for-purpose nursing, dementia and care homes across the UK, in areas supported by favourable demographic trends. Following this investment, the partnership now owns seven homes across Hampshire, Cambridge and Suffolk. The acquisition was supported by

Allied Irish Bank as debt provider. Helen Jones, chief executive officer of Allegra, added: “We are very pleased to confirm the addition of Cherry Blossom and Magdalen House to our portfolio. “Both are modern, attractive, warm homes with good reputations and strong standards of service. We welcome our new colleagues to the Allegra Care team. “We thank our due diligence partners for their efforts. The acquisition was a tremendous end to 2021 for Allegra Care.” Allegra Care and Moorfield were advised by Cushman and Wakefield, CBRE, BCLP and Menzies. The seller was advised by Freeths and Freemans. Halo Care acted as the selling agent.

FEBRUARY 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of specialist agency DC Care’s inception. We have witnessed many peaks and troughs over the last two decades, from the height of the market in the mid-2000s to the more trying times of the recession, the political fallout over Brexit and Covid. We have come through it all and pent-up demand for high-quality care facilities remains high. A lot of our care businesses that have been coming to the market in recent months have either attracted a lot of interest from strong buyers or have had an offer accepted. 2022 could be one of our busiest years since the mid-2000s, with many transactions currently going through the legal-due-diligence process. To all our clients and professional partners, past and present, it has been and continues to be a pleasure working with you all.

Independent expertise, nationwide knowledge

specialist healthcare business agents

ANNIVERSARY

SOLD

Selly Wood House, Birmingham - Reg 44

On behalf of Bournville Village Trust DC Care is delighted to announce the successful sale of Selly Wood House, a highly-regarded nursing home set in the heart of Bournville in Birmingham, registered for 44 resisidents. When industry knowledge and wisdom are needed, when a discreet sale is desired, our clients choose DC Care to sell their healthcare business.

SALES | ACQUISITIONS | APPRAISALS | CONSULTANCY

01937 849 268

www.dccare.co.uk sales@dccare.co.uk

Operator purchases 12 homes

HOLMES Care Group, a national residential and dementia care provider, has purchased 12 care homes from Kingdom Homes, a care provider based in Fife, Scotland. The acquisition, part of Holmes Care’s plans to increase its portfolio and drive recovery from the pandemic, will see the care provider more than double its portfolio – with the 12 Fife-based homes joining a combined family of 22 Scottish care homes, and one England-based home. Sharifa Lakhani, CEO at Holmes Care Group, said: “We are delighted that Kingdom Homes have joined the Holmes Care Group family. “Kingdom Homes and Holmes Care Group share a commitment to delivering the best standards of care possible, making them a perfect fit for us. “ We’re very much looking forward to welcoming their wonderful staff to our team. “Combined, we will continue to make a real difference to the lives of our residents, their loved ones and the communities we serve.” Following the acquisition, the Holmes Care Group now employs almost 1,650 staff and supports approximately 1,150 beds.

Cheshire care home shortlisted for two prestigious accolades CONGLETON’S newest state-of-theart care home has extra reason to celebrate after being shortlisted for two prestigious accolades. Priesty Fields, which opened its doors in November, has been shortlisted as finalists in both the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards and Family Business of the Year Awards for 2022. Rishi Sodha, care director at Handsale, which operates Priesty Fields, said: “We feel honoured to have been recognised as finalists in both the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards and the Family Business of the Year Awards 2022. “As a group, the development and construction of Priesty Fields Care Home has been one of the most exciting and rewarding projects to date. “Determined to offer our residents the very best in person-centred care, it has very much been a collaborative experience between staff, residents and their families – who were all consulted regularly during the design and build process – and we’re delighted for our effort to have been recognised in this way.” The family-run facility has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Innovation and Environmental Design’ in the annual Pinders Healthcare Design Awards,

Priesty Fields in Congleton. which recognises the very best developments in all types of carerelated environments. A panel of judges made up of healthcare architects, interior designers, valuers, leaders and operators will pick the overall winners on March 16 at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel. As a finalist in the awards, Priesty Fields has also received a £500 cheque payable to its chosen charity – the Alzheimer’s Society. The home will also receive a trophy recognising the achievement. Priesty Fields has also been shortlisted as finalists in the 10th

edition of the Family Business of the Year Awards, which seek to highlight the contribution family firms make to the UK economy. Taking place in June, winners will be announced regionally as well as by sector and there are additional awards for entrepreneurship, innovation, spirit of family business, small family business of the year, ones to watch, people’s choice, and the top accolade; supreme champions. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced at the ceremony, but will be decided by a public vote. Voting closes on April 30.

ngacare.co.uk

SOLD

Elderly Care Home With Nursing in Chesterfield, Derbyshire

•

Purpose built care home

•

Registered for 50

•

Turnaround opportunity

•

Well-presented accommodation

•

CQC Requires Improvement

•

Multiple offers generated

We require care homes of all sizes and specialisms for genuine waiting buyers If you are looking to buy or sell a care home contact Nick Greaves on 07943 107 887 or email nick@ngacare.co.uk

Your business is our priority

Wage increase for operator’s staff VIDA Healthcare has permanently increased the wages of its frontline care staff. The wages have increased by 30 per cent – 20 per cent higher than the sector average. A number of roles have benefitted from the increase including qualified care assistants whose hourly rate has increased from £9.61 to £12.32, and nurses whose hourly rate has increased from £18.50 to £22.50. Other positions include bank care assistants, senior care assistants and team leaders. The operator has made the decision in order to combat the national staffing crisis currently happening in the sector, and attract new talent to ensure the specialist and high level of care offered by the provider can continue to be delivered to residents. James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, said: “Despite leaders in the sector advising that care staff are looking for more than wage increases, it’s not only important that we’re attracting new talent to the sector but that we’re also rewarding our existing staff for the hard work and dedication they demonstrate everyday. “This wage increase is just one initiative we’ve put in place to show our staff how proud and grateful we are for their incredible work, particularly throughout these

Specialist lender completes £11m loan on development Chris Rycroft (chairman), Bernadette Mossman (healthcare director), Jillian Young (operations director) and James Rycroft (managing director) at Vida Healthcare. challenging times.” Alongside the wage increase, Vida Healthcare offers a range of initiatives to encourage the retention of current staff, and attract new talent to ensure residents are receiving the best possible quality of care. This includes its specialist training platform Vida Academy, which offers a bespoke professional development training pathway and provides staff with opportunities to achieve promotions and learn valuable caring skills.

OCTOPUS Real Estate, part of the Octopus Group, has provided an £11m loan on a ground up development of a 71-bed elderly care home in Bedhampton, Hampshire. The property is currently a cleared 1.6-acre site that benefits from full planning permission to build a new care home over three levels. There are also plans to include a hair salon, café, cinema, library, activities room, private dining on the ground floor and a gym on the second floor. Andy Scott, head of residential development at Octopus Real Estate, said: “This development is a great example of our sector working together to continue to address the significant supply-demand imbalance

for modern purpose-built care homes. “Designed to deliver the highest quality levels of care, it also supports Octopus’ commitment to continue investing in and developing best-inclass specialist properties in the care home space. “This deal has benefitted from strong collaboration between Octopus Real Estate’s development lending and care homes teams, which uniquely positions us in the care homes space.” The developers – Craig Griffin at Halebourne Group and Seamus Halton at Connaught Care Group – began development prior to completion of the deal, and the care home is due to be completed in 2023.

“Our fingerprints are all over every sale”.

Benefit f ro m t h e value of ex p e r i e n c e with a fully managed s e r v i c e f ro m b e g i n n i ng to end.

From corporate clients to private owners and charities, our experience provides the right advice and support throughout the deal process.

Whether acting for the seller or purchaser, our areas of expertise include: • Nursing and Residential Homes • Independent Hospitals • Specialist Care Homes Including Learning Disability & Mental Health • Children’s Services and Schools • Turn-key Developments • Vacant Properties • Land and Development Sites

Achieve the result you want and sell your care business confidentially. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SALES & ACQUISITION SERVICES

www.healthcarepc.co.uk

Tel: 01937 222107

enquiries@healthcarepc.co.uk

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Specialist completes equity investment to help fund growth The Bond Hotel in Blackpool is going coast to coast ... THE Bond Hotel has been providing holidays for guests who live in care home and residential settings for more than 35 years, providing everything you need to give your residents an amazing break away. As a family-run company the pandemic has brought a lot of challenges, but we are looking forward to our 2022 season and we are excited to be expanding and providing more choice for our guests. For many residents who have been isolated during the pandemic being able to take a break away is vitally important for so many reasons mentally, emotionally and physically. We are proud to announce that alongside The Bond Hotel in Blackpool we are now taking bookings for our holiday cottage in Skegness. The Bond Holiday Cottage is currently undergoing a full renovation and our first guests are arriving on April 1. Two great holiday options to consider for your residents. The Bond Hotel, Blackpool Enjoy the thrills of the Blackpool coast at our 59 bedroom hotel where we can provide you with fully accessible rooms fully equipped with all of the mobility equipment you may use at home such as profiling beds, hoists, stand aids and much

much more. Every night is a party night at The Bond Hotel with live cabaret from two acts every night. We know that traditional homecooked food is an important part of your holiday, our chefs have some tasty menus prepared and can cater for any special dietary needs. We also have our very own care team – Holidays With Care, that can support your staff or provide full support for your residents, if required. The Bond Hotel Cottage, Skegness Located in Ingoldmells, Skegness our new for 2022 Bond Holiday Cottage provides a full self-catering holiday experience. The cottage is ideally located to enjoy your seaside experience before returning to your own little getaway for a good night’s sleep. Currently under refurbishment the cottage will sleep six people and feature level access throughout the ground floor and patios with many disability aids available including ceiling tracked hoists and profiling beds. Flexibility with you in mind… whether you are choosing to book The Bond Hotel, Blackpool or The Bond Cottage, Skegness we can provide a flexible booking rate offering you full financial peace of mind on any holiday we provide.

Magnolia House Residential Care Home in Cottingham is helping residents reminisce and recollect with the help of some magical memory books. The historical picture volumes, which include titles such as ‘A 1940s Childhood’ and ‘A 1950s Childhood’, are a talking point for staff and residents about their younger years. Residents are encouraged to reminisce about the war and rationing, what it was like at school, gifts they received, and their family life. It’s also a chance to discuss other memories, such as the Swinging 60s, the 70s and beyond.

SOFTWARE specialist Carebeans Limited has secured a significant six-figure equity Investment for its leading social care management software from Liverpool based MSIF and the Development Bank of Wales. The co-investment includes the trade and assets acquisition of the software business of Standex Systems Limited and onboarding of five new staff who move to Carebeans from Standex UK. Carebeans was first established by chief executive Nick Lawford in 2019. Providing unique benefits and functionalities for different users, Carebeans has a cloud-based system for residential and nursing care homes and the full spectrum of supported living including domiciliary care, disability, and mental health services. He said: “This investment is providing a step change in our ability to bring on new customers and accelerate R&D in areas we know will have a big impact across large areas of social care provision in the near future. “My goal has always been to use great technology to help people live their lives where they want to be with dignity whilst helping care givers provide consistently high-quality support unencumbered by onerous,

often disconnected, systems and processes. The funding from MSIF and the Development Bank now accelerates our growth in the social care sectors with the opening of our second office and the recruitment of a highly specialist and skilled team.” The funds will now be used to grow the business with the further development of the functionality of the software and the opening of the new office in Monmouth. New jobs are expected to be created in both Merseyside, where Carebeans has an office at Sci-Tech Daresbury, and the South Wales regions. David Walters, investment manager for AFM/MSIF, added: “It was clear to the investment team how innovative the software platform is in supporting carers, people receiving care and their families at a time when care in the UK has never been more important. “Already the business has diversified into non-age care sectors such as disability and we expect Carebeans to be a key player in the support of domiciliary care in the UK and further abroad.” Legal support was provided by Brabners for MSIF and Blake Morgan advised the Development Bank of Wales. Financial modelling was performed by George Wright of the LCR Finance Hub.

Service based on quality and product diversity By Lucy Squire TAYLOR Made Designs has been supplying custom-branded workwear and complementary products such as lanyards, badges, PPE and footwear for more than three decades. The care sector is one of our primary markets. Working with a number of key care provider clients and through our own global network of supply partners, we are constantly reviewing the market to ensure our extensive product range continues to deliver what is needed. For example, in response to the pandemic, we added PPE and sanitising products to our range, ensuring our clients were not left without the essential protection they needed to remain safe whilst serving those most vulnerable. TMD provides quality, branded workwear for all departments within the care sector, whether it be tunics and aprons for nurses and care workers, chef wear for catering staff, corporate blouses and shirts for front of house teams or polo shirts, fleeces and jackets for maintenance workers. We offer a single point of purchase, enabling our care sector partners to manage their multiple uniform needs through a single point of contact, liaising with a dedicated account manager. Quality sits at the heart of the provision across our entire product

Lucy Squire range. All embroidery is performed by our in-house team of highly experienced machinists, enabling us to maintain stringent quality control measures. This ensures every garment meets our exemplary standards before it is allowed to leave the warehouse. TMD works hard to establish and maintain long term relationships with our care provider partners based on their satisfaction with our service, quality and product diversity. n Lucy Squire is the key account manager at TMD.

An ultra-efficient, world-class variable-height power assisted bath, with bather transfer seat and integrated antimicrobial protection • Redefining performance, long-term value and moving & handling excellence • Ultra-energy and water efficiency • Therapeutic options including Airspa, lighting and sound

GENTONA

ULTIMATE COST EFFICIENCY WITH PIONEERING HYGIENE AND SAFETY

• Proven for advanced dementia care • Holistic lifetime servicing and LOLER testing

01527 400 022

info@gainsboroughbaths.com

www.gainsboroughbaths.com

SENTES

ADVANCED CARE WITH SUSTAINED RELIABILITY A powered reclining bathing solution with enhanced postural support for more complex bather needs • Easy one-touch tilt with hoisting access • Multiple safety and comfort features • Reduced operational costs • Impressive 205kg SWL

01527 400 022

info@gainsboroughbaths.com

www.gainsboroughbaths.com

OUR PROTECTION PROMISE

2239GSBadCUKnew_Jun21v1.indd 1

09/06/2021 10:51

THE ART OF COMFORT

The Windsor Range

To find out more call: 01924 868470 For more information visit: shackletonsltd.co.uk