Older residents’ support service is under threat
A KEY crisis support service for older people provided by Bristolbased charity Brunelcare is under threat, following a proposal to withdraw its funding.
The Help When You Need It service is available to all of Brunelcare’s 900 sheltered housing residents living across the city, and is currently funded by Bristol City Council.
It provides vital support to elderly and vulnerable residents including those who are at risk of not being able to sustain their tenancies, residents who require additional support during and following a hospital admission and others struggling with a wide range of crises including poor mental and physical health, poverty and social isolation.
The Council is proposing to withdraw funding for the service at the end of the current contract in March 2025, as part of wider savings being considered within its Adult Social Care budget.
This proposal would save the Council £200,000, a small fraction of the overall savings it is aiming to make within adult social care.
A public consultation on the proposal closed on September 17, and the final decision is due to be made later this month.
Oona Goldsworthy, chief
executive of Brunelcare, said: “We urge the Council to reconsider the proposal to end this service for vulnerable older people.
“We see the huge benefits this service provides to those we support, and in many cases, transform their quality of life.
“The service also results in substantial annual savings for the Council and NHS.
“In Bristol, more than 500 households approach the Council each month because of homelessness related issues.
“We fear that without the support of this service, it is likely that more vulnerable people will be unable to sustain their tenancies and will require assistance from the Council’s own housing and homelessness team at a considerably higher overall cost to the Council and the NHS.”
Brunelcare has provided this service since 2021, and over this time it has also seen its clients’ needs and the demands on the service grow in complexity.
A decision on the proposal regarding the future of this service is due to be made by members of the Council’s Adult Social Care Policy Committee on October 21. Brunelcare staff and residents who have been supported by the service will attend the meeting.
Tickets to this year’s Caring UK Awards at the Athena, Leicester on Thursday, December 5th are now available. For more information and to book your tickets visit https://script-events.co.uk/cuk-awards-tickets/
A Govan social enterprise has partnered with a are home to provide exercise, stimulation and entertainment for residents. ‘Meet Me in Govan’, a project by Invisible Cities, hosts weekly walks which have become a staple in the wellbeing calendar for the residents of Florence House. Every week residents from the care home take part in the walks, which are open to residents and community members, exploring the rich history the area has to offer. Trips have previously included the Govan Stones, Govan Shipyards and Elder Park. The close partnership between Florence House and Invisible Cities was highlighted when Meet me in Govan celebrated its second anniversary at the care home. Florence House is part of Oakminster Healthcare Group, which owns and operates five care homes across Glasgow.
Home and gym join dementia fight
PORTSDOWN View in Bedhampton recently participated in a ‘coffee and cake afternoon’ at Pompey Health & Fitness Club to help raise funds for Dementia UK.
The home’s team of chefs baked a batch of cakes for the event, which proved to be a hit with attendees.
Organised as part of World Alzheimer’s Month, which runs through September, proceeds from the event will go towards Dementia UK’s work advocating for greater awareness and support for those living with dementia; particularly older people who may lack the resources or support they need to cope.
Portsdown View has been an active campaigner on this issue since it opened its doors last year.
The home’s general manager Pippa Mafunga said: “Our team of chefs poured their hearts into these cakes, knowing that something as simple as a sweet treat can play a big role in fighting dementia.
“It’s not just about making cakes; it’s about raising awareness of a condition that affects so many people in our community.
“We are proud to be working with Pompey Health & Fitness to support the amazing work Dementia UK does around the country”.
Portsdown View raised £1,040 for a West Sussex-based charity at a casino night fundraiser in March, and in May it started a bi-monthly ‘Memory Choir’ aimed at improving the lives of people with dementia through music therapy.
Greener Month returns to Oakland Care once again
OAKLAND Care has participated in a range of green initiatives across its 10 homes in London and the South East as part of Greener Month for the fourth consecutive year.
Over the last several years September has been a poignant moment for the ‘greener choice’ of care homes, with the date pivotal to its sustainability efforts and ongoing commitment to protecting the environment.
What first began as ‘Green Week’ has evolved into a four-week marathon of events and activities focused on positive environmental change.
Since launching it has proved to be a huge success.
It has brought together team members, residents and members of their communities to plant trees, undertake beach clean-ups, launch a wildlife garden, and take educational trips focused on sustainability, including a visit to an offshore windfarm.
Chief operating officer Joanne Balmer BEM said: “September’s Greener Month and Green Week has once again proved to be a huge success.
“It has been wonderful to see the efforts of team members, residents, and those from our communities who have come together for so many excellent events and activities.
“Alongside the core beach cleans
and tree planting sessions which have been a staple to our endeavours through Green Week and Month over the years, we have been proud to lead several seminars for our local communities focused on sharing our knowledge and learnings as the UK’s ‘greener choice’ of care home provider.
“We feel a strong sense of responsibility to protect the environment and are committed to pushing towards a sustainable future for all. Making a positive impact
Home wins gold award
A CARE home which has looked after veterans for more than 100 years has won a top honour as an employer and supporter of the armed forces community.
Broughton House Veteran Care Village in Salford has been recognised by the government with a gold award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
It is the highest badge of honour available under the Ministry of Defence initiative.
To win a gold award, an organisation must show exceptional commitment to supporting the armed forces community, such as by implementing forces-friendly HR recruiting and selection processes, encouraging others to do the same, promoting the Armed Forces Covenant to their networks and supporting the cadet movement.
Broughton House is one of 193 organisations to receive gold status in the latest round of awards. Among those to also be honoured are Google, B&Q and Expedia.com.
Sandhurst-trained Karen Miller, chief executive of Broughton House, who served as an officer in the Intelligence Corps and in the Territorial Army with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, said: “We have a long and proud history of caring for veterans from the north west and beyond, and it is extremely pleasing for us to be now recognised for employing and supporting veterans, reservists and their relatives.
“The gold award demonstrates our commitment in this regard and we
hope our achievement will inspire others to follow suit.
“Having veterans as part of our team is crucial to Broughton House and our residents’ particular needs. They have a deep understanding of the culture, ethos and pathos of the residents we care for and can help non-veteran staff to better understand them and their needs.
“By doing so, this creates an element of familiarity for our residents, as they have people looking after them who understand them, their routines and their past lives without having to explain themselves.”
As well as caring for veterans and employing former servicemen and women and serving reservists, Broughton House supports the armed forces community in a variety of other ways, including staging events to mark significant military anniversaries, hosting visits by cadets, reservists and other groups, and residents and staff representing the armed forces community at events and ceremonies.
Broughton House also has a dedicated military museum, which celebrates the heroics of many of the veterans it has cared for since it opened in 1916.
The site was recently redeveloped into a complex with a 64-bed care home, including two 16-bed households dedicated to veterans with dementia, as well as independent living apartments, an array of modern facilities, a museum, gym, hairdressing and barber’s salon, and a restaurant and bar for residents.
through our activities and inspiring others on their sustainable journey is key to our efforts.”
This year has seen Oakland Care continue to push the boundaries of sustainability in social care with a further expansion of its programme of activities.
Each home held its own ‘Eco Fair’, inviting local sustainable businesses to exhibit stalls focussed on reusing materials to create art and making environmentally friendly and sustainable products to sell.
This has enabled Oakland Care to collaborate with people and businesses in the local community who share a passion for sustainability.
Meanwhile, the care provider has also hosted a series of seminars for local businesses in their communities to learn more about its leading sustainability strategy and how they too can make positive changes to their businesses.
In addition, residents have enjoyed visits from guest expert speakers including Essex and Kent Wildlife Trust and the Bat Conservation Trust who explained the ways in which bats can best be supported in our ecosystem.
Alongside the new, beach cleanups and litter-picks have remained a staple to Green Week and Month. At Maplewood Court in Maidstone, staff and residents joined forces with the children from a local primary school to carry out a big litter pick in the town.
Elsewhere, those at Beechwood Grove in Eastbourne came together with local community organisation Plastic Free Eastbourne to head to the seafront for a clean-up.
Oakland Care is the first carbon neutral care group and has achieved multiple awards for its standout environmental efforts, including a ‘Gold’ award at the Green World Environment Awards earlier this year.
Wellingborough care home
A WELLINGBOROUGH care home has been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission.
The robust inspection gave Anchor’s Glenvale Park, which cares for up to 66 residents, high marks in all five categories assessed by the care regulator: Safety, Care, Responsiveness, Effectiveness and Leadership.
The inspectors were impressed by the friendly and supportive atmosphere and noted that residents confirmed that staff were kind and caring and supported them in a respectful and dignified way.
Inspectors also praised how residents were happy with their care.
Home manager Carley Calder said:
“My team work incredibly hard to make sure Anchor’s Glenvale Park care home is a great place for older people to live. Getting this kind of praise from the CQC is just the sort of recognition they deserve.
“We’re proud of the care we provide, the meals we make with fresh seasonal ingredients and the wide variety of meaningful activities our residents enjoy.
“We welcome such rigorous inspections and clear ratings so older people and their families can judge for themselves which homes are right for them and get the standard of care they deserve.”
Samuel crowned the NACC Care Chef of the Year 2024
SAMUEL Sewell of Wellington Vale Care Home, part of the Cinnamon Care Collection, has been named National Association of Care Catering Care Chef of the Year 2024.
Samuel was crowned in front of NACC members and guests at the NACC gala awards dinner held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, which is part of the NACC Training & Development Forum 2024.
He said: “It is fantastic being crowned this year’s Care Chef of the Year, but what I took away from the competition was seeing chefs from our sector getting together and sharing their ideas. I’m proud to work as a care chef.”
Nigel Cooke from Eastcote Park (Cinnamon Care Collection) and Darren Nelson from Trymview Hall (Care UK) took second and third places respectively.
Nigel was also awarded Highly Commended Main for his pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with a black pudding cottage pie, celeriac and EP sauce, while Robert Rofe of Roswell Court (Radish) received the Highly Commended Dessert for his cherry frangipane tart with crème anglaise.
The importance of good hygiene practices was also recognised, with Rossendale House’s Dawn Louise
Brown being awarded the Hygiene Award and Darren Nelson from Trymview Hall (Care UK) presented with the Sustainability and Waste Management Award.
The final was held at the Manor Farm Cookery School in Grantham.
The finalists had 90 minutes to demonstrate their culinary skills and specialist knowledge to impress the panel of expert judges led by Steve Munkley.
He said: “The important thing about this year was that the chefs listened to the feedback they were
Patricia (Pat) Parker, who lives at St Clare’s Court Care Home in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, recently celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by her friends and family. Pat, who was born in Glasgow, spent her life working in factories and waitressing. She has been happily married and has two children, one granddaughter and one grandson. Pat enjoys spending time with her family as well as singing and dancing. One thing she requested for her birthday was a special cake and the kitchen team excelled. A fabulous party was held for Pat, with lots of singing and dancing, with special entertainment from Sweetheart Kay. Pat ended the party singing her favourite song – The Power of Love, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
A woman turning 101 years-old says young people should dance whenever they can, always take the stairs and look after their friends. Murial Eva Lindars, affectionately known as Eva, celebrated her 101st birthday with a joyous party at Rowans Care Home - part of Canterbury Care –near Macclesfield. The celebration, complete with cake and cards, honoured a life filled with dedication to making a difference, a love for art, and a passion for dancing. Eva first married Henrick, a Polish soldier she met at a dance at the Ritz in Manchester in 1944. After divorcing Henrick, she found love again with David, a doctor she met at the TB sanatorium and fell in love with at a hospital dance. Together, they lived with Eva’s son from her first marriage. Tony passed away in 2010 and had two daughters – Helen and Christine.
given after the semi-finals and acted upon it; particularly the dietetic and nutritional values of the dishes. This is an important aspect of care home catering.
“This is my third year as head judge, and I now have a better understanding of the sector and the different demands that are placed on the chefs.
“This has given me an even greater respect for what the finalists have achieved over the course of this year’s contest.
“There were more entries than ever
this year, which made my job even harder, which is great.
“I would also like to praise the quality and commitment of the judges, they truly believe in what they are doing and helped make a big impact on the overall performance.”
The judges were looking for clear nutritional understanding of the foods being used and how they support the needs of their clientele, plus culinary flair through flavours, menu balance, execution, presentation and hygiene and waste management best practice.
Samuel excelled throughout, impressing the judges with his perfectly balanced menu of fish and chips, caramelised namalaka with bourbon cherries and granola.
Neel Radia the NACC’s national chair, added: “This year there were more entries than ever before, and for the first time in recent years we had a heat in Wales, which was a great experience. The judges tell me that the points tally was exceptional with only six points (out of a possible 320) separating the top two places.
“Raising the care chef’s profile is so important to us all, as it helps attract more chefs into our sector.
“I know from talking to so many of them, that once they see the true value of what they can do for others, they want to stay with us for a long time.”
Hilda Green has lived a life straight out of a movie, from breaking codes during World War II to dazzling audiences as a burlesque dancer in Paris. She recently celebrated her 100th birthday at Castleford Lodge Nursing Home in Castleford, Wakefield. Hilda was born and raised in Kent. One of several children, all her siblings sadly died during the war. But at the age of 15 she became a decoder during World War II. Once the war was over, she chose a very different direction when she headed for the bright lights of Paris, becoming a burlesque dancer for several years. Following this, Hilda moved into the more sedate world of finance, hanging up her calculator at age 70 when she retired as a bookkeeper. Mayor of Wakefield Councillor Darren Byford and his consort Peter Davis joined the celebration.
John Shannon, who lives at Hampden House, a residential care home in Harrogate, celebrated a significant and rare milestone when he turned 108. Born in Barking in 1916, John has spent his life giving back. From his early days volunteering with the League of Nations Union to setting up prison visiting while at college in Winchester, where John is now a fellow of Winchester University, John has always shown a deep commitment to helping others. Over the decades he has taken on many voluntary roles, including running a boxing club prior to the outbreak of World War Two and football coaching. He has devoted countless hours to organisations like the Red Cross and the Football Association, who honoured him with one of their coveted awards for Respect. He also took an active role in the Girl Guide movement by becoming the local badge tester. More recently, John has been involved with the Harrogate Easier Living Project, Age UK and telephone befriending, continuing his passion for community service
Getting down to business
When it comes to health and social care, we mean business – with award-winning products, and specialist support from our team of experienced Relationship Managers.
Here are some of the sectors we work with:
• Aged, specialist and childcare facilities
• Dentists and dental practices
• Hospitals and medical centres
For more info call:
Derek Breingan Head of Health and Social Care
07818 454674
• Real estate and development finance
• Pharmacists and pharmacies
• Doctors and medical practices
Recipe memories captured in operator’s new book
A CARE home group has ensured the memories of its residents will live forever through the publication of a new recipe book – and donations from the sales are being made to the UK’s leading charity for older people.
From the Heart of Home is the name of the book, which is a compilation of classic recipes handed down through generations and recalled by the residents who live in Dormy Care Communities’ four homes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wales and Herefordshire.
From food enjoyed whilst living and working abroad, to how to make dishes from specific regions of the UK and quirky desserts from the 1970s, the book includes residents’ favourite home-cooked meals and any particular anecdotes/stories about them.
There is also a selection of life stories on some of the residents who live in Foxhunters Care Community in Abergavenny, Brockington House Care Community in Hereford, Pine Martin Grange Care Community in Wareham, Dorset, and Bramshott Grange Care Community in Liphook, Hampshire.
All of the sweet and savoury
dishes remembered by residents were painstakingly recreated by the provider’s executive chef James Thomas and the head chefs who work in the four homes.
He said: “Recipe books seem to be superfluous these days because you can Google pretty much anything to get the information you need, but
Kevin raises funds for innovative technology
WHITWELL Park, a residential nursing service near Chesterfield, has received a donation of £500 from the Bassetlaw Freemasons.
The donation, which was accompanied by a letter recognising the outstanding work of the home in supporting people across Bassetlaw, will go towards the purchase of an Activitouch digital activity platform. This cutting-edge technology offers a range of benefits for residents, including sensory stimulation, dexterity enhancement, and improvements in memory and cognitive skills.
The fundraising effort, led by Kevin Longden, a team leader at Whitwell Park who has worked at the residential nursing home for more than 18 years, has been in full swing for the past eight months.
Kevin has shown dedication and creativity in his fundraising efforts, organising a variety of events to engage both staff and residents’
families. These events have included raffles, bonus ball cards, and themed gatherings such as Christmas parties, Pride celebrations, cowboy and Indian days, and traditional afternoon teas.
Gemma Marston, acting manager at Whitwell Park, said: “Kevin’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents is truly commendable.
“The Activitouch platform will be an invaluable tool in our care service, offering tailored activities that cater to the diverse needs of the individuals living here.
“We are so proud of the community spirit shown by everyone who contributed to this cause.”
In addition to the support from staff and families, the local community has also played a vital role in the fundraising efforts.
The landlady of the local pub has been particularly supportive, running her own bonus ball card fundraisers to contribute to the cause.
this book has an entirely different purpose.
“Most of these recipes came from a time when there were no take aways, no ready meals and the preparation of food was an expression of love, and there were stories behind the food people made.
“We wanted to capture these recipes
and stories so they will never be forgotten and more importantly it will immortalise these wonderful people.”
One of the residents whose recipe is featured in the book is Lilian Jones, who lives at Foxhunters. Her recipe is for Welsh faggots, and she recalls how her mum used to send her some in a shoebox when she was away at University in Aberystwyth.
She added: “I always had lots of people queuing up wanting to share them with me because they knew how good they were.
“We would eat them whilst we looked out to sea as the waves came in. They are lovely memories and it’s so nice that I have been able to share them with others through the book.”
Staff from the four homes also contributed recipes which had been handed down to them too.
Copies of the coffee table style book are being sold at £15 each and anyone interested in purchasing a copy can do so by registering their interest via the Dormy Care Communities’ website www.dormycare.co.uk/ contact-us/
A donation from all sales will be made to Age UK.
New homecare service inspired by family care
POOJITA Patel has launched a Walfinch home care service in Eastbourne, determined to deliver the high-quality care she would have wished for her grandmother.
“As a teenager, I was helping my family care for my grandmum,” she said.
“We did our best but it was a struggle without professional support. It had a big impact on me.
“I know what good quality care looks like – because I have seen both sides of the business as a carer myself.”
Following university and an MBA, she worked in hotel management, but was still drawn to care, she took a carer’s job to better understand the care world.
“After just three days of training and I was caring for clients on my own,” she added.
“I did things the way I had seen them done but I soon realised that the training had not been enough and did not serve the clients’ needs very well.”
She left and joined another care company.
“That’s when I saw good care. I had much longer, very thorough training with them. It was a different world.
“There was time to build relationships with our clients. We’d cook together and laugh and I was helping them enjoy life – and I enjoyed it too.
“ I wished we had had care like that for my grandmum.
“It was then that I knew that the
care sector was for me.”
Poojita chose to start her business as a franchisee in the Walfinch home care network.
“Even though I have hotel management and care experience, I will get the support I need from Walfinch experts to ensure we deliver the kind of care I would want for my own family.
“We plan to make Walfinch Eastbourne a respected local home care service that people know can be trusted to deliver the kind of care that they want for their loved ones.
“My experiences taught me that great care starts with properly trained carers.
“We want our carers to grow their careers with us, so we will provide all the training they need to get as far as they want in their care careers.”
Walfinch Eastbourne will deliver home care services, with minimum one-hour visits, and is planning to expand locally and offer live-in care.
Holding copies of the book are James Thomas, Brockington House resident Jean, Brockington House home director Shann Thomas and Helen Davies-Parsons, chief executive of Dormy Care Communities.
Poojita Patel
Visit our Caring UK website, the UK’s number one magazine for the care sector
Packed with news, features and information, the Caring UK website provides a central hub for anyone who works within the UK sector to keep up-to-date with all the latest developments in care. The site delivers more content, news features and information, and is the one-stop site for everything
