Caring UK Weekly March 22

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Owner urges social care to be prioritised

THE owner of Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth and Dulwich has called for the government to prioritise recruitment in social care when he met with the Minister of State for Employment Guy Opperman at Stockwell Job Centre.

Tony O’Flaherty is keen to attract more people into the care sector, having run a Home Instead franchise for 13 years.

In his meeting with Guy he stressed the need to professionalise working in care and highlighted the career route that it offers.

Tony urged him to ensure that Job Centre staff are well informed on the benefits of working in care, such as the training and career prospects, so that they can actively and positively promote care roles to job candidates.

Recruiting people with or without sector experience into care roles, Tony has seen people undergo the Care Career Pathway offered by Home Instead and build themselves a successful career. This pathway sees care professionals progress from gaining the fundamental skills to perform well in a care role, to specialising in areas of care such as dementia and Parkinson’s, to gaining more experience and qualifications beyond that.

Tony said: “It was a pleasure to meet with Guy, and I’d like to thank Stockwell Job Centre for inviting me along.

“There’s a lot that needs to be done to attract more people into the care sector, so I’m glad that it’s getting the attention it deserves from a government minister.

“Too often people see care as a sector that doesn’t offer prospects.

“The truth is that working at Home Instead means having a clear route ahead where we train you to perform well in your role and progress.

“I’m confident that we can look forward to a future where the government has a firmer grip on social care and the sector attracts more jobhunters thanks to changes led by government ministers like Guy.”

Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth and Dulwich provides home care to older adults who want to continue living in familiar surroundings at home.

Support includes companionship, home help, live-in care and personal care, such as assistance with dressing and washing.

Care visits are a minimum of an hour and delivered by care professionals who are matched based on personality traits and shared interests.

T-shirts, mugs, stickers and keyrings, all featuring the design, in the bistro, with members of the public popping in to make their donations.

RAF crew help with spring clean

CREW from RAF High Wycombe have helped staff give a care home’s outdoor areas a spring clean.

Eight service personnel donned gardening gloves and brought brooms, rakes and trowels when they visited Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe to help staff clean terrace areas and tidy outdoor spaces.

The volunteers spent three hours cleaning outside the home’s activities room and the nursing and dementia care areas.

They cut back foliage and cleaned out raised garden beds, pulling out weeds which had sprung up over the winter, and turned over the soil. The RAF crew also brought with them cakes to share with staff and residents.

The cold weather prevented veterans from venturing outside to help, but they were able to watch through the windows, while

some green-fingered residents passed on advice.

Lauren Baker, senior community fundraiser at Royal Star & Garter, who was also a volunteer on the day, said: “We are incredibly grateful that the crew from RAF High Wycombe took the time out of their day to join us, equipped with gardening tools and cake, to help with our spring clean.

“We were able to cut back and clear away vegetation that had grown over winter, and the veterans are now looking forward to making good use of the outdoor spaces in spring and summer. Residents had a good time chatting to us, and gave lots of useful tips and advice as we went about our work.” RAF High Wycombe has chosen Royal Star & Garter to be one of its official charities of the year.

Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme care village in Staffordshire created their own Mr Men characters to help raise money for Comic Relief. Customers at the dementia specialist designed their own ‘Belong Men’ characters to display in the Belong Heritage Gallery for fellow customers and visitors to view. To mark the special occasion residents and colleagues sold

Manager walking 100km in March in aid of charity

DEB Wiltshire, home manager at Care South’s Fern Brook Lodge care home in Gillingham, Dorset has set herself the challenge of walking 100km throughout the month of March with her dog Pumpkin to raise money and awareness for Dementia UK.

The charity provides specialist dementia nurses to those affected by all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and is running a March Dog Walking Challenge to help families facing dementia.

Deb said: “I just want to raise what I can for the charity. Dementia UK’s research is moving in such a positive way that the future looks brighter for people living with dementia and for their loved ones.

“Any progress, however small, is a great thing. Having the privilege of working with people who are living with dementia and seeing how this affects families is the motivation to get on and do that 100km walk with my little dog.

“He certainly does not mind – I just have to tell him to ‘get your shoes on’ and he goes crazy for his walks.”

Deb has worked in the care industry for 40 years and is a dementia champion at Fern Brook Lodge, a role which oversees the care and experience of residents living with the condition.

Fern Brook Lodge is a residential and dementia care home which supports those living with dementia and Deb is passionate about going that one step further by sharing her skills and knowledge wider.

Acclaimed artists take up creative residencies at Chester care village

She is currently supporting all staff at Fern Brook Lodge to become Dementia Friends and, as part of this, is opening The Brook Room at the home to the wider community to use for free dementia sessions.

Deb will also visit local church groups, companies, Girl Guides and Scout groups in the Gillingham community to deliver Dementia Friends sessions to help educate people and raise awareness and understanding.

She has set up a dedicated donation page for the 100km walk where supporters can make a donation directly to Dementia UK: https://www.facebook.com/ donate/908678477003280/

FIVE acclaimed artists from disciplines including sculpture and storytelling to sound art and dance have taken up their ‘arts residencies’ at Chester’s newest specialist dementia care village in the latest stage of a collaboration exploring the embedding of arts into care environments.

Older people residing at Belong Chester are benefitting from the guidance of the artists commissioned by the Bluecoat, Liverpool’s contemporary arts centre, leading them in a series of workshops as part of their ongoing research project, entitled ‘Where the Arts Belong’.

The aim is to identify the conditions that best support resonant and meaningful creative engagements of older people in a care context, in particular those living with dementia. It also serves to inform Belong’s strategy to introduce staff trained in arts provision at its forthcoming Birkdale village, due to open in Southport, next year.

Charlotte Parton, experience coordinator at Belong Chester, said: “The response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

“To see them engage with the artists, express their ideas and have the opportunity to learn new things has been wonderful – the Bluecoat and the artists have done a fantastic job in providing our bespoke arts programme.”

Once the initiative is complete, a

highlights exhibition showcasing works co-created by the artists and Belong’s customers will be hosted at the city’s Grosvenor Museum.

An online symposium will also be held during Dementia Action Week (May 15 to 21), giving attendees the chance to review findings and explore how it has helped participants since its launch in 2019.

Where the Arts Belong launched four years ago with pilot arts residencies at sister village, Belong Crewe. Academics recognised the wellbeing benefits from the relationship, which included high engagement, enhanced cognitive capacity and an increased sense of community amongst participants.

During Covid-19 lockdowns, participation widened to include Belong’s community care customers, bringing artists into their homes via video call, in a bid to tackle isolation by using art as a vehicle to promote wellbeing and social interaction.

Trained virtually by the artists, the Belong at Home team of community support workers carried out one-toone creative activities in addition to routine care visits.

More recently, the artists hosted Meet and Make Art workshops at Grosvenor Museum, offering a support network to those with dementia in the local community, and their loved ones, ahead of Belong Chester opening on City Road, last summer.

Group purchases home

SANDSTONE Care Group has added an eighth care home to its portfolio.

The Cheshire-based operator has taken operational ownership of Burscough Manor in Burscough, Lancashire.

The 80-bed home offers luxury residential and specialist/complex nursing care tailored to each individual and using the latest nursing technology.

The home joins seven others in the group in Lancashire, Merseyside, Powys in Wales and Shropshire.

James Parkin, a director and co-founder of Sandstone Care Group, said: “We’re delighted to have opened our fourth home in Lancashire and our eighth in the

group. Burscough Manor is a lovely new build property with some great facilities and we have a brilliant team of people in place to offer the highest standards of care to our residents.

“Our growing portfolio of care homes provide a range of residential, nursing and dementia care services within modern, vibrant communities. As ever, our focus is on providing the best person-centred care for our residents in a loving and welcoming environment.”

A number of new jobs are due to be created at the home including nurses, care assistants and care practitioners.

Deb Wiltshire with her dog Pumpkin.

Heatherfield House Care Home in Armadale enjoyed a visit from artistic group Caterpillar Music. The children’s group arrived for a specialised class and embarked upon an afternoon of singing and dancing with the residents. The Holmes Care Group operated home was chosen as February’s winner of the #keepingresidentsactive competition run by Person Centred Software, recognising the work staff put in to ensure the residents are active and fulfilled. Activities coordinator Roz Smith said: “The day was so rewarding for our residents. It was a wonderful activity and the smiles on their faces say it all.”

Saying farewell to care after a 24-year career

SHIRLEY Winn reflected on her 24-year career in care as she was presented with a bouquet from her colleagues at Green Lodge in Billingham to celebrate her retirement.

Middlesex care home celebrates good rating

KNIGHTS Court in Edgware has been rated ‘good’ in all areas following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection.

The 80-bed care home, part of Maria Mallaband Care Group, was found to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led with a ‘good’ rating across all inspection areas.

The report, published following an unannounced inspection visit in September, found that “staff engaged with people in a meaningful way and people and relatives praised the friendly atmosphere in the home and described staff as caring and respectful.”

It added: “We observed positive interactions between people and staff. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.”

Natalie St Lewis, manager of Knights Court, added: “This positive CQC report rightly highlights the effort our teams put in to ensure that all

of those living with us have the best quality of life.

“The atmosphere we want here is a relaxed and welcoming environment, which has not only been noticed by those staying here and visitors but has been highlighted in this report.”

The CQC report on Knights Court, which specialises in the provision of nursing, residential and dementia care, set out that ‘there were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to safely meet people’s needs.’

It also highlighted that ‘staff knew people’s needs well which enabled them to build meaningful positive relationships.’

Natalie added: “It was a delight to see the inspectors pick up how much we value those staying with us and ensure they are seeing familiar faces – it is fundamental to the high-quality care we provide.

“While recruitment is never an easy task, it is pleasant to see the inspection noting our recruitment process is conducted safely with an in-depth plan and process to ensure the home has enough staff at all times.”

She said: “I’ve loved working here. I spent the majority of my time with the people in my care, even more than I did with my own family.

“I worked with some special people and those memories will stay with me forever.”

Shirley has celebrated many milestones in her career since she began at Orchard’s Green Lodge in 1999.

After learning the ropes as a care assistant, she was promoted to senior carer and it wasn’t long before she moved into dementia care.

Shirley said the care sector has changed in so many ways over the years.

She added: “There have been some really positive changes to care work throughout my career, and I am grateful for the support and opportunities I have received.

“Looking back there were less staff compared to the numbers employed nowadays, which is better all-round, plus the improvement in equipment has really helped us with our roles.

“If we needed to lift someone from a bed or elsewhere, we had to do it manually, so it was a lot more physical than using the electric hoists we have now.”

Training and understanding of various illnesses have also vastly improved since Shirley began her career too, with Orchard now having designated dementia support capabilities in its Reconnect communities for example.

As with any new job, hands-on experience is undoubtedly one of the best ways of learning, which was how Shirley grew to understand the needs of those in the dementia community where she worked for 20 years.

She also achieved an NVQ level 2 and level 3 while working with Orchard.

“In those days we received standard training, however, there wasn’t any specific training on working with people with dementia,” Shirley added.

“Being new to the job it was quite a challenge, but the more experience I gained, the more rewarding my job became and my understanding of the people in my care really developed.”

After a long career at the care home, Shirley was asked what advice she would give to anyone just starting out or thinking of becoming a carer.

She said: “If you are understanding, and have people skills, you realise the importance of always following procedures, then it could be something for you to consider. And if you do, always make the most of the support around you.”

Shirley has carved out a career specialising in dementia care and has plenty of advice to offer.

“The most important tip that’s

helped throughout my career is to remember that every person in your care is unique and should be treated as an individual.

“Getting to know each person for who they are is essential, as is understanding their background, what their various preferences are and what their personality is like. These are especially important points to be aware of when you work with a person with dementia.”

Over the years, as more research and understanding surrounding dementia care has developed across the sector, it has been passed on to the teams via training to help them be better equipped to support those in Orchard’s care homes.

“The new Dementia Promise across all our homes is helping our teams to gain a greater knowledge of dementia care through training and education,” she added.

“This is invaluable to those working with dementia every day. Allowing people to make their own decisions –regardless of their diagnosis or ability is crucial to helping people maintain their sense of self and avoids any upset or distress behaviours.”

Technology over the years has altered dramatically too – with it helping to support a lot of roles, making work-life easier to manage and more efficient.

“Using a computer was also something I’d never done before joining Green Lodge,” she said.

“When the administration of medicine became computerised, this was something else I needed to grasp. “Everything went onto the computer which I learned as I went along after the initial training. The new systems made this element of our work easier and more efficient in general.”

While Shirley will miss everyone at the home, she intends to visit soon.

“I’m looking forward to retirement, but I’ll keep in touch. I’m hoping to take my grandson to the fete that’s coming up at Green Lodge in the summer, and I had a fantastic gettogether with my lovely former team at my retirement do in Billingham.”

The in-home salon at Limetree Care Home in Tulse Hill has undergone a refurbishment to provide updates and make the space more inviting for the people who live there. The team wanted to ensure the salon’s décor matched the positive feelings residents get when receiving a treatment. A lighter, brighter and more inviting space could also encourage other people living at the home to want a treatment in the salon. With this in mind, the salon was stripped of its equipment and sanded down to give it a fresh, more modern colour scheme. Comfortable chairs were bought to match the scheme, as well as some new equipment and homely decorations to make the space familiar and inviting.

Shirley Winn

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Former carer opens new Rotherham franchise

BLUEBIRD Care has opened a new business in its franchise network in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which aims to create more than 20 jobs in the local area within a year.

The new business is owned and operated by Bola Sanni, a former carer turned IT and business consultant who has a passion for supporting people to live safely and happily at home.

Bola began her career as a care worker in 2004 in elderly residential and nursing homes.

She then moved into the NHS, where she worked on process improvement, change and digital transformation projects.

Despite her successful career in the world of data and business, she always had a desire to return to work in an environment where she could support others and satisfy her natural affinity to care.

Bola said: “I am incredibly excited to build this new chapter for Bluebird Care in Rotherham.

“I have always enjoyed helping and supporting people, and feel so privileged to have the opportunity to return to my career roots in care, fulfilling a lifelong dream of leading a profession that provides excellent quality care for those in the community.”

Bluebird Care Rotherham will offer a range of home care services, including personal care, companionship, live-in care, dementia care and end-of-life care for

Care home gains third top rating

Bola Sanni

people.

The franchise has a hand-picked, dedicated team of care assistants who are trained beyond industry standards to deliver the highest quality of person-centred care.

The team members approach each customer with the highest level of professionalism, compassion and kindness.

They work collaboratively with the customers, their loved ones and advocates to create an ideal care plan that meets their individual requirements and preferences.

Firm scales heights at Cotswolds care home

KORI Construction has scaled the heights at one of its most sensitive developments in the Cotswolds.

The Northampton-based contractor celebrated a topping out ceremony at Banbury Heights – a 60-bedroom care home being built at Moreton-inMarsh.

Topping out is traditionally held when the last beam or equivalent is put in place on the building, marking the moment it reaches its highest point.

It also signals the turning point in a scheme when the developer enters the home straight on the way to completion.

Jordan Connachie, managing director of Kori Construction, said the celebration was a milestone in the construction process.

He added: “Reaching the highest point in any development is always a thrill for the project team and a time to reflect on what has been achieved and look forward to finishing the build.

“Unlike some other contractors, we still like to celebrate this with every project we’re involved in.

“Work started on site in June 2022 and to see this site progress so well is a real source of pride. It is on course to completion in autumn this year when it will provide much-needed residential care and later life support to people in the local area.”

Banbury Heights is situated on a 1.4-acre vacant site adjacent to the

North Cotswold Community Hospital and Four Shires Medical Centre and is being developed on behalf of care provider Taylor and Taylor.

Due to its location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it has been designed to blend into its surroundings and is being built from materials that reflect the local character.

This includes Cotswold Stone walls and an off-white render, and walls capped with stone coping in keeping with the colour of the locality.

Internal features include ensuite bathrooms, an open foyer with café, cinema room, hairdressing, family playroom, four dining areas, four lounge areas and extensive external landscaping with 18 car parking spaces.

Jordan said the company had worked closely with Taylor and Taylor and the local planning authority to ensure a sensitively designed building that fitted seamlessly into its surroundings.

He added: “The Cotswolds is a stunning part of the UK and it is a great responsibility to undertake a development in an AONB.

“Ensuring the project fits into its surroundings was paramount to us.

“We believe we have captured that with Banbury Heights and by doing so, will help alleviate the lack of care provision in the area without have any detrimental impact on the aesthetics of the town.”

EGLANTINE Villa Bupa Care Home has achieved ‘Outstanding’ status for the third time in a row following its recent Care Quality Commission inspection.

The rare achievement puts the facility among the very best homes in the country, with only a handful of other homes in the country thought to have maintained an Outstanding rating over three consecutive inspections.

Home manager Bryony John said: “We are delighted to have retained Outstanding status from the CQC.

“We always strive to go the extra mile for our residents, whether that’s organising an ‘Australia’ themed day for someone who loves to travel, or arranging for local children to visit the home to learn Spanish with our residents, so I was pleased to see all of the team’s hard work recognised.”

The CQC team praised the personcentred culture at the home, enabling staff to build close relationships with residents and resulting in highly personalised care.

Inspectors specifically pointed out that families and their relatives are involved in decision-making, and that

residents receive care that promotes their dignity and encourages independence.

To celebrate the achievement the home hosted a party for the Dartford community, including a champagne reception and live performances from singer Kelly Pepper and a magician. Residents and staff at Eglantine Villa were joined by the wider community, family and friends.

Rebecca Pearson, general manager, care services at Bupa Global and UK, added: “To be recognised as outstanding by the CQC is always a huge achievement, but to retain outstanding status three times in a row is a rare feat.

“It is testament to the hard work of the whole team, who have maintained their high standards in the long term.

“Everyone at Bupa Care Services works hard to provide the highest quality of care to our residents, and I was particularly pleased that the CQC inspectors recognised the highly personalised care, dignity and independence that the team provides at Eglantine Villa.”

Students put a smile on faces

CARE home residents have been enjoying visits from The Beaconsfield School students who have been carrying out volunteer work as part of its Duke of Edinburgh Award activities.

Over several weeks pupils have been visiting Signature at Beaconsfield. During this time they have got stuck into a range of activities including giant scrabble, big balloon games, arts and crafts and quizzes alongside the 69 residents at the care home.

“Bringing the youngsters into the home has been fantastic,” said activities coordinator Helen Abbott.

“The opportunity to provide the residents with one to one activity sessions has been a joy, and it is wonderful to see their faces light up when given the chance to engage with the children in the Beaconsfield community.”

Despite their differing generations, connections were made as residents and students swapped anecdotes and stories. Students were able to benefit from the residents’ experiences, while residents were able to embrace students’ ‘young at heart’ approach

to life.

Alongside providing care and companionship for residents, pupils from the school have additionally helped to maintain Signature at Beaconsfield’s grounds, benefiting from residents’ backgrounds in gardening and were eager to pass on their knowledge and help to the group.

This has included the planting of flowers, as well as herbs and vegetables that will be harvested later this year.

The collaboration between the care home and school marks a corner turned for both generations following the Covid-19 pandemic period.