Caring Weekly November 23

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Residents given chance to learn a new language

PENSIONERS at an Edinburgh care residence are being offered the opportunity to learn a new skill thanks to the home’s newest recruit.

Since joining Cramond, Garylee Rushforth from Dunfermline has already made his mark by introducing a selection of language classes.

The 34-year-old has drawn on his knowledge from living in a selection of European cities and speaks fluent German, Polish and is currently learning Scottish Gaelic.

Garylee has worked in the sector for more than six years and most recently played a key role in planning and delivering meaningful activities for patients at an acute dementia unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

He said: “My aim is to bring a structured approach to the way activities at Cramond are planned, led and delivered, ensuring that each activity contributes to each resident’s care plan while also being fun.

“My first six weeks have been a whirlwind. Cramond is a great place to work with lots of opportunities to develop my skills, share my experience and play a part in the wider care of our residents.

“As I’ve lived in a selection of countries, I know how fun it is to learn new languages and this is a passion and skill of mine that I really felt like I could bring to the table in my new role.

“The addition of language classes into the activities rota will be highly beneficial for the residents.

“Cramond is one of the very few care homes that really does structure itself around its residents’ wishes and needs.

“Emphasis is placed on ensuring residents are given the opportunity to input, consult on and determine the direction of all aspects of their care.”

Amongst other therapeutic and managerial roles, Garylee previously worked for the NHS where he delivered cognitive behavioural therapy to patients across the region, with particular focus on mental health and addiction.

He added: “The highlight of my time here so far has been seeing residents who would not normally engage in certain activities do so through relationship building, encouragement and measured and supported risk-taking.

“You just can’t beat seeing a resident come alive with emotion and energy after taking part in an activity that we have organised for them.”

Garylee will be contributing to activities and excursions rota, which will see a pizza making masterclass, beer and gin samplings and a trip to the Living Memory shop in Ocean Terminal.

Cramond Residence offers care for up to 74 residents.

Residents at a Cambridgeshire care home have been showing I’m a Celebrity contestants how it should be done. People living at Dove Court in Wisbech have got close up and personal with a whole bunch of critters thanks to a visit by Zoolab. Home manager Nicole Thompson, said: “Our residents have been showing the celebrities in the jungle how it’s done. They didn’t bat an eye lid when they came face to face with a host of reptiles and giant spiders. Before the pandemic our Dove Court family enjoyed regular visits from Zoolab and this was a very welcome return of these different, but brilliant, pet therapy sessions. This visit reflects the vibrant and extensive activities programme we have here to suit the residents’ wide-ranging interests and hobbies.”

Last chance to grab your tickets

The deadline for tickets for the industry’s biggest end-of-year party is 10am on Friday.

Organised by Script Media in partnership with Caring UK and headline sponsor Virgin Money, the annual Caring UK Awards culminate in a glittering ceremony – taking place at the Athena in Leicester on Thursday December 1 – where host Dean Andrews from Emmerdale and Life on Mars will reveal the lucky winners who will take home an award.

We received a record number of entries from all over the UK with so many stories of the wonderful work that was done particularly during the pandemic and we want to thank everyone who sent in

nominations.

Shortlisted entries from far and wide have made the finals, now progressing to the next stage of the judging process.

Event organiser Dominic Musgrave added: “We have been amazed by the incredible work that has taken and is continuing to take place in homes nationwide, and the last two-and-a-half years has only confirmed to us just how wonderful care staff truly are.

“Once again we were overwhelmed with the standard of entries we received from homes up and down the country. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at the awards on December 1.”

Tickets are available at https://scriptevents.co.uk/cuk-awards-tickets/

Meet our sponsors

Delphi Care Solutions

The Delphi Care Solutions team are care industry experts. Continual improvement and developing a safer care environment is in our DNA.

We share your passion for improving care quality standards and financial performance for the benefit of people and business respectively.

When we work with you, it’s a true partnership. That’s why if we, together, fail to hit the target we set with you, we’ll forego much of our fee. Sharing the financial risk is the best way to demonstrate our confidence in the solutions and support we offer.

In addition to offering traditional consultancy services and subscription packages, Delphi Care Solutions offer bespoke and full wrap around services based on service requirements; for example, occupancy and marketing support, registered manager coaching and understanding regulations, to medication management and recruitment.

Whatever your needs, the Delphi Taskforce Team will work collaboratively with you and your team to ensure your service needs and goals are achieved.

Tel: 03301 333 002

Email: customer-care@delphi.care Web: delphi.care

Independent Care Group

ICG is the recognised representative body for independent care providers (private and voluntary) in York and North Yorkshire. We work on behalf of care providers for all client groups including care homes, domiciliary care agencies, supported living and extra care housing providers, and day care centres in the private and voluntary parts of the independent sector.

ICG is committed to helping care providers to give the best possible service to the vulnerable people they care for –working in partnership with others to make this a reality. On behalf of care providers we work with North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council, the Clinical Commissioning Groups in North Yorkshire and the regulator CQC. We act as a conduit passing on the views and concerns of providers and the requirements of commissioners in an each-way process.

We try to achieve the best possible solution for the independent sector on all issues including fee rates, contract terms and assistance through training. As members of the Partnership Board for North Yorkshire we work with all parties to try to maintain the stability of the market while at the same time encouraging innovation and service development in line with personalisation. We are active in putting forward the case for assistance to the care sector through economic development funds to help with business change. We produce a quarterly newsletter which covers current issues and concerns and is posted out to all care providers and to all Councillors and MPs as well as local authority and NHS senior managers.

https://independentcaregroup.co.uk

Fleurets

Fleurets expanded into healthcare in 2021 after more than 200 years as experience agents and valuers in the specialist licensed and leisure markets. They bring the same professional expertise and values to healthcare with an emphasis on social and nursing care in the elderly and specialist care markets. With extensive healthcare experience now on board, we provide a full range of agency services, from advising on exit strategy, to managing the process of buying and selling of individual care homes, to working with national providers restructuring or developing their portfolios.

We work with operators, investors and professional services partners to help our clients achieve their individual aims. Detailed knowledge of this highly nuanced market is vital to ensuring we deliver what our clients need. We focus on working with our clients to prepare for sale so that maximum exit value can be achieved, i.e. by way of benchmarking and forecasting, or by introduction to selected professional partners who are experts in their field.

We identify alternative use or land development potential, from small sites for supported living to larger care villages. https://www.fleurets.com/sectors/healthcare or 0113 234 0304.

FusionFusion is for care providers who want to streamline business process, stop errors, prevent repetition, and achieve “Outstanding”. Still using paper based systems to manage aspects of your care business? Yes you might be able to manage that way, you’ve always done it that way, is there a part of you that can’t face changing, not to mention the perceived upheaval, time, investment and training required to change. The thing is, switching to Fusion is none of those things, and once you’re up and running you’ll know for sure your data is safe and compliant whilst your business runs more efficiently.

Fusion is for care providers who strive to achieve the best care and the best working practices. Capture relevant information such as resident/staff details in the most simple time efficient way. Manage your documents to ensure that information is dealt with logically.

Avoid duplication of care plans and using handwritten timesheets that need to be manually inputted into a payroll system. Streamlining optimizing and automating certain internal processes will reduce delays, human error, red tape, and the complexity of certain manual care and administrative processes as well as relieving the stress of the inspectors visit.

www.fusionecare.com or 01133 979 555.

Learning Curve Group

Learning Curve Group are national, award winning training and education specialists, supporting learners, employers and FE providers to achieve success through a range of impactful training programmes. Our clear vision in everything we do as a training provider is to transform lives through learning. We have core values that ensure that the learner is always at the centre of everything we do, driven by our desire to provide life-changing opportunities.

Over the last 15 years we have grown to become one of the largest and most diverse providers in the country. LCG provides education and training for more than 200,000 individuals a year, working with over 4,500 employers to provide high quality education and training for their workforce. We also have over 50 skills based academies across the country. We reached our mission of transforming over one million lives through learning in 2020 - but we aren’t stopping there. As a training provider, we believe that high quality training and education should be accessible to all, therefore we are continuously developing our provision to be inclusive and accessible to everyone, including hard to reach communities, across the country.

www.learningcurvegroup.co.uk

Magnit

We are a leading technology-enabled, vendor-neutral, managed service provider for contingent labour and associated services.

Through our integrated technology, data and services, we streamline how organisations procure and manage temporary workers, allowing them to achieve higher fulfilment, greater visibility and control, better compliance and cost savings.

We recognise the unique challenges you face in sourcing and managing a contingent workforce. Whether you’re a care home, extra-care housing provider, adult day care centre, mental health hospital, or other local authority – you’re likely facing challenges associated with talent shortages.

The good news is we provide a solution to tight budgets, an alternative to working directly with multiple recruitment agencies, and a way to gain greater visibility into agency and bank worker usage.

We negotiate with your agencies to ensure fairer, standard commercial charges for their provision of temporary workers and enforce this through the deployment of our Vendor Management System (VMS). This technology can additionally manage your bank workforce, giving complete visibility of all your non-permanent staffing spend and fulfilment.

All in all, with our solution you’ll have one central place to source contingent workers, together with the insights you need to answer key workforce questions and save time and money.

magnitglobal.com

Meet our sponsors

Shackletons

Sharecare Systems

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/

Shackletons has been manufacturing handcrafted furniture in England for more than 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 and craftswomen.

Design led and customer focussed, we continually provide a range of outstanding quality products designed with the resident in mind. Visit www.shackletonsltd.co.uk

At Sharecare Systems we have come a long way from our original mission of developing an ordering system for care homes.

SCS now provides a range of systems for operators which produce many benefits.

Following the introduction of the original Purchase to Pay Portal to UK care groups we have developed Jeeni, the UK’s first care sector focused housekeeping management system, which improves efficiency, motivation and communication for your housekeeping teams.

We have also introduced Oroi, a research backed VR wellbeing and cognitive stimulation application for people with early and mid stage dementia, as well as OROI FIT, a system which combines physical exercise with cognitive activities.

SCS has also introduced IoT sensors for air quality, virus risk, Legionella monitoring and temperature checks in care homes, saving time and ensuring that your teams meet legislative requirements and reduce risk.

More conventionally, we provide auditing systems, for catering and front of house teams, and will undertake a range of audits covering all catering operations, meal service and the dining experience.

We can also provide training on IDDSI, dysphagia and texture modification, dementia dining and fortification; dependent upon identified requirements.

ServiceSport Care Home Division

ServiceSport Care Home Division is the UK’s leading fitness equipment service provider and remanufacturer. We provide independent technical and maintenance support designed to maximise the life of any make and model of fitness equipment.

ServiceSport Care Home Division offers different levels of service to suit your specific needs, from an adhoc preventative maintenance service of your fitness equipment to annual service, repair and maintenance agreements.

In addition, our intensive remanufacturing process offers an affordable alternative to buying new equipment, whilst retaining the look and feel of brand new apparatus. We also offer full planning and design, providing 3D visual walkthroughs of the space before you add or replace any of your fitness equipment.

Visit our website at www.servicesport.co.uk or speak to our team on 01257 264 738 for further information.

Sommer Rose Interiors

With more than 14 years’ experience in creating beautiful and practical interiors for the care home industry, we understand just how important your business is and we believe that really matters.

We carefully balance aesthetics and experiences with durability and cost so that all our interior solutions are truly fit for purpose.

From creating sensory stimulus through colour, style and texture to ensuring comfort through correct posture and physical support, everything we do is designed to create beautiful spaces that live and breathe and last for years to come.

Our clients include independent and corporate care homes, plus interior designers and architects across the UK for whom we provide consultation and project management services for both new build and refurbishment projects.

Virgin Money

Virgin Money is a full-service digital bank, serving 6.5m customers across the UK.

It offers market-leading products and services to meet the full range of customers’ retail and business banking needs.

Virgin Money aims to provide a consistently world-class experience for customers through its leading technology platform, telephone banking and a national network of innovative stores and business banking centres. By making banking better, Virgin Money seeks to deliver on its purpose of ‘Making you happier about money’. https://uk.virginmoney.com/business/product/

Our philosophy is continuous improvement, fuelled by client feedback, so our systems will always be evolving and adding more functions to support your business.

Web: www.sharecaresystems.com Tel: 01425 657503 Jeeni: www.jeeni.uk

Wolf Laundry

Wolf Laundry provides bespoke equipment solutions into care settings across the UK, fulfilling each customer’s unique requirements.

Wolf knows that customers want to deal with real people, who understand their business; and deliver on their promises. That is how they built the team.

Laundry is Wolf’s sole focus, and because of this their customers receive 100 per cent of their care and attention, 100 per cent of the time.

Regardless of size, specification or solution once part of the Wolf family, all customers receive the same levels of outstanding service.

Wolf is backed by leading Swiss laundry company, Schulthess, and has direct relationships with other key manufacturers meaning that we are able to provide our customers with high performance solutions.

From commercial washing machines, tumble dryers, professional rotary irons and finishing equipment, you name it, we have it.

Whether you’re looking for a small commercial washing machine or a full commercial laundry including ozone disinfection, we have it covered.

Email: info@wolflaundry.co.uk

Call: 0800 840 9598

Visit: https://wolflaundry.co.uk

What Makes a Care Business Successful?

Is it because of a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating from CQC? Is it because of high occupancy or high weekly hours? Or maybe it’s due to a healthy staff culture?

Most people who have run or managed a care business know that any one of these components by itself isn’t the answer.

You’ll understand that all the different parts of a care business such as compliance, care delivery, HR, marketing and finance, must function together seamlessly, to create success and balance for the long-term. The Care Ideals team have been in your shoes and know it as well.

We’ll work with you to achieve balance and growth in all areas. Our support will help create a care business that delivers exceptional care, is operationally sound and also profitable.

Our unique and innovative One Stop Shop approach simultaneously addresses every aspect of your care business. It saves you time and makes your life easier, as you only have to deal with one supplier for all these many needs.

Whether you’re the owner of a care home or nursing home, a domiciliary care provider, a supported living provider, a registered manager, or a care franchisee, we work as your business partners and advisers, providing a tailored level of on-going business, operational and staff support. This ensures that your business is managed successfully, leaving you and your team to deliver exceptional care.

All these benefits, all from one place and all the time!

We offer three different levels of support and we’re happy to discuss which will be most suitable for your specific requirements.

“It is a pleasure to work with David. He is probably one of the most hardworking people that I have met and I am confident he would be an asset to anyone who makes use of his consultancy services. I saw engaging David as a Business Consultant as an investment which for us has been hugely rewarding.”

“I have once again seen how David balances the many pressures and conflicting priorities that come with running a business. David continues to ensure he has all the information he needs prior to recommending considered and sustainable changes, so as to address quality and financial issues to his clients. He has the experience to skilfully balance the needs of residents and patients, the staff and the shareholders and owners”

“As well as the operational improvements that David has been involved in, he has helped to give the business the impetus required to move forward. David is committed to helping people achieve their full potential and his focus on quality client care is completely genuine.”

The Care Ideals One Stop Shop provides support in all aspects of your care business.

Providing the balance between good business and exceptional care

EVERMORE Care joined forces with local school children to put together a time capsule to be placed in its new state-of-the-art care home due to open in Chorley early next year.

Commemorating 2022, the idea of putting a time capsule in the new home came after the success of the Queen’s Jubilee event hosted in June at the operator’s Ashton Manor home in Lancaster.

At the Jubilee event, residents and their families celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne by bringing together memorabilia of times past.

With the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, preparing a time capsule for the new home had even greater significance as a moment that will be remembered for many years to come.

With the construction of the new home well underway, the team at Evermore Care felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring together local school children to create a time capsule. To mark the event, children from St. Peter’s Church of England school in Chorley were invited to bring their own items that represent the here and now.

The event took place on the new Astley View site where the children were treated to a walk through the construction site and enjoyed a talk

about the home which is the first to be built in Chorley in more than 10 years.

Director Gaye Clark said: “We value the opportunity to bring people in our community together. These moments are precious, and they bring joy to everyone involved.”

“I’m really proud of the work we do here at Evermore and I’m excited to watch our vision for Astley View emerge from the construction site.

“We know from our experience at Ashton Manor that this home will help transform the lives of the future residents.

“The time capsule has been placed in an old curiosity shop within the home, which gives residents opportunities to reminisce about significant events in the past – an activity that can really support those with dementia.”

The Chorley home will be a luxury, state-of-the-art facility with a strong focus on wellbeing and lifestyle.

The 90 spacious bedrooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, a smart TV, acoustic monitoring, and a circadian lighting system to ensure the comfort and safety of the residents.

The exciting market street concept within the home allows residents to visit the cinema, shops, beauty salon, café and even ice cream parlour.

Charities thank home for staging ‘happy hoedown’

TWO New Forest charities have thanked a New Milton care home for staging a country and westernthemed fundraising party.

Residents and team members at Colten Care’s Kingfishers donned cowboy hats, jeans, bandanas and checked tops to say a side-slapping ‘yee haw’ to guests.

Companionship team leader Rose Arcellana said: “Our residents really love country music and were only too pleased to have fun and help raise money for two great causes at the same time. The whole event went down really well – it was truly a happy hoedown.”

The ‘happy hoedown’, which featured a barbecue, dancing and live music from duo Sweet Harmony, was

in aid of Lymington-based hospice charity Oakhaven and the inclusive New Forest cycling group PedAll.

A total of £461.50 was raised through donations at the event, split evenly between the two organisations.

STAFF members at RMBI Care Co. Home Barford Court in Hove took part in an innovative training programme called Experiential Learning.

Through this induction, staff had the opportunity to experience firsthand what it might feel like to be a resident and receive personal care and support whilst living in a care home.

Staff experience firsthand what it feels like to be a resident School places time capsule in home

Louise Bateman, group human resources director at RMBI Care Co., said: “Learning through experience can be very powerful; this programme has become a vital tool in supporting new staff members to empathise with residents and to care with compassion.

“We want to ensure that we recruit individuals not solely upon their technical skills or abilities, but on the basis of their values and attitudes to care.”

Staff were presented with various challenges, such as wearing a wet incontinence pad throughout the training session and assisting each other with personal hygiene (washing face and neck.)

The activities were carried out twice to demonstrate poor and good practices. The aim was to help give them a better understanding of how residents should be cared for, and develop a greater sense of empathy in their roles.

Nora Haines, Barford Court’s training manager, said: “All staff at our Home, at every level, have been through this training. It’s part of our induction process.

“We feel it makes such a difference when we get to experience being in the residents’ shoes, rather than to read or hear about it. It really emphasises staff’s understanding of

Residents at Camilla House in Fife channelled their inner Da Vinci as the home trialled a new programme of artistic activities to engage residents. Residents tapped into their creative sides during the recent initiative and hosted a memorable gathering for friends and family to showcase their artistic talent. A local visual artist led the group in a variety of artistic endeavours, including flower mandalas and watercolour paintings. Residents were able to enjoy using a number of materials and their work is now proudly on display within the home. Camilla House, which is part of the Holmes Care group, arranged the art programme as part of its mission to provide residents with opportunities to stay happy and healthy.

all individuals’ needs.”

As part of the training session, staff members also took part in a variety of scenarios, such as:

n Being pushed in a wheelchair with artificially impaired vision.

n Being supported to eat a meal by another trainee.

n Having their face and neck washed by another trainee.

n Being left on their own in an empty room whilst unable to move from their chair.

The programme was first launched in 2014 and has been refined and expanded with different scenarios in recent years.

Ricky Freeman, one of Barford Court’s activities coordinators, added: “This training was eye opening and really helped me empathise more with residents. It was good to help changing perspectives and to experience what is like to be a resident.”

Alosius Anthonysamy assisting fellow staff member Ricky Freeman with eating during the training session.

C ARING UK CONFERENCES

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Yorkshire Holiday Inn Barnsley (M1, Junction 37) S75 3JT Thursday 13th July 2023

Yorkshire York Racecourse YO23 1EX

East Midlands Dunston Hall Hotel, Norwich NR14 8PQ

East of England

Ashford International Hotel & Spa TN24 8UX

BOOKING CONDITIONS

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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.

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Thursday 17th May 2023 Caring

Partner of Choice

When you are powered by a vast contingent workforce, you need a staffing partner that can maintain control, guarantee compliance and supply, and support the delivery of budget savings. Magnit is that partner; engaging with your process, challenges and goals, we shoulder the management of your third-party agency suppliers, optimising your workforce and unlocking savings and efficiencies through our integrated technology, data and services. Whether your needs are long-term or more immediate, we power your success, allowing you to focus on delivering the outcomes that matter most to the people in your care.

Group recognised for its outstanding workplace training programme

CARING Homes, an independent national network of residential, nursing and dementia care homes, is celebrating after receiving a Princess Royal Training Award.

Now in its seventh year, The Princess Royal Training Awards continues to recognise organisations demonstrating exceptional commitment to learning and development.

Alongside 46 other organisations, the operator was recognised for its ongoing commitment to training and the positive impact that developing colleagues have had on the wider organisation.

Caring Homes was recognised by the Awards back in 2016 for its Living in My World Dementia Programme which aims to enhance the delivery of care to residents with dementia.

Since then, the training programme has been developed to become a widely recognised brand in the business.

Liz Willis, director of learning and organisational development at Caring Homes, said: “The ‘My World Dementia Training Programme’ is making a positive difference to the lives of people living with dementia, their families and the dedicated colleagues who support them.

“This training is delivered nationwide across our care homes, with very positive feedback from the wider care industry, colleagues, and the families we support. The course has also been formally accredited by City & Guilds.

“The training reassures relatives and residents that our colleagues have the expertise of a consistently high standard that is based around best practice, and offers a great career development journey, providing a clearly signposted training route to enhance their skill set in dementia care”.

To date more than 5,000 colleagues have been through the programme since its establishment, 83 per cent have completed training and a new ‘Dementia Ambassador’ role has been created.

Helena Jeffery, founder and director at Caring Homes, added: “We are so proud to have been recognised once more by the Princess Royal Training Award.

“One of the most rewarding aspects is improving lives by supporting residents and their families. We firmly believe that supporting and developing the team is also very important, as this enhances our residents’ lives and drives outstanding care.

“We train every member of our team so that residents, families, and their carers can be surrounded by personalised support.

“From our receptionists to our chefs, and carers to our nurses, the entire team receive our unique award-winning ‘Living in My World’ dementia training. It is also accredited by City and Guilds, so you can trust that we go above and beyond for our colleagues and residents.”

Group paints picture of the importance of arts in care settings

FROM painting pictures and shaping sculptures to musical moments and thought-provoking theatre, older people at Belong happily enjoy the arts as part of their everyday experiences in the dementia specialist’s care.

The residents have now been embracing the latest initiative, making new creations to mark the National Day of Arts in Care Homes.

For this year’s ‘Field of Flowers’ theme, those residing in the not-forprofit organisation’s villages have been supported to express their ideas in a number of different ways.

Whilst some customers have been collaborating to make their town’s biggest-ever floral display wall piece, others invited their families and communities to bring an ambitious display of thousands of floral fingerprints to fruition.

Another took the opportunity to pay their last respects by creating collages in tribute to Her late Majesty The Queen. Local schoolchildren have also been welcomed for intergenerational partnerships for the occasion.

Belong chief operating officer Sue Goldsmith said: “The arts form a big part of our experience programme for our customers.

“The advantages of using creative expression for meaningful occupation is that everyone can take part, whatever their ability, and it provides sensory-rich experiences with a sense of purpose and achievement for the creator.”

Promoted by the National Activity Providers Association, the National Day of Arts in Care Homes is funded by The Baring Foundation and The Rayne Foundation, and is designed to encourage and champion arts engagement in care settings, highlighting the wellbeing benefits for all involved.

The initiative complements Belong’s care strategy, advocating an active later life for its customers, which also includes health and fitness planning with in-house exercise specialists, and opportunities to network with schools and businesses and be involved in community projects and events.

Its ongoing four-year relationship with Bluecoat, Liverpool’s contemporary arts centre, for example, has seen a number of positive wellbeing outcomes recognised by academics as renowned artists work alongside Belong’s customers in their homes.

Sue added: “Though the arts are already well-embedded in our approach to care, we’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to share in this national event and our customers loved bringing this year’s theme to life.

“Whether it’s the engagement in an activity, the pleasure of watching a performer, or the sharing of creative ideas with schoolchildren, we know that the arts play an important role in enhancing lives by increasing selfesteem and engendering a strong sense of belonging.”

Residents take centre stage at home

RESIDENTS strapped on their dancing shoes and warmed up their vocal cords in anticipation of an Edinburgh care home’s talent show. ‘Cramond’s Got Talent’ was the latest addition to the home’s activities rota, with the aim of encouraging residents to lead fun and fulfilling lives. Several residents and staff members took centre stage to

perform in front of a judging panel which consisted of six residents.

The idea for Cramond’s Got Talent came from one of the home’s lifestyle coordinator’s, Garylee Rushforth.

Performances included tributes to bands such as ABBA, whilst one resident showcased traditional Spanish dancing and another performed a piano symphony.

Home’s garden gets substantial overhaul

RESIDENTS and staff at Care

South’s Buxton House care home in Weymouth are rejoicing after its garden received a makeover.

A revamp has seen the grounds transform into a tranquil space for residents to enjoy all year round.

Rachel Sohorye, peripatetic home manager at Buxton House, said: “Residents in our care have been excitedly following the renovation work in the garden.

“The outdoor space was in

desperate need of some TLC, but now thanks to the investment we have a wonderful outdoor space for residents to enjoy along with their visiting family and friends.

“They were so excited to get outside and explore our new garden, their smiles say it all.

“Access to outdoor space is important for us all, not least our elderly residents and those living with dementia who need safe, tranquil environments. Being able

to move around can help reduce tension and anxiety, whilst colour, touch and scent all help to calm and ground residents.

“Spending time in the great outdoors can also help awaken happy memories for residents. This new garden will be a hugely important addition to our home.”

As part of the refurbishment, the courtyard and sensory garden have been transformed. There are now three different patio areas across the

sensory garden, providing plenty of seating areas for residents to relax in. A new pergola provides a shady walkway with bench seating.

There’s also a water feature and raised aquarium, accessible to all residents, including wheelchair users, which creates a soothing, quiet space for calm and reflection.

A potting shed has been installed, along with raised planters so residents can get their hands dirty and indulge in a spot of gardening.

Belong Crewe resident Gillian Wakeley.

delphi festive elves

Our Christmas Wish

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognised more than ever the need for communities to come together, to enhance the lives of those who use social care services and combat social isolation. Christmas for most, is a time of joy and celebration but for many people, who have little or no contact with others, Christmas is a time when they may feel a deeper sense of loneliness. This Christmas, we want people to feel connected and to have the opportunity to share happy memories.

How can you help?

Simply register your service, and we'll provide you with a Delphi Festive Elves pack full of conversation prompting templates, reminiscence ideas and Christmas carol lyrics. We'll then add your service details to our Festive Elves Christmas list; where people will be able to send Christmas cards and Festive cheer to all those at your service.