Caring Weekly November 30

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Overseas nurses arrive to boost operator’s staff

A YORKSHIRE care provider has received a much-needed boost to its staff with the arrival of three nurses from more than 4,000 miles away.

Thanks to an innovative partnership with its local health trust, Saint Cecilia’s Care Group in Scarborough has recruited the nurses from Ghana.

After competing their training in North Yorkshire, the three will be ready to join the company’s nursing homes in Scarborough and Whitby.

Harriet Adzoa Anku, Yvonne Ifeyemi Sedo and Evans Sarbeng arrived in Scarborough after a recruitment process which has taken the best part of a year to complete.

Director Aaron Padgham said: “It is the result of a long process which began with an application for a licence to bring in overseas staff to provide care and ends with three nurses stepping off a plane in Manchester ready to work with us caring for people in Scarborough and Whitby.

“In between there has been a ton of bureaucracy and paperwork and we are indebted to York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for helping us to smooth the process of bringing in the staff we desperately need.”

At a time of extreme staff shortages across the country, Saint Cecilia’s needed to move quickly once it had the necessary

licences in place to enable it to recruit from overseas.

Drawing on the previous experience the Trust had in recruiting via these channels has saved the care group countless hours and streamlined the process enormously.

This pilot scheme – to enable providers to access health trust facilities for staff to study for and take their Objective Structured Clinical Examination – has been a lifeline for Saint Cecilia’s and for the nurses it has recruited.

“Without this support, we would have had real concerns about recruiting the staff we need to provide nursing care in our homes,” Aaron added.

“The partnership working we have enjoyed with the NHS trust has been first-class and has gone beyond support in getting staff through the OCSE process right through our overall journey to recruit nursing staff from overseas to help us tackle the chronic staff shortages we are currently experiencing.

“An extension of this arrangement to more social care providers would bring tremendous benefits to staff recruitment and delivery of care.

“It has been a brilliant example of partnership working at its very best and we are indebted to the Trust for their support.”

Saint Cecilia’s is bringing in a further seven care and nursing staff from overseas in the coming weeks.

School and home join for project

ASTUNE Rise care home in Eston welcomed children from Whale Hill primary school as part of the nationwide Silver Stories project.

Every week youngsters from the school will take it in turn reading to residents and chatting and exchanging stories.

The nine-year-olds – Rosajean and Penny – read The Zebra who was Sad, The Hippo who was Happy and The Tiger who was Angry to residents Betty, Tom and another Betty.

The more than an hour long visit also brought lots of laughter to the group with the children feeling particularly important with their specially made ‘staff’ name badges.

Astune

Rise’s manager Caroline

Bowstead said the project aims to build strong bonds between care home residents and children and build the youngsters’ reading skills and confidence. She added: “Both Bettys and Albert were elated with the visit from the children. They stayed for more than an hour, and all had a great time.

“Seeing everyone involved enjoying the experience and knowing that we’re helping to build a stronger community is very rewarding. The residents can’t wait for the next visit.

Silver Stories is a charity based in Cornwall that encourages intergenerational relationships by encouraging children to read stories over the phone to residents in care homes.

Westerham Place care home residents were delighted to welcome Dotty the pony and her canine companion Pippy the Jackhuahua. The adorable pair visited the home thanks to Karen’s Pets and Ponies. Pippy, a Jack Russell Chihuahua cross, spent most of the visit riding round the home on Dotty’s back much to the amusement of both residents and staff. They were joined by rabbit Sparkle and two guinea pigs called Dusty and Surprise. Home manager Kerry Coates said: “We had such a fun time welcoming Dotty and Pippy. The residents absolutely loved interacting with them and Pippy’s antics had us all in stitches. I’ve seen first-hand the lift that animals give to residents, and it was lovely to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.”

High-flying circus duo make Hilary’s wish come true

A DORSET care home brought the circus directly into its garden to help make a wish come true for a resident.

Hilary Timson told staff at Colten Care’s Canford Chase in Poole of her long-held desire to see a show at the big top again.

Companionship team leader Vicky Day, who researched the options, said: “We looked at various ways we could make it happen but we couldn’t immediately find a circus taking place locally that would be accessible for Hilary, so we thought we’d bring circus artists to visit her instead.”

Vicky and colleagues found out about the Poole-based aerial hoop class Secret Circus.

Two instructors there, Chloe Bradwell and Gemma Clark-Nation, a dance teacher at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne, were only too pleased to come along and show off their skills at the home.

The pair performed a show using hoops that proved a real hit with onlookers gathered in the garden.

To increase interaction for Hilary and the other residents, Chloe and Gemma handed out flash cards detailing specific rolls and spins that the audience could hold up to guide and direct their next moves.

Vicky said: “Everyone had a brilliant time and really enjoyed watching Chloe and Gemma. They put on a beautiful display, performed with skill and finesse, that really wowed residents, especially our lovely Hilary.

“We had great fun with the

Audience members for the performance at Colten Care’s Canford Chase included resident Margaret Henderson, known as Peggy, and her visiting son Kelvin Henderson. The aerial artists were Chloe Bradwell in the hoop and Gemma ClarkNation.

flashcards, and we sang and danced along with the show as our two wonderful artists performed.

“Having seen the show by Chloe and Gemma, a number of residents have told us they want them back to perform at other events and celebrations so hopefully we will see them again.”

Residents take aim during home’s latest activity

ACTIVE pensioners at an Edinburgh care home are proving you are never too old to pick up a new hobby.

The introduction of archery to Cramond Residence’s calendar of activities has been well received by residents who channelled their inner Robin Hood as they learned how to shoot a bow and arrow for the first time.

The home’s lifestyle team were keen to introduce an activity that many residents wouldn’t have had exposure too to compliment the rich and exciting rota of activities offered which has been tailored to improve their wellbeing and independence.

Lifestyle coordinator Garylee Rushforth said: “It really was a spur of the moment idea – when I was purchasing new sports equipment for the home, I saw an archery kit online and thought it would be a great outdoor activity to try with our residents.

“Initially, the idea of archery was a very alien concept as none of the residents had ever engaged with such an activity before. However, we ended up seeing a huge turnout - with around 20 residents participating in

the first session – so we decided to make the activity a regular addition.

“The residents have been loving trying out archery – there’s always lots of laughs and smiles, which is always so rewarding to see. It’s been a great hit!”

The activity was integrated into the home’s bustling events rota, among a series of other sports and exercise classes, to encourage movement and improve the residents’ physical wellbeing.

Garylee added: “Physical engagement is vital in supporting the mental stimulation and physical needs of our residents, as well as creating a happy and thriving environment for them to enjoy.

“Working in conjunction with our physiotherapy team, we offer at least one physical activity every day. We have seen that increased activity aids mobility and reduces the likelihood of falls occurring amongst residents, creating a safer living environment.

“We offer a wide range of sporting activities – from boules, to tennis, to dance. We even held a sports day for the residents, which was a great success.”

Trainer offers retirees behind the scenes tour

Home wins pie competition

RESIDENTS and staff at Talbot View recently celebrated the change of season by taking part in their very own Autumn Food Festival with various activities, including creating a delicious autumnal fruit pie as part of a Care South wide competition.

Talbot View came in first place, with sister homes Dorset House and Kenwith Castle coming in second and third place respectively.

The chef at Talbot View picked locally sourced fruit and discussed various fruits and pastry facts with residents who reminisced about their pie making days and tips for making pastry.

Helen Goss, activities assistant at Talbot View, said: “The Autumn Food Festival was a wonderful celebration

of great seasonal food and an integral part of our Food, Fun and Friendship ethos.

“It was wonderful to have been voted in first place and residents in our care are delighted that their hard work in helping with the pie has paid off. No matter what age, food sets the rhythm of the day for everyone. “We focus on the overall dining experience as meals are more than just the food on the plate – they bring residents in our care together. The fruit pie competition was a huge success, and everyone had so much fun taking part.”

Each winner will receive an Autumn food hamper courtesy of Harvest Foods, one of Care South’s major food suppliers.

RESIDENTS at Richmond Villages Cheltenham were given the opportunity to explore a nearby racing facility with a Gold Cup and Grand National winning trainer.

Kim Bailey, who has been training horses for more than 40 years, welcomed residents to allow them to experience his Thorndale Farm stables with an informative tour, and the opportunity to watch the horses come in after the gallops.

Cheryl Tranter, deputy village manager at Richmond Villages Cheltenham, said: “We’re really grateful to Kim for offering our residents a truly informative tour of his wonderful racing facility.

“It was fantastic to see them so interested and absorbed in his passion for racehorses, and of course to see plenty of smiles on faces.

“We’re big on activities and engagement, and this was the perfect pursuit for our residents, so we’d like to thank Kim for his time and

commitment to ensuring it was a success.”

The champion trainer, whose Grand National winning horse Mr Frisk still holds the record for the fastest winning time in 1990, conducted the engaging walk-through of his Andoversford facility as part of National Racehorse Week.

Residents also enjoyed tea and coffee while watching the horses come in, and were given the opportunity to chat with the farm’s owner about both his training career and his first-class facility.

Outstanding contributions in catering are celebrated at annual NACC Awards

THE National Association of Care Catering recognised and celebrated exceptional achievements in care catering at the NACC Awards 2022. The prestigious awards recognise and celebrate teams and individuals that epitomise excellence, innovation, dedication and outstanding contributions within the care catering sector.

NACC members and industry colleagues, partners and guests gathered at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham for the gala awards dinner, which is part of the NACC Training & Development Forum, to honour the finalists and winners, as well as the whole care catering sector.

Across six categories – including the new Bev Puxley Award, introduced in memory of Bev Puxley, a longstanding friend, supporter and champion of the NACC who passed earlier this year – the audience showed their appreciation for the finalists and the winners.

National chair Sue Cawthray said: “My heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the NACC Awards 2022. “We enjoyed an incredible evening celebrating our wonderful sector and our inspirational winners who embody the passion, dedication, innovation and care that our sector has in abundance.

“Despite the continued challenging

circumstances that we find ourselves operating in, care catering professionals have demonstrated that they can adapt with energy and flair to find solutions.

“They are driven by making a real difference to the lives of many through delicious, nutritious food and meaningful mealtime experiences.

“All our winners and finalists should be very proud of their contribution to society and their achievements, as should our whole sector.

“I, for one, am very proud to be part of it.”

Winners: Care Establishment –Chandler Court (Care UK); Meals on Wheels – Monmouthshire Meals; Catering Team – The HC One Catering and Housekeeping Support Services, HC One Limited; Catering Manager – Vicky Meakin, kitchen manager, Aspen Court and Chris Burdett, group food and beverage manager, Signature Senior Lifestyle; Our Care Catering Hero – Valerie Kelly, chef manager, Houndswood House; The Bev Puxley Award – Christopher Rees, head chef, Shipston Lodge Nursing Home; NACC Region of the Year – North Region; Pam Rhodes Award – Pauline Batty, corporate catering manager, Monmouthshire County Council; National Chair’s Award – Roger Bayliss, national treasurer, The National Association of Care Catering.

Charity to help its staff with cost of living crisis

A WINCHESTER-based charity which runs care homes, extra care housing and community services for people in later life is giving a pay increase to its 700 colleagues to help them with the current cost of living crisis.

The Brendoncare Foundation team are receiving pay rises of between two per cent and four per cent, depending on their current salary scales.

Colleagues working at care homes are now also entitled to receive a free meal – either a hot or packed lunch-style meal each time they work – regardless of their role or length of shift.

Director of people and culture

Aileen Ohlson said: “We have been looking at ways to support our colleagues this winter and as part of that, I’m delighted we have been able to pull forward a pay review along with continuing to review our pay rates as normal in the spring.

“We want everyone who works at Brendoncare to feel valued and fairly rewarded: I hope this, along with looking at how we enhance other benefits such as providing a free meal to everyone working in our care homes whilst at work goes some way to supporting everyone this winter.

“We will continue to work on how we introduce more benefits and how we support everyone to be able to develop and value being part of the Brendoncare community.”

Young carer Caitlin wins BBC ‘Make a Difference’ Award

A DEDICATED young carer at Lace Hill Manor in Buckingham has been recognised for the positive difference she makes to those around her.

Caitlin Burke, who works on the dementia floor at the care home, won a BBC Three Counties Radio Station ‘Make a Difference’ Award.

The awards, which are run by the BBC local radio stations and take place across England, gives people a chance to say “Thank You” and show recognition and appreciation for those in their community who love to make life better for others.

Caitlin, who started working in care during the Covid pandemic, is a favourite with all those living and working in the dementia care area at the home.

She was nominated by colleague Olivia Moor in the Key Worker Award category, dedicated to key workers who have gone above and beyond their call of duty to help others.

After her nomination Caitlin was invited to share her story in a short segment on Three Counties Radio and went on to be selected as category winner by a panel of judges.

She was presented with her award at a recent Make a Difference Award ceremony

Caitlin said: “My role is to help residents with dementia do everyday tasks and let them live their best lives.

“I got into care at the age of 17 after my granddad was diagnosed with dementia when I was quite young, and that inspired me to make a difference to other people living with dementia.

“It so meaningful to me not just to be nominated, but to be recognised, and to be able to come on the radio and say what I do and how I help

people is such a big honour.

“I love my job, and I will keep giving it my all every day and trying to make a difference to the people we care for– at the end of the day I’m here for them, to make their day a little bit brighter.”

Lace Hill Manor is a flagship £9.5 luxury care home opened by the Maria Mallaband Care Group earlier this year which provides residential, dementia and nursing care for up to 62 people from the community.

Manager Claire Gascoigne added: “We are so proud of Caitlin and delighted to see her win this award, which could not be more deserved.

“She brings her whole self to work every day, and unfailingly shows compassion, patience, and kindness to everyone she encounters.

“She is a total ray of sunshine and makes a positive difference every day to those she cares for, and those she works alongside. We are so happy that she is a member of our team.”

Music and movement project extended to group’s homes

HUNDREDS of care home residents across Scotland are set to benefit from a popular programme that has proved the benefits of music and movement to older people.

The award-winning Balhousie Care Group is extending the programme to its 26 sites following a successful pilot study in 10 homes.

The operator began working with online music and movement provider danceSing Care earlier this year as part of a study with the University of Stirling into how to improve healthy ageing.

The research, conducted by researchers from the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, followed 47 Balhousie Care Group residents over 12 weeks and tracked improvements in their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

“The changes to our residents’ wellbeing was notable,” said Karen Johnson, quality director at Balhousie Care Group. “They looked forward to these online sessions, it bonded

them as residents and it brought them closer to staff too. We are so impressed with the impact that we decided to extend this to all of our homes, starting immediately.”

One of the homes that took an active part in the study was Balhousie Coupar Angus in Perthshire, where activities coordinator Patrycja Dwojak led the sessions.

She said: “The sessions are about more than standing and sitting exercises. The music and the bespoke radio shows and concerts sparked memories. That has a big impact on our residents’ health, both physical and mental.”

Caitlin Burke

Aileen Ohlson

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No further delays on care cost cap

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Government to intervene and prevent further delays to reform aimed at helping older and vulnerable adults meet the cost of their care.

The changes, including a more generous means-test and a lifetime cap on care costs of £86,000, are due to come into effect in October next year.

But the County Councils Network has called for the reforms to be delayed a further year because they do not have the resources to implement them.

The Independent Care Group has called on the Government to intervene and prevent more delays.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “A further delay until 2024 would be a betrayal of many hundreds of thousands of people who are facing the nightmare of paying their care costs and having to sell their homes to do so.

“It is seven years since the introduction of a cap on care costs was first hit by delays and we cannot keep seeing this reform get kicked further and further down the road.

“We understand and share the County Councils Network’s fears about a lack of staff, funding and resources but the sector cannot afford any more delays.

“It is clear that the funding made available by the Government for the

Padgham

Residents assemble hampers

introduction of reform isn’t sufficient and needs to be re-addressed quickly.”

The ICG supports the County Councils Network’s chapter on social care, contained in the organisation’s Five Point Plan for County and Unitary Councils.

In point three, Reforming adult social care and health services, The Network calls for the delay in the implementation of the charging reforms until October 2024. It also seeks stabilisation and the tackling of existing pressures in the system; delivery of the ambitions of the Social Care White Paper and equal partnership between health, social care and public health.

Mike added: “We endorse what the Network says in its social care and health chapter but call on the Government to better support councils so that the reforms do not have to be delayed until 2024.”

RESIDENTS from a Surrey care home have pulled together to support families in need in their local community.

A team of four residents from Kings Lodge in West Byfleet, Surrey, part of CHD Living, recently helped to arrange donations from fellow residents and staff at the home, as well as their family and friends.

The volunteers also donated money to the cause, sending the staff to the local supermarket with a well considered shopping list full of essentials for struggling families.

Shaleeza Hasham, head of hospitality, communications and commissioning at CHD Living, said: “It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear of our residents supporting their local communities in this way.

“They are such a key part of their community, with some having longstanding ties to the area.

“The cost of living crisis is affecting

so many, making programmes like this one from St Mary’s Church and the many others run by churches and food banks even more essential.”

The team, which consisted of Valarie, Margaret Smith, Colin Primrose and Jean Spiller, and was supported by Michelle Woodyat, wellbeing coordinator at Kings Lodge, assembled and donated four family hampers filled with a range of tinned food staples, as well as long-life milk, rice and pasta, bubble bath and toothbrushes.

They were also able to create a breakfast hamper with tea, coffee, cereal and more, and a baby hamper with nappies, wipes and other essential items.

After helping with the care home’s hampers, Valarie is keen to support more people and is hoping to help with a community fridge initiative being spearheaded by local councillor Amanda Boote.

Reducing stress within the homecare industry

By Mike Williams

THERE’S a huge chance for homecare firms to grow as demand keeps increasing.

For team retention, productivity and long-term business success, it’s crucial to strike a balance between growth ambitions and controlling the increasing pressures that carers are under.

Homecare providers and carers work especially hard in a demanding sector, and this can take its toll on individuals’ stress levels.

Over time this can increase the number of mistakes and, in turn, further increase stress as a result.

Reducing stress in the care industry

As a result of the high-pressured environment they work in, a recent CQC study has shown that hospital and homecare employees are extremely vulnerable to stress and burnout.

And since caregivers are expected to handle a lot of responsibility, the homecare atmosphere can be challenging to work in.

However, this is part of what makes caring so fulfilling.

With 71 per cent of us more prone to making mistakes when we’re stressed, it’s crucial to reduce caregiver strain as much as possible to minimise the number of errors that people make.

However, this can be much easier said than done, especially when cutting back on the amount of work that people do isn’t an option.

Minimising mistakes

To minimise mistakes in your homecare business it’s important to consider your business as a whole.

This includes all of your employees, patients and systems, to understand how you can alleviate some pressure:

1.

Improving your systems

Paper-based systems can be prone to errors, since they heavily rely on caregivers deciphering one another’s notes or handwriting, which can result in medication errors or missed appointments.

Additionally, because paper logs are frequently only collected and entered into the central system on a weekly, or even monthly basis, it may take some time to find errors when they do arise.

Due to this delay in updates, it may take longer for care managers to update the service user’s care plan

with crucial information, meaning that when mistakes happen, they can become much more serious.

Paperless systems enable you to centralise patient data, meaning that your whole database is in a single location.

This relieves caregivers and system users of some of their responsibilities, as those in head office can make realtime changes to care plans.

When an incident occurs, the carers can record it right away in the system, ensuring that the relevant person, eg the care manager or registered manager, is notified and can handle it immediately.

2. Implementing continuity of care

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently considers continuity of care in adult care services to be a key part of the quality criteria to satisfy a service user’s specific needs, making it especially crucial for homecare.

Continuity of care ensures your service users are looked after by a constant caregiver or care team. This enables your service users to connect to a team that are familiar with their needs and preferences, which in turn enables you to deliver a higher calibre of care.

Digital systems can help you to implement this care continuity, by keeping track of previous care visits and making recommendations for individual care teams based on user preferences.

quality and protect the safety of those receiving and providing care, ensuring that training is up to date, so your carers feel confident, is essential.

Regular training aids in instilling the behaviours, attitudes, knowledge and abilities required to provide highquality, safe, person-centred care.

It enables your carers to take the appropriate precautions to reduce risk and helps to understand how they should act if a mistake occurs.

This contributes to everyone’s safety.

Your carer records can be tracked by digital care systems, which alert you when they are about to expire or need to be renewed.

This minimises errors and lessens stress, while ensuring your caregivers feel confident in the service they are offering to your clients.

Helping you with your paperless journey

Your carers may have been working in a specific way for a number of years, but this doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient way to work. They can be resistant to change, which makes sense, as the way they work feels like second nature.

3.

Ensuring training is up to

date To maintain high standards of care

If you’re shifting to a digital system to reduce mistakes, it should reflect your current procedures, so caregivers won’t have to learn how to do their duties all over again. Instead, it should simply create a new way of keeping track of things to help you, in line with your existing processes, as you keep raising the bar on the quality of care you provide. n Mike Williams is the managing director of Tagtronics.

Mike Williams

Mike