Caring UK Weekly October 26

New chancellor urged to invest extra £7billion

CAMPAIGNERS says plans to delay vital reform of the social care sector are a betrayal of the country’s oldest and most vulnerable people.

It has been reported that changes aimed at helping older and vulnerable adults meet the cost of their care are to be put back by at least a year.

The Independent Care Group described the news as “a kick in the teeth” for the sector.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “This is an unfair, cruel and brutal betrayal of social care, which is always a soft target when cuts and delays are around.

“It is morally wrong that in a civilised country we cannot find a way to look after our most vulnerable without them having to sell the family home to have some dignity and care.”

The changes, including a more generous means-test and a lifetime cap on care costs of £86,000, were due to come into effect in October next year but there are reports that they are to be delayed a further year because councils do not have the resources to implement them.

The ICG has written to the new Chancellor urging him to intervene and protect social care by spending the extra £7bn a year he has previously said the sector needs.

Care providers are worried that promised extra funding is to be taken away at a time when the sector is in crisis and 1.6m

people can’t get care.

Mike added: “We already feared that the promised £13bn, to be funded from the now scrapped National Insurance increase, will be kicked into the long grass and the sector left wanting at a time when it needs reform and more funding, rather than less.”

The ICG has written to Jeremy Hunt calling on him to at least reinstate the promised £13bn and to honour his own call for an extra £7bn a year to be invested in the sector.

“We know that the country is in financial difficulty, but we are appealing for the Chancellor to help and not harm social care,” Mike added.”

In the letter to Mr Hunt, Mike says: “As a country we have failed to invest in social care when the economy was in better shape. Instead, social care services have been cut to the bone and there is no more fat to trim.

“The country’s failure to make hay while the sun shines should not be punished with cuts to care now.

“I appeal for social care to be spared further cuts and instead for it to receive the reform and investment it needs to flourish.”

The ICG says more than 30 years of neglect and underfunding has left social care in crisis, with Covid-19, chronic staff shortages and the cost-ofliving crisis turning the situation critical.

A Poole care home arranged for one of its residents – a former blacksmith – to be visited by a pony. Colten Care’s dedicated dementia home The Aldbury organised for Sammy the miniature Shetland Palomino therapy pony to visit resident Dennis Edwards. Colten companion Cara Duroe said: “Dennis used to work with horses and draws pictures of them all day, every day. He loves all animals, but especially horses, and gets emotional remembering how he used to talk to them to calm them down before he would shoe them. We wanted to give Dennis the chance to be up close to a pony again so, we contacted Pony N Paws, a local company run by Fiona Guile. Fiona, along with her pony Sammy and Scamp, her therapy dog, visit care homes, schools and events. When she brought in Sammy to the lounge Dennis’ whole face lit up. He was over the moon and very emotional and the entire room was deeply moved by what we saw.”

CUK Awards’ tickets in demand

TICKETS are selling fast for the industry’s biggest end-of-year party, with plans in place to make this year’s Caring UK Awards the best one yet.

Organised by Script Media in partnership with Caring UK and headline sponsor Virgin Money, this annual celebration of success will 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 to the care industry’s party of the year are available at https://scriptevents.co.uk/cuk-awards-tickets/

The

Proving that age is just a number and busting a few myths surrounding care homes, Molly Cunningham celebrated her 100th birthday in style. The popular Balhousie Pitlochry resident partied like the best of us, surrounded by her devoted care home staff, numerous family friends and a son who flew in from Canada just for the occasion. With Covid restrictions well and truly eased, Balhousie Pitlochry truly spoiled their second longest serving resident and her extensive list of guests. Molly’s celebration included a custom cake baked in Pitlochry, balloons, bubbly, cupcakes and some of her favourite tunes. Molly moved to the Perthshire care home in 2017, where she enjoys the busy activities schedule and get-togethers and truly lives life to the full.

A resident at a veterans’ care home has celebrated her 104th birthday. Ena Mitchell enjoyed a party with fellow residents from her floor at the home in High Wycombe. Ena was born in 1918, in Kingsley, Hampshire. Ena’s husband Bill, who she married in 1938, was a soldier in the East Yorkshire Regiment. He was one of the 330,000 troops successfully evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, and four years later took part in the D-Day landings on June 6. Bill survived the offensive, but later that year, on September 13, the 33-yearold was killed in Belgium by enemy fire. Their daughter was just two at the time. Later, Ena started fighting for the rights of the women who had lost husbands during the war, and joined the War Widows’ Association. She has lived at Royal Star & Garter since 2019.

Marion Lauder House Care Home

Specialist business property adviser Montane Care has completed the sale of Marion Lauder House Care Home to Salutem Care.

Marion Lauder House is a purpose-built care home, in the Woodhouse Park area of Wythenshawe, Manchester. The home specialises in nursing care and provides day care and respite care. It is registered for 79 residents with 44 en-suite facilities.

Chrstine Miller celebrated her 102nd birthday in style at Mathieson House Care Home in Edinburgh. All the stops were pulled out to ensure Christine and all her beloved friends within the home enjoyed her special day, including balloons, music, singing and, at Christine’s request, lots of cake. Christine’s only son Robin flew in from America to mark the special occasion with her. Her 102 years were packed with adventure, moving to Malaysia in 1956 and living within the Sarawak for the next 16 years. One of Christine’s great loves in her life has been travel, extensively exploring America and Asia within her youth.

Optimism, exercise, holidays abroad and a daily glass of white wine are the secrets of a long life according to a Hampshire care home resident who has just turned 100. Pat Dartnell revealed her recipe for longevity as the celebrated her centenary among family and friends at Colten Care’s New Milton home, Kingfishers. In 1952 she married Les Dartnell. The couple were happily married for more than half a century and enjoyed holidays and travel in Europe, with Italy holding especially fond memories for Pat. Les had a brother who lived in Brockenhurst and visiting him over the years eventually led to Pat and Les retiring to the New Forest and realising their wish to be near the south coast.

Montane Care completes the sale of Marion Lauder House

SPECIALIST business property adviser Montane Care has completed the sale of Marion Lauder House Care Home to Salutem Care.

Marion Lauder House is a purposebuilt care home, in the Woodhouse Park area of Wythenshawe, Manchester.

The home specialises in nursing care and provides day care and respite care. It is registered for 79 residents with 44 en-suite facilities.

A true retirement sale, Marion Lauder House has been tastefully extended to its current design and reputation and in the hands of its owners since 2004.

Tim Hussain, managing director, Marion Lauder House Care Home, said: “I have known Anthony for many years whilst working for other commercial agencies.

“I had no hesitation in allowing Anthony to sell our business with his company, Montane Care. In a short period of time, he found multiple buyers during an intense period of restrictions during Covid-19 and successfully negotiated a sale to Salutem Care.

“The level of service was excellent throughout the sale process: showing great patience and cooperation. Upon completion it has been a great relief to finally achieve what we have been working towards, it was an overwhelming but very rewarding experience.

“I would recommend Montane Care to others due to the professionalism

and reliable service. I appreciate everything Anthony has done in helping me to achieve my retirement, without his help this would not have been possible”.

In addition, the buyer, Carl Scarlett, Lynne Scarlett and Lee Stringfellow of Salutem Care commented on the transaction: “We are delighted to have completed the process of acquiring Marion Lauder House Care Home.

“Thanks to the support and help of Anthony Rae, we concluded the deal and completed the acquisition. We would personally like to thank Anthony for his efforts throughout the acquisition process and will certainly look to use Montane Care for any future acquisitions.

“We are very excited to add Marion Lauder House to our portfolio of homes in England and the Northwest and are looking forward to continuing the excellent level of care delivered on a day-to-day basis to the residents of the home.”

Anthony Rae director of Montane Care, added: “Having known my client for many years it was a pleasure to achieve multiple offers in a short period of time by selecting existing operators with proven funding.

“Montane Care have expert local and national coverage with disappointed buyers seeking to acquire similar businesses.”

To find out more about Montane Care, contact Anthony Rae 07546 932811 or visit the Montane Care website: https:// www.montanefinance.co.uk/

Another Successful Nursing Home sold through Montane Care.

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.

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.

Fusion

Fusion 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

OM Interactive

OM Interactive have been pioneers in the development of motion-activated projections for multi-sensory use since 2005.

Their ground breaking interactive Mobii table/floor provides adults in care with meaningful person-centred activities that encourage movement, positive outlook, social opportunities and shared laughter with powerful visuals, colour therapy, games, quizzes, music and reminiscence content.

The many applications include; virtual aquariums, physical/target games, butterfly meadows, childhood memories and nature colouring; something for everyone. The system is fully mobile and height adjustable so it can be used wherever interactivity is required.

Photos, artwork and music can be easily added to provide even greater personalisation.

https://omi.uk/

Meet our sponsors

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.

Shackletons

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

Sharecare Systems

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.

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

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. www.sommer-rose.com

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/

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

Home continues to invest in wellbeing of its staff

SURREY based maritime charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, which cares for those living with dementia in its nursing care home in Banstead, is continuing its investment in mental health and wellbeing support for its team this World Mental Health Day.

The Society, which already delivers mental health training to all staff, recognises the challenges within the sector and has committed to investing in further training and support for its team.

World Mental Health Day helps raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.

Chief executive of the charity, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt OBE, said: “The wellbeing of not only our residents but also that of our staff is an integral part of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society’s ethos.

“We want to ensure we have proper training in place so that our senior management team have an enhanced awareness of mental health issues and that they are equipped with the skills needed to support our staff who mean so much to the home and its residents.

“Our goal is always to make sure

our colleagues feel appreciated and supported in their working environment which is not only of huge importance to the team but means we can maintain the high levels of care we provide for our residents.”

Around one in six people in the UK suffer from mental health challenges, and a study from Carers UK revealed that 72 per cent of carers said they had suffered mental ill health as a result of caring.

The Royal Alfred is working to help tackle these high statistics within the sector by investing in mental health training for senior team members to help them to understand how best to support colleagues.

The training helps team members to learn what specific triggers might cause mental health issues and how to spot warning signs amongst their colleagues.

The Society conducts regular staff satisfaction surveys to help guide its mental health support packages to ensure colleagues are happy in their roles and feel fulfilled. The surveys also provide useful insights if there are any team members that may be struggling.

Church takes harvest festival to care home

RESIDENTS at a Wellington dementia care home celebrated getting back to near-normality after Covid with a special harvest festival in association with a nearby parish church.

The service at Camelot House and Lodge was led by St John the Baptist members Cyndy Maskew and Maralyn Norman, with support from Richard Dempslake, the home’s activities co-ordinator.

He said: “For the first time it almost felt like it used to before Covid, with that all-important community-led social time that our residents so enjoy. It was such a lovely service.

“We are finally starting to be able to be a bit more relaxed again, and the church members were really interacting with our residents, talking about harvest festivals over the years, admiring our display of fruit and vegetables, and sitting down to join us for a nice cup of tea and a slice of warm fruit pie.

“There was a poignant moment in the service when we said a prayer for our late Queen Elizabeth, and the

Resident June Payne

people we support appreciated that hugely.

“Traditional services like Harvest Festival really mean a lot to many people living with dementia because they are occasions many of them have celebrated throughout their lives, so the preparations and participation give us all a great excuse for reminiscence activities which they love.”

The activities team made the most of the opportunities afforded by the service by following it up with a harvest-themed quiz for residents later in the day.

Residents make the most of city’s glorious summer

RESIDENTS at Glencairn Care Home in Edinburgh have been out enjoying the wonders of the capital this summer, with a programme of fun activities including rickshaw rides, theatre visits and musical performances.

Exploring the streets on pedalpowered rickshaw vehicles, the group has been experiencing the city at a much more leisurely pace while taking in the sites of the Meadows, Bruntsfield and Morningside.

To ensure they felt part of the Edinburgh’s Fringe celebrations, the activities coordinators also arranged visits to shows throughout the month, while visits from a historian and a cello player have also been scheduled into the calendar of events.

Activities coordinator Debra Husband said: “We’ve had packed calendar of activities this summer which has been fantastic for the residents here at Glencairn.

“The sun has been shining and it’s been fantastic to get out and about to enjoy the city. We’re so lucky to be located in the heart of Edinburgh and the rickshaw rides in particular have meant that we can take the residents out to enjoy and explore our surroundings on a regular basis.”

Residents are regularly consulted on the activities programme, asked for input and asked for reviews to determine what to plan and book next.

Manager Jozi Stables added:

“Providing the residents of Glencairn with a full and enjoyable social calendar provides so much more than just a break from the daily routine of the home but it helps our residents to retain a sense of their identity, adventure and provides a rich and enjoyable life.

“We pride ourselves on bringing unique experiences to the home and also creating fun and adventurous excursion for our residents.

“The activities feed into the overall care ethos we have here at Glencairn which is ensuring the needs of our residents come first and we work closely with them to design plans that suit their recreation, care and wellbeing needs.”

The facility, managed by Renaissance Care Homes, is one of 16 located across Scotland and currently provides provision for 26 residents.

Residents captivated by choir

RESIDENTS from a Dorset care home were left moved and delighted following an evening with the Gentlemen of St. John’s choir.

Five residents from Colten Care’s Castle View in Poundbury attended a performance by The Gentlemen of St. John’s at St Peter’s Church, Dorchester.

Nina Lines, Oscar Winsey, Esme Ware, Liz Thompson and Betty Hollywood joined in with the rousing musical programme and later enjoyed a glass of wine with two of the singers.

Colten companion Katja Williams, who accompanied the Castle View party said: “Nina attends St Peter’s Church and asked some of her fellow

residents if they’d like to go with her to the concert. They were extremely keen. The music was hugely diverse, from “Fever” and a “A Hard Day’s Night” to the “Bare Necessities” and our residents had a fabulous time with much foot-tapping, broad smiles and applause.

“Afterwards, Hamish MacGregor and Joe Hancock, both Tenors for the choir took the time to speak to the residents during a Prosecco reception. They were all thrilled and had lots of questions for the singers.”

The Gentlemen of St. John’s is a septet formed of the choral and organ scholars of the world-renowned Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge.

Locked bedroom doors, capacity and consent

FOR this article, Care Ideals has liaised with Neil Grant (Health and Social Care Solicitor; https://www. gordonsols.co.uk/).

In less than a year, we have encountered three situations of poor practice related to the locking of bedroom doors, capacity and consent.

We felt it could be helpful to clarify good practice on this topic for owners and managers of Care Homes (elderly residential, learning disability, etc).

1) Any Care Home may have residents who choose to have their bedroom door locked when they’re in the room. That is fine, so long as the resident in question has the capacity to make this decision. The Manager must then ensure that they have signed confirmation from each of these residents, confirming that they’re choosing to be locked in or to lock themselves in their bedroom.

The Home must also ensure that the resident is able to let themselves out of their bedroom i.e. with a key or the door has an internal door handle that when it’s pulled down, the door unlocks and the resident can leave. A resident with capacity would understand that if they injured themselves whilst in the room, even if the door is closed and / or locked, they could call for help.

2) This situation changes completely if a resident lacks capacity. Someone who lacks capacity mustn’t be able to lock themselves in their room and mustn’t ever be locked in their bedroom.

3) When we’ve encountered this issue, we’ve been told that the reason for the locked bedroom

doors or locking people without capacity in their bedrooms, was to prevent certain residents from wandering into other residents’ bedrooms.

However, these aren’t reasons that justify this course of action. The situation of one or a few residents wandering into other resident’s rooms must be managed in a less restrictive and more compassionate manner.

4) A resident without capacity shouldn’t ever be locked in their bedroom. Think about the following:

a) Even if you give them a key to unlock the door, or if the door handle can be pulled down to release the lock, the resident might not understand what the key is for, nor understand that the door handle being pulled down releases the lock.

A resident could then want to leave their room for a long time, but not understand how to leave their room.

In this circumstance, the resident is being deprived of their liberty in a manner that can’t be justified.

b) If a resident without capacity was locked in their room, how often is the resident checked? In situations that we’ve dealt with first-hand, we were told the checks took place hourly. However, the

resident without capacity might not understand that if they injure themselves, they need to call for help. They could fall and injure themselves 2 minutes after the check is completed, and then lie in pain for 58 minutes until the next check takes place.

5) There are some residents without capacity who like to wander around the Home or their floor in the Home i.e. along the corridor, into the lounge, back along the corridor, etc. This helps to burn off energy and enables them to see other people, be mentally stimulated, etc.

Locking them in their rooms prevents them from being able to partake in any type of activity, or receive mental stimulation. Neil Grant comments about this particular scenario:

“If this is happening within the care home, almost certainly it would be classified as ill-treatment. However, one could also classify such practice as inhumane and degrading. A care home is obliged to ensure the least restrictive practices as possible are put in place. In relation to residents who lack capacity, locking doors is clearly a form of control or restraint.”

6) There are also compliance issues in terms of the Fundamental Standards. Neil comments on this as follows:

“Such practice raises serious questions about due process in terms of consent and best interests. From a compliance perspective, the home is at serious risk of being found to be in breach of Regulations 9, 11, 12 and 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Further, such practice is institutional in nature which runs counter to CQC’s guidance about closed cultures”.

7) A further point in relation to locking all the bedroom doors is this:

Locked doors are closed doors! This creates a ‘closed-in’ environment that is the opposite of what one would expect when talking about ‘person-centred’ care.

It also prevents staff being able to glance into the room as they’re walking past, just to check that all is ok in the room, or just to chat to the resident. Chatting to a resident, even if only briefly when walking past their room, can make all the difference to their outlook and mood.

8) To manage this issue safely and correctly, please think about it in terms of:

a) How can we create the least restrictive environment possible?

b) Do we have the correct paperwork and permissions in place, that will stand up to scrutiny by the CQC and our Local Authority?

If you’d like advice on how to start mitigating and managing risks on both the care side and the business side of your care business, please contact us on 0330 133 5720 or enquiries@ careideals.com or contact us via our website at www.careideals.com

Neil Grant (Gordons Solicitors)

David Beattie (Care Ideals MD)