Caring UK Weekly - Issue 23

Issue 23 02.09.20

The weekly online newsletter for the care sector

Operator to launch new programme HOME Instead Senior Care is partnering with the University of York to launch a new threeyear programme of high impact research into home care for older people.

As part of the research programme the University is currently looking to recruit a research fellow to lead the social science study.

Areas for research will include person-centred home care, dementia and the home care workforce. Working with Home Instead care teams across the UK, the programme will build an evidence base around home care, evaluating what works best and shaping the future of personalised social care.

The research will draw upon the expertise of the University’s Social Policy Research Unit and Home Instead’s experience as a major provider of home care in the UK and internationally.

Together, the organisations hope to contribute to national debate and policy around older people’s health and wellbeing and improve social care for everyone.

Mark Laing, director of innovation at Home Instead Senior Care, who has been heading up the project, said: “The home care sector is constantly growing and evolving. Particularly in a post-

pandemic world we have seen the vitally important role that being cared for in your own home environment can make in the quality of care provided to our vulnerable seniors.

“The three-year research partnership will provide the social care sector with an evidence-based view of homecare, helping to shape what home care looks like.

“It will also inform the national debate on supporting seniors and forms part of our continued commitment to invest in the future of home care innovation.”

Lead researcher at the University of York, Professor Bryony Beresford, added: “Health and social care are equally important to the wellbeing and quality of life of older people. Covid-19 has highlighted for all of us the critical role of social care in the lives of many older people – those living in their own homes and in care homes.

“Recruitment for a Home Instead Research Fellow to build the research programme is now underway, and we are excited to begin working with Home Instead to develop a programme of research on home care grounded in the priorities of older people and the sector.”

App to help families stay connected

An original painting has been unveiled by a North Yorkshire home care company to honour the dedication of its staff during the coronavirus crisis. The picture, entitled The Rainbow of Hope, features the names of 135 carers and office staff from Harrogate-based Continued Care, set within the colours of an overarching rainbow. The painting is by wellknown Harrogate artist Anita Bowerman, who has previously held the roles of artist in residence at RHS Harlow Carr Gardens and official artist of the Tour de Yorkshire. Anita was asked by Continued Care’s director Samantha Harrison to create a painting that would symbolise the hard work and dedication shown by her home care staff during such a difficult and worrying time. The painting shows the rainbow shining brightly over Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Thirsk and Settle, the areas covered by Continued Care’s services.

A BIG THANK YOU

FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …

WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.

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DEMENTIA care specialist Vida Healthcare has launched a new app to keep its residents and their families connected during Covid19 and beyond.

Recent research released by Vida Healthcare looking into people’s perceptions of social care and care homes during Covid-19 has found that 46 per cent of UK adults are worried about the pressure of visiting their relatives in care as restrictions ease, and 45 per cent would like more care homes to be technology enabled to improve connectivity between residents and loved ones.

Responding to this requirement for improved technology and greater connectivity, the operator developed the Family Team Talk app to allow families and friends of residents at the care homes to see a snapshot of daily life at Vida Healthcare.

The app gives families instant access to catch up on the health and wellbeing of their loved one through posts and updates from staff, videos and images.

MD James Rycroft said: “Launching this app has raised the morale of relatives, residents and staff, and given everyone a greater feeling of connectivity and reassurance.

“It’s been a total success so far and we’re looking forward to seeing how families continue to use it, and receiving further feedback so that we can continue improving its usability.”

Positive feedback has been received from relatives and friends using the app.

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CARINGWEEKLY

Partnership seeks to improve infection prevention control THE National Care Forum, Quality Compliance Systems and Standards Wise International have forged a unique partnership to help notfor-profit care providers enhance infection prevention and control procedures.

Using the latest Covid learnings emerging from infection prevention and control specialists, and taking account of the newly developed CQC inspection methodology, the three organisations have developed a leading-edge audit tool that supports organisations to assess their own practices, and prepare evidence for audit which not only meets CQC requirements but also conforms to international standards.

The tool is structured around eight questions and prompts that inspectors will use to assess infection prevention and control procedures in all care settings in England from September.

It breaks down each of the eight subject areas into easily digestible points, and most importantly, it includes an ‘evidence of good practice’ section.

The guidance enables providers to identify areas of improvement and rectify them using bespoke policies and procedures crafted and curated

Vic Rayner

by QCS. Vic Rayner, executive director of NCF, said: “As we enter into the new ‘Covid-normal’ it becomes ever more central to being ready and ‘here to care’. In response to this, NCF is delighted to be part of an exciting new international partnership between Quality Compliance Systems, Standards Wise International and ourselves.

“We are all committed to ensuring the highest possible standards in care, and by working together have been able to formulate a tool that will help all our not-for-profit members across the country navigate the highest expectations around infection prevention and control.”

Residents at Essex care home reunited with their families RESIDENTS at HC-One’s Northview Lodge care home in Sunderland have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of their local community throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout lockdown the home has been the recipient of multiple donations, ranging from personal protective equipment to hampers of food and toiletries.

And the residents decided they wanted to give back to the community after they have given them so much.

Manager Patrick Morley said: “I am so proud of the residents and team at Northview Lodge. Despite these

trying times they have continued go the extra mile.”

A discussion was had surrounding other vulnerable communities within the area, and something close to the hearts of the residents s homelessness.

The home has always donated its Harvest Festival leftovers to the church for its soup kitchen, so has a history of donating to homeless charities.

Centre Point is a Sunderland based charity that looks after people from 16-21 who are homeless.

The staff and residents donated items and toiletries and other items such as socks and blankets.

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CARINGWEEKLY

Maritime charity makes history with virtual AGM

Operators lease vehicles to support residents and staff SUNRISE Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare have leased 18 nine-seater minibuses and a selection of seven-seater vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car to ensure team members are able to safely travel to and from work.

The vehicles are also set to be used

by Sunrise and Gracewell care homes for trips out with residents.

The new minibuses have been selected as they provide greater flexibility for residents, including wheelchair accessibility for those who require additional mobility support.

The minibuses are also set to be used for the safe travel of residents and team members for leisure trips and essential journeys, including to hospitals for medical assessments.

Chris Dean, director of procurement at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said: “We place the safety of all residents and team members at our 46 homes at the heart of everything we do.

“I’m especially pleased with how these vehicles have given us the opportunity to protect our team members on their commutes while also offering a safe mode of transport for leisure trips and other essential travel with our residents.

“Building on the success of our original fleet, we have now leased 18 nine-seater accessible minibuses with wheelchair access to further improve the flexibility and accessibility of these vehicles.

“The need for safe and flexible travel is paramount to the health and wellbeing of our care homes and I look forward to seeing residents and team members enjoying our new fleet of vehicles.”

Making use of the new minibuses, Gracewell of Maids Moreton recently took some of their residents out for a pleasant walk in the countryside which was greatly enjoyed by team members and residents alike.

As the country begins to emerge from the Covid-19 restrictions, the new vehicles will be available to use by team members so they can continue to avoid travelling on public transport.

Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare hope the move to these rented vehicles, which have been specifically selected to enable social distancing between passengers, will provide team members and residents with an added layer of safety against coronavirus.

MARITIME care charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society has held its 154th Annual General Meeting remotely for the first time in its history, with supporters and Trustees joining the meeting via video conference services due to current Covid-19 restrictions.

The Surrey-based care home operator and charity has provided housing, residential and nursing care to former seafarers, their widows and dependants since 1865 and is incorporated under Royal Charter with HRH The Princess Royal as its patron.

This year, Trustees, heads of department, and the senior management team – along with the Society’s Vice Patron, the Earl of Inchcape – were invited to celebrate the annual event digitally via video conference where they discussed the impact of the virus on the Society, as well as improvements to the charity’s home and grounds, and plans for a new refurbishment project to further enhance facilities.

Staff were commended for their response efforts during the pandemic, many of whom spent prolonged time away from loved ones and families in order to care for residents at the Society’s home, Belvedere House, in Surrey.

Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, CEO of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, said: “Our annual general meeting is an important part of the Society’s events calendar and this year, like many other organisations, we decided to carry this out remotely in order to ensure social distancing measures could be observed and to prioritise the health and safety of our supporters.

“Looking back at this time last

Society chairman Lt Cdr Phillip Wake OBE attends the AGM virtually. year, it seems as though we lived in another world and of course Belvedere House, like so many other care homes, has been touched by this cruel virus.

“One thing that makes me extremely proud is the way that we have all come together over these months and assisted each other through a very difficult time, and I’m reminded of this as I see everyone’s faces today on my screen, united in support for our charity which does such amazing work caring for former seafarers.”

Chairman of the Society, Lt Cdr Phillip Wake OBE RD* FNI RNR, also launched an interactive version of the Society’s 2019 Annual Report, with the aim to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

Chaired by the Society’s president, the Viscount Cobham, this year’s event was certainly different to the usual AGM held by the charity, where last year its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, attended when it was held at Trinity House in London.

and has affected both them and their families.

Like many businesses, care homes have turned to technology to help support their residents through these times, ensuring they are staying in touch with their families virtually.

And as care homes start to allow visitors, many are making more use of their garden areas and outside spaces, creating meeting pods and separate safe visiting areas for families to get together.

One customer has turned a private dining room into a new family room, with visitors entering through the patio doors and a glass panel separating them and their loved one.

It’s not a perfect solution, but the challenge is to find a way to keep everyone safe while allowing access, visibility and communication.

This will differ for each care home depending on the layout of the building and how easily adaptable it is.

Customers have also been finding more innovative ways of marketing their services, working hard to

promote a safe environment in order to recover any loss of occupancy.

Using virtual tours has been a popular innovative way showing potential residents and their families around the facilities on offer when they are not able to physically visit the property.

Many are also taking a longerterm view and we are now receiving a number of new applications for development finance for expansion purposes based on the continued predicted growth in our elderly population.

Customers report that they are better prepared for a future pandemic impact either Covid19 or otherwise.

There have now been very few reports of new cases of the virus in the care sector in recent weeks, but as the economy and our communities slowly open up, it continues to be the top concern for customers.

For more information contact: Derek Breingan, head of health and social care sector, on 07818 454674.

Care sector’s resilience during global pandemic AT THE start of the Covid-19 outbreak, while no one knew what lay ahead, we were committed to supporting our customers through the pandemic.

Six months on and we are pleased to see how resilient the Care Sector has been, coping remarkably well during these very challenging months.

In the early period, the lack of PPE equipment, staff resourcing issues, and care home deaths took their toll, and our specialist team was quick to act to make sure we had the processes in place to help customers access the finance they needed as efficiently as possible so they could concentrate on the vitally important work they were undertaking.

We have been participating in the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan and Bounce Back Loan Schemes and with these have arranged around £30m in lending to the sector following requests.

We also found that many businesses in this sector were well capitalised at the start of the crisis

Derek Breingan

so could buy extra equipment or bring in additional resource if it was needed.

Our capital repayment holidays certainly helped cashflow as well.

As the global situation continues to evolve, what remains front of mind is how services across the care sector can start to reopen for outside visitors – allowing residents and families to reconnect, but also to welcome new residents.

For many residents, not being able to see their loved ones for many months has been extremely difficult

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CARINGWEEKLY

The importance of nutrition in care home environments

By Leni Wood

AS humans, nutrition is vital for our health, wellbeing and development.

As we age, our nutrition requirements increase while our appetite typically decreases.

Furthermore, physiological changes can also take place in older age, impacting digestion such as a decrease in stomach acid which we need to break down and absorb the vitamins, minerals, carbs and proteins from our food.

An area historically overlooked, the nutritional value of food is key in maintaining and even improving the health and wellbeing of many elderly people.

The importance of nourishing food in healthcare across the UK cannot be understated, being vital in providing proper care. Ultimately, nutrition should be a core focus as every resident is different and therefore require different nutritional needs.

At Nellsar, each of our chefs and cooks have attended our ‘Nellsar Chef Masterclass’, where they are coached on how to plan a menu specifically for a care home environment. This includes how to provide a balanced meal, such as using the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables.

The nutritional value of the meals on menus are then reviewed for each of the 13 homes.

Most importantly, however, is

Leni Wood finding out from the residents themselves what they would like to eat, which is what all Nellsar chefs do before preparing the menu. Resident preferences must be catered for and once this is achieved, chefs can then look at balancing meals with the various food groups.

Breakfast, for instance, will always include a cooked protein option such as eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. Fruit is also available in the mornings as well as other alternatives such as cereals and porridge.

Typically, there will always be antioxidant rich foods available and fresh local produce bought.

Menus should also be diverse as a matter of best practice. Care homes cater for large groups of people each with their own likes, dislikes, and cultural and personal preferences.

Vegetarian and vegan residents

should be well catered for and have the same amount of choice on the menu as people who eat meat, while religious needs should also be reflected in the menu.

Catering teams must also recognise the different allergies people may have and the interactions some foods have on certain medication.

We also offer a fortified option, where residents who are losing weight and might have lost their appetite will have the calorific content of their individual meals boosted, helping them to stabilise or to hopefully gain weight.

On the flip side, some residents chose to lose weight, and, in this instance, chefs should offer a lowcalorie choice.

In addition, people with diabetes and other unstable blood sugar needs should be catered for through a range of healthy, balanced meals. Offering low carb options and buffering the glucose of meals with protein and fibre can help achieve this.

Menus should even include options for residents who require a soft or pureed diet, following the international guidance on how to prepare prescribed texture-modified diets.

And it’s not just about nutritional health, giving residents foods that evoke positive feelings has shown to have a beneficial impact on their overall wellbeing.

An example of this was a resident who had not been eating well in their

own home before coming to one of Nellsar’s homes.

With the resident originating from the Caribbean, the catering team began preparing traditional Caribbean foods which he loved and began eating properly again.

He gained weight and his on-going skin condition significantly improved. Other success stories include achieving great results in wound healing and skin integrity, by including protein powders in shakes which support the body to heal and repair.

As one of the first care companies in the UK to employ a nutritional therapist, Nellsar was able to offer support and education to its catering staff across its homes during the Covid-19 lockdown.

For instance, the drastic changes to residents’ daily routines meant the chefs needed to be more mindful of their individual appetites. People need to remain stimulated and favourite foods are a great way to evoke positive feelings and to help people to engage with their meals.

Boosting nutrition is also one of our best defences against viruses and our best ally when it comes to overall health.

Overall, nutrition plays a crucial part in achieving a healthy, happy care environment and should be viewed by all as a way of improving residents’ quality of life. n Leni Wood is the nutrition and wellness manager at Nellsar,

Susannah appointed care home’s new manager

Residents and relatives united as visits resume FAMILIES were recently given the green light to visit loved ones after four months apart, as Rapport Housing and Care eased visiting restrictions in its care homes.

Following months of video calls and window visits, residents across Kent have been over the moon to see their loved ones again, as the organisation introduced socially distant visits.

Chris Hutchinson, home manager of Dene Holm Care Home in Northfleet, said: “It’s been great to open the home up to visitors again, albeit with distancing in place.

“We’ve managed the last few months so well, working as a team and we’re all now looking forward to moving forward.

“It’s been an emotional time with many reunions and there have been lots of tears, but also so much laughter and so many smiles, it’s been absolutely wonderful to see everyone’s happy faces.”

Relatives are now able to catch up with their loved ones in a marquee in the garden, providing they stay 2m apart and visitors wear face coverings, to keep all parties safe.

SWANHOLME Court in Lincoln has welcomed Susannah Barker-Milan as its new manager.

Susannah has worked for the care home’s operator Country Court for five years and has been manager at Eccleshare Court, which is located on the same road, for three.

Susannah will now lead the care and nursing teams at both homes.

“I am delighted that Susannah will be managing both of these care and nursing homes in Lincoln,” said operations director Helen Richmond.

“Susannah is a highly respected and dedicated member of our team at Country Court. She has bought a wealth of knowledge and expertise and was key to implementing the ‘Enriched Dementia and Meaningful Opportunities Programme’ for our group.

“We believe in nurturing our staff and sharing best practice in the group to provide the very highest standards of care for our residents”.

Susannah has more than 25 years of experience working in health and social care, spending the last 10 specialising in dementia care.

She has spent some of her career working with the renowned Bradford Dementia Group at the University of Bradford, leading on the ground-

Susannah Barker-Milan breaking Dementia Care Mapping in Supported Living project.

She has also lectured at Lincoln University on specialist dementia care and was recognised with a ‘Special Achievement’ award for her contribution to the care sector in Lincolnshire by the Lincolnshire Care Association in 2018.

She added: “I am passionate about delivering the very highest standards of person-centred care and I’m proud of the care my team provides at Eccleshare Court.

“I look forward to getting to know the residents and staff at Swanholme Court and sharing some of the best practice we have implemented at Eccleshare Court.”

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CARINGWEEKLY

Specialist centre offers to deliver training to other care providers

Richmond Manor in Ampthill.

Operator agrees sale and leaseback deal on new care home LUXURY care home developer Hamberley Development, backed

by Patron Capital, has sold its latest state-of-the-art care home to European Healthcare REIT Aedifica.

The deal will see Hamberley’s operating company, Hamberley Care Homes, lease back the building over a 25-year period.

The newly completed Richmond Manor in Ampthill, Bedfordshire is set to welcome its first residents later this month.

The 69-bedroom home is in keeping with Hamberley Care Homes’ premium style and includes luxury en-suite bedrooms, a cinema, the St. George’s Café, a bar area, a hair and beauty salon (with a nail bar), luxurious lounges and beautifully landscaped gardens.

The home has also been designed with the highest safety standards in mind, in light of the pandemic.

Additional features include a bespoke Covid-secure visitation suite, in-built thermal imaging technology in the entrance lobby (to ensure all visitors to the home, including staff, have their temperature taken on a daily basis) and a ventilation system which ensures air in public spaces is fully replaced four times an hour.

The home will also have hand washing and hand sanitising stations throughout for staff, residents and visitors.

Daniel Kay, director of Hamberley Development, said: “We’re delighted to have agreed this deal with the Aedifica and Layland Walker teams.

“The sale demonstrates the strength of our track record in delivering outstanding care home environments that are not only luxurious in design but also safe from an infection control perspective.

“Care homes like Richmond Manor set a new standard for Covid-secure settings, for which there is a rapidly growing demand.

“The team at Richmond Manor are excited to open the doors later this month and look forward to becoming invaluable and trusted members of the local community, helping residents create new memories while staying safe and connected to their loved ones.”

The new development will mark the opening of the 11th home in the Hamberley Care Homes group.

In addition to Richmond Manor the group has a development pipeline of sites in Enfield, Dorking, West Byfleet, Bedford, Hailsham, Southampton, Eastleigh, Basingstoke, Brampton, Bristol, Keynsham, Edwalton and Cofton Hackett.

The group is also actively acquiring land and existing operating businesses and has more than £180m of equity capital allocated for healthcare investment.

A SPECIALIST care training centre in Cambridgeshire is offering to deliver free infection control training on behalf of other providers as it looks to reduce the risk of infection through education while giving back to the wider care community.

Allowing providers to market the training as their own, AVC Training will deliver it remotely via its team of expert trainers at no charge – as it looks to improve understanding of infection control by enabling others to benefit from the education that professional carers receive.

Designed with relatives of those living in care homes in mind, the training seeks to support safer, lower risk visits to care facilities amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the overriding aim to improve awareness to the benefit of all.

AVC Training, part of a care community in Doddington, Cambridgeshire, had initially developed a training programme for relatives of Askham’s own residents to participate in, which was also opened up to interested members of the public.

Following the successful delivery of three initial sessions, the company is now offering other care providers the opportunity to provide infection control training to their own residents’ families in turn.

Allowing them to market the training as their own, the team will deliver a one-hour virtual session via Zoom, which will outline best practice when it comes to infection control, as well as educating participants on the necessity of following procedures.

The content of the training covers many of the principles that care workers learn about as part of their

mandatory training.

Training manager Michelle Barker said: “Our infection control training was very well received by its initial participants, so we wanted to offer it out to a broader audience, while giving back to the wider industry in the process.

“Allowing other providers to market it as their own training, enables them to provide a useful service for their residents’ relatives to engage with – while also helping to improve general knowledge around the necessities of infection control, creating safer visiting environments, and helping to allay prospective fears.

“Understanding the principles of how infection is transmitted and how our actions either facilitate or prevent spread is a key risk management factor for care providers – so we’re hoping that they will recognise the value of providing the training to their communities and seek to utilise our services.”

AVC Training, which was recently endorsed by Skills for Care as an approved training centre, delivers mandatory and specialist courses for health and social care, as well offering its facilities for use by external trainers.

Michelle concluded: “The key to reducing risk is education. If those who are visiting a home know why infection control is essential and understand the relevant processes and procedures, then any risk will be greatly reduced – thus helping to provide reassurance to care providers, as well as those receiving care and their loved ones.

“This is something that, in turn, will benefit the full spectrum of society by helping to keep us all safe.”

Care Show postponed to 2021 CloserStill Media, the organiser of The Care Show, has taken the decision to postpone the event due to the Covid-19 pandemic It will now take place on October 13 and 14 next year at the Birmingham NEC. Event director Michael Corbett said: “The Care Show team feel incredibly privileged to be working with the care profession as they continuously adapt to the enormous pressures and uncertainty Covid-19 has brought to all of our lives.

“The care profession, truly are national heroes and we have been humbled by the dedication, bravery and humanity demonstrated by the

community we proudly serve.

“Although the government made their decisions to re-ignite mass gathering events from October, the Care Show team have made what they feel is the most ethical and moral decision based on the individuals our delegates look after and to run the event as a commercial gain is not in the company’s interest.

“The last few months have had a huge impact on both the mental physical wellbeing of care teams across the country and we are dedicated to protecting the safety of our delegates, sponsors and speakers as our top priority.”

A Solihull couple living at Royal Star & Garter have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Harry and Sue Southern enjoyed a party thrown by the Tudor Coppice care home and received a special message from Her Majesty The Queen on reaching their platinum anniversary. The couple, originally from Bolton, met on a rambling weekend in Derbyshire in 1947, shortly after WWII veteran Harry had left the Navy. They tied the knot in 1950 and had two children. Their family now live in America, where one grandson has followed in Harry’s footsteps by joining the Navy. The home arranged for an afternoon of classical music with other residents and staff to help celebrate the day, along with bubbly and cake.

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CARINGWEEKLY

Colliery disaster survivor celebrates 100th birthday THE son of one of the 266 miners killed in a major disaster at the colliery where they both worked has celebrated his 100th birthday with a socially distanced party at the care home where he now lives.

Albert Rowlands was a 14-year-old lamp boy at Gresford Colliery when his father was among those who perished in the explosion at the pit on September 22, 1934.

He is believed to be the last living survivor of the tragic day that shocked the whole country.

Only six of the colliers climbed out through the choking smoke and dust, away from the raging underground fires that consumed their workmates.

The victims included Albert’s dad, John Rowlands, a Royal Welch Fusilier who had won the Military Medal at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War, whose tally or name tag was left hanging on the hook in the lamp room.

Albert, who is now a resident of Pendine Park’s Gwern Alyn Home in Wrexham, left the pit and went on to have a remarkable career which included a stint working at the world-famous Carlton Club in London.

It was there where he met a domestic servant called Maire from Tipperary in Ireland who became his beloved wife and the couple went on to have six children.

Manager Cindy Clutton said: “Albert is a popular and much-loved resident and very quickly settled into living at Gwern Alyn. He’s

Scheme launch

enjoyed a remarkably full life and to be perhaps the last survivor of the Gresford Colliery disaster is amazing.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for everyone, residents, staff and relatives and I can’t thank enough the loved ones of our residents for their support and understanding through what have been unprecedented times.

“Our priority has always been to protect our residents and keep them safe.

“It was lovely to be able to organise the party with his family, albeit socially distanced and with face masks on. It was fantastic to be a part of the celebrations to honour this truly remarkable man.”

During the early days of the Second World War Albert raced to put out a fire at the nearby home of the mega rich Guinness family after a German incendiary bombed crashed through a skylight.

After being called up, he initially

joined Royal Army Services before transferring to the Military Police and for much of his time in the Red Caps he was stationed in Italy.

Following the war, Albert worked for a while at a factory making chloride batteries before he and Maire went to live in Johannesburg in South Africa for 10 years to be near their children John and Ann who had emigrated there.

But they went to live in Spain and later returned to Wrexham after Maire suffered ill health.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant the family has been unable to see much of Albert who’s being living in lockdown at Pendine Park.

They came together once again for a socially-distanced outdoor tea party to mark the momentous milestone of his 100th birthday.

Among those who attended was his daughter, Patricia Oldham, a retired Wrexham accountancy firm receptionist.

Look at your insurance renewal early and check your options

By Simon Bentley LAST week Caring UK Weekly published an article by Mike Padgham around the issues he had with his care insurance renewal.

For those of you who missed it Mike paid £10,000 last year and was offered £98,000, £41,000 and eventually settled at £18,000 this year – an 80 per cent increase.

Without knowing the circumstances around claims, CQC reports, and any additional physical or environmental factors, and any issues around Covid19 it is hard to comment on specifics.

As you will all know Covid-19 is not limited to the UK, it is a worldwide issue and is having a resurgence in many countries at the moment.

Insurers also are not purely in the UK and as such they have exposures both beyond the care sector and also outside of the UK. Care in the UK is a sector which was not forcibly closed and, as such, did not have the same insurers protections as other business in the UK, who you may have also heard have not always had the cover they thought.

In addition to the potential cost

Simon Bentley

from Covid-19 insurers like many business are faced with increased costs in terms of regulation and claims from other factors such as floods, liability changes and lower returns from investments.

One source suggested that floods, which had been classed as a one in 100 years, are now possible to be one in three years.

One of the big insurers in the UK care sector was recently downgraded to offer less security.

The chances are that you are going to face an increase in insurance this

year.

It is also likely that cover for Covid19 claims going forward will be restricted or removed.

Our advice is still to look at your insurance renewal early.

If you are not sure when it is check and start to look six weeks before you are due, speak with a couple of brokers and see what options they have available to you and obtain quotations.

One major factor for insurers at the moment is the CQC report, which for some is an issues as you are unlikely to have been inspected in the last few months.

If your report is Requires Improvement or Inadequate you may have a bigger issue as some markets are no longer looking to write cover for anything less than Good.

Make sure you have your action plan available and add commentary so that your chosen brokers can fight your corner.

If you find yourself reading this and wanting help, please call us on 01273 977221 or email info@phoenixsrs. co.uk n Simon Bentley is a director at Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions.

HEALTHCARE Management Solutions has launched a partnership with a wellbeing expert to support staff who are working from home due to Covid-19.

The collaboration with coach, mentor and physical trainer Alex Myers has seen the launch of HCMS90 – a three-month programme to help, support and encourage staff to achieve personal goals, maintain their physical and mental fitness, and keep up their energy levels.

The programme will be delivered through video conferencing facility Zoom and the company’s intranet portal.

Staff’s all-round wellbeing is core to HCMS’s philosophy, and it is determined to help employees adapt to working from home, which is becoming the norm for a large part of the UK’s workforce.

Vicky Cutter, HCMS HR director, said: “Engaging Alex’s skills and expertise to launch HCMS9 means everyone can stay connected and achieve some personal goals.”

Charity support RESIDENTS at HC-One’s Northview Lodge care home in Sunderland have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of their local community throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout lockdown the home has been the recipient of multiple donations, ranging from personal protective equipment to hampers of food and toiletries.

And the residents decided they wanted to give back after they have given them so much.

Manager Patrick Morley said: “I am so proud of the residents and team at Northview Lodge. Despite these trying times they have continued go the extra mile.”

A discussion was had surrounding other vulnerable communities within the are,a and something close to the hearts of the residents s homelessness.

The home has always donated its Harvest Festival leftovers to the church for its soup kitchen, so has a history of donating to homeless charities.

Centre Point is a charity that looks after people from 16-21 who are homeless.

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