Care South Take 5 October 2022

Welcome to Take5

It’s been a long, hot summer and it was so nice to be able to meet once again and to witness first-hand the amazing activities and events that have been going on around Care South.

The summer started with a wonderful celebration of the life of service that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had devoted to our country over 70 years, and ended with our farewells on her sad passing in September. I can see from this edition of Take5 that we have all been busy making great memories, and enjoying much ‘food, fun and friendship’. Our Field of Flowers project across the homes produced some spectacular results – some of which you can see on pages 4-5.

We are in the good position of having all but one of our care homes and Care at Home offices rated as ‘Good’, or better, by the Care Quality Commission. This is especially pleasing given the very difficult circumstances that you have all experienced over the past couple of years, and continue to experience as we head into the winter. The economic climate ahead of us looks challenging and we are well placed to meet those challenges.

Our recruitment pipeline remains healthy and we have welcomed many new starters over the recent months, all of whom seemed to have settled in well. We continue to see many staff return to Care South, having tried something different. Don’t forget our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme, which could mean that you not only earn £500 but also get to work with a friend!

We are still investing heavily in all our care homes and Care at Home offices, and I was delighted to see the recently completed new specialist dementia gardens at Fairlawn, Buxton House and Kenwith Castle. Our programme to refurbish lounges, dining rooms and residents’ bedrooms continues. We are pleased that every staff room has now been refurbished so that you have somewhere comfortable to relax and enjoy your work breaks.

Construction of our new care home, Marjorie House in Poole, is now well underway and due for completion in early 2024. We had hoped that this might have been a bit sooner, but works were delayed for eight weeks whilst we had to accommodate a young family of seagull fledglings!

The temporary move of residents and staff from Queensmead to Castle Dene has now become permanent, given that everyone seems so settled at Castle Dene.

It is that time of the year when we ask for your suggestions for grants under the Chairman’s 2020 Fund, supporting local good causes that support you, your care homes or Care at Home offices. I look forward to receiving your applications by 31 October 2022!

Our HEART values remain very important to us all, and I know these values are ever present in all your hard work and in everything you do to keep residents, Care at Home clients and each other safe. Thank you.

Care South rated as one of the top care home groups in the UK

We are delighted that residents and their families have rated Care South as one of the ‘Top 20 Care Home Groups’ in the UK in the 2022 Care Home Awards.

“Being named as one of the Top 20 large care home providers is down to our frontline care staff in all our homes and offices,” said Simon Bird. “It is always good to receive so many endorsements from residents, their families and friends who have taken their time to recommend us and praise the amazing and compassionate care being provided by all our staff.

“We really appreciate all of you who have gone to such great lengths to make our residents’ experiences in later life the best that they can be. We think our care homes provide fantastic ‘Food, Fun and Friendship’ to all residents in our care. It is good to see that others think so too!”

The Care Home Awards recognise the top care home groups based on reviews from residents, relatives and friends on carehome.co.uk.

Amanda Hopkins, Reviews Manager of carehome.co.uk, said: “It is a massive achievement to be named as one of the Top 20 care home groups in the UK by residents and their families. Our awards, which celebrate the excellent care given by care home groups, show Care South provides excellent care throughout its homes and we would like to congratulate you on being a top care home group!“

A VIP birthday celebration

Stan, a football-loving resident at Wickmeads, enjoyed a very special 100th birthday celebration with a VIP visit to AFC Bournemouth.

Former professional footballer Stan, who played in the 1940s and 1950s for clubs including Brockenhurst FC and Sway FC, was treated to a guided tour of AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium with Assistant Club Secretary and Club Historian, Neil Vacher. Staff and residents at Wickmeads also threw a garden party for Stan, which was attended by many of his friends and family.

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Chairman’s 2020 Fund donates to Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

Simon Bird has presented charity partner, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, with £3,000 as one of the beneficiaries of the Chairman’s 2020 Fund.

The Chairman’s 2020 Fund has the aim of ‘supporting Care South’s Friends’ and was established to benefit Care South employees, voluntary organisations and community groups that work with our care homes and Care South at Home offices.

A Moment with Maggie

We are always very thankful for all the hard work and commitment from every member of staff across the business.

With the current market challenges, I would also like to acknowledge and give a huge thank you to all those staff that have remained loyal to Care South over a period of time.

In January 2020, we improved our loyalty policy so that we are able to recognise anyone who has achieved three years plus service with the Company. For each service milestone, those eligible can expect to receive recognition in the form of a £50 voucher (20 and 25 years are via payroll), to treat themselves or family, along with an additional day’s leave to boost their holiday entitlement in that year!

Number of Value of Additional holiday years’ service award (in anniversary year only)

3 £50 1 additional day’s holiday

5 £50 1 additional day’s holiday

£50 1 additional day’s holiday

£50 1 additional day’s holiday 20 £500 1 additional day’s holiday 25 £500 1 additional day’s holiday

Congratulations and thank you to all those who have achieved milestones in September: Eveline Vass (Alexandra House), Hazel Tilsed (Alexandra House), Iona Birzu (Wickmeads), Paris Coombes (Care at Home Bath & North East Somerset), Annette Hambleton (Fairlawn), Jacqueline McKenna (Care at Home Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), Nigel Lees (Head Office), Shanna-Rose Carlo (Head Office), Andrea Guest (Care at Home Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), Dan Banks (St Ives House), Fran Skirth (Head Office), Sarah Hill (Head Office) Terri-Ann Banks (St Ives House), Bill Elliott (Alexandra House), Jackie Berry (Sussexdown), Tim Clarke (Dorset House), Ben Warner (Buxton House), Jo Powell (Care at Home Somerset), Vanessa Pearce (Alexandra House) Sharon Berry (Talbot View), Jane Moxom (Care at Home Somerset) and Fay Fowler (Care at Home Somerset).

aggie

Maggie Searle, Director of HR and Training

Remembering HM Queen Elizabeth II...

At Elizabeth House, residents produced this amazing collage portrait of The Queen with their Field of Flowers.

Residents at Alexandra House designed and made this beautiful, flower-filled tribute to the late Queen.

Residents at Kenwith Castle had a great time taking part in the activity and family members were able to join in the fun.

At St Ives House everyone joined in the fun and produced some colourful, stylish flowers.

Residents at Talbot View put together this spectacular picture board memorial to The Queen.

Creatively decorated flowers at Beauchamp House!

Residents at Dorset House were joined by children from Muddy Boots nursery for their Field of Flowers project.

...with fields of flowers, food, fun and friendship

Our Field of Flowers project brought smiles to the faces of everyone at Queensmead at Castle Dene

Buxton House residents created some personal flowers that they then planted into their newly-built garden!

Wickmeads got the local community involved with flowers made by children at Twynham Church.

Fremington Manor residents ‘planted’ their flowers in the lawn and enjoyed some beautiful late summer sunshine whilst admiring their work.

At Maiden Castle House, residents decided to make these fantastic sunflowers with personal messages for Ukraine, dedicated to ‘hopes of the future’.

Sussexdown marked the Battle of Britain anniversary with a delicious lunch and their own personal fly-past!

At Fairlawn, residents enjoyed flower arranging with real flowers!

Fern Brook Lodge residents enjoyed a fun trip to Compton Abbas Airfield.

Care South welcomes...

New Property Manager welcomed to the team

Tom Cousins is Care South’s new Property Manager, responsible for seven of Care South’s homes.

Tom is working closely with the operations team to make sure all projects and maintenance are carried out safely and to a high quality.

Tom joined the company from a large housing association and he’s confident that his knowledge and experience will add value to the team and help improve the services offered at each home location.

Buxton House welcomes Simon to the team

Simon Lewis has joined Buxton House as its new Maintenance Operative.

Simon joins the home from the hospitality industry and is embarking on his first role in care, which he is really enjoying.

Simon’s role means he needs to ensure all repairs are carried out in a timely and professional manner, and he has been delighted with the support he has received from every member of the team.

Jordan is our new Desktop Support Technician at Head Office

Jordan Warren has joined the Head Office team to support with all things IT.

Jordan is responsible for processing all new starters across Care South and ensuring that everyone has access to what they need.

He is delighted to be joining the Company and is looking forward to playing his part in helping us all provide exceptional care.

A fond farewell to Sarah from Buxton House

Sarah Howkins, Kitchen Assistant at Buxton House, has retired after 18 years of service with Care South. Head Chef, Nick Wrightson, pictured here with Sarah, made a special ‘Q’ cake for the occasion, filled with questions frequently asked by Sarah – which made everyone laugh.

Sarah has been an asset to the Buxton House team and has always put residents first. We wish her all the best for her well-earned retirement.

Sarah Hill celebrates three-year anniversary

Regional Operations Manager, Sarah Hill recently celebrated her three-year anniversary with Care South and, in recognition of her hard work and commitment, was rewarded with £50 and an additional day’s holiday. Congratulations Sarah!

We are pleased to have launched our new loyalty award scheme which sees our team members gain additional holiday depending on the number of years’ service and receive a bonus, which increases to £500 when team members hit the 20-year milestone.

Details of the scheme are in Maggie’s column on page three and we look forward to recognising and rewarding everyone.

Key dates for your diary

It’s almost here!

With December on the horizon, it’s time to start start thinking about the activities you’re planning for residents for the festive season, including visits to local markets or Christmas fayres.

If you have any great ideas for Christmas activities, such as crafts, competitions or memorable activities, we’d love to hear about them!

Other memorable days to watch out for:

Halloween – 31 October

Bonfire Night – 5 November

Armistice Day – 11 November

Remembrance Sunday – 13 November

World Kindness Day – 13 November

Shortest Day of the Year (winter

Update from Aaron

This month we’re celebrating being named as one of the top 20 care home groups in the UK.

This is a momentous achievement and one that we are all very proud of. But we never like to rest on our laurels and we’re always looking ahead to new initiatives that will take us from being good to great when it comes to helping support residents and their families.

We want to evolve and improve so that we continue to be one of the leading care providers.

That’s why we are launching ‘Person Centred Care Plan’ training across all our services, with our Deputy Home Managers as the ‘champions’ of this. One of their key responsibilities will be the implementation of these care plans and we’ve developed a training package and provisional dates, which we will share with you soon.

We will be looking for resident representatives in each of our homes, and our Regional Operations Managers and Home Managers will be working closely to identify potential residents and establish key roles and responsibilities to support this.

We are also planning to launch ‘champions’ in every residential service and will initially be focused on those in infection control, falls and nutrition.

We look forward to sharing updates on these and even more initiatives in the coming months.

Aaron Whitehead, Director of Residential Care

Anagram Corner

Can you untangle these tricky anagrams?

All these words can be found on the pages of this issue of Take5. The first five correct entries drawn out of the hat will each receive a £30 voucher.

DEFPRISHNI

TERSDO SOHUE

SHACTRISM WOXNUSSDES

NELWELAHO RIBFONE TINGH

CAVNICES

It’s Take5 quiz time!

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Family fun with AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust

Alexandra House was delighted to open its home for a special family fun day with the AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust team.

Residents were joined by family and friends, including many grandchildren and great grandchildren, for a fun day of sports in the garden. Everyone took part in football-themed activities including football skittles, football skills tests and throwing competitions. There were plenty of goodies for everyone, including scarves, football shirts and AFC Bournemouth clocks.

Sussexdown cycle challenge update

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A huge well done to Activities Lead, Emma Mitchell and the Sussexdown team for completing their 200-mile cycle ride to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society for World Alzheimer’s Day!

The team completed the mammoth journey in what was supposed to be 20 hours in an amazing 12 hours and raised £100 for the charity – well done team Sussexdown!

Take5 Photography Competition

We received lots of fantastic entries for the photo competition and have picked an outright winner for this edition. Congratulations to Robyn Trent from Dorset House for this beautiful sunset shot of Poole Harbour from Studland. Robyn will be receiving a £30 voucher!

Update from Care South at Home

The summer heat is now a distant memory, the nights are drawing in and I can see Care South at Home staff readying themselves for the winter season which will soon be upon us.

It has been a busy period with some challenges but also many positive developments. I was so proud of our teams during the heatwave – their focus was entirely on our clients by continuously looking out for their health and wellbeing. The financial climate has impacted everyone, but especially domiciliary staff who travel by car to visit clients – I do hope that the recent increased mileage rate has helped.

Bex Symes, Rahul Gohulan and I continue to work across the Care South at Home offices – we particularly enjoy meeting staff in the coffee mornings. It’s clear from my conversations that you are benefitting from regular meetings, supervisions and training but also that we still need to grow and develop our teams to meet the increasing demands for social care. In many ways, we have fared better than most providers, but I do appreciate that in some of our areas, attracting new staff remains a challenge.

The nights are drawing in and we’d love to see your autumnal scenes or fun images from upcoming events like Halloween and Bonfire Night. Just a reminder, we need high-resolution images for your entry to be processed. If you are taking them on an iPhone, please send at one of the highest size settings. Send your photos, along with your details and a title for your shot to take5@mckennatownsend.com

Wickmeads

‘Gives Back’

As part of its ongoing ‘Wickmeads Gives Back’ initiative that has been running this year, the home was delighted to link up with local charity, Hope for Food. The challenge – to collect as many Bags for Life as possible, as the charity’s stocks were running low. Family, friends, residents and staff collected almost 50 bags, which the charity will use to help distribute items to people in need.

I am pleased to confirm that the final phase of modernisation of our services is now underway, with clear benefits for clients, staff and Care South. In the next month and through to January 2023, we begin the phased roll out of EveryLife PASS which is an Electronic Care Planning system – replacing CellTrak. From February, we will then replace our rostering system with PASS roster giving us all a fully integrated, much improved system.

The introduction of PASS will improve the frontline experience, safety, quality and management oversight – and make us more future-proof. Full training will be provided – we want to take everyone along with us in this modernisation drive. The PASS interface is designed with care staff in mind and we have already tested it with some of our most experienced front-line staff – in fact some have joined the roll out team. Very positive!

We have now successfully transferred all five Care South Assisted Living developments into Care South at Home and are working to enhance and develop these services. 2023 will see us open our first community shop and café at Kenwith Gardens and Meadows Assisted Living services in north Devon!

Thank you – stay safe over the coming months and keep on doing a great job.

Martin Ross, Director of Care South at Home

Lewis’ Tofu Katsu Curry

Why not try this deliciously-different, meat-free Katsu curry recipe – serves four.

For the curry sauce:

3 finely chopped shallots

1 finely chopped carrot

2 chopped cloves of garlic

1 tin thick coconut milk

1 tablespoon cornflower

2 tablespoons clear honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:

For the tofu:

1 block of extra firm tofu

4 tablespoons cornflower

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon curry powder

200ml of vegetable oil

Take5 minutes with

Lewis Welsh, Head Chef at Sussexdown

What made you decide to become a chef?

It stems from when I started out as a 17 year-old kitchen assistant. I was working with a classically trained chef and seeing him cook so proficiently stirred an interest in me and made me want to be just as good. I was 21 when I had my first restaurant position as a Commis Chef. When I was promoted to Chef de Partie it really fuelled the fire inside me. I was taught everything from how to bake bread, to spending days making a jus, creating brownies and curries and even smoking duck! One of the highlights of my career was cooking for my very first wedding – the bride told me it was the best meal she had ever eaten!

How do you plan and create your menus?

The key is that the food is fresh and homemade – we do not buy in ready-made or frozen food. The menu is drawn from dishes I have cooked in the past, both in care home settings and restaurants. I visit residents and check their likes and dislikes to ensure they are catered for – and I’m always open to ideas for new dishes they’d like to try.

1. Cut the tofu into cubes, place on kitchen roll and let it rest for 30 minutes while you make the curry sauce

2. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a pan – add the shallots and carrots. Cook for five minutes on a high heat

3. Add the garlic, curry powder and ginger. Cook for a further two minutes

4. Reduce the heat, pour in the coconut milk and the cornflower. Cook for around ten minutes, stirring occasionally

5. Add in the honey and the soy sauce. Continue to stir

6. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth

7. Now prepare the tofu by mixing the cornflower, paprika and curry powder in a bowl

8. Add the dried tofu to this mixture and coat the tofu thoroughly

9. Put the 200ml oil into a frying pan. Shallow fry the tofu until golden brown

10. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and place onto a double piece of kitchen roll to drain

11. Gently add the tofu to the curry sauce

12. Serve with fluffy rice, a wedge of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh coriander

What are some of the favourite dishes at Sussexdown?

We have a lot of fans of the classic Sunday roast and the hand-battered fish on Fridays is certainly a hit. Another dish everyone likes is chilli con carne. I was told recently that the spicy heat was just right!

How do you organise and run a busy kitchen?

I firmly believe that it’s important not to raise your voice or buckle under pressure. There are many ways to keep structure and flow in the kitchen and a successful service is a calm and relaxed one. We work a day in advance so that all the preparation is done. It’s also important to me that all the kitchen staff feel supported. I want every member to be aware of the timings, but most importantly, I want them to be happy. At the end of each day, we debrief as a whole team and discuss the following day’s menu.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy working with others to share ideas and a passion for cooking. I love to create things and perfect them so it’s really fulfilling for me when I see improvement in dishes and our approach in the kitchen. Seeing something on a plate that you have spent hours creating that is thoroughly enjoyed by residents is one of the things I love. To quote Marco Pierre White: “Perfection is lots of little things done well.”

Spot the object

Take5 winners

Congratulations to all our winners from the summer issue!

Joy Stephen from St Ives House won our Take5 quiz and will receive a £30 voucher. Congratulations Joy!

Karen Andrews from Fern Brook Lodge, Penny Acreman from Care at Home West Dorset, Kamila Stutwa at Alexandra House, Kirsten Wareham from Castle Dene at Queensmead and Nigel Lees from Head Office all completed the spot the difference, and each of them will receive a £30 voucher.

Also receiving a £30 voucher for correctly guessing the anagrams are Madison Walton from St Ives House, Natasha Sandom from Care at Home Somerset, Stephanie Pearce from Care at Home West Dorset, James Silverton from Head Office and Tabitha Wright from Dorset House

Our spot the object winners were Caroline Burgess from Head Office, Julie Parkes from Talbot View, Rebecca Stretch from Care at Home Somerset, Sally Howard from Dorset House and Scia Fernandes from Fairlawn. A £30 voucher will be with you all too!

Summer quiz answers

The answers for the quiz in our summer issue of Take5 were: 1. Vitamin D 2. Home & Away 3. Red wine 4. Tennis 5. Great White 6. Spain 7. Shoe 8. Sun protection factor 9. Stonehenge 10. Fresh fruit (summer berries)

Z X C V B N M L K J H O G C H A R L E S

G F R E S H F D D S A C Q W E R T Y U I P O I E U Y T R E F G T J B G F D E T P T C V B V N H R D F R O S T R W L X S R S C V F S I W R H R S B X F R E O Q A F E L I Z A B E T H Z X E C V B N C H J Y V A S X D B F W G D E R H B C R A A R C R P L M J L I J S N T V H Y T D L N D E A W S F T A H F R S R Z D R G N U O M L H Z X D F C C V G N U N Y D E W T I I E V B G E S K F W D Y S D Y E P W R T Y B Q N E T D B S R E T T Y D X I C E I N R Y M D S S E V A E L Z W T H C B N T H A R U G H J R K V B F F W D G E T Y E N T Z T X V B R M L K J H L F H R Q W P T I X U D G J Y N H F R H G A D E S G M J O R A S F Y T R E F H G D B V N J K O L N A S D F G H J K Y T R E W D O C F C H K Y E N D O R S E M E N T U I O U D G H J C F T Y H B N J U I A W A R D D R V G H