MONEY SAVING UPDATES
Level
Reduce agency spend with on-demand pay
Agency staff are less reliable and more expensive and with one in 10 care jobs now unfilled, recruiting isn’t easy. With the average care employee working 31 hours a week, care providers require more staff than other industries to fill the same number of shifts and the average care home would only need each member of staff to work one extra shift every three weeks to eliminate their demand for agency staff.
On-Demand Pay is an employee benefit that allows staff to access their income as they earn it, without impacting provider cashflow or payroll processes. By rewarding hard work instantly, you incentivise shift uptake because people are far more inclined to work for a more immediate reward. This motivates staff to pick up more hours and has reduced the number of unfilled shifts by 62% for some providers – even if the actual rate of pay is the same. In fact, combined with its ability to attract staff and halve staff turnover, it can significantly reduce your agency spend in a matter of weeks. These benefits explain why many of the biggest providers and the NHS already offer it and if we want to compete as an employer, we have to offer the same benefits!
For more information email hello@levelft.com or visit www.careengland.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2024/01/Level-One-Pager-3.pdf.
Richard Ayres, Care England. Email: rayres@careengland.org.uk
At times, we need to spend a little to make savings. Below are five ways where very significant savings or return on investment can be achieved to solve some of the most critical challenges faced by care providers, namely workforce recruitment and retention, increasing care fees from public funders, wastage and freeing up care workers' time delivering care to a higher standard. These five solutions offer either significant savings, increased efficiency, or increased fees.
CareCubed
A consistent approach to streamline negotiations, build strategic relationships and deliver positive outcomes
CareCubed is the national care costing tool used by over 500 providers and 60% of councils to benchmark costs and create a fair and sustainable care market. Care England has negotiated a sizeable discount for care providers on behalf of the sector, to access a transformative solution that delivers immediate and significant financial benefits.
This tool is used by a diverse range of care providers to help understand costs, provide a benchmark updated to reflect real-world changes and give providers and commissioners a consistent ‘common currency’ to work in an effective and transparent way. CareCubed streamlines discussions, opens-up opportunities to develop new services and creates a fairer and more sustainable market.
Ensuring a fair price is crucial for both care providers and commissioners and we encourage all providers to adopt and engage with the tool as a consistent national framework to ensure sustainable care fees.
For more information and to access the significantly discounted pricing. Please visit www.carecubed.org/careengland.
Waterless
Eco-innovation in patient hygiene
Waterless, a pioneer in sustainable healthcare solutions, recently launched the world's first 100% biodegradable shampoo capable of transforming hygiene practices in the healthcare sector, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional non-recyclable shampoo caps used for bed-bound or mobility-impaired people. The product offers a convenient, rinse-free solution for hair washing and significantly reduces the time to deliver personal care to residents.
The Nilaqua Shampoo Wrap is manufactured in the UK and is entirely crafted from biodegradable materials. It is a sustainable alternative, providing the convenience and effectiveness of traditional shampoo caps while addressing environmental concerns.
The process significantly reduces carer time with personal care and eliminates the need for additional water or rinsing.
Waterless is committed to leading the change, providing other time-saving, quality, eco-friendly and cost-effective products to save carers time with personal care.
All products are available from Care England distributors. For more information and to purchase directly visit www.norinse.co.uk or review the full product range online at www.waterlessltd.co.uk.
Keenan Recycling
Significant savings through food waste
Recycling food waste significantly reduces costs and environmental impact. Segregating waste reduces contamination, decreases landfill costs and enhances recyclability. Anaerobic digestion plants play a crucial role in converting food waste into renewable biogas, preventing methane from being released from landfills, and yield a nutrient-rich fertiliser that enriches soil and replaces chemical alternatives, supporting a circular economy and reducing carbon emissions associated with transporting chemical fertilisers.
Algeos
Innovative pressure care products from Levabo
Danish pressure care expert Levabo has expanded its pressure ulcer prevention range to include a new automatic lateral turning system, which helps reduce and avoid the risk of pressure issues and speeds up healing and recovery. The system increases comfort and healing and significantly reduces the time associated with repositioning, freeing up time for staff to perform other tasks and activities.
The Turn All fits any standard bed with a removable mattress and was developed to support clinicians and carers in the regular turning of immobile patients with minimal disruption.
Supporting the body along its entire length, the Turn All utilises a 30-degree lateral positioning to relieve tissue compression and restore blood flow.
Furthermore, a five-degree opposing lift counteracts shear, a tissue injury that can occur when the tissue between the bone and subfloor is displaced.
Available from leading lower limb and pressure care distributors Algeos, Turn All is the latest in a range of innovative pressure offloading products for people at risk of developing pressure ulcers.
To find out more about the range of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment products from Levabo, visit http://bit. ly/3tJTcyA or call 0151 448 1228.
Businesses can cultivate a healthier environment and reap substantial financial rewards from recycling food waste of up to £19,000 per annum for a 70-bed care home. The removal of food waste lightens general waste bins, leading to less frequent collections and reducing costs incurred from overweight charges. Experience shows that when businesses actively segregate waste, they gain a clearer understanding of the waste produced, empowering proactive measures to reduce it. Keenan Recycling is the only national food waste collection company and is on a path to Net Zero by 2030, decarbonising its fleet with alternative fuels and providing clients with detailed waste data analysis essential for maximising cost savings.
For more information, please visit www.keenanrecycling.co.uk or contact info@keenanrecycling.co.uk or 0800 644 6618.
