The Carer #78 May/June 2025

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WILL THE GOVERNMENT HEED THE SECTORS CALL?

Welcome to the latest issue of THE CARER, where once again we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for adult social care.

Our lead story this edition centres on a joint statement from over 100 of the most influential voices in the sector, urgently calling on the Chancellor to invest in the future of adult social care ahead of the upcoming Spending Review.

It is a stark and sobering message—one that we at THE CARER feel compelled to amplify.

The statement warns of deepening pressures, with real fears of care providers being forced to close services, refuse new care packages, or reduce frontline staff. The ripple effects on residents, families, and the NHS could be profound and irreversible, and follows analysis from the Health Foundation which estimates that an additional £3.4 billion a year would be needed by 2028/29 to avoid adult social care services from declining.

As we report, the numbers speak volumes: rising inflation, increasing care demands, and new cost burdens like Employer National Insurance changes have created what many are calling a perfect storm.

Without urgent and substantial funding, the system risks being pushed beyond its limits.

But what is equally clear—and what shines through this powerful collective statement—is that the sector is ready to lead.

Ready to partner. Ready to build a stronger, more sustainable system that meets the needs of today and safeguards the future. All we ask now is that Government meets us at the table with the same urgency, vision, and respect.

VE DAY 80 – THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE STORIES

On a brighter note, I want to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible readers and care homes across the UK for your overwhelming response to our VE Day 80th anniversary supplement.

When we put out a call inviting you to share your celebrations, reminiscences, and stories from residents who lived through May 8, 1945, we were truly touched by the response. The memories, the photographs, the tales of bravery and resilience—they were nothing short of inspirational.

Thanks to your contributions, we were proud to produce a 30-page digital tribute, which you can see on our website www.thecareruk.com It stands as a powerful reminder of the strength, courage, and community spirit that define this sector—then and now. I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

WEBSITE:

Published by

Editor Peter Adams

Sector Unites in Urgent Call for “Significant Social Care Funding”

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

Adding that despite the best efforts of councils, care providers, the voluntary sector and the workforce, “we all know that adult social care is not operating at its best.”

“People who have cause to draw on support know that best of all. Report after report shows the consequences of under-investment over many years – on people, families, communities, businesses and other public services.”

The signatories are also urging the Government to work with them as equal partners to bring about long-term reform.

"We are ready to collaborate to build a care and support system that enables everyone to live the life they want to lead," the statement declares.

On 11 June, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her first multi-year spending review settlement as chancellor, and the first from a Labour government since the 2000s.

Pressure is already mounting on the chancellor as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that estimated net borrowing of £20.2bn in April - higher than the £17.9bn forecast by economists and the fourth highest April total on record.

WARNINGS AMID MOUNTING COSTS

While the recent Budget announcement of up to £1.3 billion in additional funding for local government was welcomed, sector leaders say it falls far short of what is required to keep adult social care afloat— particularly in light of new financial burdens introduced through changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions (ENICs).

According to the Local Government Association, these changes alone will impose a staggering £1.77 billion in additional costs on councils—£628 million of which is specific to adult social care.

Add to this rising inflation, increases to the National Living Wage, and demographic pressures, and the sector is left grappling with over £2 billion in unfunded costs in the coming year.

SECTOR ON THE BRINK

The consequences of underfunding could be devastating. New estimates from the Care Provider Alliance paint a grim picture:

73% of providers may be forced to refuse new care packages from councils or the NHS.

64% anticipate having to reduce staff numbers.

76% expect to cut staff training and resources.

22% of providers may shut down entirely.

Charitable organisations, many of which provide critical support ser-

vices, also face potential collapse due to a combination of ENICs costs and reduced local authority funding.

"Some closures will leave a permanent scar, even if funding increases in the future. The brunt will be felt by people who use, deliver, and manage care."

A

CALL TO SEE CARE AS INVESTMENT, NOT EXPENSE

The joint statement urges the Government—and specifically the Treasury—to recognise adult social care not as a cost centre, but as a vital component of the UK’s economic and social wellbeing.

The sector:

• Supports adults of all ages to live independently.

• Contributes £68.1 billion to the national economy annually.

Sustains an unpaid carer network whose efforts save the state £184 billion per year.

Maintains the NHS’s operational flow, particularly vital during winter pressures and efforts to reduce hospital backlogs.

"Without social care, the NHS simply cannot function efficiently," the coalition states.

HOPE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND REFORM

Despite the stark warnings, the tone is not one of despair but of determination. The organisations reaffirm their readiness to collaborate with the Government on both emergency measures and longer-term reform, including through the upcoming Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.

They are also calling for cross-party cooperation, framing adult social care as a non-partisan issue that affects individuals, families, and communities across the UK.

“We must seize this moment to lay the foundations for a resilient care system—for today and for generations to come.”

ADDITIONAL £3.4BN NEEDED EACH YEAR

The joint statement follows new analysis from the Health Foundation which estimates that an additional £3.4 billion a year would be needed by 2028/29 to avoid adult social care services from declining.

Released ahead of the Spending Review, the Foundation said that this is the bare minimum required to prevent a further deterioration in services and to signal the government’s commitment to improving social care. Anything less than this risks more people going without the care they need, a decline in the quality of care or a higher burden on unpaid carers.

The analysis comes as the Casey Commission begins its review of adult social care, which aims to set out recommendations for longerterm reform.

The government’s terms of reference state that the Commission’s interim recommendations must work ‘within the fiscal constraints of Spending Review settlements’.

The Health Foundation has called on the government to use the Spending Review to signal its commitment to improving adult social care by providing enough funding to shore up services.

The analysis estimates the funding required to meet social care needs over the next decade as we live longer and to improve people’s care. It estimates additional funding that would be needed under three scenarios:

£3.4 billion to meet the growing demand for social care and cover rising costs to employers in 2028/29. By 2034/35 this rises to £9.1bn

£6.4 billion to meet demand, cover rising costs, and improve access to care in 2028/29. By 2034/35 this rises to £12.7bn

£8.7 billion to meet demand, cover rising costs, improve access, and boost pay in 2028/29. By 2034/35 this rises to £15.4bn

Beyond investing in the current system, more fundamental reform is needed, including funding reform to provide people with fairer and more generous state protection against care costs.

The Foundation has also published new analysis of current and historical spending on adult social care. It finds that social care has seen a funding boost since the pandemic, following a decade of cuts and stagnation. Despite this, real terms spending per person on social care was 2.6% lower in 2023/24 than in 2009/10, after adjusting for population ageing.

TOUGH DECISIONS

Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy at The Health Foundation, said: 'The fiscal outlook means tough decisions for the Chancellor at the forthcoming Spending Review. Decades of political neglect mean the social care system is a threadbare safety-net, with too many people falling through the gaps.

'The Casey Commission aims to set out a plan for social care reform, but the government’s timeline for the Commission risks more fundamental changes being ducked or delayed, despite problems in the sector being well known, so we encourage the Commission to bring forward proposals for reform as soon as possible.”

“The Spending Review is a chance for the government to signal its commitment to improving social care by providing a down payment on the investment needed for reform. This would help people get the support they need, ease the burden on unpaid carers, provide a fair wage to care workers, and support the NHS.'

Providers Unite – Campaigning to Protect Care Home Sector from Existential Threat

Ali Willoughby – Associate Director in Colliers’

A STORM BREWING?

Recent changes to National Insurance and other rising operational costs have prompted actors within the care home sector to set up a campaign called Providers Unite. Its purpose is to lobby the government to give greater priority to the sector when many operators are faced with the possibility of not being able to fulfil care contracts, threatening the viability of a significant number of small and medium-sized homes.

Industry experts estimate 8%-10% increases in staffing costs will necessitate fee increases of around 5%, which can be passed on through cross-subsidisation in homes with a mix of private and statefunded residents (but will presumably result in even bigger fee increases for privately-funded residents). Smaller homes which focus to a greater extent on local authority fees will be particularly affected. According to the OBR it is estimated these extra costs amount to £800 per employee per annum.

Providers Unite is a new pressure group set up to raise awareness of the growing social care crisis in the UK, and a National Day of Action was called in late February, urging the Chancellor to reverse the National Insurance increases. 118 Members of Parliament have formally endorsed the new organisation formed by Nadra Ahmed CBE, Katrina Hall and the Board of the National Care Association. A survey conducted just before the Day of Action reported that 47% of 570 care providers would be handing back contracts to local authorities or integrated care boards due to funding pressures. So far 4,500 the campaign has 4,500 signatories in support of its aims.

The House of Lords tabled amendments to overturn the NI ruling, but to no avail – and the social care sector looks set for yet another blow to its finances and morale as the system has failed to address current and long-projected demographic change.

Nadra Ahmed explains the raison d’etre for Providers Unite: "We fully support the long-term goals of improving adult social care, but immediate action is essential to prevent more people in our communities from having to fight for the care and support they need. That is why

Providers Unite was formed and why we held the first rally at Parliament, enabling over 3,500 sector advocates to voice their genuine concerns about the impact of National Insurance changes, on top of years of funding pressures.”

“Providers Unite members welcome continued discussions with Treasury and DHSC colleagues to identify practical solutions that protect both the sector and the people it serves.”

A member of the campaign added: “This isn’t about noise, it’s about real change rooted in purpose, powered by those who live and breathe social care every day. We need accountability over chaos. Parity over power."

CONSEQUENCES FOR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Care home real estate is a significant business – total UK values reached £26.2billion at end of year 2024, compared to £22.2billion in March 2023. However, operational markets are only viable if the service they provide can continue, and the sector is faced with significant harm inflicted on many providers, especially those reliant on council funded placements which already struggle to reflect the true cost of care.

Worst case scenario? A slew of homes may be forced to close, destabilising the sector having corresponding adverse effects on the care home market. There are currently 16,566 care homes in the UK employing approximately circa. 1.59million people looking after 441,479 residents and non-residents - 51% (226,319) of these are funded by local authorities [source: carehome.co.uk & skillsforcare.org.uk] - suddenly the 47% statistic from the Providers Unite survey looks very ominous indeed.

The cover image of the March 2025 issue of Care Markets magazine is that of a pulverised orange above the caption ‘The squeeze on price’, with a full-page grab quote two pages later from William Laing, the Executive Chairman of LaingBuisson, the main provider of market intel for the sector: “This discrepancy between council and private payer prices can’t continue, but it’s difficult to see how it can be resolved.”

Essentially, the social care sector is facing a perfect storm of a range of cost hikes (i.e. National Living Wage pay increases which concertina up through the grades), and rising energy costs in 24/7 facilities. The imposition of NI increases could well be the last straw for a significant number of providers who simply cannot meet all financial expectations as well as future-proof premises which were not designed for easy C21st net zero conversion.

And that’s not all… a survey of the County Councils Network found 85% of rural authorities are in a worse position that before the Autumn Budget and recent local government finance settlements, which is likely to result in further cuts to services and a further whittling away at sector resilience.

SO WHAT IS THE CURE FOR THE CARE SECTOR?

Mike Padgham, Chairman of the Independent Care Group – a nonprofit organisation supporting the sector across Yorkshire, said: “For me, the answer lies in creating a national care service. Not a nation-

alised system that removes the independence of providers, but a unified, national organisation that gives social care and health equal footing. One that values and supports care in the same way it does healthcare.

“We could learn a lot from how GPs operate within the NHS. They’re independent, self-employed professionals, yet they function within a stable national framework. That structure gives them clear expectations, financial security, and professional respect—something the social care sector sorely lacks. But structure alone won’t fix the system. To truly raise the status and sustainability of social care, we need to back it with fair and consistent funding.

“This also means setting a national rate for care services. Too often, providers are forced to negotiate wildly different fees with local authorities, creating a postcode lottery and constant financial strain. A single, fair rate across the country would bring greater stability—and respect—for the work we do.”

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that in mid-2022 there were 1.7 million people aged 85 years and over, making up 2.5% of the population. By mid-2047, this is projected to nearly double to 3.3 million, representing 4.3% of the total UK population. There will be many more of older age by 2047, in part because of larger cohorts from the 1960s now being aged over 80, as well as general increases in life expectancy [source: Office of National Statistics]. Perhaps these are the most important numbers in this article.

For more information about Providers Unite and to sign the petition visit - www.providersunite.co.uk or email info@providersunite.co.uk.

Alternatively contact Ali Willoughby on alison.willoughby@colliers.com.

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• They can be bought as seen or refurbished and sign-written to your own requirements.

• Fully serviced, new mot & warranty

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Calls To Give Care Workers A £2,000 Pay Rise To Help Tackle Workforce Crisis

The government must set aside £1.5bn* so more than half a million care staff in England receive a £2,000 pay rise and more workers can be recruited to this under-pressure sector, says a report published by the Fabian Society earlier this week.

Negotiations are currently under way between ministers, employers and unions to establish a fair pay agreement in adult social care in England. This aims to improve pay and conditions to tackle the growing workforce crisis.

The report, Seizing the Opportunity, has been supported by UNISON, the largest union in social care. It calls for a higher minimum wage in care to be set at a rate that most healthcare assistants doing clinical tasks should be paid at in the NHS (currently £13.17 an hour*). This would deliver a pay rise for more than 600,000 low-paid care staff.

Low pay rates mean care jobs aren’t sufficiently attractive to many jobseekers, so employers are struggling to recruit staff to fill the 120,000 vacancies in care homes and other support services in England.

Changes being introduced in the government’s immigration white paper mean care companies will no longer be able to recruit from overseas. This makes it all the more urgent that the care sector increases its appeal as a career destination for UK workers.

Seizing the Opportunity sets out the advantages a fully funded fair pay agreement could bring to care employers, staff, people needing support, their families and the public purse.

The report suggests there would be many advantages to establishing a higher minimum wage for care workers. For a start, it would mean a pay rise averaging £2,050 for over 600,000 care staff.

If care jobs attracted similar salaries to those of healthcare assistants, it’s likely an extra 90,000 workers could be attracted to the sector and around 27,000 fewer care staff would leave their jobs each year.

This could save employers around £163m a year in recruitment costs, according to figures in the report. Currently, one in ten care worker roles is vacant and three in ten staff left their positions in the past 12 months.

With fewer workers leaving care, and more recruits joining, the quality of care would improve, and more care packages become available, making a huge difference to the lives of so many families.

But the report shows that neither the local authorities commissioning care, nor employers in the sector, can afford to absorb the cost of the increased wages that will result from the fair pay agreement.

The Treasury would have to find the £1.5bn for funding the wage increases. But, says the report, the public purse would be better off to the tune of £600m because of a higher tax take and lower spending on benefits. There would also be a positive impact on the NHS. More care staff and better social care support would mean fewer people admitted to hospital and quicker discharges, freeing up beds and lifting pressure on the service.

The extra wage costs could be funded by increasing tax on private health insurance to match the rate of VAT and by reducing the tax-free pensions lump sum.

These measures combined would raise between £1.8bn and £2.8bn per year, with the additional revenue coming largely from the wealthiest in society, says the research.

Joe Dromey, general secretary of the Fabian Society and co-author of the report, said: “The treatment of the social care workforce is a national scandal. Care workers deliver vital support, yet they face poverty pay, chronic insecurity, and have few opportunities for progression.

“The fair pay agreement has the capacity to transform social care. Through delivering a much-deserved pay rise, it would tackle the workforce crisis, improve the quality of care, and narrow inequalities.

“The ambition of the fair pay agreement must meet the scale of the workforce crisis in social care. The government must seize this opportunity and deliver a bold and fully funded fair pay agreement.”

Christina McAnea, UNISON general secretary, said: “Raising wages in care is the first step to turning around this beleaguered sector.

“Care work is highly skilled, as anyone with a relative in care knows only too well. But it’s paid as if it’s a low-skilled job. That’s why too few people want to work in the sector and employers have become so dependent on staff from overseas.

“Raising wages in care is going to cost money, but it’s a price well worth paying. For too long, governments have got away with funding care on the cheap. This has helped create the current crisis, which is harming the NHS, failing the people who need care and leaving many families struggling to cope.

“Until care wages rise, the sector will never be able to recruit the staff needed and those gaps in the workforce will increase as the UK’s population ages. Care work is tough, and people can earn more delivering parcels or making coffee on the high street.

“But by finding the cash to fund wage rises in care, the government will be showing it’s serious about transforming the sector. This will go down well with the public and help create the promised national care service the country needs so desperately.”

Leading with Compassion and Conviction

It is not groundbreaking to say that good leadership across the care sector is pivotal in delivering high-quality care that patients and residents can depend on. However, it should be recognised that different settings and team members require different leadership to ensure the best outcomes, and in a sector under immense pressure every day, that can be very challenging.

Ultimately, good leadership is grounded in authenticity. To be genuine with teams across an organisation engenders a sense of collaboration that can't be matched. But additionally, good leaders demonstrate deeper levels of empathy, commitment and bravery. A good leader must be able to put themselves in the shoes of the people they work alongside and the people their organisation is helping; they must be committed to whatever is needed to achieve the best outcomes and they must be brave to make decisions, some of which may not be pleasant, to ensure high standards of care and provide an environment where teams can thrive.

However, there is a difference between good leadership and management.

Management is process-driven, whereas leadership is about people, demonstrating genuine compassion and putting opportunities in front of people to allow them to develop. It’s the ability to set a vision, energise a team, and create a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, and motivated to contribute. Both management and leadership are essential in a successful organisation, but they serve different purposes, and we need to balance the two.

A POSITIVE WORK CULTURE

The heart of any organisation or business is its people. Creating a positive work culture across an organisation that develops its staff is something we are very proud of at Healthcare Management Trust. We believe that investing in our teams’s learning and development is key to not only empowering our teams to grow both personally and professionally but to enhancing the quality of care we provide to our patients and

By Dr Nichola Stefanou, Chief Executive Officer - Healthcare Management

residents.

This is best demonstrated by Natasha Leslie, manager of our care home in Bromley. She has been with us for over two years and has progressed through different roles to now lead the team. She has been instrumental in various improvements across the facility, including the use of new monitoring technology to reduce falls and improve decision-making. Under her leadership, Coloma Court has flourished, achieving an outstanding CQC inspection.

Good leadership inspires others to grow to become leaders themselves. Investing in teams today empowers them to become the leaders of tomorrow.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Care organisations are complicated. There are many different layers of personnel with different backgrounds, all coming together in a pressurised environment. Staffing shortages, regulatory changes, and the emotion of care are all part of the landscape.

Clear, two-way communication is imperative to ensuring the organisation moves forward and delivers high-quality care. Communication is about connections, and when people feel connected to you as a leader, it unlocks so much potential. When teams are encouraged to contribute ideas, identify problems in a safe environment and suggest solutions, they feel part of the wider organisation, which breads a sense of ownership. This collaborative problem-solving not only leads to more practical outcomes but also builds morale and team cohesion.

Under HMT, we have both hospital sites and residential care homes, each with their own individual requirements. Over the past few years, we’ve implemented new communications tools to integrate our health and social care staff to bring them together and share best practices and successes, resulting in improved care across all sites.

At any level, leadership in the care sector is a profound responsibility. It demands a blend of vision, compassion, and capability. By focusing on communication, fostering connections and a positive and collaborative culture, empowering our teams to make decisions, and embracing challenges, we can ensure the care sector is not just somewhere where people go to work but where people are valued and inspired to deliver quality care every day and take opportunities to develop themselves.

Celebrating 60 Years of Care at Historic North Wales Home

A historic home in North Wales is celebrating 60 years of caring for older people.

Hillbury House was built in 1864 on five acres of land on the south west of the city of Wrexham for local businessman John Bury. It became a care home in 1965 when it was taken over by the Catholic Order of the Sisters of Nazareth who ran it until 2005 as Nazareth House when it became part of the Pendine Park care organisation founded by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill.

Pendine Park is now celebrating its 40th anniversary but Hillbury has been looking after Wrexham people even longer and has a unique history of its own, according to Mario.

He said: “It was built in 1864 for John Bury who was well known locally and was one of the founders of the Wrexham War Memorial Hospital.

“In building the house they dug into a Bronze Age burial mound and found a number of artefacts which were given to the Wrexham Museum.

“Gill and I were looking for somewhere to open a care home in 1985 because we wanted a place suitable for our elderly grandparents which would provide the level of care we wanted for them.

“A property in Llandudno was set up but it fell through at the last minute and Gwern Alyn became available in Wrexham which was another of the areas we were looking.

“Converting Gwern Alyn into a care home was the start of the Pendine story and choosing Wrexham was the right decision for us.”

Gwern Alyn is next door to Hillbury which became available in 2003 and opened under the Pendine banner in 2005.

Both care homes are run by manager Cindy Clutton, who began her own career in care in 1982 aged just 15, working at weekends and in the school holidays at Nazareth House, as Hillbury was then called.

She said: “My mum was there and she had always worked in care and I went there when I was still in school and I enjoyed it so when I finished school I went on to take a YTS - Youth Training Scheme - in care and started with Clwyd County Council in their home at Wren’s Nest in Rhosddu. “I joined Pendine in 2000 at Gwern Alyn and they took over Nazareth House and I became acting manager of Gwern Alyn and Hillbury and the rest is history.

“Mario had encouraged me to my Level Five management course and gave me the support I needed

Social Care TV

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Accredited by CPD, training with Social Care TV is quality assured, comprehensive and relevant.

As one of the leading online training providers in the health and social care sector in the UK, they supply training for local authorities, recruitment agencies, care home groups and other health and social care organisations.

Their feature-rich Manager platform has further been enhanced this year with the introduction of several new Manager tools designed to aid with compliance, reporting and trainee management. Features now available include:

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and I’ve been at the two homes ever since.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a challenging job but it’s also very rewarding when you see the residents all smiling and happy.

“I still love coming to work each day.”

Mario: “We started with 14 residents at Gwern Alyn and now we’re up to 440 at our nine care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon.

“Later this year we will welcome our 6,000th resident and at the same time we employ 864 people and what we do supports the NHS.

“Four decades on and Pendine Park has become a very, very important community asset for Wrexham and 10 years ago we opened Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon.

“We were the very first in the UK to deliver what in those days were NVQs – National Vocational Qualifications – although the skills you need as a carer are not something everyone can do and you don’t really learn them at a college.

“It’s about empathy and emotional intelligence and you probably either have or don’t have that by the time you leave primary school.

“So many people can’t do it or won’t do it but these are very important skills and it’s a sad indictment of our society that they’re so undervalued.”

Mario and Gill are both passionate about the arts which have become a “golden thread” running through daily life at all their care homes.

They became the first care organisation in Wales to employ an artist in residence and 30 years later the person they appointed, Sarah Edwards, is still their working with them as a consultant, along with a musician in residence, a creative practitioner and an army of enrichment co-ordinators.

The couple have also launched the Pendine Arts and Communities Trust which supports a host of community and arts-related activities, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod where they sponsor the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition and the North Wales International Music Festival where they sponsor the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition.

Gill, a chartered accountant, also set up the influential Wrexham Business Professionals group to promote regional prosperity and shine a light on the enterprise and expertise that exists in the region.

Meanwhile, Mario has also found time to become a fearless campaigner for the social care sector, founding both Care Forum Wales, which represents around 500 independent providers, and the Wales Care Awards, to recognise frontline care workers.

SCTV regularly release new and updated high-quality courses. Previews for all courses can be viewed at: Courses - Social Care TV (www.social-care.tv/courses/course-details)

To enhance their learners' experience further they have created free, comprehensive subject-specific workbooks which were rolled out across all courses this year. This unique addition provides excellent value and a fully robust training package.

SCTV are delighted to have won several awards over the last 12 months including:

• Best Online Health and Social Care Learning Platform’ – Global Health & Pharma Social Care Awards 2024

• ‘CPD Provider of the Year’ – The CPD Awards

• Social Care Training Provider of the Year’ - Corporate Livewire Innovation & Excellence Awards

Gold standard customer service remains a core staple of the business, with expert support and guidance provided via telephone, email and live chat. They place great importance on the training and development of their customer services team to ensure that they continue to

provide a personal, friendly and knowledgeable service.

Their much-loved ‘Care Worker of the Month’ award recognises and rewards the selfless dedication shown by care workers across the UK and they proudly support the Care Workers Charity who aim to advance the financial, professional and mental wellbeing of social care workers.

SCTV believe that high quality training should be accessible to all and offer regular, free courses which include a digital certificate accessible via their website.

The company stands behind a clear mission and set of values which define their ethos and their dedication to both the Care Sector and those within it. These can be viewed at: Mission Statement and Core Values - Social Care TV

(www.social-care.tv/about/mission-statement-and-core-values) Social Care TV are a responsible business, committed to ensuring that their actions have a positive impact on their employees, customers, the wider health and social care community and the environment.

Above all, SCTV consistently strive to make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of those being cared for.

For more information please see: Homepage - Social Care TV (www.social-care.tv) and see advert on the facing page.

Social Care Commission Reforms 'Doomed to Fail'

Unless True Cost of Inaction is Revealed, Say MPs

Parliament’s cross-party Health and Social Care Committee have warned that the Government needs to measure the true cost of inaction on social care, to be able to present a robust financial case for reforms of the system, saying that “without this we fear that the reforms that come out of the Casey Commission will be doomed to failure, leaving everyone continuing to suffer under the current unsustainable system.”

The report comes just days after the formal launch of the Casey Commission into adult social care. Led by Baroness Louise Casey, the independent commission will comprise of two phases which are aimed at leading to the “transformation” of a sector which has long been said to be in need of reform. Low pay for workers, a reliance on unpaid family carers and high costs for those in need of care are among the issues facing the sector.

The Committee’s report cites the lack of official data held by the Government relating to social care and says it believes that the Government does not know what the potential monetary benefits of a reformed system might be and cannot assess which social care reform interventions would result in the highest returns.

MPs fear that reforms will continue to be frustrated by concerns about the expense, unless there is a robust understanding at the centre of government of the cost of doing nothing. They warn that ignoring the cost of the status quo would leave us all continuing to pay “a high price for a failing system”.

MPs want the Government to commission research to fully quantify the cost of continued inaction and call on it to publish data including an annual assessment of the level of unmet care needs for adults, as well as an annually published official estimate detailing how much delayed discharges are costing the NHS.

The Committee’s report sets out how the existing adult social care (ASC) system is not meeting the needs of the population and “the Government and taxpayers are currently paying £32 billion a year for a broken system”.

MPs highlight that this is despite the enormous contribution by unpaid carers, who provide care worth £184 billion a year, "equivalent to a second NHS", and who are bearing the highest cost from failures to reform adult social care.

The broken system is also straining local authorities’ budgets with an increasingly high proportion of spending on adult social care, which MPs state is crowding out spending on other services, such as fixing potholes, keeping libraries open and providing youth services.

The report expresses the Committee’s concern that there is a growing disconnect between where council tax revenue is being spent and what services residents expect to see delivered from their council tax –

undermining trust in local democracy.

MPs also point to the impact of the status quo on the NHS and say that social care reform is an integral part of NHS reforms and cannot be a separate process. The Committee urges Baroness Casey, in her first report, to set out the immediate steps that the Government needs to take to ensure the adult social care sector can play its vital part in the three shifts for NHS reform.

The Committee’s report highlights the social care sector’s potential to drive economic growth, contribute to regional rebalancing, and increase employment, but says that the economy is currently missing out on this potential.

The report finds that every £1 invested in the sector would generate a £1.75 return to the wider economy and that an extra £1 billion spent on social care would create 50,000 jobs across the country.

Stressing the need for reforms, MPs call on the Government to produce a growth strategy for the adult social sector care sector, and say “the Government needs to fundamentally change how it views the social care sector, seeing it as an enabler and talking about it in those terms in the public debate.”

The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP, said: “Successive governments have shied away from implementing meaningful reforms to the social care system. But this is an active choice that is no longer tenable. We are living with a broken social care system. It is not providing adequate care to the people who need it, it is creating ever increasing costs for local authorities and the NHS, and it is putting unsustainable pressure on unpaid carers, many of whom have to leave work to care for loved ones. Meanwhile, many paid carers are living in poverty and needing state support in the form of Universal Credit.

“Inaction, and the current state of affairs, are harming those who need care, the people delivering care, the NHS, local government, the Treasury, and the economy. But there is another side to the coin. The social care sector is rarely, if ever, discussed as a driver of economic activity, but it has enormous potential to contribute to the Government’s wider agenda on economic growth and employment.

“In our inquiry, we heard that an investment of £6.1 billion would provide full economic benefits of £10.7 billion - a return on investment of 175%.

“Alongside the strong economic potential of the sector, it is clear that the Government has to reform social care, if it is serious about making the NHS fit for the future. While social care is a vital public service in and of itself and should not be valued only for how it supports the NHS, the two systems are inextricably intertwined, and one cannot be reformed without the other.

“In order to achieve this, the Government needs solid data. Our inquiry has found that there is currently a severe lack of granular, numerical data on many aspects of the social care system. The Department of Health and Social Care needs to commission research on the costs that the NHS and the wider economy are bearing as a result of failures in adult social care. Unless the Government measures the true cost of inaction and can make a convincing case to the Treasury, the recommended reforms that come out of the Casey Commission will be doomed to fail.

“We want this report to change the narrative on social care, and to act as a catalyst for building a strong and long-lasting case for reform. It might seem that reforms will be costly and difficult but continuing with inaction will cost us all more.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England said the Committee has delivered a clear and damning verdict: adult social care in England is reaching breaking point, saying: “This report confirms the reality for millions of people across the country: the adult social care system is under immense strain and will soon prevent individuals at risk from receiving adequate care. Delaying reform until 2028 is simply not acceptable. The urgency of this crisis demands immediate attention - not further delays, while this report is welcomed, it emphasises what we already know. Every day without action places those who rely on care at greater risk.”

“Now the Terms of Reference has been published by the Casey Commission, the time to act is now - the Health and Social Care Committee could not be clearer: adult social care is on the brink. Their warning confirms what the sector has been saying for years - and the consequences of further delay will be devastating. We cannot afford to sit back and wait for the outcome of the Casey Commission before implementing urgent reforms.”

Professor Green OBE added: “We welcome the Committee’s honest assessment of the state of social care, however, this must serve as a wake-up call. The Committee’s report shows we already know what the problems are. What we need is political will and leadership to fix them. The longer we wait, the deeper the crisis becomes - and it is those who depend on care who suffer the consequences.”

"How many more reports, inquiries or commissions need to confirm what care providers, unpaid carers and people who use care services already know? The system is stretched to its limits - and the longer we wait, the more lives are put at risk.”

Professor Green OBE concluded.

To see further industry reaction to the committee's report see page 16.

A Heartfelt Thank You for Making VE Day 80th Anniversary a Tribute to Remember

As the nation marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, we at THE CARER were once again reminded of the extraordinary spirit and resilience of our care sector.

From heartfelt stories to beautifully organised commemorations, your contributions—staff, residents, and families alike—turned a moment of national reflection into something truly unforgettable.

THE CARER put out a call asking care homes to share how they planned to honour May 8, 1945—and as ever, you answered with passion, creativity, and reverence.

The result? A 30-page digital supplement filled to the brim with memories, celebrations, and tributes from across the UK.

Whether it was a resident proudly recalling their service days, a home recreating wartime street parties, or poignant photos of residents holding portraits of loved ones lost or reunited— every single contribution mattered.

Each one was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices, hardships and endurance that defined a generation. A TRIBUTE BUILT BY YOU

As with our previous D-Day and Remembrance Sunday supplements, this edition served not only as a his-

torical reflection, but also as a reminder of just how much our older generations have given—and how much we owe them.

VE Day brought to an end a conflict that devastated much of the world, and while we continue to navigate uncertain times, we are fortunate that its legacy includes 80 years of relative peace in Europe.

Your stories offered humbling insight into that pivotal moment in history and gave new generations the chance to listen, learn, and honour those who lived through it. We could not have created such a moving and meaningful tribute without you.

A special thank you must go to Matt and Charlene in our talented graphics team, who worked “late into the night” to ensure every image, every quote, and every memory was given the space and care it deserved. Their dedication helped transform a collection of submissions into a visually stunning and emotionally rich publication.

You can view the full VE Day 80th Anniversary Supplement on our website at www.thecareruk.com/recommends/veday80, it will be up for a few weeks— we hope you’ll agree it’s a fitting tribute to a moment that changed the world, and to the remarkable men and women who lived through it.

Government Publishes Terms of Reference For Independent Commission Into Adult Social Care

The government has published the terms of reference for Baroness Casey of Blackstock’s independent commission into adult social care. The commission will form part of the critical first steps towards delivering a national care service.

The commission, announced in January, formally began earlier this week with a meeting between its chairwoman, Baroness Louise Casey, and those with lived experience in the sector.

The terms of reference set out that the commission will report directly to the Prime Minister and will be split over 2 phases:

PHASE 1 (MEDIUM TERM)

The purpose of the first phase of the commission is to set out the plan for how to implement a

national care service, a government manifesto commitment. This should report in 2026.

The commission should start a national conversation about what adult social care should deliver for citizens and build consensus with the public on how best to meet the current and future needs of the population. It will consider older people’s care and support for working age disabled adults separately, recognising that these services meet different needs.

The commission should produce tangible, pragmatic recommendations that can be implemented in a phased way over a decade. It will aim to make adult social care more productive, preventative and to give people who draw on care, and their

The commission should seek to understand the current adult social care landscape and identify a commonly agreed picture of the problems faced, before making recommendations for medium-term improvements, building on work being undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The focus will be to support the delivery of the health mission, in the context of ongoing reforms relating to the NHS, local government and the Employment Rights Bill and Fair Pay Agreement for care workers, and deliver tangible improvements for the public with regards to adult social care.

The commission’s work on medium-term reform will be a data-driven deep-dive into the current system. It will focus specifically on existing funding for local authority adult social care services, together with NHS funding for services at the interface of health and care (for example, intermediate care), and whether they are being best used.

It will seek to identify what changes can be made to funding flows and accountability mechanisms to improve quality and productivity. It will recommend reforms that help government to hit the 18-week standard for elective care and deliver a neighbourhood health service – by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and addressing delayed discharges. The commission’s recommendations must remain affordable, operating within the fiscal constraints of Spending Review settlements for the remainder of this Parliament.

PHASE 2 (LONG TERM)

The second phase should then make longerterm recommendations for the transformation of adult social care, reporting back by 2028. This should build on the commission’s medium-term recommendations to look at the model of care needed to address demographic change, how services must be organised to deliver this and discuss alternative models that could be considered in future to deliver a fair and affordable adult care system.

Baroness Casey will lead work fully independently with DHSC as the lead sponsor department and be based in the Cabinet Office.

The commission must also work closely with relevant other government departments, including HM Treasury, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss findings. All relevant government departments will co-operate fully, be transparent and provide all data and analysis needed to support the commission.

Professor Fiona Carragher, Alzheimer’s Society’s Chief Policy and Research Officer, said:

“Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK, making them one of the biggest groups relying on social care.

“Dementia is progressive and there is no cure. It affects people in different ways so it is essential

that care is tailored to the individual. Around 70% of care home residents aged over 65 in England are living with dementia, yet only 29% of care home staff have received any dementia-specific training. This means that in a huge number of cases care home staff are unable to provide the tailored care that people with dementia deserve and rely on.

“Alzheimer’s Society is pleased to hear that Baroness Casey’s Commission is beginning to make progress, and we stand ready to offer our support and expertise. The Commission urgently needs to find solutions to some of the long-standing issues in adult social care such as the lack of dementia-specific training, high staff turnover and a lack of support for unpaid carers.

“People living with dementia must be able to easily access affordable, high-quality social care that meets their specialist needs, delivered by a well-trained and fairly-paid workforce. Baroness Casey must keep dementia front and centre to her Commission – we simply cannot fix social care without fixing dementia care.”

Cllr David Fothergill, Chair of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“Today’s (02/05/25) announcement marks a crucial starting moment in securing the best possible future for adult social care.”

“Positive and meaningful reform of adult social care is something we should all be interested in. At its best, it helps adults live the lives they want, plays a crucial role alongside other public services, such as the NHS, and is a major employer in communities across the country.”

“However, the Commission faces a challenging task, with its work taking place amidst a landscape of budgetary and practical obstacles which must be overcome if we are to build a system we can all be proud of.”

“Crucial to achieving the Commission’s objectives will be drawing on the vast experience of councils, who play an essential role in designing and delivering these services in collaboration with many local partners. Most importantly, the views, experiences and hopes of people who draw on care – and their loved ones – must sit at the heart of this work.

“Key issues the Commission must address include establishing a far greater emphasis on prevention, earlier action and support. Likewise, tackling the recruitment and retention challenges facing the workforce must be a priority. This will require looking at pay, and a fully funded Fair Pay Agreement is part of the solution, but focus must also be given to training, development, and progression for the workforce, with local government’s critical role in the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body clearly recognised.”

“Lastly, while we recognise the Commission’s timescales, we urge the Government to revisit these to reflect the urgency of the situation, and the reality that people and organisations have already waited long enough for real change."

families and carers, more power in the system.

Immigration Ban Will 'Put Lives At Risk And Lead To Care Company Closures '

Care homes will close and lives will be put at risk in Wales as a result of the “half-baked” immigration crackdown on social care workers.

That’s the warning from sector champions Care Forum Wales (CFW) who say the plan to end the recruitment of care staff from overseas will have a devastating impact on care homes and domiciliary care companies – with catastrophic consequences for the NHS.

The announcement by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper came at a time when the sector was already reeling from increases in National Insurance contributions and wage rises, which amount to a 37 per cent hike in costs.

CFW raised the issue as a matter of urgency at a meeting of the Five Nations group, which represents social care providers in Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire, where the condemnation was unanimous.

Both organisations are writing to Prime Minister Kier Starmer and the Home Secretary urging them to reverse the overseas recruitment ban for social care.

Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of CFW, said:

“It really is a half-baked, illthought through idea that’s ignored commonsense for the sake of shortterm political expediency.

“Calling these social care heroes low skilled is an affront. It’s shocking because we’re talking about some very special people who are highly skilled at caring.

“To treat them with such disdain as the Home Secretary has done is an absolute disgrace.

“We live in ageist society where older, vulnerable people are not valued.

“As a result, these social care workers are at the wrong end of the salary scale because of the model that local authorities and health boards apply to commissioning publicly funded social care services.

“It’s particularly damaging here in Wales because most people who need social care – whether it’s in a care home or in their own homes –are publicly funded.

“If you lose 10 per cent of your workforce it’s going to cause major issue because you need so many people.

“Most council jobs are 9 ‘til 5 but social care doesn’t work like that –it’s 24/7, 365 days a year.

“This will inevitably lead to care homes closing and domiciliary care companies going to the wall.

“If you have problems in terms of quality because you haven’t enough staff, you’ll get closed down anyway by the regulator.

“At the very least, domiciliary care and care homes will have to reduce services which will cause a backlog into the NHS.

“It is so counterintuitive. At a time when you’re hitting businesses with a 37 per cent increase in National Insurance to raise £20 billion for

the NHS, the UK Government is harming the social care sector that keeps the NHS going. They are shooting themselves in the foot. It defies logic.

“All of the work we have done over the past 20 to 30 years to professionalise the sector, working in partnership with the Welsh Government and Social Care Wales, they have put a match to it overnight.

“If we were able to recruit sufficient staff locally we would. We certainly wouldn’t go to the extra expense of recruiting international workers. It can cost £10,000 per person.

“All of this is politically driven. It’s certainly not driven by reality. This is knee-jerk politics of the worst kind in an effort to confront a rightwing agenda.

“Things are bad enough now but even more people won’t be able to get into hospital when they need to and down the line it’s something that could cost lives.”

CFW treasurer Sanjiv Joshi was equally shocked and said:

“International recruitment of care workers has been a lifeline for our sector and the NHS as well.

“As we’ve realised since the pandemic, the NHS and the social care sector are totally intertwined and the backbone of both these very vital services are the care workers and we have a very small pool to recruit from in Wales.

“It is absolutely essential that we are able to supplement our domestic workforce with international recruitment.

“It’s ironic that the country has just made huge financial sacrifices with higher taxation to try and improve the NHS and the social care offering and this is going to do the opposite.

“The Government’s claim that not enough is being done to recruit workers from this country is just a false narrative.

“International recruitment has been going on in the social care sector and the NHS for the last 25 to 30 years .

“What happened was that the rules for non-EU recruitment were tightened because we had an EU workforce prior to Brexit.

“The rules were subsequently relaxed because as a result of Brexit and the pandemic we lost a large pool of our workforce.

“Throughout recruitment has always focused on the domestic workforce but our working population is decreasing relative to the growing demands of our ageing population.

“This is making a nonsense of the current rules. If we want to recruit somebody from overseas, we already have to demonstrate that we have tried our best and exhausted the domestic pool of local people and in-country overseas staff.

“We only recruit overseas staff when we have to. It’s a lot more expensive to hire people from overseas so we only recruit internationally when there is no other option.

“The language in calling them unskilled is disgraceful and an insult to our existing workforce when we have been working so hard to professionalise the sector and to raise the esteem of our fantastic staff.

“This unwelcoming approach is going to make our current

overseas staff feel incredibly uncomfortable.

“Without international recruitment, it’s going to be impossible to plug the gaps today and going forward the situation is going to get worse.

“Recruiting international workers for the social care sector and the NHS are going to be essential if we are going to deliver these vital services.

“We always try and recruit locally first, then we look at the overseas pool of people who are already here and only then will we look to recruit from overseas.”

National Insurance Rise Piles Pressure

On Care Homes – Advice For Employers

Staff costs are the largest expense for most care homes –and they have just become even more costly. Ian Pace, partner in the employment law team at national law firm Weightmans (www.weightmans.com), outlines some of the steps care home operators can take to manage this pressure while protecting care standards.

Last month, a rise in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) came into effect – increasing from 13.8% to 15% on salaries above £5,000. For care homes already under financial pressure, this increase has caused further strain, forcing operators to consider how they can manage higher staffing costs while continuing to deliver safe, high-quality care.

Understandably, this has caused concern for care associations, with some calling on the government to exempt social care providers from the National Insurance hike, as it has done for some public sector organisations and NHS hospital trusts.

Many businesses across the UK have responded to current mounting financial pressures by proposing redundancies, but for care home providers that are already battling staff shortages and growing patient demand, cutting jobs is a last resort.

Care home operators may need to explore alternative solutions to manage costs while keeping services running smoothly.

CONTRACT VARIATION EXERCISES

In some cases, care home operators may consider contract variation exercises as a way to restructure working arrangements and contain costs. Unlike redundancies, which reduce staff numbers, contract variation offers the potential to make savings while keeping people in work.

Some employee contracts contain variation clauses, which allow employers to make certain changes to the terms and conditions, such as adjusting working hours or pay – without needing to re-negotiate every detail with staff.

These clauses can offer much-needed flexibility in this challenging financial climate. For example, they might allow for a temporary reduction in hours, a short-term layoff period, or other efficiency measures that help care homes balance their books.

However, the use of variation clauses is not without legal risk. Even where such a clause exists, employers must proceed with caution.

If changes are imposed too quickly or without proper process, employees could bring claims for breach of contract or constructive dismissal. To avoid this, employers must ensure staff understand the purpose of the clause at the point of hire, and that any significant use of it is supported by a fair process and clear reasoning.

HIRING FREEZES

Another cost-control method some care homes may consider is implementing a temporary hiring freeze. This strategy is used by many organisations facing increased employment costs as a way to reduce overall payroll expenditure without implementing redundancies.

In the care sector, though, staffing levels are directly linked to regulatory compliance and resident safety. A blanket hiring freeze may have unintended consequences, especially in homes already struggling with recruitment and retention.

Instead, care homes might apply a more targeted approach by limiting non-essential hires while continuing to recruit necessary frontline

care staff. This can help strike a balance between managing financial pressures and ensuring the home remains safely staffed. WHEN REDUNDANCIES ARE INEVITABLE

For some operators, despite best efforts, the rise in employer NICs may tip the financial balance and leave them with no option but to consider redundancies.

If redundancies do become necessary, it is crucial that care home operators follow fair, transparent and lawful procedures. Failure to do so can result in costly legal claims, reputational damage, and low staff morale.

Any redundancy process must be based on a genuine need and follow a clear structure. Even where only a few roles are affected, individual consultation with each employee is required.

Where 20 or more redundancies are proposed within a 90-day period at one site, the law requires a formal collective consultation process. This involves consulting with elected staff representatives or trade union reps, and providing detailed information about the reasons for redundancies, the roles at risk, and the process for selecting employees.

Redundancy consultations must be meaningful and not a tick-box exercise. Staff should be given an opportunity to ask questions, offer feedback, and suggest alternative solutions, such as changes to hours or redeployment into other roles.

It is also vital that support for affected employees doesn’t end when the redundancy notice is issued. Employers should offer practical help such as paid time off for job searching, access to training, or career coaching. This not only reduces the legal risk of claims but also shows respect for those leaving the organisation through no fault of their own.

Alma Court Staff Conquers Race for Life, Raising Over £1,400 for Cancer Research UK

A team of 14 staff members from Avery Healthcare's Alma Court Care Home in Cannock have raised over £1,400 for Cancer Research UK after completing the Race for Life Pretty Muddy event at Weston Park, Staffordshire on Saturday 17th May.

The team, known as The OTT Girls, was led by receptionist Theresa Faulkner, a breast cancer survivor whose journey inspired her colleagues to join the cause. Theresa’s journey and personal loss served as a powerful motivator for the team as they ran to make a difference for others affected by cancer.

Theresa Faulkner stated, “I feel overwhelmed by the support from the team at Alma Court. I enjoyed the day, and it was so worth it.” In the UK, breast cancer remains the most common form of cancer, with a lifetime risk for women of one in seven.

This challenge served as a reminder of the widespread impact cancer has on individuals and families across the country.

The team received immense support from the community at Alma Court, many of whom shared their experiences with cancer, donated, and offered

Estimated £21 Billion

words of encouragement as the team prepared for race day. Following the run, many residents were amused to see the team return covered in mud. Speaking of the day, Julie Banks, Well-being Lead, said, “The atmosphere was electric from start to finish. I was so proud of us all for completing the race and raising vital funds for Cancer Research.”

“It was a wonderful experience seeing how our team pulled together to raise money for our very own survivor, hero and receptionist, Theresa, and everyone else who has been affected by cancer. You are all worth every step, and Alma Court look forward to raising more money next year.” Stated Natalie Wyles, Deputy Manager at Alma Court.

In total, they raised £1,496 for causes close to their hearts. The Race for Life not only raised crucial funds for a charity but also brought together the home’s residents, staff, and families for a shared purpose.

“I am immensely proud of my team and what they achieved on Saturday. It just shows you what you can do if you put your mind to it,” said Rachel Hammond, Home Manager at Alma Court Care Home, owned by Avery Healthcare.

Required Over Next 5 Years To Digitise NHS And Adult Social Care

Digitising NHS and adult social care services across the UK will require an estimated £21 billion over the next 5 years, according to new research published by the Health Foundation. Of this total figure, £14.75bn is for England.

The independent charity commissioned PA Consulting to assess the investment needed to achieve existing ambitions for digitisation. These include putting in place infrastructure such as electronic patient records, cloud storage, cyber security and Wi-Fi, along with the skills and capabilities to use it effectively.

This research is published ahead of the forthcoming Spending Review and the 10 Year Health Plan which will set out the government’s plans to shift the NHS from ‘analogue to digital’.

In the absence of a publicly available official figure for the cost of existing commitments to digitise the NHS and adult social care, this research is the first evidence-based attempt to provide such an estimate. Debates about digitisation often assume the resources required will be capital spending on hardware and infrastructure costs. But these findings highlight the importance of revenue spending to support implementation, pay for software subscriptions, maintenance, optimisation and other ongoing costs, and, crucially, invest in training and development for the staff using it. And it is important to note that recurring costs will be ongoing beyond the 5-year period that was the focus of this research.

The research also highlights important gaps in publicly available information on the costs and benefits of digitisation.

As part of this research, the Health Foundation has set out three key actions for government and policymakers across the UK, to ensure the NHS and social care services can meet ambitions for digitisation:

1. Set a clear, transformative and durable vision for digitisation in health and social care

2. Support the vision for digitisation with the required funding

3. Develop a plan for realising the benefits of digitisation – including higher quality care, better patient experience, better staff experience and improved productivity.

Director of Innovation and Improvement at the Health Foundation, Dr Malte Gerhold, said: “Ministers have repeatedly stressed the need for health and care services to move from analogue to digital. Our independently commissioned research finds that to achieve the government’s ambitions to digitise health and social care, significant spending will be needed over the next 5 years and beyond.”

“But direct investment in technology alone is not sufficient. The government must fund the change not just the tech. This means investing in and planning for implementation and change to genuinely realise the benefits of digitisation for patients and staff.”

It’s Time To Fix End Of Life Care: Actor Jim Carter Delivers Petition To Westminster

Actor Jim Carter handed in a petition to Westminster this afternoon calling on government ministers to fix end of life care.

The petition, run by the UK’s leading end of life care charity, Marie Curie, has 81,568 signatures and calls for urgent investment into community end of life care services and a strategy for the future of palliative care.

This comes ahead of the release of the 10 Year Health Plan and Spending Review, expected in the next few months. Both present vital opportunities to improve the support available for people affected by terminal illness.

During his visit, the Downton Abbey star also chaired a roundtable in parliament to highlight to MPs and policymakers some of the key gaps in current end of life care provision.

Campaigners and Marie Curie frontline staff took part in the round table, sponsored by James Frith MP, and highlighted services that are overstretched, underfunded and overlooked. A lack of joined up palliative and end of life care is leading many terminally ill people to spend their final weeks stuck in ambulances, hospital corridors and overwhelmed Emergency Departments.

MARIE CURIE’S PETITION IS CALLING ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE AND THE CHANCELLOR TO:

• Establish a ‘transformation fund’ for new, innovative end of life care services.

• Invest in the workforce, with fair pay and better training for those caring for dying people across the NHS and hospice charities.

• Work together on a sustainable, long-term funding plan – so that wherever you live, whatever your illness, you’ll be able to rely on good care right to the end.

These changes would not only future-proof the workforce and ensure more dying people receive the right care when they need it, but also ease the strain on the wider NHS and help the UK Government achieve their ambition to shift more care from the hospital to the community.

Marie Curie Ambassador Jim Carter said: “I’ve been a Marie Curie Ambassador for almost a decade now, and during that time I have been shocked to learn about some of the appalling gaps in end of life care.

“It’s tragic to know so many people are dying in avoidable pain, without the care and support they need – it’s clear that end of life care is in crisis.

“How we care for dying people matters. It matters to us all. The government must sit up and listen, to Marie Curie, and to the tens of thousands of people who have signed this petition.

“They must urgently invest in palliative and end of life care and make it a priority in the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan.”

Marie Curie Policy Campaigns Manager, Frankie Wilks said: “An NHS fit for the future must be fit for dying people too. Right now, that’s not the case.

“Things will only get worse as demand for care increases – it’s estimated by 2048 that 147,000 more people will need palliative care every year. There’s currently no realistic plan by any government across the UK to address this challenge.

“That’s why we’re urging the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to recognise this oversight and prioritise end of life care in the Spending Review and 10 Year Health Plan.

“We all want to have a good death – but that will only happen with government investment in end of life care.”

Doncaster Carer Wins Prestigious ‘Year Of Belonging’ Award At National Activity Awards

A dedicated carer from Doncaster has won a prestigious national award.

Alison Haigh, who works for HICA Group’s Doncaster Homecare service, has been awarded the coveted ‘Year of Belonging’ Award at the National Activity Awards 2025.

The Award specifically acknowledges those who make a profound difference in the lives of others through their commitment to caregiving and activity coordination.

Alison, 55, has been with Yorkshire-headquartered social care group HICA for over 15 years and is known for her hands-on approach to caregiving. Her focus on building meaningful relationships with those she cares for allows them to play an active role in their care. This connection not only helps improve their wellbeing but also encourages greater participation in a variety of activities.

Alison has played a key role in organising activities that bring people together and promote engage-

ment, from festive competitions to creative seasonal events. Terry Peel, HICA Group’s CEO, said: “Alison has been a huge asset to our HICA at Home services, and this award truly reflects the difference she makes in people’s lives. She’s exceptional at building relationships with the people she cares for, making them feel supported and involved in their care. We’re proud to see her hard work and dedication recognised – it’s very well deserved.”

Alison’s win marks a significant achievement for both her and HICA Group, as they continue their mission to provide high-quality, personalised across Yorkshire.

Alison said: “I’m truly honoured to receive this award. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see the positive impact we can have on the lives of those we care for. Building trust and making people feel like they truly belong is at the heart of what I do, and I’m proud to be part of such a dedicated team at HICA.”

Why Improving Brand Accessibility is Crucial for Marketing in the Care Sector and How to Get Started

By Michelle Noel, Strategy Director and Founder at London

Brand accessibility is an overlooked yet powerful aspect of marketing, in which making small changes can significantly increase reach while also making the target audience feel more valued.

24% of the UK population have a disability of some description — almost one in four people. Among the care sector’s target audience, this is likely even higher as potential and existing residents often have access needs, not to mention their spouses, friends or family members.

By breaking down barriers to entry for people with access needs in marketing, design, communication, care homes can not only reach a wider audience, but also demonstrate their commitment to empathising with others’ needs, while also working towards DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) goals.

START WITH SMALL CHANGES

A common misconception about brand accessibility is that it’s a one-off, significant transformation that requires a large budget which care homes often don’t have — this isn’t the case. In reality, accessibility is about starting the journey of taking positive steps to being more accessible throughout communication both inside and outside of the organisation, which can be done through small yet impactful changes.

It can be overwhelming to know where to start with brand accessibility, which is unfortunately a common deterrent, as there are many different types of access needs.

Here are a couple of top tips to help you get started on your journey.

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

This is a simple one to get started with, create your accessibility statement for the website if you don’t have one. The government website has a sample template to use, making this another easy change to implement.

OFFER ACCESSIBLE ALTERNATIVES TO EXISTING ASSETS

If the budget isn’t available to make bigger changes like having a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter on videos, then look at ways to make existing assets more accessible. This could involve turning a video into a blog article using the script from the video. This requires much less effort and budget than reshooting, but still offers those with access needs another way to access the same information. A similar idea could be to

turn a series of social media posts into an email newsletter.

The idea is to offer multiple ways for people to access information — if you can’t make a piece of communication accessible for access needs then provide an alternative way for people to access the information. MAKE INITIAL CHANGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a great place to start with accessibility as there are existing tools built into the platforms. Firstly, ensure that hashtags are in camel casing (a capital letter at the start of each word) as this helps to determine where the different words start. This not only helps the human eye, but also screen readers. Furthermore, put alt tags on imagery so they can be picked up by screen readers and include image descriptions to help those with visual impairments.

Finally, use subtitles on any video content and make sure they sit on a solid colour background (e.g. white text on a black background) rather than using text over imagery, as this can be really difficult for people to read.

SPEAK PLAINLY

Ensure the language used in communications is in plain English, even if it’s medical. Remove jargon and strip it back so the language is simple to understand. This not only helps people with access needs, but also non-native English speakers.

CHECK YOUR BRAND COLOUR PALETTE

Colour and contrast can also be a significant barrier to those with access needs. Studio Noel’s free colour palette checker instantly identifies if a brand’s colour palette meets the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). The results can also be downloaded in a PDF format to share with stakeholders.

LONGER TERM CHANGES TO IMPLEMENT

Undertake an audit of your care home’s brand, website and marketing materials as a whole and analyse how accessible they are. Look at typeface, graphics and logos; is the font easily legible for those with visual impairments? Accessible fonts should have clear, open letterforms and consistent spacing. If this isn’t the case, consider changing the font on the website and for future assets.

Get some initial training for the team to understand the benefits of prioritising accessibility and its core principles to establish buy-in throughout the organisation. Accessibility is not something that can be driven by one person - it needs more people behind it to ensure consistency throughout.

To make accessible guidance easier to implement and roll out, consider creating accessible templates for assets like PDFs, newsletters and brochures so minimal effort is required by team members to make them accessible.

For organisations that want to start their accessibility journey, Studio Noel has a basic guide here which provides more in-depth information about the different types of access needs and an accessibility checklist to follow.

Kailash Manor Celebrates Narsimha Jayanti in Heartwarming Collaboration with Sukh Shanti Group

On Sunday, 11th May, Kailash Manor Care Home warmly welcomed the Sukh Shanti Group for a joyful and spiritually enriching celebration of Narsimha Jayanti. This special event, held in collaboration with the group, brought together residents, their families, and members of the local community for an uplifting afternoon of devotion and connection. This gathering reflects Kailash Manor’s ongoing commitment to holistic wellbeing by embracing both religious and cultural engagement. The Sukh Shanti Group led a vibrant devotional program featuring traditional bhajans and kirtans, performed by skilled musicians on harmonium and tabla, accompanied by soulful vocalists. Their heartfelt performance created a serene, joyous atmosphere, with many residents smiling, clapping, and singing along.

The experience resonated deeply with residents, shared it evoked fond memories and offering a sense of peace, unity, and spiritual renewal.

The pobroll® is the invention of Pat O’Brien, a physiotherapist, Moving and Handling trainer, and Conflict Management tutor with over two decades of experience in care homes and nursing homes

Care home managers often face challenges in delivering intimate care while balancing efficiency and managing costs, particularly when these essential tasks provoke behaviours that can be challenging to safely manage. Traditional methods—especially for bed-bound residents—often lead to lengthy processes and frequent linen changes, driving up costs and consuming valuable staff time. The pobroll® provides a transformative solution that supports dignified care, achieves significant cost savings, and reduces the need for additional staffing.

The pobroll® is an innovative bed-bathing wrap specifically designed to enhance comfort and dignity during personal washing for individuals who require in-bed care. Centred on the resident’s experience, it minimizes distress by providing sensory comfort. Crafted with two layers of high-quality cotton-terry toweling and a waterproof layer in between, it delivers a soothing, calming experience while keeping the bed completely dry. Sized for a standard single bed, the pobroll®’s dual-layer design offers warmth and a sense of security and privacy, allowing residents to maintain comfort and dignity during bed-based bathing routines.

BOOSTING COST SAVINGS AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

The pobroll®'s waterproof design enables caregivers to provide a complete wet wash without the risk of soaking the bed, minimising the need for frequent linen changes. This leads to fewer laundry loads, reducing labour and utility costs, as well as wear on linens. By reducing logistical tasks, caregivers have more time to focus on direct resident care, enhancing productivity overall. Additionally, reduced reliance on disposable wipes results in further cost savings and supports environmentally sustainable practices. With its durable, reusable design, the pobroll® maintains hygiene standards and allows for extended use across multiple residents. As care homes face increased pressure to adopt sustainable practices, the

The Sukh Shanti Group reflected warmly on their visit, stating: “A beautiful Sunday morning spent at Kailash Manor Care Home… it was our first visit here. We felt so warmly welcomed by the staff and residents. So many smiles, so much blessing and kind words. We felt so motivated. We look forward to more visits.”

Payal Chhabra, Support Manager at Kailash Manor, added: “Religion plays a vital role in our residents’ lives, offering comfort, identity, and peace. Events like these bring that connection to life, especially through music and shared devotion.”

This marks the beginning of a valued partnership between Kailash Manor and Sukh Shanti Group, aligning with the care home’s vision to create a nurturing environment where cultural and spiritual traditions are honoured and celebrated - rooted through community, culture, and care.

pobroll® provides an effective solution that supports both economic and environmental goals.

REDUCING STAFFING COSTS AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Managing resident agitation—particularly for those with dementia—often requires specialised training in restraint techniques. The pobroll® significantly reduces the need for physical intervention by providing a warm, secure covering that alleviates resident distress. This gentle approach minimizes aggressive or defensive reactions, reducing the number of staff needed for these interactions. As a result, facilities can potentially lower staffing levels without compromising care quality, yielding substantial cost savings. Additionally, reduced dependence on physical intervention decreases training costs associated with restraint techniques. By simplifying the process of intimate care, the pobroll® reduces the need for specialised training, making onboarding smoother and lowering turnover-related training expenses.

ENHANCING SAFETY, COMPLIANCE, AND RESIDENT SATISFACTION

The pobroll® supports compliance with restraint reduction guidelines, helping facilities minimise documentation burdens and regulatory liabilities linked to physical interventions. This non-invasive solution improves safety for both residents and caregivers, fostering a culture of dignity and respect that boosts satisfaction among residents and their families.

CONCLUSION: A VALUABLE ASSET FOR QUALITY CARE AND COST MANAGEMENT

For care homes, the pobroll® represents a strategic investment, offering measurable savings by reducing reliance on disposable products, lowering laundry and training costs, and enabling efficient staffing. Most importantly, it prioritises resident dignity and comfort, setting a high standard for compassionate, personcentred care. For facilities seeking to enhance financial performance and care quality, the pobroll® is an invaluable addition to their resources. For further information, see the advert on page 5 or visit www.pobroll.co.uk

Social Care Providers

Must Act Now As Immigration Route Closes, Lawyer Warns

Following the government’s announcement that it will close the health and care worker visa route to new overseas applicants, a leading business immigration lawyer from Shakespeare Martineau is urging social care providers to urgently review their existing sponsored workers’ visa statuses.

The call comes in response to the government’s ‘restoring control over the immigration system’ white paper, which was published on Monday, 12 May. The wide-ranging policy document outlines a significant tightening of the UK’s immigration regime, including plans to shut down key recruitment pathways for sectors such as social care.

Calum Hanrahan, legal director and head of the business immigration team at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “We’re advising all social care employers to assess their current sponsored workforce as a matter of urgency.

“With the closure of the visa route for new applicants, the ability to bring in care workers from overseas will disappear almost overnight. There is a limited transition period until 2028 to extend or switch the visas of those already in the UK, and we don’t expect that window to widen.”

Under the proposed reforms, the skill level for sponsored workers will be increased from RQF 3 (Alevel equivalent) to RQF 6 (bachelor’s degree), ruling out the majority of frontline care jobs from eligibility.

Employers will also face a 32% increase in the immigration skills charge and higher salary thresholds, making international recruitment significantly more expensive and less accessible.

The white paper also outlines the creation of a

new temporary shortage list, which will only allow limited, time-bound immigration access for occupations below the RQF 6 level. This list will be tightly controlled, and only applicable where there is evidence of long-term shortages, sector workforce strategies, and commitments to domestic training and recruitment.

Calum said: “These changes represent a major shift in immigration policy. International recruitment has been essential for many care providers, but that model is being dismantled. Those who don’t start preparing now risk significant workforce disruption and the loss of valued employees whose visas aren’t properly managed.”

While the government has indicated it will keep the social care visa policy under review, there is no guarantee any relaxation will follow.

Calum said: “The direction of travel is clear.

Immigration is no longer seen as a long-term solution to staffing shortages. Providers must prepare for a future with fewer international options. Providers must begin planning for a future with far more limited access to overseas talent.

“They can do this by auditing sponsored worker visa expiry dates; identifying workers eligible for incountry visa extensions or switching; ensuring compliance with ongoing sponsorship duties to avoid enforcement risks; and accelerating domestic recruitment planning.

“This is not a time for delay. Without proactive planning, businesses face serious risk – not only in terms of staff continuity but also compliance exposure under a stricter immigration regime.”

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Transforming the CQC – Does The Answer Lie Beyond The English Border?

Keeping Up with the Joneses (and the MacDonalds and the Maguires)

Over the last year, England’s adult health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has suffered an unceremonious fall from grace, marred by severe internal failings and widespread public criticism.

Jenny Wilde and Beverley Jones, senior lawyers in health and social care at Acuity Law (www.acuitylaw.com), delve into recent developments and highlight future transformation opportunities for the CQC.

The independent review led, by Dr. Penny Dash and published in full in October 2024, exposed stark deficiencies in the regulator’s operations, including reduced inspection levels, inconsistent assessments, and a worrying lack of clinical expertise among inspectors. These failings have significantly weakened the CQC’s ability to assess and assure the quality of health and social care services across England.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting responded with frank concern, declaring: “It’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose.” His statement reinforced the urgency of reform to restore public confidence in the regulator.

That urgency was amplified by the revelations of a failed £99-million transformation programme – an expensive misfire riddled with technical issues and a poor user experience, which caused widespread operational disruption rather than progress.

In October 2024, the newly appointed Chief Executive, Sir Julian Hartley, took the helm, inheriting a regulator in crisis. He has since openly acknowledged the CQC had “lost its way” and committed to regaining public trust by rebuilding the organisation’s credibility and performance. Part of that work has involved collaborating with providers and sector leaders, such as the Care Provider Alliance, to map out what a reformed CQC should look like and how it should

behave. The transformation is, at last, underway.

A sceptic (or perhaps a seasoned lawyer) might view these listening sessions as strategic PR, intended to project an image of reform and responsiveness. The real test lies in whether those views are heard, taken on board and reflected in the final product.

But in this moment of reform and introspection, is the CQC missing an opportunity to look outward, beyond England, and learn from its counterparts in the devolved nations?

PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM BEYOND THE ENGLISH BORDER

Each devolved nation has its own regulator: Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland. Lawyers and providers operating across these borders often speak of clear cultural and procedural differences – most notably a more collaborative and constructive approach to regulation.

Take CIW, for example. It has a reputation for working alongside providers, offering guidance on training, promoting best practice, and fostering supportive environments to improve care. Inspectors are more likely to offer concrete advice or signpost resources when concerns arise. Compare that with the CQC’s more rigid model: a tick-box inspection, a grade, and often radio silence when providers ask how they might improve. The CQC’s long-held stance – that it is not there to advise providers – feels increasingly unhelpful in a sector that relies on practical improvement and learning.

Clients have reported that dealing with Care Inspectorate (Scotland) is like interacting with a fellow care provider and there is no “us and them” approach. The Care Inspectorate’s mission is that “everyone in every community, experiences high quality care, support and learning, tailored to their rights, needs and wishes”. The tone is such that “we” (the Care Inspectorate and the care provider) are for the same reason: to help promote a better outcome for people living in care. There is clear collaboration, and Scottish clients are extremely heartened by the Care Inspectorate’s support.

The Scottish regulator also has a “Quality Improvement Team”, which creates excellent resources that are shared on the website and in the weekly newsletters runs. It offers workshops – some virtual, to widen access, some in-person and even provider-specific.

For example, a client reported an increase in complaints, so the Care Inspectorate arranged a face-to-face workshop that was attended by all of the provider’s Scottish home managers, and three other colleagues per home. During the workshop, they discussed the client’s complaints process, gave suggestions on what it could do to make it better, and completed coaching with colleagues. The aim of the ses-

sion was to try and upskill colleagues working on the floor to manage and recognise complaints before they become formal.

English providers can only dream of this type of engagement. Since Ian Trenholm’s appointment in 2018, the CQC has leaned into a model of enforcement, often accompanied by harsh press releases that spotlight failure rather than enable recovery. Of course, action must be taken against unsafe providers, but what if the CQC followed the lead of its neighbours and used inspections as an opportunity to guide, not just judge? What if it embraced a more transparent, less adversarial model?

We’ve seen CIW and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland share examples of excellent care between providers, encouraging dialogue and improvement across the sector. That kind of openness fosters a climate where providers welcome inspection and feedback rather than fear it.

CIW, Care Inspectorate Scotland, and RQIA show that it’s possible to regulate firmly while still being fair and supportive. Their inspectors are present, personal, and pragmatic. And while no regulator is perfect, their approach feels more aligned with the sector’s ultimate aim: improving the lives of those who use services.

There’s a cautionary tale in all this, not just for the CQC, but also for the regulators in the devolved nations as well. CIW has recently adopted a rating system similar to the CQC’s, in an effort to promote transparency and aid customer choice and decision making. However, we hope it resists the temptation to drift into the same trap as CQC: chasing statistics and ratings to justify its existence, rather than focusing on meaningful assessments and sector relationships, and improving outcomes for the people supported.

Regulators that try to win headlines risk losing the confidence of those they oversee. Confidence is hard to earn and easy to lose. And for the sake of the people who rely on these services, it’s vital that regulators inspire partnership, not paranoia.

LOOK OUTWARD, LISTEN INWARD

As the CQC embarks on its transformation journey, now is the perfect moment for the CQC to look to its neighbours – not just for inspiration, but for real, structural learning. There are three alternative models of care regulation operating within the United Kingdom that offer a more human, more effective blueprint. The question is, does the CQC have the humility and courage to take note?

We hope so. Because regulation done well isn’t just about holding services to account – it’s about lifting them up and improving services across the sector.

Care Home Regional Directors Are Named Cook Off Champion

Staff and residents at Hilton Park Care Home in Bottisham are celebrating because their brilliant Regional Directors, Claire Brewer and Isabela Andriuca, from Barchester’s Central Division, have beaten all competition to be crowned Cook Off Champions in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2025.

Not only did they win the Cook Off title but they also scooped the award for the Best Main for their delicious Pan-Fried Salmon with fondant potatoes drizzled with a beurre blanc.

Isabela and Claire went head-to-head with Regional Directors from Barchester’s four other divisions and cooked up a storm to raise over £31,000 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and

Wales. In 2024 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £335,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to 239 small groups and charities, plus 104 individuals in one year alone.

Stepping right out of their comfort zones, Claire and Isabela made a fabulous three course meal for their Cook Off Challenge, plus an afternoon tea item. They started with Wild Garlic Soup served with a poached egg, followed by Pan Fried Salmon for main and they finished with a Sticky Toffee Bread & Butter Pudding with homemade toffee sauce all of which was very well received by the judging panel made up members of Barchester’s Executive team.

General Manager of Hilton Park Care Home, Geanina Tinca, said: “We are all so proud of Isabela and Claire, they really are amazing – is there nothing they can’t do! Their dishes looked absolutely fantastic and they raised so much for the Foundation, we think they are both absolute super stars!

Agincare Welcomes Gainsborough Care Home Investigation Conclusion

Agincare had welcomed the conclusion of the police investigation which confirms that environmental factors, including carbon monoxide were not the cause of deaths at the home on 23rd October 2024.

The death of three residents within a short period of time, whilst profoundly sad, is not unknown in residential care and nursing homes, particularly where residents are living with chronic life-threatening illnesses and their health can decline rapidly and unpredictably.

Two of the residents passed away due to natural causes, and the third as a result of long-term health complications relating to catheterisation overseen by healthcare services.

The impact of the early morning emergency evacuation on 23rd October meant many residents had not yet received their medication, breakfast or other routine care and support. As a result of the distress and disruption, some residents were admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure. This was not due to carbon monoxide, as initially reported.

Within hours, police ruled out the presence of carbon monoxide or any other environmental factors, a conclusion publicly confirmed only when the investigation closed seven months later, on 12th May 2025.

A spokesperson for Gainsborough Care Home said: “We are very pleased that this long and drawn-out police investigation is now closed and that initial concerns about carbon monoxide or any other environmental causes have been discredited and ruled out.”

“The impact of this incident has caused ongoing distress, not only to the families who have had to wait months to discover the cause of death of their loved ones, but also to the residents who were evacuated and displaced.”

“This has also had a profound impact on the care home manager, who was arrested, and her team who have lived under the shadow of suspicion and speculation for seven months.”

“Throughout this incident, within the constraints of the ongoing police investigation, we have kept in contact with everyone involved, and offered to meet with them now the investigation is closed.”

“Agincare’s thoughts remain with everyone affected, and we would like to thank the Swanage Community for their support during this time.”

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Sector Reacts as New Report Warns of Looming Crisis in Adult Social Care

A hard-hitting new report, Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction, released on May 5, has sparked a wave of concern across the care sector, warning that government reforms are “doomed to fail” unless ministers urgently confront the true financial and human costs of inaction.

The report, backed by cross-party MPs and leading industry figures, highlights the deepening crisis facing adult social care in the UK—underscoring chronic underfunding, mounting workforce pressures, and the growing strain placed on hospitals and local services.

The findings suggest that unless meaningful investment and long-term strategy are prioritised, the social care system will continue to falter, with far-reaching consequences for the NHS, the wider economy, and vulnerable individuals.

As the implications of the report ripple through the sector, senior voices from care and public health have issued urgent calls for action.

Below, we share a selection of key industry responses to the report’s findings.

KATHRYN SMITH OBE SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE (SCIE) CHIEF EXECUTIVE SAID:

“Whilst the inquiry could not estimate the full cost that we, as a country, are paying for inaction, the case for change is clear.

“This report provides further sobering confirmation of the deep and systemic challenges facing the social care sector. This evidence is clear: inaction is not an option for the people who rely on care and support, unpaid carers, our NHS and the economy.

“When properly resourced and delivered with compassion and expertise, social care is not a burden on the economy—it is a vital investment in people’s lives and communities. High-quality social care transforms lives, enabling people to live with greater independence, dignity and purpose. Social care done well reduces pressure on the NHS, strengthens community ties, and helps people thrive.

“The social care system may be ‘broken’, but it is not beyond repair. The Casey Commission gives us a real opportunity to get off the merrygo-round of reports and commissions, but nothing by way of lasting change. The Casey Commission has the opportunity to transform the social care sector into a robust, equitable, and efficient system.”

DOMINIC CARTER, CARERS TRUST DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS SAID:

“The committee’s report makes clear that the Casey Commission missed an early opportunity to recognise and value unpaid carers and the need to properly support them. Every day we hear how carers – and the vital services trying so hard to support them – are being pushed to the brink. Things have to change and fast.”

“A lack of support for carers comes at a cost to carers and the taxpayer. A failure to properly fund adult social care leaves millions of carers with no choice but to pick up the pieces of a broken system. Carers, of all ages as highlighted by the Committee, deserve better.”

“It is vital now that Government and Commission both listen and act on the findings of this inquiry.”

DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT THE HEALTH FOUNDATION, HUGH ALDERWICK, SAID:

“Today (May 5) , MPs have laid bare the high price of continued political inaction on social care. Under the current system, many people go without the care they need, staff pay and conditions are poor, reliance on unpaid carers is high, and people face potentially catastrophic care costs.”

“The report comes as the Casey Commission finally gets underway, almost a year after the government came to power promising social care reform. It is welcome that the Commission is taking a rounded view of social care and how to improve it. But we have been here before. Many of the options for reform are well known, and the Commission should build on the long line of previous pro-

posals on fixing the broken system.”

“Politicians have repeatedly promised social care reform, then ducked or delayed the changes needed. The government’s timeline for the new Commission risks history repeating, with reforms not being implemented and people continuing to suffer.

“Louise Casey’s first act was to meet people with lived experience of the current system, so she will have already heard first hand the urgent need for reform.”

“We encourage her to move as quickly as possible to make recommendations to government and hold ministers to account for taking the action their predecessors have dodged.”

“Delivering lasting change will require political will and investment. Next month’s Spending Review is a chance for government to show their commitment to improving social care by providing a down payment on the long-term investment needed for reform.”

EMILY HOLZHAUSEN CBE, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT CARERS UK, SAID:

“This report could not have come at a better time, at the start of the Casey Commission, providing robust analysis of the gaps that need to be tackled by Government. We hope that the Government will also act on its recommendations swiftly and consider the implications for investing more in social care in the forthcoming Spending Review.”

“Carers UK strongly welcomes the report’s recognition of unpaid carers’ role within the social care system, which our research estimated at £184 billion a year, and the huge impact that it has on them when social care falls short. Its recommendation of a dedicated workstream within the Casey Commission to focus on better support for unpaid carers is timely and necessary.”

“Carers UK has consistently made the case for the economic case for social care, looking at how it supports unpaid carers in the workplace, as well as disabled people. Our research has found that an estimated 600 unpaid carers give up work every day in order to care and two thirds didn’t have a choice about providing unpaid care because no care alternatives were available. As the Select Committee reflected, this impacts strongly on families’ incomes, as well as productivity for employers and employment rates.”

“For carers, change and better support cannot come soon enough. Our research effectively shows a health crisis amongst unpaid carers providing very substantial amounts of care and 1.2 million unpaid carers are in poverty, with 400,000 in deep poverty.”

NUFFIELD TRUST DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY NATASHA CURRY SAID:

“Doing nothing on social care is an active choice for governments, but the Committee’s report shows inaction is not sustainable and has severe consequences, not just for people who go without the care they need, but for the unpaid carers who lack support, and for the economy. With social care framed as a positive enabler of independence, quality of life and economic growth, the report strikes a different and welcome tone to so much commentary around social care that frames it as a drain on resources. Our research on social care in other countries such as Japan and Germany stresses that successful reform is possible, but only if social care is given status as a vital part of national infrastructure.”

“Pressures in the system are mounting. Unmet need is high, care worker pay is troublingly low, unpaid carers are inadequately supported, and providers are struggling with costs, particularly following the recent rises to the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions which we estimate will add £2.8bn in additional wage costs in the sector this year. The report also makes clear the consequences of constrained council funding for social care with councils having to reduce other public services. Put simply, the situation is urgent, and reform cannot wait.”

“With the terms of reference for the Casey Commission now set out, there is an opportunity to confront and address inadequacies and dysfunctions in this integral system. The Select Committee echoes messages we have heard from the care sector for years. It urges the government to recognise the vital role that social care, when done well, could play not only in supporting individuals to live the lives they choose but also in supporting the government’s health mission and in fuelling economic growth.”

New Inspection Service Launches To Counter Rising Costs Facing The Care Sector

Care Inspections UK (CIUK), the UK’s only accredited inspection body for care homes, has launched a pay-as-you-go inspection service aimed at helping care homes improve quality, performance, risk management, and regulatory ratings in the face of the increasing costs affecting the social care sector.

To ease cash flow during rising National Insurance and wage pressures, the subscription service offers care homes structured, evidence-based support to navigate compliance challenges effectively. To add to this support, CIUK is offering up to £100 per month off all new subscriptions for twelve months for sign-ups in May 2025.

Designed to accommodate a range of operational needs and budgets, the three-tiered subscription model, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, offers varying levels of inspection frequency, expert guidance, and action plans tailored to each home’s requirements.

Under the Silver plan, care homes receive an annual comprehensive inspection carried out by experienced, accredited professionals. The resulting detailed report includes a full breakdown of every aspect of the care home, along with easy click-through access to relevant standards, regulations, and best practices. An action plan is provided to cover any non-conformances, with ongoing review and support to ensure continuous progress. Homes that meet the required thresholds will be awarded a certification, signifying excellence in care provision. Additional benefits include advisory support before and after inspections, access to exclusive online events and forums for networking and best practice sharing, and participation in CIUK-led publicity initiatives designed to highlight high standards of care. CIUK also guarantees that, by fully implementing all aspects of the action plan, homes will see improvements in their regulatory ratings (CQC, CI, CIW, RQIA), giving providers added assurance that their investment in quality improvement will yield tangible results.

The Gold tier builds upon the Silver plan by offering additional regulatory and commissioning pre-

inspection tools. This deeper level of service helps care providers prepare more effectively for formal inspections, giving them an edge in demonstrating compliance with industry standards. Gold members benefit from an in-depth assessment of their readiness for external regulatory visits, with tailored support that helps anticipate potential concerns and address them proactively. In addition to all the features of the Silver package, Gold subscribers receive a more comprehensive level of preparatory guidance, ensuring that homes meet and exceed industry expectations.

The Platinum package is the most comprehensive offering, providing two inspections per year to ensure that care homes maintain consistently high standards throughout the year. Alongside the core benefits found in the Gold and Silver plans, Platinum members gain access to detailed analysis of inspection trends, helping care homes identify recurring issues and implement long-term solutions for sustained compliance and excellence. Additional advisory support is extended to Platinum members, ensuring they have ongoing expert guidance in regulatory matters, risk management, and quality improvement. This elite tier is particularly beneficial for larger care providers or those undergoing transitions, such as ownership changes or expansion, who require higher scrutiny and support.

Kevin Groombridge, chief executive at Care Inspections UK, said: “Our mission is to raise standards in the care sector by providing accessible, evidence-based support. This subscription model equips care homes with the tools to enhance compliance and deliver the highest-quality care.

With rising costs placing additional pressure on the sector, for only a couple hundred pounds a month, our service offers expert guidance and regular inspections to help providers navigate these challenges. By following our structured action plan, care homes can guarantee an improvement in their regulatory ratings, ensuring better outcomes for both residents and staff.”

See the advert on the facing page for further information.

Global Dementia Emergency: Only One In Five Countries Has A Plan, As Cases Set To Nearly Triple

Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) today warns that the world is heading towards a global health crisis, with just 45 (23%) of the World Health Organization’s 194 Member States having a national dementia plan in place despite unanimously pledging to do so by 2025.

The stark finding appears in ADI’s new report, From Plan to Impact VIII: Time to deliver, released ahead of a crucial vote at the 78th World Health Assembly later this month. ADI is calling on all governments to vote to extend the WHO Global Action Plan on dementia until 2031 and to fund concrete action immediately.

Across the world, someone develops dementia every three seconds. It is the seventh leading cause of death globally and, published forecasts suggest, this will rise to the third leading cause of death by 2030. By this time, 78 million people will be living with dementia at an annual cost $2.8 trillion globally. In $1 bills, that would stack 7 times around the earth’s equator and is equivalent to the UK’s national debt.

“Dementia is more of a global health crisis today than it was in 2017 when the global action plan was adopted,” says Paola Barbarino, ADI CEO. “Not extending this vitally important Global Action Plan would undermine the progress we have made in the past 8 years and limit the potential for governments to stem the tide that is coming.”

Adding further importance to the issue of dementia globally remaining a top priority, the WHO was forced to revise its financial plans this year after the United States, formerly the organisation’s biggest funder, pulled out in January 2025. The US had previously covered nearly a fifth of the WHO’s budget.

“Funding cuts to the World Health Organization are seriously bad news for our movement. Without support for the Global action plan, we would lose a precious tool to advocate on behalf of the weakest amongst us and the leverage to engage with governments productively on the development of their national dementia plans.” Continues Barbarino.

According to survey data from the World Alzheimer Report 2024, more than 90% of carers and respondents from the general public said they would be encouraged to get a diagnosis if a disease-modifying treatment for dementia was available. New disease-modifying therapies and blood-based biomarker diagnostic tools have received regulatory approval in several countries. Despite this progress, ADI says governments globally are not prepared.

“Even with a low target of diagnosing half of people currently living with dementia, the fact is Member States have not reached this target. This means more than half of people living with dementia won’t have access to new treatments, new diagnostics, and to vital care when they become available. National Dementia Plans are crucial to ensure this changes,” Barbarino says.

ADI says that in order to achieve the vision of the Global dementia action plan beyond 2025, countries

must prioritise dementia in local and global agendas and commit resources to its implementation.

“From Plan to Impact data indicates that just 23% of countries have dementia plans – either stand-alone or integrated. Countries with national dementia plans are more likely to meet other key dementia targets, highlighting the importance of formulating robust national responses to dementia,” continues Barbarino.

It’s not all bad news, ADI says. Since its inception in 2017, national plans have been launched in countries of all sizes, from Brazil and China to Qatar and Singapore. Early support from countries such as France and the United Kingdom have ensured a global focus on dementia, and governments including Australia, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands have championed the cause. While progress is being made, ongoing resources are required to support the implementation of these plans and take policy from paper to practice, to deliver meaningful change for those living with dementia and their carers.

G7 and G20 presidencies have elevated dementia, including the Okayama Declaration under Japan’s G20 leadership in 2019 and successive G7 commitments under the presidencies of Japan in 2023 and Italy in 2024.

“There are grounds for hope. Many states have come good on their commitment and developed plans, importantly capturing the voices, experience, and advice of people living with dementia and their carers. This real-world experience is incredibly valuable in designing robust plans”, Barbarino adds.

ADI says that while the Global Action Plan on dementia has not galvanised member states enough to reach targets, it has been a valuable compass since 2017. While the expiration of the Global Action Plan sets a hard deadline, the extension would give governments globally six extra years to make real progress, rebuild momentum, and renew commitment.

Barbarino ends: “Things are starting to change, and the lives of millions of people are in the balance. To lose this momentum would be a catastrophe and to use an extension as an excuse for further inaction, unforgivable. Dementia is everyone’s business. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, dementia remains an undeniable public health crisis that must be addressed head on by governments and civil society, working hand in hand to secure better prospects for people living with dementia, today and tomorrow.”

Alzheimer’s Disease International will launch From Plan to Impact 2025 at the 78th World Health Assembly on 21 May 2025. The event will feature a panel discussion moderated by ADI CEO Paola Barbarino, with senior WHO officials, ministers of health, WHO Patron for Nursing and Midwifery and ADI Ambassador Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al Hussein of Jordan, and Conny Helder, former minister of health of the Netherlands, members of ADI, advocates and other senior ministry officials.

Former Nurses Return To Cambridge Hospital After Qualifying 70 Years Ago

Two Cambridgeshire care home residents recently had their wish fulfilled when they revisited the hospital where they both trained as nurses more than 70 years ago.

Pauline Wayman, 94, and Peri Mundell, 89, both residents at Care UK’s Field Lodge, on London Road, were delighted to return to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to reconnect with their past and see how it has evolved over the years.

Pauline, from Rampton, Cambridgeshire, and Peri, originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, both began their nursing careers at Addenbrooke’s in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Pauline qualified in 1948, the same year the NHS was founded, while Peri trained in 1952, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation. Their paths first crossed in the early stages of their training, with both women sharing fond memories of their time at the hospital.

Pauline went on to become a ward sister in various parts of the hospital and was involved in planning and training in Bloomsbury, London. She recalls that one of the most unusual parts of her career was her involvement in being a planning officer and chief nursing officer, which she never imagined doing. Peri worked as a theatre sister and later became a nursing home Matron. She fondly remembers her

time training with Pauline – and even had the pleasure of interviewing Pauline during her training.

Their recent visit to Addenbrooke’s was an emotional and nostalgic occasion. Both Pauline and Peri had extensive careers in nursing, with Pauline later working with the homeless through the Bloomsbury Health Authority, and Peri dedicating her life to nursing before retiring to care for her husband.

Reflecting on their visit, Peri said, “It was such a wonderful experience to return to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where it all began for us, to reflect on our careers – and it was truly an emotional reunion. It felt like coming home.”

The visit was part of the Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to put their wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new – from flying on a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Linda Martinez, Home Manager at Field Lodge, said:

“Pauline and Peri’s visit to Addenbrooke’s Hospital was such a special moment for everyone at Field Lodge. It was an incredible opportunity for them to revisit a place that was so significant in their lives and careers. Seeing the joy on their faces as they reflected on their time nursing there was truly heartwarming.”

Automeds Pharmacy: Care Homes Trusted Partner in Care and Convenience

Say Goodbye to long lines, chasing down prescriptions or scrambling to find you medications in store!

At Automeds Pharmacy, we’re reshaping the way healthcare is delivered. Serving the South of England with over a decade of expertise, we’re proud to be a distance-selling pharmacy that is truly dedicated to the evolving needs of our patients alongside specialising in care home dispensing.

Whether you’re a care home looking for reliable medication management or are in need of hassle-free prescriptions, Automeds Pharmacy is here to streamline your experience. Our team is specially trained to provide bespoke, efficient medication solutions tailored to your needs.

We partner with a range of eMAR providers, offering flexibility and variety—because every patient deserves a solution that fits just right. From same-day deliveries to bulk dispensing for care homes, we ensure you get the medications you need, when you need them.

We understand that repeat prescription ordering can be a hassle. That’s why our experienced team takes the pressure off our care home staff by handling this process for them. No more wasting time hunting down prescriptions—just more time for what matters most: quality care for residents.

With a daily cut-off time Monday to Friday, urgent items are delivered the same day, so no one has to wait.

As Automeds Pharmacy continues to grow, our mission remains steadfast: to offer tailored medication solutions that make a real difference in the lives of our patients.

We’re not just a pharmacy—we’re a partner in your healthcare journey, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.

package!

The Care Workers’ Charity Publishes The Findings Of Its Care Worker Wellbeing Survey

The Care Workers’ Charity has published the findings of its Care Worker Wellbeing Survey—a powerful reflection of the state of the adult social care workforce, drawn from over 2,000 care workers across the UK. These findings are not just numbers the charity says,—they represent real people delivering essential care, often under relentless pressure. The report offers a snapshot of the challenges facing the workforce. Across every theme—mental health, financial stability, physical safety, and professional value—care workers who participated in the report said the same thing: “they are passionate about their roles, committed to those they support, but they are being consistently let down by the systems around them.”

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

• 10% of care workers reported feeling unhappy or depressed.

• Over one-third said their job negatively affects their mental health, yet only 52.63% felt their workplace provided adequate mental health support.

• 06% do not feel financially secure, and 22.86% have had to rely on food banks.

• 42% had experienced or witnessed bullying, harassment, or verbal abuse—often from managers or col-

leagues.

• 69% are actively considering leaving their roles, and 26.01% would leave as soon as they found another job.

A spokesperson said: “When care workers are experiencing burnout, financial hardship, and a lack of support, it is not only their wellbeing at stake, but the sustainability of the entire care system.”

“We cannot allow this to continue.”

“Care workers are the backbone of society. They deliver essential, skilled, and compassionate support to those who need it most. And yet too often, they feel unsafe, undervalued, and invisible”

“Their wellbeing cannot be an afterthought—it must be the foundation for reform.”

“We welcome efforts to improve conditions in the sector, but these changes must be driven by the expertise and insight of care workers, with their voices sitting at the heart of every conversation, every policy, and every decision that affects them.”

Download the full report here: The Care Workers’ Charity Wellbeing Report 2025

Hamberley Care Homes Pledge Support For The Armed Forces

Hamberley Care Homes is delighted after being awarded the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) and Employer Recognition Service (ERS) awards to homes within the group.

Cambridge Grove Care Home, Fulbourn, and Montague House in Brampton have successfully achieved Veteran Friendly Framework status and are now Veteran Friendly Care Homes.

They are the first of Hamberley Care Homes to obtain Veteran Friendly Framework status.

The homes have also been given bronze status in the Employer Recognition Service awards.

Kathryn Glass is the Veteran Friendly Framework Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter and responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme.

She said: “We’re delighted that Cambridge Grove and Montague House have achieved Veteran Friendly Framework status.

“This is a great commitment to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners.

“This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff at Hamberley Care Homes who are able to access enhanced training and guidance to better engage with the

unique military experiences that their residents and partners have lived through.

“Being a Veteran Friendly Framework care home means that there is an increased understanding and recognition for the veteran community at both Cambridge Grove and Montague House Care Homes.”

Amy Milburn from Cambridge Grove Care Home said: “We are very proud of our armed forces and grateful for the service of our personnel.

“Our team have worked hard to achieve the status from both highly valued schemes, and we are proud to now shout out about our success.”

Juliet Peall Regional Operations Manager said: “Of course, this has inspired other teams within our group, and we hope to expand both of these programmes to other homes.”

The ERS scheme is awarded to employers who pledge to support the armed forces, including existing or prospective employees who are members of the community. It means they must sign the Armed Forces Covenant and be open to employing reservists, armed forces veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.

The Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) supports care homes in identifying veterans and their partners in order to meet their wellbeing needs effectively. It is a free-to-access programme funded by Royal Star & Garter, the Armed Forces Covenant and the Royal British Legion.

A Day in the Life of a Carer at Audley Inglewood

Kerry Head, a carer at Audley Inglewood*, discusses her journey to becoming a carer and the importance of this line of work:

I have worked as an Audley carer at the Inglewood village in Kintbury for over six years now and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I initially left school wanting to work in the travel industry and did so for a number of years, until I had my children and decided to focus my attention on them.

When my youngest child started school, I began looking for a job that would work around school hours and I saw the carer position advertised with Audley Care. Whilst raising my children, I had already been caring for my granny who had unfortunately suffered with both Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. I saw how positive the move into a care home was for her, so I decided to apply to help other families and their loved ones get the support they needed.

As well as working at Audley Inglewood I also support clients in the local community. For the community visits I drive to clients homes located in Kintbury whilst at Audley Inglewood I tend to walk around the village. Day-to-day my role varies and I can do as

much as assisting with personal care and medication or smaller things such as making a cup of tea and sitting with the person for half an hour or so, simply chatting. We know that we may be the only friendly face some people see in a day or even a week, so every moment spent with them counts and is important. For some of the people I care for, whose families live further away, I also spend time speaking to them via email, so they are able to stay in the loop and know how they’re loved ones are getting on. I personally think care is a job that often gets overlooked and can even sometimes, sadly, have a stigma attached to it. I hope people recognise the hard work that carers put into their roles everyday to ensure other families have someone looking after and visiting their loved ones.

In the years to come, I would like to see carers continue to be appreciated for their hard work and with the UK’s growing ageing population, my hope would be that the sector becomes more desirable to others so we can support those who may need it.

‘They Made Our Day Extra Special’: Visiting

Lambs Spread Joy At Dorset Care Home

Four visiting lambs delivered a springtime surprise for residents of a Dorset care home.

There were cuddles and bleats aplenty as Midnight, Trevor, Magic and Bounty delighted their hosts in the lounge of Colten Care’s Castle View in Poundbury.

The young delegation was brought along by Waitress Donna Peck, whose family run a farm north of Dorchester where the lambs were born.

Donna said: “They were welcomed with open arms. The residents loved stroking their soft wool and watching them run around and explore the room.”

Magic was even afforded the chance of a special detour to visit, with permission, some residents in their bedrooms, spreading joy to them too.

Companionship Team Leader Hayley Legg said: “The remaining three lambs continued entertaining everyone in the lounge with their playful antics. It was a heartwarming and lively scene that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

“The visit was wonderful pet therapy, lifting spirits and promoting engagement. Events like these give residents a chance to connect with animals and learn more about the lives of staff outside of work.”

Resident Mary Brayley said: “Donna’s thoughtful gesture made the day extra special for all of us.”

Beatlemania Sweeps New Forest Care Home

The day was a wish come true for resident and fan Amanda

Music fans at a dementia care home in Lymington rolled up for a magical mystery tour on a Beatlesinspired day of fun.

Team members at Colten Care’s Linden House staged the homage to the Fab Four as a 1960s reminiscence activity for residents. It featured live Beatles covers on guitar and vocals, lots of dressing up and props such as Yellow Submarine banner and model of the famous pedestrian crossing shown on the Abbey Road album cover.

who loves to listen to the group’s songs.

Wearing a Beatles T-shirt, she joined fellow residents in a mock-up of Liverpool’s Cavern night spot to

enjoy live renditions of some of the band’s greatest hits.

There were performances from New Forest-based singer and guitarist Nigel Revill, Colten Care’s Music & Arts Partner Fiona Pritchard and Linden House Companion Phil Wilkinson.

Sian Harris, Companionship Team Leader at Linden House, said: “Our residents really enjoyed the day. Amanda was among those clapping and tapping along to the songs and wearing big smiles.

“This kind of reminiscence activity can benefit those who live with dementia as it can reinforce memory recall and act as a prompt for conversations. It was great fun to hear our residents sharing their fond memories of the swinging 60s.”

Why You Can’t Miss The Care & Occupational Therapy Show

The South West’s Leading Care & Occupational Therapy Event – Are You In? Here’s 5 Reasons You Need to Be at The Care & Occupational Therapy Show! On 16th July at Westpoint, Exeter, The Care & Occupational Therapy Show is bringing together the best in the Care and Occupational Therapy industries for a game-changing event. We will be there, here’s why you need to be there too:

�� Unmissable keynote sessions from industry leaders like The Homecare Associations, Care Rights UK, and many more.

and

Show.

�� Networking opportunities with likeminded professionals

�� CPD-accredited seminars and workshops to level up your skills.

Meet

exhibitors showcasing

Swain,

Skip For Carers: Join The Movement Supporting Our Frontline Heroes

This Summer, Dominion Consultancy Group and Black Women in Care is calling on communities across the UK to grab their skipping ropes and skip for a powerful cause.

''Skip for Carers'' is not just a challenge, it's a nationwide movement designed to support the health, wellbeing, and cost of living of over 100 care workers, both paid and unpaid. Your participation is crucial in honouring those who give their all to care for others, often with little recognition or reward.

Carers, whether paid or unpaid, endure physical strain from being on their feet all day, providing care and support to individuals and families. This often leads to a myriad of personal limitations, health complications, and uncomfortable effects, including issues like:

• Leg cramp

Financial strain

• Emotional & mental health challenges

Social Isolation

Exhaustion and fatigue.

Backache.

Plantar fasciitis, Unfulfilled goals

Bunions and corns: and

• Excess pressure on the joints

If you would like to be a part of the Black Women in Care one-millionskips-for-carers challenge, complete the form here: https://tinyurl.com/szx2b658 or please visit: www.skipforcarers.org or email: info@skippforcarers.org and share within your network.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN:

From assisting with grooming and getting dressed to grocery shopping with their allergy in mind, preparing and serving meals at the right time considering patient preference, giving mental and emotional care to supporting patients to their favourite café for coffee or beloved park some fresh air, and making suggestions to family members and healthcare staffs on the care plan ideas, caring for others can be very fulfilling, although it can as well be very demanding; mentally, physically, and emotionally. It involves a deep level of

dedication that makes it more than just a job – it is a profession.

One main issue for carers (paid/unpaid) is the fact that they are either standing all day or walking from one home to the other in order to provide adequate care for service users in their own home, or putting their life on hold taking care fo their loved ones causing a myriad of health complications and uncomfortable effects, including issues like:

The campaign will run from Tuesday, July 1, to Saturday, July 5. Participants are encouraged to either skip or walk in solidarity with carers—doing 100 skips a day or walking 10,000 steps daily for up to ten days. The goal is to do #onemillionskipsforcarers and raise £10,000, with all proceeds going toward supporting care professionals and their families through financial relief, wellness packages, and other forms of support.

What makes this event powerful is its accessibility and inclusiveness.

Everyone is welcome to join—whether you’re a carer or simply a supporter. Participants can participate as individuals, in teams, or with children, making it a family-friendly initiative that builds awareness while promoting health and community spirit.

We will send you a FREE skipping rope for those who wish to make the most of the experience. However, there is an optional donation towards the cause for a participation pack available. It includes a branded T-shirt, water bottle, hand bands, and skipping rope—a physical reminder of the mission behind every step and skip.

The event is part of a growing movement led by Dominion Consultancy Group, an organisation committed to providing excellent training for those who care, and Black Women in Care (BWIC), a group committed to elevating the voices, value, and visibility of care workers in the UK care system. Using the hashtags #oneMillionskipsforcarers #SkipforCarers, #blackWomeninCare, and the campaign is already generating social media buzz as people prepare their fundraising links, group sign-ups, and skipping challenges.

For more information, to join the challenge, or to support the cause, contact: support@dominionconsultancy.com or info@blackwomenincare.com, or info@skipforcarers.org. visit www.blackwomenincare.com.

Chartwell House Achieves Trio of Veteran Care Accreditations

Chartwell House, part of Boutique Care Homes, has proudly achieved Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) accreditation, formalised its pledge through the Armed Forces Covenant, and received the Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). Together, these recognitions affirm the home’s deep and ongoing commitment to honouring and supporting the Armed Forces community—both within its walls and across the wider Broadstairs area.

The VFF, developed by Royal Star & Garter in collaboration with the Royal British Legion and NHS Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, supports care homes in delivering personcentred, military-aware care to veterans and their families. It encourages meaningful engagement, increased understanding, and tailored wellbeing approaches for those who have served. Kathryn Glass, VFF Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter, shared, “We’re delighted that Chartwell House has achieved VFF status. This is a great commitment to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners. This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff at Chartwell House, who are able to access enhanced training and guidance to better engage with the unique military experiences that their residents and partners have lived through.”

At Chartwell House, the principles of the Veteran Friendly Framework are now woven into everyday life. From the earliest stages of enquiry through to ongoing care, Armed Forces status is thoughtfully identified and recorded to ensure each resident’s life story is acknowledged. Personal histories are explored in detail, with wellbeing and care plans tailored to reflect military service where appropriate. Visible symbols

such as poppies are used to honour those who have served, helping to foster a deeper sense of identity, pride, and connection across the home.

These efforts are supported by enhanced training for the team, equipping them with the skills and understanding to engage meaningfully with veteran residents and their families. In parallel, Chartwell House continues to build strong links with local Armed Forces groups and charities, working collaboratively to ensure its veteran residents remain connected to the wider community and have access to ongoing support.

Diane Blake, Home Manager at Chartwell House, said; “The VFF accreditation reflects our promise to truly see and support every resident who has served. It’s more than symbolism—it’s in the way we talk, plan, and care. From visits to local veteran groups to monthly gatherings and our visible in-home tributes, we’ve created a culture of honour and connection.”

This commitment is further strengthened by Chartwell House’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging fair treatment and opportunity for veterans, reservists, and military families, as well as the Bronze Award recognition from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, celebrating inclusive recruitment and veteran-friendly employment practices.

For those seeking care, these accreditations offer reassurance. Jude Coveney, Admissions Manager, added; “Families want to know their loved one will be understood. When someone’s life has been shaped by service, it deserves respect and thoughtful care. These accreditations show we don’t just acknowledge that—we live it, every day.”

Forbes Professional’s Complete Care for Laundry Equipment

In care homes, where hygiene, safety, and reliability are paramount, it’s essential that laundry operations run seamlessly. Forbes Professional’s Complete Care solution is tailored to meet the specific demands of this environment, offering fully supported and cost-effective laundry systems.

With Complete Care, care homes benefit from access to premium commercial laundry appliances without upfront capital expenditure. The allinclusive rental plan covers installation, routine servicing, maintenance, and repairs; enabling staff to focus on resident care rather than laundry appliance logistics. Unexpected breakdowns can severely disrupt operations, which is why Forbes provides nationwide, award-winning support with a same or next-day engineer response to minimise downtime.

Preventative servicing is central to Forbes’ approach. Their offering includes routine maintenance, full certification, annual gas safety checks, and professional dryer duct cleaning - ensuring systems meet all legal and regulatory standards. Whether supporting existing machines or those rented through Forbes, this proactive strategy improves operational efficiency and reduces risk.

Under Regulation 35 of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998, annual gas inspections are mandatory. Forbes’ Gas Safe-registered engineers conduct these checks to ensure safe, legally compliant environments. Additionally, regular duct cleaning - often overlooked - is vital not only for performance but also for fire prevention. Forbes’ nationwide service mitigates these risks while optimising dryer efficiency.

Whether you need new rental equipment, service and maintenance for existing appliances, or a full purchase, Forbes offers flexible procurement routes to suit different operational models and budgets. Their expert consultants work closely with care providers to design tailored solutions for each setting.

With decades of experience in the care sector, Forbes Professional is a trusted partner to care homes across the UK; delivering dependable, fully supported laundry solutions that prioritise safety, compliance, and peace of mind.

Assisted Dying: Kim Leadbeater Confirms Support For Marie Curie Amendment

Kim Leadbeater MP has confirmed she will support an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which would require an assessment of current palliative and end of life care provision within 12 months of the Bill passing.

Marie Curie, the UK’s largest charitable provider of palliative and end of life care, suggested the amendment which would require the government to publish an assessment of the current availability, quality and distribution of palliative and end of life care services.

The amendment—put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson and supported by over 20 MPs—aims to reflect the concerns of those who worry that any move toward legalising assisted dying must not come at the expense of compassionate and high-quality care for the terminally ill.

Yesterday, Kim Leadbeater MP met with and wrote to Marie Curie’s Chief Executive Matthew Reed to confirm her support for the amendment (amendment 21).

Marie Curie Chief Executive, Matthew Reed, said: “Major funding issues, workforce shortages, a postcode lottery for access to services, huge gaps in out of hours care and an aging population – palliative and end of life care in the UK is in crisis.

“We are grateful to Munira Wilson MP for working with us and tabling this amendment to require an assessment of existing end of life care provision, and to Kim Leadbeater MP for confirming that she too will now support it.

“Marie Curie is firmly neutral on the matter of assisted dying, but we are far from neutral on the urgent need to improve palliative and end of life care.”

“And while on its own, this amendment would not guarantee any improvements to palliative and end of life care, understanding what provision is currently available, and where, is a crucial step towards the UK and Welsh governments taking action to ensure everyone who needs palliative care is able to access it.”

“As the UK Government prepares to publish its 10 Year Health Plan for England next month, Marie Curie will continue to call for a national palliative care strategy, supported by minimum quality standards, and funding that will enable the transformation of end of life care services across our country –regardless of whether or not the Bill progresses.”

Although legislation on assisted dying in England and Wales is a matter for the UK parliament, if the Bill becomes law it will affect public services in Wales, including end of life care, which is the responsibility of the Senedd and the Welsh Government.

Jon Antoniazzi, Marie Curie Associate Director Policy & Public Affairs Wales, added: “End of life care in Wales is at breaking point and we need urgent action from the Welsh Government to transform the system. As this Bill progresses through parliament, further work should be undertaken to make sure any assessment of palliative care takes account of devolution and the appropriate responsibilities of the UK and Welsh governments.”

Ms Leadbeater said: “I am fully committed to ensuring that people who are at the end of their lives receive the care, dignity and support they deserve,” she said. “I share Marie Curie’s view that high-quality palliative care and discussions around assisted dying are not mutually exclusive.”

The Assisted Dying Bill passed an earlier stage in Parliament with a modest majority and remains a subject of open debate, with MPs allowed a free vote.

Several changes have already been made to the draft legislation, including the replacement of judicial approval with a panel of clinical experts for certain decisions.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously expressed concerns about the readiness of the NHS to accommodate such changes, highlighting the importance of ensuring that any policy shift is supported by a health service that can meet the needs of vulnerable individuals.

101-Year-Old Nottingham Forest Superfan Receives

VIP Treatment At East Midlands Derby Match

Marjorie, better known as ‘Marj’, Graves, resident at HCOne’s Fairway View Care Home, enjoyed an unforgettable experience after receiving VIP treatment at Nottingham Forest versus Leicester City match over the weekend.

Marj, who attended her first Nottingham Forest match in 1931 at the age of seven, has been a devoted fan for an incredible 93 years. Her inspiring story caught the attention of the club after Heidi Duffy, HC-One’s Fairway View Lifestyle Manager, shared it on Facebook and tagged Nottingham Forest.

The very next day, the club reached out, offering Marj four tickets to their executive box with full VIP treatment. On May 11, 2025, Marj’s dream came true when she arrived at the City Ground for the anticipated match often referred to as the East Midlands derby.

Marj gave a heartfelt pitch-side interview, received a

signed Nottingham Forest t-shirt personalised with ‘Marj 101’ on the back, and met current players and club legends. The game ended in an exciting 2-2 draw, but for Marj, the scoreline was secondary to the warmth and welcome she received.

Marjorie Graves, HC-One’s Fairway View resident, said: “It was a dream come true. Meeting the players and the Forest legends was fantastic – they all made me feel so welcome. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name on the t-shirt. I could feel my dad and brother there with me in spirit.”

Melanie Hayes, HC-One’s Fairway View Care Home Manager, added: “Nottingham Forest treated Marj like the Queen of Forest. She had the most amazing day; one she will never forget. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make her dream come true.”

Sanaway’s New Reusable & Recyclable Sharps Container Helps

Care Homes Strengthen Zero Waste to Landfill Credentials

Sanaway, a leading clinical waste, sharps, and washroom hygiene service provider, has introduced new reusable and recyclable sharps containers as part of its auditable ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ service commitment.

The initiative is part of Sanaway’s ongoing focus to reduce environmental impact for both the company, and its nursing and residential care home customers.

The new reusable recyclable sharps container enables one container to be reused 10 times before being recycled into new reusable sharps containers. The container’s VisiLOCK system optimises safety by eliminating the risk of content spills that may lead to cross-contamination or accidental needlestick injury.

The family-owned business operates across the South of England, servicing customers that demand a reliable, personal and high standard of service at a competitive price.

Co-founder and director, Patrick Martin says: “We are exceptionally proud of our environmental philosophy and commitment, which has been at the core of the company since day one.

“Providing the new reusable sharps service is now standard for all our customers, and at no extra cost. This not only demonstrates our dedication to help minimise the impact our industry has on the environment, but can also help customers achieve up to an 87% carbon saving. This being in line with the NHS’s targets for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2026.”

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE

Each sharps container has a VisiLOCK closing mechanism to ensure optimum user safety. Once full:

• The containers are collected by Sanaway delivered to the processing facility.

• A robot opens and photographs the contents before:

o Sharps are incinerated.

o Containers are sanitised and recovered.

• The sharps containers are thoroughly checked before being returned for reuse.

• Containers are tracked using barcode scanning to monitor their usage cycles, after 10 uses, the container is granulated and remanufactured into a new sharps container.

• This process is repeated 10 times, meaning the original plastic is reused 100 times.

• After completing 10 full cycles, the plastic is granulated again and repurposed into non-medical products, such as road traffic cones.

Sanaway’s Zero Waste to Landfill philosophy is a market leading standard, based on Energy from Waste (EFW) technology, which means it is a sustainable solution for both waste management and energy production. 99.995% of the process is recyclable and all the recyclable elements are removed before the incineration process leaving only 0.005% nonrecyclable.

The company’s auditable Zero Waste to Landfill service diverts all of the 50 plus tonnes of waste the company collects from its customers every year from landfill, and contributes towards the power supply for more than 50,000 homes. The company’s ISO 9001 accreditation also gives the added peace of mind from a day to day management perspective, providing a benefit for nursing and residential care homes with ISO 14001 certification, enabling them to fulfil their continuous improvement requirements.

Commenting on the new service, Martin concludes: “We believe considered improvements like these to our customer first, high service standards are the main reason many of our clients have been with us for so many years, contributing to our enviable 95% customer retention rate and year on year growth.”

For more information visit

Scotland’s Equalities Minister Condemns

‘Devastating’ UK Migration Proposals

Scotland’s Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart has urged the UK Government to rethink its immigration white paper to take account of Scotland’s distinct population needs.

Following publication of new proposals from the Home Office on immigration, the Scottish Government has called on the UK Government to take account of its own proposals on immigration.

The Minister said the UK Government must engage the Scottish Government on its immigration policy, reflecting that migration enriches Scotland’s communities, supports economic growth and addresses population challenges.

Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “The UK Government’s plans on migration stand in stark contrast to our values and they do not reflect Scotland’s distinct population needs. The Scottish Government is proud to welcome and support people from around the world to live, work and build their lives in

Scotland. Not only does migration enrich our communities and culture, it is vital for economic growth, public services like the NHS and addressing our population challenges. “

“Scotland needs talented and committed people from across the world to live, work and study here without excessive barriers. A one-size fits all approach to immigration fails to meet the needs of Scotland and much of the UK. In particular, any plans to end international recruitment of care workers will be devastating for the care sector in Scotland and across the UK.”

“We are deeply disappointed that the UK Government’s white paper on immigration fails to take on board our proposals to help meet Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic requirements. I call on the Home Secretary to urgently work with us to deliver an immigration system which is reflective of Scotland’s needs, and avoids the harm to our economy, communities, and public services which the policy decisions in the white paper will lead to.”

“If it does not, then it becomes ever clearer that Scotland needs full powers over immigration.

Independence would give Scotland control over migration policy and provide an opportunity to introduce a new, welcoming immigration system that supports our economy and public services.”

Realise Secures New Partnership with Care Giant

Growing training specialist Realise has formed a new partnership with one of the country’s largest independent care providers and developed a bespoke Level 3 apprenticeship for its staff.

Realise’s Health and Social Care division has been appointed by Barchester Healthcare to deliver the Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship.

Barchester is one of the most respected care providers in the country, with more than 250 care homes from Inverness to Falmouth.

Realise will provide the apprenticeship to colleagues working within Barchester’s complex care and hospital care division, which covers 14 settings.

Realise will also offer other apprenticeship opportunities from Level 2 right through to Level 5. Angela Kaine, Director of Health and Social Care at Realise, said the collaboration came after the training provider was able to demonstrate how it could adapt the programme for Barchester’s specific needs.

She said: “We are delighted to be entering into a new relationship with a care provider of Barchester’s calibre and reputation.

“The agreement follows in-depth discussions with Barchester’s leadership team where we were able to demonstrate our agility and ability to adapt the programme so that it best serves their employees within the complex care and hospital care division.

“This has meant us working alongside Barchester to create a bespoke curriculum that aligns with the company’s needs, values, language and behaviours.

“Consequently, the programme will have a significantly heightened focus on the mental health pathway, including crisis intervention, mental capacity and de-escalation techniques.

“We are excited to begin work with Barchester and to be helping the business effectively to address its apprenticeship challenges.”

Realise will offer flexible solutions to accommodate off-the-job training and mentoring within var-

ied shift patterns, including evenings and weekends.

A dedicated operations team from Realise will work on the partnership to ensure high standards of provision and good outcomes.

Other apprenticeships from Level 2 to Level 5 will also be adapted with specific pathways to meet Barchester’s needs.

Members of the Realise management team recently attended Barchester’s Quality First Conference to reinforce the new relationship, understand the business better and allow employees to sign up to the course.

A total of 33 staff are set to enrol on the 18month Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship in the coming weeks, with more to follow soon after.

Sarah Clifford, Head of Apprenticeships for Barchester Healthcare said: “From initial meetings and introductions, Realise showed their professionalism from day one.

“They listened to our current challenges, taking them away and sharing a bespoke apprenticeship design to support our career development specifically for our Hospitals and Complex Care division.

“This included a modern innovated style of delivery which was fit for purpose and role specific, with the golden thread of embedding the curriculum in the Barchester way of working.”

For more information, visit www.realisetraining.com

Bringing Dignity and Colour to Daily Living: How

Thoughtful Design is Supporting Care Communities

At Rosa Lifestyle, we believe that daily living aids should do more than just meet functional needs - they should spark joy, preserve dignity and reflect individuals’ personalities. This belief is at the heart of every product we create, and it’s a vision born from a very personal place.

Our founder, Sarah, established Rosa Lifestyle after experiencing first-hand the lack of practical yet dignified and stylish solutions available for her own grandmother, who was living with dementia. She found that too often, the market was saturated with clinical-looking, uninspired products that did little to support wellbeing or enhance the experience of those living with cognitive or physical challenges. Rosa Lifestyle was created to change that.

We design products that support people to continue eating and drinking more independently, but also with more confidence and comfort. Our core range of produces includes lightweight, two-handled mugs, compatible mug lids, and matching snack trays - all made from high-quality melamine to give the look of a china or ceramic mug but importantly, without the weight. Each item is carefully developed to be functional, durable, and attractive - bringing a sense of warmth and homeliness to mealtimes.

WHAT THOUGHTFUL DESIGN CAN DO

The impact of beautifully considered daily living aids extends far beyond aesthetics. As a resident living with early-onset dementia shared in her heartfelt response: “I am a youngster in a care home and was needing to use their plastic two-handled beakers which I hated! Found your beautiful, colourful mugs! They are great and don't remind me of my disabilities and much nicer when visitors join me for afternoon tea!” This testimonial cuts to the very heart of our mission - creating products that people are proud to use, that support their needs without highlighting their limitations and fostering greater social connections and inclusion.

Our two-handled mugs, for example, are specifically designed to offer greater stability for individuals with limited grip strength, tremors, reduced vision, or reduced dexterity. The dual handles allow for a balanced, secure grip, reducing the risk of spills and burns. This not only improves safety but can dramatically reduce anxiety around drinking - both for users and their caregivers. Meanwhile, our mug lids help prevent spills and keep beverages warmer for longer, while our snack trays

are perfect for that lunchtime sandwich or afternoon cake and have an integrated cup holder for greater stability, are lightweight, and easy to clean. Together, these products support better hydration and nutrition - two essential but potentially challenging areas in care environments.

REAL IMPACT, REAL VOICES

The most powerful endorsements of our work come from those who use our products every day. One care home manager told us: “The mugs are being well utilised and have been a wonderful addition to the home.” While at a dementia day centre in Fife, the team shared how Rosa Lifestyle mugs have transformed daily routines: “We use the mugs every day for our clients who love them! With these mugs being lighter than others, we’ve noticed that not only do our clients drink more fluids (and soup) than they otherwise would - which really helps their overall fluid and nutrition intake - it also promotes their independence and dignity as well.” These kinds of outcomes are why we do what we do.

SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS, ENHANCING LIVES

For caregivers, whether professionals or family members, our products are more than tools. They are part of a broader culture of care that values choice, dignity, and self-expression. When a resident or loved one feels more confident and capable using a product that respects their tastes and abilities, the knock-on effects are enormous: greater participation in mealtimes, improved mood, and fewer incidents of frustration or distress.

Our hope is that Rosa Lifestyle products are seen as adaptive homeware rather than clinical aids and become staples in care homes, day centres, and private homes alike - not only because they’re functional, but because they bring a dignified positivity to people’s everyday lives.

In an ever faster moving and busy world, small moments matter. A warm cup of tea enjoyed without fear of spilling. The comfort of a snack on a familiar tray. The joy of choosing a mug that feels personal. These are the moments that build dignity, connection, and overall wellbeing.

To learn more about Rosa Lifestyle or explore our product range, please visit www.rosalifestyle.co.uk or see the advert on page 5

Avery Care Home Resident, 87, Volunteers at Children’s Cancer Charity to Give Back

An 87-year-old resident at Avery Healthcare's Dukes Court Care Home in Wellingborough has begun volunteering at Niamh’s Next Step Charity Boutique, a local children’s cancer charity, showing that age is no barrier to making a difference.

Shirley Wolfe, who moved to Dukes Court Care Home, part of the Avery Healthcare group, in 2022, now visits the charity shop each month to support its mission of raising funds for children with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that primarily affects children under the age of five.

The opportunity was arranged by the care home’s Well-being Team, who contacted Niamh’s Next Step charity shop owner, Sam Curry, to explore how Shirley could get involved.

Staff at the shop were happy to welcome Shirley, who brings over 30 years of retail experience to the role.

“I felt right at home straight away,” said Shirley. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming; it really reminded me of my old days in retail.”

Her duties include dressing mannequins, organising stock displays, and greeting customers.

But for Shirley, it’s about more than keeping busy.

“I wanted to do something meaningful with my time,” she said. “Helping a children’s cancer charity really

spoke to me. I’ve always believed in supporting others where you can.”

She added, “It gives me something to look forward to and makes me feel part of the community again.”

"We absolutely loved having Shirley volunteering at Niamh’s Charity Boutique," said Sam, Co Founder and Manager of Niamh’s Next Step CIO. "Her smile was just infectious and her laugh made us all smile."

Sam continued, "We loved hearing her tell us about her job at John Lewis. As a local charity we love to work with our community and having someone down from Dukes Court Care Home was amazing. Thank you Shirley for everything."

Claire Keen, Home Manager at Dukes Court Care Home, said, “At Dukes Court, we’re committed to supporting our residents in living active, purposeful lives. Shirley’s involvement with Niamh’s Next Step is a fantastic example of how we promote person-centred care, helping individuals stay engaged, pursue their interests, and remain connected to the local community in meaningful ways.”

Shirley’s monthly volunteering has become a cherished part of her routine, and both Dukes Court and Niamh’s Next Step hope her story will inspire more intergenerational collaboration and purposeful aging.

South Yorkshire Care Home Shares Tips for Seniors to Keep Cool and Hydrated This Summer

Summer is nearly here, and while we might enjoy the longer days and sunshine, it’s also the season to pay attention to staying cool and hydrated—especially for older people.

Sid Bailey Care Home in Brampton always take extra measures to make sure residents and the community stay safe and refreshed during the summer months.

WHY IT MATTERS

As we age, we don’t always feel thirsty, even when our bodies need water. That’s why dehydration can sneak up on older adults and lead to things like fatigue, dizziness, and sometimes more serious health issues. With a few simple tricks and a team that truly cares, staying hydrated is easy.

HERE’S HOW SID BAILEY IS KEEPING THINGS COOL:

Take a Sip: Staff at Sid Bailey make hydration part of the daily routine with regular drink rounds, cheerful reminders, and ‘Hydration Stations’ around the home where residents and visitors from the community can choose from a variety of refreshments. From cucumber water to tea and coffee, to fruit squash, there’s something for everyone.

Food That Fuels and Refreshes: Who says hydration has to come in a glass? The kitchen team at Sid

Bailey serve up delicious water-rich foods like fruit salads, jelly, and smoothie bowls. 94-year-old Sid Bailey resident, Robina Holland, said, ‘I like to have a bowl of fruit every day as a light, refreshing snack.’

Hydration with a Twist: Fruit kebabs, mocktails, and ice lolly afternoons make drinking fluids feel less like a chore and more like a treat. 81-year-old Sylvia Dalton, said, ‘I enjoy having mocktails and ice cream in the garden – we get to try new flavours, and it reminds me of being on holiday.’

Keeping It Breezy: Loose-fitting clothes, cool indoor spaces, shady garden corners, and refreshing fan stations help residents stay comfortable no matter how high the temperature rises.

Victoria Alder, the Home Manager at Sid Bailey, added, ‘At Sid Bailey, quality of care isn’t just something we talk about—it’s at the heart of everything we do.

‘Our team goes above and beyond to ensure every resident is not only safe and comfortable but also enjoying the season. We know that care extends beyond our walls, too, which is why we always welcome family, friends, and community members to visit, share a

drink, and be part of our extended family.’

More Scoops Per Tin Means Fewer Tins Per Prescription

CATERING FOR CARE

Food for Thought - The Implications of New Simpler Recycling Regulations on the Care Home Sector

From March 31st, new waste disposal regulations came into effect as part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling initiative. Designed to reduce waste and increase recycling rates across the country, this has direct and potentially significant implications for the care home and nursing home sector. Anenta, the UK’s leading independent healthcare waste management specialist for the care home sector, explains to issues at hand.

Under the news Simpler Recycling regulations, in addition to segregating clinical waste and offensive waste into separate waste streams, care homes now have a legal duty to separate out all recyclable materials from general waste.

Paper and card, plastic, glass, metal, and food waste all need to be separated and stored in segregated waste collection streams, necessitating larger storage areas, more waste receptacles, and more waste collections.

Although this has implications and associated costs, the new regulations are important because incorrectly disposed waste not only puts a strain on England’s waste capacity – hampering sustainable waste targets – but also significantly adds to the cost of care home waste bills.

FOOD FRUSTRATION

Of all the new waste streams, food waste is likely to be one of the biggest headaches for care homes. That’s because if you produce more than 5kg of food waste per week, you will need to implement a separate food waste disposal system.

Food is a particularly significant form of waste for most care homes as it’s almost impossible to avoid when catering for residents.

In some cases, care homes will have good protocols in place for uneaten or waste food, with collections for anaerobic digestion or composting in place. However, for many others this will not be the case, quite simply because it’s always been easier to put waste food into general waste.

And while food waste from canteens or communal eating areas may be relatively easy to collect and recycle, it’s important to remember

that a significant amount of other food waste – resulting from items being consumed by both staff and residents in other areas – have the potential to end up in general waste too. Under the new rules that cannot be allowed to happen and that means you now need to make separate food waste bins readily available in public areas.

WHAT IF YOU DON’T COMPLY?

Under the new legislation, if you put food waste into the wrong bins, your supplier will not be permitted to collect them. However, you’ll still be charged, and repeated non-compliance could result in fines or other penalties, which could be as high as £5,000 or more.

To avoid this, you’ll not only need to have sufficient food waste bins in place within your care home, but appropriate training to ensure that all staff are aware of the importance of segregating waste correctly. Here, appropriate signage is also advised to avoid any confusion.

You’ll also need to ensure that food waste collected within your care home – including inedible food parts such as bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable skins, tea bags and coffee grounds – actually make it into the designated food waste bin for collection.

When you consider that general waste for care homes costs anything between £180 and £250 a tonne, whereas food waste – collected

Bidfood Launches Industry

Following the British Dietetic Association’s (BDA) rollout of the Care Home Digest last year, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading wholesalers, has produced an industry-leading, four-weekly menu cycle, aligned with the Care Home Digest.

Designed to support care operators in implementing the guidelines, the menu cycle offers unrivalled inspiration for Bidfood’s care customers, featuring over 300 Care Home Digest-aligned recipes available for download.

for anaerobic digestion – costs between £105 to £190 per tonne, it simply doesn’t make sense to continue putting food in your general waste.

Quite apart from avoiding large fines – which could affect your reputation – switching from using the general waste stream for food disposal to anaerobic digestion will save your business anything between 8% and 16%. That’s a saving of £60-£120 per 1,100 litre bin per annum. For care home groups with multiple locations, that’s a saving that soon mounts up.

So, far from being a bad thing financially, the new recycling regulations actually have the potential to bring about long-term cost savings for care homes throughout England. Viewed through that lens switching to segregation makes complete sense.

But it’s not the only benefit. By diverting your food waste from general waste into a separate food waste recycling stream, it can be reprocessed through anaerobic digestion to create organic fertiliser and biogas, helping your business move one step closer to becoming zeroto-landfill and achieving your environmental targets.

This avoids your care home food ending up in landfill where it would release methane, a gas which, according to the UN Environmental Programme, is 80 times more harmful than carbon dioxide

Adopting this process will help to ensure that the correct waste goes into the correct channels, saving your care home money, keeping you compliant, minimising environmental impact, and avoiding inadvertent contamination that could cause issues with your waste collection, leading to extra cost, and stringent action by the authorities.

Far from being feared, the new Simpler Recycling regulations should be embraced, saving your care home money and playing a part in saving the future of the planet.

For guidance and advice on how to meet the Simpler Recycling Workplace Rules, and for information on the best systems to adopt for waste storage and collection, email Anenta at contact@anenta.com or call 033 0122 2143. www.anentawaste.com

Until last year, healthcare foodservice guidelines were mainly aimed at hospitals, leaving care operators, many of which don’t have access to a dietitian, without tailored resource to support with menu planning.

However, using the new Digest, Bidfood’s expert chef and nutrition team have collaborated to develop this extensive bank of recipes and four-week menu cycle. The cycle demonstrates how operators can align their menus to meet the unique needs and preferences of their individual residents, incorporating food waste tips and a variety of dish types to suit a range of kitchen skill levels.

The menu plan features a balance of food groups including both animal and plant-based proteins, higher-fibre carbohydrates, “healthy” fats and plenty of fruit and vegetables, maximising levels of key nutrients such as protein, fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. The team have also worked hard to reduce sources of saturated fat, free sugars and salt where possible.

What’s more, every recipe has been nutritionally analysed and adjusted, tweaking both the ingredients used and the quantities, to ensure that nutrition is prioritised whilst also balancing taste, cost and other factors. Nutrition Manager, Heather Dolan said “At Bidfood we pride ourselves on an evidence-based approach to nutrition, so we were delighted when the BDA’s Care Home Digest was released. We’ve been working on this menu ever since, with the aim of helping care homes to implement the Digest, and ultimately, supporting them in meeting residents’ nutrition and hydration needs.

“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with our healthcare chefs on this project. They’ve brought a wealth of culinary expertise and creative flair to the project. Together, I believe we’ve struck the perfect balance of classic dishes and fresh, innovative concepts.”

To view the four week menu cycle, please visit https://view.bidfood.co.uk/bidfoods-four-weekly-menu-cycle/?page=1

The British Dietetic Association’s Care Home Digest was created to support care homes in developing varied and balanced menus that will tempt residents to eat and drink well, whilst being designed as a toolkit that makes it easy for care operators to dip in and out of chapters as needed. For more information on the Care Home Digest, visit www.bidfood.co.uk/blog/what-you-need-toknow-about-the-new-bda-care-home-digest/

CATERING FOR CARE

Birchall Foodservice Launches 62-Page

Activity Pack To Support The Care Sector

Burnley-based wholesaler and founder Country Range member, Birchall Foodservice, has launched its first-ever Care Home Activity Pack — a 62-page guide designed to support activity coordinators and caterers working within the healthcare sectors.

Recognising the challenges that care home teams face in delivering engaging, enjoyable, and meaningful activities for residents, the pack offers a comprehensive range of creative ideas built around food. Its aim is simple: to spark joy and connection through shared experiences that centre on mealtimes, cultural celebrations, and interactive activities.

At the heart of the pack is a month-by-month events calendar, highlighting key seasonal dates such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Remembrance Sunday — each paired with activity suggestions, food ideas, games, and even suggested decorations. These are supported by easy-to-follow recipes and product recommendations.

Popular food-themed games include Biscuit Jenga, Build Your Own Pizza nights, and Food Bingo, which are designed to encourage motor skills, social interaction, and laughter. There's also a "World on a Plate" section, offering immersive cultural experiences for countries including Italy, Mexico, Spain, France, China, and the UK — complete with themed menus, music ideas, and crafts.

To help tackle hydration in fun and engaging ways, the pack features ideas such as mocktail parties, milkshake decorating, and “Guess the Drink” challenges — all designed to improve fluid intake without it feeling like a chore.

Temporary Catering Facilities from MK

Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment.

Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economic solution to the caterers’ needs.

Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Ware-washing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex.

Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires.

We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period.

The standard specification of our smallest Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range,

Joe Moulton, Marketing Manager at Birchall Foodservice, said: "This pack combines food and fun to help care homes deliver meaningful activities that residents will genuinely enjoy. It’s all about sparking joy through shared experiences, whether that’s a themed afternoon tea or a game of Food Bingo."

The pack has been developed with support from trusted foodservice brands including Albany, Soreen, McVitie’s, Kellogg’s, Lakeland Dairies, and Nestlé. It offers a mix of inspiration and practicality, helping care teams save valuable planning time while delivering enriching experiences. Available now to all Birchall Foodservice customers and care homes across the UK, the pack is free to download.

To access the Care Home Activity Pack, visit: www.birchallfoodservice.co.uk/resources or get in touch with the Birchall team by calling 01282 429446.

salamander grill, twin basket fryer, upright fridge, hot cupboard, single bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc. Internal equipment can be interchanged and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout.

We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project.

So if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal.

For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk

Introducing the Treat-Eezi Pressure Relieving Mattress Overlay from Dan Medica South Ltd

The Treat-Eezi full length pressure relieving mattress overlay (very high risk to stage 4 pressure ulcers) is designed to be laid on top of mattresses. It naturally and gently moves with the patient creating an almost zero chafing area allowing the patient a silent, comfortable sleep along with the assurance any pressure sores present are given the best possible chance to breathe and heal.

Quotations available via checkout.

£241.40p (Exclusive of VAT)

PRODUCT BENEFITS

• Precision Relief: Using advanced 3D pressure sensor mapping, our pressure-relieving mattress overlays provide targeted relief by accurately identifying pressure points, ensuring optimal support for patients.

• Pressure Relief: Our unique 4-layer pressure-relieving mattress overlays offer unique pressure sore prevention, trusted by over 10,000 medical professionals since 2016.

• Sleep Benefits: No noisy pump systems; our static solution guarantees a peaceful sleep environment, free from disruptions or maintenance hassles and allows the patient to sleep with their partner.

• Breathability: Enhanced breathability ensures optimal airflow for keeping patients comfortable and cool.

• Endorsements and Warranty: Backed by endorsements from NHS community services and a full two-year warranty.

• Easy Application: Our pressure-relieving mattress overlays have easy-to-follow instructions.

WHO IS IT FOR

The Treat-Eezi full-length pressure relieving mattress overlay is ideal for individuals who spend prolonged periods in bed or seated, including:

• Elderly individuals with limited mobility

• Patients recovering from surgery or injury

• Those at risk of developing pressure sores

• Caregivers looking to enhance comfort for their loved

ones

Sales/General Inquiries: 0208 133 2851 www.danmedicasouth.co.uk

See the advert on page 11 for more information.

Novamed - Incontinence and Healthcare Products

At Novamed, we understand the daily challenges that incontinence brings.

With that in mind, our specialist team, which includes a retired NHS continence nurse, have developed a premium product range designed to give users comfort, protection, and dignity, as well as being manufactured to ISO 13485 quality standards. Our comprehensive incontinence care solutions include: All-in-one (slips) for moderate to heavy use Pull-up pants for light to moderate needs Disposable underpads to protect beds and furniture

• Biodegradable bamboo pads for light protection with an eco-conscious approach Each product provides skin-friendliness, odour

control, and ease of use. With consistent quality and comfort, Novamed are trusted by care professionals across the UK. Our Devon-based warehouse ensures fast, discreet delivery throughout the country. We offer free samples to help you assess the best fit. Novamed products are also trusted internationally, with distribution in Gibraltar, Montenegro, the Middle East, and Europe. For continence care you can depend on, contact Novamed today to learn more or request your free samples 0808 196 2070 www.novamedpads.co.uk info@novamedeurope.com

See the advert on page 4 for details.

CareZips® Classic Adaptive Pants

CareZips® Classic are patented, easy dressing unisex adaptive pants designed for older and disabled people suffering with problems associated with continence, mobility, mental function and cognition. Suitable for persons living in care institutions, receiving care at home or living independently at home, CareZips® Classic enable people to dress themselves or with assistance from carers.

CareZips® Classic feature patented 3-zipper system, which opens the front of the pants from the waist to the knees for quicker access during toileting, continence pads changes and personal hygiene.

The forward positioning of the two side zippers lessens pressure on sensitive hip areas, helping to eliminate discomfort. The third zipper facilitates simple full frontal opening for faster more dignified diaper changes, catheter adjustments, personal cleansing and hygiene routines.

CareZips® Classic have many benefits for the older and disabled users and their carers:

• People dressing themselves enjoy the practical

TDP Outdoor Furniture

Based in Derbyshire, we’re a family-run business with over 30 years of experience committed to helping care homes create safe, welcoming outdoor spaces for residents, staff and visitors.

We offer a wide range of garden furniture, including benches, companion seats, dining sets, picnic tables and planters, all crafted to be strong, durable and splinter-free. Unlike traditional timber, our furniture won’t rot, warp, or require painting, making it a low-maintenance, long-term solution for care environments.

Our products support the circular economy by transforming waste plastic into something both functional and stylish. Each piece is made here in the UK and built to withstand all weathers, year after year. In recognition of our sustainable practices, we’ve been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. Here’s what Darley Hall Care Home had to say

Serve in Style with

Watch your resident's eyes light up when the trolley arrives! Euroservice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents. How about a delicious snack/pastry trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents! Visit the website at www.euroservice-uk.com to see the full range.

Or see the advert on page 13.

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection

Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem.

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first

functionality and versatility of the CareZips® Classic, all day comfort and easy garment care.

• People dependent on assisted dressing appreciate quick easy dressing process with less stress, embarrassment and greater dignity offered by CareZips® Classic.

• CareZips® Classic offer practical gains to the carers, helping them to provide better care, whilst reducing physical efforts and saving valuable time.

CareZips® Classic are unisex, available in 6 sizes and 3 practical colours (i.e. black, charcoal and navy). Tapered fit at the ankles gives a tidy appearance. Made from breathable moisture-wicking 4-way stretchy crease-free and easycare durable fabric, CareZips® Classic are comfortable, practical and conveniently functional. For more information, contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866www.win-health.com

See the advert on page 3 for further information on Win Health’s product range.

proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%.

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags.

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website at www.angloplas.co.uk

See the advert on page 9.

Activities to Share

Since our founding in 2010, Activities to Share has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of those in care by providing thoughtfully designed activity products. Our mission is to support activity coordinators in delivering uplifting, engaging experiences that foster connection, joy, and well-being.

We achieve this by listening closely to your feedback and evolving with your needs. Whether over the phone, via email, WhatsApp, or Live Chat on our website, our team is always ready to offer advice and help you find just the right products to bring your ideas to life.

make our Reminiscence Kits and Sensory Bags with real, tactile items that stimulate the senses. Some experiences— like popping bubbles for the splash, breathing in a familiar scent, or piecing together a puzzle with others—simply can’t be replicated on a screen. These sensory moments are invaluable in encouraging storytelling, sparking memories, and fostering conversation. Our values remain rooted in this commitment to meaningful connection. We’re here to partner with you—the professionals on the front lines of care—to create a sense of structure, well-being, and fun for those who need it most.

While we embrace the convenience of technology to expand our resources and share knowledge, we remain firm believers in the irreplaceable power of sensory engagement. That’s why we continue to

for your activity diary

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

The Vital Role of Healthcare Nurse Call Monitoring Systems in Modern Care Homes

In the evolving landscape of residential and nursing home care, technology now plays an increasingly pivotal role in enhancing said patient safety, staff responsiveness, and overall operational efficiency.

One of the most critical technologies at the heart of this transformation is the nurse call monitoring system. These systems serve as the backbone of communication between residents and care staff, and their importance cannot be overstated in delivering timely and effective care.

When response times can be critical, Nurse Call Systems not only need to be fast and accurate, but they must also to be 100% reliable.

Both carers and patients need to be able to easily and quickly generate and react to alerts, thereby keeping everyone safe and informed

UNDERSTANDING NURSE CALL MONITORING SYSTEMS

A nurse call system enables residents to quickly and easily summon assistance. However, modern systems have evolved far beyond simple buzzers. Today, care facilities can choose from wireless, integrated, and modular systems—each designed to meet different operational needs, with modern solutions now connecting with fall detection sensors, electronic patient records (EPR), and mobile caregiver apps. This integration not only streamlines workflows but also helps care homes meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) compliance requirements while delivering faster, more personalised care.

Wireless Systems are ideal for facilities seeking flexibility and ease of installation. Without the need for extensive cabling, these systems can be deployed rapidly and expanded as needed.

Integrated Systems tie into a facility’s broader infrastructure—such as fire alarms, CCTV, and building management systems—allowing for a holistic response to emergencies and enhanced safety protocols.

Modular Systems provide a customisable solution, enabling care homes to scale up or down based on the size of the facility or changing care requirements.

KEY

FUNCTIONS THAT ENHANCE CARE DELIVERY

Modern nurse call monitoring systems offer a wide range of functionalities that go beyond basic alerts:

Real-time Communication Devices such as pendant buttons, wall-mounted units, and mobile handsets ensure that residents can contact staff from virtually anywhere in the facility.

Alerting Staff through visual, audible, and even vibrating signals ensures rapid response, especially in highdemand environments.

• Data Capture and Reporting functionalities track response times, frequency of calls, and types of requests—providing valuable insights for management and compliance.

Location Tracking pinpoints the exact location of a call, enabling staff to act swiftly and accurately.

Prioritisation Features allow for categorising calls by urgency, ensuring that critical alerts are never overlooked.

TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR RESIDENTS AND STAFF

The implementation of an advanced nurse call monitoring system delivers measurable benefits across multiple areas:

• Improved Staff Efficiency: With real-time alerts and data analytics, care teams can streamline workflows and focus attention where it’s most needed, reducing unnecessary checks and overlaps.

Enhanced Patient Safety: Immediate access to assistance reduces the risk of falls, unattended health episodes, and delayed medication administration.

Greater Resident Satisfaction: Prompt responses foster a sense of security and dignity among residents, improving their overall experience.

Operational Cost Savings: Efficient use of staff resources and reduced emergency incidents contribute to long-term financial sustainability for care providers.

LOOKING AHEAD: A STANDARD FOR QUALITY CARE

As regulatory expectations and resident needs continue to rise, nurse call monitoring systems are no longer a luxury but a necessity. They not only support compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards but also set the tone for a culture of responsive, resident-centred care.

Implementing a nurse call system offers numerous benefits, including improved communication, enhanced safety, increased staff efficiency, better resource allocation, and improved documentation. These advantages contribute to a higher quality of care, improved patient/resident satisfaction, and a more efficient and effective healthcare environment

Investing in the right system requires careful evaluation of a care home’s size, staffing levels, and longterm care strategy. However, the return on investment—in terms of safety, efficiency, and satisfaction— makes it one of the most impactful upgrades a care home can undertake.

In today’s care environment, technology must work in harmony with human compassion.

Nurse call monitoring systems exemplify this synergy, serving as a quiet but powerful ally in the mission to deliver safe, dignified, and effective care.

NURSE CALL AND FALLS

Frequency Precision - Sensors and Pressure Mats to Monitor Those in Care

Technology has made people more connected with the world around them and the revolution in assistive care devices has made it possible for the elderly to spend their last years in a comfortable and familiar environment. These devices have also made it easier for home carers to provide quality care for their loved ones while managing their own lives. They allow you to care for your elderly whether they are travelling in the city for errands, staying alone at home, or staying in the same home as you. They are also helping nursing homes provide better care for them with discrete monitoring and quick responses to emergencies.

If you’re looking for these kinds of assistive care devices for your loved ones or nursing home, Frequency Precision produce some of the best systems available to help you with elderly care and mobility monitoring, ranging from bed, chair and floor sensor mats through fall monitoring and GPS tracking to fully integrated nurse call plug or wireless systems.

Phone: 01837 810590

Email: contact@frequencyprecision.com

Website: www.frequencyprecision.com

Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & Networks

Blaucomm’s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) is the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers, through its intelligent software, which delivers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them.

Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care planning and eMar - now, the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care.

Furthermore, Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM, so call bell data is linked straight to care plans. This unlocks a huge benefit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents, which ultimate-

ly promotes better response times and visibility for management to audit their performance.

The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call system - we work with all major brands such as Aidcall, ARM, Courtney Thorne, C-TEC, ENS, Intercall, Medicare, SAS and TeleAlarm.

Care operators are constantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its reliability and dependability to their care operations, which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions.

Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say about Blaucomm NMS:

“We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic company with a reliable

product.

"We would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!” To find out more about Blaucomm NMS, visit www.blaucomm.co.uk/healthcare

Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions

Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years.

FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR

Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions!

Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers®. The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad. This results in less work for nursing staff, improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads. Wireless advantages include the ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless devices. BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Safer for patients; less work for staff

Bed and chair pads available

One monitor works with two sensor pads

Integrates with most nurse call systems

A variety of options, including: Call button

sensor mat Wireless door/window exit alerts TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD

The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition. Our anti-bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the sensor pad. Caregivers typically place the sensor

pad at the bedside, in a doorway or other locations to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering. An optional anti-slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors.

FEATURES INCLUDE:

Connects directly to most nurse call systems

High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad

Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm

Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors

See the advert on this page for further details or visit www.fallsavers.co.uk.

NURSE CALL AND FALLS

Innovative Fall Prevention Solutions by Medpage: A Comprehensive Look

Falls are a significant concern for vulnerable individuals, especially seniors and patients at risk. Medpage, a leader in assistive technology, offers a range of cuttingedge products designed to enhance safety and provide peace of mind for caregivers and families. Here’s an in-depth look at some of their standout solutions:

MPRCG1 (2023) BED LEAVING DETECTION ALARM WITH CAREGIVER RADIO PAGER

The MPRCG1 is a comprehensive system tailored for fall prevention in domestic, commercial, and NHS care settings. This all-inclusive kit includes a bed pressure mat sensor, a BTX21-MP alarm sensor transmitter, and an MP-PAG31 radio pager. The system is designed to alert caregivers when a patient leaves their bed, reducing the risk of falls. Key features include:

Wireless Alerts: Notifications are sent to the caregiver’s pager via tone or vibration.

Customizable Alarm Delays: Options for instant, 15-minute, or 30-minute delays.

Durable Design: Antimicrobial and disinfectant-resistant materials ensure longevity.

• Ease of Use: Minimal installation required, making it user-friendly and portable.

HDKMB2 HOSPITAL DISCHARGE KIT FOR FALLS RISK PATIENTS

monitoring capabilities of healthcare facilities. Its versatility makes it a valuable addition to any care environment, ensuring timely responses to patient needs.

RON-WC2 WATERPROOF DISABLED PULL CORD ALARM TRANSMITTER WITH WIRELESS ALARM RECEIVER

The RON-WC2 is a robust solution for disabled individuals requiring immediate assistance. This waterproof pull cord alarm is ideal for use in bathrooms and other high-risk areas. Paired with a wireless alarm receiver, it ensures that help is just a pull away.

Features include:

Waterproof Design: Suitable for wet environments.

Wireless Connectivity: Reliable transmission to the alarm receiver.

Ease of Installation: Simple setup for quick deployment.

WHY CHOOSE MEDPAGE?

Medpage’s commitment to innovation and quality is evident in their product range. Each solution is designed with the user’s safety and convenience in mind, making them a trusted choice for caregivers and healthcare providers alike.

The HDKMB2 is a thoughtfully curated kit aimed at supporting patients transitioning from hospital to home care. It includes essential tools to mitigate fall risks and promote recovery. This kit is ideal for caregivers seeking a comprehensive solution to enhance patient safety during the critical post-discharge period.

CMEX-21 MULTI-PORT WIRELESS SENSOR INPUT EXPANDER FOR NURSE CALL CONNECTION

The CMEX-21 is Medpage’s latest innovation, designed to integrate seamlessly with existing nurse call systems. This multi-port expander allows for the connection of multiple wireless sensors, enhancing the

By investing in these advanced fall prevention tools, families and facilities can create safer environments for those at risk. Medpage continues to lead the way in providing practical, reliable solutions that make a real difference.

For more information, visit Medpage’s official website or contact their team to explore these products further. Safety starts with the right tools, and Medpage delivers just that. www.easylinkuk.co.uk

T: 01536 264 869

Courtney Thorne Leads the Way in Wireless Nurse Call Technology for UK Care Homes

Courtney Thorne, a long-standing innovator in healthcare communication systems, is setting new standards in the care home sector with its advanced wireless nurse call technology—designed to improve resident safety, enhance staff efficiency, and support a more responsive care environment.

With over 30 years of experience serving the UK healthcare market, Courtney Thorne’s systems are now trusted by thousands of care homes nationwide. Unlike traditional hardwired solutions, their wireless nurse call systems offer non-invasive installation, scalability, and smart analytics—making them ideal for both new builds and retrofit projects.

“At the heart of our technology is the belief that better communication leads to better care,” says Graham Vickrage, Managing Director at Courtney Thorne. “Our wireless systems not only reduce response times but also empower staff

with the tools they need to deliver safe, person-centred care.”

Care providers are increasingly choosing wireless systems for their flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. With a full suite of accessories—including neck pendants, door monitors, fall detection, and bed sensors—Courtney Thorne systems can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each home and resident.

In an industry where compliance, safety, and staff pressures are always front of mind, Courtney Thorne provides more than just products—they offer ongoing support, training, and a commitment to innovation that helps care homes futureproof their operations.

For more information or to book a free demo, visit www.c-t.co.uk or contact info@c-t.co.uk.

Shaking Up Social Care with PASSgenius™: The Future of Care Management

The social care sector is under increasing pressure. Tightening regulations, financial strain and staff shortages are leading providers to rethink their approach.

In response, PASS by everyLIFE has launched PASSgenius™, a transformative suite of AI, data and automation tools built directly into its award-winning care management software. This innovation is set to revolutionise how care businesses operate, making it easier to deliver safe, person-centred care while driving efficiency.

At its core, PASSgenius™ is built to simplify complex roster and care data and quickly turn it into actionable insights, like when your next staffing gap is, concerning changes in customer wellbeing, and what routes can be optimised to reduce travel times.

Care operators already hold great amounts of information, and through this new suite they can leverage its full power to make smarter, faster decisions to run a better, more efficient care business.

EMPOWERING CARE TEAMS WITH AI AND AUTOMATION

One of the standout features of PASSgenius™ is its AI-powered care note summaries. This tool can scan weeks of care logs in seconds, highlighting crucial changes in a client's health or behaviour. It enables care teams to identify potential risks earlier and act swiftly. Instead of manually combing through records, users get concise summaries and smart recommendations, ensuring more efficient and responsive care. This not only promotes continuity of care between shifts but also provides care staff and clients with an enhanced experience.

REAL-TIME OVERSIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

At the heart of PASSgenius™ is the Dashboard, a fully interactive and customisable tool that gives managers real-time oversight across key performance areas. Whether it's tracking required care hours, spotting gaps in rosters, managing unassigned visits, or monitoring travel time and punctuality, this feature makes it easy to stay on top of the daily demands of care management. With live data in one view, managers can address issues immediately, without the need for multiple systems or spreadsheets.

STREAMLINING ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS

The Benefits of AI in Social Care

The social care sector has come a long way when it comes to digital transformation, and artificial intelligence (AI) is a big part of its future. While AI is still finding its place in many care settings, the impact it can have is huge.

Here’s a closer look at why AI is set to make waves in social care:

1. BOOSTING EFFICIENCY

AI can help handle those resource-draining tasks in seconds. Whether it’s crunching a mountain of data, summarising care notes, or suggesting next steps, it frees up your team to do what they do best.

It can also improve communication, such as helping new team members quickly access policies or answer routine questions without waiting for assistance. By handling these background tasks, AI allows organisations to redirect resources to other core priorities.

2. ENSURING PERSON-CENTRED CARE

AI can support your teams when providing persona-centred care by analysing data over time, so they can build tailored plans that align with each individual’s goals, preferences, and abilities. It can even predict future needs, flagging issues before they arise so your

team can act proactively.

3. ENHANCED MONITORING

Care organisations often operate round-the-clock, and AI can offer real-time monitoring to support this. For example, AI can highlight subtle behavioural changes, like someone sleeping poorly or becoming more withdrawn. These insights can alert your teams to potential concerns early, which means better, faster decisions can be made to support your clients.

For organisations, this level of tracking ensures care quality stays high, without adding to the workload. It’s like having an extra layer of support that’s always on duty.

4. EMPOWERING TEAMS

AI is here to help empower your care teams, not replace them. AI tools can provide instant recommendations or resources, which could help your newer employees confidently manage unexpected situations. Similarly, AI can assist with summarising care notes or giving quick access to up-to-date best practices, helping your teams provide the high-quality care they work so hard to deliver.

5. OPTIMISING COSTS

Beyond care delivery, the feature also includes a suite of automation tools that help with time-consuming tasks such as payroll calculations, invoicing and timesheet verification. In-built reminders and alerts help keep teams on top of compliance, while automated workflows reduce paperwork and improve consistency across the board. This reduces paperwork and administrative burden, freeing up time for what really matters – providing the best care possible.

A PLATFORM THAT EVOLVES WITH YOU

PASSgenius™ is built directly within the PASS platform, eliminating the need for additional software or bolt-ons. This powerful suite is available at no extra cost to existing All-in-one PASS users, with new features and updates set for release throughout 2025.

Duncan Campbell, Commercial Director at PASS by everyLIFE, said: “PASSgenius™ is more than just a feature update – it’s a transformative shift in how care services operate. By combining live data, automation and AI, we are providing care teams with the tools they need to run stronger, more efficient services.”

For more information and to see PASSgenius™ in action, visit www.everylifetechnologies.com/passgenius.

One of the big wins of AI is its ability to do more with less. By automating tasks and making resource allocation more efficient, it can help organisations manage tight budgets without compromising on care.

AI can even help reduce staff turnover by easing workload pressures, which means savings on recruitment and training costs too. Plus, because AI solutions are scalable, it can adapt to your organisation's needs.

THE FUTURE OF AI IN CARE

AI in social care isn’t about replacing people with tech. It’s about giving your teams the time, insights, and tools they need to focus on the people they care for. That’s why OneAdvanced AI, the first UK hosted fully secure, private AI tool for businesses, was created. OneAdvanced AI can help care providers improve efficiency, deliver person-centred care, and empower teams, all while safeguarding your data. This marks a significant step towards a more innovative and sustainable future in social care.

Find out more at: www.oneadvanced.com/ai

See the advert on the back cover of this issue for further info.

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Digital Technology and AI Can Support Workers with Dementia

People with dementia can enjoy productive and rewarding working lives in the digital era, contrary to the widespread stereotype that dementia is incompatible with the use of modern technology, according to new research from the University of Bath.

The study - Working lives with dementia: A digital futures perspective – argues that the digital revolution risks exacerbating inequalities amongst those with diverse needs but that organisations can and should develop, adapt and deploy digital technology and the working environment to help those with dementia to continue in employment.

“The bottom line is that we have an ageing population and workforce in which dementia will feature and which should, and can be, accommodated by the judicious use of digital technology and adapting working conditions. The reality is, this is not dealt with in any meaningful way right now – there are very rarely strategies in place,” said Dr James Fletcher of the University of Bath School of Management.

“There is widespread prejudice that those with dementia cannot cope with, or benefit from, digital technology, and they often get bundled into the same category as the oldest people. But it’s worth putting some perspective on this – an experienced 60-year-old employee with early stage dementia will have grown up through the digital, internet and social media revolutions – and with the right support, they will still have much to offer,” Dr Fletcher said.

The study was published as the UK government announced its welfare reform plans, part of which is to encourage more disabled people into work. Dr Fletcher said he hoped the research could be a useful example of the prospects and challenges of fulfilling that goal.

Dr Fletcher noted that quite simple adjustments to the working environment, such as improving workstation lighting, using appropriate fonts and colour schemes, and providing workers with calendars, voice activated controls, and automatic reminders could make a big difference for somebody diagnosed with dementia.

“And AI offers really interesting opportunities – it is superb at solving many of the problems faced by those with dementia, such as finding words, organising text and putting words in the right sequence. Couple that with the potential offered by hybrid working for those with dementia, and you can see the benefits for both employees and companies,” he said.

Dr Fletcher and his co-researcher Dr Olivia Brown argue that dementia is not inherently disabling and that its impact depends heavily on the environment and surroundings in which an employee is operating. Employers might consider, for example, that an employee with dementia may be able to access a building with a swipe card but may be foiled if access relies on codes that they have to remember.

“We need to approach this in the way we already respond to people with diverse needs, which is already familiar to most employees. Also, there is a misplaced tendency to see a dementia diagnosis in black and white terms when the reality is, the effects can vary day-to-day and hour-to-hour depending on environment and relationships,” Dr Brown said.

Dr Fletcher said that employees could suffer tremendous stress from a dementia diagnosis and disclosing this to their employer, with some developing strategies to conceal their condition. He said that, while we lack good statistics, it appears that the ‘vast majority’ of those diagnosed with dementia go into unemployment, often unwillingly.

“There are many who could stay in the workforce and don’t. And this is not just an issue for older people –growing numbers of younger people are being diagnosed,” he said.

The researchers noted that dementia is often considered to be a post-retirement phenomenon, but estimates suggest that 9% of the 35.6 million people worldwide with dementia are under 65 years of age, with around 370,000 new cases of young onset dementia annually.

Care Audit Tool the Next Generation of Audit Software

Technology is a key part of the CQC’s improvement agenda; especially when it comes to how care services record performance during inspections.

THE PROBLEM

Many care providers want to move away from pen and paper-based audits and spreadsheets, but most software lacks the capability and flexibility to handle the complexity of the CQC requirements and ratings structure – leading to gaps in oversight and accountability.

THE SOLUTION

Drawing on our experience providing CQC improvement support, we developed an easy-to-use care audit platform designed to help care providers stay on top of their compliance obligations with the user in mind and the CQC framework at its core.

Our Enterprise Care Audit Tool enables care providers to improve oversight and respond to CQC requirements with confidence — delivering greater visibility, accountability, and control.

Now, we’ve made that same expertise and capability more accessible.

Our new cloud-based version is built on the same trusted foundation, giving providers of all sizes a faster, more flexible way to manage compliance with ease.

KEY FEATURES

• CQC-Aligned Dashboard - View audit outcomes and actions against CQC rating thresholds, with drill-down visibility for full organisational oversight.

• 100+ Ready-to-Use Audits - Covering all core operational areas including Care, Health & Safety, Estates, Catering, HR, and more.

• 2,000+ Question Library - Choose from a comprehensive library of questions, each aligned to statutory regulations and the CQC inspection framework.

• Automated Action Management - Audit outcomes that require follow-up are automatically fed into the dashboard and actions portal for clear accountability and tracking.

Reporting - Access a suite of structured reports to support internal reviews and inspection readiness.

• Engagement Surveys - Collect feedback from staff, service users, and relatives

STRESS LESS. TRACK MORE. BE READY.

If you’re spending hours chasing paperwork or stressed about being prepared for any inspection any day

- Care Audit Tool can help.

Website: careaudittool.co.uk

Email: info@careaudittool.co.uk

Phone: 0333 577 0807

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

“A Game Changer for Us” – How Technology Enabled Care Reconnected a Mother and Daughter

When Sharon’s mum Monica lost her partner and began struggling with her health, Sharon found herself trying to care from a distance—juggling a demanding job in Exeter with near-daily phone calls and constant worry about her mum, who lives alone with her two dogs in Barnstaple, Devon.

“Mum was always independent, but after losing her partner and being told she needed a hip replacement, she became withdrawn and physically frail. I was constantly worried,” said Sharon.

“I’d ring every morning to check she was up, had taken her pills, had something to eat. It was overwhelming.

“She didn’t want a carer. She insisted she didn’t ‘need care.’ But with living over an hour and a half away, I knew I needed to find some kind of support for both of us.”

Sharon learned about new technology being offered by her employer Bluebird Care N.E.W. Devon in partnership with Access Health, Support and Care (HSC), using discreet technology enabled care (TEC) to provide reassurance without intrusion.

The system, Access Assure, uses non-intrusive smart home devices – no cameras, no recordings – just sensors placed around the home to understand daily routines. Movements like opening a cupboard, boiling the kettle, and general mobility patterns are monitored, with alerts sent to family members if anything out of the ordinary occurs or daily living activity patterns change.

For Sharon, the reassurance was instant and the relief had an immediate positive impact on her own wellbeing.

Article supplied by The Access Group

“Suddenly, I wasn’t waking up worried. I knew Mum was up and moving, when the kettle went on, when she’d opened the medicine cupboard. And I knew I’d be alerted if anything changed for Mum.

“It completely changed our dynamic. I could go back to being her daughter again, not just her carer.”

A Bluebird Care N.E.W Devon professional now visits once a week to check the equipment and provide some company.

What started as a technical check-in is now something Sharon’s mum actively enjoys, helping ease the path toward accepting future care, should she need it.

“I didn’t expect technology to bring us closer,” Sharon reflected. “But it has. When I visit now, we go out, we laugh, we just enjoy each other’s company again.”

The smart system behind Sharon’s peace of mind uses AI to learn her mum’s typical routines and flag any irregularities, like missed medication or disrupted sleep, while preserving her Mum’s privacy.

It’s a lifeline that’s helping more families keep loved ones safe at home, without compromising their dignity or sense of autonomy.

“This has been a game changer for us,” Sharon said. “I’d recommend it to anyone.”

William Flint, Director for Bluebird Care N.E.W Devon said: “Using TEC has changed the way we think about care at home. It’s not just about early intervention or risk reduction, it’s about giving families space to reconnect, to be daughters and sons again for example, not just carers.

“It’s a powerful reminder that the right technology, used in the right way, can be deeply human.”

Andy Sparkes, Managing Director for Access TEC, added: “Access Assure is about more than sensors, smart technology, or even an intelligent dashboard that transforms data into meaningful action.

At its core, it’s about reassurance and restoring peace of mind. Families like Sharon’s shouldn’t have to choose between their loved ones living independently and their safety.

“This technology works quietly in the background, empowering individuals to live fulfilling and meaningful lives in the place they choose, while making sure someone’s always on hand if they need that extra layer of support.”

Following stories like Sharon’s, Bluebird Care N.E.W Devon is now preparing to roll out Access Assure across more of its services, bringing the benefits of technology enabled care to families across the region.

Leading UK Care Management Software Provider Launches Groundbreaking

New Suite Of Data, AI and Automation Tools to Enhance Quality of Social Care

PASS by everyLIFE has announced the launch of PASSgenius™, a powerful new suite of data, AI and automation tools built into its award-winning care management software – marking a major step forward in digital innovation for social care.

Designed to turn complex data into clear, actionable insight, PASSgenius™ helps care providers make faster decisions, plan smarter rotas, reduce admin and stay ahead of risk – using the information they already collect.

Commenting on the launch, Robin Batchelor, CEO of PASS by everyLIFE, said: “Care providers are under more pressure than ever. With PASSgenius™, we’re giving them the tools to unlock the power of the data they already hold, helping them make better decisions, deliver safer care and free up time for what really matters.”

One of the standout features of PASSgenius™ is its AI-powered care note summaries – a tool that can scan weeks of care logs in seconds and highlights key changes in behaviour, health or mobility, helping

teams identify risks earlier and provide more responsive, person-centred support. Instead of reviewing long records manually, users receive concise summaries and recommendations that surface what’s changed and what needs attention, improving both care quality and continuity across shifts. At the heart of the new suite is the PASSgenius™ Dashboard – a fully interactive, customisable dashboard that provides real-time oversight across key performance areas, such as:

• Required hours: Spot gaps in care hours early and plan ahead

• Pending hours: See unassigned visits and fill them faster

• Travel time: Flag long journeys and improve routing

• Punctuality: Track lateness trends and take action sooner

• Cancelled hours: See costly cancellations and reduce repeat offenders

• Missed and overdue visits: Catch missed visits fast and protect care quality

PASSgenius™ is available now at no extra cost to All-in-one PASS users.

To learn more or see PASSgenius™ in action, visit: www.everylifetechnologies.com/passgenius

Gen-Z & Care: Improving the Workplace to Attract the Under-25s

Under-25s (Generation Z) have much to offer the world of care, especially as it progresses. In a constantly adapting industry, young people are key to helping care companies grow with the times, especially surrounding technology.

However, young people make up only 11% of care workers. Why is this? What is keeping Gen-Z from joining and staying in the world of care?

With the average care worker aged 45 and over a quarter of the workforce potentially choosing retirement in the next 10 years, there aren’t enough young workers to pick up the many mantles left behind. With social care already having the highest number of vacancies in the UK, care providers cannot afford for this number to grow and for their workforces to decrease.

Supporting service users is no 9-5 or Monday to Friday job. This alone can be off-putting to the under-25s, who may juggle education and prioritise a larger social life.

This is what Gen-Z values. They have entered the career world understanding the importance of mental health and their worth in the workplace - and they are often viewed negatively for this. But they couldn’t be more correct.

Just as care services get a bad rep for offering a poor work-life balance, Gen-Z gets a bad rep for prioritising a healthy one. You can see the dilemma. So, how can this be fixed?

Irregular, unsociable hours, poor workload management, and low resources can easily lead to poor staff retention. From the most recent

findings in 2021-2022, care saw a high turnover rate of 53% for those under 20 years old while care workers over 60 had a rate of 24%. It’s common for shift-based workers to feel they have very little control over their working lives, leading them to accommodate the shifts they have no say over. Especially due to last-minute scheduling and changes, many shift workers often must change or completely scrap personal plans - or wait until after shifts are allocated - resulting in lives only revolving around work.

As much as someone can be a work-first individual, removing time

By Becky Mundie, RotaCloud (www.rotacloud.com)

for personal and social lives - and simply downtime - can be damaging in the long run, causing stress and mental health issues. Factor in graveyard shifts or being on-call, and the feeling is greatly exacerbated.

Is there any wonder, when combining this with the high workload and responsibility that comes with care, that the under-25s - the generation valuing mental health - make up so few care workers?

There are simple ways to remedy this, however.

Simply offering flexibility, allowing staff to have a say in the days and hours they work, and offering the ability to oversee shifts further in advance, can make all the difference.

Implementing digital automation allows staff to feel more in control of their work and lives. This alone can greatly improve employee experience.

Surprisingly, employee experience can go hand-in-hand with updated technology - and what goes hand-in-hand with technology? The generation that has grown up with it.

Not only does digital automation benefit your service users, employees, and overall business growth, but it will also make your workplace more attractive to the new generation - who, once joining, can make adopting these new technologies and processes all the smoother. Under-25s are the future, as well as new technologies. It’s time to start investing in both.

For further information on RotaCloud, please see the back cover of this issue.

RECRUITMENT

What The End Of The Care Visa Route Means – And What Comes Next

From April 2022, the Health and Care Worker visa route gave UK care providers a desperately needed pipeline to international talent. But with the current Labour Government signalling an end to this route, providers are once again staring into the eye of a workforce storm.

It’s a pivotal moment. The social care sector already faces more than 150,000 vacancies. Labour costs are rising sharply, up to 10% in 2025 alone, driven by increases in the National Living Wage and employer National Insurance contributions. Now, with international recruitment under threat, many operators will see their already narrow options for staffing become even tighter.

Ending the care worker visa route is more than a headline, it has real operational consequences. It’s no secret that providers have leaned heavily on overseas hires to fill roles that remain persistently unattractive to the domestic workforce due to pay, flexibility and public perception.

Cutting off this access will likely drive greater dependence on agency staff, which are not only costly, often commanding 30% premiums, but also disrupt continuity of care and team morale.

Even before this immigration shift, providers were bracing for significant

financial pressure. A typical organisation with a £100m income is already facing £5.5m in additional labour-related costs, including £7m from wage increases and £5m from higher employer NI contributions.

And that’s without factoring in the operational impact of the upcoming Employment Rights Bill. Since April, predictable scheduling, compensation for last-minute changes and stricter zero-hours rules have become mandatory. That means more administrative load, less flexibility and higher staffing costs.

In short, the financial squeeze is very real. And the traditional cost-cutting playbook, reducing staff ratios, asking councils for more funds, or freezing employee benefits, is no longer viable, especially when quality of care and compliance are non-negotiable.

A modern response: smarter operations. So what now?

The good news is that providers aren’t powerless. The most resilient organisations are shifting from reactive crisis management to strategic operational transformation. That means investing in systems that make labour smarter, not just cheaper.

In our latest industry report, we break down how providers are already unlocking significant savings and efficiencies through smarter operations.

Modern shift management platforms, for instance, allow providers to surface open shifts to existing team members quickly, reducing the need to fill gaps with costly agency staff. In one example, agency spend dropped by 38% within four weeks of deploying a new digital scheduling solution.

Additionally, better time tracking tools with geo-fenced clock-ins and payroll integrations have helped providers save up to £4.2m annually by avoiding overpayments and automating manual processes.

Intelligent scheduling systems now also use commissioned hours and

By Abbey Milne, Social Care Lead of Sona (www.getsona.com)

real-time staffing data to avoid both understaffing and costly overstaffing. This has led to 2–5% savings in total labour costs, equivalent to up to £3m for some organisations.

With new compliance demands arriving this year, reducing the administrative burden is critical. Tools that consolidate scheduling, HR and payroll into one workflow can free up hundreds of hours per year, allowing managers to focus on team support and care quality.

This isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about survival. According to a recent Hft and Care England report, a third of providers are now considering exiting the market due to cost pressures and long-term uncertainty. But those who embrace operational transformation stand a chance not just to weather this shift, but to emerge stronger.

At Sona, we help social care providers meet today’s challenges head on, with solutions that drive efficiency, empower teams and elevate care. Advinia, a residential care provider with over 4,000 employees, was spending between £35,000 and £40,000 a week on agency cover. After transforming their internal scheduling strategy, they brought that figure down to £16,000 a week, a change that’s not just financial but operationally transformational.

As leaders, we need to view this moment not just as a policy change but as a call to action. The gap between those who invest in smart systems and those who don’t is widening, and fast. Providers that digitise their operations, empower their teams, and deliver consistently high-quality care will be the ones who thrive in this new era.

While we can’t control the economic landscape, we can control how we adapt. The providers who do so with agility and foresight will help shape the future of social care, not just survive in it.

Quality Staffing Solutions From Nexime Healthcare

We are a leading supplier of comprehensive healthcare staffing solutions to care, residential and nursing homes, hospitals, medical facilities and establishments that need person-centred personnel.

By providing staffing solutions that are both cost-effective and highquality, Nexime Healthcare helps with everything that is required. Our extensive database of experienced Support Workers, Carers, Healthcare Assistants and Nurses of various specialities is available to provide highquality care on demand to our clients for:

• One-off shifts, staff absence and shortfalls (often at very short notice),

• Establishing a new unit, whilst permanent staff are recruited,

• Emergency cover during very busy periods,

• Temporary or permanent positions,

• Regular support to full-time teams,

• Contract or SLA (Service Level Agreement) arrangements.

We’re a one-stop, temporary employment business operating nationwide and providing dependable and experienced Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Carers, Support Workers, domestic and other types of staff.

We are proud of our values, manners, good timing and a friendly ‘can do’ attitude. We’re professional and our clients know that there’s no substitute for our dependability, reliability and our prices.

Owned and managed by people who have years of experience within the healthcare sector, Nexime Healthcare knows what it takes to match the right staff with clients needs. Using our insights into what is required

for each situation, we provide a service with professionals trained for each and every scenario. With access to a broad network of available staff, we can find the right person for the assignment. Nexime Healthcare will make sure you gain access to the reliability, flexibility and experience that you need to support your own clients. We know how critical these are to you.

What we have always done better than anybody else is to provide the highest quality care staff. We apply internal Quality Assurance Systems, that are continually being improved, during our rigorous hiring process. It is essential to us and our clients that our staff are compliant. 0151 673 1899 info@neximehealthcare.co.uk www.neximehealthcare.co.uk

SOCIAL CARE EXPERTS LAUNCH AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE TO DISRUPT A SECTOR IN CRISIS

Introducing AgoraStaff

A TEAM of experts have come together to disrupt the expensive and complex social care system by launching an ‘app’ to bring care homes/providers and carers together using AI.

AgoraStaff, a temporary staffing app for the social care sector, is the brainchild of Richard Williams-Pears, a longstanding Cornwall councillor and former mayor of St Austell, who saw firsthand the rising costs and inefficiencies in social care.

He teamed up with his wife Jolene, AgoraStaff’s Director of Outstanding Compliance, who has an extensive background in operating theatres, and Janet Shreeve, who brings hands-on care sector experience from running Shreeve Care Services, based in Wiltshire.

Together, they partnered with tech experts Ben Grave and Simon Wetherell —creators of the UK’s leading asbestos management system - to bring the app to life.

Richard said: “Providing care is expensive and it’s even more expensive if a care home, local authority, or other care provider has to pay an agency to find carers, particularly at the last minute. The carer gets minimum wage, or just above and the agency takes a hefty cut on

average around 30% of the fee from the provider.

“We felt there had to be a better way, using modern technology, to speed up this process leaving more money available for carers and providers. So much money is lost on agencies sitting in the middle between providers and carers, our app is designed to cut through this inefficiency.

“We have therefore combined deep sector knowledge with smart tech.”

Janet Shreeve is the Chief Business Development Officer

for AgoraStaff. She said:

“Many carers throughout the UK are self-employed and rely upon agencies to find them suitable shifts. Our marketplace gives them the opportunity to not only register for free but have complete control over the shifts they apply for and undertake.

“We are committed to ensuring the carers within our marketplace are the best professionals for individual roles. We achieve this with a vetting process to ensure they are legally entitled to work in the UK (if relevant) and must register their relevant training. They will also have the option to undertake more training to enhance their rolesa concept not commonly found within traditional agencies.”

AgoraStaff goes live week commencing May 19th in Somerset and the surrounding counties.

Care providers can sign up for the app for a monthly fee of £34.99 per location (plus five per cent from the agreed daily shift fee) and trained carers sign up FREE once they have completed the vetting process.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Empowering Care Staff and Residents Through Aligned Training

By Elena Martin, Director of Operations and Commissioning, Langdale Care Homes Group

In the ever-evolving landscape of adult social care, it is essential to ensure that training initiatives not only equip care professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills but also nurture an environment where they feel confident and supported to deliver their best.

As a Registered General Nurse with over two decades of experience in the care industry, I have seen first-hand how thoughtfully designed training programmes can bring about meaningful changes that resonate with both staff and residents. These programmes, when aligned with the real-world needs of care professionals, have the power to transform not only the quality of care but also the overall morale and satisfaction within the care setting.

One of the key features of impactful training is its accessibility, relevance, and applicability to the challenges faced by care staff on a daily basis. From comprehensive first aid instruction to specialised courses on dementia care, well-designed training modules can provide care professionals with the tools and techniques required to respond effectively to a variety of situations. By prioritising the development of our staff's clinical proficiency, we enable them to deliver high-quality, person-centred care that focuses on the well-being and dignity of residents.

However, building confidence and capability goes beyond technical skills alone. It is equally vital to focus on the interpersonal skills that underpin meaningful relationships with residents and contribute to their overall happiness and fulfilment. Training programmes that emphasise relational care, for instance, can help care staff appreciate the importance of creating an atmosphere of trust and understanding. By encouraging

staff to focus on these human aspects of care, we cultivate a setting that radiates warmth and kindness, ensuring that residents feel valued and respected.

Moreover, to ensure that staff can consistently provide the best possible care, our training must remain adaptable and responsive to emerging trends and best practices in the sector. By implementing regular refresher courses, we reinforce foundational knowledge, address any skill gaps, and ensure that care professionals are up to date with the latest advancements. Similarly, ongoing supervision and performance evaluations play a vital role in identifying opportunities for professional growth, creating a framework of accountability and continuous development. This commitment to lifelong learning not only enhances the quality of care but also reinforces a sense of purpose and pride among staff.

The ripple effect of robust training programmes extends far beyond individual care professionals. When staff feel confident, valued, and well-equipped, they are better positioned to deliver exceptional care that is tailored to the unique needs and preferences of each resident. This, in turn, results in improved well-being for residents, greater peace of mind for their families, and stronger outcomes for the care community as a whole.

At the core of our training philosophy lies the understanding that empowered staff lead to empowered residents. When care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and assurance to excel in their roles, they are better able to encourage residents to maintain their independence, involve them in decisionmaking, and take the time to truly listen to their stories and concerns.

In conclusion, aligning training with the practical needs of both staff and residents goes far beyond fulfilling regulatory requirements—it is the foundation for fostering confidence, compassion, and excellence in adult social care. As we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the future, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to investing in our staff, enabling them to make a lasting difference in the lives of those they care for.

Game-Based Learning: A Smart, Flexible Solution for Care Home Training

In today’s care home environment, staff training is under constant pressure. Limited time, tight budgets, and high workloads mean traditional training methods often struggle to keep up. Yet, with complex conditions like diabetes affecting up to one in four residents, there’s never been a greater need for effective, accessible learning.

Game-based learning (GBL) offers a powerful way forward. Whether through board games, card games, or digital tools, GBL turns essential training topics into engaging, memorable learning experiences that fit seamlessly into busy care home routines. It’s proven to boost knowledge retention, spark discussion, and improve practical understanding.

Focus Games (www.focusgames.com) leads the way in this space, with a wide range of evidence-based games developed for health and social care. Their innovative Virtual Care Home is a standout example—a digital environment where staff can explore realistic care scenarios, click on hotspots, and practise deci-

sion-making in a safe, simulated setting. From managing blood glucose to identifying signs of hypoglycaemia, staff gain confidence in handling real-world challenges. All on their pc or smart pnone!

Best of all, these ready-to-use resources are designed to be flexible. Maximising every learning opportunity. With options tailored to your setting, including customisable content and multi-modal learning styles, there's a solution for every home. In a sector facing increasing demands, GBL offers a costeffective, forward-thinking way to build skills and confidence. Whether you're new to game-based learning or ready to take it further, now’s the time to explore the difference it can make. To discuss our virtual care home resource contact info@focusgames.com.

See our cover advert for a special discount code to get started today. Visit www.focusgames.com

Transforming End of Life Care Across Health & Social Care

of life care that you provide and is: CQC-Recognised

Endorsed by sector leaders

• 97% report better experiences for patients and families

• Affordable and impactful for your whole organisation

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First Ever Cyber Game for Social Care

Cyber security is an increasing concern in social care, with data breaches, phishing scams, and cyber attacks putting sensitive information and essential services at risk. However, learning about cyber security can often feel overwhelming, full of jargon, and difficult to apply to everyday situations. That’s where the Digital Care Hub’s new Cyber Game comes in—an engaging, interactive way for adult social care providers to learn vital cyber security skills.

THE POWER OF GAMIFICATION IN SOCIAL CARE

Learning doesn’t have to be dull. In social care, where training is essential but time is scarce, gamification—using game-like elements such as quizzes, rewards, and interactive challenges—makes learning more engaging and memorable. It provides a safe space to learn and make mistakes, increasing engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention. Gamification also allows for instant feedback and supports long-term behaviour change, making it an effective tool for cyber security training.

THE FIRST-EVER CYBER GAME FOR SOCIAL CARE

The Digital Care Hub has launched the first-ever Cyber Game designed specifically for adult social care providers. It offers a fun and practical way to learn about cyber security and data protection, helping care managers, care workers, and other staff members develop the skills they need to keep their organisation safe.

The Cyber Game takes players through real-world scenarios relevant

to social care settings, making it easier to recognise and respond to cyber risks in a safe environment. Whether it’s identifying a phishing email, ensuring secure data sharing, or responding to a cyber incident, players gain hands-on experience that translates directly to their work environment.

One of the biggest challenges in cyber security training is making it relatable. The Cyber Game brings cyber risks to life through realistic characters and workplace situations. Players can take on the role of a registered manager, a data protection lead, or a care worker, each facing different cyber threats.

Each scenario is based on real cyber incidents that have affected

The delivery of safe care is the paramount responsibility of social care providers. Central to achieving this is the governance framework adopted by service providers. And at the core of this framework are policies and procedures. These enable the provider to comply – and evidence compliance – with relevant legislation and regulations, as well as facilitating best practices, supporting business needs, and assisting in recognising and managing risks.

Providers have a legal duty of care to the people they employ. Policies and procedures should provide clear guidelines to staff on how the organisation operates, as well as informing them of best practices and processes to be followed.

Policies should be reviewed annually as a minimum to ensure they are still fit for purpose and align with legal and regulatory requirements. They should be reviewed not only by employees of the business, but also by experts in various subject matters (e.g., infection control or medicines management).

For many small- to medium-sized providers, there may not be the in-house skills, knowledge, and experience to complete such a robust annual review. Many choose instead to purchase their policies and

social care providers. The goal is to manage the crisis effectively—containing the damage, notifying the right people, and implementing steps to prevent future incidents. Decisions impact security, time, and cost, requiring players to balance risk and consequences.

WHY GAMIFY CYBER SECURITY TRAINING?

Daniel O’Shaughnessy, from the Digital Care Hub, explains:

“We created the Cyber Game to make cyber security training more accessible and engaging. Gamification encourages active participation and helps staff retain information better, making learning feel rewarding and practical.”

WHAT CARE STAFF SAY

Care staff who tested the game found the scenarios helpful and realistic:

“These are good scenarios – typical and indicative of what may occur and give people an idea of what they need to be thinking about.”

Through interactive decision-making, players experience the consequences of their choices, reinforcing key lessons in a way that traditional training cannot.

TRY THE CYBER GAME TODAY!

The Cyber Game is available online, completely free to play. It’s a great way for care providers to improve their cyber security awareness in an engaging and practical way.

Play the game online at: www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/cyber-game

Policies and Procedures Within Social Care EDUCATION AND TRAINING

procedures from a reputable provider like W&P Compliance & Training, who will also complete reviews and ensure their policies and procedures remain up to date. This way a provider not only ensures they remain compliant; they also benefit from best practice policies and procedures that provide a solid foundation for safe working practices and – ultimately – protect and support service users and staff.

Ben Erskine – Director at W&P Compliance & Training www.wandptraining.co.uk | Tel: 01305 767104

See the advert on page 2

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

70% of Care Home Residents Have Dementia, But Are Staff Working Well With Their Families Too?

By Satya Cashman, Partnerships Manager for national charity Dementia Carers Count

Here at Dementia Carers Count we’re supporting professional carers, looking after increasing numbers of people with dementia. Day in, day out, we provide emotional advice and practical support to family carers, as they cope with the challenges of dementia care. Those challenges don’t stop when a loved one moves to a care home. They change. And what many families tell us is, they would like better support from the professional carers they meet.

In fact, of the 1,300 family dementia carers who responded to our 2023 survey, only one third agreed that paid carers understood their needs. This is worrying, given the best possible person-centred care is only possible through working in partnership with families

With estimates of the number of professional carers receiving dementia training as low as 29%1, it could be that some carers just don’t have the training or practical experience to support families well. But most care homes invest in regular dementia training, and a host of other professional requirements. Despite this, many families are not confident about paid carers’ understanding of dementia. Only around a quarter (27%) of our 2024 survey respondents said that paid carers had a ‘good understanding of dementia and dementia care2

So, what could you do differently to ensure your busy, committed and hard-working team have everything they need to support residents and families with the care and compassion you’d want?

Well, whilst you’re busy arranging shift patterns, cover, inspections,

visits and the rest, it’s easy to overlook problems with the current basic training model:

1. Dementia has so many presentations, and no one prognosis, affecting every person differently. To provide high-quality, person-centred care for people with dementia, you need a wide range of knowledge from a broad practice base.

2. Staff churn is challenging for any care business. But all too often, staff

move on because they don't feel confident or supported by low-quality training, when they do face those challenging situations.

3. It’s tough getting carers together for a whole or half day of training. Arranging shift patterns and cover, transport from other sites, or managing sickness and emergencies.

At Dementia Carers Count, we understand the pressures you face and the genuine commitment you have to your residents. As a dedicated charity, our mission is to improve support for anyone caring for someone with dementia. That’s why we’ve developed short, regular interventions, delivered live by trainers with experience and insight, to help your staff understand all the dimensions of expert dementia care for your clients and their families.

Our 90-minute format minimises disruption to your schedules, while maximising learning outcomes. These focused sessions share genuinely useful knowledge in an accessible and engaging way. And as all our CPD accredited training comes from years of experience supporting carers, you can feel confident you’re your staff will learn from the very best. What’s more, proceeds from our training go to our work for family carers across the UK. When you work with us, you're supporting your team and your local community.

To speak to Satya and find out more about training – visit www.dementiacarers.org.uk/what-we-do/dementia-training

Realise Achieves 11 QACLS Endorsements

A host of health and social care courses delivered by leading training provider Realise have received the new Quality Assurance Care Learning Services (QACLS) endorsement.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has taken on responsibility for reviewing the quality of individual courses and qualifications delivered by training providers within the sector.

Realise submitted 11 of its health and social care

programmes to be quality assured – and all received the stamp of approval, including the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.

Funding for health and social care qualifications is now provided through the Government’s Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS), which has replaced the Workforce Development Fund.

From April this year, only courses and qualifications delivered by training providers that have been

QACLS endorsed will be identified as preferred options by LDSS.

And from next year onwards, employers will only be able to claim LDSS funding for courses that have been quality assured.

Care providers currently have to replace almost a third of their workers each year due to staff leaving their jobs. This high turnover has a negative impact on the quality of care - and the DHSC hopes the QACLS endorsement will help boost retention.

Lesley O’Connor, Head of Strategic Development at Realise, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be one of the first training providers to achieve endorsements across a wide range of courses.

“This new system marks a step-change for the industry as it means, for the first time, individual courses are being reviewed rather than the training provider as a whole in an attempt to drive up standards.

“The approval process was thorough, looking at evidence of quality of delivery, testimonials, achievement rates and policies.

“Being QACLS endorsed is very important as it demonstrates quality and also allows employers to continue to claim LDSS funding. Soon employers will have to pay the full price for programmes that are not endorsed.

“We look forward to working with employers who

"23 years, operating 4 Devon Nursing homes, has been pretty tough, as anyone in social care, knows, only too well. And if it was hard already, after 2024 budget, it's just got harder.

Anyway, at heart, I am just customer of Eden Alternative, and it was a stroke of luck to come across this whilst on holiday in New Zealand in 2009. It started in USA in 1994 and now runs in 22 countries.

The fact that I am now involved with this not-forprofit organisation (in the UK area) came about when one of the 2 main UK directors died suddenly just before Covid. But it's something I have run with for 11 years to help make 'vision' a reality, not a struggle. So, being both a customer and helping the admin seems quite natural.

It is a modern philosophy of care, but moreover, it's

can benefit from quality assured training.”

The QACLS endorsement lasts for three years, with regular monitoring every six to nine months.

Realise will strive to have all its health and social care programmes approved through QACLS during phase two and three of the process. Phase two runs from now until the end of the 2025-26 financial year, and phase three follows immediately after.

The Government says it is "fully committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce" with learning, development and training that is "of outstanding quality, relevant and accessible".

The full list of Realise’s 11 quality assured courses are: Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism, Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Autism, Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding the Care and Management of Diabetes, Level 2 Certificate in Falls Prevention Awareness, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health, Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care, Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, Level 2 Certificate in Understanding the Safe Handling of Medication in Health and Social Care and Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems For more information, visit www.realisetraining.com

a programme that is straight forward, tried and tested for 30 years and really works. Its member care organisations generally become trainers for their own teams, and run it themselves. The programme is run in person over 2-3 days or online 1 hr a wk for 7 weeks. You choose. It addresses loneliness, helplessness and boredom and operates through 10 principles to underpin 7 critical domains of wellbeing.

Moreover, it's effective, transformational and really works. As residents, and team members wellbeing, matter so much , it's a must, in my opinion. Geoffrey Cox Southernhealthcare.co.uk eden-alternative.co.uk"

PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCE

Navigating Insolvency in the Residential Care Home Sector: Practical Guidance for Businesses from Slater Heelis

By Nick Goodman, Partner and Head of Insolvency at Slater Heelis

The residential care home sector is facing unprecedented financial challenges as we move into 2025. Rising costs, driven by the recent autumn Budget, have placed immense pressure on care providers.

Industry experts predict a surge in insolvencies and restructuring activities, with many businesses struggling to stay afloat. A recent survey by the Care Provider Alliance (CPA) highlights the severity of the situation: 22% of care providers are planning to close their businesses entirely, 77% will have to draw on reserves, and 64% will need to make staff redundant – these figures present a raft of troubling choices for care providers and the people cared for by their businesses.

In this challenging landscape, it is crucial for care home operators to have a clear strategy to navigate potential insolvency while prioritising the care of their residents. In such worrying times, knowledge is power, so it’s sensible to weigh up all the possible outcomes and options and fully comprehend the issues that might lie ahead.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES

The autumn Budget has introduced several cost pressures that are particularly impactful for the care sector. These include increases in the National Living Wage and National Insurance Employer Contributions, which significantly raise operational costs. Additionally, the sector is grappling with high input costs, pressures on social care budgets, and staff shortages. These factors combine to create a perfect storm, making it difficult for many care homes to maintain financial stability.

PRIORITISING RESIDENT CARE

The primary concern for any care home facing financial difficulties should be the wellbeing of its residents. Ensuring that residents continue to receive high-quality care is paramount. Ideally, residents should not have to move, as relocation can be distressing and disruptive. This can be achieved through various strategies, including finding an investor to support the insolvent care home or transferring the premises and residents to another care provider.

EXPLORING TURNAROUND SOLUTIONS

When facing potential insolvency, early intervention is key. Care home operators should consider turnaround strategies that can help stabilise the business and avoid more drastic measures. These strategies might include:

Cost Management: Conduct a thorough review of all expenses and identify areas where costs can be reduced without compromising the quality of care. This might involve renegotiating contracts with suppliers, reducing energy consumption, or streamlining administrative processes.

• Revenue Enhancement: Explore opportunities to increase revenue, such as offering additional services, increasing occupancy rates, or adjusting pricing structures. Engaging with local authorities and healthcare providers to secure more contracts can also provide a steady income stream.

Financial Restructuring: Work with financial advisors to restructure existing debts and improve cash flow. This might involve negotiating with creditors for more favourable terms or consolidating loans to reduce interest payments.

Operational Efficiency: Implement best practices to improve operational efficiency. This could include investing in staff training, adopting new technologies to streamline care delivery, and improving regulatory compliance to avoid costly penalties.

FORMAL INSOLVENCY PROCEDURES

If turnaround strategies are not sufficient, more formal insolvency procedures under the Insolvency Act 1986 may be necessary. These include Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) and administration.

Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA): A CVA is a legally binding agreement between a company and its creditors to repay a portion of its debts over time. This allows the company to continue operating while addressing its financial difficulties. A CVA can be a flexible and cost-effective solution, enabling the care home to restructure its debts and avoid liquidation.

• Administration: Administration involves appointing an insolvency practitioner to take control of the company and manage its affairs. The goal is to rescue the company as a going concern or achieve a better outcome for creditors than liquidation. Administration provides a breathing space for the company to reorganise and potentially find a buyer.

PRE-PACK ADMINISTRATION

However, the primary concern for the care of residents must be balanced with the duty to creditors. If a company is insolvent or bordering on insolvency, or when an insolvent liquidation or administration is probable, the directors owe a duty to the creditors of the company. This is known as the “Creditor Duty”. The directors of the company must give the interests of the creditors appropriate weight and circumstances may dictate that the directors treat shareholders’ interests as subordinate to those of the creditors. Where an insolvent liquidation or administration is inevitable the interests of creditors become paramount.

In cases where preserving the company's licence is not feasible, a pre-

pack administration might be necessary. This involves negotiating the sale of the business and its assets before the appointment of administrators, allowing for a quick transfer of ownership. Pre-pack administration can help maintain business continuity, preserve jobs, and protect the value of the business.

Involving Local Authorities and the Care Quality Commission

Any solution to financial distress in the care home sector must involve local authorities and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) from the outset. These bodies play a crucial role in ensuring that residents continue to receive safe and high-quality care. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning care services and can provide support and guidance during the restructuring process. The CQC oversees the quality of care provided and must be satisfied with any proposed changes to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR CARE HOME OPERATORS

Early Engagement: Engage with financial advisors, legal experts, and insolvency practitioners as soon as financial difficulties arise. Early intervention can provide more options and increase the chances of a successful turnaround.

Transparent Communication: Maintain open and honest communication with all stakeholders, including staff, residents, families, creditors, and regulators. Transparency builds trust and can facilitate smoother negotiations and transitions.

Resident-Centred Approach: Always prioritise the needs and wellbeing of residents. Any restructuring plan should aim to minimise disruption to their care and living arrangements.

Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that all actions taken comply with regulatory requirements. Work closely with the CQC and local authorities to navigate the complexities of the care sector.

• Contingency Planning: Develop contingency plans for various scenarios, including potential insolvency. Having a clear plan in place can help manage risks and ensure a more orderly process if financial difficulties escalate.

HELP IN WEATHERING THE STORM

The residential care home sector is facing significant financial challenges, but with careful planning and proactive measures, care home operators can navigate these difficulties while prioritising the care of their residents. By exploring turnaround strategies, engaging in formal insolvency procedures when necessary, and involving key stakeholders, care homes can weather the storm and continue to provide essential services to their communities.

Time is Care: Why Streamlining Payments is Critical for the Care Sector

In the care sector, time is one of the most precious—and limited—resources. Whether it’s a nurse supporting an elderly resident or a finance officer reconciling invoices across multiple funding streams, every hour counts. Yet while much attention is given to frontline care, a quieter crisis is unfolding behind the scenes: payment inefficiencies.

Care providers operate in one of the most complex funding landscapes in the UK. Between over 150 local authorities, 42 Integrated Care Boards, and thousands of self-funders, the process of paying and being paid is often fragmented and manual. That complexity doesn’t just create paperwork—it creates risk.

Late supplier payments can disrupt services. Missed payroll deadlines can cause stress for care workers, many of whom live paycheque to paycheque. In a sector where emotional labour is high and financial stability is rare, a delayed or inaccurate payslip can tip the balance from just coping to burning out. When the back office falters, it impacts the front line.

As Victoria Ramsay, founder of Aequalis Accountancy, put it: “There’s a vicious circle. Late invoices mean poor cash flow, which means providers can’t afford to invest in the very systems that would solve the problem.”

And with care workers under unprecedented

strain, payroll isn’t just an admin task—it’s a matter of respect. Timely, accurate payments send a clear message: we value you. Delays or errors, on the other hand, erode morale and trust at a time when retention is already a challenge.

The good news? Change doesn’t always require sweeping reform. One of the biggest wins can come from automating payroll and payments. Faster Payments, for example, allow providers to process transactions in seconds—not days—giving finance teams the flexibility to act quickly and confidently. Crucially, automation frees up time. According to industry data, automating care payroll can reduce processing time by up to 90%. That’s hours saved every week—time that can be redirected back into care, strategy, and staff support.

What’s often missing from transformation conversations is this: operational efficiency is human efficiency. Every error avoided, every minute saved, helps build a care system that’s not just compliant, but compassionate.

In a sector stretched thin, improving payments isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a foundation for dignity, stability, and sustainable care.

To learn more about how care providers are modernising payments, visit Modulr at www.modulrfinance.com/care-payments

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

Global assists clients throughout the U.K. who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase, development and refinance. We have organised over £1.8bn for clients in the past 30 years, providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt, ease cashflow and develop businesses further. From helping clients make their first purchase through to