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Issue 83
Healthcare Systems “Close to Collapse” Inquiry Finds
The UK’s healthcare systems were “ill-prepared”, “overwhelmed” and “came close to collapse” during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the third report from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, published by Chair Baroness Heather Hallett. The report – The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems of the United Kingdom concludes that while the NHS and care systems “ultimately coped, but only just”, the consequences for patients, families and healthcare workers were profound, longlasting and often catastrophic. Module 3, the third of the Inquiry’s 10 investigations, examined the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare systems across the four nations. It investigated how governments and society responded to the pandemic, the capacity of health-
care systems to adapt and the impact on patients, their loved ones and healthcare workers. This new report published March 19, found healthcare systems were already overstretched and in a precarious state. This fragility had profound consequences once the crisis hit, especially when the numbers of people seeking treatment for Covid-19 started to increase dramatically. Despite the best efforts of healthcare workers, many Covid patients did not receive the care they would otherwise receive and non Covid patients had their diagnoses and treatment delayed.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)
VIEWPOINT
PAGE 2 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
SIX YEARS ON — AND STILL COUNTING PUBLISHED BY RBC Publishing Ltd THE COST
The ramifications of the 2020 pandemic continue to reverberate through every corner of health and social care, and the publication of the third report Editor from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry serves as yet another sobering reminder of just how profound and lasting that damage has been. Baroness Heather Hallett, Chair of the UK Covid19 Inquiry, has concluded that the UK's healthcare systems "came close to collapse" — and that they "coped, but only just." These are damning words, and they deserve to be read slowly and carefully by every policymaker, commissioner and minister with responsibility for the health and care of this nation's population. We in the care sector will, of course, be all too familiar with the human cost of those early pandemic decisions. In 2025, through earlier modules of the Inquiry, we heard in painful detail the full and devastating impact on care homes — the lives lost, the families separated, the staff who worked through unimaginable circumstances with inadequate protection and precious little support. Now, with Module 3, we see the broader picture brought into equally sharp and uncomfortable focus: the systemic failures that left the entire UK healthcare infrastructure teetering on the edge. It is impossible, in this context, not to reflect on one of the most consequential decisions of that period. The policy of discharging patients from NHS hospitals into care homes during the early stages of the pandemic — often without testing — was driven by an urgent need to free up hospital beds. The intention was understandable. The consequences, however, were catastrophic. But perhaps the most alarming observation to emerge from this latest report — and the one that should stop all of us in our tracks — is this: that if a Covid-style pandemic hit the UK tomorrow, it would meet a health and care system that is, in many ways, in worse shape than it was in 2020. Let that sink in for a moment. Six years on. Six years of inquiries, recommendations, reviews and pledges. Six years during which we have known, with absolute certainty, that another pandemic is not a question of if, but when. And yet, the assessment from those who have examined the evidence most rigorously is that we are, if anything, less prepared today than we were then. Care homes sit at the interface between NHS and social care. When the NHS is overwhelmed, the pressure flows directly and immediately into our sector. When beds are needed, it is care homes that are asked to absorb the overflow. When staff are stretched, it is care workers who fill the gaps. And when things go wrong — as they so catastrophically did in 2020 — it is our residents who are most at risk, and our staff who carry the grief. Baroness Hallett has made ten recommendations and has urged governments across the UK to implement them fully and promptly. We echo that call entirely. But recommendations without resources, without political will, and without a genuine long-term commitment to funding both health and social care properly, are simply words on a page. I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com
Peter Adams
The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, 3 Carlton Mount, 2 Cranborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5BR. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.
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Healthcare Systems “Close to Collapse” Inquiry Finds (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) For some this meant their condition became inoperable. Healthcare workers put their lives at risk, and the pandemic had a significant and long-lasting impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Baroness Hallett has called for the prompt and thorough implementation of 10 key recommendations, necessary to prevent healthcare systems being overwhelmed in the next pandemic.
COPED - “ONLY JUST” “This third UK Covid-19 Inquiry report concerns the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s healthcare systems. I can summarise that impact as: we coped, but only just. “The healthcare systems came close to collapse. Healthcare workers carried the burden of caring for the sick in unprecedented numbers. It came at a huge cost to them, their families, their patients and the loved ones of patients. Collapse was only narrowly avoided thanks to the extraordinary efforts of all those working in healthcare across the UK. “Despite those efforts, some patients did not get the level of care they would usually receive. The enormous strain placed upon the healthcare systems was unprecedented. “Those working within it were obliged to work under intolerable pressure for months on end. We cannot know when, but there will be another pandemic. My recommendations, taken as a whole, should mean that the UK is better prepared for that pandemic. In doing so, we shall avoid some of the terrible human cost of Covid-19. “I urge governments across the UK to work individually and collectively to implement these recommendations, in full and in a timely manner.” Baroness Hallett said. Some of Baroness Hallett’s conclusions are as follows: • While health ministers maintained that the UK never reached a state of overwhelm, “there was clearly overwhelm”. Lower levels of care were provided to patients and patients did not always get the care they needed, notwithstanding the efforts of healthcare workers • The pressure was, at times, intolerable and this continued for wave after wave of the virus. Healthcare systems entered the pandemic with low numbers of hospital beds, high bed occupancy, high numbers of staff vacancies and of sickness absences, meaning systems were in a precarious position from the outset. • Initial infection prevention and control guidance was flawed because it assumed that Covid-19 was spread by contact transmission and failed to consider the extent to which the virus was also spread by aerosol transmission. • Supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were particularly constrained at the start of the pandemic, causing healthcare workers sometimes to work in inadequate and unsuitable PPE and put themselves and their families at risk to care for patients. • Visiting restrictions meant that many patients died without the comfort
of being surrounded by their loved ones, while vulnerable patients such as those with dementia or a learning disability and children in mental health inpatient units, as well as women accessing maternity services were left without vital support. • The mental health of healthcare staff was severely impacted, with many exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, while burn-out was common
VISITING RESTRICTIONS Vic Rayner, CEO of the National Care Forum commented: “The Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 3 report has found that our health system was brought to the verge of collapse during the pandemic. In many ways the NHS only ‘coped’ by shutting out the vast cohorts of people who were receiving care and support – that is not coping, that is prioritising the care of some over others. The reality for people working in and drawing upon care and support meant that older and disabled people across a range of different types of care and support were simply not able to access the routine and emergency healthcare they needed. “Two stark areas the report grapples with are the impact visiting restrictions had upon people and their loved ones, particularly in palliative care, and the impact of the inappropriate use of DNACPRs. “When it comes to visiting, the report highlights the inconsistencies in visiting guidance and calls for guidance to be published for hospitals in the event of a future pandemic. This doesn’t quite get to the nub of the issue: it is fundamental to the provision of good care and support, as well as an individual’s human rights, that relationships and connections with loved ones are actively supported and maintained.
GLORIA’S LAW “Since the early months of the pandemic, and in our evidence to module 6 of the Inquiry, we have pushed for access to what we called an ‘essential care giver’. Since then, over 100 organisations representing millions of people, have come together to support Care Rights UK’s campaign to introduce a legal right to a ‘Care Supporter’: a trusted loved one to provide support and advocacy in all health and care settings. We’d encourage the government and Inquiry team to look at the proposed ‘Gloria’s Law’. “In my evidence to module 6, we also outlined the concerns our members raised about NHS colleagues applying blanket DNACPR orders on people with learning disabilities and older people under their care, without involving the individuals or families or taking into account each person’s individual circumstances. There was no excuse for this practice, and the fact it persisted through the pandemic, despite our warnings, is incredibly concerning. The report’s recommendation for a standardised process for advance care planning across the UK while welcome won’t deal with the clear cultural problem that needs to be addressed with how our health system views older and disabled citizens. It is striking that the report fails to make a connection between the use of the Clinical Frailty Scale, the inappropriate use of DNACPRs
and other tools, in denying treatment to disabled and older people in receipt of care and support – that is a more fundamental issue than lack of standardisation or inconsistent approaches.” Vic Rayner concluded: “It is clear then that our health system did not in fact ‘cope’ – the response to the pandemic revealed the inequalities at the heart of our NHS as many people in receipt of care and support were unable to access vital healthcare. As we await the Module 6 report on the care sector, we urge Baroness Hallett to more clearly outline the very real impact of strategic decisions made by key health officials had on disabled and older people – only then can we start to identify and address the inequalities that exist.”
WORSE SHAPE THAN 2020 Siva Anandaciva, Director of Policy, Events and Partnerships at The King’s Fund, said: ‘If a Covid-style pandemic hit the UK tomorrow, it would meet a health and care system that is in many ways in worse shape than 2020. The number of people on hospital waiting lists has exploded, people are routinely treated in hospital corridors because wards and A&E departments are full, industrial action has been normalised and the social care system is still fragile and crying out for much-needed reform - the list could go on and on. ‘The Inquiry also tells a story of a health and care system that did some things incredibly well – such as developing vaccines at speed and prioritising the sickest patients. But our healthcare system was also close to collapse despite staff bravely trying to hold it together without all the tools they needed. It is no wonder that the trauma of this experience is still affecting many who worked through it. Even before the next pandemic hits this report emphasises the need for the government’s 10 Year Workforce Plan to address the core needs of staff and have a focus on their health and wellbeing at its heart.’
EMOTIONAL TOLL The UK government’s policy on discharging people from hospital into care homes without testing them for Covid, in order to give those who needed it follow up care after contracting Covid, at the start of the pandemic, was in April 2022 ruled unlawful at the High Court in London.Over 40,000 care home residents’ deaths involved Covid. In July last year the UK COVID-19 Inquiry released harrowing testimony revealing the profound impact of pandemic restrictions on residential and nursing homes, documenting widespread family trauma, resident isolation, and unprecedented pressure on care staff. Module 6 of the inquiry focused specifically on the care sector, drawing from over 47,000 personal accounts, and made it the largest public engagement exercise ever undertaken by a UK inquiry. The testimony revealed the devastating emotional toll on families who were separated from vulnerable relatives during lockdown restrictions. Many described the lasting trauma of believing their loved ones died feeling abandoned and alone, leading to ongoing mental health challenges for bereaved families.
PAGE 4 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
The Hidden Cost of Poor Communication in Social Care By Lynsey Flanagan, Mediator | Dispute Resolution, Conflict Management & Early Intervention (lynseymediation@outlook.com)
When communication breaks down in adult social care, the consequences go far beyond a difficult conversation. They affect staff retention, service quality, regulatory risk and, ultimately, the wellbeing of the people receiving care. In a sector already facing chronic staff shortages, high turnover and increasing demand, communication problems can quietly amplify pressure on teams that are already stretched. Ask any frontline social care worker what makes their job harder than it needs to be, and very few will say it is the care itself. More often they describe unclear instructions, last-minute changes, difficult conversations with families, or handovers that leave them without the information they need to keep someone safe. These are not minor frustrations. They are early warning signs of a system under strain. Poor communication in adult social care is not simply a management issue or a personality clash. It carries real organisational costs that often remain invisible until something goes wrong.
THE HIDDEN COSTS The impact of poor communication tends to fall into three areas: operational pressure, workforce stress and financial cost. Operationally, communication failures create duplication, delay and risk. Inadequate handovers can result in missed medications, overlooked changes in care routines or risk information not reaching the right person at the right time. These are not rare events — they appear
repeatedly in safeguarding reviews and inspection findings. In a sector where staffing levels are already tight, even small misunderstandings can create extra work for colleagues who are already covering gaps. There is also a clear workforce impact. Social care staff frequently report that what drives them away is not the care itself but the working environment around it. Feeling unheard, unsupported or unclear about expectations contributes directly to stress and burnout. When experienced staff leave, the effects ripple across the whole service. Remaining workers often carry additional responsibilities while new staff are recruited and trained. In a sector that increasingly relies on the knowledge and commitment of long-serving team members, this creates a difficult cycle. Financially, the cost of turnover is significant. Research from Skills for Care estimates that replacing a single care worker can cost between £3,000 and £5,000 once recruitment, training and reduced productivity are considered. When staff leave because communication and management support have broken down, that becomes a preventable cost.
WHERE COMMUNICATION BREAKS DOWN Communication pressures tend to appear in predictable places within care services. Handovers and shift transitions are a common point of difficulty, particularly when teams are short-staffed and time is limited. Important details can be lost when information is rushed or inconsistently recorded. Manager-to-staff communication can also become strained, particularly during periods of change. Staffing pressures, new policies or regulatory updates all require clear explanation. When information is incomplete or arrives too late, uncertainty grows. Relationships with families can also be affected. When expectations are unclear or concerns are not addressed early, misunderstandings can escalate quickly, placing additional emotional pressure on staff. Multi-agency work adds another layer of complexity. Differences in language, priorities and procedures between organisations can easily create confusion if communication is not handled carefully. None of these challenges are new. But with services under
increasing pressure, the margin for error is smaller than it once was.
SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION IN STRETCHED TEAMS Improving communication does not require expensive systems or complex frameworks. Often it is the small, consistent practices that make the greatest difference.
1. Keep handovers structured and simple A clear handover does not need to be lengthy. A short, consistent structure covering key changes, current needs and potential risks can prevent vital information being missed, especially when staff are tired or covering additional shifts.
2. Create regular opportunities for staff to speak up Psychological safety — the confidence that concerns can be raised without blame — develops through everyday interactions. Regular team check-ins, open one-to-one conversations and a calm response to feedback all help staff feel heard.
3. Address concerns early Small tensions between colleagues or with families can quickly grow if they are ignored. Addressing issues early and respectfully can prevent them becoming formal complaints or safeguarding concerns later.
4. Communicate change clearly In a workforce already under pressure, unclear messages about staffing, policies or inspections can quickly undermine trust. Even when information is incomplete, sharing what is known — and what is still uncertain — helps reduce anxiety.
A SMALL CHANGE WITH A BIG IMPACT Social care services operate in an environment where time, staff and resources are often in short supply. In that context, communication can easily be treated as a secondary issue. In reality, it is part of the infrastructure that keeps services functioning. When communication works well, experienced staff are better supported, teams collaborate more effectively and potential problems are identified earlier. For a sector navigating workforce shortages and increasing demand, strengthening everyday communication may be one of the most practical ways to support both staff wellbeing and quality of care. Lynsey specialises in conflict, communication and workforce wellbeing, supporting adult social care providers to navigate difficult conversations and strengthen team resilience in high-pressure environments.
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THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 5
New Report Reveals 10% Year-On-Year Increase In Care Home Fees
A new report released by carehome.co.uk, Caring Britain: How the care home landscape is changing, has revealed how the UK’s care home market is evolving amid rising costs, growing demand and increasing complexity of care needs. The data shows that average weekly care home self-funded fees increased by 10% in the year to December 2025, as providers responded to rising wage costs, energy prices and broader inflationary pressures. Fee growth for self-funders varied by region, ranging from 7.8% in the East of England to 11.3% in the North West. Scotland and London are the most expensive regions in the UK, with average weekly self-funded fees exceeding £1,500. By contrast, the North East of England is the most affordable region at approximately £1,100 per week. At the same time, the structure of the sector is shifting towards larger providers. The average care home now provides 47 beds, with the strongest growth among homes with 60-79 beds (3.6%). Meanwhile, the number of smaller homes offering fewer than 20 beds declined by around 6% in the year to December 2025. The data shows that purpose-built homes make up 57% of provision,
underlining a shift towards modern, accessible environments designed to accommodate increasingly complex care needs. Regionally, bed growth was strongest in the South East and West Midlands (1.8% and 1.5% respectively), while London and Scotland saw slight declines in overall capacity, reflecting limited opportunities for new development in dense or constrained markets. The report also highlights uneven access to specialist services, particularly for people living with dementia. While many homes are equipped to support residents in the early stages of dementia, provision reduces significantly for advanced and complex dementia care. In London, 57% of care homes meet higher-level dementia needs. In comparison, just 33% of homes in Wales and 34% in the North West of England offer this level of support. The report from carehome.co.uk also analyses regulator ratings, showing regional variations and gaps in inspections. While just under 70% of homes in England are rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), this rises to 80% for London and the North East. In comparison, this figure stands at 63% for the West Midlands and 66% for Yorkshire and the East of England. Importantly, the report also looks at the frequency of inspections,
and finds that around one in seven care homes are currently unrated in England, and over half of care homes have not been rated in the last four years. In some cases, this reflects changes in ownership, as ratings do not transfer when a care home is sold and providers must be rerated under their new registration. Will Blackwell, CEO of Tomorrow’s Guides which operates carehome.co.uk, said: “Our new report highlights a sector in transition. Growing demand from an ageing population, increasing complexity of need, workforce shortages and sustained cost pressures are fundamentally reshaping how care is delivered across the UK. “Our data shows care homes are changing in structure with a shift towards large, purpose-built homes that can cater for increasingly complex care needs. At the same time, access to specialist care such as dementia care is dictated by a postcode lottery, leaving those affected not getting the support they desperately need. “At a time when regulatory ratings may not always reflect the most up-to-date reality, trusted reviews and transparent provider information play an increasingly important role. Early planning and access to clear, reliable information can make a significant difference in helping families navigate what is often one of the most important and emotional decisions they will ever face.”
UK’s Largest Care Provider Marks 40th Anniversary Shaw Healthcare, the UK’s largest employee-owned care provider, is marking its 40th anniversary, reflecting on four decades of work spanning housing, care services and facilities management. The organisation was founded in February 1986 by Jeremy Nixey as a housing association, providing secure homes and housing-related support. Over time, Shaw expanded into delivering care services, guided by the principle of providing the quality of care people would want for their own loved ones. Headquartered in Cardiff, Shaw now operates 63 registered care services across England, Wales, and Scotland, working in partnership with a number of local authorities and NHS bodies. It delivers a broad range of services, including residential, nursing and dementia care, mental health support, acquired brain injury services, and support for people with physical and learning disabilities. It also provides facilities management services across parts of its portfolio. Shaw employs more than 3,300 staff and supports over 2,100 care beds, with services used by thousands of people and families each day. A major milestone came in May 2020, when Shaw became employee-owned, placing staff at the centre
of the organisation’s future direction. In 2021, Russell Brown was appointed Chief Executive, leading the next phase of development for the business. Since becoming employee-owned, Shaw has been named EmployeeOwned Business of the Year and recognised as both the UK’s third-largest employee-owned company and its largest employee-owned care provider. In 2024, Shaw expanded its portfolio of specialist services by acquiring three services in South Wales. Many employees build long-term careers within the organisation, progressing into senior and leadership roles. Commenting on the anniversary, Chief Executive Russell Brown said: “Shaw has always been a people business. Reaching 40 years gives us the opportunity to recognise the employees, communities and partners who support our work, while continuing to focus on delivering high-quality, compassionate care for the residents we are privileged to care for.” The anniversary was marked throughout February with events across Shaw services, including treeplanting initiatives linked to the organisation’s environmental commitments.
PAGE 6 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Whistleblowing In The Care Sector
By Chris Kisby, employment partner at Gateley Legal (https://gateleyplc.com/gateley-legal/)
The stakes in the care sector between doing the right thing and the wrong thing can, on occasion, be a matter of life and death, especially when it comes to those who are extremely vulnerable due to their condition or age. As such, whistleblowing within the sector can, when done properly and in the public interest, have a positive outcome for patients, their families, carers and employers.
WHAT IS WHISTLEBLOWING? Put simply, whistleblowing is the action someone (typically an employee or ex-employee) takes to report wrongdoing in the workplace that falls under one of the types of failure, wrongdoing or malpractice listed in the Employment Rights Act 1996. The act of reporting any such wrongdoing to a prescribed person is known as making a ‘protected disclosure’.
HOW TO MAKE A PROTECTED DISCLOSURE?
As a starting point, any disclosure made needs to be a ‘qualifying’ disclosure, meaning that the individual making the disclosure has a ‘reasonable belief’ that the information they’re disclosing relates to one or more of the types of wrongdoing and that it’s in the public interest to make the disclosure. Relevant issues that may be found within the care sector could include: • Danger to the health and safety of an individual - whether that be a patient, member of staff, visitor, etc. - typically related to the quality of service provided or conditions
• A criminal offence - for example, money or possessions being taken from vulnerable patients • Breach of a legal obligation – for example, a breach of a legal duty of care owed to a patient, or a breach of a legal obligation to staff • Miscarriage of justice, such as wrongful accusations made against a particular member of staff or a patient.
WHAT PROCESS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO ‘BLOW THE WHISTLE’? An employee looking to make a protected disclosure should refer to their employers’ whistleblowing policy to see what steps need to be taken. Typically, a whistleblowing policy will confirm a specific point of contact with whom a disclosure can be made. This will usually be an HR representative, a compliance officer, or a line manager if there is no one in the aforementioned positions. If there is no whistleblowing policy, an employee looking to make a disclosure would be advised to speak to their HR team or line manager about how to proceed. However, if their HR team or line manager is the subject matter of the issue, employees should approach someone else in a senior position to ask for advice.
LEGAL PROTECTIONS
There are two levels of protection for whistleblowers under the Employment Rights Act 1996: The dismissal of an employee will be automatically unfair if the reason, or principal reason, for their dismissal is that they have made a protected disclosure. Workers are also protected from being subjected to any detriment on the ground that they have made a protected disclosure. Such detrimental treatment would include, for instance, the whistleblower experiencing bullying, demotion, or being excluded from meetings, etc. There is no financial cap on compensation in whistleblowing claims and no requirement for a minimum period of service. However, if an employment tribunal believes that a disclosure was made in bad faith (ie, based on untruths or with the intention of causing malice), it could
reduce any compensation award by up to 25%.
SUPPORT
Blowing the whistle can be a daunting and lonely process for those who make a disclosure. Where there is a ‘protected disclosure’, employers should assume that the disclosure is being made in good faith, and often for the benefit of the business. As such, they should look to support the employee. This could include, for example, offering them access to confidential and impartial counselling to help them through what can be a stressful and emotional experience of whistleblowing.
TOP TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS
• Have a good whistleblowing policy and ensure employees know about its existence. • Make sure a nominated whistleblowing officer/s are trained on what their role requires. • Treat all potential disclosures seriously and investigate as appropriate. • Make sure that lessons are taken from all disclosures to ensure things improve. • Do not seek to identify the whistleblower in cases where the disclosure is anonymous. • Do not exclude or alienate the whistleblower. • Do not assume the relationship between the business and the whistleblower is irreparable in cases where the disclosure causes conflict. Top tips for employees • Take time to read and digest the company whistleblowing policy. • Raise concerns at the earliest opportunity, in order to potentially limit the issue from becoming more serious. • Seek advice, whether that be from an internal whistleblowing officer or someone externally, before proceeding with the disclosure. • Be prepared to be challenged on your claims. • Do not rely on memory to recall events or previous meetings; it’s important to keep notes of dates, conversations and outcomes.
Family Feedback Highlights The Importance Of Relational Dementia Care, Says The Mill House A family has praised the impact of relational, person-centred dementia care at The Mill House Care Home, after seeing their father regain a sense of calm, reassurance and emotional connection following a period of significant distress. Billie, whose father lives at The Mill House, said the approach taken by Deputy Manager Toni Dunn made an immediate and lasting difference to her father’s wellbeing, as well as to the family’s confidence and peace of mind. “Toni took time to gain dad’s trust and see past his dementia behaviours,” Billie said. “She was empathetic when he was scared and unsettled, and helped bring him back to a place of calm. Her patience and ability to connect to the man underneath the disease has made a huge difference.” Billie added that the support extended beyond clinical care. “The
reassurance shown to us as a family — and the small but meaningful acts of kindness — helped us feel supported during a very difficult time.” Alongside her management responsibilities, Toni remains closely involved in day-to-day care, building consistent, trusting relationships with residents and their families. Toni Dunn said: “Dementia can affect how a person communicates distress, but the need for reassurance, familiarity and compassion remains the same. Taking the time to understand what someone is expressing — and responding calmly and consistently — can significantly reduce anxiety and improve quality of life.” The story reflects The Mill House’s care model, where emotional connection, continuity of care and trust are recognised as core components of effective dementia support, alongside clinical and regulatory standards. At this time of year, when families may be reflecting on care needs or seeking reassurance about next steps, examples of relational dementia care can provide confidence that person-centred approaches make a meaningful difference.
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How pobroll Is Transforming Bed Bathing for Dementia Patients Written by Pat O’Brien of pobroll
In April 2025, the Supporting the Provider Market (STPM) team in County Durham published a new report evaluating the use of pobroll® — a waterproof bed-bathing wrap designed to improve dignity, comfort, and ease during personal care. This evaluation was carried out across 10 care homes with high numbers of residents living with dementia. Each setting was given one or more pobroll® units and invited to share feedback through a structured survey. The findings reveal how even simple tools can make a significant difference in everyday care.
How was pobroll® used?
Most care homes used pobroll® daily or several times per week, showing it quickly became part of regular practice. Staff noted that one of the biggest challenges was not having enough units — all homes requested additional stock after the trial, highlighting a clear appetite for wider adoption.
What did care teams think?
Feedback from the care homes showed strong support for the tool: • Ease of use was rated highly, with an average score of 4.4 out of 5. Staff found pobroll® straightforward to incorporate
into care routines. • Training was rated slightly lower, at 3.8 out of 5, suggesting that while the wrap is easy to use, additional training resources could improve onboarding for new users. • Resident response was positive. Three in ten care homes reported improved mood or behaviour during bed bathing for dementia patients. • Key benefits included greater warmth, coverage, and dignity for residents, especially those who might find conventional methods distressing. Some teams also found it particularly useful for end-of-life care
Would they recommend pobroll® for bed bathing for dementia patients?
Absolutely. Homes rated their likelihood to recommend pobroll® at 4.3 out of 5, with
half of respondents giving it a full 5 out of 5. The overall feedback was clear: this is a valued, meaningful addition to personal care. Would they recommend pobroll® for bed bathing for dementia patients? The results of this trial reinforce what many professionals already believe — that small, thoughtful design changes can significantly improve care. For residents who are bedbound or living with dementia, personal care can often be a distressing experience. But with the right tools, it doesn’t have to be. The pobroll® isn’t a complex device. It’s a simple, dual-layered cotton towelling wrap. But its thoughtful design — offering full coverage, comfort, and support — makes a real difference where it matters most. If you’re part of a care home, hospice, or hospital and would like to explore how pobroll® could benefit your residents or service users, get in touch. We’re here to support compassionate, dignified care — one small change at a time. See the advert on the facing page for details, or visit www.pobroll.co.uk
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 7
Streeting Acts on Call for National Safeguarding Board The government has moved with unusual speed to respond to the urgent recommendations of Dame Louise Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, pledging a series of significant interventions across adult safeguarding, dementia care and motor neurone disease — with implications that will be felt directly by residential and nursing care providers across England. In a speech at the Nuffield Trust Summit Baroness Casey accused successive governments have 'abdicated responsibility to protect adults at risk of abuse' and set out how there is currently a reliance on “cobbled together” underfunded services relying on low-paid care workers, a lack of ownership and accountability, and a deep divide between health and social care which leaves families to navigate alone. Baroness Casey wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking the Government to take six immediate actions on dementia, motor neurone disease and adult safeguarding due to the urgency of the reform needed in these areas. In a formal letter of reply to Baroness Casey and published on GOV.UK, Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP set out his department's response to the recommendations Dame Louise had articulated in her own letter of 3 March and reiterated at the Nuffield Trust Summit just days later. The most immediately consequential commitment for those running and working in care homes is the creation of a new national safeguarding board, to be established without delay and chaired by the Chief Social Worker, reporting directly to the Minister of State for Care. This body will be stood up ahead of any broader review, giving it an early mandate to drive coordinated national oversight of adult safeguarding. On dementia — which Mr Streeting described as "one of the greatest challenges of our time" — the Secretary of State has committed to publishing an interim version of the Dementia and Frailty Modern
Service Framework (MSF) by September 2026, in time to feed into NHS and local government planning cycles. The full framework is committed for publication by the end of the 2026 calendar year. For those caring for individuals with motor neurone disease in residential and nursing settings, the government has committed to developing a fast-track care 'passport' that will speed up assessments and access to care for people newly diagnosed with MND. Mr Streeting's letter acknowledged the "devastating impact" of the condition and the urgency of ensuring those affected can access support rapidly, without being subjected to assessments and processes designed for conditions with more gradual trajectories. The Secretary of State indicated he would consider how best to safely implement the expedited process, including reviewing Dame Louise's own suggestions on delivery, signalling an intention to involve the commission in the design of the solution rather than simply announcing a pre-formed policy.
KEY COMMITMENTS AT A GLANCE: • New National Safeguarding Board-To be established immediately, chaired by the Chief Social Worker and reporting to the Minister of State for Care. Remit to include assessment of whether new statutory powers are needed. • Urgent Safeguarding Review-Will examine Section 42 duty thresholds, potential powers of entry, and strengthening links between Safeguarding Adults Reviews and CQC regulatory action. • Dementia & Frailty Framework-Interim product to be published September 2026. Full Modern Service Framework to follow by end of calendar year 2026. • New Dementia Leadership Role-A new national post within DHSC to be created to drive dementia action across health and care. Cancer Tsar model cited as template for accountability and reach. • MND Care Passport-A fast-track assessment and access 'passport' for
people diagnosed with MND to be developed, recognising the urgent and rapidly progressing nature of the condition. • ACCESS-AD Trial Review-Officials to report to the Secretary of State in April 2026 on merits of investment in this specific dementia trial, alongside wider clinical trial commitments. In his letter, Mr Streeting was unequivocal: "Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable. My department will create a new national safeguarding board and undertake an urgent review of adult safeguarding statutory duties and powers." The Secretary of State confirmed that a central part of the new board's remit will be to assess whether it requires new statutory powers to operate most effectively — a direct response to one of Dame Louise's core recommendations. Critically, Mr Streeting stated that the government will not pre-judge this question but will allow it to be formally tested through the urgent review process. The review itself will assess whether the existing legal framework provides sufficient "clarity and leverage" in high-risk situations — language drawn directly from Dame Louise's original recommendation — and is expected to examine three specific areas she identified in accompanying materials:
THREE AREAS UNDER REVIEW: • Section 42 threshold ambiguity — Clarifying what triggers the statutory duty on local authorities to make safeguarding enquiries, addressing inconsistency that may have left vulnerable adults without adequate protection. • Powers of entry — Considering whether mechanisms allowing practitioners to access a person suspected of being abused could strengthen outcomes, while remaining consistent with civil liberties. • Inspection and regulation linkage — Strengthening the feedback loop between Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) and regulatory action, including the future focus of CQC inspections.
Community Matron at The Chiswick Nursing Centre Awarded Freedom of the City of London There was a real sense of pride and celebration at The Chiswick Nursing Centre as Community Matron Sabina Kelly was recently awarded the prestigious Freedom of the City of London—an honour steeped in centuries of history. Described as a “magical day,” the ceremony recognises individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to public life. Dating back to 1237, the Freedom of the City of London is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies in the UK. Historically, it granted citizens the right to trade within the city and freedom from feudal obligations. Today, it remains a symbolic form of civic recognition— famously including the light-hearted privilege of being allowed to drive sheep across London Bridge. Sabina Kelly’s award reflects an outstanding career dedicated to nursing excellence and compassionate care. A highly qualified Registered Nurse, she holds both BA (Hons) and BSc (Hons) degrees and brings a wealth of experience across acute and community settings.
Sabina spent over 14 years as a senior nurse at King Edward VII Hospital, where she played a key role in developing hospital-wide discharge processes—an area crucial to ensuring safe, efficient transitions of care for patients. Her clinical leadership also extended to her role as Endometriosis Lead, alongside specialist interests in dementia and palliative care. In addition to her hospital work, Sabina has held senior leadership roles in the community, including serving as Operations Director at Right at Home Central London. In this capacity, she managed complex care cases, supported multidisciplinary teams, and worked closely with families to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. Her current role as Community Matron at The Chiswick Nursing Centre continues this commitment, where she is known for her dedication to residents, staff, and families alike. Sabina’s recognition with the Freedom of the City of London is a testament not only to her professional achievements but also to her unwavering passion for improving care and supporting those most in need.
PAGE 8 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Mental Health Act Reform Risks Falling Short Without The Infrastructure To Deliver It Ben Troke, partner at law firm Weightmans (www.weightmans.com), discusses the gap between legislative ambition and operational reality as Mental Health Act reform places new demands on already stretched community care and legal systems. The Mental Health Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in December, has been welcomed as a long-overdue attempt to modernise mental health legislation. Among the reforms is a clear ambition to end the inappropriate detention of people with learning disabilities and autism in mental health units where hospital care isn’t clinically necessary. For years, campaigners, families and professionals have highlighted cases where individuals remain detained not because they require hospital treatment, but because suitable community support doesn’t exist. However, while the reforms represent the most significant update to the Mental Health Act (MHA) in decades, legislation alone cannot deliver holistic change. Without the funding, workforce and infrastructure to support people outside hospital settings, there’s a real risk that the reforms will be ineffective, or even counterproductive. At the heart of the issue is community care. The reforms assume that more people will be supported in community settings rather than hospital environments. Yet these services are already under immense pressure. Years of financial strain have left many councils struggling to meet growing demand for adult social care. Commissioning in the NHS is no better placed. Community-based services for people with complex needs, including supported housing, specialist care providers and multidisciplinary clinical support, are often limited or unevenly distributed across the country. And where these services don’t exist, hospital admission can become the default option, even when it may not be the most appropriate setting for the individual concerned. Unless community capacity expands significantly, the ambition to reduce hospital detention risks colliding with a simple reality - there aren’t enough viable alternatives available. There is also growing strain on the legal frameworks designed to safeguard vulnerable individuals, which may need to be used for more patients, where they are taken outside the scope of the MHA. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) system provides a mechanism to scrutinise and authorise arrangements made in someone’s best interests where they lack capacity to make their own decision about
their care and residence, and the restrictions involved in their care – no matter how well intentioned - might amount to a deprivation of their liberty. This might have to be used to protect the rights of many more patients who used to be within the MHA framework and now might be needed for many more patients. But already, even before this change, the DoLS system is facing a backlog estimated at around 125,000 cases. Local authorities are legally required to process these applications within 21 days, yet in practice decisions can take many months. This backlog creates uncertainty for care providers, families and the individuals affected, leaving arrangements that restrict a person’s liberty waiting extended periods for formal authorisation. The reforms also introduce new legal complexities. Recent amendments allow restricted patients to be conditionally discharged under arrangements that amount to a deprivation of liberty, addressing a gap identified in Secretary of State for Justice v MM. While this may support safer community transitions, these arrangements can involve strict supervision without powers of restraint. This raises practical questions for providers around risk management and responsibility if patients breach conditions. Likewise, the new provisions imply expectations that the local authority / ICB will fund the relevant care package, which will likely be very costly, to make it possible. In the same way, taking learning disability and autism out of the criteria for detention under the MHA will deny them eligibility for s117 aftercare (a joint responsibility on the local authority and ICB to provide a package of non-means tested health and care to prevent any further detention under the MHA). This is likely to increase pressure on the ICB to fund care, for example through NHS Continuing Healthcare. Taken together, these issues highlight that while this legislation is an important step, the effectiveness of any legal framework ultimately depends on the systems and resources that sit around it. Care provision must be sufficiently resourced to support people with complex needs outside hospital. This requires a skilled, well-resourced workforce and efficient legal safeguards designed to safeguard individual’s rights. Without these foundations, there’s a danger that the intended benefits of reform won’t be fully realised. Some individuals who should benefit from the new legislation may still struggle to access suitable community placements. Others may remain in restrictive environments because the support required to manage risk safely outside hospital is not available. The key ambition of the reforms, ensuring people with learning disabilities and autistic people receive care in the right setting, has broad support across the sector. But achieving that ambition will require more than legislative change. If the reforms are to deliver meaningful improvements in practice, they must be accompanied by sustained investment in delivering community care. Otherwise, the legal framework changes but the reality for patients does not.
Care Sector Faces Deepening Workforce Challenge As Visa Numbers Plummet The number of overseas workers arriving in Britain on health and social care visas has declined dramatically over the past two years government data reveals. Official statistics released by the Home Office reveal that only 13,286 health and care worker visas were granted to main applicants throughout 2025 — a fall of more than half compared with 27,047 the previous year, and a staggering 91 per cent below the 145,823 granted just two years earlier in 2023. The collapse in numbers extends to family members accompanying workers. Dependant visas connected to health and care roles stood at 35,444 last year, representing a 58 per cent reduction year-on-year and a drop of more than four-fifths from the 202,334 recorded in 2023. Of particular concern to care home operators is the sharp contraction in nursing professionals arriving from abroad. The figures show that visas issued to nursing professionals fell to just 1,777 in 2025, down 73 per cent from 6,494 the year before, and nearly 93 per cent below the 26,141 granted in 2022. The Home Office attributed part of this decline to the conclusion of a centrally managed international nurse recruitment scheme, alongside reduced demand for overseas staff. However, sector observers are warning that the timing could hardly be worse, given that an estimated 25,000 nursing posts remain unfilled across the NHS and wider care sector. The dramatic reduction in overseas recruitment reflects an accumulation of policy changes introduced by successive governments. The previous Conservative administration began tightening the rules in early 2024, initially restricting the ability of overseas students to bring family members to the UK before extending similar restrictions to care workers from March of that year. Salary thresholds for skilled worker visas were also raised from April 2024. The current Labour government has continued and accelerated this trajectory. In July 2025, ministers
brought in further reforms — most notably ending overseas recruitment for care workers altogether, and again raising the salary bar required for skilled worker visa applications. Skill level requirements were also increased, rendering more than 100 occupational categories ineligible for the skilled worker route. Across all work-related visa categories, 261,112 entry visas were issued in 2025 — a reduction of 29 per cent on the prior year’s figure of 368,139, and less than half the total recorded in 2023 (613,627). Skilled worker visas issued to main applicants fell 44 per cent to 32,511 last year, compared with 57,858 in 2024 and 65,426 in 2023. Dependants covered under these visas also decreased, from 57,154 in 2024 to 40,741 in 2025. Campaigners and workforce experts are urging ministers to reassess the human consequences of the current approach. Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre, argued that the impact on public services deserves serious scrutiny. Speaking in response to the data, she said the steep reduction in skilled migrant professionals coming to work in UK hospitals, research institutions and schools raised serious questions about the true cost of a policy focused narrowly on reducing migration numbers. She stressed that no hospital could welcome such a dramatic fall in overseas nurses at a time when tens of thousands of nursing vacancies remained unfilled, and that the burden would inevitably fall on existing staff already working under significant pressure. Dr Vicol also raised concerns about the conditions facing those overseas workers who do still qualify to come to Britain, warning they face higher costs, longer pathways to settlement, and a heightened risk of labour exploitation when tied to a single employer through their visa conditions. She called on the Government to look beyond headline migration figures and to design an immigration framework genuinely responsive to the needs of workers, patients and public services.
CleanEx: All Your Laundry Needs
with colleagues, hearing from laundry and cleaning experts, or finding the solution to issues at your own establishment. CleanEx is organised by exhibition experts MEG Events for our magazines Laundry & Cleaning Today and Housekeeping Today. Together they also oversee two major annual awards ceremonies for the industry – The LADAs (which reward excellence in the laundry and drycleaning industry) and The Triple HHH awards, which celebrate care home staff alongside hotel housekeeping teams. CleanEx 2026 at Ascot • Sunday 26 April, 9:30am – 5pm • Monday 27 April, 10am – 4pm Call MEG Events Ltd +44 (0)118 915 0505, Email megevents@laundryandcleaningtoday.co.uk Visit:
Care and nursing homes and specialist residential settings will find everything they need to make the most of their onsite laundries at the CleanEx 2026 exhibition on Monday, 26 and Sunday, 27 April. The popular and well-attended exhibition at Ascot Racecourse features the very latest washing machines, dryers, finishing equipment such as ironers, detergents and stain removers – and much more. CleanEx is not to be missed. Those attending will discover how time and money can be saved courtesy of the most energy-efficient equipment. The newest technological advances in both machinery and consumables include sustainability features which not only save on electricity and water but improve the wellbeing of staff by making work life easier, more effective and efficient. All will be on show at CleanEx, which also provides other unmissable chances, whether that’s catching up
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 9
Low Pay Costing Social Care Sector Billions in Hidden Costs, New Research Warns New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed the true financial toll of low pay in adult social care, warning that persistently poor wages are generating billions of pounds in hidden costs through chronic staff shortages and high workforce turnover. The report finds that as of March 2024, four in ten adult social care workers in England were earning below the Real Living Wage (RLW), leaving the sector among the lowest-paying in the UK labour market. Despite growing awareness of the recruitment and retention crisis, the research argues that policy debate has focused almost exclusively on the direct cost of increasing wages, while largely overlooking the considerable financial damage caused by the instability that low pay creates. The research identifies two categories of hidden costs: direct financial costs — including recruitment, training and agency expenditure — and lost output costs, stemming from vacancies, inefficiency during onboarding, and reduced care delivery capacity. Analysis of provider data found that recruiting a single care worker costs organisations a median of £7,870, comprising median recruitment expenses of £800, training costs of £884, agency cover costs of £3,683, and an estimated £3,288 in staff time absorbed during the training period. These figures exceed the £4,000–£6,000 estimate previously published by Skills for Care and Care England, with the variation largely attributed to differing reliance on agency staff and local market conditions. Lost output costs were found to compound the financial picture further. The median cost of lost output during the period taken to recruit and train a new care worker was estimated at £9,282 per vacancy. The report also highlights pay as a central driver
of turnover. Qualitative evidence gathered from care providers indicated that nine in every ten care workers who moved roles within the sector received a pay increase upon doing so. While pay is regarded as a "hygiene factor" — a baseline condition for attraction and retention rather than a primary motivator — the research notes that management quality, career progression opportunities, and competition from sectors such as retail and hospitality also influence staff decisions to leave. Looking at the potential impact of sector-wide pay reform, the research draws on Skills for Care modelling to assess the consequences of raising all care worker pay to at least the RLW. Over a 15-year period, the investment in higher wages would, according to the analysis, prevent lost output costs worth £3.58 billion, save £2.99 billion in recruitment, training and agency spending, and generate £442 million in additional gross operating surplus — more than offsetting a projected £378 million increase in Employer National Insurance Contributions. The NHS, meanwhile, is estimated to save £2.7 billion over the same period as a result of improved social care stability. The findings are published against the backdrop of the Government's announcement of its intention to introduce a new Fair Pay Agreement for social care. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has called for a properly funded settlement that substantively raises pay for care workers, arguing that the business case for doing so is clear. The report concludes that low pay is not simply a matter of fairness for care workers, though it is that too — it is actively undermining the financial sustainability and service capacity of the sector. Providers, it warns, cannot continue to absorb the compounding costs of turnover indefinitely.
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THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 11
Government Launches Consultations on Social Care Restructuring Affecting 28 English Councils The government has initiated consultations on reorganising social care responsibilities across approximately one-sixth of England's council areas, potentially affecting thousands of social care professionals. The proposals would see 28 of the 153 councils currently responsible for children's and adult social care undergo boundary changes as part of the government's wider initiative to eliminate two-tier local government structures throughout England. Under existing arrangements in two-tier areas, county councils oversee key services including social care, education and transport, whilst district authorities manage functions such as waste collection, housing and planning applications. The government's restructuring plans aim to establish unitary local authorities across the country, typically serving populations of at least 500,000 residents. Ministers argue this approach will deliver improved efficiency, effectiveness and faster decision-making processes. Presently, 132 of the 153 social services authorities operate as unitary bodies, with 21 county councils managing children's and adults' services in the remaining areas. The reorganisation will also impact 20 smaller unitary authorities neighbouring the affected counties. The restructuring process requires affected councils to submit reorganisation proposals to ministers. The government will then consult on these submissions, either as presented or in amended form, before making final decisions on which proposals to approve. Following ministerial approval, legislation will be introduced to establish new council structures, with timetables set for elections and the commencement of operations for the new authorities. Social workers and other social care staff employed by affected councils will transfer to the newly established bodies under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). This legislation safeguards employees' existing terms and conditions of employment and ensures continuity of
service is maintained throughout the transition. Cllr Matthew Hicks, Chair of the County Councils Network, said: “The launch of the consultation period for the remaining 14 areas invited to submit reorganisation proposals is an important milestone. These reforms represent the largest and most complex changes to local government in generation, so we urge all stakeholders and local residents in each area to engage with the consultation. “County councils have worked hard to put forward ambitious, evidencebased proposals that will improve services and deliver fewer, leaner councils: fully in line with the government’s stated criteria. Conversely, some of the competing proposals put out to consultation risk splitting high performing care services into smaller councils – well below the stated criteria. At the same time, they promise hundreds of millions of in savings to adult and children’s services with little supporting evidence. “It is vital that the government uses this consultation period to closely scrutinise and rigorously evaluate all proposals against their own statutory criteria. Crucially, all final decisions by ministers on which proposals to implement, starting with those in Devolution Priority Programme areas due next month, must be evidence-based and not politically driven. The decisions will shape local areas for years to come, so it is vital they ensure any new councils are able deliver savings to reinvest in frontline services, safeguard care to the most vulnerable and foster the economic growth this country desperately needs. “Building on our experience of working through dozens of reorganisation programmes over the last two decades, the County Councils Network will continue to support its member councils’. This will include engaging the government over their timescales for implementation this parliament, recognising the views of all our member councils.
Holi Celebrations and Iftar Dinners: Religious Diversity at Kailash Manor TLC’s Kailash Manor care home in Hatch End celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi which took place on Wednesday 4th March. Holi is celebrated as the festival of colours, love and spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love between the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu over Hiranyakashipu. Hotel Services Manager, Sagar Joshi commented “Holi is such an important event in the Hindu calendar, we all enjoyed the spirit of celebration welcoming in the colours of the new season by throwing bright powder colours at each other.” The home was filled with laughter and music as joyous songs were sung to celebrate the beginning of spring. Residents, families and the care team alike tenderly coated one another in powder mak-
ing sure no one left the celebration clean. In the evening, after a thorough clean up, an Iftar dinner was hosted for our Muslim team members who are often still at work at the time of breaking fast. Iftar is the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of adhan (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer. It is a time where families and communities often gather to share food, prayer and conversation. Support Manager, Ruth Kigaa said: ““It was really interesting to find out all about Eid and how it is celebrated and it was really lovely to see everyone participate in the Iftar meal. We have people of all religions here and it is wonderful to be able to take part in different religious festivities.”
PAGE 12 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Unlocking the Potential: How Healthcare Can Lead on Disability Inclusion By Lynne Turnbull, CEO of Disability Positive (https://disabilitypositive.org) The healthcare sector faces an unprecedented challenge: rising levels of ill-health and long term health problems are pushing more people out of work, creating barriers to economic growth, and exacerbating workforce shortages in a sector already under immense pressure. In response, the government is calling on employers to play a more active role in supporting disabled employees and those with long-term health conditions, moving beyond the NHS and creating a partnership between employers, employees, and health services. Healthcare, as a demanding and often stressful sector, might appear an unlikely leader in this space. Yet it presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate the value of inclusive employment practices. By attracting and retaining talented individuals with lived experience of disability, organisations can not only broaden their talent pool but also build workplaces that are adaptable, resilient, and reflective of the communities they serve. At Disability Positive, a Disabled People’s Organisation where over 75% of staff and volunteers have lived experience of disability or long-term health conditions, we have seen first-hand the benefits of a supportive, flexible working environment. Our approach prioritises wellbeing and enables honest conversations, ensuring employees know where to access support and that their needs are understood. This includes embedding wellbeing into HR policies and offering practical measures such as flexible working arrangements, access to specialist advice, and signposting to additional resources. The results speak for themselves. Disabled employees at Disability Positive do not take more time off sick, nor do medical appointments affect their performance compared to their non-disabled colleagues. When given the right support, disabled employees thrive, underscoring that capability and potential are not defined by disability. These principles are particularly relevant in healthcare, where the physical and emotional demands of the sector can deter talented candidates with long-term health conditions. Yet by embedding inclusive practices into recruitment and retention strategies, organisations can access a committed workforce while improving morale, loyalty, and organisational performance.
Government initiatives, such as the Disability Confident scheme, offer practical support for employers. The scheme aims to encourage organisations to attract, recruit, and retain disabled employees. Disability Positive holds Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) accreditation and actively supports other organisations on this journey, demonstrating that structured guidance combined with lived experience expertise can create meaningful change. Beyond recruitment, the government is exploring the collection of workplace health data and retention metrics for disabled employees. This step is crucial. Data allows employers to identify barriers, track progress, and hold themselves accountable for supporting employees with long-term health conditions. It also provides evidence to refine policies and make the business case for investment in workplace wellbeing initiatives. One innovative approach in development is the ‘Vanguard’ scheme, which invites employers to trial new support models. Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) like ours can play a vital role in these trials, offering insight grounded in lived experience and expertise. However, many DPOs operate under stretched budgets and shrinking funding streams, meaning appropriate remuneration for their contribution is essential if they are to participate meaningfully. Without this, the sector risks missing the opportunity to fully leverage the expertise that DPOs bring. Healthcare employers can take immediate steps to foster an inclusive environment. Start with flexible working policies, ensure line managers are trained in disability awareness, and embed wellbeing support into everyday operations. Importantly, create a culture where employees feel safe to disclose health conditions and seek adjustments without fear of stigma or career penalty. The business case is clear: inclusive employers gain access to a wider talent pool, retain staff longer, and often see higher engagement and performance. Involvement in government-backed initiatives is also a chance to demonstrate leadership. By contributing to schemes like the Vanguards healthcare organisations can shape policy, refine best practice, and become examples of inclusion. Embedding the social model of disability, recognising that barriers arise from the environment and society, not the individual, is key to ensuring these initiatives are effective and sustainable. The healthcare sector has an opportunity to lead by example. By embracing disability inclusion, organisations not only meet regulatory and ethical obligations but also improve workforce resilience and patient care. With government support, innovative policy trials, and the expertise of Disabled People’s Organisations, the sector can turn inclusivity into a strategic advantage, proving that when employees are supported to thrive, organisations do too.
Rural England Leaves One In Four Older People Without Social Care, New Analysis Shows New analysis of government data reveals that one in four older people living in rural areas were left without social care when asking their council for support. The fi ndings, based on the UK government’s Adult social care activity report 2024 to 2025, shows that nationally, 38.5% of people 65+ requesting social care did not receive it. This fi gure was higher in rural areas, where 39.8% of people 65+ went without social care, compared with 37.4% in urban areas. Hertfordshire recorded the highest percentage in rural England, with 64.5% of 65+ people not receiving requested social care, 24.7 per cent above the national average. Comparisons with urban areas underline that unmet need cannot be explained by demand alone. St Helens, an urban authority with a similar number of requests to rural County Durham, about 10,000 65+ people, saw 61% of people not receiving care. Six in 10 older people did not receive social care in St Helens, compared with one in 10 in County Durham. These fi ndings sit alongside new data from Elder showing the real-world consequences of gaps in local care provision. In 2025, Elder carers made more than 6,800 journeys within England to provide live-in care, travelling an average of 100 miles per placement. More than 2,100 of these placements were in rural areas of England. Rural communities face particularly acute pressures. Around 9.7 million people live in rural England, and these areas are ageing faster than urban centres, with over a quarter of residents aged 65 and over, com-
pared with fewer than one in fi ve in urban areas. At the same time, home care provider capacity is shrinking, with many providers now delivering less care. Local authorities are also under growing fi nancial strain. Analysis by the County Councils Network shows that county and large rural unitary councils face around £7 billion a year in additional service pressures, while current government funding proposals would cover just 2p for every £1 of new costs, leaving councils with little fl exibility to respond to rising need, particularly in high-cost rural areas. Partnership as part of the solution Elder, the UK’s largest home care platform, is calling for closer collaboration between councils and livein care providers to help address gaps in access, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas where traditional care models struggle to operate reliably. “Local authorities are under enormous pressure, and this isn’t about replacing existing services,” Elder Founder and CEO Pete Dowds said. “But if we are serious about tackling the postcode lottery, we need to use every care model that works in practice. Live-in care can play a vital role in areas where other services cannot consistently reach people.” “Working in partnership would give councils more flexibility and help ensure older people aren’t left without support simply because of where they live, or forced to wait until crisis point.”
A New Reality in Care: Our VR Journey Begins At Broomy Hill Nursing Home, innovation and compassion come together in the most inspiring way. Residents at the home are stepping into a whole new world with the introduction of virtual reality headsets. It is an exciting innovation with the power to create uplifting and meaningful moments for the residents under our care. Virtual reality is becoming an exciting innovation in care homes and at Broomy Hill Nursing Home it is making a meaningful impact. VR is more than just a tool; it allows residents to relive cherished memories and experience activities they may no longer be physically able to do. For residents with dementia or complex mental health needs, VR stimulates memories, sparks conversations, and provides relaxation through immersive experiences. Using headsets to create digital 3D environments, VR acts as a tool for cognitive stimulation, pain relief, and wellbeing, enabling individuals to safely revisit familiar places or explore new worlds. We were thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of the Recreo VR experience. It was something new for the residents and us. However, it is not only something new; it is a learning experience for the entire staff at the home. Our Wellbeing Lead, Lauren, is currently working on a list of available experiences that our residents can choose from to do something different each time they use the headset. This way, our residents will have something new to look forward to each time they use the headset, as new content is added every eight weeks.
One of the new experiences that our residents will enjoy in the near future is a seated safari, where they will have the opportunity to come face to face with a rhino from the comfort of their chair. Recently, our residents travelled through time to the 1950s, where they had a virtual visit to a traditional house, cinema, and a high street. In the house, our residents travelled from room to room, exploring the food pantry and admiring the decorations of the house. In the cinema, our residents explored the ticket office, the reel room, and the cinema itself. In the high street, our residents visited an electronics shop, a record shop, and a toy shop, enjoying the experience of each of these different stores. Many of our residents commented on how real the experience felt, almost like stepping into a memory. Some were actually looking at their hands to get used to the virtual world. As the shops, toys, and songs from the period were brought up, the experience naturally evolved into memories and stories. The dialogue was effortless as the resident's shared memories from their own lives to each other and staff. Virtual reality is more than just an activity at Broomy Hill. It is another meaningful way we promote wellbeing and engagement for our residents. By using Recreo VR, we encourage conversation and reflection, while continuing to look for ways to enhance quality of life within our home. For further information visit www.recreovr.co.uk
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 13
Growing Financial Crisis for Hospices Met with No Serious Government Response, PAC Warns The government and NHS England are not responding to the growing financial crisis in the adult hospice sector with the seriousness and urgency the situation demands The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned. In a new report on the financial sustainability of adult hospices in England, PAC warns that some hospices have recently reduced the volume or range of the essential services they provide and others are planning to do so, at a time when demand for palliative and end-of-life care is rising. The PAC’s inquiry heard that hospices are facing a funding cliff-edge from April, and that if no new funding is injected into the sector before the new financial year, hospices would be forced to reduce services further. Some hospices have already announced staff redundancies, with the PAC’s written evidence from several hospices demonstrating significant financial deficits. Marie Curie, one of two national chains in the sector, told the PAC that it is currently running a structural operating deficit. PAC members are warning that it is urgent that government address the withdrawal of services and cuts which are being made now ahead of April. The report warns further of the wider dimension of how the financial situation for hospices risks depriving the NHS of the huge value they provide beyond statutory palliative and end-of-life care – expert advice and training, innovation in care, leadership in the move to provide more care in the community, and support for care homes and GPs. Around a quarter of adults are still spending their last days receiving costly palliative care in hospital, where many would prefer not to be and the PAC’s inquiry heard that a third of people receiving acute care in hospital are in the last year of life, accounting for about 10 million bed days each year. Expert witnesses further stressed the importance of having earlier conversations with patients and families about approaching death, to ascertain their wishes, without which people may continue to have costly treatment from which they may not benefit. The PAC’s report is seeking a detailed explanation from NHS England on how it will move more palliative and end-of-life care into the community.
The government’s current proposed solutions to the sector’s challenges relies on local health boards solving everything locally, despite the boards themselves currently being subject to greatly reduced staff numbers under the government’s wider reorganisation of the health system. The details of the government’s new framework for hospices to improve how boards pay for services from hospices are unclear. The framework itself is not set to be completed until autumn of this year with further time needed to implement it, though several hospices have announced cuts in the coming months if additional funding cannot be found. Government provided £125m in funding to hospices recently, but the PAC’s inquiry heard from the sector that while the capital funding is welcome it is one-off funding that will not address the shortfalls in funding for service delivery. The PAC’s report notes that, amid this slow pace of reform, the sector is lacking a national-level intervention. Neither government nor NHSE has effective oversight of hospices. With much of the demand for care funded by charitable income, and as local boards do not routinely collect granular data from hospices, there is no clarity over what care public funding is paying for. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “The mark of a civilised society is how it treats its elderly people, and the services provided by hospices in England could not be more important in that regard. All of us, whoever we are, deserve access to care and in an environment that gives us the best possible quality of life as we approach the end. “The institutions whose job it is to help ease our final days deserve to have recognition of the central role they play in our health system. And yet government’s actions, despite all reassurances to the contrary, are communicating a certain blithe certainty that the sector’s challenges will be resolved at the local level. “We acknowledge the government’s insistence that it lacks complacency, but the autumn timelines of the arrival of its current reforms risk ignoring the reality. A funding cliff-edge is approaching in only a month. Details of what these reforms might look like are thin on the ground, but regardless, by the time any help arrives, invaluable services may already have been cut.”
Care England Calls for Adult Social Care Premises to Be Excluded from High Value Council Tax Surcharge Care England has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging the Government to formally exclude adult social care premises from the proposed High Value Council Tax Surcharge, nicknamed the Mansion Tax. In the letter, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, makes clear that care homes are not high-value private housing assets but essential public service infrastructure, delivering statutory care and support predominantly funded by local authorities and the NHS. Care England warns that including care homes within scope would impose an estimated £25 million to £33 million per year in additional costs nationally. As care homes deliver statutory services on behalf of the state and are largely funded through public commissioning, applying the surcharge would amount to levying a charge on public service infrastructure, rather than raising revenue from private wealth.
The organisation has called for explicit confirmation that adult social care premises will be excluded in full, rather than relying on a future consultation process. Care England has further highlighted the potential knock-on effects for residents and local authorities should the surcharge be applied. With care home operators already navigating rising staffing costs, National Insurance contribution increases, and constrained local authority fee rates, any additional financial burden risks destabilising providers and reducing the availability of care placements. In the worst cases, this could force home closures, placing vulnerable residents at risk and transferring costs back to already-stretched NHS and local government budgets — entirely undermining the fiscal logic of the surcharge itself.
PAGE 14 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Digital Progress Is Real, But The Gap Between Providers Is Becoming Too Big To Ignore By Barry Price, Content Operations and Delivery Manager of QCS, an RLDatix Company (www.qcs.co.uk) The latest government survey on technology in adult social care gives us a mixed picture. On the one hand, the sector has made huge strides in digitisation over the past few years. On the other, the divide between large and small providers is now so clear that it risks slowing the whole system down. There is a lot to celebrate. There is also a lot to worry about. A sector that is moving forward, but not at the same pace The rise in Digital Social Care Records is impressive. In 2021, fewer than half of providers used them. By July 2025, that figure had reached 80 per cent. DSCRs are becoming the norm, and they are transforming how information is recorded and shared. Other tools are also becoming part of everyday practice. Digital rostering, eMAR, video calls, accounting software and HR systems are all widely used. These are the sorts of tools that reduce paperwork and free up staff time, which is something every provider needs. But the headline figures hide a serious imbalance. Large providers are adopting technology at a much faster rate than microproviders. The contrast is stark: • 88 per cent of large providers use DSCRs, compared with 57 per cent of microproviders • 40 per cent of microproviders use no care technology at all, compared with 11 per cent of large providers This is not a small gap. It is a structural divide that will not close on its own. Care delivery technology is growing, but unevenly Sensorbased monitoring is now the most common care delivery tech-
nology, used by 43 per cent of providers. These tools can make a real difference to safety and quality of life, especially in residential settings. But again, size matters. Personal alarms are used by nearly two thirds of large providers, but fewer than one in five microproviders. Health and wellbeing apps are one of the few technologies with consistent uptake across the sector, but more advanced tools like virtual reality and smartwatches remain niche. The pattern is clear. The more expensive or complex the technology, the more likely it is to be used by larger organisations. Connectivity is becoming a major pressure point Digital care relies on strong, reliable internet access. Yet a third of large residential providers say they do not have fullsite connectivity. That is a serious problem when so many digital tools depend on stable WiFi. Broadband needs are rising quickly. Today, around a quarter of providers need superfast or ultrafast broadband. In three years, the number needing gigabitspeed connections is expected to quadruple. Perhaps the most telling figure is that 44 per cent of providers are unsure what connectivity they will need in the future. That uncertainty alone is a barrier. There is also an equity issue. Most residential providers include WiFi in the care plan, but in domiciliary care, most people pay for their own. That creates a risk that access to digital care becomes dependent on personal finances. Funding is the biggest barrier by a long way The survey confirms what the sector has been saying for years. The main obstacle to adopting technology is cost. • 73 per cent cite setup costs • 70 per cent cite ongoing licence fees • 82 per cent want support with ongoing costs • 67 per cent need help with upfront investment These are not small numbers. They reflect a sector that is stretched
financially and cannot absorb additional costs without support. Other barriers add to the challenge. Staff training and turnover, cybersecurity costs, connectivity issues and reluctance from some service users all play a part. But none of these come close to the financial pressures providers face. A clear message for the years ahead The government wants every CQCregistered provider to be fully digitised by 2029. The progress so far shows that this is possible, but only if the smallest providers are supported properly. If microproviders continue to fall behind, the sector will end up with a twotier digital landscape. That would undermine the benefits of digitisation and risk widening inequalities in care. To avoid that, the sector needs: • Longterm funding for both setup and ongoing costs • Targeted support for microproviders • Clear guidance on future connectivity requirements • Investment in staff training and digital confidence • Practical reassurance about safety, data protection and the value of technology Digitisation should help everyone, not just those who can afford it. The survey shows how far the sector has come, but it also shows where the focus needs to be if the next stage of progress is going to be fair and sustainable. How QCS supports providers on this journey For providers trying to navigate this fastmoving landscape, QCS offers the practical support that makes digital change feel manageable rather than overwhelming. With uptodate guidance, easytouse tools and expert insight, QCS helps organisations of every size build confidence, strengthen compliance and make informed decisions about technology. Whether a provider is just starting out with digital records or looking to embed more advanced systems, QCS gives them the structure and reassurance they need to move forward with clarity.
One in Four Care Providers Still Operating Without Technology as Government Digitisation Drive Gains Momentum A landmark government survey published this month reveals significant strides in the digitisation of adult social care in England — but exposes a stubborn divide between large and small providers, with funding barriers cited as the single greatest obstacle to further progress. Source: Department of Health and Social Care | Published: 6 March 2026 | Survey conducted: February–March 2025
More than a quarter of care providers in England — 27 per cent — are still delivering services without any form of care technology, according to findings from the government's 2025 Adult Social Care Provider Technology Survey, published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 March 2026. The survey, conducted among 1,085 CQC-registered providers in February and March 2025, offers the most detailed snapshot yet of where the sector stands on its digital journey — and reveals how much ground remains to be covered before the government's ambition of fully digitising all providers by the end of this Parliament in 2029 can be achieved. For care home managers and operators, the findings carry particular relevance. Residential providers account for one third (33 per cent) of survey respondents, and the data points to notable differences in technology uptake between residential and domiciliary settings — as well as stark disparities between large and small organisations.
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DIGITAL RECORDS: A TRANSFORMATION UNDER WAY Perhaps the most striking headline from the survey is the near-doubling of Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) adoption since 2021. At the time of the survey in March 2025, 73 per cent of respondents were using a DSCR. By July 2025 — following continued support from the government's Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme — that figure had risen further to 80 per cent of all CQC-registered providers, compared with just 41 per cent at the end of 2021. DSCRs replace paper-based care records with digital solutions, enabling more secure and efficient sharing of up-to-date care information and reducing the administrative burden on frontline staff. The government defines a 'fully digitised' provider as one using an assured DSCR that meets the 'standards met' threshold on the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). Alongside DSCRs, digital rostering tools were the second most widely used business management technology, with 63 per cent of respondents making use of them. Electronic medicine administration records (e-MAR) and video conferencing were each used by 53 per cent of providers, followed closely by financial accounting software (52 per cent) and HR management tools (51 per cent).
SENSOR TECHNOLOGY LEADS ON THE CARE FLOOR When it comes to care delivery technology — tools used directly in providing support to residents and service users — monitoring equipment with sensors was the most widely adopted, used by 43 per cent of all respondents. This category encompasses technologies such as fall prevention sensors and acoustic monitoring equipment, which have increasingly become part of the toolkit in residential and nursing care environments. Video conferencing was used by 34 per cent of providers, while per-
sonal alarms were adopted by 35 per cent — though usage of alarms was notably higher among larger organisations, with 64 per cent of large providers deploying them compared with just 18 per cent of microproviders. Health and wellbeing apps were used by a quarter (25 per cent) of all respondents, and unusually, this was one of the few categories where uptake was broadly consistent across provider sizes. Audio assistants such as smart speakers were used by 14 per cent of respondents, while virtual reality (3 per cent) and smartwatches (6 per cent) remain relatively niche.
THE SIZE DIVIDE: MICRO-PROVIDERS LEFT BEHIND The survey lays bare a significant disparity in technology adoption between large and small care organisations that will concern policymakers and sector leaders. While only 11 per cent of large providers reported using no care technology at all, that figure rises to 40 per cent among micro-providers — those supporting ten people or fewer. The pattern repeats across almost every technology category. For DSCR adoption, 88 per cent of large providers were using a digital care record compared with 57 per cent of micro-providers. For digital rostering, the gap ran from 81 per cent (large) to 52 per cent (micro). And for financial accounting software, 90 per cent of large providers had adopted it, against just 34 per cent of micro-providers. For residential care providers — who made up 33 per cent of survey respondents — there was also a connectivity concern. Whilst 70 per cent of residential care respondents said they had the appropriate internet infrastructure to support devices connecting from all areas of their care home, the picture was less encouraging for larger residential providers: a third of large residential care operators reported they lacked the infrastructure to support connectivity across all locations within their homes.
FUNDING IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER — BY FAR The survey asked providers to identify barriers to further technology adoption over the next five years. The findings are unambiguous: cost dominates all other concerns. Set-up costs were cited by 73 per cent of respondents as a barrier, and ongoing licence costs by 70 per cent. When asked what support they would need to overcome these obstacles, 82 per cent called for funding support with ongoing costs and 67 per cent said they needed help with upfront investment. Staff training costs and high staff turnover ranked third as a barrier, cited by 52 per cent of respondents — a figure that reflects the well-documented workforce challenges the sector faces. The cost of cyber and data security was cited by 41 per cent, followed by concerns about internet connectivity (40 per cent) and reluctance from service users to use technology (39 per cent). Interestingly, staff reluctance to use technology was reported by 34 per cent of providers — a lower figure than service user reluctance — while concerns about technology replacing face-to-face care were cited by 30 per cent. These findings suggest that, while some cultural resistance remains, it is structural and financial barriers that most urgently need addressing. Workforce upskilling was identified as the third most needed form of support (58 per cent), followed by assurance that care technology is safe (44 per cent) and improved information about what technologies are available and their benefits (41 per cent each).
CONNECTIVITY: AN INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE ON THE HORIZON The survey also examined providers' connectivity needs, with revealing results. At present, 26 per cent of respondents said they require
superfast broadband (30 Mbps), while 19 per cent said they need ultrafast (300 Mbps). Looking ahead three years, the picture shifts considerably: the proportion expecting to need ultrafast broadband rises to 26 per cent, and those anticipating a need for gigabit-speed connectivity (1 Gbps or faster) quadruples from 5 per cent to 18 per cent. A third of respondents (33 per cent) believed they would need faster connectivity than they currently have, while 44 per cent said they were simply unsure what they would need — highlighting a knowledge gap that government guidance and support programmes may need to address. For residential care providers, the question of who pays for wifi provision is settled in most cases: 77 per cent said wifi was included within the normal care plan. In domiciliary care, by contrast, 68 per cent of respondents said service users organised and paid for their own wifi — a finding that could have implications for equitable access to technology-enabled care for people supported at home.
GOVERNMENT SETS COURSE FOR FULL DIGITISATION BY 2029 The survey was conducted as part of the government's Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme, a joint initiative between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. The programme's goal is that every CQC-registered provider in England will be fully digitised by the end of the current Parliament — a target that the DSCR adoption data suggests is well within reach for most, though the challenge of bringing micro and small providers up to speed remains considerable. In January 2025, the government made formal commitments to join up health and care data and to set new national standards for care technologies. In September 2025, DHSC commissioned Softcat Plc to begin work on a Social Care Interoperability Platform — described as a digital 'bridge' allowing data to be shared between adult social care and NHS IT infrastructure, with an initial focus on provider data. The survey is expected to run annually, with findings informing both policy development and the sector's own understanding of where it stands in its digital transformation.
KEY FINDINGS AT A GLANCE • 27% of care providers use no care technology at all • 43% use monitoring equipment with sensors — the most common care technology • 73% of survey respondents use a Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) • DSCR adoption among all CQC-registered providers rose from 41% (2021) to 80% (July 2025) • 40% of micro-providers use no care technology; just 11% of large providers are in the same position • 82% say they need funding support for ongoing technology costs • 73% cite set-up costs as a barrier to further adoption • 33% of large residential providers lack full-site internet connectivity infrastructure • 1,085 CQC-registered providers participated in the survey (Feb– March 2025) Full findings: gov.uk — 'Technology use in adult social care: 2025 survey results' Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 'Findings from the 2025 Adult Social Care Provider Technology Survey', published 6 March 2026. Crown Copyright 2026. ontains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Report Reveals How Families Experience Care Today and What Providers Must Do Next A new report has revealed that families want real-time updates on care, but many are still in the dark, the new UK research, and has called for greater investment in social care digitisation to improve trust, transparency and communication. The research from care management software company Log my Care, in partnership with Care England, reveals a major shift in how UK families want to stay informed and involved in their loved one’s care, and the growing role that digital tools can play in strengthening trust, transparency and communication at a time when the adult social care sector is under unprecedented workforce and funding pressure. The research, conducted by Sapio, surveyed 1,000 people responsible for arranging care for a family member. Among families whose providers offer a digital platform, 81% said it contributed positively to the quality of care their loved one received. The findings show expectations are rising, and families want reliable digital tools that provide real-time updates, two-way communication, and greater visibility throughout the care journey. However, the research exposes a clear gap between what families want and what they currently receive. Sixty-two per cent said they would like to receive updates via a care app or digital portal, yet only 41% currently do. Almost a quarter (24%) report they have no access to any digital tools to manage or interact with service provision. When platforms enable two-way communication, they become even more valuable. Eighty-seven per cent of families using digital tools say they can share updates with their care provider through the platform. However, reflecting the gap between expectation and experience, seven in ten families (70%) say they would like to receive updates once a day, compared to only around half (51%) who receive updates at that frequency. The research also highlights challenges that providers must address to build confidence. One in five families (20%) find digital platforms difficult to use, while 17% say platforms do not provide the information they need. Training and onboarding remain key barriers, with 17% stating they lack adequate training or support from their care provider. Concerns about timely updates are also significant, with 24% of families saying information is not updated in real time.
The findings underline the need for providers, commissioners and system leaders to treat digital communication as core care infrastructure, rather than an optional add-on. The report argues that closing the “expectation gap” between what families want and what services currently offer is central to rebuilding confidence in care, particularly in learning disability, mental health and older people’s services. The findings suggest the debate has moved beyond whether digital tools belong in care, and instead centres on how they should be implemented to support families without undermining trust. Most families (82%) say they would be open to emerging technologies such as video updates, real-time dashboards, or AI powered care summaries, though 35% would need reassurance about data privacy and security. Sam Hussain, CEO, Log my Care said: “Families are navigating an increasingly complex landscape long before they ever choose a provider, and too often they are doing so without clear, consistent signals of what good looks like. We produced this report to reflect families’ real experiences and to give providers practical, proportionate ways to strengthen confidence day to day. Social care has digitised quickly, but digital maturity is not about adding more tools. It is about using technology with intent: making good care more visible, keeping families informed and reassured, and doing it in a way that reduces reactive workload rather than adding to it.” Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive, Care England said: “This research reflects what we hear consistently from families and providers alike: confidence in care is built through everyday communication, visibility and trust, not just through headline indicators of quality. Digital tools, when used well, can strengthen relationships between families and care services, reduce anxiety, and support more open, person-centred care. “But technology is not a silver bullet. Investment in digital infrastructure must go hand in hand with investment in people, training and culture if we are to realise the full benefits for families and those drawing on care and support. At a time when the sector is under intense financial and workforce pressure, this research offers a practical reminder that improving communication and transparency is not just good practice, it is fundamental to sustaining confidence in the care system.”
King’s Touching Message To Carers From Wales: “You Are Not Forgotten” Three social care heroes from Wales were hailed as “truly magnificent” by King Charles when they met him during a special reception at Windsor Castle. Taurai Zimbi from Barry, Shiny Skaria from Rhayader in Powys and retired nurse Carol Dight, who were all gold winners at last year’s Wales Care Awards, also had a chance to chat with Queen Camilla at the prestigious event. The trio were among invited guests at the reception celebrating the extraordinary contribution of the nation’s social care workforce. They were accompanied by Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales which runs the Wales Care Awards. Broadcaster Kate Garraway, actress Patricia Hodge, TV doctor Ranj Singh and celebrity Coleen Rooney were among the familiar faces at the occasion, which was also attended by the Duchess of Edinburgh. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was one of several politicians at the event and other MPs included Ed Davey, Stephen Kinnock and Pat McFadden. Taurai, who relocated from Zimbabwe to Barry two years ago to take up a role with All Care South Wales, won gold in the Exceptional Newcomer category at last year’s awards. Shiny, originally from Kerala in India, works at Crosfield House, a 64-bed nursing home based in Rhayader, and was crowned the overall winner in the Independent Sector Nurse of the Year. Carol worked for nine years for HC-One Wales, which owns 14 residential and nursing homes across South Wales. Not only did she win gold in the awards in the category for Leadership and Management in Small Group or Supported Living, but she also received the Spirit of Care Award. Mario Kreft said the invitation to the royal reception was an opportunity to talk to the King about the
incredible work carers do and about the Wales Care Awards. He said: “Taurai, Shiny and Carol were three of our top winners at the care awards and I was able to explain to the King who they were and why they were there. “He spoke to Taurai and said he remembered being in Zimbabwe to sign the declaration of independence. “He said he knew of Kerala in India where Shiny is from and he had a little chat with Carol, he just puts everybody at ease. “It was a big thrill for all of them and I was just pleased to be able to accompany them. “After 23 years and over 900 exceptional individuals in Wales being at the Wales Care Awards for what they do, it was a great honour to take three of those 900 to meet the King and Queen. “That recognition is for the workforce in Wales, the awards themselves, Care Forum Wales and everybody connected with care in the independent sector. “It’s like a coming of age for the awards. What better place to get that than at Windsor Castle with the King and Queen recognising three exemplars of those 900 over those 20-odd years? “The King said to us it was the first time they had actually done anything like this. “It was an occasion befitting the value of social care workers and carers in our society. “Everybody in Wales who works in the profession can be justifiably proud. “Despite all the challenges, they are very resilient and they deserve to be there and be represented there.” This year’s Wales Care Awards ceremony will take place at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday, October 16.
Grand(E) Way To Help Address Barriers To Postural Care Addressing postural care should be a pre-requisite of occupational therapy yet is a postcode lottery, says RCOT(1). The problem is further complicated by lack of awareness among professionals, the breadth of issues posture management affects resulting in multiple disciplines being involved, and the diversity of equipment required to achieve round-the-clock support and correction and thus funding streams. AAT is aiming to simplify the process. Its Grande vacuum posture cushion delivers almost all sedentary and supine positioning support required day or night. So just one health professional need prescribe. Caregivers can precisely mould and fix the mattress-sized cushion to correctly support whether sitting or lying in the day or sleeping at night. Grande can be used as a mattress for resting, sleeping or physiotherapy, or folded to create a seat- stand-alone, on a chair, on a sofa. Its construction also means it is tactile and easily transmits sound waves, so it can double as a conductor for sensory stimulation. The technology Grande uses is based round the principles of a bean bag, giving the precise shaping inherent in the concept. The beans contour precisely to the required body shape. By
attaching a pump, the air between the beans is extracted, fixing that shape with the preferred degree of firmness. The shaping can be as detailed as required, providing correct stabilisation with minimal pressure and even allowing for pommels, wedges, hollows for feeding tubes. There is no need for restraint, even during dystonic episodes or hyperactivity. Frequent re-plumping/ positioning of conventional cushion-type posture systems becomes a thing of the past. To re-shape, simply allow air back into the Grande and mould as necessary, be it a simple adjustment for body position and comfort or a complete reconfiguration. “The role postural care plays in the health and wellbeing of disabled people and their carers is acknowledged, but the way our health service is structured, delivery is fragmented. Yet addressing it would have a huge impact not only on the people who need it, but on the demand for associated NHS services,” says Peter Wingrave, AAT Director. “If just one healthcare professional thinks outside the box and looks at something like Grande, that answers the specific issue they have for a client but simultaneously could answer other issues for that client, surely it must be considered?” More details about Grande and its role in 24-hour postural management can be found @ www.aatgb.com/grande/.
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 15
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What Does It Feel Like To Deliver Care Today? Neemat Sadiq, CEO of Langdale Care Homes, reflects on the tension between compassion and compliance, and how technology can restore time to care. One of the greatest challenges in care today is not a lack of compassion. It is the constant tension between being present with people and being pulled into process. I know this not as a CEO, but as someone who began as a carer. I have walked those corridors. I have sat beside residents. I have felt the quiet conflict of wanting to give just a little more time, while knowing there is documentation waiting, charts to complete, records to update. That tension never really leaves you. When I founded Langdale Care Homes, I believed I would be creating more space for care. In many ways I did, but like many business owners, I also found myself pulled further away from the very thing I loved most. If you run a business, you will understand this. The work you once felt so connected to slowly becomes replaced with responsibility, compliance, and oversight. In care, that shift comes at a cost. For years, our teams were spending valuable time documenting care instead of delivering it. Not because they wanted to, but because they had to. Compliance demands it. Regulation requires it. And rightly so.
But somewhere along the way, the balance tipped too far. Care began to feel like it was being recorded more than it was being experienced. “Care began to feel like it was being recorded more than it was being experienced.” That never sat right with me. For over two decades, I have listened to carers, nurses, and managers. I have seen the fatigue that does not come from caring, but from the weight of administration that surrounds it. That kind of exhaustion does not serve our staff, and it certainly does not serve our residents. There had to be a better way. Empathika was born from that belief. Not as a system, but as a response. A response to the frustration of paperwork. A response to the risk of human error. A response to the quiet reality that too much time was being taken away from people. We wanted to create something that worked with carers, not against them. Something that allowed documentation to happen naturally, in real time, without breaking the flow of care. Today, with Empathika, information is recorded as care happens. Medication is managed more safely. Risks are identified earlier. And most importantly, our teams are given something incredibly valuable back. Time. And with time comes presence. With presence comes connection. And with connection comes better care. “Technology is not here to replace care. It is here to protect it.” But we must be clear about something. Technology is not here to replace care. It is here to protect it. This will always be a people first industry. No system can replace a reassuring voice, a held hand, or a moment of understanding. No app can comfort a family or respond to a resident calling out in the night. What technology can do is remove the noise.
It can take away the repetitive, the time consuming, the burdens that sit around care and quietly drain those delivering it. And when that happens, something shifts. We have seen it in our own homes. Staff are more present, more energised, and more connected to why they came into care in the first place. And when our teams feel better, our residents feel it too. For me as a provider, it has also transformed compliance. What once took hours now takes minutes. Information is no longer chased. It is already there. That sense of readiness brings calm, confidence, and clarity across the organisation. “This is not a loud transformation. It is a quiet revolution.” This is not a loud transformation. It is not disruptive in the way people often expect. It is a quiet revolution. One that restores balance. To those working in care, I would simply say this. If you are exploring technology, do it with intention. Not to monitor more. Not to control more. But to give back more. Give back time. Give back energy. Give back the ability to be fully present. Because at its heart, care has never been about systems. It has always been about people. And it always will be. Neemat Sadiq CEO, Langdale Care Homes Founder, Empathika www.empathika.com
Social Care Reform Trapped in Political 'Catch-22' Social care reform remains mired in a self-perpetuating political impasse, with successive governments reluctant to confront the sector's deepening crisis for fear of electoral consequences, according to analysis from The King's Fund. The report identifies a damaging cycle at the heart of the issue: meaningful reform requires political leadership to build public awareness and support, yet politicians increasingly shy away from raising social care on the campaign trail, scarred by the fallout from previous high-profile reform attempts that proved costly at the ballot box. Researchers found that public prioritisation of social care has historically risen in response to political engagement with the issue — but that the repeated collapse of proposed reforms, compounded by fierce media opposition, has rendered it something of an electoral third rail. Nowhere is this more starkly illustrated than in the controversy surrounding Theresa May's 2017 General Election proposals, which were swiftly branded the "dementia tax" and widely blamed for significantly damaging the Conservative Party's campaign. That episode, the report suggests, has cast a long shadow — leaving subsequent politicians wary of engaging substantively with an issue that affects millions of older and vulnerable people across the country. In the years since the 2017 election, when the public’s prioritisation of social care as a major issue facing the country reached its peak of 18%, it has only fleetingly crossed 10% and now sits at record lows of between 1% and 3%.
“NOT MY PRIORITY” For example, in October 2025, when asked what are the most important issues facing Britain today, 47% said immigration, 33% said the economy and 24% said the NHS. In contrast, only 3% said social care. The analysis forms part of a major new report from The King’s Fund, titled ‘Not my priority: how the public sees social care (and what can be done about it)’. It looked at extensive polling and focus group research by The King’s Fund and other organisations since 2011 to evidence how the public currently views social care, its appetite for reform and the most effective ways of communicating about the issues in the sector. This work marks the start of major work on social care reform options from the think tank as part of its new strategy. The report highlights low public understanding of adult social care – around a third of the public think, wrongly, that social care is provided by the NHS and/or free – which is driven by confusion between social care and the NHS, the wide range of services covered by social care and the reality that relatively few people draw on care at any one time. As a result, social care is not a ‘top of mind issue’ for the public. Unprompted prioritisation of it as a major issue facing the country has never exceeded one in five people and has fallen sharply since Covid19, as people worry more about the cost of living, jobs and immigration. It is also an issue that most people do not like to think about despite people underestimating the odds of needing care with one in seven
of those aged 65 requiring care costing £100,000 or more in their lifetime. However, when people are reminded about it through prompted polling (where social care is given as one option in a list), far more people – close to one in three – say it should be a priority. They recognise its importance to the NHS, and they consistently agree that the government should take more responsibility for funding it.
CROSS PARTY DIALOGUE To break the logjam, The King’s Fund recommends that more effort is put into cross-party dialogue, so that future politicians have ‘air cover’ for social care reform proposals. To date there has only been one reported cross-party meeting hosted by the ongoing Casey Commission and the report says that campaigners will need to think about how to expedite this process. Without it, the ‘air cover’ needed through broad agreement across party lines will be missing and likely damage any hopes of a public consensus too. The report also recommends that those advocating for reform should consider how they use the 1.5 million people who work in the social care sector as ambassadors for change through their own personal networks and learn from the decades of experience of those who market their services. More work also needs to go into building public awareness of care, with the report urging campaigners to talk about the tangible difference that social care reform would bring similar to the way NHS funding is talked about in the context of ‘more doctors and more nurses’. Examples of this could be – as with the NHS – shorter waiting times for care and more people receiving it.
POLITICAL CATCH 22 Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow for Social Care at The King’s Fund and co-author of the report, said: ‘Social care reform is caught in a political Catch-22: it needs politicians to build support for change, but they avoid talking about it for fear it will lose them votes. It will take more courage and leadership from them if social care reform is going to happen and realise the electoral and societal benefits that fixing this failing system would bring. ‘The social care sector also needs to play its part and recognise that its current approach has not brought change. When advocating for reform it needs to meet the public where they are, not where it wishes they were. ‘That means talking about the benefits of reform to the NHS, which the public uses more and prioritises more than social care. Also, speaking to the tangible improvements that reform would bring like shorter waiting times to receive care and more people receiving it, rather than focusing on abstract concepts such as ‘wellbeing’. ‘People know that social care is not working as it should and they want it to be better. But they have become fatalistic about the chances of reform and suffer from ‘social care fatigue’ after hearing for years about the system being in ‘crisis’. Only if politicians and the social care sector itself step up to plate will this ever change.’
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 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 6.
www.empathika.com
PAGE 20 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
How We Took Langdale House from Good to Outstanding By Laura Davy, Home Manager, Cygnet Social Care (www.cygnetgroup.com) When Langdale House achieved an Outstanding rating, it was a moment of huge pride for our whole team. This wasn’t about one inspection or one moment in time, it reflected the culture we have built together, where kindness, safety and respect are part of everyday life, and where the people we support are genuinely at the centre of everything we do.
PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE From the beginning, our focus has been on truly understanding the people we support, their wishes, choices, strengths and what matters most to them. We worked hard to ensure every person had outcomebased documents that clearly reflected their personal goals and aspirations, and that these were understood and used consistently by the whole team. These weren’t just written plans. They were living documents, regularly reviewed with people, their families and professionals, and brought to life through photographs and real evidence of progress. From developing independence with everyday tasks like preparing meals, laundry and cleaning, to supporting people to achieve bigger ambitions such as holidays, employment opportunities or days out they had always dreamed of, every achievement was recognised and celebrated. We made sure people’s communication needs, capacity and understanding were always considered, using creative and flexible approaches so everyone could be involved in decisions about their own lives.
CREATING A HOME NOT A SERVICE We wanted Langdale House to feel like a real home, somewhere people felt comfortable, proud and safe. Everyone was supported to personalise their bedrooms, and no two rooms look the same. Each space reflects the individual living there, their interests, favourite
colours and personal history, and people continue to make changes as their preferences evolve. People were also supported to have pets, which brought companionship, comfort and routine. Throughout the house, photographs, artwork and shared projects reflect the lives people lead, from holidays and activities to time spent with staff, friends and family. This sense of belonging and identity has been vital in helping people truly feel at home.
ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING STAFF An Outstanding service starts with a supported and motivated team. We focused on creating a positive, inclusive culture where staff felt listened to, valued and confident in their roles. We are proud to have a stable staff team who know people well and provide consistent, compassionate care. Regular meetings gave staff the opportunity to share ideas, reflect on practice and contribute to improvements. As leaders, we made a conscious effort to remain approachable, visible and supportive. We celebrated birthdays, marked achievements and made sure the small comforts - like hot drinks and snacks - were always available during busy shifts. When staff faced challenges, we supported them openly and proactively. This created a strong sense of togetherness, where people felt supported not just as professionals, but as individuals. Many staff describe the service as feeling like a family, and that sense of connection directly benefits the people we support.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES TOGETHER Like any service, we faced challenges along the way. What made the difference was how we responded - openly, collaboratively and with a shared commitment to doing the right thing. Safety was always a priority. We worked closely as a team, and with families and professionals, to identify risks and develop practical, person-centred solutions. We encouraged open conversations, welcomed feedback and ensured people felt confident raising concerns, knowing they would be listened to and acted upon. By learning from challenges rather than avoiding them, we strengthened our service and our culture.
PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE AND CHOICE Supporting people to live as independently as possible has always been central to our approach. Staff actively encouraged choice, independence and positive risk-taking, supporting people to do things for themselves wherever possible, from household tasks to managing their own routines.
We worked creatively to remove barriers, sometimes consulting with medical professionals and completing detailed risk assessments so people could safely pursue activities that mattered to them. Seeing someone achieve something they were previously told wasn’t possible has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey.
MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS We strongly believe that relationships matter. People were supported to stay connected with family and friends through regular contact, visits and shared experiences. Families were always welcome in the service, and people were encouraged to spend time both in and outside the home with loved ones. We also supported people to build friendships within the wider community and with individuals living in other services, maintaining meaningful social connections and a sense of belonging beyond Langdale House.
MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS We don’t work to be Outstanding just for one day, we aim to live it every day. Through regular reviews, staff discussions, reflection and learning from feedback, we continually look at how we can improve. Care plans are detailed, personalised and reviewed regularly, ensuring care remains effective, compassionate and empowering. Feedback from people, families and professionals is actively sought and used to shape how we work.
WHAT I’M MOST PROUD OF What makes me proudest is how everyone comes together for the people we support. From small daily acts of kindness to supporting someone to achieve a lifelong ambition, the team consistently goes above and beyond. Langdale House isn’t Outstanding because of one person, it’s Outstanding because of the collective heart, dedication and passion of the entire team. My advice to others aiming for Outstanding is simple: • Keep people genuinely at the heart of everything you do • Celebrate progress, no matter how small • Support, listen to and value your staff • Create a warm, homely environment • Encourage independence and positive risk-taking • Go the extra mile when it really matters • When people feel cared for, heard and valued, outstanding care naturally follows.
Care Inspections UK: Professional, Independent, and Evidence-Led By Kevin Groombridge – Chief Executive, Care Inspections UK (www.careinspections.co.uk) Inspection, as commonly practised, is often episodic and judgement-led. CIUK’s process takes a different approach. By integrating detailed, evidence-based inspection with targeted action planning and sustained implementation support, it reframes inspection as a continuous improvement system rather than a periodic verdict. Supported by UKAS accreditation since 2016, the model is designed to produce findings that are not only credible but also operationally useful and capable of driving measurable change. Health and social care providers operate under sustained scrutiny, yet the relationship between inspection and meaningful improvement remains inconsistent. Compliance is assessed and ratings are published, but whether inspections reliably drive safer care, better outcomes, or stronger organisations is open to question.
THE RISK OF JUDGEMENT-LED INSPECTION Inspection systems in the UK remain heavily judgement-led. While professional judgement plays a role, over-reliance introduces variability, subjectivity, and inconsistent outcomes. Providers frequently encounter divergent findings for similar levels of performance. This reflects a structural issue in which conclusions are shaped by individual perspective rather than a consistently applied evidence base. The risk is twofold. First, organisations may be incorrectly assessed, undermining confidence in the system. Second, judgement-led inspection often fails to produce operationally useful insight. It describes performance but does not reliably explain causation or provide a clear route to improvement.
Inspection, in this form, risks becoming an exercise in classification rather than a tool for change.
Inspection is therefore treated as a diagnostic process, focused on causation and designed to produce actionable findings.
ARE REGULATORS EFFECTIVE INSPECTORS?
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Regulators perform an essential role in setting standards and enforcing compliance. However, there is a legitimate question about whether they are structurally well-positioned to serve as high-quality inspectors. Regulatory bodies are simultaneously rule-setters, assessors, and enforcers. This creates a model that can be reactive, episodic, and risk-averse, with inspection often focused on identifying failure rather than understanding system performance. In practice, this can lead to inspections that are: • Event-driven, triggered by concerns rather than embedded in continuous assurance • Compliance-focused, prioritising adherence over operational effectiveness • Inconsistent, due to reliance on individual judgement This is not a criticism of intent, but of structure. Regulation and inspection are related functions, but they are not the same discipline.
Other countries have adopted models that place greater emphasis on independent, provider-engaged assurance. In the Netherlands, inspection is complemented by strong provider accountability and transparency. In Australia, accreditation-based systems require providers to demonstrate ongoing compliance, supported by external verification. Similar approaches are evident in parts of Canada and the Nordic countries, where inspection is more clearly separated from enforcement. These models are not without challenge, but they demonstrate a consistent principle: inspection is most effective when it is independent, evidence-driven, and embedded in continuous improvement, rather than positioned solely as a regulatory checkpoint.
A MORE FORENSIC MODEL CIUK’s work is structured around three core components. First, a forensic, evidence-based inspection that examines not only compliance, but how care, governance, and operational systems function in practice. This is followed by a targeted action plan that translates findings into specific, prioritised interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms. Crucially, inspection is not treated as a standalone event. CIUK provides ongoing support, working alongside providers to implement changes, monitor progress, and stabilise performance over time. This model incorporates: • Systematic risk analysis - identifying latent risks before they manifest • Operational diagnostics - examining how care, staffing, and governance function in practice • Commercial impact awareness - recognising the link between quality and sustainability
FROM JUDGEMENT TO IMPROVEMENT A persistent weakness in inspection systems is the prioritisation of judgement over utility. Ratings may signal performance, but they rarely enable change. CIUK places greater emphasis on structured improvement pathways. Weaknesses are translated into specific actions, while strengths are used to stabilise and improve performance. This reframes inspection as a forward-looking mechanism for risk reduction and quality improvement, rather than a retrospective assessment.
A MORE USEFUL FORM OF ASSURANCE The sector does not lack inspection; it lacks inspection that is sufficiently consistent, evidence-led, and operationally useful to drive sustained improvement. CIUK’s approach, underpinned by UKAS accreditation since 2016, does not replace regulation, but it challenges the assumption that regulatory inspection alone is sufficient. If inspection is to have real value, it must move beyond periodic judgement and towards continuous, evidence-based assurance that organisations can act on with confidence.
PAGE 22 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Marketing a Care Home: Building Trust Through Digital and Community Reputation By Melissa Cooper, digital marketing specialist and the founder of Beanie Media (https://beaniemedia.com) Choosing a care home is one of the most important and emotional decisions a family will make. Unlike many other sectors, marketing in the care industry isn’t simply about promoting a service – it’s about building trust, demonstrating compassion, and helping families feel confident they are making the right choice for their loved one. In today’s competitive landscape, care homes need a balanced marketing approach that combines targeted digital strategies with strong local reputation building. When done well, marketing becomes less about “selling” and more about clearly demonstrating the quality of care and community that residents and families can expect.
UNDERSTANDING THE CARE HOME DECISION JOURNEY Before focusing on tactics, it’s important to understand how families make decisions. The journey often begins when a family member starts researching care options following a change in circumstances. At this stage, people are looking for reassurance, information, and signs that a home will provide genuine care and dignity. From there, families will compare providers, read reviews, explore websites and social media pages, and often ask people within their community for recommendations before arranging visits.
Because of this, marketing needs to support three key stages: · Awareness – ensuring your care home appears when people begin searching online. · Consideration – providing useful information, reviews and content that reassures families. · Decision – reinforcing trust through testimonials, recommendations and personal experiences. Understanding this journey helps care homes focus their marketing on answering the questions families are actually asking. The Importance of SEO and Local Search Search engines are often the first place families go when researching care options, which makes search engine optimisation (SEO) essential. A well-optimised website helps ensure your care home appears when people search for phrases such as “care homes near me” or “residential care in [town name]”. This includes clearly explaining the services you provide, using location-based keywords naturally, and publishing helpful information that answers common questions about care. Equally important is your Google Business Profile, which often appears before websites in local searches. Care homes should ensure their profile includes accurate contact details, high-quality images, and up-to-date information. Encouraging families to leave reviews can also make a significant difference, as prospective residents often rely heavily on the experiences of others.
GETTING YOUR DIGITAL ASSETS RIGHT Your online presence should reflect the warmth and professionalism of the care you provide. High-quality photography and video are particularly powerful in the care sector. Families want to see real environments and genuine interactions between staff and residents. Images of activities, communal
spaces and daily life help people visualise what living in the home would actually feel like. Social media should focus less on sales messaging and more on storytelling. Sharing resident activities, staff achievements and community involvement helps demonstrate the personality of your home and reinforces the human side of care. Social platforms also allow care homes to reach families within their local area through targeted content.
THE POWER OF TESTIMONIALS AND COMMUNITY REPUTATION Trust is the single most important factor in care home marketing. Testimonials and reviews are extremely influential because families naturally seek reassurance from people who have already experienced your care. Encouraging families to leave reviews on Google or care directories can strengthen your online reputation, while written testimonials and case studies help bring real experiences to life. Offline reputation remains equally important. Word-of-mouth referrals from GPs, local community groups, charities and existing families continue to be one of the strongest drivers of new enquiries.
MARKETING THAT REFLECTS CARE Ultimately, successful marketing for care homes is about authenticity. Families are not simply choosing a facility – they are choosing the people who will care for someone they love. The most effective marketing therefore, focuses on showing the compassion, professionalism and community that exists within the home. By combining strong local reputation building with thoughtful digital marketing, care homes can ensure that when families begin their search, they find reassurance, transparency, and a clear sense of the care they can expect. And in an industry built on trust, that is what truly makes the difference.
Adult Social Care Is Being Sustained By Workforce Goodwill Rather Than System Design, Report Reveals Care England, in partnership with Sona, have launched new national research exposing the reality of adult social care in England. The findings show that services continue to deliver high-quality care despite operating under sustained workforce, financial and system pressure. The report highlights that resilience across the sector is increasingly driven by the professionalism, commitment and goodwill of staff, rather than by systems that are designed for the realities providers now face. The report, Adult social care insights: workforce stability, digital impact and financial confidence, draws on a national survey of social care professionals alongside in-depth interviews with senior leaders across the sector. It paints a clear picture of services working in an environment where short staffing, rising complexity of need and financial strain are no longer exceptional challenges but the everyday operating context for many providers. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “This research provides a powerful and evidence-based picture of the reality facing adult social care. Services are continuing to deliver high-quality care, but too often they are doing so by relying on the goodwill, professionalism and resilience of their workforce rather than
on systems that are properly designed for the pressures they face. Short staffing, rising complexity of need, and financial strain are no longer exceptional challenges; they are the everyday operating environment for many providers. What this work makes clear is that the answer is not simply more recruitment, but better design: smarter workforce deployment, greater visibility of real demand, and systems that support staff rather than stretch them. It also underlines the growing importance of digital capability as essential infrastructure for sustainability, not an optional add-on. This is not about fixing individual providers. It is about recognising that the current system is no longer aligned to reality. If we are serious about protecting quality, supporting the workforce and securing the future of adult social care, we must move from coping to building long-term resilience, underpinned by fair funding and evidence-led reform.” Key findings from the research include: • Short staffing has become a baseline operating condition for many providers, even when services remain compliant with commissioning and regulatory requirements.
• Services are increasingly reliant on overtime, agency use, task redistribution and managers stepping in on shift to maintain continuity of care, driving burnout, cost escalation and long-term fragility. • Workforce commitment to the sector remains high, but this loyalty is masking underlying system fragility and is not a sustainable substitute for proper system design. • Pressures differ by service type and funding model, but structural strain is universal across the sector. • Digital maturity is emerging as one of the strongest controllable stabilisers available to providers, improving visibility of demand, staffing risk and cost pressures, and supporting more sustainable workforce deployment. The workforce is broadly ready for digital adoption, where technology reduces duplication, saves time and improves safety, but constrained funding and fragmented systems limit progress. Care England and Sona are calling for a shift in focus from shortterm crisis management to long-term system resilience, including fair and sustainable funding, better alignment between commissioning and delivery, smarter workforce deployment and treating digital capability as core infrastructure rather than an optional enhancement.
Setting the Standard: Care Home Compliance Made Simple The law is changing for care homes, but understanding your obligations has never been easier Providing both comfort and dignity to those in your care is at the core of the Care homes profession, but when it comes to both residents and their families, one of the most important things you can offer is trust. Moving to a care home can be an emotional time for some and transparency and fairness are key in reassuring prospective residents and their families that they will be cared for with compassion and respect - This, and compliance with the law. Earlier this year we saw the introduction of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) - a landmark piece of legislation that affects business and how they are required by law to safeguard their customer with fair trading practices. These changes may sound like legal jargon, but they directly impact how care homes operate, communicate, and contract with residents. Compliance can be complex and that’s why the Business Companion Care Homes Guidance is essential reading for anyone working in the Care Homes sector. Written by legal experts this free and easy-to-read guide will walk you through all the steps to ensure you are safeguarding your customers and operating within the law.
WHAT’S CHANGED UNDER THE DMCCA? The introduction of the DMCCA represents one of the biggest shifts in consumer law in over a decade. It replaces the old Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and introduces stricter rules to protect consumers from misleading or unfair practices across almost
all sectors. For care homes, this means: • Clearer Pricing and Transparency: The Act bans “drip pricing” which is when unavoidable fees are hidden until late in the process. Care homes must now present the full cost of services upfront, including any mandatory charges. • Fake Reviews and Misleading Endorsements: The DMCCA prohibits the use of fabricated or manipulated reviews. With care homes increasingly relying on their online reputation, ensuring authenticity is now a legal obligation. • Stronger Enforcement Powers: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can now impose fines of up to £300,000 - or 10% of global turnover - for breaches. Compliance isn’t optional; it’s critical. • and much more! These changes underline the importance of reviewing your policies, contracts, and marketing materials. The Care Homes Guidance on Business Companion provides practical steps to help you stay compliant and avoid costly mistakes.
KEEPING CONSUMER VULNERABILITY IN MIND Vulnerability can arise from a number of different situations and factors throughout a person’s life, such as age, health, bereavement, or financial stress. As someone working in the Care homes sector, you’re
dealing with vulnerable individuals on a daily basis and recognising these factors isn’t just good practice; it’s a legal and ethical responsibility. The Business Companion Consumer Vulnerability Guide offers checklists and practical advice to help you identify and support your residents who may be vulnerable when it comes to things like decision making and communication, ensuring your care home delivers not only compliance but compassion.
YOUR GO-TO RESOURCE FOR COMPLIANCE Business Companion is more than just a care home resource - it’s a comprehensive hub for businesses across a broad range of sectors. From selling online to handling complaints, delivery charges, and even net zero strategies, the platform covers hundreds of topics delivered to you through clear, easy-to-read guidance. Backed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Department for Business & Trade, Business Companion is free, authoritative, and regularly updated by legal experts.
ACT NOW The DMCCA is already in force, and enforcement powers are live. Don’t wait for a compliance issue to arise - visit Business Companion’s Care Homes Guidance today. Review your contracts, pricing structures, and communication strategies and explore the wider resources available to future-proof your business against legal pitfalls. In a sector built on trust, staying informed isn’t just smart - it’s essential. To find out more, visit: www.businesscompanion.info
PAGE 26 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
How Preventative Care And CommunityBased Models Can Reduce Hospital Burden Bethan Evans is CEO of My Choice Healthcare (www.mychoicehealthcare.co.uk) hospitals. But what does this look like in practice?
Wearable technology and artificial intelligence are also transforming care, allowing residents to be monitored remotely and helping to
THE POWER OF EDUCATION
It’s no secret that the NHS is struggling more than ever before. Rising demand, staff shortages, limited resources and an ageing population have pushed our health service to breaking point. According to the British Medical Association, Referral to Treatment [RTT] figures have been exceptionally high this year. In August, the waiting list stood at 7.41 million cases, representing around 6.26 million individual patients waiting for treatment. The challenge is only set to grow as our population ages. The World Health Organisation [WHO] estimates that the number of people aged 60 and over will double from 1 billion in 2020 to 2.1 billion by 2050. Keeping people out of hospital for as long as possible is essential – not only to prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed, but to support our overall health and wellbeing in a holistic, sustainable way. We ned to help people stay as fit, strong and healthy as possible as they age. Reports in the British Medical Journal show that many experts believe we must move away from a reactive ‘diagnose and treat’ approach to a proactive ‘predict and prevent’ model. Instead of waiting to treat illness once it occurs, interventions should aim to extend healthy life expectancy, reduce prolonged illness and ease pressure on
Many of today’s most common health challenges could be eased through simple lifestyle changes. Yet not everyone has access to the education and support needed to change habits or make informed, healthier choices. Whether it’s poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, we need a cultural shift to tackle the adverse impact these factors have on chronic conditions such as heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity and cancer. Improving people’s understanding of their personal health - and what they can do to prevent issues from escalating through early intervention - is crucial. It may sound simple, but we can’t assume that everyone knows or understands the importance of healthier lifestyle choices. Care homes, for example, can play a vital role in educating residents. Rather than simply encouraging healthier eating, they can explain why it matters. Chefs can talk to residents about how nutritious meals and key vitamins and minerals support strength and wellbeing. For instance, highlighting the benefits of calcium and Vitamin D in maintaining bone health and reducing the risk of falls. Encouraging healthy habits starts with education, and this must be central to any effort to ease the pressure on the NHS.
er intervention and fewer prolonged hospital stays. Technology should never replace face to face care, but there’s no doubt innovation is playing a powerful role in maximising people’s independence and wellbeing, as well as reducing NHS pressures.
LEANING ON THE COMMUNITY Reducing the strain on hospitals also means embedding health programmes and initiatives within local communities. Everyone should have easy access to the information and support they need to maintain their health - especially older adults. Many older people experience loneliness or isolation, particularly after moving into residential care. Loneliness has been linked to cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease and weakened immune systems, all of which can add to NHS demand. Improving access to community resources and social networks is therefore vital. Organisations like Age UK are leading the way, running initiatives that support older people’s physical and mental wellbeing, such as fitness classes, digital literacy courses and programmes that encourage independence. Empowering people to take control of their health and helping them
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
feel part of the community has huge benefits. If it also helps reduce
The government’s commitment to move away from analogue processes and digitise the NHS is a positive step. Digital health technologies have huge potential to support proactive care, shifting the focus from hospitals to communities. Many UK care homes are already adopting new technologies and seeing impressive results. For example, smart sensors, cameras and motion-activated lighting systems are being installed to monitor residents’ movements and behaviours, alerting staff to falls, coughing or choking. One pilot scheme saw nighttime falls more than halved and hospital admissions reduced by 20 per cent compared to the previous nine months.
the hospital burden, it’s something we must prioritise.
Join us at The Care Forum Join us at the Care Forum – a unique event designed for senior professionals responsible for purchasing care home facilities, alongside providers of the latest innovative products and services within the healthcare sector. The event follows our award-winning format, offering the opportunity to meet 1-2-1 with suppliers through a personalised itinerary of meetings in a relaxed and intimate setting. 8th & 9th June 2026
detect early signs of decline. Spotting these signs sooner means quick-
Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre, London Heathrow
BUYERS TO THE INDUSTRY Attendance is entirely free for buyers. Your pass includes a personalised itinerary of relaxed 1-2-1 meetings with budget-saving suppliers who match your needs, access to insightful and educational seminar sessions led by industry thought leaders, valuable networking opportunities, breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout,
FINAL THOUGHTS The NHS is under relentless pressure, and we need to do everything possible to ease that strain by embracing proactive, preventative care. Whether through education, technology, or community-led initiatives, empowering people to take charge of their own health is important. For the older generation especially, these approaches could make all the difference between a hospital stay and effectively managing their health at home or in residential care. There is no time to lose. By shifting towards prevention and community-based care, we can make a real difference.
overnight accommodation at the venue, and attendance at our gala dinner with entertainment. Confirmed speakers include Sultana Pasha, Quality & Compliance Director at KYN presenting “In My Experience: How to stay compliant with CQC” and Lauri SmithFounder & CEO at The Civility Gap presenting “Breaking silos between health, social care, community services”. Additional sessions will be announced soon. Buyers can register via our booking form at https://thecareforum.co.uk/delegates-booking-form/
SUPPLIERS The Forum connects you with healthcare professionals who have specifically requested to meet you and are actively seeking solutions. Benefits include a personalised meeting itinerary, access to senior decision makers, branding exposure, full catering, a pre-built meeting stand, overnight accommodation, and a gala dinner. The Forum offers an unparalleled opportunity to promote your solutions to engaged decision-makers reviewing their suppliers. For more information, please contact j.healy@forumevents.co.uk
Tackling Bed Bugs in Care Homes: Why Non-Toxic Solutions Are the Smart Choice Bed bugs are one of the most disruptive challenges a care home can face. For managers responsible for the comfort, dignity, and wellbeing of vulnerable residents, even a single confirmed case can trigger anxiety among families, disrupt daily routines, and place enormous pressure on staff. Yet with the right approach, bed bug management doesn't have to mean toxic chemicals, lengthy room closures, or upheaval for the people in your care. The Misconception Around Bed Bugs It's important to understand that bed bugs are not a hygiene issue — they are a management issue. These insects are indiscriminate, equally at home in a five-star hotel as a care facility. They travel in luggage, clothing, and belongings, and can be introduced by visitors, new residents, or staff without anyone realising. The question isn't whether your home could be affected; it's whether you have the right systems in place to detect and respond quickly if it is. The Power of Canine Detection Early detection is everything. Bed bugs are expert hiders, concealing themselves behind skirting boards, within wall cavities, and deep beneath floorboards — places a visual inspection simply cannot reach. This is where bed bug detection dogs prove invaluable. With a sense of smell far beyond any technology currently available, trained canines can identify individual live bed bugs at the earliest possible stage, before a minor issue becomes a full-scale infestation. Merlin Environmental's specialist canine detection teams work with care homes across the country, offering proactive screening programmes that allow managers to stay ahead of any potential problem. The non-
invasive nature of this approach is particularly important in a care setting — rooms can be assessed quickly and discreetly, with minimal disturbance to residents, preserving dignity and maintaining the calm environment your residents deserve. Effective Treatment Without Compromise When treatment is required, Merlin Environmental's heat treatment process offers a genuinely superior alternative to traditional chemical methods. By raising room temperatures to a lethal threshold, every bed bug — including eggs, which chemical treatments cannot penetrate — is eliminated in a single application. There are no pesticide residues, no chemical odours, and no risk to residents or staff. Critically for care home operations, rooms are available for use again the same day, once cooled. No lengthy preparation, no multiple follow-up visits, and no disruption to the routines that matter so much to your residents. A Proactive Partnership Merlin Environmental works with care homes as a trusted long-term partner, combining expertise, accreditation, and a genuine commitment to the safety of those in your care — because your residents deserve nothing less. To find out more about proactive bed bug screening and heat treatment for your care home, contact Merlin Environmental. 📧 office@merlinenvironmental.co.uk 🌐 www.merlinenvironmental.co.uk 📞 0800 037 7332
PAGE 28 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
Music And Movement Programme Boosts Care Home Wellbeing, Research Finds A digital music and movement programme has been shown to improve wellbeing for both care home residents and staff, according to new research led by the University of Stirling. The evaluation assessed the danceSing Care digital platform over a 12month period in 78 care homes across all Scottish health boards. The platform combines online music and movement group sessions which are led in-person by care home staff. Researchers found that residents taking part in the activities reported lower levels of loneliness and reduced fear of falling, while staff delivering the sessions reported higher wellbeing, lower stress levels and improved job satisfaction. Residents and staff completed surveys at the start of the programme and again at six and 12 months. The evaluation was led by Professor Anna Whittaker of the University of Stirling’s Centre for Health and Innovation in Sport (CRIS), part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport. Professor Whittaker said: “Physical activity is widely recognised as a key factor in maintaining health and quality of life among older adults. However, delivering consistent exercise opportunities in residential care settings can be challenging due to staffing pressures, varying resident abilities and limited access to specialist instructors. “Digital platforms such as danceSing Care aim to address these barriers by providing flexible, accessible
resources designed specifically for older adults. “Our research found that danceSing Care can contribute to improved wellbeing metrics for both care home residents and staff. “This suggests it would be beneficial to implement an evidence-based resource like this more widely to support physical, mental and social activity and improve the health of older people and their carers.” The danceSing Care platform provides pre-recorded sessions of around 20 minutes, delivered by care home staff. Activities include chair-based exercise, strength and balance training, and dance styles such as salsa and ballroom. Staff receive training to deliver the sessions safely and adapt movements to residents’ individual abilities. Researchers note that the evaluation was designed as a programme assessment rather than a controlled research trial, meaning the findings should be interpreted as preliminary. The team recommends further investigation through a larger clusterrandomised controlled trial to assess a broader range of health outcomes. The paper Evaluation of the Impact of Digital Music and Movement on Care Home Staff and Resident Outcomes was published in the journal Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research. The research was funded by the Scottish Government Digital Directorate, which awarded £125,000 to danceSing to support the project. Of this, £15,000 was allocated to the University of Stirling for consultancy on methodology and analysis.
Care Homes Losing Up to £8,000 a Year Through Poor Waste Management Poor waste management practices are costing care homes thousands of pounds every year -and the problem is more widespread than many operators realise. Analysis by leading independent healthcare waste management company Anenta reveals that care homes are wasting an average of £8,000 annually as a direct result of inadequate waste segregation and management processes. The root cause is largely the same across the sector: waste is consistently being placed in the wrong channels, triggering unnecessarily high disposal costs. Detailed compositional audits undertaken both by Anenta, and separately by the Environment Agency (EA) have found that 70% of care home waste ends up in the wrong waste stream. The figures are particularly stark for clinical waste, where 90% is incorrectly categorised, and for offensive waste, where 35% is regularly contaminated with recyclable materials. The financial impact is significant. Low-risk items that should be disposed of as offensive waste — at a cost of £300–£500 per tonne — are routinely being discarded as infectious waste, which costs upwards of £800 per tonne. For a care home producing moderate volumes of waste, these avoidable costs quickly accumulate.
THE ROOT CAUSE: A TRAINING GAP Analysis of over 2,500 primary care Duty of Care audits by Anenta has revealed that 58% of healthcare professionals responsible for waste management are unfamiliar with the Healthcare Technical Memorandum — the key regulatory guidance governing healthcare waste, the latest iteration of which was published in March 2023. This knowledge gap has led to inadequate training, weak waste management policies, and ingrained bad habits that are proving costly. Without a clear understanding of what goes where, incorrect disposal becomes the norm rather than the exception. Graham Flynn, Director at Anenta, said: "On average, care homes are wasting £8,000 every year through poor waste management process and procurement. Changing waste disposal habits and practices prevents the unnecessary and expensive disposal of waste via inappropriate and environmentally damaging waste streams, such as incineration — instead ensuring that the majority of clinical waste is disposed of using either alternative treatments or energy-from-waste processes."
E-LEARNING: AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SOLUTION A free e-learning module on healthcare waste - developed in association with Anenta by NHS England alongside IPC leads, Local Commissioners, and industry experts - is available through the Health Education England online portal and plays an important role in addressing these issues. The 30–45 minute module - available here - outlines what waste should go into which stream, explains correct segregation practices, and provides practical guidance to help staff build better habits from the ground up. Crucially, it is free to access — removing the cost barrier that might otherwise prevent smaller care homes from investing in staff training. Flynn added: "The adoption of the training and correct segregation is critical if the care home sector is to cut costs and achieve Net Zero targets. The course is accessible to all and includes a risk assessment that care homes can use to directly inform the way in which their waste is segregated.
COMPLIANCE RISKS ADDING FURTHER PRESSURE Beyond the direct financial costs, poor waste management also exposes care homes to compliance risks that can have serious operational consequences. Where waste contractors identify non-compliant waste streams, they are entitled to refuse collections entirely - a scenario that can put care services at significant risk of disruption. This risk is managed through the correct completion of a Pre-Acceptance Audit (PAA), which most care homes are required to undertake every five years, or annually where a site produces more than five tonnes of clinical waste per year. The e-learning module supports care homes in preparing for and completing their PAA — a practical benefit that sits alongside the direct cost savings that come with better segregation. Flynn said: "The training will play a big part in cutting costs by improving waste management among staff. Importantly, it will also help care homes with their PAA audit, without which their healthcare waste cannot be collected — potentially resulting in enforcement action by the Environment Agency." For more information about Anenta and its care home audit app — which enables care homes to conduct compulsory clinical waste pre-acceptance and duty of care audits in just 40 minutes, without the need for third-party on-site visits — visit www.anentawaste.com or call 033 0122 214.
Huntingdon Care Home Staff Raise £4,000 for Unpaid Carers in Cambridge Half-Marathon Staff from The Chase care home in Huntingdon laced up their running shoes to take part in the 2026 Cambridge Half Marathon to raise funds for Caring Together Charity – which is dedicated to supporting unpaid carers across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. The team, made up of colleagues from The Chase and senior leaders from the Connaught Care Collection, ran alongside members of Caring Together in a powerful show of solidarity for the thousands of unpaid carers who provide vital support to loved ones every day. In the lead-up to race day, The Chase also hosted a special fundraising auction evening, raising an impressive £1,945 for the cause. Combined with individual sponsorship raised by runners, the initiative has so far generated around £4,000 to support unpaid carers across the region. Laura Price, Senior Fundraising Manager at Caring Together Charity, reflected: “We are hugely grateful to this brilliant band of runners from Connaught Care and The Chase, who joined forces with our own staff, to raise a magnificent amount for Caring Together. They all trained hard and fundraised even harder for this epic event, and every mile they ran will make a real difference to the lives of unpaid carers in our community.”
Across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk alone there are over 150,000 unpaid carers; and likely many more who have not realised they fall into this category. Nationally, nearly three in five Brits are expected to become unpaid carers within the next decade, and yet 73% of people who are providing (or have provided) care remain unaware they count as a carer. Laura Price again: “According to our research, three in five people in the UK will become a carer at some point in their lifetime – whether it’s looking after family members long-term illnesses, or caring for a friend living with disabilities. Raising awareness has therefore never been more important, and we’re very proud our runners have used their energy and commitment to champion this cause.” Domonic Bird, the Connaught Care Collection’s Group Sales Development Manager who took part in the half-marathon, said: “Training for the Cambridge half-marathon has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in my life. I think every runner knows the pain of staring at your shoes and thinking about skipping a session, but for me knowing I was doing it for an important cause helped massively. Caring Together really is a brilliant charity and I’m so proud to be able to support their work”.
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 29
UK Elderly Care Market Forecast To Reach Capacity By 2033 The UK’s elderly care market is forecast to capacity by 2033 without a wave of new development, according to new analysis by global real estate advisor Knight Frank. Knight Frank’s Healthcare Development Opportunities Report 2026 shows that the net supply of UK care beds has grown by just 136 over the past year to 480,000, with a 24% year-on-year uptick in new home completions offset by supply leakage and the rising deregistration of older stock. Supply leakage is particularly acute in London. While the West Midlands recorded a net gain of almost 1,500 beds from 2017 to 2025, the capital saw a decline of c.2,000 beds over the same period. In total, Knight Frank’s analysis reveals that care home bed supply has expanded by just 2.4% over the past decade, starkly lagging the 16.2% growth in the UK’s over-65 population. Planning approvals granted for 2026 were also lower than those for 2025, signalling a narrowing development pipeline and a widening gap between planning consent and delivery. Together, these trends underscore the impending care supply crisis facing the UK and the critical need for accelerated development to meet the needs of a rapidly ageing population. Existing care home bed supply across the UK is also in urgent need of upgrading. 79% of homes are more than 20 years old, rendering many as functionally obsolete. 38% of homes have also been converted from other uses, meaning they are often not meeting modern expectations, particularly with respect to resident wellbeing and the provision of ensuite facilities. Quality concerns further underscore the challenge, with almost one in five (19%) UK care homes currently rated by the Care Quality Commission as “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate”. This creates an opportunity for investors and operators to invest in modernising existing stock, as well as developing new, purpose-built beds to accommodate future demand. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of high-quality elderly care provision, supporting demand for modern, wellbeing-centric stock. Additionally, ESG-focused capex unlocks opportunities for investors to secure meaningful valuation and income uplifts across existing care facilities. Site selection is crucial for investors and operators seeking to increase their exposure to the UK market.
Knight Frank has created a Development Hotspots Index to identify UK regions with the strongest case for future development, analysing counties across England, Wales and Scotland against a series of key metrics such as demographic projections, land values, supply pipeline and operational performance indicators. Knight Frank’s Index revealed South Glamorgan in Wales, Lothian in Scotland and Berkshire in England as the areas with the strongest care home development prospects in the UK. Bedfordshire, Wiltshire and Greater Manchester also scored highly. Julian Evans, Global Head of Healthcare at Knight Frank, commented: “The Covid-19 pandemic brought the UK care market into sharp focus, underscoring the critical need for an adequate supply of purpose-built beds capable of meeting the complex needs of a rapidly ageing population. Despite a record year for UK healthcare investment in 2025, Knight Frank’s analysis demonstrates that supply is failing to keep pace with demand. Without a significant acceleration in both investment and development to upgrade standing stock and deliver new beds in core markets, the UK is fast approaching a crisis in care provision, with domestic bed capacity projected to reach saturation by the end of the decade.” Ryan Richards, Healthcare Research Associate at Knight Frank, added: “The critical undersupply of UK care home beds represents both a national imperative to deliver new stock and a rare opportunity for investors and operators. Strong demographic tailwinds and favourable supply-demand fundamentals underpin an attractive long-term investment case across the sector. Our analysis identifies the UK regions where the case for new development potential is strongest, serving as a research-driven guide for investors seeking to maximise income performance whilst also alleviating the risk of a national care crisis in the coming years.”
Local Care Home Welcomes the RBL and Community for Veteran’s Event Hickathrift House Care Home recently welcomed Toby North, Chairman of the Wisbech Royal British Legion and Andrew Sharp, Vice Chairman to the home for a community veterans’ event. The home was also joined by the Emneth over 60s club, the local community and visiting police officers PC Cage and Sergeant Green from the local constabulary. Toby spoke to the audience about the history of the Royal British Legion and the invaluable work taking place locally to support veterans past and present,
before presenting two of the home’s veterans with special poppy insignias to mark their veteran status. General Manager Paula Melerski, comments: “We are only too happy to welcome ex-servicemen and women and their families from our local community to Hickathrift House Care Home in order to support them. We’re delighted our event was a huge success and we’re incredibly grateful to Toby and the British Legion."
Social Care Support Workers Still Take Home £7,048 Less A Year Than NHS Counterparts, Research Reveals The national social care charity, Community Integrated Care, has published the fifth edition of its landmark Unfair To Care report, providing the most comprehensive annual analysis of the pay gap between frontline adult social care workers and their NHS counterparts. Published as Baroness Casey makes her first public comments from her review of adult social care in England - acknowledging the scale of the challenge ahead and the crucial role of the workforce - the report finds that, despite five years of sustained campaigning and a narrowing of the gap from 39% in 2021, a significant structural pay divide between social care and the NHS remains. Despite a 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 in 2025/26, support workers still take home £7,048 less per year than NHS Band 3 colleagues carrying out roles of equivalent scope and complexity - virtually unchanged from the £7,120 gap recorded last year. With providers facing a 9% rise in operating costs and full implementation of the Fair Pay Agreement on the horizon but still years away, the report warns that the sector cannot afford to stand still.
KEY FINDINGS
• 28.6% - the take-home pay gap between social care support workers and NHS Band 3 staff in 2025/26 • £7,048 - the annual pay rise a social care support worker would need to achieve take-home pay parity with an NHS Band 3 equivalent • 43.3% - the total reward gap when NHS pension and benefits entitlements are included, representing a £10,990 annual difference • 9% - the average rise in operating costs for care providers in 2025/26, driven by unfunded increases in Employer National Insurance and the National Living Wage • 7% - the overall adult social care vacancy rate, three times the UKwide rate of 2.3%6
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
At the core of Unfair To Care is an independent evaluation of social care support worker roles using the world-renowned Korn Ferry Hay Guide Chart-Profile Method. This rigorous, evidence-based framework assesses the physical, environmental and emotional demands of the role – and consistently finds that frontline adult social care support work is at least equivalent in job size to an NHS Band 3 role. Despite this, the pay parity that equivalence should demand remains elusive. The report draws on the National Care Forum's pay benchmarking for the not-for-profit sector, which shows the average hourly rate for social care workers in England (excluding London) is £12.60, against a Band 3 NHS base pay midpoint equivalent to a £25,767 annual salary before NHS allowances, unsocial hours premiums and enhanced benefits are factored in. The report also applies its findings to the Government's planned Fair Pay Agreement, due to take effect in 2028/29 with £500 million of funding. The report’s modelling shows that this level of investment is expected to deliver an uplift of 68p per hour above the National Minimum Wage for direct care workers. Yet, even if that funding had been available in 2025/26 at current pay rates, social care support workers would still earn 29p per hour less than the NHS baseline - a 2.3% shortfall equating to £567 a year. On take-home pay, the picture is starker still: direct care workers would still be taking home £2.92 per hour less than their NHS equivalents - a 22% gap worth £5,710 a year. In other words, the gap would narrow, but the unfair pay differential would not be eliminated completely. The report also raises concerns that, if employer on-costs are absorbed within the 68p uplift, the amount reaching workers could fall to approximately 50p per hour, further limiting the agreement's impact. Community Integrated Care is calling on the Government to act now rather than wait for the Fair Pay Agreement to take effect. Its key recommendations include:
Interim pay uplifts in 2026/27 and 2027/28 to narrow the gap and stabilise the workforce ahead of full implementation. • Full flow-through of funding from local councils to care providers, including employer on-costs such as National Insurance and pension contributions. • A clear method for determining fee levels that reflect the true cost of care. • Investment in recruitment, training and retention alongside any pay floor increase. • No backdating of additional pay unless the required funding is clearly identified and passed through in full and on time. Teresa Exelby, Chief Corporate Services and People Officer at Community Integrated Care, commented: “Five years ago, the takehome pay gap between social care support workers and equivalent NHS roles stood at a stark 39%. Today, it stands at 28.6% - still a significant £7,048 a year. Whilst progress has been made, narrowing the gap is not the same as closing it. "We’re now entering a moment of real possibility. The Government's commitment to a statutory Fair Pay Agreement, coupled with the work of the Casey Commission, creates a genuine opportunity to address structural inequality that has persisted for decades. Yet our modelling shows that even under the proposed financial envelope, a notable difference in take-home pay would remain. "Social care is delivered by skilled professionals exercising judgement, accountability, and a deep compassion every day. If the changes now underway are funded properly and implemented with discipline, there is a real opportunity to strengthen workforce stability and build a more sustainable future. The direction is clearer than it has been for some time. The responsibility now is to ensure this moment leads to tangible change - and that fairness is delivered fully, not partially."
PAGE 30 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
CONTINENCE CARE
The Hidden Frontline: How Continence Care Became Social Care's Most Neglected Crisis Fourteen million people in the UK live with incontinence. For many in residential and nursing care, the consequences of inadequate support are severe — from infection and skin breakdown to isolation and loss of dignity. Yet as the Baroness Casey review gets under way, campaigners warn that continence care remains almost entirely absent from the national reform conversation. Walk into almost any residential or nursing care home in England and you will find dedicated staff managing one of the most intimate — and most underfunded — aspects of personal care. Continence support, once dismissed as an awkward administrative footnote, is increasingly being recognised for what it truly is: a barometer of the entire social care system's commitment to dignity. The scale of the challenge is significant. Incontinence affects an estimated 14 million people across the UK, cutting across age, disability and long-term illness. As the population ages, demand for continence support is projected to rise sharply — placing further strain on a sector that is, by almost every measure, already struggling to keep pace.
A CRISIS IN PLAIN SIGHT Earlier this year, a coalition of health and disability charities — led by the Spinal Injuries Association and supported by organisations including Bladder and Bowel UK, Dementia Carers Count, Disabled Living, The Neurological Alliance, Pain UK and Shine — wrote to Baroness Casey of Blackstock as she began her independent review of adult social care. Their message was stark. Joined by senior parliamentarians Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Mohammad Yasin MP, Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Baroness Grey-Thompson, the signatories argued that continence care remains one of the most neglected and taboo areas of adult social care — largely absent from national reform debates, despite its profound impact on health, independence and quality of life. They described it as a "hidden
frontline of indignity" and called on the review to place dignity at its heart, with explicit recognition that access to proper assessment, specialist support and appropriate products should be determined by individual need — not by postcode. "People should not have their independence determined by a postcode lottery. Too many are denied appropriate continence support because of arbitrary caps and under-resourced services." — Nik Hartley, Chief Executive, Spinal Injuries Association
RATIONING BY BUDGET, NOT BY NEED For care home managers and nursing staff, the consequences of inadequate continence support are depressingly familiar. Poor care in this area can cause urinary tract infections, serious skin breakdown and pressure damage, and profound emotional distress. Residents who lack reliable access to appropriate products may withdraw from communal activities, refuse visitors, or experience significant deterioration in their mental wellbeing. A June 2025 survey of 500 healthcare professionals found that substandard incontinence products were actively delaying hospital discharges and contributing to avoidable admissions — a finding with direct implications for care homes managing complex transitions between hospital and residential settings. An investigation by the i Paper further exposed the depth of the problem across NHS continuing care settings. Freedom of Information data revealed that more than half of the trusts questioned cap continence products at just three or four pads per day — regardless of individual clinical need. The investigation also found that nearly a third of trusts providing budget data had collectively overspent by more than £4 million, fuelling serious concern that financial pressure is driving rationing and leaving residents, families and care providers to absorb the shortfall themselves.
(CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE)
Levabo allDRY® Incontinence Underwear Comfort, Dignity and Confidence for Every Day Incontinence is common in care and nursing homes, but the impact on dignity, comfort and skin health is deeply personal. Levabo’s allDRY® range of reusable incontinence underwear is a Class I Medical device, designed to support residents and caregivers alike by combining discreet protection with a comfortable, everyday feel that looks like normal underwear, not a clinical product. allDRY® underwear provides reliable protection for men and women experiencing bladder leakage.
Who are Levabo? Levabo are a Danish medical device company specialising in innovative, user-friendly solutions for continence care and pressure ulcer prevention. Our focus is on practical products that support dignity, comfort and safety, while fitting seamlessly into the realities of care and nursing home practice.
Designed for dignity allDRY® aims to remove the stigma often associated with incontinence products. The underwear is soft, discreet and modern in appearance, helping residents feel more like themselves and less like patients. The garments combine advanced absorbent technology with breathable materials to help keep skin dry and comfortable throughout the day. For many people, that small shift can make a big difference to confidence, engagement in daily activities and overall wellbeing. Key benefits for residents: 3 Soft, underwear-like fit for everyday comfort 3 Breathable, skin-friendly materials 3 Secure 6-layer absorbency for protection and confidence 3 Discreet profile under clothing to support dignity 3 Natural odour control
Practical support for busy care teams Care and nursing home staff need products that are easy to use, reliable and support efficient routines. allDRY® has been developed
with frontline care in mind, from dressing and toileting to night-time protection and manual handling. Key benefits for staff and services: 3 Clear sizing and fit to simplify product selection 3 Easy to apply and remove, helping with time-pressured care routines 3 Reliable protection to support continence care plans and reduce unplanned linen changes 3 A versatile solution suitable for residents with different levels of dependency 3 Machine washable at 60 degrees Celsius 3 Tumble dry safe 3 Comfort and dignity focused
Supporting skin health and overall care Continence care is closely linked to skin integrity, comfort and quality of life. Prolonged exposure to urine and faeces can lead to incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), causing redness, pain, skin breakdown and an increased risk of infection. For residents, this can mean significant discomfort, distress and reduced mobility; for caregivers, it adds to workload, complexity of care and emotional strain when preventable skin damage occurs. When protection is effective, secure and comfortable, there is less risk of leakage, moisture-related skin damage and associated distress for residents and carers. allDRY® is designed to:
3 Help keep skin drier for longer, supporting good skin care practices 3 Complement pressure area care and repositioning routines 3 Integrate smoothly into existing continence and care pathways
A flexible range for your residents The allDRY® range offers options to suit different needs and levels of support, making it easier for homes to match the right product to the right person. This helps reduce waste, improve comfort and ensure residents receive care that feels truly individual. allDRY® is available in a range of briefs and boxers and different levels of absorbency. In addition to the underwear, there is an optional inlay which can be added to increase the absorbency by 50ml. This inlay is machine washable with the underwear. To find out more about allDRY® incontinence underwear, or any of the Levabo product portfolio that could support your residents and care teams, request samples or discuss how the range could support your home:
Email: bm@levabo.com Web: www.levabo.com
Levabo, supporting better days, every day, in UK care and nursing homes.
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 31
CONTINENCE CARE The Hidden Frontline: How Continence Care Became Social Care's Most Neglected Crisis (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) THE FALSE ECONOMY OF CUTTING CORNERS For care home operators under sustained financial pressure, there is a familiar temptation to manage continence care costs by selecting lower-cost products. Evidence increasingly suggests this approach is counterproductive. An NHS pilot scheme examining procurement decisions in formal care settings found that opting for cheaper continence products created a false economy: more frequent product changes increased demands on staff time, raised laundry and linen costs, and contributed to higher rates of skinrelated complications. The pilot found that better-matched, higher-quality products significantly reduced leakage incidents, improved workflow efficiency for carers and ultimately lowered total care costs. It is a finding that should give pause to commissioners and care home owners alike: false savings in continence procurement can generate very real costs elsewhere in the care pathway.
THE IMPACT ON FAMILIES — AND ON STAFF Campaigners are also highlighting the ripple effects of inadequate continence provision on families. When formal care falls short, it is frequently relatives who step in — purchasing products out of their own pockets, making additional care visits, or taking on tasks that care home staff are unable to complete within existing resource constraints. This informal subsidy of an underfunded system rarely features in official cost assessments, but it is deeply felt by the thousands of families across the country navigating the care system. For frontline care staff, the challenge is equally acute. Inadequate products mean more frequent changes, greater exposure to manual handling risks, increased time pressure and — critically — reduced capacity to deliver the person-centred care that good residential and nursing homes aspire to provide. Continence care is never a background task; it sits at the heart of the relationship between carer and resident. "Continence care requires the recognition it deserves, which is long overdue. We need to drive evidencebased practice, putting the patient at the centre of their care." — Tracy Whitehouse, Service Manager and Adult Specialist Nurse, Bladder and Bowel UK
WHAT THE CASEY REVIEW MUST ADDRESS
The timing of the charities' intervention is significant. Baroness Casey's commission — commissioned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting — is expected to publish an initial report in 2026 setting out problems facing the sector and ideas for medium-term improvement, ahead of a final report in 2028. Critics, including Sir Andrew Dilnot who led a previous government review on care funding, have argued that waiting until 2028 for substantive recommendations is simply too long for people who need support now. The coalition of charities has set out clear asks for the commission: explicit recognition of continence care as a core component of dignity in adult social care; recommendations that ensure consistent access to specialist assessment and support; and a commitment that product provision be determined by individual clinical need rather than local budget pressures or geographic lottery. For care home providers, the message is both an external call to action and an internal prompt for reflection. Best practice in continence care is achievable — but it requires investment in training, in individualised assessment, and in product procurement that is driven by clinical outcome rather than unit cost. It also requires the sector to speak loudly and clearly to policymakers about the reality of what continence care involves and what it costs to get it right.
A MOMENT FOR CHANGE Adult social care reform has been promised, delayed and deferred across numerous governments and countless reviews. Baroness Casey herself has acknowledged that the system relies on what she has described as cobbled-together, underfunded services — with low-paid care workers bearing an outsized share of the burden, and a deep and damaging divide between health and social care persisting for decades. Those working in residential and nursing care know that continence care is not a peripheral issue. It is, in many ways, the most honest test of whether a care setting truly upholds dignity. Getting it right requires proper products, properly trained staff and properly resourced services. Getting it wrong — as too many people's experience attests — can strip away independence, confidence and quality of life with alarming speed. As Baroness Casey's commission begins to take evidence and build its case for reform, the care sector would do well to ensure that continence care — for so long a "hidden frontline" — is finally brought into the light.
Powerful on Protection, Soft on Skin Ontex Group a leading international developer and producer of personal care solutions, is launching a new adult incontinence range designed to deliver strong protection while caring for sensitive skin. The first products—Sensitive Pants, Sensitive Slip and Sensitive Form—will be introduced gradually to healthcare institutions across Europe. New European research by Ontex, involving more than 2,500 people living with incontinence, shows that dermatitis and skin irritation remain common and have a real impact on daily life. Nearly half of respondents reported irritation in the intimate area. Yet “around 80%
of caregivers are not trained to recognize dermatitis. Education and better product design are key to preventing complications,” says Dr. Maria Panourgia, Geriatrician at Milton Keynes University Hospital (UK). The Sensitive range was developed in direct response to these needs, combining trusted absorbency with dermatological care to help prevent irritation and support healthier skin. To strengthen caregiver knowledge, the range is supported by expert guidance on recognizing, preventing and managing incontinence related dermatitis—available through Ontex’s nurse advisor
network and the online Ontex Academy. Sensitive range: powerful protection that respects the skin Sensitive Pants offer: • Topsheet enriched to help prevent irritation • Hypoallergenic design for fragile skin • Odour control technology for lasting freshness and confidence For more information please about ID please visit: www.id-direct.com/ukb2c/en/index.html
PAGE 32 | THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026
CATERING FOR CARE
Why Dignity Is The Secret Ingredient In Dementia Care
By Lisa Jones, Catering Manager at Park View Care Home, Gloucestershire (www.parkviewgloucester.co.uk)
Imagine it is your 85th birthday. You are surrounded by family, the room is filled with song, and a cake is brought out. But because you live with dysphagia, a swallowing difficulty affecting individuals with moderate-to-severe dementia, your slice of cake arrives as a beige, featureless scoop of mush. At Park View in Gloucester, we believe that a diagnosis of dementia should never mean the end of the joy of eating. As we mark Nutrition and Hydration Week, it is time for the care sector to move beyond the blender. Providing nutrition and hydration is a clinical necessity, but providing dignity is a culinary one. My journey to the Park View kitchen wasn't a traditional path into care. I trained at Cheltenham Catering College and spent years in the high-pressure environments of pubs and restaurants across Wales, from Cardiff to Ross-on-Wye. Later, I spent 18 years at Unilever Foods as a Catering Manager, overseeing a 24/7 service for 1,500 staff, ranging from daily canteen service to high-end executive fine dining. When I joined Park View in 2016, we had only a handful of residents. Today, we support a community of 90 residents and their families, and over 100 staff. My background taught me that whether you are cooking for a corporate executive or a resident with advanced dementia, the standard of presentation should not waver. In care, we aren't just feeding people; we are using our skills in food safety and texture science to protect their quality of life. One of the greatest hurdles in dementia care is maintaining hydration. For someone with cognitive decline or reduced visual perception, a clear glass of water can appear "invisible" or confusing. Even orange squash can sometimes disappear into the background due to haze in a resident's vision.
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.
We treat hydration as a fun, social activity rather than a medical box to tick. We set up hydration stations throughout the building, offering vibrant and unusual juices, cranberry, pineapple and grapefruit. The bright colours also make the drinks visually accessible. We also lean into "drinking foods." For residents who struggle to sit and drink a full glass, we serve melon and jelly drops, foods with exceptionally high water content that act as finger-food hydration. By offering variety, like milkshakes or fortified juices, we also tap into the fact that milk hydrates more effectively than water because it digests more slowly. It’s about meeting the resident where they are, whether that’s at a 10am mocktail hour or a 2pm "hydration moment." For the 20 or so residents at Park View who require bite-sized or modified diets, the presentation is where science meets art. The old-school approach to pureed food, indistinguishable scoops of brown and green, is a thing of the past. We use specialised moulds to ensure that pureed chicken and peas look exactly like the original dish. If we are serving pizza, hot dogs, or even a birthday cake, we puree and reshape them so the person can recognise what they are eating. I personally taste-test these foods daily. If a texture is too sticky or too firm, it isn't just a culinary failure; it’s a safety risk. When plating bite-sized meals, we use gravy to support swallowing and decorative swirls to maintain an attractive presentation. The goal is that a visitor walking into our dining room shouldn't be able to easily distinguish who is on a modified diet and who isn't. As motor skills decline, the frustration of struggling with a knife and fork can lead to residents skipping meals entirely. Finger foods can be a vital tool for independence. Because hands often provide more precise coordination than utensils and because they fall more easily into a resident’s narrowing peripheral vision, finger foods allow people to feed themselves. As a resident's internal dementia clock shifts, their nutritional needs don't stop at 5pm. We ensure that nutritious options, from healthy sandwiches to satsumas, are available 24 hours a day. Leading a team of 15 at Park View, I’ve seen how transformative a thoughtful dining experience can be. We have moved away from the idea that care home food is institutional. Nutrition and hydration are the foundations of health, but the joy of a meal is the foundation of a life well-lived. The standard specification of our smallest Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, 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
How Care Homes Can Support Residents With Personalised Food Plans Everyone has different eating habits and food aversions, and this is no different as we progress into later life. In fact, these challenges can escalate as appetite often decreases with age. This is why personalised care plans, including flexibility around food choices, are so important in care homes. The experts at Elmfield Care share how they put this into practice and how other care providers can follow suit.
WHY DOES YOUR APPETITE DECREASE AS WE AGE? Esther Cambridge, general manager of Flowers Manor care home, shares: “As we age, our metabolism slows down, and our sense of taste and smell can change. There are specific reasons for this, including medical conditions such as dementia and Parkinson's that can lead to a diminished sense of hunger. Medication can also have side effects that affect appetite, such as nausea, dry mouth, altered taste perception, or gastrointestinal discomfort. Reduced physical activity can also play a role, as being more sedentary slows down digestion, which can further suppress appetite.” What are the health risks linked to appetite loss? Naomie Griffith, general manager of Nodens Manor care home, explains: “There are a number of risks for the ageing population when appetite is diminished. These include malnutrition and unintended weight loss, a weaker immune system that makes it harder to fight off illnesses, as well as muscle weakness, which can increase the risk of
falls, fractures and hinder independence. “A lack of key nutrients that would usually be obtained through a balanced diet, including B vitamins and omega-3s, can contribute to memory problems, confusion and cognitive decline.”
HOW CAN CARE STAFF SPOT APPETITE PROBLEMS IN THEIR RESIDENTS? Michael Berkley Blezard, general manager of Old Sarum Manor care home, says: “There are many warning signs that residents might display when they are not eating enough. One of the most obvious is sudden, unexplained weight loss. Another key sign is fatigue and weakness, which can make everyday tasks they were previously able to manage more difficult, such as struggling to hold up a newspaper or concentrate on a crossword. “Other signs include noticeable changes in eating behaviours, such as skipping meals or no longer enjoying their favourite foods. Care staff might also find food left uneaten after mealtimes or untouched snacks, indicating a growing disinterest in regular eating. “Some signs can be harder to spot, including increased difficulty with chewing or swallowing. This could be linked to dental issues or dry mouth, but it can easily go unnoticed if not verbally communicated. Additionally, changes in mood can also be associated with a decreased appetite, although this can be harder to directly link to eating habits.”
HOW CAN CARE HOMES ADAPT?
Esther shares how care homes can support those who are struggling: “There are many ways to approach appetite issues, and what works will vary from resident to resident, so it is important to trial different approaches until you find what works best. Being consistent with mealtimes and involving residents in food choices may help. You can also make mealtimes more sociable, if that is something the individual enjoys. “Another effective approach is offering smaller, nutrient-dense portions more frequently throughout the day, such as every three to four hours. Making meals visually appealing through colourful fruit and vegetables, as well as thoughtful presentation, may also help encourage appetite. “Supporting good hydration throughout the day is also important, as dehydration can impact how someone feels about eating. Gentle movement, whether it be through light exercise or short walks, can also help stimulate hunger in older people, whilst improving overall wellbeing.” Why are personalised care plans so important? Naomi shares why tailoring care for residents is so important: “Every person is different, and this remains true as we age. These individual differences mean that care needs can vary significantly from resident to resident within care homes. “By personalising care plans around specific food needs, such as dietary requirements or individual preferences, care homes can ensure residents’ needs are fully met. This helps to support healthier and more fulfilling lives.”
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 33
CATERING FOR CARE Harrison Carr - Accessible, User-Friendly Kitchens Harrison Carr is a national provider of commercial catering equipment, design, installation, and fabrication services and HVAC. Based in the Midlands, we support care homes, local authorities, charities, and specialist care providers with both day-to-day operational requirements and larger project-based developments. A key advantage of working with us is our independence. We are not tied to any single manufacturer, enabling us to source the most suitable, reliable, and cost-effective equipment for each care environment. This ensures solutions that prioritise safety, energy efficiency, long-term value, and consistent performance. Our team includes experienced designers, project managers, ventilation specialists, installation engineers, and in-house fabrication experts all working under one roof. This ensures we can deliver a genuine end-to-end service: from concept and planning through to supply, installation, and ongoing support.
CATERING EQUIPMENT SUPPLY & TRAINING • Access to all major catering equipment brands • Energy-efficient, sustainability-focused solutions compliant with care-sector standards • Fast delivery from our own on-site stock • Competitive pricing and comparison quotes to support budget decisions
FULL KITCHEN DESIGN & INSTALLATION
• Complete kitchen and servery redesigns • Workflow optimisation to support safe, efficient meal production • CAD layouts and 3D visuals • Compliance-led ventilation and extraction solutions
BESPOKE FABRICATION
• Custom counters, serveries, prep areas, and storage • Bespoke servery and hydration stations for care settings
REACTIVE & PLANNED SUPPORT
• 24/7 support with rapid turnaround for urgent equipment needs • Standby and loan equipment for emergencies • Assistance with refurbishments and operational upgrades
CAFÉ, SOCIAL & RESIDENT-FACING SPACES • Coffee areas for staff and visitors • Hydration and snack counters • Modular and mobile units suitable for multi-use care environments Our approach is always centred around understanding each site’s workflow, resident needs, staffing pressures, and long-term operational goals ensuring the solutions we deliver enhance quality of service, safety, and overall dining experience. Visit our website www.harrison-carr.co.uk contact by phone on 0116 602222 or email at office@harrison-carr.co.uk
PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING
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CATERING FOR CARE Care Catering Under Pressure: Managing Food Inflation Without Compromising Quality Care providers are currently facing one of the most complex operating environments in recent memory. Rising labour costs, stricter compliance requirements, and ongoing food inflation are placing significant pressure on already stretched budgets across the care sector. Food costs remain a major concern. While inflation has eased slightly from recent peaks, food prices are still rising faster than general inflation. In February 2026, food inflation stood at 3.6%, with forecasts suggesting an average of 3.8% across the year. For care home operators managing tight margins, this means financial pressure will continue. Rather than a return to ‘normal’, the sector is entering a period of persistent underlying inflation where costs continue to rise gradually. Procurement specialists allmanhall are advising catering teams to budget for around 4% annual food inflation in the year ahead. Structural cost increases across the supply chain are also feeding into food pricing. Higher National Living Wage levels, increased National Insurance contributions, and new employment obligations are pushing up costs for producers, manufacturers, and distributors - many of which are now being passed through to care and healthcare settings. For care home groups already balancing staffing pressures and regulatory compliance, sustained food inflation adds another layer of financial strain. Catering teams must continue delivering nutritious, high-quality meals while managing special diets and strict nutritional standards. Adding further uncertainty to the outlook is the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. Global food supply
chains are closely linked to energy markets, meaning instability in oil-producing regions can quickly impact food costs. Recent tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States have already triggered volatility in global energy markets. Oil prices have exceeded $100 per barrel for the first time since the start of the Ukraine conflict, increasing fuel, transport, and logistics costs across the food supply chain. In this challenging environment, specialist procurement support is becoming increasingly important. This is where food procurement experts allmanhall are helping care organisations regain control of their catering costs. By combining collective buying power with deep market insight, allmanhall support care operators in managing food cost volatility while improving ingredient quality and strengthening supply chain resilience. Through detailed procurement reviews, benchmarking, and category insights, care groups gain greater visibility over spend and identify opportunities to protect budgets without compromising on quality. Beyond procurement, allmanhall’s award-winning support team works closely with care clients to strengthen compliance, support nutritional standards, and provide practical menu guidance aligned with resident wellbeing. At a time when care providers must balance cost control with quality and compliance, having the right procurement partner can make all the difference. www.allmanhall.co.uk
A New Approach to Nutrition Support in NHS Care Homes Disease-related malnutrition remains one of the most persistent challenges in UK residential and nursing care. It affects millions, increases vulnerability to illness, slows recovery, drives hospital admissions, and places strain on already stretched care teams. Yet despite the scale of the problem, the tools available to homes have not kept pace with the needs of increasingly complex residents. Hiquid Food, a Norwegian medical nutrition company, is entering the UK market with a clear mission: to make effective nutritional support simpler, more acceptable for residents, and easier for staff to deliver. Simple, seamless meal enrichment Many residents struggle to consume enough calories and protein, even with carefully prepared meals. Hiquid Food’s freeze-dried powders, made from organic whole foods, allow caregivers to enrich everyday dishes like porridge, soups, puddings, purees, and drinks. This discreet approach reduces refusals and preserves dignity, helping residents receive the nutrition they need through meals they already enjoy.
ORAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS WITH HIGH ACCEPTANCE
For individuals at greater nutritional risk, Hiquid Food offers compact, nutrient-dense oral nutritional supple-
ments designed for those with low appetite or increased medical demands. They are easy to consume, well tolerated, and provide balanced support in small volumes.
WHOLE FOOD GASTROSTOMY NUTRITION
For residents requiring enteral feeding, Hiquid Food’s whole-food gastrostomy products offer a gentle, reliable option created with a focus on tolerance, safety, and long-term stability. Better outcomes and operational efficiency Care providers face rising acuity and workforce pressure. Hiquid Food products reduce complexity through easy mixing, no additives, and no large volumes while supporting improved resident strength, immunity, and recovery. Better nutritional status means improved wellbeing and lower overall care costs. With long shelflife, low weight, and high versatility, the products are also environmentally responsible and easily integrated into a wide variety of meals. As Hiquid Food launches in the UK through Food Untethered, they look forward to working closely with care homes, clinicians, and NHS commissioners to strengthen nutritional care in a practical, resident-centred way. For more information: contact@fooduntethered.com or see the advert below.
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NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING 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 Pager Floor 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.
Comprehensive Solutions for All NurseCall Systems Tailored Support for Your Unique Needs NurseCall is definitely not a 'one size fits all' solution. If, like many Care Groups and Hospitals-both NHS and private-you utilise various NurseCall systems, you might find managing multiple systems a challenge. Many of our clients have voiced concerns about the increased time & costs associated with juggling different points of contact and contractors.
STREAMLINING MAINTENANCE FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY
Since our inception in 1984, we've committed to providing expert support across multiple NurseCall systems. Our engineers are thoroughly trained to handle diverse systems, ensuring you receive swift and comprehensive service, no matter the manufacturer.
EXTENSIVE INVENTORY AND INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS
We stock an extensive range of products from leading manufacturers and offer adaptable solutions
that integrate seamlessly with your existing frameworks. This approach not only simplifies maintenance but also enhances operational efficiency.
YOUR PARTNER IN EFFECTIVE CARE
Your NurseCall system is vital, and we believe the challenges of maintaining it shouldn't hinder your operations. Our multi-manufacturer strategy streamlines complexities, benefiting both your team and the patients in your care. Choose us to ensure smooth operations and peace of mind. Let's enhance the way you connect care with technology. info@edisontelecom.co.uk www.edisontelecom.co.uk 01252 330220
THE CARER | MAR/APR 2026 | PAGE 37
NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING 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.
SyndoraAlto Sets a New Standard for Connected Care Technology Care homes across the UK are transforming how they deliver care thanks to SyndoraAlto, the newly rebranded name behind CHARIS, the UK’s most advanced digital nurse call system. Fully supplied, installed, and maintained from just £6.40 per bed, per month, CHARIS delivers smarter, safer, and more connected care through real-time alerts, mobile integration, and intuitive smart displays that help staff respond faster when residents need them most. Every CHARIS system comes fully inclusive with 15” smart displays, help buttons, pull cords, guaranteed radio coverage, and 24/7 UK technical support, all backed by SyndoraAlto’s trusted installation and maintenance team.
For care providers not yet ready to replace their existing nurse call system, AltoEnhance offers the perfect first step into digital care. Available from just £129.00 per month, AltoEnhance seamlessly connects to your current nurse call system, bringing digital reporting, mobile alerts, and actionable insights without the need for a full system upgrade. “Technology should make care easier, not harder,” says Louis Johnson, Managing Director. “CHARIS and AltoEnhance connect people, information, and action empowering care teams to deliver truly person-centred care.” Meet the team & learn more at www.syndoraalto.com See the advert on the front cover for more information.
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 cutting-edge 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.
HDKMB2 HOSPITAL DISCHARGE KIT FOR FALLS RISK PATIENTS 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 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. 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 or T: 01536 264 869 See the advert on page 2 for more information.
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TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE
From Queue to IQ: Can Care Intelligence Prevent NHS Waiting Lists Before They Begin? As we welcome longer days and the promise of spring, it’s tempting to assume that pressures on the NHS will naturally ease - that warmer weather, seasonal reprieve and the slow thaw after winter will allow waiting lists to shrink and give A&E services the opportunity to breathe again. But the real challenge facing the NHS isn’t seasonal. It’s systemic. Every year, the health service finds itself managing queues: queues in A&E, queues for treatment, queues for beds. Much of the conversation quite rightly focuses on how to move people through the system faster improving discharge processes, increasing capacity or accelerating clinical decision-making. But there is also a crucial opportunity further upstream. If we want to relieve pressure on the NHS in a lasting way, we need to look beyond how the system manages queues and start asking how those queues form in the first place. And often, the earliest chances to prevent pressure on hospitals lie within social care itself.
BUILDING A SYSTEM OF FORESIGHT: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CARE INTELLIGENCE
Too often, social care is on the back foot. Care homes and community services have historically recorded what happened rather than what might happen. Paper records, fragmented systems and siloed insight mean risks are spotted only after they materialise - a fall, an infection, a deterioration
By Ashleigh Dueker, Programme Director, Care Intelligence, Person Centred Software (www.personcentredsoftware.com) EASING NHS PRESSURE THROUGH PREVENTION
in hydration or mobility. For older people, these events don’t just reduce quality of life - they are among the leading causes of emergency hospital admissions. It doesn’t have to be this way. We are entering a new era in which intelligence - not just data - becomes the engine of care delivery. At Person Centred Software (PCS), our Connected Care ecosystem has long digitised core care workflows, from planning to medication management. Every one of these interactions feeds into a unified data layer. On its own, it’s a record. But when we harness that data into intelligence - especially predictive intelligence - it becomes forethought rather than hindsight. Spring relief won’t fix the NHS queue - intelligence will That’s the purpose of IQ, our care intelligence platform now available to care homes across the UK. With the largest structured social care dataset in the country, IQ doesn’t just show what has happened, it reveals what’s likely to happen next. This isn’t futuristic conjecture. IQ already enables anonymised benchmarking, so managers can see how their home compares with similar services on key indicators such as falls, hydration, wounds, happiness levels and more. This sector-wide perspective moves homes from isolated decision-making to shared learning, and from reactive fixes to strategic improvement. More importantly, the next stage of IQ is predictive: using patterns drawn from billions of data points to flag when risk is rising - often days or even weeks before an incident occurs. Whether it’s an unusual shift in weight, subtle changes in mobility or early markers of dehydration, predictive insight turns these signals into actionable alerts for care teams.
For the NHS, this approach matters. Predictive insight gives social care teams the tools to intervene early, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and also creates greater confidence in safe discharge pathways. Evidence from pilot work across the health and care landscape shows that digital technology does indeed reduce unplanned acute care usage and costs when used effectively. Integrated data and communication between care homes and NHS community services contribute to earlier detection of deterioration, better joint decision-making and fewer emergency department attendances. But this isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about dignity, safety and quality of life for older people and their families - the very outcomes at the heart of our healthcare and social care system.
A SEASONAL OPPORTUNITY - NOT A SEASONAL FIX Spring should be more than a symbolic break in demand. It should be a catalyst for lasting change: an opportunity to invest in the intelligence that supports both social care and the NHS. We cannot afford to wait until next winter to ask the same questions and confront the same problems. If we harness predictive insight now - to anticipate risk, prevent harm and reduce avoidable admissions - we not only ease seasonal pressures but transform the fabric of care delivery itself. In the end, the real queue isn’t a list of people in beds. It’s the queue of untapped intelligence waiting to unlock a safer, smarter and more humane approach to care - one that works for receivers of care, care teams and for the NHS alike.
One Provider, Connected Solutions: Simplifying Technology and Compliance in Care Homes Running a care home today means balancing highquality care with the smooth operation of a wide
range of essential systems. From laundry and dishwashing to television services, WiFi and connectivity,
these functions play a critical role in compliance as well as resident wellbeing. They also underpin the day-to-day experience of both residents and staff. In many homes, these systems are supplied and maintained by multiple providers. Whilst this is often the norm, it can create unnecessary complexity. When issues arise, dealing with different service teams, contracts and response times can slow resolution and increase pressure on staff. Forbes Professional works with care homes to simplify this. By delivering commercial laundry, dishwashing, IPTV, healthcare TV and networking infrastructure as a single, connected solution, providers benefit from one point of contact, streamlined servicing and clear accountability. This reduces operational friction and allows teams to focus on delivering care rather than managing suppliers. In any care environment, reliability is critical. Equipment must support strict hygiene and safety standards, with oversight from the Care Quality Commission and requirements such as WRAS. Professionally specified and maintained systems help ensure consistent infection control processes and minimise the risk of downtime. At the same time, expectations around technology continue to grow. Residents increasingly value the ability to stay connected, access information and
enjoy entertainment through modern TV systems, signage solutions and reliable WiFi. For staff, dependable infrastructure supports smoother day-to-day operations. Bringing these systems together creates a more stable, efficient environment. Instead of managing multiple suppliers, care homes can take a more integrated approach; improving performance, maintaining compliance and enhancing the overall experience. Forbes Professional provides a practical, joined-up solution for care homes looking to simplify operations without compromising on quality. Visit www.forbespro.co.uk or see the advert on page 11.
Hospitable Automation Hospitable Automation are providing robots to the everyday business. With over 25 years in IT and support, robotics is our next stage. Robotics is not about replacing people, cobotics is the new term where the units are used to assist staff with their daily tasks. Freeing up their time to focus on other jobs. Our floor cleaning robots can cover up to 2,500m2 in one hour. This frees up staff to concentrate on high traffic areas, touch points to be disinfected, bathrooms, tabletops. Utilising robotics increases staff efficiency, increases hygiene levels. We are not sales company, we build a partnership. From delivery of the robot, installation, staff training,
creating the automated tasks, providing go-live support. Then we carry out the support, engineer site visits, yearly onsite service and warranty. From £75 per week + VAT Our range includes heavy load robots that can carry up to 300Kg to multiple points. Our floor cleaning robots can sweep, mop, scrub and vacuum. They can also dock automatically, to empty the dirty water and refill with fresh water. Please contact us today for additional information, a free on site demo of the correct units. Paul Morrey - Director info@hospitableautomation.co.uk 0333 311 1900
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TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE
Cloda is the AI Assistant Supporting Care Teams In Delivering Safe, Compliant Care Care staff often need the right guidance immediately. Whether responding to a safeguarding concern, managing a medication issue, or dealing with a clinical incident, the ability to access the correct procedure quickly can be critical to both resident safety and staff confidence. Cloda is an AI assistant providing care staff with the answers they need from their organisation’s policies and procedures. Staff simply ask a question — for example, “There has been a safeguarding concern, what should I do?” — and Cloda immediately provides the relevant guidance from the organisation’s own approved policies. By making procedures accessible in seconds, Cloda helps ensure that policies are not simply documents stored on a system, but practical guidance that staff can use in real situations. This supports organisations in
embedding policies into everyday practice while strengthening compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards. CQC inspections increasingly focus not only on whether policies exist, but whether staff understand them and apply them consistently in practice. Providing staff with immediate access to the correct guidance helps reinforce safe decision-making and supports organisations in demonstrating that policies are actively used across the service. One of the most notable insights from Cloda deployments across social care services is the level of engagement from frontline staff. In many services, user adoption exceeds 80%, reflecting the fact that staff find the system simple and genuinely helpful in their day-to-day work. Cloda is like an additional team member, a reliable source of guidance that is always up to date, and available at the point of care. Soon, Cloda will expand into a fully AI-enhanced Quality Management System with functionality for training, incident management, risk management, internal audit and compliance insights. By bringing these functions together in one system — and enhancing them with AI — providers can streamline quality management processes while improving visibility across their services. The platform has been developed by HCI, an organisation with more
than 20 years’ experience supporting international health and social care providers with quality, governance and compliance solutions. Over the past two decades, HCI has worked with healthcare organisations across multiple jurisdictions to strengthen regulatory readiness and improve the management of quality and safety processes. This experience has shaped the design of Cloda and its wider quality management framework, ensuring that the technology supports the realities of frontline care while also providing the governance tools organisations need to maintain compliance. As care providers continue to face increasing regulatory expectations, workforce pressures and rising complexity in care delivery, digital tools that support both frontline staff and organisational governance are becoming increasingly important. By combining instant access to guidance for staff with AI-enhanced quality management tools for organisations, Cloda helps care providers embed policies into practice, strengthen CQC compliance and ultimately support safer, more consistent care. Cloda will be exhibiting at Care Show London — visit us at Stand H47 to see how Cloda works in practice. Learn more about Cloda at www.cloda.ai or contact info@cloda.ai.
Technology In Care Homes: Getting Consent Right And Keeping Care Human Technology is becoming a routine part of residential care. From sensors and monitoring systems to digital care records, these tools can support safer and more responsive care. At the same time, they raise questions about consent, privacy and how care is experienced by both residents and staff. These themes were reflected in recent discussions hosted by the Digital Care Hub, which explored how technology is being used in practice across the sector. Understanding and explaining technology One of the challenges raised was how well people understand the technology around them. In some cases, particularly for people living with dementia or cognitive impairment, this understanding may be limited.
As one frontline care worker described, a person drawing on care believed systems were there so others could “spy on him”. This highlights the importance of how technology is introduced and discussed. Understanding may change over time, and people’s responses are not always predictable. Consent, not duress Consent was a central theme. The discussions pointed to the importance of consent, not duress, particularly in a system under pressure. As one speaker highlighted: “Choice is meaningful only if a person can say no without losing their right to basic care.” This raises questions about how real choice is experienced in practice. Where options are limited, or technology becomes part of a default offer, consent may be more complex than it first appears. Impact on staff and culture The use of monitoring also has implications for staff. In residential settings, oversight is familiar, but increased monitoring can change how care workers experience their role.
Some described feeling observed or questioned on small aspects of their work, particularly where families can see detailed records. This can influence how care is recorded and how relationships develop between staff, families and residents. Supporting independence without replacing care Technology was also discussed as a way of supporting independence. In some situations, monitoring can reduce the need for constant supervision and allow people more flexibility. At the same time, there were concerns about how technology is used in a stretched system. One speaker highlighted the risk of pressure to “put more tech in to replace the shortage of carers”. Robots vs Carers Digital Care Hub’s next webinar is on Robots Vs Carers: are we really replacing care workers? 31 March 2026 Find out more at www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/digital-care-in-focus/ difficult-conversations-about-data-and-tech/
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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Care Is Hard Enough. Activities Shouldn’t Be Ready-to-use activity products designed to support meaningful engagement in everyday life. Everything you need to inspire connection, stimulation and wellbeing
CREATIVE & SENSORY ACTIVITIES Art, craft and sensory products designed to engage, calm and inspire.
COGNITIVE & REMINISCENCE Memory-based activities and conversation starters that encourage connection.
GAMES & GROUP ACTIVITIES
Inclusive games and group activities suitable for a wide range of abilities.
ONE-TO-ONE & MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT Personalised activity products that support wellbeing and individual needs. Thoughtfully selected to be accessible, inclusive and easy to use in busy care environments. Explore our full activity range - www.bluerain.store where you will also find our informative blogs and contact form as friendly advice is always on hand. See the advert on page 9.
CareZips Classic Adaptive Pants Serve in Style with Euroservice Trolleys ®
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 practi-
cal 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 easy-care durable fabric, CareZips® Classic are comfortable, practical and conveniently functional. For more information, contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com See the advert on page 3 for further information on Win Health’s product range.
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. See the advert on page 9 for further information.
Maintenance Free Makes for Cost Effective Wall and Door Protection Prevent everyday wear and tear with Yeoman Shield’s extensive range of easy-clean, wall and door protection. Our attractive, maintenance free, hygienic products protect healthcare environments from costly impact damage, making repainting and repair a thing of the past. Blending with decors, and available in primary dementia-friendly colours, our designs can include signage, to promote the well-being of patients and
aid wayfinding. But we don’t stop at walls. Our Fire Door Services are specially designed to offer an extra layer of safety in care settings. From regular inspections and repairs to complete replacements, Yeoman Shield’s fire door services help you meet all relevant safety regulations, giving you peace of mind. For more information call 0113 279 5854 or visit www.yeomanshield.com. See the advert on page 10.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING EDGE Services - One of the Leading Providers of People Handling Training in the UK EDGE Services is one of the leading providers of people handling training in the UK today. EDGE will train you to deliver moving and handling, dementia care, and challenging behaviour courses to your colleagues, providing you with the resources, techniques, and skills to make a real difference to the health and safety of both your colleagues and your clients. Our courses: • People Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer's certificate (4 consecutive days, includes a written assignment) • Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer's certificate (4 consecutive days, includes a written assignment) • People Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer's certificate Refresher/Update (2 consecutive days) • Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer's certificate Refresher/Update (2 consecutive days) • Understanding and Managing Behaviour that Challenges Key Trainer's certificate (2 consecutive days) • Dementia Care Key Trainer's certificate (2 consecutive days) Our Key Trainer's certificate lasts for 2 years. Delegates are then given a 3-month grace period to renew their training though we don’t recommend they deliver any training during this interim period. EDGE understands that the continued success of the company is down to us consistently providing highquality training that is received well by those attending the event and by those procuring it. We are committed to ensuring this success continues. There’s a lot that makes EDGE different from your average training provider:
• Healthcare Professionals: All EDGE trainers are nurses, occupational therapists or physiotherapists with over ten years’ clinical experience. • Fully Accredited: All our’ People/Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer’s Certificate’ courses are accredited by RoSPA Qualifications to Level 4 or Advanced Level 4. They are recognised for providing continuous professional development by the CPD Certification Service. • Compliance with Professional Training Standards: All EDGE Manual Handling ‘Key Trainer’ events comply with the National Back Exchange Training Standards (2010); The All Wales NHS Manual Handling Training Passport and Information Scheme (2010); and The Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme (2014). • Invaluable Training Resources: All delegates are given a fully illustrated and comprehensive textbook; professionally printed and produced by EDGE. Plus, proposed documents to assist and support in onward training delivery. These include course agendas, hand-outs, Power-Point slides, filmed practical techniques and tips for staff training and assessing. • Online Resources Library and E-Learning: Our Manual Handling ‘Key Trainer’ training is supported by an extensive, informative online resources library offering use of an exclusive e-learning module plus additional training tips and tools to develop and enhance onward training. EDGE offers both public courses and in-house courses, the dates for which can be found on our website: https://edgeservices.co.uk Alternatively, call: 01904 677853 or e-mail: enquiries@edgeservices.co.uk to see how EDGE Services can help you.
Transforming Care Home Training with Serious Games Care homes today face increasing pressure to deliver high-quality, safe and effective care—while managing limited time, budgets and workforce capacity. Traditional training methods often struggle to engage staff or translate learning into everyday practice. Serious games are changing that. By combining evidence-based learning with interactive, scenario-driven gameplay, serious games enable staff to learn by doing. Teams work together to solve realistic challenges, strengthening communication, decision-making and confidence in a safe environment. This directly supports key CQC priorities across Safe, Effective and Well-led domains. Research shows that simulation and game-based learning improves knowledge retention, teamwork and patient safety outcomes (Aggarwal et al., 2010; Health Education England, 2016). Crucially, it also promotes peer learning and reflection—helping teams share experiences and embed best practice across the service. Focus Games has been at the forefront of this approach, offering a wide range of care home–focused
board games, card games and digital learning via the ZeST platform. Covering topics such as infection prevention, nutrition, safeguarding and communication, these resources are designed specifically for health and social care settings. ✔ Engage staff through interactive, team-based learning ✔ Reinforce real-world skills through practical scenarios ✔ Deliver cost-effective training at scale ✔ Support inspection readiness and continuous improvement Flexible and easy to facilitate, Focus Games’ resources can be used across induction, mandatory training and ongoing CPD, either face-to-face or digitally. At a time when care providers must do more with less, serious games offer a proven, practical and engaging solution—turning training into meaningful improvements in care delivery. Ready to get started? Take the first step with a 20% INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT using code CARE20 and discover how gamebased learning can support your team and improve outcomes. www.FocusGames.com
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
External Compliance Audits – Are They Worth It? Working in social care is demanding. It is one of the most heavily regulated yet underfunded sectors, with providers expected to comply with regulations, meet Quality Statements, follow good practice guidance, respond to local authority monitoring, and operate under constant scrutiny. Regulation itself isn’t the problem — it protects people and improves standards. The challenge is capacity. Larger organisations may have in-house quality assurance teams, but smaller providers rarely have the time or budget to review compliance in depth. Many owners and managers tell us they feel overwhelmed and unsure how well their service is really performing, especially since the introduction of the Single Assessment Framework. For many, confidence in compliance is the number one concern — not because standards are poor, but because there simply isn’t time to step back and take a full, objective view.
CAN AN EXTERNAL AUDIT HELP? In short, yes — when it’s done properly. A high-quality external audit provides: • A clear snapshot of current performance • Identification of good practice and priority risks
• Practical advice on how to improve • Evidence to support action plans and improvement journeys • Demonstration of good governance and continuous improvement — a key CQC focus • Reassurance for owners, directors, and managers
HOW W&P CAN HELP W&P have supported health and social care providers for nearly 25 years, completing hundreds of audits across a wide range of services. This experience gives us deep insight into what regulators look for — and what genuinely improves outcomes. Our audits are supportive, non-judgmental, and practical. They typically include around six hours on-site, followed by a detailed report that links evidence to regulations and Quality Statements. Reports also include clear guidance, tips, and sources to help you respond confidently. Every audit is tailored to your needs — whether that’s safeguarding, medication management, or overall governance — ensuring it is truly fit for purpose. If you would like to know more, then please contact us on audits@wandptrainng.co.uk or call 01305 767104 for a no-obligation chat on how our audits can help you. See the advert on page 2 for details.
Realise Strengthens Healthcare Training Offering with Acquisition of Tidal Training Specialist healthcare training provider Tidal Training has been acquired by Realise Training Group in a deal that will strengthen both organisations and improve the services they offer to tens of thousands of learners. Fast-growing training provider Realise completed the purchase on Friday (March 13) for an undisclosed sum. The business will continue to trade as Tidal Training, and all employees and associate trainers will remain in place. Launched by Colin Frensham in 2012, Tidal Training has grown to become one of the largest healthcare training providers in the country, last year helping 18,000 learners develop new skills. The Cheltenham-based provider delivers medical and clinical, bespoke mental health, learning disabilities, health and social care, and childcare training - as well as regulated first aid training. Tidal Training has a broad client portfolio supporting NHS hospitals, local authorities, mental health providers, children’s services, schools, HM Prison Service, the Probation Service, social housing providers, private hospitals, addiction and rehabilitation establishments, and complex care providers. Founder Director, Colin Frensham, said: “I am excited and proud that Tidal is joining the Realise Training Group. By utilising Realise’s strong infrastructure and sharing opportunities, Tidal will be able to grow at a faster pace while continuing to deliver the excellent specialist training we are renowned for. “We have grown the Tidal business from a standing start to a highly trusted organisation with 162 courses and 18,000 learners a year. Tidal has been putting people before profit since 2012. We are more than a training provider, Tidal is our legacy to benefit and support others. “I'm delighted that Clare Seed, who became a director at Tidal in 2017, will remain in post as we expand the business together under the Realise Training Group.
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“This acquisition is the start of the next exciting chapter for everyone involved, for our learners, employees, trainers and suppliers, and it’s very much business as usual.” Tidal Training currently has 35 associate trainers and six head office-based staff, delivering more than 130 days of training each month. Part of the AQA Group since October last year, Realise also supports more than 18,000 learners a year across apprenticeships and adult skills programmes. Gregg Scott, CEO at Realise Training Group, said the purchase of Tidal Training was a strategic step in the business’ continued growth across multiple sectors. He said: “We are delighted to have completed this significant acquisition of a successful and highly respected training provider. Tidal will continue to operate as before, delivering excellent training across the country, but it will now have the additional support of the Realise Training Group and our strong infrastructure. “We are committed to providing first-class training in key sectors and this will help us further our expertise in the healthcare sector, while adding new courses to our portfolio. “Realise continues to go from strength to strength and we look forward to working with everyone at Tidal Training.” With more than 500 employees nationwide, Realise offers apprenticeships in sectors including early years, health and social care, business services and transport. The training provider also delivers adult skills programmes in West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and a host of other locations including West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lincolnshire. Tidal Training was advised by Dow Schofield Watts Corporate Finance (Paul Herriott and Harry Martin) and WSP Solicitors (Peter Mardon). Realise Training Group was advised by Womble Bond Dickinson (James Cook and Alex Dolling) and Tax Advisory Partnership (Russ Cahill). For more information, visit www.realisetraining.com From left, Gregg Scott (CEO at Realise Training Group) and Colin Frensham (Founder Director at Tidal Training)
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
What Your Risk Register Reveals About Your Care Business (And What It Is Missing) By Martin Lowthian, Risk, Quality and Regulatory Specialist, Access Health, Support and Care (www.theaccessgroup.com) Ask most care providers what their risk register is for, and the answer will be some version of the same thing: staying compliant, preparing for inspection, avoiding regulatory action. Those are all valid reasons. But if that is all your risk register is doing, you are leaving significant value on the table. Good risk management is not a defensive exercise. Done properly, it is one of the most powerful tools a care business has for sustainable growth. Providers who understand this are not just better protected, they are better positioned to win contracts, scale their services, and attract staff. Operational risk gets most of the attention. Safe recruitment, medication management, care delivery and safeguarding are all are critical areas, and they absolutely belong in your register. But there is another category that rarely gets the same rigour: opportunity risk. Consider how many providers miss a tender because their evidence is not in order. Enquiries that are not converted, clients who choose a competitor, care workers with specialist skills you cannot recruit because your onboarding process is not fit for purpose. Each of these is a risk with a measurable impact on your business. Your risk register should capture all of it. One of the most common patterns in care organisations is a business that has grown quickly but has not
grown its infrastructure at the same pace. Ask yourself: if you disappeared for two weeks, what would happen? If the answer involves significant disruption, that is a risk worth documenting and addressing now. Many providers manage their risk registers in spreadsheets, but as organisations grow, paper-based processes create real problems. Controls that were accurate six months ago are presented as current assurance. Actions that were never completed sit on the register without anyone being held to account. This is not risk management; it is risk documentation. Digital tools designed specifically for care governance, such as Access Care Compliance, allow providers to track risks, controls, and actions in one place, map them against regulatory frameworks, and evidence progress in real time. There is also a direct commercial argument. Insurers respond well to providers who can demonstrate a structured, evidenced risk management framework, and in my experience, it can reduce your premiums. Commissioners are increasingly sophisticated in evaluating tender responses. A provider who can point to documented controls and clear accountability stands out. Honest risk management requires a particular mindset. Approach your register as if you are looking for problems, not confirming that everything is fine. Providers who get the most value from their risk registers use them as a genuine growth tool, asking uncomfortable questions about where the gaps are. Risk management, done properly, is not an add-on. It is how well-run, high-quality care businesses grow and thrive. For more information about risk management or Access Care Compliance, please contact Martin at martin.lowthian@theaccessgroup.com
Eden Alternative - It’s Time to Change the Way We Care 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-for-profit 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 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
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Sponsor Licence Revocations In The Care Sector: What The Home Office’s Increased Scrutiny Means By Sara-Michelle Colvin, Senior Associate in the immigration team at Birketts LLP (www.birketts.co.uk)
greater accuracy. This desk based model is supported by enhanced analytical tools – including AI – which provide faster processing and more reliable detection of anomalies or patterns of non compliance.
A TOUGHER STANCE ON EVEN MINOR BREACHES The government has also adopted a far more uncompromising approach to compliance failings. Issues previously regarded as technical or low level – late sponsor notifications, incomplete HR files, inconsistent Right to Work checks, or weak absence management – can now lead to immediate suspension or even revocation. These stricter consequences sit alongside wider efforts to combat illegal working. Civil penalties now reach £45,000 for a first breach and £60,000 for subsequent breaches, and enforcement activity increased sharply in 2025 thanks to expanded capacity and automated systems.
HOW THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS UNFOLDS The UK care sector is currently facing one of the toughest periods of immigration related enforcement it has ever experienced. Recent Home Office figures reveal the scale of the shift: from July 2024 to June 2025, 1,948 sponsor licences were revoked – more than double the 937 revoked the year before, and dramatically higher than the 261 and 247 revocations issued in 2021–22 and 2022–23. The Home Office continues to identify recurring weaknesses across parts of the sector, including: • underpayment of sponsored workers • mismatches between the job roles listed on Certificates of Sponsorship and the duties carried out • attempts to use sponsorship as a means of bypassing immigration controls • roles that do not constitute genuine vacancies • the increased vulnerability of migrant workers who are tied to their sponsoring employer. Given the sector’s reliance on overseas recruitment and long standing staffing challenges, adult social care remains a central focus for enforcement activity. A move toward digital, intelligence led monitoring As part of this intensified scrutiny, the Home Office has largely replaced onsite compliance visits with a more sophisticated, data driven approach. Increasing integration of HMRC/PAYE information, Sponsorship Management System activity and other government intelligence allows caseworkers to highlight concerns quickly and with
In recent months, many care providers have been contacted unexpectedly by the Home Office seeking additional information, typically regarding pay. This stems from increased data sharing between HMRC and the Home Office, which is surfacing discrepancies that may point to reporting failures.
REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION When the Home Office issues a Request for Information, sponsors usually have 10 working days to respond. The volume of evidence required can be substantial, often needing input from multiple departments. A long standing concern among organisations is the need to send sensitive employee information without encryption, as the Home Office’s current systems are limited to email attachments and do not support secure alternatives.
SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION Where the Home Office identifies breaches, it may take one of the following actions:
SUSPENSION • The licence may be suspended and the sponsor placed on an Action Plan. • A fee must be paid within 10 working days to accept the Action Plan. • The Action Plan can run for up to three months, during which the sponsor must demonstrate significant improvement to regain full compliance. • Failure to meet the required standard typically results in revocation.
REVOCATION
• In serious cases, the Home Office may bypass suspension and move directly to revocation – something officials have indicated is increasingly common. • Before revoking, the Home Office issues a notice of intention, giving the sponsor 20 working days to make representations. • Although the Home Office is expected to respond within a further 20 working days, delays are frequent. • In most cases, the outcome is ultimately revocation. If revocation occurs, sponsored employees may continue working for 60 days from the date of their cancellation letter (or until their visa expiry date, if earlier). During this period, they must find a new sponsor or switch to another immigration route to remain lawfully in the UK. Revocation takes effect immediately for the organisation: it loses the ability to sponsor workers or assign Certificates of Sponsorship and cannot apply for a new licence for at least 12 months, a period that can be extended where civil penalties or criminal matters are involved. Legal challenges within the sector have centred on arguments relating to: • risks to continuity of care for service users • the impact on a business’s ability to operate and the effect on its domestic workforce • the Home Office’s alleged failure to apply discretion or consider lesser sanctions.
STRENGTHENING COMPLIANCE IN A HIGH RISK ENVIRONMENT In this climate, it is vital for care sector sponsors to adopt a proactive and rigorous compliance strategy. The rise in licence revocations, coupled with more sophisticated data monitoring and severe penalties for even minor breaches, demonstrates the Home Office’s determination to drive structural reform. Organisations relying on sponsored workers must therefore ensure their HR systems, reporting procedures and governance arrangements are robust, transparent and consistently applied. Some groups are also exploring multi licence structures to spread risk across subsidiaries. Although revocation does not stop a business from trading, the operational disruption, staffing challenges and 12 month bar on reapplying can be highly damaging. Strong compliance is no longer a matter of good practice – it is essential for ensuring continuity of care, protecting vulnerable workers, and maintaining future access to skilled international labour.
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 allowing groups to grow significantly in size
we assist at every stage of your business expansion. Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way, so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements, I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements. Call us on 01242 227172 or e-mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.net
Lost Time and Costs Start with Your Rotas
By Becky Mundie, RotaCloud (https://rotacloud.com)
How much time do you spend on admin? How long are you locked away in your office to make the rota, only having to go back again and again for amends? How often have you realised you’re understaffed, resulting in overspending on agency staff? How frequently do payroll errors, messy audit trails, and chasing staff who missed a shift update occur? It’s constant, the stress of it all. It’s enough to carry the care of your service users on your shoulders without being overwhelmed every day by repetitive admin and errors. You never thought you’d be spending more time amending schedules, chasing for cover, and correcting issues than your actual job. But those inefficiencies — staff shortages, payroll errors, missed shift updates, and multiple spreadsheets you juggle — cost you money, time, staff retention, and, in some cases, compliance. It’s easy to suggest investing in budgeting tools or certain tech to help you understand spending before it happens and to automate certain processes. Budgets are tight in care, after all. But there are simple fixes to cut your operating costs without cutting back on care if you can’t yet turn to digital systems. Cutting costs doesn’t just mean spending less. It’s about making smarter decisions – reacting to and fixing the cause of the problem, not the effect. And it all starts with your rota.
There are ways to take better care of your rota, which will, in turn, improve efficiency and staff morale. One main way: putting your staff first. First, give your team more say in when they work by allowing them to submit their availability. Try making a rolling rota with a mix of most and least preferred shifts so everyone gets a fair share of them. It means far less admin for you when the rota repeats, far fewer last-minute amends, a more accurate payroll, an easier audit trail, and no more miscommunications on when everyone’s working. Second. Share rotas at least two weeks in advance. Doing so allows enough time to make amends and for everyone affected to be updated. Sticking to this process is more efficient, which means less admin – which means more time to focus on service users. Third. Put in a more seamless process for holiday requests. Whether a submitted form or limiting to one means of messaging, sticking to one process means fewer lost or forgotten requests and much less paperwork. Plus, allow staff to arrange shift swaps themselves, leaving managers to simply approve or deny. Again, less time on admin means more time for service users. All in all, your saviour is flexibility. Flexibility in rotas means less admin for managers, more efficient teams and safe staffing levels, happier staff (and higher retention rates), and, in return, happier service users – all saving costs in the process. After all, when you aren’t making last-minute changes or relying on agency staff to cover no-shows, you stick to the staffing levels and labour budgets you’ve forecast. So long, overspending, lost time, and inefficient processes. See the back cover of this issue for more information on Rotacloud.