The Carer Digital - Issue #290

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Issue 290

Landmark Supreme Court Ruling Prompts New Guidance for Health and Care Providers

The Government has issued urgent guidance to health and social care

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that the ruling,

providers following a landmark Supreme Court judgment that fundamentally

handed down by the Supreme Court on 2 June and published in guidance on 15

changes the legal definition of a deprivation of liberty, with potentially far-reach-

June, takes immediate effect and overturns key elements of the long-estab-

ing consequences for care homes, nursing homes and supported living services

lished "acid test" established by the Cheshire West judgment in 2014.

across the UK.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

Editor

A LANDMARK WEEK FOR THE SECTOR — FROM LEGAL CLARITY TO KEEPING MOVING

A couple of weeks ago, we led with news of the UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling on deprivation of liberty.

This week, as we report in our lead story, the Government has now issued urgent guidance to the sector following the judgment, providing muchneeded clarity on how providers, local authorities and health and social care professionals should respond.

To recap, one of the most significant changes is that the long-established "acid test" from the 2014 Cheshire West ruling no longer applies. Previously, a person was considered deprived of their liberty if they were under continuous supervision and control and not free to leave.

The Supreme Court has now replaced this with a broader, multifactorial assessment that considers the type, duration, effects and implementation of restrictions, alongside the person's wishes, feelings and whether they object to their care arrangements.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the judgment is the recognition that a person who lacks mental capacity may nevertheless be capable of expressing meaningful acceptance of their care arrangements.

In simple terms, from what I gather, if an individual is happy, content and accepting of the care they receive, they may no longer meet the threshold for a deprivation of liberty. That represents a fundamental shift in thinking and one that will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications across residential and nursing care.

The Government's guidance offers some reassurance.

Providers are not expected to embark on wholesale reviews of every existing DoLS authorisation, nor should there be panic-driven responses.

Existing authorisations remain valid, and providers and local authorities are encouraged to adopt a pragmatic, prioritised approach to reviewing cases over time.

Meanwhile, care homes are being urged to educate staff, update policies and publicfacing information, and continue to maintain all safeguards under the Mental Capacity Act and Care Act. Where there is any doubt, objection or potential coercion, the message remains clear: err on the side of caution and continue to use the formal DoLS pro-

Peter Adams

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cess.

This is undoubtedly one of the most significant developments in adult social care law in many years.

While some welcome the opportunity to reduce bureaucracy and focus safeguards on those most in need, others have voiced concerns about the potential loss of protections for vulnerable individuals.

As always, the practical implications will become clearer as the sector works through the guidance and further updates emerge.

I am delighted to say that we include a detailed article on this subject on Page 8, and we will also be seeking comment from providers, sector leaders and legal experts in

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response to this week's Government update.

Another story that particularly caught my eye this week was our report on the National Health Committee's findings that physical activity can be as important as medication in improving health outcomes. Like many readers, I have always recognised the value of exercise and movement, but seeing it placed on a par with medication certainly gave me pause for thought.

The evidence presented is compelling, and I was particularly interested in the recommendation that the Care Quality Commission should be tasked with checking that exercise programmes are being provided for residents in care homes.

Across the years, we have been delighted to publish countless stories from care

sales@thecareruk.com WEBSITE:

www.thecareruk.com EDITOR Peter Adams editor@thecareruk.com

homes throughout the UK that have embraced physical activity in imaginative and engaging ways, often combining exercise with social interaction, entertainment and fun.

Many of our advertisers provide activity-based programmes and services that encourage movement, wellbeing and engagement, and we are always pleased to feature thought leadership articles that explore innovative approaches to keeping residents active.

If the latest findings encourage even more providers to place physical activity at the heart of resident wellbeing, that can only be a positive development.

Finally, this week marks Care Home Open Week, with this year's theme celebrating

SALES DIRECTOR David Bartlett dave@thecareruk.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

the "World Cup". If ever there was a theme guaranteed to encourage movement, teamwork and participation, this is surely it!

As always, we would love to hear from you. Whether you're hosting sporting compe-

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titions, themed events, community activities, fundraising initiatives or simply creating memorable experiences for residents, please send us your stories and photographs. We are always delighted to share the fantastic work taking place in care homes across the UK and look forward to showcasing your celebrations in future editions.

I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

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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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 3

Landmark Supreme Court Ruling Prompts New Guidance for Health and Care Providers (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) The update sets out the summary points from the judgment and the main implications for: • health and social care staff • anyone who cares for an individual who lacks capacity to consent to their care and residence where there is or may be a deprivation of liberty • staff with responsibility for organisational policies, procedures and internal or external facing documents relating to deprivation of liberty safeguards

WHAT CHANGED — AND WHY IT MATTERS Under the old Cheshire West "acid test", a person was considered deprived of their liberty if they were under continuous supervision and control and were not free to leave. Crucially, under that framework, a person's lack of capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was taken to mean they could not give valid consent to their living arrangements — effectively placing tens of thousands of care home residents automatically within the scope of DoLS. The 2026 Supreme Court judgment rejects that approach in its entirety.

In its place, the Court has ruled that assessments must now be multifactorial — meaning no single factor is determinative. Instead, practitioners must consider the type, duration, effects and manner of implementation of any restrictions placed on the individual. The purpose of an arrangement (for example, whether it is for care and protection rather than punishment or coercion), how far removed a person's situation is from detention in a prison cell, and the relative normality of the arrangements, must all be weighed together.

VALID CONSENT Perhaps most significantly for day-to-day care practice, the judgment clarifies that a person can give valid consent even if they lack legal capacity under the MCA. A person's expression of their wishes and feelings now carries significant legal weight, and a resident who is conscious of their environment, has a basic level of understanding, and is capable of expressing a view that they accept their situation, may be considered to have consented — even if they could not formally consent under the MCA. However, where serious doubt exists, no conclusion of valid consent can be drawn.

The Court also held that Cheshire West was wrong to conclude that a person's lack of objection is never legally relevant. Whether or not a person objects to their arrangements is now explicitly part of the assessment.

IMMEDIATE EFFECT The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that these changes take effect immediately. Registered care home providers and managers are therefore expected to act without delay by ensuring the ruling, or a clear and accurate summary of it, is communicated across their organisations.

Providers should also ensure that staff receive appropriate training on the revised definition of deprivation of liberty, enabling them to understand and apply the new legal framework in practice. In addition, organisations should review and update all relevant policies, procedures, protocols, websites, and public-facing materials to ensure they accurately reflect the updated legal position.

NHS England has committed to publishing an updated DoLS e-learning module by 30 July 2026.

REVIEW EXISTING DOLS AUTHORISATIONS Providers are also being asked to review all existing DoLS authorisations in light of the new framework. The DHSC acknowledges that many people currently subject to authorisations may no longer fall within scope — either because the restrictions no longer constitute a deprivation of liberty under the multifactorial assessment, or because the individual can now be considered to have given valid consent.

Where a person is no longer deprived of their liberty but an authorisation remains in place, cases should be reviewed "as soon as is practicable." Importantly, the DHSC has clarified that leaving an existing authorisation in place during the transition period does not amount to an unlawful deprivation of liberty.

Where a person's circumstances have changed and they no longer require the same level of restrictions, those restrictions can be reduced without requiring a formal review or a new authorisation.

Local authorities — who act as supervisory bodies in the DoLS process — are being asked to document their approach to the change and to make plans for how they will prioritise reviews and new referrals during what the DHSC describes as "a period of adjustment."

Multifactorial Approach For frontline staff, the shift to a multifactorial approach will require a change in both thinking and recording. The key factors that must now be considered include: The type of restrictions in place (locked doors, supervision, sedating medication, physical control, social isolation) • The duration of those restrictions • The effects of restrictions on the individual • The manner of their implementation • Whether the person objects

• How far the situation departs from detention in a prison cell • The relative normality of the arrangements • The purpose of the arrangement

“QUESTION OF OBJECTION” Crucially, the guidance clarifies that a deprivation of liberty requires an element of restriction being imposed against a person's will. This means that where a person's liberty is constrained by their own illness, condition or physical impairment — and they are unable to form any desire to leave — this is unlikely to amount to a deprivation of liberty.

On the question of objection, the DHSC guidance draws an important distinction: compliance is not the same as consent. Staff are encouraged to ask not "are they compliant?" but "how do we know what this individual actually understands and wants?" Any expression of objection — including attempts to leave, refusal of care, physical rejection of care, or distressed behaviour — must be treated as pointing towards a potential deprivation of liberty.

When assessing wishes and feelings, practitioners should consider both verbal communication and behavioural cues, review care and medical notes, speak to family members and colleagues, and where necessary carry out multiple visits. Staff must also be alert to factors that may suppress a person's ability to express their views — including sedating medication, fear of consequences, and a reluctance to be seen as a burden.

Where any doubt remains — including where a person fluctuates between appearing content and appearing to object — the guidance directs practitioners to make a referral to the local authority for a formal DoLS assessment, or to the Court of Protection.

LONGER-TERM PICTURE In the long term, the DHSC expects the new definition to significantly reduce the number of DoLS authorisations across the country. In the short term, however, the guidance recognises that borderline cases will require more cautious handling and referral for review.

The DoLS code of practice — originally published in 2008, before Cheshire West — was republished on 2 June 2026 to coincide with the judgment, although the DHSC acknowledges it does not yet fully reflect the Supreme Court's 2026 decision. Additional interim guidance, including practical case studies, is being developed by the DHSC in consultation with stakeholder partners and charities.

The ruling does not remove the need to comply with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and existing duties under the MCA 2005, the Care Act 2014, continuing healthcare frameworks and common law duties of care all remain in full force.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Fire Safety In Care Homes: Managing Modern Risks In Vulnerable Settings

By Toria Jones, marketing director at fire safety supplier CheckFire (www.checkfire.co.uk) Fire safety in care homes has many key considerations. Residents are often elderly, frail, or living with cognitive impairments or mobility limitations, and many cannot self-evacuate.

Yet the latest data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) suggests there is still significant room for improvement across the sector when it comes to protecting those most at risk.

In the year ending March 2025, fire and rescue services carried out 6,461 fire safety audits in care homes across England – a 14% increase on the previous year. Of those, just 57% were deemed ‘satisfactory’. Care homes also received the second-highest number of enforcement notices of any premises type, with 192 issued in the year. Breaches of Article 14 of the RRFSO, covering emergency routes and exits, were the most frequently cited reason for non-compliance – particularly concerning where evacuation is already complex.

The message for responsible persons is clear: compliance and performance must go hand in hand, and active preparedness must replace passive box-ticking.

THE FUNDAMENTALS: LEGAL DUTIES UNDER THE RRFSO Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO), care homes must appoint a responsible person – usually the manager or provider – who is legally accountable for fire safety on the premises. Their duties include overseeing a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, maintaining fire detection and alarm systems, providing adequate means of escape, and ensuring staff are properly trained.

The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and updated whenever there are significant changes to the building, its layout, or the dependency profile of residents.

The legal consequences of non-compliance can be severe, with enforcement notices, prohibition notices, prosecutions, and significant fines all possible for responsible persons who fall short of their statutory duties.

STAFF TRAINING AND EVACUATION PLANNING The workforce on shift is a crucial component of fire safety. Staff should be confident in their responsibilities, have a detailed understanding of residents’ personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs), and be trained to reassure and assist based on specific needs. This is particularly important for temporary or agency staff, with training incorporated from the outset of their work on the premises.

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Fire safety equipment provision should be guided by the fire risk assessment. Detection and alarm systems should be maintained in accordance with BS 5839, and fire extinguishers in accordance with BS 5306 – with provision determined by the type of risk present in a given area – with formal servicing at least once a year. Signage should comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and be clear, well-positioned, and instructional to residents, staff, and visitors unfamiliar with the building.

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY USAGE: WHAT ‘CLASS L’ MEANS FOR CARE ENVIRONMENTS Lithium-ion battery-powered devices are now embedded in daily life, and care homes are no exception. Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs charge in residents’ rooms or communal areas, staff and visitors increasingly arrive on e-bikes, and personal devices, tablets, and medical equipment are charged across the premises throughout the day.

These batteries present a different fire risk profile to traditional combustibles. If faulty, incorrectly stored, damaged, overcharged, or exposed to excessive heat, a lithium-ion battery failure can induce a process called thermal runaway – an uncontrolled self-heating chemical reaction inside the cell that produces toxic gases, burns at very high temperatures, and can be prone to reignition even after appearing to have been extinguished.

The risk has now been formally recognised internationally. Effective from 31 January 2026, the revised BS ISO 3941:2026 introduced Class L – a dedicated fire classification for lithium-ion battery incidents. Class L raises awareness of how these risks are identified and managed within wider fire safety strategies. For care homes, it is worth reviewing where lithium-ion batteries are charged, stored, and used, and reflecting on how those risks can be considered within the fire risk assessment and evacuation plan.

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR CARE HOME MANAGERS For care home managers reviewing their arrangements, four steps stand out. The first is to revisit the fire risk assessment, with renewed focus on lithium-ion charging zones, mobility equipment, and communal spaces. The second is to ensure PEEPs reflect current resident dependency levels and are regularly reviewed. The third is to confirm staff training covers temporary workers and includes practical evacuation drills. And the fourth is to check fire safety equipment is correctly specified and installed, well positioned, and appropriately serviced and maintained.

With nearly half of recently audited care homes still requiring improvement, fire safety in this sector is about more than meeting a minimum standard. It is about protecting some of the most vulnerable people in society – and this requires a strategy that is dynamic, person-centred, and fit for the realities of 2026.

Care Association Alliance Launches Reform Programme as Sector Warns 2028 Is Too Late for Social Care The Care Association Alliance (CAA) has launched a new programme of policy papers to put the voice of frontline care providers at the centre of the national debate on adult social care reform, as the sector warns that waiting until 2028 for the Casey Commission’s final recommendations risks leaving reform too late.

The programme, titled Building a National Care Service: A Programme for Reform, will see the CAA publish a series of papers over the coming weeks and months, each addressing a distinct structural challenge facing the sector. The first paper will make the case for a nationally coherent funding framework, arguing that without a sustainable funding settlement at its foundation, wider reform will remain out of reach. Subsequent papers will address commissioning, workforce, service delivery and the relationship between health and social care.

The programme builds on Co-Chair of the CAA Melanie Weatherley MBE’s recent writing on the state of social care, in which she argued that more than 80 years after Beveridge, Want and Disease still loom large in the sector and that the moment to act is now.

The CAA’s programme is explicitly designed to contribute to the work of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, chaired by Baroness Casey. The Commission is currently in the midst of its first phase, with cross-party discussions underway and its initial report expected in 2026.

However, final recommendations are not due until 2028, a timetable that makes significant legislative reform unlikely before the next general election.

With the Commission’s evidence-gathering phase now open, the CAA believes the window to shape its thinking is critical, and that the voice of frontline providers must be central to the recommendations

that emerge. The reform papers will be submitted to the Commission.

The first paper in the CAA’s programme will focus on funding and make the case that the current model is neither equitable nor sustainable. Today, the financial burden of a national demographic challenge falls largely on local authorities whose budgets vary enormously from one part of the country to the next. The result is a system where access to care is shaped by geography as much as by need, where providers operate on rates that do not cover their costs, and where individuals and families face costs that are unpredictable and bear little relationship to what others elsewhere pay for equivalent support.

The paper sets out a new model for how care should be funded, one designed to reduce these inequities and put the system on a sustainable footing.

Melanie Weatherley MBE, Co-Chair of the Care Association Alliance, said: “The Casey Commission represents a genuine opportunity to build the cross-party consensus that social care reform has long needed, and we strongly welcome its work.

But the sector cannot afford to stand back and wait until 2028 for answers. The people we support cannot wait, and the pressures our members are working under cannot wait either.

“At the Care Association Alliance, we work with providers on the frontline of care every day, and it is from that vantage point that we have been developing a programme of reform. Over the coming months we will set out, paper by paper, what a genuine National Care Service should look like in practice, starting with the case for a nationally coherent funding framework and extending to commissioning, workforce and the relationship between health and care.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 5

Care Home Open Week Launches with A World Cup Theme Leaders from across the care sector gathered on Monday 15th June to mark the start of Care Home Open Week 2026.

Wandsworth Common, part of Avery Healthcare, welcomed almost 100 guests to a reception that has become the traditional curtain-raiser to Care Home Open Week. Guests and residents could join in with a range of football-related activities in addition to the usual reception-fare as Care Home Open Week this year has taken on a World Cup theme.

The event also saw the arrival of riders on the concluding leg of the year’s Great British Care Cycle Relay. The Relay attracted record numbers of participants as it once again covered around 500km in different parts of the country, visiting 24 care homes en route.

Mitesh Dhanak, chair of the Care Home Open Week committee welcomed guests to the home: “Firstly, my sincere thanks to our funding partners, Virgin Money, Christie & Co and Howden Insurance and our hosts Avery Healthcare this evening for bringing us all together.

“Over the years, CHOW has grown from a small, largely virtual initiative during the COVID pandemic into a truly national movement—opening the doors of care homes and connecting them with communities across the country.”

A series of events in the run-up to Care Home Open Week kicked off at Hendon Hall and marked an important milestone. The Hall is now a care home but, back in 1966 it was the England Football Team’s base for the World Cup. The event- which brought together a number of people who had been involved in the historic World Cup final of that year – was featured on BBC TVs Breakfast programme, giving Care Home Open Week national TV exposure for the first time. A significant moment, helping to shift perceptions and bring the reality of social care into homes across the UK. Mitesh added: “Over the past 12 months, the social care landscape has continued to evolve. Providers are navigating financial pressures, workforce challenges, and rising expectations—but just like in football, it’s the strength of the team that carries us through.

“Running a care home is no different. It takes teamwork, trust, communication, and a shared purpose. From our frontline carers to managers, nurses, support staff, families, and partners—everyone plays a vital role. Just like a great football team, success comes when everyone works together, supports each other, and strives towards a common goal.”

Care Home Open Week 2026 once again sees thousands of homes across the country taking part with their own events aimed at connecting with their local communities. An astonishing variety of events sees homes welcome children to make football games together with residents; care teams host football matches; reminiscence sessions; and many more.

Guests at the Care Home Open Week Launch Event also heard from Dr Luke Evans MP, Shadow Care Minister and Jeremy Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Avery Healthcare, who said: “Avery is incredibly proud to be hosting this event and to be kicking off Care Home Open Week here at Wandsworth Common. A huge thank you to Championing Social Care for giving us the chance to play a part in what promises to be a fantastic week of celebrations across the country.

“This year’s theme is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the people, communities and connections that make the care industry so special. Inspired by the spirit of the World Cup, it highlights the importance of teamwork, inclusion and bringing people together, values that are at the heart of great care every day. Care Home Open Week allows us to open our doors, welcome people in, and showcase the extraordinary work that takes place in care homes every single day.”

Vishal Shah, chair of Championing Social Care who led the Cycle Relay along its entire route, said: “Care homes are not just places of care—they are vibrant community hubs. They break down barriers, challenge perceptions, and showcase the very best of humanity.

“This week is about celebrating that, opening our doors, and inspiring others to be part of our sector.

“Together, let’s shine a light so bright that the whole country sees the true heart of social care—full of warmth, dignity, and hope.”

FOR ALL THE LATEST CARE SECTOR NEWS VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM

PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Digital Switchover: The Care Home Safety Test

Article supplied by Wavenet (www.wavenet.co.uk)

On 31 January 2027, the UK’s analogue landline network (called the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN)) will be retired for good. BT Group and Openreach have already aligned their plans to that date, moving every remaining landline service to modern technologies. For care homes, this will act as a complete overhaul, affecting alarms, lifts, nurse call, payment terminals and more. In short: if you don’t prepare, essential safety systems could stop working.

By mid to late 2025, around 80% of CQC registered providers were using Digital Social Care Records (DSCR)1, giving homes a stronger base for managing change and documenting risk. It’s clear that digital foundations in the sector are improving.

However, that leaves one fifth of providers yet to digitalise, and many analogue devices therefore remaining in service.

What could break in a care setting?

Government estimates say “upwards of two million” people in the UK use telecare2 - pendants, fall alarms and related services - and many of those historically run over analogue lines that may fail without the right migration steps. The policy response, the Telecare National Action Plan, was created precisely because of the patient safety risk during the switchover.

For most people, they think this will just affect the phone lines. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Typical dependencies on analogue lines include telecare base units and pendants, warden call systems, lift and emergency phones, door entry and gates, fire and intruder alarms, and payment/fax lines. All of these must be checked for IP compatibility or moved to supported alternatives to ensure they continue to work following the switch-off.

Sheer scale multiplies that risk. From reports at the end of 2025, there were over 360,000 residents across England’s care homes, with occupancy at 86.3%3. If lifts, warden call or fire systems falter in a busy setting, the consequences are immediate.

WHAT CARE HOMES SHOULD DO NOW 1. First, audit every line and every attached device, mapping which services still operate on the historical infrastructure. Openreach has already announced price hikes throughout 2026 for legacy lines to encourage

the transition, so there’s a financial benefit as well as a safety imperative.

2. Second, tell your communications provider if you have telecare users and ensure your residents are treated as “supported journeys” under the government’s guidance. That helps you get enhanced handling and risk appropriate migration.

3. Third, test and plan upgrades in tandem with your alarm, telecare and lift suppliers. Where analogue units aren’t compatible, you’ll likely need certain replacements, and you should confirm power outage resilience as part of any change. For high risk residents, test changes on one unit first and document pass or fail criteria, along with escalation routes. Openreach’s Prove Telecare approach shows how to migrate safely by validating devices before completing the switch.

4. Fourth, update people and records. Refresh care plans and risk registers, capture changes in your DSCR, and brief staff on exactly who to call and what to do if a device fails. With DSCR being widely adopted across the sector, most providers can embed checks and handovers directly within their digital workflows.

A CARE HOME’S FOCUS This is as much a people programme as a technical one. Prioritise learning and development for frontline teams and suppliers: how to test, what “good” looks like, and how to spot any issues. Prepare clear, jargonfree information for residents and families, especially if their own pendants or in room units need swapping.

And ensure ongoing technical support through the transition window so staff can escalate issues quickly.

2026 is the year to finish discovery, testing and procurement, and to complete migration. A delay will only cause problems further down the line, along with pricing issues as the deadline starts to draw closer. At midnight on 31st January 2027, analogue line services will be withdrawn and anything left on copper without a digital pathway will cease.

The switch off is coming whether organisations are ready or not. Learn what will change in your organisation, map the risks, and tackle them now so your residents stay safe and connected through 2027 and beyond.

®

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 DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 7

Physical Activity “As Important As Medication” National Health Committee Report Reveals Physical activity is as important as medication in keeping older people healthy and happy, according to a new parliamentary report influenced by research from the East Midlands.

The Health and Social Care Committee report recommends strength and balance programmes and evidence-based care home interventions to help prevent falls and frailty, citing research from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands.

This included the PhISICAL study, investigating the implementation of the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) Programme, leading to the development of the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) Implementation Toolkit, which was funded by the predecessor of the NIHR ARC East Midlands.

Other research connected to the NIHR ARC East Midlands included the FLEXI Study (FaLls EXercise Implementation), a collaboration with NIHR ARCs Greater Manchester and South West, and funded by NIHR ARC Wessex, that worked with local health partners to scale and embed the ground-breaking FaME programme, and the FinCH Implementation study, which investigated the use of the Action Falls programme in care homes alongside NIHR ARCs Wessex, North East and North Cumbria (NENC) and Greater Manchester.

Professor Elizabeth Orton, the NIHR ARC East Midlands Theme Lead for Building Resilience in Later Life, was the lead researcher for the PhISICAL and FLEXI studies and gave evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee when they were gathering information for the report.

Professor Orton, who is also a Professor of Public Health at the University of Nottingham and a Consultant in Public Health at Leicestershire County Council, said: “This report highlights that physical activity is not an optional extra for older people but a core part of healthy ageing.

“Our research shows that evidence-based strength and balance programmes can be successfully imple-

mented and should be embedded into routine NHS and care practice to prevent falls, support independence and improve quality of life.”

According to the report, boosting resilience to illness, frailty and falls through physical activity will be key to keeping the country’s ageing population healthy and living independently for longer.

It argues that this change could be fundamental to the Government’s objective of switching the focus of the NHS from treating illness to preventing it, helping stabilise the rising cost of funding the health service as demand continues to rise.

The report follows the cross-party Committee’s Healthy Ageing inquiry. It recommends: Advice and social prescribing of physical activity should become a core, routine offering to older people from their GPs and other clinicians Stronger links between local NHS services with leisure providers and community groups to make exercise more accessible The Care Quality Commission should be charged with checking that exercise programmes are being provided to residents in care homes.

The Committee also calls for a national conversation and a cultural shift in the way that ageing is perceived and talked about in society.

Negative stereotypes can leave older people feeling resigned to becoming inactive, at the point in their lives when a sedentary lifestyle leaves them even more vulnerable to illness, the report said.

The new Health and Social Care Committee report is available here.

New Manager At Lovett’s Eden Manor Care Home In Carlisle Lovett Care has appointed Gary Jones to the position of general manager at its popular Eden Manor care home on Langrigg Road in Carlisle.

Living locally in Carlisle and an active member of his local community, Gary is delighted to take responsibility for the overall leadership and management of the popular 80-bed care home and is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care, safety and wellbeing for residents.

On a day-to-day basis, Gary will work with his team to oversee the overall performance of the home, monitoring the quality of individual care delivered to each resident, ensuring quality and compliance standards are achieved as well as supporting the care team. He is committed to developing a positive and compassionate culture, working with residents, families, colleagues and external partners to ensure the home provides person centred care in a warm and welcoming environment.

Commenting on his appointment, Gary said: “As a local, I’m so pleased to be taking up the position of

manager here at Eden Manor in the wonderful community of Carlisle which I love. I am keen to maintain and further build on the high standards set by the team and ensure everything we do is a team effort built on commitment to delivering the very best care, with consistency and kindness.

“I enjoy working within care homes where no two days are ever the same. I love getting to meet people and getting to know all of our incredible residents. Working in care is rewarding on a personal and professional level for me and I’m looking forward to continuing my career at Eden Manor.”

Deputy managing director at Lovett Care, Dawn Collett, said: “Gary is going to thrive in the position of manager at Eden Manor. He takes great pride in his work, in developing warm and wonderful homes where everyone feels valued and known on a personal level and I can see that he is already becoming part of the family at Eden Manor, not only with residents but with their friends and relatives too.”

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Goodbye Cheshire West: Some Thoughts for Health and Social Care Providers

By Deborah Nicholson, Partner, Head of Crime and Regulatory, Markel Law LLP (https://uk.markel.com/law)

cases where the person appears positively to wish to remain in their care arrangements.

WHAT THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED

On 2 June 2026, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in a case referred by the Attorney General of Northern Ireland in relation to proposed changes that address whether a person can consent to confinement through wishes and feelings where capacity is not present.

Although the reference arose from Northern Ireland, the decision matters for health and social care providers in England and Wales because it reconsiders the effect of P v Cheshire West and Chester Council and the assumption that a person who lacks capacity cannot validly consent to arrangements amounting to confinement. The general jurisprudence on the interpretation of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights is also relevant for those operating in Scotland where the regulatory and legislative approach is slightly different.

The practical significance is the distinction between lack of capacity to make a formal legal decision and the person’s current wishes and feelings about their care arrangements. Cheshire West had been understood as treating lack of mental capacity as equivalent to lack of valid consent for the purpose of deciding whether there was a deprivation of liberty. The new decision changes the analysis where a person lacks capacity yet can express consent that goes beyond mere acquiescence.

WHY CHESHIRE WEST MATTERED Cheshire West created the “acid test” for deprivation of liberty; specifically whether the person is subject to continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave. It provided clarity and extended formal safeguards to many people in care homes, supported living, hospitals, and community settings.

Its breadth also created pressure. People who were settled and content could still be treated as deprived of liberty because they lacked capacity and met the acid test. The Supreme Court judgment refers to the post-Cheshire West growth in DoLS referrals in England, including 332,455 referrals in 2023/24 and a backlog of 123,790 cases. The new decision addresses the tension between protective safeguards and

The Supreme Court held that the majority in Cheshire West had erred in its analysis of the Strasbourg case law on deprivation of liberty under Article 5. It is clear from Cheshire West that we should not continue to govern the position in the same way.

The Court concluded that the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland may revise the Code in the proposed way, provided it remains compatible with Article 5. For providers in England, the statutory framework is different, but the Supreme Court’s reasoning on Article 5 and valid consent is important when applying deprivation of liberty safeguards in English settings. The proposed Northern Ireland revision concerns people aged 16 and over who lack capacity to make decisions about care arrangements but express wishes and feelings amounting to more than passive compliance or mere acquiescence.

In practical terms, lack of capacity does not automatically answer the separate Article 5 question of whether the person has validly consented to arrangements that would otherwise be confinement.

Professionals must look closely at what the person is communicating, how they communicate it, and whether it shows genuine consent rather than compliance, resignation, or inability to object, leading to a more individualised bespoke assessment of capacity, that should mirror care planning arrangements.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PRACTICE A clear message is this judgment should not be read as permission to treat arrangements as safe simply because a person does not object. A quiet, compliant, anxious, dependent, or non-verbal person should not automatically be treated as consenting. Practitioners must distinguish active consent from passive acceptance or absence of resistance.

Records should show how the person’s wishes and feelings were explored, what communication methods were used, whether family members or advocates assisted, and why staff concluded that the person positively wished to remain in the arrangement. The more restrictive the care plan, the more important the evidence will be. There is no place for generic commentary that could be applied to anyone, that does not reflect the specific needs and behaviors of the person involved.

Providers can take some comfort in the fact that the decision reinforces the importance of person-centred assessment. Wishes may be expressed verbally, behaviourally, through gestures, through routine choices, or with specialist communication support. Staff should not assume that only formal verbal agreement counts, but equally should not treat settled behaviour as consent without meaningful exploration.

PRACTICAL POINTS FOR PROVIDERS Providers in England should review policies, care planning templates, and deprivation of liberty screening processes, while recognising that practice in England remains governed by the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the English DoLS regime, applicable Court of Protection case

law, and any England-specific guidance. The judgment arose from the proposed revision of the Northern Ireland Code, but its Article 5 analysis may affect how English providers assess cases where a person lacks formal capacity yet appears positively to wish to remain in their care arrangements.

Frontline staff should be trained on the difference between capacity, consent, objection, and acquiescence. A person may lack capacity for the statutory test but still express wishes and feelings relevant to Article 5. Conversely, lack of objection is not enough. Expect this to be tested in interactions with regulators and other stakeholders.

Advocacy or specialist communication support may be needed where a person has limited communication, fluctuating presentation, trauma history, autism, learning disability, dementia, or mental illness.

Where a person is objecting, distressed, trying to leave, restrained, behind locked doors, or subject to restrictions they do not appear to accept, formal authorisation and review mechanisms may still be required.

IMPLICATIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS, TRUSTS, AND SAFEGUARDING TEAMS Commissioners and trusts should act sensibly and expect a transitional period. Existing authorisations and pending applications should not be withdrawn or downgraded without careful review against the individual facts and any applicable guidance. The decision may require triage of cases where the person appears content and positively wishes to remain, but it should not lead to blanket assumptions.

Safeguarding, legal, and governance teams should be alert to underidentification. Moving away from the automatic equation between incapacity and lack of valid consent may reduce unnecessary authorisations, but poorly evidenced conclusions about consent could leave vulnerable people without the procedural protections required

by Article 5. The best governance frameworks will test whether decisions are consistent, evidence-based, escalated where necessary, and open to challenge.

KEY TAKEAWAYS The decision returns attention to the person. Where a person lacks formal decision-making capacity but can express current wishes and feelings that genuinely support the arrangements, Article 5 may not be engaged in the way Cheshire West had been understood to require.

Where the person objects, is distressed, merely complies, or cannot meaningfully express a view, safeguards remain essential.

For providers, the practical test is evidence-based and person-specific. Staff should ask whether the person is positively expressing agreement, whether that expression is current and reliable, whether it goes beyond acquiescence, and whether the person has been supported to communicate. Health and social care organisations in England and Wales should treat the judgment as significant, but not as a reason to reduce safeguards prematurely. Those in Scotland should look at the reasoning of the Court in relation to Article 5 and ensure their processes are reflective of the same overarching approach.

Celebrating 23 Years of Caring at Staplehurst Nursing Home Iden Manor A care worker who has dedicated 23 years to supporting residents at Iden Manor Nursing Home is celebrating a remarkable long-service milestone.

Miranda, one of the home's longest-serving team members, was recognised by colleagues and management for her contribution to the nursing home in Staplehurst, where she has spent nearly a quarter of a century caring for people, supporting families and helping to maintain the home's strong reputation for compassionate care.

The milestone was marked by colleagues who wanted to recognise not only the length of Miranda's service but also the difference she has made to the lives of others throughout her career. Her commitment, compassion and positive outlook have left a lasting impact on everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing and working alongside her.

For Managing Director Umbreen David, the occasion was particularly meaningful. Reflecting on Miranda's contribution, she said: "Some people leave a lasting impression wherever they go. For the past 23 years, Miranda has done exactly that at Iden Manor. Over the years, she has supported people through both difficult and joyful moments and been a trusted colleague to generations of team members.

“Her kindness, patience and unwavering commitment has helped shape the warm, supportive culture that defines Iden Manor today. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has given over the last 23 years and feel privileged that

she has been part of our journey for so long. Congratulations, Miranda, on an exceptional milestone and thank you for your dedication, kindness and unwavering commitment to the people who call Iden Manor home."

Long service milestones are becoming increasingly rare across many sectors, making Miranda's achievement particularly special. Her dedication reflects not only her personal commitment to care but also the strong relationships that develop within close-knit care home communities. Miranda’s career serves as a powerful example of how a rewarding and impactful career can be found in the social care sector.

At Iden Manor, continuity of care is highly valued. Long-serving team members help provide familiarity, reassurance and consistency for residents and their families, while also mentoring newer colleagues and preserving the culture and values that underpin high-quality care.

The celebration also provided an opportunity to recognise the wider contribution of care professionals who dedicate their careers to supporting others. Behind every care service are individuals whose commitment often spans years or even decades, quietly making a difference to the lives of hundreds of people along the way. As Iden Manor celebrates Miranda's remarkable achievement, there is a shared sense of gratitude for everything she has contributed over the past 23 years.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 9

Trust Gap Threatens £42bn AI opportunity, FSB says Unlocking wider AI adoption among small firms could add more than £42 billion to the UK economy each year – but fears around data, liability and copyright are holding many back, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said.

New research by the UK’s largest small business group shows that AI among small firms has nearly tripled in two years, with 55 per cent now using the technology, up from 20 per cent in 2023.

But concerns have surged too, with 92 per cent now worried about AI risks, compared to 2023’s 73 per cent.

These concerns include: • AI producing inaccurate responses (54%) • Security (39%) • Abuse of their Intellectual Property (IP) rights (39%) • Lack of transparency around how models are trained (38%) • Exposure to legal liability or risk (30%) • Uncertainty around using AI legally, ethically and responsibly (27%).

However, although fewer than one in ten (8%) said the technology helped reduce staff levels, 59 per cent reported productivity gains, 22 per cent said it helped them grow their business and 24 per cent reported higher revenues.

The average small business adopting AI also reported a three per cent increase in revenue – and increasing the depth of use could add more than £42 billion to the UK economy each year.

FSB is now calling on the government to: • Mandate standardised AI “model cards” so businesses can easily see what happens to their data, where it is stored, whether it is used to train AI models, who owns the outputs and who is responsible when things

go wrong. Some providers already publish this information, but not always in a consistent or easily accessible format.

• Give small businesses greater protection over their data and intellectual property, including stronger enforcement against AI companies that use copyrighted content without permission when training AI models.

• Introduce rules on who is liable when AI tools make mistakes, giving businesses the confidence to adopt the technology.

• Help small firms adopt AI safely and securely through practical support and certification from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

• Introduce tax incentives to help small businesses invest in AI and other productivity enhancing technologies.

Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “There is a healthy realism among small businesses when it comes to AI, and it’s encouraging to see so many already finding practical ways to use it to save time, improve productivity and grow. Business owners can see the potential, but they are also asking sensible questions about how their data is used, who is responsible when things go wrong, and how they can adopt the technology safely.

“It’s only natural that people want to know the rules of the road before they take the leap and begin using AI. Small firms are looking for the confidence and certainty to use it well.

“If we can provide that, the prize is enormous. AI has the potential to help small businesses work smarter, reach new customers, develop new products and compete more effectively, unlocking benefits not just for individual firms but for the wider economy too.”

National Care Association Pledges Support for Care Workers Caught Up in the Belfast Violence The National Care Association (NCA) has issued a statement strongly condemning the violence and disorder in Belfast this week, which is targeting migrant and ethnic minority families, which includes care workers, who are being driven from their homes.

The NCA has expressed concerns for the safety of people who spend their working lives looking after some of the most vulnerable in our communities, many having left their own families to support our health and social care sector.

Nadra Ahmed CBE, Co- Chairman of National Care Association said: “The social care sector depends on a multicultural and dedication workforce drawn from every part of the world. Without international and migrant care workers, the care that families across the country rely on every day would be severely compromised as we are not able to

recruit from the domestic workforce.

Ms Ahmed issued a stark warning; “Let us be clear we need every care worker in our country to be valued and supported and that includes our international colleagues. Our sector stands with you. Racism and violence have no place in our communities, and we urge political leaders and the authorities to speak up for the value they bring and the contribution they make. We are deeply concerned about the narrative being used, which is enabling growing racial tensions across our nation.”

The National Care Association said it is ready to support our members and care workers affected by the disorder.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 11

300,000 Learning Disabled Adults Shut Out Of Job Market, says Hft Learning disability charity Hft has declared a “city’s-worth of talent” is being needlessly shut out of the job market – and is calling on UK employers to give learning disabled people a chance.

The charity’s analysis of Mencap and population data for Learning Disability Week (15 -21 June) suggests at least 300,000 learning disabled adults want to work but are being denied a chance.

That is equivalent to the population of cities such as Salford, Wolverhampton or Southampton.

As of May 2026, there were over 700,000 job vacancies in the UK, yet a vast pool of available talent is currently being ignored. Hft supports learning disabled adults into work through its supported employment and internships programmes.

Becky Speight, Chief Operating Officer at Hft, said: “It’s outrageous that so many learning disabled adults who want to work are being shut out of the job market. These are brilliant people with talent and desire being denied a reasonable opportunity to contribute to our society.

“This situation can be reversed. That’s why, this Learning Disability Week, we are calling upon UK employers to make a simple pledge: to give a learning disabled adult a chance.

“Employment is part of a good, and ordinary, life. At Hft, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to find and keep a job, and our Supported Employment work helps people build the skills, confidence and experience to make that happen.”

Learning disability is not one-size-fits-all. Like non-disabled people, learning disabled people have different strengths, interests and support needs, and with the right support many go on to make valued contributions across a wide range of roles and industries.

UK employers from any sector are being asked to pledge their support to help a learning disabled person. Simply email: media.enquiries@hft.org.uk with your name, company and contact details and we will set up a conversation with our Support Employment team.

Airth Care Home Brings Generations Together for World Cup Street Party Residents, families, and the wider Airth community came together on Saturday 13 June for a spectacular World Cup Street Party hosted

by Meallmore-operated Airthrey Care Home.

The celebration kicked off with the arrival of former professional footballer, Martyn Corrigan leading the team from Airthrey Care Home in Meallmore Scotland kits as pipers Murrayfield McLeod and Debbie Mullholland played the national anthem. Corrigan, who began his career at Falkirk FC before joining Motherwell FC, commenced proceedings by kicking a football down the street, much to the excitement of the crowd.

In advance of Scotland’s first game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the care home team proudly organised the event to celebrate Scotland making their first men’s World Cup since 1998, while spreading joy in the local community. Along with a barbeque and food and drink stalls, the day was packed with activities designed for every age and every interest — football fan or not.

A brave local resident stepped up as community goalkeeper for a Beat the Goalie activity, while children and adults alike enjoyed the giant, inflatable Hungry Hippo game; family fun stations, and local stalls with

tombola, raffles, crafts, and community run booths.

All funds raised on the day are being split between the local community, Aged Scotland and the Airthrey Care Home residents’ fund, which goes towards the next event for residents.

Michelle Ruiz-Beltran, care home manager at Airthrey Care Home said: “We wanted to create a day where our local community could all come together to celebrate our nation and really show what community spirit looks like – it didn’t matter if you were a football fan or not, the day was about being proud of Scotland and proud of what we have here in Airth.

“It was truly a brilliant, joyful day. Seeing our residents, their families, and the community come together to party was fantastic to see.

Events like these are important to commemorate moments in history – they create bonds that cross generations and memories that will last for many years to come. We had a great turnout and the atmosphere was amazing. Huge thanks to Martyn for adding some extra excitement to the day; all those who helped make the event so special, and of course to everyone who came along to join in the fun. We really showed that whatever your age – ‘no Scotland, no party!’”

Welcome to Blue Rain - our activity store is built on over 14 years experience supplying products that bring joy, inspire motivation, and enrich the lives of those who need a little extra support, or simply want to have fun, whatever the weather.

Come find your next reason to smile.

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PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Mental Health Toolkit for Care Services

Published on Croner (https://app.croneri.co.uk)

This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance for promoting good mental health at work. It provides links to key information and templates on the website.

WHY MANAGE MENTAL HEALTH? Approximately one in six employees in every organisation is having mental health issues at any one time. Although employers cannot, of course, control all the factors that affect mental health, they have a key role in managing the working conditions that can have an influence on stress and mental health, as well as ensuring people with mental ill health have the support they need and are not discriminated against or stigmatised.

This will help you: • retain valuable, skilled, and experienced staff, saving time and costs • reduce sickness absence and create a healthier workplace • enhance safety and increase productivity • demonstrate your commitment to and care for your staff.

THE LINK BETWEEN STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH While stress is not a mental illness, many of the symptoms of stress and mild mental health conditions are similar. In addition, stress can exacerbate an existing mental health issue and affect a sufferer’s ability to cope, as it can with anyone.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO AS AN EMPLOYER? 1. Draw up your Mental Health at Work policy. Ideally this should be part of an overall wellbeing strategy.

It is important that this promotes an “organisation-wide” approach to mental health at work which involves employees and workplace representatives in identifying and minimising sources of stress.

2. Ensure you also have a Stress at Work policy in place. Be guided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) management standards approach and carry out appropriate workplace risk assessments. See the Employer Factsheet: Risk Assessment for Stress for help. Use the sample Workplace Risk Assessment.

3. Use the Workplace Stress Training Presentation to train managers in the importance of managing

stress in the workplace and how to spot the signs of employees having psychological or emotional difficulties. Staff could also be appointed as mental health first aiders.

4. Identify any work-related stress factors and make reasonable adjustments to support people, both while they are at work and upon returning to work after a sickness absence due to stress. See How to Rehabilitate Staff following Sick Leave for Stress.

5. Promote awareness of mental health issues and create a culture where employees feel they can talk about their concerns. Use the Employee Factsheet: Stress at Work as a first step to start a conversation or encourage completion of the Staff Wellbeing Questionnaire or a similar survey. See also How to Approach Staff who are Complaining about Stress.

6. Ensure staff have access to flexible working opportunities which promote and support the adoption of a healthy work-life balance.

Encourage healthy lifestyles by considering wellbeing initiatives, health awareness drives and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). See Staff Wellbeing at Work and the article, 35 ideas for workplace wellbeing initiatives.

Health Assured

If you need help on mental health and wellbeing issues, Health Assured offers the most comprehensive employee assistance programme (EAP) available today. Health Assured high quality counselling and specialist work-life support is delivered through an in-house team of 60 BACP accredited counsellors, supported by a network of thousands of active counsellors. Their specialist service supports nine million people throughout the UK, handling over 300,000 calls a year.

See www.healthassured.org for more information.

For more information and additonal resources, please visit https://app.croneri.co.uk/toolkits/mental-health-toolkit-care-services

Paul Celebrates 20 Years at Work, Showing What People with Learning Difficulties Can Achieve Paul is celebrating 20 years in the same job and it’s a milestone worth marking.

After finishing college, Paul made a clear decision about his future.

He wanted to work. Not to be ‘placed’ somewhere, or to fill time, but to earn his own money, be part of a team and build a working life on his own terms.

Two decades on, that choice has become his career.

Now 44, Paul, who is supported by Hft, is a long-standing, valued member of the Cookridge Hall Golf Club team in Leeds.

Over the years, he’s become a familiar and friendly face to colleagues and guests, known for his reliability, pride in his work and positive attitude.

“I’ve made a good bunch of friends at work,” Paul said. “We have lots of chats and plenty of laughs. It’s important for me to do a good job and get the plates and pots sparkling. I take great pride in my work.”

Paul’s role includes washing up and clearing tables, responsibilities he knows inside out. During the Covid pandemic, he also took on additional cleaning duties, continuing to support the club when it mattered most.

His experience reflects something bigger than one role or one workplace.

Employment isn’t just a job. It’s independence, confidence and inclusion.

“Work is important to me because it gives me independence,” Paul said. “I earn my own money and I get to choose how I spend it on things I enjoy.”

To mark his 20 years of service, colleagues presented Paul with a certificate, award and vouchers. He chose to spend them on theatre trips, including The Sound of Music and a Christmas pantomime.

Outside of work, Paul leads a full and active life. He belongs to two drama groups rehearsing weekly and performing every year for family and

friends.

He spends Sundays watching his nephew play football, attends Hft’s Free 2 Be Club, goes dancing at Popworld and visits museums, galleries and local parks. Between shifts, he also enjoys using the club’s on-site swimming pool.

“Having a job makes me feel good,” Paul said. “The staff and customers say I’m always cheerful. I think I’m one of the longest-standing members of staff here and I’m going to keep working hard at Cookridge Hall.”

Paul’s support worker, Maria Kudrjavceva, said: “It has been inspiring to see the commitment and dedication Paul has shown over the years. He takes great pride in his role and being part of the team. His work gives him a strong sense of purpose, confidence and belonging, and reaching 20 years of service is a fantastic achievement.”

Research by Mencap shows that only about 29 per cent of working age learning disabled adults are in paid employment. Around 47 per cent of those currently not in work said they’d like a paid job.

For employers, stories like Paul’s show the real value of inclusive employment. Long-term commitment, loyalty, strong team culture and reliability are not abstract benefits, they’re proof of what learning disabled adults bring to the UK workforce.

During Learning Disability Week, Paul’s milestone is a reminder of what’s possible when barriers are removed and people are supported to work in ways that suit their strengths, abilities and skills.

His 20 years at Cookridge Hall are not just a celebration of service, but of choice, contribution and the power of inclusion done well.

To find out more about how Hft supports learning disabled adults to live the lives they choose, visit www.hft.org.uk

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 DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 13

SEND, Mental Health and Prevention Overlooked in NHS Reforms, say MPs The Health and Social Care Committee has published a report outlining amendments to the Health Bill, including legal duties for NHS services to comply with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunals.

The Government’s Health Bill contains legislation to abolish NHS England, give more powers over national policy to the Secretary of State, and devolve powers to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

In addition to SEND, the cross-party Committee’s report outlines amendments that its MPs will put forward regarding: • Increasing spending on mental health services as a proportion of overall NHS funding • Closer working and input from local government over health services • The need for cross-government focus on tackling health inequalities • Breaking down siloes caused by rigid budget allocations Health and Social Care Committee Chair, Layla Moran MP, said: “The Health Bill will herald the most farreaching changes to the health service in nearly 15 years. This is the opportunity to rewire parts of the NHS to tackle chronic problems affecting every area of the country, from SEND and mental health services to better prevention of obesity and frailty. It should be about more than just reshuffling bureaucracy and handing power to the Secretary of State.

“This report sets out a number of amendments to the Health Bill that we believe MPs from across the House will get behind, and will catalyse much needed debate on what the Government is going to do with the NHS.” The amendments are explained below and the wording of each amendment is included in Appendix 1 of the report.

The amendments will be considered by a separate Public Bill Committee, which begins its deliberations on the Bill on Tuesday 16 June. The Bill Committee must finish its work by Thursday 16 July.

AMENDMENTS: COUNCILLORS SHOULD CONTINUE SCRUTINISING ICBS A consistent theme of the Committee’s inquiries has been the importance of collaboration between local authorities and NHS services, including in palliative care, adult social care and vaccinations.

The 10-Year Health Plan states the importance of “closer partnerships” with local government. Despite this, the Bill proposes to remove the requirement for at least one local councillor to sit on an ICB – the local NHS bodies that set strategies and local spending. Positions on ICBs would instead be nominated by regional mayors.

The Health Foundation and Local Government Association criticised this move. Unlike local authorities, mayors do not have formal connections with public health and adult social care.

Recommendation: Removing local authority representation from ICBs would be damaging. The statutory requirement for ICBs to have at least one member jointly nominated by local authorities should be retained.

SERVICES TOO SILOED Another recurring theme the Committee has observed is that collaboration and integration between various health services can be frustrated by budgets and responsibilities being too rigidly allocated. This often leads to tensions over who pays and who delivers. But there is an underused legal mechanism – Section 75 of the 2006 NHS Act – which enables joint commissioning and pooled budgets.

Recommendation: The Secretary of State should review the effective use of Section 75 and to produce guidance to promote the use of pooled budgets and joint commissioning by NHS bodies and local authorities.

SEND TRIBUNALS AND ICBS A recent report by the Education Committee identified a systemic lack of accountability in the NHS’s provision of services for children and young people with SEND. When a family is not provided with services they need, as laid out in an Education Health and Care Plan, their only recourse is to take a local authority, which commission SEND services, to a SEND tribunal. But SEND tribunals do not have power over health services, leaving families stuck if they are not provided with the help they are entitled to from the NHS. Recommendation: ICBs should be legally required to comply with recommendations from SEND Tribunals.

THE MENTAL HEALTH INVESTMENT STANDARD Introduced in 2015-16, the Mental Health Investment Standard required the proportion of NHS spending on mental health services to increase every year, relative to the amount spent on physical health. This sought to achieve, over time, parity of esteem between mental and physical health services. Today, mental health accounts for over 20% of the ‘disease burden’ but receives less than 10% of NHS expenditure.

The Investment Standard has been dropped for 2026-27 and subsequent years, with spending on mental health due to rise with inflation – therefore staying at the same proportional level.

Recommendation: Dropping the requirement to increase mental health spending as a proportion of the overall health budget represents an abandonment of the journey towards parity of esteem.

HEALTH INEQUALITIES CONSIDERED ACROSS GOVERNMENT It is well documented that a number of demographics, such as ethnic minorities, populations in rural, coastal or inner-city areas, and other examples, experience worse outcomes from NHS services. It is in these areas that there is greatest demand but often poor provision of preventative health services for issues such as obesity or the effects of ageing.

The Health Bill includes a technical change that provides clarity on the Secretary of State’s duty to have regard to the need to reduce inequalities in England. The Committee heard evidence that this should be strengthened to apply across government.

Recommendation: the Secretary of State’s duties in relation to health should be strengthened and that all ministers should be under a duty to consider how policies they enact might contribute to or reduce England’s health inequalities.

PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

How More Intergenerational Living Could Help Tackle Britain's Loneliness And Housing Crises Britain faces two growing crises: loneliness and housing. Now a new survey points to ways in which both problems could be tackled by the generations working together to develop solutions that work for all ages – including multigenerational living.

• Intergenerational connections appear to be a protective factor against loneliness and a “power tool” for wellbeing • More than three-quarters of respondents said that spending time with people of different ages made them feel included and valued (77%) • Intergenerational homesharing could help unlock some of the 10 million “spare bedrooms” in the homes of older people.

Chronic loneliness is a problem for almost four million people in the UK and the negative physical and psychological health impacts of loneliness are well established.

Loneliness is also not just an issue for older people: according to the Government’s own research, younger adults (16-29) are significantly more likely to report being lonely compared to older generations.

Alongside that, millions of younger people are struggling with housing costs.

A new survey has shed a potentially positive light on both crises at the start of Loneliness Awareness Week (15 – 21 June).

The survey was conducted between the Age Action Alliance – the knowledge-sharing collaboration of more than 200 organisations working in the later life zone – the loneliness charity Re-engage and home share providers The Care Share Solution, and reveals that initiatives to rebuild the bridges between generations could make a meaningful difference.

These initiatives could include unlocking the 10 million “spare bedrooms” in the homes of older people.

The cross-generational survey was conducted in February 2026 by loneliness charity Re-engage and asked 355 people a series of questions about home sharing.

The results come just weeks after the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People concluded that blending housing for older people with homes for younger generations could help combat rising loneliness as well as address the UK's chronic shortage of specialist housing.

Key findings from our survey include: • Intergenerational connections appear to be a protective factor against loneliness and a “power tool” for wellbeing • Just over two-thirds of respondents had experienced loneliness (68%), with bereavement most commonly cited as a trigger • More than three-quarters of respondents said that spending time with people of different ages made them feel included and valued (77%)

“We can’t turn the clock back on the fact that families no longer remain so physically close. But we can make our society a place where the generations are encouraged and enabled to come together more easily – through community building, housing solutions, shared learning activities and so on.

“This genuinely isn't rocket science. And I’m confident that we are now pushing at an open door. More and more care homes are opening their doors to schools and playgroups. We are seeing intergenerational housing schemes where all generations benefit, and community projects where older people are passing on their skills and knowledge and feeling valued.

“Build on these beginnings and we start to eradicate one of the biggest causes of unhappiness and poor health in our country today.”

THE PROJECT’S BEGINNINGS

• The biggest benefits of spending time with people from other generations were: learning; relationships; and community building • This is a strong desire for connection, with 77% saying they would be willing to try “something new” but structural barriers currently make this difficult • Confidence is a major factor too – older adults often need to be “invited” to activities • A need for better transport was cited by 32% of older people as holding them back from taking part in activities • Around a third of people said they would feel comfortable sharing their home with someone (30%) as a way to reduce isolation Tony Watts OBE, Chair of the Age Action Alliance said: “The research has proven what many of us have long argued.

Loneliness is a cross-generational issue. Solving the problem needs to be an intergenerational effort too.

“A lot of the isolation we now see in society comes from families being less connected than they once were… but we all benefit from the company of people from different generations. What we need to take away from this survey is how to foster those relationships and break down the barriers that can prevent it from happening.

“The increasing physical fragmentation of families has led us to the point where many people simply don't have that ‘intergenerational glue’ in their lives, and which has sustained society for millennia.

The project was initiated by Joe Wells, co-founder of The Care Share Solution, which matches older homeowners with vetted home-sharers.

Joe’s personal experience inspired the project.

When Joe’s mother developed dementia, she did not require fulltime care – but she struggled with anxiety when alone. “Most of all she didn’t want to be alone at night,” Joe explains.

“That’s when her anxiety was at its worst. What she really needed was companionship and someone nearby for reassurance.”

Instead of moving her into care, Joe explored whether a younger person looking for affordable accommodation could live in the home and offer light support and companionship.

The arrangement worked. “It helped my mum feel safe, supported and connected again, he says. “At the same time, it helped someone younger access affordable housing. That’s when the idea for The Care Share Solution was born.”

The organisation now matches older homeowners with carefully vetted home-sharers, who live in the home and provide up to 15 hours of support each week in exchange for affordable accommodation.

“Across the UK, organisations are increasingly exploring intergenerational solutions – care homes are partnering with schools and nurseries, communities are coming together to share skills and the life experiences of older people.

“We hope this research will spark more such initiatives.”

Ben Diamond, co-founder of the Care Share Solution says the survey confirms the importance of this direction. “Intergenerational connections appear to be one of the most powerful protective factors against loneliness.

“When we bring the generations together, everyone gains.”

Fall Risks: Supporting the Care of Those Living with Dementia with Lyra Multi Geraldine McMurdie, Dementia Specialist at Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), discusses the links between dementia and falls and the ways in which these can have an impact on those living with a dementia.

Those living with a dementia are at a significantly higher risk of falling, with studies indicating that one in three adults over the age of 65, and half of people over 80, will experience at least one fall a year. People living with a dementia are also 5 times more likely to be admitted to long-term care after a fall.

Falls can significantly impact the confidence, health, and wellbeing of individuals living with dementia. They can also heighten the stress experienced by caregivers and place additional strain on the healthcare system.

DEMENTIA AND FALLS As a dementia progresses over time effecting the brain and how it works, this can often lead to significant effects on a person’s mobility and safety awareness, leading to challenges such as reduced balance, difficulty managing dual tasks, spatial navigation issues, increased frailty, and medication side effects.

These factors contribute to those living with a form of dementia experiencing falls.

KEY STATISTICS: Injury and hospitalisation – around 31% of people with dementia experience a fall leading to hospitalisation over a 2.5 year period Fracture risk – 18% of those with dementia will experience a fracture, often following a fall Mortality risk – falls can be a major cause of death, with higher injury-related mortality risks in those living with dementia

Often when someone living with dementia experiences a fall an ambulance is called as the individual may not be able to convey how much pain they are experiencing or how serious the injury is. This can lead to distress and poor health outcomes if care staff do not know how to respond to the situation in a prompt, caring and appropriate manner.

DEALING WITH FALLS Understandably falls can happen very quickly and without warning and are often a distressing time for both the individual who has fallen and the care provider who is looking after them. It is a time where decisions will need to be made quickly in order to provide the best possible care and support at the time it’s needed most. It is also important that these decisions are made in line with the individual’s care plan and the policies in place for best practice.

With Lyra Multi, QCS’s latest stage of AI technology, care providers can access all of their policies and compliance documents within seconds, helping them to make those quick decisions in a compliant and safe way. Lyra Multi connects all relevant policies, interprets them in context and converts complexity into clear, relevant and practical guidance exactly when teams need it, turning policy storage into real decision support.

At any given time, users can ask a question and get instant, tailored answers along with clear summaries and key insights. For example, if a resident with a dementia has fallen over and the care provider wants to check how support them with safe and appropriate care, they can type the message into Lyra and have all the relevant information from all of their policies provided to them in a succinct and understandable way within seconds.

Ensuring decisions are made both quickly and in a way that is compliant with regulations and policies will provide the best possible care for the individual who has fallen as well as give the care provider the confidence that they have acted in the most suitable way.

Find out more about Lyra Multi at www.qcs.co.uk/lyra See the advert on page 15.

FOR ALL THE LATEST CARE SECTOR NEWS VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Why I Created MiCode

By Professor James Francis Kwame Fah Ohene-Djan PhD, FHEA

My brother Anthony lived with multiple sclerosis. He was not “an MS patient” to me. He was my brother. He had his own personality, humour, frustrations, hopes and ordinary routines. Like anyone living with a long-term condition, he wanted to get on with life and not be defined by illness.

But when someone you love has a serious condition, there is a quiet fear that sits in the background. You may not speak about it every day, but it is there.

What happens if they become unwell when you are not with them? What happens if they fall, get confused, cannot explain their condition, or need help from someone who knows nothing about them? Would that person know who to contact? Would they know about medication, allergies, communication needs, or the small but vital details that make care safe and personal?

After Anthony died, those questions stayed with me.

A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE I also had cancer myself, and that changed how I thought about medical information. When you are well, a list of medication or an emergency contact number can seem like admin.

When you are ill, those details become something else entirely.

They become part of your safety. They become part of how quickly someone can understand you, support you and contact the people who matter.

That is why I created MiCode.

MiCode is a QR code designed to store and manage your medical information and emergency contacts. It can be carried on a card, keyring, sticker, bracelet, pendant or phone. If someone needs help, the code can be scanned instantly using any smartphone. No app is needed.

The person with the MiCode remains in control of what information is stored and what is shown. It can include medical conditions, medication, allergies, emergency contacts, communication needs, care instructions, documents, or anything else that may be important in an emergency. It can also work in different lan-

guages, which matters in a country as diverse as ours, and for people who travel.

GIVING VULNERABLE PEOPLE A VOICE For people with disabilities, long-term conditions, dementia, autism, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, heart conditions, MS, learning disabilities, sensory impairments or mental health conditions, MiCode can be incredibly useful. In a crisis, people are often expected to explain themselves quickly and clearly. But those are exactly the moments when pain, fear, confusion, shock or illness can make that impossible.

SUPPORTING THE CARE NETWORK MiCode gives people a voice when they may not be able to speak for themselves.

It is also very useful for people who are being cared for. So much care depends on knowledge held by other people: a daughter who knows the medication, a husband who knows the hospital consultant, a carer who understands the routine, a support worker who knows how best to communicate. But carers cannot be everywhere all the time.

MiCode helps that essential information travel with the person.

For families and carers, this can bring real peace of mind. It does not remove worry — nothing does — but it can reduce one of the biggest fears: that the person you care for will need help and nobody will know who they are, what they need, or who should be called.

I also wanted MiCode to be affordable. Safety should not be a luxury product. MiCode starts from £20, which I believe is an amazing price for something that can carry such important information and provide such reassurance.

People can get MiCode directly from www.micode.uk. And if anyone has questions, they can always email me personally at james@micode.uk.

MiCode began with Anthony. It also came from my own experience of illness. But it is for anyone who wants to feel safer, more independent and better understood in an emergency. It is a small piece of technology with a very human purpose: helping people be known, protected and cared for when it matters most.

Care Home Manager Raises £1,200 for Crossroads Care Surrey Margielyn Gonzaga, Home Manager of The Burlington Care Home in Shepperton, has raised £1,200 for Crossroads Care Surrey after completing a full day of Bushtucker-style challenges at this year’s I’m a Director, Get Me Out of Here! event.

On Friday 12th June, Care Home Manage, Margielyn stepped into the jungle at The Laithwaite Community Stadium in Woking to take on one of Surrey’s most demanding charity fundraising events, and she left with sore muscles, a gunge-soaked kit, and £1,200 raised for Surrey’s unpaid carers.

The annual event, organised by Crossroads Care Surrey, invites business leaders from across the county to face a series of challenges inspired by the hit ITV show, all in support of the estimated 120,000 unpaid carers across Surrey who the charity supports through respite services.

For Margie, the day was nothing short of full-on. It opened with a creepy crawlies challenge that saw her holding a tarantula. It escalated from there.

Obstacle courses followed, then an archery challenge where her very first arrow went clean through the target. Then came three rounds of eating challenges including chicken hearts and feet with fish eye and fish egg tapioca pudding for dessert. The finale arrived in the form of a bucket of gunge, after her Pink Team narrowly missed out on the win.

“I genuinely did not know what I was getting myself into,” said Margielyn Gonzaga. “Holding a tarantula, eating things I’d rather not name, ending the day covered in gunge, none of that was on my bingo card

when I signed up. But honestly? I’d do it again. Family carers carry so much, quietly, and often without a second thought for themselves.

They look after loved ones at home without a professional team around them, and they do it every single day. If a very uncomfortable Friday is what it takes to raise money for the people who do that, it feels like the least I can do. A huge thank you to everyone who donated and cheered us on. It meant more than you know.”

The achievement carries particular meaning for those at The Burlington. As General Manager, Margie works daily alongside residents, families, and the wider network of carers who support people through later life. Unpaid carers sit at the heart of that system, and Crossroads Care Surrey gives them the breathing space to carry on.

Boutique Care Homes founder Ameet Kotecha previously took on the same event himself, and Margie followed in that tradition by stepping up this year.

“I’ve done this event myself, so I know exactly what Margie walked into on Friday, and knowing what’s coming doesn’t make it any easier,” said Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director of Boutique Care Homes. “What she did takes real courage, and she did it for the right reasons. Margie didn’t just raise £1,200. She stood up and said that unpaid family carers matter. That’s exactly who she is, and it’s exactly what The Burlington is built on. Incredibly proud of her.”

The £1,200 raised will go directly to Crossroads Care Surrey to fund respite services for unpaid carers across the county.

Waste Management Specialist Appointed To Help Care Homes Save Thousands Of Pounds A Year Anenta, the leading independent healthcare waste management specialist, has appointed waste expert Jonathan Sandford as Business Development Manager dedicated to the care home sector.

Brought on board to boost Anenta’s growing care home client base, Jonathan brings more than 35 years of waste industry experience – from running his own document shredding business to leading nationwide sales teams at a plc level. His appointment comes as Anenta accelerates its mission to help care homes eliminate unnecessary costs that can run into thousands of pounds a year.

In his new role, Jonathan will oversee the management of Anenta’s existing waste contracts, ensuring that care home waste logistics, service delivery, and waste disposal performance levels are industry leading. He will also be responsible for delivering bespoke, affordable and professional end-to-end waste management solutions to the care and nursing home sector.

Commenting on his new role, Jonathan said: “Our research shows that individual care homes are wasting up to £8,000 a year through poor waste management process and procurement. Across multiple sites, that adds up fast — and it's largely avoidable.

“My role is to help care homes put a stop to that by changing poor waste disposal habits and practices, so that we can deliver a better service that saves them time and money.

“I’ll be working with care homes to identify overbilling, reform waste disposal habits, deliver better staff training, and provide guidance on conducting complex pre-acceptance audits –

all designed to take the administrative burden off care home teams so they can focus on what matters: resident care.”

Using Anenta's real-time smart technology, care homes, their waste collection providers, and other stakeholders are brought together onto a single, unified management platform that provides full transparency. This allows efficiencies to be identified, implemented and measured, delivering significant and meaningful cost savings year after year.

Commenting on Jonathan’s appointment, Graham Flynn, Managing Director of Anenta, said: "Jonathan has the perfect combination of sector knowledge, commercial expertise, and an unwavering commitment to delivering added value to our customers.

“Alongside his expertise in waste management, Jonathan is perfectly placed to help care homes streamline their processes saving time, hassle and money."

As part of its service, Anenta offers care homes a free healthcare waste audit designed to identify areas for improvement that could save care home groups many thousands of pounds a year. These can be booked by calling 0330 122 2143.

Anenta supports customers across more than 20,000 locations nationwide, including individual care homes and large care home groups. Over the past five years, the company has saved its clients more than £13 million through smarter, more efficient waste management.

For more information about Anenta, visit www.anentawaste.com or call 030 122 2143.

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

Campaigner's Book Delivers A Unique Perspective On Life In Residential Care A lot is said about the challenges facing social care from care providers and their representatives and from government. Rarely do the perspective and reflections of someone living from the beginning to the end of a journey through social care get to be voiced in quite this way, however.

What Would Maggie Do? is a book written by Michael Maslinski, who lived in a care home for 9 years with his wife Maggie, after she was diagnosed with dementia.

Michael describes the beginnings of his wife’s condition, how they both prepared for the future, the challenges faced once Maggie eventually needed residential care, and why Michael chose to live with her in the home. It contains advice for anyone about to take a similar journey, and a timely critique of how the health and social care system’s structures, processes, regulations, and attitude to risk have reduced the system’s ability to deliver care tailored to the well-being of the individual.

Mr Maslinski said: “Having lived for nine years in a care home beside my late wife, my focus now has been to use my rare, if not unique, experiences of how decisions are made in the care sector to allow others to have a genuinely individualised, or “person-centred” experience of the system.”

Michael detailed in the book the challenges around keeping his wife mobile during her stay, including daily walks, which ultimately he believes strongly contributed to her longevity and quality of life. Despite the apparent benefits, regulatory pressures and an impersonalised approach to risk often threatened to end Maggie’s regular walks. While most care home residents don’t have a family member on site as much as Michael was, his perseverance as an advocate for his wife kept her moving. This was just one of many

examples of how Michael had to challenge the system to ensure his wife’s needs were not subjugated to standard processes and regulations.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, added: “Michael has produced a fantastic book in which he goes through all the issues related to supporting somebody who's living with dementia. One of the things that really came through for me was the fact that we need to shift the system from being risk-averse to being risk-aware. Ensuring that those who don’t have such a forceful advocate so close to hand can still benefit from the person-centred care that clearly kept Maggie moving and allowed her to live a better life for longer.”

Mr Maslinski also challenged how the NHS approached risk when he had to battle to have relatively minor surgery carried out to keep Maggie physically well, where doctors initially felt that the advanced dementia made the procedure not worth the risk.

Michael has since been giving talks to the management of care home groups, discussing his experiences, and has noted how care staff have been using the book: “When I visited one care home, I saw that a senior manager had been using my book, with lots of stickers marking passages that they had been referring back to. It means a lot that this book is already making a difference, and I’m continuing to share this knowledge, especially now during Care Home Open Week.”

The book ends with recommendations to care providers, regulators, and the families of those navigating life with dementia. Mr Maslinski and Care England hope to share his story throughout Care Home Open Week and beyond, with Baroness Casey’s “national conversation” due to begin this year.

Charity Trustee Receives King’s Birthday Honours For Supporting Veterans A former charity trustee has received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours, published on 13 June, in recognition of his work supporting the Armed Forces community.

Mark Wills was a trustee of Royal Star & Garter for 21 years, until he stepped down in 2026. The charity provides loving, compassionate care and support for veterans and their families, living with disability or dementia, through care homes and services reaching into the community.

Mark was an active member of the charity’s governing body, serving since his appointment in 2005 on the Finance Committee, six years as Deputy Chair and four years on the Care Committee. These voluntary roles demanded significant regulatory responsibilities and time commitments.

Following his service in the Royal Engineers, Mark worked in investment and financial management. During his time as governor, his experience informed the charity’s evolution, moving from its historic home in Richmond, Surrey, in 2013, and building three modern care homes, completing a merger and greatly expanding its services for the veteran community.

Mark was instrumental in developing the charity’s investment strategy, specifically focused on ensuring that financial investments were fully optimised. The income from that financial portfolio now funds a significant proportion of its charitable work. Mark

also led a governance review of the charity, which resulted in a recent update to its Royal Charter.

Chair of Royal Star & Garter’s governing body, Richard Williams MC, commented: “Mark has given significantly of his time and expertise throughout his tenure with us. Without his enormous commitment, skill and diligence, the charity would not have been able to steer through periods of global financial uncertainly whilst remaining in good financial health. He has played a major part in ensuring that Royal Star & Garter will be able to support veterans well into the next century.

Mark has been a governor of great consequence and is worthy of this honour in recognition of his immense commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community.”

Mark commented on his award, saying: “I accept this MBE in recognition of the sacrifices of all those who serve and have served in His Majesty’s Armed Forces and am very humbled to be the recipient of this prestigious honour. Having served in the Armed Forces myself, giving back to the military family as Governor at Royal Star & Garter for 21 years has been a massive privilege and hugely satisfying.

Working with fellow Trustees and the senior team has helped the charity care for members of the military family, honouring the military covenant and expanding our range and breadth of services in preparation for the charity's future challenges."

The CQC Backlog Crisis and Why Independent Inspection Matters

By Kevin Groombridge – Chief Executive, Care Inspections UK (www.careinspections.co.uk) The adult social care sector depends upon effective regulation, timely oversight and credible assurance to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society.

However, new analysis by Care Inspections UK (CIUK) has highlighted growing concerns about the current inspection backlog within the Care Quality Commission (CQC) system and the wider implications for public confidence, provider accountability and quality improvement across England.

Data analysed by CIUK from the CQC show that, as of March 2026, more than 5,400 care homes in England had not received a full inspection in over five years. This represents more than 40 per cent of all care homes registered before March 2021. In some local authority areas, more than 70 per cent of services had not received a full inspection during that period.

Whilst many providers continue to deliver safe and compassionate care despite immense operational pressures, the scale of the backlog

raises serious questions about whether the current inspection system can deliver timely and effective regulatory oversight.

Inspection delays matter. Families, residents, commissioners, lenders and insurers rely heavily upon inspection findings to assess risk, quality and compliance. When inspections are not conducted regularly or when reports take many months to be published, confidence in the regulatory system inevitably weakens.

At the same time, providers themselves often express frustration regarding inconsistency in inspection methodology, perceived subjectivity in judgements and the lack of practical support following inspection activity. Many operators report that inspection outcomes can feel overly dependent upon individual inspector interpretation rather than robust triangulated evidence and measurable quality indicators.

This is where independent inspection and assurance bodies play an increasingly important role.

As the UK’s only UKAS-accredited independent inspection body for adult social care operating to ISO/IEC 17020 standards, CIUK provides a credible alternative source of inspection, assurance and quality improvement support for the sector. Unlike consultancy-led “mock inspections”, CIUK undertakes structured, evidence-based inspections using defined methodologies, extensive document review, stakeholder engagement, direct observation and objective assessment frameworks.

Importantly, CIUK inspections are designed not simply to identify failings, but to support improvement. Detailed inspection reports and

action plans provide providers with clear, practical and prioritised recommendations to strengthen governance, compliance, safety and care quality.

In an environment where CQC capacity challenges continue to affect inspection frequency, many providers are increasingly recognising the value of independent inspection as part of their wider governance and assurance arrangements. CIUK can quickly and efficiently inspect services across residential care, nursing care, supported living and domiciliary care, providing organisations with timely insight into operational performance and regulatory risk.

The sector also faces increasing complexity. Workforce shortages, rising acuity, financial pressures and growing regulatory expectations mean providers require more sophisticated governance and assurance systems than ever before. Independent inspection can help bridge this gap by identifying concerns early, validating good practice and supporting continuous improvement between regulatory inspections.

The future of adult social care regulation cannot rely solely upon periodic state inspection. The sector requires a broader ecosystem of evidence-based assurance, transparent quality measurement and continuous improvement support. Independent accredited inspection bodies are well placed to become an essential part of that future.

Ultimately, inspection should not be about judgement alone. It should be about protecting people, improving care and giving the public confidence that services are safe, effective and well-led.

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

People with Learning Disabilities Support Marie Curie to Update End of Life Care Resources People with learning disabilities have been supporting a leading end of life charity to create new accessible resources around the topics of terminal illness, death, dying and bereavement – after research found they are often not involved in conversations about the subject or told when someone close to them will die.

Marie Curie first launched its easy read booklets back in 2017, but has now updated these and added online resources, photo books and videos to further support having conversations around palliative and end of life care with people with a learning disability and those who may need additional support to understand or process information.

The information in the resources has been stripped right back to include crucial points only. These points use jargon-free, straightforward language and are presented alongside clear pictures in the order that makes most sense to the reader.

People with a learning disability may face particular challenges if they, or someone close to them, come to need palliative and end of life care. They may experience poorer quality care, because their specific needs are not always understood or fully considered; and may find it difficult to cope with adverse events, like death and grief.

Research also found that people with a learning disability are often excluded from these topics. This includes not being involved in conversations about death and dying, not being told someone close to them has died, and being left out of conversations about terminal illness, its progression, and what to expect.

Sam Clements supported his brother Harry through the death of their father with honest and open conversations – with the pair since supporting the charity with these updated resources.

Sam, who is also Associate Director of Nursing and Quality at Marie Curie, said: “I think it’s important to have these conversations with everyone, but particularly with people who are living with additional needs or learning disabilities and I think the most important thing for us was avoiding softening or sugar coating the situation.

“We were really cautious not to use language like he’d gone to sleep because we didn’t want to cause more confusion or cause any worry around sleeping because that’s not what happened – he didn’t go to sleep, he died.

“So, it’s being very clear around the words that were used and just having that really honest communication.”

Harry said: “I have good memories (of dad). We went on holidays. We played in the pool and he held me. Good times. Dad loved me. He was proud of me. “(When he died) it was hard to be strong. But we visit his grave. We remember him. I sing hymns and light candles.

It was difficult to understand, but people helped me.

Talking helped. My mum, nan and Sam and my whole family.”

Harry and Sam feature in the Marie Curie photo books and videos, as does Sue Taylor whose dad also died.

Sue said: “It was confusing time to me because I thought it can’t be my father had died. It can’t be. It was a shock to me. My mum didn’t go into it, because they didn’t want to upset me, and in those days there was no explaining about it – there was no leaflets about it to get you to understand about it.”

Some people with a learning disability may not have been involved in decision making or given opportunities to make their own choices, so there may be additional things to consider when it comes to discussions around end of life, to help people develop an understanding and be prepared for what to expect. In cases like this, it is particularly important to make sure that people have access to clear information in their preferred format, to enable further conversations and involvement.

Charlotte Lindley, Marie Curie Head of Information and Support and Companions, said: “For most people,talkingabout death and dying is difficult. There is a lot of information to digest and everyone has the right to information in the form that suits their needs.

“The more open we are about death and dying, the more time people have to discuss their needs and concerns. Having access to straight-forward information that enables straight-forward, jargon-free conversations could benefit anyone struggling to come to terms with a terminal illness.

“It’s important to remember that someone who has a learning disability will make better informed decisions about their care and treatment, if explanations they need come in the correct form.”

The Marie Curie Palliative Care Knowledge Zone also has free and easy to access online resources for professionals who are caring for people with learning disabilities at the end of life, or who knows someone who is dying or has died.

Care Sector Stalwart Retires After Thirty Years Championing Older People's Care The CEO of not-for-profit care provider, Harrogate Neighbours and former National Chair of the NACC, Sue Cawthray, has retired after a career dedicated to improving care, nutrition and community support.

One of the care sector's most respected leaders, Sue, has spent more than 35 years working across social care, housing, care catering and community services.

Sue’s departure as Chief Executive of Harrogate Neighbours, brings to a close a remarkable career that has seen her influence national policy, champion older people's nutrition and wellbeing, lead award-winning services, and become one of the most recognised voices in care catering and community care.

Stepping into the role as CEO of Harrogate Neighbours is Helena Evans, who brings more than 20 years’ experience across the housing, supported housing, support and care sectors, including almost a decade serving as CEO within community-based housing and support organisations.

Since joining Harrogate Neighbours in 2005, Sue has overseen a period of significant growth and transformation, including the development of extra care housing, expansion of domiciliary care services, the creation of the award-winning Harrogate Food Angels meals-on-wheels service, and the opening of the organisation's Community Hub in Starbeck, North Yorkshire.

Her contribution to the wider care sector has been equally significant. A long-standing volunteer and leader within the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), Sue served two terms as National Chair and played a leading role in advancing nutritional standards for older people, contributing to national guidance, government initiatives and campaigns tackling malnutrition and loneliness.

In 2023, Sue received the Public Sector Catering Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of 30 years of service to care catering. She has also been named among the UK's most influential figures in public sector catering for five consecutive years and was recognised with the Outstanding Contribution to Social Care Award at the Yorkshire and Humber Great Care Awards.

Reflecting on her retirement, Sue said, "It has been the privilege of my life to work in the care sector and alongside some truly extraordinary people. Care is about far more than services – it is about dignity, compassion, relationships and helping people live the best lives they can.

"Over the years I have seen incredible commitment from care professionals, volunteers and support staff who go above and beyond every day, often without the recognition they deserve. I am immensely

proud to have been part of a sector that continually rises to challenges and puts people first.

"The pandemic demonstrated beyond doubt the vital role social care plays in our communities. Yet despite that, the sector continues to face significant challenges around funding, workforce pressures and resources. My hope is that social care receives the investment, recognition and support it needs in the years ahead because the people who rely on these services, and those who deliver them, deserve nothing less.

"I leave the sector with enormous pride in what has been achieved and complete confidence in the passionate, talented people who will continue to drive positive change. Although I am retiring from executive leadership, I will always remain a proud advocate for social care and for older people."

Under Sue's leadership, Harrogate Neighbours has become recognised as one of North Yorkshire's most innovative charitable care organisations. Her achievements include leading the development of Greenfield Court into an Extra Care facility, project managing the £7.7 million development of The Cuttings Extra Care scheme, securing The Queens Award for Voluntary Service for the Harrogate Food Angels, and helping the organisation achieve and maintain Customer Service Excellence accreditation with Compliance Plus status year after year.

Her wider influence extended beyond Harrogate. Sue helped launch national nutritional initiatives, worked alongside government and healthcare stakeholders on hydration and malnutrition campaigns, contributed to industry guidance launched at the House of Commons, and played a key role in raising the profile of Meals on Wheels services across the UK. Commenting on Sue's retirement, Chair of Harrogate Neighbours, Judith Bell said, "Sue's contribution to Harrogate Neighbours, and to the wider care sector, has been exceptional. Her vision, determination and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of older people have shaped not only our organisation but influenced services and standards nationally.

"Her legacy can be seen in the services she has created, the communities she has strengthened and the countless people whose lives have been improved through her leadership. We thank Sue for her extraordinary service and wish her every happiness in her retirement."

Dementia Care, Complex Behaviour, and Why Change Can No Longer Wait

By Jayne Connery, Founder of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable too quickly. Being unable to express pain or discomfort All these things can completely change how a person living with dementia responds.

We also believe there needs to be more honest conversation around the emotional toll complex dementia care can have on care staff themselves. Supporting someone who is frightened, distressed, aggressive, or emotionally dysregulated every day can be emotionally draining. Staff need support, mentoring, and safe spaces to reflect without fear of judgement.

Good dementia care is not simply task-based care - it is relationship-based care.

The providers who stand out to us are rarely those focused purely on appearance or marketing. They are the providers investing in culture, leadership, staff wellbeing, communication, and specialist understanding. They create environments where carers feel confident asking for help, where families are listened to, and where behaviours are approached with curiosity rather than frustration.

Importantly, we also want to see a move away from overreliance on restrictive approaches wherever possible. Families frequently raise concerns with us around sedation, isolation, lack of stimulation, or individuals being labelled too quickly without enough exploration of underlying causes. Every behaviour should prompt a question: what is this person trying to communicate?

Over the years, through my work with families, care providers, carers, and people living with dementia, one issue continues to stand out above almost all others — the lack of understanding around complex behaviour in dementia care.

At Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV), we believe it is one of the greatest challenges facing the care sector today, and also one of the areas where meaningful change is urgently needed.

Families regularly contact us feeling frightened, exhausted, and heartbroken. Many describe loved ones who were once calm and gentle becoming distressed, fearful, aggressive, withdrawn, or resistant to care. Often, they are told their relative is “challenging”, “difficult”, or “non-compliant”.

But behind every behaviour is a reason.

People living with dementia are not intentionally trying to cause problems. Behaviour is communication. It may reflect pain, fear, overstimulation, confusion, loneliness, trauma, frustration, or unmet emotional and physical needs.

Too often, care environments still focus on managing behaviour rather than understanding it and that has to change. My own mother, Ellen, lived with vascular dementia, and I witnessed firsthand how dramatically environment and communication affected her wellbeing. In the right setting, around people who showed patience, empathy, humour, and reassurance, her personality

remained very much alive. But in environments where she felt frightened, rushed, or misunderstood, her anxiety escalated and her behaviour changed completely.

Sometimes the answer may be physical pain. Sometimes trauma. Sometimes fear. Sometimes boredom. Sometimes grief.

Sometimes simply an environment that no longer feels safe or familiar.

What I learned through my mum’s journey shaped the entire direction of my work.

Complex dementia care requires far more than basic awareness training. It requires emotional intelligence, confidence, consistency, observation, patience, and genuine understanding of the individual behind the diagnosis.

Sadly, carers are often placed into highly demanding situations without the level of specialist training or support they truly need.

We hear repeatedly from frontline staff who admit they feel overwhelmed managing distressed behaviours, particularly when staffing levels are stretched or when residents have advanced dementia combined with other complex health needs. This is not about blaming carers.

Many carers are working under immense pressure and doing extraordinary work in very difficult circumstances. But as a sector, we must be honest enough to recognise that the needs of people living with dementia have become increasingly complex.

At CCFTV, we believe dementia care must become more individualised, more compassionate, and more psychologically informed.

We also believe families should be viewed as part of the care team, not outsiders. Relatives often hold the key to understanding triggers, routines, comfort strategies, and lifelong personality traits that can help staff deliver far better care.

The reality is that some people entering care homes today would previously have been supported within specialist nursing or hospital environments. Providers are caring for residents with significant cognitive impairment, distressed behaviours, trauma responses, mobility issues, communication difficulties, and multiple health conditions — often all at once. And yet dementia training can still vary hugely across the sector.

There are many outstanding carers and providers already leading the way. We see extraordinary examples across the sector every week. But we also know there is inconsistency, and too many families still feel unsupported when behaviours become complex.

At CCFTV, we want to see greater investment in meaningful dementia education that goes beyond textbooks and compliance exercises. Training must help carers understand why behaviours happen, how environments influence distress, and how communication styles can either calm or escalate situations.

Simple things matter more than people realise.

Tone of voice. Body language. Noise levels. Lighting. Routine.

Familiarity. Feeling ignored. Feeling frightened. Being approached

Change is possible. But it requires openness, investment, stronger dementia education, honest conversations, and a willingness to move beyond outdated models of care. Because people living with dementia deserve more than simply being managed, they deserve the right care.

07734 351 403 carecampaignforthevulnerable@gmail.com www.carecampaignforthevulnerable.com

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Setting the Standard: Care Home Compliance Made Simple The regulatory landscape is evolving — here's what your care home needs to know Trust is the foundation of every great care home. For residents and their families, choosing residential care is rarely a simple decision. It carries emotional weight, financial significance, and an enormous leap of faith. That's why transparency, fairness, and legal compliance aren't just operational tickboxes — they're central to the care you provide.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) has introduced some of the most significant changes to consumer law in more than a decade, and care homes are firmly within its scope. Understanding what those changes mean in practice is essential — and that's exactly where the Business Companion Care Homes Guidance comes in.

Developed by legal experts and completely free to access, this practical guide breaks down your obligations under the new legislation in plain, straightforward language. Whether you're reviewing contracts, updating your pricing structures, or looking at how you communicate with prospective residents, it's an indispensable resource.

WHAT THE DMCCA MEANS FOR CARE HOMES The DMCCA replaces the previous Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, raising the bar across almost every consumer-facing sector. For care homes, the key implications include: Full pricing transparency. The Act outlaws "drip pricing" — the practice of introducing unavoidable fees late in the customer journey. All mandatory charges must now be presented clearly and upfront, from

the very first conversation.

Authentic reviews and endorsements. Fabricated or manipulated reviews are now explicitly prohibited. As online reputation plays an increasingly important role in how families choose care homes, authenticity isn't just ethical — it's a legal requirement.

Tougher enforcement. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now holds significantly strengthened powers, with the ability to issue fines of up to £300,000, or 10% of global turnover, for non-compliance.

The message is clear: getting this right matters.

These are just some of the areas covered in detail within the Business Companion Care Homes Guidance, which offers practical, step-by-step advice to help your home stay on the right side of the law.

SUPPORTING VULNERABLE RESIDENTS Working in care means working with vulnerability every day.

Whether driven by age, ill health, bereavement, financial pressure, or a combination of factors, vulnerability can affect a resident's ability to

make informed decisions or communicate their needs clearly.

Recognising and responding to this is both a legal duty and a moral one. The Business Companion Consumer Vulnerability Guide provides checklists and actionable advice to help your team identify and appropriately support vulnerable individuals — ensuring your home delivers compassion and compliance in equal measure.

A WIDER RESOURCE FOR YOUR BUSINESS Business Companion extends well beyond care home guidance. The platform covers a broad range of sectors and topics — from online selling and complaints handling to delivery charges and net zero planning — all presented in clear, accessible language. Backed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Department for Business & Trade, it's a free, authoritative, and regularly updated resource you can rely on.

DON'T WAIT — ACT NOW The DMCCA is already in force and enforcement is live. Now is the time to review your contracts, pricing communications, and marketing materials — before a compliance issue forces your hand.

In a sector built on trust, staying informed isn't just good practice. It's everything. Visit Business Companion’s Care Homes Guidance today.

In a sector built on trust, staying informed isn’t just smart - it’s essential.

To find out more, visit: www.businesscompanion.info

England Rugby Team Visits Bagshot Gardens Bagshot Gardens Care Home welcomed eight members of the England Rugby team on Thursday 11 June, as players spent an afternoon engaging with residents following their training camp at nearby Pennyhill Park.

The players had just completed a three-day training camp at Pennyhill Park, located only two miles from the care home, as part of their preparation for the upcoming England XV v France XV match on Friday 19 June at Stade de la Rabine in Vannes.

The visiting squad included Charlie Atkinson, Cadan Murley, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Tom Curry, Raffi Quirke, Tom Roebuck, Nick Isiekwe, and Ben Earl, who took time away from training to connect with residents.

The visit began with the players supporting the home’s regular 3 pm tea round, serving tea, coffee, and cake alongside the care team, before joining residents for a full programme of activities.

Throughout the afternoon, residents enjoyed chatting to the players, taking photographs, and hearing personal reflections on teamwork, resilience, and life at the highest level of professional sport.

Highlights included a lively game of Giant Scrabble, where resident Erika triumphed with 127 points, and a competitive match of indoor boules, which quickly became a firm favourite among players and residents alike.

Resident Prakash also shared a moment with Opoku-Fordjour, introducing him to the traditional Indian tabletop game Carrom, in which Prakash ultimately won.

Resident, Joan Clitherow, shared her excitement about the visit, “Wow, what an experience. Indoor

boules isn’t going to be as fun tomorrow without them.”

Residents were presented with a signed England Rugby shirt as a keepsake from the visit, a gesture that was met with great excitement and appreciation.

Jeremy Richardson, CEO of Avery Healthcare, commented, “It’s not every day that the England Rugby team comes to visit, and the excitement around the home has been incredible. There has been a lot of excitement from our residents, although as a rugby fan myself, I think I may have been checking my diary more than anyone else to make sure I could be here!

“Events like this create genuine moments of happiness, spark memories, encourage conversation and bring people together.

“At Avery, we’re passionate about helping residents continue to live fulfilling and enriching lives, and visits like this play a huge part in that. We were delighted to welcome the team to Bagshot Gardens and are thankful to everyone who helped make it happen.”

Lead receptionist Deborah Short added, “It was just amazing to see the residents talking with all the players and everyone joining in and having the best time together. It’s going to be something that is talked about for a long time to come.”

Reflecting on the visit, England and Harlequins player, Cadan Murley, said, “It meant a lot to spend time with the residents at Bagshot Gardens. Hearing their stories, sharing a few of our own and just enjoying the afternoon together made it a brilliant day that we all loved. We’re grateful for the warmth and kindness they showed.”

Royal Appointment As Care Home Residents Toast The King’s Birthday Royal well-wishers at care homes in the south have marked the King’s official birthday with a host of festive celebrations.

Residents and staff at Colten Care’s 21 homes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex rolled out the red, white and blue bunting, sang, danced and clapped along to music and held special afternoon teas and other get-togethers.

At Fernhill, a dedicated dementia care home in Longham near Bournemouth, the dance floor was full as visiting entertainer Kelly Lorraine performed some of residents’ favourite singalong tunes.

“It was wonderful,” said resident Monica MilneLeigh. “Music makes moments of happiness for people.”

Heathcare Assistant Ann Xavier said: “Seeing residents enjoy themselves and share laughter with their loved ones who came along made the day very rewarding.”

Residents at Brook View in West Moors did some advance planning for the birthday by making their own Union Jack brooches and upcycling an old chest of drawers into a ‘regal’ piece of furniture complete with peacock-patterned wallpaper.

As the piece went on display, resident Ann

Larkin said: “It was a lot of fun to do and nice to see everyone working together.”

At Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, residents gathered for a special afternoon tea wearing sparkly crowns they had decorated a few days before in an arts and crafts session.

As they tucked into a spread of sausage rolls, sandwiches, scones, Union Jack cupcakes and a royal birthday cake, they discussed fun facts and trivia about King Charles gathered by team members.

Home Manager Anna Edwards said: “It was wonderful to see everyone having such a great time together.”

Several Colten Care residents have personal Royal connections. They include Eve WalshWaring, now living at Abbey View in Sherborne, who worked at Buckingham Palace in the 1990s, and Louisa McIntyre, a resident at Belmore Lodge in Lymington. Louisa is a former society milliner whose clients included Queen Elizabeth, the King’s late mother.

Royal birthday celebrations at other Colten Care homes included singalongs, quizzes, street partytype lunches and ‘best of Britain’ buffets.

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Rayner Breaks with Government Over Migrant Care Worker Settlement Plans Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has publicly distanced herself from the Labour government’s proposed immigration reforms, warning that retrospective changes to settlement rules for overseas care workers already living and working in the United Kingdom would be deeply unfair and contrary to British values.

Speaking at a rally organised by the public sector union Unison, Rayner argued that care workers who had followed the rules, paid their taxes and built their lives in this country should not face the prospect of having the terms of their settlement altered mid-way through their residency.

She described any such retrospective action as “un-British”, drawing a clear distinction between controlling future immigration at the border — which she said she supported — and changing the rules for people already legally resident in the UK. Her remarks represent a notable divergence from the position of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has defended the government’s proposed overhaul of the immigration system. Under the plans currently under consultation, the qualifying period for settlement — formally known as indefinite leave to remain, which grants the right to live, work, study and access benefits in the UK — would be extended for most migrants from five to ten years.

Workers who arrived on health and social care visas, however, could face a qualifying period of fifteen years, while those who had claimed benefits for more than twelve months would be subject to a twentyyear wait.

Ms Mahmood has justified the proposals by pointing to what she described as an unprecedented scale of

migration in recent years, arguing the government has an obligation to respond to public concern. A government spokesperson confirmed the administration’s position, stating that the route to settlement would double from five to ten years, and that the privilege of permanent residency should be earned rather than considered automatic.

However, dozens of Labour MPs have reportedly opposed the retrospective elements of the plans, with critics arguing the approach amounts to moving the goalposts for workers who arrived in good faith under existing rules.

For residential and nursing care providers, the debate carries immediate and practical significance. The social care sector remains heavily reliant on overseas workers, many of whom were recruited during and after the pandemic to address severe staffing shortages. Any significant extension of the settlement qualifying period could affect the willingness of skilled care workers to remain in the UK long-term, with potential consequences for workforce stability and the quality of care delivered to residents.

Ms Rayner acknowledged the contribution of care workers directly, noting that the sector had supported the country through the most challenging period of the pandemic. She called on the government to go further in its support for the profession, including raising wages for care workers and removing the current requirement that ties overseas workers’ visas to specific employers — a restriction she argued leaves individuals vulnerable to exploitation.

The former Deputy Prime Minister said she would continue to press for care workers and those who depend upon their services to be treated with dignity and respect.

The UK’s National Advance Care Plan Day, 2026 The UK’s National Advance Care Planning Day highlights the importance of Advance Care Planning, Advance Care Plans and sensitive conversations. This year’s theme is Supporting people and communities who are marginalised.

On this a day of awareness and action, care professionals will be hosting their own Advance Care Planning events and interventions across the country. Care organisations are encouraged to add their own events on the ACP Day website where they will be promoted and shared.

A national conference will take place in Norfolk. It will be live streamed and available for care organisations for free. ‘Watch parties’ at care organistions is encouraged and the speakers include Speakers this year include Dr Kathryn Mannix (author), Dr Jed Jerwood (No Barriers Here) and Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne (The Victoria & Stuart Project), James Norris (The Digital Legacy Association). Videos from 2025’s conference can be watched at

www.advancecareplanday.org/national-conference-2025 When Universal Advance Care Planning is a goal, we must adapt service delivery to various marginalised and disenfranchised people and communities.

ACP Day are inviting inclusive charities, not for profit and other organisations who believe in this year’s theme to engage, collaborate and empower.

There are lots of different ideas and ways in which you might want to empower others in areas relating to Advance Care Planning and the benefits it provides to the person and their loved ones.

ACP Day 2026 and the national conference is organised by Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity, MyWishes Care, Speak for Me LPA and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals. This year the campain is being supported by Sue Ryder.

Visit www.advancecareplanday.org

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 25

Funding Scheme Launched To Speed-Up Innovative Health Research A multi-million pound initiative to help speed up the development and testing of health and social care innovations has been announced.

The NIHR Innovation Catalyst will fund and support the best research across medtech, digital health, biotech and pharmaceuticals.

The initiative, launched during the NIHR’s 20th year, supports a key government commitment set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan. It will also work in support of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.

The Catalyst aims to help new ideas get approved and in use faster across the NHS and the wider health system.

This year’s pilot looks at providing care outside the hospital and towards a neighbourhood health service.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of NIHR, said: “We have made remarkable improvements in health and social care since the NIHR was set up 20 years ago, with the life sciences sector in the UK as vibrant and dynamic as it has ever been.

“The NIHR Innovation Catalyst will see ambitious research funded to help innovators get their ideas out into the NHS and wider health care system, so we can help even more people, particularly supporting neighbourhood health.”

Health Innovation Minister, Preet Kaur Gill, said: “This Government is

investing through NIHR to get the best innovations into the NHS faster.

My ambition is to see the UK’s life sciences sector grow and deliver more of the cutting edge technologies that will save and improve lives.

“The Innovation Catalyst will support high potential innovations to move from development into real world use helping patients benefit sooner while strengthening our health and care system.

“I encourage organisations with innovations that can make a real difference to come forward and apply.”

The UK is a world leader in health technology. But new ideas that

could change care often take a long time to develop the NIHR said.

The NIHR Innovation Catalyst aims to help that. It supports a key goal in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, to develop and review high-value innovation.

It will use a new funding model to help strong ideas move forward quickly and meet the biggest needs in health and social care.

It will bring real benefits for the public and patients while supporting the UK’s economy.

This is a new way to fund research, helping the best ideas move from first thoughts into real use faster and more efficiently.

The Catalyst uses a milestone plan, giving more money each time a goal is reached, so ideas can grow without delays.

As well as funding, teams will get full support, including links to places that test ideas, people who invest, and experts who guide new products into use.

The pilot of Catalyst, which is now open, welcomes ideas from lead organisations, including: • NHS and social care providers • Higher education institutions • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) • Not-for-profit organisations

£100m Funding Facility Supports LNT Care Developments Growth Plans Real estate lender Leumi UK has provided a £100 million revolving credit facility (RCF) to LNT Care Developments, the UK’s largest care home developer, to support the continued expansion of its nationwide care home portfolio. The facility represents Leumi UK’s largest healthcare financing to date and further strengthens its long-standing relationship with LNT. LNT has developed over 250 sites, representing in excess of 16,500 beds, and with this additional firepower it aims to build a further 15-20 care homes over the next 3 years.

The RCF will provide flexible funding across land acquisition, development and investment activity within LNT’s pipeline. It will initially support five schemes, comprising 330 beds in total, all delivered through LNT’s standardised, vertically integrated operating platform.

The five assets are located in Wymondham, Norfolk; Bourne, Lincolnshire; Braunton, Devon; Thornbury, Gloucestershire; Hooton, Cheshire; and Newcastle Great Park,

Tyne & Wear.

Matt Lowe, CEO at LNT Care Developments said: “We are thrilled to build on our trusted partnership with the Leumi UK team, whose support gives us the flexibility we need to deliver our pipeline of new sites. We have ambitious growth plans and Leumi UK is an important funding partner as we continue to develop high-quality, best-in-class care facilities across the UK.” Guy Brocklehurst, Relationship Director at Leumi UK, added: “LNT is a leading care home developer with a proven operating model, and we look forward to working with the business as it continues to expand its portfolio. This landmark transaction for Leumi UK represents our largest healthcare facility to date and demonstrates our ability to tailor financing solutions that support a top-tier, scalable platform. It reflects the strength of our relationship with LNT as well as our conviction in the long-term prospects for the care sector in the UK.”

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Alzheimer’s Research UK Announces Record £9.5m Investment in Dementia Studies Alzheimer’s Research UK has announced its largest ever single funding round, committing £9.5 million to 25 new research projects across the United Kingdom in a move that charity officials say will significantly accelerate progress in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of dementia.

The investment, made possible through charitable donations, brings the organisation’s cumulative spending on dementia research to more than £270 million since its first grant award in 1998. Over that period, the charity has supported in excess of 1,450 projects and engaged more than 3,400 researchers collaborating with scientists across more than 110 countries.

The 25 newly funded projects span the full research pipeline, from exploratory early-stage studies to clinical research aimed at bringing potential treatments closer to patients — a category particularly relevant to those working in residential and nursing care settings, where dementia remains one of the most prevalent and complex conditions facing residents and staff alike.

In February, the charity invested more than £680,000 across ten Pilot Projects designed to provide shortterm funding for high-potential ideas at an early stage of development. Among these is a project led by Dr Scott Miners at the University of Bristol, which is using advanced 3D imaging to examine how blood vessels in the brain change across different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The research aims to deepen understanding of how vascular damage contributes to disease progression and to support the development of more effective treatments and preventative approaches.

A further £4 million has been directed through the charity’s Major Project scheme, which funds large-scale studies addressing complex, long-standing questions in dementia research.

One such project, led by Dr Anto Praveen Rajkumar Rajamani at the University of Nottingham, is working to refine a blood test capable of distinguishing dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer’s disease — two conditions that can present similarly but require different approaches to care and treatment. Using blood biomarkers and artificial intelligence, the team aims to reduce rates of misdiagnosis among NHS patients, enabling more people to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate support sooner.

A newly established Clinical Committee has awarded £2.6 million to fund six Clinical Fellowships, investing in the next generation of dementia clinical research leaders. The committee, which brings together leading clinicians, scientists and people with lived experience of dementia, will provide independent expert oversight to strengthen the UK’s clinical research capacity in this field. Further details of the fellowship awards are expected to be announced separately.

For care home providers and professionals, developments of this nature carry particular significance.

Earlier and more accurate diagnosis, improved understanding of disease mechanisms, and the eventual development of new treatments all have direct implications for the quality of care that can be offered to residents living with dementia.

Harry Redknapp Brings Star Quality To Best Of British Brighton Lunch Raising Over £65,000 For Guild Care Harry Redknapp brought laughter, stories and star quality to a sold-out Best of British Brighton lunch at The Grand Hotel as the annual event raised over £65,000 in support of Guild Care.

The former football manager and King of the Jungle was the headline guest at the event, entertaining a packed room of business leaders, supporters and sporting fans during an on-stage conversation filled with humour, insight and stories from his career both on and off the pitch.

The annual Best of British Brighton lunch, hosted by Best of British Events, once again combined networking, entertainment and fundraising, bringing together the South East business community in support of Guild Care’s vital work across Worthing and West Sussex. The trusted social care charity provides a range of essential services for older people, people living with dementia, and the carers and loved ones alongside them.

A standout moment of the afternoon was the ‘Pay for a Day’ initiative, which raised £50,000 alone. Guests bid £2,478 to fund a full day of Guild Care’s community dementia services, directly supporting frontline care provision and making a tangible difference to the people who rely on it.

CEO of Guild Care holding microphone during speechWarren Fabes, CEO of Guild Care, said: “On behalf of everyone at Guild Care, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Best of British for inviting us to be part of this event and for the opportunity to showcase the charitable services we provide.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all the guests who gave so generously to our services for people living with dementia and their loved ones, on what is often a very difficult journey.

“The donations will make a real difference to the charity, helping us reach more people like Darrell and Katrina, who kindly shared their dementia story with the Best of British audience. Their words are a powerful reminder of why our services, and events like this, matter.

“I’d also like to thank our Patron, bestselling author Peter James, for donating a very special auction prize, and the entire Best of British team for such a memorable and meaningful afternoon.”

Fundraising continued throughout the afternoon with a lively football-themed ‘heads and tails’ game, where red and yellow cards replaced coins, adding a fun and interactive twist that had guests fully engaged.

Ryan Heal, Managing Director of Best of British Events, said: “It was an incredible afternoon from start to finish.

Harry was fantastic and really entertained the room, but what stood out most was the generosity of everyone in attendance.

“To raise over £50,000 through the Pay for a Day initiative alone is something we’re extremely proud of, and when you combine that with the wider fundraising on the day, it’s clear just how much of an impact this event will have for Guild Care.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all our guests, sponsors and supporters who continue to make these events so special. It’s a real privilege to bring people together in this way and support such important work in our community.”

FA and Alzheimer’s Society Extend Charity Partnership To 2028 The Football Association has announced a two-year extension of its charity partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, taking the collaboration into a seventh year through to the end of the 2027–28 season.

The Football Association (FA) has confirmed it will continue its award-winning partnership with Alzheimer’s Society until 2028, building on more than £1.6 million already raised for the charity since the alliance began in 2021.

The extension represents one of the most significant and enduring charity partnerships in English football.

The funds raised over the past five years have enabled Alzheimer’s Society to conduct groundbreaking dementia research, whilst the partnership has also played a vital role in widening public awareness of the support available to those living with the condition and their families.

To mark the announcement, England’s men’s and women’s senior head coaches — Thomas Tuchel and Sarina Wiegman — wore Forget Me Not badges during their respective national team fixtures earlier this month, demonstrating their personal support for the charity’s flagship Forget Me Not Appeal.

The partnership has generated a series of powerful and high-profile moments over the years. In October 2025, England’s men’s senior fixture against Wales at Wembley Stadium was designated as The FA’s Alzheimer’s Society International.

In a moving departure from tradition, people living with dementia were invited to escort both the England and Wales squads onto the pitch in place of the usual child mascots — creating what many described as one of the most emotionally resonant moments seen at the national stadium in recent memory. The occasion generated considerable national media coverage and public discussion around dementia awareness.

More recently, in the build-up to the 2026 Emirates FA Cup Final, The FA took the iconic trophy to day services in both London and Manchester to surprise supporters of the two finalist clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City.

The statistics underpinning the partnership’s purpose remain stark. One in three people born today will develop dementia during their lifetime, making it the UK’s biggest killer. Yet misconceptions persist: too many people continue to regard dementia as a normal part of ageing, remain uncertain of the symptoms, or feel reluctant to seek a GP’s assessment. A timely diagnosis can be transformative — affording families the opportunity to plan for the future and opening doors to treatment, care and support.

Mark Bullingham, Chief Executive of The FA, said: “We are delighted to extend our successful charity partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and to take it into a seventh year. Through the power of football, we have been able to achieve so much together over the last five years, both raising vital funds and creating important awareness for this cause .“Seeing the England and Wales teams walking out alongside people living with dementia at our Alzheimer’s Society International match last year was truly something special to witness, and I know how much it meant to our players. We are very proud to continue supporting Alzheimer’s Society and are excited by what more we can do together over the next two years to make a real difference for people affected by dementia.”

Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Society, added: “We are thrilled to be extending our partnership with The Football Association once again. In five years, we have raised £1.6 million, hosted four Alzheimer’s Society International fixtures and worked together to make Wembley Stadium dementiafriendly.

“One of the most moving moments came last October when, in place of child mascots, the England and Wales men’s national teams walked into a packed Wembley alongside adult football fans living with dementia. This became a huge national talking point. We are so grateful to The FA and to football fans across the country for standing with us to raise awareness and funds so that we can continue to make a real difference to people affected by dementia.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 27

New UK Report Calls for Rethink of Continence Care as NHS Reform Accelerates

Coinciding with the start of World Continence Week 2026, the Urology Trade Association, in partnership with The Urology Foundation and the Spinal Injuries Association, and with the support from Shine, has published a new UK-wide report on the experiences of people living highlights how people living with continence conditions.

Drawing on responses from people living with continence conditions, including individuals with neurological and long-term mobilityrelated needs, the report provides insight into the day-to-day realities of continence care and its impact on dignity, independence and quality of life.

14 million people across the UK live with continence problems, equivalent to more than 21,000 people in every parliamentary constituency, yet many people continue to struggle in silence because of the stigma surrounding continence conditions.

For many, poor continence care is not simply a clinical issue. It can affect confidence, independence and the ability to participate fully in everyday life, with people often worrying about leaving home, travelling, working or maintaining social relationships.

The consequences are also felt across the wider health system. Poor continence management can contribute to avoidable pressure on the NHS and hospital admissions, with Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), which can be linked to inadequate continence care, estimated to cost NHS hospitals in England £604 million per year.

The findings are published at a time of major NHS transformation, including the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan, which sets out a shift towards prevention, care closer to home, and more personalised, patient-centred services.

Alongside this, ongoing reforms in procurement and commissioning – including Value-Based Procurement, the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff, and wider NHS commercial and procurement strategy reforms – are reshaping how continence products and services are accessed and delivered across the system.

Key Findings from the Survey The report highlights consistent patterns in patient experience, suggesting variation in how continence care is delivered, accessed and reviewed across the UK. • Limited involvement in care decisions: Nearly half of respondents reported little or no involvement in decisions about their continence care, with many stating they were not fully supported to discuss options or preferences.

• Unmet patient priorities: Over a third of respondents said their personal priorities were not fully reflected in care planning, suggesting gaps in shared decision-making.

• Restricted product choice: Many respondents reported limited choice of continence products.

• Limited clinical review: 83% of respondents reported not having had a clinical review of their continence products in the past year, indicating that ongoing reassessment is not consistently embedded in care.

• Impact on daily life and wellbeing: Many respondents described the impact of continence conditions on travel, work and social participation, alongside emotional effects including embarrassment, anxiety and reduced confidence.

The survey findings include responses from individuals who, as part of their continence care management, may use absorbent pads alongside other continence products. Unlike many other continence products, absorbent pads may be obtained either through NHS prescription or purchased independently.

Of the 232 respondents, 49 reported using pads either alone or alongside other products. As a result, findings should be interpreted with caution, as this group may include individuals who access their products privately and whose experiences may not fully represent those of individuals using products obtained solely through NHS prescription.

Looking Ahead The findings reinforce the importance of continuing to strengthen continence care as part of wider NHS reform priorities, particularly as the health system moves towards more preventative, communitybased and personalised models of care.

A clear message emerging from the report is that positive patient experience is closely linked to regular clinical engagement, shared decision-making and access to care and products tailored to individual needs and circumstances.

Respondents were consistently more likely to report positive experiences in which they felt informed, listened to, and supported in accessing products and care approaches suited to their individual circumstances.

The findings underscore the priority of ensuring patients can play an active role in decisions about their care, supported by clinicians with the time, training and specialist knowledge needed to guide personalised treatment choices.

This has important implications for the future organisation of continence services. Delivering genuinely person-centred continence care will require continued investment in workforce capacity, specialist continence expertise, and clinical education, ensuring healthcare professionals are supported with the time and resources needed to deliver the personalised, preventative care that underpins effective long-term condition management.

The report also reinforces that continence care cannot be approached through a one-size-fits-all model.

Continence conditions vary significantly between individuals, meaning that access to appropriate products, informed clinical support and regular reassessment remain central to maintaining independence, dignity and quality of life.

As reforms continue across procurement, community care and medical technology, the findings emphasise the importance of ensuring that decision-making reflects not only cost considerations, but also clinical outcomes, patient experience and long-term value across the care pathway.

Ultimately, the findings point towards a clear opportunity to strengthen continence care as part of the NHS’s wider transformation agenda, supporting more personalised, preventative and community-based care while ensuring patient outcomes and lived experience remain central to future reform.

Chris Whitehouse, Chairman of the Urology Trade Association said: “By drawing on the lived experiences of people with continence conditions, this report reminds us of the ultimate goal of all healthcare reforms: improving outcomes for all patients, wherever they live across the country. As a trade association, the UTA is proud of the role industry plays in supporting continence care across the NHS, working in close and ongoing partnership with healthcare professionals and service providers” Nik Hartley, CEO of Spinal Injuries Association “Living with a spinal cord injury means paralysis for life; it also brings a multitude of lifelong physical and health challenges. Continence care is one of the most impactful. It shapes independence, confidence, and everyday life in ways that are easy to overlook but impossible to ignore. Our collaboration on this survey is our commitment to amplify patient voices and ensure that services and policies respond to the realities of life after spinal cord injury”.

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.

PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

‘I Didn’t Know I Would Become A Carer’, Croydon Resident Shares Reality Of Caring As Support Services Step In

When Steve became a full-time carer for his mum after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he had little idea how much his life was about to change.

As part of Carers Week 2026, Steve’s story highlights the reality faced by more than 28,000 unpaid carers in the borough and the difference that the right support from Croydon Council can make.

Steve began caring for his mum around six to seven years ago, initially helping with everyday tasks. But as her condition worsened, his role intensified dramatically. A sudden health crisis left her bedridden and increasingly dependent on care, with hallucinations adding to the emotional strain.

“It feels like you start off with a full jigsaw, and you’re losing bits of it every day and every week,” Steve said, describing the impact of dementia on his mum – and on himself.

At the height of his caring responsibilities, Steve was providing

round-the-clock support, alongside visits from professional carers. The demands left him unable to work, relying on around £50 a week and facing an uncertain financial future.

“I knew of support for carers, but I didn’t know I would become a carer,” he said.

Like many carers, Steve also experienced isolation. Social plans were often cancelled at the last minute, and even managing the practicalities of his mum’s care became overwhelming.

“Even though we had carers coming in, I found it draining just to answer the door… I couldn’t go out when I wanted or needed to,” he said. “I lost out on things like social events – it’s very isolating being a carer.”

It was only after a chance conversation with paramedics that Steve realised he could access further help. He was referred to Carers First, a charity working on behalf of Croydon Council to support unpaid carers who are looking after a loved one.

Through the service, Steve received a carer’s assessment, access to respite support and, crucially, the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations through the Carers Centre in Croydon town centre.

“I meet other carers at the carers centre; I find it really helpful. We can all find something to relate on,” he said.

Steve credits the support with helping him regain a sense of balance, including accessing 50 hours of respite care and attending regular support groups.

“It’s important to have a break. If it gets too bad, your health can suffer.”

Steve is one of 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, and 28,831 in Croydon, who are looking after a loved one who needs support owing to illness, disability or old age. As part of Carers Week 2026, Croydon

Council and charity Carers First are raising awareness of the support available, so carers can look after their own wellbeing.

Throughout the week, events have been held to connect carers with advice, information and each other. These included drop-in sessions, community events and wellbeing opportunities designed to reach carers who may not yet be accessing support.

Steve’s story highlights why early intervention and awareness are so important. Now volunteering in a local charity shop, he says the journey has been challenging, but support has made a real difference. “I’m glad it’s still running in-person groups,” he said of the Carers Centre. “It’s helped me feel understood and heard.”

Toby Lee-Manning, Head of London and Southeast at Carers First, said: “Steve’s experience reflects the reality for so many unpaid carers, who often take on the role without recognising themselves as carers or knowing that support is available. No one should have to face the challenges of caring alone.

“Through our partnership with Croydon Council, we’re here to provide practical advice, emotional support and opportunities for carers to connect with others who understand what they’re going through. We encourage anyone looking after a family member or friend to get in touch and find out how we can help.”

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “Steve’s story is an important reminder of the vital support that is available to unpaid carers across our borough – and how accessing it can be life-changing.

“Working with the charity Carers First, we connect carers with oneto-one guidance and practical help, and reduce isolation through the Carers Cafe and other events. It has been great to highlight this during Carers Week, but support is available year-round so do get in touch.”

Technology Enabled Care Leader Honoured By The King The chief executive of TSA, the national advisory body for the technology enabled care (TEC) sector, has been honoured by His Majesty the King in the 2026 Birthday Honours List.

Alyson Scurfield has been appointed an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) by King Charles III in recognition of her services to Technology Enabled Care.

Since 2013, Alyson has led the TEC Services Association (TSA), which represents over 350 organisations that commission and provide TEC services, including councils, housing associations, care providers and technology suppliers.

A spokesperson said, “She has transformed TSA from a traditional association of manufacturers to a collaborative advisory body that puts people, families and carers first and works closely with governments and regulators across the UK.” In 2017 she set up the UKAS accredited Quality Standards Framework (QSF) to address the lack of regulation and legislation in place around TEC safety. Today, 87% of people using TEC are supported by QSFcertified providers with the framework robustly auditing TEC providers against 200 standards.

Following the deaths of two TEC users after their landlines were switched to digital, Alyson worked closely with the government on a Telecare National Action Plan, and she built strong partnerships between telecoms companies and TEC organisations to ensure safe digital migrations going forward. She also launched the Virtual Home, a lifelike house improving TEC knowledge. Over 9,000 care staff have used it, and 95% say they now feel more confident prescribing TEC. Alyson has strengthened TEC commissioning across health and care, leading the creation – in partner-

ship with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) – of a free blueprint, downloaded by over 700 council staff, to scale digital preventative services.

Alongside her role at TSA, Alyson chairs Age UK North Tyneside.

Before TSA, she worked in TEC for 11 years at housing association, Your Homes Newcastle and before that at Newcastle City Council as customer services manager.

Alyson Scurfield, CEO of TSA, said: “I am overwhelmed to receive this honour for services to TEC. I love this sector and believe passionately in the impact it has. Every single day TEC organisations cut pressure on the NHS, they strengthen community-based care and ensure millions of people live well in their own homes.

“This honour is recognition of the brilliant TSA team who have supported me so much, and crucially, it’s acknowledgement of our talented, highly innovative TEC sector. Their dedication to improving people’s lives never ceases to amaze me.

“I will use this OBE to continue banging the drum for technology enabled care and the vital role it can and must play in the future of health and care – supporting the government’s 10 Year Health Plan and its three strategic shifts.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, chair of TSA and CEO of Care England, said: “I am delighted that Alyson has been honoured by the King with the award of an OBE. This is not only recognition for the outstanding leadership that Alyson has offered to TSA, and the technology enabled care sector, but it is also an indicator of the importance of her work at a time of significant health and social care reform.”

The Care & Occupational Therapy Show Returns As the demands on health and social care services continue to evolve, so too does the need for innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions. On 23rd June, The Care & Occupational Therapy Show returns as a vital meeting point for professionals across the sector; bringing together expertise, technology, and practical insight under one roof.

More than just an industry event, The Care & Occupational Therapy Show has established itself as a hub for meaningful progress. At a time when care providers face increasing pressure to deliver high-quality, person-centred support amid staffing challenges and budget constraints, the show offers a timely opportunity to explore new approaches and share best practice. From frontline carers to senior decision-makers, attendees are united by a common goal: improving outcomes for those who rely on care services every day.

Occupational therapy plays a central role in this mission. By focusing on enabling individuals to live as independently and safely as possible, occupational therapists are often at the forefront of innovation in care delivery. The show reflects this by placing occupational therapy alongside broader care services, highlighting how integrated thinking can drive better results. Visitors can expect to discover the latest adaptive equipment, digital solutions, and rehabilitation tools designed to enhance quality of life across diverse care settings.

One of the defining strengths of the event is its emphasis on practical learning. A packed programme of seminars and workshops will provide attendees with actionable insights they can take back to their organisations. Topics are set to range from regulatory updates and workforce development to emerging technologies and inclusive design. In a sector where time is often limited, this kind of concentrated, high-value learning is invaluable.

Equally important is the opportunity for connection. The Care & Occupational Therapy Show creates

space for professionals to engage in conversations that might not otherwise happen in day-to-day practice. Whether it’s exchanging ideas with peers, meeting suppliers face-to-face, or forming new partnerships, the networking element is a powerful catalyst for change. Collaboration has never been more essential in care, and events like this help to break down silos and foster a more cohesive approach across the industry.

Innovation will, unsurprisingly, be a major theme throughout the day.

With rapid advancements in assistive technology and digital health, care providers are increasingly able to deliver more personalised and efficient services. Exhibitors will showcase solutions ranging from smart home adaptations to mobility aids and telehealth platforms, offering a glimpse into the future of care. For many attendees, this hands-on access to new products and services is one of the most valuable aspects of the show.

Yet beyond the technology and professional development, there is a deeper significance to the event. At its core, The Care & Occupational Therapy Show is about people- the individuals who dedicate their careers to supporting others, and the communities they serve. It is a reminder of the compassion, resilience, and creativity that underpin the sector, even in the face of ongoing challenges.

As the 23rd June approaches, the show stands as both a reflection of how far the industry has come and a signal of where it is heading. For anyone involved in care or occupational therapy, it represents an unmissable opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired. In a rapidly changing landscape, staying informed and engaged is not just beneficial—it is essential.

Ultimately, The Care & Occupational Therapy Show is more than a date in the diary. It is a chance to be part of a collective effort to shape the future of care… one conversation, one idea, and one innovation at a time.

To register visit https://cots.ecreg.uk/reg/general/invitelaunch.asp?InviteCode=TC

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Levabo Delivers Comfort, Protection and Simplicity for Care Providers Levabo’s product range is built around a clear objective: making pressure ulcer prevention easier, more effective, and achievable across all care settings. Designed with both caregivers and residents in mind, the range offers practical positioning solutions that integrate seamlessly into everyday care routines.

At the core of the range are Levabo’s specialist positioning cushions, developed to support safe and consistent repositioning. Whether used in bed, in chairs, or during transfer and repositioning, these products help reduce pressure on vulnerable areas of the body. Their versatility makes them suitable for a wide spectrum of care environments, from hospitals and nursing homes to community and home care.

A key differentiator across the range is Levabo’s unique “Fluffy Air” technology. This ensures that each product remains soft and adaptable, gently moulding to the individual’s body shape. The result is improved pressure distribution and a high level of comfort, both essential for individuals who may be immobile or spending long periods in one position.

Importantly, the range has been developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, ensuring that each product addresses real-world challenges faced by care teams. From ease of handling to durability and hygiene, every detail is designed to support efficient care delivery without adding complexity.

Levabo’s products are also protected by international patents and have received global recognition, with the company being named the world’s leading positioning cushion manufacturer for four consecutive years. This reflects both the quality of the range and its growing impact across the sector.

For care providers, the message is clear: investing in the right positioning solutions is not only a clinical decision but a practical and economic one. With prevention proven to be significantly more cost-effective than treatment, Levabo’s range offers a smart, scalable way to improve outcomes while supporting high standards of care.

Simple solutions. Big impact.

For more information see page 25 or please email bm@levabo.com or visit www.levabo.com

Virtual Pet Therapy For Care Homes

headset reads hand movements, so there is no need for hand controls after set-up. Setting the app up is easy and quick for staff, with no training required. It comes preloaded onto the latest Quest 3s headset, so it’s a simple matter of staff switching the headset on, selecting the V-Thera icon, selecting the dog – which you can name – then transferring the headset to the resident. They are immediately immersed in playing with the dog or cat.

The makers recommend sessions of up to ten minutes at a time, it’s very easy to accommodate the technology into the life of the home, and for staff it can create an excellent opportunity to bond with residents.

A sharing function even means the sessions can be cast to other screens so all residents can share the experience.

The potential of new technologies like V-Thera for engaging with residents in a positive way points to an exciting future. The combination of advanced Mixed Reality with intuitive and thoughtful design means care homes can adopt the latest technology without disrupting the care routines already in place.

V-Thera was created in Japan by Remedy & Co and is available now in the UK through Care Activity Ltd. Managing Director Alison Lang says, “The minute we saw V-Thera, it was clear to us that this was an exciting innovation, a new way to offer something genuinely engaging to care home residents. The pets are fun, realistic and always ready to play. It is technology that brings care to life.”

Contact alison@careactivityxr.com www.careactivityxr.com

Pet therapy has become a part of the everyday routine in many care homes in the UK. The positive impact animals can have on the well-being of residents is well documented. But bringing animals into a care setting brings its own problems. It can be expensive and disruptive, they can be temperamental, and even the cleanest pets raise hygiene issues.

V-Thera virtual pets allow you to offer all the fun and engagement of a real pet, but in a clean, predictable and flexible way that fits in perfectly with your care home routine.

VIRTUAL PETS, REAL BENEFITS From the moment the resident first puts the headset on, they are engaged and delighted as the pet sits, lies down, rolls over and feeds on command. They can even throw a ball for the pet to fetch. The experience is involving, relaxing and stimulating, enhancing a positive mood while encouraging movement and communication.

The pets themselves are wonderfully realistic, not just in the way they look, but in how they act. There are four dogs to choose from, and there’s even a moggie for cat lovers. They respond to voice or hand commands, or to big buttons on the screen. It’s ideal for previous pet owners, but also people nervous of animals.

TECHNOLOGY THAT CARES V-Thera uses the latest Japanese mixed reality technology, meaning the virtual pet appears in the realworld, viewed through the headset. Seeing the familiar surroundings of their care home lounge reduces any sense of anxiety or disorientation for residents. The app can also be used lying down, so it can be used in bedrooms.

The technology itself is completely intuitive, designed for people with no experience of gaming. The

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

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 11.

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.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 31

CATERING FOR CARE

Why Enjoyable Nutrition Could Play a Bigger Role in Tackling Malnutrition in Care Homes Malnutrition remains one of the most persistent - and often under-recognised - challenges facing the care sector today.

Despite significant progress in person-centred care and nutritional screening, many older residents continue to struggle with maintaining adequate nutritional intake due to reduced appetite, frailty, dementia, swallowing difficulties, medication side effects and illness-related fatigue.

According to UK nutrition guidance, people living in care homes are at significantly increased risk of malnutrition, with estimates suggesting that between 30–42% of residents admitted to care homes may already be affected or at risk. At the same time, healthcare organisations including Age UK and the Malnutrition Task Force continue to warn that undernutrition among older people remains widely underdiagnosed.

Importantly, malnutrition is no longer being viewed simply as an unavoidable consequence of ageing.

Across both health and social care, there is increasing recognition that early intervention and preventative nutritional support can play a major role in improving outcomes for older adults, helping to maintain strength, reduce frailty and potentially prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

Updated NHS guidance around nutrition in care homes increasingly promotes a “food-first” approach, encouraging providers to focus on fortified meals, nutrient-dense snacks, hydration and personalised eating support as part of everyday care delivery.

However, for many care teams, the challenge is not simply identifying residents who may be nutritionally vulnerable - it is finding solutions residents will consistently consume and enjoy.

MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENT APPROACHES Oral nutritional supplements continue to play an important role within many care settings, particularly where residents are experiencing clinically significant weight loss or recovering from illness.

Yet in practice, compliance can sometimes become difficult over time. Reduced appetite, taste fatigue, sensory changes and swallowing difficulties can all impact whether residents continue consuming traditional supplement drinks consistently.

As a result, there is growing discussion across the nutrition and care sectors around the role of more enjoyable fortified foods that support intake while feeling less clinical and more familiar to residents.

This conversation has also been influenced by the wider international rise of “Food as Medicine” - an approach increasingly recognising the role nutrition can play in supporting recovery, resilience and wellbeing during illness and later life.

For care homes, this may include: • fortified desserts and snacks • protein-enriched meals • smaller nutrient-dense portions • hydration-supportive foods

• texture-adapted options • socially enjoyable dining experiences The emphasis is increasingly shifting towards nutritional quality alongside resident enjoyment, dignity and quality of life.

WHY FAMILIAR FOODS MATTER Care professionals understand that nutritional support is rarely one-size-fits-all.

For some residents, particularly those with reduced appetite or illness-related nausea, cold foods can often feel more manageable than hot meals or milkshake-style supplements. Familiar foods may also encourage better engagement with eating among residents who are reluctant to consume more medicalised nutritional products.

This is one reason why fortified desserts and ice cream-based nutritional products are beginning to attract greater interest within healthcare nutrition conversations.

One example is Nutri-Ice®, developed by My Doctor’s Recipe (https://mydoctorsrecipe.com/collections/the-nutri-ice®), a healthcare-focused nutrition company founded by London oncologist Dr Jon Krell.

Originally designed to support patients struggling to maintain nutritional intake during illness and treatment, Nutri-Ice® combines calories, protein and added vitamins in a format intended to feel more like a familiar food experience than a traditional supplement.

Each serving contains over 300 calories and more than 10g of protein, alongside added vitamins and minerals via the company’s DJK+® nutritional blend.

While products such as these are not intended to replace clinical nutritional interventions where required, they may represent part of a broader shift towards more resident-friendly approaches to nutritional care particularly where maintaining appetite and encouraging consistent intake are ongoing concerns.

SUPPORTING NUTRITION THROUGH DIGNITY AND ENJOYMENT Nutrition in care settings is about far more than calorie intake alone.

Eating and drinking remain closely connected to comfort, independence, routine and social interaction. As the sector continues to prioritise person-centred care, there is increasing recognition that nutritional strategies should support emotional wellbeing and dignity alongside physical health.

For residents living with dementia, for example, familiar foods and positive mealtime experiences can help reduce anxiety around eating. For frailer residents or those recovering from illness, smaller enjoyable foods may sometimes feel less overwhelming than larger meals.

As NHS and community healthcare systems continue focusing on prevention and reducing avoidable admissions, nutrition is likely to remain high on the care agenda throughout 2026 and beyond.

For many providers, the future may lie not only in identifying malnutrition earlier, but also in rethinking how nutritional support is delivered in ways residents genuinely want to engage with.

Ultimately, improving nutrition in care homes may depend not simply on adding more calories, but on creating nutritional approaches that residents can tolerate, enjoy and sustain over time.

Lakeland Dairies Launches New Report, The Care Kitchen Reset, Revealing Concerning Data on the Delivery of Nutrition in Care Homes A new report from leading dairy co-operative Lakeland Dairies, supported by Consultant Dietitian Rachael Masters (MSc, BSc), reveals the care sector at a tipping point, with nearly three quarters (74%) of operators concerned about their ability to meet residents’ nutrition and hydration needs over the next five years. Care kitchens are under growing pressure as residents’ needs grow more complex, resources stay tight, and smaller portions mean every mouthful must be nutrient-dense.

The report, The Care Kitchen Reset: The Future of Care Catering, sets out a shift towards enriched cooking and stronger base ingredients that make everyday dishes work harder. It calls for care operators to protect quality nutrition under mounting pressure not by adding complexity, but by strengthening core ingredients from the outset to improve calorie and protein density without increasing portion size.

It launches as part of Nutrition & Hydration Week (16–22 March), which shines a spotlight on the UK care home sector and the critical role food and drink play in supporting resident health and wellbeing.

CARE SECTOR UNDER MOUNTING NUTRITIONAL PRESSURE

The findings reveal rising clinical complexity is a key driver, with almost half (43%) reporting an increase in nutritional needs over the past five years. At the same time, 71% say rising ingredient costs are making it harder to maintain food quality despite 90% refusing to compromise on standards.

For operators, the stakes are both clinical and commercial. Nine in ten resident respondents (90%) cite food as a key factor when choosing a care home, while 87% of residents say mealtimes are the most important part of their day.

Dairy-based ingredients play a central role: over nine in ten operators say products such as cream and milk powder enhance food and drink experiences for residents with smaller appetites or specialist diets, while 88% believe they effectively support resident nutrition. This underlines the value of enriched cooking approaches that boost nutrition in the foods residents already enjoy, without relying on bigger portions.

INGREDIENT STRATEGY OFFERS PRACTICAL SOLUTION

Responding to these pressures, the report highlights that one of the most practical, operationally efficient levers is ingredient strategy. Rather than layering on additional processes, the report argues the solution lies not in short-term cost cutting alone but in strengthening menu foundations. By embedding fortified nutrition into everyday base ingredients, kitchens can improve calorie and protein density without increasing portion size, labour or waste – safeguarding the sector’s future.

Rachael Masters, Consultant Dietitian and contributor to the report said: “With an ageing population

driving increased demand for care home places, and residents presenting with more complex health and nutritional needs, care catering teams are being asked to deliver not just meals, but meaningful nutritional support in increasingly complex environments.”

“The solution doesn’t lie in adding more processes, but in making smarter use of core ingredients to maximise nutritional value. By fortifying everyday dishes, kitchens can enhance protein, energy and key nutrients in ways that are practical, cost-aware and, most importantly, enjoyable for residents. Dairy-based ingredients offer a particularly effective and versatile way to achieve this.”

“This report explores these growing pressures and highlights practical, nutrition-led approaches that support both care teams and residents – helping deliver better operational efficiency while improving health, wellbeing and dining satisfaction.”

The research also highlights opportunities to refine delivery. While 90% of residents rate meals positively overall, 77% report struggling to finish meals due to taste or presentation challenges, and 38% say higher quality ingredients would improve their experience. This reinforces the case for ingredient optimisation over short-term cost cutting.

Paul Jennings, Head of Food UK & International at Lakeland Dairies, adds: “Care operators are under pressure to do more with less – more nutrition, more quality and more resilience – while also meeting rising expectations from residents around mealtimes. This creates a real tension in care kitchens, where teams are balancing increasingly complex needs with limited time, staff and budgets.

Ingredient strategy is a practical way forward. By using hard-working bases such as Millac Gold Double and Lakeland Dairies Skimmed Milk Powder, kitchens can build richness, consistency and added nutrition into everyday dishes without adding complexity.

In a sector balancing tight budgets and staffing pressures, this timely report explores immediate solutions to support care kitchens.”

The report draws on a survey of care operators, residents and their families, alongside insight from Consultant Dietitian Rachael Masters, founder of Focus on Undernutrition, which provides specialist special diet training to care homes.

Lakeland Dairies is committed to supporting the sector through menu guidance, product innovation and training designed to help kitchens build resilience through stronger foundations and long-term supplier partnerships.

The full report is available: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0sP61V0

PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

UNIFORMS AND WORKWEAR

More Than a Uniform: Why What Your Staff Wear Matters More Than You Think ROLE CLARIFICATION: KNOWING WHO DOES WHAT — AND WHY IT MATTERS Walk into any busy care home during a morning shift and you will encounter a diverse range of professionals: registered nurses, senior carers, care assistants, activity coordinators, housekeeping staff, kitchen teams, and visiting healthcare professionals. For residents — many of whom may be living with dementia, cognitive decline, or sensory impairment — being able to quickly and clearly identify who someone is can be genuinely reassuring and, in some cases, clinically important.

A well-considered colour-coded uniform system allows residents to distinguish between their care team and, for example, domestic or catering staff. This is not merely an administrative convenience.

Research in dementia care has consistently highlighted that visual cues — including consistent clothing and recognisable appearance — help anchor individuals in their environment and reduce episodes of confusion or distress.

For family members and visiting professionals, clear role identification also inspires confidence. When a relative can immediately see that the person administering medication is a registered nurse, or that the individual assisting their parent at mealtimes is a trained care assistant, it reinforces the professionalism of the entire operation.

PROFESSIONALISM, TRUST, AND REPUTATION The care sector has, over many years, worked hard to establish itself as a skilled profession deserving of public trust and respect. Uniforms are an important visible component of that professional identity. Just as we recognise a nurse by their uniform in a hospital, or a police officer by their livery on the street, care staff in recognisable workwear signal to the world — and to those they support — that they belong to a trained, regulated, and accountable workforce.

INFECTION CONTROL: A NON-NEGOTIABLE PRIORITY Perhaps the most clinically pressing argument for workwear in care settings is infection control. Residents in nursing and residential care homes are among the most vulnerable members of society — often elderly, immunocompromised, and living with multiple complex health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic threw into sharp relief just how catastrophic the spread of infection can be in these settings, and it reinforced what Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) specialists had long advocated: what care staff wear is a critical component of safe care delivery.

Current guidance from NHS England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and professional bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing recommends that care staff working in clinical or personal care roles wear a clean, short-sleeved uniform to minimise the risk of contamination. The 'bare below the elbows' principle — which advocates removing watches, rings, and long sleeves during personal care — is now widely accepted as best practice in care home settings, mirroring NHS clinical standards.

Dedicated workwear also creates an important psychological and physical barrier between home and work environments. When staff change into a uniform on arrival and change out of it before leaving the

building, the risk of transporting pathogens in either direction is meaningfully reduced. This is particularly important in the management of outbreaks of norovirus, influenza, and MRSA — all of which remain persistent concerns in communal care settings.

Fabric choice matters too. Modern healthcare workwear is increasingly manufactured from antimicrobial or fluid-resistant materials designed to withstand industrial washing at temperatures sufficient to eliminate bacterial contamination. Everyday clothing — particularly natural fibres laundered at lower domestic temperatures — cannot offer equivalent protection.

SAFEGUARDING: UNIFORMS AS A TOOL FOR SAFETY The safeguarding of residents in adult social care is a paramount concern, and uniform policy has an often-underappreciated role to play in this area. Clear, consistent identification of care staff serves as a deterrent to, and means of detecting, unauthorised individuals within a care home. If every member of the care team is readily identifiable by their uniform, any person present without one immediately stands out — an important consideration for both physical security and the prevention of financial or emotional abuse.

Name badges and lanyards — ideally colour-coded and bearing the individual's name, role, and photograph — complement uniforms in this regard. They allow residents, particularly those with cognitive impairment, to verify who is attending to them, and give families visible reassurance that staff have been identified and vetted. They also support compliance with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks by making it easier for managers to verify that only cleared individuals are working in direct contact with residents.

In cases of safeguarding investigations or incidents, clear records of which uniformed member of staff was on duty, in which area of the home, at which time, become vital. A consistent and documented uniform policy supports the audit trail that such investigations depend upon.

RESIDENT SUPPORT AND ANXIETY REDUCTION The environment in which a person lives profoundly affects their emotional wellbeing, and for residents of care homes — many of whom may have been admitted following significant loss, health deterioration, or a change in personal circumstances — familiarity and visual consistency are powerful sources of comfort.

Consistency in staff appearance can be a meaningful anchor for residents living with dementia. Where an individual may no longer reliably remember names or faces, recognising 'someone in the blue uniform who helps me get dressed' provides a form of cognitive continuity that supports orientation and reduces anxiety. This aligns with established principles of person-centred dementia care, including those embedded in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on dementia support.

Soft colours, contemporary cuts, and co-ordinated rather than institutional palettes can all help workwear feel warmer and less clinical, whilst retaining its functional and identifying benefits.

Design and Functionality: Getting the Details Right When specifying workwear, care managers should consider several

practical factors. Durability and washability are essential: uniforms must withstand repeated industrial laundering without shrinking, fading, or losing their shape. Comfort across long shifts matters greatly for staff welfare — breathable fabrics, well-placed pockets, and freedom of movement should be prioritised over appearance alone. Inclusive sizing, encompassing a full range of body types, is both a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 and an expression of the values care homes should embody.

Pockets deserve a particular mention. Care staff frequently need to carry small equipment — pens, hand sanitiser, a fob watch, a small notebook. Uniforms without adequate pocketing lead to the use of personal clothing layers or improvised solutions, undermining the consistency and IPC benefits the uniform is intended to provide.

Colour psychology, too, is worth considering. Deep blues and teals convey trust and calm; greens are associated with care and healing; warm purples can feel both professional and approachable. Harsh institutional greens or stark whites, by contrast, can heighten anxiety in individuals with clinical associations or past traumatic healthcare experiences. Getting the colour palette right is not a trivial aesthetic decision — it is a component of person-centred care.

SUSTAINABILITY: AN EMERGING PRIORITY The social care sector, like all areas of public and commercial life, is increasingly alert to its environmental responsibilities. Workwear procurement is a meaningful area in which care home operators can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Choosing suppliers who use ethically sourced, recycled, or organic materials; selecting garments with extended lifespans; establishing laundering protocols that minimise water and energy use; and implementing responsible end-of-life disposal or recycling schemes are all practical steps that align workforce needs with environmental values.

Some larger care groups have begun working directly with workwear manufacturers to develop own-branded uniforms that meet both their operational requirements and their sustainability commitments — an approach that also strengthens brand identity and staff pride.

CONCLUSION: DRESSING THE PART IS PART OF CARING The question of uniforms and workwear in adult social care is, at its heart, a question about values. What kind of environment do we want to create? What standards do we expect of our workforce? How do we balance clinical safety with emotional warmth? How do we protect the vulnerable people in our care whilst honouring their dignity and individuality?

A thoughtful, well-implemented workwear policy does not answer all of these questions alone — but it is a tangible, daily expression of how a care home answers them. Whether through a colour-coded uniform system that helps a resident with dementia recognise their carer, a fabric specification that reduces infection transmission, or a contemporary design that gives staff genuine pride in their professional identity, what care workers wear is far more than a matter of dress.

It is a statement of who you are, what you stand for, and how much you care — for the people you support, for the colleagues you work alongside, and for the standards the sector must continue to uphold.

Grahame Gardner: Supporting Professionalism, Comfort and Confidence in Care For nearly 120 years, Grahame Gardner Ltd has been one of the UK’s leading suppliers of healthcare uniforms, supporting care homes, hospices, NHS organisations and healthcare professionals nationwide. Built on a strong reputation for quality, reliability and customer service, Grahame Gardner understands the evolving needs of the care sector and the important role uniforms play in professional healthcare environments.

Grahame Gardner offers an extensive range of healthcare workwear and accessories, including traditional tunics and trousers alongside a vast selection of modern scrubs designed to suit all budgets, colour preferences and fit options. From classic healthcare styles to contemporary uniforms that combine comfort with professional style, Grahame Gardner continues to help organisations create practical and cohesive uniform solutions tailored to their teams.

In today’s care sector, uniforms are about far more than appearance alone. Staff want to look and feel good in the workplace, but a uniform can offer so much more to both the wearer and the organisation that employs them.

One of the most important functions of a uniform is identification. Within busy care homes, hospitals and community healthcare settings, uniforms allow staff to be easily recognised according to their role, department or level of responsibility.

Clear identification supports communication, efficiency and reassurance for residents and visitors alike. Families want to know immediately who they can approach for support, and coordinated uniforms help create clarity in fast paced environments.

Uniforms also contribute to security within healthcare settings. Professional garments should only be issued to individuals authorised to wear them, helping to maintain controlled and secure working environments. In care settings where safeguarding and trust are critical, uniforms provide an additional level of reassurance for both residents and staff.

Naturally, this visibility and structure help strengthen public confidence. Uniforms project professional-

ism, consistency and accountability. In the care sector especially, appearance can strongly influence perception. A clean, professional uniform reinforces the idea that residents are being cared for by trained and trusted professionals. This confidence is invaluable in environments built on compassion, dignity and trust.

Uniforms can also support enhanced wearer performance. When carers feel comfortable, professional and proud of their appearance, it can positively influence morale and confidence throughout the working day. High quality healthcare uniforms are designed to support the demands of physically active roles, whilst helping staff feel part of a professional team. Grahame Gardner understands this balance and offers garments specifically created for healthcare professionals who require durability, flexibility and comfort during long shifts.

Modern healthcare uniforms must also function as effective protective garments. Care professionals work in environments where hygiene, infection control and workplace safety remain top priorities. Durable fabrics, practical designs and garments suitable for rigorous laundering processes all help to support protection against workplace hazards, while maintaining comfort and professionalism.

Finally, uniforms are an important reflection of brand identity. Through colour coordination, embroidery and personalised branding services, Grahame Gardner helps care providers create a professional and consistent corporate appearance across their teams.

Uniforms remain one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to support staff, reassure families, residents and patients and strengthen organisational identity.

To find out more about Grahame Gardner’s uniform range, personalised workwear services and extensive scrub collections, visit: grahamegardner.co.uk.

To discuss branding options and pricing, contact the team on 0116 255 6326 or email sales@grahamegardner.co.uk

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Clean Standards: Laundry Compliance and Best Practice in Adult Care Settings Laundry may not command the same attention as clinical care protocols or medication management, but in a residential or nursing care home it represents one of the most significant infection control risks on the premises. Done well, it protects residents, staff and visitors. Done poorly, it can spread pathogens, compromise dignity and expose a provider to serious regulatory consequences.

Here we examine the key frameworks, practical obligations and emerging best practice that every care home manager and nominated individual should understand.

INFECTION CONTROL AND THE RISK OF CROSSCONTAMINATION HTM 01-04 establishes a clear hierarchy of linen categories: used (soiled but not infectious), infected (from residents with known or suspected infectious conditions), and heat-labile (items that cannot withstand high-temperature washing). Each category must follow a distinct processing pathway.

The cardinal rule is the strict separation of dirty and clean linen at every stage — collection, transport, storage and processing. Soiled items should be placed directly into appropriate colour-coded bags at the point of care, never sorted on floors or in communal areas. Red alginate or water-soluble bags are used for infected linen, allowing the bag itself to be placed directly into the machine without manual handling of the contents.

Washing temperatures are a critical control. A minimum thermal dis-

infection cycle of 65°C for ten minutes or 71°C for three minutes is required. Where chemical disinfection is used — for example, with heat-sensitive items — validated low-temperature systems with appropriate detergents must achieve equivalent log reduction in microbial load. Informal domestic machines, even in small residential settings, frequently fail to sustain these temperatures and present an unacceptable infection risk.

Cross-contamination between residents' personal clothing remains a common and often underreported problem. Robust labelling — ideally heat-transfer or embroidered name labels — and individualised laundry records reduce the risk of items being lost, mixed or returned to the wrong resident, an issue that carries both infection and dignity implications.

STAFF SAFETY AND DIGNITY CONSIDERATIONS Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory when handling soiled or infected linen. As a minimum, staff should wear disposable gloves and aprons; fluid-resistant masks are advisable when handling heavily contaminated items. Hand hygiene must follow the removal of PPE — this step is frequently omitted and should be an explicit part of laundry standard operating procedures.

Manual handling risks in laundry are frequently overlooked. Wet linen is heavy, laundry rooms are often cramped, and repetitive loading and unloading of machines contributes to musculoskeletal injury.

Ergonomic assessments of laundry workflows, appropriate trolley

heights and staff training are all employer obligations under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

For residents, the laundry process is deeply personal. Clothing represents identity, self-expression and comfort. Shrinkage, damage or the loss of treasured garments causes genuine distress. Care plans should document fabric care requirements for individual residents, and staff should understand — and follow — care label instructions.

EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY Operational efficiency and environmental responsibility are increasingly inseparable. Modern commercial washer-extractors offer programmable cycles, water recycling, and energy consumption data that support both cost management and sustainability reporting — the latter becoming relevant as the care sector faces growing ESG scrutiny from commissioners and investors.

Outsourced laundry contracts with commercial providers offer scale and validated thermal disinfection, but require robust service level agreements, audit rights and clear protocols for infected linen. On-site solutions give greater control but demand proper equipment maintenance, documented machine validation, and staff competency checks.

Whichever model is adopted, documented evidence is essential.

HTM 01-04 and CQC both expect providers to demonstrate — not merely assert — compliance. Temperature monitoring logs, machine service records, staff training certificates and outbreak response procedures should all be readily available for inspection.

Lavamac Award-Winning Sustainable Laundry Equipment Lavamac has built a reputation as a trusted name in industrial and commercial laundry technology. Recognized across global markets for its commitment to durability, innovation, and operational efficiency, the company continues to deliver advanced laundry solutions tailored to the evolving demands of healthcare, commercial laundries, and institutional facilities.

With a product philosophy centered on reliability and performance, Lavamac has become synonymous with high-quality engineering and longterm value.

Innovation remains a defining characteristic of the Lavamac brand. The company continues to invest heavily in research, engineering, and modern control systems that improve ease of use and machine efficiency.

Lavamac’s commitment to sustainability is equally impressive. Its machines are engineered to meet stringent environmental standards while supporting lower water and energy usage. Advanced airflow systems in the dryers and optimized water management technologies in the washers contribute to reduced utility costs and greener operations. This meant that Lavamac was award-

ed a bronze award in sustainability by the Groundworks Trust, affirming their commitment to the sustainability industry Lavamac's refurbishment programme in their specialist facility includes stripping down the machines, and giving them a check-over, to see which parts, if any, can be carried over the refurbishment. Lavamac will only carry over the highest-quality parts from the machine from pre to post refurbishment. The machine then undergoes an extensive refurbishment, with almost all the parts being replaced, with the refurbished machines being given specialist parts based on the model type.

The company offers a complete service-oriented approach that includes laundry design consultation, project management, technical expertise, installation support, and after-sales service. Supported by experienced engineers and factory-trained technicians, Lavamac works closely with customers to develop customized laundry solutions that meet operational goals and space requirements.

Call today on 0151 317 3127, email info@laundrytec.com or visit www.lavamac.eu

AWARD-WINNING SUSTAINABLE LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT • New or refurbished Laundry equipment • Award-winning sustainability drive • washers, Dryers and Roller Irons • PPMs, Callouts and Installations • Fast and friendly service • Over 80 5* Trustpilot reviews

0151 317 3127 info@laundrytec.com www.lavamac.eu

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 35

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Laundry Solutions That Support Care Homes Through Challenging Times How Forbes Professional is helping care providers improve efficiency, compliance and operational resilience In today’s care environment, operators are facing unprecedented financial pressure. Rising utility costs, staffing shortages and increasing regulatory demands are forcing care homes to scrutinise every aspect of operational efficiency - without compromising resident wellbeing or compliance standards.

Laundry provision is one area where care providers can make meaningful operational and financial gains.

At Forbes Professional, our Complete Care Laundry Solution has been developed specifically to support the evolving needs of the care industry.

As proud national partners of Miele Professional commercial laundry equipment, we combine premium technology with local expertise and nationwide service support, giving care homes complete confidence in their laundry operations.

For many operators, purchasing commercial laundry equipment outright is no longer the most practical or cost-effective route. Renting provides access to high-performance, WRAS-approved equipment that meets stringent infection control and industry requirements, without the burden of significant upfront capital expenditure.

Equally important is the reassurance of rapid support. Our local-based engineering network delivers

same-day or next-day response nationwide, helping minimise downtime and maintaining continuity of care operations.

Beyond equipment and service, Forbes Professional works consultatively with care providers to design compliant, efficient laundry solutions tailored to individual operational needs, budgets and laundry room configurations. Our expert advisors guide customers through current industry guidelines to help ensure fully compliant solutions aligned with both CQC and WRAS standards.

Kevin Herring, CEO of Forbes Professional, comments: “Care homes need reliability, compliance and long-term value. Our engineering infrastructure and national support capability give operators peace of mind that help is always close at hand. By renting premium commercial laundry equipment, care providers can protect cash flow, reduce unexpected repair costs and gain access to industry-leading technology that supports both efficiency and resident care.”

As pressures on the care sector continue, operators are increasingly seeking partners who can deliver not only equipment, but expertise, responsiveness and genuine operational support. Forbes Professional’s Complete Care Laundry Solution is designed to do exactly that.

Washing Machines For Care Homes Trusted by thousands of care homes across the UK, MAG Laundry Equipment is an award-winning supplier of commercial washing machines and tumble dryers. Reliable laundry machines that meet the highest hygiene standards are essential for care homes, hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare organisations. MAG provides support to the care sector for all makes, models, and brands of laundry machines.

Whether you require free technical assistance, maintenance, repairs or installation, the professional team of experts at MAG will be happy to answer any questions.

MAG’s product range includes commercial washing machines, tumble dryers, ironers, presses, and detergents, all supported by a nationwide network of accredited engineers. Built since 1922, their commercial laundry equipment has a 5-star reputation for being reliable, energy-efficient, and

cost-effective. Care homes benefit from complete peace of mind knowing their commercial laundry machines can be professionally supplied, installed, maintained, and repaired throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.

Thermal disinfection comes as standard on MAG washing machines designed for care home and healthcare applications, helping businesses maintain the highest hygiene standards and regulations. For organisations seeking exceptional wash performance and effective stain removal, MAG Laundry Equipment also supplies high-quality commercial laundry detergents.

To find out more about how MAG Laundry Equipment can support your care home, visit www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk or phone 01353 883025. See the advert on the back cover.

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING 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

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO OUR ADVERTISERS

Wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm Systems Data Analysis software provides a full audit trail of events The all-new call logging software from ARM enhances the functionality of your care call system dramatically.

• It can help you track the quality of your service to your residents.

• It can help you demonstrate compliance with your aims and best practices, both to relatives and to authorities.

• It can help you find bottlenecks in service provision, track staffing requirements, and allow you to ensure staff are meeting expectations.

• Most importantly, it provides assurance that you know and can demonstrate what is happening in your care home.

The wireless ARM Nurse Call system has been developed over 30 years with both the client and user in mind.

It enables staff to efficiently answer calls, making the

management of resources more flexible and provides the functionality you would expect of any nurse call system.

Call messages can be sent direct to staff to speed up response times and can also be integrated to work with smart phones & messaging.

The system is quick and easy to install and works wirelessly, using radio communication between both the call points and the system infrastructure.

Phone: 01568 610016 | Email: sales@arm.uk.com | Website: www.arm.uk.com

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 37

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Courtney Thorne Leads the Way in Wireless Nurse Call Technology for UK Care Homes In today’s complex care environment, we understand that choosing the right technology is about far more than functionality alone. For care providers, reliability, sustainability, and supply chain resilience are critical factors—especially when it comes to nurse call systems that play such a vital role in resident safety and day-to-day operations.

At Courtney Thorne, we are proud to champion the “Made in Britain” mark. For us, this is not simply about where our systems are manufactured; it reflects our commitment to quality, accountability, and supporting the UK care sector. By designing and building our nurse call systems here in Britain, we can ensure they are developed with a deep understanding of the real challenges faced by care homes, resulting in solutions that are practical, reliable, and easy to use.

Manufacturing in the UK also allows us to maintain close control over our supply chain—something that has become increasingly important in recent years. Global disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on complex, overseas supply networks. By keeping our production local, we are able to offer greater consistency, shorter lead times, and improved access to parts and upgrades. This means our customers can rely on continuity, even in uncertain times, with minimal risk of disruption to their services.

Sustainability is another area where we believe local manufacturing makes a meaningful difference. By reducing the need for long-distance transportation and focusing on robust, long-lasting system design, we help care providers lower their environmental impact. We are committed to creating solutions that not only meet today’s needs but are built to last—reducing waste and supporting more sustainable care environments over the long term.

Of course, delivering high-quality technology is only part of the picture.

We know that ongoing support is essential. That’s why our UK-based technical team is on hand to provide expert assistance, from installation and training through to maintenance and rapid response when it matters most. Our proximity allows us to respond quickly and effectively, giving our customers the confidence that support is always within reach.

At Courtney Thorne, we believe that care homes deserve technology they can depend on—both now and in the future. By combining British manufacturing, sustainable practices, a resilient supply chain, and dedicated local support, we are proud to deliver nurse call systems that underpin safe, effective, and reliable care every day.

For more information or to book a free demo, visit www.c-t.co.uk or contact info@c-t.co.uk.

Alarm Radio Monitoring - Wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm Systems Alarm Radio Monitoring is the market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of bespoke, end-to-end, wireless alarm systems and solutions for the healthcare, leisure, custodial and education industries.

We have been providing wireless alarm and nurse call systems for over 30 years. Supplying care homes and hospitals with an essential lifeline that supports the delivery of outstanding care.

We believe in excellence which translates into: Advanced Technology Industry-leading wireless alarm technologies and software Bespoke Solutions We design systems to your needs rather than your team having to work around the system

Innovative Design Pushing boundaries with the reliability that comes from decades in the industry Flexible Finance Options Ensuring organisations of any size can provide safety for their staff and clients 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year Service Your ARM service team is on hand, on the phone, on-site or return to base, whether you have a service contract or not For further information, see the advert on the facing page or visit www.arm.uk.com

PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING From Analogue to Action: Rethinking Digital Nurse Call for Better Care

By Stuart Barclay, healthcare technology specialist at Syndora Alto (https://syndoraalto.com) The analogue-to-digital transition in health and social care is not simply a technology refresh. It is a chance to rethink how help is requested, how staff respond, and how care is coordinated across a home.

Too often, procurement still begins with a like-for-like mindset: replace the old panel, keep the old workflow, and hope for a better result. But digital nurse call should not be bought as a newer version of an old problem.

It should be purchased as part of a wider care model that improves visibility, response, accountability, and resident experience.

START WITH THE OUTCOME Before comparing systems, providers should define the problem they are trying to solve. Is the issue slow response times, poor escalation, noisy environments, duplicated paperwork, or a lack of oversight? The right solution should be judged against those outcomes, not against a checklist of features.

This matters because modern nurse call is no longer just about a resident pressing a button and a sounder going off. In better-designed systems, alerts can be routed directly to staff mobile devices, calls can be prioritised, and managers can see patterns in demand and response. That creates a more responsive and less fragmented way of working.

TEST IT IN REAL LIFE A presentation is not a demonstration. A brochure cannot show how a system behaves during a busy morning shift, when several alerts happen at once and staff are moving across different parts of the home.

That is why live testing in a real care environment is essential. Staff should be able to use the system, question it, and pressure-test it before any decision is made. If the workflow is clunky in practice, the promise of digital efficiency disappears very quickly.

INTEGRATION IS THE REAL VALUE One of the biggest mistakes in purchasing technology is treating integration as a nice-to-have. In reality, it is central to whether the system adds value.

When nurse call works alongside care records, mobility devices, alarm management, and internal communi-

cation tools, the result is less duplication and faster decision-making. When systems do not connect, staff are left repeating tasks, chasing information, and working around the technology rather than with it.

For care providers, that means the question should not be, “What does this system do on its own?” The better question is, “How well does it fit into everything else we already use?”

BUY SUPPORT, NOT JUST HARDWARE Digital systems do not end at installation. They begin there. Any provider selecting a nurse call platform should think carefully about what happens after go-live: training, maintenance, updates, fault resolution, and ongoing optimisation.

Care homes need suppliers who understand the realities of the sector, not just the technology. A strong supplier relationship should include responsive support, practical training, and a willingness to adapt as the home’s needs change. In digital care, support is not an extra service; it is part of the product.

CHOOSE FLEXIBILITY OVER LOCK-IN The biggest risk in this transition is buying something that cannot evolve. Care homes are operating in a fastchanging environment, and technology that cannot scale or adapt soon becomes a constraint rather than an asset.

Future-ready systems should be designed to expand, integrate, and respond to changing needs without requiring a complete replacement every few years. That flexibility is especially important in a sector facing pressure to modernise ahead of the 2027 digital switchover.

A BETTER QUESTION TO ASK The analogue era encouraged a narrow question: does the system work?

The digital era demands a better one: does the system help us deliver safer, smarter, more person-centred care?

That shift in mindset changes everything. It moves procurement away from hardware replacement and towards care improvement. It encourages providers to look for visibility, integration, responsiveness, and longterm support rather than simply ticking a technical box.

The homes that get this right will not just be compliant with the digital transition. They will be better equipped to use technology as part of everyday care, supporting staff and improving the experience of residents.

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 con-

struction 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.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Protecting Data, Proving Trust: Why The DSPT Is More Than A Tick Box Care home managers and staff already know that sharing information is critical to good care. What is changing is the scale and speed at which technology can now collect, analyse and share data, often almost in real time.

There is also much more focus on joined-up care, neighbourhood health services, and better information sharing between organisations. Care homes are expected to work closely with GP practices, hospitals, community services and local authorities, sharing information safely to support more coordinated care.

Done well, this brings real benefits. But it also brings risks. Cyber incidents, scams, human error and system failures can disrupt care services and put sensitive personal information at risk. As more information is shared digitally, providers are increasingly being asked to demonstrate that they have strong data protection and cyber security arrangements in place.

This matters when accessing NHS systems or shared records, responding to commissioner requirements, or demonstrating assurance to regulators and partners. It is no longer enough simply to say that policies exist. Organisations need to show that staff are trained, risks are managed, systems are protected, and clear processes are in place for handling personal information safely.

The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) helps care providers do exactly this.

Croner Care Pro Running a care service means constantly juggling ever-changing regulations alongside the daily needs of the people you serve.

Compliance isn't just about ticking boxes; it’s about the safety of your residents and the protection of your staff. Here is what every manager should have in place: • Policies aligned with the latest CQC, CIW, and CIS standards.

• Secure, digital storage for staff management files.

• 24/7 access to professional HR and safety advice.

The DSPT is much more than a tick box or a compliance exercise. The toolkit acts as a framework and checklist to help providers strengthen day-to-day data protection and cyber security. It helps organisations review what they already have in place, identify gaps, and improve policies, training and working practices over time.

For many providers, the DSPT helps avoid starting from scratch.

It supports practical improvements such as strengthening passwords, reviewing access to information, improving business continuity planning, and helping staff recognise scams and cyber risks.

Crucially, it also helps providers demonstrate good practice and prove they are safe to share information appropriately with partners. In a health and care system increasingly focused on integrated working and digital information sharing, that reassurance matters.

The deadline for the 2025/26 DSPT is 30 June. Previous submissions expire after this date and can no longer be used as evidence.

Digital Care Hub provides free support for adult social care providers, including guidance, webinars, elearning and direct help from 32 local support organisations.

Don’t let your DSPT expire on 30 June. Get free support and guidance at www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/dspt If your current system feels like ""guesswork,"" it’s time for a more comprehensive solution.

Croner Care Pro provides everything you need to manage the regulatory side of your business in one place.

From practical, ready to use resources collated by industry experts and in line with the latest CQC (Care Quality Commission), CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) and CIS (Care Inspectorate Scotland) regulations and standards, software to record and store important policies, procedures and staff management files to practical, 24/7 telephone based advice for any challenges you may be facing.

Included is Croner BrightHR Employee Management Software and Croner BrightSafe management software which includes policies, handbooks, and access to your documentation To learn more about how we can match your service to your specific needs, contact our expert team for free advice today on 01455 858 132.

See the advert on page 9 for further information.

PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Supporting Better Care Through Smarter Workforce Management The social care sector continues to face growing pressure from every angle.

Providers are balancing rising operational costs, recruitment challenges, complex compliance requirements and increasing expectations from residents, families and regulators alike. At the centre of all of this is one key priority: supporting staff so they can continue delivering high-quality care.

For many care organisations, workforce management technology is becoming an essential part of achieving this!

Across the UK and Ireland, care homes are moving away from manual processes, paper rotas and disconnected systems in favour of integrated workforce management solutions that provide greater visibility, flexibility and control. The result is not only improved operational efficiency, but also a better experience for employees and residents.

Technology is no longer simply about digitising paperwork. It is about giving care providers the tools they need to make informed decisions, manage staffing levels effectively and respond quickly to changing demands.

One area where this is particularly important is employee scheduling and rostering. Care providers often operate around the clock, managing complex shift patterns while ensuring the right staff are available at the right time. Manual scheduling can be time-consuming and leaves little room for flexibility when absences or last-minute changes occur.

Modern workforce management systems help simplify this process by automating rotas, improving visibility across teams and enabling organisations to manage staffing requirements more effectively. Features such as auto-rostering and employee self-service also empower staff by giving them more control over their schedules, shift swaps and holiday requests. This level of flexibility is becoming increasingly important in attracting and retaining employees within the care sector.

Another growing focus for care organisations is absence management. Unplanned absences can place significant pressure on teams and increase costs through overtime or agency cover. Having better visibility

of absence trends allows organisations to take a more proactive approach.

AI-powered tools are now helping providers identify patterns, predict potential absence issues and support more informed workforce planning. These insights can help managers address challenges before they escalate while maintaining continuity of care.

Importantly, workforce management technology is also supporting compliance and reporting requirements. Care providers must ensure accurate records are maintained for working hours, attendance and employee data. Digital systems help reduce manual errors, improve accountability and provide clear audit trails when needed.

When managers spend less time dealing with administration, they have more time to focus on people. When employees have greater flexibility and visibility of their schedules, engagement often improves. When staffing levels are managed effectively, residents benefit from greater continuity and consistency of care.

Technology should never replace the human side of care. Instead, it should support the people delivering it!

As the sector continues to evolve, care providers are increasingly looking for solutions that combine reliability, flexibility and innovation. Integrated workforce management platforms are helping organisations build more resilient operations while continuing to deliver the high standards of care that residents depend on every day.

If you are currently facing workforce management challenges such as staff shortages, inefficient rostering, absence management issues or time-consuming manual processes, we can help. To learn more about how our workforce management solutions support care providers across the UK and Ireland, contact us at hello@softworks.com, call our UK team on +44 1527 888 060 or our Irish team on +353 1 286 6126. You can also visit www.softworks.com for more information.

AI-Powered Care Navigation: Helping Families Find the Right Care Home When a family begins searching for a care home, two things are almost always true. They are under enormous emotional strain, and they have very little idea of what they are actually looking for. Most are doing this for the first time in their lives, often in the middle of a crisis: a hospital discharge, a fall, a sudden change in a parent's condition. They are unclear on funding, what to look for, or what questions to ask.

And what does the sector currently offer them at that crucial first moment? A postcode search.

Most online care directories function as little more than a digital phonebook, a long, undifferentiated list of names and addresses that families are expected to trawl through alone. A handful offer a "concierge" service, but that typically means a phone call back, during office hours, after the family has already filled in a form. The first point of contact, the moment when families most need guidance, is precisely the moment they are left to fend for themselves.

Caretopia World was built to change that.

The UK's first AI-powered care navigation website, Caretopia replaces the postcode-and-pray model with a guided conversation. At the heart of the site is Fliss, an AI agent who talks with families and carers, asks the right questions, and helps them work out what they actually need before showing them anything at all. Fliss signposts information on common conditions, explains funding options in plain language, and – crucially – checks in on how the person searching is coping. It is a small touch, but it acknowledges what the rest of the sector tends to ignore: that the people doing the searching are often exhausted, frightened, and grieving a loss of independence on behalf of someone they love.

Only once Fliss has built a real picture of the family's situation does the site present a shortlist of providers. Families can then select up to three homes to compare side by side and share that shortlist with siblings, partners, or other decision-makers. The result is a process that feels less like online shopping and more like having a knowledgeable friend in the room.

"Postcode searches are simply inadequate for the people who use them," says founder Nathan Davies-

Pugh. "Most families are doing this for the first time, and they don't yet know what good looks like. Fliss helps them arrive at a realistic set of considerations – and then matches them with homes that genuinely fit."

For care home managers, the proposition is just as straightforward.

Providers can build a profile using Caretopia's bespoke page builder in under ten minutes, with all the information families actually want to see: photos, fees, specialisms, room availability, and a clear sense of the home's character. Because Fliss has already done the qualifying work, the enquiries that come through tend to be warmer, better-informed, and a closer match to what the home offers, sparing managers the time-sink of fielding calls from families whose needs they cannot meet.

Pricing has been kept deliberately modest. "We are acutely aware of the pressure the care sector is under," Davies-Pugh explains. "The first month is always free, and our discount code for the first year means a home effectively gets unlimited job ad placements thrown in for nothing. There is no contract, no minimum term, and providers can cancel at any time.”

The wider point is that AI, used thoughtfully, has a real role to play in one of the most human moments a family will ever face. Not as a gimmick, and not as a replacement for the warmth and skill of care staff, but as a way of taking the chaos out of that first conversation so that by the time a family picks up the phone to a home, they already know why they are calling.

"We always say that care should start before the care journey begins," Davies-Pugh concludes. "That is what our AI is designed to do. And honestly, we are only just getting started. Watch this space."

Find out more at www.caretopiaworld.co.uk

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO OUR ADVERTISERS. WWW.THECARERUK.COM

PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL Why Care Home Training Needs to Move Beyond Tick-Box Learning Care home staff today face increasingly complex responsibilities. Supporting residents with dementia, autism, frailty, safeguarding concerns, and communication difficulties requires far more than theoretical knowledge. Staff need confidence, judgement, teamwork, and the ability to respond compassionately in challenging situations.

However, much care home training still relies heavily on passive e-learning and compliance-focused approaches. While online modules may meet mandatory requirements, they often do little to improve reflective practice, communication, or real-world decision-making. Care home managers are increasingly recognising the need for more engaging and practical approaches to workforce development.

Gamification, game-based learning, and facilitated group activities offer an important opportunity to improve staff learning and engagement. Instead of simply completing quizzes or reading policies, staff work together through realistic scenarios, discussion exercises, and collaborative problem-solving activities. This encourages active participation and helps teams apply learning directly to everyday care situations.

Research increasingly supports these methods. Studies examining simulation-based learning in nursing homes have shown improvements in staff confidence, communication skills, leadership, and reflective prac-

tice. Dementia care simulations, for example, have helped staff develop more personcentred approaches and greater confidence in responding to distressed behaviours.

These approaches also strengthen teamwork and workplace culture. Much mandatory training is completed individually, often in isolation. Group-based learning encourages discussion, peer learning, and shared reflection, helping teams develop more consistent approaches to care. This aligns closely with the growing emphasis from the Care Quality Commission on learning cultures, staff understanding, and continuous improvement.

Importantly, game-based learning is not about replacing professional standards or mandatory training. It is about making learning more meaningful, memorable, and practical.

As pressures on the care sector continue to grow, providers need training approaches that build confidence, communication, and real-world capability — not simply certificate completion.

To explore practical, evidence-based training tools designed specifically for care teams, see the Focus Games advertisement on the front page of this issue, including a special reader discount offer for physical and digital team-learning resources that support communication, teamwork, decision-making, and improved CQC outcomes.

See the advert on the front cover or visit www.FocusGames.com

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

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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 290 | PAGE 43

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL

Supporting Teams Through Vulnerability: Why Carers At Work Need Us Now

By Lucy Carpenter, leader of the Compassionate Employers Programme at Hospice UK (www.hospiceuk.org/compassionate-employers) Managers today are being asked to support their teams through some of life’s most difficult moments. From grief and serious illness to financial pressures and burnout, the emotional load on employees is growing.

Alongside this, more and more people are quietly taking on unpaid caring responsibilities. Supporting a parent, a partner, a child, or a friend, often without ever using the word “carer” to describe themselves.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to ask: what more can we do to support both carers and the managers supporting them?

Census data shows that nearly 3 million carers aged 16 and over in the UK are in paid employment. Within this, an estimated 1.4 million are “sandwich carers”.

A sandwich carer is someone who provides unpaid care for both dependent children and older relatives, often their own parents or grandparents. They are balancing the needs of two different generations, alongside their own work and personal lives.

This group spans a wide age range, from late teens through to mid-60s. Yet despite their numbers, and the vital role they play, many people don’t recognise themselves as carers at all.

More broadly, unpaid carers contribute the equivalent of around four million paid care workers to the social care system. Without them, the system would simply collapse.

The economic impact is significant too, a major study by Carers Trust found that the contribution of working-age carers is worth up to £47.7 billion a year.

Carers are not a small or niche group in our workforce. They are our colleagues, our teams, and in many cases, our managers.

WHY WORKPLACE SUPPORT MATTERS For many carers, work is more than a job. It can be a source of identity, financial stability, connection, and routine.

But without the right support, balancing work and caring responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming. Many carers reduce their hours, turn down progression opportunities, or leave work altogether because it simply isn’t sustainable.

That’s why creating compassionate, supportive workplace cultures isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential for retaining talent, supporting wellbeing, and keeping people in work.

WHAT CAN ORGANISATIONS DO? The good news is that small, practical changes can make a big difference. It starts with creating an environment where carers feel seen, supported, and safe to speak up.

Here are four simple ways to get started: Ask - One of the easiest ways to support carers is to make space for the conversation. Build caring into the everyday conversations you’re already having, during onboarding, regular check-ins, supervision, and

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 highquality 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 5.

annual reviews.

Taking the time to understand what’s happening in someone’s life outside of work helps you see the full picture and the load they may be carrying. Many carers won’t volunteer this information unless they feel asked in a safe and supportive way. Simple, open questions can make all the difference.

Talk - Visibility changes everything, talk openly about caring within your organisation. Share stories, signpost support, and make it clear that people with caring responsibilities are valued and supported.

Many carers stay quiet because they worry they’ll be seen as less committed, particularly during times of organisational change or uncertainty.

Creating a culture where caring isn’t something to hide helps people feel able to speak up earlier, before they reach crisis point.

Educate - Managers play a crucial role in shaping how supported someone feels at work. People are much more likely to open up when they feel psychologically safe, and that comes from trust, empathy, and understanding. Sometimes these conversations can feel difficult, managers may worry about saying the wrong thing or not knowing how to help. That’s where training matters, giving managers the confidence and skills to have compassionate conversations can transform how support is experienced day to day.

Formalise - Informal support is important, but it needs to be backed up by clear policies. Make sure your policies are up to date, easy to find, and regularly communicated. Employees need to understand their rights, including legal protections: • Five days’ unpaid carer’s leave • Time off for dependants in emergencies • Parental leave • Protection from discrimination • The right to request flexible working Alongside policies, practical guidance and real-life examples can help bring them to life. Case studies can show both managers and employees what good support looks like in practice.

Ultimately, supporting carers is about more than policies or processes. It’s about culture. It’s about recognising that people don’t leave their lives at the door when they come to work, it’s about understanding that, at some point, many of us will become carers ourselves.

By creating workplaces where people feel seen, understood, and supported, we not only help individuals through challenging times, but we also build stronger, more compassionate organisations for everyone.