The Carer Digital - Issue #60

T H E P U B L I C AT I O N F O R N U R S I N G A N D R E S I D E N T I A L C A R E H O M E S

W W W. T H E C A R E R U K . C O M

The Carer Digital

THECARERUK

THECARERUK

Issue 60

Health and Care Bill Introduced to Parliament Image: Catherine Bebbington/Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

A landmark bill which has far reaching implications for how the NHS is run and integrated with the care sector has been introduced to Parliament.

New proposals to build a modern health and care system that delivers better care was introduced in Parliament yesterday (Tuesday 6 July).

The Health & Care Bill mandates that every part of England has an integrated care board and an integrated care partnership responsible for bringing together NHS partners with local government services such as social care, mental health services and public health advice, in order to deliver more joined up care, and

builds on the proposals for legislative change set out by NHS England in its Long Term Plan, while also incorporating valuable lessons learnt from the pandemic that will benefit both staff and patients.

The government has said that it is committed to delivering world-class care for patients and this Bill they say will help deliver that by building on the NHS’ own proposals for reform to make it less bureaucratic, more accountable, and more integrated in the wake of COVID-19.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

LETTERS TO BREZHNEV I have often wondered if I would ever have the opportunity to recount one of my favourite anecdotes. However, I think recent events come close.

It concerns former-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, the Cuban missile crisis and his successor Leonid Brezhnev.

The standoff between America and the Soviet Union, in particular the legendary standoff between leaders John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev, is well documented.

However, it was events afterwards that became the most interesting.

On the 28th of October 1962 Khrushchev informed the Soviet politburo and the world that the Soviet Union would be dismantling and removing missiles from Cuba, which the Soviets saw as a massive climb-down.

This led to Khrushchev being deposed by Leonid Brezhnev, and the tale is that as Khrushchev was forced out as leader of the Soviet Union, he sat down and wrote two letters to his successor (Brezhnev).

He said, “When you get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of, open the first letter, and you’ll be safe.

When you get yourself into another situation you can’t get out of, open the second letter”. Brezhnev soon found himself in a difficult situation, so he opened the first letter. It said, “Blame everything on me”.

So, he blamed Khrushchev for everything, and it worked. Eventually, he got himself into a second difficult situation he couldn’t get out of, so he opened the second letter. It said, “Sit down, and write two letters”.

The cynic in me believes that is how any inquiry into the Covid crisis will unfold. when I first heard of Matt Hancock's resignation, my first words to work colleagues were: “I wonder if he will give successor two letters”! (And I suspect he probably has!)

The pandemic affected everyone. Loved ones lost from the front lines of the fight against COVID-19: medical staff and key workers who suffered from poor pandemic preparation and inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE). There are those who contracted the coronavirus in the lost weeks before the delayed national lockdown in late March, 2020.

Boris Johnson has already announced an independent public inquiry into the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

In his announcement he told MPs it would examine the decisions "in the cold light of day" and "identify the key issues that will make a difference for the future". But as far as I can see that is it. We have had no detail. I know the government will be anxious to get the economy back on track, but I do think it is time to give the country specific details of the parameters surrounding any inquiry and when it is likely to take place!

The decision by the government to relax COVID rules has been met with concern by segments of the health and social care sector. This is fully understandable. I have often said that the government finds itself between a rock and a hard place with respect to

Editor

Peter Adams

lockdown and COVID rules.

On the one hand there is, of course, the need to protect society, in particular the vulnerable, but the healthcare sector and adult social care can only operate if taxpayer money is coming in.

If the economy remains in lockdown, then there will come a critical point when there will be not enough money coming in to fund them and other essential services.

I am all for unlocking the wider economy getting people back to work and for the government supporting sectors such as the hospitality sector to get things returning to normal as quickly as possible.

For me, and it is only my personal point of view, that also means personal choice on wearing masks.

However, I do support the calls that masks should remain where older and more vulnerable people are being cared for. There is always a significant difference between people living in their own homes and those living in communal environments.

I see no logical reason why that was not put forward when the government made that announcement relaxing restrictions earlier this month.

I do not think any reasonable member of the public would object to mask wearing when working or visiting residential and nursing care settings.

This would certainly avoid and/or mitigate the catastrophic consequences and resulting deaths that the care sector enjoyed when the pandemic originally broke.

Your last chance to enter our latest “Unsung Hero Award”! You only have until this Friday July the 9th to get your nomination in!

A small token on our part to reward somebody who has gone that extra mile in in the residential and nursing care sector. While mainstream media sometimes it would seem “relishes” the opportunity to dwell on negative news surrounding care homes, we have always done the opposite! And it is an absolute travesty that these feelgood stories and initiatives never seem to make mainstream news.

The nominations are coming in we are absolutely thrilled to say!

So, once again a luxury hamper will be delivered directly to a “UNSUNG HERO” at their care home, nominations are open until July 9 so please get nominating with a small paragraph of what your nominee has done and why you think they are worthy of recognition nominate@thecareruk.com Once again we have called on some of the industry’s “leading lights” for insight, advice guidance and best practice, and are always delighted to print the many “uplifting stories” we receive from care homes and staff around the country so please do keep them coming!

I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 3

Health and Care Bill Introduced to Parliament

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In February 2021, the government set out its proposed plans and its introduction in Parliament follows extensive discussions with NHS England, the Local Government Association and the health and care sector to refine this blueprint.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The astonishing response of our health and care services to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit fast-forward on some of the bold changes the NHS set out to deliver in its Long Term Plan and shone the spotlight on other areas that require change to achieve better care for our communities.

“To help meet demand, build a better health service and bust the backlog, we need to back the NHS, as it celebrates its 73rd birthday this week, and embed lessons learned from the pandemic. This will support our health and care services to be more integrated and innovative so the NHS can deliver for people in the decades to come.”

Key measures include: • The NHS and local government coming together to plan health and care services around their patients’ needs, and quickly implement innovative solutions to problems which would normally take years to fix, including moving services out of hospitals and into the community, focusing on preventative healthcare.

• The development of a new procurement regime for the NHS and public health procurement, informed by public consultation, to reduce bureaucracy on commissioners and providers alike, and reduce the need for competitive tendering where it adds limited or no value. This will mean staff can spend more time on patients and providing care, and local NHS services will have more power to act in the best interests of their communities.

• A package of measures to deliver on specific needs in the social care sector. This will improve oversight and accountability in the delivery of services through new assurance and data sharing measures in social care, update the legal framework to enable person-centred models of hospital discharge, and introduce improved powers for the Secretary of State to directly make payments to adult social care providers where required.

• Supporting the introduction of new requirements about calorie labelling on food and drink packaging and the advertising of junk food before the 9pm watershed to level up health across the country. The pandemic has shown the impact of inequalities on public health outcomes and the need for government to act.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive commented, “This Bill contains widely supported proposals for integrated care, which have been developed and consulted on over recent years by the NHS itself. They go with the grain of what our staff and patients can see is needed, by removing outdated and bureaucratic legal barriers to joined-up working between GPs, hospitals, and community services. In doing so, these pragmatic reforms build on the sensible and practical changes already well underway right across the NHS. And by enabling mutual support between different parts of the local health and care services they will undoubtedly both help tackle health inequalities and speed the recovery of care disrupted by the covid pandemic.”

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England medical director, said, “We’ve seen throughout the pandemic and in the delivery of the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme that the health service is the heart of every community, and can respond quickly to work with other organisations to protect people and improve public health. As a medic I know that working with organisations outside the NHS, and putting patients at the centre of shared decision-making, is best for each individual person and actually is a more effective and efficient way of working, which is why these proposals are right to build on the good work already underway across the country.”

COVID-19 has reinforced the need for closer collaboration between the NHS, local authorities and care providers to provide more joined up working, and staff and patients have rapidly adopted new technologies

to deliver better care. But at times in recent years the legal framework has made this more difficult, as it was not designed with this type of collaboration in mind.

The Bill will ensure each part of England has an Integrated Care Board and an Integrated Care Partnership responsible for bringing together local NHS and local government, such as social care, mental health services and public health advice, to deliver joined up care for its local population. Clinicians, carers and public health experts will be empowered to operate collaboratively across health and care, as part of plans to tackle inequalities and level up health across the country. The Bill will also introduce measures to tackle obesity and improve oral health.

It will dispose of unnecessary bureaucracy that has held the health service back so that health and care staff can focus on patients, not paperwork, and ensure the system is able to flex to changing needs in the years to come. It will ensure NHS England is more accountable to government, and by extension Parliament, while ensuring the NHS retains everyday operational and clinical oversight.

Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO, Care England said, “As the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, Care England has identified five main areas where the Health and Care Bill needs to be bolstered in order to assist real integration between health and social care. Firstly, adult social care providers, for profit and not for profit, need to be directly represented on ICS NHS and Partnership Boards.”

“Secondly, there must be a ten year workforce plan that addresses adult social care. Thirdly, the framework around assessment of local authorities to be subject to consultation and moreover created as well as co-produced by providers. Fourthly, every ICS needs to fulfil a certain level of awareness and understanding of adult social care. Lastly, social care plans need to be produced by the Prime Minister before ICS’ come into effect. Care England will be working with Parliamentarians as the Bill makes progress through both Houses of Parliament. Furthermore our vision, We Care for England , to be published later in the month will provide the Government with a plan as to how to deliver sustainable long term reform for the sector”.

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Why ‘Don't Step On A Bee Day’ Is So Important For Care Homes

By Jackie Pool, QCS, Dementia Care Champion (www.qcs.co.uk)

Bees are as remarkable as they are extraordinary.

Amazingly, if there were no bees around a third of our food would disappear overnight . Did you know also that these fascinating creatures can fly up to three miles from their hive to collect pollen? In doing so, these ‘busy bees’ live up to their nicknames by beating their wings at 200 times per second which propels them to speeds of up to 15 miles per hour.

When most of us think of bees, we think of honey bees and bumble bees. But there are hundreds of different species – around 270 in all - living on these shores. That said, according to National Geographic Kids, “bee colonies have been disappearing” for the last 15 years or so. In the UK, bee numbers are shrinking at an incredible rate. A recent study conducted in the UK by Nature Communications says that “a third of British wild bees are in decline”. That’s why awareness events such as ’Don't Step on a Bee Day’, which falls on Saturday, 10th, July, are so important.

BEES AND DEMENTIA But does any of this have to do with social care and dementia – the field that I specialise in? Having worked as a leading dementia specialist for over 35 years, I spent many of those years working as a consultant with people living with dementia in residential care homes. At Sunrise Senior Living, where I was Director of Memory Care for four years, ‘Don't Step on a Bee Day’ was – and continues to be – an exceptionally important date in the activity events calendar. Why? Well, we know from research that outdoor activities, not only alleviate stress for those with dementia, but promote spiritual and emotional wellbeing. There is also evidence that outdoor activities help to slow cognitive decline.

The challenge that many care home activity teams have is ensuring that every single person living with dementia can enjoy ‘Don’t Step on a Bee Day’. The greatest challenge that activity teams face of course is assessing the cognitive ability of each individual to ensure that each person is fully engaged in the activity. This often means creating several different activities. But how do you cognitively assess each individual? It was a question that I asked myself when I first began my journey working as a senior occupational therapist in Gwynedd in the late 1980s. My research led me to create the Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument, which has been specifically designed to assess the cognitive and functional ability of those living with dementia. At QCS, the leading provider of content, guidance and standards for the social care sector where I

currently work as Dementia Care Champion, we’re taking the instrument to a whole new level.

THE QCS PAL INSTRUMENT So, how can the QCS PAL Instrument help activity teams to make the most of events such as ‘Don’t Step on a Bee Day’, this year? In a nutshell, the instrument ensures that services can plan the right activity for each individual by assessing them across four different levels of ability.

The ‘Planned’ level means that a person can largely participate in tasks by themselves. Those who can engage at a PAL Exploratory level need guidance, while a person functioning at a PAL Sensory level, requires much more help from the activity team. Finally, a person engaging at a PAL Reflex level, will need extensive support from their carer and is likely to engage by way of therapeutic connections.

Having forged a collaborative relationship with the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), a charity specialising in creating meaningful activities, I worked closely with NAPA to create a colour coding key.

The key makes it even easier for providers to match a person’s cognitive ability to the level of participation support required. It has also ensured that NAPA’s 3,000 members have the best of both worlds – a bespoke and effective way in which to assess cognitive function and a myriad of activities to choose from, which have been expressly designed to work alongside the QCS PAL Instrument.

ACTIVITIES FOR DON’T STEP ON A BEE DAY So, what activities would NAPA suggest for ‘Don't Step on a Bee Day’?

Who better to ask than Natalie Ravenscroft, NAPA’s Wellbeing Support Manager? Natalie says, “Like any other event, care services need to carefully plan for ‘Don't Step on a Bee Day’. The activities must be carefully graded so everyone in the care service can participate. The activities must also form part of a story, which has a beginning and an end. In the case of ‘Don't Step on a Bee Day’, the wider narrative is to follow and celebrate the lives of bees as they collect pollen and turn it into honey. The activities should be planned around the honey bees’ cyclical journey.

Natalie continues, “That journey begins with the activity coordinators seeking advice from their local garden centre or their local bee keeping society as to which plants attract bees. Once this has been established, the first activity, could be planting with seeds.

Natalie says the second activity, which again could be adapted for each level of the PAL Instrument, would be “to care for and tend to the plants, ensuring that they properly nourished”.

Thirdly, Natalie notes that when the flowers begin to come into bloom and the bees gather to pollinate them, “there’s an opportunity for art and craft”.

She explains, “Individuals might draw the bees and the plants or make craft models of them While this is probably a pursuit for those at a planned and exploratory level, it could also be adapted to suit those at a sensory and reflective level.”

AUTUMN ACTIVITIES As the summer gives way to autumn, Natalie says that it’s the final activities that are likely to bring residents the most joy and reward. She says, “Activities range from collecting, drying and pressing the plants to

gathering honey from the hive.”

While every care service needs to carry out a detailed and robust health and safety assessment before deciding to buy a hive, Natalie says that “in the right circumstances and with the right supervisory support, a bee colony has the potential to profoundly transform the activities”.

CO-PRODUCTIVE BENEFITS She explains, “A bee hive has co-productive benefits. Why? Because a care service is likely to seek help from the local bee keeping society when it comes to collecting the honey. It therefore presents an opportunity for individuals to meet new people and bond as a community.

Secondly, it opens the door to a host of new activities, which cover the full spectrum of cognitive ability. For instance, when the honey is gathered it can be put into containers and those jars labelled. With some assistance, these tasks could be performed by individuals at both an exploratory and even a sensory level, while labelling the jars might engage residents at a planned level with a passion for art.”

Activities reach their conclusion, Natalie says, in late September or early October, when a care service “might host a harvest market enabling residents to sell pots of honey, beeswax candles, lip balm and artwork. The money raised provides funds for seeds to start the cycle all over again next year”.

Perhaps this serves to demonstrate the great power of activities that are set to the rhythms of the natural world. These holistic pursuits have a calming and soothing effect on all of us and provide spiritual nourishment. On ‘Don't Step on a Bee Day’ more than any other, this is something that we should saviour.

The NAPA Activity Calendar can be accessed by subscribing to NAPA Newsletters at https://mailchi.mp/1130056ab91f/9eudbszh4p To find out more about QCS, contact our compliance advisors on 0333405-3333 or email sales@qcs.co.uk? Alternatively, if you're seeking a new challenge, QCS is hiring. For list of current vacancies, click here https://www.qcs.co.uk/current-opportunities/

Motorbike Man John Revs Up for New Challenge A motorcycle-mad care home resident is gearing up for a new challenge to lovingly restore an old bike.

John Wykes, 83, who now lives at Pendine Park’s Hillbury home in Wrexham, has a life-long passion for motorbikes and classic cars and has returned numerous ‘wrecks’ to their former glory.

Now he’s aiming to rebuild the Kawasaki motorbike that was donated after Shane Swift, the husband of Hillbury’s deputy manager Patsy Swift, put out an appeal on Facebook.

Shane’s big-hearted friend, Ian John, from Acrefair, came up trumps – even though his original plan was to sell it.

The home is now looking for specialist tools that John can use breathe new life into the bike.

Before retiring he was a professional joiner by trade, learning his craft at Harland and Wolff in his native Liverpool.

When he and his family moved to North Wales he opened his own joinery business, Marchwiel Joinery, near Wrexham, which he ran for many years.

But in his spare time John said his real passion was motorbikes. He taught himself the basics of vehicle mechanics.

He eventually became so proficient that he restored several vintage bikes, including a large silver coloured cruiser model.

Among his favourite projects was transforming a decrepit classic Vauxhall J type car, a model which was popular in the 1930s and 40s.

Hillbury manager Cindy Clutton said: “We cannot express enough thanks to everyone involved in this magnanimous gesture. To see John’s reaction when the motorbike arrived was heartwarming.”

“If anyone has any motorbike tools they can spare or no longer want then we’d love to hear from them. I’m sure John will take excellent care of them and put them to good use. He has motorcycling in his blood.

Cindy came up with the idea of looking for a motorbike for John to work on after leafing through his photograph album which is packed with pictures of motorbikes and cars he spent many hours restoring in his younger years.

She said: “He has good days and not so good days, but his face always lights up when he talks about his old motorbikes.”

According to John, his love of motorbike started after he started riding them when he was 16 He said: “I loved that feeling of freedom on the road, being out in the fresh air with the wind in your hair.

“It is completely different to travelling by car, although I did enjoy restoring classic cars too.

“The black J Type took me about two to three years to restore starting with the rusty old chassis and working my way up. I took photographs of it at different stages along the way. “The finished result was supremely comfortable, a lovely classic vehicle, which I took to a few classic car shows.”

Shane, who runs Swift Auto Services on Wrexham Industrial Estate, said: “Ian said he had been thinking about selling it, but when he heard about John at Hillbury he thought there was no better place for it to go. He was pleased to help out with such a thoughtful surprise for a veteran biker.”

Patsy said: “It is such a selfless gift which we know will bring a lot of pleasure to John and evoke many happy memories for him of his days on the road.”

John who has two grown up daughters, Colette and Kate, who both live in Wrexham, loves to reflect on old times working on his bikes and cars.

He said: “I would say to anyone that if you can keep active, keep your hands in good working order and put your mind and skills to use on a practical hobby then it will bring you lots of joy.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 5

PM’s Decision On Rule Relaxation Is ‘Incredibly Concerning’ Warns BMA The British medical Association (BMA) have described the Prime Minister decision to relax current Covid restrictions as “incredibly concerning”.

In a statement they said:“To listen to the Chief Medical Officer speak about the alarming rise in cases, doubling of hospitalisations and certainty of more deaths, and for the PM to decide to go full steam ahead with the easing of all mitigations regardless, is incredibly concerning. There is a clear disconnect with the actions the Government are planning to take and the data and views of the scientific community and medical profession.

“The NHS is already under immense pressure trying to cope with an unprecedented backlog of care. While admittedly the link between hospitalisations and deaths has weakened, it has not been broken and we now have twice as many people in hospital and on ventilators compared to a month ago. Even modest rises in patients being admitted to hospital will undermine our ability to treat the record 5 million patients waiting for treatment.

“Additionally ,approximately one in ten who people who contract the virus will have symptoms of long covid and with an estimated 2 million people having been ill for more than 12 weeks. This is having a frightening long-term impact on health and wellbeing, wrecking the lives of many. Why is the Prime Minister know-

ingly putting more people at risk of becoming ill when masks are proven to be effective and can reduce spread of infection? It will also impact on the economy and businesses if more staff become ill and unable to work.

“The emphasis on personal responsibility around mask wearing and other safety measures is incoherent as many of these measures, such as mask wearing, do not in the main protect the individual but those around them. This cannot be about ‘personal choice’ when the risk comes from others around you not wearing them.

It is inconceivable that the Government would allow for people, many of whom have no choice but to get public transport or be in confined places, to have to take the risk of becoming ill, particularly those who have not been fully vaccinated or cannot take the vaccine for health reasons.

“We would urge the Government to reconsider its course of action and implement some of the necessary measures such as the continued mandatory wearing of facemasks in enclosed indoor public settings, until the rampant spread of infection has been brought under control and more of the population are fully vaccinated.

“Ultimately, the Government has a duty to protect people’s health and this announcement today falls very short of that. It also fails to protect our health service and give the NHS and its staff the safeguards it needs.”

Veterans Young and Old Swap Military Stories at Solihull Care Home Different generations of veterans came together to discuss their time in the military during a special reminiscence session at Royal Star & Garter.

Four staff members at the Solihull Home who have served in the Armed Forces chatted to residents and shared photos and stories of their time in service.

The Home provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia.

Army veterans Alex Ferguson and Carmen Asemani, Navy veteran Kevin Dempsey and RAF veteran Jill Nussbaum who all work at the Tudor Coppice care home, swapped military tales and anecdotes with residents.

Jill, physiotherapist at the Home, served between 1982-1985, and was a dog handler caring for RAF dogs. She said: “It is a privilege to work in a Home dedicated to supporting ex-service personnel.

Armed Forces Day celebrations mean so much to me having been in the RAF myself. It was such a fantastic morning, hearing about some of our residents’ experiences. They have lived extraordinary lives and it’s an honour to hear their remarkable stories.”

Army wife and Solihull resident Joyce said: “The group was smashing, very interesting and a lovely way to get to know people and hear about what they used to do.”

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PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Robot Helpers Among Showcase Of Digital Innovations Improving Adult Social Care

Robots which help carers to lift people without extra assistance are among dozens of innovations being highlighted as examples of best practice in adult social care.

The innovative ways of using digital technology were developed by 69 local authorities as part of the Social Care Digital Innovation Programme and the Social Care Digital Innovation Accelerators projects, which were run by NHS Digital in collaboration with the Local Government Association.

The computer-controlled robots – known as ‘cobots’ – were trialled in the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. The robotic devices are worn around the waist and lower back to support carers in lifting, holding and moving people without assistance.

The cobots lessen the risk of injury and fatigue among carers, as well as reducing the need for two carers to work together. This cuts the risk of infection caused by involving an extra person, which has been especially important during the pandemic.

The Social Care Digital Innovation Programme and the Social Care Digital Innovation Accelerators – both part of NHS Digital’s five-year Social Care Programme - supported local authorities across England to develop and share new digital approaches and technologies in adult social care.

Various apps, such as one which monitors the hydration levels of care home residents, another which helps prevent falls, and another to coordinate health, care, transport and voluntary staff when a patient leaves hospital, were also among 49 innovative projects trialled as part of the

initiative.

More social care organisations are now being encouraged to adopt the technologies, which reduced hospital admissions, increased people’s independence and saved social care staff time and resources.

James Palmer, Programme Head of the Social Care Programme at NHS Digital, said: “Digital technology can make a huge difference to people’s lives and the projects funded through these programmes have improved social care as well as empowered people by giving them more control over their own wellbeing.

“Front line staff have worked incredibly hard to make these programmes successful and we now want to ensure these fantastic innovations can be adopted by more social care providers, local authorities and charities so that as many people as possible can experience the benefits they bring.”

Digital technology can help people live healthy, independent lives and enable health and social care services to be more effective, personalised and efficient.

The first phase of the Social Care Digital Innovation Programme was launched in 2018, followed by the most recent phase, which was launched in 2019. This phase provided over £1 million funding for local authorities to use technology to respond to adult social care challenges in their area.

The Social Care Digital Innovation Accelerators projects were launched from 2020 and provided over £500,000 to encourage co-funding and collaboration between councils on new digital projects.

The projects developed through both programmes aimed to meet the needs of people, care providers and professionals while working in partnership with technology suppliers.

Though the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought challenges, teams adapted to the changing circumstances so that digital tools could continue to support people effectively.

Local authorities in Essex and Hampshire tested using everyday consumer technologies like tablets and voice-activated speakers, which helped people stay connected and feel secure in their own homes during lockdown.

Some schemes introduced remote assessments, making the process easier and quicker. Derbyshire County Council carried out equipment and care assessments via phone and video, which received very positive feedback from participants.

In Kirklees, people receiving long term care and their families could access care assessments and book social care appointments online,

enabling more personalised and timely services.

Coun David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into stark focus the opportunities presented by digital technology, to improve and tailor social care services to meet an individual’s preferences.

“There was already a growing trend towards using digital devices, apps and online support to make everyone’s care experience more personal and specific to their needs, which has been accelerated by the events of the past year.

“Working with partners, including those who use and work in care services, these programmes have allowed councils to continue adapting their social care offer, to let people live the lives they want to live and in the places they want to be.”

The Social Care Digital Innovation Programme and the Social Care Digital Innovation Accelerators concluded at the end of March 2021 and information on the products developed is now being made available online so that other local authorities can use them.

More information and case studies are available at www.local.gov.uk/scdip and www.local.gov.uk/scdia.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 7

Long Covid: Councils Set Out Need For Plan, Funding and Research On Long-Term Health and Care Impact COVID-19’s expected long-term health impact needs to be recognised in future public health and social care planning.

COVID-19’s expected long-term impact on the nation’s health and wellbeing needs to be recognised in future planning for public health and social care services, including greater research and funding certainty, the Local Government Association sets out today.

The LGA – which is hosting its Virtual Annual Conference this week – says the continuing success of the vaccination rollout, the easing of lockdown and the emergence of variants of concern means it is vital that society prepares for what comes next, including anticipating the challenges ahead and what will become ‘business as usual’ for councils and the wider public.

Today’s LGA conference, which represents councils across England, will include a panel discussion featuring Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty, on what to expect as we learn to live with coronavirus.

Latest official figures show nearly a million people have self-reported Long Covid symptoms, with almost two-thirds saying their day-to-day activities have been adversely affected as a result, while nearly 20 per cent said they had been “limited a lot”.

Fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches and difficulty concentrating were among the most commonly reported symptoms according to the Office of National Statistics, all of which could lead to greater longterm demand on councils’ public health and social care services, through the need for extra physical and mental health support, as well as on connected services such as housing, transport, welfare and employment.

Coronavirus has had a major impact on the health and wellbeing of society and our recovery will be a public health priority for many years to come. Research is currently taking place into the effects of people experiencing Long Covid symptoms and more information is likely to emerge over time.

The LGA said it is vital to get a better understanding of what more can be done to mitigate the potential lasting impact of coronavirus on all health and care services, including for people with underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease who are particularly at

risk from the known effects and consequences of Long Covid, which may be lifelong.

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The scientific consensus is that coronavirus will be with us in some form for many months and years ahead and councils with their public health and social care responsibilities want to play their full part in keeping our communities safe, healthy and protected.

“We are only beginning to learn more about the long-term effects of this disease and we need to start planning now for what could be a potential increase in requests for care and support and other council services due to Covid-related conditions.

“As we look towards our eventual exit from the pandemic, all of us involved in the response to the pandemic – central and local government, the medical and scientific community – need to have an honest debate about the potential implications of Long Covid on resources and capacity, not just in terms of pressures on the NHS, but also on our overstretched and under-pressure social care system and other vital council services.

“Frontline health and care workers have already endured so much and we need to prepare as much as we can for how we deal with the long-term effects of what has been the most devastating and challenging period in our collective national memory. This must be reflected in the Government’s upcoming Spending Review, as part of our overall recovery efforts.”

Isolation and Testing Remain Vital as Restrictions End Responding to Sajid Javid's statement to the House of Commons, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Health leaders are clear that come 19 July, it's not 'job done.' The Secretary of State's acknowledgment of that is welcome. But as things stand, the spread of the virus is already spiralling, and with it, the risk of new mutations, and mounting pressure on the health service, from acute care to primary care, mental health to community services.

“The news that those who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to selfisolate from 16 August may act as an incentive for people to have both jabs, but we must also remember that no vaccine is 100 per cent effective. The health secretary has warned that we could see 100,000 COVID cases a day

this summer, so it’s still vital that people continue to get tested, and isolate if they have COVID, and that they are given enough financial support to be able to do so.

“The health secretary has also said 7 million people have not come forward for treatment during the pandemic, and our members are all too aware of the effect it has had on non-COVID treatment. They have stressed throughout the crisis that the NHS is not, and has never been, a COVID-only service. They want to be able to treat as many people as possible, but if they are to be able to deal with the huge backlogs of treatment, alongside ever-rising COVID cases, caution has to be key.”

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Making Mental Wellbeing a Priority for Carers During the Pandemic and Beyond

By Nick Taylor, CEO, Unmind (www.unmind.com) tive experiences and stressors that erode us bit by bit.

To get to the root of the burnout problem, carers – and their employers – need to focus on building the right resilience and coping mechanisms. Because we all have mental health, just like we all have physical health – and both need to be nurtured. Care employers need to offer proactive and preventative mental health support for every employee – not just those who are already experiencing problems.

PREVENTING PTSD POST-PANDEMIC

Carers have fought on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They’ve risked burnout and poor mental health in the struggle to fulfill their duties as care workers while looking after themselves and their families. Occupational stress, anxiety and depression have risen dramatically over this past year: one study found that three quarters of carers reported feeling exhausted by the end of 2020.

The World Health Organisation defines burnout as: “A syndrome [...] resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Burnout doesn’t happen overnight: it’s a steady drip of nega-

In the wake of the pandemic, PTSD is likely to impact some of those who were at the sharp end of the crisis. Carers need to monitor how they cope in the coming months to avoid long term and potentially debilitating consequences. Creating a proactive strategy to tackle PTSD takes understanding where it comes from: a bug in the process that enables us to create and store memories. Normally, memories are stored neatly away in our mind, with a time-stamp. But when we’re exposed to a life-threatening or intensely fearful situation, our brain goes into an automatic, defensive fight-or-flight mode that suspends normal sensory processing. As a result, the memory is fragmented into parts, without a clear beginning or end, and it doesn’t get filed away with our other neutral memories.

This lack of coherent processing has consequences down the line, including random triggers and a strong sense of ongoing threat. There are numerous symptoms of PTSD, including feelings of anger or shame, low mood, and sleep disturbance. Those at risk should be aware of these signs. Employers can provide care workers tools to regularly check in and assess their own mental wellness while building aware-

ness, education, and open dialogue around the issue.

PRIORITISING WELLBEING FOR CARE STAFF Managing stress during a pandemic will always be a challenge. But we can now create forward-looking strategies for recovery. To prioritise the mental health of care staff now and beyond the crisis, employers will need to focus on a strategy that addresses the mental, physical and interpersonal aspects of wellbeing. Two factors will be crucial in building this strategy: A whole-person approach: carers should be encouraged to regularly assess their mental wellbeing and discuss it with their managers so that any issues can be spotted early on and managed. All three elements of our wellbeing need to be nourished and looked after: the psychological, social and physical.

Engaging every employee: we all have mental health, all the time. So the right mental health programme will need to be inclusive and engage everyone in the workforce. Our tools, resources and support should focus on prevention – tackling the whole spectrum of our mental health needs.

While Covid-19 restrictions are lifting and the vaccination programme roll-out continues, carers will begin to process what they have been through over the last year. To support their staff through the next stage of this journey, employers in the field should act now to put in place long-term mental health strategies that focus on preventative – rather than just reactive –support. After all, how can carers do their job adequately, if they can’t care for themselves?

Nottinghamshire Care Workers “Go The Extra Mile” For Charity EMPLOYEES at Nottinghamshire-based care group Church Farm Care have raised more than £2,000 for Alzheimer’s UK after walking the equivalent of more than five marathons across the past two weekends.

Organised by house leader Nikki Foster, 45 members of the team at the group’s Skylarks home spent the last two Saturday mornings walking a 3.1 mile lap of the lake at Holme Pierrepont, racking up a total of 139.5 miles between them.

Skylarks, located in West Bridgford, is one of Church Farm Care’s four homes in Nottinghamshire and specialises in dementia care..

The team chose Alzheimer’s UK as its charity for their own special memory walks and even wore a photo of one of Skylarks’ family members on their t-shirts as they walked.

Nikki said: “The original plan was to get enough team members together to walk the equivalent of one marathon by lapping the lake at Holme Pierrepont. However, we were absolutely overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to take part, with 45 members of staff responding to my original call for volunteers, meaning our total would actually be just shy of 140 miles – more

than five marathons.

“What has also blown me away is people’s generosity. Our initial target was to raise £500, but just a few hours after setting up our Facebook donations page we’d already exceeded that amount. Since then the donations have continued to pour in and we’re absolutely thrilled to have raised more than £2,000 for a charity that’s so close to all of our hearts.”

The memory walks were initially meant to take place in March but had to be pushed back due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, with the rearranged events taking place on 26 June and 3 July.

Rachel Squire, home manager at Skylarks, said: “Nikki has done a fantastic job, organising the event from start to finish, and we couldn’t be more proud of her for raising such an incredible amount of money for Alzheimer’s UK. “Her dedication to our family members at Skylarks is a real testament to how much she cares about those living with dementia and we’d like to say thank you to all the staff who took part and, of course, to everyone who donated as well.”

Blood Pressure Drugs That Can Cross The Blood Brain Barrier Have Impact On Memory Researchers have found that older adults taking blood pressure-lowering medications known to cross the blood-brain barrier had better memory compared to those taking other types of medicines to treat high blood pressure. The research published (Monday 21 June) is in the scientific journal, Hypertension.

High blood pressure or hypertension in mid-life is a known risk factor of dementia, which affects 850,000 people in the UK. Just like the heart, the brain depends on a good blood supply to work properly and having high blood pressure can put this supply at risk.

What our expert said Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“There are things we can all do to help our brains as we get older.

Keeping our blood pressure in check is one factor in our power to control to try and help prevent dementia.

“This new research looked to see whether blood pressure lowering drugs able to pass the blood-brain-barrier – an important structure in the brain – led to a benefit in memory and thinking skills but didn’t necessarily look at dementia. They found that those taking barrier-crossing drugs had a small but not insignificant improvement in memory, while those taking drugs that were not able to cross the barrier displayed better attention skills.

“Millions of people in the UK are prescribed blood pressure medica-

tions to support their cardiovascular health. Doctors will prescribe the most appropriate medication for their patients based on their individual circumstances. Anyone who has any concerns about the medications they are taking should speak to their GP. “Research shows that 40% of dementia cases are linked to factors we may be able to influence, and the best evidence suggests that we can look after our brain by keeping cholesterol levels in check, maintaining a healthy weight, keeping physically and socially active, not smoking and drinking within the recommended limits. At the same time, we must continue to invest in research that can take us closer to a world free of the fear, heartbreak and harm dementia brings.”

Batley Care Home Makes Every Penny Count For AGE UK Fundraiser Staff and residents at the Batley based care home, Lydgate Lodge, raised over £100 for AGE UK after being inspired by their dedication to supporting older people throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

In order to show their support, residents decided on the coin trail idea at their monthly committee meeting after reminiscing about creating traditional penny trails throughout their childhoods.

The trail took over a week to complete and was a significant achievement for residents who were able to spell out ‘Lydgate Lodge’ and other inspirational hashtags such as #healthcareheroes out of the donated pennies and pound coins.

Fundraising Executive for Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees, Nikki Ayrton, who came to collect the donation, said, ‘I would like to thank everyone at Lydgate Lodge for raising

money for Age UK in a coin collecting challenge. The past 16 months has been extremely challenging for charities like Age UK so having the local support of Lydgate Lodge and their positive response has been amazing! We hope I can work together again very soon’.

Speaking after completing the coin trail quotes, resident Diana Hornby, who laid the final coin said, ‘I am so pleased we have been able to do something good for AGE UK and spread some joy. Creating the trail was no easy feat but was so much fun – I really enjoyed myself’.

Home Manager, Gary Kent, said, ‘I am so happy to see how successful our coin trail has been! Our team have been brilliant in organising the donations and it’s been a huge team effort creating the trail. Thank you to everyone who generously donated. We are proud to be able to give to such a wonderful charity’.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 9

Quarter of Older Adult Care Home Staff Not Fully Vaccinated Reveals NHS England An estimated one in four staff in older adult care homes in England eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine have not yet taken up both, according to new figures.

A total of 73.9% of eligible staff were reported to be fully vaccinated as of June 27, according to NHS England, however, proportion fell to 67.9% in London, suggesting around a third of staff in the capital have not had both doses. To date it is believed that over 347,000 eligible staff have now been fully vaccinated.

Staff in older care homes are classed as eligible for the vaccine if they have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the previous 28 days.

The Government announced in June that from October 2021 all people working in care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission must have two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, unless they have a medical exemption.

The new law, subject to parliamentary approval, comes with a 16-week grace period aimed at enabling staff who have not yet vaccinated to be so. Volunteers in care homes will also be required to get vaccinated, as will those who undertake work at care homes, including hairdressers, tradespeople and inspectors.

Announcing the move, Minister for Care, Helen Whately said: “People working in care homes have played an incredibly important role throughout the pandemic caring for those most at risk from this terrible virus.

“The vaccine is working, with over 14,000 lives saved so far. It’s only right that we take every possible step to protect those most at risk now and in the long term.

“I want to take this opportunity to urge everyone working in social care to take up the jab if they haven’t already to protect those they care for, themselves and those they work alongside.”

However, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said mandatory vaccination for NHS staff was an “incredibly complex issue that raises many ethical, legal and practical questions”.

He added: “Vaccine hesitancy is not the same as flat-out refusal, and there could be several reasons why some staff may be unable or unwilling to be vaccinated.

“Recent research has highlighted that pressurising health and social care workers can have damaging effects, leading to an erosion of trust, worsening concerns about the vaccine and hardened stances on declining vaccination.”

The petition against mandatory vaccines for care workers now has 69,000 signatories, the petition launched in June states that “We, the people, demand that health and social care workers are given the right to exercise free will in relation to any medical procedure and so to be able to refuse to take the covid 19 vaccination without fear of facing discrimination at work or in wider society.”

Care Leader’s Video Message to Sajid A leading care provider has spelled out the need for urgent reform in a special video message on the doorstep of the Department for Health and Social Care.

Mike Padgham, Chair of the provider organisation the Independent Care Group (ICG) recorded a video giving a message to new secretary of state Sajid Javid.

After writing to him last week, Mr Padgham spelt out in cards on the video: “Hello Mr Javid, congratulations on your new job. I was just passing and I wondered if you had read my letter yet? 1.5m people are waiting for an answer and for you to tackle social care. I have been waiting 30+ years. Please come and visit us in North Yorks. I have every faith in you… Be bold and solve the crisis. I look forward to hearing from you!”

The video was inspired by the video for Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” filmed behind the Savoy Hotel in London in 1964.

Mr Padgham said: “I was in London and thought it was too good an opportunity to miss as I knew I would be passing 39 Victoria Street and could leave a message for Mr Javid, as part of our ongoing campaign to get reform for social care.

“I wrote to him last week and to his predecessor many times but am yet to get any reply – I thought this might make a rather more visible reminder than just a photograph.”

In his previous letter to Mr Javid, Mr Padgham wrote: “The Covid-19 pandemic has further ravaged an already depleted sector. Care providers, already on their knees following years of neglect, have been dealt a bitter and potentially fatal blow by the pandemic.

“Rising costs associated with tackling the pandemic and the failure of bed occupancy rates to recover have plunged many into extreme financial difficulty. There have already been provider failures and more will come unless action is taken swiftly. Those caring for people in their own home through domiciliary care – a central plank in the Government policy on social care – are also struggling and there have been provider losses here too.

We cannot go on like this any longer or the social care system will collapse through a loss of providers and that will be devastating for the millions of people who rely on services for a decent quality of life.”

He said he hoped Mr Javid would seize an opportunity to go down in history as the secretary of state who finally tackled social care.

Some £8bn has been cut from social care budgets since 2010 and more than 1.6m people are now living without the care they need.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 11

Enforcing Social Distancing Guidance Will Become Impossible, says CIEH The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has said that the decision to move social distancing and the wearing of facemasks from a legal requirement to simply guidance will make it impossible for them to be enforced.

The Prime Minister announced further easing of lockdown measures in England coming into effect on the 19th July, with the legal requirement to wear facemasks indoors in public places and on transport removed and replaced with advisory guidance.

The one metre rule will also go, being replaced with guidance for businesses and hospitality on how to mitigate the risks.

However, CIEH has raised concerns about the impact this will have on compliance and the ability of its members to continue to enforce rules or guidance.

Environmental Health Professionals (EHPs) have played a vital role throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, from supporting contact tracing efforts, to business closure enforcement during lockdown, and were classified by the UK Governments as “Key Workers”. Following the gradual reopening of businesses, EHPs have been at the forefront of

Gary McFarlane, Northern Ireland Director at CIEH said: “We have been speaking to our members across the country in both the private sector and on the regulatory side. They are telling us that vital sectors are starting to already experience significant issues with Covid-19 compliance amongst the public, with face coverings and social distancing in particular causing issues.

Attempts to ensure that the public adhere to guidance are increasingly mixed and causing notable stress on the staff responsible for enforcing the rules.

Our members are now seeing considerable push-back from a fatigued public, with verbal abuse and refusals to comply reflecting a fraying commitment to following guidance.

With enforcement already difficult whilst social distancing and maskwearing is a legal requirement, any move to make these things a matter inspecting establishments to ensure that they are Covid-secure and working with businesses to help them comply with government guidelines.

of guidance will make it impossible for our members to enforce them.

If the UK Government wants social distancing to continue it will have to legislate for it and make it black and white.”

Your Last Chance to Nominate The Carer’s Next Unsung Hero Once again we here at The Carer are looking for an Unsung Hero!

A super deluxe luxury hamper will be the prize for the lucky winner!!

Since the beginning of the Covid crisis we have been inundated with absolutely wonderful, uplifting and heartwarming stories from residential and nursing care homes around the country. It is always a delight to publish them! Fundraising, engaging with local schools and communities, baking, candlemaking, knitting, poetry, recitals, fancy dress, Chinese New Year – you name it we and have been receiving fun stories!

Behind the scenes we have also received stories of the dedication commitment and devotion staff have shown in particular during these testing times.

However, this the hard work and dedication that those working in the sector often in extremely challenging situa-

tions can go unnoticed!

In previous years we have sought to redress that by inviting residential and nursing care homes to nominate somebody in their home who they believe is that “Unsung Hero”.

Every care home will have somebody who goes that extra mile, and often receives little recognise or reward. Since we launched our Unsung Hero award we have always had a phenomenal response, with some absolutely heartwarming and uplifting stories.

Your Unsung Hero can be from any department, frontline care, laundry, maintenance, kitchen, administration – we will leave that up to you.

We will be drawing a winner on July 9th, so please get your nomination with a short paragraph on what your nominee has done to deserve recognition and please send to:nominate@thecareruk.com

PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Footie Star Tells His Story Jules Rimet. Ferenc Puskas. Telmo Zarra.

There are many famous figures from the world of football to have a trophy named after them. Normally you would have to be an international superstar, or have had a major influence on the game, to have such an honour bestowed upon you.

However, the Chris Nicholl Trophy is named after a former player and manager who, although not enjoying world fame, is hugely respected in Walsall and Southampton, where he spent much of his career. When he lived in Walsall, he could not walk down the street without someone winding down their window to talk to him. He had a tremendous influence on many famous faces in the game and counts some legends, including as Lawrie McMenemy, as personal friends.

First reported in the Express & Star, the inaugural Chris Nicholl Trophy match was played in June between a Midland Legends and a Southampton Legends team, with the former securing a 4-1 victory. Many stars from Southampton FC – where Nicholl spent a total of 12 years as a player and manager – and Walsall FC – where he managed them to promotion from the old Third Division in 1995 – turned out for the game, including former England international Matt Le Tissier. Nicholl gave First Division debuts to a number of well-known players as manager of Southampton, including Le Tissier and future England captain Alan Shearer, whom he later sold to Blackburn Rovers for a British record transfer fee.

As football fever has gripped the nation for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, Chris has now spoken a bit more about his life ‘in the beautiful game’.

“I started playing as a young boy with the other lads from my neighbourhood, on the green just by my house. We all gathered there to play, and football was the natural game for us. It was football every day.

“My grammar school actually played rugby instead of football, but it felt all wrong. I was a natural footballer. Fortunately I was decent at it and was given the opportunity start my professional career at Burnley.”

Chris credits his love for the game to his father.

“My dad was my main influence. He played football in Northern Ireland, having come from Belfast originally, and taught me everything I know. We used to go out on the green and practice all the time.

“I’ve remained a follower of some of the clubs I played for, particularly Aston Villa. I’m glad I got the chance to play there, as it was my dad’s club too and a part of our family. It was great to go back to him and tell him that Villa wanted to sign me.”

Indeed, Chris has legendary status at Villa, having captained the side to victory in the 1976/77 League Cup, scoring an incredible for 40-yard left-footed strike which helped take the game to extra time. It is remember as one of the club’s all-time greatest goals.

Anna Chaplaincy: Here To Help!

Anna Chaplaincy began just over 11 years ago with one person - the former broadcaster Debbie Thrower, in Alton in Hampshire. Now, it’s a rapidly growing, widely respected nationwide ministry with Anna Chaplains

and people in equivalent roles, in places as diverse as Orkney and Cornwall, south Wales and the Scottish highlands, Cumbria and Kent, Cheltenham and Newcastle.

The purpose of Anna Chaplaincy – named after the widow, Anna, in the Bible – is to offer spiritual care for older people and their carers, to advocate on their behalf and to champion their contribution to the wider community.

As Debbie Thrower explains: "Our vision is to see an Anna Chaplain in every small- and medium-sized community in the country, and for the Anna Chaplain

“My proudest moments,” Chris continues, “were playing for Northern Ireland. I won over 50 caps and scored three goals, which was a great way to honour my dad.”

Chris was never afraid to get stuck into the game and mainly played in defense. “I was quite good at heading the ball, and I had a good jump,” he recalls. “It could get a bit rough – I broke my nose a few times, but it’s all part of being a centre-back. I think I headed too many balls and that’s what has affected my memory!”

Chris is now living at Speedwell Court, a dementia-friendly care home in Southampton managed by The Abbeyfield Society.

“My daughter lives nearby and recommended it to me. She will often come to see me, and I’m also in regular contact with my brother, who lives in America and is a keen footballer like me.

“I’m very happy here and well looked after. I still try to keep active, and I feel healthy for it. I regularly play golf and might occasionally kick a ball around to show the young lads how to do it. The staff have drawn me up a sports schedule for TV as well so I don’t miss any important matches!

“I try to watch as much football as I can now, because it was such a big part of my life. So I’m watching a fair bit of the Euros and it’s good to see England doing well.”

After Chris’ playing career he began coaching at Grimsby Town before managing Southampton and Walsall, and he spent two years as Assistant Manager for the Northern Ireland national side.

“I always wanted to pass on what I knew,” he says, “and staying involved in football was important for keeping up my fitness and health.

Football was my life, my reasons to live, so I was never going to give it up entirely when I retired from playing.”

Speedwell Court’s Senior Activities Coordinator, Jennifer Varney, says, “When Chris joined he immediately offered to help lead our weekly exercise group for the residents, and it as become more and more popular ever since.”

“It’s important to do it right,” adds Chris, “and teaching is something I’ve always really enjoyed. I also have a general interest in the way the human body works, so I try to improve my knowledge through reading as well.”

name to become synonymous with spiritual care for older people."

Anna Chaplains work closely with care home managers and staff and carry out a wide range of activities in care homes and in the wider community.

In normal times, being an Anna Chaplain involves visiting older people wherever they may be living, meeting one-to-one, hearing life-stories, taking services and home communion, drinking tea, praying, making music or simply holding someone’s hand in companionable silence. They also offer pastoral support to front-line care home staff.

As the whole area of social care, and support for the older members of our communities, moves centre stage as a result of the pandemic, (The Carer

12.04.21), Anna Chaplains are uniquely placed to share their wisdom and experience with practitioners and policy-makers alike. Increasingly, team leaders Debbie Thrower and Julia Burton-Jones are consulted by government, church leaders and academics and there is an increasing demand for Anna Chaplaincy training and resources. In an indication of the growing regard for the work of Anna Chaplaincy, Debbie Thrower was honoured to lead a special service on BBC Radio 4 to commemorate the 125,000 people who lost their lives in the first year of pandemic.

For more information go to www.annachaplaincy.org.uk.

Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry of the charity BRF. For more information go to www.brf.org.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 13

Masks Must Stay In Care Settings Care providers say protective face masks must remain where older and vulnerable people are being looked after even after lockdown restrictions are completely lifted.

And they are also worried about the impact of a ‘free for all’ if all restrictions on visiting in care and nursing homes are lifted alongside other renewed freedoms.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) said the threat to older and vulnerable people of all ages had not gone away even though the Prime Minister has announced that Freedom Day will be on 19th July.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “Everyone wants to get life back to normal, but as the Prime Minister said at the start of his announcement, we are ‘very far from the end of dealing with this virus’.

“Cases are still rising and those people of all ages being looked after in care and nursing homes, as well as in their own homes, remain the most vulnerable to Covid-19.

“I would therefore say that masks should remain compulsory for all those working in and visiting care settings for the foreseeable future.

“I also believe that care settings have to remain vigilant and careful around visiting and not let it become a free for all.

“In case people need reminding, we have lost 32,000 people in care and nursing homes to Covid-19 – we don’t want to lose any more mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or friends.

“Yes, we welcome a return to some freedoms but believe me,

nobody in the social care sector is demob happy quite yet.”

Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence says: “For many I’m sure that this will be seen as great news, for both those living in care homes who are desperate to see their friends and relatives, and of course those friends and relatives. It is the news that many have waited 16 months for and it is absolutely right that people living in care homes are afforded the same rights as everyone else in the community.

However, it is still important to recognise that where people live in a communal setting it is never straightforward, and so we must respect the views of individual residents, family members and staff, who might be nervous of such a change so quickly.

Many will want to see a continuation of social distancing, for instance, as well as perhaps choosing to continue with personal protective equipment such as masks. But, it is positive that we can see an end to some of the isolation people living in care homes have been feeling, and we can now hopefully look forward to putting the worst of Covid-19 behind us and securing the reform in care and support that is such a big issue at the top of the political agenda”.

Folkestone Care Home Joins UK’s First National Celebration of the NHS and Care Sector A memorial event to remember resident lost during the pandemic took place at a Folkestone care home this week.

Pelham House Care Home invited a small number of friends and family for a garden tea party, held on the same day as Monday’s (5th July) first NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day. The morning memorial service was led by local Vicar, Roger Smith, who read out eulogies to the 10 residents who had died suddenly during the pandemic.

Stories were shared about them, photos displayed on easels and plaques bearing their names were hung in a special part of the memorial garden for people to see.

Pelham’s owner, Roger Waluube and Chairman John Harrington also took a moment to remember the residents and thank staff for the unwavering dedication to their job and the care of their residents.

The emotional service was disrupted briefly by seagulls swooping

down to collect Forties-style biscuits, handmade by Pelham’s chef; from war time shortbread, ginger and ANZAC recipes.

The morning service was followed by an afternoon BBQ and a celebration of the efforts of the care staff during the pandemic.

Forties music played and a huge cake, made and gifted by local baker Philippa Grant, from Friday Treats in nearby Hythe was cut and enjoyed Roger Waluube, said: “It’s important to remember the people who we lost in such a sudden and shocking way.

“The last year has been extremely challenging, and losing people we know as friends has been so very difficult.

“Today was about stopping, remembering and honouring, both the residents we lost but also our staff, who have faced unprecedented circumstances and excelled in putting their residents first.”

PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Mandatory Vaccination: Big Issues To Consider

By Emma Burrows, Partner and head of Employment at Trowers & Hamlins (www.trowers.com) services and supported housing.

The new requirement is likely to be law from the end of October/beginning of November. All those covered by the Regulations will need to provide evidence of having had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, or evidence that they are exempt from vaccination.

EXEMPTIONS The requirement to be vaccinated will not apply to residents of care homes, friends and family of residents who are visiting, those entering the home to assist with an emergency, visit a dying resident, to carry out urgent maintenance work, or those under the age of 18.

Individuals will also be exempt if they have any allergy or condition that the Green Book lists (COVID-19: the Green Book, chapter 14a – vaccination information for public health officials) as a reason not to administer a vaccine. The government intends to publish further guidance to describe the scope and process for granting exemptions.

PROVING VACCINATION STATUS

Data published recently by NHS England (for the period to 13 June) showed that only 23% of London care homes had at least 80% of staff and at least 90% of residents fully vaccinated against Covid-19. In the South West that number rose to 49% of care homes, but for England as a whole the figure was only 40%. While numbers will have risen since then, the news that vaccination will become mandatory for care home staff by the Autumn is causing care providers concern.

Mandatory vaccination will apply to all care home staff, volunteers and anyone else entering the care home for work purposes (subject to certain exemptions). The requirement will also extend to any professionals visiting the care home, such as healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and CQC inspectors.

The new law will apply to care homes in England which are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It will not apply to other CQC services, or services not regulated by the CQC, such as domiciliary

This is a matter of concern to care providers. The government expects people to show their vaccination status with the NHS app or, where that is not possible, via a web-based solution or a letter. There are concerns that evidence can be faked, especially if on paper.

THE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS Recruitment is likely to be a big issue. Will people be put off applying for work in care homes due to the requirement to be vaccinated? In a sector which is challenged by recruitment, this potential knock on effect may be problematic.

Care providers will have to consider redeployment of those who aren't vaccinated, and may need to redeploy them to services that are not covered by the proposed law.Those who can no longer work in care homes after the new law comes in may well seek work in services which are not covered by the mandatory vaccination requirement.

Many care providers are concerned that those who receive domiciliary services or in supported living are no less vulnerable than those in care homes. It will be prudent for these providers to consider introducing mandatory vaccination at the same time as the new law comes into

force.

There's also the issue of staff who are currently unvaccinated. Care homes will have to consult with these individuals and ensure that the need to take the vaccine is properly explained to them. It is essential that this is done before any steps are taken to dismiss. Although the new law would give a fair reason for dismissal, the employee concerned could still bring a claim for unfair dismissal. Care homes will have to factor in the potential need for two separate meetings before the mandatory vaccination requirement comes in; one to explain and encourage take up of the vaccine, and one to dismiss if there is a continued refusal to be vaccinated.

POTENTIAL DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS What about discrimination claims? It's worth noting that the government's response to the consultation makes it clear that there will be no exemption for those who refuse the vaccine due to religious beliefs.

Many of the vaccine hesitant are identified as BAME. Allegations of discrimination that the dismissal of large numbers of staff sharing the same protected characteristic could be made.

It will still be open to an employee to argue that a mandatory requirement to vaccinate is discriminatory. Although being an "anti-vaxxer" is unlikely to be capable of being a religion or belief that gives someone protection under the Equality Act 2010 employees with certain medical conditions may be advised against or choose not to take the vaccine.

Employers will be able to justify a mandatory vaccination policy on the grounds that they are legally obliged to have one but will need to act reasonably and might still have to defend high profile and expensive claims.

PRACTICALITIES Care providers need to consider carefully how to implement the necessary changes including deciding which staff should be covered by the policy, and consulting with all staff. For more information on mandatory vaccination and the issues to look out for please join our webinar on the topic on Thursday 15th July.

When Batman Met Robin At Isle Of Wight Care Home!

Holy bat hospital! It’s the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin meeting at

ties and organisations – the Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust; Ability Dogs for Young People; the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary and St Mary’s Hospital’s

The Elms care home in Bembridge, Isle of Wight!

The Isle of Wight’s very own Batman, Graham Street, who runs the island’s Bat Hospital, was at The Elms in Swains Road to receive a cheque for £150 from Robin Brigstock, who has been a resident at the care home for 12 years.

Lesley Wise, manager of The Elms, said: “We acknowledge the wonderful work the bat hospital looking after injured protected bats on the Island and that they have rescued over 2000+ to date. That’s a marvellous achievement.”

The Elms has also presented cheques for £150 to other community chari-

ICU. The money was raised from the care home’s Christmas coffee morning which included a raffle and tombola.

Lesley Wise continues: “Both the team and residents here decided they wanted to help some of the island’s charities who have had such a difficult time during the pandemic. We are so thrilled we have been able to support them with their invaluable work.”

Crewe’s Jessica Butler Appointed as New Experience Coordinator Nurturing home-grown talent, Belong Crewe has promoted Jessica Butler, also of Crewe, to the post of Experience Co-ordinator at the care village on Brookhouse Drive.

Her new brief will see Jessica work with the wider village team to ensure the provision of meaningful occupation for residents of both its 24-hour care households and independent living apartments, as well as managing the Experience Day programme for customers of Belong’s specialist day care service.

Joining the team as a bistro assistant at Belong Crewe when the village first opened in 2010, Jessica has progressed with the organisation, as it quickly became apparent that her skills in connecting to the customers would be highly beneficial in a care capacity.

Belong supported her learning and development to make the transition to becoming a support worker, and Jessica worked under the guidance of Belong’s Dementia Trainer as she took her Level 3 qualification. Jessica soon flourished, showing the perfect balance of empathy and positivity to bring joy and purpose to Belong’s residents and she progressed to a senior support worker.

Inspired by the value added by the Experience Day Team, Jessica later moved across to

a role in this service. Already knowing the residents and their needs well, she understood how to create meaningful activities that engaged the customers on a daily basis. Jessica commented, "I just love enabling customers to do the things they want to do. It brings them this amazing sense of achievement, and I really feel like I'm making a difference."

One of her highlights includes introducing the garden club, 'Belong in Bloom'. Designed to support the needs of a customer, Ken, who has limited mobility and is a wheelchair user, the sensory garden provides a welcome boost of positivity and motivation. Now thriving with vegetables and herbs with Ken as ‘Chief Gardener’, Jessica is looking forward to hosting its big opening in the near future.

Belong Crewe general manager, Kathryn Farmer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jessica to this new post, working closely with the village management team. She has already proven herself an invaluable member of our community and we have every confidence that she will continue to flourish in the role and to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our residents and customers.”

Retired Spitfire Pilot Honoured as Last Surviving Member of WW2 Squadron A Bracknell care home resident was presented with a special print to honour his status as the last surviving pilot of 41 Squadron from WW2.

At a socially distanced ceremony, Peter Hale, a resident at Care UK’s Bickerton House was presented with a signed print by two currently serving members of 41 Squadron: Wing Commander, Lee Gordon and Warrant Officer, Stevie Dryburgh.

Born in Harpenden in 1922, Peter joined the RAF during the second World War, in June 1941, at the age of eighteen. Taking to the skies, Peter became qualified to fly from September 1941, which meant opportunities travel to a host of countries around the world, including

Canada in 1942 and Belgium in 1944.

During the Second World War, the 41 Squadron operated the Supermarine Spitfire which was a key defender in the Battle of Britain and the fighting at Dunkirk. From 1943 to 1944, the Squadron flew many missions, including flying defensive patrols against low level attacks and escorting essential weaponry to troops on the ground.

Peter, who turns 99 on the 28th July, said: “I am delighted with this early birthday present and all of the signatures from those currently serving. I have had a very interesting life, and someone has definitely kept a very good eye on me!”

Erika Smith, Home Manager at Bickerton House, said: “Peter is a much-loved resident here at Bickerton House. Peter’s gentlemanly nature and his history in the RAF have always made him a hero – and now he has the plaque to prove it.”

“We were delighted to receive the call from RAF Coningsby and welcomed serving members of the Squadron to meet with Peter and honour his courage during the War. Here at Bickerton House, we strive to celebrate the great achievements and rich history residents have and recognise the importance of revisiting and honouring those moments of the past that are reflected on with pride.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 15

Huge Pressure Remains For NHS As COVID Cases Soar

Responding to the latest test and trace figures, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: “Thanks to the efforts of NHS teams and especially primary care, vaccination is breaking the link between infections and deaths. But with test and trace figures showing the highest weekly number of people testing positive since the middle of February, and hospital cases at levels last seen in April and rising, the health service is still under huge pressure.

“Before the government takes its final decision on lifting the remaining restrictions, we would urge real caution, so that we do not lose the significant gains we have made in recent months and risk putting the ability of

the NHS to overcome ever-growing treatment backlogs in jeopardy. This makes it all the more important for

us all to get the second jab as soon as we are eligible, and to isolate for the required period when asked to do so.

“We must remember that deaths are not the only important outcome we need to measure. Long COVID also remains a big concern, as the latest ONS figures show nearly 1 million people were experiencing symptoms of the condition as of 6 June, which is putting more pressure on community services and primary care.”

Chorleywood Beaumont Honour Staff on International Nurses’ Day 5th July 1948 was a historic day for our country. It was the day the National Health Service was born, bringing free healthcare to all. We have treasured it ever since but never so more than recent times. We were suddenly in turmoil fighting a virus and on the front line were our NHS, Social Care and Keyworker hero’s.

Keeping us safe and the country running.

We now have a National Day to show our gratitude to all NHS and frontline workers. The first National NHS, Social Care and Front Line Workers day takes place on Monday 5th July 2021. To mark the day Chorleywood Beaumont celebrated their staff with a party, recognised local keyworkers. We want to make this a Nationwide celebration and show our appreciation for everything The NHS, Social Care and Key workers do for our country.

Iuliana a nurse at the home, said “From a young age I always wanted to become a nurse, and it’s been a dream come true. I enjoy helping others, and be a part of their quality of life. Everything that I do within my work is with passion and care.

Young people should become nurses, as it’s a rewarding job, and it’s a job that you can make a difference within the society.”

Judith Boikhutso, Operations Manager at the home, said: “At Chorleywood Beaumont our nurses and staff are hard-working, dedicated, and passionate about caring for others, and that compassion and commitment has shone through even more over the past year. They continue to work tirelessly, and I’m proud of the professionalism and duty of care they uphold. All their efforts are focused on delivering the best possible care for our residents, so it’s nice to take this time to show our appreciation in return. It is also lovely to celebrate our residents who were nurses themselves and thank them for all the hard work they did during their careers.”

Flora, who lives at Chorleywood Beaumont care home, said: The staff here spend so much time and energy looking after us, it’s been lovely to show just how much we appreciate them, they do a smashing job.”

Government Must Be Aware Of Risks As Final Stages Of Lockdown Lift Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement on the next steps on the roadmap out of lockdown, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “We all want to go back to normal – health

and care staff included. But while health leaders are fully aware that restrictions cannot persist indefinitely, it’s important to remember we are not out of the woods yet.

“We hope the Government is right to be relaxed about the planned final easing of the restrictions, including dropping the requirements to wear masks and to socially distance, but there is a real risk that doing so could lead to further mutations of the virus and increased pressures on all parts of the NHS. “Although for now, there are comparatively few COVID cases in hospital and deaths are low, cases are skyrocketing, and the health service also continues to work to reduce the huge backlog of non-COVID treatment. We would urge the Government to be as clear as possible in its messaging to the public. The risks associated with COVID have not gone away, and the virus is still spreading at pace, so caution must be the watchword.”

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Fighting Loneliness: Combining Technology With Training Could Make All The Difference

By John Ramsay, Founder and MD of Social-Ability (www.social-ability.co.uk) Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, loneliness has reached a new level of intensity for older people and especially so for those living with dementia. According to a survey of 128 care homes by the Alzheimer’s Society, nearly 80% had seen deterioration in the health of their residents with dementia during lockdown due to a lack of social contact.

Sadly, for many, loneliness will not end with the approaching easing of social distancing restrictions – it was, already, a worrying reality of everyday life. However, this could be a watershed moment in how we address loneliness. By providing holistic solutions, effective technology tools and supportive training for staff, care home providers can help residents to build truly meaningful connections – not just fighting loneliness, but fostering happiness for the long-term.

ADDRESSING CHRONIC LONELINESS Since the beginning of the pandemic, 56% of people living with dementia have reported feeling ‘completely isolated’, while a third of people living with the condition ‘felt like giving up’ last year, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Clearly, there is an urgent need for solutions that help people to build stronger connections within care home communities, amongst family and with care staff – and to sustain these connections for the long-term. But while lockdown has shone an important spotlight on the loneliness facing people with dementia, it is sadly not its root cause. In itself, the disease can also be a serious cause of isolation for people. In fact, a third of people report losing friends following a diagnosis.

The transition to living in supported accommodation or residential care can also make it harder to feel connected to their friends and family – a reality that has only been exacerbated further in the pandemic and which can have serious impacts for people’s physical health. Research has suggested that it can increase the likelihood of mortality by as much as 26% and, with as many as 1.4 million adults in England already experiencing chronic loneliness, this fact is even more concerning.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS THROUGH CONNECTION For many families and care home residents, the ability to have regular contact through technology such as video calls has been a lifeline in the pandemic. This is something that I’m sure carers will have seen first hand and, as restrictions now ease, we must not forget the phenomenal role that technology can play in improving people’s wellbeing.

Video calls are far from the full story. For example, interactive sensory activities can be an effective way of breaking down barriers and helping people to build meaningful connections with the people around them. As lockdown eases, this will be a powerful way for families to reconnect. Not only can this increase people’s sense of community, happiness and empowerment, but sensory activities – such as interactive light-based games – have also been shown to improve the condition of those living with early, mid and later stages of dementia.

SUSTAINING THE FIGHT AGAINST LONELINESS When powered by technology, connection-based activities can play a phenomenal role in helping to combat loneliness. At Alexandra Grange, a Hallmark care home in Berkshire that has been introduced to the Happiness Programme – a combination of interactive light technology and supportive training for care home staff – these initiatives have made a significant difference for people’s wellbeing. One resident in particular, who had stopped communicating verbally as their dementia had progressed, was helped to grow their vocabulary again and communicate more easily with their support team.

However, technology is not, in itself, the end goal. It is a tool to bring people together and, to be effective, it must be part of wider schemes that include training and support in its use for care staff. It is only through this support that such initiatives can be sustained for the long-term as part of a successful and holistic approach to engaging residents and boosting happiness.

AN END TO LOCKDOWN AND LONELINESS Put simply, as we approach an easing of lockdown restrictions, loneliness amongst people with dementia remains an epidemic we cannot afford to ignore. But that does not have to be the end of the story. By leveraging the potential of interactive technology and combining this with effective support for staff around its use, care homes can not only fight a state of chronic loneliness but also create truly happy times for residents.

HC-One Care Homes Collaborate With The Scottish Seabird Centre HC-One care homes have continued their collaboration and work with the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC), a conservation and education charity based in North Berwick to participate in a wide range of activities and mark key national days including World Ocean Day on Tuesday 8th June and World Seabird Day on Saturday 3rd July, as well as MarineFest, a marine festival, held from 31st May to 13th June.

MarineFest was held by the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) for the first time this year to raise awareness of the diversity and protection of Scotland’s marine environment, wildlife and the pressures facing them.

The Scottish Seabird Centre and HC-One are continuing to work together to bring the outdoor environment into care homes with a set of digital resources to inspire and educate Residents about the marine environment. The aim is that everyone should have access to the marine environment, irrespective of location or circumstance.

HC-One care home Residents have loved participating in sessions and activities provided by the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) as they are big fans of animals and birds.

The Residents enjoy participating in anything involving any type of living creature and learning about them, whether big and small, these activities are always popular with Residents.

During the pandemic, HC-One care homes have had to adapt the wellbeing activities provided to Residents and HC-One’s Wellbeing Team were thrilled when they were approach by the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) with an opportunity to collaborate with them in December 2020.

The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) designed a multimedia pack for Residents in care homes with the aim of bringing the outdoors into the indoors by providing a set of marine digital resources including wildlife videos, seaside stories, podcasts, links to live webcam footage and much more! They also ran a popular competition with the chance for Residents to win an adoption pack. Catmoor House Care Home in Perth won the competition and chose to adopt a puffin who they named George.

Carol Riley, Home Manager of Catmoor House Care Home commented at the time of

winning the adoption pack: “We have been a huffing and a puffing over George our Puffin. We love nothing more than our lovely fluffy munchkin. He brings comfort to our Residents and has sparked interest in what else can we do.”

To mark World Ocean Day on the 8th June, Charlotte Foster, Marine Engagement Officer for the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) hosted a fun quiz and information talk in an online session for HC-One care homes.

Through the power of Zoom, Residents were able to discover fascinating facts, view beautiful photos and video footage of some of the UK’s wonderful marine life, hear stories from young people who are making a different for the planet and participate in an online interactive quiz.

A number of HC-One care homes participated in the quiz including Redesdale Court Care Home in North Shields, Victoria Manor Care Home in Edinburgh and Church View Care Home in Caerphilly.

Wellbeing Coordinator, Marie Mills at Church View Care Home in Caerphilly, South Wales, commented: “We were lucky enough to take part in the Zoom presentation for World Ocean Day. The quiz made my Residents quite competitive as if it was Church View against the world.

“We weren’t sure what to expect, but wow…it totally surpassed any expectations we had! The presentation itself was so clear and concise. The way that session was run was interesting and very engaging!

“The pictures we saw were lovely and the interesting facts that we learnt kept everybody captivated from the start to the finish! One of the Residents who took part in the session, Bill Thomas was so interested that he asked if there was a way going forward for him and his fellow friends to watch animals live. The Scottish Seabird Centre has provided us with links so Bill can enjoy watching wildlife live in the comfort of his own room!

We also purchased a brand-new smart TV which further has enhanced People’s wellbeing with weekly Documentary Clubs.

We cannot wait to participate again!”

Respectful Care Mansfield Appoints Welfare Liaison and Mental Health First Aider Following Difficult Time for Care Workers Respectful Care Mansfield, part of the Respectful Care Group, which has five branches across the East Midlands, has appointed a Welfare Liaison and Mental Health First Aider after recognising the effects of COVID-19 and day to day pressures placed on its care workforce.

Sally Wells will be stepping into the role with immediate effect, in a move that will support the branch and its 80 employees by offering an increased focus on their wellbeing. In her new position, Sally, who has been working in the care sector for over 15 years, will recognise signs of workplace stress and mental health issues, offering or guiding a person towards the correct support if needed.

Having previously worked in psychiatric care settings, supporting people living with mental illness and brain injuries through their rehabilitation, Sally will be bringing a wealth of experience to her new role.

A new role within the company also, the need for a Welfare Liaison and Mental Health First Aider was first identified during the pandemic, with the Respectful Care Mansfield management team wanting to provide additional support for care staff. Sally will act as a central point of contact that the staff can access to specifically discuss their welfare.

Discussing the role, Sally said: “Care staff are the unsung heroes of the care sector. They inspire me daily by

going out and providing care and support to those that are the most vulnerable in our community. It’s an emotional but rewarding role, and it takes a special kind of person to do that. Throughout the pandemic, they have all delivered support to others, putting their own needs last. This role is to allow care workers to speak about how they are feeling and for us to support them with their needs.”

“We are proud to have an open-door policy at Respectful Care Mansfield. Staff are always welcome to call in for a chat, whether to discuss how their day has gone or because they have had a more difficult day than usual. Protected time slots can also be booked, so there are no interruptions if they would like to discuss something particularly distressful,” Sally continued.

“I sincerely hope that this role will open up the lines of communication and carers will receive the support they need,” Sally concluded.

Discussing Sally's appointment, Keeley Riley, Registered Care Manager at Respectful Care Mansfield, said: "COVID-19 has highlighted the need for better mental health and wellbeing support, especially for our care staff who are selfless and heroic, front-line workers.

Sally’s career pathway and wealth of experience in the mental health sector made her the perfect person to become our dedicated Welfare Liaison and Mental Health First Aider. This, in addition to her kind, understanding and empathic nature made the decision easy. Sally will be supporting both staff and clients throughout their Respectful Care journey and she has already made such a significant difference to those she’s met, in such a short space of time."

“We are proud to announce this specific role and I think we can all agree Sally’s role as a Welfare Liaison and Mental Health First Aider is invaluable and one that all companies should have, to professionally and personally support staff, clients and their families,” Keeley concluded.

For more information, please visit www.respectfulcare.co.uk

DO YOU KNOW THE CARER’S NEXT UNSUNG HERO? Regular readers will know we here at the Carer have been awarding an Unsung Hero each Summer and Christmas since 2016!

Now, in these unprecedented and testing times we are Say hello looking for another to some Unsung Hero! previous (How we wish we could winners! reward you all!)

Care Home urst of Cloverfield Marion Brockleh

Thelma O’Leary of Fern hill House Care Home

A Super Deluxe Luxury Hamper for the lucky winner! ro r last Unsung He Martyn Davies, ou

Tina Higginson of Sam brook care home

A no-frills, no glitz or glamour competition - all we ask is for you to send us a paragraph or two nominating your Unsung Hero from any department with a brief description of how they've gone that extra mile and deserve to be recognised.

✓ Do you know our next Unsung Hero?

Email your nomination to us by July 9th 2021 at

nominate@thecareruk.com

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

The Role Hormone Health Plays For Women In Social Care

By Leni Wood, Nutrition & Wellness Manager at Nellsar (www.nellsar.com)

cult menstrual cycle, in perimenopause, or menopause. Although the experience can vary, the physical impact is real and can often make working a long shift challenging and demanding.

The good news is that there are general diet and lifestyle adjustments that you can make which help support the body and can reduce the aforementioned symptoms.

DIET AND NUTRITION

According to Skills for Care, 82 per cent of the adult social care workforce are female, with an average age of 44 years. Working in social care is a rewarding yet demanding job. It can involve long shifts which are often busy and offer very little time to rest and recharge.

Knowing the workforce is made up of mostly women, we have the opportunity to consider what are common factors in female health at different life stages, and how we might best support this essential human resource.

It is around the age of 44 that many women can begin to enter what is known as perimenopause. This is a time when certain hormones start to reduce, and the body begins to prepare for menopause – the stopping of menstruation and fertility.

Hormone health can have a huge impact on day-to-day living for many women, and if out of balance can result in fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, emotional struggles, hot flushes, headaches, IBS, weight gain, and in some cases depression and anxiety.

There is no one-size-fits-all magic pill to hormone balance and the experience is different for each woman, whether they are having a diffi-

Feeding your body with enough nutrients and keeping blood sugars stable are key in improving hormone balance. Eating fibre-rich foods which include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and pulses (also known as complex carbs) help to regulate bowel movements and stabilise what is known as the ‘blood sugar roller coaster’.

Essential fats are also important for improving hormone health. They can be obtained from nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish, eggs and olive oil.

It is equally crucial to steer clear of non-essential fats such as too much saturated fat, and in particular trans fats that come from processed foods, as these can have a negative effect on hormone health.

Make sure you eat before you start your shift and that the meal includes a protein source to prevent energy dips. You should also consider avoiding sugary breakfast bars and high-sugar snacks and drinks.

In addition, be organised and have a lunch made at home to bring to work, but make sure it includes a complex carb, a protein source, a healthy fat and vegetables.

Have a snack that includes protein with you for later in the day when you might get hungry, as this will prevent blood sugar drops and spikes which will support hormone health. In addition, drink plenty of water as this helps to flush hormones from the body and prevents them from recirculating in the system which can contribute to negative symptoms.

SLEEP Getting around eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night (or day if you work nights) will help to regulate hormone health and enable you to better deal with stress, fatigue, brain fog and anxiety. If you have trouble sleeping, then look at your sleep hygiene. What can you improve? You should refrain from screen time for an hour before bed. You could also consider blacking out any light coming into the room or try a bedtime

routine that includes a bath or reading a book to wind down. Alcohol will negatively impact sleep quality so it’s best to avoid drinking in the evenings. If you do enjoy a tipple, then limit it to when you don’t have work the next day and keep quantities low.

REST & RELAXATION Resting is hugely overlooked and is such an important part of hormone health. Taking time to relax reduces stress hormones which when increased can negatively impact on sleep and sex hormones, resulting in challenging hormonal symptoms.

EXERCISE It is common for social care staff to be on their feet all day. The idea of adding in any extra steps after a 12-hour shift can often feel like madness. Consider swapping post-work exercise for body movement.

Regular movement helps to clear hormones, improve balance, and reduce stress. When we move, our body can process and clear out unwanted waste from the system. High intensity exercise can put more stress on the body and if you are experiencing hormonal discomfort, then extra stress is not a good idea. If you are sedentary in your job, then make time to move more and get your heart rate up each day. A daily 30-minute walk is better than nothing. If you are on the move all day, then look at exercises like yoga or pilates which are strengthening and mindful.

Overall, it is extremely important for women in social care look after their hormone health to ensure a high quality of life. By striking the right balance between diet and nutrition, sleep, rest and exercise, the body will remain healthy and happy.

Leni Wood is the Nutrition and Wellness Manager at Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 care homes throughout Kent, Essex and Surrey. Built on strong foundations, Nellsar has worked hard to build the trusted reputation of its homes and prides itself on being approachable, accountable and ‘handson’ in its relationships with the families it supports.

Hallmark Care Homes to Work Towards Achieving an Internal Accreditation in Namaste Care Dedicated team members at Hallmark care home settings in Essex and Brighton will work towards achieving an internal accreditation in Namaste Care.

Eight team members from Admiral Court and Maycroft Manor will attend a series of educational webinars hosted by Namaste pioneers; Joyce Simard and Min Stacpoole before working towards achieving the accreditation, developed as part of Hallmark’s Centre of Excellence Pathway.

The accreditation will empower team members to provide Namaste Care to residents who are more advanced in their journey with dementia who would benefit from sensory activities.

It has been developed with assistance from the Association for Dementia Studies research, the Jawa Group and the Founder of the Namaste movement, Joyce Simard.

Once the team have completed the webinars, the chosen care homes will create a Namaste room, identify residents which it will benefit and start to deliver daily Namaste sessions which may consist of a

Once the homes have received an internal accreditation, Namaste Care International will support team members ranging from General Managers to Dementia Care Managers and Lifestyle Leaders to work towards achieving an external accreditation and they will become members of Namaste Care International themselves.

Regional Dementia Care Practitioner, Lisa Ruffell said: “Too often we underestimate the importance of those small connections made with each other. At Hallmark we are proud to offer Namaste Care, which focuses on ‘honouring the spirit within’. Teams within the homes have embarked on the new initiative and are committed and passionate to hand massage, sensory reminiscence activities, and food and drink treats.

The homes will also measure the impact of the Namaste approach on residents’ wellbeing using an evidence based-scale with the findings to be presented at the Namaste care international conference in September.

deliver innovative care, aspiring for ‘excellence’ within dementia care.”

General Manager at Admiral Court Care Home, Sue Cruse said: “We have been given a fantastic opportunity to be able to facilitate Namaste Care at Admiral Court. This will enhance the delivery of care that we give to our residents and we have a totally committed team that are really enthusiastic about making this a success.”

New Transparent Face Mask Shields Your Smile, Without Hiding It! Newly launched Smile Shield has a transparent panel to aid communication, whilst offering medical grade protection, and meeting all elements of the government’s Transparent Face Mask Specification. Smile Shield has also over 98% bacterial filtration efficiency, is breathable, splash proof and hypoallergenic.

It is a British invention, created by two founders Jennifer and Lisa, who also own TAD medical, known for its range of medical supplies, already widely used by hospitals, educational facilities and the emergency Services.

Jennifer Soboslay, Founder of Smile Shield comments: “Visual facial expression is a huge benefit to many industries, as communication is so important to us all, especially a smile, which can change the sentiment of the information being shared or be

encouraging without words. The Smile Shield allows lip reading, visible facial expressions, and a clearer understanding and connection between people to take place.”

The Smile Shield™ can also be used as a surgical mask.

The clear front panel makes the mouth visible, which is especially important for those caring for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a learning disability, or suffer with autism or dementia.

Soboslay, adds: “We saw a gap in the market for a medical grade mask with a clear panel, that can be used by healthcare providers.”

Hypoallergenic and latex free, the Smile Shield mask is comfortable to wear and offers over 98% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency. For more information about Smile Shield, please visit: www.smileshieldmask.com.

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

The Benefits of Life Planning Platforms

By Ian Dibb, founder of online life management platform, Once I’ve Gone (www.onceivegone.com) Many people are reluctant to talk about death with their loved ones. Unfortunately, this means that many families are left unsure of their loved one’s final wishes after they have passed.

Research from Schroders Personal Wealth uncovered that almost 80 per cent of families do not have any estate planning strategy in place, with 43 per cent of people admitting they haven’t discussed later life planning with their children1.

Nowadays, there are multiple considerations for when it comes to preparing your affairs – which is why we prefer to call this life planning, as death ultimately is an inevitable part of life. A positive proactive approach towards life planning can make all the difference for those closest to you when the time comes.

From financial documents such as pensions, wills and bank accounts through to personal memories like photos, videos, your online presence and accounts, there’s plenty to plan to help make the process easier for your families when you’re no longer here.

CONSOLIDATING YOUR FINANCIAL ASSETS The complexities often associated with wills and probate demonstrate the importance of having your financial affairs in order where possible. Recent reports show that there could be up to £70bn of unclaimed assets in bank accounts, pensions, life assurances and investments, likely due to the difficulties around locating current, lost and forgotten assets.

Consolidating financial assets can be an arduous task, even more so for family members who are still grieving the loss of someone close to them. Uncovering missing assets is a time-consuming exercise, involving contacting individual banks, building societies and pension funds direct to access this information.

Communicating the location of these items to family members will alleviate significant pressure when their focus is understandably elsewhere. Planning ahead and streamlining financial documents can help ensure that family and beneficiaries receive what they are entitled to and that an estate doesn’t join the current £70bn of lost assets.

CONSIDER YOUR LIFE ONLINE

Nowadays, our lives are played out as much online as they are offline. That’s why it’s so important for people to consider their digital footprint when it comes to life planning.

From email accounts and online banking to utility bills that are managed online as well as a multitude of online shopping, streaming and payment accounts, there’s plenty to consider from both a security and confidentiality perspective.

Research from Hospice UK2 shows that a massive 90 per cent of people have not made any plans for their social media accounts to remain when they die, leaving many people unable to access the social media profiles of a loved one when they’ve passed on.

Nominating a trusted contact and handing them your relevant account and password information could be a solution to this, however, it’s worth considering this carefully from a legal and confidentiality perspective.

This person is usually known as a ‘social media executor’ or ‘digital executor’ and is responsible for closing and managing your online accounts.

Leaving written instructions around your online accounts can also be included within your will, but it’s worth ensuring that your request can be carried out by the company in question first.

CURATE PERSONAL EFFECTS AND MEMORIES Fewer people now store photos in a physical album, instead opting to store photos, videos and more online where they are protected from damage such as fire, theft or flood. It’s therefore important to tell your loved ones where these are located and how to access them.

As well as personal effects, opening up the conversation around death and proactively planning will also allow you to consider your personal wishes and communicate these.

Many people do not wish to discuss their preferences for a funeral or any final wishes, which ultimately means that their friends and family are unsure of what sort of event to plan and what elements to stipulate as part of this.

LIFE PLANNING PLATFORMS Life planning platforms allow people to store all that’s important to them in a safe online environment.

Having access to all of your financial documents will significantly reduce the stress around complex processes such as probate and allow family members to gain access to the information they need quickly.

What’s more, you can communicate final wishes, leave behind messages and assign access to online accounts without having to communicate this verbally, which is often an upsetting conversation.

Most importantly, people need to begin recognising death as an inevitable part of life – which is why ‘life planning’ is so very important. Preparing and planning for death from all perspectives (financially, digitally and personally) can make a real difference to those you leave behind and will undoubtedly be an invaluable source of comfort for them at a time of great difficulty.

Moment In Time-Sealed “Experiences” To Be Opened In 2022 The ‘Moment in Time’ project idea evolved from work with people and organisations impacted by multiple losses during the pandemic, particularly within Health and Social Care. NAPA, NCF and Beacon Consultancy have come together to create this unique project. The COVID19 pandemic is a significant moment in time, which has changed and disrupted people’s lives across the globe. This project aims to capture the range of these experiences for posterity, by creating ‘Moment in Time’ boxes, which will be ‘sealed’ and opened on the same day in 2022.

Vic Rayner, CEO of NCF says, Memories are some of the most precious things to us all. They are part of us, and they remind of us key events in our lives. For many of us, this last year has been one of the most challenging years of our lives and there are many reasons why we might not wish to remember. However, together we have a story that is important to tell, and we can piece together the tough times alongside the things that made us feel loved and supported and bring them in one place so that we never forget.

Hilary Woodhead, Executive Director of NAPA says, The Moment in Time project has been inspired by the idea of a ‘time capsule’. We are inviting you to use the tools and resources developed for this project to bring together the things that have meaning into a time capsule – individual or organisation-wide – highs or lows – spoken or written – whatever is meaningful for you and the people that you provide care and support to. We then want you to put that away for a year – until July 19th 2022. Then we will celebrate the opening back up and the reconnection with important memories which reflect what that moment in time meant to you.

Denise Turner from Beacon Consultancy says, Despite all the talk of a ‘return to normal,’ the pandemic has changed our lives in unforgettable ways.

This project will capture these experiences as a ‘moment in time’, creating valuable memories and artefacts for sharing in the future. Making and sharing memories in this way has been shown to have positive impacts on wellbeing, which are much needed after the deprivations of COVID-19. Although the project will end with the opening of the boxes in 2022, some may choose to keep them and even add new items as time passes, thereby building a useful resource for future generations.

Free downloadable ‘Moment in Time’ resources and a how-to guide are available. To find out more about this project and start your own ‘Moment in Time’ visit: NAPA, NCF and Beacon Consultancy. Keep the conversation going on social media using #Momentintime21.

For more information contact the NAPA helpline on 0800 158 55 03 or email helpline@napa-activities.co.uk

Achieve Together Acquires RNID’s Care and Support Services Achieve together, a leading provider of specialist support for people with learning disabilities, autism and associated complex needs, are pleased today to have completed the transfer of the residential and community services run by RNID, the national hearing loss charity.

Achieve together, which has over 25 years’ experience in providing the best specialist support to over 2,000 people across England and Wales, will now operate RNID’s care and support services in these countries, and welcome onboard many amazing team members who will continue their inspiring work delivering specialist support for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

Alongside building on Achieve together’s existing expertise in delivering specialist support for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, in line with RNID’s core aims the acquisition will also enable further investment in team members, technology and the services to support them to grow, develop and to uphold the very best standards of care and support.

As part of the transfer, the many team members supporting RNID’s care services will benefit from access to Achieve together’s high-quality leadership, expert resources, and wide-ranging professional development opportunities, aimed at nurturing and driving skills and talents.

RNID conducted a thorough search to find an organisation who met their strict criteriaof being a provider with a strong track record, committed to ensuring continuity of care for the people we support, The services, which are located across England and Wales, will now work closely together with Achieve together to drive the central purpose of ensuring every person they support has the opportunity to live happy, healthy and meaningful lives, with their extraordinary skills, passions and individuality recognised and celebrated.

Achieve together has already been undertaking a listening and coproduction exercise, with involvement from team members across RNID’s services and Achieve together, the people supported and their families to ensure the services can transfer as smoothly as possible.

The shared values and ethos of the two organisations, based on their collective person-centred approach and specialist provision, makes this partnership a natural fit which is intended to deliver long-term and positive impact for team members and those receiving support.

The transfer completed on 30th June 2021, with all services and team members having now transitioned.

This latest acquisition further consolidates Achieve together’s position as one of the UK’s leading provider of support for people living with complex needs, as it continues to drive quality and shape the future of

high-quality, sustainable social care provision.

Emma Pearson, Chief Executive Officer of Achieve together, said: “We are incredibly excited and proud, to be welcoming RNID’s care and support services, and dedicated teams, to Achieve together.

“We will be focussed on collaboration and importantly, co-production, as we all work together to deliver the best specialist support through the amazing teams, our networks and our partnerships, including with families”.

“We are really looking forward to working closely with each service, our new team members, the individuals we support and their families, as we embark on this new and exciting chapter together.”

Mark Atkinson, Chief Executive, RNID, said:“In 2019 we refined our strategy to have wider reach and impact for the 1 in 5 adults in the UK who are deaf or have hearing loss and the 1 in 8 who have tinnitus.

“To realise this strategy, we knew that we could not continue to do everything we do today. For this reason, our Board of Trustees proposed to transfer our care and support services to a new provider.

“We wanted to find an organisation we had confidence in; an organisation that shares our values and our ethos and our commitment to high quality, person-centred care.

“So, I am pleased to say that we have transferred our care and support services in England and Wales to Achieve together. Wehave also saidgoodbye toour amazing colleagues,who will continue their inspiring work delivering specialist support for people who are deaf or have hearingloss.

“We believe Achieve together is well placed to invest in our services, support them to grow and continue to run them in the future.”

PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Bed Styles & Mattress Types For People Living With Disabilities

By Abigail Cooper of Beds Divans (www.bedsdivans.co.uk)

Latex Mattress

It’s no secret the physical and psychological health benefits that come with a decent night’s sleep. Yet, despite this, research from Oregon Health & Science University found that adults with disabilities are not getting enough sleep. Figures from this report show that over 44% of adults with disabilities slept an average of less than 6 hours of sleep each night, compared to only 27% of adults without disabilities.

With sleep disturbance being such a prevalent issue among the elderly and those living with disabilities, the importance of choosing the right mattress cannot be understated. With an array of different bed and mattress types to choose from, finding the perfect solution for those living with a disability can prove to be a confusing and time-consuming process. With this in mind, UK bed manufacturer, Beds Divans, have listed the best bed and mattress solutions for people living with disabilities.

Latex mattresses offer improved mobility and orthopaedic support to users with reduced mobility and for those suffering from back, spinal or joint pain. The mattresses’ medium firmness and internal spring system make it a suitable mattress solution for those who struggle to turn and move in bed. Latex mattresses also provide the user with plenty of contouring pressure support, which helps improve spinal alignment, whilst offering comfort and support to the body’s joints.

Research by Bed Divans shows that on average, latex mattress users experience greater sleep quality and have the highest average customer satisfaction rating over any other mattress on the market, with an average rating of 4.62 out of 5.

Memory Foam

BED STYLES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES: Variable Posture Bed: A variable posture bed is designed to alleviate discomfort and promote greater flexibility for users who experience difficulty turning in bed and for those suffering back pain or arthritis. Unlike various other bed models, the variable posture bed can be manually or electronically adjusted to modify its profile per the requirements of the user’s condition.

Low-Profile bed: Low profile beds have a low bed frame height, which makes them suitable for users who may fall out of bed due to their disability. Equally, this type of bed is well suited to users who have difficulty moving in and out of bed. Low profile beds are positioned closer to the floor than other bed frames and are designed to maximise safety by limiting the risk and damage of the user if a fall does occur.

Adjustable Height Bed Similar to low-profile beds, adjustable height beds are suitable for

users facing difficulty getting in and out of bed. These beds utilise a hydraulic set-up, which allows the carer to manually or electronically adjust the height of their bed to suit the user’s requirements via the control of a foot pump. Certain electrically powered adjustable height beds are designed to give the user full independence to operate and adjust the bed frame’s height.

MATTRESS TYPES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES: Choosing the right mattress for a user’s disability can be the difference between a restful night’s sleep and a sleepless night. Research published by Applied Ergonomics revealed that new mattresses can improve sleep quality by 61% and reduce back pain by 56%. With this in mind, here are some of the best mattress types for those living with disabilities.

Memory foam mattresses offer improved orthopaedic support to their users and are an ideal mattress solution for users living with arthritis.

Research by Bed Divans found that memory foam mattresses are the most popular choice of mattress in the UK. Unlike most other mattresses, memory foam mattresses do not have internal springs, meaning they’re designed to help reduce and soften the impact by reshaping the foam to emulate the contours of the user’s body. Memory foam mattresses have the added benefit of safety, as their soft sinking surface absorbs movements and reduces the likelihood of users falling out of bed.

Ultra-Firm Mattresses For users with disabilities that are linked to obesity, ultra-firm mattresses are often the best mattress solution. Ultra-firm mattresses contain open coils which offer improved mattress breathability, ensuring that the mattress stays cool at night, as well as back and joint support for the user. Additionally, the mattresses’ firmness provides an increase in mobility and support, which is ideal for heavier users.

Edinburgh Pensioners Set For A Wheelie Good Time A CYCLING initiative at an Edinburgh care home aiming to get elderly residents out in the fresh air and interacting with the community has got off to a speedy start.

With restrictions easing, Cramond Residence was delighted to resume its partnership with Joy Rides – a customised electric tri-shaw bike that carries two passengers and a “driver”.

Residents at the care home to the north of the city enjoyed venturing out every other week before the pandemic on bespoke trails with Joy Rides founder and cycling enthusiast Lissa McIntyre.

Joy Rides was created in 2019 and is a one woman show helping passengers combat feelings of isolation and loneliness, whilst improving health and well-being all while having fun on the front of a tri-shaw bike.

Lissa McIntyre, said: “From a very young age I’ve had a passion for cycling – there is nothing better than feeling the wind in your hair and forgetting your worries for a little while.

“No other form of transport gives you the same sense of freedom as a bicycle does, so I wanted to ensure people who couldn’t cycle were able experience this feeling – albeit minus the strenuous pedalling!

“When doing my initial market research, I noticed there was a lack of

outdoor activities available for older people within the city so I wanted to close this gap and offer them the same experience and enjoyment.

“Riding on the tri-shaw gives you the freedom that comes with being on a bike outdoors with the security that a reliable, safe person is in charge behind the wheel.”

The Joy Rides project is to resume in June, and aims to allow residents and other customers to filter back into their local communities without stress or unease following months of lockdown.

Lissa, said: “There are a host of positive mental, physical and social benefits that come from getting elderly people out in the fresh air, especially as many have not left the home for a long period of time.

“During the trip residents are encouraged to socialise with others from different parts of the home and are often keen to have a chat with locals.”

Residents often request the cycle to go along Cramond promenade to view parts of the city they don’t often see, such as the view to the Forth Bridges in Queensferry and across the water to Fife.

Between every session the tri-shaw bike is thoroughly cleaned, on top of this both the driver and passengers are required to wear a mask during the trip with health and safety being paramount.

Primrose Croft Residents Love Cows About Cambridge Cows about Cambridge is a spectacular public art event weaving its way around the city from Monday 28th June – Saturday 4th September 2021. There are 90 cow sculptures forming a free, fun, family-friendly trail of discovery for local people to explore and enjoy.

There are 44 large cows each on individually designed by an artist and sponsored by a business, and a further 46 mini moo created by schools and cow-munity groups around Cambridge.

It is being run by Wild in Art who started up in 2008 and have animated cities across the world. When the event finishes the cows will be auctioned off and all of the proceeds will go to the charity children’s Break.

Once Primrose Croft Care Home in Cambridge residents had heard of “Cows about Cambridge,” they thought it would be a great idea of doing a mini-minicow version of their own.

The residents had a brainstorming session of what they would put onto their cow linked with the pandemic time at Primrose Croft.

The colour of the cow would be purple which summarised the poem by Jenny Joseph called “When I grow old, I will wear purple.” This was read on National Poetry Day by a kind volunteer, Diane. The poem inspired the residents to write their own, which they called “we’re not ready for the knacker’s yard yet.”

The first thing all the residents said that they have missed the most is seeing their family. The word family MUST go on their cow. Ursula said technology helped them to stay connected with their family so the word technology must also be on the cow.

Primrose Croft is where we live, Derek commented so a picture of the lovely home must also be on the cow.

Paul said the correspondence that we receive keeps us busy discussing the contents and then deciding what to write back. It was decided Postcards of Kindness and YOPEY Befrienders will also have a position on their cow.

We discussed how NHS and all the Frontline Workers have and are still working tirelessly. The rainbow was a big thing at the beginning giving everyone hope for the future. Everybody was painting rainbows and the residents painted their summer house rainbow colours.

Blue Poppy with Love for frontline workers have been selling blue poppies and masks to make money for the NHS. They sent the residents some of their Blue Poppies which the residents loved and inspired the residents to do some Blue Poppy pictures recycling some old jigsaw puzzles.

For Alzheimer’s Society Awareness Day residents took part in a project for making a Mr Men Book as it was Mr Men 50th Birthday. They chose to call their new character Mr Forget-me-not which was a shape of a forget-me-not flower which is the symbol for Alzheimer’s Society. It is about Mr Forget-me-not forgetting where his family and friends live. They plant certain flowers in their front gardens. Certain flowers bring back memories for Mr Forget-me-not about a particular family or friend, so he knows it is that certain persons house.

Residents have thoroughly enjoyed taking part of this interesting project as they love to still feel part of their community. They have been following Cows of Cambridge through the local papers and on Cows of Cambridge Facebook page.

If anybody is in Cambridge and see any of these cows our residents would love to see some pictures of them, it would make their day. Please post them on to Primrose Croft Care Home – Excelcare Facebook page.

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PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Belong Welcomes Changes to Government's Care Home Guidance Among the thousands of care homes benefitting from the changes to Covid guidance in England last week, dementia care specialists, Belong, welcomed the move to enable new residents to move to its Atherton and Wigan care villages without the need for them to self-isolate, for the first time in over a year.

The government's revised advice, which came into place on June 21st, allows those moving from their homes into residential care and nursing environments to do so without a subsequent 14-day self-isolation period - providing necessary requirements are met, including being vaccinated and testing negative for Covid-19.

The move has already proven to be a lifeline for local couple Jan and Bill Davies.

Just days after the change, Jan moved in to the Belong Wigan care village in Platt Bridge for respite care. Husband Bill Davies said: "With Jan having dementia, I thought that isolation would do more harm than good, so I was very happy that this wasn't required. The Belong staff have been terrific, I can't thank them enough."

Gill Menguy, general manager at Belong Wigan, commented: "This is very welcome news and a vital step in helping older people to access appropriate support.

Many have been struggling at home without adequate care provision for fear of having to self-isolate in care homes. Now this is no longer the case, we can provide reassurance customers can access all facilities, interact with colleagues and other residents, and receive regular visits from family."

Prior to the government's changes, all residents moving into care or briefly leav-

ing for high-priority reasons, such as for GP appointments, were obliged to complete a self-isolation period of 14 days, regardless of their circumstances - a requirement which many in the sector felt was not proportionate to the reduced risks, given rapid progress with vaccinations, continuous testing, and the strict infection prevention and safety measures in place.

Belong's CQC Outstanding-rated villages can also facilitate short stays for respite care without the need for self-isolation, again where Covid-safe conditions are satisfied through a risk assessment. The same applies to residents returning to the village after taking trips away, for example, overnight stays with families.

Rebecca Woodcock, general manager at Belong Atherton added: "With regular testing in place and the majority of colleagues and nearly all residents in our villages vaccinated, the requirement to isolate has been perceived to be an excessive measure, preventing people from accessing much needed support. This is particularly true for families, such as Jan and Bill, who are looking for respite care, which really doesn't work if the full period will be spent in isolation. The safety and welfare of our customers and colleagues is always our priority and being able to interact with other people is an intrinsic part of looking after mental health.

"We'd say to anyone in need of care for their older loved ones, or those living with dementia: help is available, whether short or long-term, at home or in one of our villages, Belong can help."

Birchwood House Travels Back In Time For Marvellous Medieval Garden Party Residents and staff of Birchwood House, theTunbridgeWells-based carehome, travelled back in time to enjoy a medieval themed summer party.

Staff at the Kent based care home have once again pulled out all the stops to ensure the residents really felt like they had stepped back in time for a unique and authentic experience. Staff fully embraced the event by dressing up in period attire and themed entertainment including a medieval banquet, loot music and traditional pork hullis was offered. The surprise guest – Daisy the horse – was a big hit!

The care home garden was transformed into a real-life castle, which had been carefully crafted by the staff and their families along with a makeshift ‘Hog Roast’.

A large gothic table dressed in ivy filled the lawns of the care home.

Residents were treated to a historic spread of vegetable pottage, pears in red wine and custard tarts. All served by the care home chef, Anne. While the residents sipped from goblets and soaked up the sunshine, staff got into the spirit by having rotten cabbages thrown at them in the stocks. Hobby horses, jousting and a court jester were on offer for all to enjoy.

The care home continues to outperform in the planning of their social events. With the lifting of COVID restrictions now slowly coming into force, residents can begin to look forward to many more brilliant events,

with loved ones joining in on the fun. Images were captured by local photographer, Tessa Clements.

“We are so pleased to be able to hold these events for our residents. To be able to enjoy some socialising whilst getting into the spirit of our chosen theme, gives us all something to really look forward to. The team here at Birchwood, always put in all their efforts to make sure the event is a success.

After such an incredibly difficult year for all the residents and staff - it feels extra special now we can all celebrate together and enjoy the beautiful gardens along with the amazing attention to detail of our medieval themed summer party. I don’t mind having the odd rotten cabbage thrown at me!” Niral Patel, owner of the care home, comments.

Claire Tye, deputy manager at Birchwood House, adds: “We had such a lovely day for the medieval garden party! Staff once again got fully into character and had such fun recreating scenes from the dark ages. The event really did lift the spirits of the residents who have faced such a challenging year. To see the residents getting involved with the theme, enjoying the lute music and dining on the hog roast was great. It provided an opportunity to bring us all together and it finally feels like life is returning to some normality. We love to put on an event for the residents and like to think we go above and beyond to make sure its extra special! “

Open Study College Announces 39% Increase In Students Aged 60 And Over Leading distance learning provider Open Study College has revealed a significant shift in its demographic, with a 39% increase in new student enrolments from those aged 60 and over.

The statistic is based on figures comparing 2018 enrolments with those in 2020 during the global pandemic.

As part of research undertaken by Open Study College, there are a number of reasons people typically choose to follow the distance learning route including: those who are unable to physically attend a college or university due to suffering with mental or physical health; caring for family and home responsibilities whilst learning; individuals looking to upskill; or students that need to learn new skills and gain necessary qualifications for a new or change in career.

More recently however, a pattern has emerged as a significant number of older students have joined Open Study College purely because they want to keep on learning in their later years about subjects that are of interest to them, providing purpose and keeping their minds active.

John, 74, from South Gloucestershire said: “It's important to keep the intellect alive in later years and completing a course and receiving the accreditation acts as a tremendous boost to one's mental health.”

Marilyn, 70, from Truro said: “I am 70 going on 29 years old. Physically I am doomed but will not be mentally. This is my tenth course with Open Study College, and I hope there will be more. To retirees thinking about taking a course online I would say ‘go for it’.”

Linda, 75, from Worcestershire said: “I am enjoying the course at Open Study College and I’m lucky to have

been able to choose, for the first time, what it is I study.”

CEO of Open Study College, Samantha Rutter, said: “Learning new skills shouldn't stop when retirement starts. We couldn’t be prouder of all the students in the Open Study College family, and those that are continuing to study and excite their minds well into their years of retirement really help solidify our ethos of making education accessible to all.

“It’s interesting to see how life-changing events such as the global pandemic can contribute to how people chose to spend their free time, and in our research it’s clear that some of our older students are keen to keep on learning about subject matters that really interests them or was once integral to their careers and lives.

“This increase in older generations studying proves that learning is more accessible than ever before. We work incredibly hard to ensure that we adapt our courses for the young and young at heart. Many of our courses come with the option of studying online or via a paper-based study pack where course materials are sent to your home. We know that this is often a preferred method of studying with our more mature learners.

"Our student support team and personal tutors are also on hand to guide students through their course, and for those with additional needs we can provide our materials in larger fonts or on coloured paper where required. Making learning more accessible is always going to be one of our top priorities and we hope to see more retirees benefit from learning with us.”

To find out more or to register for a course visit www.openstudycollege.com or follow Open Study College on Facebook, Instagram, twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 25

Home Office Commissions Independent Review of Brexit Immigration Impact on Social Care Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster MP has written to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to position an independent reviewof the impact that ending freedom of movement has had on adult social care.

A letter from immigration minister Kevin Foster to MAC chairman Professor Brian Bell states the review should examine the post-Brexit effects on skills shortages, covering the range of roles in adult social care including care workers, registered nurses and managerial roles.

The review follows a government commitment given in the House of Lords during consideration of the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 to look at the impact on: • the adult social care workforce (such as skills shortages) covering the range of caring roles in adult social care including care workers, registered

nurses and managerial roles • visa options for social care workers • long term consequences for workforce recruitment, training and employee terms and conditions; and • any other relevant matters the independent chair deems appropriate which are relevant to the above three objectives A report due by April 2022 is expected to provide recommendations on how the government can resolve the issues that the sector is experiencing with the immigration system and to highlight wider issues such as employee terms and conditions.

Under the terms of the Commission, MAC will be ableto consult with devolved administrations, government departments, local authorities and other stakeholders as it deems necessary, as well as make a public

call for evidence to the social care sector.

“The government will consider the recommendations and determine the appropriate course of action to take where it relates to reserved matters,” Mr. Foster states in his letter.

“Where any recommendations relate to matters which are devolved, it will be the responsibility of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government or Northern Ireland Executive to determine how these should be taken forward,” he added.

The letter can be seen here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-letter-to-the-mac-for-the-review-of-adultsocial-care/commissioning-letter-to-the-mac-for-the-review-of-adult-s ocial-care-accessible-version

Residents Create Master Pieces Thanks To Art Classes Lead By Fellow Resident At Maidstone Care Centre, General Manager Jacqui Gregg and the team are committed to supporting the residents to live fulfilling and engaging lifestyles.

When Bruce Argue moved in to the Nursing, Dementia and Residential home in Boxley Road, Maidstone Kent in May of this year, the team were delighted to discover that Bruce was an established artist with his own website www.bruceargue.artist.com.

Part of the home’s moving in process is the ‘getting to know you’ sessions so it was very early on that the team learnt of Bruce’s artistic flair and skills.

At 84 years old, Bruce, who describes himself as being “young at heart”, showed from an early age an interest and instinctive talent, ‘I can remember, I was just 7 years old when I did my first painting and it went on from there. I’ve never had a lesson and my work has been shown at the Royal Academy.’

Soon the residents and the team at the home were viewing pieces of Bruce’s art with joy and wonderment.

‘There was a buzz that was created when we knew that we had a published artist staying with us. What was wonderful was that Bruce was very gracious and happily talked about his experiences and passion for art and wanted to share his passion with

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everyone.’ – Georgia Williams, Lifestyle Assistant.

It was Bruce himself who suggested that he would very much like to hold a beginners art class for his fellow residents.

Bruce’s wish was to bring a freedom of expression for those who joined in the class. ~ “Art is fun, and it can give you great pleasure, this is what I wanted to show the other residents who joined in my first class.” ~ Brue Argue The Lifestyle Team worked with Bruce to identify the resources he would need to run the class and other specifics such as the best location within the home and how long the class should last. Once the class was advertised, residents were eager to sign up and the class was fully booked!

During the class, those who took part, expressed their thoughts on the class.

Maureen shared, “I’m having a really good laugh and learning a lot about art. Before the class I couldn’t even draw a square.”

After the success of the first lesson there are now plans for there to be a regular Bruce’s Arts Class, which the home’s Lifestyle Team will support.

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PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Social Media: When Do Personal Posts Become An Employer’s Business?

By Siobhan Fitzgerald, partner at UK law firm TLT (www.tltsolicitors.com)

An employee’s behaviour outside of work is generally of little concern to their employer, however there are a variety of circumstances where behaviour out of the workplace can have a serious impact on the employment relationship.

If out of work conduct impacts an employee’s ability to do their job, impacts key business relationships or could cause damage to the employer’s reputation, then employees could find themselves subject to disciplinary proceedings and potentially even dismissal.

A COMMON PROBLEM AREA Professionals working in the care sector have to be particularly mindful when it comes to social media; as well as the usual pitfalls, they also need to consider confidentiality and safeguarding requirements. This is not to say that social media use should be discouraged – it can in fact provide an excellent platform to showcase expertise and communicate with others in the sector, as well as providing a personal networking space. There is however a fine line between an employee’s right to a private life and an employer’s right to protect its business.

The proliferation of social media can make it easy for employees to engage in unacceptable conduct (unknowingly or otherwise), but can also make it more difficult to identify where such misconduct has occurred ‘in the course of employment’. The appropriate course of action for misconduct outside the workplace will always depend on the facts of the case, and any policies or instructions issued to employees on social media use will be key.

There have been a number of high profile instances over the years where employees have found themselves in difficulty over out of work social media use. For example, a British Airways employee criticised the airline on Facebook, and an Apple employee also took to the social platform to criticise an Apple-made app –

both were fairly dismissed. There have also been situations where the forwarding of inappropriate content on personal email addresses to work contacts has justified dismissal. There are, however, a significant number of reported cases where dismissals for out of work social media use have been considered to be unfair, for example where there was nothing to identify the employer on the social media account.

IMPLEMENTING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY Cases can very often turn on their own facts, and the extent of the damage caused to the employment relationship will be a key consideration. A well drafted policy setting out appropriate parameters on employees’ personal social media use is the employer’s first line of defence should things go wrong.

A policy should clearly set out expectations for out of work behaviour and the consequences of any breaches. It should also clearly delineate between use of social media for work purposes and private use, and what is expected in each area. An employer may require employees to review their security settings to ensure that only those on their ‘friends list’ are able to see their content, and include any ‘sector specific’ requirements, for example that accepting friend requests from service users is not appropriate as it creates a personal relationship outside of the workplace. The policy should list examples of what the employer will regard as gross misconduct, such as posting derogatory comments about the employer or colleagues online, or posting confidential information.

Once policies have been created, it’s crucial that the information is shared with and understood by all employees. We recommend providing regular updates or even training sessions on what is and is not acceptable. It’s also important to ensure policies are kept regularly up to date to keep up to speed with ever-evolving developments online.

Ultimately, employees need to remember that social media is a public domain and that they are often deemed to be representing the profession and their employer when using it, even if just for personal use.

Care workers in particular should maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries in their relationships with service users and colleagues while online, recognising that doing otherwise could have serious consequences.

HC-One Care Homes Enjoy Watching The Euros The Euro 2020 football tournament is underway, a year after its postponement, Residents in HC-One care homes across the UK are getting in the football and patriotic spirit and supporting their national teams by watching the matches and cheering the players on.

Residents at Yew Trees Care Home, Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, are going football mad watching the tournament. The England matches are a huge hit amongst Residents who are enjoying watching the games, accompanied with snacks and a choice of beer. Residents at the home are delighted with the results so far, especially the longawaited for win over Germany and spirits are very high. Residents are thoroughly enjoying watching England and cheering them on and are looking forward to watching the quarter final against Ukraine on Saturday night!

Lynda Bulley, Wellbeing Coordinator at Yew Trees Care Home, commented: “It’s great seeing the Residents get so involved in these events!”

In Hambleton, at Bankhouse Care Home, all eyes were on the recent games, with Residents enjoying watching the football and cheering on England as the drinks flow and flags are flying.

For the first England match, Colleagues Linda, Ali and Thealyn at Bankhouse Care Home, Poulton Le Fylde in Lancashire kindly provided refreshments. Catering Colleague, Kerry made a homemade lemon cake and there was an assortment of snacks on offer for everyone to enjoy.

Audrey, a Resident who lives at Bankhouse Care Home, happily raises a toast with her oversized inflatable large beer glass whenever England score!

Ashley Troughton, Wellbeing Coordinator at Bankhouse Care Home, commented: “It is so heart-warming to see the Residents coming together to support the Euros.”

At Hartford Court Care Home in Cramlington, Residents and Colleagues are in high spirits with the 2021 UEFA European Football Championship underway.

Colleagues are suppling a variety of football-themed activities for Residents throughout the competition, including arts and crafts, bak-

ing, signing up for the England team and receiving a football award.

For those who aren’t football fans, Colleagues are arranging some extra activities including a drive out for some ice cream. A great time is being had by all, with Residents commenting on how much they were enjoying the Euros activities and cheering on the teams they supported through the matches.

Hartford Court’s Home Manager, Janice Bell said: “We have some dedicated football fans at Hartford Court, so having some fun-filled football activities has brought smiles to the faces of many of our Residents.”

In Glenrothes, Scotland at Balfarg Care Home, Residents and Colleagues showed their support for their national team during the 2021 UEFA European Football Championship.

To kick off the first match day against the Czech Republic, Residents made Scottish flags to wave as they watched the match. Residents were served crisps, chocolates and beer as they gathered round to watch the game on the big screen, and everyone sang Flower of Scotland and cheered as the whistle was blown to signal kick off.

After a disappointing first result, everyone at Balfarg Care Home was

hoping for some more luck in the coming games, however, despite their best efforts and an impressive 0 – 0 draw against England, Scotland were sadly knocked out at the Group stage.

Balfarg Resident, Jimmy Cowan commented: “This felt like being at the pub with my mates.”

Balfarg’s Home Manager, Sharon Watson said: “It’s wonderful to see everyone getting in the spirit, we were cheering for Scotland until the very end of the Croatia match.”

Football fans have united at Hebburn Court Care Home in Hebburn to celebrate the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship.

Colleagues have arranged football themed activities for Residents, including a penalty shoot-out at the start of the tournament. Everyone has come together when the whistle is blown for each England match, with Residents cheering for their team, and some wearing their favourite teams football shirt.

A great time is being had by all, with Residents commenting they are looking forward to watching the remainder of the matches and everyone is hoping that football is coming home.

Hebburn Court’s Home Manager, Dale Summersby said: “It’s great to see everyone getting in the spirit of the event and celebrating, after a difficult year for most, an event like this really does bring everyone together.”

It was an exciting moment for everyone at Drummohr Care Home in Wallyford, Musselburgh when Scotland qualified for the UEFA European Football Championship for the first time in 23 years.

In anticipation of the festivities, Colleagues at Drummohr decorated the home with Scottish flags and Residents came together to watch the matches, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments served alongside nibbles. Residents enjoyed cheering for their home team and singing traditional Scottish songs, until Scotland’s unlucky early exit at the Group stages.

Drummohr’s Home Manager, Mirelle Fyvie commented: “We were all hoping that Scotland would bring the trophy home this year, however it wasn’t meant to be – nevertheless the atmosphere here at Drummohr is wonderful.”

Are You in Need of Dysphagia Training ? *

*This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.

Did you know that between 50-75% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia1? Nutricia has a training solution for you, a FREE e-learning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia management using Nutilis Clear.

The training is divided into 4 sections and has been specially designed for busy health and social care staff caring for people living with dysphagia. It takes 60 minutes in total to complete, however you can complete one section at a time.

HOW CAN THIS TRAINING HELP YOU? • Easy & convenient online solution to dysphagia training • Visibility to track progress in your care home • Raise the quality standard of dysphagia care in a consistent way The quality standards aim is for all new health and social care staff members caring for patients with Dysphagia to complete the modules as part of their induction programme. Existing health and social care staff

members should also complete the learning to support their continuing professional development.

There is a certificate that can be downloaded once the training has been successfully completed.

Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code to access the elearning and get started!

For any questions contact your local Nutricia sales representative or our Resource Centre at resourcecentre@nutricia.com.

Nutilis Clear is a Food for Special Medical Purposes for the dietary management of dysphagia and must be used under medical supervision.

Reference: 1. O’Loughlin G, Shanley C. Swallowing problems in the nursing home: a novel training response. Dysphagia 1998; 13, 172-183.( https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/dysphagia)

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 27

Most Vulnerable Could Be Offered Booster Covid-19 Vaccines From September Millions of people most vulnerable to COVID-19 may be offered a booster vaccination from September to ensure the protection they have from first and second doses is maintained ahead of the winter and against new variants, following interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The JCVI’s interim advice is to plan to offer COVID-19 booster vaccines from September 2021, in order to prolong the protection vaccines provide in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 ahead of the winter months, in a two-stage programme alongside the annual flu vaccination programme. Further details of the flu vaccination programme will be set out in due course.

The final JCVI advice will be published before September and will take into account the latest epidemiological situation, additional scientific data from trials such as Cov-Boost, real-time surveillance of the effectiveness of the vaccines over time and emerging variants. The final advice could change from the interim advice as further data is analysed.

The government is working closely with the NHS to ensure that if a booster programme happens it can be deployed rapidly from September. Further details will be set out in due course.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The phenomenal vaccine rollout has already saved tens of thousands of lives and prevented millions of infections, helping to wrestle back control of the pandemic and ease lockdown restrictions so we can return to normal as soon as possible.

“We welcome this interim advice, which will help us ensure we are ready in our preparations for Autumn. We look forward to receiving the Committee’s final advice in due course.

“We need to learn to live with this virus. Our first COVID-19 vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country, and our booster programme will protect this freedom. We are working with the NHS to make sure we can rapidly deliver this programme to maintain protection for people in the winter months.”

Dependent on final advice, the booster programme will be designed to protect as many vulnerable people as possible from becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19 over the winter period.

COVID-19 vaccines provide very strong protection against serious illness. There is good evidence that two doses of any COVID-19 vaccine used in the UK will provide strong protection against severe disease for at least six months for the majority, and there is some evidence that longer lasting protection may be afforded to some. As is common with flu, winter will lead to rising cases and further pressure on the NHS. The JCVI’s interim position on booster vaccinations is to ensure the protec-

tion that has been built up in the population does not decline through the winter months, and that immunity is maximised to provide additional resilience against variants.

As most younger adults will receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in late summer, the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered by the JCVI at a later time when more information is available Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Our COVID-19 vaccination programme has been a roaring success, with almost 85% of adults across the UK receiving a first dose and more than 62% getting both doses.

“We are now planning ahead to future-proof this progress and protect our most vulnerable from variants and flu ahead of the winter.

“Vaccines are the best way to stay on top of this virus and I urge everybody to take up the offer as soon as possible.”

The JCVI’s interim advice is that a third booster jab is offered to the following groups in two stages: Stage 1. The following people should be offered a third dose COVID19 booster vaccine and the annual influenza vaccine, as soon as possible from September 2021: • adults aged 16 years and over who are immunosuppressed; • those living in residential care homes for older adults; • all adults aged 70 years or over; • adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable; • frontline health and social care workers.

Stage 2. The following people should be offered a third COVID-19 booster vaccine as soon as practicable after Stage 1, with equal emphasis on deployment of the influenza vaccine where eligible: • all adults aged 50 years and over • all adults aged 16 – 49 years who are in an influenza or COVID-19 at-risk group as outlined in the Green Book • Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Jonathan VanTam said: “Where the UK has reached so far on vaccination is truly fantastic. But we need to keep going and finish giving second doses to those remaining adults who have not had them; this is the best thing we can do prevent the disease from making a comeback which disrupts society later in the year.

“Being able to manage COVID-19 with fewer or no restrictions is now heavily dependent on the continued success of the vaccination pro-

gramme. We want to be on the front foot for COVID-19 booster vaccination to keep the probability of loss of vaccine protection due to waning immunity or variants as low as possible. Especially over the coming autumn and winter.

“Fewer or no restrictions will mean that other respiratory viruses, particularly flu, will make a comeback and quite possibly be an additional problem this winter, so we will need to ensure protection against flu as well as maintaining protection against COVID-19.

“The announcement of interim advice from JCVI is good news. It shows that the vaccine experts are thinking carefully about how best to use vaccination to protect the most vulnerable and ensure everyone’s lives can remain as normal as possible for the autumn and winter.

“Of course, we have to be driven by data, and there will be more data from vaccine booster studies for JCVI to look at over summer, so we should all remember that this advice is interim and might change between now and September; however JCVI has clearly set out the broad direction of travel which I agree with, and which Ministers have accepted.”

The success of the vaccination programme is weakening the link between cases and hospitalisations. The latest analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England alone.

The government met its target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and is on track to offer a first dose to all adults by 19 July, two weeks earlier than planned.

Everyone over the age of 18 and over is eligible to get a vaccine. By 19 July, all those aged 40 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable, who received their first dose by mid-May, will have been offered their second dose.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. The analysis suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after two doses.

YouGov polling also shows the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a COVID-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated and ONS data published on 9 June shows that more than 9 in 10 (94%) adults reported positive sentiment towards the vaccine.

Read all the latest stories online at: www.TheCarerUK.com Visit The Carer website to see all the very latest news and developments from the care sector as it happens!

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PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

HC-One Celebrates Pride Month HC-One and its care homes across the UK have been celebrating pride throughout the month of June, for the second year running. Colleagues and Residents came together to mark the occasion and to show solidarity and friendship to each other as a promise that both Residents and Colleagues can express who they are without fear and in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

This year marked the 51st anniversary of the first Pride march in New York City on 28 June 1970 in honour of the first anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Pride parades were cancelled due to the pandemic, but that did not stop Colleagues and Residents across the organisation celebrating and recognising Pride to show solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community. HC-One celebrated pride with Colleagues and Residents in order to champion equality, understanding, respect and inclusivity for all at HC-One. HC-One’s PRISM forum (Colleague voice of the LGBTQ+ community), consisting of LGBTQ+ Colleagues, held ‘The Great Rainbow Bake-off’ competition for the best showstopper rainbow cake. They encouraged all budding bakers to share a photo of their prideful cake with the best three entries, judged by HC-One’s Hospitality Team winning a £100 gift voucher. The Hospitality Team shared a suggested recipe and ideas of how to host a Rainbow Afternoon Tea for Residents. The winners of the Pride bake off were Paula Trindade from Highclere Care Home in Milton Keynes, Kate Kay, Area Director at HC-One and Veronica Samson from Sabourn Court Care Home in Leeds.

HC-One were also proud to change their logo throughout the month of June, as well as Colleagues desktop ‘wallpaper’ and Facebook banner with the Pride rainbow design. Other materials included a virtual Microsoft Teams background which Colleagues could choose to use throughout the month, a temporary email signature featuring the rainbow HC-One logo, the sharing of a Pride video which showcased the importance of inclusion at HC-One and a new LGBTQ+ signposting and support guide. To see an overview of the diverse range of activities HCOne Colleagues have been involved in to celebrate Pride month, please watch this video: HC-One Pride 2021 Pride Month was also celebrated in a number of HC-One care homes as Residents and Colleagues showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Residents at Ashington Grange Care Home in Ashington, Northumberland enjoyed some Pride month arts and crafts, by making roses from rainbow tissue paper and string. These were then used as part of the decorations for the home’s very own Pride parade which was hosted at the care home at the end of June.

Everyone at Ashington Grange Care Home enjoyed discussions about

love and acceptance of people’s differences.

A Resident at Ashington Grange Care Home commented: “It’s important that we live in a society where everyone is free to be who they want to be and feel comfortable to love whoever they want.”

Ashington Grange Care Home’s Manager said: “It’s lovely to be embracing Pride Month at Ashington Grange, everyone is looking forward to our parade.”

Residents at Newton Heath’s Averill House Care Home have been getting green-fingered as part of celebrating Pride.

The home held their first vegetable harvest, homegrown at the home’s allotment where Residents have been working hard in the garden. Colleagues and Residents have dug and made vegetable patches using recycled materials. They have grown vegetables from seeds and have been working in conjunction with Stott Street allotment and the growers there who kindly donated seedlings and provided lots of expert advice.

Colleague, Karen, is also an allotment owner herself, and has been sharing handy advice and tips with Residents and other Colleagues at the care home. So far, the home has planted kale, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins, spring onions and sugar snap peas!

After a lot of hard work from sowing the seeds, making the planters and everyday weeding, Residents in the gardening club had their first crop of vegetables with lettuce, kale, spring onions and sugar snap peas. There was lots of tasty, healthy and sustainable produce which will be served and prepped by Residents as a summer salad. Everyone can’t wait for the rest of the vegetables to grow.

Wellbeing Coordinator at Averill House Care Home, Jodie Yates, commented: “I am shocked the veg tastes so nice, I still cannot believe that we have grown all this!”

Also, this month, in celebration of Pride and being proud, Residents and Colleagues discussed the gay rights movement and the hardships of same-sex relationships. They also talked about LQTBQ+ and being proud of who we are despite our differences. Equality and inclusion were big topics throughout the discussion.

It was an open and frank discussion led by Jodie, and many Residents participated and asked questions. They also talked about stigma and how things have, and are still changing.

Mina Shaw, a Resident at Averill House Care Home, remarked: “I didn’t know, I just didn’t know how bad it was. How sad, all for being in love! We should be proud no matter who we are.”

Jodie Yates added: “We then spoke about what makes us proud and our differences and then we wrote little messages which were worked on as a group and displayed in the home.

“We picked the colours of the display to match the gay pride flag that was designed by Gilbert Baker, the gay activist, and is now a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Residents and Colleagues at White Gables Care Home in Lincoln, celebrated their own Pride festival on Saturday 18th June in support of LGBTQ+ rights.

Colleagues and Residents wore temporary press on colourful tattoos, dressed up in feather boas, decorated their walking frames, listened and danced to some fabulous music.

Colleagues also enjoyed some of the transfer tattoos whilst some dressed up in bright clothes and glittered themselves up.

Kitchen Colleagues made colourful cakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and marshmallows and laid on a lovely buffet tea.

Everyone had an amazing day and enjoyed being part of a joyous celebration of human diversity.

Michelle Tuck, Home Manager at White Gables Care Home, commented, “What an absolutely fabulous day; full of colour, smiles and laughter.”

At Daneside Court Care Home in Cheshire, Colleagues hosted a Pride picnic for Residents to enjoy in recognition of Pride Month and to promote dignity, equality and to recognise individuals’ strengths and what it means to everyone.

The picnic food was a real treat; classic food with a twist, creating a very colourful fruity theme with rainbow sandwiches. Local entertainer, Lee Mackenzie was also invited along to perform at the Pride picnic which lifted everyone’s spirits.

Celebrating Pride meant the homemade time to recognise people as individuals and, most importantly, brought together Residents, reflecting upon their wishes and needs.

Everyone worked together to help provide fun and enjoyment, and could clearly see the Residents’ smiles, and hear the cheers and laughter.

Home Manager at Daneside Court Care Home, Samantha Farahat, remarked: “We had the perfect day; the weather was kind, and the colourful decorations lifted the gardens tranquil mood. We invited the lovely Lee Mackenzie (local entertainer) to sing and he wore a multi-coloured suit to help capture that extra smile from our Residents.

“Thank you to everyone helping to make it a memorable and magical afternoon for our Residents.

“I am one proud manager right here. After every storm there are always rainbows, our Residents’ smiles today said it all. Team Daneside you are all amazing!”

At Brompton House Care Home in Broadway, the home held a ‘rainbow day’ for Residents. There was a huge celebration of equality, love and diversity at the home with lots of different activities being held, including painting rainbows, baking cookies and decorating cakes.

The cake, activities and variety of music kept Residents entertained.

Colleagues were overwhelmed at how different generations can be so welcoming towards differences, choices and love.

Katarzyna (Kate) Corcoran, Home Manager at Brompton House Care Home, remarked: “It is lovely to see how much heart the Residents put into such a beautiful day.

Well Pharmacy Partners with The Access Group to Support the Delivery of Outstanding Care Well Pharmacy, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, is delighted to announce a new partnership with The Access Group, the largest provider of software to UK care and nursing homes, designed to support the delivery of outstanding care.

This partnership will highlight Access’ innovative Medication Management solution, which has already been successfully implemented in a number of care homes serviced by Well Pharmacy.

Access Medication Management is the UK’s most widely used eMAR system and is proven to reduce medication errors and make manual time-consuming processes like ordering medication and stock checking much more accurate and efficient.

Cited in CQC reports as helping clients achieve ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’ ratings, Medication Management is a quick and efficient way to introduce technology and help ensure residents safety.

Access Medication Management offers everything care home organisations need to support patient safety including all equipment, installation, training and technical support. They also provide the full range of solutions needed for care homes to transition to fully digital care provision.

Key benefits of Access’ Medication Management solution:

Access’ market leading electronic care planning system gives care and nursing homes a unified record of both medication and care notes/activities.

Full integration with Well Pharmacy making data transfer more efficient and improving communication between the local pharmacy and home.

Reduction in medication errors using pro-active alerts, alarms and best practice workflows to make sure medication compliance and safety for residents.

Greater visibility and compliance - provides all staff and management with a clear picture of medication administration.

Ben Smith, Care Homes Sales Manager for Well Pharmacy said: “We are pleased to highlight Access’ Medication Management solution to over 350 care homes we serve across the UK. At Well Pharmacy we are always looking for new ways to help and support our care home

customers. Patient and resident safety is our number one priority and we’re pleased to be working with The Access Group offer new solutions to give residents the best possible care.”

Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access Group’s Health and Social Care Division said: “At Access, we pride ourselves on supporting care staff to provide the highest quality of care to their residents. Access Medication Management reduces the risk of medication errors, while giving everyone in a care home more time back to interact with residents or focus on work that will improve care, capacity, and occupancy at their homes.

We're proud to be working with one of the largest pharmacy chains in the UK, who share our vision of using software in health and social care, to better manage all medication processes, encouraging fellow organisations so that this becomes a standard way of working across all UK care homes.”

For more information, about Well Pharmacy’s Care Home Service please contact: carehomes@well.co.uk For more information about Access’ Medication Management software visit: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/health-socialcare/care-management-software/medication-management/

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Burlington Uniforms Burlington Uniforms are proud to provide healthcare uniforms to a variety of Healthcare professionals.

With our friendly, dedicated Team always ready to help, their combined wealth of knowledge within the Healthcare sector covers everything from your first enquiry right through to managing your account after despatch and beyond.

Supplying high quality garments to our customers is our passion, in an array of colours and sizes, our extensive healthacre ranges can provide everything you need, making us your one stop shop. We can also take care of personalisation through our talented embroidery team, giving you a final look you'll be proud of.

We can cater to the public and private healthcare sectors, so our collection of healthcare uniforms has been expertly designed with all medical settings in mind. Offering comfortable scrubs, dresses, tunics and coordinated trousers, our medical workwear is suited to every area of your industry.

Designed for comfort and flexability, these garments ensure staff enjoy ease of movement and are unrestricted throughout their shifts.

Besides our extensive stock service, our experience in manurfacturing and our wealth of textile expertise allows us to also provide end to end bespoke solutions for our customers, contact us for more details about working with us on bespoke requirements.

Call 08707 300 150 Sales@burlington-uniforms.co.uk www.burlington-uniforms.co.uk See the advert on page 11.

Yeoman Shield Fire Rated Door Edge Protector When specifying for a structure, it’s important to be aware of the level of wear and tear a door can be exposed to in a public building.

Door edges, in particular, can be easily damaged or worn down by regular use – which can then render them non-compliant for fire safety regulations. To ensure that a project remains compliant, an architect can specify durable door edge protectors to add durability and longevity to doors.

Not only will specifying edge protectors increase the longevity of doors, they will enhance the cost efficiency of a project by reducing maintenance demands and the possibility of having to replace unsafe fire doors.

Yeoman Shield fire rated Door Edge Protectors are unique with a 2.0 mm Vinylac outer and a specially formulated 9mm PVCu reinforced core. They are FD30 (1/2 hour) and FD60 (1 hour) rated

with intumescent seals that are in accordance to the fire door’s specification. Fire rated Door Edge Protectors are suitable for commercial applications such as residential blocks, schools and hospitals etc.

Door Edge Protectors can also be specified with different fire seals, from a plain intumescent fire seal to a brush, fire and smoke variant.

Of course, for doors that are non-fire rated in an architect’s project Yeoman Shield also provide quality edge protectors without seals to enhance durability and reduce wear.

Source a full range of door protection panels and kick plates from a single supplier by choosing Yeoman Shield. Our door protection panels and kick plates offer the same lasting durability and quality as our door edge protectors.

Visit www.yeomanshield.com for details.

Mendabath UK uses high quality bath resurfacing and bathroom repair products that are trusted all over the world. Aligned with our expertise, we offer a service that is simply unparalleled in the UK. Our experienced team is comprised of experts that will deliver a service that will exceed your expectations. From minor cosmetic repairs to bringing an old bath back to life, we can restore any suite. We offer resurfacing and repair services for baths, sinks and showers for care homes, private residences and commercial properties across the UK. Commercial bath repairs and resurfacing Discoloured and damaged baths can be resurfaced with a turnaround time of just twenty four hours, keeping lost occupancy days to a minimum.

This is more environmentally friendly than replacing your bath and will save you both time and money.

Slip resistant application We apply slip resistance the day

after the bath or shower tray resurfacing. This works well in busy hotels, where there is a strong duty of care to customers yet time is of the essence. For this process the room will be out of commission for a further twenty four hours while the surface cures and hardens.

Basin repairs and resurfacing We can repair and resurface cracked, stained and chipped basins, making them look new again.

Cosmetic bath and basin repairs Sanitary ware with minor chips and scratches can be cosmetically repaired. Our technicians fade-in each repair so that they are almost invisible to the naked eye.

Shower repairs and shower tray resurfacing We can fully restore any stained and cracked shower tray, giving it a fresh, new look.

See the advert on page 9 or visit www.mendabath.co.uk

CareZips Dignity Trousers Bath Resurfacing and Chip Repair ™

CareZips™ preserve dignity and privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes.

CareZips™ make diaper changes easier and faster, reducing workload, saving efforts, and saving time!

CareZips™ help to deliver better standards of care!

Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the carers.

CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the second knee on the inside of the other leg. This zip facilitates total opening of the trousers at the crotch during diaper changes. The 3-zip system ensures fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patients or pull their trousers down.

CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They

are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort. Practical, durable, washable and noniron, the CareZips™ trousers are the perfect choice for daily use.

Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com

Spotta’s Early Warning System Prevents Bed Bug Infestations Smart pest monitoring system marks one year of real-world operations, detecting bed bugs in 94.2% of cases

In its first year of operation, Spotta’s monitoring and detection system identified bed bugs in 94.2% of cases, significantly reducing the number of encounters between bed bugs and residents in multi-room properties.

The ‘always-on’ monitoring service uses advanced recognition technology to identify insects and provide real time alerts. Spotta enables multi-room properties such as sheltered and residential housing accommodation and their pest control partners to identify occurrences of bed bugs and treat the problem early, limiting the damage caused and spread of the pests.

In its first year of real-world deployment in customer properties Spotta serviced over 91,000 room nights. Of

the detections made by Spotta, over half (52.2%) were in rooms with no recent history of bed bugs, proving the system’s effectiveness as an early warning against new infestations. Repeat detections in rooms help property managers assess whether extermination treatments are successful or if further, more extensive treatment is needed.

“For accommodation providers, most of the overall financial impact of bed bugs comes from contact between the occupant and pests, which leads to complaints, disruption and high treatment costs,” says Robert Fryers, co-founder and CEO of Spotta.

During the Bed Pod’s first year, 94.2% of cases were successfully detected by Spotta, with room residents reporting bed bugs accounting for just 3.3% of cases and staff identifying the remaining 2.5%.

Fryers continues: “The first year results of Bed Pod show we have a credible, proven solution with realworld efficacy. This represents a transformative step for pest controllers, accommodation providers and property managers by allowing them to proactively monitor for bed bugs, rather than just reacting when problems are reported.”

Find out more at www.spotta.co See the advert on page 15.

Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment to Patients That Are Isolating The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as it promotes social interaction between the service users and their carers. This innovative system is fully mobile and battery operated, allowing residents who may be unable to leave their rooms to also be included with ease.

The Jolly Trolley® comes complete with its own videos, quizzes, karaoke and other content, but personal music, photos and films can then be added from a USB stick to really bring out the magic!

Don’t just take our word for it here are just some testimonials from our very happy Health and Social Care clients:

Chester Park- Megan Allan, Activities “The fact that we can upload what is relevant to the specific Individual is so meaningful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears being able to be part of that residents memory journey. It has been an amazing addition to our care home – from staff and residents – thank you.”

Pennine NHS Trust - Beech Ward“we have been able to provide therapeutic activity & entertainment with ease to patients that are isolating” To see what the Jolly Trolley® can do for you, call us for a free demonstration on 0800 093 8499.

See the advert on page 6.

Adaptawear Iona Nightie: Full Opening-Back Nightie Ideal for those bed-ridden, struggling with mobility or needing palliative end of life care - the Iona nightie from adaptawear.com has been specifically designed with these people in mind.

This unique product comes with a fully opening back, shoulder openings on both sides, and easy poppers, which fasten quickly with limited effort. As the nightgown opens up completely flat, it can be put on from a lying or seated position, ensuring less stress for both the wearer and carer. The open back function with a generous overlap also ensures dignity when toileting and a quick drying cotton fabric is

comfortable and practical.

As well as the Iona adapted nightie, Adaptawear have a range of other back opening nighties, including their popular Petal Back range, and also fully front button nightwear. Their men and women's ranges feature a full range of adaptive daywear, including front fastening bras and comfortable cotton underwear; with a customer recently sharing they had ‘regained their independence with such helpful items.’

All items can be found at www.adaptawear.com or call 0800 051 1931 for more info. Don’t forget to use code CR10M at checkout for 10% off your order.

Evaness 100% Biodegradable Consumables Range EVANESS is the only full range of biodegradable products for the care and health sector, from various sizes and strengths of bin liners, to clingfilm and food/freezer bags. EVANESS is a derivative from the word ‘Evanesce” meaning to vanish and the technology used in the biodegradable range is scientifically proven to degrade the material if it gets into the open environment and then facilitate the secondary process of biodegradation, without causing micro-plastics.

New recent additions to the product range include compostable bin liners which are manufactured to EN13432 certification for home and industrial composting, and the UK’s first ANTI-VIRAL Grip Seal bag, which although are non-biodegradable are specifically designed to combat the transmission of viruses and bacteria.

The pandemic brought about many concerns over how to store and handle a range of items, which were handled by many a person to avoid the transfer of viruses

and bacteria. Consumable Supplies created a Grip Seal bag which incorporates an advanced British technology D2P by Symphony Environmental, which provides protection to the surface of the Grip Seal bag against microorganisms or viruses for the lifetime of the bag and offers a 99.9% Anti-Viral reduction after 1 hour of contact.

Although the bag can be used for the storage and handling of any items you wish to protect, such as medicines, PPE equipment, laboratory samples, cash, keys etc, as the product is Food-Safe, it also offers its use to storing food. The initial bag size offered is 150mm x 200mm, so useful for smaller items and can form part of your existing health and hygiene protection routine.

Consumable Supplies strives to offer unique quality environmentally friendlier products at reasonable prices with a great no-quibble customer service. Free delivery on any order.

See the advert on page 21 or visit www.consumablesupplies.co.uk

PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

Celebrities Get Back To The ‘Rhythm Of Life’ In New Film Supporting COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

Celebrities including Jim Broadbent and David Walliams have joined forces to encourage everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccines in a new uplifting film released this week.

Set to the toe-tapping tune The Rhythm of Life, written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, from the 1966 classic musical, Sweet Charity, and donated by the Cy Coleman estate, the heart-warming film will celebrate the success of the vaccination programme in supporting the easing of restrictions as outlined in the roadmap.

Conceived and directed by Josie Rourke, the former artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, the short film, written by Rourke and James Graham, is being released ahead of the NHS’s 73rd Birthday. It first sees Jim Broadbent enter an empty theatre before a star-studded cast of David Walliams, Asa Butterfield, Colin Salmon, Derek Jacobi, Don Warrington, Nicola Roberts, Russel Tovey, Sandra Marvin and West End dancers – dressed in iconic NHS blue – take to the stage to passionately perform the song In-between the dancing, Asa Butterfield calls on viewers to “get that vaccine”, Don Warrington advocates “I’ve had mine!” and Jim Broadbent delivers the final “just get that vaccine,” concluding plea to encourage people to play their part in getting us back to the ‘rhythm of life’. The film was produced by Charles Finch and Peregrine Kitchener-Fellowes at Standalone Pictures.

Comedian, writer and actor David Walliams said: “The NHS has done an absolutely fantastic job rolling out COVID-19 vaccines at such speed and, as we do in the film, I want to implore

everyone to get their vaccine when called so we can get back to the all-singing, all-dancing, rhythm of life that we love.”

Actor Jim Broadbent said: “The film gave us the chance to show our appreciation and celebration for the vaccine rollout in the best way we know how.

“Thank you to the millions who have already received their vaccinations and please ‘just get your vaccine’ to the rest. Vaccines are helping us get back to everything we love and every industry – including the arts – couldn’t be more grateful to each and every person for getting their vaccine.”

The film follows the launch of a national campaign urging people to get their vaccine and join the millions of people who have already received their jabs, as ‘every vaccination gives us hope’.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Vaccines save lives so it is fantastic to see some of our most beloved stars in entertainment back the vital vaccination rollout, which is helping this country fight this pandemic.

“The evidence is clear, the vaccine is the best way to help protect yourself and your loved ones, so if you get the call do not delay in booking your appointment as we do everything we can to get back to normal life.”

Vaccinated people are far less likely to get COVID-19 with symptoms and even more unlikely to get serious COVID-19, to be admitted to hospital, or to die from it and there is growing evidence that they are less likely to pass the virus to others.

In June, the Prime Minister announced that second doses for all over 40s will be accelerated by reducing the dosing interval from 12 weeks to eight weeks.

The move follows advice from the independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which has considered the latest available evidence and has recommended reducing the dosing interval to counter the threat of new variants of concern.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “I’m extremely humbled every day when I see how many people are booking and receiving their jabs, joining the millions of adults who have

already received theirs, as the country continues to play its part in helping us defeat this virus.

“Vaccines have prevented an estimated 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England alone, and each vaccine delivered is another step forward in helping us get out of this pandemic as we fight it together, side by side.”

Latest modelling analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and Cambridge University’s MRC Biostatistics Unit suggests that the COVID19 vaccination programme has so far prevented an estimated 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England alone.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Vaccines are saving lives, protecting the NHS and will ensure we get bums back on seats safely. Every adult in the country can now get their jab. Thank you to all these stars for getting the message out. Let’s get them back on stage by finishing the job with the vaccine rollout.”

ONS polling also shows the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a COVID-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated and ONS data published on 2 July shows that more than 9 in 10 (96%) adults reported positive sentiment towards the vaccine.

Vaccines are available free of charge and from thousands of vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies. Around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre in England, which includes Riverside Park Stadium, Hull City Hall and Sunderland Nightingale amongst others.

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Forbes Delivers a Streamlined Solution for National Care Groups A national care group needs to know that they are delivering a consistently high standard of care and in order to do this they need to ensure that they are working with service partners that they can trust. When it comes to laundry provision, centralised procurement and management teams want to know that they will have access to a streamlined process for all on-going account and service management.

Forbes Professional offers a nationwide delivery of a localbased service, with the security and reliability that comes from being a long-established company. Our expansive network of depots and field engineers enables a highly responsive service and maintenance response, which is mobilised via a dedicated hotline at our head office. We work closely with clients to devise the solution best suited to their requirements; conducting comprehensive site-surveys, offering detailed CAD designs and always specifying the most

appropriate, industry compliant machines. We choose our manufacturers extremely carefully to ensure that we are offering the highest quality of both product and service. For the care sector, hygiene is always of paramount importance and our commercial laundry equipment fully adheres to the relevant WRAS and CQC guidelines for infection control.

All of our laundry equipment is available for rent, lease or purchase with maintenance.

Our Complete Care rental solution gives access to premium equipment without upfront capital outlay and with no repair or replacement bills for the life of the contract. National care groups are always assigned a dedicated account manager who remains their point of contact, centralising all account management for a highly efficient process that keeps things simple for both procurement teams and care management staff. www.forbespro.co.uk info@forbes-professional.co.uk 0345 070 2335

Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name”

At Cash's, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients’ brand equity through quality and innovation, from design to distribution.

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels, woven badges, care labels, branded and promotional swing tags, garment accessories, packaging and barcoding.

Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protec-

tion to our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity.

Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost, improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data. The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories.

See the advert this page for details.

ƂŜƖĎāƖ΄ÎĮåƖ΄iåƖƖĎƂƊ΄iŜƊƖ΄ ÔŜƞƂ΄ ĎƊijĈĎœƖƊ΄åœĈ΄*őſʼnŜƼĎĎƊ AŜƂ΄āŜőſʼnĎƖĎ΄ƵijƂƞƊ΄ſƂŜƖĎāƖijŜœ͕͚΄åĈĈ΄åijƂ΄ſƞƂijǙ΄āåƖijŜœ΄ƖŜ΄ hand and surface hygiene practices ΄āŜőſʼnĎƖĎ΄ĮƼħijĎœĎ΄ƊŜʼnƞƖijŜœ΄ƊĮŜƞʼnĈ΄āŜőĀijœĎ΄åijƂ͚΄ƊƞƂĦåāĎ΄åœĈ΄ĮåœĈ΄āʼnĎåœijœħ΄ƖŜ΄ĦƞʼnʼnƼ΄ſƂŜƖĎāƖ΄ åħåijœƊƖ΄ſĎƂƊŜœͲƖŜͲſĎƂƊŜœ΄ƵijƂƞƊ΄ƖƂåœƊőijƊƊijŜœ͟΄ ĎƂåiåƻ΄ ƂŜĦĎƊƊijŜœåʼn΄āŜőőĎƂāijåʼn΄ħƂåĈĎ΄åijƂ΄ ſƞƂijǙ΄ĎƂƊ΄ſƂŜƵijĈĎ΄őåƻijőƞő΄ſƂŜƖĎāƖijŜœ΄åœĈ΄ƞʼnƖijőåƖĎ΄ſĎåāĎ΄ŜĦ΄őijœĈ΄ƶijƖĮ΄¯ƂƞĎ΄I* ΄Ǚ΄ʼnĎƂƊ΄ƖĮåƖ΄āåœ΄ āåſƖƞƂĎ΄ƞſ΄ƖŜ΄̎​̎̎͟​̎μ΄ŜĦ΄åijƂĀŜƂœĎ΄āŜœƖåőijœåœƖƊ͚΄ijœāʼnƞĈijœħ΄ƵijƂƞƊĎƊ͕͟΄ ʼnĎåœ΄ƖĮĎ΄åijƂ΄ƼŜƞ΄ƊĮåƂĎ΄ƶijƖĮ΄ ĎƂåiåƻ΄ ƂŜĦĎƊƊijŜœåʼn΄ĦƂŜő΄AĎʼnʼnŜƶĎƊ΄ ƂåœĈƊ͟ AŜƂ΄ĦƞƂƖĮĎƂ΄ĈĎƖåijʼnƊ͚΄Ďőåijʼn΄¯ijő΄ ƂŜƶœijœħ͙΄tbrowning@fellowes.com΄ŜƂ΄ƵijƊijƖ΄EIVEQE\TVS GSQ YO

͕΄AĎʼnʼnŜƶĎƊ΄ ĎƂåiåƻ΄ ƂŜ΄åijƂ΄ſƞƂijǙ΄ĎƂƊ΄ƶĎƂĎ΄ĈĎőŜœƊƖƂåƖĎĈ΄ƖŜ΄ĀĎ΄Ďǖ΄ĎāƖijƵĎ΄ijœ΄ƂĎĈƞāijœħ΄åĎƂŜƊŜʼnijƊĎĈ΄åijƂĀŜƂœĎ΄āŜœāĎœƖƂåƖijŜœ΄ŜĦ΄Iƞőåœ΄ ŜƂŜœåƵijƂƞƊ΄̇​̇̎*΄ijœ΄å΄ƖĎƊƖ΄āĮåőĀĎƂ΄ ƂĎåāĮijœħ΄̎​̎̎͟​̎μ΄åijƂĀŜƂœĎ΄ƂĎĈƞāƖijŜœ΄ƶijƖĮijœ΄̆΄ĮŜƞƂ΄ŜĦ΄ŜſĎƂåƖijŜœ͚΄ĀåƊĎĈ΄Ŝœ΄ijœĈĎſĎœĈĎœƖ΄ʼnåĀŜƂåƖŜƂƼ΄ƖĎƊƖijœħ͟

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 35

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL CleanRite, Proves Efficacy of Hypochlorous Against SARS-CoV-2 to Offer New Generation of Alcohol-Free Sanitisers Launching in the UK CleanRite sanitisers, a new dermatologically advanced solution to keeping surfaces and hands guarded against COVID-19 is launching in the UK in April 2021. CleanRite is a new generation disinfectant range to ensure surfaces, the air in areas such as care homes, as well as hands - are all protected from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

THE ‘WONDER’ OF HYPOCHLOROUS The CleanRite range of sanitising products are Hypochlorous-based (HOCl) which is an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial solution, proven to kill 99.9% of germs on contact.

Specifically, Hypochlorous has been proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 in an independent lab test carried out by Richard Stanton, a Reader in Division of Infection & Immunity at the School of Medicine at Cardiff University. Fully regulated and child-friendly, CleanRite, which dries quickly and leaves no sticky residue, is perfect for use in care homes - as well as being dermatologically tested and suitable for use from birth.

Caroline Fogarty, Managing Director, CF Pharma, said, “In laboratory tests we were able to show that the Hypochlorous ingredient in CleanRite killed the SARS-CoV-2 virus within 30 seconds. Hypochlorous is a ‘wonder’ ingredient because not only is it free of alcohol and harmful chemicals, it is hypoallergenic and skin friendly. It is as natural as water and doesn’t need to be rinsed off. So not only is it people-friendly, but it is planet-friendly too.

“I believe that Hypochlorous is the future of everyday sanitisation. As we learn to live with the need for heightened sanitisation even after lockdown is eased, choosing something that is gentle on your skin, eyes, lungs and even the environment makes CleanRite ideal for long-term usage.”

CLEANRITE – BOTH POWERFUL AND SAFE CleanRite is an alcohol-free hypoallergenic sanitiser. It is highly effective without dehydrating, irritating, stinging or damaging skin or eyes making it perfect for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

CleanRite is highly effective on multiple surfaces and equipment including kitchen worktops (since it is food safe). And unlike most alcohol-based products, CleanRite is non-flammable.

Clare Hughes (MPSI BSc PHARM), Founder, CF Pharma said, “The advanced CleanRite formulation based on Hypochlorous, makes this ‘nature’s powerful disinfectant’. Indeed, Hypochlorous, which is produced naturally by the body’s white blood cells to support the human immune system in fighting infection and bacteria, has been used in wound-healing for decades.”

Caroline Fogarty said, “It looks like we are going to be living with the need for increased sanitisation for some considerable time. So being able to offer a sanitisation range that has a skin friendly pH for family use, from birth, makes CleanRite an essential tool for everyone as we navigate the new normal.”

AVAILABILITY CleanRite is manufactured in various sizes from 60ml to 4500ml with convenient 60ml and 150ml finger sprays for travel available, which are for sale on Amazon For further information, to view the full range of products or to place an order for your business, visit CleanRite CF Pharma http://cleanrite.ie

Protecting Residents From Germs And Viruses And Creating Odour-Free Environments Within care home environments, there is an intense focus on hygiene and cleaning standards to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the residents and mitigate the spread of viruses, bacteria, germs and infectious diseases. For elderly people, the threat of viruses such as COVID-19 poses additional concerns, given that they often have more compromised immune systems.

Despite the necessary measures of routine handwashing, PPE and disposable equipment, the spread of sickness, infection and viruses such as coronavirus and influenza are major concerns in the care home environment.

Between 2nd March and 12the June 2020, there were over 66,000 deaths of care home residents in England and Wales, compared to just under 37,000 deaths in 2019.

Whereas, due to the nature of care home facilities and the residents who occupy them, it is impossible to completely eradicate odours, sickness and the spread of infections and viruses, there is a factor that is often overlooked – indoor air quality.

However, though it may be more difficult to visibly recognise, poor quality indoor air can also have severe and lasting effects on cognition and health. According to studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in care homes and other large facilities, indoor levels of pollutants may be more than 100 times higher than pollutants found outdoors.

In the UK, the average person spends the vast majority of their time indoors, but due to restricted mobility or underlying medical conditions, most care home residents spend an even greater

proportion of their time indoors.

Therefore, adding the complementary process of an air purification solution to the hygiene mix is a vital requirement for care homes in maintaining a healthy living space.

99.99% EFFECTIVE AGAINST CORONAVIRUS One solution is the Fellowes AeraMax Pro air purifier, which utilises a unique fourstage filtration system, featuring HEPA filters, to provide maximum protection against harmful airborne contaminants – including being 99.99% effective against Coronavirus 229E. AeraMax Pro air purifiers remove germs and viruses, and eliminate odours, allergens and other irritants from the air, removing up to 99.9% of air contaminants.

AeraMax Pro uses EnviroSmart technology to monitor a room’s air quality and occupancy. It adjusts its performance to optimise effectiveness whilst reducing energy consumption and extending filter life. This is particularly important in the care home environment where occupancy levels may vary greatly in common areas and dining rooms throughout the day.

To learn more about the benefits of improving indoor air quality in the care home environment visit: http://aeramaxpro.com/uk/ *Fellowes AeraMax Pro air purifiers were demonstrated to be effective in reducing aerosolised airborne concentration of Human Coronavirus 229E in a test chamber reaching 99.99% airborne reduction within 1 hour of operation, based on independent laboratory testing.

How To Prevent Infection Spreading with Safer Bed Bathing

By Elizabeth Jamieson, Senior Product Manager, Vernacare (www.vernacare.com) Daily assisted bed bathing is usually provided for critically ill or immobile patients to help improve personal hygiene and skin care, promote comfort, and most importantly prevent infection. Poor hygiene can cause a build-up of pathogens on the skin, which can increase infection risk.

One research study found that 51% of patients in ICU were infected, the vast majority with a healthcare-associated infection (HCAI).

Moreover, it is thought that up to 39% of patients have at least one hospital-associated pathogen on their hands within 48 hours of hospital admission.

Critically ill patients are at greater risk for skin colonization and infection with multidrug-resistant organisms. Supporting those in hospital or community care settings with a lack of mobility, to cleanse regularly, is a fundamental aspect of nursing care.

There are several assisted bathing solutions available that help to provide a body wash for the elderly or those with limited mobility. Keep reading for our recommendations.

REUSABLE WASHCLOTH Reusable washcloths, which are often used across multiple patients, are well known for harbouring bacteria and should be replaced with a single-use disposable body wipe or cloth. This is particularly important for patients who are immunocompromised or critically ill, or those whose skin integrity is compromised, for example, patients with burns.

WATERBORNE BACTERIAL INFECTION Tap water meets stringent safety standards, but it is not sterile; as

DAILY CHLORHEXIDINE BATHING The use of chlorhexidine wipes in hospitals, as well as other CHG based products, has increased over recent years, leading to concerns that repeated exposure of bacteria to chlorhexidine might result in resistance. Some suggest that if clinical use of chlorhexidine continues to increase, it is important to be alert to the possibility that this may lead to the emergence of new clones with reduced susceptibility.

Indiscriminate chlorhexidine use in the absence of efficacy data should be discouraged.

RINSE-FREE BED BATHING TECHNIQUES – BEST PRACTICE

such bacteria and other microbes may be present when the water leaves the tap. For typical household uses these microbes rarely pose a serious health risk, however, in healthcare settings, patients might be more vulnerable to infection.

In recent years, research has indicated that water systems can act as a source of P.aeruginosa transmission in healthcare settings, and as a result, many infection prevention specialists advise that tap water should be avoided when caring for critically ill patients.

The development of water-free systems are giving healthcare providers a range of no-rinse body wash wipes to choose from when cleaning patients or residents.

Rinse-free washing eliminates: • Reusable components (such as reusable face washcloths) • The use of water (which can be responsible for waterborne infectious diseases) • The use of harsh disinfectants (similar to those used in CHG Bath wipes) The soft single use washcloths available contain a unique combination of skin cleansers to help remove sweat, dirt, urine, and faeces from the skin. Use one single-use cloth per anatomical region to ensure effective cleansing and minimised risk of cross-contamination.

If performed correctly, it is widely accepted that the mechanical action of wiping will remove most harmful bacteria from the skin, without the requirement for a biocide within the formulation.

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Seconds Save Lives: Clean Your Hands Skin and surface hygiene specialist, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, supports the WHO’s annual ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ campaign

Skin health and surface hygiene expert, GOJO Industries-Europe, is proud to be part of the global movement to improve hand hygiene and is once again supporting the World Health Organization’s annual ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ campaign. Its worldwide advocacy day falls on 5th May, and this year it is focused on achieving appropriate hand hygiene action at the point of care. Its ‘seconds save lives – clean your hands!’ slogan reinforces the message that taking a little extra time to practise hand hygiene makes all the difference.

To achieve this, healthcare workers should have access to good-quality alcohol-based hand rub products, clean water, soap, single-use towels and an adequate number of functioning sinks within patient zones. This enables hand hygiene practise at the five key moments: before touching a patient, before clean/aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure/risk, after touching a patient, and after touching a patient’s surroundings.

2021 has also been designated the ‘International Year of Health and Care Workers’, so focusing on their protection is just as crucial. The PURELL brand’s focus on ‘formulation without compromise’ means that products in the range have been proven to maintain skin health and have high antimicrobial efficacy. In fact, in scientific tests, PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub was found to kill 99.99% of the most common germs that may be harmful, including Coronavirus, with a contact time of just 30 seconds.

Chris Wakefield, Managing Director UK & Ireland, GOJO IndustriesEurope Ltd comments, ‘As a founder member of the WHO Private

Organizations for Patient Safety group, we are strong advocates of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone – this past year has shown how this is more important than ever. We hope that this year’s campaign encourages everyone to do their part, as it takes commitment from all for

hand hygiene programmes to be successful.

‘We strongly encourage everyone in the healthcare industry to unite in support of hand hygiene improvement. As well as healthcare workers cleaning their hands, IPC practitioners need to continue mentoring and championing the act, facility managers must ensure that supplies are available at every point of care, and policy makers should invest now to enable hand hygiene for all. Everyone, the general public included, must make clean hands a habit. It protects us all.’

Backed by a wealth of scientific expertise, and specialist formulations, GOJO has the technology and experience to work in partnership with healthcare managers to implement effective hand and surface hygiene regimes, and promote hygienic and compliant hand hygiene behaviour.

Assets, such as posters and product placement guides are available to download from GOJO’s dedicated ‘Hand Hygiene Day’ page at www.gojo.com/WHO-May-5 from mid-April.

Free advocacy toolkits to support the WHO Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign are available on the WHO website: http://www.who.int/infection-prevention/campaigns/clean-hands/en/ WHO invites everyone to use the hashtags #CleanYourHands #HandHygiene #InfectionPrevention on social media to ensure Save Lives: Clean Your Hands posts are picked up by the campaign.

For more information, call +44 (0)1908 588444, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

Take Maximum Control of Washroom Hygiene, Efficiency and Sustainability New from Kimberly-Clark Professional is the Scott® ControlTM Mini Twin Centrefeed Toilet Tissue system designed to deliver maximum hygiene, efficiency and sustainability in healthcare and hospital washrooms. Just launched, the new dispenser is the most hygienic in the marketplace1 and is the highest capacity centrefeed toilet tissue system available.

Launched as part of the Kimberly-Clark Professional 360 Hygiene & Protection programme, the new twin system provides the healthcare sector with optimum hygiene, with a one-wipe-clean dispenser that is designed with no shut lines or key holes.

“In the healthcare sector, hygiene plus the safety and wellbeing of staff and patients, is the highest priority as it copes with the ongoing pandemic,” says Richard Millard, EMEA Senior Category Manager, Bath Tissue, Kimberly-Clark Professional.

“The pressure on Healthcare Facility Managers and cleaning staff to deliver hygiene without compromising efficiency is higher than ever. This system is designed to reduce hygiene risks and refill events, enabling cleaning staff to be deployed to other more critical hygiene duties.”

Designed with fully enclosed, protected rolls for touchless dispensing, the new system avoids cross contamination as users only touch the sheet to be used. Controlled single sheet dispensing reduces paper usage for exceptional cost in use and maximum efficiency.

A never-run-out twin design delivers 100% tissue availability and reduces the need for refills for improved efficiency of staff and provides guaranteed dispensing reliability – every time.2 Fewer refills means less chance for cross contamination keeping staff, patients and visitors safe and confident that facilities are well stocked and managed for their comfort and convenience.

The most hygienic and highest capacity toilet tissue system ever from Kimberly-Clark Professional, the Scott® ControlTM Twin Centrefeed Toilet Tissue System is ideal for busy washrooms in high footfall environments. It has 1,666 sheets and a total of 408 metres of tissue per fully loaded dispenser which means it has 82% more metres and 426 more sheets than other twin centrefeed systems.

A full dispenser provides sufficient tissue for a huge 408 visits versus typically just 72 visits with a competitive

single bulk pack folded toilet tissue system. Compared with uncontrolled, toilet tissue systems, the new twin centrefeed dispenser provides up to 378 more visits than a small roll toilet tissue and up to 285 more visits than a 2x200 metre competitive jumbo toilet roll.

“Using a controlled toilet tissue system is the future for delivering maximum efficiency. The wastage generated from jumbo roll and small roll formats makes them not the preferred choice for high traffic environments”, adds Richard Millard.

In today’s world, hospital and healthcare facilities must ensure that heightened hygiene risks are managed with no concessions for efficiencies and sustainability targets. Meeting sustainability KPI’s is crucial for Healthcare Facility Managers with responsible and recycled products increasingly in demand.

Meeting such a demand, the new Scott® Control™ Twin Centrefeed Toilet Tissue is produced from 100% recycled FSC certified fibre, with roll packaging also 30% recycled and 100% recyclable. Additionally, the controlled dispensing of the new system reduces paper use and reduces the need for storage and transportation of supplies.

Washroom waste is avoided with this highest capacity system which has a roll change indicator to alert staff when supply is running low.

Domestic Managers need worry less about the hygiene and maintenance headaches of toilet blockages. The Scott® branded quality toilet tissue has excellent paper disintegration avoiding disruptive blockages.

“The Scott® Control™ range offers a complete washroom solution for the hospital and healthcare sector, delivering increased hygiene without compromising on washroom efficiency or sustainability,” adds Richard Millard. “As with all our washroom systems, the Scott® ControlTM Twin Centrefeed Toilet Tissue system delivers unmatched market leading hygiene and efficiencies, so our customers can provide facilities that support the safety, health and wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors during these challenging times now and uncertain ones ahead.”

To register your interest for a trial or find out more, visit https://home.kcprofessional.com/uk/scottTwin To see the system in action, watch our video here https://youtu.be/D1re4N1Bc_E

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry.

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

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology.

Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with

Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff. With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection.

The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe

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

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

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.

methods to enhance the servicing provisions that are available to customers. The recently launched allinclusive rental proposition has proven particularly effective and popular with new and existing customers alike, not least as it reduces the operational, maintenance and financing headaches from sites which have more critical matters to address.

For more information about incontinence and bedpan waste disposal please feel free to contact the Haigh team on 01989 763131 or info@haigh.co.uk

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 37

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

UK Care Homes Use Groundbreaking Health Technology to Maintain Clean Air and Surfaces Care home owners have been among the first customers to purchase air and surface sterilisation products from Medklinn, the international health technology company, which recently launched in the UK. Following confirmation from scientists from Fujita Health University in Japan, that low concentrations of ozone gas can be used to neutralise coronavirus particles without causing harm to humans, UK care homes have an alternative method to sterilise the air and surfaces in their premises without the use of chemicals.

According to the university research, low-level ozone gas in concentrations of 0.05 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) could be key to neutralising the spread of coronavirus in healthcare settings such as examination rooms and waiting areas.

Medklinn International, the health technology company that has pioneered research and development into negative ionisation and ozone in the sterilisation process, already provides air and surface sterilisation solutions in ASIA, the USA, Canada, Australia and Germany. Now the business has launched in the UK. Daniel Lu, chief technology and innovation officer of Medklinn International, said: “We are pleased to be bringing our health technology to the UK. The announcement from the team at Fujita Health University in Japan further demonstrates that ozone sterilisation technology is a viable alternative to the use of chemicals for disinfection.”

In addition to the latest breakthrough in neutralising coronavirus particles, Medklinn products are also proven to be effective in: • Killing 99.9% of harmful microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, mould and fungi by destroying their RNA and DNA structure • Eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those with adverse health

effects • Neutralising allergenic organic compounds such as pet dander and the protein in the faeces of dust mites, which are often the cause of allergies Steve Jones, Brand Manager Medklinn UK, said: “We’re really excited to be launching Medklinn UK. Our products are already used by some of the leading global brands in the healthcare, travel and tourism, retail, education, F&B and hospitality sectors, including Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental and Singapore’s Changi Airport. We believe that they will be particularly useful as we make gradual steps towards easing restrictions and reopening the UK following the lockdowns over the past 12 months.”

Medklinn UK offers a consumer range of products suitable for the home and for use in vehicles.

It also offers a range of air and surface sterilisers designed for business use including: • Permanent units for spaces up to 1,000 sq ft such as hotel guest rooms, washrooms, offices and classrooms • Permanent units for large spaces of 3,000 sq ft or more such as hotel corridors, washrooms, restaurants, halls, offices, exhibition centres, supermarkets, food processing and manufacturing plants • Portable units for ad hoc treatments of indoor odours recommended for hotel guest rooms, restaurants and facilities management It will also offer ozone water systems (for washrooms, industrial kitchens, food processing factories) and integrated sterilisation systems (for public washrooms, food processing and F&B outlets and supermarkets).

For further information about Medklinn UK please visit uk.medklinn.com or contact medklinn@tunnelight.net.

Portable, Hospital-Grade Air Purifier Rensair is a specialist in air purification, protecting and enhancing lives through clean air.

Developed to meet the strict standards of Scandinavian hospitals, ours is the only technology recommended by the WHO and UK SAGE committee and is independently validated by several scientific research laboratories.

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, air purification has never been more important. Our mission is to get organisations back on their feet, destroying a minimum of 99.97% of airborne viruses to ensure clean air for every person.

Rensair collaborates with clients to develop the optimum indoor air quality for meeting care home requirements, as well as government recommendations for miti-

gating the risks of Covid transmission. Taking into account floor plans, existing ventilation systems and occupancy rates, we determine if there is a gap between existing air quality and that recommended by the WHO and UK SAGE Committee. If air quality is lacking, we will recommend a tailor-made configuration based on our portable, hospital-grade air purifier, in tandem with any existing HVAC systems.

Our no-obligation advice is based on verifiable data, research and experience, which is made freely available to ensure that decisions affecting health are wellinformed. www.rensair.com

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To meet such high standards, our unique combination of HEPA and UVC traps and destroys 99.97% of viruses and bacteria, including Coronavirus.

Leaving air that’s as clean as a whistle.

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PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE How Technology is Transforming The Future of Social Care

by Steve Morgan, Partnership Director, Agilisys (www.agilisys.co.uk)

Chronic underfunding, a workforce crisis, insufficient modernisation and COVID-19 are all testing social care to the limits. There is now, however, an opportunity to reassess, redesign and re-ignite a strategy for lasting, effective change as we emerge from the pandemic.

The social care system is complex and fragmented, with care being provided by around 18,500 organisations throughout the country. Good practice being developed in one part of the care sector is difficult to share. A joined-up view is needed to achieve a clear vision.

By thinking long-term and bringing together the fragmented sector, funding decisions can be made to drive efficiencies and modernise the traditional service, to benefit all.

ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY ARE LEADING THE WAY

Demand for care is not going to reduce, so it’s down to critical technologies to transform the future of care:

• Tools for collaboration

There is a growing movement towards a 'delivery ecosystem' of collaboration tools. You can plug a variety of options into one connectivity hub, which enables everything from telehealth and telecare to social inclusion and family contact, without the need to have six or seven different boxes.

• Reduced inbound demand, through automation

There has been a fundamental switch from inbound telephony-based contact services to proactive outbound ones. To make those services more productive, you have to reduce inbound demand.

That is where artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and robotic process automation (RPA) are important. If the repeatable and everyday tasks are automated, staff have more time to make a difference to the peo-

ple they care for.

• Advanced predictive analytics

Data is critical to any strategic, joined-up future of care. Predictive analytics can help understand when somebody is in danger of needing health or residential care, which can dramatically reduce the overall cost of care delivery.

Using data to inform more effective decisions is the way forward and with the use of the Integrated care system (ICS) and how it will bring together data collection and joined-up data usage.

• Data collection at home

Technology can identify when there are issues with damp, carbon dioxide, humidity and temperature. Having knowledge of the environment vulnerable people are living in, can reduce and remove any knock-on effects.

• Social care cost modelling

Social care makes up most of local authority spend. In 2018/19, total expenditure on social care by councils was £22.2bn. Using data to predict outcomes and effective routes, social care cost modelling enables users to take any cohort of children or adults and apply one or more of a huge range of potential scenarios to it. This shows authorities how much social care services are costing them, and what they can do about it.

• Microsoft Viva

The transition to permanent remote working raises a crucial question: how does an organisation create a culture, a sense of belonging, a mission and connection in the absence of a physical presence? Employee Experience platforms such as Viva focus on employee wellbeing to help avoid burnout, highlight efficiency gains, and bring knowledge together in one place.

• Remote working solutions

Providing frontline staff with remote working solutions, encompassing software and client information, allows professionals to spend more time with their clients, speed up data capture, decision-making and reduce transcribing errors.

USER ENGAGEMENT KEY TO SUCCESS

Technology alone will not drive the change. If the purpose of a new app or software is not apparent, then it already presents a cognitive issue to your

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

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team. Only by engaging the intended users through a change programme will change have the opportunity to succeed. Stimulate conversations, test ideas and gain buy-in from those who will be using the technology everyday.

HOW CAN WE TAKE ACTION NOW? 1. Plan

Think of every aspect of care delivery. Is it the right thing to do? Is the level of spending correct? What is the value? Do this right and it will drive a fundamental shift in thinking; towards treating the delivery of care like a business.

2. Introduce strategic thinking

Care is one of those few areas in in the 21st century, where there appears to be little strategic thinking around the continual improvement of service delivery. It is time to mirror the NHS and implement a five-year plan.

3. Map opportunities for partnerships

Currently, different bodies deliver assessments dependent on the area.

Far better to bring those together and have them delivered by a single individual who is empowered to operate on behalf of those other organisations.

Joined-up, multi-agency thinking is required.

4. Think prevention, not cure

Preventative investment in social care will deliver benefits to society as more people will stay healthy, happy, and independent for as long as possible.

5. Embrace organisation-wide technology

A recent paper from Socitm showed social workers are more ‘digital ready’ than previously thought. More frontline staff need to be identifying opportunities for digital improvements; not just in service management and client outcomes, but in what the future of social care could be.

By investing in preventative, person-centred approaches, including assetbased solutions to reducing social isolation, shared lives and community agents, outcomes can be improved, and costs reduced.

Technology has a huge potential to support more people to live independently. Data, workforce and true partnerships are critical in delivering care at the right time, making differences for people.

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

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

Features include: Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE Digital Tech Holds The Key To ‘Desperately Needed’ Social Care Reform Digital technology must be the foundation for futureproofing the country’s social care system, and the government must modernise its strategy for care provision, and demonstrate it values the work of all NHS, social care, and frontline workers, according to med tech company PainChek speaking on the inaugural NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day (5 July 2021).

PainChek – the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered pain assessment tool for care home professionals – says the government must improve the financial and strategic support available to the social care sector if it is to survive and cope with future demands on resource and facilities, by having the means to utilise the power of technology and innovation to improve the care for people with dementia and those who support them.

Peter Shergill, PainChek® UK&I Country Director, explains: “The social care sector in the UK has been promised reform for many years. It was long overdue before the devastating impacts of a pandemic which has sadly highlighted the lack of funding and strategic support it so deserves from central government. In the Queen’s Speech (11 May 2021), the government’s priority to ‘deliver a recovery from the pandemic’ was confirmed, along with the provision of additional funding to support the NHS, and to bring forward legislation to allow the NHS to ‘innovate and embrace technology.’

“However, we are now hearing of delays to these reforms, with plans unlikely to be announced until the

autumn. This is yet another blow to the underfunded, under-resourced sector.

“The government must share the plans they have for social care as a matter of urgency, and grasp what is the perfect opportunity to relook at how the country’s social care system works, to ensure they have the opportunity to utilise all the tools at our disposal to ensure high quality person-centred care. Technology is an enabler to assist with this- allowing us to work smarter, not harder.”

Pete adds: “In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent back in February, PainChek called for the creation of an innovation grant or fund to be used by social care providers to invest in innovation and technology that supports the care of people living with dementia, with a diverse coalition of support from health and social care organisations including National Care Forum and Care England.

“The first ever NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day is a chance for all of us to show our gratitude to all the frontline staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to save lives. But the best way to honour and recognise the vital contribution social care professionals working on the frontline have made and continue to make is by the government giving the sector the financial support and investment it so desperately needs to support sustainable development for the sector.

“By harnessing the power of technology, care providers can deliver more efficient and effective care, streamline processes, and ultimately cut costs and save time – allowing overstretched staff to focus on delivering the highest standard of care.”

For further information, visit: https://painchek.com/uk/

The Only Care Home Management Software You Need Our care management system (CMS) helps you to plan and evidence the care that you provide, supporting you to achieve compliance within your business. The emphasis is on care management, recording, and analysis, and it has been designed with the carers and managers of the home in mind.

The result is time saved, admin simplified, and safe and effective delivery of care.

Ablyss Systems have been providing software to the residential care sector for over 15 years. Whether you are a single provider or part of a large group, CMS will provide you with greater control and complete flexibility to help achieve compliance and evidence the care you provide.

With a fully UK based team, our care consultants are always on hand to provide training and answer your questions, whilst our support team will help you to customise the system, set up integrations with other systems, and ensure your software is always up to date.

RESIDENTS Our residents module sits at the heart of the system and helps you to evidence the care you provide.

This module covers many aspects but its main strength is its flexibility.

EMPLOYEES Our employee module allows you to manage absences, training, and supervisions.

Employees can make use of our messaging system, ensuring your staff do not miss critical changes in a resident’s care needs.

CARE MANAGEMENT Our care management module gives you a deeper insight in to your business activities.

By making use of our reporting, shift handover, filtering, and breakdown views, you will find yourself better informed and empowered to evidence your care.

FACILITIES Our facilities management module assists you in organising and planning the physical resources and maintenance tasks required within your facility.

This module covers a broad cross-section of areas, from assets, readings, and repairs, through to Health & Safety and Governance, all managed through an integrated dashboard.

MULTIPLE DEVICES Ablyss CMS includes both our main desktop software and our care recording App. The CMS App can be used on tablets or mobiles to record at point of care.

For a 30 day trial, or a more detailed online demonstration visit www.ablyss.co.uk

PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE Check EU Employees Right To Work, Warns Bizimply Care employers will need to keep clear records of their team members’ immigration and right-to-work status as the UK moves into the post-Brexit ‘hostile environment’ from 1 July. Care workforce specialist Bizimply is warning businesses that they need a clear and accessible record of every employee’s status in order to demonstrate compliance with the regulations.

Under UK law, employers face imprisonment and unlimited fines for knowingly employing someone who does not have the right to work in the UK. Conor Shaw, Bizimply CEO, said: “Just as the care sector is bringing its workforce back as the economy reopens, there is a real danger that many businesses now face a significant new challenge as key employees lose the right to work. Of course, there are legal penalties, but with the labour shortage a challenge across the sector, businesses also need to know they have enough trained and experienced staff at all times and at every site.”

A leak of Government figures this week shows that around 130,000 of the 820,000 Europeans resident in the UK have yet to apply for Settled Status, despite the hard cut-off of 30 June as the date to apply.

Without confirmation of settled status, EU, EEA and Swiss living in the UK lose the right to work, as well as access to healthcare and other benefits.

Shaw added: “Although the deadline has been known for some time, the uncertainty over COVID and the challenges of communicating with employees during lockdown means that many businesses may not know the status of every employee.

“That won’t be an excuse when the authorities start asking for proof of right to work. UK politicians haven’t

talked about the ‘hostile environment’ over immigration for no reason. Proof both that employees have the right to work, and that employers have checked and recorded that status will be essential.”

Employers using Bizimply’s suite of workforce management software can easily and confidentially record all the necessary status confirmation and supporting documentation for employees, and make it available to check if required.

Employers can be jailed for five years and pay an unlimited fine if found guilty of employing someone who they know or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK. Details of the Settled Status regulations are at www.gov.uk/eusettledstatus. An employer toolkit is at www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlementscheme-employer-toolkit See the advert this page or visit www.bizimply.com

Nurse Call from Edison Telecom Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

We here at Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers needs for over 25 years, says director Bob Johnson.

Is your current Nurse Call “legacy”, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain?

We may have just the part and expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to life, adds Bob, “Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care. There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.” www.edisontelecom.co.uk

NURSE CALL IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE Make Your Nursecall Data Work For You and Your Residents Using your ‘Call Bell’ data can help improve the care you provide and even aid in getting an “outstanding” CQC rating. Yet, quite often this data is only used to help investigate an incident and ignored for the rest of the time. A lot of care homes still rely on a printer to record event logs making data analysis time consuming and difficult.

KAM Systems Limited have launched their Kloud Care Home data logging service. Kloud can be connected to any existing nursecall system using a Kloud shuttle that has a printer or paging interface.

All events are logged by the Shuttle & synchronised with the Kloud on any internet enabled device. The service then analyses the data into an easy to understand report which can even be automatically emailed to a home manager’s inbox.

The data can include KPI’s such as Average Response Time, Top Five Rooms that ‘call’ the most, Busiest Hours In The Day, No. of Night Checks and much more.

Longer response times during certain hours may indicate that not enough staff are on duty. The data can also show that a resident has started to ‘call’ for help much more than usual and this can be investigated and appropriate measures put in place.

Users can login from any connected device to access the Kloud and create custom reports or investigate a specific incident if required. Care Group administrators have a dashboard of all their care homes in one place making it simple to manage.

Harpal Momi - Managing Director says “When we asked our customers about Nursecall Data logging most of them said that it was too difficult to analyse or they didn’t have the time. We developed Kloud to help them deliver better care based on the data analysis.

The ease in which it can be implemented and the simple subscription model makes it suitable for anyone”.

Contact 0330 321 1040, info@kamsystems.co.uk or visit www.kamsystems.co.uk

Alarm Radio Monitoring Alarm Radio Monitoring (A.R.M) is a UK based manufacturer of wireless Nurse Call and Staff Alarm systems; offering a comprehensive range of Nurse Call, Staff Alarm, Fire Alarm, and Door Access bespoke systems. With over 30 years experience in the design & development of wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm systems, A.R.M has established itself as a key player within the wireless solutions market to the public and private healthcare sectors.

Wireless solutions are ideal for environments which do not lend themselves to running cables, for example listed buildings or busy environments. Wireless systems can be fitted while your home remains operational, so you do not have to close rooms off and they offer greater flexibility and ease for future expansion.

Care Homes choose A.R.M nurse call systems because they: • Are quick and simple to install.

• Make it easier for staff to identify the source of calls

because they give full text descriptions.

• Give management the tools they need to monitor and control best practice. The system provides a full audit trail of which buttons are pressed and response times.

• Failsafe eg alerts you in the event of a system fault or batteries are running low.

• Carry a year’s guarantee.

• Are supported 24/7, 365 days a year by specialist engineers over the telephone or online.

No matter how demanding your environment, A.R.M believes everyone – whether you’re a customer in a care home or team member – should be within safe reach.

Whether you need a combination of a Nurse Call, Staff Alarm, Fire Alarm, Door Access system, we have a team to help design a package that will meet your requirements.

For further details call 01568 610 016 or email sales@arm.uk.com

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 43

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE Reliant Care Solutions Ltd WHY SHOULD CARE HOMES MOVE FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONIC TIME SHEETS

The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.

HOW IS TIME AND MONEY SAVED BY DOING THINGS ELECTRONICALLY?

Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone to errors, and very labour intensive.

Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors.

Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".

THERE ARE MANY SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET WHY FACIAL RECOGNITION IS IMPORTANT AND HOW IT WORKS

Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure. Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams. Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually. It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.

HOW IS DATA PROTECTED? With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper.

For further information visit www.rcscare.net or call 03333 444 562.

WristPIT from Pinpoint The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist.

This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or a fixed call-point.

Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology (usually worn by staff for personal safety) has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water and also incorporates antimicrobial product protection, reducing the ability for bacteria to grow.

According to figures published by the National Reporting and Learning System, around 250,000 incidents where patients required assistance in hospital were reported in 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is requesting help and informs staff exactly where the patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated into existing Pinpoint Systems.

A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ with good battery level. When the battery requires changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is changed and the device has been retested.

In addition to being water-resistant, the WristPIT has been designed to withstand harsh environments and user tampering, meaning suitability for facilities where service users may be at risk of self-harm.

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use.

The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.

DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.

www.pinpointlimited.com

PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE Care South Invests In Ground-Breaking Care Planning Technology A not-for-profit charity in the South of England is the latest UK care provider to invest in ground-breaking technology proven to boost operational efficiency, reduce errors and dramatically improve care delivery.

Care South, which provides residential, nursing and dementia care to residents across its 16 care homes, also help people to live independently in their own homes.

Working with service users and their families, Care South tailors personal solutions in which all parties can feel secure and confident, with the dignity of those needing care central to the charity’s goals. To ensure that the highest levels of care are maintained, Care South’s care home portfolio benefits from ongoing investment and in-depth training programmes all year round.

Care South’s latest investment will see staff go paperless, using Person Centred Software’s award-winning Mobile Care Monitoring to evidence and monitor care interactions in real-time, in a move that will also save each carer up to 3 days per month on paperwork.

The gradual rollout will see Care South’s Sussexdown care home receive the software first, with the wider plan being to onboard up to two locations per month until all services are fully equipped with the software.

Using Person Centred Software, Care South will be able to make the

most of its unrivalled ecosystem of partners, which includes electronic medication management.

Discussing their reasons for adopting Mobile Care Monitoring, Aaron Whitehead, Director of Residential Care at Care South, said: “We first heard about Person Centred Software through word of mouth and, upon doing our research, it seemed the perfect solution for us. Being fully mobile and icon-driven, the software is incredibly easy to use and saves our carers time that had previously been spent completing paperwork.

“We’re delighted with the benefits that the software has delivered people living and working within our homes so far. We look forward to working directly with Person Centred Software as we complete the software roll out over the coming months,” Aaron concluded.

Having launched in Australia in 2018, Ireland in 2019 and the Netherlands in 2021, Person Centred Software’s innovative technology is improving systems used in social care globally and has won numerous prestigious industry accolades. In 2020, Person Centred Software was placed on the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and top 10 SME in Digital Leaders 100, and the Deloitte Tech Fast 50 list in 2019. Furthermore, its new coronavirus-specific features were recognised at the Health Tech Digital Awards 2020 for Best COVID-19 Software Solution.

For more information about the benefits of moving to a digital care management system, please visit www.personcentredsoftware.com

First Installation of Game Changing Software for the Care Industry Installed at Nyton House in Chichester The first intelligent tech system that helps both carers and residents has been launched to market by Arquella and successfully installed at cutting edge care home Nyton House in Chichester.

Sheffield based Arquella was founded in 2019 –and provides innovative digital solutions for the care industry allowing the focus to be on the care of residents.

Combining modern nurse call equipment with advanced software they have created a higher quality of care and improved reporting system to help raise CQC ratings.

Paul Howell and Reuben Timoney are the very passionate and entrepreneurial drivers behind the care home gamechanger that is Arquella. CEO and COO respectively, they met by chance in 2018, changing their futures and the future of care home tech.

So, what is the digital system?

AIDA Assist is an advance nurse call system, a digital care reporter and a whole lot more!

The new system is a link between call-logging and care plan software with the most comprehensive automated compliance reporting available.

Most nurse call manufacturers use pagers to alert carers to a call on their system. Arquella’s wireless nurse call systems integrate with smartphones without the need for extra equipment to be installed. This allows carers to be alerted to call location instantly. So long pagers!

On top of that it can be used to provide evidence for care cost adjustments and supply in-depth specific and overall care analysis during an investigation. In conjunction with good quality home management, it provides unambiguous compliance data that shows the care home is doing

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more than just meeting the regulatory requirements.

Paul Howell, CEO of Arquella says: ‘It is not enough to be exceptional at looking after the needs of vulnerable people anymore. Alongside the hands-on care, you need to keep detailed care plans, compliance reports, in-depth care analysis, day by day monitoring of care delivery, accident and incident trend analysis, KPI monitoring against performance standards and so much more. The job of recording care is now so complex that some care facilities employ full-time compliance officers, a luxury that many other care homes don’t have. Our goal is to build a fully integrated digital world of care that helps the care homes take control.’

Arquella believes that their system will also help care homes with their CQC ratings which are often rated lower because of the recording of care, rather than actual performance.

Howell says: ‘To achieve a rating of ‘good’ or higher is not a matter of simply meeting the standards of the regulator. We all know how a classification of ‘Inadequate’ or ‘Requires Improvement’ can damage a facility’s reputation and income. It gives potential clients the perception that the level of care being provided is somehow substandard. However, the reality is that more often than not, it is the recording of care that has broken down.’

Along with care plan information, AIDA Assist provides global information for the care home. Average response times for each shift pattern, average staff attendance times and frequency and time of emergency calls. The data can be easily mined quickly for patterns and trends and key point indicators can also be entered into the system.

Harvey Hillary is a second-generation care home owner and owns Nyton House in Chichester, the first care home to have the system installed. After a successful career as Head of High Performance & Innovation for the British Sailing Team he came back to work with the family business and is a huge advocate of the Arquella system.

‘The vision at Nyton was to provide a ‘home-like’ experience by encouraging a ‘freedom to roam’ and for residents to spend less time isolated in their rooms and more time in communal areas. Arquella enables us to provide location-based calling from unique user pendants.

‘Removing the clinical feel was one step but removing the triggers of challenging behaviour was a key focus. Our Coach House unit has been designed around people with Dementia and removing Nurse Call Alarms was a massive win. Arquella allows us to notify staff of a ‘Call’ using a mobile device and for a staff member to accept the call and then cancel the call once they have attended to the resident.

‘A huge frustration for me as a care provider was the inability for Nurse Call systems to inform care planning. Most systems can provide a list report of time and frequency of calls and the response time from staff.

From my perspective, this is a very limited data set that is missing the most obvious opportunity for the carer to log the ‘reason for call’.

Working with Arquella we are developing a carer input screen that will code all alarms and enable us to identify trends and inform care plans.

This will be followed by a Task scheduling functionality for prompting medication, pressure areas care, night checks and fluids. Using API exports, we hope to streamline the point of care records keeping that is recorded in or Electronic Care Planning system.

‘As a care home, ultimately, we all want to achieve an outstanding rating from the CQC, but it’s often the accuracy of recording the data that lets us down. This takes time, is labour intensive or has us juggling platforms when we have more important things to do! That is all solved with the Arquella system and we’re thrilled to have it in Nyton.’

The modern call units can be wall mounted or portable for maximum freedom and have been designed with practicality and user-friendliness in mind.

Key benefits include…

Call alert to mobile Nurse Call Panel Fall sensor Nurse call reporting dashboard Reports, CQC and Call logs For more info. see the advert on page 13 or visit the Arquella website: www.Arquella.co.uk Or call: 0333 242 7505

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 47

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE StackCare UK Expands Offering with Launch Of Two New Client-Monitoring Systems – One for Care Homes CARE VISION and One for Home Care Professionals

StackCare UK, the market leading homemonitoring system provider, has expanded its product range with two new systems for the professional care industry - StackCare Pro and StackCare for Carers. Building on the original StackCare @home system that was launched earlier this year, the new systems provide care home managers and professional carers with up to the minute details on their clients’ wellbeing and activity levels, offering unrivalled extra levels of detail and resource to care packages.

Managers and agencies can monitor their clients both centrally, in their office using an online dashboard, and/or through an app on carers’ mobile phones. The systems allow staff to view the status of multiple clients, and, as with StackCare @home, managers and carers can monitor activity levels and data including the number of bathroom visits the client makes, room temperatures and sleep patterns, with alerts sent if a client’s behaviour patterns change.

Door sensors and help buttons are also available as optional add-ons to both systems for clients who would benefit from extra monitoring and /or a direct communication link to their care team.

FLEXIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE CARE SOLUTION

Care Control Systems Care Control Systems Ltd is proud to create the UK's best Care Management Software designed for use within all standard, niche and complex care settings. Care Control has been in constant development since 2010 and was made commercially available in 2016. Since then we have expanded across hundreds of providers within the UK and are well recognised as leaders in our field.

Care Control is used by over 15,000 care professionals daily across the UK in multiple service types ensuring their services have live, up-to-date essential information. Located in Tavistock, Devon our expert team is comprised of numerous industry specialists with many years of direct, hands-on care experience.

This is one of our key USP’s.

Our Managing Director, Matt Luckham started the creation of the original Care Control Software in 2010

Developed in Silicon Valley, and using enhanced AI and machinebased learning, both the StackCare for Carers and StackCare Pro systems use discreet wireless smart motion sensors placed in key locations around the client’s home, or care home room. There are no cameras or microphones, thereby ensuring privacy for clients. A central hub gathers the data from the sensors which is analysed and reported back to the carer / agency. The data is anonymised and held in line with GDPR rules.

The founder of StackCare UK, Noel Verbruggen, commented, “These StackCare systems give care providers an unrivalled resource that brilliantly compliments existing care packages. The cutting edge technology means carers can know that their clients or residents are OK even when they can’t physically be with them.

“We all know that carers often can’t be with their clients for as long as they would like to be, and for busy carers and care homes time pressures are a real issue. It’s here that our smart tech comes into its own. Having instant access to StackCare’s data essentially gives carers an extra pair of hands and gives reassurance to carers, clients and clients’ families”.

StackCare is offering agencies the option to partner with them to promote the use of the system to clients as an addition to the agency’s care package offering.

To learn more about StackCare UK’s solutions visit www.stackcare.co.uk with the aim to provide essential, accurate information for Spring House Care House in Devon. Matt had purchased Spring House in 2010. Matt developed the software and then spent 6 years proving its functionality within Spring House. It soon became apparent the software could add real value to other service providers and after numerous requests we decided to commercialise the software.

In 2016 Care Control Systems Ltd was founded and since then has gone from strength-to-strength with exponential growth.

We now have an exceptional team of more than 20 staff who have over 70 years of direct hands-on care experience between them. On top of this our team of Software Developers are experts in their field and are constantly developing our products to ensure they offer everything our customers expect in what is a particularly complex sector.

2020 has been a record year for Care Control with record numbers of customers choosing us, office expansion, overseas sales and an ever growing team to name just a few things. We are so excited for the future!

Visit www.carecontrolsystems.co.uk

At Care Vision we believe care may never be the same again. Outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything we do, with a clear purpose of Less Admin, More Care.

Growing up and working in a family owned care home, Rishi Jawaheer saw at first hand the main needs in the care sector; to cut down on the burden of manual paperwork while maintaining good practice and to encourage people to become more involved in care.

Using his experience as a registered manager, with some of the smartest minds in tech, Rishi was driven to create Care Vision, an all in one cloudbased care management, system incorporating all your care and admin into one easy to use system.

Presently the care industry has our work cut out to keep in line with statutory and legislative compliance in addition to the essential everyday tasks of looking after our clients.

Care Vision acts as a bridge which uses technology that organises care work, ensures a safer, better and more intimate experience for every member of the community, from administration, the carer to family, friends and the people we care for.

Care Vision provides An easy to use system for carers, managers, relatives; bringing care and admin into one platform; to manage time, attendance, rota, HR, housekeeping, maintenance and much more An E-mar system, fully compliant with NICE, reducing medication errors and keeping people safe An intuative daily notes section that can be completed at the point of service quickly and accurately A pictorial food order system that allows the individual to choose from a menu even if they forgot what a meal looks like Daily reminders in the form of care routines which reminds staff of key aspects of care for the individual

Care Plans / Risk assessments/ Life stories which allows you to customise care plans to specifically suit the person’s needs. Reminding all about one’s history and who Is important in one’s life A family app that allows families to keep track of their loved one’s wellbeing through videos and pictures, which has been essential during the pandemic.

Care Vision gives you the freedom to access it using mobile, tablet, laptop, or pc in real time whilst safely securing and storing data. within the platform.

Built flexibly to adapt to services of any size, large or small, Care Vision’s structured, interactive features engage carers in sharing information with the end-user and their family.

Registered manager and director of Summerhayes Care says “The carers have taken to Care Vision like a duck to water and the information that we are gathering is streets ahead of the previous system we used we are very impressed. They make it easy to understand and nothing is any trouble.

I highly recommend taking a look at this system if you are wanting to meet your quality standards and CQC requirements”.

Nationally our data has shown that working with homes Care Vision can save 2-4 hours every week per carer by reducing tasks that could be better spent with the people we care for.

As both carers and developers, we are unique in our focus on developing software that benefits the care sector.

This allows us to continually develop and update software for our clients.

The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you, come and join us, we believe the future of Social care is in good hands with “Care vision” Contact us at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809

PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60

TECHNOLOGY FOR CARE

A Digital Future of Care in a Post COVID-19 Era The New Year brings good news and light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel with the roll out of vaccination programs, despite this the UK has been forced into stricter lockdown regulations. Health and care sectors are acutely aware of their responsibilities and the importance to look after technology that is fundamental to caring for the vulnerable and their carers.

Should systems fail, technology suppliers should provide help and assistance remotely with telephone support and using remote diagnostic tools. At Courtney Thorne we find that most issues are resolved over the phone, where this proves difficult and further checks or reconfiguration is necessary this is done by remotely accessing systems and running diagnostics. 95% of the service inquiries we receive are resolved this way reducing the need to physically attend the site.

Inquiries that cannot be rectified remotely will require an engineer to visit. To ensure the safety of residents, staff and the engineers themselves, service providers need to adopt stringent policies with rigorous clarification processes concluding with written

The New MPCSA11 from Medpage Medpage is a family ran company, with a huge heart and resources gathered over our 35- year trading history. The majority of the technologies we design, manufacture and distribute originate from enquiries received from healthcare professionals and personal family care observations. Our product portfolio provides a wide variety of care solutions for epilepsy, dementia, senior care, special needs and sensory loss.

Our latest innovation, currently in use in

several Hospitals, presents an effective fall monitoring, detection and reporting solution.

The MPCSA11 is a complex software driven sensor monitor made to be user and operator friendly. This device has already proven successful in hospital and care home trials by reducing patient falls while also reducing false positives from a safe patient. The device can monitor and interact with up to three sensor products: bed and chair occupancy pressure pads, PIR movement detection sensors and proximity signal products.

In use, a patient or resident rising from their bed would be considered a falls risk, but what if they are simply moving to sit in a chair close to their bed? A standard bed monitor would raise an alarm alerting care staff, who would arrive to find the person safely seated. The MPCSA11 would only generate an alarm if the person was out of their bed or chair for a selectable time duration. Learn more www.easylinkuk.co.uk/mpcsa11 Or see the advert on page 15.

confirmation that there is no COVID-19 on site or where there is, that those suffering are suitably isolated. In the case of Courtney Thorne our process includes asking authorised care home management to fill out a questionnaire prior to our engineer turning up.

We also insist that our staff are regularly checked, including logging daily body temperature. Finally equipping field staff with necessary PPE, making sure it is always used and includes a hand washing regime before, during and after any site visit. Courtney Thorne provides our field-based engineering staff with overalls, gloves, face masks and plenty of hand sanitiser.

By diligently observing these protocols, and despite our staff visiting care homes and hospitals on a daily basis throughout the pandemic, not one of them has developed any COVID-19 symptoms at any time.

For further information visit www.nursecallsystems.co.uk or see the advert on this page.

Andy Bridgewater Expands Alarm Radio Monitoring's Team

Market Leading manufacturer of wireless nurse call and staff alarm systems, Alarm Radio Monitoring Ltd (ARM), has announced the appointment of Andy Bridgewater as its new Head of Sales & Marketing.

Former Royal Engineer with Her Majesty’s forces, Andy joined the business in late April, having over 15 years experience within the sales and engineering industry.

Andy’s appointment to the senior management team comes at an exciting time for ARM with numerous new products and systems being launched throughout the year, none more so than the Bed Angel, an innovative wireless bed occupancy monitor.

Stuart Ibbs, Operations Director for ARM, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andy to lead our sales team during what is an exciting period of growth for the business. With numerous new products entering the market over the coming year, his appointment is a big part of the company’s commitment to provide high quality products to the care and staff alarm industry” “Andy’s drive and passion for team management will strengthen our sales division, he will be crucial in mentoring our sales team to roll out the new products we are due to roll out” Andy’s role as head of Sales & Marketing will see him lead sales growth for ARM as their product range continues to expand throughout the UK. The Bed Angel, new monitoring software and 7’ touchpad display are either currently available or due to enter the market shortly.

Andy commented: “I am delighted to join ARM at such an exciting time as it continues to grow throughout the UK and innovate within the Health Care industry.

He continued : Alarm Radio Monitoring’s focus on people development and working as a team is something I firmly believe in, and I am looking forward to working with the sales team to exceed targets whilst continuing to deliver the outstanding customer service that ARM is renowned for” See the advert on page 31.

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 60 | PAGE 49

RECRUITMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Should Care Home Professionals Be Concerned About Criminal Liability In Respect Of Covid-19 Cases?

By Jonathan Grimes (Partner) and Sophie Wood (Senior Associate, Barrister) in the Criminal Litigation team at law firm Kingsley Napley LLP (www.kingsleynapley.co.uk)

In late February 2021 it was reported that a care home worker had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after a patient died of COVID-19. Then in March, two further care home workers were arrested on suspicion of wilful neglect following a COVID outbreak at a care home in Sidmouth, Devon.

Should those working in care homes be concerned about criminal liability in respect of COVID-19 cases and on what basis can care home workers be prosecuted for incidents involving COVID-19?

THE APPLICABLE LEGISLATION There are three separate offences which may be relevant to such a situation.

Under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 1) (“HSWA”) care home staff are required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Failure to do so is an offence punishable up to two years’ imprisonment.

If a resident dies, in rare circumstances a care home worker may 2) face prosecution for ‘gross negligence manslaughter’. This may arise where the death is considered to have resulted from a breach of the worker’s duty of care towards the deceased. The worker will only be liable if they breached that duty of care through a negligent act or omission; at the time of the breach there was a serious and obvious risk of death, which was reasonably foreseeable; and the negligence, which caused or significantly contributed towards the death, was so bad that it amounted to gross negligence and therefore requires criminal sanction.

Following the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry, new legislation was enacted 3) making it an offence for care workers to ‘ill-treat or wilfully neglect’ an individual in their care (section 20 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015).

‘Wilful neglect’ means deliberately neglecting to do something which should be done in the treatment of a patient. It is no defence for a worker to argue that even if they had administered the treatment, it would have made no difference to the patient’s health. ‘Ill-treatment’ means deliberate conduct which can be described as ill-treatment (irrespective of whether it actually damaged, or threatened to damage the health of the patient). The worker needs to appreciate that they were ill-treating the patient, or to have been reckless as to whether they were acting in that way. If found guilty, a person can be sentenced up to five years’ imprisonment.

ARE WE GOING TO SEE MORE ARRESTS OF CARE HOME WORKERS

RELATING TO COVID-19?

Potentially yes. At the beginning of the pandemic the understanding of how COVID-19 was transmitted and what could be done to protect residents was limited. One year on however, there is a better, albeit not perfect, awareness of how staff can help safeguard against outbreaks and deaths. For example, if a care home worker recognises a number of now-known signs of COVID-19, and fails to call a doctor, they could be accused of wilful neglect. Equally if that worker, after recognising the symptoms, fails to isolate that patient, they could be accused of a section 7 HSWA offence.

Due to this improved understanding of the disease, it will increasingly be possible to measure behaviour against a common standard. It will be easier to establish what was reasonable for the care worker to be doing at the time and/or demonstrate a causal link between the acts or omissions of the worker and the illness/death.

The arrests so far indicate that law enforcement no longer sees COVID-19 as a novel disease about which the risks are not fully understood. They suggest there is a confidence about what standards care home staff should be meeting when managing COVID-19, and where those standards are thought not to have been met, allowing an assessment of where criminal liability comes into play. Therefore irrespective of whether these arrests lead to successful prosecutions, they indicate a change in approach by law enforcement and so care home staff and their employer organisations should expect more enforcement action in this area in the future.

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

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Considering A Career In The Care Industry?

Here's What You Need To Know...

With a wealth of experience recruiting for this sector, Jon Mason, Recruitment Manager at Maria Mallaband Care Home Group fills us in on what you need to know when considering a role in the care home industry.

WHAT ROLES ARE ON OFFER IN THE CARE HOMES SECTOR? Whilst direct care is the key purpose of course, care homes are also mini communities where there really is something for everyone. There are plenty of creative, practical and management roles in the team too, with positions in catering, wellbeing and social activities, administration, housekeeping, management, maintenance, quality control, and even transport.

DO YOU NEED SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS? Whilst there are some roles that do need specific qualifications there are many that don't. In fact, in many cases getting hands on experience whilst studying can be a much more effective way to learn plus some employers actually value the opportunity to align your learning to their own methods and practices.

For example, Maria Mallaband currently has a number of Trainee Nurse Associates studying with universities across the UK alongside their current roles. Being able to earn and learn like this gives them the opportunity to become fully qualified nurses without having to worry about funding.

ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR SECTORS THAT ARE WELL SUITED TO A CAREER IN A CARE HOME? With the pressures of the ongoing pandemic on

certain industries, many are needing to look elsewhere for reliable employment. We've seen more applications for those who want to completely change their career path and are now looking to build a long-term future in the care sector. Many of our most recent hires have come from completely different sectors, including project management, children's activities, hotels, and even personal training.

Those within retail, customer service and hospitality have developed great interpersonal skills and are able to work as part of a team. In sectors that are struggling, people are now considering where those skills could be applied elsewhere, and care homes have a lot to offer.

WHICH ARE THE RELEVANT SKILLS THAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR? One of the most important skills you can bring to this field is passion! After all, it might be your place of work, but it is home for those who live there. It’s also important that people who choose this career are confident communicators and empathetic, whether they engage directly with those living there or not.

Those within retail, customer service and hospitality often cultivate great communication skills and have learnt to work well as part of a team.

As well as customer facing roles I have already mentioned, there are plenty of other roles that could provide relevant skills. Experience in the food industry could lead to a career in the catering team, or perhaps a role co-ordinating hobbies and activities for those with creative or artistic inclinations. More practically minded individuals may be well-suited to general maintenance, cleaning or transport positions.

A passion for people and companionship as well as the work you do can make such an impact on your role and those around you. With each home operating as its own community accommodating every need for those who live there - the possibilities really are endless.

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