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 75
Government Launches Adult Social Care Recruitment Campaign
The government has launched its latest recruitment campaign to encourage people to follow a career in adult social care. The campaign entitled ‘Made with Care’, will run across, broadcast and social media for five months, and follows previous campaigns, including Every Day Is Different in 2019, which focused on people aged 20 to 39, highlighting opportunities for progression and professional development. The campaign follows a report released last month entitled “The annual ‘The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ report which revealed that on average, 6.8% of roles in adult social care were vacant in 2020/21, which is equivalent to 105,000 vacancies being advertised on an aver-
age day. The vacancy rate in adult social care has been persistently high at above 6% for the previous six years. The report also revealed that the turnover rates across the sector remain high, at 28.5% in 2020/21. This figure had decreased during the pandemic, but since March 2021 many employers report that retention is now more difficult than before the pandemic. The rate was higher for registered nurses at 38.2%, much higher than for their counterparts in the NHS (8.8%). The campaign the government says “aims to encourage people to apply for exciting and rewarding roles across the country”
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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital! The government’s latest recruitment drive has been warmly received. As stated in our lead story the government are setting aside £162.5 million to support the campaign. The Independent Care Group, however, rightly highlight that while it is welcome, it is other government policies driving people out of the care sector. The “no jab no job” policy is, as surveys reveal, likely to drive anything between 40,000 and 77,000 out of the sector that has 105,000 vacancies every single day. This policy, as observers are highlighting, will be catastrophic to the sector. At the time of writing this, the government’s deadline for mandatory vaccines is only eight days away. This is heavy handed and autocratic approach, and I have to add that the health secretaries rather cavalier comments last month when he told unvaccinated care workers to “get out and get another job”, will make those considering a career in the sector think twice. The government really does have to hold out an olive branch and liaise with sector representatives and providers to come up with a solution pretty quick! A very interesting article I saw in The Guardian highlighted the inconsistency of the government policy. The article focused on Ms Debbie Vickers who works in a care home and likely to lose her job because of Covid vaccine rules. Currently Ms Vickers works in a care home caring for residents. However, after November the 11th she will of course be unable to do so, and said: “I won’t be able to work with Carol (a resident), but I can visit her in her room, take her out to the pub,”. “The residents have a choice not to be vaccinated and visitors don’t have to be vaccinated. It is discrimination and also quite stupid. Where is the logic? Does the virus recognise me as a visitor and not a carer?” “We are losing really good staff and nursing homes are going to buckle,” she added. “I am losing my job and my career. I feel as if it’s an ultimatum, not a choice. We have been working all the way through this [pandemic] and it is a kick in the guts. I love the people I care for. I become friends with a lot of them and their families.” I think that sums up not only the inconsistency of the policy, but the appalling way dedicated care staff are being treated. I really do hope the government has a rethink. Instead of encouraging much-needed recruitment into care, the government is driving experienced staff away. This is always the time of the year we receive the most heart-warming and uplifting stories! We are approaching Remembrance Sunday, over the years we have received stories from care homes throughout the UK, celebrating and paying homage and respect to the
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EDITOR Peter Adams SALES EXECUTIVES brave men and women, remembering the contribution and sacrifice of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in two World Wars and later conflicts. It is a proud and humbling experience for us here to set aside pages and publish this tribute to the wider world! We had 78,000 visitors to our website in October, opening over 600,000 pages, that doesn't take into account the readers we have for our digital and print issues. So please do send us in stories/articles with photographs of residents in your care environments who “did their bit” when needed the most, and do watch out for our tribute pages! As I said last week, I was also delighted to see how popular our “Unsung Hero” award is! We have had some wonderful feedback from care home owners, department managers and staff themselves, and we are delighted to launch our latest UNSUNG HERO. Further details can be found on page 14. We have set aside plenty of time, and we have already received some wonderfully warm uplifting and inspirational nominations! A fantastic luxury hamper awaits the winner so please do get nominating nominate@thecareruk.com And please do keep your is coming in, we are delighted to publish some delightful stories from various homes around the country, from birthdays to fund raising, from baking to growing vegetables, anything you would like to share please do send it to me editor@thecareruk.com
Sylvia Mawson David Bartlett Guy Stephenson TYPESETTING & DESIGN Matthew Noades PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Shelly Roche Published by
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 3
Government Launches Adult Social Care Recruitment Campaign (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)
through staffing shortages and care and nursing homes battling to fill “But whilst one department does its best to bring people into care, Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said: “Care workers have others are doing their damnedest to do the opposite and pulling the rug their shifts. done a phenomenal job throughout the pandemic, in difficult circum“I’m sorry to say that this recruitment drive will probably have as from underneath the campaign before it has even begun. stances, and I thank them for all they have done. much impact as the little Dutch boy plugging the crack in the damn with “The Government’s planned “no jab, no job” policy is set to rob social “A career in social care is rewarding and inspiring. Over the next three his finger whilst someone else drills a big hole ten yards away!” care of up to 40,000 staff and should be halted or at least postponed. years we are investing at least £500 million to support the training and NO LONGER RELIANT ON OVERSEAS WORKERS Recruitment & Retention “Key Focus” development for carers. Oonagh Smyth, CEO, Skills for Care says: “Working in adult social care The Padgham highlighted recruitment issues following our decision to “We need more people who possess the core values this workforce is rewarding and offers the opportunity to support people in your comleave the EU. embody so strongly - kindness, compassion and resilience - to look munity and to develop into senior leadership positions if you want. “Brexit rules mean we can no longer recruit as easily from overseas after our friends and family with dignity and respect.” “As we develop and implement reform for people working in adult and the sector should be allowed to bring in care workers from abroad The launch of the new recruitment campaign follows the announcesocial care, there is an opportunity for us to better recognise that these under a visa scheme, as other sectors can. ment of £5.4 billion of additional funding to reform social care over the are highly-skilled and exciting careers. “But the biggest issue of all is the historic underfunding of social care next three years, including £500 million to support training and career “This campaign launches at a time when recruitment and retention is which means that social care workers do not get the rewards they development for the workforce. a key focus for adult social care. The recruitment challenges are evideserve and people look at other, better paid and less stressful jobs – a Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said: “I am dedicated to making situation that has been exacerbated because there are many other such dent in the findings of our recent annual ‘State of the adult social care working in social care not just emotionally rewarding but a career sector and workforce in England’ report, and we have heard from many jobs currently available," he said. opportunity with future development for people. employers that recruitment and retention has been increasingly difficult “The Government ignored the opportunity to put more money into “The care workers represented in our ‘Made with Care’ recruitment in recent months. social care and tackle the situation at last week’s budget and so we can campaign are passionate about working in the sector – and the impact “We are pleased to see the DHSC campaign focusing on the imporonly see the situation getting worse. they have on those they care for has really moved me. I strongly tant work that the 1.5million people working in adult social care do, cele“The Government has failed to see just how deep the crisis in recruitencourage people to apply for these great opportunities. brating the way they support people, and shining a light on the personal ment has become in social care and we are feeling the consequences "We are investing record amounts into social care making this is an rewards of working in social care. with homecare providers unable to deliver care in people’s own homes exciting time to join the workforce and play an important role “This campaign can play a vital role in raising awareness of in helping to develop a world-leading social care system as the impact of social care on our communities and the rewarding opportunities that a career in social care offers. By improving the we bring forward our plans for reform later this year." The TV advert shows real care workers making a difference understanding of social care, the different opportunities to sup
in people’s lives, inspiring others to consider a career in care. It port older people and younger people at home and in the com
will premiere on 3 November and run until 21 November on munity and why people choose to work in the sector, we can ITV, Sky and Channel 4. attract more people to support others to live the lives they want ) 5 " 6
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GOVT CARE STAFFING POLICY “LEAKS LIKE A SIEVE” THE Government’s policy on recruiting care staff has been described by care providers as “leaking like a sieve”. Whilst welcoming a new Department of Health recruitment drive, the Independent Care Group (ICG) warned that it was already being undermined. It says the recruitment drive will be undone through a triple whammy of: • No jab, no job taking staff out of the sector • Brexit reducing the number of overseas recruits Historic under-funding leaving social care as a low-paid • option ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “Of course we want to welcome the Department’s social care recruitment campaign and we know it is well meaning.
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empower the people they care for, and shining a light on the emotional reward of the role. It will also tackle perceived barriers to taking up care work, emphasising the importance of personal qualities over qualifications, the opportunities for training to develop a career in adult social care, and the availability of flexible working. The recruitment campaign is launched as the government today (Wednesday 3 November) has published its Winter Plan for social care, setting out how we will support the sector over the coming months. The plan is backed by over £550 million including £162.5 million to support the recruitment of new staff and retention of existing carers. For more information on the campaign and how to apply for a job in care visit: www.adultsocialcare.co.uk
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Care’s Biggest Crisis – Is Youth The Key To Tackling The Skills Gap? After more than 18 months battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the care sector is now facing its latest challenge – retaining and recruiting its workforce. According to a recent report by Skills for Care, the current vacancy rate for adult social care roles in England is more than 7.3%, with more than a quarter of those being aged 55 or above. In order to tackle this issue, which has led to a shortfall of 30 million care professionals, organisations need to be investing in the younger generations, as Claire Leake, people director at National Care Group, discusses. It’s no secret that there is a disproportionate number of vacancies in care to trained professionals who can fill them. However, it’s up to us, as a sector, to identify why this is the case, change the narrative and find ways to attract people to pursue a career in care – particularly by those who often overlook it, such as young people and school leavers. A popular way this can be done is through apprenticeship programmes, which we’ve watched grow rapidly in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. By allowing individuals to learn in a variety of ways, they can develop into exceptional colleagues who will thrive when placed in a working environment. This not only benefits the teams they work with, but the individuals undertaking the apprenticeships as they’re better prepared for real-life situations. That’s why we established the National Care Group Academy and Support Worker Apprenticeship programme. By combining practical, on-the-job experience, with academic learning, individuals are nurtured
and equipped for a promising career, while simultaneously achieving a qualification in health and social care. Pursuing a career in care is incredibly rewarding, and there’s never been a better time to join the profession, with 100,000 social care vacancies being posted across the country between April and August this year – according to Skills for Care. However, one of the common
misconceptions and concerns is that strong academic performance is essential, but this is not strictly true and should not be considered a deterrent. People across the care sector come from a wide range of backgrounds and for those who consider themselves less academic in their ways of learning make prime candidates for apprenticeships. The benefit of an apprenticeship is that it focuses on practical – ‘hands on’ – learning, rather than classroom sessions and examinations, which allows individuals to learn in a way that better plays to their strengths. However, putting any type of qualifications to one side, we need to primarily be encouraging candidates into the sector based on personal attributes. An individual that is empathetic, hardworking, flexible and eager to learn would make the perfect addition to any care setting, and its candidates with these qualities that are the key to closing the skills gap. From there, it is down to organisations like ourselves to ensure the successful integration of the young people entering the profession, by offering them the opportunity to upskill, progress and -most importantly – remain in an industry that puts people at the heart of everything it does. To find out more about the National Care Group, please visit: www.nationalcaregroup.com
Elvis Party with Halloween Twist Boosted by Awards for Care Team Grabbing every excuse for a celebration, residents and staff at a Somerset care home came together at the weekend for an alternative Halloween party styled around Elvis Presley that inspired lots of laughter and dancing. The party at Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington was also the scene for an awards ceremony to recognise the many individual contributions made to keep life happy, safe and as normal as possible in the home over the past 18 months. Manager Sam Paddon said: “It’s been a challenge for everyone working in the care sector during the pandemic, and I’m so proud of the way my team has risen to the challenge in putting the happiness and wellbeing of residents to the fore at all times. “It’s a real pleasure to celebrate the dedication they’ve shown and the party was a perfect opportunity.” The awards presented were: • Helping Hand award for carer Madalina Chito and cleaner Caroline Boulton; • Above and beyond award, won by carer Cecilia Costachi and laundry assistant Debbie Maunder; • Most hard-working award presented to team leader Vlad Toma and
senior carer Richard Kingdon; • Biggest personality award went to resident carer George Maniosu and resident Roy Crawford (aka Crawford); • Friendliest smile/person award was won by residents Barbara Doubtfire and Judith Ashcroft; • And the award for Best Costume went to resident Pam Boyle and cleaner Carole Taylor.
• The Elvis theme for the party came about because conversations between staff and the people they care for revealed that residents are not huge fans of standard ‘spooky’ Halloween parties. However they were thrilled by the suggestion of an Elvis-themed party with a Halloween twist, so the activities team produced ‘Presleyesque’ costumes and applied a Gracelands theme to the décor in the main lounge. Entertainment at the party featured activities co-ordinator Richard Dempslake and his team performing Elvis classics including Hound dog, Can’t help falling in love, Suspicious minds and Always on my mind, plus a spooky medley of Jeepers Creepers, Monster Mash, I put a spell on you and Bump in the night. Richard said: “We even had a guest appearance from Elvis himself – a cut-out, of course, not a ghostly Elvis – and this really delighted one of our residents, Alec Wilmot, who is a huge Elvis fan. “Importantly, Elvis songs are familiar to the people with dementia who we care for, and it sparked happy memories for many of them. It was a joy to see how much they enjoyed the event.”
All 10 Cambridgeshire Excelcare Homes Support National Reflection Day with Marie Curie Planting Bulbs for 23rd March 2022 The National Day of Reflection is a day to support the millions of people who’ve been bereaved during the pandemic and to reflect on the lives of the people we’ve lost. Last year Marie Curie set the first anniversary as they saw the need for everyone to come together, in communities and as a nation, to acknowledge this lasting pain. To make the legacy of the pandemic one of compassion, love, and being there for each other during the toughest times. During October, the 10 Cambridgeshire Excelcare Homes have been planting many bulbs in their homes garden and pots, ready for their magnificent display, a sea of yellow flowers. Each home asked their Facebook Followers if they would like to donate some bulbs for the care home and for their followers to plant in their own garden or pots. Then on March 23rd the residents are looking forward to seeing pictures from their Facebook followers, of their sea of yellow flowers. The residents say they are looking forward to watching the bulbs grow with the shoots sprouting early spring and the beauty of the flower forming and opening to their fullest glory. The weather has been very kind in October and the residents have been able to
go outside and plant bulbs straight into their garden. They have also had the chance to plant the bulbs into pots inside the homes especially the residents that love gardening but for many reasons are unable to. While planting the bulbs some of the residents have been able to reminisce about their own love and passion for gardening. Others have discussed that they used to love watching their loved one gardening, and how much enjoyment it was to see them so happy. Their favourite times would be when they would sit in the garden together and admire it, reaping up the benefits of the hard work that goes into gardening. The Mayor of Huntingdon took up the residents invite to come and help them plant their bulbs. The Mayor told the residents that his wife is the gardener so he will need some help and guidance from them. Connie was very willing to show the Mayor how to plant the bulbs telling him that she used to do this every year in her own garden. All 10 Cambridgeshire Excelcare Homes will be taking part in their own special memorial service on the 23rd March 2022, with their sea of yellow flowers standing tall to help support everyone in this difficult time on our planet.
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 5
Care Home Sector Risks Losing 60,000 Employees as ‘No Jab No Job’ Deadline Looms Care homes in England risk losing 60,000 frontline workers on 11 November following the Government’s mandatory vaccination policy. It will, says social care lawyers Royds Withy King, deliver a crushing blow to the sector that has been on the frontline during the pandemic, that is struggling to recruit and retain staff, and facing chronic future shortages. The social care sector in England employs an estimated 600,000 people. Data from the National Care Forum and Department of Health and Social Care Capacity Tracker, suggests that whilst the vaccination rates in the sector are high, 10% of staff have not yet been double vaccinated and just 0.3% of the workforce are exempt from vaccination. James Sage, Employment law partner and Head of Health & Social Care at Royds Withy King, said: “Under the current Government regulations, care home staff who have not received both vaccinations and are not exempt will need to be redeployed or dismissed. There are very few opportunities for redeployment in care homes so many will be left with no choice but to dismiss those staff. “Data from October suggests that 10% of staff, or 60,000 employees, have not yet been double vaccinated. That will of course change as the 11 November deadline draws closer, but care providers are facing the
unthinkable prospect of losing in the region of 60,000 valuable workers from the sector. “Many of these workers are highly experienced and will, put bluntly, be irreplaceable. Others will simply choose to leave to work in other industry sectors that are also facing staff shortages but which do not require mandatory vaccinations.” The social care sector has for many years been pointing to chronic staff shortages and these have been exacerbated by post-Brexit immigration restrictions and the pandemic. James adds: “It is widely accepted that the sector will require 490,000 new jobs over the next 15 years, which is approximately a 29% increase on the number of employees the sector employs today. “Changes to the immigration regime have made the hiring of staff more challenging and funding models simply do not allow care employers to increase wages to compete across other industry sectors, particularly where they have increased pay and are offering signing on bonuses to plug staffing shortages. “Losing 60,000 key workers as we approach what the Government is describing as a difficult Winter is unthinkable, particularly given the lack of any coherent Government plans on how to recruit more staff to the sector.”
Care Home Residents Treated to Morale-Boosting Silent Rave Residents at a Surrey-based care home were treated to a disco with a difference this week after staff organised a ‘silent rave’ to boost health and wellbeing. CHD Living, which has 13 care residences across Surrey and South London, organised the event as a fun surprise for residents at its Crest Lodge home in Hindhead. Seeking to improve resident morale, staff members encouraged residents to don headphones and to dance along to a soundtrack of 80’s classics. With science demonstrating that dancing can help maintain strength and agility whilst also boosting balance and coordination, the rave served as both a health-enhancing and entertaining activity, the likes of which most of the residents hadn’t experienced before. With 15 residents in attendance, some of whom are receiving care for special conditions such as brain injuries, the rave proved to be a roaring success and is now set to be repeated across CHD Living’s other care services. Discussing the silent rave, one of the participating residents, Kirsty Douglas
(38), said: “I had the most amazing time singing the night away at the silent rave. My favourite part of the evening was when I removed my headphones and could see my friends and other residents singing and grooving in what appeared to be a completely silent hall! It put a smile on my face, and I would love to go to similar events like these in the future.” Shaleeza Hasham, CHD Living’s Head of Hospitality and Communications, said: “We’re always looking for fun new activities for residents and, as something few of them will have experienced before, a ‘silent rave’ seemed the perfect way to stimulate and entertain, whilst also delivering numerous health benefits.” “With high levels of participation and residents commenting how much they enjoyed themselves, the event was a great success. So much so that we are now looking to host similar sessions across our other care homes,” Shaleeza concluded.
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Here's One Way to Reduce Healthcare Staff Burnout
By Kit Kyte, CEO, Checkit (www.checkit.net)
It’s natural that we want to bestow our healthcare workers with heroic status. They’ve been operating at the epicentre of the Covid outbreak for almost two years. And they continue to do so, despite the rise of burnout borne from exhaustion, stress, staff shortages, long hours and personal vulnerability. It is a credit to our healthcare staff that care standards remain as high as they do.
EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD WORSENS In England, the NHS has 94,000 vacancies, including 9,691 doctors and 38,952 nurses according to the Health Foundation think tank. The same report also claims that, ‘personnel shortages are the biggest threat to the NHS’s attempts to tackle the care backlog’ Healthcare staff burnout is a contributing factor. Stress levels have become so toxic that they risk causing staff to make mistakes and cut corners, leading to patient dissatisfaction and poor quality of care. This is supported by the findings of regulators such as the CQC. It was also evidenced in a recent report from the Kings Fund, describing the chronic excessive workload in the NHS. Authors Suzie Bailey and Michael West said: “In a context of inadequate resources including unsatisfactory levels of staffing, equipment, training and supportive leadership, workload is the number one factor predicting ever-increasing levels of staff stress.” It’s a shocking observation, considering the times we are in and there's clearly a need for a new approach.
burnout, we need a forensic look at the myriad tasks our healthcare teams have to tackle on a daily basis and how this can be improved.
ERADICATE PUNISHING PAPERWORK Daily processes and procedures underpin almost every aspect of patient care. However, too much of what happens in healthcare is manual, bureaucratic and mired in mountains of paper-based admin. It doesn’t support staff and doesn’t align with the demands of today’s fast-moving environment. Given the large proportion of temporary and agency staff required to support healthcare providers facing high demand and restricted resources – with staff absent due to illness or isolation – we have to look at ways to support staff who may be unfamiliar with specific localised requirements. Checklists are not the answer. We need to eradicate paper-based, outdated, manual processes, endless feedback forms and countless audits checking up on staff. Providing joined-up systems across multiple sites, with mobile solutions for staff who have little access to desk-based technology, can be an important quality and safety driver. It’s something already being used with success at places like Hallmark Care Homes.
PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO SUPPORT STAFF There’s an opportunity to move forward with real-time information systems designed to guide and support staff and provide the automated audit trail for compliance and regulators, so that quality is embedded in the process of care. Given the workload in healthcare, there’s limited time for traditional training and oversight. Delivering step-by-step best practice guidance to mobile devices can strengthen confidence and consistency. By delivering step-by-step best practice guidance to mobile devices, healthcare employers can strengthen confidence, compliance and consistency. Mobile solutions put processes directly into the hands of the people who need them, prompting and guiding both scheduled and unscheduled work.
THE UNDIAGNOSED COMPLAINT
REVERSING THE RISE OF BURNOUT
The pandemic has forced healthcare providers to prioritise digital transformation but it has primarily been prescribed as a treatment patient engagement. There’s an internal complaint that remains undiagnosed. Technology adoption has accelerated at an astonishing speed and that momentum will carry through into 2022. According to research by Accenture, 81% of healthcare executives are continuing to speed up the pace of innovation. There have been huge strides in areas such as telehealth but without equivalent digital investment to empower staff, the impact of transformation efforts in healthcare will be limited. To address healthcare staff
It’s now time to harness the power of data to bring the myriad of dark operations into the light. Doing so will reveal why the healthcare heroes exist. They cover up the cracks in the system, using huge amounts of time and energy to smooth over the bumps, repeat lost processes, generate paperwork and backdate signatures to satisfy compliance audits. On the face of it, they are heroes. But deep down we are covering up the true problem. It’s time to build better support structures for healthcare staff, harnessing digital innovation to reduce manual burdens and begin to reverse the rise of burnout.
Spooky Soirees and Chilling Celebrations for Care Homes Across Scotland This weekend, Holmes Care residents joined together to celebrate Halloween for the first time in two years, after pandemic restrictions limited activities in homes across the country. Staff surprised their extended community of residents, relatives and colleagues with parties, costumes and fun activities all around. At Larkfield View Care Centre in Greenock, staff dressed up as characters of the popular TV show, Still Game, and organised a party with plenty of singing, dancing, and party bags. Residents took part in an arts and crafts session, Halloween-themed boards were made for each unit of the home. Almond Court in Drumchapel marked the day with plenty of music, dancing, and fancy dress for all. The home even opened its doors to relatives, which saw a few lucky grandparents spend time with their loved ones. In Lanarkshire, Beechwood Care Home saw residents enjoy playing ‘Guess Who?’ with staff members dressed in 1960s attire. Spooky snacks, the decade’s music and were enjoyed
by all. Elsie MacLennan, Service Manager at Larkfield View said: “Our team have been phenomenal throughout the pandemic. Despite the restrictions and everything else we have dealt with over the last two years, we’ve seen staff dress up as elves or bright green ogres for costume parties, and organise everything from Christmas parties to murder mystery events – keeping spirits high and smiles on faces with safe, fun activities.” Cathy Togneri, Service Manager at Beechwood Care Home said: “Community activities like this make such a difference to morale and wellbeing for both our staff and the people we support. Everyone really enjoyed the festivities, and it’s so important for our residents to stay active and happy while socialising with others, so we look forward to organising more events like this in the future.”
Staffordshire Area Manager Celebrates 25 Years with Charity A Staffordshire based area manager has celebrated her 25 year anniversary with the same charity and says no two days are the same. Sue Meehan, area manager for MHA Communities, works on supporting and developing schemes for the Midlands area. The schemes are run by Methodist Homes (MHA) and provide a variety of activities and support for older people living independently to help tackle loneliness and isolation. She started her MHA journey as manager of MHA Burntwood Communities, before moving on to becoming area manager over 10 years ago. Sue, who lives in the Cannock Chase area said: “When I started with MHA back in 1996 I didn't really know what was involved in the role. “At the moment I manage MHA’s community schemes in the Midlands area and I am very proud of the fact that I am enabling & supporting the schemes to make a difference to people's lives. “At MHA, we offer tailored support and aim to combat loneliness and isolation and thankfully we have the ability to make a difference to people's
day. “No two days are ever the same and, although things were tough during the pandemic, the staff were outstanding and definitely went above and beyond to members had the help and support they needed from helping with their shopping and delivered prescriptions to regular chat & check phone calls, even though the future is still uncertain, we are ready to respond to whatever may happen next. “I love what I do, I am still as enthusiastic and passionate now as I was when I started at MHA 25 years ago and the feel good factor that you get from making a difference is so rewarding. “In a role like mine you work from the heart and have a genuine passion for making a difference and often it can be the simplest of things that truly make the difference. Head of MHA Communities Jonathan Mace said: “Sue’s passion and commitment shines through everything she does to support older people and leading her team to success.” To find out more about MHA Communities, visit www.mha.org.uk/communities
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“Underwhelming” Budget with “Far-Reaching Consequences” says Sector Leaders Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s autumn Budget has been greeted with disappointment, and described as “underwhelming” and with “far reaching consequences” Mr Sunak announced that the government is to provide English councils with £1.6 billion of new annual grant funding over the next three years for social care and other services, and of the £4.8 billion funding announced by the Treasury in the 2021 autumn budget and spending review, £3.6 billion will go directly to local government over the threeyear period to implement the cap on personal care costs and changes to the means test. The new Health and Social Care Levy, along with an increase to the rates of dividend tax, will raise UN estimated £13 billion per year for spending on health and social care across the UK. This, the government says enables significant further funding for the NHS, for the government’s reforms to social care, public health and prevention programmes, and investment in training the workforce of the future. This funding will also help local authorities better sustain their local care markets by moving towards a fairer cost of care, the Treasury added. £1.7 billion over three years has been set aside improving the wider social care system, including the quality and integration of care, with £500 million of this allocated to improve qualifications, skills and wellbeing across the adult social care workforce. Additional funding through the local government settlement also aims to ensure all local authorities are able to meet core pressures in adult social care. However, the providers have said that the Government has again ignored desperate pleas for more support for social care in the budget. ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “The care of our oldest and most vulnerable has been ignored once again and we will all suffer the consequences. “There are good things in the budget – the minimum wage, help for the low paid and incentives to industry – but nothing for care. “What money has been announced for social care today and in recent weeks simply won’t get the sector back on an even keel. “The Government is investing in health and that is a good thing but spending on the NHS without spending on social care too is counter-productive. The message ‘invest in social care and save the NHS’ simply isn’t getting through.” The ICG warned the Chancellor that the care of people in their own home and in care and nursing homes is teetering on the edge of survival as we approach winter. Without investment hundreds of thousands more people will be added to the 1.6m people who currently can’t get care. “There is not enough money to pay carers to look after people in their own homes, so that service is starting to crumble and we know that care and nursing homes too are going out of business,” Mr Padgham added. “What we have heard today will not start to address that and we are bitterly disappointed that another opportunity to rescue social care has been missed.”
Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of VODG, said: “We hoped Chancellor Rishi Sunak would be big and bold in the announcements and deliver a long-term funding settlement for social care but instead we are left underwhelmed by a series of flat and feeble commitments that will do nothing to stabilise, strengthen, and improve social care funding. “From these announcements the government may consider social care ‘funded and fixed’, which is far from the reality for people who draw on these essential services to live independent lives. VODG, alongside partners from across the sector, have voiced concerns that recent social care reform funding announcements as well as funding to help alleviate social care workforce pressures, while welcomed, is simply not enough to address the long-standing lack of investment in social care. “The Chancellor stated that the success of today’s commitments will be measured by “the outcomes and differences we make to people’s lives” but today’s CSR and Autumn Budget will do nothing to ensure the sustainability of care and support services for disabled people and their families for the rest of this parliament.” Through the Comprehensive Spending Review, the government sets out the government’s spending priorities for the next three years, from 2022-23 to 2024-25. Dr Hughes added: “Chancellor Rishi Sunak talked a lot about the government’s “vision for the future” but it’s clear this outlook does not include resolving immediate and longer-term challenges that exist within social care. “As an infrastructure body representing voluntary sector providers of disability services, we hear first-hand about the challenges facing organisations that work alongside disabled people. Our sector is dominated by workforce pressures that are having a significant impact on the provision of social care services. “Increases to the National Living Wage are always to be welcomed – providers want to pay their workforce a wage that reflects the vital work they carry out. However, for our members, who rely on local authority commissioners to deliver these services, such rises also bring about additional concern as to how, and whether, such increases will be funded. As it stands, it is unclear as to how the £4.8bn allocated to local authorities by the end of parliament will be distributed to social care to fund these rising costs. The risk of disabled people having services pulled away, and providers being left with a depleted workforce, as VODG has previously warned, remains. “The single biggest difference the Chancellor could have made in this year’s CSR to the lives of people who draw on social care was to strengthen funding. Sadly, this opportunity has been missed and we are still far from the ‘age of optimism’ that the Chancellor so hopefully described.” Sam Monaghan, Chief Executive of Methodist Homes (MHA) said: “Today’s Budget focused on a new economic era of optimism. But for older people using care services, or staff delivering care, there was little cause for the Chancellor’s optimism and little hope that good quality care will be made available to everyone who needs it. “What older people need is for the Government to step in now with a
sustainable financial footing for the care we all need, and with proper recognition for a dedicated workforce which has been undervalued for too long.” Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “Unfortunately, there will be serious and far reaching consequences. Care England has offered a plethora of constructive solutions as to how the Government could alleviate this crisis situation, but we have been left out in the cold; winter is going to be very, very tough without a robust social care sector to support the NHS”. “Failure to support the sector will result in unprecedented demand on the NHS, a loss to local economies and of course a failure to deliver care to those most in need”. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director of Age UK and Co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance said: “Today, social care needed a big injection of guaranteed, additional funding for now and the future, but the Chancellor didn’t deliver it. The extra money that was announced for local government was not ring-fenced for social care and will need to be stretched thinly across council services, after a decade of under-funding.” “The end result is that there is no relief in sight for older and disabled people who require care, and their families and carers, who are having to put up with services under extreme duress – if they can get any help at all.” “It’s no good the Government promising the possibility of more funding for care in a few years’ time if today’s provision continues to disintegrate and more workers walk away. “If the Prime Minister’s ambition to ‘fix social care’ is ever to be realised Rishi Sunak has to play his part by providing enough funding to make it happen. He hasn’t done so and therefore unfortunately, the future of social care remains as uncertain as ever, with the credibility of the Prime Minister’s promise increasingly on the line.” Liz Jones, Policy Director of the National Care Forum (NCF) says: “The good news on the National Living Wage increase to £9.50 an hour is welcome as is the reduction in the Universal Credit taper. However, the key point missing from the Budget is how the National Living Wage increase is going to be funded for the social care workforce. This needs to be paid by the government as the majority of care is commissioned and paid for by the state. The rate social care employers can pay is determined by the funding their local authorities can afford to provide. “The announcement of an extra £4.8bn for Local Government over the next three years could have offered a real opportunity to respond to the immediate and longer-term financial pressures in the sector and invest in the social care workforce to support people across our communities. However, the money falls short of what Local Government was asking for and none of it is ringfenced for social care. “This Budget is a missed opportunity to recognise social care as a growing sector which already contributes £50.3bn per annum to the economy in England and the 1.5 million strong workforce making this happen. It also fails to build on the opportunities the Health and Care Levy could bring to support wide-ranging and ambitious reform if fairly shared between social care and health.”
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Care Inspectorate Launches ThreeYear Strategy Corporate Plan The Care Inspectorate has launched a consultation on a new Corporate Plan that will cover the three-year period from 2022–2025. The Scottish regulator’s Corporate Plan 2022-2025 will be based around four strategic outcomes. These are: • People experience high-quality care: People experience high quality services and support where needed that balances rights, choice, positive risk taking and safety. • People experience positive outcomes: The care sector is innovative, carries out high-quality self-evaluation, drives forward improvement based on people’s experiences and outcomes. • People’s rights are respected: People experience person-led, outcome-focused care and support which reflects the Health and Social Care standards and the changing landscape we operate in. • Our people are skilled, confident and well supported: Colleagues working and volunteering with us have opportunities, are invested in, and are valued and listened to. “Building on our current plan, it will set out our strategic outcomes and provide clarity on how we will deliver these outcomes and measure our performance,” it said. “We want everyone with an interest in care and in what we do to have the opportunity to share their views
about our strategic outcomes and help shape our new Corporate Plan.” The consultation will run until Sunday 21 November and is available to complete on our consultation platform here. Interested parties can sign up to the consultation platform to have your say. The Care Inspectorate are also hosting a series of online consultation events to listen to feedback and give us your views. The events will take place on: • Friday 12 November: 10:00 – 11:30 • Tuesday 16 November: 10:00 – 11:30 • Tuesday 16 November: 13:00 – 14:30 • Wednesday 17 November: 10:00 – 11:30 If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please select your preferred date from the options above to book your place. For further details visit https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/news/6349-help-shape-our-new-corporate-plan
Care Residents Celebrate Halloween with a Week of Spook-tacular Activities HALLOWEEN celebrations got underway at an Edinburgh care home with a dedicated activity planner designed for the occasion. After celebrations were reduced last year due to restrictions, dedicated staff at Cramond Residence were keen to put on a bumper of activities. The programme kicked off with Halloween arts and crafts, autumnal pumpkin carving, a scary film festival and traditional Halloween party with spooky treats, a costume competition and pumpkin smashing. Residents also travelled to different countries from the comfort of their art chair to learn about Mexican culture and celebrate The Day of the Dead. Dariusz Miszta, Lead Lifestyle Coordinator at the 74-bedroom home, said:
“Residents and staff have really been getting in to the Halloween spirit with a series of ghoulish games and activities. expertly planned by our lifestyle team. “We’re closing the celebrations with a home wide Halloween Party with staff and residents coming together to get dressed up and play traditional Halloween games. “The variety of activities on offer ensures mixed abilities are catered for and residents can pick and choose what they would like to attend. We’ve made sure there is something for everyone to enjoy.”
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Apprentices Key To Filling Gap In Health and Social Care Workforce
By Jason Whitehouse, Head of Health and Social Care, Realise (realisetraining.com)
With growing concerns about recruiting and retaining staff in social care settings, the need to train new staff and upskill existing colleagues has never been greater. Jason Whitehouse, Head of Health and Social Care at training provider Realise, investigates how apprenticeship schemes, other training and competitive pay can help address staffing issues in health and social care settings. When it comes to recruiting and retaining staff in social care settings, the UK is facing something of a perfect storm. The effects of Brexit on the sector have been well documented. The UK care sector has been reliant on European workers for decades but migration restrictions has forced many people to return to their native
countries. The problems have been magnified by the pandemic, through people having restrictions on the number of care settings they can work in, the requirements of self-isolation policies and now the looming November deadline of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for care workers. The statistics paint a grim picture. The latest Skills for Care report shows around 105,000 vacancies being advertised in the sector on an average day, while staff turnover rates remain high at 28.5 per cent in 2020/21. There is also no doubt in my mind that some workers are leaving the industry for jobs they perceive to provide better financial and career opportunities. I’ve heard instances where people working in our sector have considered retail jobs as an attractive option because of improving pay and fewer responsibilities in those types of roles. The tide can be turned and, for that to happen, workforce reform is essential and must happen now. At the heart of that must be extensive training and development opportunities to deliver the care needed and help wages compete with other sectors. It’s vital that we make the health and social care sector appealing again and ensure that young people are fully trained so they have the best opportunity to have rewarding careers. A recent survey has found that nearly half of social care employers are currently operating with, or below, the bare minimum of skills required to run operations successfully. The Open University research found significant skills shortages, with 10% of respondents reporting they lacked vital skills to run their opera-
tions successfully, and a further 34% saying they had the bare minimum of skills required among their teams. This shows that we need a long-term plan that focuses on investing in employees and creating opportunities. I believe apprenticeship schemes, as well as training and development programmes, can help provide a natural career path to those who are new to the sector. From a business point of view, it makes sense for health and social care settings to take advantage of the current support available to them. The worst case scenario is that 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship training is funded by the government and, for larger organisations, it can be completely subsidised by the apprenticeship levy. The most exciting thing about our sector is that there’s a fast progression route with five different level courses that enables ambitious individuals to progress and develop quickly. Quality work-based learning programmes are available at all levels, from Prepare to Work in Adult Social Care Level 1 through to Leader in Adult Care Level 5. The hard work can’t stop there though. Once apprenticeships are completed, it’s crucial that staff are appreciated and rewarded with a competitive level of pay so that we keep pace with other sectors. As well as keeping people in their current jobs, we need to encourage and inspire a new generation so that we have a continuous stream of talented workers coming through. We can’t afford to wait any longer because it’s clear the sector needs support and I think these recommendations will tackle the most significant challenges currently facing the health and social care workforce.
Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Join Local Care Home Residents for a Trip Down Memory Lane Staff and residents at Barchester’s Southgate Beaumont Care Community in Enfield were joined by representatives from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation for sporting memory sessions and a trip down memory lane to mark 10 years of global dementia awareness. The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is a charitable organisation that was set up over a decade ago to support the local community and help change lives. The Foundation has a long established, productive and valued partnership with its local communities to create, deliver and sustain positive change. General Manager, Beatrice Godfrey, said: “We are very grateful to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation for all their support. It was lovely to hear residents reminisce about their sporting memories from yesteryear recounting stories from memorable games they have attended to the
sports they played themselves.” Joanna Yeung from the Foundation said “We were delighted to be involved. Each week we cover a new topic. So far we have discussed The Olympics 1946 and also reminisced about school’s sports day. This week we looked at toys from our past, with a special thank you to the Enfield Library who kindly loaned some yester year toys from their exhibition. Southgate Beaumont is such an amazing place, it was so interesting finding out more about its history and we excited to be running other sporting memories workshops in the coming weeks.“ Helen Murphy, resident at Southgate Beaumont “It was great to meet the team from the Tottenham Hotspurs Foundation, we had a lovely afternoon looking at memorabilia, it bought back a lot of childhood memories. The team at Southgate Beaumont always arrange really interesting events, there is always plenty to do.”
Mayor of Droitwich Spa Officially Opens Luxury Care Home Luxury care home, Woodland View, situated on Woodland Way in Droitwich Spa has officially opened its doors thanks to special guests, The Mayor of Droitwich Spa Cllr Mr William Moy and his Consort, Dilys Moy. The Mayor joined the care team and the local community at the official open day event, taking an exclusive tour of the brand new state of the art facilities which are now open to new residents. Woodland View is care provider, Ideal Carehomes, 27th development and has benefitted from a £12m investment, providing all the finishing touches you would expect from a luxury care home including a plush cinema room, lavish Sky Bar with far-reaching views, a vintage tearoom complete with balcony area, hairdressing salon and airy botanical garden rooms leading onto spacious landscaped gardens. Earlier this year, the Mayor visited the development during the final phase of construction to plant the first tree in the homes grounds during the official topping out ceremony. This ancient ritual seeks to appraise the tree dwelling spirits which may have been disturbed during the
Hawkins, explained how the dedicated Activity Co-ordinators will provide varied activities through a packed social calendar that is tailored to each resident’s interests and hobbies. Speaking after the visit, Cllr Moys said, ‘On behalf of myself and my Wife, I would like to thank everyone at Woodland View very much for the lovely welcome to such a fantastic care home. I was thrilled to take a tour around the facilities and very proud to be able to plant a commemorative tree, I wish the whole team luck as you begin to welcome new residents’. Home Manager, Cindy Hawkins, said, ‘It has been wonderful having the Mayor visit our beautiful home and to be able to discuss some of our key initiatives around the person-centred lifestyle delivered at Woodland View. Our open day event was a fantastic way to meet peobuild. Cllr Moy was interested to hear about the care teams’ commitment to combatting loneliness in local older people, as Home Manager, Cindy
ple within the local community and we had such an overwhelming response so far from local people. I can’t wait to support our new residents to live life to the full as part of the Woodland View community!’
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Guidance Updated to Allow Flexibility in Booster Programme for Most Vulnerable COVID-19 booster vaccines can now be given sooner than six months after their second dose to certain vulnerable people where this makes operational sense, as the UKHSA’s Green Book has been updated. It will for example allow care home residents who may have received their second doses at different times to be vaccinated in the same session, as long as it’s been five months since their second dose. It may also help with other vulnerable groups, such as housebound patients, so that they can have their flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. The flexibility in clinical guidance will speed up the administration of life-saving booster jabs, making it more efficient to reach the country’s most vulnerable, helping to ensure they’re protected over the coming winter months. Also under this guidance, people who are eligible for a booster and are about to receive immunosuppressive treatment which would hinder their immune system will be able to get their booster from a minimum of four months after their second dose. This will ensure they can time their booster for when their immune system is best able to respond. This is the practical approach to vaccination that has made the programme successful so far. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are making great progress with the booster rollout and I want to thank everyone working so hard to get jabs in arms. “This updated guidance will ensure healthcare professionals have the necessary flexibility in the booster programme, allowing more vulnerable people to be vaccinated where it makes operational sense to do so – including our loved ones in care homes.” The UKHSA’s Green Book contains the latest information on vaccines and vaccination procedures in the UK for healthcare professionals. Those the guidance applies to will not need to take additional steps. People outside of these specific circumstances will continue to be invited for the COVID-19 booster jab when it’s their turn, six months after their second dose – if they have not been contacted within a week
of reaching six months since their second jab they can head online via NHS.UK to book their jab. People who cannot go online can call 119 too. The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that those most at risk to the virus receive their booster six months after their second dose, based on the available evidence. The government accepted this advice earlier this year. This advice has not changed and the JCVI keeps its advice under continuous review, using the latest data available. Vaccines give high levels of protection but immunity reduces over time, particularly for older adults and at-risk groups, so it is vital that vulnerable people come forward to get their COVID-19 booster vaccine to top-up their defences and protect themselves this winter. The latest evidence from SAGE shows that protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65%, up to 3 months after the second dose, to 45% six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90% to 65% for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95% to 75% for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99% to 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech. Although the vaccine efficacy against severe disease remains high, it should be noted that a small change can generate a major shift in hospital admissions (e.g. a change from 95% to 90% against hospitalisation would lead to doubling of admissions in those vaccinated). The booster programme is designed to top up this waning immunity. Early results from Pfizer show that a booster following a primary schedule of the same vaccine restores protection back up to 95.6% against symptomatic infection. The news comes as the UK hits over seven million booster jabs, after a record breaking week of more than two million being administered in the last seven days alone. A total of 7,293,638 people have received their booster jab in the UK. 45,651,222 people have received two doses (79.4%) and 49,882,904 people have received one dose (86.7%).
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “COVID-19 booster vaccinations are extremely important in keeping people and their loved ones safe this winter, and this updated guidance will ensure the programme can adapt to best protect certain groups. “I encourage everyone eligible for their jab to book theirs as soon as possible and secure this protection.” Vaccine confidence is high with data from the Office for National Statistics showing nearly all (94%) of those aged 50 to 69 say they would be likely to get their COVID-19 booster if offered, with the figure rising to 98% for those over 70. Flu is another winter virus. To give people the best protection over winter, those eligible for a free flu vaccine should come forward and book an appointment at either their GP practice or their local pharmacy, or take it up when offered by their employer or other healthcare provider.
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Dementia Support Requires Greater Funding from Health and Care Levy The Health and Social Care committee has released a report on ‘supporting people with dementia and their carers’. The report builds on their previous recommendations on social care and reiterates that significant additional investment is vital for reform but criticizes theGovernment plans for the health and care levy. In the Committee’s view, the levy provides insufficient funding for social care over the next three years and fails to spell out how the sector will benefit from the levy after that. During its inquiry the Committee heard evidence thatcurrently 200,000 people with moderate and severe dementia in England do not get any kind of funded or professional support. Projections show an increase in the number of peoplewho will beliving with dementia andincreased costsof dementia care.The number of older people living with dementia in England will increase to around 1.35 million by 2040 and the total cost of dementia care is projected to reach £80.4 billion by 2040, up from £29.5 billion in 2019 when nearly half of this spending went on social care (45.8%). The Committee said it was disappointed the Government has not provided greater funding for social care in the immediate future. It also urges Ministers to accept its recommendation from a previous report for a £7 annual billion increase in funding for social care by 2023-24 as a starting point. The report concludes that the Government’s Health and Care Bill must consider the vital role of unpaid carers in supporting people with dementia and give them the opportunity to contribute to any plans for reform.
The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, said: “People living with dementia face catastrophic costs for social care but even though the new levy is welcome, their families will continue to remain unprotected until 2023 at the earliest. “The extra funding announced in the Budget for local authorities is welcome but it’s not clear how much will be set aside to support the growing costs of providing social care. “Fundamental reform of the social care system must be tackled by the Government in its promised White Paper and until we see warm words turned into action, families living with dementia will continue to face an unbearable situation.” Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing said: ‘Today’s report underlines just how intolerable the broken social care system is making the lives of people with dementia across this country. ‘We fully back the Committee’s call for far more investment, and a long-term plan for the social care sector, as well as training, pay and progression to create a strong care workforce – that can finally deliver the quality care people with dementia have been crying out for and denied for too long. “The budget contained barely enough funding to keep the system afloat until the 2023 funding kicks in. But there’s still an opportunity to turn the ship around – the upcoming white papers must focus on driving up the quality of social care for everyone with dementia.’
Farm Animals Visit Bournemouth Care Home to Provide ‘Fur Therapy’ to Residents A host of farmyard animals visited a care home to provide a fun, therapeutic activity for the residents to enjoy. The special event which featured a range of small and large farm animals was organised to mark World Animal Day at Great Oaks, on Duck Lane, in Bournemouth, which is part of the Encore Care Homes family. The care home’s residents gathered the home’s garden to get up close to the pens which held a Shetland pony, goats, sheep, rabbits, and a chicken. After scores of residents came outside to see the fluffy creatures, who had the opportunity to hold and stroke the animals, the chicken and a rabbit were brought inside the care home to visit the residents in the communal spaces and in their rooms. Erin Butcher, Wellbeing Manager at Great Oaks, said: “It was lovely to see the residents’ faces light up as they stroked the sheep, cuddled a bunny, and held a chicken, which is not an everyday occurrence! Our residents often tell us how much they love animals and so we thought this would be the perfect way to mark World Animal Day. They have really been looking forward to this activity, so we are looking forward to organising some more similar experiences in the future.”
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Care England Responds to Human Rights in Adult Social Care Enquiry Care England has responded to the Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into protecting human rights in care settings. In September this year the Joint Committee on Human Rights launched a new inquiry to investigate whether the human rights of residents and their families are respected in care homes in England. The Joint Committee invited written submissions on the following questions: • What human rights issues need to be addressed in care settings in England, beyond the immediate concerns arising from the Covid-19 pandemic? • How effective are providers at respecting the human rights of people under their care? • How effective are regulators in protecting residents from human rights breaches and in supporting patients and residents who make complaints about their care provider? • What lessons need to be learned from the pandemic to prevent breaches of human rights legislation in future? The deadline for submissions was 1 November 2021. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “The Committee will surely take care not to bias the final report towards unfairly focusing only on bad practice, while further undermining those working in the field by failure to recognise excellent practice and,
perhaps more seriously, by an inevitable failure to provide vivid, essential learning by example, disseminated with the authority of this Committee, by sharing practical examples of what great, person-centred, human rights-enhancing care looks like”. The inquiry will examine how the human rights of those accessing social care are currently undermined or put at risk, and what can be done to enhance legal protections. It will examine how well care providers ensure the human rights of the people under their care and how regulators ensure high standards in the sector. The inquiry will cover the broad range of social care services including support for older people and people with long-term medical or mental health disabilities. In its submission Care England has argued for the importance of recognising and enabling someone’s joy in their family and friends, building into their care plan the value someone places on religious, political or sporting ties, and understanding the importance of someone’s unique personal history: all these give a foundation of good care that is firmly based in Article 8. With regards to visiting over the pandemic it is inexplicable and unforgiveable that, even after uproar from service users and their relatives, together with so many other organisations including Care England, the guidance coming out of Public Health England remained so at odds with the Mental Capacity Act’s empowering ethos, and the drive of human rights law towards equality of treatment of all citizens. Martin Green continues: “We welcome the question asking what lessons can be learned from what happened during the pandemic. Here, the fault does appear to lie within government, and lessons need to be learned with some alacrity. More waves of coronavirus variants, or further viral pandemics, cannot be ruled out, and those who are making vital decisions about how to protect citizens from extreme harm, within the context of basic human rights, need to learn from what has happened so far”.
FREE Care Home Guides from Business Companion We all know that running a care home is extremely challenging, especially in these unprecedented times. Thankfully, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), in cooperation with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has a series of free information resources designed to make managing your care home a little easier. This resource is available on the Business Companion website - the free government-backed website written by trading standards experts to help you understand the laws that affect your care home. There are four key guides available on the subject of care homes: Fair trading focuses on the best way to serve customers and residents, along with understanding the importance of consumer rights and your responsibilities as a care home. Care home complaints addresses the legal responsibilities of care homes in dealing with complaints from residents and their representatives, setting out in plain English the
procedures that should be followed in order to resolve complaints as efficiently and amicably as possible. Web layout lays out the best approach to designing the website for your care home, covering the information that needs to be on it to conform to the law, along with a guide for website development. Communications gives you the vital information you need to make the most out of communicating with residents and their families. Want to learn more about these free guides and other free guidance? Business Companion is exhibiting at the Dementia, Care and Nursing Expo at the NEC, Birmingham, on September 15 and 16 and we look forward to meeting you. Visit Business Companion at stand B120 to receive wide-ranging, expert advice on best practices in the care homes industry. Download your free guides at: www.businesscompanion.info/carehomes
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 12th November 2021 at
nominate@thecareruk.com
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 17
Budget an Alarming Neglect of Public Health, says CIEH The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has again raised serious concerns about the UK Government’s commitment to public health as the Chancellor refused to support local authority apprentices in today’s budget. In the lead-up to the budget, CIEH made three separate submissions to the Chancellor’s Spending Review. One alongside the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), another with the Local Government Association (LGA), and a final submission in coalition with the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH). CIEH’s submissions included the call for the UK Government to implement the recommendations of its own Cross Government Review and highlighted the need to create a ring-fenced bursary scheme of £14m for local authorities to recruit new Regulatory Compliance Officer (RCO) apprentices. CIEH contributed to the Cross Government Regulatory Services Working Group conducted by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). The Working Group, originally set up to review the work of the regulatory services professions during the COVID-19 pandemic, was instrumental in helping local government to protect the public by supporting businesses and communities with trading standards and environmental health expertise. Without this expertise, the journey out of lockdown would not have been so efficient, nor the return back to post-COVID working so smooth. However, having worked so closely with the Government on this review, and its recommendations, CIEH
has expressed dismay that funding for apprentices has been neglected. Dr Phil James, CIEH Chief Executive, said: “Having worked so closely with the UK Government over the last 9 months on their own review of regulatory services and their vital role throughout the pandemic, we are extremely disappointed to see that they have refused to meet one of their own recommendations. Environmental and public health professionals played a key role in combatting COVID-19, issuing guidance, supporting test and trace, and helping businesses navigate lockdowns. The decision to neglect supporting apprentices in these important professions raises questions about the Government’s commitment to public health. It is especially confusing in light of the very limited funding required to meet this commitment and its close alignment with the Government’s own levelling-up agenda. We have written to both the new Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, urging them to show their support for public health across our country and urgently review their approach to public health apprenticeships.”
Remembrance 2021: Veterans’ Charity Reflects On Service Through The Decades The unwavering dedication and service of the Armed Forces through the decades is being remembered by Royal Star & Garter, ahead of Armistice Day. Founded to care for veterans in WWI, the charity provides award-winning care for men and women who have seen active service from WWII all the way up to the Iraq War. Royal Star & Garter’s Remembrance campaign, Conflict Never Stops, highlights the invaluable role played by our Armed Forces, starting with Florence Mahoney, who served during WWII as a driver in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). It looks at the daring missions carried out in the 1950s and ‘60s by RAF low-level reconnaissance pilot Peter Lewis, which earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Prussian Pete’, and the humanitarian work of Navy veteran Jim Pitt, who helped rebuild Caribbean communities devastated by tropical storms. Lily Fair joined the Women’s RAF in the 1950s because she “wanted to see the world”, and worked as a telephonist in Singapore. It also focuses on veterans of more modern campaigns, such as Brian Bucknall who served in the Army for 36 years. He was stationed in Germany and then in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Lastly, the Conflict Never Stops campaign focuses on 34-year-old Stephen
Vause, who was left with brain injuries caused by a mortar bomb attack while serving in Iraq in 2007. Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford, who has served in the RAF since 1991 and is a governor at Royal Star & Garter, said: “As we move further from the last world war, we are now supporting residents who’ve been engaged in more modern conflict. This has seen them continue to put their lives in danger for the safety of others. They have helped bring peace around the globe and been involved in the crucial work of supporting the recovery and rebuilding of war-torn countries, and those affected by natural disasters. Every veteran at Royal Star & Garter, and every resident we look after, is a part of this country’s military family, and we are proud to care for them and share their stories.” Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, and High Wycombe. Armistice Day is on Thursday 11 November – the date the ceasefire was signed in 1918 which signalled the end of WWI – while this year Remembrance Sunday falls on 14 November. For more information on Royal Star & Garter, please go to www.starandgarter.org
Launton Grange Carer ‘Braves the Shave’ for The Little Princess Trust Danielle Garnon donated 24 inches of hair to the charity that supports children through cancer treatment. Launton Grange Lifestyle Manager, Danielle Garnon, has ‘braved the shave’ after growing her hair for over 5 years. Danielle has donated 24 inches of hair for children’s cancer charity, The Little Princess Trust, who provide free wigs to children who have lost their hair during cancer treatment. Danielle enlisted the help of residents at the home on Skimmingdish Lane, Bicester, to perform the haircut which needed to be parted into precise sections and tied in bunches to be sent in the post. Once the hair was cut, residents proceeded to shave Danielle’s remaining hair with clippers. Ahead of the shave, which was live-streamed on Facebook, Danielle raised £300 for the charity, thanks to generous donations from co-workers, residents’ families and friends, local businesses and members of the community. Resident at Launton Grange, (name), who helped to cut Danielle’s hair, said, ‘I think it
is brilliant that Danielle decided to donate her hair to help children who have been affected by cancer. I am pleased that I could help on the day and make the first chop and shave her head. I love her new short hairstyle; I think she looks amazing!’. Speaking after the shave, Danielle said, ‘I am over the moon with my donation. It feels incredibly rewarding to know that the hair is going to make a wig for a child somewhere that really needs it. After discovering that each wig takes approximately £550 to make, I am pleased to also have been able to successfully raise some money for the charity too – thank you to everybody who made a donation. Every time I see myself in the mirror and see my short hair, I am reminded of how much my donation will have made someone’s day.’ Launton Grange Home Manager, Sharon Wassing, said, ‘Danielle is absolutely fantastic, and is always thinking of others- I think this was a lovely gesture from her. To see our residents helping to cut her hair really did bring a smile to our faces too’.
PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
Support When It Matters: Helping Families Prepare For Probate
By Damon Segal - Co-founder at LifeTidy (https://lifetidy.co)
Providing end-of-life care is not easy. For all of those involved, it’s an incredibly difficult and emotional time, which can make any decision-making a big challenge. In these situations, it’s hard enough to decide what you want to make for dinner, let alone what to prepare for probate. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that probate is an incredibly complex, often chaotic process for loved ones and executors. If you are not organised, it can be even more confusing, stressful and expensive.
DEALING WITH PROBATE FIRST-HAND I know just how difficult probate can be. When my brother suddenly passed away a few years ago, I was left to manage his estate. Due to the nature of his passing, both he and I were completely unprepared. As a result, I was left with the monumental task of navigating probate without any of the right information to hand. If this wasn’t challenging enough, I was doing all of this while grieving the loss of my brother, which made the whole experience very unpleasant. From start to finish, the process was incredibly long and time-consuming, being made considerably more complicated by the fact none of my brother’s affairs were in order. After opening just one draw in the study and being met with a mountain of paperwork, I knew that I had a lot of work ahead of me. It transpired that my brother had stored years of paperwork, assets and other important information in various locations around the house – from boxes under the bed to files on his computer, with no evident filing system. There was also the challenge of tracing passwords and requesting access to find certain information
which was an extra challenge I hadn’t even considered. This meant locating the right documents took months. Far longer than it needed to. And there are still gaps that I have been unable to fill. But this situation is not unique to me, there are many others around the UK facing very similar situations. Research we conducted at LifeTidy found that 94% of people do not have their affairs fully organised in the event of their death and approximately 30 million people do not have a will which can have a significant and detrimental impact on probate. This left me thinking that I would love to help people in my situation avoid some of the pitfalls to help make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING FAMILIES GET PREPARED The best piece of advice that caregivers can give to clients and their families is to get organised. My three top tips for getting prepared are: • Find out if the person has a will This will determine how you apply for a grant of probate. • Locate important information and assets For me, this was the most stressful part of probate and is why I came up with LifeTidy, this secure online platform stores all assets and other important information, such as birth and marriage certificates, saving accounts and policies in one safe place. Advising families to start the process of locating and collating this information as early as possible, especially when they can get guidance from their loved ones regarding the location of important documentation or valuations on items like jewellery, will save a lot of worries later down the line. • Find out how much inheritance tax you might need to pay Confirm whether the estate is liable for inheritance tax to avoid any unexpected payments. Tools like an inheritance tax calculator can help with this. By encouraging families to get organised today, caregivers can help provide much-needed peace of mind for tomorrow.
Majority Of Frontline Staff Protecting Others By Getting Vaccinated Commenting on the UK Health Security Agency’s statistics on the uptake of seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines in frontline healthcare workers, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said:“Frontline staff have seen first-hand the dev-
the coming weeks. “Where uptake needs to increase, leaders are working with their teams ensuring they are fully supported. Making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for frontline workers
astating impact the disease can have on people’s lives, so it is no surprise to see the
could have its advantages in the NHS, but the Government needs to carry out a full risk
vast majority have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and that, at the end of last
assessment including timeframes to understand how this policy would affect staff
month, significant numbers had already had booster vaccines and flu jabs. We would
retention and recruitment, as staffing levels will be incredibly important we prepare to
expect those numbers to have already risen significantly and to continue to do so over
enter what will likely be one of the NHS’s most challenging winters ever.”
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PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
Social Care Needs Resilience More Than Ever to Tackle Integration and Skills By Bill Dunkerley, regulatory lawyer and director at Pannone Corporate (www.pannonecorporate.com)
“Nobody was prepared for the pandemic.” Care operators are not alone in taking this view. Yet, more than most, they were, and still are, at the forefront of the crisis. What’s more, the ramifications of the coronavirus are still being felt in homes up and down the country, with one provider admitting they were “on their knees” following the events of the last 20 months. The global pandemic has thrown unprecedented challenges at the sector, whether that’s measures to protect vulnerable residents, newfound ways of engaging and communicating with isolated families, the “enormous amount of anxiety” felt by staff having to cope with COVID19, initiating heightened health and safety protocols to protect themselves and the people they care for, while having to contend with the growing staffing crisis now facing the sector. There are many lessons that have been learned during the course of the last 20 months, and many wounds that still need to heal. But one word that continues to come up during conversations with providers
about their experiences during the healthcare crisis is ‘resilience’. It’s vital in today’s climate and it’s what has defined social care and the wider healthcare landscape during the pandemic. There’s little doubt that the sector is in great need of repair and desperately needs additional funding to help solve issues, such as the skills crisis, and the need for a more integrated system that recognises and values the journey of service users – whether that’s primary, community, domiciliary, residential, or hospital care. At whatever point a person enters the system, there needs to be a more joined-up approach in creating a seamless and consistent care plan that is effective at every crossroads. For providers, the pandemic has exposed the frailties that exist within the current system and strengthened the case for greater investment to address these longstanding concerns. Within the private sector, there exists an “entrepreneurial spirit” – providers who are willing to try and solve the disjointed approach to social care, only to be “impaired” by a lack of cash from central government that is funnelled elsewhere. Integration is a real issue for the sector, with “too many small voices” failing to be heard when what’s needed is a “big voice” to address these concerns. For many operators, integration will only happen through “radical change”, with some fearing the sector has only regressed in recent years, with the pandemic serving to kick a solution further down the road. While integration is key in combatting the perception that social care is a poor relation to the NHS, there is a more immediate issue facing the sector and that’s people. A combination of COVID-19 and Brexit has placed immeasurable pressures on staffing and highlighted the growing need for a more collaborative approach between providers and the government to help solve the skills crisis. Providers are spending tens of thousands of pounds cherry picking employees from overseas, in a bid to fill vacant roles. But with occupancy levels set to rise – with the number of people in care homes suffering from dementia alone predicted to increase from 311,730 to one million
Social Distancing Reduced COVID Transmission By 84% Social distancing rules reduced the contagion of COVID-19, reveals new research from the University of Cologne. Such rules were introduced into several countries during the first wave of COVID-19 in Spring 2020. New research by Professor Emanuel Hansen and his co-authors examined the effect of social distancing on mobility behaviour and the contagion rate of COVID-19 in Germany. To identify these effects, the researchers exploited staggered tim-
ings of COVID-19 outbreaks in extended event-study models. The authors found that the policies were successful in reducing spatial mobility of the German citizens by about 30%. Moreover, the policies avoided approximately 84% of the potential COVID-19 cases and 66% of fatalities in Germany, in comparison to if there was no social distancing. The policies affected all subgroups of the population, but the effects were somewhat smaller for individuals above 60 and in rural areas.
by 2025 – the problem needs to addressed quickly . So where is the solution? For providers, it’s a complex problem that needs more than just cash thrown at it to plug the gap. For them, it’s about valuing employees – whether that’s through training and development, health and wellbeing, or reward and recognition. What’s more, it’s about valuing a profession that’s been starved of attention and “good PR” for many years. It’s taken a pandemic for those outside of the industry to recognise the important role that social care workers have to play – much the same as HGV drivers and shop workers, industries that equally face issues over staffing. Much the same as creating an integrated system, the solutions will only be found through a collaborative approach with Whitehall ministers. As one provider put it, “this needs a central response; we as an industry don’t have a co-ordinated approach.” Latest figures from the Skills for Care Council show that staff retention can improve by 3% for every pound spent on employees. That improves by 7% if you connect with people as soon as they start employment, rising to 10% through greater induction procedures and a more defined career path. Alongside system and skills failures sits the emotive issue of the regulator, which has been described as “having a crisis of identity” in recent years. Providers appear sceptical about the effectiveness of the CQC’s revised regulatory model, with many citing the “algorithmic-driven” approach as failing many providers who themselves are desperate to be inspected to demonstrate the effective job they’re doing – “you’ve got to be doing really badly to get inspected or create an awful lot of noise.” There’s no doubt that social care faces considerable challenges against the lingering backdrop of a global pandemic. But what is clear, is the industry is underpinned by passionate and committed individuals who are determined to play their part in initiating change. In what order that change will come remains to be seen, but the intention from providers is definitely there. 1 https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/prevalence-projections-in-the-uk/
“Our study shows that the early measures to contain COVID-19 were successful in avoiding an overload of the German healthcare system”, Professor Hansen says. “Back then, without tools such as vaccination or rapid testing, there was no viable alternative to social distancing – despite the economic and social costs of closing schools and businesses,” says Professor Hansen. This study was published in the interdisciplinary Open-Access Journal PLoS ONE under the title “How effective are social distancing policies? Evidence on the fight against COVID-19”.
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 17
New Information Standard Aims to Reduce Medication Errors and Improve Patient Safety A new Information Standard has been published to support improved medication and allergy/intolerance information sharing across healthcare services in England. The new Information Standard will standardise medication message content, enabling transfer of prescription information across health and care settings in England to help reduce medicines related errors and improve patient safety. The Standard will enable medicines information to be more efficiently shared between NHS and social care organisations, including primary and secondary care – from hospitals and GP practices to residential care homes, mental health trusts, and pharmacies. It will be particularly beneficial in reducing medication errors when patients transfer between care locations. As well as providing clinicians with a more detailed and consistent source of medicines related information across all care settings, the Standard will also enable healthcare professionals to obtain medicines information in a quicker, more efficient manner, saving valuable time and improving patient care. Dr Simon Eccles, Deputy CEO of NHSX and National Chief Clinical Information Officer said:
“This new standard will make medicine prescribing safer for patients and easier for clinicians, reducing errors in prescription and improving the monitoring of medications that can cause harm. “This is the result of a true collaborative effort between NHSX, NHS Digital, industry and the frontline that will make a real difference to the care and support local clinicians can provide to their patients.” NHS Digital Clinical Lead for the Interoperable Medicines Programme, Shahzad Ali, said: “Having access to good quality information is critical for clinicians when making decisions about the patients in their care. As a practising clinician, I have seen first-hand the burden clinicians can face when medicines information is incomplete or inconsistent. “This new Standard will save healthcare professionals valuable time accessing key medicines information, provide clinicians with access to a richer source of information, consistent across all care settings, and, in turn, help reduce potential medicines related errors and improve patient safety.” The Standard came into effect this month and NHS and social care organisations will need to be compliant with it by 31 March 2023.
Birthday Bugle Call Delights Ex-Royal Marine Ron, 93 A former commando enjoyed a 93rd birthday surprise thanks to some clever, covert manoeuvres by his family, his Dorset care home and the Royal Marines Association. Ron Moyse said he was ‘absolutely flabbergasted’ to witness a ‘mess beating’ performed in his honour by five musicians from the Royal Marines along with a visit from two servicemen he fought alongside in the Korean War 71 years ago. Ahead of the birthday, close co-operation on keeping the arrangements a secret took place between the Association, Ron’s family and Colten Care’s Outstanding-rated Canford Chase in Poole where he now lives. On the day, Ron said he suspected ‘something was happening’ when his son Rob, himself a former Royal Marine with 25 years’ service, arrived in uniform and there was talk of Ron being invited to go into the garden. But Ron quickly entered into the spirit of the occasion, asking for his beret and medals, and saying he would be delighted to be taken outside. Unbeknown to him, five bandsmen had arrived and, temporarily stationed in the home’s summerhouse at the end of the garden, changed into their uniforms until the order came that Ron was in position and it was time to play. The five then stepped out onto the lawn and in full ceremonial regalia saluted Ron on drums and bugles watched by a gathering crowd of Association members, Canford Chase residents and staff, and other wellwishers. Among the visitors were former Royal Marines Jack Edmunds and Cyril Blackman who served with Ron in
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41 Commando, a unit attached to the US Marine Corps during the Korean War. The combined force saw intense action during the Chosin Reservoir campaign, fighting off Chinese forces that outnumbered them four-toone. Almost half of Ron’s unit were killed, wounded or captured. The unit’s contribution was recently recognised by the South Korean government producing framed certificates of thanks available to all surviving members. Ron, Jack and Cyril were proud to show off their certificates in Korean script during the birthday visit. Reflecting on his birthday, Ron said: “It was a complete surprise, I was absolutely flabbergasted to see all my old friends especially those I served with in Korea. I realised something was happening, but I had no idea it was anything on that scale. When I watched the bandsmen play I thought to myself, ‘That was me at 14’. It was such a happy day.” In a thank-you note to the home, Ron’s son Graham, a Royal Navy doctor who also served with the Marines, said: “It really did cheer up my father, an upstanding man and a gallant Royal Marine.” Canford Chase Companionship Team Leader Julie Wathen said: “We were privileged and delighted to help Ron and family celebrate his 93rd birthday. It was a truly special day and a great spectacle for everyone to enjoy. We thank the Royal Marines Association, especially their representative Rod Playford, and everyone else who helped make it happen.”
PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
North Yorks Homes Star in BBC Care Documentary Hopes that TV film sparks Govt action on care A North Yorkshire care provider, who allowed a film crew free access to two of his homes, hopes the resulting ‘warts and all’ documentary will spark urgent action on the social care crisis. Mike Padgham allowed a crew into his nursing and care homes in Scarborough as part of a two-part BBC Two documentary fronted by broadcaster and ex-politician Ed Balls on the challenges facing the social care sector. Now Mr Padgham hopes the programmes, ‘Inside the Care Crisis with Ed Balls’, to be broadcast next month, will spark a reaction from the public and force the
Government to tackle the under-funding and staffing crisis in the care of our oldest and most vulnerable. Saint Cecilia’s Care Group Managing Director, Mr Padgham, said: “The result is an unflinching, two-part documentary that shows, warts and all the challenges facing social care at the moment. “It shows a sector that has been chronically under-funded for a generation and that is facing an existential staffing crisis. “It poses the question: what value do we place on the care of our oldest and most vulnerable? It challenges the Government over what it plans for social care and we hope it sparks it into taking action.” The crew filmed in Saint Cecilia’s Nursing Home and Saint Cecilia’s Care Home in Scarborough in the midst of Covid-19 restrictions during the summer to provide an in-depth and “immersive” view of the current state of social care. Mr Padgham said he was pleased to take part. “I am grateful to our residents, their relatives and our staff for agreeing to take part in the documentary. Doing things like this does bring with it risk but we wanted to show the blood, sweat and tears that is shed to provide care in 2021,” he added. “We did so to show people a snapshot of the situation. We were very
careful; everyone gave consent and all the crew were tested and wore full PPE. “Care providers are working extremely hard to provide the best possible care in a sector that has seen more than £8bn cut from funding since 2010. Some 1.5m people are living without the care they need and we have 120,000 staff vacancies across the country. Things are only going to get worse. “The staffing crisis has been exacerbated by Brexit robbing the sector of overseas job applicants and people finding other, less stressful and better paid work elsewhere. “We also fear a further 40,000 vacancies will arise if the Government presses on with its “no jab, no job” policy across the care sector from next month. “The million people receiving care at home and in residential homes, the 1.5m who can’t get the care they need and our amazing staff all deserve better. “If Ed Balls and the documentary can help get the crisis in social care higher up the political agenda and bring about some positive change, it will have been well worth it.”
Residents Celebrate Opening Of Cafe In Memory Of Staff With Hallowe’en Party Residents at a Derbyshire care home have marked the re-opening of their coffee bar in honour of a former colleague with a Hallowe’en party. The coffee bar at MHA Maple Leaf House in Kirk Close, Ripley, has been named Ruth’s Wonderland Cafe after Ruth Spreadbury, a domestic assistant who sadly passed away as a result of skin cancer two years ago. She had worked at the home for three years. The area is used for varying activities at the home, which cares for older people living with dementia, and a Hallowe’en party was the first big event in the area since it was re-opened by Ruth’s family. Sheila Fowkes, activity co-ordinator at the home said: “Ruth was simply the most amazing, smiling and lovable person. Even when she was really ill, she would say she couldn’t wait to go back to work. “We wanted to do something to remember Ruth so came up with the idea of naming the coffee bar area
after her following some work to make the area more attractive for residents.” A spokesperson for Ruth's family said: “Our thoughts are that it is absolutely wonderful that the work colleagues thought so much of Ruth that you all celebrated her birthday and memory in such a wonderful way. “She loved working with everyone there and thought the world of her colleagues and the lovely residents. “MHA were incredibly supportive of her, just the thought of returning to work kept her going in her last few months. “We can see why the home is so very caring towards everyone. She'd have thought the great time you all had when you launched the new cafe area would have been the best party she ever went to.”
Wonderkin UK, Managing Director, Marites Allen, Talks About Smart Digital Incontinence Aid & Providing Convenience & Confidence in Chronic Care Management Care-giving, in real-time, is an issue that has been looked at again and again in chronic care management- it is not enough to look at if care is being given effectively, but also with efficacy and assurance- to both patients of care and those of the carers. Since the Covid-pandemic, the issue of time, lack of resource, and the disproportions of high quality care are at the heart of this matter. Wonderkin UK, a brand of digital incontinence pads, and app, is now changing the game quickly by elevating the status quo, and creating wonders through providing convenience and confidence through their digital technological products. Wonderkin UK’s, Managing Director, Marites Allen, tells us in the following interview how products such as Wonderkin’s digital incontinence pads and app are ensuring a better quality of life, for all, as we age; and how we all should think about, our own, not so distant future, when approaching the subject matter of implementing technology into taking care of the elderly and those in care homes and facilities.
Q: HOW DOES YOUR NICE CARE SMART INCONTINENCE PADS AND MONITORING SYSTEM WORK? MA: Smart phone (Smart Mobile Devices) are used as the medium- to which it sets alarms and signals a disruption in the homeostatic condition or the patient. Unlike the regular brands that mainly functions as only a pad, Wonderkin's Bluetooth feature (enable) makes safety ( Provide Real-Time Alert) precautions a function (Compare to other incontinence aids) that no other pads on the market currently offer. With the Nice Care Smart Incontinence aids Real-Time Monitoring Technology and Bluetooth enable sensors, Wonderkin offer carers in elderly care facilities to be notified of the patient's void, sleeping posture, and inactivity in real-time, hence, effectively easing the care-giving process especially pressure care.
Q: WHAT KIND OF ‘REAL’ DIFFERENCE IS A PRODUCT LIKE NICE CARE DIGITAL INCONTINENCE PADS AND APP MAKING TO STAFF AND PATIENTS IN CARE HOMES AND CARE FACILITIES? MA: Real differences are only felt and seen, through another key factor: prioritisation for care staff. A good example would be body rotation and diaper change, where though they are seemingly simple tasks, it takes workflow,
task management, pad stock management to keep it all together and ticking along. The difference with a simple product like pads going digital is that carers are able to keep up and be informed of patients in real-time. Aside from prioritizing tasks, costs of pad consumption are cut down dramatically, making not only ‘cents’ financially, but ‘sense’ for the environment. Our pads are 70% biodegradable and hence, when you think about it, if every pad can be used to its full potential, with the patient not having skin irritations and rashes, by the way, the product is not only addressing financial costs to institutions like care homes, but also, providing a corporate social responsibility to those who use them. In Japan, for instance, our products have reduced pad consumption from 30K to 20K in facilities. It is not just about minimising the use of disposable wastes, but improving the quality of sleep for patients, and giving them more dignity, (of not being checked upon constantly) by reducing the number or times a change has to occur during the night.
Q: WHAT OTHER ISSUES DOES WONDERKIN AIM TO SPEARHEAD WITH ITS DIGITAL INNOVATIONS? MA: Another common issue for patients is communication- between their family members and the carers or care home. Our digital innovations give personalised health insights, powered by data that can be easily provided and accessed by both parties. Data protection and that data is being stored securely is paramount to us, and this type of application if it is to be applied to chronic care management. Hence we employ Amazon Web Services (AWS) as our Cloud System provider, which adopts world-class, highly secure data centres utilising state-of-the-art electronic surveillance and multi-factor access control systems. Different access rights are given to various account types within our system, including super admin, general admin, nursing home, nursing home manager and nurse accounts. The data transmission from the Sensor to the Hub is encrypted and contains no client’s data. For more information or enquiries on Wonderkin’s emerging technology and latest innovation solutions to care-giving in residential nursing and care homes visit: www.wonderkin.co.uk or contact maritesallen@wonderkin.co.uk
PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
'Deconditioning - The Warning Signs And How To Prevent It' By Lynda Holt, CEO of Health Service 360 (www.healthservice360.co.uk)
Without dwelling on the pandemic, it feels like 2020 changed everything in the care world. Carers, health professionals and volunteers gave relentlessly, often in scary and difficult circumstances, and sometimes with little thanks. The pandemic has also created the perfect conditions for physical and psychological deconditioning to thrive. The impact of isolation, social distancing, restrictions on visitors and changes to the way care is delivered have all made it more difficult to prevent deconditioning in care homes. While there may be a sense of urgency around how we stem deconditioning, the conversation is certainly not a new one, we have been considering the dangers of immobility for over 70 years. But we have a challenge; the evidence may be there, but our emotional desire to help, to care for people, hasn’t quite caught up.
The bad news is there isn’t a clear set of early warning signs, we are all at risk if we don’t move – I bet if you think about a period of inactivity, or not going to the gym, not playing your favourite sport, it’s hard work getting back into it, isn’t it? That is a very mild form of deconditioning. We know there are circumstances that exacerbate deconditioning such as lack of movement, particularly weight bearing, lack of cognitive stimulation and lack of social contact. We have to make these our early warning signs, or if you like, our prevention triggers. One of the challenges we face is that early signs of deconditioning are often written off as inevitable old age. We lose muscle mass as we age which results in a loss of strength of around 1-2% a year, and when you are over 75, immobility rapidly accelerates this, creating a spiral of decline. Yet deconditioning is often not considered until reduced functional ability is evident. Let’s look a little deeper into deconditioning. Deconditioning is the term given to the physical, psychological and social consequences of inactivity and/or lack of social and cognitive stimulation. The following occurs: • Loss of muscle strength, poorer balance and increased risk of falls • Decrease in cardiopulmonary capacity – including breathlessness and heart failure • Difficulty in maintaining daily living activities, functional mobility, dignity and choice • Lethargy, constipation, incontinence, poor appetite • Confusion and memory loss, leading to reduced self-confidence and withdrawal from social interaction. In older people this can happen really quickly – 24 hours in bed can reduce muscle power by 2-5%, and in 7 days up to 20%, mostly in lower limbs which may be the difference between being able to walk or not.
We know prevention is much more effective than treatment, and while deconditioning is, in theory, reversible, most older people do not regain their prior functionality and independence. We need to be proactive in our prevention strategies, with an individualised focus on what is important to the resident, maintaining functional ability, and preserving independence and dignity. There are three areas to focus on: 1. Physical activity 2.Cognitive or intellectual stimulation 3.Social interaction This is not about exercise or activity for its own sake, it’s about adding value, helping residents with the things that matter to them, and having some fun along the way. There are a few things which might seem obvious but are worth a mention; ensure people have the equipment they need, from glasses and hearing aids through to well-fitting footwear, sticks, frames, that they are hydrated and don’t have health contraindications and that there is appropriate supervision. When it comes to exercise, resistance and gravity exercises are the most effective. A final word on fun. Add a bit of competition and you could well tick all three of the above. Having run many #EndPJParalysis Challenges and activities like ‘pimp my zimmer’, creating a little competitiveness between units, care homes or individuals increases engagement and commitment while also preventing deconditioning. The #EndPJparalysis campaign (link: www.endpjparalysis.org/join) is a global social movement committed to reducing deconditioning by sharing best practice, research and expert talks. It is hosted by Lynda Holt & Professor Brian Dolan OBE
£8.5 Million Care Home Development Set to Start Work is about to get underway on a £8.5 million care home in Greater Manchester following the appointment of construction contractors. Urban Village Healthcare has instructed main contractor Greenchurch Developments to deliver a purpose-built care home, known as The Croft, in Wigan. The Croft will feature 66 en-suite rooms, communal facilities including several lounges, dining areas, a cinema, hairdresser, guest rooms for relatives and a nurse station. The site, located in the village of Bickershaw, covers 0.75 acres and has associated parking and gardens. It is being developed by Urban Village Healthcare – a sister company to Urban Village Group – which is focused on building and expanding the provision of care home locations across the UK to meet the increasing demand. A professional team, including monitoring surveyor Dalbergia Group, has also been appointed. The devel-
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opment will be managed by specialist senior living operator Bracebridge Care Group. Over the next two years, Urban Village aims to develop numerous care homes and extra care schemes in partnership with medium sized providers with strong reputations and a local focus. Urban Village Group chief executive Nick Sellman said: “With the appointment of Greenchurch Developments and an excellent professional team, we are excited to announce that work is about to get underway to deliver this fantastic new facility at Bickershaw. “The Croft will provide families across the Wigan area with a wonderful new care home in an excellent location. We know that there is a real demand for high-quality care home facilities across the country and we are determined to play a significant role in helping meet that demand, with developments like this.”
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We supply everything from daily living aids to highly specialised equipment and services, so we can offer a ‘one-stop shop’ to nursing and residential care homes, local authorities, hospitals and individuals. Our team of Trusted Assessors and technicians can offer expert advice, and work closely with Occupational Therapists (OTs), and other healthcare professionals to provide individual solutions. Not only do we sell and rent out a wide range of high-quality products, we also provide high standard aftercare including maintenance, LOLER testing and a comprehensive range of training courses. We provide a range of solutions at competitive prices, so that you don’t have to worry about ensuring that your equipment is safe and compliant.
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ORNAMIN: TABLEWARE WITH HIDDEN FEATURES
Ornamin, a market leader in eating and drinking aids, who supply more than 2,000 care institutions worldwide have – in collaboration with Occupational Therapists (OTs) and nurses - developed a range of intelligent and functional tableware for people with cognitive problems or limited motor skills in their hands or arms.
Their range includes mugs with a unique cone-shaped interior design, - which help those with limited neck and arm movement or anyone who is bed bound to drink without assistance - plates and bowls that are non-slip with a sloped base, making it easier to trap the food (useful for those who have problems using their hands), and non-slip grip cutlery that provides a firm hold for a user with clammy, shaky or numb hands.
The stylish designs helps remove the stigma of using ‘special’ tableware, which in turn improves dignity and independence, while also easing the support needed from families, carers or care home staff. All of the products are made using high quality materials which are 100% recyclable, plus they’re durable, light to lift, quiet to use, break-resistant, and BPA FREE.
DRINKUP21: THE HANDS-FREE DRINKING SOLUTION
Drinkup21, is an innovative hands-free drinking system, which can dramatically improve the health of those at risk of dehydration.
This simple but effective product works on the same principle as a cup and drinking straw, but has been designed to enable anyone who cannot lift a cup to drink without assistance (even when arm function is completely lost), making drinking easier, improving fluid intake, and reducing the workload of carers.
Drinkup21 consists of a 1 litre bottle with a cap, a body (holder), a multi-positioning clamp and a flexible arm assembly. It also includes a Consumables Parts Pack containing a drinking tube, bite valve (mouthpiece), elbow connector. A tube cleaning brush is also available.
It can be secured to beds, tables and wheelchairs, and used with water, fruit juice and thickened fluids that contain higher nutritional content, thus providing a simple solution to the serious issue of dehydration in the elderly and those living with disabilities. Drinkup21 is beneficial for those with conditions including spinal cord injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, the effects of stroke, dementia, and those who do not recognise the need to drink.
For advice and information: Fortuna.Bambach, 4, Northgate Business Centre, Crown Road, Enfield, London, EN1 1TG. Visit: www.fortunamobility.com
www.fortunamobility.com/ornamin | www.fortunamobility.com/drinkup Email: info@fortunabambach.com Telephone: 020 8805 2020
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Meals on Wheels Week 2021 Highlights Vital Contribution of Meals on Wheels Services in our Communities
Meals on Wheels Week returns on 1st – 5th November 2021. The award-winning national awareness event, organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), raises awareness of and celebrates Meals on Wheels services across the country and the vital role they play in supporting older and vulnerable people living in our communities. As we continue to live alongside and adapt to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Meals on Wheels Week will highlight the incredible contribution the service makes in combatting malnutrition, isolation and loneliness in our communities. It will also provide a platform to show gratitude to all the frontline Meals on Wheels teams that have continued to work tirelessly under challenging circumstances. VIP on Wheels Meals on Wheels is so much more than just a meal. As well as supporting nutrition and hydration with regular nutritious meals, it provides essential, regular contact and wellness checks that support overall wellbeing and reduce isolation and loneliness. To focus attention on the positive impact Meals on Wheels has on those receiving the service, the NACC has invited local MPs, dignitaries and industry leaders to join a delivery round in their locality to experi-
ence first-hand and share with their networks the lifeline it affords older and vulnerable people. Kicking off the VIP on Wheels programme is the NACC patron, Baroness Barker, who joined a Meals on Wheels delivery with Hertfordshire Independent Living Services (HILS) in St Albans. Other VIPs keen to help spread the word include Andy Jones, the chair of PSC100, Robert Richardson, the chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality, Paul O’Brien, the chief executive of Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and Caroline Bovey, the chair of the British Dietetic Association (BDA). Meals on Wheels Week 2021 is bringing back #mealsonwheelsheroes, the social media initiative that shows gratitude to Meals on Wheels services and their teams as they continue to deliver their life-enhancing services against the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The NACC is once again calling on everyone – from its members, industry colleagues, partners, associations and friends to local government, politicians, celebrities and the general public – to take to social media to publicly declare their support and gratitude for all Meals on Wheels heroes. They are being asked to hold a special thank you poster, have their photograph taken and then share it on their preferred social media platforms using the hashtag #mealsonwheelsheroes. The #mealsonwheelsheroes poster can be downloaded at www.thenacc.co.uk Neel Radia, Meals on Wheels lead for the NACC, said: “This year, like the last, has seen the Meals on Wheels service still under immense pressure as it serves meals throughout the pandemic. We therefore feel that it’s only right and appropriate to use Meals on Wheels Week as a
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platform to show all those involved how grateful we are for their continued hard work and dedication. We encourage everyone to get involved with #mealsonwheelsheroes so we can show our collective gratitude. “At the same time, we’ll be highlighting the incredible value the service is having in our communities through our VIP on Wheels initiative. Meals on Wheels is so much more than just a meal and we’re very grateful to everyone who has given up their time to take part and share this important message with their networks.” Sue Cawthray, the national chair of the NACC, said: “As we approach our second Meals on Wheels Week set against the backdrop of the pandemic and the ever-changing challenges it produces, we once again salute all the Meals on Wheels services. They have adapted brilliantly and shown incredible determination to ensure older and vulnerable people living in our communities receive the nutrition, care and attention they need and deserve. “Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen how Meals on Wheels services have reinvented themselves in the face of adversity. The combination of the pandemic and reducing social care budgets has changed the Meals on Wheels landscape. From this we have seen innovation, creativity and brilliant new ways of working. New partnerships between local authorities, providers, charities and hospitality establishments, for example, have ensured continued support where it’s needed. We all have a responsibility to learn from each other, adapt and ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of older and vulnerable people in the community is a priority.” For more information on the NACC and Meals on Wheels Week visit www.thenacc.co.uk
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Over Eight Million People in the UK Receive Covid-19 Booster Jabs Over eight million people have now received their COVID-19 booster jab, the latest figures show, ensuring the protection they’ve secured from their first two doses is maintained over the winter months. Today’s figures follow hundreds of thousands of vaccinations over the weekend, with more than 820,000 administered since Friday. People who are eligible are also able to get a booster at hundreds of walk-in sites across the country from today, as long as it’s been six months since their second dose. A total of 8,115,229 people have received their booster jab in the UK. 45,712,351 people have received two doses (79.5%) and 48,790,855 people have received one dose (84.8%). Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “More than eight million people across the UK now have the vital protection boosters provide, keeping them and their loved ones safe over the coming months. “It’s never been easier to get your boost with walk-in sites across the country now open for those eligible – if it’s been six months since your second dose, get your booster as soon as you can.” The colder weather traditionally leads to increased transmission of viruses and will be challenging for the NHS. Vaccines give high levels of protection but immunity reduces over time, particularly for older adults and atrisk groups, so it is vital that vulnerable people come forward to get their COVID-19 booster vaccine to top-up their defences and protect themselves this winter. The latest evidence from SAGE shows that protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65%, up to 3 months after the second dose, to 45% six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90% to 65% for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95% to 75% for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99% to 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech. Although the vaccine efficacy against severe disease remains high, a small change can generate a major shift in hospital admissions. For example, a change from 95% to 90% against hospitalisation would lead to doubling of admissions in those vaccinated. The booster programme is designed to top up this waning immunity. Early results from Pfizer show that a booster following a primary schedule of the same vaccine restores protection back up to 95.6% against symptomatic infection. Last week, clinical guidance was updated to allow COVID-19 boosters to be given earlier to those at highest risk, where this makes operational sense to do so. This includes care home residents who may have received their second doses at different times to be vaccinated in the same session, as long as it has been
five months since their second dose. It may also help with other vulnerable groups, such as housebound patients, so that they can have their flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. Vaccine confidence is high with data from the Office for National Statistics showing nearly all (94%) of those aged 50 to 69 say they would be likely to get their COVID-19 booster if offered, with the figure rising to 98% for those over 70. People will be invited for the COVID-19 booster jab when it’s their turn – if they have not been contacted within a week of reaching six months since their second jab they can call 119, book online or walk into various sites across the country. Flu is another winter virus that can be serious. To give people the best protection over winter, those eligible for a free flu vaccine should come forward and book an appointment at either their GP practice or their local pharmacy, or take it up when offered by their employer or other healthcare provider. The government has launched a nationwide advertising campaign, encouraging people to get their booster and flu jabs to protect themselves and their loved ones and help reduce pressures on the NHS. This includes outdoor billboards, broadcast and community radio and TV. The offer of a first and second COVID-19 vaccine remains open to anyone who is eligible. 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 and vaccinations are taking place at sites including mosques, community centres and football stadiums. There are more than 500 extra vaccination sites now compared to April this year, with 1,697 vaccination centres in operation in April 2021, and over 2,200 vaccination centres in operation now. Vaccines are also available for those aged 12-15 to offer the best possible protection this winter in schools, as well as over 100 vaccine centres. Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy lead for the NHS vaccination programme, said: “The NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme continues at pace with eight million booster doses delivered across the UK, including more than 6.8 million in England alone. “Hundreds of thousands of people continue to book in for their vital boosters with a further 1.7 million invites due to land this week and the NHS has now opened up hundreds of walk-in sites across the country so people can get their top-up protection without delay. “The booster is not simply a nice to have – it will provide important extra protection as we go into the winter period. So if you have been invited or a family or friend has been invited – please do come forward”.
Discovery Community Fund Reopens to Somerset Groups Supporting People With Learning Disabilities and/or Autism Discovery, the organisation which supports people with learning disabilities and autism across Somerset, has invited groups across the county to submit applications for grants from the organisation’s Community Fund, which reopens on 2 November 2021. The Discovery Community Fund provides grants to support improvements in the health and independence of people with learning disabilities and/or autism across Somerset. This new round of funding will focus on supporting organisations to recover, innovate, and restart services in the wake of the pandemic. Applications through Somerset Community Foundation (SCF), who are administering the Fund, are welcomed for grants ranging from £500 to £50,000. Invitations are particularly encouraged from groups which tackle health inequalities, combat hate crime, and support people into employment. Projects to have successfully applied for funding in the past have been as diverse as Orchard Vale Trust’s online safety courses, Calvert Trust Exmoor’s adventure holidays, and PodPlus Frome’s expanded youth social club. The deadline for submissions is Friday 17 December 2021.
More information on the Discovery Community Fund, including guidance on how to apply for funding, is available on SCF’s website at www.somersetcf.org.uk/discovery
Helen Orford, Managing Director of Discovery, said: “We are delighted to reopen the Community Fund for a new round of funding, as it means that we can continue to support organisations across Somerset which share our commitment to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and autistic people across the county. If you are involved in supporting people to live a great life, then we would strongly encourage you to apply.” Andy Ridgewell, Senior Programmes Manager at Somerset Community Foundation added, “If you are involved with a group or organisation which supports people with learning disabilities and autism in Somerset, we would love to hear from you. Particularly if you have a project that will strengthen the transition to young adulthood, tackle health inequalities, support people into employment, remove barriers to community spaces, combat hate crime or put people with learning disabilities and autistic people in the lead. "Any community group or charitable organisation wishing to apply for funding should visit the SCF website where they can find guidance on how to make an application: www.somersetcf.org.uk/discovery or call us on 01749 344949.”
Care Home Residents Priorslee House Welcome Celebrate World Opera Day Their First Resident Ball gowns and arias were the order of the day at Bushey House Beaumont care home in Bushey
where residents were keen to get involved in World Opera Day. Staff and residents at Bushey House care home enjoyed a rousing live performance from Tenor Yuri Sabatini that bought a tear to many an eye. The life enrichment team held an opera-themed quiz which got very competitive as everyone tried to match the aria to the opera and then name the advert that the music had been used in which is far harder than it sounds! Then residents gathered in the lounge for drinks and joined The Royal Opera House for a live stream on the history of Opera. Ranjit Karavadra, General Manager
at Bushey House Beaumont commented: “Our residents love to listen to all different kinds of music, and to discuss their favourite songs and singers so World Opera Day was a fantastic reason for us all to spend the day listening to wonderful singers and operas from all over the world.” Hannah Clipston, Activity Coordinator at Bushey House, said: “Lots of people think opera is really stuffy but it is amazing how much opera music is part of everyday life, either as theme tunes or in ads on TV. People know far more opera music than they think they do – even if they’ve never been to see one!”
Priorslee House in Telford, which provides residential and residential memory care, have welcomed their first resident into the care home. Tuesday 26th of October marked the opening day for Priorslee, with Dorothy becoming their first official resident to move in. Dorothy has been counting down the days until she was allowed into her new home. Colleagues at the home welcomed Dorothy with a lovely bouquet of flowers
and her favourite box of chocolates. Dorothy went on to say that “It’s really lovely here and I feel so welcomed! The food is beautiful, and everyone is so kind and friendly”. Anita, the Home Manager also commented saying, “Its so wonderful to be able to finally be able to welcome Residents into the home. We have been working really hard to get everything ready and prepared for their arrival, I hope Dorothy feels right at home!”.
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Sunrise and Gracewell Join National Social Care Campaign Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare have joined a national government campaign to bolster recruitment in the social care sector. The Department for Health and Social Care are rolling out their latest phase of the national adult social care recruitment campaign, labelled ‘Made with Care’, from November 2021 until March 2022. The campaign will demonstrate the outstanding work undertaken by carers and celebrate the way in which they empower those they care for. It is the government’s hope to support care providers by recruiting the necessary staff currently needed in the sector. Sunrise and Gracewell are leading luxury care home providers, with 46 care homes across England and Wales serving approximately 2,400 residents. Their resident-centred approach delivers high quality care, tailored to the individual and their personal needs. Their care homes offer nursing, residential, dementia, respite and palliative care, as well as independent living. Their efforts within the campaign will tie in with the Skills for Care campaign, where vacancies across homes will be directly advertised.
Gracewell and Sunrise currently have over 350 vacancies across their homes, including in management positions. They are using the cam-
paign to hire predominantly care assistants and nurses. However, they are also on the lookout for non-care roles such as laundry assistants, chefs, housekeepers and receptionists.
Skills For Care explained: “The campaign will demonstrate the amazing work that care workers do, celebrating the way they empower the people they care for, and shining a light on the emotional reward of the role. It’s designed to support care providers in recruiting the dedicated staff they need by inspiring people with the right values to consider a career in social care.”
Helen, Shocker, Recruitment Business Partner at Sunrise Senior Living UK & Gracewell Healthcare, added: “We welcome the government’s efforts to address the shortage of workers in the health and social care sector and we will be doing everything in our power to drive the campaign and bolster our own internal recruitment. As well as advertising our vacancies through the Skills For Care campaign, we will be posting our openings directly. “If you are interested in a career in health and social care, please keep a look out for advertisements or feel free to get in touch!”
Inspirational’ Iraq Veteran Wins Prestigious Soldiering On Awards An ex-Rifleman left severely disabled by a bomb blast in Iraq has won a prestigious award in recognition of his charity fundraising. Stephen Vause was named winner of the Soldiering On Awards’ Inspiration category following a public vote, on 28 October. The 34-year-old lives at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton, and was nominated by the charity, which provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. Stephen undertook a gruelling 60-mile virtual London to Brighton cycle ride from his Royal Star & Garter room during the second lockdown, despite his injuries leaving him in a wheelchair and using a tablet to support communication. With the help of staff at the Upper Brighton Road care home, he completed the challenge on his adapted static bike in six weeks, raising more than £5,000 for Help for Heroes. The Soldiering On Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of those who have served their country, and the diverse people and groups who work together in support of the Armed Forces community. His achievement was praised by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who said: “Stephen has shown remarkable courage in dealing with his injuries and great fortitude in raising money for armed forces charities.
I take my metaphorical hat off to him for his latest fund raising exploit. I am full of admiration for him.” Stephen’s Help for Heroes fundraising efforts began on Christmas Eve 2020, and were backed by celebrities including Lord Sugar and Jeremy Vine. The final moments of his exploits on 1 February were captured on film by Royal Star & Garter staff and shared by Lorraine Kelly on her ITV breakfast show. Stephen also encouraged others to raise money with him using #do60withSteve. His Help for Heroes fundraising is not the first time Stephen has demonstrated kindness and generosity. In 2018, when his sister raised
money for Royal Star & Garter by participating in Other finalists in the Inspiration category were Margo Hetherington MBE, Mark Ormrod MBE and Martin Hewitt. Stephen said: “I’m stunned. I want to thank everyone who voted for me, but I also want to share this award with the other finalists. They all deserved to win.” Royal Star & Garter works closely with Help for Heroes, who also funded a bespoke wheelchair and specialist gym equipment to support Stephen’s care. Carol Betteridge OBE, Head of Clinical & Medical Services at Help for Heroes, said: “Huge congratulations to Steve for winning such a highly fought category where all the finalists are absolute inspirations. Steve fights every day to manage his physical injuries so his fundraising challenge for us was a major undertaking, and he did it with such determination and humour. He shows us all the great things you can achieve when you put your mind to it. He is an absolute hero.” Stephen was just 19 and on his first tour of Iraq, serving with the 4th Battalion The Rifles, when a mortar explosion near Basra left him fighting for his life in 2007. Speaking after he finished his London to Brighton fundraiser, Stephen said: “Help for Heroes have helped me a great deal and I wanted to do something for them.”
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National Care Group Director Faces Fear in Honour of Frontline Workers Mike Cleasby quality director at National Care Group has faced his fears to plummet from 16,500 feet, raising a fantastic £2,000 by skydiving for two charities close to his heart. Mike selected Teeside Hospice and Macmillan as worthy beneficiaries of the jump, which he undertook in memory of his parents and in recognition of the hard work and resilience shown by care workers during the pandemic. Mike dedicated his jump to his mother who sadly passed away earlier this year following his first skydive seven years ago on behalf of his father. Having lost both parents to cancer, Mike said he wanted to find a way to give back. The feat was made all the more impressive by Mike’s fear of heights, and the fact that the jump came from 6,500 feet higher than initially planned due to poor weather conditions. Mike said: “Well, my thoughts were that a skydive would at least be shorter than doing the London Marathon! I am actually not very good with heights, and the cold air and strong winds took my breath away. “But I think this type of achievement brings home the message home that we are all stronger than we think. Sometimes when you’re up against it and even when you’re afraid, you just have to remember you’ve got a bit more in
you. Especially if it means helping others – which I know everyone at National Care Group can relate to.” Mike enlisted the help of Peterlee Parachute Centre in County Durham where he was able to take in the view of the city and cathedral below, before the thrilling jump. “The National Care Group team has been amazing – they had a shirt designed for me that I wore on the day and have been overwhelming in their sponsorship” he added. “I couldn’t have asked for more. It has also helped bring some closure and reflect on a positive experience. Even at our worst times, we can all dig a little deeper, and the resilience from colleagues during the past couple of years has shown that.” James Allen, CEO at National Care Group, said: “Giving back is something embedded within National Care Group’s ethos, so it brings me a great sense of pride to see how the team is doing that outside of work. What Mike has achieved in memory of his parents and in recognition of our amazing team is wonderful and it is testament to his role as quality director. It was great to see the support of colleagues, who all got behind Mike in his fundraising and celebrated this achievement.”
Four HC-One Colleagues Shortlisted for Awards at the Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Awards for the North East Region Four HC-One Colleagues from care homes across the North East of England have been shortlisted as finalists by the judging panel at the Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Awards for the North East region. The achievement of these four finalists is recognition of their hard work and kind care shown to Residents, Relatives and Colleagues as well as the dedication and passion they show every day to ensure the people they support receive the best quality care. HC-One’s finalists for the Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Awards for the North East region are: Kinga Kowaliczek, Home Manager at Greenways Court Care Home, HC-One, finalist in The Care Home Registered Manager Award Category Kinga is a Care Home Registered Manager who demonstrates a high level of expertise and supports her Colleagues to meet the everchanging needs of the Residents she cares for. Kinga has progressed from being a Carer to her current position as Home Manager at Greenways Court. In her role as Home Manager, Kinga is essentially ‘everything to everyone’ - a listening ear and friend for the Residents and their loved ones, a role model and leader for the team, and a regulatory and compliance manager for the organisation who manages the service to deliver good commercial outcomes. Fiona Inman, Senior Carer at Eden House Care Home, HCOne, finalist in The Care Home Worker Award Category Fiona has been recognised for
the significant role she plays at Eden House providing a high-quality standard of care to Residents at the home. She shows dedication and ambition to progress with her career development and training. Carole Allen, Head Housekeeper at Eden House Care Home, HC-One, finalist in The Social Care COVID Hero Award Category Carole has been shortlisted for this special award as she has demonstrated that she has gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic and crisis. She shows creativity, innovation and is flexible with her approach. Carole has shown selflessness, dedication and commitment to maintaining and ensuring the safety of others, whilst also keeping in mind and taking care of the physical and emotional wellbeing of fellow Colleagues, Residents and their loved ones. Debbie White, Senior Home Manager at Eastbourne House Care Home, HC-One, finalist in The Care Home Registered Manager Award Category Debbie is a Care Home Registered Manager who uses her wide range of exceptional skills to manage the complex business of running a care home. As a Senior Home Manager, she shows vision in developing person centred care. Debbie leads her team to be ‘as one’ and inspires them to be the best they can be, to ensure the team are knowledgeable and effective, and overall happy and want to come to work to deliver the best care. Debbie possesses the essential characteristics of maintaining the reg-
Holding Fire Doors Open Legally Fire doors, which are part of fire safety provision within care settings can pose a barrier to the mobility and wellbeing of residents. Residents can feel isolated and alone as the closing action of the fire door closer fitted to their room door doesn’t allow them to keep their door open. They are unable to interact with staff and other residents as they walk past their room, which can impact on their mental wellbeing. Gangways with fire doors and closers are also hard to manoeuvre if you are frail. Don’t be tempted, though, to use an object or door wedge to hold fire doors open, this is a breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and you could find yourself facing a heavy fine or even a custodial sentence. However, there are ways of legally holding fire doors open, which enhance the independent mobility of the elderly without compromising
ulatory requirements and managing the service to deliver good commercial outcomes. Nicola Bales, Managing Director at HC-One, commented: “I am extremely proud that four HC-One Colleagues across our care homes in the North East of England are being recognised as finalists at the prestigious, Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Awards for the North East region. The pandemic has presented many challenges for our Colleagues and care homes but it has also highlighted the amazing work our Colleagues do in our homes, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. “Our Colleagues have worked together to do so much to help, support and care for our Residents living in our care homes. Being named as finalists acknowledges their hard work and the kind care that they have shown to each other, Residents and Relatives, as well as the dedication and passion they show every day to ensure the people they support receive the best quality care. “The awards highlight their acts of kindness, the great work they are doing in our homes and provide us with a chance to say thank you to them for the selfless work they continue to do every single day.” The Great British Care Awards consist of 21 awards, which cover a wide range of areas of the social care sector. The awards are a series of regional events throughout the UK and are a celebration of distinction across the care sector. The awards pay tribute to those who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their area of work. The award ceremony of the Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Awards for the North East region takes place at the Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park in Newcastle on Wednesday 24th November 2021 when the winners will be announced. Successful winners at the North East regional awards will progress to the national finals of the Great British Care Awards 2021 taking place on Friday 18th March 2022. James Tugendhat, HC-One’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have four HC-One finalists chosen by the judging panel for the Great British Care Awards, Regional Awards for the North East region this year. This is an amazing achievement, and I am so proud of our finalists. “Being shortlisted as finalists at these prestigious awards is a testament to the dedication of my Colleagues, even in the most challenging of times. They have truly gone above and beyond to provide the kindest care to Residents living in our care homes, as we strive to be the first-choice care provider in each of the communities that we serve.”
your fire safety integrity. Certified fire door holders and retainers can be fitted to fire doors, enabling them to be pinned open. Fitting battery-operated door retainers, such as Dorgard, Dorgard SmartSound and Freedor SmartSound could not be easier and they provide you with a legal solution to holding your fire doors open. Easily installed by your handyman they can be fitted to existing fire doors. These devices ‘listen’ for the sound of your fire alarm and on hearing it will automatically activate and allow your fire door to close, preventing the spread of fire. Fitting Dorgards on fire doors along corridors will empower your residents to independently move from one area to another, increasing their independence as well as contributing to good mental health. To ensure that you can fit the right type of fire door retainer to suit your needs Dorgard have developed a range of products. Dorgard original is best suited to small or medium settings with low to normal noise levels, whereas Dorgard SmartSound can provide the right solution for noisier environments where the enhanced sound recognition is beneficial. Dorgard Pro offers the ability to manage up to 500 fire doors and gives you a ‘one glance’ check system, ideal for large premises. Holding fore doors open gives you the added benefit of increasing ventilation as well as reducing common touch points, which can prevent the spread of viruses. If you would like to find out more about Dorgard or to discuss your needs further with our knowledgeable customer care team please call 0800 612 6287 or visit www.safelincs.co.uk/dorgards.
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Belong Named Best for Care Provision at HealthInvestor Awards Not-for-profit care village operator Belong, which has seven locations across the North West, has taken the title for Best Care Provision at this year’s HealthInvestor Seniors Housing Awards. The national award is recognition of the provider’s innovative approach to care, including its pioneering village model and adoption of technology to improve outcomes for apartment tenants, as well as its response to the coronavirus pandemic and commitment to sustainable growth. Commenting on the win, Belong’s Chief Executive, Tracey Stakes, said: “Judging
was based on all aspects of our organisation, from leadership and training and development opportunities to growth and potential for future expansion. To receive such an accolade is therefore a vote of confidence in our unique model and our strong platform to diversify into further locations around the UK and achieve our In other awards success, Belong has been shortlisted in the Housing with Care category at the prestigious LaingBuisson Awards 2021, the winners of which will be announced at a ceremony at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza hotel in London in November.
Healthcare Assistant Daniel Delights St Fillans Residents with His Superb Singing Daniel is a Healthcare Assistant at St Fillans Care Home in Colchester who has been delighting the people who live there with his tuneful renditions of their favourite songs. Daniel has worked in the care sector for 10 years and is currently working towards his nursing degree. In his spare time, he is incredibly passionate about singing, and strives to bring his love for music into his work life. Daniel regularly showcases his talents at St Fillans through live performances for the people living at the home. He regularly takes requests, asking individual residents for
their favourite songs and serenading them with his amazing voice. Daniel’s talents were thrust into the spotlight over the summer, when a video of him singing ‘Hallelujah’ to one of the people living in the home received over 15k likes on St Fillans’ Facebook page! Daniel’s talent has such a positive impact on the people living in St Fillans, as they are big lovers of live music, and having it as a permanent feature at the home really helps to brighten their days.
Cleva Launches to Bring Fintech Revolution to the Care Sector Cleva, a fintech developed for the home care sector, has launched its payments system for home care agencies – bringing a safe, quick and easy way for carers to shop and handle expenses for people under their care using a single card, and removing the hassle and admin of using cash. The new system brings proven technology developed by a leading UK-fintech to a whole new market, enabling care agency staff to spend more time looking after the clients they care for, and ensuring transparency of payments for both those under care and their families. Cleva is available for care agencies today and additional information can be found at www.cle-
vacard.com. Cleva provides every client with a digital wallet which can be loaded and monitored by them and their family. Each care worker then has a single Cleva Mastercard prepaid debit card which they can use for all of their clients, and an app which allows them to select a client’s digital wallet and spend on their behalf. Until now, carers have had to juggle petty cash, paper receipts and allocating correct change for each of their clients – which is complex and time-consuming to manage when buying items for multiple clients at once. “The core business of care agencies is to look after their clients and dealing with petty cash means they have less time to do that. In particular, when looking after multiple people, the manual payment reconciliation alone creates piles of unnecessary admin,” said Tom Bishop, CMO at Cleva. “We built Cleva to solve this issue using the same fintech approach which has revolutionised payments for consumers in the UK. Cleva delivers a better way, saving time and hassle for carers while also giving peace of mind to agencies, their clients and their families.” Cleva significantly eases agencies’ time and cost of managing a remote team of care workers by providing the care agency with a comprehensive web-based management system that allows full oversight of all payments and usage. The prepaid debit cards can be activated, deactivated and topped-up with funds without the need to divert the care worker to visit the local office. Security features include a range of payment restrictions, preventing payments being made across certain controlled areas including gambling and adult services, alerts when payments are made on the card, and full oversight of card usage by both the client, their family and the care agency.About Cleva Cleva is the first fintech developed specifically for the care sector bringing a safe, quick, and easy way for carers to make payments and buy things for the multiple people under their care all using a single managed prepaid card - removing the hassle and admin associated with using cash. Cleva brings proven technology developed by a leading UK-fintech to the care sector, enabling carers to spend more time looking after the clients they care for, and ensuring transparency of payments for both those under care and their families. Cleva is available for care agencies today and additional information can be found at www.clevacard.com. The Cleva card is issued by Transact Payments Limited pursuant to licence by Mastercard International Incorporated. Transact Payments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
C&S Seating Ltd is 30 Years Old! Since 1991, C&S Seating has been providing postural control equipment to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and medical equipment services nationwide and supply regularly to the NHS. With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls, in a removable and machine washable, Waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes. C&S Seating is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support - ideal when more control of the abducted lower limb is required (see photo) which has removable side cushions and middle pommel; this is available in small or large. Our popular range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that fit easily over our standard Waterproof rolls. Soft Knit material provides maximum comfort – ideal for the colder seasons and can also fit snug over our waterproof rolls for maximum protection.
The Carer Reader Exclusive Celebrate 30 years with C&S, when you purchase a Waterproof or Soft Knit covered T-Roll or Log Roll you can purchase a spare cover for just £30.00 inc VAT. This offer will run until 21st December 2021. Quote offer code CARER30 when placing your order. It is recommended you seek professional advice to select the correct product depending on your needs. Please visit our website for full returns policy and further information. Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit www.cands-seating.co.uk to request or download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order.
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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Uniquely Adapted Clothing By Adaptawear At Adaptawear we specialise in uniquely adapted clothing for day and night. Our garments are designed to help improve independent and assisted dressing, removing the limitations of conventional clothes. A key product in our night time range is the Iona Nightie; fully opening at the back and at both shoulders, it can be put on from a lying or seated position. It ensures dignified toileting due to it’s open-back with generous overlap. Another unique product to Adaptawear are the All-InOne Pyjamas, these feature shoulder to ankle and between the legs zips. These pyjamas are designed to enable carers to dress a person from a lying position. They are suitable for people who have a tendency to inappropriately disrobe and help avoid picking and smearing behaviour. They also allow easy and quick access for toileting.
Our day time range is particularly popular with those who can independently dress with a few discreet adaptations. These include; velcro/magnetic shirts, front fastening bras, pull on elasticated waist trousers and discreet open back day and nightwear. Adaptawear clothing can help improve the life of those living with a variety of conditions and many of our items are available with VAT relief. 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.
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:
The Power of Scent It has been known for many decades that fragrance has the power to evoke emotions and memories, whether it is smelling a perfume that reminds you of an occasion in the past or a loved one that perhaps wore the fragrance or bought it for you, scent can bring back all of those happy memories and occasions. Your olfactory system is responsible for your sense of smell. Often called the “emotional brain”, it can instantly prompt powerful responses and memories. For instance, the scent of lemon might make you think of the lemon tree in your back garden growing up, but for another person it might be associated with the cleaning products their parents used in their childhood home. Having lost both parents to dementia, I remember going to see my mam in her care home and presenting her with a perfume that she wore occasionally for special occasions, at this stage she did not know my name, but I sprayed the perfume into the air and within seconds she told me what the perfume was and then over the next 30 minutes she was reminiscing of the times gone past, this had the same effect when we played her music to her, the memories and emotions came flooding back. Whether you use essential oils, fragrance oils or a mixture of both the scent can play a major part in your wellbeing and mood, for instance the aroma of fresh citrus and fresh green notes will make you feel uplifted, awake and fresh,
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.
while rich fresh floral notes will give you a feeling of happiness, and spring and summer, while oriental will give you a feeling of warmth and a relaxed state of mind. At scentworks we offer a substantial range of essential oils, fragrance oils and formulations of both to suit all environments and needs whether it is for communal areas, washrooms, waste areas, offices, personal rooms, entrances etc. Our oils are all manufactured within the UK and are all IFRA controlled and compliant. Our scent diffusion equipment is discreet but also stylish, very quiet and very low maintenance, requiring only 1-2 service visits per year on self-replenished units which helps to keep costs to a minimum, from as little £1 per day. We have a selection of scent diffusion equipment with a wide range of coverage from small tabletop units suitable for an office environment, floor or wall mounted options for medium sized areas and up to larger units that connect directly to an air conditioning system above a roof void. All our scent diffusion equipment is programmable, which means that once set up you can just enjoy the fragrance not having to worry about switching the machine off as it will happen automatically. We offer a wide range of pricing solutions, whether this would be renting or purchasing of equipment along with fragrance and equipment packages, we are totally flexible to suit your requirements. Visit www.scentworkssolutions.com or see the advert on page 12.
MOWOOT II for Constipation Free Life MOWOOT II - a novel noninvasive and non-pharmacological solution to chronic constipation Developed by a team of medical professionals, MOWOOT II performs gentle abdominal massage that speeds up intestinal transit in the sufferers of chronic constipation. Clinically proven and sideeffects free, MOWOOT II Chronic Constipation Therapy System fights constipation effectively, safely and comfortably without laxatives, enemas or colon cleansing supplements. Comfortable to use MOWOOT II treats and manages chronic constipation in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease and medication-related constipation problems. MOWOOT II also combats idiopathic chronic constipation of menopausal and post-menopausal women and elderly people. In a published clinical study*, MOWOOT II increased evacuation frequency, softened stools, improved regularity, reduced gasses and bloating and relieved
abdominal discomfort. Results showed that as many as 72.2% patients experienced increased bowel movements, 77.4% patients manifested reduction in constipation symptoms and 81.0% patients enjoyed better quality of life. 10 – 20 minutes per day of abdominal massage with MOWOOT II demonstrates improvements with significant results noted within days after the first treatment. Regular applications ensure positive health benefits and better quality of life. MOWOOT II – effective, safe and comfortable solution to chronic constipation!
* McClurg D; Booth L; Herrero-Fresneda I. Safety and Efficacy of Intermittent Colonic Exoperistalsis Device to Treat Chronic Constipation: A Prospective Multicentric Clinical Trial. Clin Trans Gastroenterology 2020; 11(12): e00267.
Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com
Specialist Dementia Bathroom Design Guide Launched by AKW AKW, a leading provider of accessible home solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of a new guide to creating dementia-friendly bathrooms. Produced with advice and support from specialist dementia design advisers at the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), it offers best practice guidance on designing this important space. The bathroom is one of the most challenging and dangerous places for a person with dementia and Dementia Friendly Design aims to compensate for the changes people experience when living with this condition. Importantly, a dementia-friendly bathroom doesn’t need to cost more than a standard bathroom adaptation, but the products and guidelines regarding colour etc. need to be followed to ensure maximum safety and comfort. Lynsey Hutchinson, Senior Interior Designer at DSDC, University of Stirling, comments: “The bathroom, despite being one of the smallest rooms to design in any building, is one of the most complicated. Indeed, there are at least ten tonal considerations within a bathroom or shower room. These include tonal contrast
for surfaces / critical planes such as walls, floors, doors, skirtings, sanitary ware and toilet seats which should achieve a minimum contrast of 30 points LRV (Light Reflectance Value) in order to see one object against another.” Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW explains why the new dementia guide has been developed: “We have worked with the University of Stirling to translate the complex issue of dementia into practical design points that can be easily applied in any bathroom adaptation. The guide details the seven major dementia challenges that impact bathroom design and gives specific advice on what to install and where, to help overcome these issues. From flooring colour to lighting placement, the guide has it all.” For health and care professionals, specifiers, relatives, contractors and social landlords wanting to find out more, AKW’s Guide to Creating Dementia-Friendly Bathrooms is available to download from https://www.akw-ltd.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2021/08/3121AKW-Dementia-guide-12pp_LR.pdf See the advert on page 9 for further details.
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 or see page 10.
Scrubs UK and Uniforms UK
Scrubs UK and Uniforms UK are part of Uniform Group UK Ltd suppliers of Medical and Healthcare Uniforms. Our main aim is to provide the best products at the most competitive prices and are proud to be an ‘NHS approved supplier’. We pride ourselves on our excellent reputation and customer service and firmly believe that building relationships with our customer is key to offering the best service possible. Our uniforms meet infection-control requirements and offer the best in durability and comfort. We stock a wide range of styles, colours and sizes to suit everyone. Our own brand ‘Scrubs UK Premium’ range is one of our best sellers offering all day comfort together with durability and of course style! WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND YOU A FREE SAMPLE OF OUR SCRUBS UK PREMIUM SCRUBS SET PERSONALISED WITH YOUR LOGO FOR YOU TO SEE FOR YOURSELVES!
Renray Healthcare Renray Healthcare has been producing high quality furniture for over 50 years and is one of the UK’s largest and leading suppliers to the healthcare sector. Whether you require a fast efficient delivery of quality furniture or a full room installation and fitting service, we have the experience and resources to handle your contract. We manufacture and assemble our products in our own purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe to British Standards. Hence we are able to ensure your furniture is produced to the highest quality, working with you to plan and meet your projects time schedule and budget. We understand you are purchasing furniture that is fit for purpose, stylish and will continue to perform well into the future, which is why we design and build our
We stock all major brands including, Cherokee, Dickies, Behrens, Alexandra, Koi, Orange Standard, Simki and Skechers. Healthcare uniforms come in all shapes and sizes, and we sell them all! We can also provide you with your catering staff, maintenance and reception uniforms. PERSONALISATION OF UNIFORMS IS OUR SPECIALITY! All embroidery is carried out in-house so we are able to react quickly to your order. For a limited time, we are offering FREE EMBROIDERY SET UP (normally £20) to all new customers. You will always speak personally to a member of our team when you call who are more than happy to help you with your requirements. Call today on 01270 814141 or visit www.scrubsuk.com or www.uniforms-uk.com See the advert on page 20.
furniture with you in mind. Telephone: +44 (0)1606 593456, Email: info@renrayhealthcare.com, www.renrayhealthcare.com or see the advert on page 3 for details.
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CATERING FOR CARE Has The Pandemic Created A Permanent Change In The Way Catering Operates? Rupert Lynch, Client Relationship Manager and Executive Chef at allmanhall, the independently owned food procurement expert, discusses whether the pandemic has led to permanent changes in the way catering operators work. Have caterers adapted and improved their operations as a result, or are they likely to return to the old ways of doing things.
REVIEWING STAFF AND OPERATIONAL PROCESSES
Circa 18 months since the start of the pandemic, catering establishments are now well versed in the intricacies of ‘Covid compliance’. Kitchens have adapted to an ever-changing environment that was outside of their control and devised systems that could cope with the guidelines laid down by the Government. Following the relaxing of all rules in England, catering teams have undertaken risk assessments to ascertain whether all or some of the changes made over the previous year are required or whether they could adapt and implement some of the ‘enforced’ changes to enable a better and more efficient operation. Catering teams are still hesitant to make too many alterations, but many have relished the ‘new normal’ and many changes will now become permanent. These include the way the canteen or foodservice facility is laid out, how food is served (self-serve or served) the number of items on the menu and myriad of other changes that albeit were previously enforced, have now proved to be highly beneficial. For example, structuring lunch
service in schools, care homes and offices, to enable reduced volumes in canteens has been substantiated as a very successful practice, however this does have an impact on staffing hours in order to cope with the longer lunch service. Another benefit has been the introduction of split services, utilising servery counters to mirror a like-for-like service across the canteen, the offering has been reduced. In some instances, this has meant the lunch period allocated has been maintained, but at the same time held additional costs despite no increases regarding labour hours or shifts. One key consideration caterers have had to deal with was addressing the risk of a complete kitchen shutdown due to one or more staff testing positive. This has been a very real concern and limitation; a number of kitchen teams we have spoken to have stated they will be maintaining a ‘bubble’ status, whilst still trying to ensure an element of flexibility. Keeping teams working in bubbles has so far meant that some catering teams have been able to maintain a service even during the “ping-demic” of summer 2021. The indication at the time of writing is that many are looking to revert to pre-pandemic operational processes for their foodservice, including the use of crockery and cutlery in place of disposables.
SUPPLY CHAIN CONSIDERATIONS
Supply chain challenges and disruption continued into the summer period and has been further exacerbated by the shortage of HGV & LGV delivery drivers and issues surrounding availability of product. Catering operations must ensure they have adequate stock going into the autumn and are going to need be prepared to change menus, last minute. Service level agreements with suppliers are now subject to increased scrutiny and operators are going to fair best by being understanding of
Major NEW Product Launches Make a Change for the Better! Keeping healthy is increasingly seen as a social responsibility with many consumers now being motivated to protect their health not just for themselves but also for the ‘greater good’. In research that Major carried out, a staggering 93% described strengthening their immune system as important. That’s why at Major they have been busy creating an industry first… A gravy which
not only tastes amazing but is a great source of Vitamin D! Major’s Instant Gravy is allergen free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, meets 2024 salt targets and is available in two varieties, perfect for meat and poultry dishes. Want to find out more and try for yourself, simply drop us an email at: higham_ferrers.samples@givaudan.com or give us a call on 01933 356012 quoting The Carer for your free sample. See the advert on the previous page for details.
the situation, aware that they may not receive deliveries within their agree window. From allmanhall’s insight into how both clients and suppliers are adapting and planning ahead, it seems that the majority of catering teams are managing this well, communicating, showing flexibility and placing orders day 1 for day 3 as a minimum.
HYGIENE
By their nature, kitchens are designed with good hygiene in mind and the pandemic forced an even more rigorous cleaning regime. Areas to keep a focus on are key touch points, cleaning regularly and deep cleaning the whole kitchen area at least once a week. A number of clients have spoken of the changes they have made to their shift and staffing requirements to facilitate this, and the extra training that has been required, too.
OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FUTURE
The majority of catering operators allmanhall has spoken to have indicated they will revert back to pre-pandemic levels and processes for some operational activities, notably the way the menu is designed. During the pandemic, menus were reduced to cope with the extra demand on staffing levels and time taken to pre-package food for delivery across campuses, for example. That said, having discussed this with a number of catering teams, they have largely indicated that although there will be more choice back on the menus, they will tailor it in such a way that the production methods are no more labour intensive than they have been over the last 18-month period. Operators have taken this opportunity to review their existing procedures and practises and implemented changes that they may have been previously considering, as improvements. See the advert on the facing page for details.
Cracking New Egg Dishes For Care Homes from Chef Martin McKee
Martin McKee, former NACC Care Chef of the Year, has created a series of new recipe videos showing how British Lion eggs can be used to create exciting, creative, and nutrient dense dishes to support the needs of care home residents. The recipes have been created to reflect the growing trend for menu simplification that has emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting staff and skills shortages, as well as incorporating nutritious ingredients in an original way. The five recipes have been developed in association with a specialist dietician to meet various nutritional requirements of residents, including undernourishment, dementia and dysphagia. The dishes include both savoury and sweet recipes and include Chicken and Leek Stuffed Mushroom; Deconstructed Spanish Omelette; Smoked Turkey, Cranberry and Egg Fried Sandwich; Lemon Meringue Pie; and a Custard Filled Doughnut. All the recipes are designed to serve 12 or more people and are easy to follow. British Lion eggs are approved by The Food Standards Agency to be eaten runny or
even raw by vulnerable groups, including care home residents. Before the change in advice for Lion eggs, care homes had to restrict the way they served eggs, but the change in 2017 meant that care home residents could once again enjoy a dippy egg, and benefit from a range of other nutritious, and delicious egg-based dishes. Martin said: ‘’Eggs are a must on care home menus and are a fantastically versatile ingredient. I have created a range of savoury and sweet recipes, calling on familiar favourites with a modern touch. The recipes I’ve created highlight the nutritional benefits of eggs, as they contain key vitamins and minerals and are high in protein which is essential for care home residents’ diets. I have also ensured that the recipes are straightforward and easy to replicate so that they can be enjoyed in care homes of any scale.” The video recipes are available to view on British Lion eggs YouTube channel and can also be found on www.egginfo.co.uk/tv See the advert on page 32 for further details.
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HYGIENE AND INFECTION CONTROL A Person-Centred Approach To Mobility and Hygiene across care settings and need to encompass both physical and cognitive capabilities determined through individual assessment. Assisted hygiene solutions are designed to allow you to work in an ergonomically sound position, to reduce the risk of injury, whilst supporting a beneficial interaction with your resident. Caregiver safety is paramount, and factors, which affect the risk of musculoskeletal injury, should be considered, such as: • The number, type and functional mobility levels of residents being transferred or participating in hygiene routines • The inadequacy (or absence) of suitable equipment • Restricted spaces • Lack of education and training for care skills To mitigate these risks, evidence has demonstrated that education alone is insufficient. Use of the right equipment improves caregiver safety and reduces injury-related costs for the organisation. Understanding functional mobility, combined with selection of appropriate equipment to support your resident and caregiver can assist in addressing this challenge. Visit www.arjo.com or see the advert on page 22.
Maintaining a level of independence and involvement in activities of daily living for those in your care can be a challenge. Using the Mobility Gallery™ assessment tool (figure 1) allows you to understand a person’s functional mobility, the level of assistance required, the risk to the caregiver and the importance to stimulate functional mobility.
Person centred care places the resident at the centre of all we do. This assessment tool helps to optimise the mobility of the resident, improve dignified care and reduces the risk of injury to both the resident and the caregiver. Promoting mobility is the driving force behind The Positive Eight™ philosophy shown in figure 2. When looking at specific hygiene tasks, needs differ significantly
Waterless Bathing Products Could Help Nurses Reduce the Risk of Infection Transmission
By Yvonne Carter, Clinical Director at GAMA Healthcare (https://gamahealthcare.com/) and previously Head of Infection Control at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (www.royalfree.nhs.uk)
For both nurses and carers, helping patients with their personal hygiene and bathing are essential components in quality of life and quality of care. Bathing has been argued to have a strong effect on patient well-being and patient comfort. For immobile patients, sometimes, a body wash in bed is the only option. Traditionally, the bed bath is performed with water and soap. However, alternatives are increasingly used in health care. Washing without water is one such alternative that has been claimed to provide several advantages, such as improved hygiene and skin condition. In practice, it is fast, minimises discomfort and results in less mess. In two studies, nursing staff have significantly preferred washing without water over traditional bathing.i Built on the experience from GAMA’s founders, the Carell wipes are an easyto-use bathing solution to clean, moisturise and refresh. Delivering a full body wash in a single product and no need to spend time gathering supplies. They contain aloe vera and active moisturisers to promote healthy skin. They're dermatologically tested, alcohol, lanolin and paraben free with a patented skin-pH neutral formula.
SPEED AND EFFICIENCY Wipes replace the need for traditional cumbersome patient cleansing methods, which include preparing bowls, washcloths, soap, lotions and water. They require no towel drying which decreases waste, increases staff compliance and may save money. A time in motion study comparing traditional bed bathing with waterless bathing in elderly care wards was carried out in practice, finding that staff saved 40 minutes whilst delivering care to six patients.i
In the previously mentioned study, it was found that the experience was preferred by patients and improved staff practice due to the simple one pack one person formulation.i The drying time for the wipes is minimal, reducing the need for abrasive towelling, whilst the wipes themselves are soft. A study showed the prevalence of skin abnormalities in the traditional bathing group increased overtime, whilst the waterless bathing group observed a decrease in abnormality prevalence.i Additionally, another study showed a significant difference in skin dryness, favouring the waterless group.ii
INFECTION PREVENTION Carell wipes also remove the risk of microorganism transmission associated with wash bowl contamination, risks from re-using washbowls between patients, spillage, non-drying of washbowls or less than effective decontamination between washbowl uses. Improved patient cleanliness reduces the number of microorganisms present to transfer to healthcare workers, visitors and the environment The wipes are designed for use on each area of the body and can be used and disposed of safely, breaking the chain of transmission via bath basins. Once waterless bathing has been completed, wipes can be resealed in their original packaging and safely disposed of. This reduces the risk of outbreaks and HCAIs associated with drainage systems. A randomised trial into the cost-consequence of washing without water revealed there is no difference in costs verses traditional bed bathing, making waterless washing the more efficient alternative.i Find out more about Carell Wipes and access to dedicated training/resources on waterless bathing https://gamahealthcare.com/carell i https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25173772/
PATIENT COMFORT AND PREFERENCE
ii https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-017-0425-4
Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem. As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with
silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%. For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags. You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.
Haigh - Discover the Benefits of Disposable Bedpans Working with care operators nationwide, Haigh helps simplify pad and pan disposal. Clients have reduced or eliminated waste bag collections, resulting in cleaner, nicer sluice rooms. Haigh can minimise the hassle involved in change, with delivery planning, installations, staff training, and ongoing servicing capabilities; so you can focus on infection control and a great patient experience. The Haigh team has been working alongside care providers to adapt to new ways of delivering maintenance, service and user training to fit with on site teams and the additional constraints that the latest infection control and test procedures bring. This has been well received, for example one
multi-site care operator has also achieved significant operational cost benefits by moving a wide rage of maintenance services inhouse, including waste disposal, and benefited from the expert support that Haigh have provided. With an in depth understanding of the end to end process for patient waste disposal, right through to the point where it is no longer the responsibility of the site, we know what is best for drainage and compliant effluent as well as the importance of reliability of the waste disposal machines themselves. For more information on how the Haigh team can help improve your pad and pan disposal processes please call or email the team at info@haigh.co.uk
PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
HYGIENE AND INFECTION CONTROL Power Driving Productivity In today’s world, the cleaning industry faces complex challenges and increased demands where cleaning is about keeping people safe. Increasing productivity is the key to meeting these demands and increasing standards. The new NX300 Pro Cordless network from Numatic delivers professional level cordless performance to a versatile and expanding range. Quicker, safer and more convenient, switching to Pro Cordless raises productivity levels, saving time and money. An extensive research and development programme utilising the latest battery technologies has resulted in the newly developed 30 cell design, delivering a 60% increase in available energy. The
NX300 battery pack has been engineered and tested for extended commercial use. Investing in the right cordless network will drive cost efficiency and return on investment. Networked solutions reduce purchase and maintenance costs. Users can specify and ultimately reduce charger and battery requirements, delivering up to a 50% savings compared to stand-alone cordless fleets. The NX range includes both cylinder and back-pack vacuums while floorcare is covered with the ever popular TTB1840NX scrubber dryer and the newest additions with the 244NX compact scrubber dryer and RSU150NX Sanitise Pro. To find our more visit: www.numatic.co.uk/nx300
Brookvale Care Home Relies on Rensair to Deliver 24x7 Clean Air
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
Air purification specialist Rensair has supplied Brookvale care home, located in Prestwich near Manchester, with portable, hospital-grade air purifiers to help prevent the transmission of Covid-19. Brookvale is a care home for adults with learning and physical disabilities, providing a calm, relaxed place to live and visit. “That calm and tranquility was challenged when the pandemic hit”, said Carl Richmond, CEO at Brookvale. “It became clear that we needed to put measures in place to ensure that we’re better equipped to deal with further potential outbreaks.” After conducting research, Brookvale sought advice from Rensair and, following a site visit to assess communal areas and occupancy levels, received a proposal based on the company’s modular, portable air purifiers. Rensair's patented technology, originally developed to meet the strict air quality requirements of Scandinavian hospitals, has since been adopted worldwide by doctor and dental practices, care homes and hospitals, including several NHS trusts. “Rensair’s pre-Covid experience
with hospitals added credibility and we had some prior knowledge of UV disinfection because of our hydrotherapy pool”, said Carl. It stands to reason that trapping pathogens with HEPA before destroying them with UVC light is more effective than fly-by-kill methods on moving targets.” In a test to determine the Rensair unit’s performance in reducing the concentration of Covid-19 particles in the air (using MS2 bacteriophages as a proxy for SARSCoV-2) , the Danish Technological Institute recorded a particle reduction rate of 99.98 % in 15 minutes and above 99.99 % in 30 minutes. Furthermore, the test reported 100% elimination of virus particles on the filter, with zero traces detected. “We now feel that the health of those within our care at Brookvale is properly protected and their families are reassured”, concluded Carl. “Equally important is the protection of mental wellbeing. For our clients, that means being allowed to continue their scheduled activities as well as enjoying unrestricted family visits.” See the advert on this page for details.
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 43
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS
Keeping Care Homes Hygienic Textile Services Association provides support for care homes looking to improve laundry hygiene bagging soiled items, separate storage areas for soiled and clean textiles,
The Textile Services Association (TSA) has released guidance aimed at the care home sector to help explain how laundry helps control infections and how commercial laundries can help to raise hygiene standards. This is part of the ongoing effort the TSA has made during the pandemic to help encourage high standards for hygiene in a number of sectors, including healthcare and hospitality. The advice is based on research carried out by De Montfort University, in association with the TSA, which was aimed at determining the survivability of coronaviruses on various fabric types and laundry processes. This research demonstrated that while model coronaviruses can survive in water at 60°C for ten minutes, when combined with the agitation washing machines impart and detergent, no trace of the virus was found at 40°C and above. However, other pathogens like C.difficile, B.cereus, E.faecium and so on will require further thermal disinfection. For care homes looking to maximise their hygiene, the knowledge that professional wash processes effectively eliminate the infection risk from pathogens and coronaviruses is good news. However, it was also determined that the tested strain of coronavirus can remain infectious on polyester fabric for up to 72 hours, and 100% cotton for 24 hours. It’s also possible for polyester fabric to transfer the virus to other surfaces for up to 72 hours. With this in mind, the TSA recommends that care homes review procedures for laundry, including the loading and unloading of washing machines and the handling and storing of soiled and clean textiles, focusing on the need to reduce the chances of cross contamination. While each care home will have its own processes, common areas to focus on include
FowlerUK are Back! Revolution Max Ltd has a change of name and owner. We’re pleased to announce that Revolution Max Ltd will now be known as Fowler UK (Trading) Limited and is back in the hands of the original owner, David Fowler. Fowler UK are a nationwide supplier of commercial laundry and
ensuring that collection and delivery times for laundry are different, and putting in rigorous procedures for sanitising all at risk areas. The pandemic has hugely increased the importance of maintaining the strictest hygienic standards in care homes. While some care homes may be able to implement the kind of systems required to guarantee the safety of their laundry needs, from resident’s bedsheets, clothes etc. to staff uniforms, the services offered by commercial laundries provide a simple solution to these logistical issues. The TSA has created a technical bulletin outlining the government’s advice, as well as breaking down the kind of steps care homes should consider as part of any risk assessment they take to improve the hygiene of their laundry procedures. As well as this, the TSA will be running an interactive webinar later in the year allowing operators to ask a panel of industry experts questions related to laundry hygiene. The bulletin can be downloaded on the TSA’s website, from the healthcare section of the documents library, and further details about the webinar can also be found there. The TSA is the trade association for the textile care services industry. The TSA represent commercial laundry and textile rental businesses. Membership ranges from family-run operations through to large, multinational companies. Visit www.tsa-uk.org for more information.
catering equipment. With a team of fully trained, gas certified field-base engineers, FowlerUK are a one-stop-shop for all your servicing and maintenance requirements. We also offer tailor made finance packages to suit any budget. Contact us today for further information on 01200 444430 or by email sales@fowleruk.com.
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 45
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Forbes Professional Ensures That Care Homes Meet Stringent Industry Requirements For any care home, there are key considerations when it comes to their in-house laundry operation. Firstly, the process must be entirely compliant with CQC and the Department of Health, secondly it must adhere to the industry’s stringent WRAS requirements. In order to maintain the requisite hygiene control levels, is imperative to source appropriate commercial laundry equipment. It is also essential to ensure best practice through the sorting, segregation, transportation, processing and storage of all laundry items. The Department of Health’s Technical Memorandum (HTM) 01-04 requires that, for appropriate decontamination of linen, care homes must employ both thermal and chemical disinfection. Care homes also need to ensure that staff are trained in using the laundry equipment. Should the CQC find that a care home falls short of these requirements, the home may be placed into special measures, shut down or prosecuted.
LaundryTec
LaundryTec is the culmination of 40 years’ experience in the laundry equipment market by its founder Jeremy Hartigan. Based in Chester we offer support for our own Lavamac brand and all other makes. Uniquely LaundryTec will offer support for any laundry equipment, with reliable, cost-effective after sales support across the UK via our in-house service department Supported by Alliance Laundry (The World’s Biggest manufacturer) we distribute the Lavamac range of equipment that’s unique range of features include, Data Tracked Operation, Auto-Weight loading, Automatic chemical control, Simple to use controls and market leading efficiency in energy consumption make it a market leader The Air Sourced Heat Pump Dryers cost less to dry
WRAS deems all care homes to be high risk Category 5 for the water contamination risk and washing machines therefore need to include a backflow prevention system. It is therefore imperative to use commercial laundry equipment. Forbes Professional is currently celebrating 95 years of service. A well-established family business with a nationwide infrastructure, Forbes provides care homes across the UK with highly efficient WRAS and CQC compliant laundry solutions. Proud partners of market leaders Miele, they offer the highest quality of both product and service. Forbes has a team of qualified in-house and gas-registered engineers, and all work is fully CHAS approved. They carefully specify the right equipment for each requirement and support clients with comprehensive user training and an inclusive same/ next day service response. info@forbes-professional.co.uk Telephone 0345 070 2335 18kg of washing than boiling a kettle! Auto- Chemical control and Auto weight Control calculates the energy required to the actual load and can control the chemical usage and offer reduction of up to 50% in chemical usage! Every replacement machine includes Installation, commissioning and as standard 24 months Parts and Labour Warranty. CMM customers will receive a 36-month warranty as Standard. If you want a friendly amenable face that can deliver on their promises let LaundryTec offer you the kind of support we offer Bupa, Care UK, Abbey Healthcare, and many others to your home? From Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) to fully comprehensive cover and reactive support properly maintained, and supported laundry equipment should be a cost effective, relaxed part of the care homes operation? Check out our website www.laundrytec.com to see what of customers say info@laundrytec.com
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
LaundryTec Ltd offer a unique approach to laundry equipment
We don’t want to replace equipment or sign you into a long-term agreement. LaundryTec want to support your existing equipment, through PPM, Gas Safe Compliance and Quality emergency support.
Quality, Innovation and Support
BEFORE
We are also Lavamac distributors
www.laundrytec.com
0151 317 3127
AFTER
info@laundrytec.com
PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
NURSE CALL AND FALLS PREVENTION
Why 4,438 Daily Falls In UK Care Homes Deserve Our Attention
A recent report,’ “Responding to falls in care homes: two innovations” by Dr Mark Hawker and River Rea from Involve, discusses how best practice in post fall management can provide time and cost savings to the wider health and social care system. Combining benefits of assistive lifting technology and video-based clinical support could return costs savings of up to £3,911 per fall, whilst also safeguarding residents’ lives. Across the 15,000 + care homes registered by the Care Quality Commission there are between 270,000 – 1,620,000 falls per year. As one of the most frequently reported accidents among residents, falls represent a pressing issue for providers of care, particularly as demand for places is expected to rise as the population ages. Author, Dr Mark Hawker says, “the risk factors for falls in care setting are diverse and the multiplicity of elements influencing the likelihood of falls makes them incredibly difficult to eliminate entirely. For the individual, the consequences of a fall are numerous and distressing, while the repetitive lifting requirement of carers puts them at risk of musculoskeletal injury. “The pilot studies we’ve examined demonstrate that by giving care home staff the tools to empower safe lifting reduces the time residents spend on the floor after a fall waiting for an ambulance and help to arrive. Organised and safe post fall care is better for the resident and more cost effective for the NHS.”
The report goes on to discuss the importance of reducing the risk of spreading infectious diseases by eliminating avoidable contacts. There are clear benefits of using technologies that reduce the number of external contact such as those that would be required to pick up a resident following a fall. While difficult to quantify, the reduction of contacts with healthcare workers such as paramedics, GPs and district nurses with residents is seen as essential during a pandemic. Mangar Health CEO Simon Claridge adds, “we have been working with NHS Ambulance Trusts for nearly 20 years and yet this report has been incredibly eye opening for us. We know lifting fallen care home residents is a daily challenge to prioritising ambulance calls, yet equipment and technology could easily lift the considerable pressures they are under and save the NHS millions annually. “We would like to call on NHS England, NICE and CQC to review the dynamics involved in a resident fall detailed in this report and consider alternative care models in a post pandemic environment.” Anyone wishing to receive a copy of the report should email hello@involve.vc. For more information email cbirt@mangarhealth.com Mangar Health Tel: 01544 267674 See the advert on the facing page for more about Mangar.
Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years.
FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR
Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions! Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers®. The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad. This results in less work for nursing staff, improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads. Wireless advantages include the ability to
use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless devices.
Benefits include:
Safer for patients; less work for staff Bed and chair pads available One monitor works with two sensor pads Integrates with most nurse call systems A variety of options, including: Call button Pager Floor sensor mat Wireless door/window exit alerts
TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition. Our anti-bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the sensor pad. Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bedside, in a doorway or other locations to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering. An optional anti-slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors.
Features include:
Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details or visit www.fallsavers.co.uk.
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 47
NURSE CALL AND FALLS PREVENTION 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 2.
Silent Running - Tranquility in Care Homes Quiet and calm care homes ensure that residents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment. Similarly, carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum. There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surroundings, particularly those suffering from dementia, these can be fluctuations in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise. Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and external sources, for example, telephones ringing, loud conversations in corridors, and call bells sounding, often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents. A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unanswered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers. The University recommends “fitting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building. Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is. At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a person’s ability to concentrate. It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope, as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing. Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers.” Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a number of methods to reduce their impact in a care home. These include zoning whereby there are sepa-
rate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call. In these circumstances, dementia sufferers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one “zone” whist less vulnerable residents live in an alternative “zone”. Each “zone” can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil environment for residents. Pagers have been around for many years, are a relatively simple and cost-effective measure in reducing the levels of noise, and can be added to most Nurse Call systems. Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning, e-medication, etc. Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call system. With the “Go” app, nurse call alarms are delivered immediately and silently straight to the handsets, alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the residents in the home. Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less stressed also, this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved, staff are retained and CQC ratings improve. Clearly, the positive ramifications of a quiet Care Home run deep. Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter, calmer, and more tranquil environment. For more information email us at: info@c-t.co.uk
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
www.nursecallsystems.co.uk
PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
NURSE CALL AND FALLS PREVENTION
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 Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
Nurse Call Systems from 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 28years 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 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. Take the ongoing cost out of your operation with our unique return to base service exchange policy and low cost of ownership along with flexible finance options. 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.
NEW PRODUCTS
NEW - Glove friendly, touch screen display. Bed Angel – see advert on this page Our new and innovative falls detection system The Bed Angel ensures overnight bed monitoring and protection against falls, wandering and confusion. For further details: 01568 610 016 or email sales@arm.uk.com
Edison Telecom - Specialist Solutions For Your Nurse Call Systems 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
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 49
CYBER SECURITY
Why Cyber Insurance Should Be Part of Your Risk Management Programme As our reliance on the digital world increases it is no real wonder that cybercrime is on the increase, and this has been clearly evident in the last twelve months. For the opportunistic cybercriminal, it’s been a good time to commit cybercrime, as we have moved away from our usual routines and reliable systems, leaving an exploitable gap in our security as we quickly adapted to new ways of working. According to Police data analysed by cyber security company Nexor, there was a 31% increase in cyber related cases over May and June last summer. The most common attack occurred through email or social media, and accounted for 53% of all attacks on businesses, leading to substantial multi-million pound losses. Healthcare, financial institutions, manufacturing, real estate, and education were the most targeted industries. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020, released by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) revealed that nearly half of all businesses in the UK had reported cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months but only 32% have insurance against such events. Whether a big or small-scale event, a cyber-attack is likely to have serious consequences for any business – shutting systems, deleting data, preventing data access or stopping them from trading altogether. Dealing with the fall out of a cyber-attack can be complicated and stressful, not to mention time-consuming and potentially expensive.
TYPES OF CYBER ATTACK Cyber-attacks can take many forms, all engineered to get the victim to disclose information or take action, or to infect systems with malicious software. Phishing, malware attacks and ransomware pose a threat to all businesses. It’s common to think that cyber threats against businesses come from unrelated hackers, cyber-attacks or ransomware and are big events, but sometimes they can be more subtle and come from sources a little closer to home.
employees, your reputation and may ultimately affect the future of your business. Having a comprehensive contingency and business interruption plan in place along with adequate insurance will help you to address and quickly overcome any fallout from a cyber-attack. A robust plan is vital to make sure you meet your legal obligations regarding data breaches and to reassure your customers.
THE BENEFITS OF CYBER INSURANCE
There are four categories that cyber threats against a business typically originate; insider threats, human error or negligence, external threats and third-party threats. Wherever the threat originates the bottom line is how you to respond. Have you thought about how you would continue to run your care home if you lost access to all your data? You could lose access to client records and supplier data, order information, diary appointments, financial data, your website and more. If you are held to ransom for access to patient files, the financial consequences could be significant. Additionally, you may be affected by reputational damage, which could affect existing relationships and damage future prosperity. You may need to rebuild and replace lost systems or create a new website. And, if a data breach occurred you are likely to face significant fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office. All of the above will require money, time and resources and need to be addressed in a timely manner to help you retain customers,
Cyber liability insurance is a must for any care home business because it provides you with protection and peace of mind, should the worst happen. It will help against denial of service, which may occur with ransomware, the recovery from computer virus damage, which may have resulted in a significant loss of data, and other data breaches such as the loss of a memory stick or laptop. Getting assistance quickly and from reputable, knowledgeable and reliable sources will be key in ensuring your business can continue to operate with minimal disruption. If your care home holds data on a computer system, even with antivirus software in place, you can still be vulnerable to a breach. Cyber liability insurance is relatively inexpensive and will provide you and your business with complete reassurance in the face of a data breach crisis. Every business is different and will have specific needs, so make sure you get advice for your unique situation and requirements. Don’t wait until you have experienced a cyber-attack to put measures in place, be proactive and help protect your business now. Barnes Commercial Insurance Broker are specialists in arranging robust insurance for those operating in the care home sector. As independent advisers they provide impartial advice on the best solution for your specific needs. Telephone: 01480 272727 Email: enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk
Specialist care home insurance We arrange tailored insurance programmes for care and nursing homes, hospices and domiciliary care providers, for both staff and business owners. Our extensive knowledge of the care market will help to ensure you have the right protection in place for now and, for the future. Secure robust cover that’s right for your business. CALL NOW FOR A QUOTE
01480 272727
Impartial advice from experienced advisers
Exceptional service from a dedicated account executive
Let us help you to protect your business with a no obligation risk review today!
Market-leading products from A rated insurers
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Support with claims
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enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk/care /barnes-commercial
Barnes Commercial Insurance Broker is a trading style of Barnes Commercial Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN: 844370. Registered address: 3 Fenice Court, Phoenix Park, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambs, PE19 8EW. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 11909011.
PAGE 54 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Is It Time To Upgrade Your Workforce Management Technology? Covid-19 has undeniably challenged care homes and will permanently reshape how many operate. The pandemic sparked the biggest and fastest transformation of the workplace. Automation, digitalisation and innovation to fit with this new world is happening at a pace that we have never seen before. It’s clear that things are not going to simply return to the way they were, instead we all need to look to the future and re-evaluate systems and processes. Here are five areas that workforce management technology could assist your care home.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Workforce management technology gives you the ability to better manage the health and safety of your employees. You have the tools to ensure optimal shift patterns and rotations that take into account health and safety requirements, procedures and regulations. Your system can tell you things like - who is working where and when? Who in their teams they have been in contact with? If they have been self-isolating - when will it be safe for
them to return to work? Do they need a return-to-work interview? At the touch of a button, you have all the information you need to need to answer these and multiple other questions. Workforce Planning & Optimisation Workforce management planning and decisions require accurate realtime information. It is extremely difficult to manage your workforce effectively without having detailed information on employee time, attendance, absences, activities, skills and scheduling. This pandemic has led to an extreme disruption around workforce management planning and optimisation. Care homes now need to find ways to ensure that their workforce is optimised under different conditions and a good system can automate many of these processes for you.
Giving employees Control The most successful organisations today are the ones that are putting their employees in control. They view them as their internal customers and are dedicated to serving their needs as well as the needs of the business. By doing this, they foster a culture of empowered, engaged and motivated staff who are more satisfied, productive and loyal. With the use of selfservice solutions, employees can easily organise and manage their own time, attendance, schedules, annual leave, absences and personal details. This in turn reduces queries, calls and emails to line managers, HR and Payroll Departments.
MANAGING NEW WAYS OF WORKING
As we move to a post Covid-19 world, it’s expected that new business priorities will lead to the reshaping of teams and upgrading of workforce procedures and policies that will take into account new ways of working. In order to do this, you will require reliable workforce data to determine budgets and costs. Having a proper handle on workforce costs and productivity will be critical to the smooth operation of your care home. To find out more about how Softworks solutions could benefit your care home visit www.softworks.com or see the advert on page 15.
Even before Covid-19, employers were realising the benefits of introducing more flexible working options. Benefits including; increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and attracting and retaining talent. A good system will give you a fully automated way to record hours worked, maintain flexi balances and manage planned/unplanned absences. Employees can log attendance on a PC, tablet or mobile either by time or by honour-based email timesheets. No need for spreadsheets and no manual processes saving time, eliminating errors and reducing administration.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
everyLIFE Challenges the Status Quo Event season is in full swing and the team at everyLIFE Technologies are enjoying every minute of it. Seeing customers, colleagues and peers face to face is a welcome return to normal and everyLIFE has a lot to talk about. COVID-19 caused many new issues for the social care sector and highlighted many more that have been battled behind closed doors for some time, which the wider public knew little about. Taffy Gatawa, Chief Information & Compliance Officer at everyLIFE explored these issues and examined what they mean for social care both now and in the future in her keynote speech, titled “An Uncomfortable Truth: Social care deserves more” at The Care Show earlier this month. Looking forward to the event, Taffy said “We see so many hardworking professionals dedicate themselves to caring for others on a daily basis. There are common barriers that they have to try to overcome to provide the level of care that they want to, their frustration and disappointment is palpable. We want to do everything we can to help enable the best
All Your Care Home Needs Meet Matt Oxley, the man on a mission to help care homes save time and money. Making healthcare simple: that’s Matt Oxley’s mantra. And as CEO of Wippet (having previously been a director at Four Seasons Healthcare and Barchester Healthcare) he’s just launched a one-stop shop that allows healthcare providers to order everything they need in one place from trusted and vetted suppliers. Matt is available to talk about how he’s revolutionising healthcare with new website Wippet, which offers carers everything they need, from everyday essentials such as incontinence pads and wipes to bigger items including furniture. Users can compare products and read reviews, then complete their purchase in a few clicks – all in one place. Wippet is quick, easy and user-friendly, saving precious time that can be used to care for people. Matt came up with the idea for Wippet as the Covid pandemic hit and disrupted
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Just think of a giant Andr Android oid tablet built into a solid oak surr surround, ound, on a base that houses a lar large ge battery to allow you to use it all day long and smooth running wheels for easy movement between rooms care rooms in your car e home. !
supply chains - with shortages in vital products adding to the stress for carers who were already under immense pressure. A meeting with childhood friends John Barrowcliffe - an ecommerce expert - and David Meikle - a marketing expert - led to the three deciding to leave employment for entrepreneurship, and build a marketplace for the care sector. Matt’s career spans more than 25 years and has held senior leadership positions for some of the industries' most established brands such as Nuffield Health, BMI, Four Seasons Healthcare and latterly Barchester Healthcare - where he experienced first-hand the huge cost and complexity in managing a fragmented supplier market. He’s perfectly placed to talk about how Wippet can help reduce cost and pressure for staff in care homes. “From the smallest residential home to the largest healthcare group, we know that time spent on unnecessary admin is ultimately time that cannot be spent delivering care – and that’s a major problem,” says Matt. “Wippet offers a simple one-stop shop, where you can consolidate all your transactions into one place.” https://www.wippet.com/See the advert on page 17 for further details. Customers and suppliers can also register their interest at www.wippet.com
How to enhance your residents residents experience --!!
Imagine a piece of e equipment for your car care home that can enhance the experience of your ts mentally y,, rresidents esidents mentally, physically and also emotionally Inspir Inspired ed Inspirations have been working dir directly ectly with car care e homes in developing their interactive touch scr screen een activity tables over the last few years, to pr provide ovide a range of scr screen een sizes and units to suit every car care e setting. setting.!!
care possible, regardless of location, setting and need.” everyLIFE’s steely focus in its support of the care industry and the people cared about extends to its digital care management platform, PASS. The platform’s newest feature, PASSreporting, uses Artificial Intelligence to track and collate recorded care activities, turning this raw information into actionable insights that carers and care managers can easily apply to enhance the care they provide and the operational efficiencies of their organisation. Duncan Campbell, Commercial Director at everyLIFE, is excited by the opportunities PASSreporting offers “Care professionals gather a huge amount of information whilst they are with the people they care about, PASSreporting automatically interprets this and flags crucial moments that matter in someone’s care journey, from an increased dependency on care, to an increased likelihood of a fall. It has also been designed to highlight and support the operational needs of care organisation, including staff training requirements and simplified CQC visits, ultimately helping to save time and money.” To find out more about PASSreporting see the advert on the facing page.
Mentally - Brain training apps, memory apps, quizzes, board board games, rreasoning easoning challenges. challenges.!! Exercise Physically - Exer cise for the elderly online coordination, increased classes, hand eye coor dination, incr eased movement to move hands around around a large large screen.! screen.! Emotionally - Reminiscence tours on Google Earth, past and present YouTube present clips on Y YouT ouT Tube of ! hobbies or interests, interests, religious religious services and Group Group ZOOM calls to loved ones who cant get to visit in your residents residents person!! person!! ! “We now, “W We use it daily da and would not be without ut it now w,, even the residents residents find nd it easy and fun to use. Registerred ed Manager r,, Thank you!” Sandie Evans, Registered Manager, Oakland’’s Ca Car arre e Home, Crickhowell Oakland’s Care !
are made to or derr, if you’d like to All tables are order, enquire on a price guide and time scales for enquire deliveries, just visit their website www .inspir spiredwww.inspiredcom or scan the QR code on the inspirations.com right. For general enquiries, please email ! ! info@inspir ed-inspirations.com! info@inspired-inspirations.com!
“This amazing bit of technology is making a huge di!erence di!e !errence to our ou ur rresidents” esidents” Melanie Dawson, Manager, Manager r, The Lawns L at Heritage Manor
“W We’ve noticed notice ed that quieter rresidents esidents who didn’ “We’ve didn’tt interact too much with others have suddenly been mor re e ac active ctive and mor re e vocal.” Lindsey more more Davies, Home e Manager r,, Cwrt Enfys Manager,
The scr screen een is 5mm temper tempered ed glass for your rresidents esidents safety and sealed against fluid uid ingress ingress meaning a spill of a cup of tea won’ won’tt ruin your ! equipment. It also means an easy clean solution to stop cr cross oss contamination using any normal surface cleaner cleaner.! rr..!
See the advert on page 48 for details.
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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75 | PAGE 57
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE 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.
Empowering Your Ambition with Xledger
Changing your finance system is not something you do every day. However, the benefits of taking this leap can advance the success of your care home – with greater insight and automated processes for your team, now and into the future. Xledger is a leading provider of cloud-based finance software. It helps over 10,000 organisations in 50 countries streamline, digitise and automate their finances. Accessible at any time, on any web-enabled device, Xledger has the tools to slice and dice your data and to
easily drill down from consolidation to individual level transactions. Its automated software can reduce the amount of time you spend on repeat invoices and expenditures. Xledger also prides itself on delivering a quick and simple implementation process with no requirement for a new IT infrastructure. Ultimately, the 100% cloud solution helps you to reduce costs, run a leaner, more efficient finance department and understand key financials in real-time. This gives you the opportunity to add real value to your organisation and frees up your time so you can focus on delivering the best care for your residents. Xledger will be exhibiting at The Care Show 2021 (Hall: 3A, Stand: F64). Xledger Senior Consultant Peter Hucker will also be hosting a session on the morning of Day 1 of the event, entitled Modernise Your Finance System: Why, How and What to Avoid, which is taking place in the Business Compliance Regulation Theatre. To book a demo or arrange a 1-2-1 meeting at the Care Show 2021, you can contact them by emailing mail@xledger.co.uk or call 0117 457 3293.
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
PAGE 58 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Why Now Is The Moment To Embrace Digital Health Technology As Part Of The Care Home System By Axel Nordberg, Essity Global Brand Director (www.essity.com) As we emerge from the depths of a historic pandemic, the words of Florence Nightingale have never rung truer for carers around the world. From adapting to PPE requirements to abiding by social distancing, Covid-19 has forced all carers to relearn key parts of their trade to keep their residents safe and healthy. Naturally, this has not come without a cost. According to our data at Essity, the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on either the physical health, mental health or emotional wellbeing of more than eight out of ten of the UK carers surveyed. Every carer said their role had changed, with 95% working longer hours to manage urinary incontinence, cleaning and sterilising responsibilities – the highest of any country in Europe. Ultimately, the bravery of our frontline heroes can only endure this emotional and physical toll for so long. In the face of adversity, however, we must look forward. The development of digital health technology – and the appetite to integrate it into care homes – is accelerating at an exceptional rate, and the industry is realising that it is an essential component of a more efficient, higher quality future for care.
TAKING THE CHANCE TO CHANGE
The pandemic has provided the care industry with a moment to step
back and evaluate how it operates. Alongside the long-term impacts of Covid-19, an ageing population will soon demand a new delivery of care – with care homes unlikely to be able to accommodate every patient that needs their service. For many, home treatment will become the practical solution. In recent years, digital health technology has made this process safer and more comfortable for those who require care, their families, and their carers. From medication reminder apps and ECG wearables, to information-sharing software that lets nurses access patient data remotely, innovation is delivering products and solutions to cater for home care. As more care organisations integrate digital health technology into their operations, they build the infrastructure for a digital future of care. With over a third of carers wanting the government or private companies to invest in more technology, there is a clear appetite to make that next step forward from those that matter.
IMPROVING DIGNITY AND COMFORT THROUGH TECH
To bring the power of digital health technology to life, it is important to discuss it in the context of the real, day-to-day issues putting an insurmountable strain on carers. Managing urinary incontinence – an important yet challenging aspect of a carer’s day-to-day role – has had both a physical and emotional impact on the carer during the pandemic, with the rate of resultant exhaustion (25%) and resentment (13%) rising by 19% and 10% respectively since 2019. It’s not just the carers that are impacted – 80% of carers find it hard to maintain the dignity of those suffering from the problem. Deploying technology to address these issues can be life-changing for carers and those needing care alike. However, the UK is currently lagging behind. Only 27% of UK carers said that they have access to
sensor technology to support incontinence care, compared to the European average of 32%. Reusable sensors, such as our recently launched TENA SmartCare Change Indicator, can track when a patient needs changing and provide app notifications to their carers, ensuring instant attention and avoiding unnecessary checks. With 71% carers currently struggling with the time required to make frequent checks associated with urinary incontinence, this technology is invaluable to the efficiency of their role.
ENABLING A BETTER TOMORROW FOR CARE
The value of digital health technology in the management of urinary incontinence is just one example of the impact it can have in a care environment, albeit a strong one: 98% of UK carers say that it helps them feel better about their role. This figure alone highlights the value of digital health technology in enabling carers to react to health issues sooner and in a smarter way. By integrating technology into the care routine, any decline in the residents or loved one’s well-being, however slight, can be tracked and used to notify those that can provide the necessary support. As patterns appear in their personal data, it even has the potential to allow carers to predict and prevent various health issues. As an industry, we must continue to work together – as innovators and carers – to co-create digital health technology solutions that will have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. The pandemic has provided the care sector with an opportunity to engage in digital transformation and provide its frontline heroes with the technological support they need to keep those in care, safe, healthy, and happy. Better connected care will deliver better care, for everyone.
Empower Your Care Teams With Flexible Digital Care Management Nourish Care is a Digital Care Planning provider that works with a range of different care services, including residential, nursing, dementia care, learning disabilities, large care groups and more. The app-based system is made up of digital care plans, custom interactions and personalised timelines for everyone within a care service. The digital platform allows care teams to record at the point of care, and analyse data over time to tailor care plans to the individual’s needs. The most important goal for Nourish is to enable carers to spend less time on admin, and more time providing face-to-face, person-centred care. Nourish were one of only two software providers to be assured by NHSX for its DSCR (Digital Social Care Records) Digital Purchasing System (DPS) at launch, and were also the first to be certified by the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB), with whom they worked very closely to define a new set of standards for interoperability across the care sector.
Some of the most recent additions to the Nourish platform include a Medication Module that allows care providers to streamline medication management. The app also now has an additional option to use Nourish Insights - a powerful reporting and analytics feature that allows care owners and managers to closely track and monitor trends within those they support, to continue to improve the delivery of care. To learn more about the Nourish platform, you can visit them at The Care Show on 13th & 14th October at stand H82. Founder and CEO, Nuno Almeida will also be delivering two talks on the 13th, including Accelerating Quality Improvement by Empowering Circles of Care and Digital Social Care Records - Joining Up Care. You can also contact Nourish to book your free personalised demo by visiting www.nourishcare.co.uk or calling 02380 002288.
PAGE 60 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE 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. 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
Global Software Solutions
Leecare is a leading UK and international aged care sector software system. The Platinum 5 (P5) system supports all CQC standards for optimal resident and operational management. Designed by aged care expert staff and tailored specifically to aged care organisations, P5 assists with predicting, recording and providing evidence for all resident and business needs in one user-friendly system. Leecare’s comprehensive software suite encompasses all clinical and managerial requirements on one platform assisting with the management of clinical risk and freeing up more time for staff to spend with residents all whilst exceeding CQC requirements.
WHAT MAKES US THE EXPERTS?
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
Our extensive sector knowledge and experience as a result of more than 28 years in the aged care business, positions Leecare to be the software solution of choice across five continents. Our global client base is built of 900+ government, small independent services, and multi-facility corporate organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, and China.
Our senior management team have years of collective experience working in, consulting to, and managing care organisations. This has led us to develop the P5 suite – an unparalleled clinical, care, lifestyle, medication, operations, and financial management software solution specifically created for the health and social care sector.
CUSTOMISATION
Leecare’s comprehensive Platinum 5.0 program is easily customised to meet specific organisational needs. Offering as much or as little flexibility as desired, P5 assessment content across the suite and linked Apps can be modified to provide clients with reassurance that the software is fit for purpose. Integral to the program is a specialised form and report builder which enables easy tailoring of the program. Organisations can build or modify assessments, monitoring charts care plans and reports as well as change default and individual resident settings ensuring optimal function and success. Visit www.leecare.co.uk for further information.
PAGE 62 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
PROPERTY & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The Vocabulary of Leadership By Peter Bewert, Managing Director at Meaningful Care Matters (www.meaningfulcarematters.com)
Leadership! It’s a word that is commonly stated in many different situations. It comes up in personal, professional, social, family, and many other aspects of life. But what does it really mean and further still, what does it really do? Some would say that leaders are part of a bureaucratic chain that seeks to control the lives of us mere minions, conforming us to societal rules made by leaders who are above the leaders, and the bigger leaders beyond that… bureaucracy at its best! So, many self-help and leadership books assert we must ‘tap into the leader within’, well, what happens when one struggles with deciding what to have for breakfast and praying that we simply make it through the day without inadvertently telling someone to ‘go away’ (usually said with a more uncouth colloquial vernacular in one’s head and on occasions, out loud).
As human beings, we complicate many things all too frequently and most of the time unnecessarily. Leadership is simple. The test of a good leader is whether that person inspires you to make a change to better yourself as a person. Leadership, therefore, is about engagement, interaction, relationships, and connections which are meaningful and that matter. We all have the ability to tap into the leader within. Just as we all have the ability to use our leadership to inspire and empower, or to create a feeling of disenchantment around us. Over 25 years of working in health and social care, I have learnt 4 top motivators of emotionally led leadership. If we embrace these top four principles, we will undoubtedly influence positive cultures where people are real, people are genuine, and people can connect meaningfully: 1. Know Yourself: When we know ourselves and how we like to interact and engage with others, this is the first step to authentic meaningful relationship. This is the foundation of leadership. 2. Know your communication style: Knowing the way you like to give and receive information is important. This allows us to develop our communication styles where we are not so strong and in which others may have as their preference. This allows for better understanding. 3. You are not an oracle: Being open to other ideas and ways of thinking are essential. We don’t know everything and, sure, we can bring our best to the table, but when we truly listen to the collective thoughts and ideas of those who we engage with, that’s how we move from good to great. 4. You have a heart for a reason: People are driven by the heart and soul of their emotions. The difference between good leaders and great leaders is understanding emotional intelligence and the impact of emotions on people
and their actions. This means being open to feelings and emotions and learning to not only recognise them, but to also speak the language of feelings. Culture is an umbrella term outlining the societal norms and behaviours which govern our behaviours. One could argue culture designs us and, in part, this is true. However, culture is shaped by the people within. Leaders have the ability to impact culture. The question is, what influence will we exert on moulding our cultures of the future? I would like to think we are all seeking for a better world for ourselves and future generations to experience. This can only come when we embrace agile, emotionally intelligent framework, and this has to come from our leadership styles in action. Feelings, actions, interactions, and knowledge will shape our cultures of the future; we are the designers of the culture we wish to see. Good leadership begins with self. It empowers self and others to be the best version of ‘me’ and embrace the unique individualism that comes from the diversity of beliefs and cultural practices. So, what are you going to influence today? Peter Bewert is the Managing Director at Meaningful Care Matters, a leading care and organisational development group that specialises in helping health and social care providers to access a variety of support services. The group helps to facilitate the creation, reinvigoration and sustainable implementation of person-centred care cultures where people matter, feelings matter, and we are ‘Free to be Me’. Contact the team on admin@meaningfulcarematters.com.
The Social Care Sector Faces The Most Unprecedented Workforce Crisis And Needs Urgent Government Support It is clear that care providers are struggling to recruit and this is due to a combination of factors including low wages, the pandemic, Brexit-related workforce changes and the implementation of the double vaccination policy. This is against a backdrop of an increasing number of adults who need support across the country. Aston Brooke Solicitors working in conjunction with Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has urged the government to provide more support to stem the workforce crisis in adult social care. Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO of Care England said: “Quite simply care providers are at breaking point. The writing is on the wall and without immediate help, as given to the NHS, the social care sector will crumple and not be there to support the NHS over the winter let alone in years to come”. Care England wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, outlining the crisis in the sector and the steps required to be taken by government with immediate effect. This included: • Expanding the social care workforce by recruiting an additional 35,000 to 70,000 workers from abroad to combat the effects of the mandatory vaccination. • Reducing the qualifying level for overseas recruitment for social care staff (£25,600). • The inclusion of all care workers to the Shortage Occupation List and reducing the salary threshold for immigration • Waiving the Immigration Skills Charge for care workers
• Fast-track system to grant visas under sponsorship licenses for people working in social care • Bonuses/increase pay • Direct support to help fund those suffering from PTSD • The need for the continuation of COVID funds. Martin added: “We have done an enormous amount of work on what could and should be done to help the adult social care workforce and hope that we can look to the government for support.” Following the footsteps of Care England, a ground-breaking report by Community Integrated Care has found that the social care sector losing more than 34% of its employees every year and having 112,000 vacancies presently, this research brings into stark focus the roots of an unprecedented workforce crisis. The social care sector is anxiously awaiting the government’s response on this pressing issue. Aston Brooke is working tirelessly to address the recruitment crisis by assisting care providers. If any care providers require further information, please contact Mr Kashif Majeed at km@astonbrooke.co.uk See the advert on page 27 for further information.
Skills, Knowledge, and Confidence Delivered Online Covid19 reminded us all just how important the NHS and care home staff are to our society. We are grateful for their hard work and bravery, and feel honoured to support them through our Laser Care Certificate course and CPD short courses. Working in the care sector is certainly demanding, so our objective is to make it convenient and straightforward for workers to upskill and acquire confidence in the process. The Laser Care Certificate course provides knowledge to cover every standard included in the official Skills for Care specification. Every lesson includes bespoke video tutorials specifically for the Care Certificate course, as well as reading materials and good practice examples. Furthermore, a mandatory quiz at the end of each lesson (which requires a 100% pass mark) ensures both competence and confidence. Managers are able to create their own accounts to enrol staff on the course and track their progress. All of the content is accessible remotely via computer, smartphone or tablet, enabling care professionals to make progress towards the certificate in a way
that suits their circumstances. Additionally, Laser delivers CPD short courses to equip staff with highly-relevant skills and knowledge so they can tackle new challenges or progress in their career. Two courses in particular – ‘Causes and spread of infection’ and ‘Infection control and prevention’ – were very popular during the pandemic. Unlimited use subscriptions are available at affordable rates, for organisations wishing to take advantage of a large number of short courses. Whether you are an owner, manager, or independent learner, please don't hesitate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course platform, and/or the CPD short course offering. The Laser Learning team can be contacted on info@lasersys.co.uk or +44 (0)1753 584 112. See the advert on page 11.
PAGE 64 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 75
PROPERTY & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Will Care Homes Face an Uncertain Future Without Further Financial Support? By John Rozenbroek, CFO/COO at Capify (www.capify.co.uk) Care home workers have been at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus, and the sector has faced incredible challenges throughout this pandemic. Reduced revenue due to a drop in the number of residents; an increased need for workers; high staff turnover and the additional cost of PPE and other safety measures within care homes has had a significant impact on cash flow for these businesses. The pandemic has highlighted just how crucial care homes are and the important role they play in supporting our loved ones at the end of their lives. However, there are fears now that without further financial support, the sector will suffer, and so will the level of care residents have access to. As lockdown restrictions continue to ease and the country starts to reopen, do care homes really have everything they need to recover from this crisis?
THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Unlike NHS-run hospitals, care homes are often privately owned businesses and therefore their revenue comes from patient fees. In an effort to help the sector in its recovery, the Government announced additional financial support for care homes, including a £600 million adult social care infection control fund. However, this funding was distributed across local authorities and deployed at their discretion, and therefore wasn’t readily available to every care home business. Boosting cash flow was the top priority for 57% of businesses in our recent survey, proving there is still huge demand for working capital. For adult care homes having working capital to ensure high-quality care can be given to all residents and that they have the staff needed to deliver this is absolutely key. Cash in the bank is a necessity. On top of all of this, the pandemic has put enormous pressure on workers within the care sector and as a result, many businesses have experienced high staff turnover and sickness, leading to a shortage of key skills. The State of Health Care and Adult Social Care report gives an indication of the toll the pandemic has had on the social care workforce with 7.5% of working days lost to staff sickness, compared with 2.7% pre-COVID-19. But it's clear that SMEs, and especially those within the care sector are still in desperate need of finance this year despite the huge
amounts of money that have been lent through the BBLS and CBILS. The Pay as You Grow scheme will provide some welcome relief for many businesses, but it does not address the fundamental issue, which is that SMEs still need finance. The majority of the UK’s ‘big banks’ are much happier lending to larger businesses with a long track record of profitability. But that doesn’t help SMEs and the impacts of the pandemic will have damaged the chances of many smaller businesses getting finance from a big bank. That’s where I think the fintech industry will need to step up more than ever before to help companies bridge the gap. There’s already been huge growth with more and more business owners looking to get finance more quickly; with a simpler approach and with more flexibility. For these reasons, I expect 2021 will be a big year for alternative lenders with the support for the care sector set to be high on the agenda. Capify is an online lender that provides flexible financing solutions to SMEs seeking working capital to sustain or grow their business. The fintech company has been operating in the UK market for over 13 years and also has a sister company, Capify Australia, which provides similar services to Australian SMEs for over 13 years. For more details about Capify, visit: http://www.capify.co.uk
Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance Global assists clients throughout the U.K. who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase, development and refinance. We have organised over £1.8bn for clients in the past 30 years, providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt, ease cashflow and develop businesses further. From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in size we
assist at every stage of your business expansion. Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way, so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements, I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements. Call us on 01242 227172 or e-mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.net
Selling by Auction Is the Fastest and Most Certain Way to Complete a Property Transaction
Owing to the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, Charles Darrow Auctions is experiencing increasing demand from business owners looking to sell their Care Home premises by auction. While government support continues, property availability is still low. However, market demand from buyers searching for former Care Homes for either investment purposes or alternative uses is high. We are seeing sellers successfully take advantage of the high levels of market demand right now, rather than waiting to join what is likely to become a saturated market, with an anticipated influx of commercial property likely to be hitting the market in the first quarter of 2022. To satisfy this demand, we are looking for entries into our next auction and will consider all types of Care Home. Our company ethos is to achieve the best price possible by providing the most up to date accurate marketing advice to our clients. Lucy Fuller, Auction Surveyor at Charles Darrow commented “An auction sale can often take as little as
four weeks from instruction to an exchange of contracts, whereas a standard Private Treaty sale is currently taking on average four to six months to reach exchange of contracts, with no guarantee the buyer will not withdraw from the transaction at any point in the process. Our auction process allows people to seriously commit to a purchase when bidding, as contracts will exchange instantly to the highest bidder at the fall of the gavel”. Sadly, a lot of business owners around the UK are now in some form of financial distress and with this likely to worsen as government support is withdrawn, a quick method of sale is likely to be required by many of them before the year end. We believe that selling by auction is truly the fastest and most certain way to complete a property transaction and we would love to have the opportunity to discuss your marketing options with you. If we can help you, please contact the Auction team at Charles Darrow on 01626 572894 / 01626 330022 or visit www.charlesdarrow.co.uk/auctions