The Carer Digital - Issue #106

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 Issue 106

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

THECARERUK

THECARERUK

THECARER_UK

Adult Social Care Reforms “Hugely Underfunded” Concerns have grown among councils in recent months that the Government’s adult social care charging reforms are potentially hugely underfunded, which will risk their implementation as well as exacerbating existing pressures on the system.

Of the £36 billion the new UK-wide health and social levy will raise over the next three years, only £5.4 billion is ringfenced for social care reforms in England.

These include the introduction of a ‘fair rate of care’ that councils will pay

providers and tackling the issue of self-funders paying more for their care than those who access support at the council rate.

The survey of senior councillors responsible for adult social care across the country, ahead of the start of the LGA’s Annual Conference in Harrogate tomorrow, also found three quarters of responding councils said that they are not confident they will have the required capacity in frontline staff to deliver the reforms.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

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

Our lead story/front page regarding concerns raised that adult social care charging reforms are potentially “hugely underfunded” will come as a surprise to nobody.

A Local Government Association (LGA) survey on the Government’s adult social care reform agenda says that they do not have confidence that the funding earmarked for the reforms is sufficient.

The government have made the point that of the £36 billion the new health and social levy will raise over the next three years, £5.4 billion will be dedicated to social care in England, to end “spiralling care costs and support the workforce”.

These figures were clearly drawn up prior to the rampant inflation we see now which, according to observers, is going to have a catastrophic impact on adult social care.

At the beginning of the month the British Medical Association (BMA) also warned that we are facing a ‘ticking time bomb’ in social care as chronic underfunding, severe staffing shortages and a growing elderly population means that many in the future will not get the care and support they need.

In their report, the BMA says that people living in poorer areas of the country, many of whom already have a greater need for support than more affluent areas, will see their health and wellbeing worsen in the coming years unless there is wholescale reform to the social care system.

They also referred to the staffing crisis and reveal that there will be up to 500,000 vacancies in social care by the end of 2030.

This, alongside an ageing population, means that the country is essentially facing a ticking time bomb.

All organisations, in particular the LGA and BMA, are calling on the Government to act now to effectively remunerate and value care workers to ensure that there are enough staff to look after all those in need of social care in the future.

The problem has always been, of course, that adult social care is a can that has always been kicked down the road.

Readers may recall that in December 2021 we reported results of a survey published by the ADASS, showing that revealed: • Almost 400,000 people are now waiting for an assessment of their needs or for service provision • More than 1.5m hours of commissioned home care could not be provided between August and October because of a lack of staff, despite record growth in provision • One in two councils has had to respond to a care home closure or bankruptcy over the

Editor

Peter Adams

past six months • More than 40,000 people have been waiting longer than six months for an initial assessment The survey also revealed a record number of adult social care vacancies already documented across England, constantly in excess of 100,000, and a Nuffield Trust thinktank at the time warned of a “deepening crisis”, as it unveiled its own research, which revealed that the social care workforce shrank by up to 70,000 between April and October in 2021.

The sector continues to show amazing resilience in the face of these hardships and will continue to do so, but is clear that the sector badly needs government support and funding.

As stated last week we attend many sector tradeshows and engage with frontline workers from all departments. In fact we were at the Care and Occupational Therapy Show in the West Country last week. Which, I’m delighted to say, was very well attended.

I think we had one of the busiest stands!

It’s always great to get feedback at such events, which is one of the main reasons we are there.

While many raised various concerns, all those we spoke with significantly enjoy what they do and find it immensely rewarding. (Although not financially, of course!)

Despite all the issues the sector faces, staff face them with a positive attitude. A testament to all those that work in the sector.

Working in adult social care offers great sense of fulfilment in making a huge difference to somebody’s life, as well as opportunities to develop and progress, and of course there is always a high demand for quality care staff!

And that was apparent with the feedback we are getting. Yes, there needs to be much more done and the government really needs to put its hand in its pocket, but I am always overwhelmed with the positivity I hear from frontline staff.

Which once again leads me onto my “thank yous” for all the wonderful stories we have received yet again, from residential and nursing care settings around the country.

These are the stories we are delighted as always to publish so please do keep them coming! Email editor@thecareruk.com

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 3

Adult Social Care Reforms “Hugely Underfunded” (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

UNDERFUNDING EXACERBATES “PRE-EXISTING SIGNIFICANT PRESSURES”

The LGA is warning that underfunded reforms will exacerbate significant ongoing financial and workforce pressures, including significant vacancy rates across the sector. These have already led to over 500,000 people waiting for an assessment, care or care reviews – up from just under 400,000 in November.

“Underfunding these reforms will only exacerbate pre-existing significant pressures, which the reforms – and the funding for them – do nothing to address. These include unmet and under-met need, greater strain on unpaid carers and increased waiting times for assessments and delivery of care packages.

“A higher proportion of the health and social care levy needs to be spent on social care to tackle these issues and create stable foundations for these reforms. Councils are stretched thin as it is, and my colleagues across the county have highlighted how many of their council services could be impacted by the cost of these reforms.

“Local government is seeking immediate assurances that the Government will underwrite any additional costs councils incur and will work with councils as a matter of urgency to consider further mitigations that may need to be used if funding, capacity and timescale pressures threaten implementation.”

REDUCTIONS IN QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF CARE Unless action is taken and government rethinks its plans, people who draw on care may experience reductions in quality and availability of care and support services, while at the same time paying more for them through the new health and social care levy and increased council tax.

If the reforms do end up costing more, and there is no further resource from government, councils also indicated concern in the survey that other council services may be negatively impacted in order to make up for the shortfall.

At its heart, adult social care reform must better enable people who draw on social care to live an equal life and a better life. the findings of this survey cast serious doubt on whether the Government’s plans will enable councils to deliver on these objectives.

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board said: “This survey lays bare the huge concerns of councils that the Government’s charging reforms are significantly underfunded. This has the potential to tip councils over the financial edge.

MORE EVIDENCE SOCIAL CARE “NOT FIXED” Responding to the survey findings, Cathie Williams, Chief Executive of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said: “This report provides yet more evidence that social care is not fixed.

The LGA survey shows that there is not enough money to make the changes which will mean that everyone can get the support they need and ensure greater fairness for both those who pay for their own care and those who do not own homes or have savings.

“There are now over half a million people waiting for assessments,

care or reviews. In March, nearly two-thirds of Directors of Adult Social Services who responded to our survey were saying that they had to prioritise assessment for people in life-threatening situations, at risk of abuse or neglect, or being discharged from hospital. So we share the concerns about whether there will be enough staff to assess people for the proposed changes to charging and fees.

“We will only deliver more of the care and support we all want – to live good lives – by prioritising and paying the committed and compassionate care workforce better so that they stay in this essential and brilliant work.

“It would be dreadful if these changes [were] to founder because of a lack of funding or ambition. That is why we are calling for more of the Health and Social Care Levy to come to adult social care, and sooner”.

REFORM A PRIORITY A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have made it clear reforming adult social care is a priority and we are investing £5.4 billion over the next three years to end spiralling care costs and support the workforce.

“This includes £3.6 billion to reform the social care charging system and enable all local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair cost of care, and a further £1.7 billion to begin major improvements across adult social care in England, funded by the Health and Social Care Levy.

“Our investment via the levy is on top of record annual funding to help councils respond to rising demands and cost pressures.”

The Sector Opens its Doors for Care Home Open Week Care Home Open Week is well underway across the UK. Care Home Open Week 2022 connects care homes across the country with their community, and provides homes with the opportunity to show what they have to offer, their fantastic facilities, activities and services, reminding their neighbours that they are there if they need support. It also provides the perfect opportunity to show fantastic career opportunities that are available in the sector, which encourages the community to support and build connections with their local service, considering how they can support those living and working in care communities throughout the year.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “Care Home Open Week is a real opportunity for care services to champion their work and to enable local communities to understand the important role social care plays in supporting residents and their families. After two years of COVID lockdowns, this week represents an opportunity for care homes to show what they have to offer their communities by exhibiting their outstanding care,

facilities, activities, and workforce. This Care Home Open Week let’s celebrate everything that makes care homes special and break down barriers by encouraging the public to build connections with their local care services.”

This year’s campaign will highlight the importance of building connections with your local community and offer the public an opportunity to discover the care home on their street and learn more about the social care sector!

Martin Green continues: “This Care Home Open Week, the care sector can show the public what we have to offer, to remind our neighbours that we are integral and active members of their communities. It is time to destigmatise care homes by championing the work of the care services and to educate the public on the important role the care sector serves in supporting the community.”

Find out more and register today: https://championingsocialcare.org.uk/care-home-open-day/

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

How To Manage Challenging Conversations Jenny Heyes, Head of People Projects at Napthens LLP, Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) legal partner, looks at how to handle challenging conversations and what topics are likely to crop up in the social care sector. (www.qcs.co.uk) A difficult or challenging conversation is a discussion where the parties involved need to manage emotions, and handle information in a sensitive way to address a specific issue.

Managers may fear having these types of conversations, as they address topics they are not comfortable talking about, and outcomes are uncertain. They might not be sure what to say and worry about conflicting opinions coming into play, But no matter how difficult a conversation is likely to be, it is important that it is dealt with quickly and directly. Otherwise, issues may continue and develop into larger problems later.

CONVERSATIONS AROUND FINANCIAL WORRIES Within social care, two current concerns around staff’s wellbeing that are likely to elicit difficult conversations are financial difficulties in the face of the cost of living crisis and dealing with bereavement and grief, especially following the pandemic.

When it comes to the first issue, it can be difficult for managers as they have two hats to wear. The first hat is operational, in the sense that they must ensure that the operations of a care home or business are financially viable. The second hat is a people management role, where they need to look after the wellbeing of their staff, as well as those they support.

Of course, having financial worries when inflation and the cost of living are rising is not limited to the care sector. But as care sector workers are still classed as low-skilled or unskilled – a travesty when they play such a vital role in today’s society – they are faced with low pay and limited benefits, despite the huge amount of responsibility they have.

But when it comes to talking about financial struggles, handling conversations sensitively is key. Without a sensitive approach it is very easy for a staff member to become embarrassed. Especially as, there is a certain shame attached to money problems for many people.

This is particularly true of male staff members. Although it is perhaps a stereotype, some men may consider themselves to be the main family earner and provider. It can be hard for them to admit they have issues and hiding their concerns may have a detrimental impact on their mental health. Ultimately, it’s all about knowing the individuals and being observant of any signs that they are facing difficulties.

CONVERSATIONS AROUND BEREAVEMENT For difficult conversations around grief and bereavement, first look at what available resources the provider has in place to deal with the issue. What’s key to remember that managers are not medical professionals and are not trained to resolve mental health issues. What they can of course do is offer support and advice, while listening to staff problems and providing a caring environment.

Whatever the issue, it's important for managers to schedule regular one-on-one conversations. By keeping in regular contact, staff will not feel uncomfortable if they are suddenly called into the manager’s office

for a chat. In this case, the first thing they might think is: “What have I done wrong? Where’s my P45?”

HOW TO MANAGE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS These regular conversations should be held in an informal setting to create a more relaxed atmosphere to make it easier to lead on to the more difficult conversations around financial challenges, bereavement and mental health issues.

QCS supervision forms provide prompts for managers to start conversations by asking open-ended questions such as: ‘Do you have anything in your work which is impacting on your life or vice versa?’ Skills for Care also provides guidance on how to train managers to plan and deliver effective supervisions that will help staff address any issues.

When dealing with an individual’s circumstances, it’s best not to be too prescriptive. Preparation is important, as opposed to ‘winging it – especially if a manager anticipates that the conversation with a staff member will be particularly difficult.

When it comes to what to say, I often recommend going with your gut and feel you way through it. Assess non-verbal cues, as well as what’s been said and what’s not been said – and that will steer the direction of the conversation.

Assumptions are deadly, especially when dealing with people. Never assume anything.

Plan different directions the conversation could go in and prepare possible outcomes. Have the conversations in a private space, and make sure you have enough time. If you have time to ask a question, make sure you have time to listen to the answer.

GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY Ensure the person leading the difficult conversation has a good working relationship with the member of staff. If not, then ask someone else to talk to the individual– whether that’s a team leader, supervisor, line manager — just make sure it’s an appropriate person.

It’s also important to write down the key points covered as well as agreed outcomes. This does not mean that this will be a formal HR document. It’s a file note, to jog the managers memory in the next conversation and to track trends and progress.

THE MANAGER’S ROLE When dealing with mental health issues, then, the manager’s role is to observe, listen and understand what staff members are going through. The best way to do this is by having one-to-one conversations, which can be challenging.

Managers have to be flexible so staff can get the care they need and provide signposts to the right resources to help employees take responsibility for their own self-care.

Watch the free QCS webinar here: www.qcs.co.uk/thecarer-webinar where Head of People Projects at Napthens LLP, Jenny Heyes discusses 'How to manage challenging conversations in your managerial roles'.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 5

Carers Welcome Investment in Digital Care… …But Warn Other Reforms Mustn’t be Delayed CARE providers have welcomed Government investment in new technology but warned that major reform of the sector must not be forgotten.

The Government today announced an expansion in the use of technology to aid health and social care in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It includes an increase in remote monitoring, enabling people’s conditions to be monitored at home or in a care setting, freeing up hospital beds.

Care provider organization, The Independent Care Group (ICG) gave a guarded welcome to the new investment.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “Care providers are amongst the best at embracing the use of new technology to aid care and free up staff time, so this additional investment is welcome news.

“What we have to ensure that it isn’t just window dressing, some headline-grabbing money to disguise the

fact that the Government isn’t really tackling the reform of social care provision in this country as it has promised.

“Last week, in the light of by-election defeat, the Prime Minister said he was “listening” – well, if he is listening, hear the voices of the 1.5m people who can’t get the care they need.

“And hear the voices of those providing care in care and nursing homes and in people’s own homes who are struggling to keep providing that care.

“And hear the voices of the staff who, because of a shortage of funding in social care, don’t get the recognition, respect and reward that they deserve.

“Yes, we do need investment in new technology but not ahead of the root and branch reform of social care that many of us have been calling for now for more than 30 years.”

The ICG wants to see social care’s share of the Health and Social Care Levy to be urgently fast-tracked to the frontline to help with staff recruitment, improving staff pay and social care delivery where it is needed.

It also wants to see: • A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded • NHS care and social care merged and managed locally or nationally • Extra funding for social care, funded by taxation • Dementia treated and funded like other high-priority illnesses • A fixed percentage of GDP to be spent on social care • Proper pay, conditions and career structure for carers • Social care businesses to be zero-rated for VAT.

Tour de Barchester – Local Care Home Workers Take on Charity Cycling Challenge Staff from Barchester Healthcare’s care homes up and down the country are taking on a gruelling 211 mile cycling challenge

cyclists.

On 8th July at 3pm the tour will stop at Magnolia Court in Golders

from Bradford to London to raise money for Barchester’s

Green where the home will be offering refreshments and holding a

Charitable Foundation which supports older people and other

garden party to help raise funds.

adults living with a disability or mental health problems by helping them to connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

Over four days, from July 5th- 8th, a team of care home workers

Octavian Stanciu General Manager at Chorleywood Beaumont said: “It is going to be a long and tiring four days in the saddle for all concerned which is why we’re asking our local community to come

will cycle from Yorkshire to London, stopping at 15 care homes

down and support the team on the day - we’re hoping to raise lots

and one hospital across all four of Barchester’s divisions to meet

of money for some great causes. We know all the staff, residents,

well-wishers, have a well-earned break and refuel before continu-

relatives and visitors will get behind the team at each of the homes

ing on their way. Octavian Stanciu, General Manager at Magnolia

along the way. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped so far,

Court and Wayne Hughes, Regional Director will be among the

it really has been a real team effort.”

PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

What Is Considered Negligence In A Nursing Home?

When you make the decision to move into a nursing home, or move a loved one, you expect a high standard of care. But nursing home neglect is actually surprisingly common, and it can have devastating consequences on the individuals involved. But what does negligence in this setting look like and how can residents and their loved ones prevent it?

WHAT DOES NEGLECT MEAN? Neglect in nursing homes and care homes means failing to provide the right standard of care, whether intentional or not, to residents. Neglect may mean not reacting to dangerous situations that put the resident’s safety in jeopardy, not providing the right level of care, or not acting on complaints they may have in regard to their care.

Neglect differs from abuse, as the former refers to a lack of action or reaction from caregivers while abuse refers to deliberate harm to the residents, such as physical, emotional or sexual harm. It’s something that is unfortunately on the rise. According to research, it’s estimated that 498,260 concerns of abuse were raised in 2020-21, an increase of 5% from the previous year.

EXAMPLES OF NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE Neglect can take many forms in a nursing home setting. It may be failing to keep harmful objects from vulnerable people, not changing bedding or cleaning their living environment. Medical negligence solicitors McCarthy & Co Solicitors explain that nursing home negligence can include medication and prescription errors, or misdiagnoses, a resident being left in bed for long periods of time causing pressure ulcers and sores, and injuries related to falls caused by inadequate mobility aids or a lack of supervision from staff.

Residents and their relatives need to be mindful of the signs of negligence, in order to take action sooner rather than later. These include unexplained injuries, dehydration or malnutrition, poor personal hygiene, poor living conditions, and psychological issues such as unexplained fear and depression or a desire to simply be left alone.

FORMS OF NURSING HOME NEGLECT There are many forms of elder neglect, all of which can have a negative impact on those involved.

Abandonment, for example, occurs when a caregiver leaves a resident with no regard for their wellbeing and safety, or removing them from the home completely without any regard for where they will stay.

Medical neglect is also a common form of negligence in care homes, and this occurs when care providers fail to treat health problems or misdiagnose residents.

Other forms of negligence include neglecting the basic needs of residents, such as providing them with food or water, or a clean living environment, or failing to help them with their personal hygiene. Social or emotional neglect may also be an issue, where nursing homes may leave residents alone for long periods or prevent them from interacting with other people or seeing their family and friends. This can be a particular issue for people with physical or mental disabilities as they may require caregivers to help them move and interact with other people.

WHY MIGHT NEGLIGENCE OCCUR IN A NURSING HOME ENVIRONMENT? There are many reasons why a nursing home may be accused of negligence, from unprofessionalism on the part of the caregivers, a lack of adequate training for staff, a lack of suitable infrastructure in the facility, or insufficient employees for the number of residents in the home. Neglect ultimately occurs when the home doesn’t make every effort to care for its residents and to prevent these types of pitfalls.

FINAL THOUGHTS Negligence isn’t a pleasant topic, but it’s unfortunately one that is a genuine concern in nursing homes that needs to be brought to light. There are thousands of care and nursing homes in the UK, and while the quality of care is largely good, it’s sadly not always the case. Nursing homes are home to vulnerable people who deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. Knowing what the signs of negligence are can help residents and those around them spot the signs and take appropriate action.

Author: Sophie Bishop is a medical journalist. Sophie aims to spread awareness through her writing around issues to do with healthcare, wellbeing and sustainability and is looking to connect with an engaged audience.

Connect with Sophie on Twitter: @SophBishJourno

Birthday Celebrations At Blackpool Care Home As Resident Turns 100 There was a party atmosphere at a Blackpool care home as family, residents and staff came together to celebrate a resident's 100th birthday.

Betty Holt is a resident at MHA Pennystone Court and was treated to a special birthday party, made even more special thanks to a telegram from The Queen.

The home, which has 36 places for dementia and residential care was decorated for the celebrations and the day was enjoyed by all.

After leaving school Betty worked as a secretary at her parents’ shoe factory before joining the Navy where she helped with sending clothing and supplies to the troops.

Speaking about her party, Betty said: “It was very nice to celebrate being 100 and getting the telegram from The Queen was very special.

“Celebrating the day with family, residents and the staff members was really nice and it made my day.

“I had a lovely day, and I do still feel very young in my mind, it's just my body that tells me differently.”

Chantelle Munnery, senior carer at the home said: “For Betty's birthday there were smiles all around and everyone at the home had a great day.

“There was plenty of delicious food, drinks and of course cake as well as decorations and balloons around the home.

“The main dining room and Betty bedroom was decorated, and there was plenty of singing and dancing during the day.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 7

£4 Million Prize to Develop Life-Changing Technology for People with Dementia Alzheimer’s Society, Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have announced a partnership to launch a new multi-million pound Longitude Prize on Dementia.

Opening for entries this September, global innovators will be invited to develop technologies that learn about the lives and routines of people living with early stage dementia, employing assistive technology and machine learning to adapt as their condition progresses.

Alzheimer’s Society has had extremely enthusiastic support so far for the Longitude Prize from three incredible supporters; The Hunter Foundation, CareTech Foundation and Heather Corrie.

WHY HAS THE LONGITUDE PRIZE ON DEMENTIA BEEN DEVELOPED? Delivered by challenge prize experts, Challenge Works (the new name of Nesta Challenges), the Longitude Prize on Dementia will award more than £3 million in seed funding and grants to the most promising innovators, with a £1 million prize awarded to the winner in early 2026.

Inspired by the original Longitude Prize of 1714, the Longitude Prize

on Dementia will incentivise a new generation of assistive technologies, supporting people to remain independent in their own homes as long as possible – one of the best ways to slow the advance of the disease.

Kate Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Society said: “As the UK’s leading dementia charity, Alzheimer’s Society is a vital source of support for everyone affected by dementia.”

We know that there are treatments around the corner but we want to change the way people are living with dementia now.

“Current technologies supporting dementia care focus on monitoring people and alerting their carers but there are real opportunities for innovation which will support people to live joyfully and independently.

The Longitude Prize on Dementia will deliver technologies that become an extension of the individual’s working ‘brain’ and memory in a way that is specific to their needs – enabling them to continue living at home and doing the things they love for as long as possible.”

Care Providers Facing a Frightening Future says ICG CARE providers face a frightening and uncertain future and will need to fight for better Government support, a celebration dinner was told.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) marked its 20th anniversary with a dinner and awards ceremony in York on Friday evening.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham told the guests: “There are challenges ahead – Covid-19 and the current cost of living and staffing crises continue to test our mettle.

“But we have shown amazing strength, fortitude and resilience over the past two decades and I know we shall do again.”

He said the Government had neglected social care during the whole of the previous 20 years and beyond and providers had to lift their voices to fight for change.

“Ambulances and their patients are queuing outside hospitals because there are no social care packages to enable other patients to be discharged,” he said.

“Social care is sick of being the bottleneck and we deserve better. Our amazing staff, who performed miracles on the front line in the fight

against the pandemic deserve better.

“And the hundreds of thousands of people who are daily being denied care deserve better.

“The Government hasn’t fixed social care, even if it thinks it has.

“Boris says he is listening. Well, if he is, social care has plenty to say.

We must fight for a better future than the past.

“It took 15 years for the suffragettes to get votes for women – so everything worth getting is worth fighting and never giving up for.”

The ICG celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special dinner and awards event at the Principal York Hotel on Friday evening.

During the evening, the ICG presented awards to those who had supported the group over the past 20 years. They were presented by Alison Holt, the BBC’s Social Affairs Editor.

Award winners included North Yorkshire County Council and Mr Padgham paid tribute to the ICG’s working relationship with the authority.

“We may not always agree on every issue, but on the whole, we rub along pretty well and during the pandemic this partnership has been incredibly valuable,” he told the audience.

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

NHS At 74: The Migrant Medical Workforce Helping To Drive Our Healthcare System

By Karen Jordaan, Head of UK, WorldRemit (www.worldremit.com) There are roughly 190,000 workers at the NHS who report being nonBritish, between them holding over 200 different nationalities. What’s more, over a fifth (22%) of doctors and 14% of nurses are nationals of non-EU countries, making our health service a rich tapestry of skills, backgrounds and talent from all over the world.1 These NHS staff have been there for Britons during major world events, a global pandemic, and provided support to every Brit who has needed emergency care, day or night.

With a significant number of migrants helping to make our healthcare system the world-renowned institution it is today, here are just a few examples of the countries that have contributed their time, people and service to keep us healthy for nearly three quarters of a century.

SOUTH ASIA Many people from South Asia arrived in the UK in the 1950s, bringing their medical expertise to the NHS at a time when it was desperately needed. The country had recently emerged from a world war, which created a severe staffing shortage in the British medical profession.

The NHS, having been created in 1948, was still in its infancy. Many skilled professionals who had migrated to Britain from countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan were sent to deprived areas with low employment and high crime rates. Nevertheless, it was these nurses and doctors who stepped in, and played a major role in driving the UK’s public health forward, out of crisis, and into post-war recovery.

Not only does this community continue to ease our aches, pains and illnesses, it is also part of the South Asian population which supports the economy in their countries of origin, by sending remittance from the UK to help with their loved ones’ medical expenses, education fees and daily necessities.

Today, there are over 37,000 NHS workers from South Asia who we can thank for their part in keeping the British public healthy for 74 years.1 This figure is likely to increase soon, with a new agreement to welcome another 10,000 nurses from Nepal being prepared by the British and Nepali government.²

NIGERIA One in seven (14%) nurses and over one in five (22%) doctors report the nationality of a non-EU and nonUK country. In London, this is particularly high, with over a quarter (27%) from countries outside of the EU, one of the most common countries of origin being Nigeria.1 The Nigerian diaspora is known for its major contribution to the NHS, as well as driving the global remittance economy – the West African country is a major destination of remittances from the UK,3 with WorldRemit recording almost £270M sent by its users globally to Nigeria in 2022.

The British medical community, as well as the wider population, owes a lot to Kofoworola Abeni Pratt,

who was a pioneer of nursing. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, she moved to the UK in 1946 where she became the first black student to attend the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital. She qualified in 1950 to become the first black nurse to do so, and worked in the NHS for four years. Her legacy has been continued by the 10,500 Nigerian nurses, doctors and staff who have been a driving force for Britain’s healthcare system for decades.1

THE PHILIPPINES The Filipino community’s contribution to the UK’s health system is significant. Their tireless work in service to the NHS was largely facilitated by a 2003 bilateral agreement between the two countries, which helped meet the healthcare system’s growing demand, and provided an opportunity for Filipino expats to send remittance home.

Despite this, we have only recently seen changes to the NHS and The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which allows their ethnicity to be properly recorded and recognised as ‘Filipino’ and ‘Filipina’, instead of ‘Asian’ or ‘Other Asian’. This is a step in the right direction - there are over 25,000 Filipino staff who make up our British medical workforce, making up the third largest group of NHS staff in the UK, behind only Indian and British.1 Alongside their colleagues from across the world, they were truly on the frontline during the pandemic, providing quality, lifesaving service for the UK at its time of need.

As we celebrate 74 years of the NHS, we pay tribute to the migrants who hail from all corners of the world, and have worked tirelessly since its inception in 1948 to provide support, care and expertise to make our health system what it is today.

1. UK Parliament: House of Commons Library. NHS staff from overseas: statistics. 2021 2. Khabar Hub: Press release. ‘Govt to send 10,000 nurses to UK’ , 13 June 2022 3. The Migration Observatory. Migrant Remittances to and from the UK. 2020.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 9

Integrated Care Systems Launching a New Era for Health and Social Care From 1st July 2022, Integrated Care Systems (ICS) will change the way health and care services are planned, paid for and delivered across England.

From Friday, the 42 ICSs across England will be put on a statutory footing and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will be abolished, with their commissioning powers transferring to the new bodies. The intention behind these systems is to move towards joined-up health and care, to give people the support they need, in the right place and at the right time.

The partnership model is intended to bring together health and social care providers and commissioners of NHS services with local authorities and other partners, to collectively plan health and care services across specific geographical areas across the country, and tackle health and wellbeing inequalities. Whether this can be achieved depends entirely upon the willingness of these systems to proactively involve and meaningfully engage social care providers.

The National Care Forum (NCF) has created a range of dedicated resources and information to help social care providers understand, navigate and improve the integration between health and social care as they work together under this new framework.

The resources are available on the NCF website and provide a comprehensive overview of ICS, relevant guidance and case studies including a useful interactive map to help you find your local ICS and partners.

Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the NCF said: “Social care providers, especially not for profit providers, are deeply rooted in their local communities. They bring hugely valuable expertise in meeting the current and future needs of their wider communities, as well as deep insight and understanding of the people and communities they service. It’s therefore essential that social care providers play a central role, alongside other local partners, in the shaping and delivery of health and social care services through the ICS framework. Their knowledge and expertise will ensure that together with their partners they can tackle the deep-rooted health inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of people who live and work in their area.”

If you would like to find out more about the resources available on Integrated Care Systems please visit the NCF website. www.nationalcareforum.org.uk

Care Home Time Capsule Receives Civic Seal of Approval A Morpeth care home’s time capsule, which captures some of the town’s recent history, has received the Civic seal of approval.

Guest of honour at the ceremony at Riverside House, at Low Stanners, was the Mayor of Morpeth, councillor Alison Byard.

Three residents, Bill Simpson, Ella Stephenson, and Jean LeGassicke also took part in the burial of the capsule.

Residents and their families either donated or suggested items that should be contained in the metal container. This included a Covid kit – a face mask and lateral flow test – coins, a copy of the 2021/22 Morpeth Town AFC annual programme, the Jubilee edition of the Morpeth Herald newspaper and a pamphlet, ‘Morpeth Town Hall and its Treasures’ which was donated by the Mayor.

The capsule has been placed in the home’s gardens and marked by a plaque at the spot where it has been buried.

Refreshments were provided at the ceremony’s conclusion and the Mayor stayed to chat to residents.

Councillor Byard said:

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“Riverside House and its residents have done a great job in creating a snapshot of life from their point of view that will inform the community of what life was like here in years to come.

“It was a real honour to be involved in the ceremony to bury the time capsule and I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting and chatting to the residents afterwards.

“Inviting me here, in my capacity of Mayor of Morpeth is a reflection of how keen Riverside House is to be an integral part of the community.

“It had a strong reputation for this pre-Covid and it is fantastic to see it is rekindling old relationships and forging new ones now that pandemic restrictions have eased.”

Richard Dobinson, Riverside House activities co-ordinator, said: “We saw this as an opportunity to capture a moment in our community’s history and to create a lasting commemoration of the home and its residents.

“Residents have picked or suggested items that reflect their interests, backgrounds and routines as well as life in Morpeth in recent times.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 11

Barford Court Care Home Staff Receive British Citizen Award to Praise Efforts During the Pandemic Care Home Manager Deidre Johnson at RMBI Care Co. Home Barford Court, in Hove, has received a British Citizen Corporate Award (BCA) in recognition of her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, all staff members at the Home, which supports older people with residential care and residential dementia support, have been awarded a British Citizen Award Certificate of Recognition for their ‘exceptional endeavours in the Workplace Community.’

Receiving the award, Deidre Johnson, Home Manager at Barford Court, in Hove, said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised for the work that we do, as well as each of our staff members, who go over and above every day to support the residents within our care. It has been a challenging few years, but we have emerged stronger and closer as a team.”

The British Citizen Awards help to recognise individuals doing extraordinary things in the local community. Anyone can be nominated for an award,

providing they have had a meaningful impact on those around them.

Photo: From left to right, staff members Charlotte Reynolds, Anna Janakowska, Deidre Johnson (Home Manager) and Michelle Dyer holding their BCA certificates.

Three Cheers For Langdon House Residents As They Enjoy 100th Birthday Celebrations Residents at CHS Group’s Langdon House Care Home in Cambridge were delighted to celebrate three 100th birthdays, at a 100-themed tea party attended by all the care homes residents, as well as the three centenarian’s families.

The much-loved residents: Margaret Bradbury, Edith Stubbings and Eileen Coe, were sung happy birthday and shared three birthday cakes which, together, spelt out 100 and were enjoyed by all the party guests as they marked the milestone.

The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, Suite 4, Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained.

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PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

The Future Challenges of the Care Industry - Complete The Survey Today!

Simply complete the survey and fill in your details to be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Miele Triflex Vacuum Clean at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZL6QR73 The laundry room in any care home is a crucial part of the day-today operations. The job of handling both soiled and clean linen normally falls to the front-line care staff as very few establishments are big enough to have a dedicated laundry team or laundry manager.

Because soiled linen is a breeding ground for infection, the way this is handled by the care team is crucial to infection prevention and control in the care home and helps to protect both residents and staff alike.

As part of the mandatory training that is provided to all care staff on an annual basis, the handling of linen is described at length but in the everyday operation of a care home it can be difficult to ensure that the very highest of standards are being achieved. Space can be a limiting factor as many organisations have very small laundry facilities so being able to effectively separate clean and soiled laundry can be practically quite challenging. Time is also a major factor in the daily workings of the laundry room. Without a dedicated laundry team, front-line care staff are performing the duties of a laundry team as part of their daily tasks so being able to take the time and care over the specifics of the laundry operation is not always a priority.

At Miele Professional we understand the challenges that care staff face when it comes to providing the very best in infection prevention and control in the laundry versus the reality of providing high standards of care for some of our most frail, elderly people. Our laundry equipment is designed to help take some of the guesswork out of infection

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Couple Reunite at Liberty House Care Home with Romantic Meal for Two Liberty House care home in Cantley, Doncaster, strives to create an environment which celebrates love, friendship and meaningful relationships and special milestones.

Margaret, a resident at Liberty House enjoyed a romantic meal with her husband Ken, which was kindly organised and set up by the team. Ken had very recently moved into Liberty House to be closer to his wife and the team wanted to celebrate this.

Liberty House’s Wellbeing Lead and Assistant laid the table and set the romantic scene. The home’s chef cooked a delicious meal for the couple to enjoy.

Both Ken and Margaret enjoyed dining together in a private and inti-

mate area away from the liveliness of the home, celebrating Ken’s moving in.

Jody Hughes, Wellbeing Lead at Liberty House, says: “Both Margaret and Ken were so excited to celebrate their reunion at Liberty House and the team and I were eager to do something extra special so that they could really enjoy this important time. We decided on a romantic meal for two, so that they could spend quality time together in a private area, over a meal. The couple really enjoyed it and we look forward to organising further special events for Ken and Margaret and every resident at Liberty House to celebrate the meaningful and unique milestones in their lives.”

Four Seasons Health Care Group to Sell 111 Homes Christie Group plc (CTG.L), has announced that its agency and advisory business, Christie & Co, has been instructed by the Four Seasons Health Care Group to sell a portfolio of 111 freehold care homes located across England, Scotland and Jersey, all trading under either Four Seasons Health Care or brighterkind.

This is the Four Seasons Health Care Group’s remaining freehold property portfolio and associated care home business, thus being a key milestone in the Group’s ongoing restructuring process.

Christie & Co expects the portfolio to be of interest to a range of buyers, including corporate buyers and investors, regional groups, and SME operators all of whom are looking for growth opportunities via acquisition.

Speaking on behalf of the Four Seasons Health Care Group, Joe O’Connor, Interim CEO of the Group, comments, “Our priority remains the continuity of care for all residents, and the Group will work closely with

Christie & Co, potential buyers and other counterparties, as well as all relevant regulators, to ensure that the sales process and the transition of care homes to new ownership is seamless.”

The sale is being handled by Martin Gould and Michael Hodges at Christie & Co, who comment, “We’re really proud to be part of this unique opportunity, one of the biggest of its kind, which comes at a time when there is significant investor and operator interest in the UK elderly care sector.

“The sale presents a chance for the new owner to work with the fantastic existing staff at the Four Seasons Health Care Group and to invest and improve on these brilliant homes, all the while ensuring continuity of care. We are excited to be bringing this substantial group of assets to the market and anticipate strong interest from a wide range of prospective buyers.”

Funfair Way To Thank Hard-Working Care Staff More than 1,000 staff, clients and family and friends at a Sandwell care provider were treated to a free fun fair day out thanks to the generosity of Nick Horton, owner of Select Lifestyles, based in Oldbury.

Black Country funfair operator Pat Collins Funfairs was booked to provide everything from bumper car rides, carousel fun, a ghost train and even candy-floss at the event in Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich.

All the guests were given lunch, free rides, a disco, and an amazing karaoke show.

Mark Blackstock, from Pat Collins Funfairs, based in Walsall Wood, said: “It was a fantastic gesture by Nick to his staff, family and friends. We estimate that more than 10,000 rides, were enjoyed with the Dodgems and the Waltzer proving to be particularly popular, plus lots and lots of candy-floss, burgers, and vegetarian noodles consumed. And for anyone who couldn’t make it Nick made sure 1000 free ride tickets were held back so they can enjoy the funfair whenever it suits them.”

Select Lifestyles is a care provider for adults with learning difficulties and associated

conditions and helps people live fulfilling lives.

It operates supported living premises throughout the Black Country as well as day centres.

Owner, Nick Horton wanted to give staff and service users a thank you for what they did and had to face during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Nick wanted to say thank you to all our staff and our service users for all they did and had to put up with through the pandemic. He paid for the event and offered the free day out to more than 170 service users and 400 staff as well as to their family and friends.There was everything there that you would find in a fun fair with free admission and food for those taking part in the day," said Steve Lear, Select Lifestyles sales and marketing manager.

Among the guests were Nicola Richards MP for West Bromwich East and the Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Richard Jones.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 13

Care Forum Wales Welcomes “Landmark” Care Funding Reform A landmark decision by Gwynedd Council to fund nearer to the “true cost” of running care homes will ramp up pressure on other local authorities in North Wales to follow suit.

That’s the message from social care champions Care Forum Wales (CFW) who welcomed fee increases of up to 25 per cent which they hailed as a “victory for common sense”.

Until now Gwynedd have worked closely with other North Wales councils when calculating the fees for care homes and nursing homes.

But at a Cabinet meeting councillors voted in favour of “stepping away from the north Wales standard fees”.

They have set aside an extra £1.6 million to pay for the hikes in fees for the different types of social care.

As a result, the weekly fee per person for Residential EMI care in Gwynedd has increased by 19.8 per cent to £780 while the rate for Nursing EMI care has gone up by 24.7 per cent to £900.

That means funding for Nursing EMI in Gwynedd is now £5,124 more a year per person than for exactly the same level of care across the Menai Suspension bridge in Anglesey.

For a 40-bed care home, which is the average size in Wales, that’s a whopping difference of £204,960 a year between the two counties separated by the Menai Strait.

According to CFW, unless councils pay the real cost of care it increases the burden on hard working families and amount to a stealth tax as they have to make up the difference, to prevent care homes not being financially viable and closing.

Mary Wimbury, the chief executive of CFW, said: “We are grateful to the councillors in Gwynedd for acknowledging their responsibilities and adopting a more realistic approach to setting fee levels to reflect the real costs of providing care.

“This decision is hugely significant because it hopefully signals the end of the iniquitous North South divide in social care.

“Apart from Gwynedd, all the other North Wales councils are lagging way behind in terms of fees, compared to authorities in South East Wales.

“The fact that Gwynedd have essentially broken away from the other local authorities in North Wales ramps up the pressure on others to finally do the right thing instead of treating the most vulnerable people in society like second class citizens.

“Anglesey, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire are all still paying rock bottom fees. The fees are so low that providers are having to refuse placements of potential residents because they don’t cover anywhere near the true costs of care. Wrexham and Conwy have promised in year reviews of their fees.

“As a consequence those councils are effectively imposing a stealth tax on decent, hard-working families because care homes have been forced to charge top up fees to remain financially viable.

“Even so, we have seen a raft of care home closures in recent times because the social care sector is incredibly fragile as was pointed out by the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, even before the pandemic began.”

According to Care Forum Wales, the mismanagement of social care over a quarter of a century had led to a postcode lottery of fees and an ever-widening North-South divide.

Relations reached a new low earlier this year when CFW resigned from the North Wales Fee Setting Group – which also included representatives from the six local authorities in North Wales and the Health Board - amid claims that the region’s councils were “deprioritising care” even though they has been given more money by the Welsh Government to pay for it.

A number of South Walian councils had already started bucking the trend and were offering more realistic fees.

Among them was Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council whose members recently voted for increases of between 16 and 22 per cent.

They agreed the hikes after studying a report by officials of the legal position which meant it was unlawful not to pay fees that took into account “legitimate current and future costs faced by providers”.

The report considered by Gwynedd Council said the increases would fund the “real costs of care” It added: “The sustainability of the care sector is one of the main risks of the care sector, and this has been included on the department’s risk register.

“One of the most important factors in order to respond to the risk is to ensure that the fees that the Council set promote and sustain a stable and sustainable care market.

“Reaching a current agreement on the new fees with our Providers would place us on a sound legal basis for the future.

“There has been some attention and criticism in the media to north Wales fee levels in comparison with fees which are set by local authorities in the south.

“Gwynedd fee levels and those of the remainder of the councils in the north are currently amongst the lowest in Wales.

“The recommendation therefore is to increase all fees but to prioritise the nursing and dementia fees for a higher increase in order to sustain the market.

“Some other councils in north Wales have already noted that they are reviewing their fees as a result of the increase in costs and the pressures across the sector.”

Ms Wimbury added: “There is now nowhere to hide for all the other county councils in North Wales.

“Gwynedd Council have demonstrated that where there’s a will there’s a way.

“They have blown a massive hole in the fee setting cartel that was keeping the funding for social care artificially and unreasonably low.

“It is incumbent on the likes of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire to take a close look at themselves in the mirror.

“All we are asking for is fair and sustainable funding so that we can provide the best possible care for the most frail and vulnerable people in Wales.

“Gwynedd have recognised their legal responsibilities and it now up to the other authorities to stop acting unlawfully and set fees that reflect the true cost of care.”

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PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Why Equipping Returning Adult Learners With The Skills They Need To Enter The Social Care Sector Is The Best Solution To The Recruitment Crisis

By Jonny Rees, Head of Professional Development at the College Development Network (www.cdn.ac.uk)

The size of the skills gap in the care sector is startling – Skills Development Scotland estimates that 17,100 roles will need to be filled by 2024, while Skills for Care’s latest figures reveal that there are an average of 105,000 job vacancies on any given day in England. Filling that gap means the care sector needs to cast its net far and wide to find recruits.

Attracting the attention and interest of school leavers, and ensuring their parents are informed about the rewarding and potentially life-long career that can be forged in caring is indeed a valuable use of resources. Young people are a recognised and important stream of talent and skills for the sector.

However, it is essential that the care sector taps into the pool of adults who are either considering, or are in the process of, returning to education. They include people who may have left the workforce to start a family, people who have been sick or injured but have now recovered, or simply people who did not get the chance to study at college earlier in their lives and now want to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to start a new career.

To help address the skills gap, Scotland’s further education colleges, with the help of Scotland’s national college skills agency, the College Development Network (CDN) recently developed and launched the “Introduction to a Career in Social Care” course, which can now be studied at 18 of Scotland’s 24 colleges.

MIXING THEORY AND PRACTICE Colleges work hard to tailor their courses to fit employers’ needs. Today, courses include plenty of case

studies, site visits, and extended work experience placements, so that students understand the roles within the care sector, which will help to reduce turnover and increase retention in the long run, helping to address the skills gap.

MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION Adults returning to education can bring a wealth of skills and experience to roles within the care sector.

Often, they’re motivated by their own experiences of care, whether it’s having been cared for themselves or having seen the high-quality support that relatives or friends have received.

Just like young people who enter college care courses straight from school, adults returning to education want to give something back to their communities. The pandemic has shone an even brighter spotlight on why it’s important to have a strong care sector.

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER Having a mix of adults and young people in classrooms can change the dynamics of a course in very positive ways too. You can’t teach life experience, and so adults regularly act as mentors to school leavers often in an ad-hoc, informal manner, while young people – without falling into stereotypes here – will often help their older classmates with the digital skills that have become so important in so many roles within care homes and clients’ houses.

Recruiting adults isn’t about simply filling the void in entry-level jobs. Instead, adults will often bring with them experience from supervisory or management roles within their previous careers, helping to fill skills gaps at all levels throughout the care sector.

DEVELOPING LIFE-LONG LEARNING College lecturers can walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk because they’ve usually worked within the care sector. That means they have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to help to develop the courses that care providers need to train their staff at all levels throughout their careers, helping businesses to “grow their own” recruits.

Being anchor institutions within their communities means that colleges are ideally placed to help fill the skills gap within the care sector. And adults returning to education are a key part of that mission.

Doncaster Care Home Makes Residents’ Wishes Come True with Wish Tree Initiative The team at Liberty House, a care home in Doncaster, are encouraging residents to write down and share their wishes, so that they help make them come true.

Liberty House, part of the Runwood Homes’ Group, are always looking for ways to enhance the lives of their residents. The Wellbeing Lead at the Doncaster care home thought of the lovely idea of the ‘wish tree’. The tree sits pride of place within the home, so that residents are easily able to add their wishes. The wishes are written down on a tag and then hung on the tree. Every month, the team pick a wish at random off the tree and make every effort to make it come true.

The wishing tree initiative is truly a community effort, with residents, the care team, relatives, friends and visitors all working together to make the wishes come true. Friends and family of Liberty House love the idea and have shown their kind support by donating towards the residents’ activities funds, which further supports the team in making the wishes come true.

Spiritual Care Series A training course for churches offering spiritual care to older people BRF is delighted to introduce a groundbreaking course to help churches equip leaders and members for ministry to older people. The urgent need to prioritise the support of older people was highlighted during the pandemic and it's increasingly recognised that they thrive when their spiritual well-being is cared for alongside their physical, mental and social needs. The Spiritual Care Series offers tried-and-tested training designed to give churches and carers the confidence, understanding and skills to provide such holistic care.

It’s important for carers to learn how to offer sensitive, effective spiritual care to all those in their care, whether of strong faith, non-traditional faith or no faith. Developed in Australia, the Spiritual Care Series is now also well established in Canada. The course is fully endorsed by Debbie Thrower, Anna Chaplaincy pioneer, and her team. Two leading practitioners in the field of spiritual care for older people in the UK, Professor John Swinton of the University of Aberdeen and Harriet Mowat, a Newcastle-based researcher in chaplaincy and spiritual care, have been involved in its development.

‘This is an ideal resource for churches, groups of churches and other organisations, who want to equip their members to offer good spiritual care to older people in the church, in the community or in care homes.’– Debbie Thrower, Anna Chaplaincy pioneer

TRIED AND TESTED

The wish tree has already been very successful. This week, the team organised the Wise Owl Bird of Prey Rescue to visit as per a resident’s wish. This experience was very generously brought to life with the help of a family member of one of the residents, who ever so kindly put money towards the experience. The generosity of everyone within the Liberty House community reflects the deeprooted value of those at the home to create a fulfilling and meaningful lifestyle for each and every resident.

The birds of prey experience was a lovely wish to bring to life and was something that everyone could enjoy. Resident Joan is blind and loved hearing all about the birds and feeling them too.

Joan used to be a Brown Owl at Brownies and so the experience was a great reminiscence activity for her as well.

Jody Hughes is the Wellbeing Lead at Liberty House and helped the wish tree initiative come to life. Jody commented: “At Liberty House we always aim to create a sense of fulfilment for residents, to learn more about them and create a space where new ideas and wishes are welcomed and embraced. The wishing tree idea was created because we wanted to do something unique for each individual and to make them feel extra special.”

The course consists of eight two-hour sessions with video material to introduce each topic and provoke discussion. The course covers a range of essential skills, including reflective listening, and uses a mixture of learning styles. It can be run in person or entirely online, and a certificate is awarded to participants on successful completion. Pam Nobbs is an Anna Chaplaincy local coordinator who was part of a trial group and then went on to lead an online group through the material.

‘We were absolutely enamoured by it. We thought it was wonderful. It was such an excellent course. We all agreed how helpful it had been. It was an extremely professional presentation and it was totally relevant.

It explored situations that all of us were likely to encounter at some point n our work with older people.’ – Pam Nobbs, Anna Chaplaincy local coordinator

SESSION OUTLINE AND FACILITATION The eight sessions cover: 1. Understanding the ageing process 2. Spirituality in ageing 3. Good communication 4. The power of storytelling 5. Dementia 6. A new home and a new way of life 7. Grief, loss, death and dying 8. Roles, boundaries and self-care Please note that this course is most effective when supported by at least one, and ideally two, experienced facilitators.

COST The Spiritual Care Series comes as a package for two facilitators and six participants. The cost of £360.00 (£60.00 per person) covers one DVD, handbooks for facilitators and participants, access to The Bridge online learning environment and certification on successful completion. Additional participants can be added for £60.00 per additional person.

For more information and to order visit www.brfonline.org.uk/products/spiritual-care-series-6-user-bundle

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 15

Chester Chef Competes To Be The ‘Masterchef' Of Care Home Cooking The bistro and catering manager at the new Belong Chester care village, set to open on City Road, next month, has been preparing for the National Association of Care Catering (NACC)'s Care Chef of the Year competition after landing a place in the regional finals.

Nelko Yordanov, 40, will be up against other challengers and the clock to whip-up innovative and exciting main and dessert courses, designed especially for customers in care environments. Two finalists from each region will then go forward to the national finals later this year.

Whilst the exact details of the dishes remain closely guarded until the competition on the 12th of July, the chef has revealed plans to emphasise a variety of colours, textures and flavours, matching his approach to his cooking at Belong.

Commenting on his shortlisting, Nelko Yordanov, bistro and catering manager at Belong Chester, said: "I'm very excited to be competing and I'm looking forward to showing people that social care catering is not perhaps what people perceive it to be instead, it is quite the opposite!"

Originally from Bulgaria, the chef has been fascinated with food from a young age, starting off as a porter, before developing his cooking repertoire alongside reading engineering at university. Upon graduating, he swapped his overalls for an apron to indulge his passion and later completed a Masters qualification in Hospitality, Catering and International Tourism.

Since then, Nelko has gained extensive experience in food and catering management, including the running of his own restaurant and as executive chef at another leading care provider. He joined the Belong team as part of its ongoing recruitment drive and has been working at the organisation's estab-

for Care Home and Care Agency Staff

lished villages in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, in preparation for Chester opening in July.

Having recognised Nelko's creative culinary talents, the group's hospitality and catering manager, Samantha Jackson, put him forward to represent Belong in the competition.

Nelko continued: "I feel happy and fortunate to be working at Belong as their values and ethos align with my own and I love the fact that the ‘village living' model of care means our bistro will also be open to the wider community."

A first for the region, Belong Chester will also feature an onsite integrated children's nursery, also set to be served by Nelko and his team. Its aim is to bring people of all ages together to benefit from the increased wellbeing that intergenerational connections can foster, for example, when dining together.

General manager of Belong Chester, Patrick Butler, also commented: "We are delighted to have Nelko leading the bistro and catering team; he is creative, has a clear vision for our food provision and how it can be used to enhance the daily life of older people, including those living with dementia, as well as our young customers in the nursery."

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL AT WWW.THECARERUK.COM/SIGNUP

An Introduction from MSD Independent I would like to introduce myself .

My name is Mark Durbidge and I have been in the Distance Learning environment for the past 12 years and have built this business to where we are today. I started originally with a market leading Company and moved on to starting my own business finding and enrolling people onto the courses.

Our job is to introduce people to our Free Courses for Care home and care agency staff including Free Dementia, End of Life, Medication and Falls Prevention courses plus many more .

We have enrolled over the years many people , and they have benefited in accomplishing a level 2 NCFE Cache certificate in one or more of our courses.

As with everyone else it took a downturn during the pandemic as we were unable to visit Care Homes or Agencies , so we started doing telephone and online enrolments. This proved very successful and we are continuing this service and now offering the original visits and group enrolments.

We had a new website built during this time which has also been a great success as it contains detailed information regarding the courses we have available from Mental Health, Mental Health First

FREE COURSES

Aid, Autism, Dementia, Medication, Business Administration.

Also our partner Colleges around the country supply experienced , qualified tutors to help where necessary students who may struggle a little. This is a great asset to people.

Once people are enrolled we always send out a hard copy of their chosen course and they have the option of writing out the assessment or electronically submitting to the relevant College. The courses have been developed to a very high and informative standard and are highly recommended

by Care Homes and Colleges alike..

These courses are free to people providing they complete them . Colleges do ask for a small admin fee from those who register and do not complete the course.

Please contact me direct if you wish to have more information . I can be contacted on my mobile number 07943 743748 or email me direct on mark@msdindependent.co.uk.

Alternatively our web site is www.msdindependent.com

We are a company that finds learners for Colleges and Learning

Providers. MSD Independent offer market-leading fully funded

Courses for a wide range of Certificated Health and Social Care qualifications.

These cover a diverse mix of subjects, such as Autism, Mental

Health, Mental Health First Aid, Dementia Awareness, and the

Safe Handling and Administration of Medicines as well as many more. Also we have fully funded courses in Safeguarding, Business Administration, and Digital Services.

The courses are available

through several Colleges we work with so staff will get

access to qualified tutors to help them if needed, plus longer submission times than many providers.

Learners are able to further their own continuous professional

development which may also improve their career prospects and can then progress on to further qualifications in Health & Social care or other related subjects.

Visit our web site www.msdindependent.com Email mark@msdindependent.co.uk

Call us on 01656 502059 and speak to one of our dedicated Team We are here to help

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Staff-Short Care Firms Have No Time For Training Connect2Care’s latest research shows how misconceptions around apprenticeships could be impacting their potential to fix industry-wide staff retention problems Following the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021 – when employees around the UK left their jobs in record numbers – a new survey has revealed that 100% of care managers continue to find it hard to retain staff.

Yet while almost 90% believe that further training investment would help with recruitment and retention, less than 40% of care businesses offer apprenticeships to staff at all levels. Over a third have been deterred from offering training opportunities for new and existing employees due to the time investment needed.

A further 37.5% of care managers are put off by the risk that an employee would leave after completing their training, even though more than 90% of people working in the sector have said they would be more likely to stay in a role if their employer invested in their training from the outset.

Commenting on the research, Jill Whittaker, Managing Director at Connect2Care, said: “Since the pandemic began, staff shortages have been rife across a wide range of sectors, culminating in the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021. And the care sector is among the hardest hit.

“Yet while most care operators see the value in training when it comes to attracting and retaining staff, too many believe they don’t have the time to invest in this. But with the sector continuing to strug-

unlock skills quickly and fast-track staff into positions where they can make a real impact. New flexible training models under consideration by the Government are set to make this process even quicker. For example, front-loaded training will be invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and operate efficiently for their employers from the very beginning.”

The study showed that most care operators are interested in flexible training options, with 75% of employers in the sector saying they would consider front-loaded training to help speed-up the process. Over 90% of employees in the field would be more willing to start an apprenticeship or training course if they could condense learning into a shorter period.

Connect2Care has released a toolkit answering common questions about apprenticeships, with advice on how businesses can maximise them through flexible training options. gle with staff shortages, they can’t afford not to.

“As well as playing a role in attracting and retaining valuable team members, apprenticeships have always been one of the best ways to

Find out which apprenticeship pathway will work best for your business with Connect2Care’s See the Opportunity toolkit, which can be downloaded for free.

Visit https://connect2care.net/resources/see-the-opportunity/

Where Are You On Your ESG Journey?

As an accountancy and business adviser to businesses across the middle market, BDO is seeing an increasing number of clients looking for help with their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.

Many are already seeing the commercial impact of failing to embrace the ESG agenda. Some are losing key customers, failing to win new work or experiencing difficulties raising finance or new investment due to their lack of focus or credentials.

Last year’s UN Climate Change conference in Glasgow led to a renewed impetus for action on climate change.

The UK Government has already introduced legislation including a commitment to achieve the 2050 net zero.

Many businesses have publicly committed to this goal (including BDO: Our net zero commitment) and those that have not yet done so will come under increasing pressure to follow suit. Whilst this is more of a focus for

larger businesses at present, SMEs that are not already doing so will also need to rapidly implement carbon reduction policies.

Beyond environmental performance, companies may also be expected to demonstrate progress on many other ESG agendas such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ethical business practices, company culture or social impact to name a few – and crucially to report on performance.

Businesses that embrace ESG can expect positive benefits on financial performance, reputation, staff recruitment and retention. Conversely those with poor ESG metrics may experience greater financial stress.

There is no one size fits all approach to ESG and each business will have its own priorities. To help us understand what the ESG agenda means to you, we would be very grateful if you could take part in this short survey, the results of which we plan to share with you later this year. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mrxm5ekj

Learning Disability Week: From Care To Career For Gloucester Worker A LEADING provider of care and support to vulnerable adults is shining the spotlight on one of its colleagues on Learning Disability Week, after they have progressed in their supported environment to a parttime employee at the company.

Administrative assistant Luke Rowe recently acquired his role at National Care Group, operating at its Chosen Care Supported Living services in Gloucester. Diagnosed with a mild learning disability, he has been able to overcome his difficulties to secure his goal of a long-term paid job, thanks to the support of colleagues at Chosen Care.

Securing his job post-pandemic after many years of unpaid voluntary work, Luke’s remarkable turnaround echoes all the key themes of Learning Disability Week this year, which focus on reconnection following the COVID-19 crisis.

Luke said: “I’m really happy to have achieved my dream of securing paid and meaningful employment. I’m supported by people I know so well and to be able to work at National Care Group and help other people like me helps me feel more confident in my day-to-day tasks.

“The pandemic was a difficult time not seeing a lot of people I know, but to hear news of this new job gave me the extra boost I needed to really do well in my life and career. I’m looking forward to progressing and doing all that I can to help.”

Awards, which took place last month.

Colleagues at the company were impressed with Luke’s passion and commitment to his goal after volunteering for ten years in various roles, including for Gloucester-based charity Wheels For All, where he assists in the check-in process and first-ride demonstrations.

His current day-to-day duties at National Care Group, which include filling and archiving, refreshing his training, and joining new support worker interviews when requested, all added to an inspirational journey that echoes the company’s values of enabling individuals to lead happy, enriched lives.

Karen Lewis, chief operations officer for National Care Group said: “Luke is a remarkable individual who has persisted with his ambition to secure paid employment. Thanks to the fantastic support of colleagues at Chosen Care, he has been able to move from an individual we support, to someone who supports others, unlocking his full potential in life.

“I’m incredibly proud of Luke and all those who have supported him Luke’s achievements in securing a long-term role echo his Newcomer of the Year nomination at the National Care Group Annual

at National Care Group. I wish him the very best as he continues to represent all the values we strive to uphold.”

Care Residents Experience the Joys of Singing with Vocal Coach Dan Cooper To mark World Music Day, staff and residents at Hugh Myddelton House care home in Southgate were treated to an hour in the company of choir leader and vocal coach to the stars, Dan Cooper, who taught them to sing ‘Mamma Mia’ by Abba. In partnership with The Choral Hub, Dan delivers regular virtual singing events through their platform the Come Sing! Club which encourages people to sing for their wellbeing.

Dan Cooper is a professional choir leader and vocal coach with over 10 years’ experience delivering top class workshops, sessions and singing lessons. He runs a successful choir; Love Soul Choir, is co-director of a children’s group; Sound Pop Academy and is the founder of a workplace choir company; SingForce. In 2019, his choir performed with Take That. He’s also worked on TV shows as a vocal coach including BBC’s 'Little Mix The Search' and is passionate about the positive impact that singing in a group has on wellbeing. Dan truly believes in the power of singing and wants more people to experience the joy it can bring.

Dan comments: “I have the best job in the world. I am never happier than when I am teaching people to sing and seeing how happy it makes them. It was an absolute privilege to spend time with the Barchester residents and teach them such an iconic song.”

Lucy Tomlinson, Resident Experience Manager for Barchester Healthcare, commented: “We are excited to work with super-talented people like Dan to bring a wide range of different experiences into our homes for all to enjoy, it was wonderful to see the joy on all of our residents faces as Dan taught them how to sing this feel-good song.

General Manager, Ramona Stanciu, said: “Our residents absolutely loved their session with Dan, it was so uplifting. We all love a good singalong and it was great to get his hints and tips on how we can improve our technique. We loved his energy and positivity!”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 17

PJ Care Partners with University of Leicester to Develop Framework for Assessing Wellbeing in Residents with Dementia Specialist neurological care provider, PJ Care, has partnered with the University of Leicester in a unique research project that could revolutionise the assessment and care of residents who lack capacity.

The two have come together in a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP), a government-funded programme to bring forward-thinking companies together with academic partners, to drive innovation.

PJ Care operates three specialist care centres for more than 200 adults with progressive conditions such as young onset dementia and Huntington’s disease, and care and rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injuries. Thanks to a grant from Innovate UK, the company has recruited Clinical Research Associate and Business Analyst, Zehra Turel, to work on the two-year project.

Leading the project is Dr Allan Perry, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist and Director of Clinical Services at PJ Care.

“The current models for assessing the health and wellbeing of those without capacity and who cannot readily communicate their feelings and experiences are limited and don’t take advantage of the recent advances in technology and data analysis that can give us much more detailed information,” he explains.

“There is a wealth of monitoring technology that we use which allows us to collect real-time data on a number of wellbeing indicators such as a person’s oxygen levels, heart rate, fluid intake and the number of steps they take to reach a certain distance.

“We believe this data can be analysed by an algorithm to provide insights into personal wellbeing, sense

of agency, independence and self-determination, that are more accurate than those offered by traditional methods. We can then apply this information to tailor our care to that individual.

“While there is plenty of information on bringing more technology into the care sector and using the data being created by it, this isn’t being married with the questions posed by a person’s capacity as yet. We don’t believe any other care provider is delivering anything like what we are proposing to.”

A review of existing research into the subject has already been completed and will be published jointly by PJ Care and the University of Leicester later this year. The next phase is to compile the data PJ Care holds into a centralised system and create algorithms that will generate a framework of wellbeing indicators for those who are non-verbal as a result of their neurological condition.

Zehra Turel said there is an urgent need for an accurate assessment tool for those who have difficulty communicating.

“We have so far uncovered that the available wellbeing measurements neglect or fail in understanding of the clinical populations such as cognitively impaired individuals, with or without capacity. This project will provide micro and macro insights about residents’ health and wellbeing, and support decision-making at both resident and business level.

“With the increasing use of new data-driven technologies and streamlined data collection at PJ Care, this project will improve personalised care and provide more accurate and faster predictive and preventive measures, and more informed decision-making along with lowering costs and simplifying internal operations.”

The team hope that the first results from the analysis of the data will be available by the end of August. Dr Perry concludes; “This KTP has the potential to develop resources that could not just be transformative for PJ Care and how our staff support people without capacity, but, eventually, for the whole care sector. We will be looking to market this if it proves to be as effective as we believe it will be.”

Pride Month Marked by Provider with Launch of Rainbow Network Bield Housing and Care, a specialist provider for older people, has launched a new volunteer initiative to bring together its diverse community.

Coinciding with Pride Day, Bield‘s ‘Rainbow Network’ initiative will see tenants invited to join a volunteer-led group focused on inclusivity and fostering a safe and social environment for members of the LGBT community.

It is hoped that bringing together like-minded tenants will not only create a social space but also actively engage and encourage tenants to share ideas for enhancing inclusivity.

The group is part of Bield’s efforts to highlight the importance of the nine legally protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Zhan McIntyre, Head of Policy and Customer Standards at Bield, said: “The Rainbow Network has been set up to create an inclusive space for our diverse community to come together.

“We’re delighted to be launching during Pride Month and to host the first meeting on 28th June – Pride Day. Tenant opinions and feedback form the baseline for our entire business, so we are always looking for ways to improve communication and engagement with our customers.”

One of the tenants already involved in the Rainbow Network said: “The LGBT scene is very oriented around younger folk but many of us older ones have been active and ‘out’ for decades, it’s just as we get older we can become marginalised and lonely.”

Anyone interested in attending the virtual group should contact feedback@bield.co.uk in order to receive a link to the meeting.

Claire House - The Wirral

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PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Bridging the Dementia Care Gap in the Gypsy, Roma and Travelling Communities

By Cheryl Scarrott, Admiral Nurse at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust I am a specialist dementia nurse and part of the Romany Traveller community - a group of people who don’t seek permanent settlement.

When I began my career in Nursing, I chose not to share my Traveller identity due to fear of judgment and prejudice. Sadly, this is the reality of navigating working life for many people in my community. But as I realised how sharing my personal experience could help bridge the gap in care, I became more open.

For a number of different ethnic groups and people belonging to the Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities – periodically moving from place to place in search of a new home is a way of life. My family are Romany Travellers – our ancestors have been in Britain since around 1515, following migration from Northwest India.

Since 2019, I’ve been working as a dementia specialist nurse at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust. I provide practical and emotional support to local families affected by dementia to help them live positively beyond diagnosis.

It is estimated that there are 25,000 people currently living with dementia from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, which includes the Travelling community in England and Wales. This is expected to exceed 172,000 people by 2051 – a seven-fold increase in comparison to a two-fold increase among the wider population.

People in Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities have poorer health outcomes than any other minority; this is reflected in the experiences of families living with dementia.

BECOMING AN ADMIRAL NURSE My beloved Granny – the figurehead in my family - was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease over a decade ago and I watched my Grandad struggle with her care as there was no specialist dementia support available for families. My Granny’s passing was the turning point for me; I wanted to advocate for all families with dementia to improve access to care.

At the age of 18, I left school to pursue a Law degree but quickly realised this wasn’t the career path for me. Following my Granny’s diagnosis, I applied to study mental health nursing so I could become a specialist dementia nurse to honour her memory. When I qualified as a nurse, I worked in several settings including a care home, memory clinic and the local community mental health team. This experience led me to securing the Admiral Nurse position at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust – a very proud achievement.

CULTURAL TRADITIONS IN THE COMMUNITY There is limited awareness of cultural traditions in Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities among health and social care professionals, particularly the mentality to look out for our own. There is a deep sense of mistrust of those outside of the Travelling community, often a result of discrimination; discussing my background enabled me to build relationships with families through shared identity.

I recently supported a Traveller family whose relative was at a late stage of their dementia diagnosis, receiving end-of-life care. They wanted their relative to be cared for at home by family – in keeping with cultural tradition around death. As their Admiral Nurse, I was able to draw on my experience in the community and advocate for them by working alongside the local hospice to ensure they received the best possible care – including pain management and emotional and practical support for the whole family.

CHALLENGES AROUND ACCESS TO CARE Low literacy levels can also impact the care received. The 2011 Census of England and Wales found that only 40% of Gypsies and Travellers had formal qualifications, with many in the community leaving school at a young age to support family and business. This means families do not receive vital information, including awareness of signs and symptoms and diagnostic and post-diagnostic services.

Moreover, families are constantly on the move in this community so continuity of care and access to primary care can be an additional challenge. Typically, initial contact with Traveller families through our Admiral Nurse service is from social care or hospice referrals, where healthcare professionals recognise a family is in need of specialist dementia support. To ensure care is consistent and meeting the needs of the family, I often arrange a follow-up appointment during the visit as part of the ongoing care plan. With families typically only reaching at crisis point and contact being limited, we always ensure that we’re giving families the space to come to us when they’re ready.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES For a long time now, people from the Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities have been under-represented in dementia care services which can cause a reluctance for families to come forward and seek support if culturally specific needs aren’t understood. It is critical that we start bridging this gap by making recruitment accessible to all.

We must also continue to build education and awareness among health and social care professionals, by highlighting the health inequalities facing diverse communities. If we are to meet the individual needs of families with dementia, delivering effective person-centred care is paramount such as providing culturally appropriate dementia resources and ensuring that we are supporting families to stay in the accommodation of their choice as their diagnosis progresses.

As dementia diagnoses continue to rise, we face a steep challenge in tackling the health inequalities that leave families with dementia in underserved communities isolated without the care and support they so urgently need.

If you need advice or support around dementia, you can visit dementiauk.org/get-support for information resources and to find out how to access our national Helpline and Clinics services. For information on Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust dementia services, you can go to shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/dementia Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust provides a range of community-based health services for adults and children in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and some services to people in surrounding areas.

References: https://travellermovement.org.uk/gypsy-roma-and-traveller-history-and-culture https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Dementia-in-Gypsy-and-Traveller-communities-1.pdf https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/A_FFT_GRTHM_2022_Public_Brochure_Digital.pdf https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/policy-and-influencing/what-we-think/demography

“If You Don't Use It, You Will Lose It”, Iris’ Advice After Turning 100 A resident at a Leamington Spa based care home says the secret to long life is to keep active and “if you don't use it, you will lose it” Iris Mitchell, a resident at MHA Homewood celebrated her 100th birthday and to mark the occasion a special party was arranged for her with guests coming from as far as Canada.

The home, which provides personalised residential care for our 50 residents, in purpose-built, en suite accommodation was decorated with balloons and banners to help get everyone into the party spirit.

Iris, who was born and raised in Coventry and has been living at the home for six years said: “It was a nice surprise and to see my family was marvellous.

“I want to thank Jackie for organising it all, and I had a great time.

“Not just me but the rest of the residents really enjoyed it, we had a good old sing and

dance and everyone was smiling.

“The key to a long life is to stay healthy, keep moving and if you don't use it you will lose it.”

Jackie Tudor, activity coordinator at the home said: “We had a great time celebrating Iris's birthday and it was enjoyed by all of us.

“Initially Iris didn't want a fuss, but once she saw what was planned she really enjoyed it, and the telegram from The Queen was very special.

“We had a sing song, her favourite singer Tony Sparks came and performed some easy listening music which was enjoyed by everyone.

“It was a great day, full of happiness and I was very happy to have organised such a special day.”

Prideaux Group Wins Wellbeing Award Supporting “Healthier Workplaces” The Prideaux Group, a chain of three care homes based in Bexhill and Eastbourne, has earned a Commitment Award from East Sussex Council after assessing the needs of their employees and identifying an action to take forward.

The awards project helps businesses across East Sussex develop a healthier and happier workforce is celebrating its early successes.

The East Sussex County Council’s Wellbeing at Work Programme works with employers to share resources and deliver training, as well as providing an accreditation scheme, to help boost the health and wellbeing of employees.

Just months after its launch, three of the 24 workplaces who have signed up to the public health-funded programme have already been recognised for the efforts they have made in supporting their staff.

Wealden District Council became the first to achieve a bronze Wellbeing at Work Award having completed 20 criteria and built the foundations of a healthy workplace, closely followed by Crowborough-based manufacturer Servomex which was presented with the same award this month.

Ella Gallop, registered manager at Prideaux House said: “We are thrilled to have received our commitment award for the wellbeing at work programme. The wellbeing of our staff is something we have wanted to focus on since the beginning of the covid pandemic as this has put a physical and mental strain on all of our staff.

The wellbeing at work programme has given us the opportunity to do just that. It helped us recognise

where staff feel they need more support and has given them the opportunity to open up anonymously on the survey. We are excited to be working towards the bronze award and continuing to improve the wellbeing of our staff.”

Darrell Gale, Director of Public Health in East Sussex, said: “Finding ways to boost the health and wellbeing of employees is of huge benefit to both the workforce and the organisation, and we are delighted to be able to offer a programme that supports companies to achieve this.

“Investing in employee wellbeing can improve morale, motivation and productivity, reduce absences, staff turnover and the costs associated with recruitment.”

He added: “The Wellbeing at Work Programme has been developed to take into account unique characteristics of East Sussex and its specific needs and I’m delighted that, despite being a fairly new initiative, it is already making a positive impact in our county.”

To achieve awards, companies must complete a number of criteria that introduce policies and initiatives and embeds practices that promote and support health and wellbeing.

“Bert is a treasure trove of wisdom when it comes to gardening, and it was wonderful to hear him share his knowledge as we went round the Botanic Garden. His passion puts a smile on the face of everyone at the care home and we are excited to enjoy a summer of sunshine together.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 19

Care Group Shares Remarkable Story of Carers Reuniting with Former School Teacher in a Scottish Care Home A UK care group has shared the remarkable story of three carers who have been reunited with their former schoolteacher in a Scottish care home – with their roles reversing as the trio now look after and care for their old secondary school teacher.

Jamie Giles, 37, Diane Ferry, 46, and Natasha Maunder, 30, are all carers at Balquhidder House, near Alexandria, part of Handsale Care Homes, and they have a host of fond memories of their school days, including their former teacher, 72-year-old resident, Irene Mowatt – whom Natasha credits as inspiring her to get into the care sector.

Irene, a Glasgow University graduate, dedicated more than 30 years of her life to teaching English Literature, starting at Sacred Heart High School in Paisley, before retiring from Vale of Leven Academy in 2007 – following 22 years of devoted service.

What started as a student-teacher relationship in the classroom has now transitioned into a heart-warming tale of friendship and support following Irene’s move into care – proving that timeless friendships can be forged at any age, anytime, anywhere.

Commenting on his relationship with Irene, Jamie, who has worked in care since she was 23, said: “Irene is a wonderful lady and we have such a laugh together. She always brightens my day and sometimes we reminisce about my school days which never fails to bring a smile to both our faces. Irene was an amazing teacher and it’s because of her that I passed my higher English exam – and for that, I’ll always be grateful!”

Meanwhile, Diane, who is in her sixth year as a Care Assistant at Balquhidder House, said:

“I feel a great deal of privilege in helping Irene in her latest journey here at Balquhidder. I remember her as a no-nonsense teacher – even the toughest students tended to behave in Mrs Mowatt’s classes!”

The third of the former students, Natasha, who has been working in the social care sector since she was a teenager, also commented on the relationship, saying: “It means a lot caring for Irene as she was my teacher at secondary school for my first and second year. I lacked a lot of confidence at school, so Irene worked really hard to build that up by throwing me into situations I wouldn’t usually put myself in, such as reading in front of the class. Looking back, it really went a long way to help me come out of my shell.”

She continued: “Looking after Irene gives me immense pride and I feel like I’m able to give back to someone who had such an influential role in my education, which, of course, played a major role in my decision to become a carer. All I can say is thank you, Irene – for everything!”

Rishi Sodha, Handsale’s Care Director, commented: “To hear Irene’s story was a really inspiring experience. She’s done so much for her local community, so it’s only fitting that her contributions are still being praised even after transitioning into care. I know it brings a real sense of joy and genuine reward for Jamie, Diane and Natasha to reunite with one of their favourite teachers – and they’re relishing the chance to nurture and care for someone who played such a key part in their formative years.”

He concluded:“Friendships, especially those formed in our school days, are sacred, and the same is true in care homes. It’s good to remind people that friendships can blossom and withstand the test of time at any age, anytime, anywhere!”

Care Group Launches Jubilee-Themed Gardening Competition to Offer Residents a ‘Right Royal’ Summer A South East care group has launched a royal-themed gardening competition to keep the jubilee celebrations going throughout the summer – and to encourage its residents to get outdoors and enjoy some meaningful, green-fingered fun.

Nellsar, a family-run care group of 13 care homes throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex, has launched its ‘Right Royal Gardening Competition’ to encourage residents and their families across its homes to take advantage of the sunshine and create royal-inspired gardens.

Residents, staff, family and friends are all encouraged to get involved in the three-month competition, which will be judged on the basis of creativity, collaboration and presentation. The winning homes are to be announced on Thursday 25 August, with cash prizes for their Residents’ Funds – £200, £100 and £50 for first, second and third place, respectively.

Whether participants choose to dress their gardens in Union Jacks, feature royal palaces or even the crown jewels, the purpose of the competition is to get out-

doors and have some fun. Working in teams as they spruce up their gardens, it’s an opportunity to express their inner creativity and take pride in their work.

Viv Stead, Recreation and Well-Being Manager at Nellsar, said: “What better occasion to bring staff, residents and their families together than with a royal-themed gardening competition to commemorate the longest-serving monarch in British history. We’re all still buzzing from the recent jubilee celebrations and want to keep the party going throughout the summer, so we’re encouraging everyone across our homes to get out in the sunshine and create their jubileeinspired gardens.”

Viv added: “We’ll be looking for how well the jubilee theme has been executed in each garden design, how well our staff teams have worked with residents and how well presented and eye-catching the gardens look. It’s safe to say that this is an initiative we’ve been looking forward to and we can’t wait to see and share all the royalthemed gardens with everyone connected to the Nellsar family.”

Mum Praises County Durham Care Home For Enabling Son To Live Life To The Full A mum has spoken about her son getting the best care of his life at a County Durham residential care home that supports adults with complex needs.

Joyce Hawkins, who lives in Middlesbrough, said: “The best thing to happen was that David went into Grizedale. It has changed his whole life because it is a small home with very caring people looking after him and he’s improved in every possible way.”

The ethos at Grizedale, at Leadgate, near Consett, is to help the individuals it supports live the fullest life possible and to ensure their likes, preferences and interests are catered for and taken into account.

David was born ‘a perfect baby’ but had an adverse reaction to the whooping cough vaccine, which hampered his development and left him unable to walk and speak.

Joyce said: “Although he looked wonderful, he was very sick all the time.”

For a long time, the family looked after him at home, where they tried to ‘make his life as happy as possible’, said Joyce. She added his two sisters were a great help with him.

For a while he went to a centre for a few hours each day, but they ‘couldn’t quite understand him’ and he then went to live at large facility, which, while having very kind and caring staff, was huge and impersonal with a lot of children to look after.

It later shut down as care in the community, focusing on caring for people as individuals in a small, more person-centric setting, became the preferred practice.

David, 73, has been at Grizedale, a seven-bed residential care home, which is part of Salutem Care and Education, for 26 years.

It supports disabled adults with complex needs and mental health issues to ‘live their best lives’.

Joyce said: “His life has been transformed since he went to live there. The home helped to make him a different young man. Whereas he was just isolated into himself, he’s learnt to mix with other people. He now has friends around him.”

During his time at Grizedale, David’s dexterity has improved through playing board games, Connect 4 and doing jigsaws.

He also enjoys going for trips in the home’s minibus and loves going out to eat with his favourite meal being scampi and chips.

Joyce added: “I think the most improvement has been to see him using his hands.

“In one way it was sad for me that other people were having to look after David, but it has really transformed his life because at Grizedale all the staff know exactly how to treat him, and it is done with warmth, care and love.”

Joyce and her two daughters visit David as often as possible, and he also looks forward to a weekly phone call with his mum on a Saturday.

Jackie Carr, Grizedale manager, said: “At the heart of everything we do is delivering individualised support and creating a happy, loving and homely environment where residents can thrive and live as independently as possible.

“David is a prime example of what a difference high qualify supported accommodation can make to people’s lives.”

David’s key worker Lesley Dixon is fully aware of all his likes and dislikes. She said: “David likes jelly babies. If you ask him what he likes, he’ll tell you that’s his favourite sweet. He likes board games, he likes playing Connect 4. He is a very friendly guy.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 21

Older People's Campaigner Baroness Greengross, Has Died Leaving Behind ‘An Enormous Legacy’ Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, who vigorously challenged ageism and campaigned to improve attitudes and policies towards older people, has died, leaving behind an “enormous legacy”.

Baroness Greengross had been a crossbench (independent) member of the House of Lords since 2000 and co-chaired five All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Dementia, Corporate Social Responsibility, Bladder and Bowel Continence Care, and Ageing and Older People.

In a distinguished career, she led a number of leading organisations representing older people including Age Concern England and recently retired as chief executive of the International Longevity Centre.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive, Care England and Chair, ILC Trustees says: “The death of Baroness Greengross has left everyone at the ILC deeply saddened and bereft at the loss of our inspirational leader, colleague and friend.We know that this news will also sadden everyone who was fortunate to have met her and we are thinking of Sally’s family and friends.”

“I am honoured to have worked with Sally for over 35 years. She has been one of the most influential figures in redefining how societies across the globe respond to demographic change and ageing. Sally’s passionate commitment to human rights and equality inspired all she met and underlined everything she has achieved.”

“Twenty-five years ago, while Director-General of Age Concern, Sally set up the

International Longevity Centre-UK as part of the ILC Global Alliance. As ILC’s Chief Executive and member of the House of Lords, she continued to work tirelessly to support government, business and the third sector to adapt positively to demographic change.”

“As we mourn Sally, we are filled with tremendous sadness. But she has left behind an enormous legacy, and we are committed to delivering her vision for a better world.”

Shirley Cramer, Interim CEO, Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of the wonderful Baroness Greengross who, over many years, supported, advocated and influenced the work of Alzheimer’s Research UK. Today colleagues have spoken of Sally’s willingness to help others and her determination to tackle and raise awareness of young-onset dementia, whilst leading all-party efforts to help breakdown the stigma that has long blighted the condition.

"It’s a testament to Sally’s energy and enthusiasm that she was involved in the APPG on Dementia for more than a decade, speaking passionately about the need to make urgent progress in this area. She leaves behind an enormous legacy, and as an organisation we remain committed to supporting her desire to drive progress in dementia research.

"We send our sincere condolences to her family.”

Green Fingered Care Home Resident Visits St. Andrews Botanic Garden Bert McKenzie, an 80-year-old resident at Roselea House Care Home in Cowdenbeath, Fife enjoyed a seaside trip to St. Andrews. A keen gardener, he visited the Botanic Garden where he shared a few tips of his own with staff members.

The visit was organised by Roselea House manager Ruth Goodman, as part of the home’s weekly bus trip programme, which provides residents with opportunities to keep happy and healthy. Care home staff joined Bert on the visit, tucking into a picnic and ice-cream in the coastal breeze.

Bert is looking forward to tending to the plants back at Roselea House. While

the care home can’t match the Botanic Garden’s eight thousand species of native and exotic plants, it is currently experiencing a summer bloom with flowers bursting into life.

Ruth Goodman, Manager at Roselea House Care Home said: “Bert is a treasure trove of wisdom when it comes to gardening, and it was wonderful to hear him share his knowledge as we went round the Botanic Garden. His passion puts a smile on the face of everyone at the care home and we are excited to enjoy a summer of sunshine together.”

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Two Thirds of UK Care Home Staff Admit Resident Quality of Care and Nutritional Needs are Being Overlooked Due to Outdated Procedures

A new, independent survey commissioned by eProcurement technology firm Zupa, has raised several concerns from care home professionals across the UK, with 86% admitting that vital aspects of care provision are suffering at the hands of outdated and time-consuming procedures, with many staff struggling to fulfil their day to day roles.

The new data also highlights several care management challenges that need to be addressed to improve staff retention, morale and the overall quality of residential care.

The study, which polled hundreds of care home professionals across the country, found that two thirds of care home staff (66%), admitted the quality of resident care and the ability to cater properly for dietary and nutritional needs, are some of the key areas being side-lined as a result of obsolete practices. The study also revealed that more than half (54%) of care home workers felt staff happiness was overlooked, and 44% of workers attribute the high turnover of staff in the care industry to low levels of pay.

Specifically, 40% of care home workers felt they couldn’t provide the quality of care that they would like to due to the time they spend on admin. Over half (52%) of respondents, agreed that care home inspections simply add further pressure to their role, and would welcome a way to improve this process. More than a third of care home managers (32%) also said that keeping up with time intensive processes like day to day menu planning, allergens management, and recording resident data around nutrition and hydration, worries them. A further 41% were understandably concerned about the rising costs of food, energy and inflation, while 30% of care home workers identified supplier issues, food shortages and running out of supplies as a growing concern.

Importantly, 63% of care home managers link much of their day to day concerns to the wear and tear stresses placed upon their teams.

Lack of staffing and resource also continues to be a worry for the sector, with 67% of care workers citing this as a key challenge. Only 6% of care home professionals said there is nothing that worries them in the day to day running of their care home.

Lack of time available to improve day to day quality of care is a clear issue. When asked what aspects of their working day they would spend more time on if they could reduce the amount of paperwork, more than half (56%) of care workers say they would like to improve the standard of resident care if they had more time in their day.

Likewise, almost half (49%) of care professionals said they would improve staff satisfaction, suggesting that reducing admin would free up more time to focus on staff morale and happiness. A further 49% would like extra time in their day to be more creative with resident social events and 42% of care home professionals said they would be keen to spend more time on individual care planning.

Ollie Brand, CEO at Zupa explained: “Caring for the vulnerable and elderly is time-consuming and demanding. It requires specialist skills and knowledge. This study highlights that care home staff are having to deal with multiple challenges with little resource, and only so many hours in the day.

There is also a direct correlation between what worries care home staff day to day and the quality of care they are physically able to deliver. Patchy reporting, outdated processes and a heavily reliance on manual updates, simply adds to the frustration and puts greater pressure on already stretched staff.”

This latest research highlights a clear relationship between what aspects of care are being overlooked and what staff would prioritise if they had more time in their day. Almost three quarters (73%), of care home professionals who said they would improve staff satisfaction if they had more time, also said staff happiness is side lined. A further 55% of those who would like to improve the quality of resident care with more time, also said care quality is overlooked due to time wasted on outdated processes.

Brand added, “Lack of staffing and resource is still a key concern for care homes. It’s clear that in many cases, that the adoption of automated, fit for purpose technology could help alleviate many of these day to day pressures and interestingly, those care professionals who said they would implement new technology if they had more time, are most likely to say that staff happiness, productivity of staff and quality of care are being side-lined.”

On Tuesday 28th June at 2pm, Zupa will be delving into the outcomes of this brand new study in an invite-only webinar and asking ‘Can technology help create smarter ways of working?’. CEO Ollie Brand will be joined by Mark McCarthy, former Group Director of Sanctuary Care and now Zupa CFO, to discuss how care homes can effectively use technology to enable their teams to spend more time on the things that matter most.

Register today www.zupa.com/webinar/ to gain valuable insight from like-minded care experts and discover new ways of freeing up time and resource.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 21

Gender Differences In Behaviours Linked To Faster Cognitive Decline Revealed In Research Men who experience behaviour changes including apathy or having false beliefs and perceptions in later life are at risk of faster cognitive decline than women, according to new research.

A study led by Charles University, in collaboration with the University of Exeter and King’s College London, looked at changes in behaviour in cognitively healthy people aged 50 and older, which have previously been linked to a higher risk of developing brain problems.

These behavioural changes are collectively known as mild behavioural impairment (MBI), and encompass symptoms across five domains: apathy or social withdrawal; changes in mood and anxiety; being more impulsive than usual; being socially inappropriate; and having false beliefs or hallucinations. Observing these changes may help physicians and researchers to identify people at a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the study is the first to investigate gender differences in the link between these behavioural changes and brain decline. The researchers found that men who exhibit MBI symptoms are at risk of faster cognitive decline compared to women, particularly when psychotic symptoms or symptoms of decreased motivation occur.

Dr Katrin Wolfová, PhD student at Charles University in Prague, is first author of the study. She said: “Observing change in certain behavioural traits can help us to identify people who might already have a neurodegenerative disease before their cognitive functions decline. Being aware of differences between men and women in risk of developing dementia based on these behaviours is important for clinicians as well as researchers.”

Previous research suggests that possible explanations of these findings might be related to structural differences in entorhinal and hippocampal regions of brain, functional differences in serotonergic system, or unequal distribution of types of dementia in men and women.

The research team, which also involved collaborators from Canada, studied more than 8,000 people

enrolled in the British online cohort (PROTECT) study, led by the University of Exeter and King’s College London. The participants were on average 63 years old and 73 per cent of them were women.

To assess cognitive functions, participants completed a series of online tests. Behavioural changes, or MBI, were also assessed online via a specialised questionnaire in the PROTECT platform.

Dr Byron Creese, of the University of Exeter, said: “This research adds to the growing evidence that some people who experience suspicious thoughts or become withdrawn in later life have more memory and thinking problems. The findings are important because they suggest that monitoring these symptoms could help identify people with memory problems early on. The research also highlights the importance of gender differences in these relationships.”

Dr Wolfová added that although there is currently no cure, patients might benefit from early diagnosis through secondary prevention and development of a comprehensive care plan. Identification of patients with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease is extremely important for clinical trials, as researchers need to screen potential participants with expensive biomarker tests before they can enroll them in a study. Screening with MBI to assess whether candidates are suitable for a trial might save a lot of money, and optimization of this process to reflect differences between men and women could further increase precision and reduce costs.

The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula and the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility. The first and corresponding authors were supported by the Czech Ministry of Health and the Czech Alzheimer Endowment Fund.

The paper is entitled ‘Gender/Sex Differences in the Association of Mild Behavioral Impairment with Cognitive Aging.’

New Manager Takes The Helm At Shoreham Care Home A Shoreham care home has appointed a registered nurse with more than 15 years’ experience as its new home manager.

Elga Ekonomi has taken the reins at Elmcroft care home, which is run jointly

by Shaw healthcare and West Sussex County Council, after a successful two year stint as manager of Mill River Lodge in Horsham, which she had managed from July 2019.

Mrs Ekonomi left a lasting legacy at Mill River Lodge, where she introduced a variety of initiatives and activities that greatly enhanced the lived experience of its residents, particularly those with dementia.

These included: • Implementing a sensory room,

• Helping residents whose first language isn’t English with translating important documents, • Creating braille signs to aid those who are registered blind, • Producing picture-based food menus for residents with dementia, and; • Securing funding for an ‘interactive table’ to provide entertainment for residents.

Mrs Ekonomi said: “Having been a member of the Shaw healthcare family since 2019, I’m well accustomed to the ever encouraging and caring ethos.

“I’m particularly looking forward to introducing a range of activities that can help empower and bring joy to our wonderful residents at Elmcroft, while adhering to the highest standards of modern care regulations.”

Entries Open for the NACC Awards 2022 The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has launched the NACC Awards 2022.

The prestigious awards recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation, dedication and outstanding contributions within the care catering sector.

Everyone working in or associated with the care catering is encouraged to enter and shine a light on the teams and individuals that go above and beyond to deliver exceptional service every day – from care homes, Meals on Wheels services and Lunch Clubs to suppliers to the sector.

The NACC Awards 2022 are officially open for entries with the deadline of Friday 15 July 2022.

2022 sees the introduction of The Bev Puxley Award in memory of Bev Puxley, who sadly passed earlier this year. As well as an accomplished and celebrated chef, Bev was a longstanding friend, supporter and champion of the NACC and care catering, and the esteemed NACC Awards head judge for more than 15 years.

The Bev Puxley Award, sponsored by Worshipful Company of Cooks of which Bev was a past master, will be presented to a care chef who has made a significant contribution to the enhancement of care catering within their workplace – reflecting the great influence and legacy of Bev himself.

• • • • •

The NACC Awards 2022 categories open for nominations include: Care Establishment of the Year Award, sponsored by Hobart UK Meals on Wheels Award, sponsored by apetito Catering Team of the Year Award, sponsored by e-f group Catering Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions Our Care Catering Hero Award, sponsored by Bullseye Food Packaging

• NEW The Bev Puxley Award, sponsored by Worshipful Company of Cooks The shortlisted finalists will be revealed in August, with the overall winners announced at a special gala awards dinner on 6th October 2022, which is part of the NACC Training & Development Forum held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham.

In addition to the six categories open for nominations, the recipients of the coveted NACC Region of the Year Award, sponsored by Meiko, the Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Anglia Crown, and the NACC National Chair’s Award will also be honoured.

The NACC Awards 2022 nomination brochure with full nomination requirements can be downloaded here https://bit.ly/TDFAwards2022 Sue Cawthray, National Chair of the NACC, said: “The launch of the NACC Awards is always an exciting moment. Across the country people in care catering work innovatively and tirelessly to deliver excellence and enhance the quality of the lives of the people they support, and it’s important that we recognise and celebrate their inspirational work.

“The introduction of the Bev Puxley Award, whilst a sad addition to the award categories, is also a very meaningful one. Bev really understood the value of good food and nutrition and the importance of providing access to first class catering in care settings. He was a true champion of our sector and association. His dedication to our work, including head judge of both the NACC Awards and the NACC Care Chef of the Year competition, has helped raise awareness of care catering. This is a most fitting tribute to an incredible chef that has made a lasting, positive impact on our sector.

“I know for a fact that we have many examples of outstanding contributions within our sector. I encourage all our members to enter the NACC Awards 2022 and give the amazing care catering teams and individuals the recognition they deserve. I can’t wait to read all the inspiring and humbling entries.”

PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Improving Care Home Staff Retention with Career Growth and Development Due to persistent workforce problems over the last two years, employers and providers of social care have had to adopt a range of strategies to help retain and support their staff. However, staff retention continues to be at an all-time low in the sector. Jacqui White, Group Operations Director of White’s Training, discusses the benefits of employers offering more training courses to care workers in times of crisis.

With reports suggesting that many care workers have considered quitting over the last year, as well as suffering from the aftereffects of working on the frontline during a pandemic, the home care industry is facing staff turnover like never before. 66% of home care providers are experiencing more staff quitting their jobs than before the pandemic, with low pay and COVID burnout blamed for worsening the care recruitment crisis.

Staff who work in care homes provide care and support to society’s frailest and most vulnerable people. At all times, care home providers must have enough qualified, competent, professional, and experienced workers to meet the needs of the people who use the service.

Nonetheless, attracting, recruiting and retaining employees is a constant challenge.

RETENTION REALITY While home care organisations vary in size, service users, staff demographics, and even location, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for snoring employee retention. However, there are a number of key areas that could be improved, including communication and culture, as well as providing professional training opportunities.

Investing in employee retention is critical to any company's success. It promotes high-quality care continuity, a positive workplace culture,

space of five years. Whilst 59% of the audience believed that if their company appreciated them more, it would have boosted their enthusiasm and career within the sector.

Having a care qualification or ongoing training can make carers: feel their profession is more valued and higher status, feel more competent, capable and confident in their role and more likely to stay in social care with their current employer.

A training programme can improve the integration of new team members and give management and care workers the opportunity to get to know one another better and strengthen team harmony. Research indicates that staff are 58% more likely to stay 3 years if there is a structured onboarding programme.

BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS

employee well-being, time and cost savings and positive Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings. Employers with a turnover of less than 10% reported that their main activities contributing to staff retention were: • Investing in learning and development (94%) • Embedding the values of their organisation (92%) • Celebrating the organisation’s and individual achievements (86%) • Involving colleagues in decision making (81%)

UNFULFILLED MEANS UNSUCCESSFUL According to a recent study by TotalJobs and Care UK, nearly onethird of social care workers want to leave the industry totally within the

As the industry looks towards a more stable future for employees working in the care sector, we are here to advise and support the employers' next steps. White’s Training provides a variety of courses for home carers from Dementia and Parkinson’s Awareness, to positive behaviour support.

These courses are a part of White’s Training's Centre of Excellence, and are currently being delivered virtually, face-to-face or via e-learning. They are also able to help support your in-house training plan by offering Train the Trainer courses and ongoing support.

Employers who embrace training courses demonstrate their dedication to their employees' self-worth and value. Offering this as a business makes it more enticing to carers looking for future positions.

For more information on carer training, please visit: https://whites.training/courses/

All The Fun Of The Fair At Birchwood House With Carnival-Themed Summer Event

There was a full carnival atmosphere this week at Birchwood House, the Tunbridge Wells-based care home, as staff and residents spent the day celebrating in style as it hosted its very own carnivalthemed summer event.

Complete with fun and accessible fairground games, food and live music, the stunning former manor house was again transformed with brightly coloured decorations and gave residents a chance to enjoy all the fun of the fair.

The residents are at the heart of all planning for Birchwood House’s events, one of which is held every season. The beautiful, landscaped gardens were transformed with brightly coloured balloons, bunting and decorations while staff embraced the day by dressing in traditional carnival-themed outfits for a completely immersive experience.

Residents tried their hand at classic fairground games, made accessible for all, including hook-a-duck, high striker, hoopla and a coconut shy and background music set the carnival scene which had the residents up and dancing.

Summer is the season for outdoor fun and so all who attended also dined on a carnival-themed ‘banquet’ which included home-cooked burgers, hot dogs and ice creams – all of which were prepared by the

care home’s in-house chef, Elia. The banquet table was dressed with jars of sweets and of clown noses were on offer and allowed the residents to ‘clown around’. The home hired a popcorn, candy floss and doughnut stand to really set the scene.

Each resident was handed a ‘ticket of admission’ before accessing the carnival themed event and prizes on offer included 'fake’ goldfish in bags, harking back to the old carnival days.

Birchwood House hosts a number of events annually and continued to do so successfully throughout the pandemic, including a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and, most recently, a 1940s Tea Dance with the theme completely chosen by the residents.

Claire Tye, deputy manager of Birchwood House, comments: “Here at Birchwood House, we’re always planning our events to ensure the residents enjoy fun and exciting seasonal activities that allow them to stay active and socialise. We have some extremely competitive residents and staff here, so we all enjoyed putting our skills to the test during the fairground games! It was also a perfect excuse to get our dancing shoes on and dance the afternoon away.”

She added, “We love to celebrate our events here at Birchwood House and are enormously proud to have again pulled out all the stops for this year’s summer carnival-themed event. It’s lovely to see the residents having such fun and being able to socialise again after the pandemic - it was a thoroughly enjoyable day for the residents.

The carnival event may be finished but the memories will last forever.”

Community Open Event for Leicester Based Care Home to Showcase “Award Winning Garden” A Leicester based care home will be hosting an open community garden event to showcase their award winning garden to the public.

MHA Aigburth, in Manor Road, Oadby will be opening its doors to the public on Sunday 3rd July from 1pm to 4pm.

The garden is situated on the ground floor of the home, which provides residential and residential dementia care for 56 residents.

It was rescued from a bland landscape and turned into an insect and bird-friendly, attractive garden by the residents’ weekly Gardening Club and gardening volunteers.

The garden has proven to be a huge hit for the residents and their visitors and was awarded outstanding by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in their It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme.

Marilyn Bowes, one of the volunteers at the home said: “The RHS award highlighted the community involvement in the project with local people joining a volunteer team to plant and weed and learning how to do hedge-laying along the perimeter.

“The residents support by planting seeds and putting them on, by striking cuttings from shrubs and perennial plants and by sharing their gardening wisdom, which is considerable.

“Consideration is given to plants the residents favour and enjoy in their own gardens, so that they can go down memory lane when walking along its winding paths.

“We are also aware of what we need to do to encourage wildlife and have planted a wide variety of plants for pollinators, hedging for bird cover and nearly 50 small trees to do our bit for carbon sequestration.

“We are raising funds to continue this gardening work and to supplement The Amenity Fund which will allow us to take residents on outings to parks and allotments and pay for entertainers in the home.

“There are a lot of people who are interested in the event, after speaking with some of the family members of the residents they have been passing the message onto their friends and I am very confident we will get a good turn out.”

PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

Dementia Management Tool ‘Vera’ Launches on Apple’s AppStore Deploying the World’s Largest Music Catalogue from Universal Music Group Vera announces strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group, allowing its users therapeutic access to the world’s largest music catalogue

Music Health, a Music Wellness Technology innovator, has developed and launched Vera, an intuitive music intervention tool designed for the care of people affected by dementia. Through a strategic, industry-first agreement, Vera App users are able to access the entire catalogue from Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music-based entertainment company, to develop personalised music stations specifically designed to improve the lives of people living with dementia every day. As an exclusive launch partner, UMG brings a diverse and comprehensive global music catalogue to Vera users.

Vera is now approved by Apple for download via the AppStore in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, with the crosssector Music for Dementia campaign welcoming the launch to help improve the lives of people impacted by dementia. The launch is the culmination of Music Health’s rigorous three-year development process which involved global research and development of the underlying technology that allows Vera to curate the perfect song at the right time for every individual listener.

The announcement follows the launch at Universal Music UK of the Power Of Music, a report from UK Music and Music for Dementia, which outlines a blueprint to use music to help transform communities and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing. It includes a commitment from Universal Music UK to develop a dynamic online resource which will serve as a music and dementia information hub.

Grace Meadows, campaign director, Music for Dementia, says, “Research shows that music is much more impactful for people living with dementia when it holds meaning and is associated with moments from someone’s life. In our recently launched Power of Music report, which sets out how we can be harnessing the power of music more to support health and wellbeing, we emphasised the need for a personalised approach to embedding music in health and social care, and the Vera App helps carers to do that.”

The power of personalised music to affect a significant improvement in cognitive function for people in dementia care is evidenced by international scientists and neurologists, including award-winning neuroscientist and best-selling author, Daniel J. Levitin; the late physician,

best-selling author and professor of neurology, Dr. Oliver Sacks; and Ronald Devere, M.D., director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Ren Minghui from the World Health Organization, says, “While there is no curative treatment for dementia, the proactive management of modifiable risk factors can delay or slow onset or progression of the disease. I urge all stakeholders to make the best use of these recommendations to improve the lives of people with dementia, their carers and their families.”

Vera analyses the age of the dementia affected person, where they grew up, and how they react to certain music. It uses these criteria to autonomously curate the right songs at the right times to effectively manage the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD).

More than 80 percent of people living with dementia experience BPSD, manifesting as agitation, aggression, depression, or confusion.

Vera stimulates the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory to help manage the impact of BPSD, easing the care routine of those living with dementia. Listening to personally significant music - all the noteworthy songs from our own life - is shown to effectively decrease the effects of BPSD helping to improve mood, cognitive function, motor functions and brain plasticity.

Vera curates songs from UMG’s unrivalled catalogue, the world’s largest, most diverse and culturally rich collection of blues, classical, country, folk, jazz, pop, R&B, reggae, rock ‘n’ roll, soul and soundtracks.

The songs are autonomously curated and played directly from the Vera app via speakers or headphones.

With more than 20,000 hours of observation and rigorous analysis, combined with research from the Global Centre for Modern Ageing, confirms that Vera has a significant positive impact on the quality of life of people dealing with BPSD. While not a cure, Vera is a tool that can temporarily improve the cognitive function and mood of the person living with dementia making it easier to care for them.

Stephen Hunt, Music Health co-founder, says, “We’ve built Vera to know and find the music that means the most and has the biggest effect for each person living with dementia. It acts like a music detective, that seeks out tunes that they used to love a long time ago but may have forgotten about, which their carers may have never heard of, and their families may not even know.”

Vera is a product of Australian collaborative innovation. Music Health credits Barossa Village, Dementia Australia, the Australian Department of Health and the Global Centre For Modern Ageing (GCMA) for helping realise the innovation since 2019.

The Department of Health provided a research grant in 2019, following Vera winning Dementia Australia’s Decoding Dementia competition.

“I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to bring Vera to market thanks to our amazing partnership with Universal Music Group and the many care home and researchers that have made it possible. It’s thanks to their

early support for the concept that we’ve been able to deliver this foundational change to the daily lives of those living with dementia, here and around the world,” adds Hunt.

Michael Nash, UMG’s Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy, says, “From rigorous workouts to peaceful meditation to restorative sleep cycles, music is deeply integrated into numerous innovations promoting health and wellbeing. Now, scientists are finding that music is also a powerful tool for helping those suffering from the effects of dementia and memory loss. At UMG, we are working with a wide range of companies to develop therapeutical applications of music and we ’re proud to partner with Music Health on Vera to help improve the lives of so many around the world.”

Barossa Village, an aged care organisation, worked with Music Health to refine the app and validate the impact Vera has on people living with dementia. This included daily monitoring of the changes Vera had on the people being cared for at Barossa Village as listening sessions were integrated into the daily routine of care.

Findings from the studies showed an overall increase in quality of life for participants, especially after using Vera for several months. You can view a video of Barossa Village’s experience here.

“Vera provides playlists that are targeted and tailored to how each of our residents relates to their favourite songs. It’s an amazing innovation.

And family members love it as they can participate in a shared experience with mum or dad, grandad or nanna,” says Matt Kowald, General Manager, Integrated Care at Barossa Village.

Vera is currently in trials with BUPA, an international healthcare company headquartered in the UK serving more than 31 million customers across the world, as well as several of Australia’s most innovative health and aged care providers offering hospital care, residential care and community services.

Vera is available in the U.K. for GBP £69.99 for a 12-month care plan.

Visit www.veramusic.com for further details.

Simon’s Return is Music to the Ears of Freda, 91 Music-loving care home residents have welcomed the return of one of their favourite entertainers after two years of only seeing him online due to the pandemic.

Christchurch-based pianist and vocalist Simon Woodley performed live at Colten Care’s Brook View in West Moors, Dorset, and Kingfishers in New Milton, Hampshire, for the first time since spring 2020.

The in-person show at Brook View was a particular treat for resident Freda Sherwood, 91, who used to have the same piano teacher as Simon and is a long-standing fan of his playing.

Freda was a regular at Simon’s weekly Skype sessions during lockdown and was thrilled to see him back playing live in the residents’ lounge, even joining him at the keyboard for a brief duet.

“It was wonderful to see Simon again,” said a smiling Freda, who likes to practise classical pieces on the home’s two pianos to the delight of fellow residents and staff.

Companionship Team Leader Sarah Moule said: “If Freda is at a piano, she will smile and sing. It’s the same when she sees Simon play.

“When lockdown hit, Simon was one of the first entertainers across the Colten Care group to suggest doing Skype music sessions.

“Freda always looked forward to them each week but you can’t beat having music performed right there in front of you.

“It was a joy to see her face when Simon appeared in person once again, set up his keyboard and invited her to sit with him and play a few notes.”

Simon, who performed a selection of residents’ requests including jazz standards, songs from the shows and classical pieces, said: “Skype was all we could manage during lockdown so it was lovely to return.

“I’ve been playing at Colten Care for around ten years and I am chuffed to bits to be back again.”

Still Going Strong After 38 Years Providing Specialist Bathing Solutions Not a lot has changed in the 38 years that I have been in the business of providing bathing solutions. In 1984, I sold my first Appollo seat lift bath. The bathtubs were made of GRP and the lifting power was hydraulic fluid power. The baths were basically oblong & white. Roy

lines that are more competitive.

A good distributor can now supply a much wider range of products, and manufacturers are buying in to this concept. A good dealership can offer a wealth of information and skill

Parker (of Parker Baths) had a tilting bath and then a height adjustable bath came along.

sets that will help the customer to make the right choices. That is why after 38 years in man-

Other than changing from hydraulics to electronic lifting, everything is more or less the same.

ufacturing assisted baths, I have now opened an online purchasing platform at www. care-

What has changed is the number of suppliers and the choice of manufacturer. Indeed the

homebathroom.com. We can now offer excellent prices on a wide range of products and

improvement in the supply chains has changed the market considerably. The customer is

help our customers make the decisions that are right for them. Visit our website today,

king, and I.T. has given the customer the power to compare all makes of bath along price

www.carehomebathroom.com or scan the QR Code on our ad on page 9.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 27

‘Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind’ to Raise Awareness of Charles Bonnet Syndrome

By Judith Potts is the Founder of Esme’s Umbrella, which is the campaign to raise awareness of Charles Bonnet Syndrome (www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk) Esme’s Umbrella (www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk) launches ‘Out of Sight but not Out of Mind’ to raise awareness to caregivers of Charles Bonnet Syndrome – the extremely common, but little recognised condition which affects 1 million people in the UK. Esme was in her early nineties. She lived a totally independent life, looking after herself and completing the Telegraph cryptic crossword every day.

Glaucoma was removing her sight but she was extremely good at compensating for her diminishing vision – that was, until the vivid, silent, visual hallucinations began.

She talked of faceless people sitting on her sofa, a wandering Edwardian street-child, a gargoyle-like creature which jumped from table to chair and sometimes the whole room morphed into an alien place. I had no idea what could be wrong with her.

After much internet research, it transpired that Esme had developed Charles Bonnet Syndrome – or CBS for short – which was linked to her loss of sight and was not a mental health condition. This was fifteen years ago and CBS was not discussed, nor was there any support available.

Having watched Esme living with this distressing condition, I founded Esme’s Umbrella in 2015 at the House of Commons in memory of her – www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk The condition is now very much centre stage, is discussed in eye clinics and support from the network of Esme’s Friends groups is available.

However, there are still too many healthcare professionals of all specialties who are unaware of CBS. I am particularly anxious about residents of care homes, who have sight loss. All too often, CBS is not known among the staff and should a resident with sight loss mention

visual hallucinations, the door to the mental health pathway opens. This not only wastes precious NHS resources but causes even more distress to the person.

IF IT IS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, THEN WHAT IS IT? CBS develops when someone of any age – children too – has lost over 60% of sight. This loss can be caused by one of the many eye conditions, cancer of the eye, an accident to the eye, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or another condition which damages the optic nerve.

As sight diminishes, the brain is left with nothing to interpret.

Consequently, it fires up and creates its own images. These range from disturbing to terrifying. Even if the images are not unpleasant, the frequency and unpredictable nature of CBS episodes impacts negatively on quality of life.

Sight loss is more prevalent among the older population, which means that this is the group of people in which CBS is most commonly found.

MIS-DIAGNOSIS OF THE UNINVITED IMAGES Unless the person is aware of CBS before the first hallucination appears, self-diagnosis tends to suggest a mental health issue.

Frightened, the person confides in no one and lives in a stressful world of uninvited images.

If the person decides to confide in family or caregivers, they can also assume the visual hallucinations are due to a mental health condition.

Unhelpful suggestions can make the situation much worse. It is essential that the person who develops CBS should be believed and reassured. The visual hallucinations are extremely vivid and, as age takes its toll, it becomes more difficult, cognitively, to understand that the image is not real. Repeated reassurance is needed, particularly if the images are distressing.

CBS Research during lockdown has proved that isolation, stress and fever exacerbate the number of episodes of CBS and make the images much more frightening.

‘OUT OF SIGHT BUT NOT OUT OF MIND’ The majority of GPs and hospital doctors are unaware of CBS and, for Care Home residents, it is essential that the staff of each Home understands CBS and can explain the condition to residents and relatives

alike.

‘Out of Sight but not Out of Mind ’is the new campaign from Esme’s Umbrella, which focuses on Care and Nursing homes, to ensure that no resident has been mis-diagnosed and everyone working or living in the Home knows about CBS and understands how the condition impacts on each person who develops it. Everyone’s experience of CBS is different but support is essential.

Esme’s Umbrella – which is already training ophthalmic nurses to become Specialist CBS nurses - will be offering a one-hour training session on-line for all staff of Care and Nursing Homes, after which badges and certificates are awarded. Each Home is then encouraged to display a ‘Charles Bonnet Syndrome’ notice to show that the Home is CBS-friendly and any questions about the condition can be answered by members of staff.

The course covers an explanation of CBS, how to broach the subject with residents, how to reassure and comfort, what images are seen, case studies, coping strategies, medical information about medication which can be tried and medication (taken for other conditions) which should be avoided because it makes CBS worse and current CBS research – with a Q and A at the end.

NEW UNDERSTANDING OF CBS Since 1760 – when Charles Bonnet documented his grandfather’s experience of CBS – doctors have assumed the condition was incredibly rare, only happened to the elderly and (probably because the patients only mentioned it once) disappeared after 18 months. We know now that none of those facts is true.

Until recently, the World Health Organisation believed the same, but – with the help of two ophthalmologists – I persuaded the WHO to give CBS a coding in ICD 11. The code is 9D56. This means CBS is now considered a condition it its own right and not just a side effect of sight loss.

For more information about ‘Out of Sight but not out of Mind’, please contact me on judith@charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk CBS stayed with Esme for the rest of her life but now no one should be left to cope alone with what Charles Bonnet himself described as ‘The Theatre of the Mind’.

Charity number 1197087

Former Nurse Celebrates 103rd Birthday in Brecon A great-grandmother who set up the Aberhonndu Women’s Institute in the 1950’s has celebrated an impressive milestone with family and friends at a Powys care home.

Muriel Davies was showered with gifts and sweet treats by staff at Trenewydd care home, near Brecon, as she celebrated her 103rd birthday.

Born and raised in Treharris, Muriel started her working career as a nurse. She met a local butcher, Donald Davies, who joined the RAF during World War Two. The couple married in 1944 and had two sons, Wayne and Chris, shortly after.

Muriel later opened her café in Brecon Market Arcade before closing it to support her husband’s fledgling butchers shop. Outside of work, Muriel was known in the community

for forming the Aberhonndu Women’s Institute in the 1950’s, as well as volunteering for ‘meals on wheels’ services, the RNLI and more.

She moved into Trenewydd care home in April 2018, having lived independently since Donald’s death in 2004.

Richard Shepherd, home manager at the Shaw healthcare-operated care home, said: “Muriel really is a remarkable lady – despite her age, she still has her sharp wit and definitely loves to keep us on our toes.

“It was great to be able to invite friends and family to join our residents and staff to mark this lovely occasion.”

Inverclyde Care Homes Pilot ‘SB Duet’ to Improve Wellbeing, Reduce Isolation, and Increase Activity Levels of Care Home Residents Scottish Ballet in partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Care Home Collaborative (CHC) are piloting SB Duet in three Independent Sector Care homes within Inverclyde Health and Care Social Partnership. The CHC is a new service dedicated to supporting staff, residents, and families to enhance the quality of care for residents in care homes across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. SB Duet was developed to support the wellbeing of people with reduced mobility by offering a shorter, gentler, and accessible movement experience, which can be done safely in bed or at the bedside, with a carer, companion, family member or independently. The package of resources includes two ten minute films and audio resources, Energise and Relax, which people can watch or listen to. Each resource contains a short excerpt of a Scottish Ballet performance, followed by five minutes of gentle guided movement.

Dance and movement has been shown to improve physical fitness, cognitive function, and the quality of life in care home residents. The willingness and ability of people with neurological conditions and reduced mobility to participate in physical activity, was demonstrated when Scottish Ballet started running its neurological programmes and projects online during lockdown. Scottish Ballet observed that people were joining online, from their bed from all over Scotland, highlighting that guided gentle exercise is possible and that people were willing to take part.

Commenting on the resource, Pooja Gupta, Care Home Collaborative AHP Care About Physical Activity (CAPA) Lead, says: “Research suggests that dance-based interventions are effective in improving both the physical and mental well-being of older adults. This resource will not only support physical-activity, but also promote mental well-being and help people do what matters to them the most. It can also be used by families to connect with their loved ones. We are delighted to be the key partner with Scottish Ballet and care homes on this very exciting project.”

Lisa Sinclair, Senior Dance Health Manager, Scottish Ballet says: “Scottish Ballet is delighted to be working with the Care Home Collaborative to bring SB Duet to care homes across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Our priority is to ensure that the resources are accessible, empowering as many people as possible to feel connected, creative and to take part in something that matters to them. As this is a pilot, we are looking forward to receiving feedback from those who use the resources.”

The resource will be piloted in three care homes in Inverclyde and an external evaluation will be completed by researcher, Emily Davis, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Pooja Gupta, Care Home Collaborative AHP CAPA Lead and the wider collaborative team will be supporting with the delivery and formal evaluation of this.

PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Wall & Door Protection Reduce Your Operating Costs!! for a Caring Environment For 55 years Yeoman Shield wall & door protection systems from Harrison Thompson & Co. Ltd. have been delivering healthcare providers with a solution to costly and unsightly impact damage to interior walls & doors. This proactive approach to impact damage can show a year on year saving on maintenance time and budgets.

Offering a comprehensive range which includes, protection panels, protection rails, handrails and fire rated door protection systems, offered in over 48 colours, gives customers a wide choice to realise functional and aesthetic requirements.

The ability to incorporate colours, signage and images, into Yeoman Shield’s core products can be beneficial to mental health environments be that creating a calming atmosphere or a practical assistance in wayfinding.

The Guardian Handrail can also be supplied in an anti-ligature option safeguarding service users.

Fire doors are never more important than in a residential setting catering for those more vulnerable.

Yeoman Shield offer a full fire rated door protec-

Opeque can assist in reducing energy bills, complying with legislation, managing health and safety and achieving a sustainable operation.

Over years, Opeque has worked with various industry sectors, from tyre manufacturing to laundries, schools to hotels and hospitals to care homes, optimising their manufacturing procedures and facilities mantion system that when installed can prevent compromising impact damage and by doing so extends the functioning lifecycle of fire doors.

To complement these products is the company’s newly launched Fire Door Services giving reassurance to the building’s responsible person by offering fire door assessments, remedial and door replacement works all carried out under FIRAS accreditation.

Tel: 0113 279 5854 | email: info@yeomanshield.com www.yeomanshield.com See the advert on page 10.

Inclusive Furniture • Consider the elderly • Make the products affordable • Make rental to events an option • Use sustainable products where possible We then thought we need to provide picnic benches and outdoor furniture for people who use wheelchairs. There is definitely a need for disabled, easy access outdoor furniture. All made robustly to take the knocks from wheelchairs and manufactured from sustainable wood from environmentally friendly sources. They also need to make the user feel inclusive.

Consort Claudgen launches Consort Connect app Consort Claudgen have launched Consort Connect app which allows users to have complete control over their heating remotely via their smartphone or tablet. The app is free and downloadable from Google Play or Apple Store. It can control Consort’s Wi-Fi enabled heaters and SL heaters connected to an SLPBWIFI wireless controller. It gives quick access to four operating modes and provides a 7day timer with twenty-four heating periods per day. It is easy to set up and users can configure the settings of all connected heaters on

the app. Users can also view the energy consumption statistics. Other features include a lock function, open window tracking and response capability, and custom automations. There is a selflearning control ability utilising occupancy and temperature sensors, however, this is only available on the SLPBWIFI controller and Consort heaters with Wi-Fi and occupancy sensor.

For more information, contact our sales at 01646 692172 or visit www.consortepl.com or see the advert on page 6.

Safeguard Your Care Home with InVentry Care homes are crucial for our society, so it’s important to ensure they’re a safe setting to help staff carry out the best possible care.

With many family members and friends visiting their loved ones daily, InVentry is essential to track who’s entering and leaving your care home. Visitors are met with a simple signing in process and their information is stored directly in the system. This not only allows you to track who is onsite at any given time, but it ensures an even faster sign in during repeat visits.

You can also ensure that the contractors you have onsite have the skills to do the job safely by asking custom questions before they sign in, with options to include documents they may need to read upon arrival, ensuring health & safety and the security of

your site is always maintained.

InVentry can even help you become CQC and Care Inspectorate Compliant as our software allows you to receive star-rated feedback from those who have visited your care home. You can store this feedback within your system and note any actions taken to improve your processes and procedures!

Head to our website: www.inventry.co.uk or see the advert on page 11.

Frail & Thinning Skin Can Often Lead To Skin Tears Fragile or thin skin that tears easily is a common problem, especially among older adults. Our skin becomes thinner as we age, or as a result of sun damage and lifestyle factors. Thin skin bruises and tears more easily of course. Certain medications, such as long-term use of topical corticosteroids can also weaken the skin and the blood vessels in the skin Can skin tears be prevented? YES! Use Limbkeepers premium skin protectors!

So why Limbkeepers Protectors?

Limbkeepers arm sleeves, leg sleeves, and gloves help protect fragile, thin, bruised skin on arms, hands, and legs, from abrasions, skin tears, and injury from impact. Our non-compression arm protectors and leg

protectors provide seamless, form fitting, cushioned comfort and can be easily worn under apparel without bulk.

Our versatile products help to reduce injuries, allow you to continue daily activities and maintain quality of life and independence.

Made in the USA and supplied from the UK, they are sold in pairs and assorted colours at affordable prices.

Limbkeepers are available in regular or lightweight arm, forearm or leg sleeves.

Limbkeepers UK Ltd, Demontfort House, 7e Enterprise Way, Vale Park, Evesham WR11 1GS For more information or to buy go to www.limbkeepers.co.uk See the advert on page 7.

agement.

Applying industrial engineering principles, we address productivity, resource efficiency, quality control, health and safety and asset management, bringing people, utilities, equipment, and buildings together to realise product excellence.

We have worked with many care homes to provide laundry services and water hygiene and it is from these close relationships that we believe we can further assist your CARE HOME to reduce operating costs. or see the advert on page 11.

07831 873355, email Call or Email NOW: admin@opeque.com or visit www.opeque.com See the advert on page 19 for details.

WHY CARE HOMES? Not long ago we noticed that in our local park there was adequate seating for the non-disabled but none for the wheelchair-user, the more we looked the more we saw a complete lack of effort in complying with regulations and laws specifically brought in to counter this ignorance and discrimination.

We decide to act, our plan was: • Make our products both 'accessible & 'inclusive'.

• Design furniture with the wheelchair-user in mind • Act within both the Disability Act and the Equality Act • Provide quality products for non-disabled and disabled alike.

...because not only is it their legal duty under the discrimination acts people who happen to use wheelchairs also happen to enjoy sitting outside in fine weather, they are also appreciated in public places as well as private homes & gardens and places where care is a first priority Peter Cubbin Inclusivefurniture.com inclusivefurniture@gmail.com https://inclusivefurniture.com 07775717880 See the advert on page 19 for details.

Health and Safety Matters – Keep Up to Date The National Association for Safety and Health in Care Services ( NASHiCS ) focuses on all health and safety matters affecting the social care sector. The association has goes from strength to strength and has a growing membership across many providers and organisations covering the UK. Keeping up to date regarding Health and Safety matters is vital. The more you know, the more you can plan and the more you plan, the less you are susceptible in turbulent times.

Through the association you can Network with colleagues responsible for Health and Safety, share your own ‘best practice’ experiences and hear how others have overcome challenges.

Attend dedicated events, on health and safety at special member rates; and participate in national and local Networkers, Conferences and Seminars, in-person or virtual.

Advertise job vacancies free; and benefit from special member offers and rates from suppliers of goods services and equipment.

Receive regular update emails covering latest

Terryberry - Be Recognised, Be Engaged Terryberry is a global employee engagement solutions provider, HQ in Grand Rapids Michigan with UK offices in Cheshire and Cardiff, we help companies of all sizes, across all sectors. A dedicated account manager is included as part of all our employee reward & recognition programmes, who are on hand to guide you through every stage of the process. We’ve helped companies such as Co-op, AstraZeneca, Coca-Cola, M&S, Airbus, Jaguar Land Rover & The White Company run successful Long Service Award and Employee Benefits schemes.

Visit our website: www.terryberry.com/gb to learn more about our 360 Recognition platform.

See the advert on page 21 for details.

developments and safety alerts/news; while giving access to current information, links on key safety topics; and monthly our highly praised e-News.

Matters cover range from fire safety, training, infection control, lone working, falls prevention, first aid to stress, legionella, case law, regulation, people moving people and mock courts to mention just a few. See our website for report on past events – www.nashics.org We have national links with other organisations, government bodies and enforcement agencies. Our aim is to promote and improve safety and health in care practice by providing a sharing and networking forum for debate, and discussion.

Joining NASHiCS is a great and easy way to keep informed and aware. Health and Safety is an essential and matters to everyone involved with social care now and in the future.

Find out more – administrator@nashics.org | www.nashics.org | 07840 160 030 See the advert on page 11 for further details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 29

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Forbes Helps Care Homes Maintain Cash’s Labels- “The Name Critical Hygiene Standards Behind the Name” For the care sector, laundry has always been absolutely central to infection control. Furthermore, in order to ensure continuity of service, it is essential to have a reliable service partner in place when needed.

Any prolonged machine downtime can have significant operation implications for a care environment, so it is important to have access to a same/next day breakdown response. Home residents deserve the very highest standards and care operators need to source laundry equipment that is both cost and energy efficient whilst meeting the most stringent hygiene standards.

Forbes Professional is proud to be Miele‘s national distribution partner. This enables us to offer their new Benchmark machines, which truly set new standards in laundry care. Combining high performance levels with both user and sustainable efficiency, they effortlessly meet all of the challenges of the care sector’s laundry operations. Optimised and intelligent technology combines with simple connectivity for fast and efficient cycles whilst thermo and chemo-thermal disinfection enable the critical hygiene control.

Forbes offers prospective clients comprehensive site surveys and entirely transparent cost calculations.

Our in-house engineers fully install and commission all equipment as well as offering complimentary usertraining. Our ever popular Complete Care rental solution is a more sustainable alternative than outright purchase. It also gives care homes access to our multiaward winning service support at no extra cost for the life of the contract. www.forbespro.co.uk info@forbes-professional.co.uk 0345 070 2335 See the advert on page 14.

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 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.

Free Online PAT Testing Course Everyone can benefit from free training! Parker Bell offers a free online PAT Testing course, which is ideal Care Home Managers and maintenance staff. It gives you all the information about your legal obligations and responsibilities. It also covers practicalities such as: • Equipment needed • Full visual Inspection • How to do a PAT Test • What records to keep As a result of the pandemic, many have found their working environment has changed dramatically. You may no longer allow people/contractors on your premises, PAT Testing is straightforward to do and can be easily managed in house. Our free course will show you how you can PAT Test, and what’s more, the HSE say any competent person can do it!

How do you access the free PAT Testing Course?

It’s simple, just go to www.onlinepattestingcourse.co.uk. Here you will be able to access the course, you just need an email address to sign up. The course is made up of short modules and is simple to follow.

Who should do the course?

Probably everyone should do the course, as it shows you basic electrical equipment safety; which given the

amount of electrical equipment we now have in our homes makes sense.

Both employers and employees are responsible for inspecting and maintaining electrical equipment in the work place. So you should encourage all staff to do the course.

What equipment do you need?

Any competent person can PAT Test, however you will need to use a PAT Tester that give you and outcome Pass or Fail. It’s great if the PAT Tester has readings as well, but they are not essential.

How often should I PAT Test?

Frequency of PAT Testing is dependent on your Risk Assessment. You need to include the routine inspection & maintenance of electrical equipment in your Risk Assessment and the risk should determine the frequency. Factors affecting the frequency include: • What the electrical equipment is • How often its’ used • Where its’ used • Who uses it Want to discuss further?

You can call us on 01392 364933 or email sales@parker-bell.co.uk We are always happy to help!

See the advert on page 7.

Taking Care of Your Needs Passive fire protection needs to be at the forefront of all our minds but what is passive fire protection?

Passive fire protection assesses a building in detail, poorly maintained fire doors, voids in ceilings & service shafts and penetrations made in walls, floors or ceilings can become conduits through which fire and smoke can spread. By identifying these failures within the fabric of the building, specialist repairs can be made to reinstate the compartmentation of the building to maximise the time available to evacuate the property, and or prevent a fire from taking hold in the first place.

For many this remains a concern and knowing where to start can be stressful. It is important that you do your due diligence and you seek out a trained, competent, third-party accredited company to work with you and to discuss your needs.

We are often told how a client has struggled to secure the services of a passive fire contractor. We have found many companies would prefer to concentrate on large, long term contracts rather than smaller

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

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels, woven badges, care labels, branded and promotional swing tags, garment accessories, packaging and barcoding. Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers' brand

by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity.

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

Visit www.cashslabels.com or see the advert on page 13.

Otiom, the World's First IoT Device Designed To Prevent People With Dementia From Becoming Lost

Although commonplace, wandering can be dangerous or even life-threatening for people with dementia, and the stress can weigh heavily on friends, family and carers. Otiom - is beginning to make a positive impact in the social care sector and is demonstrating its potential to be a gamechanger for the care of people living with dementia.

WHAT IS OTIOM? Otiom is a unique and discrete tagging device which people with dementia can easily carry. It utilises IoT technology to ensure reliable tracking indoors and outdoors, and has a long battery life.

THE OTIOM SYSTEM: Firstly, the tag: the monitoring device which is carried by the person with a tendency to wander.

Secondly, the home base: which is placed in the home of the person with dementia. The Otiom tag constantly communicates with the home base via Bluetooth while the person is at home.

Thirdly, the app: which is free on iOS or Android and allows an unlimited number of caregivers or relatives to operate the system.

The app allows caregivers to set a safety level depending on individual circumstances. The safety levels have been designed to cater for all stages of dementia. At its lowest setting, location data can only be accessed when carers are concerned about a per-

son’s whereabouts to manually raise the alarm. The fact that tracking is non-constant helps avoid any invasion of privacy for the person with dementia.

Otiom can be managed using a smartphone and a safety zone can be set outside the personal home or care facility where the person resides, including gardens or community areas. If the person leaves the safety zone, an alarm will be triggered and the Otiomapp will show the current location.

Please get in touch if you would like to learn more about Otiom.

Call: 0131 467 5764 Email: Mail@pentlandmedical.co.uk www.pentlandmedical.co.uk See the advert on page 9.

MOWOOT II Combats Chronic Constipation MOWOOT II is a revolutionary non-invasive and nonpharmacological solution to chronic constipation.

Developed by a team of medical professionals, MOWOOT II delivers gentle abdominal massage that speeds up intestinal transit in people with chronic constipation.

Clinically proven and free from side-effects, MOWOOT II Chronic Constipation Therapy System fights constipation effectively, safely and comfortably without laxatives, enemas or colon cleansing supplements.

Comfortable during use, MOWOOT II treats and manages chronic constipation in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease as well as helps to combat medication-related constipation issues. MOWOOT II also fights chronic constipation in menopausal and post-menopausal women and elderly people.

In a published clinical study*, MOWOOT II increased evacuation frequency, softened stools, improved reg-

ularity, 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.

In just 10 to 20 minutes per day of abdominal massage with MOWOOT II, significant improvements were noted only days after the first treatment, whilst regular applications of MOWOOT II delivered 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.

See the advert on page 5 or ontact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 - www.win-health.com

properties. We realised very quickly that we had an opportunity to provide a bespoke service for each of our clients taking care of individual needs. Over time we have become specialised in working within a live environment such as residential accommodation.

When the project is complete, it does not mean the end of our relationship, UK Passive Fire Solutions is part of East Riding Group Ltd. We can offer many other services to you such as UK Pest Control Service and our Hospitality, Kitchen & Hygiene Products (HKHP) UK Passive Fire Solutions work with you from start to finish. Call or email today to get more information and receive your information pack; email info@ukpassivefiresolutions.co.uk or call: 01262 469872.

See the advert on page 6 for further information.

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

CONTINENCE CARE Top Tips For Healthy Skin When Living with Incontinence Healthy skin is a physical barrier against the external environment. The pH balance of skin should be between 4.5 and 5.5 to discourage bacterial growth.

HOW TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN A NORMAL PH BALANCE: • Prevent changes to normal skin pH by cleaning up quickly after each episode of urine loss.

• Choose mild skin cleansers, moisturisers and sealants.

• Be aware that perspiration, in combination with continence pads and briefs, creates an extra risk factor for skin problems.

DO’S AND DON’TS WHEN CARING FOR YOUR SKIN • Always use the pads prescribed for you and make sure that they are fitted correctly • Tell your nurse if your skin is wet when you change your incontinence pad • Tell your nurse if you have eczema or psoriasis or are prone to other conditions that affect your skin • Note the condition of your skin whilst using incontinence pads • Tell your nurse if there are any changes to your skin.

• This would include if your skin becomes red, sore or broken.

• Tell your nurse if you are using any ointments or creams

• Wash your hands before and after changing your pad • Don’t apply ointments or creams unless prescribed by your doctor or nurse.

• Don’t use talcum powder on your bottom or groin area. It can cause friction which may damage the skin and also affect how well your pad works.

• Don’t wear more than one pad at a time

Important advice Oil based barrier creams may reduce the performance of the pads. If barrier creams must be used, they should be applied sparingly and only on areas that require treatment. Used products should be disposed of in the appropriate manner, they cannot be flushed down the toilet.

The iD range of products is available to buy from www.id-direct.com or via Ontex - See the advert on page 7 for details.

Help To Manage Your Incontinence Issues Independently The Bendi Bag is ideal for wheelchair users who can sometimes find toilet access difficult The Comfort Leg Bag range comes in variety of materials from velvet smooth, real cotton and flock backing The Children’s Bag with smaller capacity and proportions comes with a discreet and secure twist tap that will not open accidentally while moving, or out and about

Urinary incontinence affects millions of people in the UK. Although a widespread problem, incontinence remains a taboo topic.

Embarrassment often stops people from talking about it, let alone feeling able to access products and services that can help them. So, without the correct help and support, the problem often remains unsolved, which has a negative impact on people’s lives.

COMFORTABLE AND EFFECTIVE Since 1976 Manfred Sauer have provided a range of innovative urology products to help sufferers of urinary incontinence. But unlike other providers, our products are often designed and tested by both end users and healthcare professionals to ensure effective and user-friendly solutions that work. This means your incontinence issues can be managed independently, without worrying about frequent emptying or toilet access and do not impinge on your ability to live life to the full.

Read about four of our most popular product ranges, which are all available on prescription.

SHEATHS We offer 5 types of urinary sheath to facilitate the drainage of urine away from the body into a drainage bag. They are made from either latex, or synthetic materials and available in a range of sizes. We also offer skin friendly tapes, straps and adhesives, hair guards, measuring tape as well as Preventox, which cleans and protects the skin, so you are always comfortable and have the best fit possible.

IQ CATHETER

LEGBAGS We supply four main types of leg bags with varying capacities.

Perfect for being outdoors, and packed full of unique features and benefits, you now have a choice when it comes to managing your incontinence issues.

The shape of our Discreet Thigh Bag allows for it to be worn high up on the thigh area and can even be hidden under shorts, skirts and even swimwear

Thousands of people across the country must perform Intermittent Self-Catheterisation (ISC) to effectively empty their bladder and having something that is simple to use, soft, flexible and easy to lubricate is essential. That’s where our IQ-Cath shines, plus, new for 2022 are male/paediatric and female single-use hydrophilic catheters which are immersed in saline and ready for immediate use.

Nephsys For people who have had a Nephrostomy, and tubes are already in place, our NephSys system can drastically improve their lives. As well as providing a secure and sterile solution, which consists of an adjustable, elasticated belt; drainage bags and suspenders to secure the bag to the belt in the chosen position, the system is also comfortable and discreet.

For help, support and advice, call 01604 595696, email helpline@manfred-sauer.co.uk or visit www.manfred-sauer.co.uk for more information about each product, or to order a free sample.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 33

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Exclusive Antimicrobial Scrub Technology Launched

by Grahame Gardner and Micro-Fresh ®

Grahame Gardner has unveiled a brand new Micro-Fresh® scrub top and trouser range which uses leading antimicrobial technology to stay fresher longer.

The range, exclusive to Grahame Gardner, incorporates cutting-edge technology Micro-Fresh® to help keep healthcare workers safe whilst maintaining unrivalled comfort.

The garment fabric, which is 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton, is incorporated with innovative Micro-fresh® technology at point of manufacture. The antimicrobial technology not only kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria beyond 50 washes but is also proven to reduce the spread of human coronavirus by 99.2 per cent.

With wash resistant antibacterial protection, Micro-Fresh® also boasts odour prevention, providing longer lasting freshness for the wearer. The scrubs are hypoallergenic, gentle on skin and vegan friendly.

The exclusive scrubs will stocked available in two fits – unisex and female – and the scrub top will be available in six colourways: Oasis, Navy, Eau de Nil, Bottle, Smoke Grey and Blue 18 each with a classic contrasting white trim The trousers will be available in Navy, Bottle and Black.

Grahame Gardner will also offer all six scrub colours in their Made to Order range with a bespoke choice of trim colour.

The scrub top design features multiple pockets, including two waterproof chest pockets and a wearers right hand hip pocket, which also has a pen divide and an elastic loop for a clip-on hand sanitiser. The trousers have a

drawstring waist, and also side and a back pockets.

A range of Micro-Fresh® tie back scrub caps will also be available in the same six colours to complement the scrubs, plus two additional colours – Black & Royal Blue Sarah Lowe, from Grahame Gardner, said: “We’re so pleased to reveal our exclusive Micro-Fresh® workwear range.

“These innovative garments harness leading technology to create scrubs that combine comfort with unique antimicrobial technology that’s proven to kill 99.9% bacteria – even after washing! We know there is the market for them and are confident our customers will appreciate the benefits this garment development bring. It’s been great to build a really positive working relationship with Micro-Fresh® and look forward to that continuing in the future.”

Chris Mellor-Dolman, head of marketing & business development at Micro-Fresh®, added: “The move to working with a brand such as Grahame Gardner, who uphold the highest standards of protection and hygiene with products for use in controlled environments, dovetails wholly with our ideology here at Micro-Fresh®.

“It’s reassuring to know that Micro-Fresh and Grahame Gardner scrubs are making a significant difference, protecting the health & wellbeing of much-valued medical professionals.”

For more information, visit: www.grahamegardner.co.uk/micro-fresh

Eliminate Odours and Sanitise Rooms with MAG Ozone

15 minutes is all it takes to remove bacteria, viruses and unpleasant odours from indoor rooms and spaces. Don’t just mask bad smells, permanently eliminate them with the MAG Room Sanitiser. It’s safe, it’s sustainable, it requires no chemicals, plus it’s quicker and 3,000 times more effective than other cleaning methods.

Hygienic indoor air quality is seen as an essential part of every business and we all have a responsibility to look after our staff, visitors, guests and clients.

Monkeypox, Covid-19 and other airborne viruses will continue to come and go so regular air purification is important as nobody knows what the future holds.

As well as sanitising the air and surfaces in a room, MAG’s sanitising machine guarantees to remove odours however strong including smoke, cooking, alcohol, body odour and incontinence. It’s used by care homes, hotels, pubs, restaurants and thousands of businesses in the UK and across the world.

How does it work? Ozone is safely created and destructed within your preferred time frame. Simply wheel the ozone generator into the room that needs sanitising,

Introducing The World’s First Movable Bedpan Disposer ® Panaway M1 It has been great to get back out helping some customers face to face again but we are also aware of ongoing restrictions and the many pressures facing all.

Haigh's product development has continued regardless and with the launch of the Panaway M1 mobile bedpan disposal system, the team has also made a virtual 3D version for you to view from your smartphone via the link / QR code below.

Bedpans, commode pots, kidney dishes & urine bottles are simply and efficiently disposed using Haigh's proven technology now in an easy to deploy, mobile, plug and play format.

Panaway M1 gives unprecedented flexibility when it comes to bringing the infection prevention bene-

fits of disposable medical pulp to your site, as well as the sustainability and cost considerations associated with using very little electricity and no hot water. A perfect solution as an emergency stand-in when a bedpan machine or washer is unavailable or as a cost-effective solution whilst migrating a site to a disposable system.

If you or your colleagues have any questions or would like to know more, please feel free to email or call us.

For more information about renting, purchasing or a trial of Panaway® M1 contact Michelle Marriot on +44 (0)7500 626463 or email info@haighmed.com or visit www.panaway.com

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

plug in the machine, start the cycle, leave the room and when you re-enter you will be pleasantly surprised by the extra fresh fragrance. It’s very simple, completely safe and free product demonstrations are available across the UK. Ask about our 5 star feedback and testimonials. Andrew Morgan, Managing Director of Morgan Care shares “Great sales experience with a pre-order demo and very efficient order & delivery service. Would have no hesitation in recommending MAG Ozone”.

For more information contact MAG Ozone Ltd on 01353 883025 or sales@magozone.com Did you know the MAG Group also provides commercial washing machines and tumble dryers? Find out more at www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk (Link: https://maglaundryequipment.co.uk/product/ozone-sanitation/ mag-ozone-generator )

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL 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.

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.

Why Infection Control Is Just One of the Benefits of Outsourcing Laundry Care homes are facing many challenges, from infection control and Covid, to staff shortages and rising energy costs. Richard Page, UK Head of Care Homes at Elis (uk.elis.com), explains how making a simple change to how laundry is processed can have benefits that extend far beyond infection control.

How the laundry is managed can have a bigger impact on the care home than is sometimes realised. It may impact infection control standards and compliance but also staff availability, running costs and capital expenditure, how smoothly the care home can operate, the satisfaction of residents and families, space availability and even the quality of the bedlinen and towels.

While traditionally care homes often handled the laundry themselves, many are now recognising the advantages of outsourcing to a specialist, as is the norm in many other sectors, including the NHS and hotels.

Here are the top six ways that care homes can benefit from outsourcing to a specialist care home laundry provider, like Elis.

1 – INFECTION CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE It is essential to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control; an important part of care homes’ CQC inspection.

However, when laundry is done on site it can be difficult to consistently follow the strict procedures that help prevent cross infection and ensure compliance with the Department of Health’s HTM 01-04 regulation. Requirements such as the full segregation of clean and soiled items, the validation of wash processes and the stringent handling and transportation procedures can sometimes be difficult to maintain, especially when space is limited.

Outsourcing to Elis ensures immediate compliance, both now and in the future. With experience of working for hospitals and care homes across the UK and the world, Elis ensures that infection control is built into every process. It is accredited to the highest European standard in infection control (BS EN14065) and expert at laundry compliance, so care homes don’t have to be.

2 – RELIABILITY, SIMPLICITY AND PEACE OF MIND When a care home runs its own laundry it can be hard to avoid machine breakdowns, or even fires, and unexpected staff absences.

They all create extra pressure and make it hard to maintain standards.

With a network of laundries across the UK, each with multiple state-of-the-art machines, back-up facilities and stock and its own delivery fleet, Elis provides a guaranteed, reliable service, day after

day. The local Elis laundry collects soiled items, hygienically launders and maintains them and returns them to an agreed schedule.

Elis uses the latest technology in all aspects of its service, with tiny 2d Barcodes on linens and on special residents’ clothing bags, enabling meticulous tracking of items and meaning lost items are a thing of the past. Residents have their own dedicated bags, into which garments are placed, so Elis knows exactly where each resident’s items are in its fully tracked service.

3 – COST REDUCTION AND CONTROL Using the Elis service can be a more cost effective approach to care home laundry. It can free up care home capital, as there is no equipment or linen to buy and can provide efficiencies and cost savings because Elis operates on an industrial scale and passes savings on to customers. With competitive fixed priced contracts and no risk of unexpected laundry costs, the service also helps with cost control.

The usage of linens is tracked to provide complete cost transparency and there is flexibility to adjust quantities if demand changes.

Care homes can benefit from taking a look at their in-house laundry costs, including staff, water, electricity, gas, detergent, machine rental and breakdown costs and comparing with the cost of an Elis laundry service.

4 – FREEING UP TIME AND SPACE With staff shortages and illness, outsourcing laundry can also have the benefit of freeing up staff to focus on other tasks. It also significantly reduces the time that management need to focus on laundry.

It takes away the hassle and provides a simple, reliable solution.

The removal of in-house laundry equipment also frees up space for other activities or even for another bedroom.

5 – HOTEL QUALITY Items are provided on a cost effective rental basis, with no large up-front costs. High quality linen creates the perfect centrepiece for each resident’s room and fluffy white towels create a homely feel.

Bed linen and towelling are professionally finished using specialist driers, ironers and folders, to give a hotel-like quality, while every item of residents clothing is carefully washed and fully CQC compliant.

6 – EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY Elis is able to use gas, electricity and water more efficiently than individual homes, and so partnering with Elis means that care homes are choosing a more sustainable approach to laundry. Elis is Carbon Trust accredited and the first laundry and textile services company in the UK to state its intent to attain Net Zero carbon emissions by 2045.

Elis partners with thousands of care homes around the world.

From small independent homes and hospices to large care villages.

Elis provides solutions for linen and residents’ clothing, workwear and uniforms, chefs’ wear, table linen and kitchen cloths. Elis also provides washroom, mats and floorcare services.

For a trial without commitment email uk-carehomes@elis.com or call 0808 1969160 or for more information https://uk.elis.com/en/sectors/health-social-care/care-homes

CATERING FOR CARE

An NHS Chef’s Guide to Budget-Friendly, Nutritious, and Delicious Meals

Matt Willis, Co-Head Chef at Clacton Hospital, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) (www.property.nhs.uk) shares insight around the challenges of hospital catering, and how best to manage budgets while cooking delicious and nutritious meals for staff and patients.

Catering for hospitals comes with its challenges. It is often a balancing act between having nutritious, healthy meals, while also making sure they are within budget and not wasted. And most importantly, the meals must be enjoyable for patients and staff.

HAVING A SEASONAL MENU A big part of saving money and having a tasty menu is making sure meals are seasonal, freshly made and locally sourced. The patient menu is set by dietitians, so it must be adhered to for patients to get the nutrition they need. One way of ensuring this is cooking food from scratch. This can make a huge improvement to the quality of food. In our hospital, for example, making food from scratch allows us to significantly reduce salt out of the diets and ensuring that there are no pre-made or pre-packaged foods in every meal.

Using local suppliers is important, as the produce is fresh, and it is a more sustainable way of picking up ingredients needed for the daily menu. It is also great for altering the menu on the day – whether that is down to weather changes, or we have had requests to change up the menu. Ultimately, it is most important to provide people with the food they want. By going local, this can be done in a budget-friendly and sustainable way.

CATERING FOR EVERY NEED It is important to know who you are cooking for. With so many patients and staff, catering for all comes

with challenges – for example, there are 14 official allergens we need to consider. However, it also encourages creativity and to think more about what people want to and can eat. For example, providing an alternative menu is helpful, such as kosher, allergen-free, or needing softer foods. Ultimately, it is important to keep patients happy.

REDUCING FOOD WASTE Another important part of catering and sticking within budget is reducing food waste. In a hospital, if there are two portions left over on a counter, it cannot be saved for later and unfortunately it goes to waste. To prevent waste, we must consider portion control. This can be challenging as patients need a nutrient rich diet and to feel full for a sustained period of time. Where possible, always aim to prepare smaller portions, and if people are still hungry, recommend a snack like fruit or something to keep them going. In our hospital, I encourage the team to manage portion control – it is a crucial part of our training.

Leftovers can encourage you to be fun, creative and make simple foods delicious. Reducing food waste will also have a positive knock-on effect on budget, meaning that money won’t be wasted and can be continued to be spent on getting the best produce.

My top tips to reduce food waste and budget are: • Make a fish pie with leftover fish, with a quick sauce and mash potato ready for next day lunch service.

• I often put lamb in the slow cooker – if there is any leftover it works well in a lamb salad wrap.

• Leftover spaghetti Bolognese works a treat as a topping for jacket potatoes, or chili con carne! I also put it over chips sprinkled with cheese on top under the grill.

See our Catering for Care feature on pages 34-37.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 35

CATERING FOR CARE Carte D’Or Launches The Perfect Base To Create Flavour-Filled Desserts For Your Residents To Enjoy The key to a delicious dessert is the right ingredients. As a chef, you need quality, adaptability, and versatility, to create efficiency in the kitchen and variety on your menu. Carte D’Or have got you covered with all this and more, with their range of powdered dessert bases offering endless possibilities for your dessert menu.

Carte D’Or have teamed up with Aaron Watson, Head Chef at Primrose Bank Care Home and winner of the NACC Care Chef Of The Year 2021, to demonstrate just how adaptable, controllable and reliable their range can be.

Alongside Executive Chef at Unilever Food Solutions, Alex Hall, Aaron has created a series of recipes that are easy to create and will really impress. These include a refreshing ‘Eaton less Mess’, soft doughnuts, a classic baked Alaska and fruity strawberry ice cream – all made using the Carte D’Or Strawberry Mousse and perfect for a movie night or warm summers day.

Alex and Aaron have used the Carte D’Or Panna Cotta mix to make a rhubarb & custard, black forest, and raspberry panna cotta. All these recipes are quick, simple, and packed full of different flavours – which is ideal when catering to various individuals’ preferences! Aaron commented: “You have to think of each resident as an individual, rather than thinking a dish will be suitable for everybody. You have to personalise it to each person”.

Finally, Carte D’Or Crème Brulée is used to make an apple tart, coconut crème caramel and the classic Queen of puddings. The latter utilising leftover ingredients such as breadcrumbs, which are usually seen to go to waste. It’s made in 4 simple steps; just whisk, mould, chill and serve your delicious pudding. The coconut crème caramel is a play on Aaron’s winning dish from the 2021 NACC Care Chef of the Year competition and he highlights the importance of having these exciting dishes for residents: “Obviously, the food we put on the plate is a really important part of the residents’ day to day lives, mealtimes are one of the main times of the day, where all the residents can come together and interact”.

To learn more and watch the full recipes visit www.ufs.com/cartedorincare

Food Procurement Experts, allmanhall are Helping Care Caterers Manage Rising Food Costs Here the causes behind significant food inflation and provide advice on practical ways care home catering teams can manage rising costs are explored.

“There are wide-ranging reasons why we’re currently experiencing such significant food inflation. Our global food supply chain comes with input cost factors that originate far beyond these shores” explains Oliver Hall, managing director of food procurement experts, allmanhall.

The Bank of England has revised its projections upwards, predicting that inflation will now peak at 10% towards the end of 2022. Upward pressure is expected this autumn as energy prices rise again and the full impact of harvest yields globally, and more specifically in Ukraine and Russia, become known. allmanhall’s apply such insight and understanding to managing suppliers, thus supporting care home catering teams with their food purchasing in these challenging times. As well as expert negotiations to mitigate the price increases and risk associated with food inflation, allmanhall’s hands-on, experienced consultants are able to offer care homes practical advice.

Coping strategies are key, addressing the things you can control:

- Select the purchasing approach that brings your care home maximum benefit - Undertake range management - Reduce your care home’s cost to serve - Increase your delivery values (add non-food items to your order) - Multi- and upskill your catering team - Reduce waste wherever possible - Review the efficiency of your equipment - Consider your care home’s menus and recipes - Review product specifications.

These steps will enable your catering budgets and food purchases to go as far as possible.

To learn more, go to https://allmanhall.co.uk/webinars Rachael Venditti from allmanhall will be talking on the topic of Food Inflation at the Care Home and Hospital Catering Forum in Haberdashers Hall, London on 13 June.

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

CATERING FOR CARE

Anglia Crown – Looking To Make Your Lives Easier As the better weather approaches it is perhaps a time that we can start to look forward again. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit us all, those in the care sector have been at the forefront of the fight and Anglia Crown salute each and everyone of you who have been providing the best service you could throughout the crisis. Anglia Crown has been there beside you and will remain there to help you keep your residents happy and well fed.

Whilst the company maintained a rapid response team to react quickly to their customers’ needs during the crisis, they also allowed time to step back and see how best they could improve their offer for the care sector and beyond.

The company was also keen to recognise their 30th anniversary of championing choice with the release of their 2022 range of products. The range includes Crown Choice and Crown Advantage meals available frozen, with Crown Crown Choice also available as chilled products.

Company Dietitian, Ruth Smith, comments: “Whenever we update our product range, we always look to reflect current trends. There is a definite move towards plant-based foods which we have considered in these menus, which we believe will prove to be very popular.”

The company now offers over 70 vegan and vegetarian dishes, many have been accredited with the Vegan Society. This approach led to the company being named a Veggie

Wholesaler of the Year.

Another one of the initiatives was to create a menu cycle that can be readily adopted by any care setting, with the knowledge that the menu is nutritionally balanced and has been approved by a professional dietitian.

The two-week cycle offers something for everyone. Where a bulk service is required for resident dining, they have it covered, a similar menu using Crown Advantage dishes can be similarly employed. The specially designed menu is cost effective, as it has already considered the financial balancing that is always required in our sector and just as importantly, it also helps with any staffing issues that you might encounter, allowing properly trained Care Assistants to help with the complete delivery of the meals to your residents.

Mary Wedge, Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown concludes; “We needed to take fast action during the crisis, which led to a huge shift in thinking that has ensured that we could fully support our industry during this difficult period and beyond, whilst continuing to deliver on our vision – in driving excellence in residential and care home catering.”

The new range is now available. Visit www.angliacrown.co.uk for further details.

TME’s Colour Coded CA2005 Temporary Catering Facilities For Events & Kitchen Refurbishments Thermometer Range Ensuring that you have hygienic equipment in the kitchen and catering area can be easily achieved with TME’s colour coded CA2005 thermometer range.

We all understand the importance of equipment which is easy to clean and hygienic especially where food is cooked and prepared. It is also important to ensure that the equipment you have is accurate to avoid any risk of food being undercooked.

Our solution is the CA2005 thermometer and probe range, featuring our high accuracy CA2005 thermometer and a choice of up to 6 colour coded dishwasher-proof temperature probes to help you avoid cross contamination. Our CA2005-P kit, which

includes both thermometer and probe, can be picked up for a little as £65 and our CA2005-PK kit with thermometer and all 6 probes is only £125.

You can be sure you’re making the right purchase as all TME products are British built and our thermometers come with our Thermometer for Life pledge which means that you will never have to pay more than £35.00 to have the thermometer repaired or replaced.

See our products at www.tmethermometers.com or contact us on (01903) 700651 sales@tmethermometers.com for further details.

TME – When temperature matters

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

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

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

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

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

The standard specification of our smallest

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

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

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

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

PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING Silent Running Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Tranquility in Care Homes 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.

TO ADVERTISE IN THE CARER CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM TODAY ON 01202 552333 OR EMAIL SALES@THECARERUK.COM

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 separate 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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 39

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Medpage Falls Management Products Medpage T/A Easylink UK have manufactured and distributed fall prevention and detection products for over 25 years. We specialise in products for one-to-one care, or small groups in a Care Home or Hospital. Our systems are robust, easy to set up and use, and have a proven track record in helping to reduce falls, in domestic and professional care establishments.

How can they help reduce falls?

Many falls occur when a person at risk from falls leaves their bed or chair, particularly during the night. By detecting an exit from the bed or chair early a carer or guardian gains time to attend and help the person, usually preventing the fall.

WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE

Medpage supply a diverse range of equipment for detecting bed and chair exit.

There are for example, simple bed alarms, chair alarms, or multiple use products for combining bed and chair monitoring, to allow the person to move from their bed to their chair. There are systems that use a cabled pressure mat sensor connected to an alarm controller, or pressure mat sensors with a self-contained alarm transmitter to signal a radio pager. Carer alarm notifications can be by a single or multiple user pager or alarm receiver, or an external alarm device.

You can find out more on the advert on page 11 or at www.easylinkuk.co.uk/product/ product-fall-detection

Nurse Alert Mats Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected, the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents.

When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate.

• Nurse Call Systems • Fire Alarm Systems • Door Access • Staff Attack • CCTV • Infection Control • Dementia Care • Electrical Contracting

Lotus Care Technology The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot.

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls.

Having many years of experience in fitting and

maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

Visit www.lctuk.com for details.

In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing, It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable.

INCLUDES A 12 MONTH GUARANTEE

sales@lctuk.com 0800 8499 121 www.LCTUK.com

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Log my Care’s New Research Reveals The Sentiment In The Social Care Sector and Technology’s Place In Its Future

Log my Care has revealed the results of new research – The future of care: an analysis of job satisfaction and technology in social care.

Prompted by the reports of a sector in crisis, Log my Care disseminated a survey to better understand the sentiment of the social care workforce, if an exodus of care workers leaving the sector on the horizon and how technology can support them to stay.

The survey identified a workforce that was predominantly happy in their role. Reflecting these high levels of happiness in their jobs, only a small minority of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector: • Respondents had an average happiness ranking of 7.9 in which 1 was ‘very unhappy’ and 10 ‘very happy’.

• Those in senior management roles appeared to be more satisfied (8.9) compared to those in frontline roles (8.2) or management positions (7.7).

• Only 4% of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector.

Findings from the survey also revealed a workforce that is drawn to the sector for altruistic reasons: • 81% of respondents said that ‘purpose’ was ‘very important’ to them in their role, the most popular response from a predefined list.

• ‘Knowing that the job was done well’ was the most popular type of reward for respondents (56% selected this as their first choice) compared to a quarter (24%) selecting ‘money’.

• 83% of respondents reported that ‘passion for caring for others’ attracted them to the care sector, while more than three-quarters (77%) selected ‘making a difference’ as a reason.

• Factors connected to their own benefits were less important. With ‘personal development' (61%) and ‘career development’ (45%) bringing up the rear.

However, the stressors of the pandemic have exacerbated some of the unpleasant factors associated with working in social care: • Just under half (45%) of respondents reported that the ‘workload’ was the factor they disliked most about their role.

• 37% disliked their ‘work-life balance’ and 14% were unhappy with their ‘level of responsibility’.

When asked how digital they felt their workplace was already: • The majority (59%) said their workplace was a beginner when it came to digital with a long way to go.

• One-third of all respondents felt they were 'digital experts' (33%), using digital solutions in most aspects of their work, and only 9% identified as

complete novices.

There’s a positive sentiment towards the digitalisation of social care: • Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said they were 'super excited' about the increasing digitisation of the sector.

• Three-quarters of respondents (76%) felt that the care industry needs to become more digital.

Sam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Log my Care, comments, “The reports of the care sector in crisis are at odds with the incredible dedication and optimism voiced by many of our customers in our daily conversations. We wanted to dig a little deeper with this research — to understand the sentiment in the sector, why so many people were leaving it and what place technology has in supporting them to stay.

Although we were surveying an industry clearly in crisis, the passion and commitment of the people working in it is a light in the dark. We know it’s time for a change – with low pay, long hours and a lack of employee development coming up time and time again as the reasons our care staff are leaving. Technology can play a vital role in this change and by encouraging even the smallest care provider to go digital, we can begin to combat some of the problems highlighted by this survey.”

Scan this QR code to read Log my Care’s full report or read it online at https://tinyurl.com/4pxdfxex

‘Work Smarter’ To Tackle Care Recruitment Crisis, Advises Bizimply The recruitment crisis continues to hit care homes hard. According to the latest ONS figures, to 31 March this year, vacancies in the health & social work sector, which includes care, stood at 216,000 – a 6.5% increase on the previous quarter and massive 65% up on the previous year. Care home owners and managers are learning how to run their business with a staff vacancy rate that is here to stay for a while.

Conor Shaw, CEO at workforce management specialists Bizimply, says: “Tackling the staffing crisis means ensuring your teams are working not harder, but smarter.

“Technology such as ours can be really helpful, allowing managers to create staff rotas and payroll easily and quickly, so they can spend more time with their teams, which raises morale and motivation. It can also reduce the

Vayyar Imaging Secures $108M in Series E Funding Led

by Koch Disruptive Technologies Vayyar Imaging, a global leader in 4D imaging radar, has announced that it has finalized a USD 108 million Series E financing round led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), bringing the company’s total funding to over USD 300 million.

The new round includes first-time Vayyar backers GLy Capital Management and Atreides Management LP, alongside existing investors including KDT, Battery Ventures, Bessemer Ventures, More VC, Regal Four, and Claltech. To support investor outreach in China, Vayyar engaged China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) as its lead financial adviser.

Founded with a vision of detecting early-stage breast cancer using RF technology, Vayyar has since

expanded its business into senior care, automotive, retail, public safety and other industries. The company provides solutions powered by its leading-edge system-on-chip, proprietary software stack, and breakthrough Machine Learning algorithms.

In the automotive space, Vayyar manufactures 4D imaging radar-based platforms that transform safety across the in-cabin, ADAS and motorcycle (ARAS) domains. The company’s ARAS platform is in mass production for deployment on Piaggio Group’s motorbikes, providing exceptional safety for the world’s most at-risk road users. Vayyar has also secured supply contracts with automakers from Japan and Vietnam and is in advanced engagements with almost every other OEM and supplier for both in-cabin and ADAS. In senior care, the company offers Vayyar Care, a unique remote monitoring solution, integrated with the world’s leading nurse call systems, that protects the aging population with automatic fall detection and data that drives predictive behavioral analytics. Vayyar recently signed a Joint Venture agreement with Haier subsidiary HCH Ventures, leveraging its senior care technology to address the 4 trillion yuan (625B USD) “silver tech” market in China. Vayyar has also established a large-scale partnership with Amazon for remote health, safety and security monitoring.

"KDT is excited to help further Vayyar’s vision to improve the health and safety of people’s lives at a global scale,” said Brett Chugg, senior managing director of KDT. “Their 4D imaging technology is transforming the medical, smart home, elderly care, and automotive markets here in the U.S. and around the world. We look forward to helping accelerate their continued growth.”

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 41...)

reliance on agency staff to fill the gaps.

“The other benefit is that managers can give staff members their shift patterns further in advance, putting an end to last-minute requests to work. Improving your employees’ work-life balance can go a long way to making them feel more valued in their job and less likely to leave.”

Shaw adds: “Nobody chooses a career in care to spend hours on administration. By automating routine tasks, care home managers and staff can concentrate on doing what they love - caring for residents.”

A growing number of care homes across the UK and Ireland are now using Bizimply’s software to create staff rotas, payroll and more. To find out more: https://www.bizimply.com/health-care/

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 43

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Vayyar Imaging Secures $108M in Series E Funding Led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39) After opening new offices in five additional territories, including Japan and China, Vayyar will continue to expand its activities across numerous verticals and introduce a family of Machine Learning-enabled imaging solutions that are being integrated with the world’s leading smart building, robotics, retail and public safety solutions.

"We are pleased and proud to progress our partnership with existing investors including KDT, as well as additional backers which are joining forces with us for the first time,” said Raviv Melamed, co-founder and CEO of Vayyar Imaging. "During a challenging period for the global economy, this new funding round is a ringing endorsement of our mission and a clear vote of confidence in the strength of our technology and the strate-

gic agility of our organization.”

With a strong sales pipeline and a world-class patent portfolio, Vayyar will continue cementing its leadership in core verticals, expanding its activities in additional industries, and increasing its physical presence across the Americas, EMEA and East Asia.

About Koch Disruptive Technologies Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT) is a unique investment firm, partnering with principled entrepreneurs who are building transformative companies. KDT provides a flexible, multi-stage investment approach.

KDT works with companies that can help Koch transform its capabilities, disrupt existing businesses or expand into new platforms. KDT is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held companies in

the world, with estimated revenues exceeding $125 billion and presence in over 70 countries. KDT helps its partners unlock their full potential by bringing Koch's full capabilities and network to them, structuring unique capital solutions and embracing a long-term, mutual benefit mindset.

About Vayyar Imaging Vayyar, the global leader in 4D imaging radar, supplies the world’s most advanced radar-on-chip platforms to gather life’s essential data, providing solutions for senior care, automotive, security, smart home, robotics, and more, while maintaining privacy at all times. Vayyar’s mission is to deliver the next generation of sensing technology that is miniature, affordable, and versatile enough to impact everyone’s lives, enabling a safer world.

Visit www.vayyar.com to learn more.

Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive Healthcare organisations face unique challenges from cost containment and multi-entity reporting to new billing models and product offerings and a cloudbased accounting system allows you to better understand your organisation and succeed in the future.

At Sage Intacct, we’re passionate about building accounting software that helps you better understand your business, maintain compliance, and succeed in the ever-evolving healthcare industry.

BUILT FOR HEALTHCARE

As healthcare grows in complexity, so does your organisation. You’re managing multiple locations and practices, navigating changing reimbursement methods, and initiating cost reduction initiatives, while manual processes are draining your productivity.

You need insight into your growing breadth of financial and operational data, and we’ve built our healthcare accounting software with you in mind. We provide compliant financials with continuous consolidation across multiple offices, practices and locations. Sage Intacct healthcare customers have increased profitability by 30% with better insight for informed decisions, realised 25% improvement in efficiency gains, and taken departmental reporting

from 10 days to 10 minutes.

REAL-TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS Sage Intacct’s real-time reporting allows you to understand and measure performance for both financial metrics and operational outcomes. Because every transaction in the system can be tagged with dimensions, finance professionals can sort, view, filter, and report on the specific information they need. With greater insight, our healthcare customers have reduced board budget reporting from three weeks to one hour and have improved revenues by 25% without adding additional headcount.

TRUE CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WITH OPEN API True cloud technology with open API As an innovator in the cloud space, Sage Intacct’s multi-tenant, true cloud foundation brings robust technology infrastructure to your organisation, without the high costs of managing servers. Our open API lets you connect to existing systems or those you are considering in the future. This means you can leverage key data from electronic medical records, payroll, budget, CRMs (including Salesforce), and other systems to track key performance indicators.

For more information on how Sage can help your business please visit: www.sage.com/en-gb/cp/intacct-carehomes/

Keep VIPs Safe at Home and Safe away from Home Button and box have been the traditional method of keeping Vulnerable Independent People (VIPs) safe at home, however, by continuing to install them in homes, you are inadvertently telling VIPs that they are only safe at home.

Oysta have developed telecare devices for VIPs to stay safe as they maintain an active lifestyle and passive sensors in the home to enable preventative care. VIPs should be encouraged to pursue an active lifestyle as movement is medicine. VIPs that remain physically active for longer are less likely to decline as quickly as they would if they are housebound.

Our Oysta devices and sensors link into our care platform, IntelliCare™. IntelliCare positions the care circle to provide preventative care as they receive insights and notifications when their VIPs activity falls outside of normal parameters. Likewise, in the case of an emergency, the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) has a full picture of the VIPs activity and location.

We are looking forward to showcasing our services to visitors at the Care and Occupational

Therapy Show in Exeter on 21 June. We are speaking at the show on ‘Movement is Medicine.’

Natasha Salway will show how mobile technology can play a big part in enabling VIPs to remain physically active for longer and providing them a safety net if their condition deteriorates.

Natasha will demonstrate how technology can remove isolation boundaries and cover how to ensure VIPs can be safe at home, or in a care home when pursuing an active lifestyle.

Natasha has hands-on experience of assistive technology, how it can benefit vulnerable adults, their families, and carers. She worked in Adult Social Care for 18 years, 14 years, specifically within the TEC, Assistive Technology and Telecare field.

Visit us at Stand 188 at the Care and Occupational Therapy Show, Westpoint Arena, Exeter 21st June 2022 for a free demonstration or if you’d like to speak sooner, get in touch today on 01295 530 101.

See the advert on the facing page for further details.

PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE The Access Group Launches Support For New Care Providers With Care Foundations Access Health, Support & Care, a division of The Access Group, has launched Care Foundations, new software packages to support start-up home care providers in implementing the digital solutions they need to register, establish and grow their business.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid previously announced £150 million of funding to support digitisation in social care, with the aim for 80 per cent of social care providers to be using digital care records by March 2024.

Used by many of the UK’s leading care providers, Care Foundations is part of the Access care management software suite that helps new and growing care providers register and develop their business.

The solution is designed to help home care businesses seamlessly integrate specialist health and social care technology into their day-to-day processes. Ranging from essential to premium, the three bespoke packages include information on various aspects, including policies and procedures, recruitment, and care plans.

Steve Sawyer, managing director, Access Health and Social Care, explained that this platform would be a perfect introduction to digitisation. He said: “Access Care Foundations will make the road to implementing digital processes much easier for new and growing care providers. This tool supports the vision of the recent announcement from Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and will make that transition to digitising care records much easier.

“Providing the best possible quality of care is clearly the main priority for providers. The aim of this tool is to simplify

Intelligent Care Software (ICS) If you are looking for a care management system which answers all of your quality, monitoring and compliance needs, then looks no further than Care is. Care is provides the intelligent software solution for care home and domiciliary care managers and owners looking to roll all of their care and management functions into one electronic platform. We know this to be true because unlike some other CMS’s Care is was conceived, designed, built and is managed by nurses, registered managers and care home owners.

establishing a business as well as provide a space to continue elevating current processes with support and guidance.

Each package has different options that can cater to different levels of care, this means there is always an option for each provider depending on their business needs.

“If we have learned anything from the past few years, it’s that technology has massive potential to continue to innovate the health and social care sector. Moving forward it’s clear to say that this will become the norm for home care providers. It’s important we continue to create safer and seamless healthcare processes and we believe that can be done with technology.”

Access is currently offering exclusive discounts of up to 25% on Access Care Foundations for new start-ups and unregistered providers only pay for what they need to get registered. Each package is on an integrated system and contains tools which can monitor and improve care quality.

For care providers who might be unfamiliar with specific protocols and regulations, this tool provides peace of mind knowing experts are on hand to help.

For more information visit www.theaccessgroup.com/carefoundations

The ‘CARE is’ suite includes care and support, care planning platform, our policy app with over 200 high quality policies which are updated regularly and which also includes our supervision, appraisals and training record apps and our audit app which templates all the essential audits and includes a record of inspection visits.

At Care is we can get you started on your journey from paper or another care management system with minimum fuss, plenty of support and all for what we believe to be good value for money.

With eMAR, mandatory training and a complementary care certificate coming in 2022, there has never been a better time to get on board. https://careis.net

PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

W&P Training W&P Training supply comprehensive sets of CQC care policies and procedures that are personalised to your business. Whether it’s Residential Care Homes, Domiciliary Homecare, Nursing Homes, Learning Disabilities or Supported Living – We cover it all.

RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME POLICIES Are Your Current Policies Up To Date?

There have been many recent changes to employment law, vaccinations, covid-19 guidance plus the CQC’s new strategy and regulatory approach. W&P’s team track these changes for you to ensure customers receive up to date CQC compliant documents.

DOMILICIARY HOMECARE POLICIES Over 130 comprehensive Domiciliary Care Policies and Procedures for Homecare /

Domiciliary Based Services that are researched and written to meet all the CQC regulatory, legislative and good practice guidance within the Health and Social Care sector.

CLINICAL PROCEDURES FOR NURSING HOMES CQC compliance for new and established Nursing Homes.

W&P’s clinical procedures include 70 comprehensive and up-to-date documents for your nursing home.

These clinical procedures complement our full set of Care Home Policies and Procedures.

SUPORTED LIVING / LEARNING DISABILITIES POLICIES Designed for Supported Living and Domiciliary providers that deliver CQC regulated activities to adults with Learning Disabilities and/ or Autism. W&P’s Policies and Procedures for Supported Living Services will assist with your CQC compliance.

Looking for Supported living Policies with NO Personal Care? Visit https://www.wandptraining.co.uk/policies-and-procedures/non-registered-carepolicies/ W&P’s policy and compliance team are constantly scanning and reviewing all the statutory websites and regulatory publications to track the very latest developments in the Health & Social Care Sector.

Policies and Procedures are updated every 4 months or immediately if there is a critical change to regulation, good practice guidance, case law outcomes or just feedback from customers.

To find out more about what we offer go to www.wandptraining.co.uk or see the advert on page 2.

Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative – A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing WHY DO THIS? The Eden model, is built on what people say they want, in a Home or a workplace, which therefore attracts residents and team members alike.

As an Eden Home builds its reputation upon the quality of life it offers to the people that reside there, it follows that occupancy improves.

As a programme that empowers staff and focuses on their wellbeing, It follows that staff retention improves.

With a positive culture, a motivated and dedicated workforce, It follows that positive innovation becomes more possible, sustainable and continuous.

When demand for services increase, it follows that viability improves.

As a cohesive cultural progression programme, it follows that innovation, modernisation and positivity increase.

The model is efficient, cost effective and the training is delivered by experienced practitioners in Care Homes.

Homes are very busy places, and the programme is therefore run on line for 1 hour per week for 6 weeks, and people can do this at work or at home.

The 6 weekly sessions are run online, with a workbook, with links for further optional reading or viewing and should not be a burden to busy Homes, teams and managers.

It is however effective. You can try without obligation.

It is designed to make business sense to providers.

It is designed to enhance viability.

It is designed to support recruitment and retention.

It is designed to motivate Care teams and is open to any individual to add their CV.

WHAT IS IT. It is a training programme which leads to accreditation and focuses in detail on 7 domains of wellbeing, 10 principles, and is particularly designed to address instances of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

An inspiring approach to care As experienced Care Home practitioners we provide training to care home teams in sustainable innovation and positive leadership that empowers people to embed companionship, partnership working and vibrancy to build enriched quality of life into care homes.

Develop a culture of care with wellbeing and positive relationships at its heart, with our 6 week online training programme. Discover how to replace loneliness, helplessness and boredom with wellbeing, companionship, and meaningful activities, in just one hour of training a week.

Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team.

Sign up today and join the care evolution

Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden-alternative.co.uk

Geoffrey Cox The Eden Alternative

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 47

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT ELGee Specialists In The Training of Elderly Care and Those with Learning Disabilities ELGee Training can provide various training courses for people who work in the Health & Social Care sector.

ELGee Training is a local company with over 20 years of experience managing of and training in residential homes, care homes and domiciliary care organisations for the elderly and for those with a learning disability.

ELGee Training provides up to date and current information for your workforce based on the requirements of the regulating authorities, and all courses are delivered by qualified trainers. ELGee Training will write and deliver tailor made courses for your requirements, and could be courses that run ½ days or all day.

WITH THE ELDERLY IN MIND Courses aimed at our elderly carers, with courses ranging from Dementia Awareness to Moving and Handling.

Assisted Living Training caregivers to provide assistance with medication management, activities of daily living, engaging and coordination.

SPECIALIST TRAINING TEAM Specialists in the training of elderly care and those with learning disabilities.

For more information on our courses or to arrange a consultation with one of our training facilitators then please do not hesitate to contact us on 023 9237 3857 | 079 4994 0860 or visit www.elgeetraining.co.uk

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.

Specialists in the training of elderly care and those with learning disabilities Our quality health and social care training services include.

• Moving & Handling • Dementia & Epilepsy Awareness • Risk Assessments ELGee Training provides up to date and current information for your

• Health & Safety Awareness

workforce based on the requirements of the regulating authorities.

We will write and deliver tailor made courses for your requirements, and these could be courses that run ½ days or the full day.

• Medication Overview & Infection Overview • Personal Centred Plans & Much More…

Our courses are second to none...

023 9237 3857 | 079 4994 0860 www.elgeetraining.co.uk

PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse?

JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the healthcare industry, such as health care assistants, senior carers, and nurses from overseas. We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal proceedings and advices.

WHY JJ?

• We have very minimal processing fees.

• We assist you to get a sponsorship license.

• Qualified and experienced candidates from overseas.

Tel: 01704 809756 www.jjcarerecruitment.co.uk admin@jjrecruitment.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

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 106 | PAGE 49

INSURANCE FOR CARE

Is Your Care Home At Risk From Underinsurance?

They also noted that one in four firms had not made a material change to at least one Sum Insured in the last four years. The Sum Insured is the maximum amount of money that your insurance company could pay out in the event of a covered loss. With costs increasing in the construction industry, in raw materials as well as labour, checking your building sum insured is a great place to start.

CONSIDER BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COVER

A recent article, written by Aviva, one of our insurer partners has highlighted some startling figures on commercial insurance among businesses in the UK. Whilst your insurance may not be held by Aviva, the risks identified are likely to be reflected across many organisations and could be relevant to you and your care home.

You might not be aware, but underinsurance is often seen amongst small to medium sized businesses, and the pandemic has only intensified the threat. The reason for this is that to ensure long term survival, many businesses made changes to their operating models, which have not been reflected in their insurance cover.

According to Aviva’s data¹, only 20% of small and medium businesses had their policies changed in line with their new business models. This could mean that in the event of a claim, they may not receive the appropriate level of cover they now require, putting their business at unnecessary risk.

ARE YOUR SUMS INSURED AT THE RIGHT LEVEL?

Further, they identified that 40% of clients with Business Interruption insurance did not have an adequately set indemnity period. This is the maximum length of time your insurance company is obligated to make payments to cover the losses insured under the policy. When the maximum indemnity period has been reached, then claim payments will cease.

Business Interruption insurance covers your operational costs in the event of a crisis. If your business suffered a total loss claim, you need to consider how long you would need the cover to last whilst you rebuild or relocate. As a care home owner or operator, following a total loss event, the cover period required is likely to be long, as you’ll need to rebuild or refurbish your property. You will also need to relocate your residents whilst this is happening, which may also result in a temporary change in staffing and supplier requirements.

When cover is not reviewed regularly and doesn’t reflect new operating models, your business may be at an increased risk from gaps in cover and underinsurance.

what’s right for your business, bringing you peace of mind. We’re here to help you and your business succeed.

Barnes Commercial Insurance Broker 01480 272727 enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk

IS IT TIME TO REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE? There is no time like the present to take some time to review your insurance cover levels. With so much economic uncertainty driven by the pandemic and Brexit, we would advise making sure your risk management plans are firmly in place, which includes adequate insurance.

You should talk to an experienced broker who can help you to take a look at the bigger picture and ensure that you have the right insurance in place for your specific needs. As an independent commercial broker, with access to a wide panel of A rated insurers, we can advise on

¹ Data is based on Aviva held small to medium sized business, excluding fleet November 2021 – modelling 80% of the account and extrapolating the total.

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

Send us an email: Visit our website: Follow us:

Support with claims

Guidance on risk management solutions including H&S and HR

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.