The Carer Digital - Issue #193

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Issue 193

Incoming Government Will Face Eight Tests for Adult Social Care

Nuffield Trust has set out eight adult social care ‘tests’ for political candidates ahead of the next election.

Entitled What health and care need from the next government: #2 – Adult

commitments of UK political parties in advance of the vote.

The briefing examines adult social care: citing that this “vital public service” has been left with insecure funding, variable access, heavy reliance on unpaid

social care the tests set out the need for parity with the NHS as its first chal-

carers, catastrophic costs for those in need, and high staff turnover. Reform, it

lenge to the next government.

says is long overdue, and sets out a criteria needed to be met for getting social

With a general election approaching although yest to be announced, the Nuffield Trust's briefing series challenges the NHS and social care manifesto

care on the right footing.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

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

The Nuffield Trust has fired a shot across the bows of the next Government, which is only a matter of months away, in its critical briefing that outlines eight essential tests for any incoming government seeking to reform adult social care and rebuild public confidence in this vital sector.

This briefing shed light on the precarious state of adult social care in the UK, characterised by insecure funding, uneven access, heavy reliance on unpaid carers, exorbitant costs for those in need, and persistently high staff turnover - all feedback we received at last month’s Care show Editor at London’s Excel.

The call for reform is, as we know, not merely a suggestion; it is a pressing necessity. The current system, as the briefing rightly points out, is deeply dysfunctional, and, as it states, injecting more funds alone will not suffice to rectify its systemic shortcomings. Reform must be comprehensive, addressing multiple facets simultaneously to avoid unintended consequences.

The Nuffield Trust's criteria for reforming adult social care demand urgent attention. To start, any incoming government must tackle the issue of funding stability.

Securing long-term, sustainable funding is crucial to provide certainty and stability for service providers and users alike. Variable access to social care services must be addressed through a consistent national framework that ensures equitable provision across regions.

Moreover, the heavy reliance on unpaid carers, who often face immense physical, emotional and financial strain, requires targeted support. This can include enhanced respite care services, financial assistance, and better recognition of carers' contributions. We here at THE CARER regularly receive we here at often hard hitting and distressing accounts regularly receive of the plight of unpaid carers who clearly save the country billions, in fact this time last year we reported the value of unpaid care in England and Wales, which is almost equivalent to a second NHS. Unpaid carers save the government £162bn per year in the two nations, research by charity, Carers UK and the University of Sheffield revealed.

Addressing the catastrophic costs associated with social care demands innovative solutions. The current system often pushes individuals and families to financial breaking points. Introducing a fairer funding model that provides protection against

Peter Adams

catastrophic care costs is imperative.

High staff turnover, again a topic that was raised repeatedly when we spoke to operators and staff at The Care Show last month, which has a severe impact on care quality, is an additional pressing issue.

Investing in the social care workforce by improving pay, training, and career development opportunities is vital to attract and retain skilled professionals.

An incoming government must avoid piecemeal solutions that only address isolated issues within the system. Instead, a holistic approach is needed, considering all interconnected aspects of adult social care. This means designing policies that work in tandem to improve funding, access, support for carers, cost management, and workforce conditions simultaneously.

And I have to say I have seen precious little evidence of that so far. Here in Bournemouth in 2023 Lib Dem leader Ed Davey did make a pledge of a £5bn-a-year guarantee of free care packages for all in England, but as at today I have yet to see what the other parties are offering. I have put out alerts inviting parties to share with our readership what they have in mind for adult social care would they find themselves in office later this year, but so far nothing back, which at this stage is rather disappointing.

Public trust in the adult social care system can only be restored through tangible and comprehensive reform. The Nuffield Trust's briefing provides a clear roadmap for the incoming government to prioritise and implement necessary changes, and we really do need to know that policies these mainstream parties have as we move toward the election.

I can also be contacted at any time at editor@thecareruk.com We would also ask our readers to follow us on Twitter @TheCarerUK and also sign up to our email newsletters at www.thecareruk.com/recommends/signup to have all the latest news delivered directly twice weekly.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 3

Incoming Government Will Face Eight Tests for Adult Social Care (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) DECADES OF DELAY The briefing goes on the say that both the NHS and social care in England are struggling. A combination of the sudden shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic and high inflation, and the longer-term pressures of poor workforce planning, morale problems, failure to deliver promised efficiency savings, and decades of delay to social care reform are all taking their toll, and highlights that strain and dysfunction are deeply rooted and will not immediately improve, and the public sees this clearly: satisfaction with both services is at historic lows.

Credible long-term plans to improve this situation are vital for any political leader who wants to gain the support of the British people, the Trust says.

An ongoing series of general election briefings, produced with funding from the Nuffield Foundation has examined a set of key issues where a government taking or returning to office in the next year must act in order to meaningfully improve health and care.

This latest (second) in the series examines adult social care – a vital public service, supporting people of all ages in England to live with dignity, independence and wellbeing, which, the briefing says has been left to languish for decades, and despite much excellent high-quality care being successfully delivered every day, hundreds of thousands of people who need support with their daily lives simply get none the Trust adds.

DYSFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM Multiple different aspects of social care are not functioning well, and simply pouring more money into this dysfunctional system will not be enough, the briefing says, highlighting that attempting a partial fix to just one part of the system in isolation risks creating unintended consequences elsewhere.

For example, expanding eligibility for care without ensuring there are enough high-quality providers capable of meeting demand may raise expectations but leave many people unable to access the care they have been told they should be able to access. Similarly, trying to raise workforce pay without making sufficient funding available risks pushing care providers into bankruptcy, or resulting in no actual growth in total staff numbers.

While comprehensive reform of the entire system in one go may be

financially unachievable, it is vital that the new government maps out an eventual end point and puts in place a clear route for getting there, with set timescales and a clear understanding of how each change affects other parts of the sector. Without this implementation map, there is a risk that money is invested but improvements are not realised.

REFORM OVERDUE The Trust also expressed concerns that while both government and opposition leaders recognise that reform of this ailing system is overdue, taking action will bring more blame than credit because of low awareness among voters, and tight finances, leading to an increase in public dissatisfaction.

This briefing sets out the criteria needed to be met for a long-term social care reform which would support the sector as a vital pillar of social and economic infrastructure, and a visible political success rather than a source of increasing public disapproval, and is based in part on in-depth research into other countries, such as Germany and Japan, which have carried out comprehensive and politically successful reforms.

TEST 1: SET OUT A PLAN FOR COHESIVE REFORM THAT OFFERS CLEAR BENEFITS AND GRANTS SOCIAL CARE POLICY PARITY WITH THE NHS There is a need to tackle low awareness of social care by articulating the clear benefits of investing in the system and building a case for the future. To date, reform has been piecemeal and limited. To transform the system, there needs to be a coherent plan that recognises the interconnectedness of different elements.

TEST 2: INTRODUCE A CREDIBLE MECHANISM TO FUND ADULT SOCIAL CARE SUSTAINABLY To ensure public support for contributions, revenue should be raised through easily understood established taxation routes that are as fair as possible, and pooled nationally to spread the risk of high costs across the whole population. Any approach should put an end to the uncertain, sporadic injections of money and boost overall funding.

TEST 3: INTRODUCE GREATER CONSISTENCY IN, AND EXPAND, ACCESS TO PUBLICLY FUNDED CARE Diminishing and inconsistent access to care and support, determined by where someone lives, has been a feature of social care in recent years. Expanding the offer and ensuring people have consistent access to services needs to underpin a clear eligibility process.

TEST 4: ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED SOCIAL CARE HAVE CHOICE AND CONTROL AND CAN ACCESS PERSONALISED SUPPORT While consistency of eligibility criteria for public funding is crucial, this needs to be balanced with flexibility to design care and support to ensure that people who need social care have choice and control and can access personalised support. The next government should not seek to define a national package of care for all and instead consider notional budgets to be used flexibly to suit an individual’s needs and preferences.

TEST 5: SET OUT A CLEAR LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR THE SOCIAL CARE WORKFORCE THAT ENSURES STAFF ARE VALUED AND WANT TO STAY IN SOCIAL CARE Rising vacancies and turnover have undermined continuity and quality and been challenging for providers. A strategy would need to address issues of low pay, poor terms and conditions and training and development. It should consider all parts of the workforce, including registered professions, managers and personal assistants and consider skills needed for the long term.

TEST 6: BRING STABILITY, GROWTH AND STEADY IMPROVEMENT TO THE ORGANISATIONS THAT DELIVER CARE A strong market development strategy should include ensuring fair fees are paid to providers to enable investment; setting clear rules of financial behaviour for all providers; and supporting councils to commission innovatively and strategically.

TEST 7: SET OUT PLANS FOR SUPPORTING ENGLAND’S UNPAID CARERS Although the preceding reforms should create a system where there is less reliance on unpaid carers, they will still be an important feature and should be both included in plans and given adequate, tangible support to help them balance caring with their own wellbeing, work and other activities.

Test 8: Ensure social care reform works alongside other services, in particular the NHS Social care needs to be seen as an equal partner at integrated care system level and people interacting with both services should experience a seamless journey. Where there are mutual benefits, such as in workforce planning and investment in innovations, social care and the NHS should work collaboratively for the benefit of their local communities and to avoid undermining long-term planning in both services.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

The Importance of Nutrition and Hydration in a Care Home

By Rob Henry, Head of Culinary Solutions and Compliance at EF-Group (www.ef-group.co.uk) For any of us, maintaining a good, balanced diet is key to

FOOD AND DRINK REGULATIONS FOR CARE HOMES

maintaining health and general well-being. However, for the

The Health and Social Care Act of 2008 was brought in to ensure all care home settings registered with

elderly in a care home setting, it’s absolutely crucial. Many

the Care Quality Commission and complied with its requirements. It’s deemed to be one of the most signifi-

residents will be reliant on carers to provide the right

cant reforms of social care in decades.

amount of nutrition and hydration as part of their holistic care. What’s more, some residents will also require assistance with eating and drinking skills, as well as the provision of meals.

With that in mind, it’s essential that you’re not only aware of the food and drink regulations in place, but how you can build on these to improve your offering and services within a care home environment.

WHAT HAPPENS IF RESIDENTS DON’T RECEIVE THE RIGHT NUTRITION? With age, malnutrition can become more of a concern. It’s estimated that around 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 are either malnourished, or at risk. Changes that the elderly go through can lead to things like a diminished appetite or even a loss of interest in food, not to mention health condi-

In particular, Regulation 14 states that the nutritional and hydration needs of residents must be met.

WHAT CARE HOMES CAN DO With that in mind, it’s important that care homes have the right measures in place to keep residents as healthy as possible when it comes to nutrition and hydration. Here are some tips on how carers and kitchen staff can work together to further improve the system in place.

• Regular assessments: Every resident will have different needs, and so by carrying out frequent assessments you can determine more accurately whether residents are getting what they need from their current meals and drinks. This also gives you the chance to identify issues or changes in requirements and address it accordingly.

• Personalised plans: Being able to offer personalised meal plans means that you’ll be better equipped to meet the residents’ dietary requirements. Not only this, but it also means that you can meet their needs in regards to allergies, medical conditions and also flavour and texture preferences too. This can be critical to ensure an enjoyable mealtime and offer a more encouraging environment for residents to eat and drink.

• Supervision at mealtimes: This can be particularly crucial if residents have trouble swallowing or eating, as

tions or changing health needs that can also impact the

you’ll need to support and supervise when necessary. However, it can be helpful even for those who don’t

amount of nutrition a person receives.

experience this. This is because you can observe and monitor how they are with using cutlery or holding a

It's important to remember that residents may be a healthy weight but could still not be getting the right nutrients they need. Other signs of malnutrition might include things like muscle weakness, feeling tired, increased falls or even poor wound healing.

What’s more, older people will find it more difficult to absorb vitamin D through sunlight, and so this must be considered in their diet.

cup, and whether they have any additional needs that you could assist with.

• Ongoing education: It’s hugely important to carry out regular training and education so that carers can continue to recognise the signs of dehydration or malnourishment. It also means they can be better placed to help residents improve their health and wellbeing.

• Emotional support and reassurance: In some cases, residents may hold back on eating or drinking because of

Similarly, older adults can also be a higher risk of becoming dehydrated as they may not recognise the feeling of thirst the way they used to.

worries with incontinence. It’s absolutely pivotal that carers can give the right emotional support and are able to reassure residents on this topic.

Sail Of The Century For Salvation Army Care Home Residents Residents at a Salvation Army-run care home in Weston-SuperMare went on a week-long virtual sightseeing tour of the world, setting sail on a virtual cruise ship.

Salvation Army staff at Dewdown House on Beach Road, who co-create activities with the older people in their care, asked residents to choose which countries they wanted to visit on their virtual cruise. Some of them have never travelled abroad before.

The choice was narrowed down to Italy, America, Japan, China and the UK and after passengers were consulted over food, a special menu was drawn up to reflect each country’s cuisine.

Clare Timbrell, activities leader at the Salvation Army home said: “We do like to have fun at Dewdown House, bringing the joy of new experiences to our residents. With the help of volunteers, we decorated our dining room to look like a cruise ship, and built a ship’s steering wheel which residents enjoyed using to pretend to steer the ‘Good Ship Dewdown’ into port each day.

“Our Chaplain spoke each day about the work of the Salvation Army in each country we visited and we

prayed for the Salvation Army officers and volunteers who work in these countries.

“Residents tried out Chinese Calligraphy, built Feng Shui gardens, had a Chinese Market, built towers of spaghetti and marshmallows, played traditional instruments, drank mocktails and juices, danced and sang traditional cultural dances and learned some of the language for each country.”

Despite travelling the high seas, the highlight of the week was when The Good Ship Dewdown returned home on Friday.

Clare explained: “The Weston Ukulele Players entertained us with songs, jokes and banter. Residents joined in dancing and singing and tucked into a traditional fish and chips supper. It was a lovely conclusion to a fun-packed week of new experiences.”

Passengers said they had a thoroughly enjoyable week.

Maureen said: “I’ve never tried anything like Chinese Calligraphy before, I definitely want to do this again.”

However, it was Ann who was keen to have the last word.

She said: “It’s been a wonderful week, really wonderful. Where are we going Monday?”

100 FREE copies of Rise and Shine for Carer Readers Rise and Shine is a game which was created to encourage a fun approach to physical activity on older person’s inpatient wards and care homes. Focus Games is giving away 100 copies of the game. See our advert on the cover page or visit www.riseandshinegame.com The aim of Rise and Shine was to develop an activity so everyone has an opportunity to take part in some physical activity (when they are ready clinically and personally), to prevent Hospital Acquired Deconditioning (HAD), in a fun, sociable way. It is primarily aimed at older hospital inpatients and care home residents.

The initial idea for Rise and Shine came from international artist and sculptor Bob Olley who also designed the unique characters on each of the cards.

With mobility issues affecting our elderly population nationwide, the solution was a card game that encourages players to move physically. By engaging in this fun and social activity, hospital inpatients and members of the care community can become more active. Not only does this enhance their mobility, but it also motivates patients to get out of bed, get dressed, and ultimately enhances their overall experience.

Developed in partnership with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS FT and Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria.

Read the full case study at https://innovationlibrarynenc.org.uk/result/rise-and-shine-game/

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 5

Skills For Care Is Supporting Providers To #Keeptherightpeople Throughout May And June Throughout May and June Skills for Care is focusing on helping social care providers to keep the right people working for them.

The campaign aims to provide information and resources to help employers understand what they can do to retain staff, as well as sharing practical tips, insights, and stories from across the sector.

Retention is about building an effective team that remains with you in the long-term. Investing in workforce retention supports high-quality care, staff wellbeing, time and cost savings and positive CQC ratings.

There are many factors that impact staff retention. Skills for Care data found that social care employers with the best retention rates typically focused on offering learning and development opportunities, ensuring a positive workplace culture and effective recruitment and induction practises.

Running across their website, social media, and other communication channels, Skills for Care’s

#KeepTheRightPeople activity will cover what a good induction looks like, how to develop a positive workplace, and how to offer proper learning and development opportunities to staff.

John Kerr, Head of Workforce Capacity, says: One of our main strategic objectives is to make sure we have the right number of people, with the right values and behaviours, working in social care now and in the future. That’s why we’re focusing on providing information and support that can help employers to keep their staff for longer.

Creating a loyal workforce which is dedicated to your service, and continuing to grow and upskill with you, means you can offer better care to the people you support.

More information on the campaign and how to get involved can be found at: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/KeepingTheRightPeople

Eastham Care Home Celebrates Diversity with Staff Cultural Showcase

Eastham Care Home hosted a cultural showcase on Friday 26th April 2024, where staff members shared their rich Indian heritage with residents, creating a vibrant celebration of diversity and inclusion.

The event, aimed at fostering a deeper sense of community and understanding, featured a display of traditional Indian attire worn by our dedicated staff members. Through this initiative, the home

sought to not only celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our workforce but also to actively involve residents in the experience.

“By embracing the different cultural backgrounds of our staff and involving our residents in these celebrations, we aim to promote a culture of inclusivity and acceptance,” said Lesley, Manager of Eastham Care Home.

Residents and their families enthusiastically participated in the event, expressing their appreciation for the opportunity to learn about different cultures firsthand.

One resident’s relative said, “It’s wonderful to see the staff sharing their culture with us. It truly shows that Eastham Care Home values each member of its team as an individual.” Another family member added, “It is so lovely to learn about the different cultures.”

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PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Is Artificial Intelligence in Care Homes a Game Changer for Falls Prevention?

By Christina Molt Wengel, Chief Marketing Officer, Milestone Systems (www.milestonesys.com), a former Medical Doctor with senior positions at life science companies With safety being a priority in care homes, care teams do all they can to ensure that residents are well looked after, including mitigating the risk of falls. However, the complexity of eldercare is time-consuming as everyone has unique needs. And with a lack of one-on-one care possible in most cases, it is immensely difficult to ensure complete safety all the time.

THIS IS WHERE AI CAN PLAY A ROLE Imagine a system that watches when human eyes cannot. This isn’t about replacing the human touch; it's about bolstering it —offering caregivers the chance to intervene before incidents happen, not just respond after.

Video systems are prevalent in many care home settings as a monitoring and security function, so the addition of AI opens up exciting possibilities, taking ordinary surveillance systems and making them a key part of resident safety and behavioural observation.

REAL CHALLENGES, PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

In 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just buzz. AI is reshaping the way we work- both in the healthcare industry and beyond, and society as a whole is starting to grasp the real-world implications of a technology that touches real lives in tangible, transformative ways.

In care homes for example, AI could be a superpower, offering the care teams new, more efficient ways of working to ultimately protect the safety of residents.

AI: ENHANCING HUMAN EFFORTS, NOT REPLACING THEM

This function can be used in lots of ways, but one of the most relevant for care home managers is noticing when a resident slips, trips or falls. When falls occur in a private setting – such as in a bedroom or bathroom – prompt action requires a carer, a resident or a third party to be present and able to call for help. Without this, significant delays can occur between someone falling and help arriving.

But AI can become a valuable asset for care homes in these types of scenarios - to raise carers’ attention instantly upon a slip, trip or fall, triggering an immediate and potentially life-saving response.

To respect the privacy of those being recorded, this type of software is created with personal privacy in mind. For example - video images

are fitted with privacy-enhancing features such as automatic blurring functions, which starts when a resident who is under observation needs privacy. Residents can still be monitored, and alarms triggered, without images broadcast to a screen in the nurse’s station – so you reap all the benefits of the new technology without impeding on privacy.

AI can be trained to aid falls management by triggering a process of intervention. It can also be used to identify patterns of behaviour that can predict these types of events. In the case of falls prevention, this might be unsteadiness or loss of balance, for example, but it can also flag issues like a resident struggling to breathe or behaving aggressively. Rather than acting like traditional video and simply documenting incidents, AI can trigger a response before things escalate or become life threatening.

The application of AI leverages anonymised video – patients’ privacy is completely secure and respected. The technology can identify the sudden movements that accompany falls and similar incidents, raising a red flag to care home staff that urgent investigation is needed.

Milestone Systems XProtect Hospital Assist is an AI-assisted video platform designed for healthcare settings, helping hospitals, clinics, and care homes to safely monitor their patients and residents and help reduce incidents.

A STEP TOWARDS SAFER FUTURES As we integrate AI into our care strategies, we must do so thoughtfully, ensuring it complements rather than complicates the caregiving process. The potential is immense, but the goal is simple: to make our care homes safer, not just smarter.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 7

Delay in Home Adaptations May Lead to Stays in Residential Care Charity Says

Older people at risk going into residential care due to massive delays in making adaptations to homes.

Age UK has published a report which highlights the delays many older and disabled people face waiting for councils to install home aids and adaptations, making it more difficult for them to live independently at home.

The report, ‘A step change: improving delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant’ says that increasing the amount of age-friendly, accessible housing and providing quicker access to appropriate aids and adaptations should be central to the UK’s vision for the future of older people’s housing.

Accessible housing, aids and adaptations, the report says, are key to this independence and give people the autonomy and confidence to live a full and active life. They are also important in reducing pressure on the NHS and social care services. Adaptations such as walk-in showers and stair-lifts help to reduce falls, sustain better health, lessen dependence on others for care and ease hospital discharge.

However, in 2021/22, the most recent year for which figures are obtainable, over two-thirds of local authorities took longer than the six months recommended by the Disabled Facilities Grant guidance, issued by the Government, to install most adaptations through the grant. The longest took more than 24 months. These are average figures and so some individual cases will have taken even longer.

Anecdotally, there have been further delays since, due to a backlog of cases post-COVID. Sadly, there is little sign of improvement.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: “Our report highlights the horrific delays older people often face when trying to get the adaptations they need through this funding. Better off people tend to give up and buy their own kit instead, but if you are on a low income and don’t have many savings this isn’t an option and you are condemned to wait for as long as it takes. Sometimes the delay is so pronounced that by the time an older person finally has the opportunity to explain what they want, the adaptation they requested is no longer relevant, because their health has declined to the point that they can no longer make use of it.

In the meantime, while older people endlessly wait, they have to endure discomfort and inconvenience, and they may be at increased risk of falls. This is so frustrating when installing an adaptation could have made all the difference.

“We know that falls cost the NHS more than £2.3 billion per year, with 30% of people aged 65+ and 50% of people aged 80+ falling at least once each year, so you can see how important home adaptations can be. Something as simple as a grab rail or a walk-in shower can make the difference between someone being able to remain at home, living independently, and having to move into a care home, at substantial cost to the taxpayer or to themselves if they have to pay their own fees.”

“We also need to improve the accessibility of our new and existing housing stock so there is less need for expensive adaptations in the first place. There is a massive shortage of accessible housing and we should be making better use of new build and renovation work to provide more homes that can easily flex to meet our changing needs as we age.”

“Where adaptations are required however, many people will need to continue to rely on the Disabled Facilities Grant.

It’s delivery would be transformed if each local authority made a conscious effort to speed up the process, learning from the practice of the best. Better communication within local authorities and between them and older applicants is also essential. The frustration some older people experience

when applying for this funding adds insult to injury. At Age UK we fully recognise that local authorities are underfunded and under enormous pressure, but that makes it all the more important that they make the best use of the money they do have.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 9

Staggering Cost of Losing Doctors from the NHS Revealed in BMA Report The cost to taxpayers of losing doctors early from the NHS at the current rate is as high as £2.4bn a year – and could rise to as much as £5bn a year if more is not done to retain doctors in the UK – a BMA report warns today.

Based on the 15,000 to 23,000 doctors estimated to have left the NHS prematurely in England between September 2022 and September 2023, the BMA estimates that the cost of replacing them and their expertise would be between £1.6bn and £2.4bn. Moreover, with rising numbers of doctors indicating they are taking steps to leave the profession, the BMA warns this figure could rise even further – underlining not just the huge loss of medical expertise in terms of NHS capacity and patient care, but also the vast expense to the public purse if action is not taken.

In “When a doctor leaves: tackling the cost of attrition in the UK’s health services”, the BMA outlines four key areas where urgent action is needed to retain doctors in the UK, protect services and patients, and save public money: • Pay and debt. Reversing years of real-terms pay erosion is the first step in rebuilding good faith, showing doctors they are valued and retaining them. A failure to do so will mean that doctors will continue to leave for better paid jobs elsewhere. Furthermore, writing off student debt while doctors work within the NHS will provide added incentive to stay.

• Working conditions. Working conditions need to make doctors want to stay, not push them out of the door, but too frequently they are uncaring, uncomfortable and unsafe. Governments, health systems and employers must act to reduce workload pressures, improve work-life balance, expand access to basic facilities and services and stamp out harassment and abuse.

• Diversity and inclusion. The NHS is fortunate to have a workforce that has become more diverse over time. To keep this diverse workforce, action needs to be taken to end discrimination and support those with additional needs to contribute to their potential.

• Development and support. In the context of relentlessly pressured environments, staff are afforded less and less time for learning and development. To better retain staff, employers need to ensure that doctors are able to practise in roles that make the most of their skills and experience, with the support to develop and

progress personally and professionally.

Dr Latifa Patel, BMA representative body chair and workforce lead, said: “It’s no secret that the NHS does not have enough doctors to meet our patients’ needs, and the ones that we do have are increasingly saying they do not want to stay.

“The negative effects are there for all to see – near-record waiting lists for treatments, overwhelmed services consistently missing A&E and cancer targets, exhausted staff working themselves to the point of burnout just to plug the gaps. If this has so far not been enough for the Government or policymakers to take the issue of retention seriously, then we hope seeing the staggering sums of public money needed to replace doctors who leave early will make them sit up and listen.

“In a year where strikes have already estimated to have cost £1.2bn, when you add the cost of losing more doctors, the Government’s argument that it is unaffordable to properly value and support doctors falls completely flat.

“It is not enough to focus exclusively on recruitment. It takes a long time to train a doctor and there is a risk that we’re training more doctors only for them to leave. There’s no point turning on the taps to fill a bath if there’s no plug in the drain.

“There are simple solutions, starting with reversing real-terms pay cuts and making good on pledges to overhaul the way doctors’ pay is set. We need to end the ongoing pay disputes with doctors across the UK and prevent further disputes in future. Only by valuing doctors appropriately in the UK can we hope to prevent them from leaving for more competitive roles abroad or outside the NHS. “At a local level there are so many small changes that would make a real difference every day – from improving painfully and sometimes dangerously slow IT systems to making sure doctors have somewhere to rest, to get a hot meal on a night shift, park their car or even just perform administrative duties.

“Doctors believe in the NHS and most would rather stay to ensure that it works for everyone. But everyone’s goodwill runs dry eventually and they cannot be expected to continue to give every day to a service that so often leaves them undervalued, under-supported and unable to care for themselves or their patients.”

Residents From Local Care Home Visit Local Theatre Show Residents and staff from Longueville Care Home in Peterborough were in for a treat with a visit to the local theatre to see a Play called Remember Me at the Key Theatre.

Residents from the home were accompanied by staff from Longueville Court as they enjoyed the play by Lekha Desai Morrison, The play was about Dementia, and the Play was an insight to those living with dementia and also the affects it has on the loved ones.

One resident commented; “It was a brilliant paly, very insightful, but also very touching, well done to the actors and the writer!”

General Manager, Kyzysztof Krzyszotofiak said: “Our residents and staff had a wonderful time at the Play- truly brilliant! We do our best to provide a wide range of activities and entertainment at Longueville Court as part of the lifestyle enrichment programme for residents, and this was one of our favourites!”

PAGE 10 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Overcoming Recruitment Challenges In Residential Care

By Chris Harber, Head of Immigration, Boyes Turner (www.boyesturner.com)

From acute staff shortages and low retention rates through to resourcing from overseas and frankly, a perception problem, recruitment is a daily issue that residential care employers must navigate. The reasons behind the care recruitment and retention crisis are well-documented, including historic and extremely low pay, compounded by the cost-of-living crisis, a lack of career development and training opportunities as well as poor staff morale, often matched by long hours and burn-out.

So where do care home employers start when it comes to redressing their recruitment strategies?

TIGHTEN UP YOUR RECRUITMENT PROCESSES It’s easy to say “recruit carefully and slowly” when you’re not faced with a consistent staffing challenge impacting the quality of care and service you can offer. But by tackling your recruitment strategy over the longer-term you will be able to remove immediate pressures on your talent pipeline.

Taking the longer- term view and hiring the right person for your business – from culture and personality fit perspective – can save you time further down the line. This can be as simple as ensuring you have a thorough background check system in place, to guide your hiring decisions as well as increasing retention rates.

LOOK AT YOUR VISA COMPLIANCE CHECKS It might seem obvious but – when recruiting overseas staff - right to work checks should be done before the individual starts work. EU workers will need to show they have either pre-settled or settled status and those with a temporary right to work will need to have their visa status checked. From April 2022 all visas must be checked digitally via https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work.

If you employ any staff on student visas, make sure they’re not exceeding their maximum permitted hours of 20hours / week during term times. Any more than this is a breach of their visa conditions. Overtime, sleeping nights and on-call hours (if at the place of work or sufficiently restrictive) will count towards their total weekly hours. We recommend requesting a copy of their university term dates at the start of each academic year to enable compliance.

With modern slavery a very real and alarming feature of care homes today, ensure you have also implemented a watertight policy for this, including relevant identity checks as well as training of staff.

BUILD YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND Alongside the ethics of being a good employer, there’s a commercial advantage too – in a competitive marketplace, care homes with strong employer brands will attract the best talent, which means they can deliver the best care for their residents and their families. All this fuels your reputation – in a market where reputation is a challenge.

In an industry where staff are often treated as disposable, developing a culture of appreciation is also vital: showing people they are valued supports engagement, productivity, and loyalty. And this needs to be cascaded across all levels – from carers to catering and cleaning teams as much as management and leadership.

CREATE A CULTURE WHERE YOUR PEOPLE THRIVE Again, a powerful way to recruit people is through culture, a place where people can thrive at work.

Make sure your employees take their full holiday allowance to both protect staff health, wellbeing, and work-life balance.

Ensure staff get sufficient Breaks: they should comply with Working Time Regulation 1998 (WTR) requirements or, if this is not possible, offer sufficient compensatory rest instead. Employers should check that staff who are working for other employers are still getting sufficient rest breaks between roles and not exceeding the maximum permitted amount of night working. Remember, sleeping nights and on-call shifts will count as working for WTR purposes (if at the place of work or sufficiently restrictive)!

In a market where training and career development are under-valued and hard to access, prioritise professional development for your teams.

An effective recruitment strategy in today’s care sector requires that employers ensure they prioritise the things that potential staff truly want – a positive workplace where people are valued, can thrive and perform to the best of their ability – safely and fairly.

Berkshire Care Association Celebrates Excellence In Care At The BCA Care Awards 2024 Berkshire Care Association (BCA) hosted its inaugural Care Awards at Cantley House hotel in Wokingham last week, recognising the outstanding compassion and commitment displayed by individuals and teams working in the Adult Social Care sector across Berkshire.

The Awards were presented by Olympic Bronze boxing medallist, Hassan Azim; James Sunderland MP for Bracknell; Kevin McDaniel, Executive Director of Adult Services, Health and Communities Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and Lynne Lidster, Director of Commissioning for RBWM Optalis from Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Irina Stanciu of Langley Haven Care Home, pictured above with Hassan Azim was awarded the Care Home Worker Award.

The awards ceremony spotlighted the outstanding achievements of 25 individuals across 11 categories. Candidates were

shortlisted from over 150 entries across 30 services providing care in care homes, homecare and learning disability services.

Colleagues came from across the county to join in the celebrations.

The BCA Care Awards not only recognised individual achievements but also served as a catalyst for continuous improvement and innovation within the Adult Social Care sector by awarding 8 care services with the Care Service Recognition Award.

The Chair of the BCA Board, Peter Lomax, commented “by recognising and honouring excellence, BCA aims to inspire and empower caregivers to continue to fulfil their roles with the dedication and passion so well demonstrated at the Awards”.

A full list of winners can be seen here https://berkscare.co.uk/bca-care-awards-2024-winners-andnominees/

Important - Health and Safety Matters 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 gone from strength to strength since its inception and has a growing membership across many care 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 to both internal and external risks.

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.

Source dedicated events on health and safety in the sector and participate in national and local Networkers, Conferences, Seminars, in-person or virtual webinars.

Advertise job vacancies and benefit from favourable member offers and rates from suppliers of goods, services and equipment.

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

Matters covered 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 information on past, as well as future events – www.nashics.org We have developed national links with other organisations, government bodies, regulators, 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 element in the workplace 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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 11

New Mayor Of York Must Make Social Care a Priority Operators Say

The new Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and all other newly-elected politicians must make use of their power to bring about reform of social care, campaigners said today.

The care provider group, the Independent Care Group (ICG) has sent congratulations to David Skaith who was today elected as York and North Yorkshire’s first Mayor.

And it called on him to use his election as a way to influence the way older and vulnerable adults are

cared for in his region and across the country.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham, said: “Congratulations to David – the people of York and North Yorkshire have placed their trust in him to help deliver improvements to this region.

“We will now be looking to him to use that power and influence to bring about change in the way a very significant section of the community is cared for as we need to raise the pressure for change.

“York and North Yorkshire has a significant proportion of older and vulnerable adults within its population, and we will look to the new mayor to take a lead on improving the lives of these citizens as part of his role in bringing about much-needed regeneration for the region.

“Many within our area are living without the care they need, and we hope that Mr Skaith can use his position to change that.

“We also look to all others who are celebrating election or re-election to posts to join in with us and to fight for social care reform.

“As we head – sadly quite slowly – towards a General Election we must all use whatever power we have to give those who do not have one, a voice and to press for a better way of looking after a generation of people who gave us so much. They deserve better.”

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PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Friends Of The Elderly’s Dementia Champions Share Their Dementia Care Journeys Recognising and marking this year’s Dementia Action Week, charity Friends of the Elderly’s Dementia Champions are sharing their dementia care journeys and talking about how they support, care and inspire residents who are living with dementia.

The Charity’s Dementia Champions focus on encouraging independence, giving reassurance, supporting and helping, inspiring communication, creativity, interactions and providing high quality care with dignity that meets each individual’s needs – and all the Dementia Champions are totally committed to supporting residents living with dementia. They spend time with every resident - or day care client – supporting, caring for and getting to really know them, finding out about their backgrounds, likes, dislikes, interests and hobbies, building trust and friendship. Each Dementia Champion has a deep passion for caring and supporting those who are living with dementia and are consistently and continuously learning and developing thanks to the Charity’s Dementia Training Programme.

“Friends of the Elderly is committed to continuously developing its Dementia Education Programme which has the capacity to continue to evolve and grow, rather than just being run of the mill annual dementia training,” said Mark Wilson, the Charity’s Chief Operating Officer.

“To achieve our goal, we partnered with Worcester University’s highly regarded Association for Dementia Studies and worked closely with the now retired, Professor Dawn Brooker. We now have 66 trained Dementia Champions throughout the Charity whose unwavering focus is to support residents and day care clients and to be there to help their families and friends. The Programme is securely and well embedded and is also in place to support new members of the Friends of the Elderly team.

“Through the innovating programme, our entire charity, from our Chief Executive - right through to our frontline care teams - have attended the Dementia Education Programme. This really does demonstrates our staff’s commitment to supporting people living with dementia and, of course, their families.”

At Bernard Sunley, the Charity’s Woking-based residential, nursing and dementia care home, there are five Dementia Champions, including the Registered Care Home Manager, Andy Cumper. “At present, five members of the Bernard Sunley care team are Dementia Champions,

with a further two shortly completing the course and another participating in our Dementia Leader Training Programme,” said Andy.

“Friends of the Elderly’s Dementia Champion training has given me the understanding to be able to see things more clearly through the eyes of the residents who are living with dementia,” added Monika Ahmed, the Activities Coordinator and a Dementia Champion at Bernard Sunley “To see the look of happiness on someone’s face, bringing a person out of their shell and by being a friend that can understand and help them live a fuller, happier life is so rewarding.

“Being a Dementia Champion – first and foremost - is knowledge, understanding and skills which I share with my colleagues and residents’ families to promote positive changes to people living with dementia in our care home. In addition, being a Dementia Champion to me means that I have the duty to lead my colleagues by good example - being a role model by demonstrating quality and a person–centred approach to dementia care. I am an advocate for the residents, so they are heard and their needs and wishes are addressed and to promote their social, physical, emotional wellbeing.”

At Redcot, Friends of the Elderly’s Haslemere-based residential care home, Anne Essam the care home’s Dementia Champion said: “I’ve worked for Friends of the Elderly over 20 years and have been a Dementia Champion for five years. One of the most rewarding parts of being a Dementia Champion is seeing the residents – who are living with dementia - smile when they achieve a task or are happy participating in one of our many group activities. It is truly wonderful knowing that I have made a difference – even a small difference - to their day.”

Shirley Bradley, Friends of the Elderly’s Head of Day Care Services added: “I’m very proud of all the Day Care Team. They all work so hard to give the clients a great day, every day, despite living with dementia. Their commitment and ethos shines through as they know that what they do and achieve is about the person, the individual and not dementia.

“They continuously think about new things to do each

day, themed and seasonal activities and topics of the day to support the clients in an inclusive, engaging and enjoyable way, so each one lives their life well whilst at our day care centres.

“They are not just here for the day care clients, but for their families too. They are a friendly ear and comforting support. If any of the team notices a difference in one of our clients, they immediately tell their families so they can let doctors or medical professionals know, keeping them currently up-to-date with a person’s wellbeing.”

“Being a Dementia Champion has given me more awareness and comprehension of dementia and helps me – every day - to promote the wellbeing of the residents living with dementia and provide support to their loved ones,” said Emma Cranstone, the Dementia Champion at The Lawn, the Charity’s residential care home in Alton, Hampshire.

“I have been with Friends of the Elderly for over 13 years,” continued Adrian Tyrer, the Dementia Champion at Davenham, the residential care home at Friends of the Elderly Malvern. “I have always enjoyed looking after people and making sure they are healthy, safe and that their wellbeing is well catered for. I believe that through supporting each resident who is living with dementia, I can help them to enjoy and live their lives in the best way they possibly can through providing an exceptional level of personalised care.”

In closing, Mark said: “We are proud of the approach we have taken to support residents and day care clients who are living with dementia. Through our Dementia Education Programme, our teams and Dementia Champions, we are able to deliver tailored care that supports each person, focusing on their individual abilities that encourages and helps each person to continue living as independently as possible with fulfilled and happy lives.”

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama Perform a Concert for Southgate Care Home Residents and staff at Southgate Beaumont Care home in North London where treated to a splendid afternoon, with a beautiful performance from the students attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Alice, Cathryn and Henry are all undergraduates at this prestigious school and kindly gave up their time to bring their classical performance to the residents. They performed on both the horn and the piano and residents were thrilled that they had a private concert in the comfort of their own home.

One of our residents Marjorie, who is 104 years old, remarked how it

brought back such happy memories of her son’s friend who played for the Salvation Army. “He used to march up and down practicing his horn instrument in our house” she laughed.

Our general manager Beatrice Godfrey remarked “We always enjoy having young talent here in our home and we are so very grateful for these students sharing their amazing talents with our home. We would like to wish them all the luck for their final exams and exciting futures ahead”.

Residents at Austen House Celebrate Cinco De Mayo Residents at Austen House in Lower Earley, Reading went loco celebrating Cinco de Mayo which takes place on 5th May every year.

Cinco de Mayo is a national day which celebrates freedom and liberty in Mexico. It marks the date in 1862 when President Benito Juarez sent troops to face the invading French army who were marching towards Mexico City. The day is hugely important in Mexico and is celebrated with parades, battle re-enactments, fireworks and parties around the country.

Residents and family members watched videos of parades and celebrations in Mexico, travelled virtually to different historic sites in Mexico, had a Mexican quiz and enjoyed a brilliant

Mexican party with Mariachi music and buffet of traditional Mexican food and drink.

Simona Cioinac, Senior General Manager at Austen House, said: “We celebrate all cultures and religions and we try to mark as many cultural events as possible. Cinco de Mayo is a fantastic celebration and a great excuse for a party. We all had so much fun decorating the home with Mexican flags and dancing to the Mariachi music” Maurice a resident said: “It is so wonderful to be able to mark occasions like this and to remember the history behind the date. I really enjoyed watching the celebrations in Mexico and the Mexican food was absolutely delicious!”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 13

Palliative Care Sector Unites To Give Stark Warning To Next Government

Chief executives of the UK’s palliative and end of life care charities have united during Dying Matters Awareness Week to urge party leaders to prioritise palliative and end of life care in their election manifestos and plans for government.

In the letter, chief executives from Hospice UK, Marie Curie, National Bereavement Alliance, Sue Ryder, and Together for Short Lives say “if you do nothing to fix the problems that dying people currently experience, hundreds of thousands will miss out on vital care and the trauma of seeing a loved one die without support will live in the minds of a generation. People who are dying, and their loved ones, deserve better.”

Up to 90% of adults who die would benefit from palliative and end of life care. And due to the UK’s ageing population, around 32,000 more people would benefit from palliative care at the end of the next parliament (2029), compared to the start (2024).

Matthew Reed, the chief executive of the end of life charity, Marie Curie, says: “Dying people do not have time to wait, the next government must prioritise fully funding end of life care. Too many people are dying in avoidable pain, frightened and without the dignity they deserve. Families are left stressed, exhausted and traumatised.

“Death and dying is inevitable but getting it wrong at the end isn’t. If the next government fails to address the chaotic approach to end of life care, that failure will affect us all.”

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, says: “The next few years are critical for end of life care. We know that many people do not get the palliative care they need at the

end of their lives, and we know that our ageing population means demand for care will continue to grow over the next decades. Hospices are ready to meet this challenge, but they need a new funding model and support from the next government to ensure they can continue to provide their brilliant care for everyone who needs it, whenever they need it.

“We need the next Prime Minister to recognise the importance of palliative care and heed the recommendations of the joint manifesto, so everyone affected by dying, death and bereavement gets the best possible care and support.”

Children and young people in just a third of local NHS areas in England can access end of life care at home that meets National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) standards.

Heidi Travis, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder, says: “It is clear no more time can be wasted; the government and healthcare system must act now.

“Our research shows that the demand for specialist palliative care services is expected to rise by 55% over the next decade. The constant uncertainty of funding will continue to be a threat to service provision until a sustainable solution is reached.

“Everyone should have a good death, and access to palliative and end-of-life care is integral to this. The inconsistent provision across the UK continues to make this time more difficult for people at the end of life, when their focus should be spending time with people they love and making memories.” Every year, Dying Matters Awareness Week encourages people to talk about death, dying and bereavement.

PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Remarkable Life Story of Pauline Halliday (nee Chitty) Meet Pauline, aged 91, who happily lives at our Bay Tree Court care home in Prestbury. Pauline’s daughters Sarah and Jane shared their mother’s ‘Remarkable Lives’ story with us.

Pauline’s story is one of resilience and survivorship. Like so many in the ‘Lost Generation’, the Second World War left its scars, and it’s important that their stories are not forgotten.

Age 5 Pauline was born on the 21ST January 1933 in Gotherington, Cheltenham. Her parents were Mary and Henry Chitty and her father was a local baker.

Pictured is Pauline aged five in 1938 with brothers Robin and John. It is the only photo of Pauline before she lost her arm.

The family lived in a house in Worcester Street, Cheltenham (just off the Tewksbury Road). Life was hard in those days, and they had little money, and it was the Great Depression.

Age 8 Pauline lost her left arm in a tragic bomb disaster on Easter weekend of 1941 in Worcester Street, Cheltenham.

A group of local children found an unexploded trench mortar bomb. Not realising the danger, it got brought back to their street, and it exploded. From the blast, 6 children were killed – including Pauline’s brother Johnny Chitty age 7, and Pauline was injured.

After the explosion, Pauline was taken to Cheltenham General Hospital in a dustcart which her mum flagged down, the only vehicle available. Not realising at this point her son Johnny had sadly been killed.

A very skilled surgeon managed to save the top half of Pauline’s left arm, something she was always grateful for because her ‘stump’ was extremely useful. She also suffered shrapnel injuries in her back.

Pauline was in hospital for many months and was then sent away to convalesce in Weston Super Mare. She returned to school and was a very independent child who just ‘got on with it’ despite her injuries.

Life was extremely hard for all the family after the bomb.

Pauline’s parents had more children David, Roger and Susan.

Age 24 Pictured is Pauline’s marriage to Dennis Halliday in 1957, and their wedding reception was in Cheltenham Town Hall. They met as neighbours aged 8 in Whaddon Avenue where Pauline’s family moved after the bomb.

Pauline was fitted with a prosthetic arm and it wasn’t just for cosmetic purposes, because it also helped her balance when she rode a bicycle (which she did for years)!

Pauline worked in Wards department store in Cheltenham where she had lots of friends and enjoyed her job.

Pauline and Dennis have two daughters, Jane and then Sarah.

Age 91 Pauline lives at Bay Tree Court care home in Prestbury Cheltenham, not far from her roots. Pauline has settled in and calls it her home. She enjoys the activities, the range of food and especially loves the tea and cakes.

Pauline’s daughters Jane and Sarah commented, “It’s remarkable that she managed to change nappies and feed her babies with only one hand! Like all things, she just found ways around each problem and coped.”

Pauline continued to work right up until retirement age and then went on to give her time and skills by volunteering at local charities, including Cruse Bereavement Care.

Her daughters continued, “Despite such a traumatic beginning to her life, she managed to cope with life’s challenges and proves that living a full life after losing a limb is possible”.

Care Home Residents Set Up A Knitting Club Open For The Local Community The residents at Elm Bank care home in Kettering have set up a newly established knitting club, running every Friday morning from 10:30am to 12pm, open to all within the local community.

We all understand the importance of life enriching activities for all our residents here at the home and within the local community. Many of the residents at Elm Bank would have created knitting master pieces back in the day. The knitting club that has been newly formed will run every Friday morning and it is opening its doors for the local community to join. It is a great place to get together and knit with a nice hot drink and biscuits. For some of the residents it was their first time learning to knit, and what fun they had. It allowed for the established knitters to share knowledge and the group as a whole to become friends.

The residents at Elm Bank are looking forward to welcoming members of the local com-

munity in to the home to join them.

Marvellous Bindura, General Manager said, “It is lovely to see our residents enjoying activities that enrich their lives, and the knitting club is something that means a lot to our residents. It is amazing to be opening the newly formed knitting club for the local community to join, and we cannot wait to welcome new members. The club will run every Friday with refreshments, you do not have to be a knitter to join, you can come and simply learn or sit with us and enjoy the company”.

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.

Win A Gardening Bundle For Your Local Care Home Or Hospice With Westland Westland Horticulture, home to brands such as Big Tom, Boost, Resolva, Unwins, and Kent & Stowe, is excited to announce the New Horizon Fund that will support community garden projects across the UK and Ireland in 2024.

Is your local care home’s outdoor space in need of some love and care to help ensure its accessible to all?

At Westland, we believe everyone deserves to get closer to nature, and a thriving garden has a vast array of physical and therapeutic benefits, whatever your level of mobility.

From awakening the senses of touch, sight, and smell with an abundance of thriving plants and flowers, to simply sitting in the fresh air surrounded by beauty and wildlife, everyone deserves to enjoy an outdoor space.

The New Horizon Fund aims to create a greener future for all, and will support community garden projects, from schools, allotments, hospices, and care homes, across the UK and Ireland. The funding will comprise of a collection of gardening essentials from Westland, from compost, seeds, tools, plant feed and much more, to the value of £1,000 or Euro equivalent. Each prize bundle will be individually created based on the project’s needs to help them transform their space.

HOW TO GET YOUR LOCAL CARE HOME INVOLVED If your local care home could benefit from receiving a donation from Westland’s New Horizon Fund to help its outdoor space thrive, nominate them at www.gardenhealth.com/new-horizon-fund.

There will be multiple prize draws throughout the year, in March, June and September, with at least five

bundles being awarded at each stage, so there’s plenty of opportunities for your local care home to be gifted a bundle. The sooner you enter, the better chance you have. The final closing date will be 1st September 2024.

HELP WESTLAND GROW THE FUND Growing media, which includes composts, is the No.1 consumed gardening product. With every bag sold of Westland’s New Horizon peat free compost, the fund grows and grows. Every time you buy a bag of New Horizon, you’ll know you’re contributing to community projects that will greatly benefit from an improved outdoor space.

NEW HORIZON PEAT FREE ORGANIC ALL PLANT COMPOST Success in gardening all starts with compost, and with Westland’s New Horizon compost, you can be sure it is great for the garden, and great for the planet. Our relentless pursuit of excellence in ingredients, processes, and quality has resulted in our most environmentally friendly and highest performance compost range ever. It provides everything plants require for optimal growth and health.

The New Horizon compost is our most sustainable variety and is the leading sustainable brand in our growing media category. It’s naturally peat free, it’s 100% sustainably sourced, and helps all plants and nature thrive.

New Horizon has been specially created to be the perfect blend for vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The ingredients start to nourish plants immediately and continue to feed for up to 6 weeks.

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Parley Place Takes Part In Dementia UK Walk 31 Miles Challenge Staff and residents at Parley Place care home in West Parley are taking part in a sponsored walk throughout the month of May to raise money for Dementia UK. Dementia UK are a specialist dementia charity based in the uk and offers support to the whole family, the provide life changing support to anyone affected by dementia. Every 3 minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia – it’s one of the biggest health challenges of our time. Families often feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn which is where Dementia UK comes in so they don’t feel alone.

Residents, their relatives and staff are all getting

involved with the challenge to walk 31 miles in May, residents are taking part with walks round the garden and to the local park whilst staff taking on a massive 16 mile walk in 1 day and 8 miles on another as well as walks round the garden with the residents!

Gina Smith, General Manager of Parley Place Care Home, said: “Taking part in this challenge is going to be a huge amount of fun and everyone at the home has got behind us. It’s for such an important cause. We are very glad to be able to do our bit to raise further awareness and money for the charity.”

Bedhampton Court Care Home Celebrates Team Marriage Bedhampton Court care home, in Havant, Hampshire, is delighted to

the Chapel" and "Congratulations" filled the air, Christine and Alvin were sur-

announce the return of nurses Christine and Alvin, who recently celebrated their marriage in their hometown of Kenya. The couple, who are integral

rounded by the love and well-wishes of their Bedhampton family.

In a touching display of support, some of the residents signed a card

members of the nursing team, embarked on a month-long journey to Kenya

expressing their congratulations, further highlighting the close-knit communi-

to celebrate with their families and community after tying the knot on March

ty fostered within the home, and the strong relationships that bloom there.

17th.

Looking ahead, Bedhampton Court is excited to host a special activity ses-

Christine and Alvin joined the Bedhampton family in October 2022 as part of the Overseas Nurses Recruitment Program organised by Healthcare

sion for the residents, where Christine and Alvin will share their wedding photos and recount the cherished moments from their trip to Kenya.

Homes.

"We are thrilled to welcome Christine and Alvin back to Bedhampton Court

Upon their return, the staff at Bedhampton Court organised a celebration

after their beautiful wedding celebration," said Wendy Bennett, Activities Co-

to honour the newlyweds. Colleagues gathered to present them with gifts,

Ordinator at Bedhampton Court. "We are all looking forward to seeing and

while a cake gilded the centre of the gathering. As the sounds of "Going to

hearing about the memories they create together."

Whole Home Approach In Action – Friday Wellness Walks At Goodwins Hall Every Friday, there’s a buzz of energy at Goodwins Hall care home in Kings Lynn as the team takes its whole home approach to wellbeing and activities to another level with the introduction of the Friday Wellness Walks.

Home Manager Flavia Hansell is delighted that the idea of the walks has been warmly welcomed by both her residents and team members. These walks are more than just a stroll, she said, they’re a celebration of health, happiness, and connection.

The team at the care home are enthusiastic, from managers to kitchen staff, gardeners to admin, housekeepers to caregivers, nurses, and our lifestyles team. Together, they are championing the importance of getting outside and soaking up the goodness of nature.

“It really is a whole home approach,” said Flavia, “We’ve started simply and it’s only going to get bigger and better as the weather warms up. The beauty is it’s simple. I am asking every team member to take 15 minutes or more on a Friday to take a resident outside for a walk– lend an arm, push a wheelchair and spend some time out in the fresh air.

“Our residents love these weekly walks,” added Flavia, “We have wonderful gardens at Goodwins Hall which everyone likes to get out into and enjoy. It’s a great opportunity for some one-to-one time with a

member of our team and often a chance to chat to someone different.”

But why are these walks so essential and what are the benefits, especially for our older residents – • Keep moving – walking keeps us nimble and agile, maintains mobility, strengthening muscles and keeping our hearts happy.

• Happy thoughts – Fresh air is like a magic potion for our mood, helping to relieve stress and leaving us with smiles for miles.

• Bright minds – Outdoor jaunts give our brains a workout, keeping us sharp, focused, and ready for whatever comes our way.

• Caring connection – Connecting with others on our walks fosters a real sense of belonging and camaraderie.

• Vitamin D – Energy and vitality. Exposure to natural sunlight can regulate sleep patterns and boost energy levels.

• Time to reminisce – A chance to reminisce, share stories, and connect with nature.

So, as we lace up our shoes and head out into the sunshine, let’s remember the magic that happens when we come together to explore, laugh, and make some memories. Getting out into the fresh air, even if just for a short period of time, is good for us all.

Marr Procurement: Continuing to Invest In Resourcing Solutions for the Care Sector Introducing Dan Ashenden our new head of M-Resourcing M-Resourcing are delighted to announce the appointment of Dan Ashenden to lead our M-Resourcing service with effect from 1 December 2023.

M-Resourcing offers a multi-faceted approach to solving complexresourcing problems facing the care sector. Whether you facespiralling staffing costs and pressures, or simply require a newapproach to managing this critical area for your organisation, ourcomprehensive resourcing solution reduces costs, brings controland allows you to plan for the future with confidence.

We knowfrom talking to our clients that managing their resourcing costs isstill a key priority and this important appointment underlines ourcontinuing commitment to the sector.

Christoph Marr, CEO of Marr Procurement: “Dan is a highly-capable leader and has incredibly valuable experiencefrom his years in the care sector, managing and delivering complex temporary labour

agency programmes. We areexcited to bring that experience to our clients.”

Dan spent 6 years at Priory Group "During my rewarding six-year tenure at Priory, I had the privilege of beingappointed as the inaugural UK Agency Manager, where I honed my skills in enhancing their PSL offering.

Thisexperience has provided invaluable insights into the principles of effective temporary agency management,reduction, and control. Now, as the Head of M-Resourcing at Marr Procurement, I aim to leverage this knowledge tointroduce innovative strategies for temp agency reduction to benefit our clients. My goal is to ensure the delivery ofa cost-effective and compliant offering, especially in the face of increasing sector costs.

With a rising demand andour commitment to fairness, our offering at Marr Procurement is poised to become even more beneficial.".

Marr Procurement is a professional procurement organisation serving the care sector, and founded on the values ofIntegrity, Fairness

and Quality. In everything we do, we believe in doing things better, ensuring fairness for clientsand suppliers alike, and always doing the right thing. Marr Procurement was set up in 2008 and has since servedmore than 50 care clients in delivering savings through sourcing over £1bn of spend.

Christoph Marr, CEO Marr Procurement: “At Marr Procurement we believe in seeking to level the playing field forclients, ensuring they have equal access to the best procurement services and outcomes.

This is what drives us everyday in serving our clients. The team I have built are each highly capable leaders in their speciality but, importantly,they all share a common belief in fairness and transparency. This means they are always seeking the right solutionfor our clients, where trust is at the forefront. Dan is a great fit for our business and for our clients and I amdelighted to welcome him to the team.”

Find out more at www.marrprocurement.com/m-resourcing/

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Training Helps Dysphagia Sufferers Enjoy Mealtimes Even More At Care Home A HEREFORD care home is going to extra lengths to ensure residents who suffer from a condition which makes mealtimes more difficult are still able to enjoy food which looks appetising, and safe.

Science has proven that first impressions count when it comes to food, but this can be challenging when the diner suffers from dysphagia, a swallowing disorder estimated to affect one in twelve people in the UK. This often means people need to eat pureed food.

But at Brockington House Care Community in Hafod Road, Hereford, the challenge of preparing food that looks appetising and is safe for people to eat is one which is taken seriously, and this has resulted in Head Chef Cihan Wiltshire and Chef Ashley Davies undergo training in IDDSI – the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative.

And the pair are now passing on what they have learned to other staff at the home to ensure the mealtimes of the ladies and gentlemen who live in Brockington House, and who have dysphagia, are enjoyable and safe.

IDDSI grades the texture and thickness of foods and liquids into a standard global classification of 8 levels. By grading food in this way, a person with dysphagia – or their carer – can be aware of whether something is safe to eat or drink.

Cihan says: “Some people might initially think the solution is simply to purée all food to a pulp, making it look like baby food and often a horrible looking mush that does not look appetising at all.

“But want all our residents to enjoy their food, and to have the same choices as everyone else and this training, which chefs and carers are undergoing, will help us to do that safely.”

At Brockington, every resident has a “food passport” which details their food likes and dislikes, any allergies, dietary requirements and IDDSI classification.

Using this, chefs can prepare a meal and adapt it so everyone can enjoy.

The example Cihan uses to demonstrate to other staff is a chicken roast dinner, prepared at four different levels of the IDDSI scale. It starts with a standard roast dinner, then the same meal which falls away to bite size pieces.

As part of a presentation to cascade learning to staff, Ashley demonstrated using spaghetti and meatballs as an example. The pasta was puréed and then piped into a spaghetti shape to look practically identical to a non- puréed meal.

“Lower down the scale the food may have to be puréed but this can be done to each item individually and crafted so the carrot puree on the plate looks like a carrot, perhaps with some green purée as a tuft of leaf,” Cihan explains.

It can take an additional two hours to prepare food in this way, but Cihan is in no doubt it is worth it.

“To be faced with a plate of what looks like mush can be de-humanising and we have residents who simply will not eat it,” he said. “ But when care is taken in the presentation you can see their eyes light up, it looks delicious and then tastes delicious.

“It has actually enhanced the dining experience for all. There are some Michelin starred restaurants where you pay a lot of money for velouté sauces and purées, and we include them as a standard option.”

People with dysphagia can experience difficulty swallowing food or drinks – including medication – and this in turn can lead to serious conditions including chest infections, malnutrition, or dehydration.

Someone with a secondary condition, such as dementia, may not appreciate they have difficulty swallowing and then choking can become a danger. The severity of the condition and the thickness of the food someone can consume, can vary from person to person.

Bidfood Launches Industry First With The Interactive Care Home, Featuring Over 75 Support Functions For Care Customers

With care homes across the UK facing staff shortages and skill challenges, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading wholesalers has provided an all-in-one immersive support platform through the launch of its Interactive Care Home.

This digital initiative spotlights innovation and solutions for the six key areas found in UK care homes, empowering Bidfood’s customers to navigate challenges and thrive in what is an everchanging sector.

There are over 16,000 care homes in the UK,[1] most of which are operating with tight budgets, rising food costs and limited resources. Bidfood’s Interactive Care Home has been designed with this in mind, delivering a unique easy-to-use platform that clearly demonstrates how the wholesaler’s services, expertise and relevant ranges seamlessly integrate within a care home, all in one place.

A collaboration between Bidfood’s Chef Development, Marketing, E-commerce and Technical Service teams, The Interactive Care Home places these experts at the forefront, as they talk through topics from resident dining experiences to menu planning, food waste and more.

Users can explore each room, watching a range of videos where one of Bidfood’s experts will offer their pro-

fessional advice on various areas including nutrition, creating innovative and delicious dishes, as well as how to shop and save time using their multi-award-winning e-commerce site, Bidfood Direct.

With over 75 interactive elements to discover, users are also able to access support tools on specialist diets, product guides and increase their knowledge via Bidfood’s free e-learning site, Caterers Campus.

Business Development Controller for Education & Healthcare, Gavin Squires said: “We are thrilled to have launched this latest campaign for the sector. Our aspiration is for this platform to become the go-to industry source, where all care homes can access a comprehensive overview of the support readily available for their care home from Bidfood.

“We aim for it to be a place for thought leadership, product innovation, and trailblazing content. The Interactive Care Home has been developed to become an integral tool for our customers as well as an innovative showcase to all care homes.”

To enter The Interactive Care Home, simply click here: https://view.bidfood.co.uk/the-interactive-care-home/?page=1

Lura Care Launches its Mobile Dental Care Services for Care Homes and Day Centres From their first operational centre in Hampton Hill, Lura Care will be in a position to provide dental services to centres located in London, South East and part of East England.

Lura Care, a company specialising in dental care services for care homes and day centres, has opened its first operational centre in the United Kingdom in Hampton Hill, London. Their objective is to break the mobility barrier to care for dependent people or people with mobility problems who, due to their condition, cannot access the oral health services they need.

Lura Care has developed an innovative model of mobile dental services that adapts to the specific needs of its patients, whereby its specialised and highly skilled teams carry out the treatments on-site to avoid inconvenient transfers to clinics wherever possible.

The company, who are registered with the Care Quality Commission, also carry out free, no-obligation initial assessments on-site to evaluate the oral health condition of residents and their dental care needs, as well as training activities in care homes to help promote preventative health and healthy habits.

As a social impact company, Lura Care is committed to advancing towards the Sustainable Development

Goals by promoting of good health and well-being (SDG 3), the reduction of inequalities (SDG 10) and the impulse of partnerships to achieve goals (SDG 17), as well as fighting the phenomenon of ageism that relegates millions of older people and restricts their rights to enjoy a full life with an optimal quality of life.

With this objective, the company offers flexible and interest-free financing options for treatments, so that no person is left without the care they need for financial reasons, and reinvests a portion of the revenue back into the centres through bonuses to help improve their services.

Founded in Barcelona, Spain, and also at present in Italy, Lura Care has provided their services to more than 1,000 care homes and day centres, and has attended to more than 100,000 patients since the company was founded in 2015. From their first operational centre in Hampton Hill, they will be in a position to provide dental services to centres located in London, South East and part of East England.

Lura Care is registered with the Care Quality Commission. For more information about the company, please visit www.luracare.co.uk.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Redcot Care Home Manager Shares Her Midwifery To Caring Journey To celebrate this year’s International Day of the Midwife, Jan Daly, the Registered Care Home Manager at Redcot, the residential care home in Haslemere, Surrey run by charity, Friends of the Elderly, has been sharing her own ‘Midwife to Carer’ journey.

“From a very young age, I knew I wanted to work in the Care Sector, either as a Nurse, Midwife or Carer. I just felt this deep need to help people,” said Jan. “I grew up in a nursing environment, as my Mum was a Nurse at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. When I was about five-years-old, I had my very own Nurses uniform and Doctor’s bag and I used to love listening to my Mum’s stories about what she’d been doing at the hospital each day.

“My choice of career path never left me. After finishing school I went to Guildford College to begin my Nursing journey,” Jan continued. “Then, when I was able, I decided to specialise in Midwifery and worked hard to become a Registered Midwife. After qualifying, I worked at The Royal Surrey county Hospital and happily worked there, delivering many beautiful, bouncing babies for many years. After having my own family, I returned to work in care and nearly five years ago, I joined Friends of the Elderly as the Registered Care Home Manager at Redcot.

During her career as a Midwife, Jan delivered many healthy bouncing babies. “It’s true what they say that

it’s a small world as it turns out that I delivered one of my Team’s sisters many years ago,” Jan added.

Friends of the Elderly has 12 Registered Nurses and Midwives working within its care homes and day care services, all of whom have a steadfast and untiring commitment and devotion to make a difference to older people’s daily lives.

“At Redcot, one of our Activities Coordinators – Ann Essam – was also a Midwife in her previous career,” continued Jan. “Ann worked as a Midwife for three years and then became the District Midwife, a role she stayed in for 14 years. Then, due to family circumstances, Ann moved to Liphook in Surrey and took a role as a Midwife at The Royal Surrey Hospital, where she stayed for 20 years.

“Ann tried retirement, but that didn’t last for long,” added Jan. “After working as a Midwife for so many years, Ann tells me that she just couldn’t take to being retired, it was too boring. So, after working at Bernard Sunley, our Woking-based residential, nursing and dementia care home as an Activities Coordinator for a number of years, we were very lucky and grateful that Ann moved to Redcot and took on the role here.

She’s always joking that she thinks the residents relate to her so well as she’s not too much younger than them,” Jan continued.

“I love working at Redcot. I have an amazing and caring team who are devoted to our residents, making sure that they are happy, safe, engaged and motivated every day. Our residents are wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them, whether we are taking part in one of our many wide and varied activities or simply sitting down with a cup of tea and having a chat. Their life stories are fascinating and some of the tales they tell me are absolutely hilarious. I wouldn’t change what I do for all the tea in China,” Jan concluded.

Exemplar Health Care Launches Transformative New Leadership Pathways Nursing and care provider Exemplar Health Care has launched its transformative new Leadership Pathways, part of The Exemplar Academy.

Representing a major investment in the development of its people and their skills, the Leadership Pathways seek to redefine leadership training in the healthcare sector by transforming the skills and career opportunities of participants.

Offering a clearly defined career pathway that empowers individuals at every level of the organisation, they span four distinct levels – aspire, engage, accelerate, and inspire.

Designed for colleagues in a wide range of roles at all stages of their career, the programmes will equip learners with the skills and behaviours needed to excel in their roles and advance their careers, whether they are aspiring or experienced leaders.

Rob Coxon, Director of The Exemplar Health Care Academy, the organisation’s learning and development body, said: "The launch of Exemplar Health Care's new Leadership Pathways marks an exciting milestone in our journey of continual improvement. Our pathways aren’t just about training; they’re about transforming the career prospects of our colleagues by empowering them to become exceptional leaders who can drive positive change and deliver outstanding care for the people we support.

“Following a period of rapid growth, it became imperative for us to create a bespoke training offer that embeds the ‘Exemplar Way’ and enables ambitious and talented colleagues to progress their careers. As

we continue growing, we’ll require more leaders at every level – the pathways seek to develop these leaders from our existing talented team, supporting retention and giving colleagues the practical skills and career advancement opportunities that truly make caring at Exemplar Health Care a rewarding career choice.”

The Leadership Pathways offer a comprehensive learning experience that goes beyond traditional training methods. There are currently four learning programmes, each of which consists of seven modules covering essential skills and knowledge for effective leadership. Participants benefit from a blended learning approach, including face-to-face sessions, coaching, peer-to-peer learning, and on-the-job training.

Steve Melton, CEO of Exemplar Health Care, commented: "Investing in our people has been central to our success to date and remains of paramount importance as we continue on our growth journey. Our goal is to empower our colleagues by providing them with the tools, confidence, and opportunities they need to thrive in their careers.

“We believe that by creating an environment in which everyone can develop their leadership skills, we can ensure that our team is equipped to provide the best care and support to the individuals we support.

Our mission is to ‘make every day better’ for everyone connected to Exemplar Health Care, and we're confident that our new Leadership Pathways will help us achieve that goal.”

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PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Praise For Nationwide Project Supporting Veterans In Care Homes her home “to give recognition to the veterans we care for, which they deserve.”

In a blog, Helena said although Royal Star & Garter already cares for veterans, the VFF “is about understanding the military mindset and someone’s previous military service” and “confirms we are achieving a high level of care.” She also highlighted how the VFF leads to improved “joined-up care” with external clinical services, and “raises awareness of our veterans and partners and the challenges they face when accessing care in the secondary healthcare arena.”

Speaking about the impact the VFF was having at St Mary’s Riverside, Laura said the home is “increasing its knowledge and expertise in how to support veterans,” and “improving the care we provide residents.” She said: “We’re connecting with them on a deeper level, we have a deeper understanding of their past, which in turn improves their wellbeing and mental health. I think with the VFF we’ve improved their outcomes and their experiences living in our care home.”

She also said the VFF had encouraged St Mary’s Riverside to connect A new project is having a huge impact on the lives of ex-Armed Forces personnel living in care homes.

The Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) launched last year and aims to promote wellbeing and tackle loneliness, by providing resources to care homes in England to better support their veterans.

The managers of two care homes with VFF status – one which provides bespoke care for veterans, and one that doesn’t – have now spoken of the tangible impact it has had on ex-service people living in their homes.

Helena Maher is the Home Manager at Surbiton. St Mary’s Riverside, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, is run by Home Manager Laura Barnsley.

Unlike Royal Star & Garter, it is a non-military care home, but currently has seven veterans in its care.

Helena described the VFF as “a priority”, while Laura said it allowed

with local military groups and organisations, with residents going to Royal British Legion coffee mornings, or Help for Heroes befriending volunteers coming to visit. “This increased standing in the community has directly led to a boost in new residents moving into the home,” said Laura.

“I would 100% recommend the VFF to other care homes,” she added.

The VFF will deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for over 25,000 veterans in England, and is a two-year collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter, the Royal British Legion and the NHS Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA – an NHS flagship Armed Forces programme), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The VFF has been praised by government minister Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP and Professor Deborah Sturdy CBE, the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care in England.

To date, 19 care homes across England are VFF approved, with 78 going through the process and more than 65 are in active discussion.

Local School and Teachers Create a Link with Elm Bank Care Home The residents and staff at Elm Bank care home in Kettering had the pleasure of local pupils and teachers coming to engage in morning activities at the home.

The staff and pupils of Stone Lodge School based in Kettering, were delighted in coming to the home to engage in activities with the residents. The residents at Elm Bank care home enjoyed the company of both the teachers and young pupils during the morning Jigsaw and Games Club. The residents have an array of activities running throughout the week and having young pupils in is always greatly welcomed. The teachers and pupils spent time in learning about the home and its residents, understanding what activities and events are run throughout the weeks and months. Going forward the school and pupils will build

a great link that benefits all, with residents already planning a trip to the school classrooms.

Marvellous Bindura, General Manager said, “It is lovely to see our residents enjoying time with younger people, the enrichment it creates in their lives is obvious. It is great to have links with local schools and for them to come in and spend time with our residents is simply wonderful. Not only is it beneficial for the residents, it is also beneficial for the pupils to learn new skills and being with the older generation, the pupils are able to learn many things about the past, it really is so nice to see the pupils and the smiles that they have and the residents on their faces, it just brings joy to our hearts”.

World War II Captive Celebrates 100th Birthday At Argentum Lodge Care Home George Durkal, who was held captive in an internment camp in Germany during World War II, marked his 100th Birthday with a celebration at Argentum Lodge Care Home in Nailsea, near Bristol, with his birthday card from King Charles and The Queen Consort in pride of place.

Born in Poland in 1925, George was one of six siblings. The outbreak of the Second World War and Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 shattered his happy childhood and aged 15 he returned from school one day to find his house burnt to the ground, surrounded by German soldiers.

Living in occupied Poland was extremely tough and in 1945 the Gestapo demanded one member of his family was to go to work in Germany. George, who was only 21 at the time, volunteered and he was sent by cattle truck across the border to work as a carpenter fixing farmers’ carts. Later he was sent to an internment camp where he was forced to labour building underground bunkers.

Following the war, George joined the Polish Army and was stationed in Italy for two years. As Poland was now under Russian occupation, George emigrated to England where he swiftly learnt English and used his carpentry skills to find work making furniture. He later worked for British Cellophane in Bridgwater for many years.

Commenting on reaching his 100th birthday George said: “I’ve certainly led an

eventful life, which is perhaps the secret to a long life. I was blessed with a wonderful marriage of over 68 years to my soulmate Joyce, which brought me great joy.

“I had a really lovely birthday and the staff at Argentum Lodge have gone out of their way to help me celebrate my century.”

Jessica Hawker, care home manager, Argentum Lodge said: “It has been a privilege for us to join George in marking this incredible milestone. As the country marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings this year, the remarkable first-hand stories of people like George, who lived through that terrible conflict, become increasingly rare – and therefore all the more important to hear.”

“George is a much-loved member of our Argentum Lodge family and he still manages to take a full and active part in life at the home.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 23

Oakland Care’s ‘Gold-Standard’ Sustainability Efforts Recognised At Global Awards Care home provider, Oakland Care, have been presented with a ‘Gold’ award at the Green World Environment Awards for their standout sustainability efforts.

For 2024 the carbon neutral care group won ‘Gold’ in the Green World Environmental Award’s health category, in recognition of their commitment to sustainability and environmental practices within social care.

The accolade is a level up from 2023, when they were awarded ‘Silver’.

Oakland Care’s trophy and certificate were presented at the prestigious awards ceremony in Groupo Ambipar, Nova Odessa, Brazil.

This represents yet another milestone moment for the ‘greener choice’ of care homes in the UK, as they continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for care providers’ in the fight against climate change.

Over the last 12 months Oakland Care have continued to drive a range of inclusive and effective green initiatives within their homes, with much of these efforts bringing team members, residents, and their loved ones together. This has included their Green Month in September which saw a four-week marathon of green activity such as litter picking, beach

cleans, and tree planting.

Meanwhile, across their care homes the leading provider has driven positive environmental changes. This included transforming a plot of land at Oakland Care’s Maplewood Court care home into a biodiverse, wildlifefriendly space with the help of Kent Wildlife Trust and Low Carbon Kent.

Reflecting on the global award success, Chief Executive Officer at Oakland Care, Joanne Balmer BEM, said: “I am delighted that we have been recognised for this prestigious global sustainability title. The award win, which builds on our success from last year, is testament to the hard work of everybody across Oakland Care who are committed to ensuring a greener and healthier future for our communities and the planet.

“As an industry leader in this space, this international recognition helps us in our efforts to inspire others within our sector to push ahead with their own sustainability journey and help contribute to the collective fight against climate change. We can make a real positive difference, and I am looking forward to us continuing to go above and beyond to showcase what is possible for social care.”

Caerphilly Care Home Brings Generations Together To Celebrate Global Intergenerational Week The celebrations started with children aged seven to ten-years-old and, following this, a younger age group joined in with a host of activities, which united the different generations together.

Nant Y Parc Primary School children enjoyed a movement to music session hosted by Abermill’s Wellbeing Coordinators, Debbie Thomas, and Shannon Webb, as well as a movement to music teacher.

Abermill Care Home Manager, Christine Tipper, said: “It is lovely to see these little relationships developing, heart-warming how kind and thoughtful the children are, looking forward to what progresses.”

Abermill Care Home resident, Jane Lewis, said: “I really enjoyed interacting with the children, including speaking to them about the history of the village.”

A Caerphilly care home has been opening its doors to children at a local primary school to encourage people from across the generational divide to come together to celebrate Global Intergenerational Week.

HC-One Wales’s Abermill Care Home – located in Abertridwr, near Caerphilly – welcomed children from Nant Y Parc Primary School as it celebrated Global Intergenerational Week, which ran between April 24 and 30.

Children from Nant Y Parc Primary School were invited along to the care home to build relationships with some of its elderly residents at Abermill Care Home.

The care home highlighted the importance of sharing life stories between those young and old. The special week emphasised that experiences can be celebrated with each other, no matter how old you are.

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PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Huntingdon Care Home Resident Celebrates Milestone Birthday on Horseback The Chase care home in the Connaught Care Collection, arranged a memorable day of horse riding for resident Diana Whelan at Northbrook Equestrian Centre in St Neots – where she used to volunteer.

Diana, who recently celebrated her 78th birthday at the home, has a lifelong passion for horses which began when she received her first pony as a child. Over the years she became an integral part of the Western Riding community; competing in British style riding, dressage events, and offering ‘horse therapy’ for people with disabilities.

Diana’s daughter Elizabeth, who joined in the fun at Northbrook, shares her delight at seeing her mother ride again: “My mother lights up whenever you talk about horses, and seeing her interact with them during activities arranged by The Chase has been wonderful. When we set the goal of getting Mum back on a horse I wasn’t sure it would be possible, but it was and the sense of pride and achievement in that moment is something truly special”

This kind of therapeutic riding can play a significant role in boosting mental and physical health. For many years Diana volunteered at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) to offer one-to-one lessons for local people living with disabilities.

This kind of equine-assisted therapy (EAP) can be a valuable therapeutic strategy for improving well-being and physical confidence.

Sadly, in recent years Diana has been unable to ride, and looking after her own horses has become difficult.

However, with support from The Chase and Northbrook, she was able to relive some of her cherished memories as a rider.

Nicola Orwin, General Manager at The Chase, says activities like this underscore the home’s commitment to offering a unique experience for every residents: “At The Chase, we recognize that true care is never onesize-fits-all. We strive to create meaningful memories for every resident, based on their personal histories and passions. I am therefore delighted the team could arrange such a perfect birthday for Di, and we look forward to creating many more new memories for our residents”

Care Home Residents Test Out Their Cupcake Making Skills The residents at Elm Bank care home in Kettering got creative with testing out their amazing cupcake making skills.

We all understand the importance of life enriching activities for all our residents here at the home. Many of the residents at Elm Bank would have created delicious homemade cupcakes back in the day, for some it was a first and for others it was a chance to share knowledge with others. It was an afternoon of mixing flour and eggs, and simply having fun. Chef Sophie, is delighted to bake up the creations for all to enjoy later.

Pat a resident at Elm Bank said, “This is just such fun, it is lovely, we can get together and just be happy”.

Marvellous Bindura, General Manager said, “It is lovely to see our residents enjoying activities that enrich their lives, for some it brought back memories of when they created delicious cupcakes in the past, for others it was something new for them to try. To see the engagement of on the faces of the residents was heart-warming”.

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.

Care Assistant Started Working In Care After Mums Illness Celebrates 10-Year Work Anniversary At Nottinghamshire Home A Nottinghamshire woman who started working in social care following the illness of her mother has completed 10 years’ service at a Nottinghamshire home.

Susan Scaramuzza started working at MHA The Herons after discovering she wanted to support others following on from being a full-time carer for her mum.

Prior to this Susan worked in the telecommunications industry but says she “wanted to support others and their families” and started working at MHA The Herons in 2014.

Now 10 years later the 60-year-old hopes this will be her last job and can't see herself working anywhere else.

The home provides residential care for our 39 residents and to mark the occasion Susan was presented with a certificate.

Speaking afterwards she said: “MHA The Herons is the first home I have wrecked in and I have really enjoyed the last 10 years.

“It was an industry that I wasn't always interested in, but believe I found my true calling when I was looking after my mum.

“The staff and residents make it a very enjoyable place to work, the residents especially as they have some interesting stories.

“The staff are always on hand to support one another and it's a great team.

“All the teams regardless of whether it's the kitchen, laundry or care staff work together to make sure the residents' needs are met.

“A lot has changed over time, the needs of residents have evolved, and we have been working through some tough times.

“There is a lot of progression available to those who wish to create a career for them in care and if you are prepared to do the hard work it's a very beneficial career.”

Sandstone Whips Up Excitement with New Regional Head of Catering & Hospitality Sandstone Care Group is adding a dash of culinary flair to their recipe for exceptional care, with the appointment of Rachelle White as our new Regional Head of Catering & Hospitality.

Rachelle is here to sprinkle some magic across all nine Sandstone care homes, from comforting classics to culinary adventures.

Steven Hamblett, Operations Director for Sandstone Care Group, said: “The idea to have a Regional Head of Catering came from Sandstone’s commitment to provide nutritional, high-quality meals for our residents, across all of our care homes. We want to ensure the quality and variety of every meal is consistent and all dietary requirements are catered for.

“We’re passionate about providing high quality meals and, where possible, including locally sourced ingredients for our wonderful residents, who we consider part of our Sandstone family.”

Rachelle's promotion from within the organisation speaks volumes about her talent and dedication. She's been stirring up joy since she first joined us in 2017 as Chef at Oak Springs Care Home in Liverpool.

“We’re delighted that we were able to recruit for this role by promoting from within the Sandstone Group. Rachelle has shown real skill and dedication to her role and has always put a smile on our residents’ faces, through her delicious food and her lovely sense of humour.

“Rachelle will be working alongside the catering teams at all nine of our care homes, to ensure menus are varied, suitable for all diets and of course, absolutely delicious! She will also be looking at other ways

we can improve the dining experience for our residents, through our café and restaurant environments and catering teams.

“We’re excited to see what changes Rachelle has in store for us!”

So, what's Rachelle cooking up? Besides planning delicious and nutritious dishes, she's all about harmony in the kitchen. Rachelle's rolling up her sleeves to streamline processes, tidy up paperwork, and make sure every chef has the tools they need to create mouthwatering meals.

But that's not all! Rachelle's got big plans to sprinkle some magic in the dining rooms too.

Picture cosy corners, friendly faces, and meals served with a side of smiles. It's all about creating an atmosphere where residents feel right at home.

Rachelle White, Regional Head of Catering & Hospitality, said: “I’m really pleased to have been trusted by Sandstone Care Group to improve the catering offering across our care homes.”

“Having joined the team back in 2017 as a chef at Oak Springs, I know all the systems and processes well and have lots of ideas for how to build on our amazing work. My goal is to keep bringing nutritious, satisfying meals to our residents, who deserve the very best standards of care – which includes the meals they eat every day!”

With Rachelle’s passion for food and dedication to residents' well-being, it's sure to be a delicious journey at Sandstone Care Group!

PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

Trip Out to the Harley Davidson Show Rooms: A Memorable Outing for the Gentlemen of Braywood Gardens Late last month the residents of Braywood Gardens care home in Nottingham embarked on an exciting journey to the Harley Davidson motorbike showrooms. It was an experience marked by fascination and delight as the gentlemen explored the remarkable collection of motorcycles, some of which were truly unique and mesmerising.

The visit proved to be particularly special for those among the group who were former bike riders, as they found themselves immersed in nostalgia and admiration for the craftsmanship on display. The residents roamed the two floors of the showroom, with the upper level boasting an array of luxurious and expensive bikes.

Following the showroom visit, the group took a leisurely stroll through Colwick Park, a well-known local park in the Carlton area. Despite having visited the park on numerous occasions in their lives, the experience was rejuvenating as they took in the beauty of nature and enjoyed the refreshing outdoors.

To conclude the outing, the gentlemen indulged in a hearty brunch and

coffee at their local pub, 'The Free Man,' a beloved establishment in the community. The camaraderie shared over a meal further enriched the day's adventure, leaving lasting memories for all involved.

Reflecting on the significance of such outings, a spokesperson emphasised the importance of stability and routine in the lives of those who have lost full independence. The availability of the minibus every Tuesday enables the residents to experience new adventures and maintain a sense of connection with the community. The spokesperson expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of Runwood Homes' minibus initiative, which promises to continue enriching the lives of its residents through engaging outings and activities.

As the Braywood Gardens community looks forward to more adventures and interactions with the wider community, the success of the Harley Davidson showroom trip serves as a testament to the positive impact of such initiatives in fostering joy, companionship, and a sense of belonging among its members.

Parklands Care Homes To Acquire Huntly Care Home Parklands Care Homes is to take over the operation of Huntly Care Home.

Parklands, which operates 11 care homes across Moray and the Highlands, will assume responsibility for the home from Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP).

The Partnership has managed the care home since April 2023 when the previous operator withdrew its registration.

Staff employed by the previous operator will automatically transfer to Parklands while short-term contract staff appointed by AHSCP have been offered the opportunity to apply to remain in role, in line with Care Inspectorate requirements. Parklands is also actively recruiting in the local area.

The care home will be renamed Deveron House.

Ron Taylor, Managing Director of Parklands Care Homes, said: “Parklands has been caring for older people in the north-east for over 30 years and we are delighted to take on the stewardship of this important community asset. This is our first home in Aberdeenshire, but Huntly is very close to our Moray heartland, and we look forward to becoming an integral part of the local community.

“I want to pay tribute to the team at AHSCP for their efforts over the past year, in sometimes challenging

circumstances. They have worked hard to elevate care standards and I am determined to continue that progress.”

Parklands plans to re-open a 15-bed wing at the home, carry out an extensive refurbishment and provide enhanced facilities for residents, including a cinema and bar and upgrades to the courtyard garden.

Deveron House will be managed by Ruth Smith who has worked for the Parklands group for over 10 years, most recently at Wakefield House in Cullen, where she was instrumental in driving up care standards.

She said: “I am looking forward to working with the existing team at Deveron House and to welcoming new members to our care team. We have a good foundation on which to build, thanks to the efforts of AHSCP.” AHSCP Partnership Manager for South Aberdeenshire, Janine Howie, said: “This is a positive step to secure the future of the home for residents and families and we look forward to working with Ruth and the wider Parklands Care Homes team.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to all of the staff who work at the home, or who have supported the home over the last year or so, for their dedication and compassionate care for the

Liberty House Hosts Fashion Show, Taking Residents On A Journey Through Time Liberty House Care Home recently hosted an exceptional fashion extravaganza titled “Fashion Through the Years” on April 27th, 2024.

This event, dedicated to enhancing the lives of its residents, took attendees on a journey through iconic styles and moments from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Jody and Kelley, the passionate wellbeing leads at Liberty House, spearheaded the event with a devoted team of staff members, ensuring every detail was meticulously planned. The highlight of the evening was Joyce, a beloved resident whose dream of experiencing a fashion show was realised as she graced the red carpet in a stunning dress, captivating the audience with her elegance. Jen, the homes admin echoed these sentiments, emphasising the

event’s ability to bring everyone together and create lasting memories.

The event featured special appearances from legendary music icons such as Elvis Presley, Elton John, Tina Turner, the Jackson 5, and the Spice Girls, adding an extra touch of magic to the proceedings.

Karen, a member of the housekeeping team, shared her delight at witnessing the residents’ enjoyment, highlighting the camaraderie among staff and residents. Resident Maisie praised the efforts of everyone involved, stating, “I think everyone involved did an excellent job; there was something for everyone. It was very entertaining and funny.”

Reduce Your Operating Costs!!

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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 management.

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

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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.

Call or Email NOW: 07831 873355, email admin@opeque.com or visit www.opeque.com See the advert on page 6 for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 27

NUTRITION & HYDRATION Food Procurement Experts, allmanhall are Supporting Nutrition and Hydration in Care Homes Nutrition and Hydration Week was earlier this month.

Food procurement experts, allmanhall’s dietitian, Tess Warnes shares a menu of ideas for year-round inspiration…

• Dried fruit and nuts Including more fruit is important to increase fibre and prevent constipation as well as contributing important nutrients in the diet. Fruit kebabs are another fun snack!

BREAKFAST:

DRINKS:

Including protein in breakfast can help our increased protein requirements as we get older: • Pancakes (add protein powder to the mix) with fruit, Greek yoghurt and flaked almonds.

• Porridge topped with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and berries • Tofu scrambled on toast Breakfast burrito wrap with beans, egg, avocado.

SNACKS: Especially if appetite is generally low, make things available throughout the day to encourage consumption of a wider range of nutrients. Nutritious snack ideas could include: • Cheese scones • Cheese and crackers • Hummus with pitta bread • Peanut better on toast • Avocado on oat cakes • Savoury muffins • Greek yoghurt with fruit

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Mild dehydration can impact balance, concentration and energy levels. Longer term dehydration can lead to urinary tract infections, renal disease and kidney stones. As we get older, we might not recognise the thirst in the same way.

To encourage residents to drink more: • Use a drinks trolley, giving plenty of choice • Encourage keeping a bottle or cup nearby • All fluids count including those containing caffeine • Smoothies are great for increasing nutrients as well as fluid. Try adding ingredients to boost energy and protein such as Greek yoghurt Remember that fluid can be taken through foods with higher water level contents such as fruit & vegetables.

Read my blog to find out more about hydration. allmanhall are proud partners of the NACC and award-winning experts when it comes to food procurement and consultative support. Find out more: https://allmanhall.co.uk guide you to finding the right solution for your care home, enabling you to supply quality drinks for your clients, visitors and staff.

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PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

The Transformative Role of Music in Care Communities

By Paul Drury, Chief Operating Officer at The Eric Liddell Community (www.ericliddell.org)

In life, where memories intertwine with the present, there's a profound need for companionship, understanding, and support – especially for those navigating the complexities of dementia. We know that Dementia isn't just a medical condition; it's a complicated journey for over 90,000 people in Scotland today, marked by profound emotional upheaval and huge uncertainty. As such, we believe that approaches to this delicate type of care must transcend clinical protocols and embrace the little things when it comes to human experience. For example, music!

When the ‘rhythm’ of life slows to a gentle rhythm in the quiet corridors of care facilities, music can be a powerful force and breathe vibrancy and vitality into the lives of those who need it most. What we have found is that for those navigating the complexities of dementia,

the role of music surpasses mere entertainment—it becomes a lifeline.

A conduit for connection, and a source of comfort.

In my time in my role, I personally have witnessed first-hand the great impact of music in nurturing mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing among the 3,500 people benefiting from our Dementia Day Care Services every year. We have all been exposed to music in some way in our lives – whether by listening to recordings, playing an instrument, attending concerts, or dancing. From lively sing-alongs to serene music therapy sessions, partaking in a symphony of experiences when living with dementia can awaken hidden memories, stir dormant emotions, and reignite feelings of joy and camaraderie.

In fact, a study comparing standard care to regular singing or music listening sessions over 10 weeks in 89 people with dementia (type not specified), music sessions improved general cognition (MMSE score), attention, and executive function compared to standard care . Singing appeared to evoke personal remote memories by increasing recall of names of children, friends, and immediate short story recall.

One of our flagship programmes, the Music Wellbeing Programme, stands as a testament to the power of communal music-making. Led by talented musicians and dedicated staff members, this dementiainclusive activity serves as a sanctuary where residents and caregivers alike gather to share stories, create melodies, and forge lasting connections. Through familiar tunes, we witness the emergence of radiant smiles, the tapping of feet, and the stirring of long-forgotten memories, as residents reclaim moments of joy and belonging. Music really does serve as a universal language for us all, overcoming factors such as age, cognition, and physical ability.

Could your centre or service partner with local entertainers or other community organisations to incorporate music within your care community? From lively dance performances to intimate acoustic sessions,

these collaborative endeavours create an environment with an infectious energy, lifting spirits and fostering a sense of collective celebration.

The Eric Liddell Community stands as a centre of hope, redefining the landscape of dementia care with innovation, compassion, and inclusivity. Our namesake – a Scottish legend, sports person, and missionary – strived to create a world where no one felt isolated or alone. Where every individual's journey is met with dignity and respect.

Based on the substantial evidence that music offers numerous health benefits, we’d highly recommend that your establishment considers introducing music, entertainment, and community engagement.

Together we can all create moments of joy, connection, and meaning for those who need it most.

Scruffies - The Lawn’s Paw-Fect Dog Show - Returns For Its Second Year At The Lawn, the Alton-based residential care home run by charity, Friends of the Elderly, Emma Cranstone, the care home’s Activities Coordinator, has been ‘em-barking’ on the preparations for The Lawn’s second community Dog Show – affectionately known as Scruffies.

“Our 2023 event was such as success that we really had to host it again,” said Emma. “Last year, our residents had a ‘paw-fect’ day enjoying the inaugural Dog Show and everyone was so keen, and loved it so much, that they insisted that we hosted the event again this year.”

The 2023 Scruffies saw a range of dogs of varying breeds take part in 10 award categories, with all the canine entrants being cheered on by residents, their families, friends and the care team.

“This year, we have 11 award categories, and have slightly changed a few of them to open up the competition,” continued Emma. “Our categories now include Best Junior Handler, the Sausage Eating Race and a rather cheeky Most Like Their Owner award.”

The 2024 Scruffies will take place at The Lawn care home at 119 London Road Holybourne, Alton, GU34 4ER on Saturday 29th June, starting at 2 p.m. “We will be asking all dogs to make sure their owners get them to the event for 1:30 p.m., so there will be plenty of time get used to the grounds and their surroundings,” added Emma.

“The Show Ring will be set-up on the lawn outside the care home’s dining area, giving everyone a good view of the proceedings,” Emma continued. “This year our award categories will be, Most Handsome Dog, Prettiest Lady Dog, Best Rescue Dog, Best Junior Handler, The Waggiest Tail, The Best Behaved Dog, The

Scruffiest Dog, The Dog Most Like Its Owner, The Winner of The Sausage Eating Race and, finally, The Dog The Judges Would Like To Take Home,” added Emma, “With the final award going to Best in Show.”

The Entry Fee will be £1 per dog, per category. The ‘fur-tunate’ top three winners in each category will be presented with beautiful, handmade rosettes which will be lovingly made by The Lawn’s residents.

However, nobody will leave with empty paws, as every dog that enters will be given a doggie bag with tasty homemade dog treats, which the residents will also make for them. “All the money we raise from the 2024 Scruffies will go into the Resident’s Activity Fund,” said Alina Gutu, the Registered Manager at The Lawn “Our residents not only love dogs, but all animals,” added Alina. “They frequently reminisce and talk about pets they have loved and looked after during their lives – cats, birds, rabbits – between them, it’s quite a menagerie.”

There will also be ‘fur-bulous’ ‘whining and dining’ for visitors and all the dogs’ humans to enjoy too, as The Lawn will be offering tasty afternoon teas for only £5 per person. Hot and cold beverages will also be available to purchase.

If you would like to enter your dog into any - or all - of the 2024 Scruffies categories, please email Emma on: emma.cranstone@fote.org.uk or give her a call on telephone number 01420 84162. “We look forward to welcoming as many dogs, their owners and visitors as ‘paw-sible’, to make our 2024 Scruffies bigger and better than last year – and really raise the woof,” concluded Emma.

Unigloves Rebrands Its Derma Shield Workplace Skincare System Hand Protection specialists Unigloves has rebranded its protective workplace skincare system - Derma Shield https://uk.unigloves.com/collections/dermashield.

Designed to protect the skin against common workplace irritants including chemicals, detergents, oils and greases, helping to control the risk of dermatitis, Derma Shield can be used across a wide range of workplace environments.

Safe to use inside gloves, the newly rebranded range includes three different sizes of aerosol mousse – 50ml, 150ml, 500ml - and two sizes of lotion – 100ml and 1000ml.

Manufactured to UK medical standards, Derma Shield contains pharmaceutical-grade moisturisers such as Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, which work rapidly to

preserve the skin's natural moisture balance.

Universally safe with a non-greasy finish, once applied it remains on the skin for up to 4 hours despite repeated washing and can be used on all areas of the skin including the face.

“Derma Shield is a proven and trusted barrier solution helping protect the skin against a wide range of workplace skin irritants, keeping it moisturised through the working day. We are delighted to have updated the branding across the range in line with our range of industrial gloves,” said Unigloves’ MD Chris Wahlers.

For more information on Unigloves’ Derma Shield protective skincare range visit https://uk.unigloves.com/collections/derma-shield.

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Swift Response Ltd C&S Seating Ltd Swift Response Ltd is leading the way in the heating industry across England and Wales, offering bespoke care plans tailored to meet the needs of both commercial and domestic clients. Central to Swift Response's ethos is providing a 'worry-free' maintenance experience, marked by reliability and affordability, with prices starting from a modest £25 per month.

The firm is celebrated for its cost-effective solutions, designed to ease the financial strain on its clientele.

This approach not only renders essential heating services more accessible to a wider audience but also offers peace of mind to customers, reassured by the transparency of costs.

Swift Response sets itself apart with a commitment to personalised service. Acknowledging the distinct needs of each customer, Swift Response delivers tai-

lor-made solutions that ensure maximum heating efficiency and comfort. This personalised touch not only enhances the customer experience but also ensures more and efficient problem resolution by offering individual account managers for commercial clients.

In essence, Swift Response is redefining heating maintenance across England and Wales with its clientfocused plans. By combining affordable pricing starting at £25 per month, a pledge to hassle-free service, and a customised approach to customer care, Swift Response guarantees its clients a warm, comfortable environment free from the usual worries associated with heating maintenance and repair.

Website www.swiftresponseltd.co.uk Phone number 0800 577 0026 Email swiftresponseltd@gmail.com. See page 11.

Exclusive Antimicrobial Scrub Technology

by Grahame Gardner and Micro-Fresh® 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 are available in two fits – unisex and female – the scrub top is available in six colourways: Oasis, Navy, Eau de Nil, Bottle, Smoke

SecuriCare

For over 30 years SecuriCare has been supporting Care organisations and the people they care for by providing consultancy and training to help prevent and manage behaviours that challenge service delivery. Our training is a blend of online and classroom-based sessions that provides a bespoke, person-centred approach focused on reducing incidents of challenging behaviour and the use of restrictive interventions. SecuriCare is a British Institute of Learning Disabilities-Association of Certified Training (BILD-ACT) Approved Restraint Reduction training provider; an Institute of Conflict Management (ICM) Quality Award Centre; and an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Organisation. Our training programmes are developed following an extensive train-

Grey and Blue 18 each with a classic contrasting white trim, the trousers are available in core colours Navy, Bottle and Black.

Grahame Gardner 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.

The range is exclusively available to purchase here: www.grahamegardner.co.uk/healthcare/ microfresh-scrubs.html www.grahamegardner.co.uk info@grahamegardner.co.uk See the advert on page 5 for further details.

ing needs analysis to ensure we fully meet your organisation’s training needs.

SecuriCare also offers training to manage incidents that require clinical holding to assist with administering care and medical interventions. The SecuriCare Soft Mitt System provides a safe and secure alternative to prolonged physical intervention and can also help prevent self-harm. SecuriCare now offers a Franchise opportunity to those working in care. As a SecuriCare Franchisee, you will be your own boss and we will provide you with the training, mentoring and resources to enable you to deliver the SecuriCare product range. You will be fully supported in your career as an expert trainer in this exciting and rewarding area of work. For more information or to discuss your training needs, please contact us for a free and no-obligation training need analysis: E: trainers@securicare.com T: 01904 492 442 W: www.securicare.com or see page 7 for details.

MOWOOT II for Constipation-Free Life MOWOOT II - a revolutionary non-invasive solution to chronic constipation.

Developed by doctors and other healthcare professionals, the MOWOOT II mechanically performs gentle abdominal massage that speeds up intestinal transit in people suffering with chronic constipation.

Clinically proven, effective, safe, relaxing and easy to apply, the MOWOOT II Abdominal Massage Therapy System relieves troublesome constipation, giving the sufferers the freedom and enjoyment of a healthy life.

Comfortable when used, the MOWOOT II treats and manages chronic constipation in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. Gentle abdominal massage with MOWOOT II helps the menopausal and post-menopausal women and the older and elderly people experiencing idio-

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Just 10 to 20 minutes per day of relaxing abdominal massage therapy with the MOWOOT II produces evident improvement.

Significant results are experienced few days after the first treatment. Regular usage of the MOWOOT II ensures lasting relief and better quality of life.

MOWOOT II for simple, safe and effective relief from chronic constipation!

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C&S Seating Ltd have provided postural control equipment to residential homes, hospices, medical equipment services and NHS trust hospitals nationwide since 1991.

With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls, in a removable and machine washable Waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes.

C&S Seating Ltd is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support – also available in two sizes, which has removable side cushions and middle pommel for when more control of the abducted lower

limb is required.

Our popular and vibrant range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 colours, provide a softer alternative, ideal for the colder seasons and are designed to fit snug over our waterproof rolls for maximum protection and comfort.

Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit www.cands-seating.co.uk to request or download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order. See the advert on page 6.

Blueleaf Care Launches the Integra-Mat Mattress to Alleviate and Prevent All Grades of Pressure Sores Blueleaf Care, the nationwide business that helps care homes deliver better outcomes, has launched a new pressure care mattress suitable for all pressure sores, from Grades 1 to 4, and can be used as a static or a fully dynamic alternating therapy mattress for high-quality care.

The Integra-Mat, which is available to care homes exclusively through Blueleaf Care and augments the company’s existing Universal Therapy System (UTS), is a therapeutic support system which provides the best in comfort, function, efficiency, and clinical excellence in line with best practice guidelines.

Described as a hybrid step-up, step-down mattress system, the Integra-Mat can be used as a static mattress, or it can be stepped-up to support the active prevention or treatment of painful pressure sores and ensure residents who do experience them remain as comfortable as possible. Over 700,000 people in the UK suffer from pressure sores, almost all of which (95%) are avoidable with the right care and equipment.

For residents requiring Grade 1 pressure care, the air mattress fully inflates in static mode with the foam mattress on the top surface under the cover; for

Grades 2, 3 and 4 the air mattress cells, or air pockets, fully inflate and deflate around the pressure sore in dynamic alternating mode. This action mimics residents’ natural sleep movements to optimise the flow of blood and air to the affected area. The integral foam mattress can be stowed underneath the cells, if needed, for Grades 3 and 4 to create a full mattress system with maximum therapeutic hyperaemia.

Additional features include: ‘Auto Weight’ which automatically weighs the patient and adjusts pressure accordingly, removing the need for manual intervention; Auto Upright which automatically optimises pressure when the patient is sitting up; and Auto Firm which adjusts the system to static maximum inflation to allow for nursing and care procedures. Importantly, there are no external pumps hanging from the bed that can hinder carers, and an ultra-rapid CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) valve readies the mattress for chest compressions.

To discover more about the Integra-Mat please visit: https://store.blueleafcare.com/product/pr766266integra-mat-auto-dynamic-mattress-system

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absorbent, waterproof, quick drying and are available in a wide range of colours. Our Tabard Style Adult Bibs with pockets are made with our professional grade PRO80TM fabric which is strong, long-lasting, waterproof and washable up to 60OC. Get 15% off now by using code CARDESIGNS15 at our web-shop check-out!

(Offer ends 1st June).

Website: www.bibetta.com E-mail: enquiries@bibetta.com Tel: 01223 840236 See the advert on page 13.

Make sure everyone is looking stylish, dignified and elegant at mealtimes.

Care Designs’ smart range of adult clothing protectors incorporate the waterproofing functionality of a bib but with the style of fashionable clothing accessories. They are soft-feel, highly

Consort Claudgen Introduces Wi-Fi Enabled Heaters to LST Range Consort Claudgen’s innovation in the electric heating industry takes another leap forward by introducing Wi-Fienabled heaters to their low surface temperature (LST) range. These cutting-edge heaters offer unparalleled convenience and efficiency.

The heaters connect directly to WiFi, enabling users to control heating through the digital control panel on the heater or via the Consort Connect app.

With a comprehensive 7-day timer, which allows 24 individual heating periods per day, and features such as a lock function, open window detection, and custom automation, users can tailor their heating needs to their preferences.

Adding to the ease of use, users can view the ener-

gy consumption statistics of all connected heaters, providing insights into usage patterns and potential savings.

The LST heaters with Wi-Fi and occupancy sensors have a self-learning control ability. They utilise in-built occupancy sensors to detect and learn a user’s weekly presence in a room, creating an intuitive heating schedule.

When the space is unoccupied, the heater conserves energy by switching to a setback temperature or frost protection mode.

BIM (Building Information Modelling) objects for the heaters are available for download from Consort’s website. 01646 692172 | sales@consortepl.com | www.consortepl.com See the advert on page 7.

Serve in Style with Euroservice Trolleys

Watch your resident's eyes light up when the trolley arrives!

Euroservice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents. How about a delicious snack/pastry trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple?

Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents!

Visit the website at www.euroservice-uk.com to see the full range.

Or see the advert on page 23.

•

No obligation Site Survey

•

No obligation Sluice Room Design

• •

•

5 year Parts & Labour Warranty* (*Machines need to be serviced by a Meiko approved Service Partner) Purchase options available ◦ Outright Purchase ◦ Klarna Pay ◦ Lease options ◦ Fully comprehensive packages

Try before you buy available (experience the Meiko equipment in your facility before you commit)

Call 24 Hours

03452 999 999

CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS

support@24nrghealthcare.co.uk www.24nrggroup.com

PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

SLUICE ROOMS & INFECTION CONTROL How To Maximise Sluice Room Performance And ROI CUT COSTS WITH A STRATEGIC APPROACH Sluice rooms are the front line defence against infections (HCAIs) in care homes. But buying the right sluice equipment and getting optimum performance from it requires a strategic approach.

Balancing sluice room performance and costs should never mean compromising – not when safety is at stake.

There is also the matter of CQC ratings.

Refurbishing sluice rooms, replacing machines, or creating new facilities should be part of an all-encompassing strategy that maximises machine reliability and minimises expenditure.

That means factoring in costs for the whole operational life of the equipment, not just the initial purchase price and ad hoc repairs. Think about the lifetime cost of running each machine.

This strategic approach means working with a world-class manufacturer – such as DDC Dolphin – that can: • Recommend the best bedpan washer disinfectors and medical pulp macerators for your requirements.

• Customise machine software to reduce energy consumption and improve performance.

• Offer complete sluice room builds and refurbishments, including hospital-grade flooring and wall cladding – replacing older materials that could pose an infection risk.

• Provide robust 304 and 316 stainless steel sluice room furniture for easier cleaning and improved hygiene.

• Cut the cost of repairs (and fix machines faster) with planned preventative maintenance. Proper servicing extends machine life, saving money.

• Reduce energy bills by preventing limescale build-up in machines – 1 mm of limescale can increase energy usage by 11%.

• Offer chemical plans that cut the cost of bedpan washer/scale inhibitor and macerator disinfectant by up to 15%.

• Maintain all sluice machines, not just their own models – cutting the cost of callouts and reducing the time spent waiting for engineers.

• Give you full visibility of the condition and requirements of all your sluice room assets 24/7 with a unique online portal. This also reduces time spent on CQC compliance.

TRUE COST OF SLUICE MACHINE BREAKDOWNS Decades of experience tell us that the true cost of a machine breakdown averages £633 (assuming there is no service contract in place). This average cost is based on: • call out charge, £217 • labour, £116/hour • parts, £300.

With proper planned preventative maintenance delivered through a pre-agreed service contract, the cost of a sluice machine breakdown can be cut to just £347 – a 45% reduction in cost.

And the machine will be fixed faster – within 24 hours rather than 72 hours. That’s a crucial consideration because the objective is to maximise uptime so the machine can do what it does best – protecting everyone in the care home and wider community from infections.

Use of scale inhibitor and proper servicing/maintenance will extend the operational life of the machine.

A well maintained bedpan washer disinfector will last much longer – at least 10 years – compared with around seven years for a machine that has been serviced less regularly.

And the poorly maintained machine will inevitably have had more breakdowns. Both these factors will have a substantial impact on a machine’s whole of life costs.

Contact DDC Dolphin for more information: 01202 731555, info@ddcdolphin.com, www.ddcdolphin.com

Why Using A Machine To Clean Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk Bedpans Is Better Than Manual Cleaning of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem.

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’

range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%.

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags.

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk

The greater the number of tasks you carry out by hand, the higher the risk of contamination with germs. From moving a bedpan, emptying it, and storing it, everything argues in favour of machine cleaning for bedpans wherever they are used.

Risks of contamination – a direct comparison The risk of contamination is present wherever a bedpan is handled, whether that is during its transport, emptying or storage. The greater the number of tasks that are carried out by hand, the higher the risk.

Not so with a bedpan washer-disinfector from MEIKO! The machine empties the contents of the bedpan automatically, hygienically, and safely into the appliance only after you close the

door. This is important because bodily fluids carry high levels of infectious substances, so it requires an extreme level of care and attention and the highest safety standards in disposing of them.

BEDPAN WASHER-DISINFECTORS

Packed with tremendously powerful technology, MEIKO washerdisinfectors aim to eliminate the risk of infections stemming from hospital dirty utility rooms.

Advantages • Patented, cutting-edge technology provides the guaranteed hygiene standards that patients expect • No steam can escape from the machine, so care staff have the reassurance of a safe working environment • Fast cleaning and disinfection process thanks to short wash cycles (built-in steam generator/water tank) • Maximum flexibility due to freely selectable A0 value (60, 600, 3,000) and multifunctional holder concept • Efficient reprocessing thanks to multi-purpose racks and holders for different care utensils • Safer and more hygienic thanks to air drying and cooling with filtered air and disinfection of all the water-carrying lines in the system to prevent recontamination • Responsible management of the disinfection process is easy thanks to the temperature sensors and data analysis by the control software Meiko washer-disinfectors are available from 24 NRG Group with multiple purchase options and the chance to try before you buy.

For details see the advert on the previous page or visit www.24nrggroup.com

Expert Water Sampling Services Throughout The UK With over 30 years of experience, CWE can help you provide safe water systems for your care home, including: • Water sampling • Legionella compliance • Asset inspection – tanks, calorifiers etc.

• Remedial works • Swimming and spa pool testing

Tel: 01844 347678 Email: info@chilternwater.co.uk www.chilternwater.co.uk

Chiltern Water & Environment was established in 1991 by Robert Hunt after gaining 25 years' experience as an operational and analytical scientist in the water supply industry. The company gained engineering and further management knowledge when David Hunt joined in 2012. Since then, other water industry professionals have added to the breadth of knowledge and experience within the company.

We have always provided high-quality consultancy, testing and remedial services in a professional but personable manner. Our steady growth has reflected our clients' trust in our services. Our current clients include large housing associations, pharmaceutical companies and facilities management companies, as well as individual landlords and small businesses. We ensure all our customers receive the same level of care and attention to detail.

Duty Holders of all commercial and public building premises are legally required to assess the risk from legionella to anyone using the water systems and put in place legionella control measures if required. The HSE has produced ACoP L8 and HSG274 as guidance for Duty Holders obligations.

We have clients throughout the South East, London and the Midlands, and carry out water tests nationally and internationally. We currently provide regular water sampling and testing for over 500 sites.

Tel: 01844 347678 Email: info@chilternwater.co.uk www.chilternwater.co.uk

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Never A Cross-Word At New Copford Place Care Home’s Residents Are Definitely Not Clue-Less When It Comes To Their Daily Puzzles At Friend of the Elderly’s Colchester-based residential care home, New Copford Place, residents have been celebrating this year’s National Puzzle Day by talking about, and engaging with, their favourite traditional and application puzzles. Whether it’s number puzzles, word searches, Scrabble, matching and memory puzzles or giant classic Jigsaws, residents enjoy a range of daily brain teasers.

Puzzles are part of New Copford Place’s wide and varied daily activities. “We tailor all our activities to meet each individual’s likes, preferences, hobbies and interests, and puzzles are a firm favourite,” said Daniel Sabau, the Registered Manager at New Copford Place.

“Our residents thoroughly enjoy all types of puzzles; whether they are played in groups, individually, on our large, electronic interactive ‘Tiny Tablet’ or sat comfortably around a table, there’s always some puzzling puzzle mystery taking place.”

New Copford Place’s interactive activity ‘Tiny Tablet’ enables residents to enjoy, experience and benefit from a wide catalogue of engaging applications. It is a large, easy to use device with a touchscreen, not too dissimilar to an iPad or smart phone, but on a much larger scale. The ‘Tiny Tablet’ is fully mobile and accessible and can be moved to a standing, upright position or turned flat, into a table top style.

“For National Puzzle Day, we thought it would be fun to find out our residents’ top three, all time, favourite puzzles,” added Chelsey Leather, New Copford Place’s Activities Coordinator. “ After having a chat, the residents decided that they had more than a top three. Their favourites – in no particular order – are Word Searches, Scrabble, Number Puzzles, Matching Puzzles and Memory Puzzles,” Chelsey continued.

“When it comes to a classic, traditional jigsaw, some of our residents enjoy doing the Relish Jigsaws which have been created for those living with dementia. They are designed to stimulate minds and evoke happy mem-

ories which are inspired by real experiences and are full of vibrant colours.

“Also, a couple of our residents really enjoy tackling more challenging jigsaws. I’m so impressed with how brilliantly they complete them; I certainly couldn’t do as well as they do,” added Chelsey.

“Puzzles are a very good pastime for our residents as they can improve mental speed and thought processes – and they are also a positive activity for improving short-term memory. They can, of course be an individual activity, but they are also a great group activity which creates opportunities for engaging with others, chatting and conversations and making friends,” Daniel continued.

Other benefits of puzzles include helping relaxation as, by immersing yourself in a puzzle, it can serve as an exercise in mindfulness and help to relieve stress. For the elderly in particular, the act of picking up puzzle pieces, turning them over and fitting them together can, sometimes, but quite a challenge. However, puzzles are a great way to exercise the small muscles in fingers and eyes.

“One of our residents told me that jigsaws can be traced back to the 18th Century when European map makers put their maps on to wood and cut them into small pieces. They did this to create learning tools to teach geography – so really, interactive puzzles have been around for quite a few hundred years,” Daniel continued. “I really do learn something new from our residents every day.”

“Our interactive Tiny Tablet is another example of our commitment to provide exceptional standards of quality care through person-centred care, as all our residents can join in and take part in the group activities or use it on their own. It’s up to them – they can do what they want to do, when they want to do it,” Chelsey concluded.

For more information on the Tiny Tablet, see the advert on the facing page.

Recreo VR - Bringing a Change of Scenery to Care Recreo VR headsets help improve the mental and social wellbeing of those you support with person-centered VR experiences. Our fully managed service is a fun and exciting way to personalise care, enhance activities, and improve the quality of life of your residents.

Our service has been designed for the care sector with an intuitive app, which does not use controllers or difficult operating systems. Our library of incredible experiences means there will be something for everyone! The headsets even work offline, which is brilliant for domiciliary care and for those rooms where wifi doesn't reach.

VR is an impactful activity and can be really effective during one-to-ones, in

group sessions alongside themed activities, and in reminiscence sessions for people living with dementia. Our headsets and experiences have been co-designed with people living with dementia and Alzheimer's Society and have been shown to improve wellbeing and help recall memories.

All headsets come with our full support and training to help integrate VR into your everyday care plans and activities.

For more information or to schedule a demonstration, contact us at info@recreovr.co.uk or give us a call at 01482 526940.. Visit our website at www.recreovr.co.uk to discover the possibilities that Recreo VR can unlock for your care facility.

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Can AI Ease Loneliness for Adults in Care?

By Jody O’Neill, CEO and Founder of Curam (www.curamcare.com)

By 2030 one in six people in the world will be aged over 60 (including me!). The WHO now outlines ‘loneliness’ as a key risk factor for the wellbeing of people in later life. As a potential solution, we’re increasingly seeing AI ‘companions’ championed for being virtual friends who will listen and talk to individuals. With loneliness and feelings of isolation rife amongst the elderly and vulnerable, it begs the question: could AI chatbots be beneficial in care?

In short, we would argue no. Here’s why…

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY Complex issues such as loneliness cannot be solved by technology alone. AI chatbots may seem like a promising solution, but they cannot replace the human element of companionship and care that is so essential, especially for those who are vulnerable and have complex needs.

Carers play a vital role in providing not only basic physical care but also emotional support and understanding. This is especially important for individuals with disabilities who may feel isolated due to their condition, or those with cognitive challenges and degenerative conditions such as Dementia.

Chatbots are not suitable for everyone. And in such cases, human empathy is necessary to interpret the needs and communicate effectively with the patient.

Empower carers and patients through technologies The use of technologies such as AI in care must be evaluated to ensure it complements and enhances human connection rather than replacing it. This means there must be careful consideration when proposing how to fit technology into the roles of those who may be the people patients see and talk to most, as well as how it can be used to make the care journey better for patients.

Although chatbots cannot replace human carers, a combined approach of AI and other technologies can help care providers and facilitators.

For example, currently, a typical caring schedule often includes three in-person visits per day for each patient.

However, due to time constraints, caregivers may have to rush these visits. In this case, we would argue, that

technology can be used to allow carers to perform a more thorough in-person visit and follow up with two video check-ins, based on the patient's needs (these video care calls can even, of course, be instigated from overseas).

Remote intelligent monitoring and predictive analytics can also be used by carers to capture an accurate overall picture of a patient’s well-being to design better care programmes in advance, rather than spending too much time during an in-person appointment on data capture.

As well as improving patient-centricity, AI has the potential to streamline services for care facilitators by taking on mundane tasks and freeing up the caregiver's time and talent for creativity and innovation. For example, the administrative work involved in the daily operation of care providers and facilitators. AI can handle emails, user inquiries, and information requests, enabling users to access information quickly so management can focus on solving more complex issues efficiently.

DON’T IMPLEMENT TECH FOR THE SAKE OF IT Ultimately, the current care system is dealing with legacy and complex technology which has held back much-needed innovation. While AI can be a potential solution, many care providers see AI as a cost-cutting solution without first addressing the underlying issue of an inadequate care model.

Digital transformation within the care sector should instead prioritise the needs of patients and carers rather than simply implementing technology for the sake of it. Technology should add value to the care journey, for example making it safer by vetting carers’ ID and training documents with banking-standard technology or reducing the time carers spend doing admin so they can focus on their vocation. Similarly, it should enable patients to access care easily and quickly, so that they aren't stuck in the hospital and have better care outcomes.

PATIENT-CENTRICITY FOR UNLOCKING AI’S POTENTIAL The successful implementation of AI in the care sector requires careful consideration of how it can meet the needs of patients. And for that reason, it’s not an effective way of combatting the loneliness of people in care. AI cannot replace the crucial interpersonal relationships between carers and patients that build trust, safety, and companionship.

However, it can help ensure carers have more time to put the needs of patients at the heart of their work. The key to successful AI implementation in the care sector is putting the patient first.

Care UK’s Latest Care Home Opens in Style Thanks to TVC Technology Solutions Care UK’s luxurious new Oat Hill Mews care home in Leicestershire gets the latest in Smart TV and digital signage technology from Boltonbased TVC Technology Solutions, in time for its recent opening.

Oat Hill Mews is a stunning new development by Care UK, offering the best in assisted living, on-site care, health and wellbeing for residents.

Designed as a showcase of Care UK’s portfolio, the Market Harborough venue boasts luxury accommodation, an on-site hair and beauty salon, a dedicated café, an on-site cinema, multiple lounges, and a fully equipped bar.

To complete this high-tech luxury venue, Care UK asked long-term audio, visual and domestic appliance supplier partner, TVC Technology Solutions, to furnish the luxurious bedrooms, resident common areas and cafes with the latest in Smart TV technology. Maintaining the cutting-

edge theme, Care UK wanted the latest in digital signage throughout the main areas, enabling them to show various guest information, restaurant menus and entertainment schedules.

With Oat Hill Mews officially opening at the start of 2024, the complete AV and digital signage systems were specified, installed and tested well in advance. Early visitors have already been impressed by the neat, hightech and luxurious feel of Oat Hill Mews, from the reception area with its HD digital signage, to every bedroom featuring a 43in Smart TV on either articulating or swivel wall brackets, to provide the best viewing experience to its residents.

Heading up the TV-technology, TVC specified its own-brand Mitchell & Brown Smart TVs in 43in screen size for every room. These fully featured Freeview Play catch-up TVs with all of the apps for streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV, offer Full HD picture quality and are backed by Mitchell & Brown’s UK-based customer help desk. A key factor for Care UK in specifying Mitchell & Brown TVs was the brands famous seven-year warranty on every model in its range, which has enabled it to become Britain’s favourite UK TV brand.

In the reception area, alongside a large Smart TV screen, TVC provided an industry-leading commercial digital signage media player with MySign content management software. The system can be managed by staff at Oat Hill Mews to show a host of information including where residents are situated for their incoming guests, display upcoming trips and events, on-site staff and activities or simply display local weather and current events from around the world.

MySign’s cloud-based software has the functionality for members of staff at Oat Hill Mews and remotely from Care UK’s main offices to easily schedule, modify or update the content with minimal fuss. As a default, time-based templates provide information on meal times, current and five-day weather forecasts.

Comments TVC’s Andy Greaves, Sales Director, “With a longstanding relationship spanning over 15 years with Care UK, the association trusts us to supply, install, and maintain a whole host of audio and visual solu-

tions, alongside small domestic appliances and white goods in both new build properties and their existing homes. Oat Hill Mews is a stand-out luxury care home venue that boasts cutting-edge Smart TV technology for residents alongside the very latest in flexible digital signage in the reception area. We are very proud to be a trusted supplier and partner to Care UK, with Oat Hill Mews giving us the opportunity to deliver a classleading AV solution for the care home sector.”

Oat Hill Mews celebrated its official opening earlier this year, with Care UK inviting prospective customers to come along and sample the live entertainment, try out the chef’s menus, take a tour of the facilities and join in a range of activities.

For more information on Care UK: www.careuk.com For more information on TVC Technology Solutions: https://tvc.uk.com/ https://tvc.uk.com/case-studies/care-uk-oat-hill-mews/

Lovett Care Introduces Alfred – The New Robotic Team Member at their Flagship Home - Fairfax Manor Growing Northwest care provider Lovett Care (www.lovettcare.co.uk) has collaborated with Bear Robotics and introduced Servi+ to their new home in Harrogate. The innovative robot helps support residents with maintaining independence and providing an additional “team member” in a fun and interactive environment.

Alfred, as named by the home, can be seen weaving his way through the home’s Orangery or Dining areas where residents and team members can return cups and plates back to another part of the home or even send a cup of tea to a bedroom.

Recent visitors to the home have received a demonstration of this cutting-edge technology and the home has shared the benefits of how this will enhance resident’s time in the home.

Chief Operating Officer Debbie Baker said.

“As a forward-thinking organisation, we remain committed to continuously enhancing our services through the adoption of innovative technologies that improve the quality of care and support for our residents”.

Head of Sales Emea for Bear Robotics, Malachy Ryan said.

“We understand the importance of helping care home residents live their lives to the fullest. That is why we have worked so hard in developing smart solutions to enhance the quality of communal senior living experiences.a Servi + is our state-of-the-art foodservice solution to help make any dining experience exceptional”.

Fairfax Manor in Harrogate, acquired from Angela Swift Developments in 2023, and will shortly be open to new residents. The home has been thoughtfully designed to offer an exceptional living environment with a range of outstanding facilities. The newly recruited team are in place ready to warmly welcome new residents.

Lovett Care also has homes under construction in St Helen’s, South Manchester and Kent. With the growing demand for quality elderly care these will all be welcome additions to their local communities.

For further information visit www.lovettcare.co.uk or www.bearrobotics.ai

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 37

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Stay Safe with Smart Wireless Nurse Call In the post pandemic world, we have all seen the effects of supply chain problems with the invasion of Ukraine and other alarming global factors, ever increasing costs of living and other more local issues which have driven up the rate of inflation over the last few years. The impact of this meant that most manufacturers of electronic products had to increase their prices as costs spiralled. This, of course, has impacted the end user. The most dramatic impact has been on the Care Industry. An industry that has lacked the support it desperately needs in these trying times.

Courtney Thorne, at the same time, took a strategic decision to take a close look at our core products, right down to component level, the objective being to make us less vulnerable to future global supply chain issues, and to reduce the cost of each product with the amin of ensuring that we deliver the same high quality product at a cost protected price. We had to ensure that this would happen without jeopardising the superb levels of support we pro-

vide to our valued customer base.

This ground up review involved all departments from Research and Development right through to the Field Service team (and everything inbetween). This in-depth collaboration took time as we had to ensure that each and every element was refined, perfected and tested to our (and our customers) rigorous requirements.

Whilst many organisations have limited-time or end of product line offers, we are very pleased to announce a price reduction on our core Connect and Connect Health Nurse Call system ranges. With flexible terms, full integration with Care Apps, celebrated service delivery and the most reliable and robust solution now at a new lower price, there has never been a better time to talk to us about a new nurse call system.

For more information email us at: info@c-t.co.uk or see the advert on this page.

Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & Networks Blaucomm’s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) is the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers, through its intelligent software, which delivers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them.

Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care planning and eMar - now, the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care.

Furthermore, Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM, so call bell data is linked straight to care plans. This unlocks a huge benefit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents, which ultimately promotes better response times and visibility for management to audit their performance.

The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call system - we work with all major

brands such as Aidcall, ARM, Courtney Thorne, C-TEC, ENS, Intercall, Medicare, SAS and TeleAlarm.

Care operators are constantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its reliability and dependability to their care operations, which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions.

Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say about Blaucomm NMS: “We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic company with a reliable product.

"We would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!”

To find out more about Blaucomm NMS, visit www.blaucomm.co.uk/healthcare See the advert on the front cover for more details.

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years.

FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions!

Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers®. The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad.

This results in less work for nursing staff, improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads. Wireless advantages include the ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless

devices.

BENEFITS INCLUDE: Safer for patients; less work for staff Bed and chair pads available One monitor works with two sensor pads Integrates with most nurse call systems A variety of options, including: Call button Pager Floor sensor mat Wireless door/window exit alerts

TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition. Our anti-bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the

sensor pad. Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bedside, in a doorway or other locations to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering. An optional anti-slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors.

FEATURES INCLUDE: Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details or visit www.fallsavers.co.uk.

Crash Mats Designed to Reduce Injuries from Bed Falls Medpage Limited has collaborated with a leading UK manufacturer of crash mats

gery, or those with neurological conditions such as epilepsy.

to deliver a cost-effective tool for falls management strategies. The inclusion of the

Falls can pose significant risks, especially in healthcare settings and senior care

new TumbleCare full-length pressure mat sensor ensures that should a patient tum-

facilities. Every year, thousands of people suffer injuries due to falls from beds and

ble out of bed, an alarm signal is generated to alert care staff to the incident, result-

other furniture. To prevent these accidents and ensure the safety of patients and

ing in a recordable improvement to patient safety and service.

residents, it is essential to implement effective falls and safety management strate-

Crash mats act as a protective barrier, absorbing the impact of a fall and reducing the risk of serious injuries when a person tumbles out of bed. Beneficial for individuals who are at high risk of falling, such as older adults, patients recovering from sur-

gies.

Further details can be obtained by telephoning 01536 264 869 or emailing sales@easylinkuk.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 39

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Frequency Precision Sensors and Pressure Mats to Monitor Those in Care Technology has made people more connected with the world around them and the revolution in assistive care devices has made it possible for the elderly to spend their last years in a comfortable and familiar environment. These devices have also made it easier for home carers to provide quality care for their loved ones while managing their own lives. They allow you to care for your elderly

whether they are travelling in the city for errands, staying alone at home, or staying in the same home as you. They are also helping nursing homes provide better care for them with discrete monitoring and quick responses to emergencies.

If you’re looking for these kinds of assistive care devices for your loved ones or nursing home, Frequency Precision produce some of the best systems available to help you with elderly care and mobility monitoring, ranging from bed, chair and floor sensor mats through fall monitoring and GPS tracking to fully integrated nurse call plug or wireless systems.

Phone: 01837 810590 Email: contact@frequencyprecision.com Website: www.frequencyprecision.com

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS

How to Manage the Threat of New Viruses Professor Martin Green OBE is an Expert Advisory Council member for P&G Professional and the Chief Executive of Care England.

Early last year, Norovirus cases among people over 65 in England reached the highest level in over a decade. In the week ending on the 26th March, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified that there had been 665 cases within a two-week period.

Norovirus is particularly horrible, results in severe vomiting and can have serious consequences for older people. It is particularly devastating for care homes, and if an outbreak occurs, it can easily be transmitted and may affect many residents. It has also led many care homes to go into lockdown and restrict visiting admissions and community activities.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, care homes became very good at delivering infection control measures and ensuring that communicable diseases did not enter care homes because we were cognizant of the tragic impact Covid-19 could have on care home residents. However, now that the Covid-19 pandemic no longer constitutes a global health emergency , and we are seeing care homes opening and returning to a more ‘normal life’, this does create a danger that other infections, such as Norovirus and flu, may reassert themselves and enter care settings.

The World Health Organisation has now ended the global emergency status for Covid-19, three years after its original declaration, but despite the pandemic being officially over, it is vitally important that care homes are aware of the continuing threat of other infections.

During the Covid pandemic, we saw a real focus on managing viruses, and care home hygiene and infection control routines were prioritised as never before. What also became apparent was the need for products that assured hygiene and infection control to residents, their families, and staff. The sector understood the importance of getting this right and having the right products that were both reliable and easy to use.

We are fortunate that P&G Professional have a suite of well-known and respected products across the sector and scientifically proven to give the best protection against many viruses. Flash Professional Disinfecting Multi-surface Cleaner is proven to kill flu viruses and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid19). As well as being scientifically proven, products developed by P&G Professional are easy-to-use, so that housekeeping and care staff can quickly get the job done and ensure the safety of residents.

Laundry is one of the major cleaning and hygiene challenges for care homes. Ariel Professional Washing Powder Antibacterial is a professional detergent specially formulated to deliver excellent stain removal and deep down cleaning, at low temperature. Ariel Professional delivers unrivalled cleaning and antibacterial protection at low temperatures and with short washing cycles, thereby reducing energy and time costs whilst still getting things clean. There is also an added benefit in that many P&G Professional products have similar names and smells as their domestic ranges, giving a feeling of comfort and familiarity to residents and their families.

Hygiene and infection control is vital and at the top of the agenda for care homes, but we can be comforted to know we are going into battle with some of the most reliable and scientifically proven products that P&G Professional have developed, with their unparalleled experience of engaging with the care sector, and with the most comprehensive scientific rigour.

Commercial Kitchen and Laundry Solutions (CKLS) Commercial Kitchen and Laundry Solutions (CKLS) are one of the UK's leading suppliers of commercial kitchen and laundry equipment. Whether you are a small sized residential home or large scale nursing home group, CKLS has the expertise and equipment you need to keep your operations running smoothly.

At CKLS, we understand that the success of your business depends on the quality of the equipment you use. That's why we've made it our mission to provide businesses across the UK with the highest quality commercial laundry and kitchen equipment available. We work with only the best manufacturers in the industry to ensure that our customers get the most reliable and efficient equipment possible.

Our commitment to our customers doesn't end with the sale of our equipment. At CKLS, we know that maintenance and repairs are crucial to keeping your equipment functioning at its best. That's why we offer a full range of maintenance and repair services to our customers, including emergency repair serv-

ices available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We believe that our success as a company is measured by the success of our customers. That's why we're constantly striving to provide better products and services to help our customers achieve their goals. We're proud to say that our commitment to excellence has earned us a reputation as the go-to provider of commercial laundry and kitchen equipment in the UK. So, if you're looking for reliable, high-quality commercial laundry and kitchen equipment, look no further than CKLS. With our extensive range of products and services, we're confident that we can help you find the right equipment to meet your needs and keep your business running smoothly for years to come.

Visit our website www.ckls.co.uk, contact by phone on 01200 411914 or email at sales@ckls.co.uk. See the advert on page 22.

PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS

Transform Laundry Management Within Your Care Home with Forbes Professional In the demanding environment of any care home, the reliability and efficiency of laundry appliances is paramount. Yet, all too often, care homes find themselves grappling with the challenges of appliance repair and maintenance, resorting to third-party engineers and facing costly and disruptive downtime. Forbes Professional recognises these challenges and is proud to offer solutions that revolutionise laundry management for care homes.

In addition to rental solutions, Forbes offers reactive service contracts to care homes whose existing machines breakdown. This grants care operators swift access to a nationwide network of qualified engineers when the in-situ laundry equipment is not beyond economical repair or due an imminent upgrade. Forbes Professional’s multi-award winning service support enables care homes to rest assured knowing that any issues with their laundry appliances will be promptly addressed by expert technicians. With sustainability and client satisfaction at the core of their operation, Forbes are always committed to prolonging product life span and minimising downtime and disruption to daily operations.

When the time comes to upgrade existing laundry equipment, Forbes’ rental solution includes a

same/next day engineer response at no extra cost for the duration of the contract. Aside from the logistical benefits, a key advantage in renting Miele’s highly efficient and reliable commercial laundry appliances from Forbes is the elimination of costly upfront capital outlay. Avoiding substantial investments in purchasing equipment enables care homes to allocate their resources more efficiently, focusing on delivering exceptional care to residents.

Whether choosing Forbes Professional for a maintenance contract or a rental solution, care homes can optimise their laundry management processes and enhance operational efficiency. With their commitment to reliability, performance, and customer satisfaction, Forbes is proud to support care homes in delivering excellence in care while ensuring a seamless and hassle-free laundry experience. www.forbespro.co.uk info@forbes-professional.co.uk 0345 070 2335

Laundry Specialists Lavamac Receive Sustainability Award Chester based Laundry professionals Lavamac Ltd, official distributor of Lavamac industrial laundry equipment has received the prestigious Bronze Sustaibnability award in recognition of their policies and procedures based commitment to maintain a sustainable business for ourselves or customers and the environment The three main points Lavamac have been recognised for are: 1. Air source heat pump dryers , connected load 3kw as opposed to 30Kw for a 16kg electric dryer and 25-30 kw for Gas , clean efficient and saving the planet available from £10995 fully refurbished to £16995.00 new both with 24 months parts and labour warranty and the option to extend and cost effective annual premium?

2.Refurbished Equipment, we completely rebuild any current model of Primus , Lavamac or Ipso washers , dryers and ironers . I full ground up restoration leaves these machines as good ( if not better than ) New ! sold , rented of leased these machines are

between 40-50% of cost of their new equivalent with a warranty as new 24 months parts and labour ( see attached literature on our product range ) 3. Intelligent washings machines ( In conjunction with our partners www.countrywidehealthcare.co.uk ) we can potentially reduce chemical usage by up to 35% and labour by 30 % A delighted Jeremy Hartigan CEO of Lavamac Ltd said: “I am extremely proud to announce that Lavamac have been awarded a prestigious Bronze Sustainability Award by the UK Groundworks Trust. This award demonstrates our commitment to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility within the sector. This award is renowned for honouring businesses that demonstrate exceptional dedication and innovation, and we are thrilled to be recognised for our resolute focus on offering sustainable products and services while raising awareness about the importance of environmental concerns within the sector”.

See the advert on this page for further information on Lavamac.

PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

ACCESSIBLE BATHING Get Your Bathroom Ready For When You Return From Hospital After a stay in hospital, it’s wonderful to hear the words “you can go home”.

But if your physical needs have changed, it’s important that you can live at home safely and without any struggle.

This might mean organising equipment or renovations before you come home.

At AHM Installations we are used to installing bathrooms for people coming home from hospital. Here’s our guide to getting it right: • Take note of what the professionals say. A doctor, nurse or occupational therapist may recommend what activities you need help with. For example, if you need a walking frame or wheelchair, as your bathroom supplier we’d need to know what size it is.

• Know the difference between independent and assisted bathing. If your goal is to remain independent, we’d

need to know whether you can sit down and stand up unaided, and how your mobility is likely to change over time. If a carer is going to help, then products such as bath-lifts may need to be considered.

• Ask a family member or close friend to help. Take the pressure off and involve someone you trust in making the decisions.

• Use a bathroom company you can trust. Some companies focus on selling bathroom products without understanding your needs. At AHM our priority is quality of life – we think there’s no point having a product unless it makes things safer and easier for you.

You’re welcome to call us on 0800 731 6495 just for advice – there’s always someone at the end of the phone. We offer a Price Match Guarantee and discounts for military veterans.

Omnicare Digital Shower for Level Access Bathrooms

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

Triton has unveiled its new Omnicare Digital solution, designed for safer showering in level access bathrooms.

Expanding its industryleading collection of Omnicare electric care showers, the latest launch from Britain’s leading shower manufacturer has Bluetooth compatibility, enabling it to automatically pair with a Whale Instant Match pump, evacuating wastewater from showers where gravity cannot do so.

Ideal for both new build and retrofit applications, the product joins Triton’s existing Omnicare, Omnicare Ultra and Omnicare Design products to form a complete range of inclusive thermostatic showering solutions.

Packed with innovative features, the Omnicare Digital switches off instantly if power to the pump

is cut for any reason, preventing flooding. Quiet in operation, the unit controls the pump’s speed based on flow rates, so gulley suction noise is minimised.

With a small footprint, the pump can be installed in various locations, including bathrooms, airing cupboards and other accessible locations – making it easier and faster for contractors to fit and maintain. A 7m pairing distance through Bluetooth wireless technology also offers flexibility for the pump to be sited outside the bathroom area.

For more information about Triton’s Omnicare range, please visit: www.tritonshowers.co.uk/care-showers Contact details: Call: 02476 324 776 Email: specification@tritonshowers.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 45

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Powering the World of Care For over two decades, Advanced has supported care organisations with innovative software which makes a vital contribution to managing workflows, managing costs and achieving regulatory compliance.

OUR SUITE OF SOLUTIONS We provide a suite of software solutions for care organisations in residential, domiciliary, and supported living settings, including: • Care Business Management: A comprehensive toolkit that equips you to manage your care business anytime, anywhere, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.

• Financial Management: Streamline your financial processes with tools designed to simplify the complexities of care finances, making it straightforward and stress-free.

• People Management: From recruitment to retaining valuable staff, our solutions make managing your team not just easier, but more effective.

• Governance and Risk Management: Stay ahead of the curve with our integrated software, ensuring compliance in your operations and effective risk management.

• Workforce Management: Maximise your team's potential through intelligent rota and shift planning, ensuring the right people are in the right places at the right times.

OUR PROMISE TO YOU When you choose Advanced, you're not just selecting a software provider; you're partnering with someone who genuinely cares about your success.

Here's what sets us apart: Customer-Centric Approach: We build our software with your needs • at the heart. From the design to deployment, your success is our priority.

Simplicity and Clarity: Our tools are intuitive and user-friendly, • designed to bring clarity and efficiency to your operations without the confusion of complex jargon.

Empowerment and Support: Beyond offering solutions, we're here to • support you every step of the way, with robust customer service and resources to help you get the most out of our products.

Designed for You Our suite of products is tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of residential, domiciliary providers, supported living, or any other type of care.

We offer not just tools, but solutions that bring real, measurable change to your organisation.

For more information, to arrange a call or demonstration visit www.oneadvanced.com See the advert on the back cover of this issue.

PASS Becomes First and Only NHS Assured Solution to Achieve All 14 Standards and Sets Industry Benchmark In a landmark achievement, PASS by everyLIFE Technologies has officially become the UK's most compliant care management solution, being the first and only software to meet all 14 NHS Digital Social Care Records Standards.

The news highlights PASS's commitment to data security, seamless sharing, and putting people at the centre of care, setting a new benchmark in social care.

The 14 standards, covering areas such as Data security, Clinical Safety, and Interoperability, ensure care providers have solutions that meet the strictest care management requirements.

Compliance with each of the Standards is also a condition to be listed as an NHS Assured Solution.

Commenting on the achievement, Taffy Gatawa, Chief Information and Compliance Officer at PASS, said, "Seeing PASS meet all 14 NHS Digital Social Care Records Standards is a huge achievement. This milestone reflects our team's hard work and our steady commitment to pushing care standards higher.

“Setting this new standard is a win for our customers and the people they care for, guaranteeing the highest levels of data security and care management. We're not just at the forefront; we're redefining compliance in the care sector."

Working closely with care providers and regulators, PASS continues to lead the way in the digital social care space since launching a decade ago. This includes the rollout of Roster, our smart care scheduling system, GP Connect for instant access to GP patient records, and ongoing enhancements to our best-in-class digital care planning software.

For more details about PASS and its digital social care solutions, visit https://www.everylifetechnologies.com/ To get a deeper understanding of the NHS Digital Social Care Records Standards and their importance in care provision, visit: https://nhse-dsic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DSCR/overview?homepageId=11971330147

Consort Claudgen Introduces Wi-Fi Enabled Heaters to LST Range Consort Claudgen’s innovation in the electric heating industry takes another leap forward by introducing Wi-Fienabled heaters to their low surface temperature (LST) range. These cutting-edge heaters offer unparalleled convenience and efficiency.

The heaters connect directly to WiFi, enabling users to control heating through the digital control panel on the heater or via the Consort Connect app.

With a comprehensive 7-day timer, which allows 24 individual heating periods per day, and features such as a lock function, open window detection, and custom automation, users can tailor their heating needs to their preferences.

Adding to the ease of use, users can view the ener-

gy consumption statistics of all connected heaters, providing insights into usage patterns and potential savings.

The LST heaters with Wi-Fi and occupancy sensors have a self-learning control ability. They utilise in-built occupancy sensors to detect and learn a user’s weekly presence in a room, creating an intuitive heating schedule.

When the space is unoccupied, the heater conserves energy by switching to a setback temperature or frost protection mode.

BIM (Building Information Modelling) objects for the heaters are available for download from Consort’s website. 01646 692172 | sales@consortepl.com | www.consortepl.com See the advert on page 7.

PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Behaviour Smart Intelligent | Efficient | Safe Behaviour Smart is a behaviour support and incident recording system that produces accurate incident reports and smart behaviour plans that improve behaviour and consistency.

10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL READERS OF THE CARER Get your FREE trial or book a demo!

Behaviour Smart Ltd

5 Cavendish Road, Sheffield, S11 9BH

07498219287 info@behavioursmart.co.uk www.behavioursmart.co.uk PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

As a Behaviour Consultant, I was frustrated with the inefficiency of behaviour incident recording in schools, children’s homes and care settings. The data collected was often filed away, rarely analysed, and only revisited in case of allegations. Existing systems were not designed to improve behaviour.

This led me to conceive Behaviour Smart, a system designed to enhance behaviour management.

However, the high cost of software development deterred me. Despite my wife’s encouragement and discussions about re-mortgaging the house, taking loans, or seeking investors, I decided against it.

My wife believed in Behaviour Smart but in 2019, she unfortunately passed away from cancer. She requested that I use the life insurance money to develop Behaviour Smart. Honouring her wish, I proceeded with the project.

Behaviour Smart works by encouraging staff to

Pass Profile 2023 PASS supports over 1,000 care providers every day, giving them access to market leading care management tools hand in hand with unlimited 24/7/365 support from our dedicated and friendly PASS team.

Assured by NHS Transformation Directorate, PASS provides a secure platform that allows you to plan, record and evidence the care you deliver. The only assured solution built specifically for the home care sector, it provides comprehensive real-time functionality and allows you to share progress against outcomes with customisable, exportable reports.

CARE PLANNING AND ROSTERING FROM A SINGLE PLATFORM To meet the wider needs of the PASS community All-in-one PASS has recently been launched , bringing advanced rostering functionality to our established digital care planning platform. As a result advanced staff scheduling, payroll and invoicing functionality is now seamlessly linked with care planning and reporting, reducing the technical complexity, risk and overhead associated with integrating two separate systems.

As a result, PASS now provides an all-in-one suite of digital care management tools, available from a single platform, designed to: • Save you time • Increase the efficiency of your teams • Improve the quality of care • Deliver better outcomes

reflect on incidents through structured reports. It features a dedicated post-incident learning page which is based on extensive research, to improve outcomes for individuals and staff. It records not just the de-escalation techniques used, but also their effectiveness. This data is exported to a welldesigned behaviour plan, or ‘Smart Plan’.

Our customers have experienced significant reductions in behaviour incidents, with some reporting over an 80% reduction after using Behaviour Smart for just one year.

Dean Cotton, Director, Behaviour Smart info@behavioursmart.co.uk www.behavioursmart.co.uk

INTEGRATED HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE Our commitment to the continual evolution of PASS is further illustrated by the addition of GP Connect. The first product of its type to offer this feature, PASS is still one of only a handful of digital care management solutions to have completed this NHS Digital integration, and is the only one offering it to the home care market.

PASS GP Connect provides authorised social care staff with realtime access to their client’s GP records.

It makes medical information available when and where it is needed, leading to improvements in both care safety and outcomes: • Visibility of allergies, vaccinations and medications, especially useful for clients unable to reliably share their personal information • Using medical information to inform care planning • Ensuring that the right medication is delivered to the right person in the timeliest manner. In one case, this allowed the administration of antibiotics on a Friday evening, aiding the service user’s swift recovery from infection Available to all PASS users at no additional cost, PASS GP Connect is significantly more efficient than waiting for a GP response. It’s also a positive step forward on the path to the DHSC’s goal for widespread digitally enabled care and is in full alignment with their ambition for joined up care for everyone.

Get in touch: www.everylifetechnologies.com hello@everylifetechnoloiges.com

Cloud Doing Good: Award Winning Care Accounting Software for Care Homes

match our experienced system accountants with your project to make sure it reflects your accounts, your finances, and your people. So you get not just powerful accounting software, but confident end users within as little as 15 chargeable days. From the start of the project through your first month’s ends, you will have a team of system accountants on call to walk you through doing the day job on the new system.

Donated to Qualifying Care Homes

Cloud Doing Good’s mission is to bring streamlined accounting management to organisations that deserve it, so we keep it simple. For qualifying non-profit care homes, we donate the base Oracle NetSuite software, including up to 3 users and unlimited UK entities. This way, you can upgrade to enterprise-level accounting management without ballooning your budget.

Like it or not, financial accounting is crucial to the operations of your care home. Without accurate reports, you cannot make proper forecasts, build accurate budgets, get paid on time by multiple funders and keep bed occupancy at optimal levels.

Unfortunately, many care homes don’t have the time or budget to invest in powerful, care home accounting software. This results in a vicious cycle where financial teams are so busy running manual tasks that they cannot take the time to improve their accounting systems, only to find each year they are farther and farther behind the technology their care home will need in order to thrive in the long term.

Cloud Doing Good, a licensed partner of Oracle NetSuite, is here to stop that vicious cycle. We believe care homes should have access to enterprise-level software without ballooning their budgets, so we donate the base software with up to three users to qualifying non-profit care homes.

Why Care Home Accounting is So Complex

You know better than anyone that care home management is complex, and we know better than anyone that care home accounting gets complicated fast. Balancing income for each resident from Councils, private sources, and family members requires detailed billing practices. Add on top of that multiple legal entities, multiple care homes, the need for timely occupancy tracking and your finance team quickly becomes bogged down in repetitive, manual, and frustrating work.

implement Oracle NetSuite’s enterprise-grade accounting software at as low a price as possible. Here’s how Cloud Doing Good simplifies your care home’s accounting:

Single Source of Truth

Pull all your financial data into a single platform. Even with multiple legal entities, multiple care homes, complex billing structures, bed occupancy tracking, resident admissions and departures and additional unique needs, our system aggregates all the pieces of information into a single repository.

Robust Reporting

Whether you need to get an overview of last year’s spending or forecast income, you can run the necessary reports in a matter of clicks. This makes it simpler for your team to build forecasts, track spending, track bed occupancy and the financial implications in real time, and manage billing and collecting resident payments easily.

Implemented By Experienced Accountants

When it comes to your financial systems, you need financial experts—not call centre IT — to set you up for success. After all, with cloud software the IT should be pre-built and proven. With pre-built base software, we

When you partner with Cloud Doing Good, you get access Oracle NetSuite’s award-winning accounting management software. 25+ years of investment and trusted by over 1 million users, Oracle NetSuite safeguards your data in a cloud network with the latest security protocols and automatic updates to protect against breaches. We’ll also integrate the platform into your existing data security structure for smooth, uninterrupted, and safe operations as needed. This way, you can focus on your care and let us worry about cybersecurity. Don’t risk your data and care home on a solution running small numbers of customers: Oracle NetSuite is powering 38,000+ organisations.

Find Out If You Qualify

We stand ready to simplify your care home’s accounting. Reach out to discuss your needs:

Iain Goldmann, Director iain@cloudoingood.com Mobile: 447404354865

LinkedIN:

To make it worse, most accounting software are designed for slick enterprises (and priced for slick enterprise budgets). That leaves too many care home finance teams battling spreadsheets and duplicate reports to accomplish basic care home accounting tasks.

www.linkedin.com/in/iaingoldmann/

How Cloud Doing Good Makes It Simple Cloud Doing Good partners with care homes to

Keeping Your Data and Care Home Secure with Oracle NetSuite

www.cloudoingood.com

PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Curam Forges New Partnership with Doctify to Advance Patient-centric Feedback in the UK Care Market Curam (www.curamcare.com), the largest care worker marketplace and home-care technology platform in the UK today announces a strategic partnership with Doctify (www.doctify.com/uk), the leading global platform for patient reviews of health and social care, to power enhanced trust and transparency in the UK care sector through patient verified reviews when choosing carers.

The partnership will address the critical need to improve patient experiences, where only 14% of households are satisfied with care services.

Providing more choice, confidence, and quality of care for patients and their families is therefore essential – and that’s exactly the goal of the Curam and Doctify partnership.

Doctify gives patients quick access to genuine, independent and verified reviews of carers to find the best carer to suit their needs for at-home care.

These are anonymised based on the experiences of other patients and cover aspects such as the quality of specialists, their services and treatments.

Patients can then click through to Curam to connect with the carers with the expertise and availability that they need in real time. Not only does this ensure that patients have complete control over their carer selection, and the opportunity to form consistent, trusting relationships, but Curam’s self-employed carers are

also able to earn around 50% more than they would in traditional care agencies.

Patrick Wallace, director of Curam said, “The cornerstone of care is the patient. But the UK’s care sector currently doesn’t reflect that, with the demand for fast, high-quality care far outweighing the supply. We’re on a mission to transform care into a sector that’s truly patient-centric and offers more rewarding careers for carers too. With our partnership with Doctify, we are providing even more transparency and confidence to patients and their families that they are receiving quality, personalised care.”

“Patient experience expectations continue to rise in the care sector. The sector must prioritise trust and transparency by putting the patient at the centre. We work with 32,000 healthcare providers to achieve this and are delighted to join forces with Curam. Through our partnership, we ensure that carers have access to meaningful feedback, strengthening their understanding of patient needs and improving their experiences while patients can find carers they feel confident in,” said Subhash Mishra, VP Business Development at Doctify.

Contact client@curamcare.com or 01387 730 766

SFIncS r/3 - A Fee Income System Especially for Residential and Nursing Care Homes SFIncS r/3 - A Fee Income System especially for Residential and Nursing Care Homes Designed to deliver simplicity and ease of use coupled with speed, flexibility and accuracy, SFIncS r/3 (Simple Fee Income System release 3) has a proven track record of over 12 years in use.

Originally developed and prototyped as an MS Access database, since 2017 SFIncS r/3 has lived entirely on the cloud, so is available 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

As a completely bespoke package, born of necessity and collaboration between seasoned software consultants with ties to the care industry, SFIncS r/3 offers innovations and capabilities not found in any other system.

Separation of sponsor and service user responsibilities permits unlimited sponsor/service user relationships, and as any number of charge codes may be defined, this allows complete flexibility of service user/sponsor /charge code definition.

Its unique continuous billing function is the most efficient means possible of defining recurring charges (an entry is only required when a change occurs) and both an ad hoc charge function and a

cashbox module are available for incidental expenses (either or both can be used).

Use of the balance forward accounting principle (which makes unnecessary invoice matching a thing of the past - though invoicing is included) plus super quick receipts entry using just ‘six clicks’ makes SFIncS r/3 almost effortless to use.

Paula, who owns and operates Monkstone House Residential Home in Porthcawl testifies to it’s incredible prowess: “With 41 partly private and partly sponsored service users, some of whom are multiply funded, it takes me only 30 to 40 minutes per week to keep both my accounts and fee income up to date! More importantly, I never need to worry about underpaid or overpaid fees - everything is always spot on. And the invoices and statements produced let me present the polished and professional image I need.”

SFIncS r/3 integrates easily with any accounting package, can be used by any type of care home and by single or multiple home operators alike.

For more information email benjones@intracare.co

Better by Design: A Fee Income System especially for Residential and Nursing Care Homes We've analysed every aspect of fee income processing to the nth degree and developed a bespoke solution that delivers simplicity and ease of use coupled with speed, flexibility and accuracy – all in one outstanding application package.

SFIncS r/3 is the ultimate fee income management and control system.

• Unlimited sponsor and charge code assignments allow complete flexibility of service user billing profiles.

• Perfect for all types of care homes - Nursing, Residential, Mixed, Specialist.

• Unique continuous billing functionality provides the most efficient charge definition possible.

Only charge start points need to be maintained and all sponsor charges for each service user (including historic) are shown on just one screen.

• Completely flexible invoicing. Invoice any sponsor at any time for any charges for any service user for any period of time.

• Super fast receipt entry including ‘Six clicks’ copy functionality.

• Balance forward accounting means you can forget laborious invoice matching.

• Ad hoc charges functionality.

• Cashbox module included.

• Works for multiple or single home operators.

• Integrates with any accounting system.

• Plus all the reports, views and graphs you’ll ever need.

• In use for over 12 years.

• Free training and help with system set up.

• Historic data loading option available (charges may apply).

• 30 day free trial.

For a demo, free trial or for further information please email benjones@intracare.co or visit https://intracare.co/

PAGE 50 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

FURNITURE AND FITTINGS Encanto and Cuba – Fabrics for Well-designed Contract Interiors Adding to the family of impervious contract upholstery solutions from Skopos, Encanto provides a burst of colour and texture into commercial spaces. Marrying the key attributes: antimicrobial, impervious, soil and stain resist, the 3 designs offer amazing performance without compromising on style. Following in the footsteps of Chamonix, Moritz and, most recently, Chamonix Deuxième, the choice within the collection is designed to compliment a range of different interior choices. With 38 new Skus, each design works beautifully alone or in combination, to create simple, contemporary and stylish contract furniture pieces. The fractured herringbone, Onda, injects a familiar yet unique texture, alongside a flexible small-scale check and our familiar Cuba linen design.

The palette provides pops of colour or a choice of classical neutrals.

The three designs are provided are Halogen-free, Oeke-tex 100 compliant, with Crib 5 Flame Retardant back-

ing, with 50,000 Martindale rubs, offering a beautiful choice for any contract interiors, whether office, education, care or highend hospitality and cruise interiors. Along with many other Skopos upholstery fabrics, this collection comes under the Skopos Protect+ banner. Perfect for flagship interiors, with colours that compliment Skopos drapery and bedding designs, view the full palette on-line and order a shade-card.

The collection meets the requirements for Flame Retardancy standards across the UK and Europe, and meets IMO standards with the added benefit of the MED wheelmark, confirming suitability for marine/cruise-line interiors. Available immediately, with short lead-times for larger order quantities, Skopos are pleased to add this collection into their Accents range. For a copy of our Encanto shade-card pls contact our customer service team: sales@skopos.co.uk, or for free samples of our collections, visit our website: skoposfabrics.com.

Skopos are looking to become a ‘Carbon Neutral’ organisation in 2023, working towards PAS2060 status, as part of our drive towards a more sustainable future. For further information, please visit our website.

Skopos is an ISO9001 accredited company and has more than 50 years’ specialist experience in the design and manufacture of high-performance FR contract fabrics for the hospitality sector.

Images show Marmotte Magenta and Slalom Olive/ Orelle Elm, provided by Barons Furniture.

Firstlight Have the Lighting Range to Help Illuminate Your Care Home with Style Firstlight Products are award winning market leaders in contemporary, classical and contract lighting. We have over 40 years of experience in the lighting industry supplying both UK and overseas customers.

We pride ourselves in our comprehensive range of products for both Interior and Exterior use.

Our lighting products are of the very latest designs and can help your Care Home look attractive and up to date.

The importance of selecting the correct lighting solution is greatly underappreciated. It is so important to consider the correct items as this can help create warmth and coziness. Selecting incorrectly and areas can be cold and clinical.

Our lighting categories include decorative ranges, ceiling fittings, wall lights, table & floor, bathroom, spotlights, track and an extensive range of outdoor.

We have lighting solutions for bedrooms, bathrooms, open living areas as well as garden and outdoor

security.

We have friendly Technical support available at the end of the telephone or email to help with any questions or queries you may have on the products in our range.

In 2022 we were awarded for our Quality Assurance processes by the Lighting Industry Association which allows customers complete confidence when selecting their products.

You can view Firstlight’s entire range at our comprehensive website which includes product specification sheets of every product to help you select and choose your preferred option.

For more information about Firstlight and how we can help you please call one of our team on 01908 310221 or email flp@firstlight-products.co.uk Our comprehensive website can be found at www.firstlight-products.co.uk Please see our advertisement on page 9

Mr Trax Curtain & Blind Solutions Mr Trax Curtain & Blind Solutions aims to provide a first class service across a wide range of products and bespoke fittings thanks to its two decades of experience, with many previous clients in the care sector.

Mr Trax has a range of NHS compliant fabrics for use in care homes, including ‘blackout’. They can supply and fit a wide range of flame retardant curtains and blinds in various fabrics to be made to your sizes and fitted using heavy duty fittings and rails.

Curtains can normally be made and installed within four weeks and blinds in two weeks.Fire retardant blinds on heavy weight systems are readily available and can be manually controlled or electrically operated. They also have antimicrobial options as well all at varying prices all normally available in two-three weeks. Faster times are available on some products.

The company is affiliated with Checkatrade where you can see customer reviews, including this recent comment: “Douglas did a fantastic job fitting our shutters and curtain rail. He even fitted an extra rail for us which we had bought ourselves! Friendly and efficient service, plus great looking results. Very pleased would definitely recommend!”

Based in Hailsham, East Sussex and owned and run

by Doug and Carol Coe, the firm also provides a number of corded and motorised options for blinds as well as curtains, and offers a comprehensive range of shutters.

Doug says: “We stock two ranges of silent gliss corded curtain tracks and two ranges of silent gliss uncorded curtain tracks the fitted prices for which are available on this website. All of the aluminium silent gliss tracks stock can be shaped and fitted into bay windows, as can some of the poles. We also have ready access to many more ranges of both tracks and poles, most of which we can get in one working day.

“To read more of what our customers say about us please do look us up on Checkatrade: checkatrade.com/mrtrax” Call now to speak to one of our team on 0800 3345114 or 07968 242004, email us at: doug@mrtrax.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 51

TRAINING New Qualification To Boost Care Sector A new accredited qualification for care workers will help to improve perceptions of the sector and will boost retention.

That’s the opinion of a Lesley O’Connor, Head of Strategic Development at Realise, a leading training provider which offers numerous qualifications in the sector.

Lesley welcomed the Government’s £75m investment to help people progress in their Heath & Social Care careers.

The Government recently set out plans for a new accredited qualification and a national career structure for the adult social care workforce.

It says the qualification will benefit around 37,000 workers within the sector, while the defined career pathway will help people plan their future progression.

But Lesley said while the funding package would make adult social care a more attractive proposition, it would likely only make a small differ-

ence to the 152,000 vacancies within the sector.

“This Government investment to add accreditation to the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate is very welcome and it will give the qualification additional value,” said Lesley.

“A clearly defined career pathway is also something I have championed for a long time and it offers people a clear route to progress their careers.

“It will also help to improve perceptions of adult social care as a whole.

People still think of adult social care as looking after old people and everything that goes with that but the opportunities are far more varied, including helping young people with disabilities and assisting with treatment and recovery from addiction.

“I hope it will encourage school leavers to consider adult social care as a viable, skilled career with progression opportunities rather than a stopgap. It will undoubtedly help to raise the profile of the sector and will give people with limited qualifications the chance to build their skills.

“It’s well-known that people stay longer at places where training is available.”

People in adult social care jobs will be able to enrol on the new Level 2

Policies and Procedures Within Social Care The delivery of safe care is the paramount responsibility of social care providers. Central to achieving this is the governance framework adopted by service providers. And at the core of this framework are policies and procedures. These enable the provider to comply – and evidence compliance – with relevant legislation and regulations, as well as facilitating best practices, supporting business needs, and assisting in recognising and managing risks.

Providers have a legal duty of care to the people they employ. Policies and procedures should provide clear guidelines to staff on how the organisation operates, as well as informing them of best practices and processes to be followed.

Policies should be reviewed annually as a minimum to ensure they are still fit for purpose and align with legal and regulatory requirements. They should be reviewed not only by employees of the business, but also by experts in various subject matters (e.g., infection control or medicines management).

Adult Social Care Certificate qualification between June this year and March 2025.

There will be other training initiatives available, including a new digital leadership qualification to help managers in the sector with the implementation of technology.

But Lesley warned that this funding must be followed up with decisive Government action to plug the gap in care sector vacancies.

She said: “There is a bigger conversation to be had at a time when there are 152,000 vacancies within adult social care. It is predicted we will need 440,000 care workers by 2035.

“While this is a good starting point, the Government must pledge future funding to support the long-term sustainability of the sector to attract many more people into roles at all levels. If decisive action is not taken soon, we could be facing unimaginable consequences over the next decade.

“Valuing the current workforce and giving them opportunities to upskill is important, but ultimately pay and conditions need to improve to attract new blood into the sector rather than going into retail or hospitality.”

Realise is one of the country's leading training providers, working with more than 1,000 employers and more than 10,000 learners a year throughout apprenticeships and adult education courses.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/realisetraining

For many small- to medium-sized providers, there may not be the in-house skills, knowledge, and experience to complete such a robust annual review. Many choose instead to purchase their policies and procedures from a reputable provider like W&P Compliance & Training, who will also complete reviews and ensure their policies and procedures remain up to date. This way a provider not only ensures they remain compliant; they also benefit from best practice policies and procedures that provide a solid foundation for safe working practices and – ultimately – protect and support service users and staff.

Ben Erskine – Director at W&P Compliance & Training www.wandptraining.co.uk | Tel: 01305 767104 See the advert on page 2 for further information.

Excellence Through Training: The Health & Safety Group’s Commitment to Exceptional Care At The Health & Safety Group, we understand that the process of getting your care workers through their Care Certification can be pretty demanding. So we’ve made it our mission is to make the training process as flexible and accessible as possible, without increasing your costs or sacrificing the quality of our courses.

We recognise that some prefer traditional classroom learning for the benefits of immediate instructor feedback, hands-on skills practice, and connecting with likeminded professionals.

However, if committing to fixed schedules and locations proves difficult, staff may favour the unmatched flexibility of e-learning. Our online courses allow caregivers to learn at their own pace, fitting training around their commitments while benefitting from rich multimedia resources.

However you learn, HSG offers the best of both worlds. With classroom courses available nationwide 6 days a week, we provide exceptional accessibility for face-to-face training. Our dedicated e-learning platform ensures flexibility, enhanced by our Training Team’s support for

any queries. From Medical Administration to Safeguarding Adults or Catheter Care, all courses are crafted by industry experts, ensuring that training prepares staff for real-world situations using practical skills.

Our Care Certificate Training Course, designed specifically for care workers, healthcare assistants, and social care support workers, is just one of our high-impact training courses available both face-to-face, and online through our e-learning platform. Mapped to the ‘Skills for Care’ Care Certificate standards, this course equips caregivers with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of their roles, empowering them to deliver comprehensive, compassionate care.

Get in touch with me today at beth@hsg-group.com to learn more about our training options.

We’re committed to tailoring training to your needs, so you can focus on delivering outstanding care!

PAGE 52 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193

RECRUITMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Recruiting Success with CVMinder ATS Care recruiting is currently challenging. So, why is CVMinder ATS a great choice for Care Providers?

Stuart Haddow, MD, suggests that its Ambassador Customers make the biggest difference. Ambassadors include senior HR leaders from the Care sector. “They have proven to be great at overcoming recruiting headwinds” says Stuart. CVMinder’s Ambassador Customers also guide CVMinder product improvement programme.

Using that great guidance delivers a competitive advantage for all CVMinder Care customers. Jack Morgan of Local Solutions agrees. “CVMinder has

made the process as smooth and as streamlined as possible. That’s is critical when recruiting in a demanding sector like care. It gives us central control of everything and the management information we generate from CVMinder has helped to improve our recruiting approach. Without CVMinder our recruiting costs would be much higher and good candidates would be lost in the administration clutter.”

Donna Newell of The Kent Autistic Trust says “CVMinder ensures that we are being responsive to applicants and the demands of our managers. Having a one stop shop means that we can post and update jobs at the touch of a button. Receiving all applications online and using filter questions enables our recruiters to shortlist batches of applicants swiftly.”

T: 01634 202 101 E: enquiries@cvminder.co.uk W: cvminder.co.uk/care

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 health-care 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 808227 www.jjcarerecruitment.co.uk admin@jjrecruitment.co.uk

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

Global assists clients throughout the U.K. who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase, development and refinance.

We have organised over £1.8bn for clients in the past 30 years, providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt, ease cashflow and develop businesses further.

From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in size we assist at every stage of your business expansion.

Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way, so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements, I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements.

Call us on 01242 227172 or e-mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.net

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 193 | PAGE 53

RECRUITMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Introducing The Carer Recruitment Your Premier Destination for Adult Social Care Hiring Solutions!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of THE CARER Recruitment, the latest addition to our growing portfolio! As the leading UK residential and nursing care/adult social care publication, we understand the pressing need for effective recruitment solutions in the face of ongoing challenges within the sector.

needs. Whether you're a small care home or a large healthcare organization, we've got you covered.

Seamless Interaction: At THE CARER, we pride ourselves on our exceptional relationship with our readership. With THE CARER Recruitment, expect seamless interaction and support throughout the hiring process, ensuring a smooth and efficient recruitment journey for both employers and candidates alike.

In the face of the ongoing crisis in adult social care recruitment, The Carer, offers a streamlined and cost effective solution to meet your staffing needs.

Join us in revolutionizing the way you hire in the adult social care sector!

Visit our website now to learn more and get started.

Together, let's shape the future of adult social care recruitment!

Warm regards, The Carer Team recruitment.thecareruk.com

WHY THE CARER RECRUITMENT? Unparalleled Reach: THE CARER stands as the UK’s popular and must read adult social care publication, boasting a vast offline and online readership.

With our new recruitment platform, we extend our reach even further, ensuring your vacancies are seen by a targeted audience consistently across print, digital, website, and social media channels.

Tailored Solutions: Say goodbye to recruitment headaches! Our userfriendly platform offers cost-effective solutions tailored to meet your hiring

Quality Care Group Triumphs at National Insurance Awards 2024 Quality Care Group, the largest independent Insurance Broker to the Care Sector, proudly announces its victory in the prestigious National Insurance Awards 2024. The gala event, held at the illustrious London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London, saw Quality Care Group clinch the coveted title of 'Commercial Lines Specialist Broker of the Year.'

The National Insurance Awards recognise excellence and innovation within the insurance industry, celebrating outstanding achievements and contributions across various categories. Quality Care Group's win in the 'Commercial Lines Specialist Broker of the Year' category underscores its unwavering commitment to delivering bespoke insurance solutions and unparalleled service to the Care Sector.

Upon receiving the award, Managing Director Darren Pollard expressed his gratitude and pride, stat-

How you can help your clients pay for care?

ing, "We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised as the Commercial Lines Specialist Broker of the Year at the National Insurance Awards 2024. This prestigious accolade is a testament to our team's dedication, expertise, and relentless pursuit of excellence in serving the unique needs of the Care Sector."

Quality Care Group has established itself as a trailblazer in the insurance industry, renowned for its innovative insurance and wider business solutions, client-centric approach, and commitment to superior customer service. The company's comprehensive range of services, tailored specifically for the Care Sector, has set new standards of excellence and earned the trust of clients nationwide.

As the largest independent Insurance Broker to the Care Sector, Quality Care Group continues to lead the way in providing tailored insurance solutions, proactive risk management strategies, and unparalleled support to care businesses across the UK. For further information on Quality Care Group visit www.qcaregroup.co.uk

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