The Carer #60 May/June 2022

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

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2

Editor's Viewpoint Products & Services

26-27

Continence Care

28-30

Hygiene & Infection Control 31-32

32-35

Catering for Care

Nurse Call & Falls Monitoring 36-37 Technology & Software

38-43

Finance, Training & Recruitment 44-46 Insurance for Care

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£1.75 where where sold sold £1.75

MAY/JUNE 2022 MAY/JUNE 2022 Issue 19

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Issue 60

Adult Care Reforms £10bn More than Current Estimates, Government is Warned

A new report released May 23rd reveals the regional impact on local authorities as a result of the government’s flagship adult social care reforms, concluding that the costs of these proposals could be significantly underestimated, and will lead to a further staffing crisis.

The analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) and Newton, provides the first independent analysis of the reforms, which include a more generous means-test, a cap on care costs of £86,000, a move towards a ‘fair’ cost of care, and the ability for people who arrange and fund their own care to ask their local

authority to do it on their behalf.

The report estimates that the costs of reforms in the nine years from when they are introduced to 2032 could be a minimum of £10bn higher than currently estimated and could create a further workforce crisis in social care, with over 5,000 extra staff projected to be required to carry out extra care and financial assessments for those seeking to benefit from the reforms.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

VIEWPOINT A very important story on our front page. An indepth analysis of the government’s estimates for its adult social care reforms have revealed an unbelievable shortfall of at least £10 billion in its costings.

The report estimates that in the 9 years from when they are introduced until 2032 the shortfall will be at least £10bn and an additional 5,000 extra staff will be required to carry out extra care and Editor financial assessment for those due to benefit from the reforms.

County and rural areas are looking at a funding deficit of £7.6bn, and these areas will need 60% of all new recruits (3,000 staff).

Furthermore, estimates, according to the report, reveal that the total cost of the reforms will be between £5.2bn and £6.5bn a year by 2031/32.

However, while the levy will generate £12bn annually, only £1.2bn in each of the next three years has been committed to the social care reforms.

Who knows who our Prime Minister will be in 2032, but they could rightly point back to 2022, blame our government of the day and say that the “can was kicked down the road” for another administration to deal with?

I don’t think anybody is critical of the government’s desire to reform adult social care, these reforms are supported and long overdue, the findings of this report cannot be ignored.

These reforms clearly leave social care significantly underfunded, and with the sector always experiencing staffing shortages the government really does need to heed concerns, otherwise it will be even more difficult to recruit staff and experienced train staff will look to pastures new.

We are delighted to have picked a winner for our “Unsung Hero Award”, and congratulations to Tony Postiglione, a support worker at Meadowview Nursing Home in Calow Chesterfield and our latest Unsung Hero! (See page 7 for the full story).

We had an absolutely wonderful response again the most uplifting and heart-warming nominations all around the country, nominating staff who went above and beyond the normal work duties.

When we telephoned the care home to inform them of the winner, the care home registered manager shared the new in the office, and it was quite a humbling experience to hear them all cheer!

Once again, we had so many wonderful nominations, we have added a couple of runner-up prizes, since it was so difficult to pick an out-and-out winner.

Please do watch out for our Unsung Hero Award returning in future issues. The award started out as as a one-off to celebrate a Carer anniversary, but it has proved to be so popular we are running it several times a year! So please, as I say, do watch out for the announcement of our next Unsung Hero award.

Once again we are delighted to have received more heartwarming and uplifting stories from residential and nursing care settings around the country, which can be seen in this issue, from celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, to marathon runs and walks, a dog show delightfully called “Scrufts”, a medal of honour for service dedicated to care, please do keep them coming to editor@thecareruk.com And don't forget to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter and weekly digital editions at www.thecareruk.com where you can also get all the latest news and developments in the adult social care sector.

Peter Adams

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THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 3

Adult Care Reforms £10bn More than Current Estimates, Government is Warned (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) The report, Preparing for Reform, has been developed through extensive engagement with local authorities, providers, and residents alike, coupled with unique postcode-level analysis to understand the impact of the reforms across the country.

Download the report at http://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/download/4278/ Key findings include: • The cost of the care reforms, including the cap and means-test for over 65s, new ‘fair cost of care’ and administrative overheads in England will cost a minimum of £25.5bn over the next decade. This compares to the government estimate of £15.6bn for the same elements of the reforms.

The analysis suggests more people will benefit from some financial support under the means test and cap, meaning the cost of this element alone is £2.5bn higher than government projections.

• There is a significant regional variation in the costs of implementing the reforms, with councils in county and rural areas disproportionately impacted. Councils in England’s counties account for 57% (£14.3bn) of the total estimated minimum costs of the reforms over the next decade.

This is compared to just 11% (£4.9bn) in urban metropolitan borough councils in the North and West Midlands • An additional 4,300 social work staff will be required to carry out the additional Care Act assessments, reviews, and case management, on top of a current vacancy rate of 1,782. In addition, an extra 700 financial assessors will also be needed to carry out additional financial assessments if no changes to existing ways of working are made. The report projects an extra 200,000 care and financial assessments will be required annually, which determine the level of support an individual receives, at a cost of £1.9bn to councils over the next decade.

• Councils in county and rural areas could face the biggest financial and workforce challenges. Unless the government provides more funding and changes the way it allocates resources between councils, county and rural areas could face a minimum funding deficit of £7.6bn. Some 3,000 additional new social workers and financial assessors will be required in these areas, 60% of all new recruitment.

• In order to properly fund these reforms, the government could potentially need to spend half of the Health and Social Care Levy by 2032 on these proposals alone, irrespective of other social care pressures in the system. The report estimates that the total costs of the reforms could be between £5.6bn and £6.2bn a year by 2031/32. The levy will generate an extra £12bn in annual revenue earmarked for both the health service and social care, but only £1.2bn in each of the next three years

has been committed to these social care reforms so far.

COUNCILS “NOT WELL PREPARED” A separate survey of CCN councils for the report found that almost two-thirds of councils felt that they were ‘not well prepared’ for the reforms due to funding shortfalls and a tight timescale of implementing them from October 2023. Just over three quarters (77%) said that they would be unable to allocate any more resources from other service areas to pay for any financial shortfall, whilst nine in ten (91%) said they were ‘very concerned’ they will be unable to recruit enough staff.

Councils say recruitment on this scale will be ‘impossible’ and they will need more funding to attract more staff, alongside extra time to implement the reforms by transforming their working practices, including greater digitisation of assessments to streamline the process.

Facing a funding shortfall, and a workforce crisis next year, twothirds of councils support delaying key aspects of the reforms beyond next Autumn, rather than a ‘big bang’ of introducing all of them at the same time. This would give councils more time to transform their services in anticipation of the extra assessments required, including greater use of technology. The report also calls on government to urgently invest in a national recruitment and workforce development campaign for local authorities and providers.

Failure to do so could result in individuals facing even longer waits to get a care package. Presently, there are over 500,000 people waiting for an assessment – and councils will face further administrative pressures from the reforms from next October.

SIGNIFICANT UNFUNDED COST PRESSURES Councils will also face significant unfunded cost pressures, particularly those in counties. The report calls on government to fully fund these reforms based on its financial projections and to re-examine its funding formula which will distribute funding for the reforms. CCN is calling for this formula to be overhauled to account for county areas being particularly exposed to the costs of reforms.

GOVERNMENT MUST FULLY FUND REFORMS Cllr Martin Tett, Adult Social Care Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said: “There is clear support from local government for the government’s package of social reforms, which will make the system fairer and ensure that more people do not face catastrophic care costs.

“However, today’s report shows there is a significant financial and operational cost to these reforms, which are likely to be significantly more than the government’s estimates. We urge ministers to clearly examine these findings, which show costs are likely to be higher than

the government is forecasting, and potentially devastatingly so in some regions.

“Local authorities are also facing a mountain of extra assessments required for the thousands of people who will approach their local authority to benefit from the reforms and it will be almost impossible to recruit the extra staff required.

“Therefore, the government must fully fund these reforms, incorporating the substantial extra cost they are likely to generate for councils so we are able to set balanced budgets in the future. Importantly, instead of a big bang introduction to the reforms, today’s report calls for them to be phased to give local authorities enough time to mitigate the challenges and give them enough time to transform and prepare for such a momentous change.”

Daniel Sperrin, Director at Newton, said: “Newton is pleased to have partnered with CCN to carry out this analysis of the impact of the charging reforms. It is evident that whilst offering clear benefits for residents, the reforms will have a profound financial and operational impact on local authorities and providers. We hope that the findings and recommendations from this report will help both local and central government to prepare to implement the reforms, and so help realise the opportunities that they present.”

EXTRAORDINARY PRESSURE Responding to analysis, Cllr David Fothergill, chair of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board said: “This report provides further analysis that adds weight to growing concerns that proposed reforms to social care are potentially significantly underfunded. This would be disastrous for councils, care providers and people who access care.

“With shortages across the sector, social care staff are already under extraordinary pressure and adding more to their workload with no plans for increased support or pay risks driving even more valued staff away from working in the sector “Potential underfunding of these reforms would only exacerbate preexisting significant pressures, which the reforms – and the funding for them – do nothing to address. These include unmet and under-met need, greater strain on unpaid carers and increased waiting times for assessments and delivery of care packages.

“A higher proportion of the health and social care levy needs to be spent on social care to tackle these issues and create stable foundations for these reforms. The timetable and cost of the reforms must be kept under close and regular review, with any additional costs incurred by councils fully funded by Government.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Why the UK Should Invest More Money into Assistive Technology

By Barry Price, QCS Specialist Contributor (www.qcs.co.uk) In early March, Sajid Javid set an ambitious but necessary target for the social care sector.

The Health Secretary said that by 2024, he wanted 80 percent of social care providers to use digital records.* Currently, it is estimated that around 40 percent of providers are still using paper-based systems.** It is a move that Quality Compliance Systems, the leading provider of content, guidance and standards for the social care sector – and one that champions person-centred care - wholeheartedly supports. That is not to say there is anything wrong with providers using paper-based systems.

They can be highly effective. But, it is also true to say in some circumstances, traditional paper processes can sometimes hinder progress, create silos and ultimately curtail a provider’s ability to deliver great person-centred care. In contrast, on-call managers, who are able to access live digital notes from support staff, are in a much stronger position to give those frontline workers the best advice following an incident.

I think too it is vitally important that the social care sector sees the possibilities that technology can bring through a much wider lens. It is not just the process of digital care and support record keeping that will benefit, technology is an enabler, which if used correctly, can have a transformative effect on person-centred care.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Take Assistive Technology for instance. I’m sure most of you reading this piece have heard the phrase, but for anybody unfamiliar with the term ‘Assistive Technology’, I want to make clear what it is and what is isn’t. When people think of Assistive Technology, they think of tablets, laptops, smart doorbells and smart heating systems.

While these are all great examples of Assistive Technology, in that they enable us to be more efficient in our everyday lives, in my opinion, these examples simply don't do it justice. It is also worth making the point that Assistive Technology does not have to be a state-of-the-art micro-processing system. Devices can be fairly rudimentary. In the words of Skills for Care, what really counts is that an Assistive Technology device enables “an individual to continue to live independently and improve their quality of life”.***

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY OR PERSONALISED TECHNOLOGY? So, in terms of providing a definition, Skills for Care’s encapsulates all these ideas. It defines Assistive Technology as “any device that enables an individual to perform a task that ordinarily they would be unable to do, or would need additional support to carry out”. Most importantly, Skills for Care makes the point that Assistive Technology should promote “independence, choice, control and enablement”.

But why call it Assistive Technology? The pioneering minds, who have already made significant inroads into developing the technology in the social care sector and supported living services, prefer to call it personalised technology, because it brings independence and control to the right person in the right place at the right time.

So, what does innovative and effective Personalised Technology look like? HFT, a national charity, which supports people with learning disabilities, has placed personalised technology at the very heart of its person-centred culture, which empowers staff and those they support, to recognise that the specific needs and abilities of each person are not fixed, but are constantly changing.

EXAMPLES OF PERSONALISED TECHNOLOGY There are many examples of staff and service users using Personalised Technology to good effect, but I am going to focus on just a few.

One fantastic example of technology being used to augment person-centred care, is smart kettles that safely provides just the right amount of boiling water to enjoy a cup of tea. It isn’t just the technology that allows a person to enjoy their favourite beverage without the help of a support worker, that is remarkable. It is the work that

occupational therapists put into the technology that you don't see, that is most astonishing.

They have to break down and capture every tiny micro-step that goes into making a cup of tea, which they feed back to the technologists. Secondly, even with the technology up and running, there is a lot of work to be done. Support workers must work with service users to ensure they remember all of the steps and carry them out in the correct sequence. For those with a severe brain injury, re-learning the steps can be extremely challenging and requires hours of practice and support. However, the sense of achievement felt by service users and staff after reaching the even smallest of milestones is a wonderful feeling.

HOW PERSONALISED TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP THOSE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Personalised Technology has helped to transform the lives of those with dementia. GPS tracking technology built into a wearable device can enhance lives by returning a degree of independence to those with cognitive conditions and can give their loved one peace of mind.

However, for those with learning disabilities, this Personalised Technology has the potential to arguably have a far greater impact. Why? Because in this instance the technology provides a safe and secure platform for a person with learning disabilities and their support worker to begin a course of travel training.

In the early days of travel training, smart GPS technology is an enabler and does not provide a total solution.

The training programme still requires one-to-one training, which is broken down into small steps.

Let’s imagine, for instance, that a support worker wants to help a service user with learning disabilities navigate their way to and from a local shop. Following an initial assessment, the support worker would draw up a person-centred activity plan in partnership with that person. The support worker would firstly show the service user the way to the shop, pointing out notable landmarks along the way. Over several journeys, the support worker is then able to establish which parts of the route the person is comfortable with and which sections they’re struggling to master. The activity plan is then tweaked and focuses more on the trickier parts of the journey. In order to foster independence, as the service user becomes familiar with the route, the support worker firstly shadows them, and then encourages and empowers them to tackle certain sections themselves until they can comfortably find their way to and from their destination.

It is then that the technology really starts to proves its worth. Having learned the route and how to use the technology, it becomes like an invisible safety harness. If the worst were to happen, and a service user with learning disabilities were ever to take a wrong turn, the GPS wearable device enables them to be easily found.

Obviously, capacity, consent and data privacy are areas which need to be explored with the service user and/or their loved ones. Once they have been addressed, however, and documented in the care or support plan, the sky is the limit.

This is why demand for Assistive Technology is so high. To illustrate my point, the World Health Organisation says that “one billion people need one or more assistive products”.**** The fact that only one in ten people have access to it is something that urgently needs to be put right.

Learn more about how QCS can help you deliver outstanding care by starting a free trial now: www.qcs.co.uk/thecarer-free-trial * Carehome.co.uk - Sajid Javid says all care providers must use digital care records - 04.03.22 By Angeline Albert https://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1666377/Sajid-javid ** Carehome.co.uk - Sajid Javid says all care providers must use digital care records - 04.03.22 By Angeline Albert https://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1666377/Sajid-javid ***Skills for Care - A guide to assistive aids and technology https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Learning-and-development/Ongoing-learning-and-development/AT/Assistive-aids-and-technology-guide.pdf ****World Health Organization- Assistive Technology: Kay facts - 18.05.18 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/assistive-technology

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 5

More Than Half a Million are Waiting for Social Care New survey findings from ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) show that more than half a million people are now waiting for an adult social care assessment, for care or a direct payment to begin or for a review of their care.

The latest data suggests: • More than six in 10 councils that responded (61%) say they are having to prioritise assessments and are only able to respond to people where abuse or neglect is highlighted, for hospital discharge or after a temporary period of residential care to support recovery and reablement.

• 506,131 people were waiting for assessments, reviews, and/or care support to begin • There has been a 16% increase in the number of hours of home care that have been delivered since Spring 2021, but that dipped from a high of over 41m hours in Autumn 2021 in the first quarter of this year as staff vacancies and sickness impacted • Almost 170,000 hours a week of home care could not be delivered because of a shortage of care workers during the first three months of 2022 (4). That is a dramatic seven-fold increase since Spring 2021 This new evidence shows that despite staff working relentlessly over the last two years, levels of unmet, undermet or wrongly met needs are increasing, and the situation is getting worse. The growing numbers of people needing care and the increasing complexity of their needs are far outstripping the capacity to meet them.

Despite great achievements in increasing the amount of care provided, there is an even starker rise in the support now needed, with more people left without essential care to maintain their health, and dignity and lead good lives in their communities.

Not only are people waiting longer for care assessments, reviews, care packages and personal budgets, but family carers are having to shoulder greater responsibility and are being asked to take paid or unpaid leave from work when care and support are not available for their family members.

Making the focus of resources on acute hospitals, without addressing care and support at home, means people deteriorate and even more will need hospital care.

Responding to the findings, Sarah McClinton, ADASS President said: “We have not seen the bounce back in services after the pandemic in the way we had hoped. In fact, the situation is getting worse rather than better.

“Social care is far from fixed. The Health and Social Care reforms go some way to tackle the issue of how much people contribute to the cost of their care, but it falls short in addressing social care’s most pressing

issues: how we respond to rapidly increasing unmet need for essential care and support and resolve the workforce crisis by properly valuing care professionals.

Cathie Williams, ADASS Chief Executive said: “Without action to prioritise care and support in people’s homes and local communities, it will take years rather than months to fully recover.”

“We need a funded plan so that we can ensure that everyone gets the care and support they need, with more of the Health and Social Care Levy being used to fund care and support in people’s homes and communities over the next two years. People cannot wait for funding trickle into adult social care and wider community services”.

Commenting on the report Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director of Age UK said: “These new figures make for grim reading and behind them are real older and disabled people whose lives are being sadly diminished by lack of essential support. They highlight how desperate things are at the moment in social care, because of shortages of money and staff, so I hope Ministers will stop trying to claim that they have ‘fixed social care’.

“It would be fantastic if they had but unfortunately there is clearly an awful lot more for them to do.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of older and disabled people are having to put up with a ramshackle service, with more than half a million unable to get even to first base by having an initial assessment.”

“I’d love to be able to give people some hope by suggesting that once the Government’s care reforms start to come in next year, things will start to improve. The problem though is that this wouldn’t be true, because their changes really only relate to how much financial support people get in paying for their care, they won’t do anything to expand the help available or improve its quality and reliability, and that’s what many older people and their families tell us worries them the most. After all, what’s the point of having the reassurance that you won’t face unlimited bills for your care, if there’s no one to provide it for you in the first place?

“The Government deserves great credit for committing to improve social care, after all its recent predecessors chose to look the other way. However, Ministers are at grave risk of being seen to over-promise and under-deliver on their promises, as this latest ADASS survey demonstrates only too well. It’s an utterly miserable situation for many older and disabled people, as it is for all the committed people who work in social care, alongside those who commission services in local authorities, who know they have no chance of meeting local needs.”

Call for Government to Change Course on Care CARE providers today called on the Government to change course on getting urgent support to the country’s oldest and most vulnerable.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) said the Government’s U-turn on an energy supplier windfall tax showed it was capable of changing course.

Now it wants to see the Government alter plans for the Health and Social Care Levy so that social care gets urgent help.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “The Chancellor today said ‘being able to change course is not a weakness it is a strength’ – well we want to see another demonstration of that strength to help a sector in crisis.

“The Government has proved that it can change course, introduce a windfall tax on energy suppliers and help hard-pressed families.

“It is time to see a change of course on the Health and Social Care Levy, with money diverted now to social care rather than in years ahead.”

The Levy is due to raise £36bn over the next three years but the bulk of that is to be spent on the NHS in the first instance.

But Mr Padgham added: “Yes, the NHS needs support, but it will be pointless bailing out the NHS if social care is leaking at the other end.

“Without a change of course, the boat will sink and more people will end up without the care they need.

“Social care and NHS care need equal support – one cannot operate properly without the other – and we need the Government to recognise that and to act, diverting some of the earmarked money to social care so that we can address the staffing crisis which is crippling care.”

He said further evidence of the issues facing social care had been provided this week by the County Councils Network. It reported that planned Government reforms could cost more than £10bn more than estimated and need an extra 5,000 staff at a time when the sector is enduring a recruitment crisis.

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

PAGE 6 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Maintaining Morale and Combating Stress in the Face of Staff Shortages

By Sadie Besley, senior operations director, Randstad UK (www.randstad.co.uk) Care homes are suffering epic staff shortages. Staff burnout is sky high; some care teams have been running too hot for too long. A parliamentary report has said staff burnout is now at emergency levels. Brexit made talent more scarce (although, while there are 150,000 care roles vacant at the moment, it’s worth highlighting there were more than 100,000 before the referendum). These short- to medium-term issues are mixing with longer-term demographic trends - everyone is getting older and living longer - with demand for labour far outstripping supply.

The shortage is so severe that the care sector is forecast to become one of the top three global growth sectors for recruiters over the next twenty years.

The bald numbers are one thing but the consequences are another.

Shortages lead to mental and physical health issues, high turnover, and low morale - eventually standards of care will be compromised.

Operators know they need to do more to alleviate employee stress.

HOW TO BEAT STRESS What’s the best way to help and support staff experiencing difficulties? We talked to nurse and Love Island star Rachel Fenton about how she handled the stress of the job. She recommended all the classics: meal prep so you can eat clean; incorporate exercise into your routine at work - taking 30 mins to go for a walk, for instance; taking vitamin D if you aren’t getting enough time outside in daylight; drinking a few litres of water a day; and working flexibly. As an employer you should try to facilitate these.

COULD BETTER REWARDS INCREASE MORALE? On the one hand, careers in care resonate with Millennials and Generation Z - age groups motivated more by wishing to give back and seeking meaningful work and of course. Material rewards are less important to them

than to, say, Baby Boomers or to Generation X. Furthermore, the first two years of the pandemic shone a bright light on the enormous value of healthcare and care workers in our lives and their contribution to wider society. Whether they are looking after the practical needs of vulnerable individuals or providing much-needed psychological support to those under their care, the professionals in these roles are often a vital lifeline for those with whom they come into contact. 'Key worker' status was a tremendous advert for careers in care. The prestige of these roles rocketed in the collective psyche, boosting morale.

On the other hand, while the psychological income of working in care is strong, it doesn't pay the bills. Almost three in every ten (29 per cent) of healthcare workers received pay rises when changing roles in 2021, seeing an increase of between £500 and £2,000 per annum. If your loyal staff feel underpaid, morale will suffer.

So the first thing to do is reevaluate your asking salaries. Are they realistic given the amount of hiring going on? Perhaps not.

If there’s no cash available, improving your employer brand can help your payroll bill stretch further.

Research has revealed if the reputation of an employer’s brand is poor, a pay increase of at least 10% is needed to entice a new employer to join. This translates to approximately £3,300 per hire. A company with over 10,000 employees or more could be spending £5.3million in additional wages to compensate for its poor reputation.

The three factors most likely to wrench your employer brand are lousy job security, dysfunctional teams, and poor leadership. Do any of those sound familiar?

There are other rewards you can offer potential employees, other than cash. In the wider workforce, food and drink has traditionally been one means to sustain morale as a social lubricant and workplace perk. Silicon Valley’s tech groups had long competed for talent by providing flashy canteens and free snacks.

While we can aspire to offer workplace snacks including dried seaweed and kombucha, a la Google, more realistically for the average care employer, is offering more flexibility. In the UK, the most important thing that potential employees look for when choosing an employer is work-life balance - it’s more influential - just - on their decision than an attractive salary and benefits.

MPs Join Relatives & Residents Association Call for New Right to Care Supporter A cross-party coalition of MPs has joined a call from the Relatives & Residents Association (R&RA) for a new legal right to ensure people can maintain contact with their family across health and care settings. Over 60 MPs have signed a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in response to the severe, detrimental impact isolation from family and friends has caused.

The joint call follows a R&RA event in Parliament on 9 March, which co-chair Tracey Crouch MP described as one of the “most powerful” she has been involved in. People who have been affected by separation during the pandemic travelled to Westminster to talk to MPs about why this new right is needed. Listening to the “harrowing experiences of people unable to see loved ones”, James Wild

MP said “it can’t be right that there’s a postcode lottery that leads to such cruel outcomes.”

The letter to the Secretary of State, sent on 23 May, has been coordinated by four MPs: Labour MP Dan Carden, Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper, and Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts. Many more MPs have expressed their support but were unable to sign the joint letter due to their Ministerial/Shadow roles.

MPs are calling on the Secretary of State to create a new legal right which would give anyone who needs care and support access to a ‘care supporter’ – a relative or friend who can help them wherever they need it, such as in hospitals, care homes or GP surgeries.

R&RA director, Helen Wildbore, said: “MPs have sent a message loud and clear to the Government: never again should those who need support be cut off from the people they need most. The support of partners, parents, sons and daughters is not an optional extra, but vital to dignified care. The Government must answer this call to ensure the devastating harm of the past two years is never repeated.”

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 7

Say Hello to the Carer’s Latest Unsung Hero…

TONY POSTIGLIONE

We here at the CARER are thrilled to announce that Tony Postiglione, a support worker at Meadowview Nursing Home in Calow Chesterfield is our latest Unsung Hero!

Again we had a phenomenal response to our unsung hero award, a small gesture on our part to award somebody within the residential and nursing care environment who has gone that extra mile and deserves a better recognition !

Deserved winner Tony has combined role as a support worker with entertainments and has been dubbed by colleagues as the “karaoke king” During these past years, and particularly during the pandemic, Tony has faced an extremely challenging personal health battle but has insisted on coming to work carrying on his duties, stepping in and covering shifts due to staff illness and shortages, and taking on the role of mentoring younger people entering the sector for the first time.

Tony was nominated by Meadowview Nursing Home registered manager Gillian Kent who said: “Tony is one of the most dedicated, committed and selfless people I have ever had the honour to work alongside “ “Throughout all of his treatment (due to his serious illness) health issues good times and bad he has insisted on coming to work, battling on and providing our service users with not only first-class

care but ours of entertainment as our Karaoke king.”

“He honestly never stops”.

“Despite his health issues we see the pleasure he gets in knowing that he can raise the spirits of all of our service users and the moods of his co-workers.”

“He always steps and volunteers to work extra hours when are short of staff.”

“Tony has been a great role model for the young lads who come into care, we love it when he mentors our new staff as they all share his relentless work ethic, love of their careers and his ability to bring a joyous atmosphere to the gloomiest of days.”

“We all are in complete agreement that he is our outstanding unsung hero.”

“When we presented Tony with his wonderful prize, he was absolutely thrilled and for once, lost for words.

“This was short lived as he soon burst into song, and we shared a bit of an ad hoc version of Vera Lynne’s ‘White cliffs of Dover’.

We here at The Carer are delighted to award worthy winner Tony a luxury “celebration” hamper packed full of all those delightful luxury extras that make any celebration a truly memorable occasion!

It always has become increasingly more difficult over the years to pick an overall winner, and we are

delighted to add some Marks & Spencer vouchers as “unofficial” runner-up prizes.

• Susan Clark from Claremont House Dumfries • Jane Smith of Cann House Care Home Plymouth • Annesta Horrocks from Edensor Care Essex We are also delighted to include Ruby & Katie, Two 14-year-old girls who volunteer at Frenchay & Crossley House nursing home in Bristol.

“They come during school holidays and weekends, they work in our kitchens washing up and making tea for our residents, they also do activities with our residents, sit and chat to them and find out interesting things about their lives, this is not only amazing for our residents well being but it also helps my staff team learn new things about our residents”! Says registered manager Karin Brownlie So, two gift vouchers are also off in the post to Ruby and Katie - well done!

In fact, well done to you all!!!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who put forward nominations we had a wonderful response, it may sound tired old cliché, but it is not meant to be, when we say, that in our eyes “every nomination was a winner” and we are just sorry we cannot give an award to everybody!

Watch out for further details of our next “Unsung Hero” with the same great prize of a luxury celebration hamper!

Local Care Home Celebrates the 77th Anniversary of VE Day Bushey House Beaumont in Bushey marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember. The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing with Fiona Harrison Soprano and Costume artist.

Head chef Avni whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion.

Residents observed the national two minute silence and listened again to Churchill’s iconic speech accepting Germany’s surrender and an address from the Queen. They reminisced about their memories of VE

Day and watched clips of the celebrations that took place outside Buckingham Palace and all across London.

Mary Jane Bague, General Manager at Bushey House said: “Many of our residents can remember the end of the war and we all know what it meant for our country so we wanted to celebrate the date and listen to our resident’s memories of the war and the experiences they lived through.”

Martin Watson resident at Bushey House said: “It was wonderful to reminisce and to celebrate with all the staff and residents here. We really enjoyed the entertainment and had a lovely party. We’ve all had such fun and lots of cake!”

PAGE 8 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Protecting the Vulnerable in High-Risk Settings

By Denis Kinane, Immunologist and Founding Scientist at Cignpost Diagnostics (www.cignpostdiagnostics.com) Earlier this month, it was reported that the UK Health Security Agency, the public health body that has overseen Britain’s efforts to combat COVID, is having its budget slashed. This will see a 40% headcount reduction and the suspension of routine Covid testing in hospitals and care homes.

There are concerns that changes like ending asymptomatic testing could have put vulnerable or immunosuppressed people at greater risk, but that the organisation could be left too underfunded to cope with any resurgence in the pandemic.

Yet with Covid cases having fallen dramatically since the start of the year, many argue this decision is just the next step in the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ plan. Funding is understandably tight, so is it not better to put testing on hold during the safer summer months?

Although immunocompromised people have access to several COVID countermeasures, including additional doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, it does not prevent them from catching the virus. In fact, a recent study by Imperial College London showed that 19 per cent of 239 kidney transplant recipients who received four jabs did not display any immune response.

This means that the decision to end free tests, coupled with the possibility that people spending time with the immunocompromised may not be vaccinated, could possibly put vulnerable groups at greater risk of becoming infected.

Undoubtedly, the Government faces a number of challenges in deciding how best to proceed as the country emerges from the worst of the pandemic. The need to balance the protection of the most vulnerable from COVID while ensuring life and the economy returns to normal is fully understandable. In my opinion, reconsidering the decision to abandon all testing, particularly those concerning vulnerable people, would be a sensible step.

Testing has formed a vital part of the public health response to the pandemic and has been crucial in preventing transmission, especially within settings such as care homes and hospitals. It has also helped us to detect and react speedily to emerging new variants.

Just because the Government has ended free testing does not mean that hospitals, care homes and other high-risk settings should not look to what measures they could continue to use that offer some protection, even if it is just encouraging the retention of social distancing measures, mask wearing and limited testing. That is why Cignpost Diagnostics has offered to provide bulk low-cost tests direct to care homes to help them ensure they have available tests for residents, staff and visitors.

I would strongly advise that anyone exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19 takes a PCR, or at the very least, lateral flow test, so they can minimise the chance of passing the virus onto the immunocompromised people they come into contact with. I would also recommend that any vulnerable people continue to take protective measures wherever possible, including wearing masks, practice social distancing where appropriate, and if possible, avoid socialising with large groups of people.

Cases may now have significantly reduced, but the virus is still with us. COVID has taken many surprising turns over the past two years, so it is important we continue to look out for our most vulnerable, not only by protecting them in the here and now, but by being prepared for the inevitable next wave that is most likely to come in the Autumn or to combat any new variants of concern. This means doing what we can to continue with the simple measures that we know will contain the virus spread.

Sheffield Care Home Director Recognised by Buckingham Palace Nicola Richards, Director of Palms Row Health Care in Sheffield, was invited by Her Majesty The Queen to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace this week in recognition of her dedication to the social care sector.

Whilst at the Palace, Nicola also took the opportunity to deliver a card for the Queen from Northfield Nursing Home congratulating Her Majesty on her 70 year reign. The Platinum Jubilee card was hand made by 90 year old Northfield resident, Jean Horton.

This invitation is the second time that the Palms Row team has been recognised by the Royal Family.

In 2020 a photograph taken at a Palms Row care home was one of those that inspired the Duchess of Cambridge to launch a new exhibition to capture the ‘resilience, bravery and kindness’ of the nation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nicola, who runs Northfield Nursing Home and Westbourne House in the city, became a leading voice of the care sector as Covid-19 tightened its grip, highlighting issues ranging from access to PPE and tests, lack of support from government, the mental wellbeing of care home staff and residents and long-term funding for care

homes.

Nicola’s tenacity ensured the government could not continue to ignore the challenges facing the sector and as a result of her work, she was appointed to the Board of the National Care Association.

Nicola commented: “It’s not every day that an invitation from Buckingham Palace lands on your doormat. It was a huge honour to attend The Queen’s garden party yesterday and I am delighted that the work we do at Palms Row is being recognised in this way. The past two years have been extremely challenging with carers often left feeling overlooked and demoralised. I will continue to speak up for the sector and its legion of dedicated employees, who are essential to the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the UK.” Nicola’s experiences during the pandemic prompted her to found Support Social Care Heroes, an organisation which aims to preserve, protect and improve the health and wellbeing of those providing social care. She is a leading champion of care workers in the North of England.

Masks May Still Be Required In Welsh Care Homes After Lifting Of Covid Curbs Some Welsh care homes may still require people visiting relatives or friends to wear masks – depending on the level of risk to residents.

That was the message from Care Forum Wales, which represents nearly 500 social care providers, after the Welsh Government revealed they were lifting all remaining Covid restrictions.

Chief executive Mary Wimbury said there was still “nervousness” in the sector because they were looking after extremely vulnerable people whose health and wellbeing was paramount.

The Welsh Government said the public health situation had continued to improve over the last few weeks.

Until now Wales was the last part of the UK with Covid restrictions still in place but the Welsh Government said the public health situation had continued to improve over the last few weeks.

However, guidance will remain in place strongly recommending the use of face coverings in health settings to help protect the most vulnerable.

Ms Wimbury said: “I think the lifting of restrictions is a step back to the normality that everyone wants.

“There’s going to be a mixture of emotions. There will be delight for people who are going to be able to see people’s smiles again in care homes in a way they haven’t been able to for over two years but there’s also going

to be a level of nervousness.

“It’s impossible to overestimate the trauma that people in the sector have gone through so it is going to have to be risk assessed in each setting, depending on people’s vulnerabilities and how you manage it.

“I was talking to a domiciliary care provider who was saying that sometimes you are going into people’s homes where there are a lot of people coming in and out not wearing masks and it’s going to be great for staff not to have to, through the summer particularly.

“There are other people you’re visiting where they are very vulnerable and they are isolating and not seeing anyone and they are going to want you to still wear a mask.

“It’s always been about finding the right balance. We understand why the restrictions have continued because of the vulnerabilities of people living in care settings.

“Everyone’s an individual so those vulnerabilities vary but if you’re going into someone’s own home, that’s their choice.

“If you’re going into somewhere that is the home of a number of people, then you have to balance those risks to everybody.

“That’s why we have had different requirements for seeing care home residents in their rooms as opposed to a communal area during the last period.

“My understanding is that the guidance is going to give us a steer on risk assessments and it is going to be for each provider to risk assess.

“It may be there will be different requirements in different areas of the home.

“What we can say across the piece is that this is an opportunity to move back towards normality but to do that safely.”

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THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 9

Government Rejects Call for Integrated Recovery Plan to Tackle Backlog Caused by Pandemic Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has criticised the Government’s rejection of a recommendation for a broad national health and care recovery plan to tackle the backlog caused by the pandemic. MPs made the recommendation for a comprehensive plan to include emergency care, mental health, primary care, community care and social care in their report on clearing the backlog, published in December. The Government published its response earlier this month evening.

The Committee has also flagged the rejection once again of its call for the publication of an annual independent assessment of workforce numbers.

Without it, it will remain impossible to know whether enough doctors, nurses or care staff are being trained, say MPs. Health and Social Care Committee Chair Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP said: “We urged the Government to produce a central integrated recovery plan as we emerged from the pandemic that went beyond tackling the elective backlog. Vital services that people depend on such as emergency care, mental health, community and primary care must be included. In rejecting our recommendation Ministers have missed an opportunity to set out a comprehensive plan of the role these services will play in recovery. The Government has presented us with a jigsaw of laudable plans and strategies, but has failed to produce the overarching vision that would fit those pieces together.

“With millions of patients waiting for elective surgery, addressing the workforce crisis is critical. Yet once again the Government has failed to heed our call to publish independent annual reports to project how many staff will be needed. Without it, it remains impossible to know whether enough doctors, nurses or care staff are being trained.

“Public health services are dependent on funding at a level to match their crucial work – instead they face a real terms decrease. The Government points to increased funding to local authorities but the impact of inflation will mean a cut and a struggle to deliver what is needed.

“On social care, we called on the Government to bolster its commitment to reform services with a long overdue ten-year plan. Instead, we’re asked to accept a ‘reform vision’. The absence of social care in this week’s Queen’s Speech speaks volumes.

“At a time of crisis, exemplified by NHS doctors being urged to delay retirement, it is incredibly disappointing to again see the lack of clarity in the Government’s response to the recommendations we have made. I repeat my call to the Secretary of State to urge his Department to be clear on all of our recommendations and whether they are ultimately accepted or rejected.”

Key recommendations made by MPs in report on clearing the backlog • Department of Health and Social Care urged to work with NHS England to produce a broader national health and care recovery plan by April 2022, that goes beyond the elective backlog to emergency care, mental health, primary care, community care and social care.

• Plan must take account of the risk that a reliance on numerical targets alone will deprioritise key services and risk patient safety.

• National health and care recovery plan must set out a clear vision for what ‘success’ in tackling the backlog will look like, and what patients can expect their care to look like in their local area in the coming years.

• Repeats Committee’s previous recommendation for publication of independently audited annual reports on workforce projections that cover the next five, ten and twenty years, including an assessment of whether enough staff are being trained.

WWII Veteran Major Edwin ‘Ted’ Hunt MVO Honoured in The Netherlands Major Ted Hunt MVO, who lives at the Care for Veterans Home in Worthing, was taken to The Netherlands by The Taxi Charity to celebrate Dutch Liberation on 5 May and when the rest of the group returned to the UK, Major Ted and volunteer London Cab Driver Mike Hughes stayed behind to attend the event in Gennep.

London Cab Driver and Taxi Charity Volunteer , Mike Hughes said, “What Major Ted didn’t know was that the event he was attending today was not purely to commemorate building the Bailey Bridge during WWII but was primarily to thank Ted for his contribution to this amazing feat of engineering. Keeping this secret from him for several months was not easy but seeing the joy on his face when the penny dropped that he was the guest of honour, and the day was for him was something I will never forget.”

The wording on the sign at the site of the Bailey Bridge says, ‘These two bridge segments are a tribute to the 1222 metre, 1126-ton Bailey Bridge, that English Sapper Major Edwin Hunt MVO and Dutch Civil Engineer reserve Lieutenant Constant Lambrechtsen van Ritthem planned and designed. The bridge was built between the 12 and 20 February 1945 by 7th Army Engineers of the British Second Army and this masterpiece was the longest floating Bailey Bridge of WWII.” Major Ted Hunt, said, “It was wonderful to be here today to celebrate the courage and skill of a very brave Dutchman. It was an honour for me to work with him and it is lovely for

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the people here today to see and recognise the result of what he did. The bridge at Gennep was the lifeline of the war as it moved on into Germany. Constant is the man to be admired I was just his dogsbody.”

Dick Goodwin, Vice President Taxi Charity said, “Ted is a very humble man and does not take much credit for his part in the Bailey Bridge at Gennep but his advice and help in the building of this significant bridge is one of the major turning points in the final stages of the war in Europe. The Taxi Charity has brought Ted back to The Netherlands on many occasions, and it was an absolute pleasure and privilege to be here with him today.”

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 11

Scrap Immigration Visa Rules and Pay Care Workers £10.50 Minimum Wage, Government Urged Care workers should be paid a higher minimum wage of £10.50 and made permanently eligible for work visas under immigration rules to help tackle staff shortages, according to Government advisers.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which briefs ministers on immigration policy, urged the Government to adopt a string of recommendations “as soon as possible” in order to “alleviate the challenges facing the social care sector”.

The fully funded minimum pay rate is one of 19 recommendations in the MAC Adult Social Care and Immigration Report.

Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report into adult social care and immigration The Committee also recommends that care workers be made permanently eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa and be kept on the Shortage Occupation List until it is next reviewed.

Other recommendations include the cancelling or significant lowering of health and care worker settlement fees and the removal of the Immigration Skills Charge.

NO SILVER BULLET MAC Chair, Professor Brian Bell, said: “The Migration Advisory Committee has put forward 19 recommendations which will help alleviate the challenges facing the social care sector. But we are clear that immigration cannot be a silver bullet to solve the fundamental challenges the sector faces. These challenges result from years of underfunding which predate and dwarf any immigration related factors.

“We urge the government to put our recommendations in place as soon as possible – beginning with the introduction of a minimum rate of pay for care workers in England, removing the immigration skills charge

and for the occupation to continue to be placed on the Shortage Occupation List for the foreseeable future.”

Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of NCF and member of the social care expert advisory supporting the MAC with this work said: “The Report reiterates some very important issues affecting the social care sector which as an organisation we have been raising for many months. The issues of underfunding and how this continues to exacerbate challenges to providers runs through the entire report, including the effects of increased demand for care, high staff vacancy and turnover rates and the impact of low pay and the care workforce challenges.

CALL FOR INDEPENDENT PAY REVIEW “The report identifies funding and immigration policy as possible solutions to alleviate some of these issues and recommends a broader strategic and whole system approach. The report recommends that the government fully funds a minimum rate of pay for care workers in England that is above the NLW, where care is provided through public funds, at a minimum rate of £10.50 per hour. While a focus on the minimum pay for care workers in this report is a helpful contribution to this issue, the NCF has consistently called for an independent pay review for social care, which involves employers, commissioners, and employee representatives with a view to implementing a new career-based pay and reward structure which is comparable with the NHS and equivalent sectors and fully-funded by Central Government.

“Furthermore, we fully support MAC’s endorsement of the views expressed by the Health and Social Care Committee for DHSC to produce a “People Plan” for social care in alignment with the NHS and echo their recommendation that DHSC, and the comparable bodies in the Devolved Administrations, develop a coherent workforce plan in consul-

tation with the sector for a coherent workforce strategy between health and care. The fact that the Health & Care Bill has been passed today with no requirement for the government to deliver joint workforce planning or both health and social care really is a missed opportunity.

“The findings of this report provides further evidence of the need for the government to act on the recommendations as a matter of urgency.”

Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), said: “The Migration Advisory Committee’s report offers a further wake up call for government. The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group backs the Committee’s recommendation to fully fund a rate of social care pay above the National Living Wage. A fully funded £10.50 per hour social care rate would be a good start, but we know the true value of care work is much more. We need to be ambitious in rewarding talent for much needed social care.”

UNISON head of social care Gavin Edwards said: “Ministers have cynically made it difficult for high-skilled, low-paid foreign care staff to work in the UK, even though the sector is crying out for workers. This report is yet another wake-up call for a government that’s been dozing at the wheel for decades. No bluster, no slogans, the government must adopt the MAC’s recommendations now, so the Cinderella care sector can attract the new recruits it needs and retain experienced staff too.”

A government spokesperson said: “We would like to thank the Migration Advisory Committee for their continued work on this area. “This report calls for cross-Whitehall consideration including on funding for social care, pay, conditions and workforce strategy, alongside immigration policy. “The government will consider the MAC’s recommendations carefully and respond in due course.”

Football Legends Have a Ball at Vida Healthcare “We were thrilled to be able to host three Leeds United

The UK’s leading provider of dementia care, Vida

legends at our care home. Activities like this are so

Healthcare, has welcomed famous football players

important for our residents and they had a fantastic

through its doors to reminisce with residents.

time meeting Tony, Eddie and Paul and sharing a pie

Three retired players from Leeds United Football Club (LUFC) visited residents at Vida Healthcare’s latest

and pint with them.

“Wellbeing and life enrichment is crucial to the lives

care home, Vida Court. Tony Dorigo, Eddie Gray and Paul Reaney spent time with residents and staff, and

of our residents. This special day was all about reminis-

spoke about highlights from Leeds games over the

cence and nostalgia, and it brought back special mem-

past few decades and major career moments. Staff

ories for everyone in attendance. Events and visits like

also set up goals in the garden for residents to have a

this are crucial for encouraging residents to remember moments in their lives, and building strong bonds with

game of football with the players.

Sharon Oldfield, home manager at Vida Court, said:

staff.”

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Essential Adult Social Care Engagement Whitepaper Launches The Good Governance Institute (GGI), Care England and the Homecare Association have launched a whitepaper designed to explore the extent to which the adult social care (ASC) sector is being appropriately engaged in the ongoing development of ICSs. The purpose of an ICS is to deliver properly joined up care, so that people accessing health and care services experience them as seamlessly as possible. It is a partnership between organisations to better meet health and care needs across an area. Despite this, it seems that effective engagement among ICSs with the ASC sector has not been consistent. Recently, much of the focus in healthcare has been more on post-pandemic restoration and recovery, although even that situation still seems to be changing rapidly.

Andrew Corbett-Nolan, CEO of GGI, said: “Engagement with adult social care is essential to the success of integrated care systems (ICSs) and the development of health and social care services. This paper comes at an essential time for engagement with key partners across the system, to enable connections between health and social care.”

Martin Green, CEO of Care England, said: “In order for ICSs to succeed, social care provider’s must be heard.

We urge all ICS leaders to carefully consider the key recommendations in this paper to ensure that integration works for both health and social care.”

Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association, said: “Homecare services play a vital role, alongside housing, health and other community-based services, in enabling us all to live well at home and flourish in our communities. People receiving services need to experience seamless support from professionals and volunteers. It is

therefore paramount to create a culture of collaboration between partners, focused on meeting the needs of people living at home. We thus strongly encourage Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to engage effectively with homecare providers and develop the huge potential that joined up care systems offer. Investing in multi-disciplinary support for people to maintain their health and well-being at home helps to enhance healthy life expectancy, which benefits individuals and their families, reduces pressure on the NHS and reduces costs in health and care systems.”

Key recommendations from the paper include: • ICSs note that the social care partner member on the Integrated Care Board (ICB) will not necessarily be able to effectively represent providers, and therefore, ICSs should work with providers to develop more effective engagement mechanisms • ICSs should develop a plan about how to engage with ASC providers and involve them in the process • ICSs should have a provider forum or liaise with local care associations which nominates a representative to the ICS Partnership Board • ICSs should ensure that ASC providers have a role in the new local place arrangements, the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) and/or the ICB. Perhaps through the creation of a paid position that is tasked with furthering the ASC agenda and educating others around them on the issues facing the sector • The Department of Health and Social Care publish a specific framework for ICS engagement with the ASC sector

Maidstone Care Home Rolls Back the Years to Celebrate the Last of its ‘Through the Decades’ Theme Days Residents and staff at a Maidstone care home rolled back the years as its timetravelling ‘Through the Decades’ theme reached a funky finale, in the bygone era of the 1970s.

With the music of Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac serenading its residents, Nellsar’s Loose Valley Care Home celebrated the era of bellbottoms, disco, cultural change and technological innovation in style – with flares and patterned wallpaper aplenty!

Excited to reminisce and return to an era remembered so fondly by many, residents took full advantage of the fun-filled day that took them on a virtual tour of the decade, which included fun quizzes, cardboard cut-outs of music records and a full-size replica of the first mobile phone, with a large carry-around battery pack.

Dubbed ‘Through the Decades’, the third and final theme day following trips back to the 50s and 60s, saw staff embracing the iconic 70s era. They took it in turns to sing ABBA songs with their residents, who had to guess the lyrics first before singing the rest of the song on the karaoke.

Loose Valley also provided quizzes and interesting facts about the 1970s, with pictures of technology – chunky computers, dial telephones and digital cameras –

on display!

In addition, residents and staff enjoyed chatting, reminiscing and sharing stories from the memorable decade, while others compared how old they were in the 70s – with ages ranging from 40 to two!

Paula Smy, Loose Valley Care Home’s Recreation and Well-Being Champion, fondly remembered her mum and dad’s house, when in 1977, her family moved to Coxheath. To this day, she’s never forgotten the floor-to-ceiling wooden cladding one side of the long lounge, which stretched from the front to the back of the house!

Reflecting on a day filled with laughter and nostalgia, Paula said: “Our latest and final journey back in time to the 1970s couldn’t have gone any better. To see so many smiling faces amongst our residents, who relished in sharing tales from a familiar time, is something that I’ll never forget.”

She continued: “Everyone had so many fascinating tales to share with one another and it was so much fun seeing staff and residents alike take their turn on the karaoke. It was the perfect ending to what has been an unforgettable theme inspired by Nellsar!”

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Disparities Experienced by LGBT+ People in Adult Health and Social Care and The Importance of Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces in Care Homes Evolve Care Group’s (www.evolvecaregroup.com) writer Beth Tingle, covers the life histories surrounding the organisations many care and nursing homes and the extraordinary people that live in them.

2022 marks half a century since the first Pride march in 1972 that took place in London. In the time that has passed since, activists have protested their rights to be accepted by society and reclaimed words used as offensive slurs such as ‘gay’ and ‘queer’ and turned them into proud terms that are now used to celebrate the community, but it wasn’t without a fight.

Many will remember the dark period of life that LGBT+ people were forced to live through under the infamous Section 28 act, imposed in 1988 during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership. The law prohibited the promotion of homosexuality, which incited an increase of homophobic abuse against an already largely marginalized community.

But the community were done being silent, and instead of being shamed back into the closet, people continued what those before them had done to so bravely break out of it. The Stonewall riots of 1969 was a defining moment in LGBT+ history which transformed the gay liberation movement and that wasn’t a moment people were going to let pass by.

Thanks to continued activism, the section was eradicated in 2003 and in the years that have followed, societal attitudes have seen a major shift towards a much wider acceptance of the LGBT+ community. Although we still have a way to go, in the western world today, queer people are living proudly and openly with access to rights that protect them.

But what if the rich and powerful history this community are tied to becomes fragmented? What do we do when it becomes patchy and disjointed by our very own mind? What if you begin to lose those critical memories and with them your identity that is so strongly weaved into the fabric of them?

When a person living with a Dementia who was born in that first half of the 20th century reverts back to the mindset of their earlier years before all of this progress in history took place, they may become afraid the stigma that surrounded who they are back then now exists in the present. Dementia can act as a mode of transportation where the person living with it can be taken back to an era already lived out, and to all of the harsh ways of the world that hadn’t been unwronged just yet, such as homosexuality being classified as a mental illness you could be locked away for.

To prevent people living with us experiencing this, we invited Opening Doors, an LGBT+ focused charity, to partner with us and help support our training. The course was cocreated by the older LGBT+ community alongside health and social care experts and the content covered how we can create inclusive spaces for LGBT+ people entering the later chapters of their lives, spaces where people feel comfortable to express who they are.

We also invited illustrator, Eleanor Beer, along to the training, who sat and created the wonderful LGBT+ illustrations in this piece for our Connections Count magazines on IDENTITY and INCLUSION, delivering visual

91% of People Affected by Dementia See Clear Benefits to Getting a Diagnosis A survey, conducted as part of Dementia Action Week has revealed evidence showing that 91% of people affected by dementia saw clear benefits to getting a diagnosis, with many living with dementia wishing they had received a diagnosis earlier.

Aiming to understandthe barriers and benefits of getting a diagnosis, the Alzheimer’s Society carried out a survey of 1019 people affected by dementia, and also interviewed 320 people who suspected they or someone close to them had symptoms of dementia but had not been diagnosed.

The clear message from people living with dementia is that it is better to know.

KEY FINDINGS The survey found that more than 9 in 10 people surveyed saw at least one benefit in getting a diagnosis, on average mentioning 2.5 benefits.

The most frequently cited benefits were:

Cited benefits graph summary The survey also explored the barriers to getting a diagnosis and found 1 in 4 people had waited two years after experiencing symptoms before seeking a diagnosis.

60% of people who took the survey wished they had received their diagnosis earlier.

The key reasons for putting off diagnosis were:

The research drove home how important timely diagnosis is, as many people who had ignored their symptoms and put off going to their GP had ended up reaching a crisis point, such as hospitalisation, before they sought a diagnosis.

Tens of thousands of people are currently living without a diagnosis and the pandemic has caused a sustained drop in dementia diagnoses for the first time ever, with rates falling to a five-year low. We estimate, due to the backlog caused by the pandemic, that there are over 30,000 people living without the dementia diagnosis they would otherwise have received, which would unlock vital support and care.

The Alzheimer’s Society is tackling barriers through an awareness raising campaign – It’s not called getting old, it’s called getting ill - this Dementia Action Week and beyond, driving home the benefits of getting a timely diagnosis, which, crucially, unlocks the door to the treatments and support which can have so much more impact if accessed in the earlier stages of dementia.

They are are highlighting that memory loss is not a normal part of ageing and are launching resources, informed by advice from leading clinicians, to arm people with all the information they need when speaking with their GP. This includes online support and advice and a new symptoms checklist which can be printed and taken to the doctor to help both patients and clinicians have an easier diagnosis experience.

case studies that convey a greater understanding of the fears this community face, and the inclusive language we need to be using to make everyone in our homes feel comfortable and safe.

Just as importantly, we work towards further extending that safe space to our team members who identify as LGBT+. It is important that everyone under our roof is met with the same message: that your unique identity is something to be celebrated, and your gender identity and who you choose to be with is a huge part of that. When looking to build an inclusive environment, the priority is that our team members must feel at home in their place of work, and we do this by aspiring to create a culture of openness, honesty, and transparency.

We spoke to Katie, a team leader at Heanton Nursing Home, which is one of Evolve Care Group’s homes in Devon. Katie, who belongs to the LGBT+ community, gave us an insight to how the homes culture encourages equality.

“Heanton has always prided itself on looking after their LGBT+ community. Whether you are a member of the team or a family member living at Heanton, each and every one of us are treated as equals. There is no judgement or discrimination, and we all have a sense of belonging. At Heanton an environment has been created for team members and family members to be themselves and comfortable each and every day. We have all created personal identity boards which are placed around the home for the team and visitors to see. This gives everyone the opportunity to express who they are as an individual, to be confident within yourself and proud of who you are.”

We want to make sure we continue this important conversation and never allow for the people who choose our home as their own to experience anything but warmth and acceptance here. Our solution to creating an inclusive team is that our team members must feel at home in their place of work, and we do this by aspiring to create a culture of openness, honesty, and transparency that is felt by everyone living here. Jay and Tina, who make up our welfare team are also at the other end of the phone 24/7 and are here to support those who want to talk about anything at all, sexuality included.

Visit https://www.connectionscount.org/magazine/ for more information on how we can create safe, inclusive spaces where people are liberated from the harmful stereotypes that confined them for too long. We will always be an ally.

Sector Welcomes Increase in Care Nurse Fees CARE providers have welcomed news that social care nurses are to get a pay boost.

The care provider organisation The Independent Care Group (ICG) said it was an important step towards getting the sector the recognition it needs.

The Government today announced that the standard weekly rate per person, provided for NHSfunded nursing care, is to go up by 11.5% from £187.60 to £209.19 for 2022-23, backdated to 1 April.

In recognition of the efforts of nurses in care settings during the pandemic, CCGs will also be instructed to provide retrospective payments of £21.93 per resident per week, for last year.

The funding is paid by the NHS to homes that employ registered nurses.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “This is very welcome news and overdue recognition for our amazing nurses working in care settings.

“It paves the way for care providers to be better able to recognise the hard work our nurses do – not only during the pandemic but 24/7, 365 days a year.

“The Government has acknowledged the extra mile nurses have gone during the pandemic.”

He paid tribute to organisations like Care England, who had provided the Government with the evidence needed to secure the increase.

He also praised Minister for Care Gillian Keegan for recognising social care nurses. In the Government’s press release she says: “Our brilliant adult social care nurses work tirelessly to support people living with a variety of health needs.

“Increasing the weekly rate and the retrospective uplift reflects the cost of this vital work which is carried by our valued and skilled workforce to help those who need it.”

Mr Padgham added: “This recognition by the Minister is long-overdue and we hope it is a positive signal for the future.

“Whilst today’s announcement is good news for nursing in social care it is only a first step and we must keep up the pressure for complete, root and branch funding reform of social care so that we can properly recognise, respect and reward not only nursing staff but all care staff working in social care settings.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “Care England has focussed tirelessly on FNC since 2015 to secure a rate payable to reflect the challenges of providing nursing care in a sector troubled by workforce shortages, rising agency costs and increasing resident dependency. We commend the Department of Health and Social Care for recognising the cost increases faced by providers and the impact of the pandemic on our valued nurses. As we move forward, we must seek longer-term solutions to the national nursing shortage and the difficulties the sector has recruiting nurses and slowing the rates of attrition.”

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 15

Health Leaders Concerned that Chancellor’s Interventions on Cost of Living are Another Sticking Plaster Responding to the Chancellor’s cost of living statement, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “There is a clear link between poverty and poor health outcomes and whilst the Chancellor’s latest interventions are to be welcomed and will offer some desperately needed help, health leaders are very concerned that they are yet another sticking plaster that fail to significantly address the extreme challenges faced by people living on the lowest incomes.

“The long-term impact of the cost-of-living crisis on very low-income households, who we know are facing much greater inflation rates than those on higher wages, will still be profound.

“We already see a stark difference in life expectancy between different parts of our communities, and health

leaders are deeply worried that without further action this divergence will grow, which in turn will lead to greater demand for healthcare in the longer term.

“NHS organisations are taking action to support staff as cost-of-living pressures impact on them and their families and this includes offering discounts on public transport, access to financial advice and improved flexibility on working hours.

“But the Government must now urgently consider increasing the pay rates of NHS and other public sector workers to support those staff that need it most, and to ensure that the NHS can continue to be seen as a competitive employer in a challenging labour market.

Particular attention also needs to be given to the rates of pay offered in social care, where quick action is needed to recruit and retain staff.”

Association Between Vascular Risk Factors and Dementia Vary with Age Research has shown that the association between vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and dementia varies with age. The findings were published in the journal Neurology earlier this month.

Researchers in Ireland and the US used an established risk measure called the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) to study vascular risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and dementia risk in people aged 55 and above.

Participants in the study came from the Framingham Heart Study and included 4,899 people aged 55 at the start of the study.

People were followed up over five timepoints in mid to later life from 55, at ages 65, 70, 75 and 80, to assess their dementia risk.

People with diabetes and high blood pressure from around the age of 65 had an increased risk of developing dementia in the next 10 years.

Diabetes, across all age points from 65-80, increased a person’s risk of developing dementia in the next 10 years. In midlife, people living with diabetes had a four times greater risk of developing dementia than those who didn’t.

Midlife high blood pressure also increased risk of developing dementia within the next 10 years, however, those who took antihypertensive drugs in laterlife did reduce their risk somewhat.

Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “The findings from this study confirm existing

research, which links vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, with an increased risk of developing dementia in later life. We know that poorer vascular health can increase the chances of developing small vessel disease and other conditions that affect blood flow in the brain, which then damages our brain cells irreparably.

“Further work in a more representative group of people will ensure we understand the risk for people from different ethnic backgrounds who we know are already at a greater risk of vascular conditions.

“Studies like this are good for highlighting links, but we need to understand more about why and how these conditions affect dementia risk. With this knowledge, researchers can then design treatments and prevention strategies to benefit people in their midlife – a critical timepoint for reducing your risk of dementia.

“It is important to properly manage long-term health conditions and people who have concerns about any aspect of their health should speak to their GP. “We do know that it’s never too early or too late in life to take steps to reduce our risk of dementia and improve our brain health. Not smoking, only drinking in moderation, staying mentally, physically and socially active, eating a balanced diet, and keeping cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check can all help to keep our brains healthy as we age. Find information and advice on brain health at www.thinkbrainhealth.org.uk”

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

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PAGE 16 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS

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

Investing in employee retention is critical to any company's success. It promotes high-quality care continuity, a positive workplace culture, employee well-being, time and cost savings and positive Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings. Employers with a turnover of less than 10%

reported that their main activities contributing to staff retention were: • Investing in learning and development (94%) • Embedding the values of their organisation (92%) • Celebrating the organisation’s and individual achievements (86%) • Involving colleagues in decision making (81%)

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

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

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

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

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

Lord-Lieutenant Presents John Gorée with British Empire Medal to Honour 4 Exceptional Decades in Social Care John Gorée was formally presented with the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire this week in recognition of his services to the disabled in Lincolnshire and the Midlands.

The special ceremony was held at the Guildhall in Grantham where official speeches and medal presentation were followed by relaxed refreshments and was attended by close family, friends and colleagues from national charity, Ambient Support.

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Toby Dennis, says: “There is definitely something about Grantham, over the last few months I have been privileged to meet people from very different walks of life who have received national honours and John is continuing that wonderful spirit of community activity with the work he has done over the last four decades for his service in social care. I am delighted that, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, I am able to present John with the Medal of the Order of the British Empire.”

John started his career in 1982 as a care assistant then trained as a Learning Disability nurse in the NHS in 1985 before moving into social care where he joined Ambient Support 21 years ago. Prior to his retirement in May last year, John oversaw a team looking after 269 service users as Regional Manager for the Lincolnshire and The Midlands.

John’s passion was to ensure that a ‘person-centered’ approach was at the very heart of decision making at every level of the charity and he introduced news ways of thinking and devised many schemes and projects

that realised this type of care.

CEO of Ambient, Mark Milton, says: “It was truly delightful to see so many people gather together to celebrate John’s outstanding career. His services to Ambient alone have been thoroughly commendable- a true trail blazer for change and a fearless advocate for people with disability and a pioneer in ensuring the voices of the people we support, are heard. We are forever grateful for his enthusiasm, dedication and his willingness to believe that everyone can lead a valued and meaningful life. John truly encapsulates what we call, ‘The Ambient Way’.”

On being presented with the BEM, John says: “I feel truly thankful and humbled to receive the British Empire Medal surrounded by so many people who mean so much to me. My family and friends are forever supportive and I am eternally grateful to have worked with such fantastic teams of people in the Midlands and Lincolnshire at Ambient Support- we come to work every day with a smile, even when it’s difficult, knowing that we can make a positive impact to individual lives.”

The ‘John Gorée Awards’ were launched by Ambient last November as a way of honouring the retired Regional Manager following his 40-year career. John has generously donated £5,000 to the charity to run the award scheme in his name over the next 10 years which celebrates staff who deliver exceptional care and support to the people they look after.

Solving Two Crises at Once for Refugees and the Social Care Sector

The CareTech Foundation has partnered with Breaking Barriers, intending to create a bespoke recruitment pathway for refugees into the social care sector and to influence the wider health and social care sector to support refugees in employment.

Since pandemic restrictions have eased, some trends in the health and care sector have re-emerged. According to Skills for Care, vacancy rates in England are at 8.2%, which is even higher than their pre-pandemic levels, and 105,000 vacancies are being advertised on average each day.

Turnover is also high, at 34.4%.

Many are turning to overseas labour to try to fill these gaps, but a ground-breaking partnership between the Foundation and Breaking Barriers is paving a new way.

Breaking Barriers is a specialist charity that supports refugees into meaningful employment with advice, experience and education. The charity believes in the power of responsible business and forge innovative partnerships so that businesses can support refugees too.

Breaking Barriers has found that the health and social care sector ranks as one of the top sectors in which their clients aspire to work. There is clearly high demand and desire for people of refugee background to work in this sector, yet refugees can find it challenging to secure employment.

There is no national strategy or policy in place to support refugees to get into work or education. In 2019, there were nearly 375,000 refugees in the UK, each with their own unique story, background, work experience and skills. This number is likely to have significantly increased as a result of the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

People from a refugee background speak a myriad of languages, a lot speak excellent English, and of the refugees that Breaking Barriers support 39% have completed higher education and nearly 60% have four

years plus employment experience. However, applications for asylum can take months or years to process during which time most people are not allowed to work. This leads to gaps on CVs and a lack of UK work experience.

Other barriers for refugees include English language skills, adjusting to a new way of applying and interviewing for jobs, understanding cultural differences in the workplace and a fear of stigma from colleagues.

Businesses face challenges too. Research by Breaking Barriers and their partner Grant Thornton UK LLP showed that UK businesses are keen to get behind refugees but lack confidence when hiring and supporting them. 62% of the 601 mid-sized businesses surveyed are open to the idea of hiring refugees, just over half have already done so and 51% are saying they are likely to hire in the next 12 months.

But many also say that they lack confidence, with 40% saying they need additional support to recruit refugees. Employers’ main concerns regarding refugee recruitment are cultural barriers, how to access the refugee talent pool, and how to manage the legal right to work for refugees.

To overcome these challenges, Breaking Barriers and the Foundation have developed a long-term partnership. Activities will include a bespoke recruitment pathway to support refugee clients into employment with social care providers, including CareTech PLC, a roundtable with stakeholders from across the care sector, a sector-specific best practice guide to engage the care sector and encourage them to take action for refugees, and funding for Breaking Barriers’ employment programmes.

Initially piloted in London, the programme will be scaled up nationally.

The Foundation will be openly sharing everything they learn through the partnership to support and inspire other businesses within the social care sector to unlock the potential of refugees.

The partnership has been designed to be long-term and holistic and will support recruitment and retention for frontline jobs, as well as other services such as finance, medicine, HR, logistics, law and marketing. With sites across the UK, the aim is to scale this work up across the sector.

Caretech CEO, Jonathan Freeman MBE, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with Breaking Barriers to work together to create a powerful new employment pathway for refugees into the social care sector. We know that refugees often have the skills and values that would make them perfect for roles in social care, a sector with significant levels of vacancies. So, we very much see this partnership as a win-win for all involved, making sound business sense and delivering a powerful social impact.”

Matt Powell, CEO of Breaking Barriers says: “Partnerships with businesses are integral to our impact at Breaking Barriers, and this is a win-win opportunity. Refugees will be able to bring their skills to many different roles in with social care providers, and the health and care sector will be able to fill vacancies and reduce turnover with diverse talent. Together with the Foundation, we look forward to unlocking the potential of refugees across the UK on a grand scale.”

Fiona Potter, Group Human Resources Director (Interim) of CareTech PLC, says: “CareTech Group are delighted to be working with Breaking Barriers to offer employment opportunities to their clients. Our Resourcing team have had the opportunity of presenting CareTech PLC and interviews have taken place, and we are very pleased to advise that two job offers have been made so far. The partnership continues and we hope that more interviews and job offers will follow”.

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 17

Older People are Less Likely to Receive Mental Health Support Age UK has drawn attention to the fact that older people are just as likely to be living with depression and anxiety as younger age groups, but are much less likely to be receiving the support they need.

In 2020/21 just 5% of referrals to NHS talking therapies were people over 65, significantly below the 12% hoped for and expected . The pandemic didn’t help of course, but in fact the proportion had already been declining for the previous two years before COVID-19 arrived.

Many older people find it very difficult to discuss their mental health but there is still a significant need.

According to the latest data extracted by Age UK, of people over 65: • Over half a million (579,803) experience anxiety disorder • Just under half a million (487,100) experience a major depressive disorder • Just under 200,000 (191,740) experience chronic depressive disorder • And over 140,000 (140,332) experience bipolar disorder.

It is also notable that a larger proportion of woman aged 65+ experience these difficulties than men. This is particularly the case among those reporting anxiety disorders, where nearly double the number of women are impacted compared to men.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s Charity Director, said: “Only some of us will experience a mental health condition, but most of us can feel depressed and lonely at some point in our lives. As we get older, we can also become especially vulnerable to factors that lead to depression such as bereavement, physical disability, illness and loneliness.

“The pandemic has hit older people particularly hard, making many of these risk factors unavoidable during their daily lives over the last two years. In fact though, depression isn’t a natural part of ageing, but older

people often don’t seek help for their mental wellbeing and so they miss out on treatments that are available to them on the NHS. It is vital they get the help and support they need and talking therapies could make a huge difference to them. Older people shouldn’t be afraid to raise any mental health concerns with their GP. “Mental health impacts on the physical health of older people and vice versa. For example, older adults with physical health conditions such as heart disease have higher rates of depression than those who are healthy.

In addition, untreated depression in an older person with heart disease can negatively affect its outcome[iv], making it all the more important that anyone struggling with a mental health problem speaks out and asks for the help they need.”

“The pandemic has had a big impact on us all and very few of us are emerging from it totally unscathed. We know that many older people may feel reluctant to start a conversation about their mental health with their GP, but NHS treatments such as counselling are just as effective in older people as they are with other age groups. There is a commitment by NHS England to increase overall access to talking therapies, but older people seem to be continually missing out. For this reason we think that there should be a specific target for older people; without it the chances are the trend will continue to move in the wrong direction, with even fewer older people being enabled to access talking therapies than there are now.

Peter Ireland, Counselling Manager for Age UK Manchester, said: “We’ve known throughout the pandemic that there was a lot of unmet need for mental health support. Services were reduced and people were told to stay at home. Whilst this will have reduced a person’s risk of getting Covid, it will have undoubtably have increased feelings of loneliness,

isolation, stress and worsening or sometimes new mental health concerns.

As a result, levels of anxiety have increased with increased numbers of people struggling with social anxiety and even agoraphobic tendencies.

There is also an increase in the need for bereavement counselling, with grief being complicated by people not being able to be with loved ones when they died and, in some cases, not being able to attend their funerals.

“This level of need has led to a sort of ‘ticking time bomb’ for mental health support and we are now starting to see that come home to roost. In March, for example, our Counselling Service provided more counselling hours than it has in any other time since its creation more than 25 years ago.”

In Age UK’s most recent survey of older people on the impact of Covid (April 22) we heard many comments like these: ‘I have felt extremely lonely for the first time in my life as I have taken shielding very seriously. I have been at home, only leaving for medical appointments. My anxiety is sky high.’

‘There are days when i don’t want to be here anymore as my quality of life is so bad with psoriasis, depression, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and little health care interest, [while] on top of that money worries…’

‘I’m more depressed, prefer my own company, got used to not seeing family. Seem to have lost confidence outside the home. I’m working on it.

It takes effort.’

‘The pandemic has had an effect on my whole life and if the pandemic hadn’t happened, I would still have been able to get enjoyment out of life despite my health problems and would have been able to cope with my problems more easily.’

Hallmark Care Homes Bury Time Capsules to Mark 25 years Care provider, Hallmark Care Homes has buried time capsules at all of its care homes to mark the organisation’s 25th anniversary.

The family-run group buried the time capsules for future generations to dig up last week.

During the celebratory events, residents and team members at the residential, nursing and dementia homes buried the time capsules which included newspaper cuttings, photos, coins, resident poems, letters from relatives and collaborative work with local schools in line with the businesses five values; Growth, Openness, Togetherness, Individuality and Quality.

As part of the special events, residents also enjoyed live entertainment and a special cake made by the home’s dedicated kitchen teams.

They were joined for the occasion by Hallmark Care Homes’ Chairman Avnish Goyal, Managing Director Aneurin Brown and the senior leadership

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team who thanked the team and made an 800-mile trip to visit all of the company’s 22 care homes in one week.

Managing Director of Hallmark Care Homes, Aneurin Brown said: “It was lovely to mark our 25th anniversary as a business and see everyone joining in with something that explains the world as we see it right now.

“A special plaque has been installed to mark the point where the time capsule is buried and we hope in 25 years when it is dug up, future generations can discover and learn from it.”

Chair of Hallmark Care Homes, Avnish Goyal added: “I am so thankful and proud of the teams for everything they have achieved over the past 25 years. The road trip was a great opportunity to unite and acknowledge our caring and committed team who go above and beyond daily to ensure that residents have an amazing quality of life.”

PAGE 18 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

We Must Radically Increase Specialised Support to Help Older People Experiencing Abuse

By Hourglass’ CEO Richard Robinson (https://wearehourglass.org) Sadly, the abuse of older people is not a new issue, but one that has now reached a critical threshold that can no longer be ignored, nor tolerated. Last week an ITV Tonight documentary on coercive control, showed the horrifying impact the emotional abuse of a partner can have on lives. One that involves threats, manipulation, and isolating people from loved ones, which all has devastating impacts; impacts that can become even more complex when a victim is older.

For some older victims of psychological abuse they find themselves as the main carer for the person abusing them.

For others, fluctuating mental capacity means that perpetrators can take control of people’s decisions and lives and the dependence and loss of confidence can become even more complex and difficult to acknowledge and address.

More than a million older people in the UK are subject to abuse every year yet there is barely any specialist help available to support them. With the number of people living longer with dementia and physical disability set to increase, we’re raising the alarm that coercive control later in life will also continue to rise.

Here at Hourglass, the only UK charity dedicated to tackling the abuse and neglect of older people, we’re calling for a commitment to radically increasing the specialised support to help older people experiencing abuse. A recent study we conducted found that the abuse of older people comes last in line for government and the pub-

lic alike. Stark findings show that those in power, responsible for safeguarding, have given no mention of abuse towards older people across 2021, even after living through a pandemic. We urgently need to push the issue forward from last in line and offer older victims and their loved ones the support they need.

So what are the specialist services we need? A service that we are already seeing success with, in local areas across the UK, is our specialist older person IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocates) scheme. Older victims of domestic abuse get support from trained IDVA’s who specialise in working with those over 65. The support workers provide tailored support and advice to victims in a range of circumstances from people who have been in abusive relationships for decades to those being abused and exploited by family members.

20% of people in the UK are impacted by the abuse of older people. We want to see practitioners and designated people within frontline services with expert knowledge in the nuances of dealing with older victims. At Hourglass we offer training to frontline workers such as the police, NHS and social care workers to be able to spot the signs and be able to address the unique barriers. For example, older people have a greater fear of being institutionalised and sent ‘to a care home’ this is a barrier to speaking out, they may have fluctuating mental capacity and different levels of tolerance – something may have been socially acceptable 60 years ago but it’s not now. It’s so important that our frontline services are properly trained This isn’t about growing old gracefully. This is about living safely. Safer ageing is about creating environments and procedures so that older people are not put at risk of abuse or neglect. Just as crucially: it’s about empowering older people so they can, where suitable, live their lives independently and fully trust those people around them. So let’s take a hard look at our procedures of support and make sure they are catered to later life. By making small but significant changes we can have a huge impact to lives across the UK.

Owner of Leading Surrey Care Group Honoured to Celebrate Eid at Exclusive No. 10 Downing Street Event The owner of a family-run Surrey care group meets Secretary of State for Health and Social Care at an exclusive No.10 Downing Street event to celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan.

Liakat Hasham, co-founder of CHD Living, an award-winning, family-owned and operated group of care homes and home care, specialist and rehabilitation services in Surrey, Hampshire and South London, recently attended an exclusive Eid reception at No. 10 for his outstanding contributions to the Ismaili Muslim community and as a leading care operator in Surrey.

Several key political figures were present from the Conservative office, most notably Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who interacted with the attendees and spoke with Liakat about the current state of affairs in the social care sector.

The Prime Minister made a short address to the attendees, highlighting and applauding the contributions that ethnic minorities, and the Muslim community in particular, have made to UK society.

Discussing the event, Liakat said: “It was an honour to be invited to the Eid reception at No.10 Downing Street. Hosted predominantly for the Muslim community, selected invitations to the Eid reception were sent out to faith leaders and businessmen throughout the UK. My invitation covered both these areas, having served the Ismaili community for nearly 20 years and as the founder of CHD Living for over 30 years.”

Liakat continued: “It was a pleasure to meet members of the Conservative cabinet, especially Sajid Javid. I was introduced to him as a care operator, and he was genuinely interested in what I did, asking the name of our company and the current challenges we were facing. We briefly discussed the state of the current market and the impact staff shortage was having on the care sector.”

He concluded: “I think these events are very important as they connect you with peers in business alongside a cross section of Muslims, who practice the faith in different ways but all with the aim of improving the quality of life for everyone. I would certainly go again if privileged enough to be invited.”

Residents at Silvanna Court Reminisce with Virtual Reality Headsets The residents at Silvanna Court care home, in Wickford, enjoyed a wonderful reminiscing session with virtual reality films from the Queen’s Coronation 70 years ago.

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Essex County Council have launched an intergenerational project for local schools and care home residents. The programme is in partnership with The Wayback, a virtual reality film series that recreate moments from the past and which are designed for those living with dementia.

The project is named ‘The year of reading – Dementia Intergenerational Communication Program with The Wayback Virtual Reality (VR)’ and aims to support and promote reading in schools. Pupils at the local school took part and began with reading and watching the films to learn about England in 1953,

and after, visited Silvanna Court to show residents the films as well. Silvanna Court, a care home within the Runwood Homes’ portfolio, was pleased to be included in the project.

The pupils visited Silvanna Court residents with the Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset. Residents had the opportunity to wear the headsets and see the film clips which immerse them in incredibly detailed, joyful and positive moments from the past. The residents absolutely loved it and it sparked much conversation with pupils and reminiscing about the past.

The short films included scenes from our Queen’s Coronation, street parties and household gatherings on the day of the coronation 70 years ago, a further film also showed clips from the World Cup 1966.

JCVI Provides Interim Advice on an Autumn COVID-19 Booster Programme

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has provided interim advice to government regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) booster doses this autumn.

The boosters would be for more vulnerable adults, alongside frontline social care and health workers, in order to maintain their protection over the winter against severe COVID-19.The advice should be considered as interim and for the purposes of operational planning for the autumn for the NHS, care homes and wider health community.

The committee recognises that there is considerable uncertainty with regards to the likelihood, timing and severity of any potential future wave of COVID-19 in the UK in the year ahead.

Despite these uncertainties, winter will remain the season when the threat from COVID-19 is greatest for individuals and for health communities.

As in autumn 2021, the primary objective of the 2022 autumn booster programme will be to increase population immunity and protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and death, over the

winter period.

The JCVI’s current view is that in autumn 2022, a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to: • residents in a care home for older adults and staff • frontline health and social care workers • all those 65 years of age and over • adults aged 16 to 64 years who are in a clinical risk group Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said: Last year’s autumn booster vaccination programme provided excellent protection against severe COVID-19, including against the Omicron variant.

We have provided interim advice on an autumn booster programme for 2022 so that the NHS and care homes are able to start the necessary operational planning, to enable high levels of protection for more vulnerable individuals and frontline healthcare staff over next winter.

As we continue to review the scientific data, further updates to this advice will follow.

Throughout the pandemic, evidence has clearly shown that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected those in older age groups, residents in care homes for older adults, and those with certain underlying health conditions, particularly those who are severely immunosuppressed.

It is important that those who are eligible for the spring booster currently being rolled out – specifically adults aged 75 years and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed – still come forward to ensure they are protected.

The JCVI will continue its on-going review of the vaccination programme and the epidemiological situation, particularly in relation to the timing and value of doses for less vulnerable older adults and those in clinical risk groups ahead of autumn 2022.

The committee will announce its final plans for the autumn programme, including further detail on the definitions of clinical risk groups, in due course.

PAGE 20 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Why Online Reviews Are Becoming So Important For Care Homes

By Suman Saha, Co-founder and Medical Director at Doctify (https://www.doctify.com/uk) Relevance: More than a five star rating, people want to read reviews that

care homes has grown to 69% in seven years. Some studies have shown it to be as high as 90% across the whole sector.

Online reviews are giving care seekers the opportunity to hear directly from residents and their families. They are providing people with a clearer understanding of what to expect from the care homes that they are looking into.

are relevant to their circumstances and specific needs.

THE POWER OF REVIEWS GOES BEYOND CARE SEEKERS With a national staffing crisis in social care, we have seen that capturing the voice of residents and their families not only has a positive impact on care seekers. More and more, we are seeing providers use

WHAT MAKES A REVIEW OR RATING TRULY TRANSPARENT AND TRUSTED?

Word of mouth in social care is now taking place online.

As a digital-first society, online reviews have become a powerful form of ‘social proof’ that people rely on as they make decisions. The number of people looking at reviews when researching and comparing

reviews to promote their team’s incredible work, helping to boost staff

Choosing a care home will always be incredibly challenging and people need to have complete confidence in the information that they access on the internet. Social care providers can sometimes struggle to create a positive reputation online that truly reflects the excellent care that they provide.

There are three main criteria for building greater trust through online reviews - verification, volume and relevance: Verification: People look for independently verified reviews. At Doctify, we have found that people researching social care online are five times more likely to click on a care home with verified feedback than one without.

Volume: People want to see that you aren’t cherry picking reviews to publish. More feedback often also equates to more up-to-date feedback, which people have the most confidence in. Care seekers want to hear from others in similar situations who you have recently supported.

morale and attract new talent to the sector. It can be incredibly motivating to see and read validation of great care being provided.

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF REVIEW COLLECTION IN CARE HOMES Technology can now be used to collect and publish reviews within care homes. Through using a digital process to capture real-time feedback, managers have the opportunity to gain a truly representative picture of the care being provided at that moment in time. It allows them to highlight any issues and implement actions much earlier.

Harnessing technology to collect reviews also means that care homes are able to showcase their great care to their team and residents on a daily basis. What’s more, it enables care homes to properly represent themselves online without any additional administrative effort, meaning that they can focus on what matters the most - caring for their residents.

Hallmark Care Homes and Santhem Residences Team to Walk 26 Miles for Alzheimer’s Society On Saturday 28th May, 39 team members from award-winning care provider, Hallmark Care Homes and new assisted-living brand Santhem Residences will take part in a gruelling 26 mile walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society.

The participants, which include Hallmark’s Managing Director, Aneurin Brown will commence the challenging walk which starts and finishes at Larkhall Park in London.

The dedicated group have decided to take on the Trek26 walk after experiencing dementia first hand within their roles.

Aneurin Brown said: “We decided to take on this challenge, because dementia affects the people we care for everyday in our roles, and many of us have loved ones currently living with dementia or who have sadly passed away from the disease.

“We will also be undertaking the walk as part of our anniversary celebrations in May as we will be 25 years old. We thought what better way to celebrate than to give back to a charity that does so much to support both people living with and caring for someone living with dementia.”

Nick O’Donohue, Alzheimer’s Society Area Manager, said: “We would like to thank all 39 of the Hallmark Care Homes and Santhem Residences employees who are taking part in Trek26 for us later this month. Money raised will help Alzheimer’s Society reach and support more people through our vital services, which have been a lifeline for so many people living in London.

“We’re calling on people from across the capital to go the distance and don their boots for a Trek26 challenge in 2022. Every pound raised will help Alzheimer’s Society provide crucial information and support, improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected by the condition.

“We are in awe of the resilience of supporters like the Hallmark Care Homes team, whose dedication to fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society ensures that we are able to support those who need it most.”

The walking group have already raised £6,300 for the charity which campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure and supports people living with dementia with a goal of £7,000.

Air Force Veteran Hilda Celebrates her 100th Birthday at Mulberry Court Care Home In celebration of Hilda Parrott’s landmark 100th Birthday, Mulberry Court care home in Chalfont St Peter presented her with the congratulatory letter from Her Majesty The Queen and threw her a party she deserves.

Born in 1922, Hilda grew up in Liverpool where she remembers King George and Queen Mary opening the Queensway Tunnel when she was 12. During WWII, Hilda joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and operated big air defence balloons to stop enemy aircraft flying low enough to drop their bombs.

It was during this time that she met her soon to be husband Bill. Later in her life, Hilda owned and ran a day Nursery for children and lived happily in Kent with Bill before mov-

ing to Chalfont St Peter in 2010.

To give Hilda the celebration she deserves, Mulberry Court care home arranged for her to have a delicious cake and supper with her fellow residents and staff. She also had a party with all her family, including her seven grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Hilda’s daughter Elizabeth commented: “Over many years, our Mum has set a wonderful example of how to love and care for others. She has always been a great support and inspiration to all of her large family.”

When asked about her secret to living to such an incredible age, Hilda commented: “Just good luck!”

The Happiness Programme - a Therapeutic and Sensory-Based Alternative to PRN We started out with a simple idea – wouldn’t it be great if we could bring happiness and joy to people living with dementia or learning disabilities.

From personal experience, many of our team know what it’s like to care for loved ones living with cognitive challenges, including our MD John, who spent 10 years caring for his father who lived with dementia.

We set out to listen to the many care staff, friends and family that we’d met and worked with to develop something truly ground-breaking. A best-in-class magic table projector paired with a service offering so powerful, we were willing to guarantee its effectiveness.

And so, Social-Ability was born and is now working with the biggest care groups across the UK, such as HC-

One, Barchester, Care UK, NewCare and Hallmark to name a few, to improve care outcomes for residents and job satisfaction for care staff.

This is what IIda James, Care Manager at a Signature care home, told us: “Overall, we’ve seen a reduction in falls since we started using the Happiness Programme. It’s also had a big impact on bringing people together socially. We have one resident who never, ever engages with activities but now we have him happily sweeping leaves off the table and joining in”.

For more details, case studies and to contact us about the Happiness Programme for your venue, visit: www.social-ability.co.uk or see the advert on the facing page.

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 21

Secretary of State Needs to Back Dementia Ambition with More Research Funding says Alzheimer’s Research UK Alzheimer’s Research UK said the government must increase funding for dementia research if its bold approach to tackling dementia is to be successful.

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said he has an ambitious plan to tackle the dementia crisis, which will be unveiled later this year when the government publishes its Dementia Strategy.

Susan Mitchell, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “It is encouraging to see the Secretary of State announce a more ambitious approach to dementia as an acknowledgement of the scale of the challenge – but with no disease modifying treatments available, we need to see funding for research to match this ambition and achieve long term solutions.

Given the government has so far not delivered on its 2019 ’Dementia Moonshot’ pledge to double funding for dementia research we need to see today’s commitments followed up by clear plans with accountability and

suitable funding to enable delivery.

“We’ve called for the creation of a Dementia Medicines Taskforce to address the urgent need for new treatments for people with dementia. Such a taskforce could turbocharge efforts to develop and deliver life-changing treatments but would need clear leadership from government to co-ordinate this activity.

“The government’s existing target of diagnosing two thirds of people with dementia has not been ambitious enough so we welcome a stronger focus on improving the timeliness and accuracy of diagnosis. We must invest in research to improve the way we diagnose diseases like Alzheimer’s and ensure that innovations in diagnosis make their way into the health service as quickly as possible.

“We are pleased to see the Secretary of State highlight the importance of preventing dementia through risk reduction. With up to 40% of dementia cases potentially preventable we must see the government embed approaches to good brain health across all policy areas to help more people reduce their risk of dementia.”

Support Worker Journey Praised at Stoke-on-Trent Support Service A Stoke-On-Trent-based support worker has undergone a remarkable journey to win a special ‘Highly Commended’ award at National Care Group’s Annual Awards.

Returning in-person for 2022, 150 colleagues from across the country gathered to celebrate and reflect on the past year in care, with senior management setting out their vision for the leading support provider over the next few years.

Daniella Gilbert, who is part of the Day Services team at Shelton Care, was commended in the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ category, following her incredible journey from an individual supported by National Care Group to a part-time support worker with the company. Diagnosed with autism, Daniella has been able to successfully gain new skills and independence to earn her current role at the company, after living in its residential services for seven years.

Daniella said: “I’m really pleased to win this award, which wouldn’t be possible without the help of all my friends and colleagues that I work with.

I’m really grateful for all the support they have given me over the years, and feel incredibly proud to be now giving back and supporting other people to achieve their dreams.”

Elsewhere, Stacey Bennett, part of the Oak House team at Shelton Care, was praised for her passion in helping supported individuals lead happy and healthy lives through food. Taking home ‘The Master Cook’ award, she was nominated by her colleagues for being creative with everyday meal planning at Oak House, and for also playing a central role in catering for its special events.

Stacey said: “I’m delighted to receive an award that plays such an integral role in the lives of the people we support. While day-to-day support, quite rightly, takes precedence in terms of spotlighting our roles, it should never be underestimated the joy food can bring to the lives of the individuals we support, both from a skills and nutritional point of view. I’d like to thank everyone that I work with that helps to deliver such a quality service all yearround.”

PAGE 22 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Careful Consideration of Supportive Strategies Over Behaviour-Modifying Drugs for Dementia Residents

By Jo Crossland, Head of Dementia Care, Avery Healthcare (www.averyhealthcare.co.uk)

Mood-altering or behaviour modifying medication to treat ‘behaviour’ in dementia care has long been a contentious subject.

The Banerjee report [2009] provided a sobering reminder of the dangers of people with often severe cognitive impairment being routinely prescribed powerful antipsychotic medication. This should have led to widespread change in how we regard the distressed actions and reactions experienced by individuals living with dementia.

Undoubtedly, creating national reporting requirements to monitor antipsychotic use was a positive development, which subsequently caused a reduction in the number of these drugs being prescribed to res-

idents with dementia living in Care Homes. However, other mood-altering or behaviour modifying medication continues to be prescribed, often with apparent little regard to the root cause of a person’s distress, and frequently without thoroughly considering the potential impact of what can be significant side effects to that individual.

For example, Lorazepam (also known as Ativan) is one of the groups of drugs known as Benzodiazepines, which can be clinically effective as a short-term treatment for several conditions, including anxiety and anxiety-induced insomnia [https://bnf.nice.org.uk]. Despite being recommended to be taken for no more than four weeks, due to the high risk of tolerance and dependence, in reality, Lorazepam is frequently prescribed to residents in care homes for long-term use. It is often administered to ‘manage’ distress in people with dementia on an ‘as required’ basis, without exploring underlying reasons for distress or considering alternative non-pharmacological treatment options.

Common side effects of this drug and other Benzodiazepines include feeling sleepy or tired in the daytime, increased confusion, dizziness, and problems with coordination and controlling movements which can increase the risk of falls [https://bnf.nice.org.uk]. In addition, paradoxical effects of Lorazepam can include restlessness, agitation and feeling angry, risking making everyday life harder than ever for a person coping with cognitive decline.

When supporting a person with dementia who has become distressed or is experiencing frequent and unpleasant actions and reactions, the cause of the distress should always be investigate, with non-pharmacological care interventions attempted first, before Benzodiazepines or antipsychotic medication to treat distress is considered.

There could be any number of reasons as to why a resident with dementia may be experiencing distress, for example; physical causes, including pain and infection, or external triggers including unfamiliar or overcrowded environments or apparently unrealistic demands being made by others – common occurrences for a person with dementia living in a care home.

Addressing underlying physical or external factors or conditions and using life story work to understand a person’s established and preferred way of living must be thoroughly considered by care teams working to support residents with dementia. This will provide alternative strategies to understand triggers for an individual and enable suitable approaches to be put in place to support a person during periods of distress. For example, avoiding situations that the team know a resident with dementia cannot cope with and exploring alternative options that the person finds more tolerable.

Of course, we should never say never to mood-altering and behaviour modifying drugs – at the right time, for the right reasons, these medicines can be the difference between well-being and despair for an individual.

However, they should never be the first line of treatment. People living with dementia deserve better than that.

References: Banerjee, S. (2009) The use of antipsychotic medication for people with dementia: Time for action. Department for Health, London.

BNF British National Formulary - NICE

Care Home Names 'Best in Show' in Annual Dog Competition Scrufts As part of its annual tradition, The Heights, High Wycombe care home of The Fremantle Trust, welcomed dogs and their owners to partake in a competition of obedience and obstacle

Winrow and his companion, Biscuit.

Each dog owner was also presented with a bag of goodies from Jollyes – The Pet People in Wycombe.

On delivering rosettes for a winning category, resident

courses to become 'best in show' at Scrufts.

With multiple categories including most obedient and walk to heel, eight dogs donned their prettiest coats and showed great enthusiasm in taking part in the competition. After revealing the winners of each category, residents took turns to present the rosettes to the winning dogs. A special 'Best in Show' trophy was presented to young dog handler, George

Bernadette, commented: “I really enjoyed it. It was nice to see so many lovely dogs.”

Speaking after his win, George, 11 commented: "It was fun and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, especially the dogs."

When asked about his win and what he will do with the prize, Biscuit responded: "Woof"!

The Huntington’s Disease Association Launches Huntington’s In Mind The Huntington’s Disease Association (HDA), backed by their celebrity patron and actor George Rainsford, has launched a new campaign, Huntington’s In Mind, to raise awareness of the complex mental health needs of people living with Huntington’s and the disconnect in access to mental health services.

The campaign has been developed with the community and centres around the stories of three families affected by Huntington’s disease. The powerful films will be released through the month of May, and each serve to tell the story of the mental health impact, of the challenges accessing mental health support and of some encouraging and inspiring reflects of hope and advice.

The actor George Rainsford (Casualty, Call the Midwife), a patron of the HDA is supporting the campaign, “Having met many amazing families, I’ve seen the impact that Huntington’s disease has on the mental wellbeing of those living with the disease and their families. The hereditary nature means no member of the family is left un-touched and therefore all those affected should be able to access the right mental health services and support they need. Whilst every individual and family situation is different, they all have one thing in common, their incredible strength and resilience.”

This campaign launches as new research identifies substantial gaps in the numbers of specialist centres being able to access mental health professionals. Centres treating Huntington’s disease describe access to services as “inadequate”, with many centres reporting that less than 25% of people living with Huntington’s disease are able to access psychologists, psychiatrists, or counselling when required.[ii] Many services also report limited access to community mental health support, with some people living with Huntington’s disease excluded due to lack of awareness by health care professionals.

Professor Hugh Rickards, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and Chair of the Huntington's Disease Association, is passionate about ensuring equitable access to mental health services for people living with Huntington’s Disease. “I see first-hand the challenges faced by patients, who must firstly deal with the psychological issues of

their diagnosis but then the complex mental health impacts that the disease itself causes. This is not widely recognised or understood and at an institutional level, so we need to do more to ensure people living with Huntington’s disease and mental illness have the same access to specialist mental health services as people living with other conditions like schizophrenia.”

The multi-faceted nature of Huntington’s disease and the complex testing process means that even if not directly impacted by Huntington’s symptoms, the mental health burdens can ripple across families. The psychological and emotional impact goes beyond diagnosis and is complicated by the aetiology of the disease itself, which impacts mental health as it progresses.

A Huntington’s disease community survey carried out last year highlighted that 69% of those who are symptomatic have experienced significant problems with their mental health, with 71% of carers feeling that their mental health has been severely impacted as a result of their caring responsibilities. It’s not just those who have the condition who are affected - 72% of family members who tested negative for the gene felt guilt or shame about relatives who do, or who may, have Huntington’s.[iii] Cath Stanley, Chief Executive of Huntington’s Disease Association, said: “Many find it difficult to receive equitable access to information and specialist services leading to limited physical and mental support following diagnosis. We know people living with Huntington’s disease can often fall into a referral loop due to a lack of understanding of how their condition affects mental health. We need to do more to educate health care professionals to recognise and provide the right mental health support at the right time for people living with Huntington’s disease. That is why we are determined to raise awareness around particularly the mental health issues around living with the condition so that those affected feel they are adequately supported. The Huntington’s in Mind campaign marks the beginning of a longer journey to ensure equitable access to mental health services” More on the Huntington’s In Mind campaign can be found on the Huntington’s Disease Association website at https://www.hda.org.uk/huntingtonsinmind. The patient films will be released throughout the month of May. [i] Huntington’s Disease Association. What Is Huntington's Disease. Available at: https://www.hda.org.uk/huntingtons-disease/what-is-huntingtons-disease/symptomsof-huntingtons-disease [Accessed 25 April 2022]. [ii] Research funded by Roche supported by UKHDN, HDA, SHA and HCD Economics [iii] Family Matters Community Survey. Conducted online 23 March to 21 April 2021 [iv] Huntington’s Disease Association. Impact Report. 2019. Available at: https://www.hda.org.uk/media/3014/impact-report-2019-final-3.pdf [Accessed 25 April 2022].

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 23

Royal Engagement at New Care’s Care Homes Care home provider New Care enlisted the help of ‘The Queen’, Isla Bates aged 3, to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with care home residents across its portfolio of homes in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham, UK. At each of its 10 care homes, the royal engagement has comprised a red carpet arrival for Isla to the national anthem followed by the planting of a tree to leave a lasting ‘green’ lasting legacy for residents at each of the stunning care facilities.

The tree plant is part of The Queen’s Green Canopy; an initiative designed to enhance the environment and create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the nation, with the

ultimate aim of benefiting future generations.

Isla’s mother, Alex Fairhurst, who works for New Care, comments: “Isla has thoroughly enjoyed her mini royal tour, travelling around each of the New Care homes to plant a tree.

She has especially loved dressing up as The Queen, perfecting her royal wave and making our residents smile. It is a real privilege for Isla to be involved in the Platinum Jubilee and by planting the tree she is playing her part in improving the environment and leaving a lasting legacy at each one of our care homes across the UK.”

Eston Care Home Residents’ Musical Tribute to Her Majesty Residents from Astune Rise care home in Eston, near Middlesbrough have taken part in ‘Together in Music’, a project curated by Orchestras Live and Redcar and Cleveland Council to create a piece of music in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Working with Manchester Camerata, a charity which believes in the power of music therapy, ‘A Woman of Our Time’ has been composed by residents of Astune Rise care home and three other homes from the area and will be played for the first time during a concert on June 1st at Redcar’s Tuned In youth centre featuring the Manchester Camarata Orchestra and singers from Guisborough Choral Society Members of Camerata in the Community visited the home with a selection of musical instruments and worked with a group of residents to create

the composition, which celebrates the Queen’s 70-year reign.

Home manager Caroline Bowstead said: “The residents absolutely loved being part of this project. We’re making a huge fuss over the Jubilee and pulling out all the stops to celebrate so to be asked to help with this amazing piece of music was fantastic.

“We are all looking forward to attending the concert and hearing it played by the orchestra and of course singing along and waving our flags to Land of Hope and Glory!”

Primrose Court Care Home in South Bank, Shoreline Nursing Home and Sandbanks nursing home, both in Redcar are the other homes who collaborated on the project.

Southgate Care Home Delighted to Receive Thank You from the Queen

Southgate Beaumont in Southgate have been busy making plans for the coming platinum Jubilee and to show their support they wanted to send a letter of congratulations to The Queen.

With the help of Samantha Neal, Customer Relationship Manager at Southgate Beaumont, residents wrote a letter to Buckingham Palace expressing their excitement about the coming Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

They posted the letter and were absolutely delighted when a few weeks later the received a reply from Buckingham Palace. They received a lovely card from The Queen thanking them for their kind messages.

Beatrice Godfrey, General Manager at Southgate Beaumont said: “Our residents love a party and they love the Queen so they all super excited about our coming celebrations.

We are holding a “Right Royal Garden Party” on the 10th June for residents and the local community and are busy preparing. Lots of our residents got involved in writing to the Queen which is a lovely way to say thank you to our longest reigning monarch. They were so delighted to receive the card from the Queen, it’s taken pride of place in our home.”

Rosalind Simpson, resident at Southgate Beaumont said: “The Queen is an amazing lady who has been through so much lately so it was a wonderful way to pay our respects and let her know how well loved she is.”

Historic Garden at Croydon Based Care Home to Host Street Party Picnic as Part of Jubilee Celebrations With the jubilee fast approaching, staff at a Croydon based care home will be using their historic garden to host a street party picnic.

The venue, Wilderness Gardens is a seven-acre historic garden situated within MHA Hall Grange, a care home that offers residential and dementia care for up to 86 people.

The party will take place on Saturday 4 June from 12pm, with staff, residents and family members of the home invited as well as members of the community.

There will be an outdoor hymn service to kick the celebrations off and the party will also include a performance from the Croydon Brass Band.

Steve Thompson, commissioning and partnerships manager for the Wilderness said: “The street party is a great way to engage with the community and celebrate something which is unique and may never happen again.

“It was at the request of residents at the home which prompted us to arrange the party and we are very happy with how the plan is coming along.

“A lot of them were asking us what we will be doing for the jubilee and that’s how the idea came about.

“So far we have sold more than 70 tickets, and we are confident of selling at least 100 in total.

“The ticket fee will help to cover our costs as this is a break even event.

“For those who are unable to attend we will be live streaming the service on our Facebook page.

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a great event, in a beautiful location and we are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible joining in with us to celebrate.”

Rose House Care Home Creates Beautiful Jubilee Display from Residents’, Staff and Relatives’ Hand Cut-Outs Much like everyone else, Rose House care home are eagerly preparing for the Jubilee celebrations next week, decorating their home, organising events and preparing for a long weekend of fun and themed activities.

With such important relationships between members of Rose House’s community, the team sought to reflect that in their decorations for the Platinum Jubilee and have made a brilliant Union Jack window display made from every residents’, staff members’ and relatives’ hands cut out.

Lisa Facer, who is the Home Manager at Rose House, commented: “I am so proud of everyone in our close community that has helped to create our lovely display. The display is located in a prime position so that walkers-by can see the finished piece and see how close and connected we are at Rose House. I would like to say thank you to my wonderful team for working together to help the display come to life. The project has made all of us very excited for our Jubilee celebrations next week.”

In addition to the display, Rose House residents have also been making crowns for their celebrations and the team are currently running their Jubilee raffle.

Jon Sends His Art to Her Majesty the Queen The people who live at Aliwal Manor Care Home in Whittlesey have been preparing for the Queen’s upcoming platinum jubilee by making some arts, crafts and decorations to put up around their home.

During a recent craft session, residents were given a variety of royal-themed templates, paints and decorative items to make some jubilee themed art.

Jon, who lives at the home, decided to use a template of the Queen’s head his art piece.

He placed this on a plain piece of paper and dabbed red and blue paint around the edge of it.

He then removed the template to reveal a perfect picture of the Queen.

Jon was really happy with how his idea turned out and the team was equally impressed

with his creation. Sarah, who is a Lifestyle Coordinator at Aliwal Manor said, “This is fit for the Queen”, and suggested they sent the art to her majesty.

Jon was initially sceptical and said, “I don’t think she will reply,” but went ahead with the idea in case she did!

Together, Jon and Sarah wrote a letter to accompany the picture, found out her mailing address and sent it off it in the post. Jon and Sarah then had a chat about the Queen and laughed as they said, “What if she does reply?”

Jon is now eagerly checking the post each day to see if he receives a response from her Majesty.

PAGE 24 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

Government ‘Failed in its Duty of Care’ to Doctors and the Healthcare Workers in its Handling of the Pandemic, says BMA A major review into the UK Government’s handling of the pandemic and its impact on the NHS, the health of the population, and doctors, has been undertaken by the BMA. The first two reports conclude that the UK Government failed in its duty of care to protect doctors and the wider healthcare workforce from avoidable harm and suffering in its management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This failure is evidenced in detail and published today by the BMA. The reports, part of a series of five, are the most comprehensive accounts of the lived experiences of doctors throughout the pandemic, collated from thousands of doctors across the UK, including those who were on the frontline during COVID-19. They also draw upon real-time surveys over the past two years, as well as formal testimonies, data and evidence sessions from stakeholders. Page after page details the devastating impact of the pandemic on medical professionals as individuals, and on the NHS, showing mistake after mistake – errors of judgement and policy made by the UK Government - which amount to a failure of a duty of care to the workforce.

In what is believed to be the first documented account of its kind, doctors from across the UK have spoken out about their own experiences during the pandemic, recounting their fears and anxieties as well as laying bare the shortages of PPE, a lack of timely and adequate risk assessments, and the huge impact on their mental and physical health.

The reports, which will also form part of the BMA’s submission to the UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry, make a series of recommendations about lessons which must be learned as well as presenting evidence of where things went wrong.

Key recommendations for governments from the reports include: 1. UK and devolved governments should continue to carry out pandemic preparedness exercises for the most likely types of infections and must act on the lessons learned from these exercises and the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying key themes such as PPE stockpiling, testing, and public health capacity.

2. Public health systems should be resourced and funded to have adequate contact tracing capacity and be able to rapidly scale up testing for future variants or pandemics.

3. The UK Government needs to maintain an adequate rotating stockpile of suitable PPE and have plans to quickly scale up procurement and manufacturing if required.

4. General wellbeing support including timely and accessible occupational health assessments and support to access psychological support services must be made available for staff at all levels across all health services, with specific support also offered to ensure staff can recover from the pressure of delivering care during a pandemic.

5. The need for a continuous and transparent assessment of workforce shortages and future staffing requirement to ensure health services and public health systems are better prepared to deal with crises.

6. Improve capital investment, modernise physical infrastructure and improve ventilation of the NHS estate.

7. To mitigate inequity in the future, mechanisms must be introduced to make the experience of working in the NHS less variable by background or protected characteristic.

Care Provider Partners with Community Church to Offer its Residents Diverse and Inclusive Activities A specialist Cambridgeshire care provider has once again partnered with a local community church to promote the mental and physical well-being of its residents through engaging activities – specially designed for those with learning disabilities and in their old age.

Askham Village Community, near Doddington, recently welcomed the services of Fenland Community Church, a family-run organisation that seeks to call upon the power of religion to dismantle stereotypes and to view everyone as equals, regardless of their age or disability.

Through a combination of drama, music and other sensory focussed activities, the group’s universal aim is to bring a smile to the faces of social care residents — something it undoubtedly achieved during the recent visit to Askham, where a total of 18 residents were entertained in the Atrium of Askham House.

Represented by husband and wife duo, Edward and Marilyn, along with another team member, Rosie, the church group will now visit on a monthly basis following a successful day promoting mental and physical well-being through engaging activities. The group

used to visit Askham regularly and has done for over 15 years, however, due to the hardships of the pandemic, this has not been possible for over two years.

Some of the residents in attendance suffered from advanced dementia so the sensory engagement of such activities proved vital for their cognitive wellbeing — something Fenland Community Church recognises in its approach.

Jo Monaghan, Head of Care & Nursing and Registered Manager at Askham Hall and Askham House, commented: “Partnering with activity providers like Fenland Community Church is an integral part of our diverse care offering.

Seeing the smiles on residents’ faces highlights just how important it is to keep them engaged with stimulating activities, something Edward and Marilyn are so well versed in. Their approach reflects our own ethos here at Askham — where all individuals are equal regardless of their mental or physical condition.”

Jo continued: “Due to popular demand from both staff and residents, Fenland Community Church are now visiting us every month and will continue to encourage those staying with us to engage and have fun within a completely accepting environment.”

Runwood Homes Form Meaningful Connections Through Care Home Zoom Singalong The new Runwood Homes’ initiative, named ‘Musical Memories Together’, aims to bring homes across the Group together, to enjoy the benefits of musical connection.

The first singalong session took place on the 12 May and, going forward, will take place bimonthly.

Music and singing in the care home setting has invaluable benefits for residents.

Improving wellbeing, reducing stress and anxiety, and boosting feelings of belonging. Singing together helps residents to bond, connect and form and develop friendships. For people living with dementia, music and singing can help them to express themselves and help them to connect with loved ones.

Music and singalong sessions are a great reminiscence activity as well and can be good for memory recall.

Kieun Kwon, Associate Director of Dementia Services, understands the importance of musical connection within the care homes and, as such, was pleased to be able to launch this lovely initiative.

Kieun said: “It was a delight to see residents across our portfolio of homes enjoying the music and singalong session. Many residents have a passion for singing and music, so this was a great way to showcase that and provide an opportunity to

share in that passion and interest. Practicing the songs together helps socially, psychologically and emotionally, as well as physical improvement, such as breathing and lots of movement. We are all looking forward to the next event and seeing the long-term benefits that this initiative is sure to bring.”

Cathy, Wellbeing Lead at The Grange, hosted the first session with residents, and was so pleased to see nineteen other homes join in. Cathy began the session with a warmup exercise, including breathing and gentle movements.

The Grange care home, in Wickford, is home to the One Voice Choir, a group of talented residents who perform together at various venues and events, as well as performing over Zoom as well. The One Voice Choir was present for the musical memories session and was a great way to showcase their talents to the other homes. The initiative is also a great opportunity for residents across homes to sing along and perform together, which help residents and teams connect.

The first session saw attendees sing together to ten songs, including Yellow Submarine, by The Beatles, She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain by Vicky Aldridge, and Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard, to name a few.

The Care & Occupational Therapy Show 2022 A brand new show is set to take the care sector by storm this year.

Inspired Motive acquired the ‘South West Care Show’ during the pandemic and have rebranded the show to make it more encompassing.

With over 30 years of experience in the event industry, Inspired Motive will be hosting the Care & Occupational Therapy Show. The visitors will include buyers from Care Homes, Domiciliary care companies, Care Groups, NHS, Trusts, Individual Carers, and Individual Practitioners also.

Attracting 3000+ visitors, it will truly be a festival of business for the care community.

Their goal is to enable companies across the UK to exhibit innovative products that will aid care sector professionals to enhance their brand/services, with 175+ Exhibitors, 30+ Industry Leading Speakers and a Live Demo Area, the show is perfectly positioned to put you on the road to success.

The show will also be appealing to Occupational Therapists as there will be services exhibited by those that

cater to that market too, making it by far the largest care event in the South West.

The show has already confirmed impressive keynote speakers from the likes of Care England and Care Quality Commission with more to be announced in the coming weeks. They already have some great exhibitors at the show, from the likes of - Albert Goodman, Motor Tech, Appetito, Nourish, Oysta Technology and Reval Continuing Care. All of the show’s seminars are CPD accredited so you can also earn your CPD points whilst attending the show.

All tickets for the show are free and will be released over the coming weeks. You can keep an eye on show announcements and ticket availability via their website - www.careexhibition.co.uk If you are interested in exhibiting your own products/services at the show, please contact Luke Outram on 02045 178 888 or email - luke@inspiredmotive.co.uk.

PAGE 26 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

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

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

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

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

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

Yeoman Shield offer a full fire rated door protec-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

your site is always maintained.

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

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

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

So why Limbkeepers Protectors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

agement.

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

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

07831 873355, email Call or Email NOW: admin@opeque.com or visit www.opeque.com See the advert on page 17 for details.

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

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

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

...because not only is it their legal duty under the discrimination acts people who happen to use wheelchairs also happen to enjoy sitting outside in fine weather, they are also appreciated in public places as well as private homes & gardens and places where care is a first priority Peter Cubbin Inclusivefurniture.com inclusivefurniture@gmail.com https://inclusivefurniture.com 07775717880 See the advert on page 17 for details.

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

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

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

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

Receive regular update emails covering latest

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

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

See the advert on page 19 for details.

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

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

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

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

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 27

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

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

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

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

Our in-house engineers fully install and commission all equipment as well as offering complimentary usertraining. Our ever popular Complete Care rental solution is a more sustainable alternative than outright purchase. It also gives care homes access to our multiaward winning service support at no extra cost for the life of the contract. www.forbespro.co.uk info@forbes-professional.co.uk 0345 070 2335 See the advert on page 12.

Renray Healthcare Renray Healthcare has been producing high quality furniture for over 50 years and is one of the UK’s largest and leading suppliers to the healthcare sector.

Whether you require a fast efficient delivery of quality

furniture or a full room installation and fitting service, we have the experience and resources to handle your contract.

We manufacture and assemble our products in our own purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe to British Standards. Hence we are able to ensure your furniture is produced to the highest quality, working with you to plan and meet your projects time schedule and budget.

We understand you are purchasing furniture that is fit for purpose, stylish and will continue to perform well into the future, which is why we design and build our furniture with you in mind.

Telephone: +44 (0)1606 593456, Email: info@renrayhealthcare.com, www.renrayhealthcare.com or see the advert on page 3 for details.

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

How do you access the free PAT Testing Course?

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

Who should do the course?

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

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

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

What equipment do you need?

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

How often should I PAT Test?

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

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

See the advert on page 7.

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

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

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

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

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

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

by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ularity, reduced gasses and bloating and relieved abdominal discomfort. Results showed that as many as 72.2% patients experienced increased bowel movements, 77.4% patients manifested reduction in constipation symptoms and 81.0% patients enjoyed better quality of life.

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

MOWOOT II – effective, safe and comfortable solution to chronic constipation! *McClurg D; Booth L; Herrero-Fresneda I. Safety and Efficacy of Intermittent Colonic Exoperistalsis Device to Treat Chronic Constipation: A Prospective Multicentric Clinical Trial. Clin Trans Gastroenterology 2020; 11(12): e00267.

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

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

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

See the advert on page 6 for further information.

PAGE 28 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

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

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

• Choose mild skin cleansers, moisturisers and sealants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IQ CATHETER

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 31

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Exclusive Antimicrobial Scrub Technology Launched

by Grahame Gardner and Micro-Fresh ®

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

drawstring waist, and also side and a back pockets.

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

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

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

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

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

Eliminate Odours and Sanitise Rooms with MAG Ozone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PAGE 32 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Why Infection Control Is Just One of the Benefits of Outsourcing Laundry the past. Residents have their own dedicated bags, into which garments are placed, so Elis knows exactly where each resident’s items are in its fully tracked service.

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

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

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

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

Using the Elis service can be a more cost effective approach to care home laundry. It can free up care home capital, as there is no equipment or linen to buy and can provide efficiencies and cost savings because Elis operates on an industrial scale and passes savings on to customers. With competitive fixed priced contracts and no risk of unexpected laundry costs, the service also helps with cost control. The usage of linens is tracked to provide complete cost transparency and there is flexibility to adjust quantities if demand changes.

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

1 – INFECTION CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE

4 – FREEING UP TIME AND SPACE

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

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

With staff shortages and illness, outsourcing laundry can also have the benefit of freeing up staff to focus on other tasks. It also significantly reduces the time that management need to focus on laundry. It takes away the hassle and provides a simple, reliable solution.

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

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

With a network of laundries across the UK, each with multiple state-of-the-art machines, back-up facilities and stock and its own delivery fleet, Elis provides a guaranteed, reliable service, day after day. The local Elis laundry collects soiled items, hygienically launders and maintains them and returns them to an agreed schedule.

Elis uses the latest technology in all aspects of its service, with tiny 2d Barcodes on linens and on special residents’ clothing bags, enabling meticulous tracking of items and meaning lost items are a thing of

3 – COST REDUCTION AND CONTROL

5 – HOTEL QUALITY Items are provided on a cost effective rental basis, with no large up-front costs. High quality linen creates the perfect centrepiece for each resident’s room and fluffy white towels create a homely feel. Bed linen and towelling are professionally finished using specialist driers, ironers and folders, to give a hotel-like quality, while every item of residents clothing is carefully washed and fully CQC compliant.

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

Elis partners with thousands of care homes around the world. From small independent homes and hospices to large care villages. Elis provides solutions for linen and residents’ clothing, workwear and uniforms, chefs’ wear, table linen and kitchen cloths. Elis also provides washroom, mats and floorcare services.

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

CATERING FOR CARE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See our Catering for Care feature on pages 34-37.

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 33

CATERING FOR CARE Carte D’Or Launches The Perfect Base To Create Flavour-Filled Desserts For Your Residents To Enjoy The key to a delicious dessert is the right ingredients. As a chef, you need quality, adaptability, and versatility, to create efficiency in the kitchen and variety on your menu. Carte D’Or have got you covered with all this and more, with their range of powdered dessert bases offering endless possibilities for your dessert menu.

Carte D’Or have teamed up with Aaron Watson, Head Chef at Primrose Bank Care Home and winner of the NACC Care Chef Of The Year 2021, to demonstrate just how adaptable, controllable and reliable their range can be.

Alongside Executive Chef at Unilever Food Solutions, Alex Hall, Aaron has created a series of recipes that are easy to create and will really impress. These include a refreshing ‘Eaton less Mess’, soft doughnuts, a classic baked Alaska and fruity strawberry ice cream – all made using the Carte D’Or Strawberry Mousse and perfect for a movie night or warm summers day.

Alex and Aaron have used the Carte D’Or Panna Cotta mix to make a rhubarb & custard, black forest, and raspberry panna cotta. All these recipes are quick, simple, and packed full of different flavours – which is ideal when catering to various individuals’ preferences! Aaron commented: “You have to think of each resident as an individual, rather than thinking a dish will be suitable for everybody. You have to personalise it to each person”.

Finally, Carte D’Or Crème Brulée is used to make an apple tart, coconut crème caramel and the classic Queen of puddings. The latter utilising leftover ingredients such as breadcrumbs, which are usually seen to go to waste. It’s made in 4 simple steps; just whisk, mould, chill and serve your delicious pudding. The coconut crème caramel is a play on Aaron’s winning dish from the 2021 NACC Care Chef of the Year competition and he highlights the importance of having these exciting dishes for residents: “Obviously, the food we put on the plate is a really important part of the residents’ day to day lives, mealtimes are one of the main times of the day, where all the residents can come together and interact”.

To learn more and watch the full recipes visit www.ufs.com/cartedorincare

Food Procurement Experts, allmanhall are Helping Care Caterers Manage Rising Food Costs Here the causes behind significant food inflation and provide advice on practical ways care home catering teams can manage rising costs are explored.

“There are wide-ranging reasons why we’re currently experiencing such significant food inflation. Our global food supply chain comes with input cost factors that originate far beyond these shores” explains Oliver Hall, managing director of food procurement experts, allmanhall.

The Bank of England has revised its projections upwards, predicting that inflation will now peak at 10% towards the end of 2022. Upward pressure is expected this autumn as energy prices rise again and the full impact of harvest yields globally, and more specifically in Ukraine and Russia, become known. allmanhall’s apply such insight and understanding to managing suppliers, thus supporting care home catering teams with their food purchasing in these challenging times. As well as expert negotiations to mitigate the price increases and risk associated with food inflation, allmanhall’s hands-on, experienced consultants are able to offer care homes practical advice.

Coping strategies are key, addressing the things you can control:

- Select the purchasing approach that brings your care home maximum benefit - Undertake range management - Reduce your care home’s cost to serve - Increase your delivery values (add non-food items to your order) - Multi- and upskill your catering team - Reduce waste wherever possible - Review the efficiency of your equipment - Consider your care home’s menus and recipes - Review product specifications.

These steps will enable your catering budgets and food purchases to go as far as possible.

To learn more, go to https://allmanhall.co.uk/webinars Rachael Venditti from allmanhall will be talking on the topic of Food Inflation at the Care Home and Hospital Catering Forum in Haberdashers Hall, London on 13 June.

PAGE 34 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

CATERING FOR CARE

Anglia Crown – Looking To Make Your Lives Easier As the better weather approaches it is perhaps a time that we can start to look forward again. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit us all, those in the care sector have been at the forefront of the fight and Anglia Crown salute each and everyone of you who have been providing the best service you could throughout the crisis. Anglia Crown has been there beside you and will remain there to help you keep your residents happy and well fed.

Whilst the company maintained a rapid response team to react quickly to their customers’ needs during the crisis, they also allowed time to step back and see how best they could improve their offer for the care sector and beyond.

The company was also keen to recognise their 30th anniversary of championing choice with the release of their 2022 range of products. The range includes Crown Choice and Crown Advantage meals available frozen, with Crown Crown Choice also available as chilled products.

Company Dietitian, Ruth Smith, comments: “Whenever we update our product range, we always look to reflect current trends. There is a definite move towards plant-based foods which we have considered in these menus, which we believe will prove to be very popular.”

The company now offers over 70 vegan and vegetarian dishes, many have been accredited with the Vegan Society. This approach led to the company being named a Veggie

Wholesaler of the Year.

Another one of the initiatives was to create a menu cycle that can be readily adopted by any care setting, with the knowledge that the menu is nutritionally balanced and has been approved by a professional dietitian.

The two-week cycle offers something for everyone. Where a bulk service is required for resident dining, they have it covered, a similar menu using Crown Advantage dishes can be similarly employed. The specially designed menu is cost effective, as it has already considered the financial balancing that is always required in our sector and just as importantly, it also helps with any staffing issues that you might encounter, allowing properly trained Care Assistants to help with the complete delivery of the meals to your residents.

Mary Wedge, Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown concludes; “We needed to take fast action during the crisis, which led to a huge shift in thinking that has ensured that we could fully support our industry during this difficult period and beyond, whilst continuing to deliver on our vision – in driving excellence in residential and care home catering.”

The new range is now available. Visit www.angliacrown.co.uk for further details.

TME’s Colour Coded CA2005 Temporary Catering Facilities For Events & Kitchen Refurbishments Thermometer Range Ensuring that you have hygienic equipment in the kitchen and catering area can be easily achieved with TME’s colour coded CA2005 thermometer range.

We all understand the importance of equipment which is easy to clean and hygienic especially where food is cooked and prepared. It is also important to ensure that the equipment you have is accurate to avoid any risk of food being undercooked.

Our solution is the CA2005 thermometer and probe range, featuring our high accuracy CA2005 thermometer and a choice of up to 6 colour coded dishwasher-proof temperature probes to help you avoid cross contamination. Our CA2005-P kit, which

includes both thermometer and probe, can be picked up for a little as £65 and our CA2005-PK kit with thermometer and all 6 probes is only £125.

You can be sure you’re making the right purchase as all TME products are British built and our thermometers come with our Thermometer for Life pledge which means that you will never have to pay more than £35.00 to have the thermometer repaired or replaced.

See our products at www.tmethermometers.com or contact us on (01903) 700651 sales@tmethermometers.com for further details.

TME – When temperature matters

Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment.

Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economic solution to the caterers’ needs.

Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Warewashing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex.

Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires.

We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period.

The standard specification of our smallest

Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, upright fridge, hot cupboard, single bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc. Internal equipment can be interchanged and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout.

We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project.

So if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal.

For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk

PAGE 36 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING Silent Running Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Tranquility in Care Homes Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years.

FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR

Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions!

Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers®. The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad. This results in less work for nursing staff, improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads. Wireless advantages include the ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless devices.

Benefits include:

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

TREADNOUGHT

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

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

Features include:

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THE CARER CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM TODAY ON 01202 552333 OR EMAIL SALES@THECARERUK.COM

Quiet and calm care homes ensure that residents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment. Similarly, carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum. There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surroundings, particularly those suffering from dementia, these can be fluctuations in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise. Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and external sources, for example, telephones ringing, loud conversations in corridors, and call bells sounding, often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents.

A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unanswered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers. The University recommends “fitting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building. Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is. At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a person’s ability to

concentrate. It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope, as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing. Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers.”

Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a number of methods to reduce their impact in a care home. These include zoning whereby there are separate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call. In these circumstances, dementia sufferers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one “zone” whist less vulnerable residents live in an alternative “zone”. Each “zone” can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil environment for residents. Pagers have been around for many years, are a relatively simple and cost-effective measure in reducing the levels of noise, and can be added to most Nurse Call systems. Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning, e-medication, etc.

Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call system. With the “Go” app, nurse call alarms are delivered immediately and silently straight to the handsets, alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the residents in the home.

Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less stressed also, this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved, staff are retained and CQC ratings improve. Clearly, the positive ramifications of a quiet Care Home run deep. Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter, calmer, and more tranquil environment.

For more information email us at: info@c-t.co.uk

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 37

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Medpage Falls Management Products Medpage T/A Easylink UK have manufactured and distributed fall prevention and detection products for over 25 years. We specialise in products for one-to-one care, or small groups in a Care Home or Hospital. Our systems are robust, easy to set up and use, and have a proven track record in helping to reduce falls, in domestic and professional care establishments.

How can they help reduce falls?

Many falls occur when a person at risk from falls leaves their bed or chair, particularly during the night. By detecting an exit from the bed or chair early a carer or guardian gains time to attend and help the person, usually preventing the fall.

WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE

Medpage supply a diverse range of equipment for detecting bed and chair exit.

There are for example, simple bed alarms, chair alarms, or multiple use products for combining bed and chair monitoring, to allow the person to move from their bed to their chair. There are systems that use a cabled pressure mat sensor connected to an alarm controller, or pressure mat sensors with a self-contained alarm transmitter to signal a radio pager. Carer alarm notifications can be by a single or multiple user pager or alarm receiver, or an external alarm device.

You can find out more on the advert on page 2 or at www.easylinkuk.co.uk/product/ product-fall-detection

Nurse Alert Mats Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected, the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents.

When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate.

• Nurse Call Systems • Fire Alarm Systems • Door Access • Staff Attack • CCTV • Infection Control • Dementia Care • Electrical Contracting

Lotus Care Technology The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot.

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls.

Having many years of experience in fitting and

maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

Visit www.lctuk.com for details.

In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing, It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable.

INCLUDES A 12 MONTH GUARANTEE

sales@lctuk.com 0800 8499 121 www.LCTUK.com

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Log my Care’s New Research Reveals The Sentiment In The Social Care Sector and Technology’s Place In Its Future

Log my Care has revealed the results of new research – The future of care: an analysis of job satisfaction and technology in social care.

Prompted by the reports of a sector in crisis, Log my Care disseminated a survey to better understand the sentiment of the social care workforce, if an exodus of care workers leaving the sector on the horizon and how technology can support them to stay.

The survey identified a workforce that was predominantly happy in their role. Reflecting these high levels of happiness in their jobs, only a small minority of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector: • Respondents had an average happiness ranking of 7.9 in which 1 was

‘very unhappy’ and 10 ‘very happy’.

• Those in senior management roles appeared to be more satisfied (8.9) compared to those in frontline roles (8.2) or management positions (7.7).

• Only 4% of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector.

Findings from the survey also revealed a workforce that is drawn to the sector for altruistic reasons: • 81% of respondents said that ‘purpose’ was ‘very important’ to them in their role, the most popular response from a predefined list.

• ‘Knowing that the job was done well’ was the most popular type of reward for respondents (56% selected this as their first choice) compared to a quarter (24%) selecting ‘money’.

• 83% of respondents reported that ‘passion for caring for others’ attracted them to the care sector, while more than three-quarters (77%) selected ‘making a difference’ as a reason.

• Factors connected to their own benefits were less important. With ‘personal development' (61%) and ‘career development’ (45%) bringing up the rear.

However, the stressors of the pandemic have exacerbated some of the unpleasant factors associated with working in social care: • Just under half (45%) of respondents reported that the ‘workload’ was the factor they disliked most about their role.

• 37% disliked their ‘work-life balance’ and 14% were unhappy with their ‘level of responsibility’.

When asked how digital they felt their workplace was already: • The majority (59%) said their workplace was a beginner when it came to digital with a long way to go.

• One-third of all respondents felt they were 'digital experts' (33%), using

digital solutions in most aspects of their work, and only 9% identified as complete novices.

There’s a positive sentiment towards the digitalisation of social care: • Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said they were 'super excited' about the increasing digitisation of the sector.

• Three-quarters of respondents (76%) felt that the care industry needs to become more digital.

Sam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Log my Care, comments, “The reports of the care sector in crisis are at odds with the incredible dedication and optimism voiced by many of our customers in our daily conversations. We wanted to dig a little deeper with this research — to understand the sentiment in the sector, why so many people were leaving it and what place technology has in supporting them to stay.

Although we were surveying an industry clearly in crisis, the passion and commitment of the people working in it is a light in the dark. We know it’s time for a change – with low pay, long hours and a lack of employee development coming up time and time again as the reasons our care staff are leaving. Technology can play a vital role in this change and by encouraging even the smallest care provider to go digital, we can begin to combat some of the problems highlighted by this survey.”

Scan this QR code to read Log my Care’s full report:

‘Work Smarter’ To Tackle Care Recruitment Crisis, Advises Bizimply The recruitment crisis continues to hit care homes hard. According to the latest ONS figures, to 31 March this year, vacancies in the health & social work sector, which includes care, stood at 216,000 – a 6.5% increase on the previous quarter and massive 65% up on the previous year. Care home owners and managers are learning how to run their business with a staff vacancy rate that is here to stay for a while.

Conor Shaw, CEO at workforce management specialists Bizimply, says: “Tackling the staffing crisis means ensuring your teams are working not harder, but smarter.

“Technology such as ours can be really helpful, allowing managers to create staff rotas and payroll easily and quickly, so they can spend more time with their teams, which raises morale and motivation. It can also reduce the

What Do COVID Vaccination Records Mean for Data Privacy?

By Llinos Bradley, Senior Data Protection Consultant at Gemserv (https://gemserv.com) In November last year, the UK Government announced that the COVID-19 vaccination would become a condition of employment for all health and social care workers. Yet just three months later, they went back on their decision, for fear of losing over 80,000 unvaccinated NHS healthcare staff as a result. Losing thousands of health workers would have had a catastrophic impact on an already overstretched workforce and would seriously compromise the quality of patient care.

From the 31st January 2022, it was announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that Covid-19 vaccinations would no longer by compulsory for NHS healthcare staff. After a period of consultation, the regulations were removed from all health & social care on the 15th March. However, this decision has sparked fresh debate and worries regarding data privacy, especially if vaccination status comes to be used in the future as a condition of deployment.

WHERE DOES DATA PRIVACY FIT IN IN ISSUING COMPULSORY VACCINATIONS AS A CONDITION OF DEPLOYMENT?

Data protection and employment legalisation is put in place to protect employees from potential discrimination on the basis of their health status. In this case, stating the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of deployment for health care workers was a major deviation from data privacy regulations.

NHS employers are still at liberty to ask for an employee’s vaccination status, however, particularly if there is COVID-19 outbreak, as hospitals still have responsibilities to control infections as this is still in line with current health related legislation. In some cases sensitive employee data may have already been collected, analysed and included in staff records, which would have been used to assess whether a staff mem-

ber was aligned with the regulations. In instances such as these, revoking the regulation raises questions about information that has already been collected and used.

WHAT POTENTIAL DATA PRIVACY RISKS DOES VACCINATION DATA PRESENT TO THE HEALTH SECTOR?

At present, NHS employers can still legally hold health data, including vaccination status, which falls under ‘special category’ data under UK GDPR stipulation. The catch is that processing this ‘special category’ data is viewed as an invasion of privacy, meaning that employees may ask for this information to be destroyed. In these circumstances, information collected could have already had an impact on staff, so would now form part of a formal record and therefore need to be retained. Organisations need to have a legal basis to store personal information as a result of the revocation.

Employers need to ensure that all data privacy protection requirements have been factored in from the start of the data collection process. If staff groups are not correctly defined from the offset, for example, employers could risk accusations of discrimination.

Groups that aren’t included within existing HR records, such as suppliers or student/trainee workers that aren’t on the organisations payroll, for instance, could be in contact with patients, and may need to review information on infection, prevention and control measures in order to protect both the workforce and patients to reduce the risk of transmission.

There are some circumstances, however, where healthcare employers have legitimate reasons for retaining employee data. If evidence required for the Government’s intended update to the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections, for example, which applies to Care Quality Commission registered health and social care providers in England, is realised, this will look at strengthening its requirements in relation to COVID-19 and could include data that has already been collected. If, in the future, full vaccination status was made compulsory for all healthcare staff, there would still need to be a choice for individuals, but also a clear legal obligation to collect, use and retain vaccination data either way.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 41...)

reliance on agency staff to fill the gaps.

“The other benefit is that managers can give staff members their shift patterns further in advance, putting an end to last-minute requests to work. Improving your employees’ work-life balance can go a long way to making them feel more valued in their job and less likely to leave.”

Shaw adds: “Nobody chooses a career in care to spend hours on administration. By automating routine tasks, care home managers and staff can concentrate on doing what they love - caring for residents.”

A growing number of care homes across the UK and Ireland are now using Bizimply’s software to create staff rotas, payroll and more. To find out more: https://www.bizimply.com/health-care/

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE What Do COVID Vaccination Records Mean for Data Privacy?

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39) WHAT RIGHTS DO NHS STAFF WHO RESIGNED BEFORE THE INITIAL 3RD FEBRUARY DEADLINE HAVE? When the government first announced that all healthcare staff would need to have had their second vaccine by the 1st April to maintain their employment status, this would mean that staff would have needed to have had their first dose no later than the 3rd February. NHS Guidance states that employers should offer workers who may have handed in their resignation before this date the option to withdraw or pause their notice period until the consultation and Parliamentary process is confirmed.

Additionally, for staff who may have left their role as a direct result of the initial regulation, NHS employers can extend an offer to re-appoint indi-

viduals to their role.

The NHS England and NHS Improvement viewpoint is that staff have a professional duty to be vaccinated, and that NHS employers should continue to encourage their staff to ‘drive vaccine confidence’ and to ‘protect themselves and everyone else’. Ultimately, vaccination as a condition of deployment is a challenging, complex call – we have to take into consideration the wellbeing of the general public, the rights of individuals and the ongoing health risk of COVID-19. Employers need to make sure that they are transparent and fair when relaying to staff how their sensitive information will be used, to ensure they are not penalised further down the line.

WHAT ORGANISATIONS SHOULD DO NOW

The Control of Patient Information Regulations 2002 (COPI) notice that allowed the processing of such data expired on 30th June 2022 and as the Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment legislation was also revoked on 15th March 2022, organisations wishing to continue to collect workforce flu and Covid-19 vaccination status data must: • Carry out or review their own Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), • Ensure that they have satisfied their own transparency requirements, and • Ensure that they have the necessary consent.

Depending on Government policy from 1st July 2022, organisations (as data controllers) will need to review the basis on which they are holding the data.

Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive Healthcare organisations face unique challenges from cost containment and multi-entity reporting to new billing models and product offerings and a cloudbased accounting system allows you to better understand your organisation and succeed in the future.

At Sage Intacct, we’re passionate about building accounting software that helps you better understand your business, maintain compliance, and succeed in the ever-evolving healthcare industry.

BUILT FOR HEALTHCARE

As healthcare grows in complexity, so does your organisation. You’re managing multiple locations and practices, navigating changing reimbursement methods, and initiating cost reduction initiatives, while manual processes are draining your productivity.

You need insight into your growing breadth of financial and operational data, and we’ve built our healthcare accounting software with you in mind. We provide compliant financials with continuous consolidation across multiple offices, practices and locations. Sage Intacct healthcare customers have increased profitability by 30% with better insight for informed decisions, realised 25% improvement in efficiency gains, and taken departmental reporting

from 10 days to 10 minutes.

REAL-TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS Sage Intacct’s real-time reporting allows you to understand and measure performance for both financial metrics and operational outcomes. Because every transaction in the system can be tagged with dimensions, finance professionals can sort, view, filter, and report on the specific information they need. With greater insight, our healthcare customers have reduced board budget reporting from three weeks to one hour and have improved revenues by 25% without adding additional headcount.

TRUE CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WITH OPEN API True cloud technology with open API As an innovator in the cloud space, Sage Intacct’s multi-tenant, true cloud foundation brings robust technology infrastructure to your organisation, without the high costs of managing servers. Our open API lets you connect to existing systems or those you are considering in the future. This means you can leverage key data from electronic medical records, payroll, budget, CRMs (including Salesforce), and other systems to track key performance indicators.

For more information on how Sage can help your business please visit: www.sage.com/en-gb/cp/intacct-carehomes/

Keep VIPs Safe at Home and Safe away from Home Button and box have been the traditional method of keeping Vulnerable Independent People (VIPs) safe at home, however, by continuing to install them in homes, you are inadvertently telling VIPs that they are only safe at home.

Oysta have developed telecare devices for VIPs to stay safe as they maintain an active lifestyle and passive sensors in the home to enable preventative care. VIPs should be encouraged to pursue an active lifestyle as movement is medicine. VIPs that remain physically active for longer are less likely to decline as quickly as they would if they are housebound.

Our Oysta devices and sensors link into our care platform, IntelliCare™. IntelliCare positions the care circle to provide preventative care as they receive insights and notifications when their VIPs activity falls outside of normal parameters. Likewise, in the case of an emergency, the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) has a full picture of the VIPs activity and location.

We are looking forward to showcasing our services to visitors at the Care and Occupational

Therapy Show in Exeter on 21 June. We are speaking at the show on ‘Movement is Medicine.’

Natasha Salway will show how mobile technology can play a big part in enabling VIPs to remain physically active for longer and providing them a safety net if their condition deteriorates.

Natasha will demonstrate how technology can remove isolation boundaries and cover how to ensure VIPs can be safe at home, or in a care home when pursuing an active lifestyle.

Natasha has hands-on experience of assistive technology, how it can benefit vulnerable adults, their families, and carers. She worked in Adult Social Care for 18 years, 14 years, specifically within the TEC, Assistive Technology and Telecare field.

Visit us at Stand 188 at the Care and Occupational Therapy Show, Westpoint Arena, Exeter 21st June 2022 for a free demonstration or if you’d like to speak sooner, get in touch today on 01295 530 101.

See the advert on the facing page for further details.

PAGE 42 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE The Access Group Launches Support For New Care Providers With Care Foundations Access Health, Support & Care, a division of The Access Group, has launched Care Foundations, new software packages to support start-up home care providers in implementing the digital solutions they need to register, establish and grow their business.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid previously announced £150 million of funding to support digitisation in social care, with the aim for 80 per cent of social care providers to be using digital care records by March 2024.

Used by many of the UK’s leading care providers, Care Foundations is part of the Access care management software suite that helps new and growing care providers register and develop their business.

The solution is designed to help home care businesses seamlessly integrate specialist health and social care technology into their day-to-day processes. Ranging from essential to premium, the three bespoke packages include information on various aspects, including policies and procedures, recruitment, and care plans.

Steve Sawyer, managing director, Access Health and Social Care, explained that this platform would be a perfect introduction to digitisation. He said: “Access Care Foundations will make the road to implementing digital processes much easier for new and growing care providers. This tool supports the vision of the recent announcement from Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and will make that transition to digitising care records much easier.

“Providing the best possible quality of care is clearly the main priority for providers. The aim of this tool is to simplify

Intelligent Care Software (ICS) If you are looking for a care management system which answers all of your quality, monitoring and compliance needs, then looks no further than Care is. Care is provides the intelligent software solution for care home and domiciliary care managers and owners looking to roll all of their care and management functions into one electronic platform. We know this to be true because unlike some other CMS’s Care is was conceived, designed, built and is managed by nurses, registered managers and care home owners.

establishing a business as well as provide a space to continue elevating current processes with support and guidance.

Each package has different options that can cater to different levels of care, this means there is always an option for each provider depending on their business needs.

“If we have learned anything from the past few years, it’s that technology has massive potential to continue to innovate the health and social care sector. Moving forward it’s clear to say that this will become the norm for home care providers. It’s important we continue to create safer and seamless healthcare processes and we believe that can be done with technology.”

Access is currently offering exclusive discounts of up to 25% on Access Care Foundations for new start-ups and unregistered providers only pay for what they need to get registered. Each package is on an integrated system and contains tools which can monitor and improve care quality.

For care providers who might be unfamiliar with specific protocols and regulations, this tool provides peace of mind knowing experts are on hand to help.

For more information visit www.theaccessgroup.com/carefoundations

The ‘CARE is’ suite includes care and support, care planning platform, our policy app with over 200 high quality policies which are updated regularly and which also includes our supervision, appraisals and training record apps and our audit app which templates all the essential audits and includes a record of inspection visits.

At Care is we can get you started on your journey from paper or another care management system with minimum fuss, plenty of support and all for what we believe to be good value for money.

With eMAR, mandatory training and a complementary care certificate coming in 2022, there has never been a better time to get on board. https://careis.net

PAGE 44 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

How the Care Sector Can Recruit and Retain Staff

Professor Martin Green OBE is an Expert Advisory Council member for P&G Professional and the Chief Executive of Care England.

Social care is facing many challenges, but one of the biggest is how to recruit and retain our workforce. The social care workforce is very large, consisting of over 1.4 million people (more than work in the NHS), but we also have a 34% turnover rate – and there are over 105,000 vacant posts.

Our workforce is the biggest asset in social care, and throughout the pandemic, they really showed both their commitment and professionalism. I heard of many occasions when social care staff went above and beyond the call of duty to support the people in their care.

The pandemic has left many social care staff exhausted and it is really important that as we start to develop a new future for our sector, we begin by giving staff the recognition they deserve. The legacy of Covid has to be a new deal for the social care workforce.

Not only have we lost staff because of the pandemic, but the Government introduced a policy of mandatory vaccinations in care homes,

though not in other parts of social care or the NHS, which led to about 30,000 staff resigning. While it is very important that all social care staff are vaccinated, implementing the policy was very challenging for social care.

The UK's withdrawal from the EU also took another group of people away from our sector. There now needs to be a reappraisal of every aspect of the social care workforce, including planning and career prospects, to put staffing issues on a sustainable footing.

It is my view that we need new skills and competency frameworks, with very clear career pathways and portable qualifications that must be the building block for careers in social care. We also need to look at the quality of the social care offering and create good quality jobs where staff are well supported in order to ease the challenges ahead.

In order to make social care an attractive place to work, there are several things that employers need to do to ensure that social care is a destination of choice, both for younger people starting out on their careers or, indeed, for people who are changing from other sectors.

Social care is a very diverse sector, and there are so many different roles and professions in which you can develop your career. We not only need frontline care staff, but there are also good roles in logistics, catering, and of course, hygiene and infection control.

The latter was always an important part of social care delivery. Still, the

pandemic has put into sharp focus the importance of having proper hygiene and infection control regimes, and the staff that deliver these crucially important services are a vital part of the social care workforce.

Working in social care is not easy, but it is very rewarding – and the rewards for staff come from the interaction between themselves and those they support. With this in mind, any repetitive tasks requiring staff to be taken away from frontline interactions with the people they support must be as easy and effective as possible. That certainly goes for the issues around cleanliness and hygiene; these are vitally important, but it is up to social care employers to make sure that they are as easy as possible for staff to complete.

Both staff and residents want the assurance that anything they are delivering is good quality, and that's why they use products that are tried and tested, providing both peace of mind and ease of use. P&G Professional products such as Flash Professional and Fairy Professional are simple to use yet highly effective. Staff and residents alike can feel assured that they will deliver the best possible cleaning solutions.

Choosing household name brands provides a sense of the familiar, given their consumer counterparts are seen in millions of homes and trusted by countless loyal customers. Professional brands adapted for the care sector provide comfort through a sense of reassurance thanks to their efficacy and reliability.

Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative – A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing WHY DO THIS? The Eden model, is built on what people say they want, in a Home or a workplace, which therefore attracts residents and team members alike.

As an Eden Home builds its reputation upon the quality of life it offers to the people that reside there, it follows that occupancy improves.

As a programme that empowers staff and focuses on their wellbeing, It follows that staff retention improves.

With a positive culture, a motivated and dedicated workforce, It follows that positive innovation becomes more possible, sustainable and continuous.

When demand for services increase, it follows that viability improves.

As a cohesive cultural progression programme, it follows that innovation, modernisation and positivity increase.

The model is efficient, cost effective and the training is delivered by experienced practitioners in Care Homes.

Homes are very busy places, and the programme is therefore run on line for 1 hour per week for 6 weeks, and people can do this at work or at home.

The 6 weekly sessions are run online, with a workbook, with links for further optional reading or viewing and should not be a burden to busy Homes, teams and managers.

It is however effective. You can try without obligation.

It is designed to make business sense to providers.

It is designed to enhance viability.

It is designed to support recruitment and retention.

It is designed to motivate Care teams and is open to any individual to add their CV.

WHAT IS IT. It is a training programme which leads to accreditation and focuses in detail on 7 domains of wellbeing, 10 principles, and is particularly designed to address instances of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Geoffrey Cox The Eden Alternative Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden-alternative.co.uk

An inspiring approach to care As experienced Care Home practitioners we provide training to care home teams in sustainable innovation and positive leadership that empowers people to embed companionship, partnership working and vibrancy to build enriched quality of life into care homes.

Develop a culture of care with wellbeing and positive relationships at its heart, with our 6 week online training programme. Discover how to replace loneliness, helplessness and boredom with wellbeing, companionship, and meaningful activities, in just one hour of training a week.

Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team.

Sign up today and join the care evolution

Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden-alternative.co.uk

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 45

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT ELGee Specialists In The Training of Elderly Care and Those with Learning Disabilities ELGee Training can provide various training courses for people who work in the Health & Social Care sector.

ELGee Training is a local company with over 20 years of experience managing of and training in residential homes, care homes and domiciliary care organisations for the elderly and for those with a learning disability.

ELGee Training provides up to date and current information for your workforce based on the requirements of the regulating authorities, and all courses are delivered by qualified trainers. ELGee Training will write and deliver tailor made courses for your requirements, and could be courses that run ½ days or all day.

WITH THE ELDERLY IN MIND Courses aimed at our elderly carers, with courses ranging from Dementia Awareness to Moving and Handling.

Assisted Living Training caregivers to provide assistance with medication management, activities of daily living, engaging and coordination.

SPECIALIST TRAINING TEAM Specialists in the training of elderly care and those with learning disabilities.

For more information on our courses or to arrange a consultation with one of our training facilitators then please do not hesitate to contact us on 023 9237 3857 | 079 4994 0860 or visit www.elgeetraining.co.uk

Skills, Knowledge, and Confidence Delivered Online Covid19 reminded us all just how important the NHS and care home staff are to our society. We are grateful for their hard work and bravery, and feel honoured to support them through our Laser Care Certificate course and CPD short courses. Working in the care sector is certainly demanding, so our objective is to make it convenient and straightforward for workers to upskill and acquire confidence in the process.

The Laser Care Certificate course provides knowledge to cover every standard included in the official Skills for Care specification. Every lesson includes bespoke video tutorials specifically for the Care Certificate course, as well as reading materials and good practice examples. Furthermore, a mandatory quiz at the end of each lesson (which requires a 100% pass mark) ensures both competence and confidence. Managers are able to create their own accounts to enrol staff on the course and track their

progress. All of the content is accessible remotely via computer, smartphone or tablet, enabling care professionals to make progress towards the certificate in a way that suits their circumstances.

Additionally, Laser delivers CPD short courses to equip staff with highly-relevant skills and knowledge so they can tackle new challenges or progress in their career. Two courses in particular – ‘Causes and spread of infection’ and ‘Infection control and prevention’ – were very popular during the pandemic.

Unlimited use subscriptions are available at affordable rates, for organisations wishing to take advantage of a large number of short courses.

Whether you are an owner, manager, or independent learner, please don't hesitate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course platform, and/or the CPD short course offering. The Laser Learning team can be contacted on info@lasersys.co.uk or +44 (0)1753 584 112.

Specialists in the training of elderly care and those with learning disabilities Our quality health and social care training services include.

• Moving & Handling • Dementia & Epilepsy Awareness • Risk Assessments ELGee Training provides up to date and current information for your

• Health & Safety Awareness

workforce based on the requirements of the regulating authorities.

We will write and deliver tailor made courses for your requirements, and these could be courses that run ½ days or the full day.

• Medication Overview & Infection Overview • Personal Centred Plans & Much More…

Our courses are second to none...

023 9237 3857 | 079 4994 0860 www.elgeetraining.co.uk

PAGE 46 | THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022

FINANCE, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse?

JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the healthcare industry, such as health care assistants, senior carers, and nurses from overseas. We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal proceedings and advices.

WHY JJ?

• We have very minimal processing fees.

• We assist you to get a sponsorship license.

• Qualified and experienced candidates from overseas.

Tel: 01704 809756 www.jjcarerecruitment.co.uk admin@jjrecruitment.co.uk

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance Global assists clients throughout the U.K. who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase, development and refinance.

We have organised over £1.8bn for clients in the past 30 years, providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt, ease cashflow and develop businesses further.

From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in

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

size we assist at every stage of your business expansion.

Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way, so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements, I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements.

Call us on 01242 227172 or e-mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.net

THE CARER | MAY/JUNE 2022 | PAGE 47

INSURANCE FOR CARE

Is Your Care Home At Risk From Underinsurance?

They also noted that one in four firms had not made a material change to at least one Sum Insured in the last four years. The Sum Insured is the maximum amount of money that your insurance company could pay out in the event of a covered loss. With costs increasing in the construction industry, in raw materials as well as labour, checking your building sum insured is a great place to start.

CONSIDER BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COVER

A recent article, written by Aviva, one of our insurer partners has highlighted some startling figures on commercial insurance among businesses in the UK. Whilst your insurance may not be held by Aviva, the risks identified are likely to be reflected across many organisations and could be relevant to you and your care home.

You might not be aware, but underinsurance is often seen amongst small to medium sized businesses, and the pandemic has only intensified the threat. The reason for this is that to ensure long term survival, many businesses made changes to their operating models, which have not been reflected in their insurance cover.

According to Aviva’s data¹, only 20% of small and medium businesses had their policies changed in line with their new business models. This could mean that in the event of a claim, they may not receive the appropriate level of cover they now require, putting their business at unnecessary risk.

ARE YOUR SUMS INSURED AT THE RIGHT LEVEL?

Further, they identified that 40% of clients with Business Interruption insurance did not have an adequately set indemnity period. This is the maximum length of time your insurance company is obligated to make payments to cover the losses insured under the policy. When the maximum indemnity period has been reached, then claim payments will cease.

Business Interruption insurance covers your operational costs in the event of a crisis. If your business suffered a total loss claim, you need to consider how long you would need the cover to last whilst you rebuild or relocate. As a care home owner or operator, following a total loss event, the cover period required is likely to be long, as you’ll need to rebuild or refurbish your property. You will also need to relocate your residents whilst this is happening, which may also result in a temporary change in staffing and supplier requirements.

When cover is not reviewed regularly and doesn’t reflect new operating models, your business may be at an increased risk from gaps in cover and underinsurance.

what’s right for your business, bringing you peace of mind. We’re here to help you and your business succeed.

Barnes Commercial Insurance Broker 01480 272727 enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk

IS IT TIME TO REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE? There is no time like the present to take some time to review your insurance cover levels. With so much economic uncertainty driven by the pandemic and Brexit, we would advise making sure your risk management plans are firmly in place, which includes adequate insurance.

You should talk to an experienced broker who can help you to take a look at the bigger picture and ensure that you have the right insurance in place for your specific needs. As an independent commercial broker, with access to a wide panel of A rated insurers, we can advise on

¹ Data is based on Aviva held small to medium sized business, excluding fleet November 2021 – modelling 80% of the account and extrapolating the total.

Specialist care home insurance We arrange tailored insurance programmes for care and nursing homes, hospices and domiciliary care providers, for both staff and business owners.

Our extensive knowledge of the care market will help to ensure you have the right protection in place for now and, for the future.

Secure robust cover that’s right for your business.

CALL NOW FOR A QUOTE

01480 272727

Impartial advice from experienced advisers

Exceptional service from a dedicated account executive

Let us help you to protect your business with a no obligation risk review today!

Market-leading products from A rated insurers

Send us an email: Visit our website: Follow us:

Support with claims

Guidance on risk management solutions including H&S and HR

enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk/care /barnes-commercial

Barnes Commercial Insurance Broker is a trading style of Barnes Commercial Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN: 844370. Registered address: 3 Fenice Court, Phoenix Park, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambs, PE19 8EW. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 11909011.