Caring UK August 2021

no.295 • £4.75 incorporating

August 2021

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Forced vaccine ‘is not the way forward’ claim SOCIAL care providers have repeated their concerns over compulsory vaccination for those working in the sector after the Government voted in the measure.

From October, anyone working in a Care Quality Commissionregistered care home in England must have two vaccine doses unless they have a medical exemption.

The House of Commons approved the regulations by 319 votes to 246.

The Independent Care Group is concerned over the move, fearing it will discourage people from taking up jobs in social care at a time when there are upwards of 120,000 vacancies.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “This is totally the wrong approach to this issue and shows a total lack of understanding of the social care sector.

“It is also surely wrong to be voting this measure through without producing impact assessments – making a judgement without having all the facts “Given time and the right message from government, I firmly believe that we could get to the right level of vaccination within social care.

“But making it compulsory and a condition of employment is not the way forward. It is going to discourage people from joining the sector at a time when we are facing

an existential staffing crisis.

“Forcing people to do something against their will does not sit well with me and I’d prefer it to remain a matter of personal choice rather than be compulsory.

“I think the Government hasn’t gone far enough in its efforts to persuade people of the value of the vaccine and is using the blunt instrument of legislation.

“This will without doubt create another barrier to recruitment at a time when social care providers are facing an employment crisis and struggling to fill one shift at a time.

“What about those already employed? Are employers going to have to force them to have the injection and dismiss them if they don’t? That can’t be right and will surely open the door for legal challenge.

“There has been discussion about redeploying those who won’t have the vaccine, but again that isn’t always an option, particularly for smaller operators. This whole thing seems to demonstrate once again a lack of understanding of the social care sector.

“It isn’t right that it is compulsory for social care staff and not, at this stage, for NHS staff who are similarly working with the most vulnerable people.

“And where will this end? Is the flu jab also to be made compulsory as that can be similarly debilitating and even fatal for some people?”

NHS ambulance worker and Mayor of Wakefield Tracey Austin paid a special visit to the city’s newest luxury care home, Hepworth House, to mark the home’s upcoming launch. As her first official engagement, the newly appointed Mayor took a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities with her Consort Dwain Longley. Together with home manager Amanda Woolford they viewed the new amenities available on site for residents to enjoy including a cinema room, a vintage tearoom complete with balcony area, a hairdressing salon and botanical garden rooms leading onto spacious landscaped gardens. The Mayor also planted a Laurel tree in the garden for future residents to enjoy to commemorate her visit.

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PEOPLE who need extra support when they are ready to leave hospital are being supported by Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s health and care system.

Karenza is one of two care homes in the county to be commissioned by the NHS and Cornwall Council as a place where people can get a helping hand to get back home.

The other is Addison Park in Callington.

Care home manager Vicki Franklin said: “We have 10 beds at Karenza that support the national discharge to assess (D2A) framework.

“Our role is self-sufficiency, and people who come here know it is a stopover after a hospital stay, while they practise living life.

“They will have daily supervision from therapists who are on site helping the to get used to daily tasks such as washing, dressing and preparing food.”

“A person may be going home with carers visiting, but there will be periods of time when they could be alone, especially at night.

“We support them with important lifestyle basics which helps them feel more confident.”

Run by Cornwallis Care Services, staff at Karenza, which is based in St Agnes, talk to the patients to understand their needs, and plan and provide up to six weeks of goal-focused and intensive reablement to help them to rebuild their confidence and retain their independence and avoid being readmitted to hospital.

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New Skills for Care adult social care workforce data released DOMICILIARY care services continued to grow during the pandemic according to data from Skills for Care’s latest ‘The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ update.

Using data from employers supplied to the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set between 2019/20 and 2020/21 the vast majority of the increase in adult social care jobs during the pandemic was in CQC regulated non-residential care services, which increased by 40,000 jobs or seven per cent.

The number of care home jobs remained broadly the same over the same period despite decreases in occupancy rates from 86 per cent pre-Covid to 77 per cent in March 2021.

Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth said: “Thanks to the continued support of thousands of social care employers who kept supplying their data through the pandemic we are able to publish our annual analysis.

“This gives a real sense of not only how big our sector is, but also the impact of the pandemic on the workforce which has done so much to keep the people they work with safe and well.

“We believe that policies to reform adult social care will not be successful unless

Oonagh Smyth they address the needs of the workforce which must be underpinned by high quality data that offers policy makers and employers a clear understanding of our workforce now and in the future.”

Analysis of the data also showed that the number of jobs in care homes for older people also remained similar in

2020/21, but between March 2021 and June 2021 there is evidence that the number of jobs in this part of the sector had started to decrease.

Other key findings are: n The number of people working in adult social care was estimated at 1.54 million in 2020/21. n The number of adult social care jobs in England as at 2020/21 was estimated at 1.67 million – this has increased by 2.7 per cent (45,000 jobs) between 2019/20 and 2020/21. n The number of full-time equivalent jobs was estimated at 1.19 million. n An estimated 17,700 organisations were involved in providing or organising adult social care in England as at 2020/21.

Those services were delivered in an estimated 39,000 establishments.

The data also reveals that if the adult social care workforce grows proportionally to the projected number of people aged 65 and over in the population then the number of adult social care jobs will increase by 29 per cent, or 480,000 jobs, to around 2.16 million jobs by 2035.

The report is being offered as an interactive visualisation rather than a written report.

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

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Funding will improve research-led practice in adult social care

‘Batman’ Graham Street receives a cheque for £150 from resident Robin Brigstock.

Batman meets Robin at Isle of Wight care home THE dynamic duo of Batman and Robin met at The Elms in Bembridge, Isle of Wight.

Graham Street, who runs the island’s Bat Hospital, visited the care home to receive a cheque for £150 from Robin Brigstock, who has been a resident for 12 years.

Manager Lesley Wise said: “We acknowledge the wonderful work the bat hospital does in looking after injured protected bats on the Island.

“They have rescued more than 2,000 to date, which is a marvellous achievement.”

The Elms also presented cheques

for £150 to other community charities and organisations – the Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust; Ability Dogs for Young People; the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary and St Mary’s Hospital’s ICU. The money was raised from the care home’s Christmas coffee morning which included a raffle and tombola.

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

A TEAM of researchers from the University of Hertfordshire has been awarded funding of almost £1million by the National Institute for Health Research to build research capacity in adult social care services across Hertfordshire and Norfolk.

Led by the University of Hertfordshire in collaboration with the University of East Anglia, the project will pave the way for more social care practitioners to undertake relevant research, which can be embedded into their practice to inform and improve quality of care.

Kathryn Almack, Professor of Health, Young People and Family Lives and joint project lead at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding that will enable us to significantly raise the profile of research within the field of adult social care.

“It is fantastic to have investment from the NIHR and backing from senior figures in Hertfordshire and Norfolk County Councils.

“Practitioner-led research has long been seen as a vital resource in healthcare, and I am very pleased to see its value being recognised in social care too.

“This funding will help us to upskill

and empower staff, creating time and space for tailored research projects that directly contribute to better care for vulnerable adults across the region.”

In partnership with Hertfordshire and Norfolk County Councils, the three-year initiative will see the researchers create four new Social Care Research in Practice Teams.

Each team member will receive funding to develop their research skills and confidence, and design and implement new research projects to advance social care in the region.

One of six similar schemes across England funded by the NIHR, the project also provides more opportunities for collaboration between social care practitioners in Hertfordshire and Norfolk.

Participants will benefit from opportunities to share skills and best practices with colleagues from a range of areas of social care.

Tanya Moore, principal social worker in adult care services at Hertfordshire County Council, added: “Practitioners have a great deal to offer research so it’s great to see this project being so thoroughly embedded in practice.”

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Art project enables residents to voice their experiences Residents ‘saddle up’ and wear Denim for Dementia STAFF and residents at Windsor Court care home in Wetherby have taken part in the annual ‘Denim for Dementia’ challenge in association with the Alzheimer’s Society to raise funds to support and improve the lives of people affected by the condition.

The team ditched their uniform in exchange for denim and a donation to take part in the ‘Wild West’ themed fundraiser, complete with full denim cowboy attire including cow print chaps, checked shirts, waistcoats, bandanas, personalised whacky cowboy hats and of course, their denim jeans.

Kirsty Watson, lifestyle manager and

driving force for the afternoon, said: “It was so much fun dressing up and getting involved in the ‘Denim for Dementia’ challenge.

It means so much to us to be able to support the Alzheimer’s Society and all of the work they do.

“Our barn dance was brilliant and our residents definitely had fun.”

Throughout the day residents also donned their denim and embraced the cowboy theme, enjoying a southern chicken feast before joining in with a traditional ‘barn dance’, dancing along to country hits such as Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus and John Denver classic Take Me Home, Country Roads.

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place, the artists sketched a portrait of the resident and sent it to them as a thank you in recognition of their participation.

The artists then applied animation software to the sketches and the recorded conversations to produce a unique and creative method of capturing residents’ voices.

So far residents from homes in Anglesey, Fishguard, Mold, Porthcawl and Port Talbot have taken part in Tell Me More.

With funding from the Welsh Government, Age Cymru will take the project to more care homes across Wales so it can capture the voices of more than 100 residents by December.

Victoria added: “It is crucial that we hear the experiences of residents and understand how they have felt over the last year. It is also wonderful to hear those experiences not just in peoples’ own words, but with the recordings, in their own voices too.

“Remarkably, some of the residents said their biggest concern was not being able to reassure their loved ones living outside of the care home.

“While others touched upon missing quite simple things such as going to the cinema, eating an ice cream at the sea-side or going to church.

“Tell Me More has given us a remarkable insight into how care home residents experienced lockdown and we look forward to hearing more of their voices in the months ahead.”

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A GROUP of artists are working with Age Cymru to hold conversations with care home residents across Wales as part of a project to explore and capture how this group of older people experienced the pandemic.

The project, called Tell Me More, encourages residents to talk about what it was like to live in a care home during lockdown.

For lots of older people it was a torrid time as many residents and care staff became seriously ill or even died through Covid 19.

Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd said: “During the height of the pandemic, care home residents experienced some of the strictest lockdown conditions in Wales.

“Most residents were unable to receive visits from family and friends and, at the same time, they were unable to do any of their usual activities or visits.

“It was even more difficult for those residents who were transferred directly from hospital to the care home as not only were they cut off from their family and friends but they had little opportunity to socialise and get to know existing residents.

Up until now, residents have had little opportunity to voice their experiences of the pandemic.

Age Cymru worked with the artists to make contact with residents through Zoom and used open conversations to gather the residents’ thoughts, wishes and experiences.

As the conversations were taking

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Lamps light up residents’ day RESIDENTS at Barnes Lodge were feeling inspired when they tried a new craft project, upcycling some old lamps.

In a bid to brighten up and breathe new life into some old furniture, residents of the Tonbridge care home decided to revamp some lamps using brightly coloured buttons.

General manager Nicky Pett said: “Craft activities are very popular with our residents but upcycling old furniture items is a new one for

them. They had great fun making their lamps and are now able to enjoy using them too.”

With their basket of buttons in a variety of colours and shapes, the residents got stuck into the job at hand, sticking them in place and filling the entire lampshade.

Fiddly and time consuming, the task required a lot of concentration, but the reward was a new lamp which the residents could display in their rooms.

CARINGNEWS

The importance of strong leadership

By Jane Roberts DURING this unprecedented pandemic, it’s been a very difficult time for care homes, their staff, residents, and families.

We’ve already heard a huge amount about the issues and challenges that people living and working in care homes have experienced over the last 16 months, but at both Rosebank and Churchfields Care Home, we’ve managed the virus and maintained a safe environment in which residents have been thriving.

With ‘Outstanding’ ratings from the CQC in both homes, we’ve had clear policies and procedures in place from an early stage, along with a highly competent, well trained, and wellsupported team, who are able to deal with the pandemic.

Small care providers like ourselves are highly reliant on recruiting good managers.

All efforts in auditing, quality assurance, and governance will have little effect if a manager is not well supported, confident, and competent in their role.

It’s important to recruit leaders who are committed to continually improving their service, even when they were already doing well.

Good leaders can make a difference to the culture in a place by being approachable, so staff feel comfortable raising concerns with them.

Strong leadership and an

Jane Roberts investment in excellent training is at the heart of the high-quality care offered at both Churchfields and Rosebank.

Our staff are knowledgeable about peoples’ individual needs, and systems are in place to ensure staff are made aware of any changes in care needs or preferences.

We offer career progression and clear structured pathways enabling our care workers to progress within their individual careers.

We offer a bespoke programme, which enables our staff to progress from a care assistant to a care practitioner, and right up to a nurse, should they want to take that route.

By investing in our staff and developing the right people with

the right skills and the right values we are able to deliver high quality, effective, and compassionate care to our residents.

Our high quality of care has been demonstrated throughout the whole pandemic.

At both care homes, we built an indoor visiting centre to allow families and friends to safely visit their loved ones during the winter as the Covid-19 pandemic continued.

We were able to allow visits to continue safely, having fixed an airtight Perspex screen within the visiting pod as well as hand sanitising stations in order to stay Covid-secure.

Surveillance testing has been rolled out to both care homes, as well as the SAMBA industry standard testing kit.

We were also among the first in the country to install VK401 virus killer into our Covid-secure visitor centre, which is an air purifier that sterilises the room, providing real time protection against airborne allergens, pollutants and viruses.

Community life has been, and always will be, essential for the health and wellbeing of our residents.

During the lockdown period, communities have really come together, which we’re extremely thankful for.

As a team, we’re working hard to maintain our community links, so that going forward our residents are still able to remain a valued part of the locality.

The voices of our residents, their

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families, friends, and our care home staff are at the heart of discussions and decisions about moving forward at both of our care homes.

Individual care plans are in place at both homes which reflect each person’s current needs, including the actions staff should take to support residents to meet their intended outcomes and goals.

Guidance is provided for staff to support people to remain independent, active, and maintain hobbies and interests.

Residents who have capacity have a lot of input into their care plan.

With people who lack capacity, every effort is made to enquire and find out information from relatives so that previous choices and preferences that they made are continued and cascaded to all staff.

This means that all staff at both homes play an active role in working with the residents and their families.

Coronavirus is not going away; it will be within our communities for some time.

In the meantime, we will continue to implement new ways of working, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents at all times.

We will continue to strive to emphasise quality of life for all our residents in their new home, as has always been our philosophy. n Jane Roberts owns and manages Rosebank Care Home and Churchfields Care Home in rural Oxfordshire with her husband Gerry.

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CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

How safe are your ratings?

HEALTH and safety legislation in this country dates back to the Factories Act of 1844, by which it became unlawful to chop bits off your employees or draw them into a machine.

A maximum working week of 48 hours for those aged nine to 13 had already been set in 1833, but it was only in 1867 that blowing up or incinerating your workers in a steel mill became unlawful.

It was not until the 1970s that the limitations of prescriptive health and safety legislation were appreciated.

The Robens report controversially recommended in 1972 the idea of self-regulation by employers.

Conversion of the report into the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act of 1974 came too late to prevent the Flixborough disaster of June 1 1974, an explosion in a chemical plant involving badly modified equipment which killed 28 and seriously injured 36 out of a total of 72 on site.

Other than planning permission, there had been no regulatory controls in place that could have identified the problem and prevented the disaster.

And so the 1974 Act consolidated previous legislation into a kind of ‘statutory self-regulation’.

At its most basic, and without dwelling on the detail, if you are operating a business, it is for you to know the ‘industry risks’ that may arise in your business and to ensure, “so far as is reasonably practicable”, the health, safety and welfare at work of all your employees, and of anyone else who may be affected.

No need for separate regulations proscribing 60 per cent burns in a hot bath in a care home.

It’s a known industry risk. It’s covered by the HASAWA. HASAWA does not explicitly require employers to ‘follow guidance’, but it comes off whichever page of the HASAWA you look at.

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states that “providers should read and implement relevant nationally recognised guidance and be aware that quality and safety standards change over time when new practices are introduced, or because of technological development or other factors”, this is really only reflecting the general position in our law.

We’ve been inundated with new guidance over the last eighteen months or so, much of it guidance to compliance with the regulatory requirements put in place in response to the pandemic.

As those constraints are withdrawn, the ‘requirements’ revert to the default under health and safety legislation and of course Regulation 12 Safe care and treatment.

There are black clouds on the horizon.

Government dicta as to “expectations” of compliance with new recommendations are a sinister echo of the worst excesses of the National Minimum Standards, where inspecting officers and even the Care Standards Tribunal enforced nonstatutory provisions as if they were statutory requirements.

Where inspections have in recent months been against compliance with gov.uk guidance, they should now revert to the default under the fundamental standards.

The spotlight is set to swivel back to the provider’s own arrangements.

Under the heading of “other factors”, now is as good a time as any to review all policies, documentation systems, training, and the rest, in advance of this next phase of regulatory control.

What was ‘required’ on July 20 was probably still ‘expected’ on July 22.

But get in first and reset your own policies.

Please make yourself at home on my new website https://hsc-prof.com/ Download the latest Alerts and Updates, and factsheets on warning notices, appeals and the like And please stay as safe as you can.

Residents and staff at Brendoncare Froxfield enjoyed their own music festival in the grounds of the nursing home. Sharing a love for music, they were disappointed that the Froxfield music festival was postponed, so decided to hold their own. A variety of performers visited during the week, including music therapist, Arash, who played the keyboard for a sing-along. The grand finale saw music from Robbie Robinson, who performed tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Duo ‘It Takes Two’ closed the festival, harmonising to some of the biggest hits from the past few decades. To accompany the music, the residents enjoyed a barbecue, a glass or two of Pimms and strawberries and cream.

Castle View apartment owner John Hodges takes a closer look at the new model railway along with guests at the official opening.

Village gets on track with model railway A TEAM of 20 property owners at Castle View retirement village in Windsor have launched their model railway.

Built during lockdown with the assistance of Hornby, the new model railway club was given a Champagne reception.

Thanks to donations of locomotives and rolling stock from residents and friends, as well as Hornby UK’s head of marketing Simon Kohler, the model railway is set to give hours of pleasure.

Castle View CEO Robin Hughes, himself a railway enthusiast who used

to own England’s highest mainline station at Dent on the Settle-Carlisle line, said: “I’m delighted to support bringing this railway to Castle View.

“We had great assistance from Hornby, who donated much of the track and helped plan a fairly sophisticated layout into a comparatively compact location.

“It was great to see it officially launched, and it will be a resource that all our residents, men and ladies, current and future will be able to enjoy, along with their grandchildren when they come to visit their grandparents.”

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Launched more than 30 years ago by KimberlyClark Professional™, the Golden Service Awards 2022 is now open for entries.

Entries are welcome from all FM and contract cleaning companies across the UK and Ireland.

There will be 19 categories that acknowledge excellence and the achievement of the highest standards in the industry, and the closing date for all entries is October 29, with finalists to be announced in November.

The awards are renowned as the ultimate accolade for excellence by cleaning teams across a huge variety of sectors including healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, education, leisure and offices.

The 2022 Awards will also acknowledge achievements with a special new category ‘Going that extra mile’ for those who have delivered above and beyond during recent times of adversity.

Further details of all the categories will be announced shortly.

“The Covid pandemic has clearly moved cleaning and hygiene to the top of the business agenda across all sectors, therefore the cleaning and FM industry has never been more important or more valued,” said Steve Jones, general manager UK and Ireland, Kimberly-Clark Professional™.

Returning as gold sponsor is the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers’ Association and joining as

returning silver sponsors are Kärcher and Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Supplies.

Announced as new sponsors for the Golden Service Awards are Nationwide Hygiene Group, who join as a silver sponsor, and Pearroc and Zuppclean

by Bothongo Hygiene Supplies, who are new bronze sponsors alongside Truvox International.

The awards are supported by the British Institute of Cleaning Science and the Cleaning & Support Services Association plus media sponsors Tomorrow’s Cleaning, Facilities Management Journal and Cleaning Matters.

“It is such an important time to sponsor a leading event in our industry, and we welcome both our new and returning sponsors,” added Steve.

“As the flagship event in the UK and Ireland, we are looking forward to discovering how our industry peers have excelled in reaching new heights during a challenging time.

“In the meantime, we urge the industry to showcase what we believe will be many examples of excellence and going above and beyond, by entering the awards.”

To support all entrants, in addition to a comprehensive how to enter guide, Kimberly-Clark Professional™ is hosting a webinar on July 29.

The online event will also feature support and guidance from the British Institute of Cleaning Science, who oversee the judging, and Suzanne Howe Communications, the awards’ organisers.

Enquiries: Register for the webinar at https://kcc.zoom.us/webinar/ register/3516237463181/WN_nu2U2Hl_ QX2aNL9DwYfChg

STAFF at a Worthing care home are celebrating after a recent CQC inspection saw their rating improve to ‘Good’ having been recognised for being safe and well-led.

Linfield House, which has been owned and run by Guild Care – a Worthing-based charity – for the past 15 years, was praised for its “calm” atmosphere, while residents were “supported, relaxed and engaged.”

The 54-bedroom residential and nursing care home also includes an 11-bed dementia suite and was previously rated ‘Requires Improvement’.

Annie Lewis, director of care homes at Guild Care, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of our recent CQC report.

“The whole team has worked so hard to ensure the action plan dedicated to getting our rating up was enforced and that shows in this fantastic result.

“It was great to see the recognition of how happy and well-looked after residents are and also to hear that throughout what has been a difficult year for everyone, staff continued to feel supported. My sincere thanks to everyone who has helped us achieve this.”

In the report, staff were found

to “treat people with respect and kindness” and there were always enough staff to meet people’s needs. It was also highlighted that the management team “reviewed staffing levels according to people’s needs and occupancy levels.”

In addition, the report found that all staff received safeguarding training and as a result, residents were “safe and protected from avoidable harm and risk of abuse.”

Residents were also “supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests” with one resident commenting “the girls are very helpful and I definitely feel safe.”

The team at Linfield House also promoted a “positive and inclusive culture” which is “person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering.”

The CQC report found that all previous concerns had been addressed by “delegation and increased monitoring within the management team” who all had clear roles and “displayed a passion for their roles.”

The report also looked at infection control and whether the correct prevention measures were in place, which it was assured they were.

Advertiser’s announcement

Preventing falls and enhancing safety with specialist bathroom solutions FALL prevention and enablement of safe transfers in bathroom environments are essential criteria for any reputable healthcare provider.

However, it is estimated that care home residents are still three times more likely to fall than people living at home.

The NHS state that: “Falls in hospitals are the most commonly reported patient safety incident with more than 235,000 falls reported in acute hospitals, community hospitals and mental health trusts in England annually”.

75 and NICE also estimate that each year, almost a third of over 65s fall at least once with an estimated 500,000 fragility fractures.

CQC guidelines state that care providers must assess risks to health and safety during any care or treatment.

A fall is typically due to an identifiable ‘risk factor’ – with the bathroom being one key area that care providers can tackle.

Many older people prefer to utilise a bath for washing and relaxation yet often lack the ability to do so safely and independently.

Muscle weakness, reduced stability and eyesight changes play a part in a higher risk of falls especially within

badly designed and ill-equipped bathrooms.

Slippery and uneven floor surfaces, toilets at the incorrect height, insufficient lighting, lack of safely secured handrails and ill-maintained transfer equipment such as wheelchairs and hoists, are just some of the risk factors.

To ensure fall reduction and enablement of safe moving and

handling for dependent service users, care homes and acute care facilities are increasingly seeking to replace outdated and conventional bath and shower rooms with suitably adapted wet rooms and accessible bathing facilities.

Specialist service providers such as Gainsborough Specialist Bathrooms provide a proven range of assistive baths and specialist wet room

equipment backed up with thorough care staff training and annual servicing packages.

Through its G360 solution services, Gainsborough covers every detail of bathroom planning and implementation from specialist antislip flooring, lighting for dementia clients, antimicrobial tiling grout for reduced infection control through to specialist bather transfer chairs and hoists.

The company also provides high specification CGI visual design with greater realism and specification detail – so all aspects of a new wet room or bathroom can be deemed accessible and safe for both bather and carer before any work commences.

In its ‘Care homes and equipment’ guide 2019, The Royal College of Occupational Therapists concludes: “The right piece of equipment can make a life changing impact to a person’s life in a care home.”

Therefore by specifying appropriate and specialist bathroom products from a proven manufacturer, such as Gainsborough, healthcare providers can truly deliver a solution to the ever-evolving challenge of safe assisted bathing. https://www.gainsboroughbaths.com/

CARINGHYGIENE, LAUNDRY & INFECTION CONTROL

15

Advertiser’s announcement

Boost your cleaning regime with the power of steam THE Cambridgeshire Care Home is an attractive, modern purposebuilt care home with beautiful landscaped gardens situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside providing care for up to 72 elderly people.

The home prides itself on providing bespoke care for residential, nursing and dementia residents whether their stay is for a short respite period or as a permanent resident.

Their use of modern technology helps them to provide the best quality, personalised care for their residents and activities on site include a cinema, Sky TV, 64-inch Yeti tablet, Wi-Fi throughout, therapy room and hair salon, private dining facilities and a bistro where they are proud to maintain a fiveStar food hygiene rating.

With such high standards it goes without saying that the same principles apply to cleaning and hygiene throughout the home.

Hotel services manager Rosita Sanoja had experience of the Duplex Steam range of floor cleaning machines whilst working for a previous care home group and was so impressed she recommended them here.

In care and nursing establishments the knowledge that cleaning can be combined with a proven infection control programme is a vitally important factor to be taken into account when considering a cleaning machine purchase.

From bedrooms and bathrooms to kitchens, lounges, dining rooms and corridors, the Duplex 420 Steam can deliver a floor cleaning solution to most needs.

High Performance Cleaning Machines

Duplex have been supplying cleaning machines to the health and care sectors for over thirty years and in that time our machines have been helping to keep hospitals and care homes clean and sanitised for staff, residents, patients and visitors in all parts of the country.

These premium grade machines are made for the most demanding tasks and are especially relevant with the ongoing issues caused by the Covid 19 pandemic with their ability to deliver steam at temperatures high enough to kill 99.998% of bacteria.

Request a Covid-19 safe demonstration.

These will follow any customer Covid secure requirements currently in place and our own stringent safety policy.

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It’s perfect for daily maintenance cleaning and periodic deep-cleans and can be used to clean carpets and hard floors.

The 420 Steam cleans without the need for aggressive chemicals making it ecologically-friendly and economically sound as no harsh chemicals are used in the cleaning process meaning no chemical effluent enters the waste water system and, like the other Duplex

Steam models it not only cleans it also sanitises with the power of steam at temperatures high enough to kill 99.998 per cent of bacteria.

To demonstrate the efficacy of our products we commissioned independent tests by the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory in Birmingham which gave us certified data that proves our machines kill the bacterium most common in the environment including Clostridium Difficile.

The Duplex 420 Steam is also perfect for cleaning the safety flooring often found in care homes where the risk of slips and trips must be minimised.

Although safety flooring can be amongst the most demanding types of flooring to clean and maintain the Duplex Steam scrubs deep into the profile which gives safety flooring it’s slip-resistant properties leaving it both clean and sanitised.

With on-site Covid-secure training and installation carried out by one of Duplex’s fully trained technicians, staff at The Cambridgeshire Care Home can look forward to many years of high performance floor cleaning enhanced by the power of steam.

• CLEAN AND SANITISE WITH STEAM • CERTIFIED DATA AVAILABLE • COMBINE CLEANING WITH INFECTION CONTROL • CLEANS CARPETS AND HARD FLOORS • COVID-SECURE TRAINING INCLUDED

16

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

CQC’s Fundamental Standards – are they fit for purpose?

By Neil Grant

Introduction The current CQC Fundamental Standards came in to force in April 2015.

They are due to expire after March 31 2022.

However, the Government is proposing to extend them by a further three years.

Uncertainty breeds inconsistency As a regulatory lawyer, the basic concern I have always had about the Fundamental Standards is how vague they are.

They are little more than headline statements about what providers and managers need to achieve in their services.

Previously, the regulations were more detailed and sector specific.

The consequence of the change to generic regulations is that it allows for greater subjective interpretation on the part of inspectors as to what is, or is not, a breach.

Even the statutory guidance which is supposed to aid services in meeting statutory requirements is vague and unhelpful in many respects, listing pages and pages of guidance.

Neil Grant The uncertainty at the heart of CQC’s statutory framework has led to a situation where inconsistency is commonplace.

One inspector’s finding of breach will be another inspector’s recommendation for improvement.

The vagueness of the Fundamental Standards also allows inspectors to introduce personal preferences into the mix.

In contrast, in Wales the regulations are far more detailed and provide greater certainty to registered services

about what they need to do to achieve compliance.

However, it seems unlikely that the Government will make the regulations in England more detailed, which means that clarity has to come from the performance assessment side of CQC’s business, otherwise known as ratings.

assessment framework will achieve this unless it is underpinned by detailed guidance for each type of service.

Without the necessary detail, the current uncertainty will continue, and the Fundamental Standards will remain unfit for purpose as a means of measuring compliance.

CQC’s review of the assessment frameworks CQC is carrying out a review of its rating assessment frameworks as part of its five-year strategy.

It wants to move to one assessment framework spanning health and social care, instead of the separate ones that exist currently.

It also wants to reduce the number of key lines of enquiry and the length of the ratings characteristics.

What this will mean is that the rating assessment framework will become a set of headline policy statements, much like the Fundamental Standards.

CQC says it wishes to make it clearer what compliance looks like in terms of meeting minimum legal obligations.

This would be welcome, although it is difficult to see how a generic

Conclusion CQC should seize the moment and introduce a rating which denotes compliance with statutory requirements.

That would obligate CQC to be clear about what the minimum standards are.

There used to be a “satisfactory” rating as part of the old star ratings awarded by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Such a change would do away with the nonsensical Requires Improvement rating which covers situations of compliance and noncompliance which is confusing.

A compliance rating would also assist the public in knowing which services were meeting statutory requirements. n Neil Grant is a Partner at Gordons Partnership Solicitors.

Advertiser’s announcement

CareDocs new feature: digital NEWS2 chart WE’RE excited to announce that a digital version of the widely used NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score 2) chart has been developed for use in the CareDocs care management system.

NEWS2 is an early warning score developed by the Royal College of Physicians to standardise the assessment of acute-illness severity.

NEWS2 analyses six vital signs (respiration rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulse, level of consciousness and temperature) and calculates a score with accompanying guidance surrounding monitoring and clinical response.

All acute trusts, out-of-hours GP services, mental health trusts, community service providers and NHS commissioning groups support use of NEWS2.

In many areas, the system is required when care homes communicate with ambulance services, GPs and A&E departments.

The CareDocs NEWS2 chart uses the same visual style as the paper chart provided by the Royal College of Physicians, ensuring that it’s simple to read and will be understood by nurses and clinicians who have received guidance or training on the use of NEWS2.

We have digitised the NEWS2 chart and scoring process by automatically calculating the scores for you for a more efficient experience.

By simply entering the six vital

sign readings and the supporting criteria into our NEWS2 chart entry form, and choosing which scoring scale you wish to use, CareDocs will provide you with a total NEWS2 score and will display the recommended response information.

The higher the score, the more urgent your response should be.

Should you need to escalate a resident’s care to a more equipped clinical facility, you can print the NEWS2 chart or save a digital file to

provide the medical team with the latest vital readings and scores.

To save you from entering the same vital reading information multiple times into different charts, when you record data into the NEWS2 chart, the same data will be automatically imported into the respective individual charts (Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respiration Rate and Temperature).

For example, when you enter a new temperature reading into the

NEWS2 chart, CareDocs will also add this onto the Temperature chart monitoring sheet for you.

CareDocs offers a wide variety of digital charts and care assessments, including ‘MUST’ (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) and Waterlow risk assessments.

If you’d like to find out more about the digital solutions we offer, email sales@caredocs.co.uk or call us on 0330 056 3333.

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BOOKING FORM

Pushing the boundaries of care excellence Single delegate rate £25 per person Two delegates £40

Event attending: Yorkshire

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All places booked must be paid within 15 days of booking and before the conference unless otherwise agreed with Script Events.

A telephone or fax booking must confirm when and how payment will be made A refund will be given, less £20 admin, fee for cancellations received more than 15 days prior to the conference. No refunds will be given with less than 15 days to the conference. However, delegate substitutes will be accepted to the day of the event at no extra cost.

Where invoices are requested and agreed, payment must be received within 15 days from the invoice date. We understand and will exercise out statutory rights to claim interest and compensation for the debt recovery costs under the late payment legislation if we are not paid according to agreed credit terms. An interest rate of 8% above base rate will apply for late payment.

Script Media Group is committed to protecting your personal data. By attending our events, we provide you with an opportunity to meet and engage with our exhibitors. Our events create business to business relationships and give access to relevant industry people, products and services.

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Caring UK Conferences, Script Media Group Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS Tel:01226 734412 Fax: 01226 734478

CARINGRESIDENT SAFETY AND WELLBEING

19

Home establishes team to support staff and residents MARITIME charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, which runs a nursing care home for former seafarers, has established a new dedicated health and wellbeing team to focus on individual person-centred care and support the emotional and physical wellbeing of its elderly residents.

Led by George Parlapan, the Society’s team will work with the care and nursing teams to ensure each and every resident receives the best standard of individualised care.

The team will also promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion within the organisation, with tailored support for staff and residents’ physical and emotional wellbeing.

George started his career at the Society as a care assistant in December 2018 and has consistently demonstrated his dedication to supporting those in his care and to boosting their overall wellbeing.

He said: “I couldn’t be happier with my new role at the Society, and I am excited to take on the challenge of leading our specialist health and wellbeing team as it grows in 2021 and beyond.

“When it comes to health and wellbeing, we know that one size doesn’t fit all, and we will be working towards individual wellbeing programmes for all of our residents as part of our goal to provide completely bespoke individualised care.”

George is one of a number of

internal promotions the Society has made so far this year, including Alice Mitroi taking on the role of home manager at Belvedere House – the Society’s nursing care home – and Luiza Jipa replacing her as deputy clinical manager after four years as a nurse and infection prevention and control lead at the home.

Alice added: “George has always been passionate about improving every day for residents.

“From ensuring they are taking part in activities that improve their overall wellbeing – whether it be their mobility or mental health – to being proactive in suggesting new ideas to support wellness at the home, George is the ideal fit for the role of health and wellbeing specialist, and I couldn’t think of better person to lead our new team.”

H.W.Pickrell Gardiners Lane North, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2XE Mobile: 07860 894 331 Fax: (01268) 284951

Gardener Steve Chandler, activities coordinator Tracey Esteve and resident Gladys Matthews with one of the Home’s bee hives.

Residents learn about bees RESIDENTS at RMBI Care Co. home Lord Harris Court in Wokingham learned about bees and why these insects are vital to help preserve nature’s balance to celebrate World Environment Day. Staff members arranged a talk and a fun quiz for the residents.

Lord Harris Court’s gardener Steve Chandler gave the residents books so they could learn more about how bees pollinate flowers, and Tracey Esteve, one of the home’s activities coordinators, brought in beebombs and explained how they work.

Beebombs are small packages

containing hundreds of native wildflower seeds, which are sown and left to germinate and grow.

She said: “Learning is really important for our residents’ mental health and wellbeing, and these activities help to stimulate their curiosity. Also, both residents and staff at Lord Harris Court are really passionate about nature. We are always keen to look after our local wildlife together.”

The activity also gave residents the opportunity to learn about how environmental organisations are working to save the bees.

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CARINGRESIDENT SAFETY AND WELLBEING Advertiser’s announcement

How to ensure your understanding of personalised care matches the CQC’s

By Leah Cooke IN LATE May the Care Quality Commission announced an exciting new strategy.

I’m sure most of you reading this article will already be familiar with it.

But for anybody who hasn’t had the opportunity to fully familiarise themselves with the new directive, the CQC has made four key pledges.

It has promised to adopt a more “dynamic and flexible” approach when rating services.

The CQC also has also said that it will spend more resources regulating and promoting “stronger safety cultures”, while also championing innovation and technology across the sector.1 But, perhaps the most significant sea-change in thinking lies in the first theme – People and communities.

In short, the CQC wants to place a much greater emphasis in ensuring that people using services get the person centred care they require, rather than the care that their provider perceives they need.

To ensure this happens, when assessing a provider, the CQC will gather data and intelligence from the provider itself, from service users, their loved ones and communitybased services too.

The hope is that a more collaborative approach to regulation will help the CQC to be more responsive and targeted in who they inspect, while also empowering care providers to deliver an even high standard of person-centred care.

This evolution in its thinking – if I can call it that – has been echoed by a five-point vision set out by Care England for the future of adult social care ‘We Care For England’.

Point two of its vision centres

Leah Cooke on enabling better quality service provision so that people can live with “comfort, dignity and choice”.

As someone who has worked in social care for many years, naturally, I am an advocate of person-centred care, as are the vast majority of the 1.65 million professional carers working in England.

Providing tailored and bespoke care is the reason I chose to work in the sector and it’s the reason I still work in homecare services today.

Therefore, I welcome the CQC’s stance to reiterate the need to always put the requirements of the service user first, while at the same time developing stronger partnerships with a range of different local stakeholders to ensure they receive the best care possible.

However, at the same time, the CQC is yet to put meat on the bones as to what it expects from services from a regulatory standpoint.

Breaking down guidance and making sense of it is something that Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), the leading provider of content, policies and standards, and the organisation that I work for, specialises in.

Working both independently and in partnership with the NCA, the NCF and several other organisations, we have been producing a raft of content for years now as to how Registered Managers can instil a person-centred culture within their services that meets regulations.

We also regularly sign-post the best practice work of others to our 100,000-plus users.

But in light of the CQC’s new vision and in order to meet those standards, what should a framework for personalised care look like?

Think Local Act Personal’, a partnership comprising of more than 50 organisations in the care sphere, all of whom are deeply committed to transforming person-centred care and community-based support, has developed such a framework as part of its ‘making it real’ initiative.2 The framework is based on six core themes, which are ‘Wellbeing and Independence’, ‘Information and Advice’, ‘Active and Supportive Communities’, ‘Flexible and Integrated Care and Support, ‘When Things Need to Change’ and ‘Workforce’. 3 What I really like about the framework is that it provides a rounded picture of what personalised care should look like.

The ‘I Statements’ on the left-hand side of the page have been written from the view point of the service user, while the ‘We Statements’ on the right-hand column are pointers for services to bear in mind when forming person-centred care plans.

This fairly unique approach immediately resonated with me as it recognises the nuanced challenges in getting that balance right.

In view of the CQC’s new strategy, I would recommend that providers compare the person-centred culture

in their service against the ‘I’ and ‘We’ Statements. With personalised care a cornerstone of the social care sector, it may be that many providers are already living these values.

But, if a benchmarking exercise reveals gaps in the service, then what should you do? After speaking to care staff, you could start by arranging a set of interactive group discussion sessions.

As the CQC advises, you should also reach out to service users, families and those your organisation co-produces and collaborates with to seek their views.

The CQC will want to see that Registered Managers have documented, recorded and evidenced the process, not to mention the changes that were put in place.

At some point in the near future, the CQC will likely produce its own framework, which will be based upon the four key themes that make up the bedrock of its new strategy.

Until it does provide greater insight, the values set out by ‘Think Local Act Personal’ are a great starting point.

To find out more about QCS, contact our compliance advisors on 0333 405 3333 or email sales@qcs.co.uk References 1. CQC A new strategy for the changing world of health and social care – CQC’s strategy from 2021 https://www.cqc.org. uk/about-us/our-strategy-plans/newstrategy-changing-world-health-socialcare-cqcs-strategy-2021 2. Think Local Act Personal https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org. uk/About-us/ 3. Think Local Act Personal https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org. uk/makingitreal/about/six-themes-ofmaking-it-real/

RH Rustington Hall Rustington Hall is a not-for-profit charitable organisation, run

by Littlehampton and Rustington Housing Society. It is a dualregistered nursing and care home, meaning that as a residents’ needs change from caring to nursing, their environment does not need to change. We cater for all needs, from respite to long-term, and provide a friendly home-from-home for up to 61 residents.

We have a carefully selected team here who are all devoted to making sure that our residents are at the forefront of everything we do. We are very proud of who we are and what we represent, in working together to provide a community for residents and their families alike.

Wellbeing of our residents is such an important part of our residents stay and it is vital that all our residents have a sense of this. Our wellbeing team love to engage and get to know our residents by offering a huge variety of entertainment and activities.

We have an extensive programme of activities including quizzes, film afternoons, games, and a range of animal visitors! We also have monthly themed events, which the residents love participating in, such as Ascot Day, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Masquerade Ball and Country & Western Day, to name a few.

For those that stay in their rooms, we have a trolley that travels around the Home, offering puzzles, books, colouring and games.

The carers provide one-to-one interaction, including using our

incredible Omni-projector that is indescribable… it needs to be seen to be appreciated!

Our large, modern lounge leads onto a wheelchair-friendly decking area. We also have a dedicated activities suite, quiet lounge, and meditation/prayer room. When the weather allows, residents enjoy sitting outside in the communal grounds, which include secluded gardens, courtyard, terraces, verandas and a spacious wooden gazebo.

In the latest CQC report, Rustington Hall nursing & care home achieved Good overall, with Outstanding in Responsiveness. The CQC inspectors, who visited in April 2021, noted: “Without exception, everyone we spoke with talked about the fantastic care they received at Rustington Hall. Everyone was happy to be living there and spoke positively about all aspects of the service.”

The report also praises staff, saying they “had excellent knowledge of people and there was a focus on the individual and on tailoring care and providing activities which were meaningful to them”.

“Relatives spoke of the incredible support they had received from staff and of the wonderful photos and videos they received of their loved one.”

So, if you are looking for quality residential or nursing care for yourself or a loved one, call Rustington Hall Nursing and Care Home on 01903 777501 or email reception@rustingtonhall.co.uk

t: 01903 777501 e: reception@rustingtonhall.co.uk w: www.rustingtonhall.co.uk f: www.facebook.com/rustington.hall

Rustington Hall, Station Road, Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 3AY

22

CARINGRESIDENT SAFETY AND WELLBEING

Residents set for a wheelie good time Companionship team member Wendy Harrington, wearing mask in centre, is joined at the summer house in The Aldbury garden by from left, residents Brian Hayles, Connie Davis, Ena Grant and Joyce Holden.

Study turns residents into ‘eco warriors’ LEARNING more about the plants and animals on their doorstep has prompted residents of a Dorset dementia care home to start their own tree-planting campaign.

The Aldbury in Poole held a monthlong study of biodiversity to highlight the birds, mammals, insects, flora and other species living in its garden.

Based in the summer house at the Colten Care home, residents spent time each day observing and recording details of everything from trees to creepy crawlies.

Companionship team member Wendy Harrington said: “Our garden study involved identifying the plants and animals in our midst, finding out why they are here and how they relate to other species in garden.

“The ultimate aim was to find out how our own garden affects the environment and what we could do to help.

“It began as a quiet study but became fascinating, with residents finding out lots of facts about trees and their essential role as the ‘lungs of the earth’.

“We learned how trees not only provide essential oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide but are also proven to

lower stress and lift our moods.

“And we discovered that if every household in the UK with a garden planted just two trees there would be 45 million new trees in the country.

“This has inspired our residents to become ‘eco-warriors’, keen to spread the message to their local community and try to save the planet one garden at a time.

“The expression ‘from little acorns mighty oaks grow’ could not be more appropriate, with residents saying they will never look at trees the same way again.

“By planting two new trees in The Aldbury garden, we have made a start in lowering our carbon footprint and making our environment a happier, healthier place in which to live.”

The awareness of how important the various eco-systems are for the environment led to the idea of planting more trees to help strengthen natural habitats.

Encouraged by the Woodland Trust’s efforts to address the climate crisis through reforestation, residents decided to plant an oak and a horse chestnut tree in the garden and call on community contacts to take similar action.

Partnership extended to care for those isolated CARMARTHENSHIRE residents aged 50+ at risk of being isolated by the pandemic will receive additional care as a partnership between ND Care & Support and Age Cymru Dyfed has been extended.

The initiative, funded by Hywel Dda University Health Board, began in December to provide support for vulnerable older residents for at least two hours a week. It has proved such a success that it has now been extended until September at least.

Andrew Downey, registered manager for ND Care & Support, said: “Since partnering with Age Cymru Dyfed we have delivered more than 200 hours of support to people who have been isolated during the pandemic, and it’s been incredible to see how much of a difference our visits have made to them.

“Whatever their individual needs have been, whether it’s involved more

Andrew Downey

in depth support or something as simple, yet so effective, as putting the kettle on and having a much-needed chat, we’ve created and delivered bespoke support packages that are vital to suit differing requirements.

“The whole project has gone really well, and we’re delighted that the service has now been extended further for the benefit of those over the age of 50 and living alone in the Carmarthenshire area.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“When doing my initial market research, I noticed there was a lack of outdoor activities available for older people within the city so I wanted to close this gap and offer them the same experience and enjoyment.

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

The Joy Rides project aims to allow

residents and other customers to filter back into their local communities without stress or unease following months of lockdown.

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

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

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

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

Advertiser’s announcement

2021

Hypo Awareness Week HYPO Awareness Week is national annual campaign organised by Orange Juice Communications and funded by Sanofi that is taking on place from September 13 to 19.

This successful and respected initiative provides the opportunity for health and social care providers involved with looking after people with diabetes to raise awareness of hypoglycaemia amongst colleagues.

The organisers provide lots of useful tips and support materials (online and printed) to help you with your communications and activities.

To register visit https:// hypoawarenessweek.com/ Diabetes affects around 25 per cent of residents in care homes (residential and nursing) and 15 per cent or more in mental health care facilities.

Lynne Reedman, director and service lead at DUET diabetes, is

passionate about encouraging care providers to take part in worthwhile national campaigns such as Hypo Awareness Week.

She said: “Campaigns such as this support ‘access to good quality diabetes education and training for care home staff’ deemed as one of the elements of ‘good diabetes care’ laid out by the Care Quality Commission as is the ‘availability of a fully stocked and maintained hypoglycaemia kit’.

“The organisers provide fantastic materials, including useful guides for practitioners at all levels to use.”

Does your diabetes care meet national standards and best practice?

How confident are your workforce in understanding, spotting and treating a hypoglycaemic event?

Register now to get involved and to ensure that you receive both the printed and online resources.

A valuable addition to the Caring UK family … keeping you informed alongside the care sector’s Number One magazine

Follow us @caringuk

For advertising opportunities please call Bev Green on 01226 734288 or email bg@scriptmedia.co.uk or Tracy Stacey on 01226 734480 or email cuk3@scriptmedia.co.uk

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- the Number One magazine for the care sector

24

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Programme granted RCN accreditation for the sixth time

Page 26

First look inside the home of the future

Page 27

Hospice launches calendar of expert training sessions

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£4.9m home to create more than 100 jobs A SPECIALIST nursing care home provider is set to launch its fifth care home in the West Midlands this Autumn.

Exemplar Health Care is one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist nursing care for adults living with a range of complex and high acuity care needs, and following a £4.9million investment in a high-quality new build, Blackmoor will open later this year.

Conveniently located near Birmingham City Centre, Blackmoor will support 30 adults living with a brain injury, neuro-disability, spinal injury, physical disability or mental health conditions.

The care home has recently appointed a new commissioning home director, Kerry Hill, who will be in charge of opening the home and getting the new staff and residents acclimatised.

She said: “I’m delighted to be

opening Exemplar Health Care’s third care home in the Birmingham area, supporting 30 adults living with complex and high acuity needs – and to have created more than 100 new jobs for the region.

“Every one of our care homes provides supportive, welcoming, community-based services which help individuals reach their goals.

With only a few months to go, we’re urging locals to apply for one of our roles.

“Working in social care can be extremely rewarding, and Exemplar Health Care is already offering stable and secure careers to more than 3,200 people.

“As well as providing employment opportunities, there are plans in place

to help Blackmoor become part of the local community.

“It’s our ambition for Blackmoor to be a place where we host community events, and where our residents can be part of the community, whether through work placements, local events or volunteering.”

Ahead of the opening, Exemplar Health Care has donated four benches to Tilecross Park in Birmingham.

The initiative was set up by builders Walter Thompson and Exemplar Health Care as part of their work with The Tile Cross Resident Group to make Tile Cross a cleaner, greener and safer place to live.

Blackmoor will feature communal spaces, including landscaped gardens, for residents and visitors to enjoy. Every bedroom will come with an en-suite wet room and there will be spacious dining areas and bedrooms and a hub/ barista area.

ANOTHER SOLD DISCREET SALE BY ST. ANTHONY’S ERDINGTON BIRMINGHAM

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LAMONT JOHNSON Our success in the sale of Care Homes is second to none in the care sector, and has been achieved through the 40 years experience of principal directors, Grayson and Dawn Taylor, specialising solely in the discreet sale of Care Homes and sites/developments for C2 use nationwide.

Ki

Tim

O IF

Grayson Taylor (Managing Director, Lamont Johnson)

•1981 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Taylor National •2001 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of DC Care •2012 FOUNDING PRINCIPAL of Lamont Johnson

Dawn Taylor (Director, Lamont Johnson)

on)

25

Operators announce intention to merge

CENTRAL and Cecil has announced plans to merge with Aster Group, subject to final business case approval being granted later this year.

The merger, which follows Aster Group’s merger with East Boro Housing Trust in early 2020, would create a combined group, offering 34,500 homes for the benefit of approximately 100,000 residents.

The partnership promises to deliver hundreds of new safe and affordable housing solutions for the over 55s across London, adding to C&C’s existing portfolio of 2,000 homes.

Current residents are also set to benefit, with faster planned investment in C&C’s properties, new digital services that would enable greater independence, and the provision of more care services to support people aged over 55.

Julia Ashley, CEO of C&C, said: “This merger would present a fantastic opportunity for C&C to meet the growing demand for over 55s housing and care in London and beyond.

“By partnering with an organisation that shares our values and aspirations, we could invest far more in our homes, services, colleagues and new technologies, and be even more ready to meet a growing demand.”

Aster Group is a housing association operating across the south of England.

It owns and maintains over 32,000 homes, providing services to around 93,000 customers, and employs more than 1,450 people.

Bjorn Howard, group CEO of Aster Group,added: “Social housing will play a central role in our nation’s recovery post-Covid 19, and it is essential that we are in the best possible position to build muchneeded new affordable homes and offer vital services to a diverse range of customers.

“Our partnership with C&C would help us achieve both of those fundamental ambitions and see us provide access to quality, affordable homes in central London for the first time in our organisation’s history.

“C&C’s expertise would help to further evolve the services the group as a whole offers to customers and as a combined business we would have greater scope for innovation, and in the transformation of digital services as well as providing employees with a strong and competitive offer.

“The expanded capacity created by the partnership will also enable us to invest more in new and existing homes than either organisation could alone.”

Roop Cottage Nursing Home in Fitzwilliam.

West Yorkshire nursing home has new owners

HPC has acted for the vendors in the sale of Roop Cottage Nursing Home in Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire.

The property is a substantially extended care home, built around a period house, and provides well laid out accommodation registered for 35 residents across two floors.

Roop Cottage had been owned and operated by the same couple, one of whom is a local doctor, for more than 30 years, and had only become available due to their decision to retire.

The home has been acquired by privately owned company SNSB Ltd, whose directors also own a care home in Nottingham and who have plans for further expansion.

The sale was handled by HPC

director Ian Wilkie, who said: “The home has been successfully run by our clients for many years, and we are pleased to have been able to effect a positive conclusion to the sale of Roop Cottage to assist with their retirement plans.

“We know the purchasers have plans to build on the operating history of the home, and wish them every success in the future.”

The vendors were represented by Chris Welch of Sintons solicitors, based in Newcastle.

Ian added: “This is one of a number of transactions we have worked on with the Sintons team, and we are delighted to have concluded another sale which has benefitted from their professional approach.”

lamontjohnson.com

ST ANTHONY’S RESID

ENTIAL CARE HOME

(ERDINGTON) LTD 124 -126, Sutton Road Erd ington Birmingham B23 5TJ Tel: 0121 373 7900 Fax : 0121 384 5188 Email: stanthonys126@yahoo.co.uk Office Address: Grosve nor House, 658 Cheste r Road Erdington Bir Tel: 0121 382 7911 mingham B23 5TE email: tkelly.stanthony s@btconnect.com Mr. Grayson Taylor Managing Director Lamont Johnson Ltd Dear Grayson We finally completed des pite what we believe was an unusually problematic sales process. Thank you and protracted so much to you and Daw n for the very profession service you gave us. You al and supportive were always there to pro vide invaluable assistance to your very considerable and support due experience and expertise in this sector and your kno market. wledge of the You also introduced us to a solicitor who couldn’t have provided a more pro effective service. fessional and Despite the ongoing pro blems and frustrations tha t arose, which were out of those of us involved in the the control of sales process, your tenacity and timely responses gav reassurance which led to e us so much a successful completion.

Many thanks again for you r advice, discretion and support during the whole beginning to end, for whi process from ch we are very grateful.

Kindest regards Tim Kelly and Marion Law son

A care home registered for 39, in the ownership of Mr Tim Kelly for over 35 years, and offering 36 bedrooms, each with an ensuite wetroom.

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26

Programme granted RCN accreditation for the sixth time Operator celebrates opening of Nottingham care home HC-ONE has celebrated the opening of Fosse Way View, its new state-ofthe-art care home in Nottingham.

Built on the site of a former police station, easily accessible to the town centre and close to community facilities, the new facility was created by senior living developer Charterpoint and specialist care and nursing home construction company Lawrence Baker.

James Tugendhat, chief executive officer of HC-One, said: “We are incredibly proud of buildings like this, the investment we are able to make, and it’s always the team that helps build a home, so we extend our thanks to manager Liz, deputy manager Renata and all our colleagues.”

The home is HC-One’s second in the area and will provide residential and memory care packages for up to 70 residents, appealing to individuals’ wide ranging needs.

The opening of the home has

also created new jobs for the local community, with staff benefitting from HC-One’s learning and development programme, with roles across care, property maintenance, housekeeping and food service.

The home consists of four independent living communities, depending on the level of residential and memory care required to meet individual needs.

It also includes hotel services and facilities so that members from each community can meet up to socialise in the Buttercross Bistro, enjoy leisure and wellbeing sessions in the dedicated hobby room, watch a movie in the Robin Hood Picture House or be pampered with a beauty or spa treatment in the Belvoir Hair and Beauty Salon.

Mayor of Bingham Councillor Andrew Shelton and Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry officially opened the home.

Walrond House in Hackney.

SUNRISE Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare’s clinical development and leadership training programme has again received re-accreditation from the Royal College of Nursing for the sixth year.

This is a comprehensive opportunity for professional development offered to Sunrise and Gracewell’s deputy managers, clinical care leaders, as well as nursing team members who are looking to develop into leadership roles.

Dawn Buchanan-Hole, learning and development manager at Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare, said: “We are delighted that the RCN has decided to grant our clinical development and leadership training programme re-accreditation for a sixth time.

“It is fantastic to receive formal recognition of its success yet again.

Our programme is designed so that our team members are constantly developing, as well as assuring a commitment to excellent care for every single resident in our care homes.

“Despite the challenges of the past year, our adaptations to the programmes format have ensured this ambition has still been achieved.

“We look forward to continuing to deliver this programme to our future team members and evolving the content to the changing times, making sure we continue to go from strength to strength.”

The programme provides clinical leaders who are responsible for leading the provision of care and nursing in Sunrise and Gracewell’s care homes the opportunity to obtain the expertise and skills needed to champion clinical governance.

As well as this, it also presents them with continual support throughout their career, ensuring they build important long-term skills.

Starting in 2014, the programme continues to be reviewed and developed by clinical trainer Carrie Stone.

Working with the organisation’s subject matter experts, Carrie continues to make sure the programme is modified in line with changes in the care sector, and ultimately that it meets the relevant learning outcomes that are required for future leaders in the sector.

All team members who take part in the training have also benefited from its focus on Continuing Professional Development, including the opportunity it offers for team members to develop individual objectives and reflect upon their role and journey.

The RCN’s accreditation means that the programme complies with the RCN’s standards of excellence and best practice promoted across the country.

Construction begins on new Greenock accessible homes Provider is a finalist in two award categories ANCHOR Hanover is a finalist in two categories at the 2021 HealthInvestor UK’s Senior Housing Awards.

The awards celebrate excellence and achievement in the housingwith-care and retirement housing sectors.

Anchor Hanover is a finalist in the Senior Housing Operator of the Year and the Small Development of the Year categories.

Chief executive Jane Ashcroft CBE

said: “It’s an honour to be finalists in two categories for HealthInvestor UK’s 2021 Senior Housing Awards.

“The last year has been a challenging time for everyone and our colleagues across Anchor Hanover have worked tirelessly to support residents and provide the high-quality services our residents want and expect. We are delighted this has been recognised.”

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 21.

CONSTRUCTION has begun on a development of new homes in Greenock which will enable older people and people with disabilities to live as independently as possible.

Blackwood Housing and Care is transforming MacLehose Court into modern, self-contained flats which will support people with a range of mobility issues.

Working with contractors GHI Ltd, the redevelopment will see the former care home transformed into 22 new accessible homes.

Blackwood aims to make the new homes available to customers later this year, in partnership with Scottish Government and Inverclyde Council, in a move that will boost the scale of accessible housing in Inverclyde.

Simon Fitzpatrick, development and commercial director, said: “We are delighted that construction has now started on site to deliver 22 new, accessible homes to Greenock.

“We’ve seen a rise in demand for more accessible homes, so we’re really excited to see the redevelopment of MacLehose Court

Simon Fitzpatrick begin as it will add to the supply of these homes for customers.

“We look forward to seeing the finished homes, and to welcoming the new customers later this year.”

MacLehose Court operated as a care home until 2020, when the charity took the decision to move away from a residential setting and create a range of much-needed accessible accommodation to promote independent living.

Blackwood’s most recent development is Helenvale in Glasgow, a collection of 24 two-bedroom homes which are highly accessible and connected.

27

First look inside the home of the future

VIDA Healthcare has launched its new state-of-the-art care home, Vida Court, which has been built to transform the care available to people living with dementia.

Dubbed the care home of the future, Vida Court has been designed with innovative and industry-leading facilities to enhance residents’ daily living activities and wellbeing to the optimum potential.

James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, commented: “We’re committed to delivering the highest quality care to people living with dementia from across the UK and beyond.

“We hope that Vida Court, which integrates the most cutting edge facilities and technology, will end the perception of care homes as a last resort.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming our new staff members

and residents to our home of the future and leading the way in care delivery to some of our most vulnerable people.

“We hope that as more care home operators develop cutting edge care homes, the UK will become the global leader for high quality care for people with chronic conditions and the elderly.”

The 12 seater cinema, convenience store, hair salon, florist and coffee shop are included in the home to provide residents with a level of normality and consistency with their previous home beyond the realms of a traditional care home.

The 68,000 square foot facility, located in the hamlet of Harlow Carr on the outskirts of Harrogate, will create more than 200 jobs and has capacity for 100 residents.

Following the impact of Covid-19, the home has been designed so each

specialist healthcare business agents

bedroom has a large glass window, and every house within the home has a garden room to ensure good ventilation.

Air exchange has been included to ensure clean air constantly flows throughout the building. The natural light and views from the windows and garden rooms will also maintain a good level of mental wellbeing for both staff, residents and their family members when visiting.

A continuous walkway has been incorporated into the design of every house as a crucial aspect of specialist dementia care provision.

The walkways will enable residents to move freely throughout their home, and walk with purpose which supports individuals who like to keep active during their time with Vida Healthcare.

Technology will play a crucial role in facilitating an energising

and positive living environment.

Sensory TV windows, walls and artwork will provide residents with opportunities to interact with different environments and stimulate memories and positive behaviours which may have been buried due to their dementia.

Circadian lighting has also been installed to help residents prepare naturally for sleep and waking to maintain a regular routine which supports effective caregiving.

Vida Court has been designed by specialist interior designer Nanu Soda and built by Caddick Construction and offers an inviting and homely environment for residents to minimise stress, and support them as they transition from living at home to moving into a care home.

The home is set to officially welcome residents through its doors in November.

Independent expertise, nationwide knowledge As we begin to see the end of lockdown and a more open future you may be having thoughts about your longer-term plans.

If these plans include the selling of your care facility, or perhaps an acquisition, do call us on 01937 849 268 or email sales@dccare.co.uk and we will gladly discuss with you confidentially and absolutely without obligation.

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28

Mayor welcomes new home to community Staff experience what it feels like to live with dementia STAFF at RMBI Care Co. Home Zetland Court in Bournemouth have reinforced their commitment to care for and support residents living with dementia.

The Virtual Dementia Tour visited the care home for a one-off training session, in which staff members had the opportunity to get on the Dementia Bus and experience what it feels like to live with this condition.

While on the bus, the staff wore headsets, glasses and gloves to alter their perception and be transported into the sensory experience of people living with dementia, who are often trying to function in an environment that is difficult for them to connect to.

Afterwards, they attended a session where they shared their thoughts and brainstormed about how they can improve their support to the residents at the Home.

Sophie Smith, one of Zetland Court’s activities coordinators, said: “It’s been very emotional. When we care for the residents we support, we are on the outside. This experience gave me some insight to what is going on inside.”

The training opportunity was made possible following a donation from the Jubilee Masters Centenary Trust.

Among other charitable activities, this organisation provides financial support for staff training for older people’s care.

Russell Race, chairman of the Trustees, said: “The Trust had in mind to support RMBI Care Co. from its beginning.

“For us, the most important thing is that the staff receive the very best training, and we know the training of the Home’s staff in dementia care is specially relevant.”

COUNCILLOR Sandra Barnes, Mayor of Gedling, and Mayoral Consort Peter Barnes, paid a special socially distanced visit to Nottingham’s newest luxury care home, Rivendell View, to officially welcome them to the community.

The Mayor took an exclusive tour of the new state-of-the-art facilities available to residents including a cinema room, a Sky Bar with far reaching views, a vintage tearoom complete with balcony area, hairdressing salon and botanical garden rooms leading onto spacious landscaped gardens.

To commemorate the visit, The Mayor planted a green apple tree in the garden for future residents to enjoy once it begins to fruit.

Regional director Allison Boyle said: “It has been wonderful having Councillor Barnes visit our home and to be able to discuss some of our key initiatives around the person-centred lifestyle delivered at Rivendell View.

“The tree she planted is a fantastic addition to the home and is a great way to represent how Rivendell View will grow and develop into a blossoming part of the community.”

Coun. Barnes was particularly interested in the team’s commitment to combatting loneliness in older

people, and they explained how the dedicated activity co-ordinators will provide a varied activities and social calendar that is tailored to each resident’s interests and hobbies with the aim of helping them make new friends within the home.

During the tour children from Netherfield primary school presented the Mayor with hand drawn cards depicting people from all over the community coming together.

In the future, Rivendell View hopes to host many intergenerational events where the pupils will be able to make friends and learn from the residents and their rich life experiences.

Advertiser’s announcement

Hospice launches calendar HPC sells Bollingbroke of expert training sessions Bollingbroke House

to expanding operator HPC has acted on behalf of the vendor in the sale of Bollingbroke House Care Home in Brierley, South Yorkshire to an existing owner.

The property is a substantially purpose built care home, built around a period house, and provides well laid out accommodation registered for 33 residents across two floors.

Planning permission has also been obtained for the construction of 32 care apartments on the site, adjacent to the existing care home.

Bollingbroke House had operated within a larger care group for many years, and one of the HPC directors acted in the original sale to the vendor.

The home has now been sold due to the vendor’s strategy of focussing care operations closer to its London base.

The home has been acquired by Lions Meadow Ltd, which also owns and operates a nursing home in

Leeds.

The sale was handled by HPC director Ian Wilkie, who said: “The home has been run by an experienced operator, who I have known for around 15 years, and we are pleased to have successfully concluded the sale of Bollingbroke House on their behalf.

“We wish the purchasers every success in the future”.

Speaking on behalf of the purchasers, director Shaun Basi added: “We are delighted to have made this acquisition and to have added to our operations in Yorkshire.

“We look forward to continuing to deliver quality care at Bollingbroke House, and hope to make additional care home acquisitions via HPC in the future.”

For further information email Ian Wilkie at icw@healthcarepc.co.uk or call 07932 55071.

CARE home staff, district nurses and other health care professionals can access the specialist knowledge and skills of a hospice wherever they are in the country, tapping into expert advice and up-to-date guidance on Advance Care Planning, symptom management and more.

St Catherine’s Hospice in Lancashire has launched a new calendar of educational courses and study sessions which will be delivered online throughout the year.

The charity’s Knowledge Exchange team – which specialises in palliative and end-of-life care – is introducing new topics and has updated and refreshed its most popular subjects, to equip healthcare providers with the confidence and skills to help people achieve quality of life to the end of life.

Kath Wilkinson, head of knowledge and technical, said: “The Knowledge Exchange team here is well known in Lancashire for delivering high quality education through interactive

training opportunities.

“We’ve adapted our study sessions over the last year and are currently delivering them online, meaning we can reach people across our area and further afield too.

“Our study sessions and courses are continually reviewed and updated, with new subjects added regularly to provide the most up-to-date guidance and expert advice, and to facilitate topical and diverse discussions amongst health care professionals.”

Sessions include Understanding Bereavement; Delivering High Quality End of Life Care to All; Advance Care Planning and Communication Skills; Syringe Drivers in End of Life Care; Palliative Care Emergencies; and Approaching End of Life with Parkinson’s Disease.

New topics include a fullyfunded ‘Symptom Management for Care Homes’ course, ‘Improving Your Communication Skills’ and ‘Spirituality and its Impact at the End of Life’.

29 Belong Crewe has promoted Jessica Butler to the post of experience co-ordinator at the care village. Her new brief will see Jessica work with the wider village team to ensure the provision of meaningful occupation for residents of both its 24-hour care households and independent living apartments, as well as managing the Experience Day programme for customers of Belong’s specialist day care service. Joining the team as a bistro assistant at Belong Crewe when the village first opened in 2010, Jessica has progressed with the organisation, as it quickly became apparent that her skills in connecting to the customers would be highly beneficial in a care capacity.

Graham Hill has been appointed construction director of care home design and construction business Savista Developments. Graham, who has nearly 40 years’ experience in construction and previously worked for Balfour Beatty’s London region as managing director, will lead the build and fit out of its sister companies, Hallmark’s next generation of care homes and Santhem Residences retirement communities. In addition, Graham will ensure all projects are time lined and support the delivery of the company’s growth strategy. He said: “With further expansion planned and many new projects in the pipeline, there is a clear opportunity to increase our market share across both the care home and assisted living sectors, something I am looking forward to playing an active role in straight away, working closely with the Kevin Shaw (CEO), colleagues and external stakeholders.”

Respectful Care Mansfield, part of the Respectful Care Group, which has five branches across the East Midlands, has appointed a welfare liaison and mental health first aider after recognising the effects of Covid-19 and day to day pressures placed on its care workforce.

Sally Wells will be stepping into the role with immediate effect, in a move that will support the branch and its 80 employees by offering an increased focus on their wellbeing. In her new position, Sally, who has worked in the care sector for more than 15 years, will recognise signs of workplace stress and mental health issues, offering or guiding a person towards the correct support if needed. Having previously worked in psychiatric care settings, supporting people living with mental illness and brain injuries through their rehabilitation, Sally will be bringing a wealth of experience to her new role.

The Care Quality Commission has appointed Tyson Hepple, currently Director General at the Home Office, to the new role of executive director of operations.

He will join CQC’s executive team later this summer. Tyson, a senior civil servant with more than 30 years’ experience at the Home Office in a broad variety of operational roles, is expected to start at CQC in early August. He said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Care Quality Commission at such an important time for both the CQC and the wider health and care sector. The launch of CQC’s new strategy is a unique opportunity to drive positive change and enhance the vital work already being done here to improve the quality of health and social care services.”

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Whether acting for the seller or purchaser, our areas of expertise include: • Nursing and Residential Homes • Independent Hospitals • Specialist Care Homes Including Learning Disability & Mental Health • Children’s Services and Schools • Turn-key Developments • Vacant Properties • Land and Development Sites

Achieve the result you want and sell your care business confidentially.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SALES & ACQUISITION SERVICES

www.healthcarepc.co.uk

Tel: 01937 222107

enquiries@healthcarepc.co.uk

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Trainer wins prestigious accolade MICHELLE Zanotti has been recognised as one of the leading employees in Scotland at a ceremony celebrating the contribution of homecare staff before and during the pandemic.

The trainer at Eidyn Care in Edinburgh won the Care Learning category at the Scottish Care at Home and Housing Support Awards.

The award acknowledges the importance of continuous training and learning within care at home and housing support services.

Andrew McLennan, director of Eidyn Care, said:“With her background in training, Michelle has driven the organisation’s training forward significantly from refreshing the existing material, advocating the use of online training and championing the creation of a dedicated training environment with all the necessary equipment.

“Her passion for care shines through during her training and she has confidently adapted to the new ways of working ensuring that all staff are safe throughout the pandemic.”

Michelle was announced the winner at an online ceremony hosted by Scottish Care CEO Dr Donald Macaskill and Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus.

Operator confirms completion date for Wilmslow care home AWARD winning developmentled care home operator New Care recently broke ground on a state-ofthe-art care facility in Wilmslow, with practical completion confirmed for August 2022.

Work is progressing well on site with the foundations firmly in place and brick work underway.

Within a year, the Altrincham-based company will transform the 1.14 acre site into a purpose-built 63 bed care home, with a value in the region of £15m.

New Care’s latest care home will be arranged over three floors, featuring fully furnished private bedrooms with en suite wet rooms, communal lounges, dining rooms, spa assisted bathrooms as well as a hair salon and nail bar.

A number of advanced care services have been incorporated into the build, such as acoustic monitoring and silent call bells, which will further enhance the level of care available.

The care facility will also enjoy landscaped gardens and grounds, as well as an outdoor terrace to the first floor, ensuring residents live in a desirable, comfortable, safe and secure environment.

Dawn Collett, commissioning director at New Care, said: “Work on site is going well and the foundations of the care facility are now in place.

“Over the course of the next 12

New Care’s Dawn Collett and McGoff Construction’s senior site manager Eddie Murphy. months the development will take shape and we look forward to bringing one of our award-winning care facilities to Wilmslow.

“The design of this care home is specific to this particular site, with the construction team working closely with New Care’s operational team to ensure the facility will work to the benefit of its residents.

“We continually provide the highest standards of care within all of our

care facilities, and this care home in Wilmslow will be no different.

“We are committed to delivering a safe and stylish home-from-home environment, in the heart of the community where people want to live, which will no doubt appeal to Wilmslow residents.”

Principal contractor McGoff Construction (New Care’s sister company) is managing the build programme.

Acting on behalf of our valued client Consensus Support Services, Walton HPC are pleased to report the sale of: Former Care Home, Glynhir and Pentwyn, Ponthir Road, Caerleon, NP18 3NW A pair of semi-detached houses, forming one large detached Victorian style house, previously operated as a care home.

Former West End Skills Centre, West End, Magor, NP26 3HT A detached 2 storey former day care centre for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs.

england & wales: Paul Burford paul.burford@waltonhpc.com 01926 760 116 | 07808 764 748

Both properties comprise vacant care home premises, located in the Newport area of South Wales.

We conducted a short, sharp marketing campaign and both homes were sold to local developers who will use the property for alternative use.

Tony Pickering, Commercial and Business Development Director of Consensus commented: “We instructed Paul Burford of Walton HPC to dispose of these properties as he had been highly recommended to us. We were not disappointed as the properties sold quickly and efficiently for the right prices which will then enable us to reinvest these funds in new services as part of our underlying development strategy.”

Paul Burford commented: “We were delighted to be able to act for Consensus and we are pleased that both properties will go on to provide alternative uses for the new owners and … a new lease of life. We are experiencing an unprecedented demand for trading care homes, closed care homes and potential care home sites and so anyone thinking of selling should not hesitate to contact us.”

SCOTland: Gary Walton gary.walton@waltonhpc.com 0141 378 1065 | 07554 009 244

www.waltonhpc.com

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