Issue 1
The new weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Care charity appeals for toiletries ROYAL Star & Garter is seeking donations of toiletries for the vulnerable veterans it cares for following a shortage caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The charity’s 63-room care home in Surbiton is in desperate need of items including deodorant, soap and toothpaste for its residents. It is asking for individuals in the local community to volunteer their help by providing toiletries for the residents. It is also appealing to central London and local hotels which may be closed to guests to drop off surplus stock at the home. It comes after the charity, which provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, temporarily stopped all visits as part of its infection management protocol. As a result, residents, who would either go to the shops with their carers or receive goods from family and friends, have been unable to get new toiletries. The charity has been able to purchase some locally, but this is limited because of restrictions brought in by shops to tackle stockpiling. The charity is asking for the following new and unused products:
n Body spray (male and female) n Deodorant (male and female) n Dental fixtures n Shampoo (male and female) n Shower gel (male and female) n Liquid soap n Toothpaste n Conditioner n Hairspray n Lip balm n Steradent dental cleaner Home manager Helena Maher said: “Personal care is hugely important to our residents, supporting their well-being and dignity. “So whether it’s an individual donation from a family, or a bulk donation from a hotel, whatever we receive will make a real difference to the veterans in our care.” Any individuals or hotels with surplus toiletry stock are asked to leave donations at the designated drop-off point at the front of the home in clearly marked polythene bags. Staff will be safely checking this at regular points during the day. The public are asked to drop off donations of toiletries at the Home as part of their daily exercise routine. They should also take all necessary precautions and observe social distancing.
Facebook campaign reaches 250,000
Dene Holm residents were overwhelmed to receive so many letters and drawings from the community. With visits on hold for the time being, staff of the Northfleet residential care home have been encouraging local children to write to residents and lift their spirits during the Coronavirus crisis, and they’ve been overwhelmed with the response. Children have been sending paintings, poems, letters and messages of positivity, as well as some gifts, to bring a smile to the residents’ faces during a time of uncertainty. Resident Joyce Harding is pictured with one of the children’s messages.
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
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A CAMPAIGN to have the work of care home nurses, carers and ancillary staff recognised alongside NHS workers has now reached nearly a quarter of a million people. Donna Pierpoint, manager of Broomgrove Nursing Home in Sheffield, said: “The NHS deserve every ounce of praise they get but I want to remind people that the nurses, carers and ancillary staff in care homes like ours work just as hard and deserve equal thanks. “We’re turning up for work every day to care for some of the most vulnerable people in society. “Few people are more prone to the devastating effects of coronavirus than our residents.” Nearly 2,500 people have now shared Donna’s original Facebook post in support of her campaign. It has now been viewed by nearly a quarter of a million people. Broomgrove closed to visitors in order to protect residents. Donna added: “It broke my heart to see relatives crying when they realised they didn’t know when they were going to see their mums and dads again. “But as manager we have to do all we can to keep our residents safe and work within the guidelines we’re given. “These are unprecedented times and we’ve had to take unprecedented measures.”
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Homecare provider looks to fill 3,000 active roles HOME Instead Senior Care UK CEO Martin Jones is urging kind and compassionate people in the UK to join the wave of kindness sweeping the nation as they look to employ a further 3,000 individuals to bolster their army of care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on the situation created by the pandemic, he said: “The UK is under immense pressure due to COVID-19, and we want to ensure we can continue to commit to caring for our older clients especially following the government’s advice to remain at home and socially distance; which inevitably will leave many elderly people unable to leave their homes or see the people who they may usually day-to-day. “We want to harness the community-spirit and kindness that is being demonstrated all over the UK right now, as those attributes are key to our work force. “In particular we are seeking those who have recently lost a role in hospitality, or retail that might have transferable skills. “There are so many people out there who could help us make a positive difference to older people through
Martin Jones, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care UK. relationship-led care. We are urging them to step forward.” In recruiting for these new roles Home Instead wants to ensure there are enough CAREGivers to deal with the increasing level of demand it has experienced from clients, both new and existing. Home Instead is also recruiting for care managers, recruiters and schedulers.
Residents excited to begin new initiative CLARIDGE Place, a care home in Solihull, is keeping residents busy during the Coronavirus lock down, with one particular initiative that hopes to bring new, intergenerational community connections. Due to Coronavirus infection prevention measures, visits to the home, operated by Sanders Senior Living, are currently postponed, but the care and wellbeing team have constructed an exciting plan, supported by Tudor Grange Academy Solihull, with great anticipation felt by residents. Claridge Place director Peta Mandleberg thought it would be great to approach a school to connect with to help reduce loneliness and isolation at this time. She approached Tudor Grange Academy Solihull (where her step daughter works) with the idea and they confirmed immediately that they were keen to support the initiative as it links directly to the Academy’s values, which include kindness and
empathy. A small group of students enthusiastically agreed to write letters to the elderly residents of the home. Peta said: “Being accustomed to receiving letters when living in their own properties, paper communication is a familiar form that they no longer really have dealings with, but the potential pen pal scheme will reignite that and will be a great means to make new friends and it will help in efforts to bridge the generation gap. “When the Coronavirus threat has passed, we are hopeful that the students will be able to meet the residents and continue their new found friendships in person, getting to know one another, with communication then continuing on paper and in person on a regular basis.” Claridge Place opened in late 2019 and offers 24-hour care for older people, including those living with dementia.
Children send in artwork to boost morale A SURREY care home has turned to the wider community to help combat the effects of isolation imposed by the spread of coronavirus, with dozens of youngsters sending messages of support along with artwork to boost the residents’ morale. Residents of Huntington & Langham Estate, a care home in Hindhead, have been delighted and inspired by the submissions, which came following a call from the home for children’s drawings, stories and poems to help cheer them up as they come to terms with the new safety precautions. While there’s plenty of space for residents to assist in coping with the quarantine measures, the home wanted to do what it could to help them stay connected with the outside world. As part of the precautions, relatives’ visits are restricted – including from grandchildren and great grandchildren – meaning interaction for residents is minimal. With schools across the UK having had to shut in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, many children are now at home with an abundance of free time to get creative, so the estate asked them to send some much needed cheer to the home, with a wonderful level of response so far. Charlie Hoare, director of the Huntington & Langham Estate, said: “The current situation in the UK is unprecedented, and the safety and wellbeing of our residents is our utmost priority. “With that in mind we’ve put stringent measures in place to restrict visitors to the home in line with Government advice and our own safety procedures. “However, in a bid to keep our residents connected to the outside world and to maintain morale, we’ve issued a call for inspirational art, poetry and general creativeness from
any children who have the time on their hands to do so.” Contributions have included pictures for Mother’s Day, drawings of rainbows, flowers, cats, dogs and other animals, as well as supportive messages urging residents to stay safe. These haven’t just been restricted to local youngsters, with some coming from further afield, including a picture collage from Year One pupils at Cheltenham College Preparatory School who created artwork on their last day before closing. Charlie added: “The submissions we’ve had so far have been absolutely lovely and our residents have been overjoyed looking through them. “They’ve been a real ray of sunshine amongst the gloom.” “We’re still very much welcoming more, so if you’d like to share some artwork with us; please do get in touch. “Our residents will be thrilled – as will our staff who are continuing to offer vital care services in very difficult circumstances.”
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Calls for reduction in DBS processing time amid crisis demands
Homecare firm urgently needs 2,000 workers CAREMARK Limited is urgently recruiting for 2,000 front line care workers to support elderly and vulnerable clients in their homes during the Coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 is heightening demand for homecare services to unprecedented levels, while care and support workers find themselves having to self-isolate, either because they are displaying symptoms themselves or have come into contact with somebody who has, or might have, the virus. “The epidemic is exacerbating existing staff shortages, whilst creating bigger demands for our services,” said David Glover, managing director at Caremark. “We urgently need to recruit 2,000 care and support workers in order to bridge this gap and make sure people who need high quality home care receive it, wherever they live in the country.” The 2,000 care and support worker vacancies are available across Caremark Limited’s network of 120 franchised home care businesses, which are located all over the UK. This means that wherever you live, there is likely to be a branch nearby.
Caremark Limited is working with the United Kingdom Homecare Association, the Care Quality Commission and the Government to temporarily amend certain regulations to make it faster to recruit staff. David added: “If you’ve been laid off or forced to cease trading and want to help others, perhaps you could join our amazing team. “Care and support workers are the lifeblood of their local communities, especially when the country is in the midst of a national emergency. We urgently need compassionate people, so get in touch.” All Caremark Limited’s businesses offer competitive rates of pay, flexible hours, full training and ongoing mentoring support, so no prior experience is required. Post Coronavirus, there will be opportunities to obtain further qualifications and to be promoted. Successful candidates will provide personalised care and practical assistance to clients, such as helping them dress and bathe, preparing meals and assisting with household chores.
ONE of the North East’s leading health care sector recruiters is calling for the government to reduce the time taken to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks to 48 hours, in order to ease the pressure caused by the coronavirus crisis. Phil Crowther, CEO of the Newlands Group, which incorporates Tribe Recruitment and domiciliary care company Care Matters, has written to the minister of state for care, Helen Whately MP, highlighting the need to get staff who have previously been checked into work quickly, rather than waiting up to six weeks for new checks to return. Since the onset of the crisis, care homes have had to rely on agency staff due to absences caused by selfisolation. In order to meet the demand, more staff are required, but the length of time taken by DBS checks has left available staff unable to take up positions. Phil added: “The rules around self-isolation for those experiencing symptoms or a household exposure to COVID 19 are having a significant impact on our existing work force headcount in both companies, with high levels of absence in vital office and community-based staff. “The current length of time taken for the DBS clearance process to complete, which is, in some cases in excess of six weeks, means that new and otherwise ready to work ‘key workers’ can’t be deployed to cover the severe shortages we are experiencing within this sector. “This puts even more pressure on our healthy staff to work long hours.
Phil Crowther “There are overstretched care homes calling Tribe Recruitment around the clock, seeking temporary nurses, support workers and health care assistants, and we’re desperate to help. “At the same time, there are vulnerable people within their own homes who need Care Matters staff to come and assist them. “By reducing the processing time to 48 hours, which it has been suggested is a viable request, these willing employees can get to work now, when they’re required, not in six weeks time. “Willing staff are ready to roll up their sleeves and help at this time of great need. We need to help them get to work quickly.” The drive launched to get volunteers to help the NHS and care sector saw more than half a million people sign up, which Phil is concerned could increase DBS processing times further.
Provider gives staff pay rise A SHEFFIELD care home provider is upping the hourly rate of his minimum wage care assistants with immediate effect to give them “the respect they deserve” as they care for the most vulnerable in society in the on-going coronavirus crisis. Roy Young, whose Silver Healthcare employs more than 60 staff in the city, has pledged to pay them £10 an hour for the next month out of his own pocket – an increase of £1.79 an hour. The 21.8 per cent pay rise will be given to all members of staff employed by the company. Roy said: “People often forget the army of dedicated care staff that work in care homes like mine.
“They’re turning up every day to protect and care for the most vulnerable people in society and the majority are on minimum wage. “They continue to come into work while the rest of the country stays indoors to protect themselves from coronavirus. “They are under great stress, they do a brilliant job and they deserve more.” Inadequate Local Government funding together with the chronic shortage of qualified staff forced him to shut his biggest home – Fulwood Lodge – last November. Silver Healthcare’s two other homes – Rosebank and Leahyrst – specialise in dementia care.
Willow Brook House care home in Corby has launched an appeal to find the kindhearted stranger who paid for an ice cream van to drop off frozen treats to the staff and residents. The home was visited by the ice cream van, which took staff and residents by surprise, especially when they discovered the bill had been paid already. Staff and residents at the care home are now launching an appeal to track down the person who arranged for the delivery so they can express their gratitude. Resident Elizabeth Little (pictured) said: “I can’t believe someone was so kind as to do this for us, it really made us all smile. We would love to know who you are so we can say a big thank you.”
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CARINGWEEKLY
Homes keeping the elderly connected
Residents at Colten Care’s Wellington Grange home in Chichester look at some of the messages, photos and drawings they have received from the community.
Communities rally to support older people KIND-HEARTED communities served by Colten Care’s 21 homes in the south have been doing their bit to cheer up residents separated from loved ones because of coronavirus. As movement restrictions from the Government have tightened, the family-owned provider has moved from advising relatives to ‘think twice’ about coming in to halting nonessential visits altogether. Friends, families and community contacts have immediately responded by sending in letters, postcards, emails, photos and drawings. Team members at Wellington Grange in Chichester say they have been inundated with goodwill wishes after a Facebook message by healthcare assistant Natalie Agate received more than 2,200 shares, 200 likes and around 150 comments. Natalie wrote: “As our home is closed to the public, we have many vulnerable residents who are missing their families dearly. “Please could I ask for children, whatever age, to reach out and send letters or pictures to them? “This one act of kindness will bring such joy and support to us and our residents.” The post prompted Chichester Festival Theatre to offer to send the home pre-recorded video clips of its youth theatre performances to be screened in the residents’ lounge. And Chichester’s Bishop Luffa School pledged to invite pupils to write and send in 100 letters to the home.
Natalie’s colleague Emily Hudson, senior companionship team leader, added: “The residents have been overwhelmed with the amount of kindness and love they have received. “This is a lovely example of a local community coming together and supporting those more vulnerable and isolated during this time. It has all come from just one Facebook post which is incredible.” At the group’s Winchester home, Abbotts Barton, residents were overjoyed to receive a letter of encouragement from a 12-year-old boy. He wrote: “I was sad to find out that I couldn’t visit due to Covid-19. I hope that each and every one of you remains well for the remainder of this crisis. “I believe that all of you will remain well because I am sure that your carers will try their best to keep you safe.” Deliveries of ‘good luck’ postcards and ‘positive posters’ to other Colten homes are also being organised by individuals and community groups. At Abbey View in Sherborne, residents were already being cheered by a display of messages sent in from people around the world under the Postcards of Kindness initiative. Home manager Sarah Harper added: “Our residents love receiving good wishes and lovely messages, and many have been writing back to their pen pals and building up their friendships.”
Free access to news offer OLDER and vulnerable people in care and nursing homes feeling isolated due to coronavirus can now get free access to an online version of their favourite newspaper or magazine. Digital news provider PressReader is offering care and nursing homes free access to thousands of online newspapers and magazines for the next two months. Mike Padgham, a care provider from Scarborough and chair of the
Independent Care Group, is working with his daughter Chantel to bring this access to news to care and nursing home residents. Chantel is business development manager with PressReader. Mike said: “This very kind gesture from PressReader could prove very useful to a lot of people in care and nursing homes and we are really grateful for the offer.” Contact chantelp@pressreader.com or 07904 838038 for information.
TWO care homes in Oxfordshire that have restricted visits are turning to technology to help avoid social isolation for their vulnerable residents in response to government guidelines, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Staff at Rosebank and Churchfields are keeping spirits high by bringing the outside world in to the homes by continuing their weekly keepfit sessions through FaceTime and supporting relatives and residents to use Skype calls. With the over 70s considered one of the groups which are vulnerable to the virus, relatives and friends are having to think carefully about unnecessary physical contact and social interaction. In order to combat social isolation, both homes have increased their activity schedules and residents have been enjoying creating memory books, participating in sunflower competitions, celebrating St Patrick’s Day and even raising fluffy yellow ducklings. Jane Roberts, owner of the two care homes in Oxfordshire, increased activities after the homes restricted visits to essential only, to help safeguard residents and the care team. Staff want to reassure families that residents are in good spirits and are finding innovative ways to remain active. Jane said: “We strive to provide a secure, safe and loving environment
for our residents, and while this pandemic will be distressing to both families and residents, we will do our upmost to ensure the mental wellbeing of all is maintained. “In our homes we are already making social distancing changes but introducing new activities and moving to video link instead. “We are offering increased FaceTime and Skype links to families as we reduce to essential visits only. “These are temporary but essential changes, as we strive to keep all of our residents and staff safe from the risks of Covid-19.” Rosebank has also been celebrating with a tea party following its recent ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission.
Staff’s commitment praised A WHITBY care home owner has praised the commitment of his staff in the face of COVID19 fears. In a letter to relatives of residents at independent care home Peregrine House, Dr Kevin O’Sullivan explained: “I was humbled and proud of the wonderful team of people who are ‘Team Peregrine’ when we were making plans for how to deal with the advancing pandemic. ‘Just a few days ago, we approached each member of the team individually to ask if they might be prepared to ‘live-in’ at Peregrine House for the quarantine period then being advised, of 14 days. ‘The majority of staff agreed to do this to support, defend and protect our residents, sacrificing their own family lives to achieve that end. While no longer viable to expect
staff to quarantine themselves for a full 12 weeks, possibly longer, in line with current thinking on isolating, Dr O’Sullivan remains grateful of the level of commitment demonstrated by ‘Team Peregrine’. Managed by Alison Bedford, the ethos of Peregrine House in training staff has always been to promise to treat residents as they would treat the most loved members of their own families. She added: “COVID19 is the greatest test of that commitment and the team have shown themselves willing to live up to that promise, even in these frightening times.” Dr O’Sullivan went on to urge vigilance in the community in the face of the pandemic. He added: “Keep hand-washing, keep separating, keep safe.”
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Joyful return for much-loved nurse A MUCH-LOVED registered nurse who worked with a Shropshire care home provider for 19 years before retiring a few months ago has returned to help her ex-colleagues in this time of need. Sue Austin, chief operating officer at Morris Care, which operates six nursing homes in Shropshire and Cheshire, was overjoyed to welcome Lydia Tyanase back to the fold as she started work at Radbrook Nursing Home in Shrewsbury. “It’s a joy to see Lydia back here today,” she said. “Lydia’s nursing experience, clinical expertise and empathetic nature all make her a fantastic nurse. “She assisted with the guidance and training of some of our most proficient nurses and she is admired by so many. “I know everyone will join me in welcoming her back with open arms, especially some of our residents who built such lovely relationships with her.” Lydia retired last year after nearly two decades of nursing with Morris Care. She started as a registered nurse and progressed to team leader, deputy nurse manager, home manager and then finally clinical services manager. Lydia led the company’s overseas nursing programme and its nursing assistant programme. She added: “It just felt right
The Bowbridge team delivering essential goods to local residents, from left to right: Amber Jex, Patrick Broock and Claire Gordon-Rundle.
Random acts of kindness bring joy to older people Lydia Tyanase, resident Enid Nicholas and Linda Davies. to return to Morris Care at this concerning time. “I owe so much to the business; I wouldn’t be who I am today without them and so I’m really glad to be back on the floor, caring for residents and part of the workforce.” The care home company has had visiting restrictions in place for some time now to protect its residents’ safety and wellbeing as much as possible. Spirits remain high in its homes as the staff pull together to keep residents from feeling lonely. FaceTime and Skype calls are regularly scheduled with family members.
STAFF at Bowbridge Court in Newark have donated stock from their own kitchens, alongside generous donations from retailers such as TKMaxx and HomeSense, to provide essential food and toiletries to local older people who are currently isolating themselves against the Coronavirus outbreak. Initially thinking their random acts of kindness would benefit 10 local people, the generous boost from retailers enabled the staff to provide more than 30 with essential goods. Staff were also able to provide parents at local schools with treats for their children. Essential goods packages, which were gifted in an Ideal Carehomes Tote bag, included items such as toilet roll, hand soap and sanitiser, long life
milk, tea bags, fruit, tinned goods, fish and meat, vegetables, pasta and some sweet treats including biscuits, chocolate and boiled sweets. Bowbridge Court residents were keen to help staff organise stock and pack bags to be taken door to door. Claire Gordon-Rundle, home manager at Bowbridge Court, said: ‘When I heard that local people were unable to get the necessities they needed, it became apparent that the Bowbridge Court team could really help. “Our residents have been fantastic and have really enjoyed putting together our essential goods packages. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish and hope to be able to continue to provide relief to those who need it most.”
Care home offers 30-bed unit free of charge to NHS WESTON Park Care Home in Macclesfield has offered a 30-bed unit to the nearby District General Hospital free of charge in order to support the NHS during the UK Covid-19 outbreak. With the current shortage critical care units across the UK, Capital Care Group has stepped up to offer a purpose built, high specification space to East Cheshire NHS Trust, as Macclesfield District General Hospital is located just down the road from the facility. Weston Park, owned by Capital Care Group, provides residential, respite and specialist dementia care to the Macclesfield community. It is set in its own grounds consisting of three separate housing units. The 30-bed unit being offered to the NHS conveniently stands separately to the rest of the care home and will provide the vital additional space needed to enable the NHS to provide step-down support for hospital patients, freeing up critical care beds in the main hospital building for coronavirus patients. Capital Care Group has directly approached the NHS about this offer,
Weston Park Care Home in Macclesfield. but has yet to receive a reply. The operator has urged NHS leaders to get in touch to finalise details of this offer so that patients can have access to the purpose-built
facilities needed as soon as possible. Managing director Manjeet Rai said: “Our homes are at the heart of their local communities, and in a time of crisis I felt it was imperative
that we should do everything we can to support our communities and our colleagues in the NHS. “We are delighted that we have the appropriate facilities at Western Park Care Home to offer to the NHS and are proud to be able to play our part in the nation’s efforts to tackle Covid-19. “We see this as an opportunity to give something back to the community here in Macclesfield, whose friends and families we have grown so close to through our everyday work. “We hope that by offering this extra space to hospital patients, completely free of charge, Macclesfield District General Hospital will then have the capacity it needs to treat those who are most unwell from the coronavirus outbreak.” Capital Care Group runs six care homes offering a range of services, from residential and respite care, to dementia care, disability care and palliative care. The group is proud to be entrenched in the communities it serves and looks forward to extending its relationship with local hospitals as well.
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Home’s residents to get first-class hotel service
Call for volunteers to help residents CARE home providers Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare are calling on members of the public to help them help others during these challenging times. As well as the brave, hardworking and committed staff working in the NHS, team members across care homes and other care settings have been going above and beyond to keep older, vulnerable people safe and well. There is now the opportunity for members of the local community to help do their bit too. Natalie-Jane Macdonald, UK CEO, said: “Like the NHS we are looking for volunteers to lend a hand so that we can continue providing the best possible care and support to residents in our homes, as well as people living in the surrounding areas.
“It’s important we all come together – whether it’s by volunteering for the NHS, or with a social care provider – we can all make a huge difference.” No previous care experience is required. Volunteers would be asked to visit the homes and could help with the following: n Assisting with meals and drinks n Supporting residents to FaceTime their loved ones. n Accompanying residents when they go out for walks in the garden. n Supporting with fun activities (in very small groups) n Talking with, reading to and spending time with residents. n Supporting housekeeping, laundry and kitchen staff as required. n Collecting prescriptions and medicines as required.
CAIRN Group is redeploying some of its hotel staff to help care homes support residents amid UK’s Covid-19 crisis Catering, laundry and domestic cleaning staff from Cairn Group’s hotels around the UK will be giving a helping hand to the stretched care home sector. The Group has 32 hotels across the UK but also seven care homes in the North East and two in Scotland run by its sister companies. To ensure the homes’ residents are looked after at this difficult time for all of us, some of its hospitality workforce are being deployed to where they are most needed. A hotel staff buddy scheme will boost its care home catering and cleaning teams by placing hotel workers into back-of-house roles, freeing up care workers to deliver hands on care support to residents. Aran Handa, director at Cairn Group, said: “We are in unprecedented times and our whole workforce is pulling together to help each other out. “Our hospitality teams are made up of some incredibly talented people from chefs to housekeepers, so our care home residents will be getting the very best service experienced in our hotels. “This means our brilliant carers can spend more time looking after our
residents and give them something to smile about at this difficult time.” Infection control and safeguarding measures, plus enhanced staff training is being put in place across all teams, so this additional pool of resource sees the company well prepared in the event of a more widespread UK outbreak. Steve Massey, operations manager at Solehawk which operates some of the care homes, added: “The Covid-19 outbreak has put increased pressure on the UK care sector. “Qualified carers are needed to foremost provide hands on care right now, and this support we have enlisted from our colleagues at the Group’s nearby hotels is fundamental in ensuring this can be delivered day to day. “Cairn Group wants to protect as many of our hospitality workers as possible so it makes ultimate sense to bring these highly trained domestic and catering teams in to support our care homes at this time when it’s most needed.” The Group is hoping to share its hotel buddy staff scheme with other care groups across the UK. It is able to offer out trained hotel staff to support other operators in the same way it is doing at its own care homes, and hopes this will also help to protect many hospitality jobs during the coming months.
Giving providers the tools to cope in unchartered times CARE England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has produced wide ranging advice for its members concerning operational issues induced by the COVID-19 outbreak. Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: “Our members are desperate to find answers to their questions and queries regarding COVID-19. “Last week, in the absence of clear guidance, we issued a learning disability focused document and we are now in a position to respond to all manner of other queries with new advice for care providers across the board.” The guidance can be found in the members’ section of the Care England website. The document contains a list of questions and concerns that have been posed to Care England in light of the lack of clear Government guidance. These questions cover a multitude of themes ranging from PPE, equipment, testing, commissioning, CQC, interface with healthcare services, visitors, funding, legislation and digital. Through Care England’s various work streams with national bodies
such as the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, NHS Digital and its members, many of the questions posed to Care England can now be answered based upon current best practice and information. This document, to be updated on a regular basis, is another key benefit for Care England members in order that they can keep updated with bespoke advice in turbulent times. In addition, many of the questions in the document have been, and will continue to be, posited to Government. This is part of Care England’s general strategy to ensure the needs of the adult social care sector are heard at this time of crisis. Many answers also include descriptions of the policy positions which Care England is conveying to key Government decision makers, something that we hope will give providers confidence that their difficulties are being aired. Martin added: “We hope that this advice will be useful for providers many of whom are struggling on a day to day basis. Some clarity may help in the difficult times ahead and rest assured that we are doing all we can to represent our members at the national level ensuring that they are listened to.”
Group digitises ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ campaign A SURREY based group has digitised its ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ campaign. CHD Living is also calling for additional ‘virtual volunteers’ amidst the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, in efforts to continue providing its residents with companionship. The group, which announced its ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ campaign last year to combat any potential feelings of loneliness across its homes, is looking to re-invigorate and ‘go digital’ with the initiative in a bid to reduce the impact of falling visitation in light of Government advice for the public to self-isolate where possible. The campaign, which originally saw CHD Living pair elderly residents from across its 13 Surrey and South London based care homes with local children and adults who don’t have or see grandparents of their own, is now welcoming new applicants from across the UK as ‘virtual volunteers’. Shaleeza Hasham, head of
hospitality, communications and commissioning at CHD Living, said: “We are keen to keep spirits in the homes high and so have been thinking of ways that we can continue to enrich the lives of our residents whilst providing them with stimulation and companionship. “It made sense at this time to digitise the Adopt a Grandparent campaign and to recruit further volunteers who might like to help keep our residents company over the coming weeks. “It will be a wonderful distraction for everyone involved.” Participants in the scheme will be encouraged to use technology to provide mental stimulation and remote companionship to those in their care via regular video calls with the residents, with each CHD Living home receiving a Facebook Portal TV to facilitate communication and interaction.
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Mother and son reunited at care home during restricted visiting A MOTHER and son have been reunited at White Rose care home, New Tredegar, after not seeing each other for two years because of ill health. 81-year-old Kenneth Dando moved into the care home so he could be closer to his mum, 104-year-old Nellie. The staff at White Rose kept the secret until Kenneth moved in so it was a surprise for Nellie. The move was triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19 as the home has put strict restrictions on visits to help reduce the risk of infection in the home. Kenneth didn’t want anything to prevent him from seeing his mum any longer, so he made the decision to become a resident at White Rose. He is a former hospital porter at Caerphilly Miners Hospital and has two sons, Alyn and Robert. More recently, he was a carer for his wife Margaret who passed away in 2019. Nellie was always a housewife, dedicating her time to caring for her family. She decided to move into White Rose last December as she was worried about being alone at night. Nellie said: “That’s the best surprise I have ever had in my lifetime. Thank you to the staff for making it happen.” Kenneth added: “I don’t know how I
Nellie and Kenneth Dando at White Rose care home in New Tredegar. will ever repay the staff at White Rose. we finally revealed to Nellie that Thank you so much.” he was here to stay, there was an White Rose forms part of Larchwood overwhelming sense of joy in the Care and is managed by Healthcare home, there wasn’t a dry eye in the Management Solutions. The care house. home is currently rated ‘Compliant’ “I’m so glad we could bring Kenneth by the Care Inspectorate Wales. and Nellie back together and I hope Home manager Jayne Coburn they enjoy living together again here said: “When Kenneth moved in and at White Rose.”
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Bluebird Care North Tyneside’s staff have been delivering winter warmth packages to their customers. The homecare provider’s initiative was running before the outbreak of Covid19. However, many older people are self-isolating and are concerned about getting the essentials they need. The contents of the packages are provided by North Tyneside Voluntary Organisations Development Agency. The packs include a flask cup, hat, scarf, hot water bottle, an activity, teabags, soup and a draft excluder. The packages are delivered to customers by care assistants while on their scheduled care visits.
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Free care home management to help operators during pandemic CARE homes are being offered free care home management software to help their head office staff access resident and staff records remotely by CoolCare. The offer comes in reaction to the Government’s requirement to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. As care home operators make urgent plans to maintain business continuity, this free offer will provide an easy way to assist the running of core business processes as remotely as possible. The software will be provided for free for at least three months, whilst Government recommendations of self-isolation remain in place. CoolCare4 software is cloud based and so can be switched on remotely with the operator’s data uploaded from a spreadsheet. As CoolCare4 is accessible through a website, it means providers whose head office staff do not have work laptops can access data through their work phones or personal devices, if necessary. During this time of lock-down, it will reduce the number of staff who need to be office-based as well as reducing the need to access intranets and paper records. It will also enable senior managers
CoolCare managing director Fiona Hale.
to continue to keep up to date with their care homes’ performance. The free offer from CoolCare is a basic version of the CoolCare4 system. It includes essential elements of its system and support services, which will enable an operator to continue core business functions. Features include enquiry/ occupancy management, resident invoicing and staff records to monitor training, appraisal and relevant prestart checks. The more advanced features of the software such as T&A and rostering, for example, are excluded. CoolCare managing director,
Fiona Hale, said: “We know remote working can be tough for care home groups – even for those that have intranets/VPN connections, as a sudden increase in demand may slow connections significantly. “There are so many operators that don’t have a system other than those available on premise. “The pandemic, and toll it will take on availability of staff, has caught many businesses, across all sectors, unprepared. We can see how much just having the basic version of our software will help with business continuity. We’ll offer this free access to as many operators as we feasibly can to help them in this difficult time
and try to retain business continuity. “Once things settle down, there will be no obligation to keep the system – it’s come at a cost to us but we’re happy to do it for this sector we know struggles at the best of times. “Given the likely demand, we are offering our basic service with essential remote online and email support. It’s not going to be the usual CoolCare service for those on the free service – as we have to manage demand and make sure we can provide for our full-service customers – but it’s something we can do to help isn’t it? If by giving a few providers a solution to enable them to work remotely, CoolCare can help keep residents and staff safe, keeping the business afloat, it’s just something we have to give back to the sector.” The offer is available for care homes who do not currently have software provision which enables remote working. If you want to take up the free care home management software for your organisation, complete the form at coolcare4.co.uk/free or email info@coolcare4.co.uk for further information. CoolCare will install on a firstcome-first-served basis as quickly as possible.
Save the bag and save the day
Sekoia joins the work to support the front line fight against COVID-19
WITH the current crisis setting every care operator on alert, lots of companies are looking at new ways to contribute. Behind the scenes, we have been building brand new features now being released to help streamline care work and support the fight against COVID-19.
Healthcare measurements New and free healthcare measurements, including highly relevant respiratory rate, body temperature and six other measurement types, will assist care workers to gain a quick overview of vital data for the individuals in the care service. Neha Mehta, head of customer success, said: “We know how important these will be to assess and immediately take action to ensure the safety of service users. “So, we set every sail and moved up the release to now offer these for free to anyone, who wants to use them.” Alongside a built-in COVID-19 Symptom Checker mirrored from NHS 111, Sekoia aspires to support services detecting healthcare trends and taking appropriate actions when required. It is always encouraging when positives come out of a crisis, and new partnerships emerged; techies joined forces with sector specialists Issac Theophilos, Michael Hinett and Tim Dallinger. These social care consultants have been working hard to prepare best practices and new C19 Risk
Assessments and have been willing to share these to support care workers in the fight against COVID19. These resources have now been refined and released to every single Sekoia user, via a full dedicated Coronavirus section on Sekoia’s support portal. This should prove to be a more efficient alternative to locally discovering a best practice, printing and sending forms out in paper. Risk assessments sit on the Sekoia app right next to other important forms that will help guide care workers through the vital checks and processes needed and helps to disseminate information at hand – across staff and service users. The support portal includes the UK Government Guidance for care services with respect to COVID19 and an easy read format document on the virus, sourced from Mencap. There is also relevant guidance from sources such as the Department of Health, Public Health England, NICE and NHS, as well as templates for COVID care plans and risk assessments. We hope that this small contribution to the fight will help to keep people safe and well. Enquiries: Visit www.sekoia.zendesk.com/hc/ en-gb/sections/360003747420-CoronavirusCovid-19- to find the Support Portal. Here you will also find the material about Covid-19.
GERMSTAR® has an idea to reduce plastic waste and give our customer what they need? Please help us so we can help you during the Coronavirus threat and for the future. With the threat of the Coronavirus now clearly impacting our day to day lives in many ways, we are asking for our loyal customers, starting from today, to help us so we can help you. Due to current challenges in sourcing certain plastics, we need to request all users of Germstar touchless dispensers to SAVE the empty refill pouches when they can. Germstar UK will: n Arrange a free of charge return service for as many empty 946ml and 355ml pouches as you can ... every little really does help. n Upon return, the empty plastic pouches will be inspected, tested, cleaned, sanitised and refilled with Germstar® Noro Sanitiser or Extra Mild Soap. This service will be extremely crucial in helping us keep a steady supply of infection control products going out to all of our customers including our high priority clients within the NHS, health and social care, Government buildings and emergency services. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND CONTINUED SUPPORT Enquiries: Please call us to arrange collection on 01329 888268 or email sales@germstaruk.com
Help is at hand for care homes My Nametags is the UK’s leading manufacturer of easy to apply sticker and iron-on name tags with thousands of uses whether for labelling clothing, stationery, fabric or shoes. Our labels are durable, resistant, and suitable for use in washing machines, dishwashers and microwaves. We cover our labels with an antibacterial coating to kill any bacteria that may be on the surface. In 2018, My Nametags was presented with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise and international Trade. We want to do everything we can to help care homes during this challenging COVID-19 pandemic. We can create labels for use on emergency equipment or in public areas for any care home that needs them during this time and the labels will be
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CARINGWEEKLY
Luxury caravans made available for homes’ staff MILKWOOD Care, an independent care home provider based in Petersfield, has introduced innovative measures to help care staff in two of its homes to continue to offer the highest standards of care during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Located in shared grounds in Liss, Milkwood House care home and Chatterwood House nursing home are home to 75 elderly residents, some of whom require nursing and dementia care. Staff have been taking all possible precautions to help protect their residents and themselves from the risk of being infected by COVID-19. Some front line staff in both homes told Milkwood Care’s owners and directors, Robin Cheesman and Janet Lloyd-Leech that they were more than happy to volunteer to stay over on-site, even when they are not on shift, to protect residents by eliminating the risks associated with social contact with their families and friends and non-essential travel. Initially, these staff members had been using the homes’ bedrooms, normally reserved for residents, in which to rest and sleep. Now, the Milkwood Care owners have arranged for ‘staying’ staff to be housed in two luxury caravans, which have been brought in to the grounds of the homes. They will remain available and used as vital care and nursing staff accommodation throughout the duration of the virus outbreak. Operations director Grant Douglas said, “We’ve taken this unusual step to free up vacant residents’ bedrooms temporarily used by staff, to ensure that we have emergency bedrooms
for the increasing volume of people that are being discharged from hospitals and to support the NHS by freeing up their beds. “The health and safety of our residents and staff is paramount and we appreciate that our staff are making sacrifices, and going above and beyond, to care for others at this time. “We, and our residents, would like to thank them for their efforts. We want to do everything we can to maximise their comfort and health – they are totally dedicated to our residents and the national effort in these trying times and they are doing an amazing job.” Following consultation with Public Health England and informing their visiting community, Milkwood Care has suspended all non-essential visits to their care homes until further notice. The care homes are facilitating online video call meetings using Skype and FaceTime so residents are still able to see and talk to their relatives and friends, albeit through these devices. Grant added: “We are delighted to report that, to date, we have had no reported cases of COVID-19 in any of our homes. “We will continue with our robust infection control practices and have strict protocols in place to limit risks of cross infection in our care homes. “Our care homes monitor residents and staff health closely, with all our homes in daily contact with our head office. “We are happy that medical and food supplies are at a good level and spirits are high in all of our nine homes around the country.”
Scheme to encourage more people to work in care is unveiled BLUEBIRD Care, one of the UK’s largest providers of home care services, has launched its ‘It’s Time to Care’ campaign in a bid to encourage even more people to work in care. The campaign launches during a time of immense uncertainty and panic surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19, with Bluebird Care team members urging the public to consider various care roles so that the care provider can help even more vulnerable people get through this period and beyond. Neil Murray, head of quality and compliance, said: “Everyone we work with is dedicated to making a real difference to our customers’ lives. You could do the same. “Our services enable customers to remain in their own homes surrounded by the things that matter to them most. “Despite these challenging times, we need to ensure that we can continue to do this. Now more than ever, we need everyone to come together and lend a helping hand. “We can offer a range of rewarding roles which provide stability and safety. Whatever your skills, we want to hear from you – full training will be provided.” n Bluebird Care Southampton have
created ‘help-packs’ for all their customers – which include lots of useful items to keep them going n Team members at Bluebird Care Leeds North have been out delivering essentials to customers so they don’t have to leave their houses n Bluebird Care Exeter has been sending cards of wishes to their customers daily and distributing letters from overseas. One has come from as far as South America n Bluebird Care’s South Somerset, West Dorset and Purbeck Offices has rolled out a new ‘safety kit’, designed to maximise protection and minimise risk of infection for both their staff and customers. n Additionally, in order to help many vulnerable or older people in the Somerset, Dorset and Purbeck communities they have also teamed up with supermarket chain Iceland. They will now offer an essential shopping service with home delivery available anyone that needs it, not just for regular Bluebird Care customers Neil added: “We really do have some wonderful people in our business and these are just some examples of how our care teams are spreading positivity during such a difficult time.”
Home marks Mother’s Day STAFF at Connors House in Canterbury hosted a special Mother’s Day afternoon tea celebration for residents. A slightly different Mother’s Day was on the cards for residents of the residential care home this year, with no visitors due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic. Fortunately, staff were keen to ensure it was business as normal as they served up an afternoon tea of
sandwiches, cakes and endless cups of tea for the ladies of the home. General manager Christine Devlin said: “Things are definitely different at the moment, but our wonderful team of staff are committed to ensuring that our residents carry on as normal as possible, keeping them settled and relaxed. “The afternoon tea was lovely and the sun was shining, so everyone had a lovely time.”
The message in the grounds of Shaw healthcare’s Nunthorpe Oaks Residential Care Home in Middlesbrough is clear. Administrator Jennifer Simpson said how their community spirit is really inspiring local people. “It’s boosted morale and has done everybody the world of good,” she added.
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