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Issue 38 16.12.20
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Scheme aims to recognise carers’ value A CAMPAIGN has been launched to ensure qualified staff who work in care homes and domiciliary care in Wales are paid a minimum of £20,000 a year. Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales, said they had been condemned to low pay for years because of the “morally bankrupt” formulas used by local authorities and health boards to calculate the fees for social care. According to Mario, the heroic response of care workers in saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted their true value and it was high time it was recognised by the authorities who commissioned publicly funded social care. It was, he said, a “national disgrace” that the 2020 Fair Pay campaign was necessary but he hoped it would shame the councils and the health boards into taking action to finally ensure that qualified care workers could be paid properly after a quarter of a century of a mismanaged market which has seen social care being treated as a “Cinderella service”. “Social care staff have risen magnificently to the immense challenges posed by the Covid19 pandemic and the public understand better than ever that these people do have important skills and are vital
to their communities across Wales,” Mario added. “They are an army of heroes and should be viewed as a value rather than a cost to society. “It is high time that when local authorities and health board commission publicly funded social care services that the formulas they use finally recognise their true value and enable providers to pay frontline staff a minimum of £20,000 a year from April 1. “Existing formulas that use the basic living wage as their benchmark are unacceptable, particularly given what the sector has achieved this year and the support the sector has from the public. “We know from the first wave of the pandemic that the NHS does not have enough staff to run the rainbow hospitals in Wales so the only place that they can go and get people with those sorts of skills is the care sector and the care sector is critically endangered.” The Welsh Government had shown the way earlier this year when they announced a oneoff £500 bonus payment for social care staff. One of Mario’s fears is that the NHS will effectively poach social care staff to cope with the extra demands caused by the second surge of the virus which was already underway.
Group raises funds with scarecrow
Bruce Moore, chief executive of Housing 21, has won Leader of the Year (250+ people) at the Investors in People Awards. The Investors in People Awards celebrate the best in people management practice amongst Investors in People accredited businesses. Bruce, who leads an organisation rated Gold by Investors in People, was selected as the winner of the category by a panel of judges, which included the CEO of Investors in People and the director of People at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Bruce joined Housing 21 as chief executive in 2013. He has spent more than 20 years leading change and seeking to improve the provision of housing and social care for older people.
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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BLUEBIRD Care St Helens and Bluebird Care Warrington took part in the St Helens community scarecrow festival to help raise vital donations for Willowbrook Hospice. Willowbrook is a local hospice that cares for people with life limiting or terminal illnesses. It is a charity that helps both patients and their family members during the most difficult of circumstances. Bluebird Care St Helens and Bluebird Care Warrington’s deputy manager, Clare Toole, and her daughters Lacie and Lyla, made Meredith the scarecrow, especially for the festival. They have so far raised more than £100 and Bluebird Care will be matching all donations pound for pound. Clare said: “The hospice is very close to all our hearts, not only because their nurses support our palliative (end-of-life) customers, but also because some of our team members also have personal experiences working with the hospice. “The work they do is exceptional, and it is a huge part of the community. The team want to raise as much as they can to ensure the hospice continues to run during this epidemic, so they can help many, many more families.” Willowbrook does not charge for its services but rely on fundraising efforts and a modest contribution from the NHS. This enables them to provide support to patients and their families according to their individual needs.
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Group’s baking challenge really takes the biscuit CARE provider Meallmore has announced the winners of its ‘Take the Biscuit’ baking challenge, which saw residents and staff compete for the crown of star biscuit baker. Inspired by the Macmillan Coffee morning, the competition was open to all staff and residents across the group’s 23 homes and challenged them to create the best biscuits, with four prize categories up for grabs. The voting was decided by the public, with polls on the Meallmore Facebook page being used to determine the winners, with more than 1,300 votes cast. The company pledged to match all funds raised for this activity, so a cheque has been presented to the charity. The baking recipes and insights shared by the residents proved to be vital in deciding who took home the prizes, with the winner of each category being awarded a resident’s biscuit hamper from Meallmore’s partner, Bidfood. Jody Marshall, group hospitality manager at Meallmore, said: “It was brilliant to see such a high standard of baking taking place during the challenge, and that’s testament to our wonderful residents and staff who worked brilliantly together to produce some stunning biscuits. “Two of the things that we pride
ourselves on at Meallmore are excellent catering standards and a stimulating activities program for residents. “Being able to combine the two of these into something that everyone could participate in has been fantastic. A huge congratulations to all the winners, you were up against excellent competition and you fully deserve the title. “Thank you to all the homes for taking part in the Macmillan coffee morning and for helping to raise a fantastic sum of money and awareness for a hugely important cause. “Thanks also to head office
for generously matching all the donations. It’s given us great pride to play a part in helping to support those affected by cancer at a time when fundraising is being hit hard.” The winners in each category were: n Top of the tin, best overall biscuit – Mearns House, Superhero Delight biscuit. n Crumbs all over, best resident decorated biscuit – Mearns House, Hot Air Balloon biscuit. n Oh crumbs, best theme for biscuits chosen by residents – Mearns House, Marvel Theme. n The cookie monster, biscuit with the most calories – Ivybank House, Jaffa Royale biscuit.
The National Care Forum has announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. Joining are Sue Porto, chief executive of Brandon Trust, Oona Goldsworthy, chief executive of Brunelcare (pictured) and Terry Peel, chief executive of HICA Group. Our newest board members will help to strengthen board level representation for our members who operate services for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and supported housing,” said Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum. “In addition it will widen our geographical representation increasing board presence in Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East.”
As we approach the end of a very challenging year in the care sector and for those affected by dementia, we have decided to make a meaningful donation to the Alzheimer’s Society as our gift for Christmas. Our aim is to use this as a springboard for more donations. We would be delighted if you would join us ‘here’ on our Just Giving page so that, together, we can contribute to the ongoing research, care and support for those living with dementia which has become much more challenging due to Covid. May we wish you a happy and festive Christmas and hope that we can look forward more optimistically to a new year filled with good health and happiness for all.
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Music therapy brings joy to care home’s residents
Live-in care company Elder has appointed ex-Virgin CEO Stephen Murphy as its new chair as it seeks to build on strong growth into 2021.Stephen brings with him an accumulated 30 years’ experience in senior management positions and executive director roles. He said: “I am delighted to be joining Elder as chairman and working with CEO Peter Dowds and a talented leadership team at such an exciting time in its development. 2020 has been a huge challenge for families and particularly those with older family members.” Stephen was the group CEO of Virgin Group from 2005-2011 having succeeded the founder, Sir Richard Branson. As well as holding a number of other leadership roles across various verticals, he has also been group chairman at OVO Energy since 2015.
RESIDENTS and staff at RMBI Care Co. Home Prince George Duke of Kent Court in Chislehurst are celebrating the return of life-enhancing music therapy sessions brought to them through their partnership with music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins. Carers at the Home say the weekly sessions with music therapist Ellie Fletcher have a ‘transformational effect’ on the wellbeing of their residents, particularly those with advanced dementia. Activities coordinator Valerie Allen said: “Ellie’s music sessions are so uplifting, the effect that they have on our residents’ health and wellbeing is transformational. “For example, one of our residents with advanced dementia who rarely speaks, was encouraged by Ellie and another of our residents to join in. “Quite out of the blue, she suddenly began to join in with the music. It was extraordinary to witness and everyone was very moved by it.” Violinist and pianist Ellie is spending a day a week at the Home, working with small groups of residents to make music together. Nordoff Robbins and Prince George Duke of Kent Court have worked in partnership to ensure that Ellie’s music therapy sessions are Covidsafe, strictly following Government guidance.
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Like the Home’s staff, Ellie is regularly tested for coronavirus, she wears a visor and PPE, and works at a safe distance of three metres from residents. The sessions take place in the Home’s large open lounge. Ellie added: “It’s such an enormous privilege to be back at Prince George Duke of Kent Court. I got to know the residents so well last year and it’s wonderful to be able to work with them again. “Music is so powerful in the way
that it breaks down barriers in communication and enlivens people. It taps into memories and sparks conversations like nothing else.” The Home has installed a Covid-safe visitor pod so that residents are able to spend time with their family and friends. All visitors coming to the Home undergo strict health and safety checks, including thorough handwashing, temperature checks, and wearing PPE, as necessary.
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CARINGWEEKLY Advertiser’s announcement
Reassuring staff, patients and visitors through hygienic best practice AS ENGLAND comes out of a second lockdown, the healthcare sector is once again heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. From the NHS, which remains on the front line, responding to the acute needs of people infected with the virus, to the private and care sectors, the continued focus is on ensuring staff safety and protecting patients. With more than 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, and numbers set to rise to more than one million by 2025, care home facilities face their own challenges as we recover from the pandemic.1 A survey about how Covid-19 has affected perceptions of cleanliness and hygiene in the healthcare sector, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kimberly-Clark Professional™, shows that only 28 per cent of respondents are confident with levels of cleanliness and hygiene in hospital and healthcare locations, and only 68 per cent feel safe visiting a healthcare location now.2 “Early experiences after the first lockdown did not meet expectations, and more needs to be done,” said Olena Neznal, vice president, Kimberly-Clark Professional™ EMEA. “The latest surge in cases has put the healthcare sector under pressure yet again to balance the responsibilities of keeping everyone safe, whilst continuing to deliver essential care.” As the leaders in workplace hygiene, KimberlyClark Professional™ is keen to fully uncover the concerns and issues around working at or attending healthcare facilities. The company commissioned Harris Interactive to discover how people really felt and discovered that 80 per cent of consumers are now more aware of hygiene practices when outside the home.2 “The healthcare sector needs to win and maintain the confidence of its employees, as well as patients and long-stay residents and their families,” added Olena. “From this research, it is clear that hygiene is now and will remain top of the agenda.” According to the research, across all hospital and healthcare locations, waiting rooms and washrooms are the top two areas for urgent hygiene improvement. Three-quarters (75 per cent) think waiting rooms are the most important area to improve hygiene levels, while 67 per cent think public washrooms also need improvement. 70 per cent of respondents wanted to see more sanitisers, while 59 per cent want to see employees actively cleaning, with cleaning and disinfecting procedures clearly communicated.2 Looking at senior care homes, or long-term care facilities, 86 per cent of respondents perceive visiting as high to moderate risk. In care homes, 77 per cent showed concern about toilets, while 61 per cent considered hygiene levels in washrooms as the most important aspect.2
One area of care that is essential to the everyday needs of care home residents is the washroom as it needs careful consideration for the elderly user. Washroom facilities that are clean, safe and easy to use are essential. Providing the right solution for necessities such as toilet tissue, soap and hand towels that are gentle on elderly skin can make real difference to the ongoing care to patients and residents. 360˚ Hygiene & Protection programme Kimberly-Clark Professional™ has introduced the 360˚ Hygiene & Protection programme to help the healthcare sector deliver the highest possible levels of hygiene and restore confidence. Hygiene is obviously already top of the agenda in a care home environment. However, the new data shows that additional focus must be given to public areas such as foyers, washrooms and sitting areas to ensure hand hygiene provisions and surface wiping protocols are not only effective in these high traffic areas but are also reassuring. Hand hygiene protocols have traditionally focused on acute care settings. However, in a study, rigorous hand hygiene intervention practices have been shown to lower mortality and antibiotic prescription rates in nursing homes.3 Kimberly-Clark Professional™ offers specific healthcare facility support through considering
need areas, and tools to assess your facility and identify germ hotspots. Hotspots are High Frequency Touch Points – objects such as door handles, sink fixtures, lift buttons, chair arms, and stair rails that are touched by many throughout the day and need frequent cleaning and disinfection to help break the chain in germ transmission. The next step is implementing cleaning and disinfecting protocols and introducing the correct hand hygiene and surface wiping solutions. Providing easily accessible and always-available quality hand towels and soap is also critical to ensuring hand washing and drying takes place. Scott® Control™ Washroom Systems from Kimberly-Clark Professional provide a range of easy-to-use, dispensers for Rolled Hand Towel, Toilet Tissue and Foam Soap. By choosing rolled or folded paper hand towels in a high capacity system you can ensure a continuous supply. Single use paper hand towels are the recommended hand drying method of the World Health Organisation (WHO, Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care). Finally, Kimberly-Clark Professional™ promotes hygienic workplace practices by providing communication tools to help create awareness, which is a vital and important part of making people feel safe. Protocols to encourage care home staff, residents and visitors to wash their hands such as posters with hand hygiene steps can help improve standards Kimberly-Clark Professional™ offers a free no obligation Virtual Hygiene Walk – bookable through the microsite https://home.kcprofessional. com/UK_PR_TTNS_0920 – to review a facility and provide expert guidance on cleaning and hygiene protocols, recommending the right product solutions to tackle key hygiene hotspots. We have produced an in-depth guide for the healthcare industry https://home.kcprofessional. com/UK_PR_Health_1120 to show the most appropriate products and solutions. “Reassuring staff, patients and visitors with visible hygiene actions has never been more important for the healthcare sector,” Olena added. “Kimberly-Clark Professional™ is the expert in workplace hygiene and is championing the need for hygiene to take centre-stage.” Sources: 1. https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics-aboutdementia/prevalence/ 2. How has COVID-19 affected perceptions of cleanliness and hygiene? Harris Interactive on behalf of Kimberly-Clark; July 2020. UK n=1,097 3. Impact of a multicomponent hand hygiene-related intervention on the infectious risk in nursing homes: A cluster randomized trial. American Journal of Infection Control Feb 2018.
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Jeremy Hunt paid a festive visit to Sunrise of Guildford to turn on the care home’s outdoor Christmas lights. While attending the socially distanced ceremony, the Surrey MP spoke to residents and their loved ones who have taken part in the care home’s enhanced visiting programme. This innovative scheme has enabled residents to have meaningful contact with their loved ones during the pandemic in a safe and controlled environment. The former Health Secretary also learned about the protocols the care home has put in place, including rigorous infection control measures, which has enabled Sunrise of Guildford to remain free from Covid-19. After the ceremony finished, the residents returned inside to complete the ceremony over fresh mince pies and mulled wine.
Residents and staff at RMBI Care Co. Homes across the UK celebrated Elf Day to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s Society. Staff at the Homes dressed up in elf costumes and organised lots of festive fun for residents to enjoy. Among the treats were Christmas movie showings with hot chocolate, seasonal quizzes and elfie selfie sessions. Among the RMBI Care Co. Homes taking part was Cornwallis Court in Bury St Edmunds. Activities coordinators Emma Gibson and Sam Wiseman said: “We had a lot of fun celebrating Elf Day. Seeing our staff dressed as elves certainly put a smile on our residents’ faces and gave us all a good giggle. We see the effects of dementia every day at our Home, so we’re passionate about raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s Society.” Residents of Edward Moore House in Gravesend got into the festive spirit and made some handmade classic Christmas decorations. Keen to transform their home into a winter wonderland, residents of the care home tried their hand at some festive crafting, making paper chains to bring some festive joy, alongside the many other decorations and trees. First seen in the UK in the 1850s, paper chains were first used on Christmas trees and were one of the many traditions to come to England from Germany, during Victorian times. With them being so easy to put together and a great craft project for those of all ages, plenty of us still enjoy making them and decorating with them today. Festive fun and Christmas cheer has arrived in abundance at Royal Star & Garter. Residents have been busy singing carols, making wreaths, baking gingerbread and watching classic films in the run-up to Christmas. It is part of a packed programme of activities that veterans are enjoying at the charity’s Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe Homes throughout the month. Quizzes, bingo, card-writing, wreath-making and other games are taking place, with veterans making traditional Christingles. On Christmas Day, residents will receive bespoke gifts from Santa, which will be followed by a traditional dinner.
Staff and residents at Hillcroft House care home in Stowmarket, Suffolk enjoyed celebrating Elf Day to raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society. The team embraced the event by decorating the home and donning elf-themed fancy dress and props, while enjoying festive games and activities. Home manager Dagmara Kaminska said: “What a tremendous day – the team really embraced Elf Day and dressed up for the occasion, creating lots of smiles. Our residents loved the fun theme and it was great to get festive and enjoy some Christmas silliness after the challenging few months we have all been facing. I’d like to thank the team for putting in so much effort to make the day special for our residents.”
Residents of Dene Holm in Northfleet added a festive twist to their regular flower arranging activity, making some seasonal centerpieces. Following the delivery of some white lilies, kindly donated from the local Morrisons store, creative residents of the care home decided to inject a bit of Christmas spirit into their activity. The activity staff at the home provided some pinecones, in natural and silver colours, and the residents spent a morning crafting some subtle festive centerpieces, which, once complete and displayed, further complemented the home’s many Christmas trees and decorations. Children at CHS Group’s Sunflower Nurseries in Cambridge and Cambourne have recorded a virtual Christmas carol concert to be shared with nursery parents and families, as well as residents at CHS Group’s care homes and extra care schemes. Children worked together to create festive themed hats and costumes and rehearsed a number of carols and traditional Christmas songs – from Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer to ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.
Royal Star & Garter’s annual Starlight service has taken place online. The service celebrates the lives of residents past and present during the Christmas season. The video will remain available to view on the provider’s website over the festive period. Residents and relatives from the charity’s Homes, who would usually attend Starlight services in person, took part in readings and carol singing. A special message from Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, who has been the charity’s president since 1964, acknowledges that this has been a year of many challenges, but it has also been a year that has shown us how much the country and our communities can achieve together
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Homecare company takes on more staff as its latest branch proves big success A HOMECARE company’s new branch has nearly doubled the number of its staff within a few weeks of opening. Westmorland Homecare opened its Lancaster branch at the end of September with 15 staff. But, due to demand for its services, it has taken on new recruits and now has 29 employees, including 25 homecare assistants. And care manager Christie Parker said it was likely even more staff would be taken on soon. “It is a constant recruitment process as we take on new clients and that is likely to increase still further as more people are wanting to remain in their own homes and stay out of hospital,” she added. Westmorland Homecare provides hundreds of hours of care each week, which enables anyone aged 18 and above, including elderly and often frail people, to live independently in their own home. Its services include home care, such as help with housekeeping and meal preparation and personal care, such as help with dressing, bathing and getting in and out of bed. Earlier this year the Kendal branch was given an ‘outstanding’ rating in all five key areas following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care services in England. The new branch covers Lancaster, Morecambe, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, Halton, Heysham and smaller surrounding villages. Christie said: “A lot of relatives of people needing care have contacted us because they are aware of our strong reputation in Kendal and in Poulton-le-Fylde.
Lucy Trusler, a client coordinator, and care manager Christie Parker at the new Lancaster office. “A lot of people have followed the Westmorland Homecare journey and already trust in us and understand the way we work.” She added that, when the Covid-19 pandemic and any associated rules permitted, she hoped to introduce coffee mornings at the branch for clients, their families, staff and anyone who might feel isolated. All new staff take part in a weeklong induction training programme, which teaches skills such as manual handling, first aid and safeguarding and instils the core values of Westmorland Homecare. It leads to the awarding of the nationallyrecognised Care Certificate. Dr Chris Moss, co-founder of the company, said: “We believe that every individual should be free to remain in their home as long as they wish, should be able to be as active and independent as ever before and should continue to have rich and fulfilling lives.”
Resident becomes local celebrity and TV star TALENTED artist Leslie Norah Hills, a resident at Leighside House in Lewes, one of Guinness Care’s Independent Living schemes in East Sussex, has become a local celebrity thanks to her charitable donations through the sale of her artwork. The 80-year-old paints commissioned portraits as well as painting local interest pictures, which she then has printed onto cards for sale. Leslie donates all the proceeds from the sales to Cancer Research UK, and has raised almost £35,000 to date. As a result of her work, local television station Mirador TV is running a series of interviews with Leslie covering how she became an artist, what inspired her to donate all the proceeds from her sales to charity, and about the subjects she has painted – including politicians, public figures and royalty. Dawn Gibbs, Guinness Care independent living adviser, said: “I’m so proud of Leslie and all the
great work she has done to help raise money for Cancer Research UK. Leslie’s paintings are truly wonderful, and she is an amazing and very determined lady.” A couple of years ago Cancer Research UK invited Leslie to a Buckingham Palace garden party as a thank you for all her hard work. Leslie also raises funds for the RNLI and hosts a RNLI fundraiser coffee morning every Christmas at Leighside House.
Operator celebrates Care Champions at inaugural ceremony A DEMENTIA care provider has recognised the outstanding achievements of its colleagues in a jubilant celebration at its annual Champion Awards. As part of its first virtual awards ceremony, live streams across all Belong villages brought more than 300 colleagues, customers, their families and local communities together and enabled them to cheer on the winners as they collected their accolades. A total of 12 awards were handed out for categories including leadership, compassion and community engagement. Nominees from Belong’s seven care villages, home care service and support services were assessed in interviews with an independent judging panel to determine the winners. The panel, comprising members of Belong’s non-executive board and senior figures from partner organisations, were full of praise for those shortlisted, describing them as ‘inspirational’ and commended teams’ support for one another and community engagement projects which ‘reach positive outcomes for the benefit of all.’ Belong’s people and development manager, Tim Kirk, said: “It’s been
a very challenging year and the outbreak of the pandemic part way through our awards process disrupted our plans to bring everyone together, as it has so many other things. “We felt strongly that it was still important to celebrate the commitment and successes of our village teams over the last 12 months, albeit under slightly different circumstances, and we are thrilled that so many of our customers and their relatives could join us for the online event.” Winners were: Newcomer Award – Lisa Wynne, Belong Wigan; Mentor Award – Kelly Haddock, Belong Atherton; Leader Award – Natalie Ravenscroft, Belong Crewe; Team Award – Belong at Home Warrington; Compassion Award – Donna Woolrich, Belong at Home Crewe; Innovation Award – Christine Thomas, Belong Atherton; Dementia Champion Award – Josephine Mollison, Belong Crewe; End-of-Life Care Award – Liam Coffey, Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme & Belong Crewe team; Volunteer Award – Diane Wrench, Belong Warrington; Community Engagement Award – Experience Day team, Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme; Outstanding Contribution to Belong – Belinda Jones, Belong dementia trainer.
Joan and Edwin Hirst, who both live at HC-One’s Larchwood care home, in Braintree, Essex, recently celebrated their platinum (70th) wedding anniversary. They marked the day with fellow residents and staff at the home. Everyone was wishing them a ‘happy anniversary’ all day and the couple received a card, flowers, a cake, chocolates and two bottles of fizz to enjoy. Staff at the home also set up the lounge for a romantic dinner for two.
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