Issue 84 24.11.21
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Action needed to get elderly out of hospital THE National Care Forum, along with five other charities and membership organisations, have called on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to take immediate steps to ensure older people are not forced to remain in hospital longer than medically necessary this winter. In an open letter to Sajid Javid, the association for notfor-profit care providers, Age UK, Independent Age, Care England and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have called for steps to be taken to address the shortage of care workers to ensure older people are able to access the care they need when they are discharged from hospital. This includes an immediate bonus and pay rise for staff working in social care and for care workers to be added to the Shortage Occupation List. Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum, said: “The pressure on people is immense. Shortages in the care workforce mean that people are not able to be in the place they call home and often are spending too long in hospital where they are unable to receive the care they need. “There is no time for government to delay. If we fail to take decisive action to address this workforce crisis, then we fail the people and
communities that we are all here to serve.” The letter highlights the stories shared through the British Geriatrics Society’s Timely Discharge campaign, illustrating the human impact on large numbers of older people in hospitals across the country who are medically fit for discharge but cannot access the care and rehabilitation they need to return home. A massive shortfall in available care staff means that older people are ending up stuck in hospital when they do not need to be there. Hospital staff are currently caring for Covid patients while trying to address the backlog of patients who had treatment delayed during the pandemic. This is made even more challenging by having wards full of patients who are fit for discharge but who cannot access the care they need at home. Care workers have worked tirelessly to support older people in care homes and at home through the immense challenges of the pandemic. However, due to the effects of exhaustion, poor pay and conditions, Brexit restrictions and the imposition of mandatory vaccinations, they are now leaving the profession in significant numbers for better-paid jobs in other sectors.
Edinburgh care home wins award
A talkative care home personality dressed up as Pudsey and stayed completely silent for four hours to help residents and colleagues raise funds for Children in Need. Popular Brian Knight stayed tight-lipped despite all manner of temptations put his way at Colten Care’s Avon Cliff in Bournemouth. After wearing a mask that read ‘I mustn’t talk’ all through his sponsored silence, Brian said: “It’s quite a challenge for someone as chatty as me to stay quiet for four hours in a Pudsey outfit and with people all around but I’m pleased to have achieved it and it’s all in a great cause.” The residents’ day started with an inspection of teddy bears, some homemade, on display in the Avon Cliff lounge. The home raised £70 for the charity. Resident Sylvia Williams is pictured with her teddies.
T H E 2 0 2 1 C A R I N G U K AWA R D S
AN EDINBURGH care home has been praised for its tailored approach to providing care and high standards of service at an industry award ceremony. Cramond Residence, to the north of the city, has won ‘Best Luxury Care Home’ at the Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021. The home has been awarded for its innovation, excellence and dedication to providing the best service to residents. Graeme Kelly, managing director at the 74-bed home, said: “Cramond Residence provides a combination of luxury accommodation and the highest quality of care so it is an honour to win this award category. “The past 18 months have been particularly challenging as we manoeuvred our way through uncertain times and began returning the home towards normality again. “Our dedicated staff, like so many key workers, have been truly inspirational throughout those 18 months. They’ve given the community here the best possible care, hospitality and experiences. “Everyone at the home is delighted to win this award and believe it reflects the hard work and extra mile everyone goes on a daily basis.” The home offers nurse-led care, as well as a varied lifestyle programme. During the pandemic residents embarked on a “Grand Tour of Scotland”, with distilleries, museums and attractions providing virtual tours and experiences.
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People more likely to choose care at home, new research reveals A SURVEY of 2,618 adults commissioned by the Homecare Association has revealed that people’s attitudes towards choosing care in their own home has shifted dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic. More than a third (35 per cent) of people surveyed by YouGov said they were now more likely to choose care in their own home, with 38 per cent of over 65-year-olds preferring to opt for homecare. The survey revealed that the drivers for preferring homecare were more focussed around lifestyle and choice. The top reasons for people wishing to choose care in their own home due to Covid-19 included; the effect on the ability to live the way that I want (64 per cent); how much control I would have (54 per cent) and the effect on the ability to maintain my relationship with family and friends (53 per cent). 47 per cent of the respondents cited safety as a reason for choosing homecare. Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association, said: “Homecare workers have been a lifeline for many people throughout the past 18 months, showing real selflessness and resilience in providing invaluable support to people in their own homes in incredibly challenging times. “Homecare services can give people
Home tackles 5km walk for charity Jane Townson a wider sense of independence and control. Nine out of 10 people aged 65 and over – 88 per cent – agreed that people would prefer to be supported at home rather than in a care home.” The survey results also revealed that care workers are a skilled and vital workforce who should receive more recognition. More than four out of five people (84 per cent) agreed that care is skilled work that requires standards, training or qualifications. Additionally, nine out of 10 – 89 per cent – of people aged 65 and over agreed that care workers make a positive difference to the people they support.
STAFF at Gracewell of Frome care home walked five kilometres before holding a ‘Making a Difference Awards’ party for residents and relatives. Seven members of the team took part in the full 5km walk, with additional residents and staff joining for the final kilometre. Their efforts raised £340 for The Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walk initiative. General manager Jemma Griffiths said: “The Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk and Making a Difference Awards were the first time we were able to gather together as a home and reflect on the last 18 months. “The Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult for all, and the opportunity to reunite and reflect was a unique one that residents, our team and family members enjoyed. “We were also able to welcome back family members who’s loved ones
have passed away, to share memories and gift the memorial tree. “It was a lovely afternoon and a great way to thank our residents for all they have done, their relatives for their support, and our team members for their tireless hard work.” Following the walk, residents, team members, and their families were invited to celebrate the Making a Difference Awards party. Attendees were treated to Pimm’s and afternoon tea as team members nominated their colleagues for awards. Categories included best day carer, night carer and nurse and ancillary carer. Each winner received a glass award and a framed certificate. The event also remembered and celebrated the lives of those residents who Gracewell of Frome have lost over the last 18 months. The families of those residents were invited, and a special memorial tree was unveiled in their memories.
Comic shows support for Merseyside care home Home participates in project with school
A WORTHING care home took part in an intergenerational initiative to encourage connections between the young and old through the joy of performing poetry. Guild Care’s Caer Gwent partnered with Project Together – a national project that connects both residents and children at local schools to come together to learn a poem of their choice by heart. Residents and children from selected Our Lady of Sion School and practised the poem “You are old, Father William” by Lewis Carroll, which was performed over Zoom. Manager Clare Feest said: “The Poetry Together project is such a wonderful initiative and we have
been honoured to have been a part of it this year. “Our residents had such an enjoyable afternoon taking part in learning and performing the poetry recital with the children. “It was such a great and creative way to connect with the local community and celebrate the wonderful art of poetry. “One of our residents really shone when reading the poem, and hopefully next time things will be different and the residents and children can meet and talk afterwards over a nice cuppa.” Poetry Together is the brainchild of author, broadcaster and poetry fanatic Gyles Brandreth.
ACTOR and comedian Johnny Vegas has shown his support to the staff at St Helens Hall Care Home in Merseyside. The witty St Helens born actor, known for his angry rants, surrealism and high husky voice, presented the home with a signed and inscribed print with his best wishes for staff and residents during the pandemic. The inscription on the print reads: “Dedicated to the staff and residents of St Helens Hall, Thatto Heath, in remembrance of those dear folk we have lost and in continued support of your amazing residents and truly outstanding staff. Stay safe. Much love, Johnny Vegas.” Staff at the award-winning specialist dementia residential and short-term respite care home in St Helens were delighted. Home manager Amanda Clark said: “We were very touched that Johnny took the time to send our residents and staff such a lovely
Resident Hilda Gaskell with Jackie Smith and Kerry McGuinness. supportive message and a handdrawn picture. “Everyone who visits the home notices and reads it on their way in. As soon as we get the green light to hold events again we’d love to ask Johnny to pop in and visit us for afternoon tea as a thank you for his kind support.”
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Nurse receives one of the first National Social Care awards
Care homes show how their gardens grow COLTEN Care has continued its involvement with the National Garden Scheme, welcoming dozens of visitors and raising hundreds of pounds for charities. Four public open days have just been held, two at Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, and two at Brook View in West Moors, Dorset. The dates gave residents’ families and friends, other community contacts and members of the general public the chance to come in and have a look round the gardens and grounds. On hand with advice and information were horticultural experts including Colten Care’s head gardener Charles Hubberstey, who said: “We’ve had such positive comments from visitors about our beautiful outdoor spaces.
“One visitor told me: ‘I never thought a care home would have such a garden’. “Another said: ‘It has been so lovely. I’ll think differently about care homes from now on, and as for the cakes, teas and coffees, wow!’ “Based on visitor numbers and comments such as these, I believe our NGS days have once again been a definite success.” Both homes have active gardening clubs, with residents putting forward ideas for garden design and plants, and helping with hands-on gardening activities. Between them, the four open days have raised more than £1,300 for NGS charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and community gardening projects supported through the scheme.
A BRISTOL nurse has been handed one of the first National Social Care awards by the government’s chief nurse for adult social care, in recognition of his outstanding work in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Clinical nurse advisor Reuben Collings works for social care charity Milestones Trust which supports people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia in the South West. He said: “It’s a great honour to receive one of the first of these important new awards, which recognise the importance of social care alongside healthcare. “I’ve been really impressed and hugely proud of our staff and the resilience of the people we support through this strange and difficult time. “It’s forced us to work in a completely different way, but people have been open to that and have taken the changes in their stride.” An experienced adult nurse who began working for the Trust in 2014, Reuben led the organisation’s pandemic response and was instrumental in enabling front line teams to keep the people Milestones Trust supports and its staff safe. Reuben took responsibility for everything from briefing staff and supporting colleagues with the emotional burden of Covid-19 to developing and conducting infection control audits and procuring PPE, something that he said he never would have imagined would have been part of the job. Arranging and ensuring all staff members were appropriately trained, collecting data, supporting staff who were trapped abroad at the start of the pandemic and liaising with local authorities and Public Health England also became part of Reuben’s day to day work. The new Social Care Awards were
Reuben Collings announced by the government in May and are designed to celebrate outstanding contributions to adult social care and offer recognition in line with national NHS staff awards. Unaware of his nomination, the 30-year-old was presented with his silver award at a surprise, socially-distanced staff gathering by Milestones Trust’s director of operations, Jeff Parry. The government’s chief nurse for adult social care Professor Deborah Study joined the event online to say a few words about Reuben’s dedication and innovation. Possibly the most difficult moment, Reuben recalls, came over Easter weekend 2020 when government guidance on PPE changed almost overnight from staff being told to wear PPE only when someone they were supporting had symptoms of Covid-19 to all staff being required to wear PPE at all times. PPE was in such scarce supply in the weeks that followed, that Reuben set up contracts with suppliers around the world. This meant on some occasions sourcing translators to ensure that the masks we received were of the right standard.
Popular Care Homes’ Wilton House in Darlington.
Operator on recruitment drive A CARE operator has launched a recruitment drive at its homes in Darlington and Eston to help address the staffing shortages hitting the sector. Popular Care Homes’ Wilton House in Darlington and Astune Rise in Eston – both of which are rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission – have a number of vacancies in roles including senior care assistants, care assistants and domestic and kitchen staff. Operations manager Steve Massey said: “There is no hiding from the fact that there are considerable challenges within our sector, one of which is a lack of people applying for jobs.
“There is a perception that care homes are a poor relation to the NHS, which is certainly not the case. “Our staff are professional, caring and skilled people, and we have very recently reviewed our pay rates to reflect this. “There must be many people across Tees Valley with the attributes to make a positive impact on the lives of our residents and I would appeal to them to consider a career in care. “It’s not an easy option, but it is a very rewarding profession and I believe that since the Covid pandemic the public has realised the hugely valuable contribution care home staff make to society.”
Sunrise of Bassett in Southampton recently marked its 15th birthday with a crystal themed party. 60 guests enjoying champagne and an afternoon high tea prepared by the catering team. Attendees were also treated to entertainment provided by the Pearly Pride Entertainers, who sung several old favourites. Hosted in the care home’s decorated gardens, the party presented an opportunity to not only commemorate an impressive landmark but also brought people together following an extremely difficult year for those within the care sector. Alongside team members, residents and their families were several special guests, with local dignitaries the Mayor of Southampton, Alex Houghton, and Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Hampshire, joining those in celebration of what was a momentous afternoon.
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Operator creates academy to stem sector skills gap A PROVIDER has unveiled its new academy and apprenticeship programme to help kick-start a career in care for the next generation. Introduced to pave the way for school leavers to train and develop, the National Care Group Academy and Support Worker Apprenticeship programme offers candidates the opportunity to learn on the job and gain care qualifications at the same time. With 24 paid positions currently on offer, successful applicants will work alongside colleagues across a range of the company’s services to deliver individual, person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities, mental health illness and complex needs. Claire Leake, people director at National Care Group, said: “A career in care can often be overlooked by younger generations, however, we are determined to change the narrative through the National Care Group Academy. “Through a combination of practical on-the-job experience and academic learning, it will equip individuals for a promising career, moulding them into well-rounded carers. “We’ve watched apprenticeships grow rapidly in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. “By allowing individuals to learn in a practical way, at the same time as gaining a qualification, they can develop into exceptional colleagues who will thrive when placed in a working environment. “This not only benefits our teams but the individuals undertaking the apprenticeships as they’re better prepared for real-life situations.” According to a recent report by Skills for Care, the current vacancy rate for adult social care roles in England is more than 7.3 per cent, with more than a quarter of those being aged 55 or above. Claire added: “There’s no doubt that
Pictured from left to right are: Ian Powell (senior catering operations support manager), Anwar Kajee (head of hospitality), Steven Ireland (catering operations support manager), Abdul Kachra Country Court chairman) and co-CEOs Al-karim Kachra and Alykhan Kachra.
Claire Leake, people director at National Care Group. we need more young people coming into the sector but, most importantly, we want to make sure we’re hiring the right person for the role. “Often people can be nervous about putting themselves forward for a career in care due to their academic performance, but this is a common misconception. “There are no academic requirements to become an apprentice at the Academy. Instead, the ideal candidate is based on personal attributes, including being eager to learn, hardworking, instinctively caring and flexible. All of these traits form the basis of a successful carer within National Care Group. “It’s a really exciting time to be starting a career in adult social care, and we are committed to ensuring young people entering their careers are supported in the best way possible, through good pay, working conditions and the opportunity to progress. “We’re thrilled to finally be at the stage where we can meet potential candidates and give them that allimportant first step in the world of work.”
Acts of kindness at home
A WORTHING care home has experienced a random act of kindness from a social action project which has been gracing the community. Haviland House, a dementia care home based in Goring, was gifted with letters alongside some flowers to show the elderly community that they are loved, remembered and appreciated. The NCS programme is a two week initiative run for 15-17 year olds. Within those two weeks, teenagers help focus on solving problems in the community and a social action project in which one group decided to aim towards the elderly. Eileen Garbutt, wellbeing coordinator at Guild Care, said: “I truly can’t thank the NCS team enough. “This is such a lovely project filled
with wonderful and kind young adults. “Our residents were very moved by the words of encouragement, love and gratitude from all those involved. “It just goes to show what a little bit of kindness can do to someone.”
Hospitality team wins Award for innovation COUNTRY Court’s hospitality team won the innovation award at the Public Sector Catering Awards 2021. The innovation award is for a product or service innovation that has dramatically changed an operator’s catering strategy. The concept must be original, and the entry must be able to quantify the impact the innovation has had on the operation and the customer. The hospitality team is responsible for the complete hospitality service at Country Court, including catering, front of house and housekeeping services. “We are passionate about providing the very highest standards of care and hospitality for our residents,” said head of hospitality Anwar Kajee. “Last year we rolled out a comprehensive training programme for staff to ensure our five-star standards of hospitality are embedded in our day-to-day service. “However, we wanted to ensure that these high standards were delivered consistently over time. We were looking for ways to prompt and remind staff of the standards they should be aspiring to”. Catering operations support
manager Steven Ireland came up with the idea to film the set-up of communal areas and activity spaces. These short videos demonstrate how each area should be set ready for residents to use each day. A small sticker with a QR code is placed discretely in each room so that any staff member can scan the code and view the video before cleaning and setting up the room. “Our short videos have been a great reminder for staff as to how to set up communal areas,” added Steven. “During general day to day use, furniture and fittings often get moved around. For residents living with dementia it can be confusing if a room layout changes. “By filming the original set up we can show staff how to return it to its correct set-up after an activity. “Presenting a space at its best ensures it is an inviting and appealing space for residents to use and enjoy. “The project has received very positive feedback from housekeeping staff who have found the videos very helpful.” Winners were announced at a glittering awards ceremony held at the Hilton London Metropole.
Residents of Lawson House Extra Care Housing Scheme in Larkfield got together to celebrate the unveiling of a new memorial in the veterans’ garden. With 20 of the apartments at the scheme retained exclusively for housing veterans, residents and staff decided that they wanted to create a fitting tribute for those who have lived there, live there now and will do so in the future, in creating a memorial for the veterans’ garden. The idea was commissioned shortly after the scheme opened and after many brainstorms, ideas shared and a few hiccups along the way, a design was agreed and stonemason Darren Emptage was appointed to manufacture and install the memorial.
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