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January 2014
no.212 • £4.75
By Dominic Musgrave
THE inspectorate is to carry outfocused inspections of approx-imately 150 care homes and acutehospitals to review how people withdementia are cared for in England.
CQC will explore the care andsupport that these services providefor people with dementia and indoing so, draw common themes onwhat works well and what needs toimprove on a national level.
The announcement came as theGovernment hosted a G8 summiton developing coordinated globalaction to prevent, delay andeffectively treat the condition.
CQC chief executive David Behansaid: “670,000 people in England areestimated to have dementia and thenumber is expected to double overthe next three decades.
“We know that these people areoften vulnerable because of theircondition and can rely on a numberof services across health and socialcare to support their physical,mental and social wellbeing.
“There is a real need to explorewhy people with dementia may notbe receiving high quality care, aswell as how the different serviceswork together.
“This is the first time that CQC hasundertaken a review, which
specifically looks at the care servicesthat people with dementia use andrely on. It will address the key issuesthat these people face, such as whyadmissions to hospital from carehomes are higher for people whohave dementia compared to thosewho do not have the condition.
“Our findings will drawconclusions on a national scaleabout what works well and whereimprovements are required.”
The unannounced inspections willfocus on:� How people living with dementiaare supported to maintain theirphysical and mental wellbeing.� How effective care can reduceadmissions to hospital from carehomes and avoid unnecessarilylengthy stays.� How care services can worktogether when there is a need forpeople to move between services.
For every service inspected, CQCwill publish a report detailing itsjudgments and any requiredimprovements.
As well as this, CQC will publish anational report in May, which willhighlight the key themes on anational level. CQC wants to hearfrom people with dementia, or therelatives and friends of people withdementia, and their carers abouttheir experiences.
CQC launchesfirst reviewof dementia
Darts legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor returned to hisroots to officially open a new care home in Stoke-on-Trent. The 16 times world champion cut the ribbon atSafe Harbor’s Agnes and Arthur Care Home, a formercouncil run facility which has been renamed and fullyrefurbished by its new owners. The home has created40 new jobs in the city and now boasts its ownhairdressers and passenger lift, as well as new laundryand kitchen facilities. The owners are also aiming toreduce its carbon footprint by using wood free paper,installing LED lighting, moving from gas to biomass andalso installing solar panels.
Care headtalks withbusinesssecretaryA SENIOR regional carerepresentative met with atop government ministerto call for more to be doneto support the sector.
Mike Padgham talkedwith business secretaryVince Cable about how theGovernment could providegreater support tobusinesses andorganisations caring forolder and vulnerablepeople.
Mike, who is chair of theIndependent Care Group(York and NorthYorkshire), said: “Greatersupport for social care isvital for the rapidlygrowing number of peoplewho need it to live a fulland active life and vital forthe massive contributionit makes to the UKeconomy,” he said.
“Investment in socialcare is an investment inpeople – people who needcare and people whoprovide care.”
He added that greatersupport for social carebusinesses could startwith addressing the VATanomaly – the situationwhere care providers arecharged VAT but cannotreclaim it.
incorporating
The Number One magazine for the care sector
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02 advanced healthcare 18/12/13 16:06 Page 1
By Dominic Musgrave
THE spirit of the blitz and a text book cri-sis plan swung into operation atStradbroke Court in Lowestoft when therecent storms led to police informingstaff that the home’s 30 residents neededto be evacuated.
The care home is in the Pakefield areaof the town, about a mile from the sea.
Chris Hopkinson, regional operationsDirector at Care UK, said: “My colleaguesdid absolutely brilliantly and stayed allnight to help.
“The managers at Stradbroke Court,and two other local care homes, Blyfordand The Dell, quickly coordinatedarrangements for transport and all thesupport they needed.
“Even carers who were off duty came into help. There was a great spirit, with allthe residents wanting to stay togetherand we were grateful for support fromfamily members and Suffolk CountyCouncil.”
In total a team of 16 Care UK col-leagues, supported by volunteers fromfamily and friends, helped move 29 resi-dents to The Dell in Beccles and one resi-dent, who was bed bound, was transport-ed by ambulance to Blyford residential
home in Lowestoft. Stradbroke Court’s pet guinea-pigs, as
well as the home’s four budgerigars, werealso safely evacuated to carers’ homes.
Chris added: “All the residents had asettled and comfortable night in theirtemporary home despite the awfulweather going on around them.”
Lowestoft’s Contract Cars taxi firm alsostepped in to help with the evacuationeffort. Richard Keeble, who owns thebusiness and already works with Care UKproviding transport to day care cus-tomers of the Blyford wellbeing centre,quickly responded with transport, pro-viding two mini buses and a taxi to trans-port residents and carers on the 20minute journey to Beccles.
Nicki Fountain, manager at StradbrokeCourt, said: “Everything was so calm andwent so smoothly and all the Care UKteams in Lowestoft and Beccles workedtogether so well, with those who weren’ton shift coming in to help and using theirown cars to bring the residents’ belong-ings along to The Dell, where the kitchenteam came in and arranged extra cater-ing.”
Residents were able to return toStradbroke Court the next day after theEnvironment Agency gave the all clear.
3CARINGNEWS
Home’s residentsevacuated duringcoast storm surge
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West Hall residents, staff and local familiesand school children enjoyed Christmas cele-brations at the Anchor care home in WestByfleet as it hosted its Winter Wonderlandevent. Children met Santa in his grotto, pettedreindeer and listened to story time with elvesin the library. The Anchor Community Bandsang carols in the bistro, while children mademince pies and stalls sold Christmas gifts,wreaths and jewellery.Elf Shelina Duke is pictured helping JennaJohal at West Hall’s Winter Wonderland.
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CARINGNEWS4
M&S works withoperator to getresidents online
A resident is shown how to work an iPad by an M&S representative.
By Dominic Musgrave
MARKS & Spencer has joined forceswith Abbeyfield to create a newvolunteering initiative called ‘A Cupof IT’.
Designed to help care homeresidents to enjoy the social benefitsof going online, A Cup of IT saw 70 ITexperts from M&S and its suppliersmentor 200 residents from 24Abbeyfield care homes.
The volunteers helped residentsresearch old stories, relive favouritesporting moments, reconnect withfriends and families and view imagesof memorable places from their pastusing platforms like Google Maps,Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
To promote digital inclusion oncethe volunteers have left, re-furbishedlaptops and WiFi access cards weredonated to Abbeyfield by M&S.
Paul Allen, CEO of Abbeyfield, said:“The world the internet opens is athrilling and exciting one althoughthe opportunities it offers to olderpeople are often overlooked. It is
fantastic that such a well known andrespected company as Marks &Spencer has recognised that andbeen willing to join us in opening upthe world of the internet to so manyof the older people who choose tolive with us.
“The opportunities this presents arealmost without measure – fromrecapturing memories of placesvisited and people met, to connectingwith family and friends around theworld.
“On behalf of the Abbeyfield teamand the residents, I would like toexpress my sincere thanks to Marks &Spencer for choosing to work with uson this project.“
The 24 Abbeyfield care homestaking part in A Cup of IT includesites in Beaconsfield, Maidstone,Wimbledon, Gravesend, Sutton,Chadwell Heath and Crouch End.
A Cup of IT is part of a wider Plan Avolunteering initiative that saw a 600strong force of M&S IT executives andM&S suppliers help local communityprojects.
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7CARINGNEWS
Care group helpsto lead reductionin medicationA CARE group is spelling out the ben-efits of reducing the use of anti-psy-chotic medication used to treat peo-ple with dementia.
Springhill Care Group, with homesin Accrington, Skelmersdale andBristol, is committed to supportingthe government initiative to reducethe use of this medication.
Anti-psychotic drugs are inappro-priately prescribed to an average of144,000 people with dementia in theUK every year, doubling the risk ofdeath, trebling the risk of stroke andsometimes leaving people unable towalk or talk, according to theAlzheimer’s Society.
The government drive is supportedby the Alzheimer’s Society and theDementia Action Alliance, of whichSpringhill Care Group is a member.
Group chairman Ken Nolan said:“We are progressing with our ownprogramme in reducing the use ofanti-psychotic medication whereverappropriate as well as supporting thegovernment initiative.
“As a group, we passionately believein putting people and their needs atthe forefront of what we do, and thisis all part of that commitment.”
The group’s Birch Green Care Home,
Skelmersdale, is also taking part in anew national initiative being con-ducted by The Association forDementia Studies to reduce the useof anti-psychotics, the FocusedIntervention Training and Supportinitiative, commissioned by TheAlzheimer’s Society and theUniversity of Worcester.
The Government has commissioneda national audit to establish the pro-vision of dementia services across thecountry and will provide local NHSand social care organisations with ameasure of their progress in key areasincluding a reduction in the use ofanti-psychotic medication.
Ken Nolan
THREE care home residents have hadtheir life stories featured in a bookabout their hometown, Larkfield andthe surrounding villages.
Mary Warren, Diz Bernal and DerekBrown, who live at St Martins, havebeen involved with the Beat Project:All Our Stories, a book which takes alook at the history of Larkfield and itssurrounding areas through the eyesof the residents that live there.
The trio were invited to attend thecelebration showcase launch, wherethey were presented with their owncopies of the book.
Home manager Lesley Andrewssaid: “Many of our residents havelived in Larkfield for the majority oftheir lives so it’s really lovely that theyare able to share their stories.”
The community project has record-ed the history, heritage and memoriesof local people living in a number ofvillages in Kent, including Larkfield,using both video and books. Thebook plans to provide a valuable his-torical resource for all communitymembers and future generations, aswell as a great keepsake for the resi-dents whose stories are included.
Residents’ stories appear in bookMary Warren with Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Howard Rogers.
07 18/12/13 16:29 Page 1
CARINGNEWS8
Home receives award forsupporting local studentsBy Dominic Musgrave
A LINCOLNSHIRE care home hasbeen recognised for its ongoingcommitment to providing workexperience opportunities for studentsacross the county.
Hartsholme House, a not-for-profitcare home in Lincoln run by TheOrders of St John Care Trust, waspresented with one of Lincolnshire &Rutland Education BusinessPartnership’s ‘Investors In Education’Awards at a special ceremony.
Nominated by schools, youngpeople and members of the EBPteam, the awards acknowledge thededication of employers insupporting the workforce oftomorrow and are presented to aselect number of organisations acrossthe region each year.
Hartsholme was recognised fordelivering a work placementpartnership programme with ThePriory City School earlier this year,which saw a number of post 16students take part in a workexperience scheme at the home.
Designed to support the students’Health & Social Care studies, theplacements provided the opportunityto learn about elderly care, as well as
allowing the students a chance to getinvolved with day-to-day activitiesand care practices around the home.
Cheryl Gilderdale, manager ofHartsholme House, said: “We’redelighted to have received such aprestigious accolade for our workplacement scheme.
“Giving young people real-worldexperience and getting them involvedin placement schemes is reallyimportant for everyone atHartsholme and definitely somethingthat we will look to continue in thefuture. With the average national ageincreasing every year, residentialhomes and elderly care schemes arebecoming a key part of thecommunity. Engaging with the carersof tomorrow and encouragingstudents to look into elderly care as aprofession is absolutely essential.”
Claire Flavell, operations managerfor Lincolnshire & Rutland EBP, said:“Hundreds of businesses throughoutthe region go above and beyond eachyear to provide high quality workplacements and meaningfulexperiences for students throughoutthe county.
“Our Investors in Education Awardsprovide schools and colleges theopportunity to nominate and
acknowledge those whose dedicationand commitment to the future’sworkforce has shined most during2013.
“At EBP, we are devoted to creatingthe link between the worlds ofbusiness and education, and thesupport this year’s award recipientsoffered Lincolnshire and Rutland
teenagers has been absolutelypriceless in terms of helping us buildthat bridge.
“We, along with Lincolnshire andRutland’s schools and teenagers,couldn’t be more grateful for the workand life experiences these businesseshave provided to hundreds of youngpeople across the region.”
Hartsholme House manager Cheryl Gilderdale and activities co-ordinator Hazel Readreceive the award from Lincolnshire & Rutland EBP operations manager Claire Flavelland chief executive Elaine Lilley.
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CARINGNEWS10
People from all over the country have been inspired to decorate napkins as part of a Bristol-basedcraft project to inspire those living with dementia. Dominic Musgrave reports.
Decorated napkins bring inspirationto home’s residents with dementia MORE than 120 embroidered napkinshave been presented to SaffronGardens dementia care home at theculmination of the Napkin Project,which has involved generations offamilies sharing their sewing skills,workplace colleagues spending lunchbreaks stitching, and all sorts ofpeople using their creativity to helpand inspire people with dementia.
The project began when artistDeirdre Nelson was working with staffand residents at the dementia carehome. She noticed how importantfabric was to the residents and howsome of them would spend a longtime smoothing a napkin, touchingits edges or perhaps folding andrefolding it. Sometimes someonewould fold a napkin to create a vasefor a flower, or make a napkin into apurse.
She said: “I realised that a napkin ismore than just a napkin in the wayresidents interacted with existingnapkins in Saffron Gardens.
“By gifting the napkins, people arehelping to bring additional creativityand fun into the care home. As well asmaking art, people have helped tocreate something practical. It isimportant also for staff to know that
lots of people want to contribute, andcare about their residents and thework that they’re doing.”
The project explored the theme of‘home’. Deirdre looked at what ‘home’might mean to a person living withdementia.
It could be where a person was bornor grew up – a suburb of Bristol, avillage in the Punjab or a small townin Jamaica or the place and timewhen someone has been happiestamong family and friends.
Lin Feist, manager of SaffronGardens, Brunelcare’s new dementiacare home in Bristol said: “What hasappealed to me most about theNapkin Project is what a fantasticreminiscence tool the napkins are.With them all being based around thetheme of home and family, this canmean so many things to differentpeople and evoke very differentemotions.
“We plan to use them not only atmeal times, but also have themplaced around the home to act asconversation starters and toencourage different uses.
“Deirdre commented on how shenoticed residents carrying objectsaround in them and using them as
scarves, and the tactile nature ofthem will engage the people who livehere also. They will hopefully alsohelp family members engage withtheir loved ones and have a focussedtalking point which can become a lotharder when they have dementia.
“The bright and cheerful designswill add colour to the home and welook forward to putting them to use.”
The Napkin Project is part of alarger arts programme for the newcare home run by specialist arts andhealth consultants Willis Newson forSaffron Gardens.
It has been so successful at inspiringpeople with dementia and raisingawareness of the importance ofcreativity, that they have decided toextend the project.
Artist Deirdre Nelson looking at a napkin with one of the Saffron Gardens residents.Photo: Jim Wileman.
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CARINGNEWS12
By Dominic Musgrave
FAMILIES in Scotland looking for carefor their relatives can now draw onfirst-hand experiences of care homes,home care agencies and nurseriesacross the country.
Good Care Guide(www.goodcareguide.co.uk), theindependent TripAdvisor stylewebsite for the care industry, hasteamed up with the CareInspectorate, Scotland’s independentscrutiny and improvement body forcare services, to give parents, olderpeople and carers the platform tohave their say about the care theyhave used.
Over 6,000 Scottish care providerscan now be found on the Good CareGuide website, letting parents andfamilies across Scotland find, rateand review the care providers theyhave used – leaving valuableinformation for other families lookingto make important decisions aboutcare for their relatives.
Andy Major, director atgoodcareguide.co.uk said: “Good CareGuide has a pure interest inpromoting and raising the standardsof care across the UK, and we aredelighted that we are now in aposition to help place quality care atthe heart of Scottish society.
“Whether you’re looking for the bestnursery in Edinburgh or a great carehome in Glasgow, Good Care Guide isthere to help.”
“This move is an important step insupporting the work of the CareInspectorate, and we hope it will helpimprove the quality of childcare andeldercare provision in Scotland, aswell as increase much-neededtransparency across the sector.”
Good Care Guide launched inEngland in February 2012 and has
proved popular with familiesembarking on the journey of findingthe right care for their loved ones. Itcurrently receives around 3,000 visitsa day. It has also been an essentialsource of help for care providers, whocan improve their quality of service asa result of receiving honest, impartialand genuine reviews.
Annette Bruton, chief executive atthe Care Inspectorate says: “AsScotland’s scrutiny and improvementbody for care services, we believe it isvital that service users and theirfamilies can easily access all theinformation they need to makeinformed decisions about the servicesthey use.
“We publish all our officialinspection reports on every service inScotland which we regulate online.We are delighted to now also beproviding information togoodcareguide.co.uk to help peoplequickly and easily get an insight intowhat others have said about anursery or care home near them.
“Feedback from people using careservices, and their families, isextremely important.”
Good Care Guide was developed byMy Family Care and United for AllAges, both organisations working inchildcare and eldercare with years ofexperience advising families.
New Good Care Guidelaunches in Scotland
Andy Major
Residentsuse Kindleto talk torelativesST Marthas Care Centre inStechford, Birmingham, hasinvested in a Kindle Fire, whichhas enabled two of its residents tocommunicate with their lovedones that live in Canada.
Using Skype on the Kindle Fire,residents at the Akair Care ownedhome, Lillian and William Bushell,were able to see as well as talk totheir son John and their daughter-in-law, who they haven’t seen intwo years.
Manager Ben Barkatat said theKindle is an important tool tosupport residents and enablesthem to keep in contact and link-up with their family members whomay live in different parts of theworld.
He added: “It was fantastic to seethe big smiles on Lillian andWilliam’s faces as they spoke totheir family.
“It’s great that we can organisemoments like this for ourresidents, as some do not get tosee their relatives, so specialmoments like this gives them areal boost.”
12 18/12/13 16:17 Page 1
13CARINGNEWS
AFTERNOON tea across the worldwill epitomise good nutrition andhydration for Nutrition & HydrationWeek 2014
Nutrition & Hydration Week 2014(March 17-23) will see nationwideaction across social and health caresettings to raise awareness andimprove understanding of the vitalimportance of good nutrition andhydration – an initiative that isattracting worldwide support andpraise.
The focal national event and high-light of the week will be a WorldwideAfternoon Tea on Wednesday March19. Service providers in both healthand social care settings are invited toshare afternoon tea with thoseentrusted to their care, no matterwhere they care for them, demon-strating a united effort and commit-ment to improving nutrition andhydration.
Supporters of Nutrition & HydrationWeek in other countries have beeninvited to join the party, making it atruly global event. These include theAssociation of Nutrition &Foodservice Professionals, USA, theCanadian Society of NutritionManagement, the Institute of
Hospitality in Healthcare, Australia,the Spanish Association of HospitalHospitality, the Norwegian DieteticAssociation and Healthcare CaterersInternational, to name a few.
The three leading organisations ofNutrition & Hydration Week 2014 –Patient Safety First, Hospital CaterersAssociation and National Associationof Care Catering – are urging socialand health care providers to serveafternoon tea to service users and vis-itors where appropriate.
NACC chair Neel Radia added:“Everybody focuses on mealtimeswhen it comes to nutrition andhydration, but a little food and oftenis the key for older people.
“The message of three meals andtwo snacks a day is embraced byfocusing on a food event outside of amain meal time. Afternoon tea isideal as it does fit into every care situ-ation, be it in residential homes, daycare, or in the community throughmeal services and community sup-port.
“It also adds an important socialdimension for service users. We urgeeveryone to get involved, even ifafternoon tea is only shared with oneperson.”
Afternoon tea tobe highlight ofnational event
JEAN Cusworth, a resident at TheManor House care home in BarnardCastle, and lifestyle coordinatorMichelle Buck have been on air forthe Radio Teesdale Radiothon.
The Radiothon is the flagship eventfor the community radio station, rais-ing money to keep it going through-out the year.
It is sponsored by local businessesand provides 30 hours of live radioover two days with as many commu-nity guests as possible.
Jean, who was born in Australia andcame to the UK in 1946, andMichelle, talked about life at thehome and being involved with thecommunity through special interest
groups and local volunteers.Jean said: “I enjoyed the experience,
it’s the first time I’ve been on theradio.
“I’d prepared Stanley Holloway’sAlbert and the Lion to read and itwent well, at the end there was around of applause from everyone inthe studio.”
The Hadrian Healthcare Grouphome has also been involved withRadio Teesdale on a project on localdialect.
One of the presenters recordedsome of the residents speaking whoare knowledgeable about differentwords used across the rural commu-nity.
Duo take to the airwavesMichelle Buck and Jean Cusworth in the studio. Photo: Radio Teesdale.
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CARINGNEWS14
Residents and members of staff at Philips Court in Gateshead gathered to officially opena 1950s lounge in the home, which has been created thanks to the generosity of thefamily of the late Kathleen Welch, who was a resident. Her son Christopher donated her1950s style furniture and trinkets to the home after Kathleen passed away. Residentsare able to enjoy the lounge and reminisce about days gone by.Kathleen Welch’s sons Chris and John are pictured with Karleen Taylor-Williams,manager at Philips Court, resident Betty Pallister and unit manager Elaine Kirtkey.
Home hosts ceremonyso resident can join inwedding celebrations
The happy couple celebrate with St Thomas’ resident Bill Marshal and friends.
ST THOMAS’ care home inBasingstoke got the chance to use itsnewly refurbished chapel for thewedding blessing of a resident'sgranddaughter.
The care home helped the newlywed bride, Becky Bengey, stage asecond ceremony so her grandfather,Bill Marshal, 82, could celebrate thehappy occasion with family as hewasn't well enough to attend thewedding ceremony inGloucestershire.
Activities co-ordinator TerriPhilpotts, was integral to organisingthe event. She said: “Becky asked meabout three months ago if it would bepossible. I suggested that the chapelmay be available and that this wouldbe better for Bill as it is more churchlike. I gave her the details ofReverend Cannon Jo Stoker, who doesour church services, and our headchef, Janet Farrow, set about makinga wedding cake.
“Becky agreed that as many
residents as possible could take partin her special occasion. Terri and theteam decorated a dining room as awedding reception room with bowson chairs and beautiful floral centrepieces. Residents cheered the newlyweds and some took the opportunityto touch the bride's wedding dress.
The couple enjoyed a minihoneymoon in Cornwall after theirwedding blessing, and Bill was happyto witness them dressed in theirfinery firsthand.
Venita Couzens, general manager atthe home, said: "Terri has worked sohard to get every thing just right sothat it would be a wonderful day forBill and his family.
“It must be nearly 100 years sincethere was a wedding in the chapel,and the residents that wanted to bepart of it enjoyed every moment. Iwould encourage more of this kind ofactivity as it involves all familymembers and this is so important toour residents."
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15CARINGNEWS
A NORTH West retirement village haswon international recognition for itsexercise programme and gym facili-ties that help to promote indepen-dence and good health.
Belong Macclesfield picked up theExcellence in Ageing Services Awardfrom the International Association ofHomes and Services for the Ageing –a global organisation dedicated toshowcasing diverse care programmesfrom across the globe.
It was presented at the 10th annualIAHSA conference ‘Connecting ourGlobal Community’ in Shanghai, andcollected on Belong’s behalf by DavidHughes, senior partner at Manchesterand London based architectsPozzoni. The firm is behind the archi-tectural design of Belong villages, andis a specialist in ‘personal architec-ture’ and designing for the needs ofolder people.
Tracy Paine, operations director atBelong, said: “We are absolutely pas-sionate about the benefits of exerciseand delighted to have our servicerecognised on the international stagein this way.
“I hope that this will help to high-light what an important contributiona simple exercise programme canmake to the physical and mental
wellbeing of older people.”The Belong Macclesfield
‘Independence through exercise’ ser-vice is now in its third year, led byqualified care and fitness professionalBarbara Tait. It is open to village resi-dents and members of the widercommunity.
The exercise studio is equipped withspecialist equipment for older peo-ple, and sessions are supervised byinstructors qualified in fitness andcare for older people. Part of theBelong exercise service is to ensurethat staff, relatives, residents and cus-tomers are all involved, because peo-ple that understand the value of theprogrammes are better equipped tostay motivated to exercise.
Village wins awardfor independencethrough exercise
Tracy Paine, operations director at Belong,with the award.
15 20/12/13 12:42 Page 1
ADULT social care currently employs around 1.5million people and is driven by significant changesin demographics and the way services are beingdelivered across England.
The number of jobs could increase by up to 1million by 2025 so finding, keeping and developingenough workers to meet the current and futuredemand continues to be a huge challenge. Manypeople have a negative perception of what it’s liketo work in care and are unaware of the diverserange of career opportunities.
Skills for Care facilitates the ICare…Ambassadors service, which usesenthusiastic people working in an adult social carerole which involves direct day to day delivery ofcare and support, to share their experiences ofwhat it’s like to work in adult social care.
Ambassadors provide a first hand, current pictureof what it’s like to work in the adult social care todispel the negative myths and will promote thewide range of career opportunities to those whohadn’t previously considered a careers in thissector.
We support more than 100 care providers todeliver the I Care...Ambassadors service acrossEngland. Emma White works as the servicecoordinator for The Suffolk Care AmbassadorEmployer Partnership and is an advocate of thisservice:
“I have found the support and resources fromSkills for Care to be very good, and I work veryclosely with them to make the service as successful
as possible. When the I Care... Ambassador searchregister is launched we will be able to start reachingeven more people and hopefully make a realimpact.”
I Care…Ambassadors supports everyone affectedby the future of the adult social care and provides anumber of benefits for care providers, staff and thepeople who require care and support.
Becoming part of this service will raise yourprofile as quality employer who invests in staffdevelopment, helping to attract informed workerswho will stay for longer.
It will also help to increase the take up of careservices and contribute to developing andmotivating your staff.
Encouraging your staff to become ambassadorswill help to develop their confidence and skills. Bytalking to other people within the sector it willexpand their network of contacts and will
encourage their career progression.
Ultimately this service will help you to maintain acapable, confident, skilled workforce which canprovide continuity and high quality support forpeople who use social care services.
For more information about getting involved andsigning up to become a registered ICare…Ambassador service go towww.skillsforcare.org.uk/icareambassadors oremail [email protected]
Good ambassadors for careAdvertiser’s announcement
“I have found the support andresources from Skills for Careto be very good, and I workvery closely with them tomake the service assuccessful as possible”
16&17 Skills for Care 20/12/13 14:08 Page 1
THE Social Care Commitment is raising thestandards in adult social care as organisations arebeginning to embed it into their workplaces.
The Commitment, which involves signing up to aseries of ‘I will…’ statements and tasks that put thosestatements into practice, is a Department of Healthinitiative that has been developed by the sector sothat it is fit for purpose and makes a real difference tothose signing up. The statements focus on issues thatare important to all care providers includinginduction, recruitment and retention and equalityand diversity.
It is for the whole sector, whether you are anindividual, SME or large employer or a care worker.
Once a provider has made the Social CareCommitment they receive Learning through Work:guides to help you make the Social CareCommitment. This is a resource that contains fivebooklets, two for leaders and managers and three forworkers that give practical advice and support onhow to embed the commitment and work throughthe tasks. It really allows organisations to ensure thatthe whole workforce has an understanding of theCommitment and can see how it can affect themboth in day to day working, as well as seeing the longterm impact it can have on learning anddevelopment.
Nigel Taylor, Group Learning and DevelopmentManager, at CareTech explained how useful theguides were as they very easy to read and understandand they give you each statement with the tasks andevidence you need to meet that statement.
CareTech is one of many organisations to havemade the Commitment and can see how it is startingto positively impact values and behavioursthroughout the organisation.
CareTech is a large multi-sited organisation that isconstructed of small businesses spread across the
whole of the UK providing a range of services of thesector. This can present challenges when ensuringthat the culture and behaviours are consistentthroughout the organisation. However theorganisation has a range of corporate procedures inplace to support recruitment, learning anddevelopment and Human Resource Managementwhich they have used to support the successfulimplementation of the Commitment.
As Nigel explained “We are well onto our next phaseof implementing the Social Care Commitment andembedding its qualities, methods and ways ofworking in to CareTech.”
To ensure the organisation was ready to implementthe Commitment CareTech ran a two daypreparation event. For this operational staff at alllevels were involved in workshops to grow theirunderstanding of the Commitment and to look at thestatements.
When you sign up to the Commitment you aregiven access to a range of resources, developed bypartners across the sector including Skills for Care,The National Skills Academy for Social Care andSCIE. The resources can support you with theindividual statements and cover real-life workplaceissues such as effective communication, upholdingdignity in the workforce and a comprehensiveinduction.
Organisations can use these resources to supportthem when making their commitment and tosupport staff’s learning and development. Nigeldescribed how important these resources were inimplementing the Commitment. He said “to ensureyou don’t re-invent the wheel, there are mappingguides to map those resources against eachstatement with an explanation about how to usethem; in fact it also shows where other quality kitemarks fit in to the Social Care Commitment. The
whole pack of resources couldn’t make life any easierfor Human Resources professionals”.
When someone has made the Commitment thesystem develops a personal and organisationaldevelopment plan for those who sign up which mapsthe tasks and the statements and identifies learningand development gaps. These are there to help withthe long term implementation of the commitment.Individuals can use them to develop their careergoals whilst organisations can use them to focus theirdevelopment structure.
Those who have made the Commitmentunderstand the importance of it and how it can reallyshape care services in the future. CareTech certainlyhave that understanding, as Nigel explained “we seethe Social Care Commitment as an important andkey standard and are fully committed to embeddingits qualities in to everything we do, recruitment,induction, training, performance management,compliance and regulation and meeting agendas.”
As the commitment has been developed by peoplewithin the sector who understand the timeconstraints people who work in care are under,signing up has been made an easy process. To learnmore about the Commitment and how to make itvisit www.thesocialcarecommitment.org.uk.
Embedding the Commitment Advertiser’s announcement
16&17 Skills for Care 20/12/13 14:08 Page 2
CARINGNEWS18
By Dominic Musgrave
A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE care homehas been recognised in the House ofLords for the high quality services itprovides to its residents.
Abbott House in Oundle was singledout for praise in a speech by LordMawhinney, baron of Peterborough,for the standards of care provided tohis mother in the final stages of herlife.
Lord Mawhinney said that, in a timewhen many residential and nursinghomes have rightly developed poorreputations, he was “grateful” for the“professional, sympathetic andfocussed care” the staff at AbbottHouse, which is run by ShawHealthcare, gave to his mother.
The quality of care at Abbott Housecame, he said, “despite the pressuresthat people are facing and theinadequacies of what the NHS madeavailable at weekends.”
He was speaking on the back of areport from the Select Committee onPublic Service and DemographicChange, entitled ‘Ready for Ageing?’,which calls for a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week social care service.
Lord Mawhinney stressed the needfor cross-party support for “radical
change” to the health and social caresystem to tackle the “present scandalof the treatment of our elderly.”
Paula Hogan, manager at AbbottHouse, said: “It is fantastic to havethe work of the staff here praised atsuch a high level. The team are allincredibly hardworking anddedicated to ensuring that everyresident receives the very best carepossible.
“No one does this job for a pat onthe back, and our primary focus isalways our residents, ensuring thatthey live as happy, stimulating andfulfilling lives as they possibly can.”
Abbott House is a purpose-built, 40bed, home that provides residentialcare for older people who arephysically frail or suffering fromdementia.
Northamptonshirecare home praisedin House of Lords
“No one does this jobfor a pat on the back,and our primaryfocus is always ourresidents ...”Jeremy Hunt bakes a cake with Nightingale House resident Betty Weinberg.
HEALTH secretary Jeremy Hunt MPvisited Nightingale House to witnessexamples of best practice care forolder people, prior to announcingthat the UK would be paving the wayto tackling dementia worldwide.
The visit was arranged ahead of therecent first G8 Summit on dementiacare.
Jeremy met chairman HarveyRosenblatt, chief executive HelenSimmons and outgoing chiefexecutive Leon Smith to discuss carehome issues facing the UK and theirthoughts on how these should beaddressed.
Harvey said: “It was a pleasure tomeet with the health secretary and todemonstrate best practice in person-
centred care. “We hope to maintain this position
in years to come and act as a rolemodel for the standard of care acrossEngland.”
Jeremy also toured the home to seefirst-hand what it offers residents. Atthe activity centre he spoke withresident Betty Weinberg about hertime at Nightingale Hammerson asthey baked a cake together.
Jeremy then joined a larger group ofresidents in making clay stardecorations for Chanukah, part of thehome’s innovative resident artsprogramme. The tour was completedwith a viewing of the Wohl Wing,which was opened by Prince Charlesin 2011.
MP witnesses best practice
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23CARINGNEWS
Sensory gardens – best practiceBy Debra Keeling
ENHANCING and maintaining thequality of life for care home residentsis of central importance to careproviders.
Therefore, ensuring the care homeenvironment is responsive to differ-ent needs is crucial and this canextend well beyond the four walls ofthe home itself.
Sensory gardens are increasinglypopular ways to create an environ-ment for residents that invigorates allthe senses, provides space for recre-ation and leisure activities whileallowing residents to enjoy an out-door space. This is key to contribut-ing to a better quality of life for olderpeople as experiencing fresh air, gen-tle exercise and stimulation of themind and senses can significantlyimprove their well-being.
In essence, a sensory garden is anysafe, self-contained area which is spe-cially designed to offer a range of sen-sory experiences. It is a more variedand stimulating environment than atraditional garden and provides ther-apeutic benefits to those whose cog-nitive functions are in decline.
With this in mind, there are somekey elements to consider when creat-ing a sensory garden for care homeresidents:
Garden design needs to focus on theoverall sensory experience. By offer-ing a range of pleasant sights, smellsand textures the introduction of asensory garden can be so beneficial
for care homes. Using traditionalplants and flowers, especially plantswith a distinct scent such as lavenderand roses, can encourage residents toreminisce and link with memories,which can inspire conversation withother residents or care home staff.
The use of textured plants such asmeadow grasses will encourage resi-dents to engage with the gardenthrough touch, whilst also attractingbirds and wildlife into the garden toenrich the array of experience for allresidents. In addition, the sounds ofthe garden, such as water featuresand birdsong, are ways to create afully-rounded sensory environmentwhich can be enjoyed by all, especial-ly those who may be partially sightedor have limited mobility.
The design of the garden should berobust so that it can be used as wellas looked at by the residents.Incorporating features such as raisedbeds and potted plants allows resi-dents to get involved in the garden’supkeep and stay active. Activities inthe care home could include garden-ing, flower arranging or crafts to geteveryone involved.
There are many variations of thesensory garden, but when designingand introducing one for the elderly,some of whom have dementia, it is ofcourse important to pay attention tothe overall needs of the individual, aswell as focusing on the senses.
Making sure that there is easy andsafe access to and around the gardenitself is crucial. The type of paving
and pathways and any areas thatrequire reach need to be well-thoughtout to ensure that residents are notrestricted in their enjoyment of thegarden. For instance, gravel pathwayswould not be easy to navigate withmobility equipment.
Paying particular attention to themobility of residents may alsoinclude the provision of extra-widewalkways and ramps instead of stepsto help those with wheelchairs andwalking frames. Level walkways willminimise trip hazards and borderscan help keep paths clearly defined.
Other factors to consider mayinclude handrails, well-positionedresting points where people can sitand relax and colour paving to distin-guish different areas within the gar-den. The sensory garden should becomfortable and attractive throughthe changing seasons. Incorporatingseating and covered areas into the
garden design can enhance the resi-dents’ enjoyment of the space, byproviding convenient resting spotsfrom which they can enjoy the view,while offering shelter and shade fromthe seasonal elements.
A year-round garden should be thekey to a sensory garden design.However, a sensory garden does nothave to be in the garden. In fact roofgardens can create wonderful alter-natives for residents of homes thatmay not have traditional outdoorspace. Additionally, where residentshave limited mobility, the garden canbe replicated indoors. Bringing thegarden inside, with pot plants andconservatories can stimulate thesenses in much the same way as anoutdoor garden.
The use of movement, texture andcolour through sights, sounds andsmells of nature, allows all residentsto benefit, no matter their mobility orthe weather. Ultimately a sensory gar-den is introduced to benefit the keystakeholders of the care homes - theresidents. By focusing on their specif-ic needs in respect to senses, access,and enjoyment, an environment canbe created which is tailored to eachindividual care home. It is in this waythat care providers can enhance thequality of life for residents and ensurethat regardless of cognitive function-ality, they have a space which is bene-ficial and enjoyable for all.� Debra is the deputy director of careand dementia care specialist with theRMBI.
Debra Keeling
23 18/12/13 16:29 Page 1
sponsors CARINGDEMENTIA24
Book proposes a bold newapproach to dementia careBy Gill Bailey
KENNY has dementia. He isn’t usingwords to communicate anymore andhis mobility has suffered after a fall.Yet his family and support team knowwhat it is important to him: thecompany of his wife and mother,chocolate, magazines, newspapers,tea with two sugars and long bubblebaths.
And the people who support Kennyin his care home know this straightaway, too, even if it’s the first timethey have met him. How? It is writtenon his one-page profile.
Doreen doesn’t know that she hasdementia. She is 79 years-old andlives in a residential service. Theorganisation put a lot of effort intoher care plan but crucial informationabout Doreen was scattered across 60pages of clinical notes andassessments plus a page of likes anddislikes. You get a very differentunderstanding of who Doreen is fromher one-page profile.
You learn that she enjoys talking toWinifred and Kathleen and that shegets upset if she is ignored; knowingthis helps staff to encourage and
support these relationships. We learnthat Doreen likes to get up in her owntime, between 8am and 10am in themorning. She used to be rushed inthe mornings but now that thisinformation has been shared she isleft to rise at her leisure.
As well as a personal change forDoreen, this is a shift in culture froma largely task-focused organisationalculture, to one that is based onrelationships and a deepunderstanding of individuals.
Over the last few years we havebeen introducing one-page profiles topeople living with dementia and alsothe staff who support them. They arethe starting point for delivering trulypersonalised support.
They’ve already been usedsuccessfully across many othersectors of health and social care andtheir purpose is to help understandwhat make a person tick and to putthat person in the centre of decison-making about their care.
A one-page profile asks, simply, andon just one sheet of paper, what isimportant to someone, how they wishto be supported and what peopleappreciate about them. The
compilation of a one-page profilesleads on very naturally to a person-centred review meeting, where family,carers and the person themselvesmeet to look at what is working andnot working from everyone’sperspective. By acting on what welearn from this information, we canmake a huge difference to people’slives. It’s a new way of working thatrepresents a real shift in power and achange of culture. Traditional modelsof care revolve around the efficientexecution of daily routines – washing,dressing and eating. By focusingequally on what matters to people asunique individuals, as well as thethings that need to happen to keepthem healthy and safe, we canimprove the quality of livesdramatically. This is personalisationin practice.
It has been ten years since I wrotethe first one-page profile for amember of my own family who wasliving with dementia. Theexperiences I have had working withcarers, their families and individualsthemselves since then haveconvinced me that person-centredpractices have huge potential to build
on the crucial foundation of person-centred care and change lives.
Statistics tell us that by 2021 therewill be one million people in thiscountry living with dementia andthere are widespread calls for changein how we support and care for them. � Gill Bailey works for HelenSanderson Associates. Her new book,co-authored with Helen, isPersonalisation and Dementia: AGuide for Person-Centred Practice.
Gill Bailey
By Dominic Musgrave
A £7million scheme in North Wales toprovide specialist dementia care andcreate 100 new jobs has been giventhe green light.
Gwynedd councillors unanimouslyoverturned a recommendation byofficials to reject the planningapplication to develop the site of theformer community hospital, YsbytyBryn Seiont, on the outskirts ofCaernarfon, in Gwynedd.
The decision in favour of theproposal delighted social carepioneer Mario Kreft MBE and hiswife, Gill, who originally bought thesite in 2009.
He said: “I am grateful to thecouncillors who recognised thestrategic importance of ourinvestment in Caernarfon.
“Our aim from the outset has beento provide vital services and muchneeded employment in the area.
“I am pleased we can now proceedto realise our vision of creating aworld class, fully bilingual centre ofexcellence for dementia care allied to16 extra care apartments as part of anintegrated service.”
The plans for Bryn Seiont are basedon a similar centre, called Bodlondeb,in Wrexham which was opened by
First Minister Carwyn Jones in 2010.Mario added: “One aspect of the
scheme is to have dedicated respiteprovision, something which is oftendifficult to find for families and carerswho want to keep caring but need abreak to recharge the batteries.
“We have received a huge amountof support for our plans from manypeople, not least those living near thesite and we also very grateful to themfor their support and understanding.
“In fact, we are very grateful for thebacking of a large number of electedrepresentatives in Gwynedd who seethe bigger picture and the strategicneed for a development of thisnature, providing essential servicesand creating much-neededemployment.”
“Canolfan Gofal Parc Pendine willprovide 24/7 services that will includerespite and day services. But they willalso be closely linked with adomiciliary care organisation thatwill support people in their ownhomes and a teaching care centrewhich is going to ensure that our staffhave the highest possible standard oftraining and personal development.”
The couple already run seven carehomes, a domiciliary care companyand a teaching care centre in theWrexham area.
Specialist £7m schemewhich will create 100jobs gets green light
RESIDENTS, staff and friends joinedNightingale House for its first ‘Art forHealth’ exhibition, established by theleading London dementia care hometo highlight how art can positivelyenrich people’s mental wellbeing.
The care home commissioned four‘artists in residence’ to allow acreative exchange between residentsliving with severe dementia, and forthe artists to take inspiration fromthe residents they worked with.
The artwork, created by MarkHalliley, Emma Hockley, SadieEdinton and Edward Murray withresidents, were highly acclaimed byguests at the exhibition for the waythey powerfully captured the
thoughts and moments in theresidents’ lives.
Rosalind Wyatt, artist facilitatorsaid: “As an artist spending mostworking time in a studio environmentand now facilitating this Art forHealth project, it is so inspiring towitness how art can not onlytransform and dramatically enlivenpeoples’ environment and physicalspace, but also how the very presenceof those working artists brings lifegiving qualities to all who live andcome into contact with them andtheir work”
The finished pieces will remain onshow for residents and their familiesat Nightingale House.
Home holds art exhibitionSome of the work at the ‘Art for Health’ exhibition.
24 18/12/13 16:01 Page 1
25CARINGSOMETHING SPECIAL
THE Bond Hotel in Blackpool hasspecialised in holidays for guests wholive in residential settings for over 20years, and in 2013 has had anunprecedented number of guests fora fully accessible, cabaret packed sea-side holiday.
For our 2014 season we have madesome fantastic improvements, whichwill benefit our guests, such as theinstallation of some new bathrooms,a large number of our 62 bedrooms
fitted with profiling beds and manymore rooms fitted with ceilingtracked hoists to make the carer’s jobeven easier. As always our cabaretteam are ready to provide you with anamazing programme for 2014, and wehave some fantastic tributes fromABBA to Grease and theme breakssuch as ‘Wartime Memories’ and ournext Soap Star Special when a veryspecial guest from one of the mostloved soaps will be joining us in April.
Hotel celebrates successful year
St Catherines Care Home in Bolton linked up with the community club St Marys to puton a charity night to raise money for the residents’ social funds. Four singers gave uptheir time and volunteered to entertain the guests. This was followed by a karaoke/disco, a raffle, name the dog competition and a pasty and peas supper. More than £600was raised to give the residents a Christmas they will not forget.Resident Lillian Cox and her family are pictured enjoying the charity night.
THE Chiswick Nursing Centre held aloyalty award lunch for staff, familyand friends.
Ten members of staff were recog-nised for long service at thefacility,which provides high qualitynursing care for older people.Between them they have clocked up50 years of service caring for resi-dents at the home in Ravenscourt
Gardens, Chiswick. Centre director Steve Winter said:
“When people are at a stage in theirlives when they most need help, it’simportant to make sure they arelooked after and nursed by consis-tent, caring staff. These awards recog-nise our employees’ dedication andwe would like to congratulate every-one involved.”
Centre hosts loyalty lunch
Maintenance person Thomas Kunjachan, senior care assistants Sini George-Kolencheryand Shaij John, physiotherapist assistant Barbara Laniecka, sister Mariana Chircu andcatering assistant Guillermo Tacanay are pictured with Ganymede PLC director GeoffDaly, centre director Steve Winter and facilities and compliance manager ZyaadKhoyrutty.
By Dominic Musgrave
THE lead music therapist of MHA isto bring his expertise and research toa conference in Birmingham.
Ming Hung Hsu, along with fellowMHA music therapists ClareMonckton and Rosamund Pendry,will give two presentations to theinaugural conference of the BritishAssociation for Music Therapy in theBirmingham Conservatoire inFebruary.
The presentations will cover videoanalysis in psychophysiologicalresearch into music therapy, and thebenefits of the alternative therapy forpeople with dementia.
The presentations will draw on asmall trial that has been carried outat two MHA homes to assess theeffects of music therapy on peoplewith dementia.
In total, 14 residents from two MHAhomes, Homestead in Carterton,Oxfordshire and Fitzwarren House inSwindon, Wiltshire, took part in thefive-month period. The trial was con-ducted with the assistance of profes-sor Helen Odell-Miller of AngliaRuskin University. The data is nowbeing analysed.
Ming said: “There is not muchresearch going on into the effects ofmusic therapy for people withdementia, so we are very pleased tobe doing this. This has been a psy-
chophysiological trial – we have beencollecting data such as skin tempera-ture and heart rate to help indicatethe effect music therapy has on peo-ple.
“This was just a small feasibility trialbut I hope it sets the path to help usunderstand how music therapyworks. A lot of music therapy researchnow is indicating that it can improvewell-being but very little has beendone into how it actually works, themechanisms of it.”
Ming has addressed other interna-tional music therapy conferencespreviously, including ones in Seouland Norway. He has a Masters inmusic therapy with a distinction fromAnglia Ruskin University and is soonto start a PhD there with fundingfrom MHA.
He added: “I will research howMusic Therapy can improve quality oflife for care home residents. Nobodyhas yet looked into how exactly MusicTherapy works. There have beenstudies showing that it works, butnone into how or why. I’m going to belooking into that.
“In time, I’d like to write a book,possibly in collaboration with others,about Music Therapy in care homes –nobody is publishing anything aboutthat at the moment and I think thereis so much we can learn from it toenable us to provide the best possiblecare that we can.”
Music therapist bringsexpertise to conference
25 18/12/13 16:24 Page 1
CARINGFIRE AND SAFETY26
Easydor the ideal solution forcare homes
SAFETY and convenience often don’t sit welltogether.
We all know we need to keep fire doors closed tohinder the spread of fire, yet often particularly innursing and residential care buildings ease andconvenience mean doors are propped open.
Leading fire safety provider, Fireco providesresidential and care homes with the ideal solution,Easydor.
An eco-friendly wire free door operator, it bringsaccessibility and convenience to visitors whileallowing companies to adhere to disabilitydiscrimination legislation.
A heavy duty, low energy opener, it also acts asa door closer, making your establishment safer andhelping you conform to fire safety legislation.
Designed for places where there is a high level oftraffic, Easydor uses a regenerative drive systemthat charges its internal battery pack, eliminatingthe need for an electrical power supply.
For every four users who open the door
manually, Easydor will store enough kinetic energyto operate the door for one wheelchair user.
Enquiries: Installed with no fuss, Easydor isavailable by visiting www.firecoltd.com
or calling 0845 241 7474.
Door closer helps to enhancecare home safety
A NEW door closer promises to enable care homesto comply with fire safety and accessibilityrequirements whilst enhancing the comfort ofresidents and staff.
The Powermatic® Free Swing controlled,concealed door closer has been developed bySamuel Heath, one of the country’s foremostauthorities on discreet door closing, as an additionto its range of Powermatic® door closers.
Meeting relevant fire and accessibilityrequirements the door closer fits neatly betweenthe door and frame, making it totally concealedwhen the door is closed.
This absence of visible, unsightly mechanicalarms and control boxes significantly not onlyenhances the aesthetics of doors and interiors, butalso assures a less institutionalised appearance,creating a more comfortable environment for staffand residents.
Connected to the building’s 24-volt fire alarmsystem, the new door closer can function in thesame way as the company’s popular Powermatic®
door closer or can allow a door to be operatedmanually and left open as desired once themechanism has been primed by opening the doorto its maximum.
Enquiries: Call 0121 766 4200 or visitwww.Powermatic-freeswing.co.uk
CAREMARK (Mid-Surrey) spent a dayof fire safety awareness with the BlueWatch brigade of Leatherhead FireStation.
The new initiative is part of thedomiciliary care provider’s drive tobring greater fire safety awarenessinto their clients’ homes.
Managing director Laura Reevessaid she is keen to make fire safetyawareness part of the service they
offer their clients.She said: “It was a very worthwhile
day, and we have followed it up bywriting to our clients, asking them ifthey would like us to conduct aninitial fire safety assessment.
“If, following our assessment, wespot potential dangers, we will thenrefer our clients to the fire brigade fora free of charge safety check to becarried out.”
Staff spend day with Blue WatchMembers of Blue Watch, Leatherhead Fire Station with the Caremark (Mid-Surrey) careteam and managing director Laura Reeves.
26 20/12/13 12:42 Page 1
27CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY
GIRBAU UK has published an A2-sized poster outlining best practicetips for those working in care andnursing home laundries.
The at-a-glance guide includes akey to all the most commonly seenlaundry care symbols and a list ofeasy-to-follow Dos and Don’ts foranyone working in a care home laun-dry.
The advice covers best practice forinfection control, safety and the pre-vention of cross contamination, aswell as a range of tips to ensure effec-tive washing and drying, optimummachine efficiency and long machinelife.
Girbau UK’s Complete Laundry Carepackage offers the latest energy effi-cient washers, dryers and ironerswith a fixed monthly rental thatincludes all service and maintenance.
Under the terms of the unique PayNo Rental Guarantee, Girbau will paya whole month’s rental if it is everunable to attend a service call in thepromised time.
Girbau is the only company in theUK to manufacture, install and main-tain laundry equipment.
Enquiries: To request a free copy of theGood Practice Guide poster with a lami-nated wipe-clean surface call Girbau on
01462 427780. Copies can also be down-
Girbau UK publishes guide
Vax Commercialcares for morethan just floorsCARPETS, sofas and soft furnishingsall help to make a home feel morelike home, but it can be a challenge tokeep them clean and hygienic.
Vax Commercial’s new VCW-05quick-drying spray extractor makes iteasy – its powerful suction removesembedded dirt and stubborn stainsfrom carpets and upholstery, leavingthem thoroughly clean and smellingfresh.
It has excellent drying times too, soyour carpets are ready to walk on inno time.
For a really deep clean of all kitchenand bathroom surfaces, includingwindows, tiles, taps and ovens, VaxCommercial’s VCST-01 steam cleaneris ideal for almost every surface.
This multi-purpose cleaner switcheseasily between functions for steamcleaning and sucking up accidentalwet spills.
In steam mode it heats up in just 90seconds to produce 4.5 bar of hotsteam that sanitises and deodoriseswithout chemicals.
The VCW-05 spray extractor is avail-able from January and VCST-01 steamcleaner from February 2014.
A leading brand from one of the
world’s largest floorcare manufactur-ers, Vax Commercial’s product rangeincludes robust and upright vacuumcleaners, scrubber dryers, floorsweepers, carpet washers and clean-ing detergents.
27 20/12/13 12:43 Page 1
CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY28
Are you ready for the new regulations?THE Waste (Scotland) Regulationsrepresent the most significantdevelopment in recycling forScotland.
They are designed to help realise thetrue value of resources currentlybeing thrown away, boost Scotland’seconomy and create green jobs. Newfigures from Zero Waste Scotlandestimate that Scotland is currentlypaying £95m in landfill taxes to throwaway recyclable materials, valued at£97m. The regulations will also play akey role in helping Scotland reach itsambitious target of 70 per centrecycling of all waste by 2025.
What does this mean for care homes?All organisations, regardless of size,are required to separate plastic,metal, glass, paper and card forrecycling, or risk a fine. This meansthat all 1,600 Scottish care homes willneed to comply with the newregulations, whether they are underthe ownership of the National HealthService, local authorities, private orvoluntary sectors. Where food isprocessed, distributed, prepared orsold, it is also likely that this will needto be recycled.How other care homes manage theirwasteA resource efficiency audit wasrecently carried out for ResourceEfficient Scotland at 30 care homes inScotland. Waste managementpractices are fairly standard, typicallyinvolving segregation of: generalwaste, clinical waste (both of which
go to landfill), mixed recycling, glassrecycling, light bulbs, waste oil (re-used) and furniture. Steps to be Regulation compliantIf this is the process you are followingto sort your waste at present, here aresome simple improvements youcould make to be Regulationscompliant.
Separate each of the key dryrecyclates (that’s paper, card, glass,metal and plastic) and makearrangements for the collection withyour waste contractor.
Alternatively you can put some ofthese materials together in onecontainer for what is called a co-mingled collection. A co-mingledcollection is only suitable if:
Your contractor can recycle thematerials as well as they would ifthey collected everything separately
The waste is not mixed with otherwaste that cannot be recycled
Remember that food waste shouldbe presented separately from January2014 and, from 1 January 2016, it willnot be permitted to dispose of wasteinto public sewers using, for example,macerators.
You could arrange for a re-useorganisation to uplift any furnitureyou no longer need, to prolong its life.Food business requirementsA food business is one whichprocesses, distributes, prepares orsells food (this excludes drinkspreparation and sales). A foodbusiness producing over 50kg of foodwaste per week must present it for
separate collection from January 12014. A typical household wheelie bin(first shown) is 240 litres. The secondis 140 litres. 50kg of food waste isapproximately 100 litres and you canfrom the green dotted lines see hereroughly what volume of food wastewould equate to 50kg.
From 1 January 2016, therequirement to present food waste forseparate collection will extend to allfood businesses that produce over5kg (equivalent of a kitchen foodcaddy) of food waste per week witheffect from 1 January 2016.Rural exemptions for food wasteOperators in rural areas are exemptfrom the food waste requirements ofthe Regulations. Resource EfficientScotland has developed a simpleonline tool using your postcode tohelp you determine whether yourorganisation is exempt. You can findthe ‘postcode finder’ atwww.zerowastescotland.org.uk/RuralPostcodeSearchManaging waste to reduce ‘gate fee’ costsCare homes, like hospitals, have aclinical waste stream. Typical gatefees for clinical waste are £422 pertonne. Compare that to general wastewhich is charged at around £122 pertonne. Now consider how muchgeneral waste from your care homemight be ending up in the clinicalwaste bin – and, if hospitals areanything to go by, that may be quite alot. By auditing your waste stream tokeep general waste separate fromclinical waste, you could potentially
save around £200 per tonne on yourwaste bill. Who can help you to prepare?The Resource Efficient Scotlandprogramme is delivered by ZeroWaste Scotland on behalf of theScottish Government, and is helpingorganisations to prepare for the newRegulations. There are free, user-friendly resources available online atwww.resourceefficientscotland.com,which are designed to help make thetransition to the new Regulations aseasy and smooth as possible. What other resource efficiency measuresare available?Resource Efficient Scotland is alsoworking with care homes and othersectors to cut energy, water and rawmaterials use.
Scottish organisations could save£2.9b every year by using theirenergy, water and raw materials moreefficiently. By taking simple steps tooptimise the use of these resources,Scottish organisations could benefitfrom cost savings and increasedproductivity and competitiveness.What to do nowTo get Regulation ready, and for freeadvice on other resource efficiencymeasures, visitwww.resourceefficientscotland.com/regulations. You can also [email protected] or call 0808 808 2268.
To keep up to date with theRegulations and Resource EfficientScotland, you can follow them onTwitter@ResourceScot
28 19/12/13 15:48 Page 1
29 Miele 18/12/13 16:10 Page 1
CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY30
MILLERSUK Ltd is a nationalorganisation providing a dedicatedservice to the commercial cateringand laundry industry.
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For your catering and laundry needs
HRH The Duke of Kent was given atour of Haigh’s Ross-on-Wye facilityand was introduced to themanagement and staff.
Starting in the drawing office, hesaw how concepts are turned into 3Dvirtual models, then issued tomanufacturing for engineers to carryout the required machine toolprogramming, manufacture andtesting.
Demonstrating a keen interest andknowledge of engineering, The Dukeengaged with all members of staffthroughout the tour, taking the time
to speak with engineers and staff onthe shop floor and throughout theoffices.
Managing director Mark Brian said:“We were especially delighted to beable to welcome HRH to our facilityin Ross on Wye and it was an honourand a pleasure to be able to showcaseour manufacturing facilities.
“We are exceptionally proud of ourBritish manufacturing pedigree, andthis coupled with our position as afamily owned business, made theevent a real milestone for allinvolved.”
Haigh plays host toThe Duke of Kent
His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent takes a tour of Haigh’s factory.
Beaucare’s CareClean™ rangeBEAUCARE has launchedCareClean™ – a specialised NHS andcare home chemical cleaning range.
These products have beenspecifically formulated for medicalenvironments.
The range includes a number ofconcentrates providing dilution costsavings, without compromising onquality.
Careclean™ is a selection oftriggers, concentrates and five-litrerefills, encompassing all theessentials for your daily cleaningregimes from multi surface cleaners,polishes and degreasers.
Beaucare® Medical Ltd, established
21 years, is the UK’s premier supplierof hygiene, medical supplies andequipment to individual care homes,care home groups, hospitals and NHSTrusts.
Enquiries call 01423 878899,email [email protected] visit www.beaucare.com
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CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY32
PHS Washrooms’ deepclean service promises‘superclean’ facilities WITH customers expecting well-equipped, clean, hygienic and freshsmelling washrooms, PHSWashrooms has responded to thegrowing trend for supercleanfacilities.
Answering to customer demand, thePHS Washrooms professional deepcleaning team is using advancedcleaning equipment and chemicals toeradicate built up organic mineralsand matter that harbour germs andstains in washroom facilities.
Keri Reynolds, marketing managerat PHS Washrooms, which has justlaunched its new Deep Clean Service,said: “Standards will rise throughout2014 and the demand of the end userwill shift from convenience tocleanliness.
“We know through our ownresearch and the feedback from ourcustomers that visitors and staffexpect pristine, sparkling facilities.
Raising standards in washroomsdoesn't just provide aesthetic andhealth benefits but also business andorganisational benefits. Thorough,deep cleaning by specialist cleanerstruly eradicates stains, hidden germsand bacteria.
“The spread of diseases and
infection, teamed with society’sparanoia about cleanliness andhygiene, will lead to the demand forhighly clean working conditions andwashroom environments.
“Your washroom says more aboutyou than costly advertising ever couldas it makes a positive lastingimpression. In simple terms it saysyou care about the well-being of yourcustomers, staff and visitors.”
Whether your washroom needs aone off deep clean or a regularpreventative maintenanceprogramme, PHS Washrooms offers aflexible service
SEBO – the ultimateprofessional vacuumcleaner for the homeSEBO’s professional range ofvacuum cleaners has beendeveloped to suit commercialenvironments.
The range includes the SEBO BS36 and BS 46 Comfort, DART,Professional D8 cylinder and UHSpolisher, The SEBO BS 36 and BS46 Comfort upright vacuumcleaners provide superiorperformance, outstandingreliability and are easy tomaintain. The comfortable handlegrip and low handle weight allowfor easy, efficient movement whilethe 175W brush motor turns offwhen the machines are upright.
The flat-to-the-floor design andtelescopic tube system add to theoverall cleaning flexibility whilethe electronic guidance systemadvises the correct brush height,will warn when the brush strip isworn out and will switch off thebrush motor in the case of anobstruction to the brush.
Meanwhile, the Professional D8machine takes cylinders to a newlevel. The superbly engineeredmachine offers exceptionalperformance combined with anergonomic design, large capacityand quiet, economic operation.
The SEBO kombi multi-floor
cleaning head has a double-jointed neck for easy movementwhile the AirBelt bumper protectswalls and furniture from markingand damage. Another option is theSEBO DART upright vacuumcleaner which offers powerfulperformance while beinglightweight, versatile and easy-to-manoeuvre.
The vacuum cleaner boasts a“Flex” neck, S-Class filtration, anon-board hose, a crevice nozzle, 4-level height adjustment and autoshut-off. When the DART isdetached from the power head,the machine is transformed into apowerful suction machine whichmakes cleaning curtains, forexample, very easy.
Finally, the UHS polisher is anessential add-on to the Dartvacuum cleaner; this can restoreand keep hard floors, includingsolid wood, marble, vinyl,linoleum or granite, super sleek.The polisher is embedded withmicro-diamonds in the pads. Thispolishes out imperfections in thefloor creating a smooth glossfinish.
For more information about SEBO,please call 01494 465 533
or visit www.sebo.co.uk
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Innovative nursing home opensafter £2.8m transformationBy Dominic Musgrave
ONE of Birmingham’s oldest chari-ties, Broadening Choices for OlderPeople, celebrated the official open-ing of its flagship nursing home fol-lowing a major refurbishment whichsets the benchmark for the care ofolder people and dementia sufferers.
Robert Harvey House has under-gone a £2.8m transformation and isone of the most innovative elderlyand dementia care facilities in theWest Midlands. With 46 en-suitebedrooms, the care home will pro-vide long and short-term accommo-dation along with respite facilities forthose suffering from various stages of
dementia. In addition, and as part ofBCOP’s ground-breaking AnimalAssisted Therapy programme, a largepet farm has also been created withinthe grounds and is home to a rangeof farm animals, that interact posi-tively with residents, encouragingcommunication and enriching thelives of those with cognitive disabili-ties.
BCOP chief executive MarcusFellows said: “It’s taken just over twoyears to complete the refurbishmentof Robert Harvey House and it’s beenwell worth the wait. The new facili-ties will not only change residents’lives for the better but will set the barfor those who provide support and
accommodation for elderly anddementia patients in the UK.
“BCOP is dedicated to ensuring thatour residents benefit from the verybest of care and we are proud thatour investment here demonstratesour commitment to that.”
With particular emphasis on creat-ing a calming environment, the newfacilities incorporate colour-wayssuitable for those with visual impair-ment, a number of comfortable com-munal and sensory spaces, indoorand outdoor activity areas includinga large chess board, a sensory gardenand residents potting area. RobertHarvey House also boasts a band-stand for live entertainment.
Former BCOP chair Pat Whitley cuts theribbon to officially open the newly refur-bished Robert Harvey House.
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CARINGCOMMERCE34
NORTH East and Yorkshire providerCrown Care is set to open its 11thresidential care centre, creating 100jobs.
Osborne House in Selby willcomprise of 74 bedrooms with en-suite shower facilities and aspecialist unit providing acomprehensive clinically-led physicaland psychological recoveryprogramme for adults with complexcare needs when it opens.
It will also have a library, IT suiteand café and will cater for allcategories of care, includingresidential, nursing, dementia,permanent, specialist and respite.
The company also has planningpermission for homes in Knottingley,Wakefield and Ponteland,Northumberland, which it hopes tobuild to open in 2014.
Group director Michael Ladhar said:“While many building projects havestalled due to the recession, we havecontinued to invest – creating homesand care centres to the highestpossible standards, making theenvironment as comfortable as wecan for our residents and guests.”
Ladhar Group care homes recentlychanged its name to Crown Care andis undergoing a rebranding at existinghomes while continuing to build.
Provider’s 11th facilityset to create 100 jobs
Osborne House in Selby.
A TRADITIONAL topping outceremony has been held at GolauCaredig, a new high-quality extracare apartment scheme for olderresidents in Barry.
The £7.2m scheme of 42apartments is under constructionon the site of the town’s formerTheatre Royal. As part of theceremony, dignitaries raised a yewtree to the top of the building, aScandinavian tradition which wasbrought to Britain with the Vikings,marking the milestone of thebuilding reaching its highest point.
The event was held by Leadbitter,a Bouygues UK company, which isbuilding the scheme, and its clientHafod Care Association (part of theHendre Group), which will providecare and support for residents.
They were joined by
representatives of the Vale ofGlamorgan county boroughcouncil.
Robert Wathen, managingdirector of Hafod Care, said: “Weare pleased to be working inpartnership with the Vale ofGlamorgan, the Welsh Governmentand Leadbitter to provide what willbe superb housing and supportfacilities for the people of Barry.”
Golau Ceredig has been designedby Cardiff-based architecturalpractice, Pentan Partnership.
The unique building will boast arestaurant on the top floor, togetherwith an internal atrium to flood thebuilding with natural light.
Features of the original cinema,such as external iron columns andthe projection room shutters, arebeing preserved and incorporated
A light-hearted moment at the topping out ceremony of Barry Extra Care, with(front row, from left) Mike Talbot, chairperson of Hafod Care Association Ltd,councillor Stuart Egan, Vale of Glamorgan, deputy leader and cabinet member foradult services, councillor Gwyn John, cabinet member for leisure, parks, cultureand sport and councillor Chris Elmore, cabinet member for children's services.
New £7.2m scheme tops out
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CARINGNEWS36
SIMON Reevell, Conservative MP forDewsbury and Mirfield and memberof the All-Party ParliamentaryFurniture Industry Group, made aspecial visit to Yorkshire basedShackletons.
The specialist care furnituremanufacturer welcomed the MP to itsheadquarters to learn about howtheir lean manufacturing systemsand research and developmentdivision is putting them ahead inmeeting the needs of the care sector;and contributing to the massiveupturn in contracts and enquiriesfrom savvy operators looking to standout from the crowd.
Simon had the opportunity to learnabout the company’s innovations in
production line management andcare product design. He also had therare opportunity to speak to some ofthe most skilled and experienced carefurniture craftsmen in the country.
Martyn Higgins, managing directorof Shackletons said: “We were eagerto demonstrate to Mr Reevell how ourcompany is setting a nationalstandard. It was a huge complimentwhen he likened our operations tothose of Nissan and serves to confirmour belief that lean manufacturingshould play a key role in a businesslike ours.”
Shackletons employ 70 people – amanufacturing and operations facilityin Dewsbury and a retail site inBatley.
MP’s visit marks furnituremanufacturer’s success
Simon Reevell MP (centre) with Shackletons employee Mick Murphy and operationsmanager Michael Bentley.
GOMPELS HealthCare Ltd haveintroduced a new range of pull upsthat give users greater dignity andallow many to stop using all-in-ones.
The new pull ups have a newimproved shape and are made of asoft cotton feel fabric for maximumcomfort and discretion.
They are made of a lightweightmaterial that contains super
absorbent powder allowing manyusers to move from wearing all-in-ones.
They also have a greater size rangedue to better elasticity and are easy toremove through tearing side seams.
The Gompels pull ups are also afraction of the price of most regularpull ups and are available from aslittle as 36p each.
Gompels introduce pull-up range
THE inaugural Health+Care event ranalongside the largest national eventfor clinical commissioning in June2013.
The combined events saw morethan 6,000 of the most seniorprofessionals in social and healthcaretranscend on Excel, London.
Health+Care will return to Excel onJune 25-26 with two major newadditions to the shows’ alreadyextensive conference programme andexhibition floor. The CareCommissioning and Public HealthShows will join the Integrated CareConference, Home Care andResidential Care shows that alreadysit under the Health+Care banner.
Bringing care commissioning andpublic health into the show fold
means Health+Care will have the fullcomplement of education andinnovation for a wider audience toshare best integrated care practice tomake a difference locally and meetthe challenges of an ageingpopulation.
There will be vast networkingopportunities for professionals fromchildren and adults servicecommissioning and delivery, socialand primary care, to all areas ofpublic health.
Speakers already confirmed includeDr Maggie Atkinson, children’scommissioner for England, AndreaSutcliffe, chief inspector of adultsocial care, CQC and professor MikeKelly, director of the centre of publichealth at NICE.
Health+Care adds twonew sectors to event
A CORNISH care home residentreceived a special visit from CornishPirates rugby players.
Harry Matthews, an 88-year-oldresident of Trevaylor Manor inPenzance, is a former player andlifelong supporter of the club.
The visit gave him the chance to re-live his glory days as he chatted toprop Alan Paver, number eight LaurieMcGlone and media officer PhilWestren from the club. The playersalso brought along a selection of oldphotographs and programmes forHarry.
The visit was the idea of SueGodfrey, manager of the dementiacare unit and coincided with theSwallowcourt Group’s recent
sponsorship of the Pirates.She said: “Although suffering from
advanced onset dementia, Harry stillhas a very keen interest in rugby andhe regularly listens to the Piratesgames on the radio.
“It is amazing to see how he justclicked into it all. He even made surewe remembered his Pirates tie thismorning.
“These are obviously memories thatwill stay with him for a long time andit just goes to show how powerfulreminiscence can be.”
Harry was born in Newlyn andlearnt to play rugby at Truro School.He served in the Royal Navy duringWorld War II and also had a spell ofplaying rugby for Bristol.
Cornish Pirates playersvisit resident Harry
Number eight Laurie McGlone, prop Alan Paver, Gemma Brenton from the SwallowcourtGroup, former player Harry Matthews, Sue Godfrey, manager of the dementia care unit,and Pirates media officer Phil Westren. Photo credit: Brian Tempest.
WORK has commenced at InwoodHouse Care Home in Horbury,Wakefield to construct a 20 bedextension and refurbishment of theexisting facility.
The home has been owned andrun by husband and wife teamRichard and Wendy Barracloughsince 1983, and currently is home to35 clients. Funding to support thedevelopment work has beenprovided by The Royal Bank ofScotland.
Wendy said: “Having one carehome means that we knoweveryone personally – residents and
staff alike, and we are proud of thereputation we have built up over theyears. This is a very exciting time forus as we start work on theexpansion of the home. Not onlyare we increasing the number ofbeds but we are also adding a newreception area, orangery, a newhairdressing room, residents’ cafeand specialist bathing facilities. Thishuge investment will also bringmuch needed new employmentopportunities to the area.”
The owners hope to complete thenew extension and refurbishmentplans by April.
Work begins on 20-bed extension
Suffolk care home acquiredby London-based providerHECTOR and Mary Jackson have soldtheir Suffolk care home in order toretire after 19 years of ownership.
Manor Farm in Kessingland nearLowestoft has built up an enviablereputation under the ownership ofthe Jacksons, and now forms theplatform for the new owners –London based care group KRG CareHomes – who plan to expand furtherinto the eastern region.
The home continues to trade on asbefore, caring for 25 elderly residentsin the comfort of the manor housebuilding, which stands in two-acregrounds. The property includes threelounges, a dining room, commercialkitchen, five bathrooms and bedroomaccommodation.
Robert Mellamphy, director ofChristie+Co, who sold the home, said:“There was substantial interestshown in this home primarily fromexperienced care operators who we
are in contact with on a local,national and international basis.
“There is a growing appetite fromprospective buyers and investors inthe care sector who wish to buildtheir businesses by providing highquality care and accommodation fortheir residents and this is particularlythe case in this region.”
Manor Farm in Kessingland.
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CARINGPRODUCT NEWS 37
Claim VAT back on your home evenif you are not VAT registered
IT is true, care providers can reclaimVAT worth about £3,000 per bed forany residents who stayed in yourhome between 1993 and 2002 paidfor by the local authority.
You don’t have to be VATregistered to make a claim. We canusually find the information requiredwith minimal disruption to yourbusiness.
How is this possible? Well in 2002a care provider called Kingscrestchallenged the view held by HMRCand won. There is no cost to youunless we are successful.
Typical claims: 50 beds –£240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287beds – £1.25m.
And the best part is that you getthe money in your bank accountbefore you pay us. Don’t forget thetax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.
Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.
Knightsbridge furniture comesdown your way
CONTRACT furnishings specialist KnightsbridgeFurniture is out on the road, thanks to thecompany’s smart new mobile showroom.
Intended to present Knightsbridge collections ofcontract seating and occasional furniture in themost client-convenient manner possible, theliveried Mercedes-Benz Atego truck can display upto 20 items of furniture in its cavernous 50ft trailer– from upholstered seating and upright chairs todining tables and bedroom cabinets.
Models are selected for each visit according tocustomer requirements, with options includingproducts for nursing homes and healthcareenvironments, residential facilities and the
hospitality sector.Behind the wheel is experienced HGV driver
Chris Mann, who promises to manoeuvre thevehicle into even the tightest car parks to enablenew and existing customers to explore thecompany’s latest collections ‘in the flesh’.
Refreshment facilities are on board, as areextensive literature stocks covering allKnightsbridge divisions.
Enquiries: To book a visit, call 01274 731900,
e-mail [email protected] or visit
www.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk
SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based,Richards Residential Supplieshave concentrated uponsupplying simple solutions tocommon nursing home problems.
The new WACMAT® adheresstrongly to this tradition.
With its ultra absorbent cottonpile and 100 per cent waterproofbacking, the remarkableWACMAT® is an ideal accessorywhere spills may occur.
Used as a commode mat, inbedrooms or bathrooms, theWACMAT® ensures full carpetprotection. Then, after use, simplymachine wash and tumble dry!It’s that simple...
The WACMAT® will then beclean and odour-free, ready toperform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat,saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone.
Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.
Simple solutions
Impey Showers re-engineersthe shower seat
WETROOM specialist Impey Showers has revealed arevolutionary new shower seat in association witha leading UK occupational therapist.
The company had been inundated by requestsfrom customers of all ages and abilities for aaccessible yet stylish shower seat.
Shower seats are an essential bathroom item forthose with mobility issues.
They enable a person to enjoy showering asindependently as possible but traditional showerseats are very clinical in appearance, bulky, createtrip hazards, act as dirt traps and can damagefloors.
Available in 10 colours, Impey’s SlimFold showerseat is stylish, safe and functional and bears weightof up to 47 stone.
When folded, the SlimFold shower seat has aprofile of 111mm and the shower bench has aprofile of 55mm.
The thin profile enables the shower door to foldfully inwards without colliding with the seat.
The wetroom experts teamed up with leadingUK occupational therapist and interior designer,Elaine Hollerhead, to design and produce theSlimFold. Elaine had been troubled about the lackof a modern, inclusively designed shower seatavailable on the market for a number of years.
Enquiries: Visit www.impeyshowers.com/slimfold
or call 01460 256 090.
New Magnum Spreader is ready to work hard this winter
DMMP Limited has unveiled a new Magnumspreader which has joined the Leicestershire-based’s company’s stable of expert winter tools andmachinery.
It is simple to use, maintain and store so willhave a positive impact on the way manyorganisations deal with ice and snow this winter.
The Magnum Poly Insert Spreader sits neatly onthe back of a three-quarter or one ton pick-up, andeffortlessly deals with the issue of spreading saltwhen ice and snow is expected.
The spreader’s unique design has been createdto allow easy access and maintenance.
The spreader has a capacity of 1.14m3 -1.52 m3and has been designed for simplicity of use.
DMMP managing director Marcus Palmer said:“We are thrilled to be launching the new Magnuminsert spreader range.
“We’re really impressed with it and believe thatit will make light work of the tough seasonal taskof ice and snow management, which many
organisations will face in the coming months.”Enquiries: Call 0845 643 9776 or visit
www.dmmp.co.uk
CHANDLER & Co has been finance specialists in thehealthcare sector since 1995.
Our bespoke finance packages cover all aspectsof funding for acquisition, refinance, development,expansion and financial re-structuring.
Chandler & Co’s status as an independenthealthcare specialist means we have strong linkswith a comprehensive range of lenders.
The combined experience of the Partnersincluding financial, management and care homeownership offers first hand knowledge andexpertise in the healthcare sector.
As we offer a unique service to the market wehave access to the lowest margins, 25 year loanterms, base rate lending and up to 100 per centfinance options available.
Once we have identified the best lender and
finance package in the market for you, we willguide your application through the process toensure a prompt response. Once funding is secured,our consultants will continue to liaise on yourbehalf to ensure a quick completion.
At all stages Chandler & Co representatives willbe on hand to offer the best advice.
Enquiries: Call 01622 817484, email [email protected] or visit www.chandlerandco.co.uk
Independent healthcare finance
PART of the highly respected Care inBathing Group, GainsboroughSpecialist Bathing has been a leadingchoice for the design, installation andafter-sales support of assistive bathssince the 1980s.
It has just introduced a newbrochure that details its range ofintegrated bathing solutions for thecare environment which nowincludes assisted baths, showers, wetrooms and patient hoists.
This recently launched 48-pagebrochure is an essential resource forall care home providers, buildingcontractors and healthcareprofessionals.
It includes comprehensive technicalinformation and productspecifications for all ofGainsborough’s specialist productrange. There is also a helpful bathselection tool and care level guide sothat the most appropriate product
can be quickly identified dependingon task, patient and applicationsuitability.
New assisted bathing brochurefrom specialists Gainsborough
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38
Signs
Architects
Transport
Safer Bathing
Medicare provided the nursecall systemto a new care home in Stoke-on-Trentwhich was officially opened by dartslegend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. TheNottinghamshire based firm provided SafeHarbor’s Agnes and Arthur Care Homewith 14" large display panels audio, fullcolour touch screen, with call logging(records and times all events that occurthrough the nurse call system). They alsosupplied Elogging – call logging that canbe accessed 24/7 through an internetenabled device anywhere in the world.Paul Smith, Medicare Nurse Call Systems’northern director, is pictured with PhilTaylor at the opening.
Badging staff meetsCQC Outcome 4CSINCE 2010 healthcare practicesregulated by the CQC must meetservice delivery criteria includingthe clear identification of individualstaff members.
The guidance publication entitled‘Essential standards of quality andsafety’ specifies that, for providersto achieve the required standard ofcare and welfare of people who usetheir healthcare services, their users“can be confident that, whereverpossible, they will know the namesand job titles of the people whoprovide their care, treatment andsupport” (part of outcome 4C).
Compliance with this standard issimple, according to Badgemaster,the UK’s leading supplier of name
badges. Managing director John Bancroft
said: “Providing name badges tocustomer-facing staff is a provenand very cost-effective solution tothe CQC regulations.”
Nottinghamshire-based for 21years, Badgemaster designs andmanufactures ready-to-wearemployee name badges forthousands of hospitals, surgeriesand care homes, and wellunderstands the needs ofhealthcare professionals.
Badgemaster’s experience suggeststhat its own high product andservice quality is greatly valuedwhere time and budget come underpressure.
RESIDENTS and members of staff atLansbury Court in Sunderland saidfarewell to one of its much-lovedmembers of staff who retired after 12years as manager at the elderly carehome.
Norene Johnson, who started hercareer in the sector in 1969 as a stateregistered nurse, enjoyed a surpriseretirement party to celebrate heryears working for Bondcare, whichincluded refreshments and a cake.
Norene said: “It was such a fantasticsurprise to be treated with a specialparty to say thank you and farewell.
“It was sad saying goodbye to all thelovely residents and members of staffat Lansbury Court, but I am lookingforward to a bit of leisure time.”
Steve Massey, regional manager ofBondcare North East, presentedNorene with a jewellery box, andmembers of staff bought her earringsand a necklace to put in it.
Steve Massey, regional manager of Bondcare North East, presents Norene with herretirement cake with residents Fred Munn and Isabella Jenkins.
Much-loved manager retires
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