Dignity and Respect

Memory Boxes at Puddingstone Grange

Truly Scrumptious Sweets at Amherst Court

Rebel Without a Cause

Chance to Win V.IP. Tickets to Gillingham FC vs Coventry

Green Shoots of Recovery

March 2016 Issue 16

After a di�cult and challenging period for Avante Care & Support I am pleased to be able to say we now face a brighter future. More importantly we are better equipped to respond to new

opportunities for our three operational business’s, residential dementia care, home care and support and youth support.

Growing the business2016 will be about consolidating and diversifying our services. This will include looking to increase the private income in our residential care and home care and support services, closer working with health on new opportunities, and tendering to sustain and expand our youth support provision.

All of what we are doing is based on the knowledge of a growing reputation for Avante Care & Support and Stepahead Support with a continued success in CQC outcomes with now eight of our services either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ and strong strategic partnerships in place, most notably in Bexley and Greenwich.

New ideas are being discussed by our managers including more nursing care, Intermediate care, or older care for people with learning disabilities – indeed these are exciting times as we look to diversify many of our local services. As such I will be starting a conversation in Avante Care & Support about how we catch and distil the best ideas to generate fresh thinking to inform our new annual plan and three year strategy.

Good NewsSubject to Board approval at the end of March 2016 I am pleased to say all our registered domestic and care workers will see a significant uplift in hourly rates ranging from £7.20 to £7.50 depending on role either in line or above the new National Living Wage. All other sta� will benefit from 1.5% pay award from July 2016.

Our investment programme in our nine care homes is set to continue with over £1 million being spent on Weybourne and Court Regis in the new financial year to modernise and update environments. This follows spend in 2015/16 of over £0.5 million on Bridge Haven

Green Shoots of Recovery

and Parkview, creating improved dementia care environments with plans later this year to commence building works at Pilgrims View. By the end of this process we would have spent some £2.4 million on capital works to update our portfolio of care homes.

Major success by our training team needs to be celebrated with our mandatory training figures achieving 88% for all employees. There has also been clear evidence of successful advertising and marketing campaigns helping to raise our profile locally.

Realistic BudgetA prudent budget has been set which we hope will see all our operational services outperform budget on income with Home Care & Support looking to finally grow private business now from a secure base. Likewise sensible targets for all the residential care homes have been set to fill vacancies. New tender opportunities with Kent County Council later in the year will provide opportunities for Stepahead Support to design new services for young people.

A Bright FutureHaving seen our registered care beds reduce from 880 to 621 recently, we now know we

have a solid base on which to develop our care homes as well as support our Home Care & Support and Stepahead Support services.

Innovation and imagination will be key to see how creative we can now be to build on the more di�cult times of the last two years and create services that not only support people but help change lives.

Managing DirectorMark LLoyd

Months ago before the B&Q workshops closed there doors, the lovely sta� began making us our new traditional sweet trolley. As the workshops closed before the trolley was complete, we took it home and completed it ourselves.

Sean (Maintenance) kindly made the shelves for us and attached the wheels and handles. We then finished o� the paintwork with help from many di�erent residents and clipped on the bunting, which was kindly made by a volunteer.

Monday was the first time we went round with the new sweet trolley, which has been named Truly Scrumptious. We

made our way round to each floor and as we went into each dining area, everyone’s faces lit up. Everyone got to fill a bag by choosing which sweets they liked from the pick’n’mix, although nearly everyone chose liquorice allsorts. Dot said “wow, it’s all the good old days’ sweets, the sort I used to get when I was a young one”

The sweet trolley will now be going round the home every week, so more photos will be coming. We will just have to stock up on liquorice allsorts first!

Truly Scrumptious at Amherst CourtPalmerston Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 6LU

Activity organiser, Josie has been showing o� her arts and crafts skills recently at Puddingstone Grange, giving the Memory Boxes a great new look!

Many thanks to The Bear Inn for their generous donation of £500 to the Avante Care & Support Charity Fund. All proceeds were raised duing their recent Wednesday Mixed Darts Team events!!

Puddingstone Grange, 82 Plumstead Common Road, Plumstead, London SE18 3RD

Fantastic Memory Boxes

The Bear Inn, Faversham Kent

On the 11th February we had Michael Lack, Saxophonist play at Pilgrims View. The residents enjoyed listening to him play and had a good sing along. Michael took the trouble to shake all the hands of the residents and wish them a happy afternoon which was a lovely touch and great end to the afternoon!

Pilgrims View, Roberts Road, Snodland ME6 5HL

Did Someone Say Saxophone?

I had to do a presentation for a course I did recently, so I chose a topic which means a lot to me and that is Dignity and Respect. I have been a carer for eight years now, both within my family, in the community and in nursing and residential settings.

I am pretty sure I have always treated people with dignity and respect, but two years ago I was in hospital with an extended stay in intensive care where I was immobile, unable to speak, had reduced mental capacity, couldn’t eat and drink and worst of all was doubly incontinent with a catheter. In those two weeks I think I went through most of what our service users often have to endure and it has definitely changed my life and the way I view people.

When people reach the point in their lives when they decide, or their family decide, that they need more help, whether it is help in the form of community or residential care, it must be so hard. They have had a lifetime of memories and belongings and, of course, their independence.

We find out from our new service users how much support they need, with input from their family, GP and specialists etc. One particular aspect of dignity and respect that I have experienced first-hand is personal care. If our new service user needs help with personal care then we must be as respectful as possible.

If our service user is disabled and requires moving and handling aids such as sliding sheets and/or hoists then this is another area that requires a great deal of sensitivity. Carers have all attended the Moving and Handling training courses but if it happens for real it is not nice at all. I was log rolled in Hospital and I genuinely thought I was going to fall out of the bed! I held onto the nurse’s uniform pocket. How often have you said to your service user automatically “Don’t worry!

I’ve got you!” We need to consider the indignity that can be felt when a service user is moved into a sling and hoisted onto a commode. Some of our service users have to endure this procedure several times a day! Our role as carers is to ensure that we place dignity at the heart of everything we say and do for our service users.

Best care can only be achieved by a consistent sta� force - community or residential. Sta� can build up knowledge of their service users. If you are stressed and rushed o� your feet you cannot give your best care. You couldbe so concerned about getting through your workload that standards of care could fall. It is a fine balance – which is why we make our service users feel at home, have freedom to do the things they want and when they want, but are always there if they need us. It can sometimes be harder to care for a very independent resident than it is to care for a very dependent one.

When we care for people in their own homes we will sometimes see that, although they are still living in the home they have lived in for many years, things may now be very di�erent. Their partner may have passed away, family are living far away or too busy to visit and they may have had to move their bed downstairs so that they are living, sleeping and (depending on mobility) using the toilet in one room. They have carers to care for them maybe for half an hour in the morning, back again for a sandwich at lunch, a dinner at 5pm and then assisted to bed at night. It is up to us to make these visits count. The service user will have a regular carer who knows them well and knows their needs. This way we can provide the best service for them and advise new carers of what they like so if they do have to have a change of face it is not too disruptive for them. Family will get used to that carer as well and a bond of trust will develop. We will notice if our client is unwell, a bit depressed and we can report this and take action if necessary. As well as being essential for the service user to have continuity of care, it is rewarding for the carer too.

- Toni Edwards, Home carer, Kent

Amherst Court care home are sponsoring the Gillingham v Coventry football game on Saturday 2nd April.

The home will be heavily promoted throughout the day and will feature within the football programme and other advertising opportunities taking place on the day.

As part of this sponsorship two tickets are available as part of a giveaway for the game but not just any tickets, they are two VIP tickets which include VIP Parking, a pre match dining experience, complementary bar, match day programme, a signed football and much more (see attached poster for full package details).

We are holding a prize draw for the pair of tickets where the winner will be drawn at random on the 16th March.

If you would like to enter or find out more please call us Lyndsay on 01795 597417 or email lhopper@avantecare.org.uk

Tickets are £1 each.Closing date is Tuesday 15th March.

Meet Bruce, the little dog that comes to The Willows twice each week with his ‘Mum’, Dorothy.

Dorothy Richardson comes to The Willows every Monday and Thursday, but was worried about leaving her little dog at home alone all day.

Dorothy got Bruce from a dog shelter, and said “He had just been thrown away”. She said that he is such a small dog so she gave him a big name!

I went to meet Bruce, and he is a lovely, friendly, clean little dog who adores his mistress, and loves being made a fuss of. I asked Dorothy if she would like to bring Bruce along one day to see how he gets on – she was delighted and brought him with her the next time.

Bruce is a big hit with everyone, and is now part of the Willows Family. He is very well behaved, and all of the clients enjoy having him visit. Dorothy has only one problem...everybody wants to take him home with them!

- Jeannette Spooner, Day Care Manager.

Meet Bruce!Willow Day Centre, Court Regis, Middletune Avenue, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 2HT

Last month, Sta� from the catering team at Amherst Court took part in the pilot for the City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety. This online course teaches industry standards in Food Safety and Hygiene covering 10 modules. To pass and be accredited delegates must achieve a minimum of 75%.

Although they found it intensive and it took longer than anticipated, all participants passed with flying colours and enjoyed their first e-learning experience!

This course is now in the Avante Care & Support Training ‘catalogue’ and for now, only available at Head O�ce. Once the network has been upgraded, it will be available throughout Operations.

Still on the food theme, Assistant Managers, Charlotte Taylor and Kelly Winship, from Riverdale Court joined in with the assisted feeding role-play during a Nutrition & Hydration course this week.

The role-play simulates the experience of being fed to help delegates empathise with clients and learn best practice techniques.

Sta� TrainingHead O�ce, Faversham

Nutrition & Hydration

Congratulations also to the following care workers who have all successfully completed their QCF Level 2:

Anne Nicholson, Kazia Fraser, Melissa Smart, Lacey Burnett.

Congratulations to Sue Broadbent who got married on Thursday 18th February and is now Sue Connelly!

Sta� from Amherst Court are taking part in a sponsored walk on 20th June to raise money for an outdoor tea room for residents at the care home. Sta� will be leaving Amherst Court in the morning of the 20th June and walking to Upchurch Golf Club. Activity Coordinator Trish will be taking the residents to the golf club for lunches where they will meet the walkers for a drink before they all walk back.

Amherst Court Sponsored Walk

Back in January Parkview care home invited the Rah Rah Theatre Company to come and perform a pantomime of Little Red Riding Hood.

Weyboure care home was also invited to attend the performance and everyone involved had a great time, especially Joyce who jumped up on stage to take part.

Little Red Riding Hood105 Woolwich Road, Bexleyheath DA7 4LP

Photos of the memory box that was made of our Team Leader, Love who sadly passed away on 16/12/15.

The memory box and funds raised were over £1,300 and presented to Love's family and a remembrance service was held at the home.

Love was employed with Avante Care & Support since 2008, originally at Perrygrove as a Team Leader. She was 48 years old.

A brilliant woman and her husband a Pastor, they set up their own church in Woolwich a few years ago. Love had 3 children and unfortunately two years ago was diagnosed with a terminal illness and sadly passed away on 16/12/2015. The home pulled together and arranged fundraising activities and 'fun days' in Love’s memory, a service was also held at the home with sta�, Father Michael of St.Peter's Church in Woolwich and Love's family.

Rest in Peace Love.

Allison PurkissHome Manager

In Memory of LovePuddingstone Grange, 82 Plumstead Common Road, Plumstead, London SE18 3RD

Helping young people is our speciality. Especially those that are vulnerable and ‘misunderstood’. At one of the Rural Youth Clubs sta� had been having some problems with one particular ‘Rebel without a cause’ who had been banned from the club, but kept turning up and just hanging around outside. Rural youth workers knew he had potential, it was just a matter of channelling his talents and energy. Sta� worked together with outside agencies and looked for something to keep him busy. We are great believers in giving young people a second chance. So when the opportunity arose to help him and

other young people from the youth club our Rural Youth Team followed through and secured a Traineeship and Apprenticeship through Middleton Murray.Middleton Murry is an organisation that help young people take a step onto the career ladder. Their mission is to develop great careers (16-18 year olds) for them to become the next generation of employees and to build future-proof workforces for their clients. We wish our Rebel all the very best and now that he has a cause we look forward to his ongoing success.

Rural Youth

Young Healthy Minds is an emotional well-being service for 4-18 year olds which is delivered across the county by Stepahead Support, CXK and Family Action.

The theme for their latest workforce development day was sharing the knowledge and skills within the service. A variety of workshops were designed and delivered by Young Healthy Minds sta� to their colleagues. These included animal, colour, play and drama therapy as well as applied systemic therapy, transpersonal psychotherapy and working therapeutically with gender and sexual diversities.

An exciting array of methods and resources were used at the workshops including art work, toys, pictorial displays of family relationships, coloured crystals and wands, video clips and a small rabbit, called Mr To�ee, who stole the show!

This was a special day which show cased the diverse talent and expertise within the Young Healthy Minds teams. For some of those delivering workshops it was the first time that they had done it but once they got into their stride they really excelled themselves and their sessions were informative, entertaining and thought provoking.

Young Healthy Minds Workforce Development Day

Stepahead Support sta� Jenna Hogben and Sam Hewitt Crane delivered the animal therapy and colour therapy workshops respectively. Jenna provided a fascinating history of animal therapy and allowed participants to experience the benefits of being with animals first hand when Mr To�ee was passed around the group whilst they watched a very moving video clip called ‘After Thomas’ which is about an autistic boy. Sam was assisted in her colour therapy session by her father who is very knowledgeable about the healing properties of colour and crystals because of his own personal journey. Sam and her father took their participants through the evolution of colour therapy and how colour and crystals can be used to promote wellbeing. This was illustrated throughout by magical light displays from crystals.

By the end of the day everyone was energised and enthusiastic about the knowledge and insights they had gained which will inform their practice in the future.