National Care Awards 2016 - Careinfo.org · January 2017 The management magazine for the social care sector BUSINESS Specialist care-strict adherence to guidance hampers investment

January 2017 The management magazine for the social care sector

BUSINESSSpecialist care- strict adherence

to guidance hampersinvestment

Competing interests- can they be resolved?

A happy New Year to our readersand advertisers

Autumn silenceon funding– where do we go from here?

Deprivation of Libertyrules streamlined

National Care Awards 2016– celebrating the best in social care

CT Jan 17 cover:Layout 1 08/12/2016 12:07 Page 1

02-23CT0117gh.qxp_Layout 1 07/12/2016 11:14 Page 2

Inside this issue...RegularsNews..................................................................4-10

Diary .....................................................................20

Product news .............................................32-33

Building with care ....................................35-38

Business & property ...............................39-45

Properties sold ................................................45

INACTION ON FUNDING:Simply re-stating the case will not be enough, saysthe King’s Fund’s RICHARD HUMPHRIES ..........................4

DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY:Care providers welcome ‘common sense’approach to DoLS and dementia .......................................6

TROUBLESOME RELATIVES: There’s two sides to every story, say Lester Aldridge’s LAURA GUNTRIP...............12

OPEN CONFLICT: Reporting on the Care EnglandConference, JEF SMITH says competing interests pervadeall aspects of social care ................................................................41

SPECIALIST CARE: The CQC’s inflexible approach to whatservices it will register restricts choice and discouragesinvestment, says NEIL GRANT of Ridouts.................................44

Abbeyfield .................................................................41

Avenues ....................................................................42

Badby Park ...............................................................42

Beech Hill Grange ...................................................38

Care Concern ...........................................................39

Care UK .....................................................................35

Culpeper Care..........................................................43

Folcarn.......................................................................35

Good Care Group......................................................41

Gracewell Healthcare..............................................37

HC-One .................................................................18, 41

Home from Home Care ..........................................44

Home Instead Senior Care .....................................10

L & M Care ..................................................................8

New Bridges .............................................................39

Orders of St John Care Trust.................................16

Pendine Park............................................................43

Priory..........................................................................41

Renaissance Care ...................................................40

Silverline Care .........................................................22

Springhill Care ..........................................................10

The Gateway Care...................................................42

Tracscare ..................................................................39

Welmede ...................................................................42

Windsar Care............................................................45

A LIFETIME IN CARE:Caring Times profilesthe 25-year career ofBHAVNA EMERY-JONES ............18

NATIONALCARE AWARDS:The care sector celebrates

its top achievers ...........24-31

COVERSTORY

COMPANY INDEX

Care home interiorsfeature: See Page 21

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January 2017 www.careinfo.org4

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The Government is taking big risks with theNHS and the continuing viability of majorsocial care providers by failing to addressthe underfunding of social care in the Chan-cellor’s Autumn Statement, according toRichard Humphries, assistant director ofpolicy at the King’s Fund.Writing in The Guardian at the end of

November, Mr Humphries said the sense of dis-appointment bordering on despair about theAutumn Statement’s silence on social care waspalpable throughout local government and thesocial care sector.“The chorus of support for action was im-

pressive and unprecedented, unifying manypoliticians of all parties, NHS leaders, royalmedical colleges, the health select commit-tee, independent thinktanks and the CareQuality Commission, as well as those whomight be regarded as the ‘usual suspects’,”said Mr Humphries.“Calm and careful reflection is now needed

as to why such a formidable and authoritativerange of opinion was so comprehensively dis-regarded. Simply re-stating the case for betterfunding is not enough. What would it take forthe Government to act? Where do we go fromhere? What do we need to do differently?”

Re-stating the case for better funding is not enoughGovernment inaction on social care

Mr Humphries believes it to be unlikely thatmore or better evidence alone will generate thenecessary public support and political will forchange, citing the previous Royal Commission,the Wanless Report and the Dilnot Commission,which had all identified the need for action.

“These three reviews were led not by profes-sional lobbyists or provider interests but a trioof hard-nosed bankers and economists. So theproposition that the Treasury stands ready withthe chequebook if only we could provide evenmore, or different, evidence is fanciful. Thereare deeper underlying reasons why this govern-ment, like its predecessors, has failed to graspthe nettle,” writes Mr Humphries.The most obvious is the historical legacy of

means testing for social care, established in1948, alongside a later policy shift away fromlong-term care provided free by the NHS. As so-ciety has grown richer, many people now havesavings and assets that exceed the means testthreshold of £23,250. This has allowed succes-sive governments to stand by and watch as thecosts of care fall increasingly on private individ-uals rather than the public purse. Over half ofcare home fees are now met by individuals, notthe state. Persuading the Treasury to spendmore when there is already a covert and conve-nient way of raising money through, in effect, aform of self-insurance, will always be a toughask. Dilnot-inspired plans for a cap on very highcosts were a foot in the door, but it was firmlyshut again with the postponement of those re-forms until 2020 (and only ministers appear tothink they will see the light of day).“Another explanation for inaction is that, un-

like the NHS, social care is poorly understoodby the general public and does not resonate asa significant electoral issue in MPs’ postbagsand surgeries. A troubled NHS easily commandspublic attention through visual images of over-

flowing hospitals and queuing ambulances. Butwhen the social care system is “full” few notice,the consequences scattered silently and invisi-bly across thousands of homes and families. Itmakes little noise on the radar of political andpublic concern.

“Allied to this are six millionother reasons that have allowedgovernments to get away withunderfunding social care – un-paid carers, the natural shockabsorbers who so far have cush-ioned the NHS and social caresystem from the full impact ofinadequate services. For all thepolicy rhetoric about supportingcarers, there is a tacit assump-tion that care should be under-taken by families – usually wivesand daughters – and that, againunlike the NHS, it does not re-quire highly skilled and well-re-sourced public provision.”Mr Humphries believes that a

social movement that generatesbottom-up pressure for action looks set togather momentum and says the social care sec-tor needs to seize the opportunities offered bysocial media with considerably more enthusi-asm than it has shown to date.“It might also need to replace the nebulous

and woolly term “social care” with a differentvocabulary that unifies and resonates moreclearly with the diverse range of individuals ofall ages and circumstances with care and sup-port needs,” he writes.“Creating the conditions in which a social

movement can emerge and flourish will taketime. Unless the Government has a change ofheart, more of us will have to get used to theidea that we are responsible for paying for ourown care unless we are relatively poor andhave very high needs. Unpalatable a prospectthough that might be, the time has come for asensible discussion about how we should besupported to do that through better advice andinformation, and the use of the tax, benefitsand pension systems.“In the meantime pressures on health and

social care will not go away. Unpaid carers canabsorb only so many bumps in the road;prospects for the NHS with winter almost uponus are grim. The possibility of large-scaleprovider failures that imperil the care of hun-dreds or even thousands of people is an ever-present possibility. The government is takingbig risks on all of these fronts as a direct con-sequence of its indifference. How big a price, inhuman as well as financial terms, it is preparedto pay remains to be seen.”

‘The Government is

taking big risks as a

direct consequence

of its indifference.

How big a price it is

prepared to pay

remains to be seen.”

RICHARD HUMPHRIES:



news


The care sector in Dorset has been dealt adouble blow this year.Just weeks after being recognised by CQC

as Outstanding, The Old Vicarage lost itscharismatic leader when Annie Sinnott died inApril, and earlier this week her husband alsodied suddenly at home.They were a formidable team. Annie drove

forward the quality care agenda whilst Ianworked quietly in the background planningthe future and securing the funds for the de-velopment of the home whilst still findingtime to run his own businesses which includedimporting wine. Under their stewardship theOld Vicarage grew from one resident in 1985to the 40-bed home it is today. The localcommunity in Leigh near Sherborne has also

benefited from the Sinnotts’ contribution tovillage life with barbecues, fetes, wine tast-ings and many other events which they havehosted in their gardens.The couple’s passionate belief in staff devel-

opment has borne fruit, as members of thecurrent management team have all moved upthrough the ranks to their current positionsand are continuing the Sinnott philosophytoday. Annie and Ian regularly nominated theirstaff for regional and national awards whichhas resulted in more than 35 winners over thelast few years.The care sector will certainly feel the loss

of this amazing couple, who brought so muchto so many, with their compassion, commit-ment, enthusiasm and sparkle.

Ian Sinnott’s passing is a double blow

A proposed amendment to Deprivation of Lib-erty Safeguards (DoLS) legislation has beenwelcomed by care providers representativebody Care England.Speaking at Care England’s annual confer-

ence in November, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff,chair of National Capacity Forum, said a changeto the Policing and Crime Bill, initially proposedby Ann Coffey MP and supported by the Gov-ernment, amends the meaning of state deten-tion in Section 48 of the Coroners and JusticeAct 2009. Care England chief executive Profes-sor Martin Green explained the significance ofthe proposed change.“Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are de-

Amendment to DoLS law welcomedsigned to keep people safe, but they have longbeen a bone of contention with the care homesector and families owing to the unintendedconsequence meaning if someone is subjectto a DoLS, their death must be investigated,”said Prof. Green.“This means that older people with dementia,

whose deaths are expected, are frequently sub-jected to investigations after death. “Baroness Finlay’s amendment is extremely

welcome. Care homes need to be a place ofsafety, but our members have reported uni-formed police officers attending care homesunder their legal duties to investigate a deathof a resident, making it a crime scene evenwhen the death was expected.“This is extremely upsetting for families,

care home staff and fellow residents. Investi-gations into deaths under DoLS take needlesstime which prevents families from being ableto mourn and proceed with funeral arrange-ments. This does not allow for the calm anddignified death that most people and theirfamilies want”.Baroness Finlay said she was delighted that

the Government had accepted the change,which should come into force in early 2017.“It will save a great deal of distress to the be-

reaved,” said Baroness Finlay.“Last year alone there were more than six-

and-a-half thousand unnecessary inquests.When someone subject to DoLS dies of naturalcauses and the death was expected, an inquestwill no longer be required. But of course if thereare any unusual circumstances, then the coro-ner must be informed.”

Some of the most deprived areas of the UKface ‘outrageous’ social care cuts while leafyTory strongholds are getting millions ofpounds shovelled into their coffers, accordingto the GMB union.Figures released by the union show the ten

wealthiest parts of the country have seen theirspending increase by £135m since 2010. GMBsays the poorest parts of the UK have had theirsocial care budget has been slashed by £145mwhile the constituencies of David Cameron andTheresa May have been given a huge cashboost. Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire’sspending has rocketed by more than £40m

Funding favours Tory constituencies, says GMBeach while during the same period the ten poor-est regions’ budget has reduced by £135m.Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham,

which cover the Prime Minister’s constituency,have had a budget increase of almost £10m be-tween them and the biggest spending wealthyarea, Surrey, has received increased funding of£94m. Richmond-Upon-Thames, where the Gov-ernment is set to fight a by-election on Decem-ber 1st, has been able to better fund social carewith an extra £10m.“These outrageous figures highlight the deep

divisions and inequality that exist in this coun-try,” said GMB national secretary Rehana Azam.

“The idea that the poorest people in thecountry have their social care funding slashed,while the wealthy get more money is sickening.“And the fact the constituencies of Theresa

May and David Cameron have been given agenerous increase looks very much like Torycronyism. As one of the richest countries inthe world, the way our old and vulnerable aretreated is a national disgrace with a socialcare lottery wielded by May's Government. Weurge Chancellor Phillip Hammond to providefair funding across the country in his autumnstatement to try and alleviate this country'ssocial care crisis.”

Caring Times wishes

all our readers

and advertisers

a very happy

and prosperous

New Year!



Instead of securing theintegrity of its decision-making, it has erected afirewall to defend what itholds most precious: itsreputation. Circling thewagons may be apardonable reaction toimpending danger, butembedding it as the default position speaks ofparanoid insecurity.CQC claims reviews are “independent”

because reviewers would not have beeninvolved in the original decisions. Bullshit-detector alert! – the regulator is still reviewingits own decisions. The problem is perceptionnot personnel; something that should beunderstood by an organisation obsessed withhow things appear rather than how they are.Would “a fair minded and informed observer . . .conclude that there was a real possibility” ofbias in such insider dealing? Could CQC’sapproach to the meaning of “independent”survive common law or the Human Rights Act?CQC insists that relatives who raise

concerns must be given “a fair hearing”. Quiteright, too. Surely providers deserve no less –not special treatment, but fair treatment. Theappointment of a Small Business AppealsChampion could force the issue, possiblyprompting reviews to be redesigned against asimple benchmark: are they demonstrably freeof any appearance of bias? The answer (aresounding no) might then compel CQC to


regulation - comment

Regulators are meant to be many things,but popular isn’t one of them. In thatrespect at least, CQC fulfils

expectations. The Commission’s statutory dutyto ensure that services provide good, safe caredoesn’t license it to disregard providers’fundamental rights. It’s evident, nevertheless,that many of them feel crushed by thisapparently freewheeling watchdog.It started so well when CQC promised to be

fair. Now, no-one in their right mind would use“fair” to describe a ratings scheme that isshackled by rigidities and diminished by atravesty of a review system. Ratings not onlyconfer bragging rights, they can also triggerspecial measures, which, being all stick and nocarrot, hang providers out to dry – 400 at thecurrent count. No right of appeal there, andneither the review process nor its componentscan be tested for reasonableness.In a moment of refreshing candour, Andrea

Sutcliffe admitted that CQC isn’t perfect. It justbehaves as though it is. Each key questionproduces one outcome: an inspector’ssubjective opinion, knowingly recast as a“professional judgement” and elevated to thestatus of holy writ. That’s it, no discussion, fullstop. By refusing to recognise these opinionsare legitimately contestable, CQC slams thedoor on countless would-be dissenters.A major contributory factor is the

regulator’s collective mindset, a victimcomplex in which complaints are instinctivelyviewed as assaults on the established order.

Watching the watchdog: an appealing prospectAlthough CQC is subject to official

scrutiny, none of it directly addresses

providers’ concerns. That is about to

change, says BOB FERGUSON.uncouple these functions, perhaps exploringthe feasibility of transferring them to a trulyindependent third party.This initiative has the potential to dismantle

CQC’s obduracy. It could, for example, see theregulator being urged to make enforcementaction “a last resort and . . . help businessesfirst”; to cultivate “opportunities for parties toresolve differences of opinion” outsidestatutory channels; and to promote the use ofsecond opinions. That potential is unlikely tobe fully realised, however, unless the sectorovercomes its dispiriting indifference andmakes the most of the opportunity that hasfallen into its lap.

� The suite of consultation papers on theappointment of a Small Business AppealsChampion runs to 10 documents, but they areessential reading for anyone in, or with aninterest in, the industry.

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/business-impact-target-growth-duty-and-small-business-appeals-championLook out for further developments at:www.gov.uk/government/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

CT

Northwest nursing home operator L&MHealthcare has adopted a policy ofincluding libraries in their new build carehomes, and making them available to oldermembers of the local community.Director Jeanne Davies said libraries

had now become a central feature of themain reception area of all new L&MHealthcare homes.“These libraries have been set up for

both members of the local community andresidents and are free to people aged 65or over who are welcome to pop in, browsethe shelves and have a free coffee at the

same time,” said Ms Davies.“They are stacked with all kinds of

books; reference, fiction, history,autobiographies, & comedies. Most of thebooks have been purchased by L&MHealthcare and some have been donatedby families of residents.“We see our homes as providing a vital

service to the local community. Our doorsare always open to visitors, and itsimportant to us that people feel welcomeand get to see that an L&M Healthcarehome is just as warm and welcoming as itlooks on the website.”

community engagement

A place to relax - one of L&M Healthcare’scare home based community libraries.

L&M encourages local readers




in a nutshell... nuggets of news

For more on these stories,go to CT Extra at:

www.careinfo.org– Caring Times’ official website

Home Instead Senior Care’s office in CoventrySouth has become the eighth in its network toreceive an Outstanding rating from the CareQuality Commission.The outstanding rating makes Home Instead

the only homecare provider to hold eight out-

standing ratings. Just 1% of adult social careservices inspected (as at July 31st last year)have been rated as outstanding by the CareQuality Commission.Home Instead is a high-end private franchise

catering mainly to the private-pay market.

Homecare service receives 8th CQC Outstanding rating

Organisations representing and providing ser-vices for older and vulnerable people havejointly raised concerns around the Govern-ment’s online tool for creating Lasting Powersof Attorney (LPAs).An LPA is a powerful legal document which

allows a person to appoint trusted individualsto make important decisions about care and fi-nances on their behalf, in the event of a loss ofmental capacity through an accident or illnesssuch as dementia.In May 2014, the Government’s Office of the

Public Guardian (OPG) launched its online LPAtool, which it claims allows people to create thedocuments without the need for professionaladvice from a solicitor. But a new report, pub-lished by a coalition of organisations led by So-licitors for the Elderly (SFE), warns that anyone

Doubts raised about online Power of Attorneyscreating an LPA without taking specialist legaladvice faces a significantly higher risk of beingleft with an ineffective legal document, incur-ring additional application fees, and even be-coming a victim of fraud or coercion.The report also raises concerns around the

potential of a completely digital system pro-posed by the OPG, whereby ‘wet signatures’ –the physical signing of the document – wouldno longer be required.

Dr Eileen Burns, the new president of theBritish Geriatrics Society, has called for pub-lic recognition that older people facing de-lays in discharge from hospital are thevictims of underfunding of social care andnot ‘the problem’.Dr Burns has urged members of the public,

and media to reject pejorative terms like ‘bedblockers’ and urge the Government to give so-cial care the priority it deserves.Dr Burns says accessible social care is a key

factor in reducing hospital admissions and de-layed discharges for older people. Accordingto research published earlier this month byAge UK, the number of older people in Eng-land who don’t get the social care they needhas soared to a new high of 1.2 million – up by48% since 2010.“There is a direct correlation between

these statistics and the latest data from NHSEngland which found that delayed dischargesare at their highest level since records beganin 2010, with the number of delayed days inSeptember reaching 196,246,” said Dr Burns.“Without adequate funding we will con-

tinue to have high numbers of delayed dis-charges and I would urge both theGovernment, and the general public, to under-stand this vital connection between healthand social care.”

Burns calls for respect forvictims of underfunding

In early December, the House of Lords Commit-tee on the Long-Term Sustainability of the NHSmet to take evidence from the leaders of thenew Greater Manchester Health and Social CarePartnership, the devolved body which now con-trols a £6bn annual budget to deliver healthand social care in Greater Manchester.The Committee wanted to explore whether

the pioneering devolved model in Manchestercould provide lessons that different regions orUK as a whole could learn from when deliveringsustainable health services to an ageing popula-tion with increasingly complex healthcare needs.Questions covered the impact of devolution

on health and social care in Greater Manchesterincluding how funding is now distributed around

Committee looks to Manchester for solutionsthe system, the effect on workforce planning andwhat benefits the devolution has produced in in-tegrating health and social care services.The Committee also sought information

about technological developments that willhave the greatest long-term impact on NHSsustainability and how the NHS can be encour-aged to adopt new technologies.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)has launched a market study into care homesfor elderly people, to assess how well the mar-ket works, and whether people are beingtreated fairly.CMA acting chief executive Andrea Coscelli

said that, as well as looking at reports of poten-tially unfair practices and contract terms beingused by some care homes, and evaluating theeffectiveness of competition between carehomes in driving quality and value for money for

residents and taxpayers, the CMA would alsoconsider how local authorities and other publicbodies purchase and assign care home places,and how they encourage and shape local supply.“We want to hear from care home providers

about the services they offer and any chal-lenges they face,” said Ms Coscelli.

� Views are welcomed on any of the issuesraised in the Statement of Scope –

www.gov.uk/cma-cases/care-homes-market-study – by 5pm on Monday, 16th January 2017

Competition body to examine care home market

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) has formeda new special interest group focusing on sar-copenia and frailty research.Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass

and function that accompanies ageing, hasemerged as a key topic in geriatric medicineand represents a rapidly expanding field of re-search. Prevalence may be as high as one in

three for frail older people living in care homes.There is increasing appreciation of sarcopenia’simportance for an ageing population and agrowing understanding of its causes. The con-dition is closely linked to physical frailty and de-tection of sarcopenia is beginning to beincorporated into clinical practice, and to un-dergo large clinical trials.

BGS raises profile of sarcopenia

A long-serving staff member at the Riverswaynursing home in Bristol has retired after a 19-year career with the home.One of the first staff members to join

Riversway when it first opened, GeorginaHarriman began as a care assistant, workedher way up to senior carer and then joinedRiversway’s management team.Riversway is owned and operated by the

Springhill Care Group.

Thank you Georgina,says nursing home



words, there is just nopleasing some people,whatever you do!Whilst it is obviously

important that care homeresidents are able to seetheir friends and family, inextreme cases, providersmay have no option but to take action torestrict that contact. We are contactedregularly by care providers grappling with theproblems of ultra-demanding relatives,incessant complaints and, increasingly,unreasonable and aggressive relatives. Wecommonly hear from home managers who arestressed and struggling to manage suchsituations. When relatives of this kind visit thehome, it can cause a lot of anxiety amongstcare staff who may feel that they are underconstant scrutiny or who may feel scared ofcomplaints or intimidated by the relative.

12 January 2017 www.careinfo.org

legal matters

Care providers may well have beenfrustrated by the news over recentweeks – and even more frustrated with

the Care Quality Commission’s response. Inearly November, the BBC and various nationalnewspapers reported the story of hundreds ofrelatives who, it was claimed, had been bannedfrom visiting their elderly loved ones in theircare homes because they had madecomplaints about the quality of care.In response the CQC said: “care homes are

people’s homes. Their family and friendsshould not live in fear of being penalised forraising concerns”. CQC also publishedguidance– Information on Visiting Rights inCare Homes, in response to public concernsthat care homes were brazenly and cruellybanning loving families from visiting theirdependent (and perhaps mistreated) relatives.This guidance recognises the importance of

the involvement of people’s families in theplanning of their care and providing themwith support. It also highlights that banningrelatives from visiting may amount to abreach of the resident’s rights under Article8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (right to aprivate and family life). The guidance setsout the requirements in the Health andSocial Care Act (Regulated Activities)Regulations 2014 for providers to have aneffective and accessible system forhandling and responding to complaints andthat all complaints must be investigatedthoroughly. It reminds care homes that theymust not discriminate against or victimisepeople who complain.CQC goes on to state in the guidance that

it is keen to hear from people if they feeluncomfortable sharing concerns and invitespeople to contact CQC where they feel aprovider has breached their rights. Theregulator says this information will help it todecide who, when and what to inspect andthat CQC will take enforcement action if itfinds that providers have breached theregulations. However, what this enthusiasticmedia coverage overlooks is that there aretwo sides to every story.Most care providers will have had at least

some experience of difficult relatives.Relatives can be well meaning but it cansometimes become problematic for providerswhen relatives do not have a properunderstanding of their loved one’s needs orlimitations, or of accepted care practicesand relatives’ expectations can sometimesbe unrealistic or unreasonable. In other

Troublesome relatives -two sides to every story

LAURA GUNTRIP,associate atLester Aldridge LLP,looks behind recentmedia reports aboutrestricting relatives’visiting rights.

Sometimes, relatives’ actions are suchthat they pose a safeguarding risk toother service users in the home. In

these sorts of circumstances, it can benecessary for the provider to take steps torestrict or remove access to the home, for theprotection of residents or staff.Of course providers need to strike a fair

balance and such measures should not betaken lightly, without first exploring alternativeoptions. The welfare and human rights of theresident are important and should not bedisregarded. Similarly, providers are under anobligation under Regulation 16 of the Health &Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)Regulations to take complaints seriously andrespond to them appropriately. As the mediaand CQC correctly state, no relative should be

banned from visiting their loved one justbecause they have dared to make a complaint.Providers should explore less restrictive

ways of reducing difficulties of repeatedcomplaints or unreasonable behaviour in thefirst instance, including meeting with therelative and funding body, if applicable, todiscuss their concerns and help improve therelatives’ understanding. Often this may needmore than the meeting. Providers shouldexplore ways of resolving the matterreasonably and amicably.However, what CQC and the public in generaldo need to understand is that sometimes thestory told by the relative may not be thecomplete story and that, despite theprovider’s best efforts, sometimes theprovider is left with no alternative but torestrict visiting or ask the resident to leavetheir home. Unfortunately, CQC’s newguidance is now likely to be relied on by suchrelatives to challenge any such restrictionsand assert their visiting rights.

Troublesome relatives are a sensitivematter that needs to be handled withcare. Actions taken by relatives can

have serious implications for providersincluding CQC concerns, safeguardingconcerns, police investigations, and/oradverse publicity. Each case is different andit is important that providers seek legal

advice when they are faced with difficultsituations with relatives. There are a range ofoptions which a provider may need to exploreto deal with the situation and it may be that asafeguarding referral or Court of Protectionapplication may be necessary.However, providers need to ensure that

they protect themselves by taking legaladvice as to their options to ensure that theycan justify their action, and demonstrate thatthey have acted in a reasonable andproportionate manner, in the face ofchallenges by the relatives.Unfortunately, CQC’s new guidance is

likely to result in more such challenges and itis important that providers protectthemselves from any adverse consequences,so far as possible. CT

‘What CQC and the public in

general do need to understand is

that sometimes the story told by the

relative may not be the complete

story and that, despite the provider’s

best efforts, sometimes the provider

is left with no alternative but to

restrict visiting or ask the resident

to leave their home.’

www.lesteraldridge.com

01202 786135




funding/fees

Chancellor Philip Hammond says socialcare is a problem for the nextParliament, but the crisis is now, and

social care providers must act now to re-examine their own practices to fund asustainable future.The absence of any provision to support the

social care industry was a glaring omission inthe Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Ignoringthe strategic funding and policy challengesbeing experienced by care homes threatenstheir future, and could put many lives at risk.Directors of adult social services accept that

£1.6bn is needed to maintain care at currentlevels, so given that social care providers nowalso need to find funding for a 30 pence hourlyrise in the National Living Wage, services lookset to only go one way.Sadly, this stance is by no means surprising,

following Prime Minister Theresa May’s failureto mention social care in her 7,000-wordconference speech in October. Not only is theConservative Government not dealing withthe social care time bomb, it doesn’t seem tobe interested.Figures from the Observer show that 77 of

the 152 local authorities responsible forproviding care for elderly people have had atleast one residential and nursing care providerclose in the last six months, as cuts to councilbudgets have led to inadequate funding.So, given that businesses have had an

array of additional costs to absorb withoutany additional government funding, targetedattention must be given to how best toachieve sustainability with the finances that are available. We consider a key parof the answer lies in streamlined feerecovery practices. Now finances are getting squeezed further,

care home providers need a coherentfinancial plan, and this must include a soundframework for the recovery of fees. This hasproven tricky before, and organisations oftenstruggle to recoup full fees, particularly ifcontractual arrangements involve severalcompeting interests.The legal framework is complex, and care

providers risk being left unpaid for the servicesthey provide, because the complicated natureof these terms is often used by commissionersand families, not necessarily deliberately, toavoid their obligations.There are three key elements that

providers must address to create a goodframework for managers to work within.Then, by adopting this approach, recovery offees at the right rates can be much improved.These elements are:� Clarity of communication� Clear and enforceable contractual provisions,

Time to streamline fee recovery

� A culture that enables confident managers oradministrators to assert the provider’s rightsand interests in an appropriate way.

Firstly, it should be said that there is agreat emphasis on sensitivity withregards to handling new potential

residents and their families. This is quite right,but it should not come at the cost of clarity.Many providers do not publish fees onwebsites, and this is not surprising given thecompetitive nature of pricing, but it is a hugelyimportant factor for a prospective customer –a decision not incomparable to the financialcommitment of buying a house – so it isimportant that discussions are held in abusiness-like manner.Specific issues to be clear on include the

status of the placement (e.g., CHC, nursingcare, respite, etc.), the impact of the 12-weekdisregard on the placement, and whether atop-up arrangement is permitted in theparticular circumstances. Furthermore, it isimperative that the responsibility for recoveryof payment and the potential consequences ofany change in things such as care needs orfinances are also outlined clearly.This is done by having a clear

“communications plan” – something thatrecords who you are communicating with,how verification of the financial means to paya top-up fee will occur, policy on when themoney runs out and the consequences ofsuch an event, whether the person has accessto good advice on their financial options andthe right to public funding benefits and whatis in place to address the resident losingcapacity in the future.Ensuring managers have access to template

letters to support these policies can both easethe burden of having to remember thesethings and serve as a script for conversationswith prospective families.Secondly, given the many rules surrounding

issues such as contract cancellation, unfairterms, capacity and top-up arrangements, it is

vital to have well drafted, enforceable contractsthat ensure potential problems are notdiscovered too late. If errors are made, fees canadd up very quickly, and it won’t be long beforea care provider is owed thousands of poundsper month, resulting in a very costly situation.

Outlining understanding of who thecontracting party is (if not a resident),compliance with Consumer Credit

Regulations and both capturing thenecessary factual information and recordingat both the outset and during the life of thecontract of are just a few of the issues thatneed to be well defined.It is also a regulatory requirement to have a

contract in place with private paying clientsand wherever practicable this must be donebefore the individual enters the care home.Not only is this good practice, but breach ofthis obligation by providers entitles CQC tomove directly to enforcement action. A well-organised “contracts toolkit” with templateagreements can mitigate many of the risksthat lead to uncertainty, disputes and evenregulatory censor.Finally, enabling confident managers to

negotiate the legal hurdles that they may faceshould be of absolute importance to all careproviders. It is vital that managers are wellinformed to not only make good judgementsbut that fail-safe procedures are put in place toensure policies are followed and writtenrecords, which often stay longer at the homethan the managers themselves, are readilyavailable, should they need to be called upon.Having clear policies, briefing notes on

“difficult” issues such as legal statuses orassessing a resident’s capacity and trainingaround policies are procedures should all beaccessible to managers.Implementation of these three ideas will

ultimately pay dividends and investment will berepaid very quickly, ensuring that, although thesector is facing a period of economic turmoil,one’s care home shouldn’t have to. CT

MATTHEW WORT, health and social

care expert and partner at Anthony

Collins Solicitors LLP, says that, in the

face of government inaction on funding,

providers need to take a close look at

their fee recovery policies.




residents’ health & wellbeing

Many nurses working in care homeshave a lot of autonomy, but arerelatively professionally isolated,

which can have disadvantages. Whencompared with their colleagues working in theNHS, they do not have the same degree ofaccess to the skills and expertise of a widermultidisciplinary team, including occupationaltherapists and physiotherapists, tocomplement and augment their nursing skills.Occupational Therapy (OT) is based on the

principle that occupation is essential forhealth, wellbeing and identity. This isparticularly important for older people in carehomes. Physiotherapy encompasses a range ofinterventions, services and advice aimed atrestoring, maintaining and improving people'sfunction and movement and therebymaximising the quality of their lives.The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT)

has welcomed and supported 19 third-yearoccupational therapy and physiotherapyplacement students over the past threeyears. As a result, the organisation hasexperienced the enormous benefits theseyoung professionals can bring to the carehome setting; not only do they enrich thelives and well-being of residents, they alsocomplement and enhance the skillsets of thenurse-led care teams.

Activities and interestsOSJCT’s OT students have demonstrated waysto better understand residents’ interests inrelation to activities, while grading activities toenable each resident to participate at a levelthat is meaningful and achievable for them.Based on past experience, many activities

co-ordinators do not have the skills to gradeactivities, often pitching them at an ‘averagelevel’ in an attempt at accessibility for all.However, this often has the opposite effect,making many residents disengage – the lessable due to feeling overwhelmed, and themore able due to boredom.The OT students also identified a tendency

for care homes to provide activities gearedmore towards female residents. This ledseveral of the homes to customise some areasto suit more male-oriented interests, such asbar areas or hobby rooms where maleresidents can meet.

Exercise and mobility aidsSome of the physiotherapy and OT studentswere asked to focus their work on strategiesrelated to falls reduction, so they started adaily exercise group with residents living withdementia. Following the daily exercise session,

Allied health professionals - the benefitsof bringing in them in VICTORIA ELLIOT, Principal Care

Consultant (Research & Innovation)

at The Orders of St John Care Trust

(OSJCT), one of the UK’s largest not-

for-profit care home providers, makes

the case for occupational therapy

and physiotherapy professionals

in a care home setting.

carers reported that residents in the groupslept better, ate and drank more and gainedweight. At the end of the placement, the careteam was left with a simple exercise regimethat is still running today, which they foundeasy to follow and suitable for non-physiotherapy staff to implement.The students were also tasked with

assessing the furniture and equipment usedin the care homes in which they were placed,looking for factors that could potentiallybe contributing to an increased risk offalls and reducing the overall independenceof residents.Students found that some of the homes’

chairs, although aesthetically appealing, werean inappropriate height or poorly designed forthe use of individuals with physicalimpairments. Consequently, chair raisers werefitted to some pieces of furniture and anumber of new chairs were purchased.Similarly, the physiotherapy students

identified that a large number of the ferrules(rubber stoppers) attached to residents’mobility aids were worn down and posing askid risk. This finding led to new ferrules beingpurchased and fitted immediately at arelatively low cost.The students also identified a small number

of residents who would benefit from bespokerevisions to their seating provision. Forexample, one of the OT students discovered aresident who would benefit from a motorisedwheelchair. The initial assessment wasfollowed up by the nursing team and, as aresult, the resident was provided with anelectric wheelchair that has radically changedtheir level of independence.

Falls reduction Falls rates in the placement homes havecontinued to decline steadily following the

students’ placements and are now at anunprecedented low level. Whilst no specificmeasures were taken to establish whether thereduction in falls rates is directly related to OT& physiotherapy interventions, the students’holistic, practical approach, which wascomplementary to that of the nursing and careteam, makes it likely that they are at leastpartly responsible.

FundingThe physiotherapy and occupational therapyprofessions have each highlighted their valuein enhancing the well-being andindependence of residents in care homes, andhave urged commissioners to increasefunding in this area.The value of physiotherapy and OT

interventions has also been cited in variousevidence-based NICE guidelines. OTs andphysiotherapists possess an expert knowledgeand skillset that can drastically improve notonly the lived environment within a care home,but also the lives of those who live and workwithin it.The funding restraints and nursing

shortages faced by the NHS and social caresector are likely to limit the number ofexperienced occupational therapy andphysiotherapy professionals working withincare homes so an ‘outside-the-box’ approachneeds to be taken when developing strategiesto access services, which at the moment, aredifficult to come by.Other care home providers should consider

the wealth of opportunities made available byoffering allied health profession studentplacements. The benefits of these placements,such as improved well-being for residents andknowledge transfer to care teams, come at thevery small cost of providing mentorship forstudent learning. CT



commissioners and the regulator.There was also the considerationthat some of the homes were notfuture-proof and there was really noalternative but to close them.Working closely with the local

authorities and the regulator,Bhavna and the transition teamoversaw necessary closures.“The Care Quality Commission

has been very complimentary to usabout the manner in which thesehomes were closed,” she said.I asked Bhavna to comment on

how being the sister of Chai Patel, possibly thehighest profile individual in the private socialcare sphere, had affected her own career.“When I’m at an event people often ask me

‘How’s Chai?’ and I often have to reply ‘Idon’t know, I haven’t seen him for awhile’which I imagine is the case with most siblings– we all lead busy lives. But as far as us bothworking in the same sector goes, there is avery solid line between our personal lives andour professional lives that is never crossed.It’s important for people to have confidencethat whatever they say to one of us will notbe shared with the other. People remarked onthis when Chai announced he was leaving thePriory Group at a board meeting. They said itwas obvious from my facial expression that itcame as a complete surprise. But I thinkmaintaining that sort of professionalintegrity is incumbent on anybody, whateversector they work in.”

personal profile


For more than 24 years, Bhavna Emery-Jones has worked at a senior level,managing the operations of some of the

biggest corporate care home providers.The former radiotherapy radiographer

joined Court Cavendish in 1992, in the newlycreated post of service development manager.In this role, Bhavna was responsible forbuilding relationships with local authority caremanagers and other external agencies.Two years later she was recruited by Bupa

where she worked as an operations managerand operations director for the next sixyears, before joining Westminster Healthcareas a regional service development director.Two years later, in 2005, she became anexecutive director at the Priory Group with avariety of senior roles.“I set up my own consultancy, BJ &

Associates, in 2010, specialising in sales andmarketing and turnaround of underperforminghomes for small to medium enterprises inhealth and social care across the UK,” saidBhavna. “The following year I was recruited byCourt Cavendish to join the managementteam in the transition of 241 care homesfollowing the collapse of Southern CrossHealthcare. This work had included in-depthdue diligence of 75 homes and theappointment of close to 250 staff above homelevel (243) to the newly formed operatingcompany HC-One.“My involvement with HC-One began with

having the company as a client with BJ &Associates but then I was employed asoperations manager for Londonand the South East.But then, three years ago,

Bhavna became seriously ill andchose to step down from fulltime work. What does the 58-year-old, who emigrated to theEngland from Uganda via Indiawhen she was 12, consider to beher greatest achievement insocial care?“It’s hard to pinpoint one

thing but I’m proud of my abilityto bring the best out in theteams I led, recognising theirpotential and reinforcing theprinciple that the people wewere caring for had to come first. This wasparticularly so during the transfer of theformer Southern Cross homes to HC-One –making the culture change happen was themost important thing.”Bhavna also saw the need to build-up the

relationship between the care homes and theirlocal communities, and the need to forgerelationships with external purchasers,

A lifetime’s tenacious focus on the basics of careBHAVNA EMERY-JONES

tells Caring Times editor

GEOFF HODGSON that

dignity and respect were her

watchwords throughout her

24-year career in social care.

Bhavna said that, throughout her careershe had tried to combat a tendency forpeople with dementia to be labelled by

their condition.“I have always stressed the importance of

looking beyond the condition to see the personbecause it is the person that we are caring for,”she said. “Older people are not given thedignity and respect they should be given,

anywhere, not just in care homes but in societyas a whole – they are marginalised, as areyounger people with disabilities.“People are living longer but if they have a

chronic debilitating condition their quality oflife is really quite poor. That has been one of ourchallenges; how do we make sure that aperson’s quality of life is the best it can be,every day. I’ve always been tenacious aboutthat. It’s all about the basic things – theindividual care, cleanliness, the quality of themeals, communications – all the things that arebasic, but which get forgotten because it’s hardwork being in a care home, day in and day out.”Bhavna was also chair of ‘Dementia

Adventure’, a charity dedicated to connectingpeople living with dementia with nature and asense of adventure, founded by Neil Mapesand Lucy Harding.“I was one of the founding team in 2009,”

she said. “We have obtained some majorgrants and the charity is now in a strongposition to be able to deliver our aims toassist in underwriting the costs ofadventures so that more people can accessthe benefits. The charity has matured towhere we now have family members ofrelatives working as volunteers withDementia Adventure because theyappreciate the enormous benefits it broughtfor their own loved ones. We want carehomes to support residents to get out on alovely day and enjoy it – we want people tohave a better quality of life by being in touchwith the natural world.”Now Bhavna is an ambassador for the

Brain Tumour Charity and has been involvedin lobbying in Parliament for further funding

for brain tumours and has given supportingevidence to the Petitions Committee who areleading this campaign. With the support offamily and friends she has raised nearly£35,000 for the charity, only last month takingpart in the twilight walk around Windsor. Shehopes to make a difference and raiseawareness around the issue of brain cancerand its impact on people's lives. CT

BHAVNA EMERY-JONES:

‘Older people are not

given the dignity and

respect they should be

given, anywhere – not

just in care homes but

in society as a whole.’



nutrition/diary


� Next steps for transorming caring forpeople with learning disabilities: funding,integration & community careDATE: January 27VENUE: Central LondonORGANISER: Westminster Health ForumTel: 01344 846796W: www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

� Training workshop to improve the mealtimeexperience for those living with a dementiaDATE: February 3VENUE:Haydock, MerseysideORGANISER: National Association of Care CateringFEE: £199 + VATTel: 07807 480180E: [email protected]

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

� Age UK’s Leter Life Conference -‘Wellbeing’DATE: February 8VENUE:QEII Conference Centre, WestminsterORGANISER: Age UKE: [email protected]

� Priorities for Health Education Egland andthe health & social care workforce:recruitment, leadership and qualityDATE: February 9VENUE: Central LondonORGANISER: Westminster Health ForumTel: 01344 846796W: www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

Seminars Conferencesand Exhibitions

For a free listing of your caresector focused event, email:[email protected]

Food hygiene practices in health andcare facilities have been in the newsrecently following a report issued by

the Food Standards Agency (FSA). A Freedomof Information request by the PressAssociation uncovered room for improvementin some parts of the industry promptingsensationalist headlines about rats, mice,cockroaches and out-of-date food beingserved to vulnerable people.A look behind the headlines shows the vast

majority (98%) of the care homes, hospitalsand hospices inspected received a rating ofthree – regarded as generally satisfactory, whilearound 100 homes were given a score of two.An additional 187 establishments were rated asone, meaning major improvements were re-quired. Overall, eight health and care premiseswere found to have a zero rating, denoting im-mediate improvements were necessary.Although scare-stories always make good

copy for the tabloids, it’s important to keepthings in perspective. Neel Radia, nationalchair of the National Association of CareCatering (NACC) said the FSA report relatedto a very small minority of the 20,000 care

Report highlights care homes’ food hygiene responsibilitiesBy

PAUL WILLIAMS

homes across the UK.“Daily, we see many fantastic examples of

best practice in care catering, from nutritionand hydration through to food hygiene, but,sadly, these never make the headlines,” saidMr Radia. “Good food hygiene practice is animportant part of the catering provision withincare homes and essential to ensure the well-being of residents. Support and guidance isreadily available from associations, includingthe FSA and NACC, to help catering providersensure that their food hygiene continuallymeets the required standards.”

Poor hygiene procedures in a home canput staff and residents at risk ofserious illness or even death. Harmful

bacteria that can cause food poisoning spreadvery easily, so everything should be done toprevent this from happening. Research by theFood Standards Agency found that more thanhalf a million food poisoning cases per yearare caused by badly cooked food or food

contaminated with bacteria.Bernadette Sixsmith, a trainer with Educare

Health and Social Care, a company which spe-cialises in safeguarding and duty of care train-ing, providing a multi-programme onlinelearning licence that covers the inductionstandards for those working in the health andsocial care sectors, said that in the UK, foodhandlers didn't have to attend formal food hy-giene courses to prepare food.“The necessary skills may be obtained

through online learning, on-the-job training, ataught course or relevant prior experience,and it is left to the discretion of the employerto decide whether a refresher course isneeded,” said Ms Sixsmith.“Employers therefore have a responsibility

to carefully assess the nature of their employ-ees’ work and any proposed training to ensureit meets high quality standards. Those who areresponsible for developing and maintaining anorganisation’s food safety management proce-dures must also have received adequate train-ing to enable them to fulfil their duty of care.Typically, this involves training in Hazard Anal-ysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.“The law requires that all food handlers

need appropriate supervision and instruc-tion/training according to their food handlingwork activities.“This will help organisations that operate as

a food business, including care and nursinghomes, to prove that they have displayed duediligence and are therefore compliant in theeyes of the law.“Everyone who works in social care has a

legal duty of care towards the individuals theysupport and a responsibility to prevent themfrom acquiring a food-related illness whilst intheir care.” CT

The number of councils providing meals onwheels to vulnerable older people has droppedbelow 50% for the first time.Research for the National Association of Care

Catering (NACC) shows that just 48% of au-thorities provide a service compared with 66%only two years ago.The NACC says under-investment is putting

elderly people at risk and will place unneces-sary pressure on the NHS because meals ser-vices help prevent hospital admissions andextend the time residents can live at home.NICE (the National Institute for Health & Care

Excellence) has previously identified better nu-tritional care as the third largest source of costsavings to the NHS. The average meals onwheels service supplies around 60,000 mealsper year but it is not statutory so councils canremove the service to save money even thoughmalnutrition accounts for nearly £20bn ofhealth and social care spending in England.NACC chairman Neel Radia fears continued

cuts endanger vulnerable residents and place ahuge strain on the NHS.“We understand that local authorities have a

problem with social care funding and we are notplacing the blame solely with them,” said MrRadia. “Council budgets are under immensepressure but withdrawing a service that canhelp keep someone out of hospital is a falseeconomy in the long run because unnecessaryhospital stays and bed blocking are a hugeproblem for the NHS.

Councils cut meals on wheels services“Some authorities do not take the nutritional

side to meals on wheels seriously enough andwe have even seen instances in the past wherecouncils have stopped providing the service anddirected people to fast food outlets on theirwebsite which is appalling.“Meals on wheels is so much more than just

a meal – it's a vital preventative service. It helpsreduce unnecessary malnutrition and malnutri-tion-related illnesses and is a lifeline to thosewho are alone and isolated with no support.”


interiors feature

January 2017 21Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn

A collection of purpose-built flats, ProtheroeHouse is the latest addition to One Housing’s(OH) Season programme of residentialdevelopments. The official opening took place on the 18th

November, inviting potential residents to lookaround the bright and modern flats, communalrestaurant, bar, lounge and landscapedgardens. Behind the project, Vision’s interiordesign team, who act as the dementiaconsultants for OH and sole supplier for theirextra care facilities. Lucy Allen, Interior Design Specialist for

Vision’s Healthcare Division, said: “The briefwas to deliver an inviting residentialenvironment aimed at supporting theindependence of vulnerable people over theage of 55.”Vision were involved from inception through

to development and advised on everythingfrom well-defined routes and passageways tothe furniture, furnishing and equipment,including the wallpaper and curtains throughto the smallest touches like the light switches,toilet seats and balcony flooring. She continued: “Working with healthcare

establishments, we understand how importantis for a space which is practical and beneficialto a user, in more ways than even they mayrecognise.For example, it was important to ensure

each floor was easily distinguishable from theothers to support orientation and clearwayfinding. We chose to implement varyingcolour schemes for each of the floors andinclude large floor numbers to provide visualclues as soon as a resident enters.

Another key objective of the design was tosafeguard a resident’s health and safety andso Vision supplied flame retardant fabricsthroughout the establishment; from thecurtains to the soft furnishings, from ourspecialist Whitakers range.”Group Director for Housing Care and

Support at One Housing, Kevin Beirne, said:“Our Season developments represent the newgeneration of high quality extra careapartments, combining the best fullyindependent living with 24 hour support andcare. Using the best quality design was animportant part of making Protheroe House adesirable place to live. Our customers havebeen really impressed.”In order to enhance a resident’s wellbeing

and to protect their independence, a largecommunal garden was added to provide aplace for day-to-day, meaningful activity aswell as a hobby room, roof terrace andwellbeing centre.

n For more information, call 01254 589550,email [email protected] orvisit www.visionsupportservices.com.

Stylish interior design services to support independent livingVision Support Services is the trusted supplier of flame retardant fabrics and interior design services to leaders in healthcare up and down the UK.Through the Whitakers product brand, they have been providing specialist fabrics to renowned care groups for hundreds of years.

©One Housing/Andy Catterall


staff development


At Silverline, we are on a mission toprovide the highest quality care forresidents and to be the best care home

for staff to work at. Our homes, based acrossScotland and North Yorkshire, are pursuingthis mission with the introduction of our‘developing potential’ programme. In June, we introduced the programme for

nurses and other staff members across ourseven homes, with the aim of developingpeople’s abilities and potential, empoweringstaff and increasing their confidence to knowthat they can make a huge change for thebenefit of the residents in their care.We recognise the challenges the industry

faces in recruiting and retaining really greatstaff, and are responding by building aninternal resource of the best talent in theindustry. As an organisation, we feelempowered to do the best for our clients, andthat means investing in, and retaining ourwonderful staff. We are investing in training programmes

such as the developing potential programmeto develop existing talent further, empowerstaff to be brave and share their vastknowledge and opinions, and to support theminto long term employment and ultimatelyleadership roles in our care homes.Developing potential is all about making

staff better at what they already do – notteaching them a whole new skillset or job role– but building confidence, realisingaspirations and developing relationships withother carers across the group with a view tosharing best practises.There are 25 people on our programme

across the care homes. They take part in amodule every three months, and in between,each student will work with buddies, keepdiaries, write learnings and interact on a

Silverline Care chief executiveRACHEL DRYDEN talks

about her company’s‘developing potential’

programme whichaims to empower staff andincrease their confidence.

networking group on the care homes’ socialmedia pages.The course is designed to make staff realise

their potential, by giving them tips and guidanceto improve the skills and knowledge theyalready have and encourage them to be the bestthey can be in their roles. Modules range frombuilding your confidence, building relationshipsand communicating effectively, dealing withtransition and change and being braver.Jenny Maddox, from Insight Out Training

Consultants, who run the programme said:“Silverline want to go above and beyond tosupport staff to be organisational navigatorsand feel a sense of ownership of Silverline,so they know what ‘good’ looks like, andthey know that they have the authority tomake decisions.”One of our nurses, Elizabeth Johnston, has

worked at our Cochrane care home for fouryears, and has been in the nursing profession formore than 27 years. At the start of her career,Elizabeth worked at an NHS hospital which shesaid was ‘stressful, regimented and not familyfriendly’. Since moving to Silverline, Elizabethhas noticed a huge change in our approach and

much prefers working in a care homes.Elizabeth feels there is a real focus on

families and the local community at Silverline,as well as upon the residents. One big bonus isbeing able to get to know residents and theirfamilies, while getting involved with them andlearning about their lives.

We place a real focus on the longevity ofour residents, building relationshipsand making them happy and

comfortable. The difference in hospitals is thatpatients are normally only there for a few days,so the same relationships cannot be fostered.We have really seized the opportunity to focuson both residents and staff.Since the developing potential programme

has begun, our nurses have reported seeing adifference in the workplace environment, withmore emphasis on team building and workingtogether in order to enhance resident’s lives.Elizabeth has said the course makes care

staff better at the job they already do, byimproving skills and knowledge butdemonstrating the best way to use them, todevelop their potential fully. It’s effective atrelationship building and allows them to get toknow staff from other homes, where they canshare experiences, tips and problems as wellas developing potential solutions.It’s enormously satisfying for me to hear

feedback from staff members such asElizabeth. We have already seen positivechanges from staff members who haveattended this course in terms of raisingconfidence and aspirations.This has anoverwhelmingly positive effect on the carethey deliver to residents.By graduation next September, we hope that

all 25 staff members on the programme will begetting more out of their careers, byrecognising their own abilities and striving toclimb the career ladder. Most of all, we hopethat they will realise their full potential andhave the confidence to use it effectively in theworkplace, to enhance the lives of residentsliving in Silverline’s homes. CT

Building a resource of the best talent

Four one-day events, with three months in betweeneach, followed by a graduation event.

Day 1: What it’s all about, building yourconfidence in yourself, being brave� Welcome and introductions� Overview of the programme and why you are here� Sharing of aspirations and what you want to getfrom the programme

� Seeing your future, creating your plan� Exploring your confidence levels: what do youbelieve about you and how you will usethat to help you

� Creating development buddiesand learning groups

Day 2: Building relationships, being influentialto get things done through others,communicating effectively� Building rapport and being influential� Being assertive� Feedback: how to give and receive it well� ‘Throwing’ your message so that others can ‘catch it’

Day 3: Managing well through change, dealingwith transition� What managers do� Dealing with change: for you and for others � Management styles� Stages of team development and what teams needfrom their manager to succeed

Day 4: Moving forward from here, being evenbraver� Valuing difference and knowing where you fit� Gathering your learning and makingit work for you

� Deciding what next � Creating your development plan and next steps

Graduation Day (six months after Day 4)To review progress, anchor learning, plan next stepsand celebrate success

Overview of the developing potential programme



MEET THIS YEAR’S AMAZING CARE AWARDS WINNERS!

PHOTOBOOTHSPONSOR

ENTERTAINMENTSPONSOR

MAIN SPONSOR

WINNERSLUNCH HOST

PROGRAMMESPONSOR

#careawards

The National Care Awards Gala Presentation Nightwas held on the 25th November 2016 and was thebiggest yet. The awards, now in their 18th yearcontinue to highlight excellence in all parts of thesector and reward those who work tirelessly toprovide consistently outstanding care.

The fabulous evening was sponsored by Christie &Co who have been sponsors for 18 consecutiveyears, and held at the prestigious London HiltonMetropole, the same venue for the last 18 years.Managing Director for Care for Christies, RichardLunn welcomed the guests and reminisced abouthow much he enjoyed being involved with theawards.

The drinks reception was sponsored by Fowler UKand almost 750 guests flocked to the Kings Suiteto enjoy a glass of champagne! There was a Twitter wall featured for the second time, sponsored by Sky Business, and it went down a

storm with guests posting pictures of themselvesto be in with a chance to win two wonderful prizesfor best dressed man and best dressed lady!

The evening’s entertainment opened with the fabtastic acepella group Sons of Pitches who thenwent on to introduce the host for the evening -Keith Duffy, who entertained the room famously.From his time as a singer with Boyzone and as anactor on Coronation Street, Keith truly has acelebrity profile that attracts attention from allmedia circles. His compassion and drive to raisemoney for charity, particularly for Autism has ledKeith to be a great celebrity to have involved withthe awards.

The evening closed with a finalists raffle to win aspa weekend courtesy of the Evolve Care Groupfollowed by two light-hearted games of Heads ortails which raised thousands of pounds for TheCare Workers Charity which helps carers who

have fallen on hard times through no fault oftheir own.

The party continued with entertainment sponsored by Pinders including music from thewell-known band ‘Co-Stars’ who entertained theguests until the early hours! The photo boothmade another appearance this year thanks tosponsors Compass Associates and was a hugesuccess with queues out the door!

The National Care Awards is the longest established and biggest Care Awards by a significant margin. Its vigorous and personalisedjudging process, along with its glamour, make itthe Awards most people want to win. Look out forthe start of next year’s National Care Awardswhen nominations start in February. The winners,once again, will be revealed in November 2017 at another exciting night of celebrating the bestpeople in the sector!

RECEPTIONSPONSOR

FINALISTSPRIZE

TWITTER WALLSPONSOR

24-31CT0117awards.qxp_Layout 1 07/12/2016 11:51 Page 24

18TH NATIONAL CARE AWARDS 2016

CARERCARE REGISTERED

NURSECARETEAM

CARE OPERATIONSMANAGER

CARE ACTIVITIESCO-ORDINATOR

CAREHOUSEKEEPER

CAREMANAGER

SPECIAL NEEDSMANAGER

DEMENTIA CAREMANAGER

Doreen Knight, Caring HomesPresented by Avnish Goyal, Hallmark Care Homes

Sam Cutts, Stowlangtoft HealthcarePresented by Geoff Hodgson, Caring Times

Lloyd Court Care Team, NorseCarePresented by Pete Calveley, Barchester Healthcare

Caroline Davies, Caerphilly County Borough CouncilPresented by Ben Allen, Oomph Wellness

Andrew Hood, Community Integrated CarePresented by James Allen, Caring Homes

Phil Benson, Community Integrated CarePresented by Theresa Ellmers, The Journal of Dementia Care

Ruth French, Stowlangtoft HealthcarePresented by Sam Leighton-Smith, Compass Associates

Lisa McLaughlin, Belong WarringtonPresented by Chris Harding, The Daily Sparkle

Ieva Bagurske, Sonnet Care HomesPresented by Les Marshall, Miele Professional


18TH NATIONAL CARE AWARDS 2016

CARECHEF

CARE HOME OFTHE YEAR

DIGINITY AND RESPECTCARE HOME

CARE HOMEGROUP

LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENT

CAREPERSONALITY

CAREAPPRENTICE

RESIDENTENGAGEMENT

CARELEADERSHIP

Tim Ware, Lexicon Health CarePresent by Carol Schofield, Purchasing Support Services

Valerie Manor Presented by Chris Hubbard, The Consortium Care

Lelant Nursing Home, Pilling Care HomesPresented by Glen Mason, HC-One

Carly Walden, Pearl HealthcarePresented by Alison Simpson, Lifetime Training

Eleanor Wilson, Barchester HealthcarePresented by Douglas Quinn, Your Care Rating

Jane Sadowski, Sonnet Care HomesPresented by Richard Lunn, Christie & Co

NorseCarePresented by Hannah Williams, Sky

Benet Ormerod, Barchester HealthcarePresented by Nigel Patel, Coutts

Pete Calveley, Barchester HealthcarePresented by Dr Claire Royston, Four Seasons Health Care


CELEBRATIONS AT THE AWARDS


#careawards


Absolom, Molly........................Miele ProfessionalAdams, Rachael ........................Avery HealthcareAdams, Natalie ..........................The Old VicarageAdams, Lynne ......................Caring Homes GroupAdepegba, Yetty ................Hallmark Care HomesAffleck, Shane .............................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyAgarwal, Mala...........Athena Care Homes LimitedAgcaoili, Joan ..........Athena Care Homes LimitedAitchinson, Kerry...............................Colten CareAitchinson, Mark................................Colten CareAlexa, Mihaela ......................................B&M CareAllen, Anna.........................Hallmark Care HomesAllen, Kelly.......................Manor Park Care HomeAllen, Lauren ...................Manor Park Care HomeAllen, James........................Caring Homes GroupAllen, Ben................Oomph Wellness Training LtdAmbrose, Ann..............................Nazareth LodgeAmore, Celina ..................Porthaven Care HomesAngeloni, Kerry ................................BrighterkindArkinstall, Andrew .............................Colten CareAshru-Jones, Emma ......................................WPPAtherton, Julia .................Barchester HealthcareAust, Emma......................................BrighterkindBagurske, Ieva ......................Sonnet Care HomesBaigrie, Elaine................................Downing CareBaker, Richard ...Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeBaldwin, Suzanne .............Barchester HealthcareBall, Howard...........Guest of Bidvest FoodserviceBall, Sarah .....................................................OSHBanister, Nick.....................Hallmark Care HomesBarden, Harry.................................GreensleevesBarker, Caroline .......................Ridouts SolicitorsBarrett, Alison ...............................Valerie ManorBarton, Julie ........................................TwinglobeBates, Irene ...................................Valerie ManorBates, Zoe......................................Valerie ManorBates, John....................................Valerie ManorBayonito, Cynthia.....................................HC-OneBeattie, Kathleen ...............................NorthlandsBeecham, David...................Caring Homes GroupBeecham, Kay..........................The Regard GroupBelgium, Amber .........................AbleCare HomesBennett, Sarah .......Guest of Bidvest FoodserviceBenson, Phil .............Community Integrated CareBenson, Ben ............Oomph Wellness Training LtdBenson, Danielle.......Community Integrated CareBerkley-Ble, Michael ..........Hallmark Care HomesBerrisford, Tom....................Compass AssociatesBetts, Sarah...................................................OSHBeyaz, Gemma.................Porthaven Care HomesBhullar, Jasbinder ..........St Matthews HealthcareBhullar, Sunderjit ...........St Matthews HealthcareBillyeald, Tessa .......................Miele ProfessionalBing, Caroline .........................................AdvanceBird, Mark.................................Avery HealthcareBirley, Sandra.........................................BarclaysBirley, Paul .............................................BarclaysBishard, Phil................................Nazareth LodgeBishard, Jane..............................Nazareth LodgeBlake, Jack ..........................Gompels HealthcareBloomer, John ................................Marches CareBloomer, Carey...............................Marches CareBond, Patrick...................................Outlook CareBond, Erica......................................Outlook CareBonsell, Kayleigh...........................................OSHBowern, Caroline .............................Caring TimesBrand, Sue ...........................................................Brand, Lloyd.........................................................Brazier, Allan ...................................BrighterkindBrealy, Rachel .......................Lexicon HealthcareBreingan, Derek ......Clydesdale & Yorkshire BankBreingan, Tracy .......Clydesdale & Yorkshire BankBrett, Kate ......................Lifetime Training GroupBrown, Scott............Accelerate Underwriting LtdBrown, Michelle ....................................B&M CareBrown, Ellen .............................................ApetitoBrownlie, Linda..................................Colten CareBrownlie, Bill .....................................Colten CareBryant, Michelle .............................GreensleevesBryne, David.........................Bidvest Foodservice

Buckland, Rachel................Wellburn Care HomesBuckland, Steve..................Wellburn Care HomesBurcher, Rob ......................Hallmark Care HomesBurgers, Sarah .............Elizabeth Finn Homes LtdBurgers, Matt ...............Elizabeth Finn Homes LtdBurton, Sattie....................Guest of Caring TimesBurton, Nicki ..................................Marches CareBurton, John..........Independent Care ConsultantButler, Mark ...........................Autumn Years CareCallaghan, Mary.........................Pearl HealthcareCalveley, Pete ..................Barchester HealthcareCanavan, Shaun ...............Porthaven Care HomesCannings, Sandra...................Berkley Care GroupCantrell, Trish...........Athena Care Homes LimitedCaratella, Shaaron............Barchester HealthcareCarmody, Alison ...................Bidvest FoodserviceCash, Lisa..................................Guest of Care UKCash, Alan ...............................................Care UKCashmore, Jeremy...........................Christie & CoCastillo, Fernando ............Barchester HealthcareCave, Danielle............Hale Place Care Homes LtdCecchi, Fabio.......................Ontex Healthcare UKChadwick, Helen....................Lexicon HealthcareChapman, Jon ..........................................PindersClamp, James...........................Freeths SolicitorsClapcott, Carol...................................Colten CareClapcott, Chris...................................Colten CareClark, Dan ...............Oomph Wellness Training LtdClark, Freda........................................NorthlandsClark, Harry ..........................Berkley Care GroupClarke, Jenny ...........Community Integrated CareClarke, Esther................................................OSHClear, Mel ..................................Guest of Care UKClear, James............................................Care UKClegg, Ann .......................Manor Park Care HomeClements, Richard ....................Avery HealthcareClinton, Julia.........................Sonnet Care HomesColborne Baber, Kate..................Oomph Wellness

Training LtdColeman, John .................Barchester HealthcareColeman, Barrie .......................................PJ CareCollins, Rachel ........................Miele ProfessionalColocotts, Gill...........................................ApetitoConnor, Daniel .........................The Regard GroupCook, Gwaine .......................Bidvest FoodserviceCooper, Sophie ................................Christie & CoCooper, Suzy....................Porthaven Care HomesCooper, Thea...........................Miele ProfessionalCooper, Karen .................................GreensleevesCorner, Mary..................................................OSHCorstophine, Iain .................Caring Homes GroupCotton, Ben..........................Compass AssociatesCoulter, Graham.......................................PindersCousins, Carol..............Four Seasons Health CareCox, Mark.........................Porthaven Care HomesCozens, Vanessa........................Your Care RatingCraig, John ......................Porthaven Care HomesCrann, Donna ...................................BrighterkindCrawford, Emma ..............................Christie & CoCrawley, Janet......................................B&M CareCreasey, Jessica .................................Hale PlaceCrew, Alex ................................Avery HealthcareCrone, Alex..................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyCrosby, Jo.............................Sonnet Care HomesCudex, Dominik...................The Close Care HomeCullen, Jane .....................................BrighterkindCumber, Lex .........................................CastleoakCundall, Sarah .......................Lexicon HealthcareCurd, Alison .........................Caring Homes GroupCutts, Sam ...............Brandon Park Nursing HomeDabbs, Louisa ..................................Sky BusinessDampier, Steve.................................BrighterkindDattani, Dilip ......RSM Restucturing Advisory LLPDavies, Caroline .......................Caerphilly County

Borough CouncilDavies, Natasha ...............Porthaven Care HomesDavis, Russ ........................................Colten CareDavitt, Fergus ....................................Colten CareDavitt, Catherine ...............................Colten CareDawson, Sarah ........................Miele Professional

Dawson, Dave...........................................ApetitoDay, Elizabeth ....................Hallmark Care HomesDean, Chris ..............................................SunriseDelaney, Lisa............................................ApetitoDewani, Shrien ........................Evolve Care GroupDhrona, Yashu ....................The Close Care HomeDhrona, Sanjay ...................The Close Care HomeDhrona, Girish ....................The Close Care HomeDibble, Danny ....................................Colten CareDibble, Angela ...................................Colten CareDillon, Peter .............Community Integrated CareDixon, Rob ..............................Miele ProfessionalDocherty, John ...............The Holmes Care GroupDocherty, Eileen..............The Holmes Care GroupDooraree, Ram...Anahita Rehabilitation Centre LLPDooraree, Raj..Anahita Rehabilitation Centre LLPDoran, Della ..........................................B&M CareDrennan, Kay ...................................Anchor TrustDrew, Julie ...............................Avery HealthcareDuffey, Claire ...........................................PindersDutton, Carl .........................Compass AssociatesEden, John..........................................Helme HallEdmondson, Helen ..Purchasing Support ServicesElford, Becky .............................The Old VicarageElford, Daryn .............................The Old VicarageElliott, Graham ...............................Downing CareElliott-Pears, Rose .........................Downing CareEllis, Anna .............................Holmwood Care LtdEllmers, Theresa..........Journal of Dementia CareEllmers, Leo.................Journal of Dementia CareElmer, Linda.......Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeElphick, Henry................................Laing BuissonEltham, Terry......................The Close Care HomeEltham, Gary.......................The Close Care HomeEltham, Gordon...................The Close Care HomeEltham, Jill .........................The Close Care HomeEmery, Dominic.................................Investec LtdEmery, Peter ......................................HC-One LtdEmery-Jones, Bhavna .................BJ & AssociatesErvin, Samantha ........Hale Place Care Homes LtdEyre, Patricia ............................Avery HealthcareFagence, Linda ...........Guest of The Food TeacherFagg, Paul .......................................GreensleevesFairbrother, Kate..................Compass AssociatesFarrar, Bryony ..................Barchester HealthcareFarrer, Julian .....................................Colten CareFarrer, Elaine .....................................Colten CareFenwick, Lesley.......................Miele ProfessionalFerguson, Roderick ............Hallmark Care HomesField House, Vanessa ..........................Helme HallFilsell, Anna.................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyFilson, Jeremy ....................Ontex Healthcare UKFoale, Marie Claire ...................Lelant Care HomeForbes, Jade ........................Compass AssociatesFowdar, Devanand ...................Thistle HealthcareFowdar, Sarawaiee ..................Thistle HealthcareFowdar, Usha...........................Thistle HealthcareFowler, David........................................Fowler UKFoxhall-Smith, Sandie ..............The Regard GroupFrankum, Maggie..............Porthaven Care HomesFrench, Ruth......Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeFrench, James ...Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeFrost, Catherine ...............................BrighterkindFry, Alan.........................................Valerie ManorFuller, Demi ...........................Berkley Care GroupFuller, Jenny..........................Berkley Care GroupGale, Sarah ..........................Caring Homes GroupGallagher, Sara...................Hallmark Care HomesGallagher, Seamus ...Brandon Park Nursing HomeGash, Martin ........................Caring Homes GroupGaskarth, Susan .......................................HC-OneGaskell, Hannah...............................Christie & CoGidar, Sukhi...............................Gold Care HomesGilchrist, Thomas ...............................NorthlandsGilchrist, Iain......................................NorthlandsGilchrist, Heather...............................NorthlandsGillispie, Angela ..................Ontex Healthcare UKGillispie, Donald ..................Ontex Healthcare UKGolding, Thomas.......................Freeths SolicitorsGood, Amanda ....................................Helme Hall

Gorringe, Michelle .................Lexicon HealthcareGould, Martin...................................Christie & CoGoyal, Anita .......................Hallmark Care HomesGoyal, Ash..........................Hallmark Care HomesGoyal, Ram.........................Hallmark Care HomesGoyal, Anand......................Hallmark Care HomesGoyal, Avnish .....................Hallmark Care HomesGraca, Paula.......................Hallmark Care HomesGrant, Tanya ....................Manor Park Care HomeGrant, Lindsay..................................BrighterkindGrapes, Karen ....................Hallmark Care HomesGreen, Martin...............................................ECCAGreen, James .........Purchasing Support ServicesGriffiths, Pete ......................Compass AssociatesGriffiths, Dan ...................................Christie & CoGriffiths, Gail ...................Porthaven Care HomesGroves, David...................Porthaven Care HomesGuntrip, Laura .............................Lester AldridgeHalfin, Matt .............Oomph Wellness Training LtdHamblin, Jamie..................Zenith Hygiene GroupHammond, Tim.............Four Seasons Health CareHancock, David...............Redwoods Dowling KerrHarbour, Dawn .........Athena Care Homes LimitedHarding, Chris...........................The Daily SparkleHargreaves, Neil.......................................ApetitoHarman, Jessica..............................Caring TimesHarper, Graham ...Yorkshire and Clydesdale BankHarris, Sian .............................Evolve Care GroupHarrison, Denise........................The Old VicarageHarrison, Dawn......................Berkley Care GroupHartigan, Jeremy.............................LaundryTechHartland, Nicola ......Accelerate Underwriting LtdHassan, Mehmet ........................................CouttsHawker, Sam ..............................AbleCare HomesHawker, Tim ...............................AbleCare HomesHawkes, Marie .........................The Regard GroupHawkins, Dr Lois ..............................Caring TimesHawkins, Dr Richard ........................Caring TimesHazlewood, Alison............Barchester HealthcareHazlewood, Mark..............Barchester HealthcareHennessy, Patrick ...............................Helme HallHeppell, Paul...................Lifetime Training GroupHerbert, Linda.....................................Hale PlaceHerbert, Lance ................Porthaven Care HomesHewlett, Mandy .........Hale Place Care Homes LtdHewlett, Barney ........Hale Place Care Homes LtdHewlett, Kevin ...........Hale Place Care Homes LtdHewlett, Natasha.......Hale Place Care Homes LtdHewlett, Dudley.........Hale Place Care Homes LtdHiggins, Bryan..................Grant Thornton UK LLPHill, Peter ............................Caring Homes GroupHill, Charlotte ..........................The Regard GroupHill, Suzanne......................................Colten CareHingham, Josh................Redwoods Dowling KerrHirkoo, Alain ................Elizabeth Finn Homes LtdHirkoo, Emma...............Elizabeth Finn Homes LtdHodge, Sue.................................AbleCare HomesHodges, Michael ..............................Christie & CoHodgkinson, Mark ...Oomph Wellness Training LtdHodgson, Geoff................................Caring TimesHoe, Estelle .........................Caring Homes GroupHolland Webb, Shital...................Oomph Wellness

Training LtdHolmes, Geoff........................Holmwood Care LtdHolmes, Cath ...................................Anchor TrustHolroyd, Steve.........................Warmest Welcome

ApetitoHolroyd, Tracey .......................Warmest Welcome

Warmest WelcomeHood, Andy...............Community Integrated CareHood, Hayley............Community Integrated CareHorley, Allison.......................Sonnet Care HomesHough, Susan ...............................................VistaHouseman, Vicki .................Ontex Healthcare UKHouseman, Donna ...................Miele ProfessionalHubbard, Chris ....................The Consortium CareHuggett, John..................Porthaven Care HomesHughes, William ....................................B&M CareHughes, Katy ...........................................Care UKHunter, Carol .......................................Hale PlaceHurley, Shaun .........Purchasing Support Services

GUEST LIST


Hurley, Stewart.......Purchasing Support ServicesInnes-Farqhuar, Alison........................HC-One LtdInsley, Lucy ..............Athena Care Homes LimitedIreland, Nicola.......................Berkley Care GroupJackson, Mandy .......Athena Care Homes LimitedJackson, Keith.........Accelerate Underwriting LtdJackson, Andy .................................Caring TimesJaques, David ....................................Colten CareJarrett, Emma .........................The Regard GroupJeffery, Paul ........................Caring Homes GroupJeffreys, Mike ......................Compass AssociatesJenkinson, Clare...Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeJenner, Steve.................................Chandler & CoJessop, Mark ...........Accelerate Underwriting LtdJohnson, Irene ................................Caring TimesJohnson, David ............................Health InvestorJohnstone, Shonagh ........................Caring TimesJones, Michelle .......................Evolve Care GroupJones, Martin .................Redwoods Dowling KerrJones, Nicola...................................Caring TimesJones, Sam .......................Target Ovarian CancerJones, Diane .......................................Helme HallJupp, Heather..........................The Regard GroupKaratas, Dilek ........................One Housing GroupKarrasch, Lizzy ...................................Helme HallKeane, Michael..................BKR Care ConsultancyKeane-Rao, Bhavna ...........BKR Care ConsultancyKemp, Jodie .........................Compass AssociatesKennet, Janet .......................................B&M CareKennison, Chanan ..........................Chandler & CoKenny, Nikki ....................Lifetime Training GroupKershaw, Rachel....................Sonnet Care HomesKey, Rod............................................Ebury CourtKey, Grace.........................................Ebury CourtKey, Richard......................................Ebury CourtKing, Pervine........................................TwinglobeKingston, Major Bruce ...............Your Care RatingKingston, Tom........................Lexicon HealthcareKirby, Julie ..................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyKirk, Mike ....................Four Seasons Health CareKirk, John ....................Four Seasons Health CareKirtsides, Dasos...................................SantanderKitching, Alastair ................Ontex Healthcare UKKitson, Julie ....................................Christie & CoKnight, Karen ......................................NorseCareKnight, Brian .......................Caring Homes GroupKnight, Doreen.....................Caring Homes GroupKnight, Lucy ...................................Valerie ManorLampard, Annie................Porthaven Care HomesLampard, Vanessa ...Accelerate Underwriting LtdLandau, Jonny ....................RadcliffesLeBrasseurLant, Lynn ................................................HC-OneLaqeretabua, Akanisi...........................Hale PlaceLatouche, Samantha ..............One Housing GroupLaw, Jacqui..........................Caring Homes GroupLawes, Sandra.....Strategic Marketing ConsultantLawley-Rayner, Serena ........Caring Homes GroupLawrence, Simon....Guest of Bidvest FoodserviceLeighton-Smith, Sam............Compass AssociatesLewin, Keith .......................................BrunswicksLewis, Claire ...................................Marches CareLilley, Diane.............................................OrchardLittle, Charlotte .......................................PJ CareLivermore, Helena ...............Caring Homes GroupLivermore, Clive ..................Caring Homes GroupLoscombe, Julie .......................................HC-OneLudlow, Davina............................Carehome.co.ukLunn, Richard ..................................Christie & CoLunn, Robert .........................Holmwood Care LtdLutaaya, Sarah .................Barchester HealthcareLuxford, Nicky..........Athena Care Homes LimitedMacara, Mandy .................Barchester HealthcareMacKay, Laird ......................Caring Homes GroupMackenzie, Isabella .............Caring Homes GroupMaiello, Helen .........Oomph Wellness Training LtdMalarai, Marissa...............Porthaven Care HomesMansfield, Samantha .....................................OSHMansfield, Lesley...........................................OSHManthorp, Chris................Barchester HealthcareManton, Jane...............................Lifeways GroupManzar, Sameena..............................Ebury CourtManzar, Beverley ..............................Ebury CourtMapes, Neil ..........................Dementia AdventureMarlow, Rachel......................Sonnet Care HomesMarshall, Les...........................Miele ProfessionalMarshall, Kirsty...................................Helme Hall

Marston, Chris ....................The Consortium CareMarston, Lynn .......................Sonnet Care HomesMason, Kerina...Caerphilly County Borough CouncilMason, Glen .............................................HC-OneMason, Julie ........................Caring Homes GroupMassouras, Petrina ..........................Mimosa CareMassouras, Anthony ........................Mimosa CareMatthews, Netty ..........................Sanctuary CareMatthews, Ian ...........................Avery HealthcareMcCaggery, Steve.................Bidvest FoodserviceMcCann, Heather...................Berkley Care GroupMcCann, Deb..Caerphilly County Borough CouncilMcGarry Wall, Lorriane.....................BrighterkindMcLaughlin, Lisa .....................Belong WarringtonMcNamara, Ron ......Purchasing Support ServicesMcNamara, Michael Purchasing Support ServicesMcVeigh, Nicky .................Barchester HealthcareMedlicott, Michael ...............Caring Homes GroupMeredith, Stacey .........................Sanctuary CareMiller, Paul......................Redwoods Dowling KerrMiller, Dean ..............................................ApetitoMitchel, Anthony..................Parklane HealthcareMitchell, Netty.............................Sanctuary CareMitchell, Kyrstina.................Caring Homes GroupMoncur, Fiona...................Barchester HealthcareMontgomery, Linda........................................OSHMoore, Jodi................................AbleCare HomesMoore, Jo..............................Sonnet Care HomesMorgan, Nick....................Porthaven Care HomesMorgan, Eddie......................Caring Homes GroupMorrans, Neil .................Nightingale HammersonMorris, Gary..................................G M PlasteringMorris, Marie ...............................BKR ConsultingMortimer, Trevor................................Colten CareMullins, Judith ...................................BrunswicksMulvana, Hazel........................Miele ProfessionalMumford, Suzanne....................The Daily SparkleMurray, Walter .........Accelerate Underwriting LtdMurray-Hall, David ...........Porthaven Care HomesMusa, Alexandra .......Community Integrated CareMyers, Emma ...............................Sanctuary CareNash, John ................................The Old VicarageNash, Tracy .........................................Helme HallNewbegin, Daniel ..................................B&M CareNorris, Vikki........................................Helme HallNott, Felcity.........................Caring Homes GroupNunn, Gill ....................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyNunn, Richard.................................Marches CareO’Connor, Eddie ......Purchasing Support ServicesOakes, Emma .......................Caring Homes GroupO'Grady, Ellie ...................................Anchor TrustO'Grady, Sandra.....................Holmwood Care LtdOkora, Abdul .....................BKR Care ConsultancyO'Mara, Rose ............................Avery HealthcareOppong-Agyare, Charlotte...............Four Seasons

Health CareOrmerod, Benet................Barchester HealthcareOsborne, Luke......................Compass AssociatesOtaka, Daniel ..................................GreensleevesPadure, Simona ................Barchester HealthcarePage, Guy ................................The Regard GroupParker, Stacey.....................................Helme HallParsons, Mike..........Oomph Wellness Training LtdPatel, Sita ...........................Westgate HealthcarePatel, Nigel................................................CouttsPattrick, Stephen ..................Lexicon HealthcarePearman, Bernie................................Colten CarePearman, Janie .................................Colten CarePerez, Jonathan ..............Porthaven Care HomesPerks, Keeley ........................Berkley Care GroupPhilips, Charles................................Christie & CoPierson, Pip ...............Hale Place Care Homes LtdPike, Terri .............................Sonnet Care HomesPilliner, Jane ..................................Marches CarePintinelli, Lonella.............Porthaven Care HomesPithie, Milli .......................Barchester HealthcarePitkin, Jeremy......................................Fowler UKPitts, Lisa..............................................B&M CarePlant, Steve ...................................Valerie ManorPollard, Les ........................The Close Care HomePop, Alex..........................Barchester HealthcarePorter, Andy ..............................................CouttsPrentice, Verity..................Hallmark Care HomesPugh, Steve .............Accelerate Underwriting LtdPunj, Kesh.....................................CastlemeadowQuantrill, Marie ...................................NorseCare

Quinn, Jo ...................................Your Care RatingQuinn, Douglas ..........................Your Care RatingRackham, Larissa ...........................GreensleevesRae, Anthony ..................Redwoods Dowling KerrRajakanthan, Kan ........................Nicholas James

Care Homes LtdRajakanthan, Dee ........................Nicholas James

Care Homes LtdRalph, Steve ................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyRamamurthy, Alex...Oomph Wellness Training LtdRanson, Mike .......................Caring Homes GroupReader, Steve .....................The Close Care HomeReed, Jonathan .............................Chandler & CoRees, Lindsay ....................................Colten CareRees, Alex .........................................Colten CareReeve-Wing, Gary ..............................Court RoyalReichter, Sue...............................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyReynolds, Steve...........................................NAPARichards, Jennie..............Manor Park Care HomeRichardson, Penny..........Redwoods Dowling KerrRidgers, Kelly ..................................Caring TimesRobb, Fiona .....................................Caring TimesRobbins, Caroline.....................The Regard GroupRobinson, Paul ....................Ontex Healthcare UKRobinson, Jane ...................Ontex Healthcare UKRocha, Aderio ....................Hallmark Care HomesRochford, Maeve .......................Pearl HealthcareRogers, Sandra.................................BrighterkindRolph, Laura ......................................Colten CareRoyston, Claire ............Four Seasons Health CareRudd, Julie...................................................VistaRushton, Helen......................Lexicon HealthcareRutland, Merne............................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietySadowski, Jane .....................Sonnet Care HomesSanpedro, Christen...................................HC-OneSchofield, Carol ......Purchasing Support ServicesSchofield, Daniel.....Purchasing Support ServicesSchofield, Nigel ...................Caring Homes GroupScott, Manolita.........................Caerphilly County

Borough CouncilSeal, Melanie....................Barchester HealthcareSeal, Tim ..........................Barchester HealthcareSedman, Gemma ..............Barchester HealthcareSedman, Michelle .............Barchester HealthcareSevenoaks, Garry ...........................Downing CareShafi, Qaz ........................................Caring TimesShanghavi, Hiten ....................................MonarchSheath, Sue ......................Barchester HealthcareSheldrake, Nicholas...............Holmwood Care LtdShepherd, Viv ......................................................Sheppard, Marie ....................Berkley Care GroupSherriff, Mark ......................Caring Homes GroupSherwood, Gary.........................Pearl HealthcareSherwood, Nicola ......................Pearl HealthcareShirley, Micky ......................Caring Homes GroupSidhu, Serb.......................Barchester HealthcareSilver, Slyvie................................................NAPASilverthorne, Teresa...................AbleCare HomesSimmons, Helen .............Nightingale HammersonSimmons, Yolanda..................One Housing GroupSimpson, Alison...............Lifetime Training GroupSimpson, Holly .......................One Housing GroupSinclair, Liz............................Cygnet Health CareSingh, Sujjata.....................Hallmark Care HomesSkelton, Julie ...................Barchester HealthcareSlater, Roy...........................................NorseCareSmith, Ellie ......................Brilliant Care SolutionsSmith, Chloe.........................................Fowler UKSmith, Lorna.............Athena Care Homes LimitedSmith, Jade .....................Manor Park Care HomeSmith, Chris ............Purchasing Support ServicesSmith, Anne.....................Brilliant Care SolutionsSmith, Daniel ...................Grant Thornton UK LLPSmith, Paul ....................................Qube CateringSnellgrove, Clive ..............Porthaven Care HomesSohorye, Mevin ........................................HC-OneSokolnik, Maria ..................................Colten CareSoper, Lisa................................Avery HealthcareSouth, Debbie ....................Hallmark Care HomesSteen, Andrew ................Redwoods Dowling KerrStephens, Louise ...................Holmwood Care LtdStephens, Leanne..................Berkley Care GroupStephens, Andy .....................Holmwood Care LtdStevens, Tracy .......................Holmwood Care Ltd

Stevens, Angus......................Holmwood Care LtdSteward, Linda.....................Caring Homes GroupStigwood, John .................................Ebury CourtStrain, Jo..................Community Integrated CareSumon, Barinder ......................................ApetitoSutherland, Tracy .....................................HC-OneSwiney, Clare.............Hale Place Care Homes LtdSword, Emma..City and County Healthcare GroupTanare, Arthur ..........................................HC-OneTansey, Christine................Hallmark Care HomesTatchell, Veronica ...............................Helme HallTate, Katharine .........................The Food TeacherTaylor, Hannah ...................Hallmark Care HomesTaylor, Nooch .................................Valerie ManorTearle, Gill .....................................CC HealthcareTeubner, Tara.......................Westgate HealthcareThomas, Amy ...................Manor Park Care HomeThompson, Louise.....................Avery HealthcareThorn, Marky ..................................Marches CareThorn, Mandy..................................Marches CareTilson, Katie.......................Hallmark Care HomesTimble, Camilla ...........................Nazareth LodgeTodd, Sarah ..............................................HC-OneTopham, Andy ..................................Christie & CoTownley, Evette........................The Regard GroupTrafford, Glenn ........Accelerate Underwriting LtdTucker, Terry ......................Hallmark Care HomesTurner, Graham..........................The Old VicarageTurner, Louise............................The Old VicarageTweddle, James ...............................Sky BusinessTyler, Sarah .......................Guest of Caring TimesUdenda, Jerry.......................................B&M CareVadana, Razvan................Porthaven Care HomesVail, Nadine ...............................Pearl HealthcareVanessa, Julien .........................Your Care RatingVerescu, Alina .......................................B&M CareVickery, Kelly.............................The Old VicarageWalden, Lisa ..............................Pearl HealthcareWalden, Carly ............................Pearl HealthcareWalford, Mark...................................Trusted CareWalford, Christina ..................Autumn Years CareWalrond, Kirsty ................Manor Park Care HomeWalsh, Kieron .....................Hallmark Care HomesWalters, Tracey ........................Caerphilly County

Borough CouncilWanklyn, Cheryl .................Hallmark Care HomesWare, Tim...............................Lexicon HealthcareWare, Sam..............................Lexicon HealthcareWarrington, Julie...........................................OSHWayte, Toni ....................................................OSHWeadon, Joe ........................Gompels HealthcareWebber, Annie ...........................Your Care RatingWeiner, Merle.........................Lexicon HealthcareWest, Jo ...........................Barchester HealthcareWestcott, Ben.......................Compass AssociatesWheele, Lorna..................................Caring TimesWhite, Sally .................................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyWhitehead, Josh .................................Helme HallWilkinson, Michael................Compass AssociatesWilliams, Hannah .............................Sky BusinessWilliams, Collete.............................Valerie ManorWilliamson, Liz ................The Holmes Care GroupWilliamson, Craig .....Accelerate Underwriting LtdWillis, Gemma..................Lifetime Training GroupWillis, Liz .............................Caring Homes GroupWills, Barbara.....................Hallmark Care HomesWills, Sue .................................Lelant Care HomeWilsher, Amanda...............Barchester HealthcareWilson, Jamin ....................Zenith Hygiene GroupWilson, Eleanor.................Barchester HealthcareWilson, Pete............................Belong WarringtonWilson, Michelle ...............................BrighterkindWilson, Alex......................Barchester HealthcareWilton, Jennifer .............................Valerie ManorWinfield, Andrea ..........................Harbour House,

West Bay Housing SocietyWintansley, Andrew ................................BaycroftWood, Alison ................................Lester AldridgeWright, Emma ....Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing HomeWright, Julie .......................................WrightcareWright, Victoria .........Hale Place Care Homes LtdWright, Sue....Caerphilly County Borough CouncilWright, Kevin............................Ridouts SolicitorsYapp, Amy.....................................Somerset CareYeardley, Gary .........Accelerate Underwriting LtdYoungman, Diane.................................NorseCare


WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR THANKS TOALL OUR AMAZING SPONSORS

19TH NATIONAL CARE AWARDS 2017FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT [email protected]

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case study

Agrippa fire door closers have played a keyrole in ensuring fire compliance at Ard CuanResidential Home in Northern Ireland,eliminating the need to hard wire in a systemto the building.

The care home, based in Portaferry,required the door closers to be installed toease access whilst protecting elderly residentsin the event of a fire.

Billy McClintock, joint owner of Ard CuanResidential Home had a total of twelve Agrippafire door closers installed into the care home,where 17 residents are currently living. Hesaid: “Having just installed a new fire alarmsystem we were informed by our fire engineerthat we had to install door closers on everybedroom door. It looked as though we wouldhave to install magnetic closers which wouldhave necessitated additional wiring for eachcloser. It was then I came across the Agrippacloser which operates by battery, acousticallyand also allows the door to be held open fullyor at any point between fully open and closed.They were easy to install and we were able toprogram them ourselves.

“I would have no hesitation inrecommending the Agrippa fire door closer. Iwould also say we found the staff at Geofirevery helpful and understanding.”

The Agrippa fire door closer has beenparticularly successful within the care homeindustry due to its quick installation. The

device can be installed with minimal disruptionto the building and its residents.

Fire door activation devices have beenrecently recommended by the Care QualityCommission, and are installed to internal firedoors so that in the event of a fire, the spreadof smoke and fire is contained rather thanspreading throughout the building.

The door closer is part of a range of Agrippaproducts that ‘listen and learn’ the sound of a

building’s specific fire alarm significantlyreducing false activations. The range alsoincludes an acoustic door holder and pillowalarm.

The Agrippa range is one of manyelectromagnetic fire door products designedand manufactured in the UK by Britishmanufacturer Geofire. n Further information: 0)388 770 360,

[email protected], www.geofire.co.uk

Agrippa fire door closers easing the way at care home



NINTH Murrayfield Stadium

Edinburgh19 April 2017

Organised by

FOR EXHIBITION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT [email protected]

FIND THE LATEST DETAILS AT CAREINFO.ORG/EVENTS or email [email protected]

Key topics and sessions to include:• SWOT analysis: the care home sector

• New National Care Standards for Scotland: details from the Care Inspectorate

• Frailty and dementia: caring for the whole person

• Symposium on wander-walking and getting lost: new research and guidance

• Care coordination – translating policy into practice

• Improving care for older people in acute care

• Update from the International Summit on Dementia and Intellectual Disability

• Improving end of life care for people with dementia

• Developing dementia friendly faith communities

• Practice development in supporting people with advanced dementia

• Community services and supporting people at home

• Scottish Care Inspectorate: findings from the Dementia Inspection Focus Area (IFA)

• Responding to stress and distress in dementia

• Meaningful activities in care homes

In association with:


January 2017Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn 35

building with care

Care home construction specialist Stepnell hasbeen awarded a £6.6m contract to design andbuild a four-storey, 81-bed care home as partof a larger residential scheme, developed bysister company Aspen Retirement Ltd, in theheart of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.The care home will be divided into four nurs-

ing groups which will each be equipped withresident lounges, dining rooms and self-con-tained accommodation.A range of communal facilities include a hair

salon, café, family rooms, a small cinema andlaundrette, while dayroom lounges and diningrooms are spread across all floors. Residentswill also be able to enjoy the outdoors in a com-munal garden.Designed by DWA Architects, the new

building will feature energy-efficient LEDlighting and combined heat and power source(CHP), which makes use of heat energy usu-ally wasted in other energy systems, to re-duce energy consumption and help keeprunning costs low.“We’re delighted to be Care UK’s chosen con-

struction partners in the delivery of this high-specification care facility which will bring manybenefits to the local community including up to

Stepnell to build £6.6m care home for Care UK300 tradesmen working on the constructionproject, through the involvement of our localsupply chain,” said David Berry, Stepnell con-tracts manager.“Our project team are proud to play their

part in creating a fantastic new care facilitywhich will enable future residents to live andenjoy their lives to the full.”

The 81-bed home will be one of two Stepnelldevelopments at Aspen Retirement’s care vil-lage development. Alongside the care home,Stepnell, in partnership with Bromsgrove Dis-trict Housing Trust, is building 26 mixed tenureapartments with private garden for residentsaged 60 and over. The apartment scheme wasdue for completion in November.

Impression of the £6.6m81-bed care home beingbuilt in Bromsgrove forCare UK by Stepnell.

Derbyshire care operator Folcarn opened itssecond care home, the 28-bed New Lodge Nurs-ing Home in Mickleover, Derby, in early Novem-ber after securing a significant funding packagefrom the Royal Bank of Scotland. (RBS)

Paul Curzon (Royal Bank of Scotland),Khadiga Orta (New Lodge Nursing Homemanager) and Folcarn managing directorPaul Coulthard at the upgraded New Lodge

Nursing Home in Mickleover, Derby.

Folcarn opens second care home in DerbyshireA pre-existing care home on the site closed

down before its acquisition by Folcarn. The RBSfunding assisted in the purchase of the buildingand renovation Owned by managing director Paul Coulthard

Folcarn’s other care home is the Old NursingLodge in Etwall, which last year was recognisedby the Care Quality Commission report as pro-viding 'outstanding' levels of care.“This has been an exciting project for Fol-

carn as we expand our care offering acrossDerbyshire,” said Mr Coulthard. “The fundingfrom the Royal Bank of Scotland has played akey role in helping us to realise our ambition ofopening a second care home in Derbyshire.”RBS senior relationship manager Paul Cur-

zon said Mr Coulthard had worked in the caresector for many years and was highly re-spected locally.“We are delighted we could assist with pro-

viding a high quality finish that will no doubtmeet the approval of the New Lodge NursingHome residents,” said Mr Curzon.


promotion

While there are indications of somebetter news for care homes for olderpeople, the adult social care sectorcontinues to face challenges on a numberof different fronts. We are delightedtherefore to publish new research on fee,occupancy and funding data inassociation with members of the NationalCare Forum (NCF).The research has produced some

interesting findings, which once againcompare the NCF members favourably tothe independent sector averages:NCF member average fee rates have

increased significantly over the past 12months, by 11.5% and 10.0% for personalcare and nursing respectivelyLondon and the South East remain the

strongest performers in terms of average andself-funded fee rates achieved. That said, theNorth West is performing very wellNorth West occupancy levels are strong,

and the South West has improved markedly tobe back in line with where we would expect.The West Midlands continues to boast thehighest occupancy at 95.3%Occupancy in tertiary homes has increased

quite substantially over the past year,

indicating a general increase in demand forservices, regardless of asset typeNCF overall occupancy has improved and is

now in line with LaingBuisson’s third sectoraverage rates, at 92.6% of registered capacity.Vic Rayner, Executive Director of NCF, says:

“I would like to thank Carterwood for theresearch they have carried out to bring intofocus the work of NCF members in thischallenging climate. The results of theirresearch into accommodation, occupancyrates and fee levels show that the not-for-

profit sector’s continued emphasis onquality has ensured that it remains apartner of choice in the provision of care.This form of benchmarking is essentialfor our membership to enable them toeffectively charter the road ahead”.Ben Harley, Director at Carterwood,

added: “By working collaboratively withthe NCF, our research shows that NCFmembers are well-positioned, withsuperior facilities and strong occupancyand fee rates. All providers are operatingin a challenging environment, but the factthat the not-for-profit sector continues toinnovate and achieve great outcomes forthose people using its services is a credit

to how they lead and how their staff delivercare services on an ongoing basis.”The findings from the research are detailed

in the latest edition of Carterwood’s FOCUS,which can be found on the Carterwoodwebsite.

n If you are interested in receiving a copy ordiscussing any issues raised in thebulletin, please contact Carterwood [email protected] or call 08458690777 to speak to a member of the team

Carterwood research maps out the road ahead


point is, people seem to wantto go out of their way (literallyin his case) to be offended.Let’s look at the facts. We

build two and three storey res-idential care homes for elderlypeople. We aren’t attemptingto secure planning consent fora noisy, smelly industrial plant,the by-product of which isharmful to small babies andcute, furry, family pets. We provide a servicewhich is meeting a huge need. We make it sothat our aged parents can maintain their dig-nity and don’t have to share bedrooms andbathrooms with complete strangers in out-of-date, not fit for purpose, former seaside hotelsmasquerading as care homes.

But why is it that so many peopleobject to any care home planningapplication which comes before

them? We hear the same complaints trottedout time and again – “the sewers won’t beable to cope”; “the traffic will be anightmare”; “the building is too big”.One of my recent favourites was “we will

be able to see the building from the mainroad”. When did being able to see a buildingbecome a reasonable reason to refuse plan-ning consent? I want people to be able to seeour buildings so that staff, families and futureresidents know where they are. Why shouldwe shamefully hide all new buildings in case anervous villager catches a glimpse and is ap-palled by the very site of a new developmentdaring to blot his particular landscape? (Ac-tually I can think of a few newly-designedcare homes which might be improved bybeing hidden but that is just my own spitefulprejudice coming out).


building with care

When you spend your life designingbuildings and submitting planningapplications, to get the required

permission to build them, you tend to developa thick skin to criticism and objection – itcomes with the territory. I understand that weall have different tastes and just because Ifavour a certain style of design it doesn’t meanI am right and those who dislike it are wrong.Actually that’s not true; they are wrong, whycan’t they just agree with me? But I digress.In my younger days I would joke about

‘weighing’ the file of objections rather thanreading them. Nowadays there is no file toweigh but rather an online list of tiny, yellowfolder icons which the local authority puts upto share with anyone who cares to log-on toview the planning application online.Perhaps I am just getting older and more

sensitive, or perhaps now that I take moretime to read these rantings online, I havestarted to pay more attention to what it isthese objectors have to say and to considerwhat motivates them.In days gone by we received actual letters,

written on paper and delivered by the post-man (ask your Grandad). They would start (inspidery green ink handwriting normally) withsome ramble about something completely un-related to the application at hand, degenerateinto a rant about the scheme itself, thenthrow in a little local gossip about a neigh-bour which, whilst completely irrelevant, al-ways made the letter a lot more interesting.They would finally end in a wild flourish ofscattered reflexive pronouns inviting ‘myself’to inform ‘themselves’ of the outcome of myapplication. I miss those fun days.In reviewing the latest objections to one of

our schemes I was suddenly struck by thethought: when did we become so spiteful andmyopic that we object to any new develop-ment, no matter how much it may be neededand how little it would actually affect us?When did we start to hate any proposed de-velopment almost before knowing what it is? Irecently met a local objector to one of ourschemes who complained about our proposedbuilding. I pointed out that he wouldn’t actu-ally be able to see our proposed developmentfrom his house. He countered that if he wereto leave his property via the back door, walkto the end of his garden, exit through a gatein the fence at the bottom of his garden, turnleft and then walk a short way down the roadthen he would be able to see it! Good man-ners prevented me from pointing out that ifhe really wanted to be offended that much, hecould turn right instead of left and he wouldthen be able to gaze upon a drive-thru road-side hamburger takeaway establishment! My

I object! . . . but I really don’t know whyNorthStar director

DANNY SHARPE takes

a whimsical look at

NIMBY attitudes to

new developments.As you may have gathered by now, I have

little time for NIMBYs. Even the local author-ity social services commissioners are at bestlukewarm when it comes to welcoming newcare home development – I was rather sulk-ily told that the local team ‘wouldn’t object’to a new scheme we are developing. ‘Would-n’t object?!’ how about ‘would welcomewith open arms – is there anything we cando to help?’

Aa nation we need to build a lot morecare homes and standards aredefinitely improving but unless we

stand up to the NIMBYs and shame the small-minded objectors into thinking about what it isthey are actually objecting to, we will fail in ourtask. Just because you have a right to objectdoesn’t mean you have to object: you couldalways be brave and write a letter of support. I,for one, would probably frame it if you did.My final thought on the matter is this:

where do these people think they are going togo when they need 24-hour nursing care?They will no doubt get their pens out, fill themup with green ink and start a letter to theirlocal MP demanding to know why they arebeing forced to share a room with a totalstranger and why the Government can’t dosomething about the lack of good 21st Cen-tury care accommodation. CT

Development company Hamberley has com-pleted the latest luxury care home in a pipelineof 10 for Gracewell Healthcare.The care home in Sutton, Greater London

was completed in early November at a cost ofmore than £10m.These new buildings are part of a programme

of turnkey developments that Hamberley arebuilding exclusively for Gracewell following itssale to Sunrise Senior Living and US health carereal estate firm Welltower in 2014.The high-end 83-bed care home in Sutton, on

the site of a former factory, will provide 83 en-suite premium rooms for the local community.Hamberley director Tim Street said the

completion of the Sutton development markedthe end of a busy year for the firm.“This has been an exceptionally active year

for Hamberley with a constant pipeline of newluxury care home developments being deliv-ered for Gracewell,” said Mr Street.“In 2017 we will complete these projects and

continue working with other leading providersand real estate investors to build more highquality healthcare facilities.”Mr Street said Hamberley was continuing to

look for other development opportunities inthe Greater London area.The new Sutton home will combine boutique

hotel interior design with leading-edge demen-tia and specialist care facilities and serviceswith an emphasis on style, warmth, homely ex-perience and intimacy.Facilities include a luxurious hair and beauty

spa, a nail bar, café, a library and residents willhave WiFi access throughout the home.

Construction completed at luxury Sutton facility


January 2017 www.careinfo.org – Caring Times official website38

building with care

LNT Care Developments has received planningpermission to build a 66-bed care home on thesite of the former Landmere Care Home in WestBridgford, Nottinghamshire.Rushcliffe Borough Council approved the

planning application for the care home, whichwill provide residential and dementia care forelderly people, in November.Demolition has already begun on site, with

construction due to start in March with a pre-dicted completion date for January 2018. It isintended that the home will be a strong com-munity facility, integrating with the nearby localfacilities of shops, churches and schools.Project director at LNT Care Developments

Christine Cooper said the new care home wouldprovide outstanding accommodation with fullyen-suite bedrooms, spacious communal areas,and state-of-the-art amenities including a cin-ema, library, garden room and tea shop, all sur-rounded by beautifully landscaped gardens.“We will be creating 50 jobs in the local

area and providing a high quality resource forelderly people in the local community,” saidMs Cooper.“The facility will incorporate intelligent de-

mentia design and be eco-friendly by benefit-ting from ground source heat pumps, solarthermal panels and LED lighting keeping util-ity costs low.”

Site plan for LNT Care Development’s66-bed care home in West Bridgford.

LNT given green light for West Bridgford care home

Following a six month construction project,Sutton Coldfield-based nursing home BeechHill Grange has opened two high specificationpenthouses which have been funded by long-term banking partner Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS)in a deal worth £220,000. The two penthouses have both received an

Beech Hill Grange’s Christian Humpherston Royal Bank of Scotland’s Spencer Ford.

overall luxury finish, including, high end fix-tures and fittings such as Villeroy and Bochbathrooms, solid walnut doors and bespokefurnishings throughout. Directors Judith Mid-dleton and Christian Humpherston workedclosely with interior designers to furnish bothpenthouse suites. An internal lift has also been

part of the investment to allow residents totravel from the ground floor to the exclusivepenthouse level.Founded in 1986 by Judith and Christian

Humpherston, they have expanded the 62-bedBeech Hill Grange into a £2.8m business.“Since Beech Hill Grange was founded, we

have continued to make positive improvementsthat mirror the high level of care we provide.,”said Christian.“We feel confident we have tapped into a

market for those looking for something a littlebit special where they can enjoy their lateryears. Looking into the future, we have re-ceived planning permission to build an addi-tional 42-bedroom annexe which will includeoutstanding facilities such as a hair salon andnail bar, restaurants, lounges, a full size cinemaand activity rooms. “This will generate a significant recruitment

campaign, adding to our 168 existing employ-ees. All going well, we anticipate this develop-ment to be completed by early 2018.”

Luxury penthouses opened at Beech Hill Grange

Husband and wife team Jon and Jules Lobbhave purchased the 22-bed Somerforde carehome in Newton Abbott, Devon, a plan sup-ported by significant investment from newbanking partner Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).The vendor Nicky Witham will remain as a

care home manager for six months whilst Jonand Jules recruit a suitable candidate. In addi-tion, an event management recruitment cam-paign is underway to improve the number oftrips out and in house entertainment.The couple have purchased a high standard

care home with its latest CQC being good andthey aspire to achieve ’outstanding’ status, withplans already in place to achieve this. They fullyintend to keep Somerforde as a small and inti-mate care home providing a home-from-homeenvironment for their residents.

A major refurbishment is already in progressto personalise all 21 bedrooms which will bephased over several months. Plans are in thepipeline to improve the outdoor area to createa sensory garden.“It’s very exciting embarking on a new ven-

ture and being part of something so worth-while,” said Somerforde director Jon Lobb.“I have a strong business background and

feel my skillset and experience can be trans-ferred to the running of Somerforde.“We are very grateful to Nick and Royal Bank

of Scotland for recognising our strengths andhaving the vision that we can make Somerfordea success in this challenging sector. Our lack ofexperience didn’t deter them from lending to usand this has enabled us to invest in what we seeas a financially sound business.”

Royal Bank of Scotland’s Nick Connors andSomerforde director Jon Lobb outside the newlyacquired care home in Newton Abbott, now

undergoing refurbishment.

New entrants fired-up with Somerforde purchase



business & property

A care home in Edinburgh, established by CareConcern Group, plans to raise £3m from in-vestors through Downing Crowd, a crowdfund-ing platform that invests in a wide range of UKbusiness sectors. The new funds will help sup-port the ongoing operation and day-to-dayrunning of the care home.Manor Grange, overlooking Carrick Knowe

Golf Course in the Corstorphine area of Edin-burgh, opened its doors in late October 2016,with the original redevelopment and refurbish-ment of the care home having been funded by

Manor Grange seeks £3m in crowd fundingDowning Crowd’s wider investment business,Downing LLP. The new funds are currentlybeing raised by Crowd Bond investors.Downing Crowd Bonds are a type of invest-

ment-based crowdfunding that allow investorsto lend directly to businesses via bonds thatare secured against a firm’s operational assets.This security seeks to help reduce investor riskby enabling Downing Crowd to sell these assetsif the borrower fails to pay interest on the bondfor any reason. The Manor Grange asset-backed Crowd Bond allows investors to earn upto 5.5% over 12 months.Downing and Care Concern Group have been

working together for more than four years,with Downing providing more than £30m of in-vestment to its projects. Care Concern cur-rently operates more than 20 residential carefacilities across the UK, with a material pres-ence in Scotland. Downing has been supportingCare Concern to create premium quality facili-ties, with the 83-bed Manor Grange being sur-rounded by landscaped gardens.Julia Groves, head of Crowdfunding, said

more than a million people had now investedthrough a crowdfunding platform but, despitethis popularity, the different kinds of crowdfund-ing tended to all get labelled as ‘extremely risky’.

“In fact, Crowd Bonds are a simple type of in-vestment and, provided investors fully under-stand the relevant risks, they can offerattractive returns in the current climate of lowinterest rates and rising inflation,” said MsGroves. “Moreover, at Downing Crowd we onlyinvest in established UK businesses, makingour Crowd Bonds a great way to see an in-vestor’s money make an impact in their localarea. Manor Grange is the first of what we hopewill be many opportunities in the residentialcare sector for Downing Crowd, as we see a lotof potential here to help encourage greaterquality care for elderly people. The Scottishmarket in general also holds exciting prospectsfor us, with our Crowd Bond investors havingjust recently provided £1.25m funding for anewly opened hydro power station in Argyll.”Care Concern Group chief executive Man-

preet Johal said finding more traditional formsof funding was still a challenge for many busi-nesses in both the care sector and beyond.“We pride ourselves on providing the best

possible care facilities and comfortable sur-roundings for our residents and thanks to thesupport of crowdfunding investors we are con-fident that Manor Grange will be able to deliverthis high standard of service,” said Mr Johal.

Tracscare has acquired four specialist ac-quired brain injury services incorporated asthe provider New Bridges.Tracscare chief executive Peter Battle

said the New Bridges acquisition formedpart of an ongoing programme of acquisi-tions. In 2015 Tracscare acquired BrookdaleCare, a specialist residential care providerfor individuals with autism, and as a resultbecame the biggest provider of support forindividuals with autism in the sector.

Tracscare acquiresNew Bridges



business & property

Scottishs entrepreneur Robert Kilgour and hismanagement team at Renaissance Care haveembarked on a significant capital investment inthe company he founded in 2005.Musselburgh-based Renaissance will have a

turnover of ￡20m this coming year, more thandoubling the size of the business in the lastthree years. It now operates 12 care homesthroughout Scotland. and is wholly owned byMr Kilgour and the senior management team.The investment programme of several mil-

lion pounds is currently under way and includesthe recent purchase of the 58-bed Whitecraigscare home business in Glasgow's south sidefrom Four Seasons, the first Renaissance Careestablishment in the West of Scotland.A 20-bed private residential care unit at

Mathieson House is to be extensively upgradedand is soon to open within the grounds of Re-naissance’s existing 50-bed Letham Park carehome in the Trinity area of Edinburgh.There will be substantial improvements

made to two care homes in Aberdeen – withplans to refurbish Cowdray Club care home inFerryhill and on the opening this autumn of anew upgraded and refurbished interim careunit at Torry care home. A new private residen-tial care suite at Beech Manor in Blairgowrie isto be created, with its own private garden area,and is scheduled to open in November thisyear. Milford House at Duddingston in Edin-burgh is to have a new laundry building and ex-tensive bedroom improvements.“We are committed to spending money on

improving our care homes for the benefit ofour elderly residents,” said Mr Kilgour, who ischairman of Renaissance Care. “I've been in

Renaissance to upgrade its existing portfoliothis sector for a long time, and I'm determinedto continue Renaissance Care’s growth and de-velopment, making this a good company inwhich our staff can develop – hence we’ve dou-bled our training budget over the last threeyears. With this growth in our business comesopportunity and so we currently have 35 jobvacancies of varying types across the group.“This is a difficult time for the care home

sector, with the Scottish Government imposinga challenging and not fully funded £8.25 perhour carer's living wage from the start of thisOctober. I am a firm believer in our hard-work-ing staff being fairly rewarded, but there aresome issues still to be resolved and we mustwait to see the results of this most recent costincrease on the care sector.“I fear that more care homes will close and

fewer new ones will be built going forward,leading to more 'bed blocking' in our NHS hos-pitals and more cancelled operations. “At a time when the demographics show the

need for more care home beds we are seeingan increasing net loss of bed provision everyyear – a very worrying trend. Also there will beinteresting challenges with Brexit as it developsas nearly 30% of our current staff come fromoutside the UK.“However, I'm very excited by the future po-

tential of Renaissance Care and what it canachieve. This is a people business – both in thecase of our vulnerable elderly residents andour staff – and we must always maintain thehighest standards. That is the reason for thiscontinued programme of investment.”Mr Kilgour was the original founder of Four

Seasons Health Care, which he started with one

care home in his native Fife in the late ‘80s, be-fore departing the company in 2000 - by whichtime it was the fifth largest business of its kindin the UK with more than 100 homes and 6500employees. He completed his final financialexit from Four Seasons in 2005.

ROBERT KILGOUR:

‘I fear that more care homes will

close and fewer new ones will be

built going forward. We are

seeing an increasing net loss of

bed provision every year.’

Research by accountancy firm Moore Stephenssuggests that 12% of care homes (1,584 out ofa total of 13,261) have at least a 30% chance ofgoing insolvent within the next three years.Moore Stephens says care homes in the UK

have been under considerable financial strainin recent years due to rising costs and a lack offunding from local authorities despite a grow-ing demand for care home places.Mike Finch, restructuring partner at Moore

Stephens, said the introduction of the livingwage had increased the financial pressure forcare homes, particularly for smaller homes.“Government cuts to local authorities’ bud-

gets have also had a significant impact on thesector,” said Mr Finch. “It’s estimated that feespaid by local authorities in England to carehomes have dropped by close to a fifth since2010, and councils now face a £1bn shortfall forsocial care.”Moore Stephens refers to the Care Quality

Commission’s State of Care report published inOctober 2016 which voices concerns about thesector, citing difficulties retaining staff, financialpressure and increase in demand as particulardrivers for care homes to close. The CQC reporthighlighted that 2,444 residential care homeshad closed in the past five years with most ofthem being smaller care homes (1,433).“It has become increasingly difficult for care

homes, particularly smaller providers, to keepup a consistently high level of care whilst break-ing even or worse, remaining solvent,” said MrFinch. “The introduction of the living wage hasincreased the financial pressure on care homesto even higher levels, and this is only likely tocontinue as the living wage keeps increasing toreach the target of £9/hour by 2020.“This is creating an unsustainable situation

in a lot of care homes, where more staff areneeded to cater for the increase in demandbut the money simply isn’t there to cover ris-

ing staff costs. Cuts to local authority feeshave meant that care homes have hadto cope with an increasing proportion of thefinancial burden.“Although steps are being taken to improve

funding to adult social care through the gov-ernment’s Better Care Fund, and the option forlocal authorities to raise council tax by 2%,many care home providers are concerned thatthis will not go far enough. It’s vital that carehomes receive the funding they need to em-ploy the right levels of staff and offer sustain-able high quality care to their residents.”Mr Finch said that when a care home did go

insolvent it was important that administratorsmoved quickly in order to avoid any disruptionto residents.“The administrator’s work will typically in-

volve restructuring the care home owner’s debtand examining the selling-off of assets such assurplus property,” he said.

Living wage threatens viability of smaller care homes


dementia-specialist homenear Reading – built byCastleoak for Abbeyfield –made an enthusiasticpresentation of theirspankingly handsome newbuilding, with its en suitefacilities, spa baths andsmart lighting, not tomention two-and-a-halfacres of landscaped grounds and a roofterrace. But this vast complex has 60residents, communal catering, and - to bespotted in one of the invariably sunlit photos- a high exterior security fence.


business & property

Summing up the morning sessions at thelatest Annual Care England Conferenceunder the hopeful title “Bringing it all

together”, chair Avnish Goyal sent delegates offto lunch with the line, “We must not see eachother as competitors”. At the time it soundedon the bland side of positive, but moments later,I found myself with deeper doubts.Care, whether we like it or not, is as much a

business as any other these days. Companiesjostle for customers. As Care QualityCommission ratings indisputably demonstrate,there is still far too much mediocre or poorprovision and quite a lot which is failing toimprove. Is it not rather healthy that advocatesof rival systems for delivering careshould seek to outbid each other withdiverging evidence of effectiveness?Markets rule OK?In the preceding hour, two senior

managers had sharply challenged anyillusion of consensus. Peter Kinsey ofCare Management Group describedmuch of the supported livingprovision now offered to – or moreoften imposed on – people withlearning disabilities as “shockinglybad”, apocalyptically predicting“another Winterbourne”.Then, Dominique Kent of the fast

growing and award winning Good CareGroup promoted her company’s live-indomiciliary care product with nakedimmodesty, barely concealing hercontempt for the much inferiorresidential services – lessindependence, ingrained institutional practices,loss of service user control – for which so manyolder people have to settle. These were hard-hitting, barely coded attacks on many providers,some of them only feet away.There was much more evidence of the

theoretical divisions over the mostappropriate methods of social care delivery.At an afternoon seminar session, forexample, the development team for a

Collaboration? Competition? More like open conflict!Caring Times columnist

JEF SMITH reports on

the Annual Care

England Conference.

Isn’t this very reminiscent of the sort ofinstitutions which are almost universallycondemned – and now being expensivelyclosed – for people with learning difficulties?Are elderly people in the late stages ofdementia so different that they will notbenefit, as research consistently shows, frommuch more intimate living environments? Theonly possible justification for bigness is surelythat financial considerations are driving

economies of scale.While providers fight each other for stars

and custom, the tensions elsewhere in thesector are even more vicious. Only theabsolute winners in the inspection stakes have

a good word to say for the regulatorsand, for those who are dependent onclients funded from the public purse,the meanness, petty bureaucracy andarrogance of commissioners arewidely deplored. Again, finance, or thelack of it, seemingly dominatesrelationships.An earlier speaker, Norman Lamb

MP, now the Lib-Dem spokesperson onhealth but a DH minister under theCoalition, berated successivegovernments – including the one ofwhich he was a member – for a“conspiracy of silence” over the crisisof social care resources. In theprocess, he pointed to another serioussplit; “social care always loses out toagainst health”. Echoing this viewfrom the floor, John Ransford, adirector of provider HC-One Ltd but for

many years a luminary of the LocalGovernment Association, spoke for directorsof adult social services in confessing that hiscentral worry about health/care integration isthat “the NHS culture would simply take over”.Far from the universal sweetness and light

Chairman Goyal would like us to believe in, thecare industry is riven with conflicts; thesooner these are frankly faced, the better andmore honest will be their resolution. CT

‘While providers fight each other

for stars and custom, the

tensions elsewhere in the sector

are even more vicious. Only the

absolute winners in the

inspection stakes have a good

word to say for the regulators .’



business & property

Complex care provider Badby Park Group hasacquired The Gateway care centre in Middles-brough. The multi million-pound deal marks thenext stage in the growth of the group, whichalso owns Badby Park in Daventry and Adder-ley Green in Stoke.Under the new ownership The Gateway will

be known as The Bridge and will welcome thefirst of its new residents in the New Year.The 40-bed facility is located in the heart of

Middlesbrough in the Middlehaven district.

The GatewayBadby Park acquires

Badby Park Group chief executive Paul Hill saidThe Bridge would work closely with local healthand social care professionals to deliver the high-est quality complex care services for residents.“From day one we’ll be working hard to en-

sure that The Bridge becomes a centre of ex-cellence for the delivery of highly specialised

complex care services,”said Mr Hill.“The Bridge will be the

third centre in our growinggroup and will be a placewhere people will betreated with kindness, care,respect and dignity. “This is an exciting time

for the group as we look tobring our truly integratedmodel for care to more regions of the UK.“We have developed an excellent specialist

and dedicated team at our other centres, in-cluding formal partnerships with the UK’s lead-ing neurological care experts, and we will bedoing the same here at The Bridge.”The Bridge will provide rehabilitation, long-

term care, respite and palliative care for peoplewith neurological illnesses, acquired brain in-juries and spinal injuries. The facility will fea-ture 40 care suites over four floors, atherapeutic swimming pool and gym, sauna,therapy rooms, lifestyle kitchens and café.

Paul HillThe Avenues Group and Welmede havemerged, with Welmede, a support and hous-ing provider, becoming an operating sub-sidiary of support provider, Avenues Group.By combining their resources and exper-

tise, the two organisations believe that themerger will enhance and strengthen theirwork, create opportunities for supportingmore people in local communities, and pro-vide greater resilience to cost pressures andfuture challenges in the social care sector.Steve James, group chief executive at Av-

enues, said that, with Welmede’s housing ex-

perience and Avenues’ expertise in providingcare for people with complex needs or chal-lenging behaviour, the dovetailing of twohighly respected providers of community-based support should result in a ‘win-win’ sit-uation for all.“It is well known that the care sector is

under severe financial constraint and this islikely to continue for the time being,” said MrJames. “We feel that by going forward to-gether we can enhance our model of bestpractice for our service users and maintainthe highest quality of care.”

Specialist care providers merge



business & property

APPOINTMENTSin association with

The new head of nursing at a dementia carecentre of excellence in Caernarfon has had ahair-raising start in the job.That’s because 47-year-old Anne Jones has

spent most of her time since starting at BrynSeiont Newydd wearing some magnificent ex-amples of facial fuzz.Anne’s new job at the home coincided with

the start of this year’s ‘Movember’ fundraisingcampaign which sees people across the UK rais-ing cash for charity by sporting moustaches forthe whole month of November.

It’s usually men who get involved by cultivating their own upper-lip ornaments but fun- loving Anne says she could see no reason whynot to join in by adorning her face with a selection of stick-on whiskersin aid of Cancer Research UK, which is a cause close to her heart afterseeing close family members and friends hit by the disease.As a qualified nurse she worked first at a private therapy unit for

the sexually abused in Macclesfield in Cheshire, before moving on tohead up a 14-bed dementia care unit in nearby Knutsford.Later she became the manager of a home back in Macclesfield pro-

viding general nursing and dementia care services.Following a spell as a disability assessor Anne moved over to North

Wales two years ago to become a care supervisor at a LeonardCheshire home in Colwyn Bay.At Bryn Seiont Newydd, which was opened last year by Mario and

Gill Kreft of the Pendine Park care organisation, Anne is in charge ofa 12-strong team of nurses and also helps manager Sandra Evans todirect the activities of around 100 care practitioners.

The owners of a Warwickshire nursing homewhich was criticised by the industry regulatorhave appointed a new manager to help restoreits reputation.Following a report by the Care Quality Com-

mission which, after an inspection in October,concluded that aspects of the 47-bed home’sservices were ‘inadequate’ Culpeper Care Ltd,owners of the Willow Tree nursing home inRugby, have brought in experienced elderly carespecialist Jackie Huckvale as its new manager.Working with the home’s owners, the demen-

tia specialist is already making changes with plans to introduce amore ‘relaxed and homely’ atmosphere.“Everyone here at Willow Tree is focused on the future and on

restoring our good name as a home which provides a world-classlevel of care,” said Mrs Huckvale, who moved into the care sector in1997 after 10 years as a registered nurse.“We are well on the way to taking things back to that highest level.

Care is all about quality and I am looking forward to delivering thebest standards at Willow Tree, working closely with our team to makea difference to the lives of our residents and building even better lev-els of trust with their relatives.”

New Rugby care home manageris ready to make a difference

New nursing chief bristles withenthusiasm for the job and herhairy fundraising challenge



business & property

The Care Quality Commission’s approachto the registration of learning disabilityand autism services is at odds with

service user choice – it is also unlawful.The regulator is refusing to register new

services, and expand existing ones, in thelearning disability and autism sector that failto meet CQC’s strict interpretation of post-Winterbourne View national guidance aimedat moving service users out of in-patientfacilities into the community.To obtain registration, CQC is saying that

only one model of care is acceptable: a servicethat is small in scale (typically no more thansix people) situated in a residential area (aspart of a community) which is close to wherepeople come from.This inflexible approach is having a

negative impact on the market and willcontinue to do so as long as CQC applies it.This flawed registration policy is articulated inits document, Registering the Right Support,which was published in February 2016 withoutany prior consultation. However, the nationalguidance upon which CQC purports to relyonly identifies a preferred model of care,allowing for exceptions that depart from it orfor models of care which achieve the sameoutcomes but in a different way.CQC’s misinterpretation of the national

guidance precludes specialist providersfrom registering services where there maynot be a local need or where that needmay be limited. It also prevents servicesfrom opening in non-residential settings. Aprovider may wish to develop an excellentcare home in a rural or semi-rural settingwith links to the community for serviceusers with complex needs, drawing onplacements from across the country butwill be barred from doing so because ofCQC’s inflexible policy underpinned by itsflawed interpretation of the national guidance.CQC’s interpretation of the national

guidance also denies service users andfamilies’ choice. By way of example, a familyfrom Newcastle may wish to place their lovedone in a planned new service in Lincolnshirebut CQC will say that is unacceptable as theplacement should be local. CQC has no powerto intervene in such a manner but is acting asif it was a super-commissioner, attempting toshape the market, and control the exercise ofchoice, as it thinks fit.Instead of applying a one size fits all diktat,

the regulator should be making registrationdecisions on the basis of facts and evidence inaccordance with the statutory scheme underthe Health and Social Care Act 2008. If aproposed model of care is tried and tested andmeets the requirements of the FundamentalStandards, and any other applicable

Specialist provider calls for a person-centred regulatorNEIL GRANT, a solicitor with

Ridouts Professional Services plc,

says the Care Quality Commission is

restricting service users’ choice by

refusing to register services which

don’t conform to its preferred model.

legislation, the service should be registered. At Ridouts, we know of a number of

occasions where CQC’s policy has discouragedmuch needed investment into the learningdisabilities and autism sector. CQC has evengone so far as to apply its policyretrospectively, stopping developments intheir tracks, including one in Lincolnshirewhich commissioners, service users andfamilies would wish to use.

The provider intending to open this service– Home from Home Care Ltd – operates 11successful services in that county on the basisof a tried and tested service model which isinnovative and family-led. Home from HomeCare managing director Paul de Savary writes:“CQC is another example of the

metropolitan elite’s divisive thinking that itknows best. The father whose daughter wehave supported for nine years and is nowfunded for the specialist home blocked byCQC, asks ‘What do they know about M, thatas a family we don’t know, or that thecommissioner doesn’t know? It is the uniquenature of these services that is a major factoras there are no other similar servicesavailable for M and the alternative could wellbe an Assessment and Treatment Unit likeWinterbourne View’.“Person-centred care requires a person-

centred regulator, not a one size fits alltechnocracy, particularly one that compoundsits errors by refusing to engage meaningfullywith providers like us who, working withfamilies and commissioners, are redefiningspecialist care. The outcome of CQC’sinstitutional arrogance is now matched by thespectacular crash in funding for specialistlearning disabilities services. As a bankerconfided, ‘Now, only the scrapping of this

unlawfully applied guidance will restoreconfidence and kick-start investment’. Themessage is unambiguous: CQC – you aremaking victims of the most vulnerable.”To continue to restrict the expansion of

learning disability and autism servicesoutside of CQC’s narrowly drawnparameters will drive investors and serviceproviders away from the sector, impactingnegatively on service provision for some ofthe most vulnerable people in our society.

Ridouts have challenged CQC aboutis its approach to new learningdisability and autism services which

we say is unlawful. CQC is now proposingto consult on revisions to Registering theRight Support from mid-December 2016.CQC should withdraw its policy and

introduce guidance for the sector whichpromotes innovation, choice, care quality andsafety. If it fails to do this, it may well becomethe problem rather than the solution as faras achieving the outcomes stated in thenational guidance is concerned: getting asmany of the 2500-plus inpatients out ofAssessment and Treatment Centres intoquality, specialist provision in the communityover the next few years.Given the stakes, providers in the sector

should participate in the consultation toensure their views are properly taken intoaccount by CQC in developing a policy thatreflects CQC’s legislative base and works forservice users, families, commissioners,investors and providers. CT

‘The outcome of CQC’s

institutional arrogance is now

matched by the spectacular

crash in funding for specialist

learning disabilities services.’



business & property

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Name: Cherry Tree House, WendoverRegistration: 20 residentialBuyer: Salveo CareSeller: P. Hall & J. ParkerAsking price £1.95mAgent: Christie & Co Tel:020 3846 0621

DEVON

Name: Spurfield House, ExminsterRegistration: Previously 12 residentialSeller: Guinness Care & SupportAsking price £460,000Agent: Christie & Co Tel:0117 946 8500

EAST YORKSHIRE

Name: Parklands, Rawcliffe, near GooleRegistration: 30 elderly,dementiaBuyer: Sensation CareSeller: HICAAgent: DC Care Tel:01937 849268

ESSEX

Name: Boscombe Care Homes Ltd,Fernbrook Care Homes Ltd, both inSouthend on SeaRegistration: 31 & 30 elderly,respectivelyBuyer: Mr A RajaSeller: Mr MJ RashidAgent: Christie & Co Tel:01473 234904

HEREFORDSHIRE

Name: Dovecote, Llangarron (below)Registration: Closed. Previously 15residents (old age & dementia).Buyer: CareTech HoldingsSeller: Begbies Traynor, Receivers.Agent: DC Care Tel:01937 849268

NORFOLK

Name: Ford Place, ThetfordRegistration: 49 elderlyBuyer: Stowlangtoft HealthcareAgent: Christie & Co Tel:01473 234904

Name: St Mary’s, New BuckenhamRegistration: 29 elderlyBuyer: Mr & Mrs S RajendraSeller: Mr P BangaAgent: Christie & Co Tel:01473 234904

SCOTLAND

Name: Avonhaugh NH, Stonehouse,South LanarkshireRegistration: 45 elderlySeller: Care Choice LtdAsking price: £1.5mAgent: Walton Healthcare PropertyConsultants Tel:01473 234904

Name: Rannoch Lodge NH,Cumbernauld, North LanarkshireRegistration: 45 elderlySeller: Care Choice LtdAgent: Walton Healthcare PropertyConsultants Tel:01473 234904

SOMERSET

Name:Broughton Lodge, Burnham-on-SeaRegistration: 18 elderlyAsking price £995,000Agent: Christie & Co Tel:0117 946 8500

Information appearing in “Care Homes

Sold” is published in good faith that the

information is accurate and cleared for

publication. The onus for accuracy is on the

property agent. Caring Times will not

publish, in a subsequent issue, corrections

or alterations to information supplied.

Agents, please note that items cannot be

withdrawn once the copy deadline has

passed. We advise readers to confirm any

details with the property agent concerned.

Care Homes Sold

Berkshire-based Windsar CareLtd has acquired a former carehome in Slough to refurbish andopen as a newly developed homeproviding nursing care for el-derly clients.Funding to support the pur-

chase of the Berkshire care homehas been provided by the RoyalBank of Scotland.Burnham House has been

closed since July 2016 but Wind-sar Care identified the potential ofbed home which has 75 beds, allsingle and with en-suite toilet andbasins. The home will operate asWindsor Care Centre.Established in 2009, Windsar

Care is run by Dr HemanthaKumar and Dr Pradeep Anand.They have an existing home, SaltHill Care Centre, situated verynear to Burnham House.

Royal Bank of Scotland

funds Windsar’s purchase

of Burnham House

A joint venture between the Topland Group andHenley Healthcare Investments, part of theHenley private equity group, has concluded itssecond portfolio sale to Funding AffordableHomes for £25m.Funds from the sale of the fully refurbished

supported living properties will be reinvestedback into buying and adapting more stock fora sector which the joint venture partners saysis currently underserved.The UK-wide portfolio of supported living

assets, which has been aggregated by Top-land and Henley since 2014, are acquired onan individual site specific basis in order to en-sure that they are tailored for the needs oftenants. Henley is a market leader in thisspace, working with local authorities and the

Second supported living sale for Topland and HenleyNHS since 2012 to identify requirements andoffer a cost-neutral mechanism to commis-sion supported housing schemes run by reg-istered social landlords.Henley formed a joint venture fund with Top-

land acting as the LP investor in 2014. The fundcontinues to acquire new stock, carry out theadaptations and provide long term housing forvulnerable adults.Commenting on the sale, Topland’s execu-

tive chairman and chief executive Sol Zakaysaid: “Topland continues to demonstrate itscommitment to the supported housing sector.There is strong demand in the supported liv-ing sector with a growing level of interest frominstitutional buyers, who both understand thespace and want to be active in providing ethi-

cal and socially valuable investments.”Henley chief executive Ian Rickwood said the

sale of the joint venture’s second portfolio ofsuitably refurbished homes in the supportedhousing sector provided “a perfect match oftenants with long term investors”.“We continue to buy new housing stock,

which will be developed for the sole purpose ofproviding long term homes for vulnerableadults,” said Mr Rickwood.“From an investor perspective the fully

developed portfolios offer long term, infla-tion-linked secure income along with a signif-icant contribution to making a positivedifference to society. The space is thereforean ideal investment for any socially responsi-ble pension funds.”


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National Care Awards 2016 - Careinfo.org · January 2017 The management magazine for the social care sector BUSINESS Specialist care-strict adherence to guidance hampers investment