June 2009 no.157 • £4.75 In association with By Dominic Musgrave FRUSTRATED owners are challenging the Care Quality Commission to meet with them and explain some of their ‘bizarre’ inspection reports. Caring UK has been inundated with calls from operators since a story last month which told how one angry operator took legal action to overturn an ‘adequate’ rating on his home. Now operators are demanding more consistency from the CQC – and more explanation about how inspectors decide their star ratings which can cost homes thousands of pounds a year. Caring UK spoke to one owner whose home achieved exactly the same grades in the seven areas of inspection as another home down the road. And while John Corney’s Dorset home Thistlegate House only got an adequate rating, his rival was rated ‘good’. He said: “This shows that there is a clear flaw in the system.” And many have admitted they are now too scared of tackling the inspectorate, leaving them with no choice but to accept a damning inspection report. David Seal also contacted us after his Wirral home was only given an ‘adequate’ rating. He said: “Inspections tend not to pay any attention at all to the quality of care being provided to the residents, and are more focussed on the fabric of the building and whether paperwork is up to date.” And Jenny Jobbins, who has run a home in Chippenham for 20 years added: “I would like to know what is going to change with the CQC – other than the name? “I am happy to receive constructive criticism, but there is no way that I am only providing ‘adequate’ care here. I want to know when they are going to listen to the views of the residents and their relatives.” A spokesman for the Care Quality Commission appeared reluctant to agree to a meeting with operators – brokered by Caring UK – to discuss their concerns, insisting there were ‘official lines’ they could go down. But editor Dominic Musgrave added: “As the leading magazine in the sector we have a right to ask the commission to meet with these operators to discuss their problems with them.” ■ Would you like to discuss your problems with the inspectorate? If so let Dominic Musgrave know by ringing 01226 734407 or email [email protected]Inspectorate challenged by owners Prince William visited an Oxfordshire care home to surprise one of its residents. 109-year-old Catherine Masters’ dream was to meet a member of the royal family, and after trying unsuccessfully on numerous occasions to arrange something, it was finally sorted after Grange Care Centre senior nurse manager Wendy Mead wrote to local MP Ed Vaizey. She has also been invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace on July 7. Ministers pay back expenses CARE services minister Phil Hope has promised to pay back the £41,709 he claimed in taxpayer-funded expenses. The MP for Corby and East Northants’ took over the role from Ivan Lewis last year, and was one of many MPs who was hit with damaging revelations about their use of public money. His announcement is the largest single payment that any MP has agreed to pay back The Daily Telegraph unveiled in-depth details of the expenses on his second home in London. These included a bathroom, two bookcases, a coffee table, some saucepans and a barbecue. Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley, MP for South Cambridgeshire, was also caught up in the scandal, and promised to pay back £2,600 he claimed for renovation work at his country home. Caring UK contacted both MPs’ offices, but neither was available for comment. incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector
Transcript
June 2009
no.157 • £4.75
In association with
By Dominic Musgrave
FRUSTRATED owners are challengingthe Care Quality Commission to meetwith them and explain some of their‘bizarre’ inspection reports.
Caring UK has been inundated withcalls from operators since a story lastmonth which told how one angryoperator took legal action to overturnan ‘adequate’ rating on his home.
Now operators are demanding moreconsistency from the CQC – and moreexplanation about how inspectorsdecide their star ratings which can costhomes thousands of pounds a year.
Caring UK spoke to one owner whosehome achieved exactly the same gradesin the seven areas of inspection asanother home down the road.
And while John Corney’s Dorset homeThistlegate House only got an adequaterating, his rival was rated ‘good’.
He said: “This shows that there is aclear flaw in the system.”
And many have admitted they are nowtoo scared of tackling the inspectorate,leaving them with no choice but toaccept a damning inspection report.
David Seal also contacted us after hisWirral home was only given an‘adequate’ rating.
He said: “Inspections tend not to payany attention at all to the quality of carebeing provided to the residents, and aremore focussed on the fabric of thebuilding and whether paperwork is upto date.”
And Jenny Jobbins, who has run ahome in Chippenham for 20 yearsadded: “I would like to know what isgoing to change with the CQC – otherthan the name?
“I am happy to receive constructivecriticism, but there is no way that I amonly providing ‘adequate’ care here. Iwant to know when they are going tolisten to the views of the residents andtheir relatives.”
A spokesman for the Care QualityCommission appeared reluctant toagree to a meeting with operators –brokered by Caring UK – to discusstheir concerns, insisting there were‘official lines’ they could go down.
But editor Dominic Musgrave added:“As the leading magazine in the sectorwe have a right to ask the commissionto meet with these operators to discusstheir problems with them.”
� Would you like to discuss yourproblems with the inspectorate? If so letDominic Musgrave know by ringing01226 734407 or email [email protected]
Inspectoratechallengedby owners
Prince William visited an Oxfordshire carehome to surprise one of its residents.109-year-old Catherine Masters’ dream was tomeet a member of the royal family, and aftertrying unsuccessfully on numerous occasionsto arrange something, it was finally sorted afterGrange Care Centre senior nurse managerWendy Mead wrote to local MP Ed Vaizey.She has also been invited to a garden party atBuckingham Palace on July 7.
Ministerspay backexpensesCARE services ministerPhil Hope haspromised to pay backthe £41,709 he claimedin taxpayer-fundedexpenses.
The MP for Corbyand East Northants’took over the role fromIvan Lewis last year,and was one of manyMPs who was hit withdamaging revelationsabout their use ofpublic money.
His announcement isthe largest singlepayment that any MPhas agreed to pay back
The Daily Telegraphunveiled in-depthdetails of the expenseson his second home inLondon.
These included abathroom, twobookcases, a coffeetable, some saucepansand a barbecue.
Shadow healthsecretary AndrewLansley, MP for SouthCambridgeshire, wasalso caught up in thescandal, and promisedto pay back £2,600 heclaimed for renovationwork at his countryhome.
Caring UK contactedboth MPs’ offices, butneither was availablefor comment.
incorporating
The Number One magazine for the care sector
3CARINGNEWS
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Database enquiries to Tel: 01226734695E-mail: [email protected] every effort is made toensure the accuracy of all con-tent, the publishers do notaccept liability for error, printedor otherwise, that may occur.
www.caring-uk.co.ukSylvie’s delight attop award honourBy Dominic Musgrave
THE director of an association whichprovides activities for older people incare homes has been recognised witha top national award.
Sylvie Silver was named Daily Mail'sInspirational Woman Of The Year at astar-studded gala dinner at theGrovesnor Square in London inrecognition of the work she has donewith the National Association forProviders of Activities for OlderPeople (NAPA), as well as her workwith the Air Cadets in her voluntaryrole as wing commander of theLondon Air Training Corps.
She was nominated for the awardby her colleague Sally Knocker,whom she also met Prime MinisterGordon Brown’s wife Sarah withwhen visiting 10 Downing Street for areception for the finalists.
Sylvie told Caring UK the firstshe knew anything about the awardwas when a reporter phoned her totell her she was one of the fivefinalists.
She added: “It has been an amazingfew weeks, and I cannot believe what
has happened. I knew nothing aboutbeing nominated for the award untilSally told me I should take a phonecall and it turned out to be a reporterfrom the newspaper.
“She had spoken to my husbandand had put together a 400-wordnomination for me with the help ofmy husband.
“I was then asked to take part in afour-minute video about my workwhich would also go to the judges.
“When they announced I had won Ididn’t believe it as I had told myself Ihad a four out of five chance of notwinning.
“My husband said I had better goup and get my prize and when I waswalking to the stage it felt like an outof body experience.”
Celebrities attending the eventincluded Natasha Kaplinsky, RachelStevens, Claudia Winkleman andDame Helen Mirren, who was Sylvie’shost for the evening.
Sylvie’s prize was £5,000 to spendon a holiday, and she says she plansto take her family on a safari of Kenyanext year. Sylvie Silver
CARINGNEWS4
By Dominic Musgrave
POLICE are investigating a fire whichbadly damaged a Scottish care homejust days before it was due to reopenfollowing a major refurbishment.
The blaze at the empty LochbroomHouse in Wester Ross caused majordamage to the roof, first and groundfloors just hours before staff were dueto start moving personal belongingsback in.
The Highland Council run homehad been closed since last summerfor a £1.2m refit which included theinstallation of a new lift, upgrading ofall 10 rooms, a new heating systemand improved access for wheelchairs.
Senior investigating officer, DIKenny Anderson, said: “We areappealing for information fromanyone who may have seen anyonehanging around the premises.
“They should contact their localpolice station or call Crimestoppersanonymously.”
Councillor Margaret Davidson,chairman of the housing and socialwork committee, said the staff andsix residents, would continue to liveat a local hotel until they were able to
move back into the home.She added: “It is a huge relief that
no one was in there, especially as thestaff were due to be starting puttingthings back in the home inpreparation for the residents toreturn within the next few days.
“It had taken the best part of a yearto get to where we were, and it issuch a great shame that this hashappened.
“The police and fire service areinvestigating, and their findings willbe released in due course. Once theyhave finished we will sit down as acouncil and decide how we get thehome open again."
A spokesman for the Highlands andIslands Fire Service added: “Fourappliances and the hydraulicplatform and 24 personnel were inattendance and were involved infighting the fire using two jets, twohose reel jets and two BA teams andthermal imaging camera.
“The hydraulic platform fromInverness was also used to ensure thebuilding was safe fro crews to workin.
“The police are now treating thisfire as being suspicious in origin.”
Lochbroom House in Wester Ross
Police probemajor blaze atScottish homeIt was a dog’s life for Tilly the long-
haired Chihuahua and Max the goldenretriever when they visited a Kentcare home as part of National PetMonth.They visited Canford Healthcare’sBarty House Nursing Home inBearsted as part of the event, whichwas held to make people aware ofthe benefits of pets for people and
people for pets. Tilly belongs toBarty’s activities coordinator BrendaClayton and Max, a puppy, wasbrought in by manager Jacqui Butler.She said: “The residents just love tosee them. They bring something tothe home that no other visitor can.It’s a highlight for all of us.”Pictured: Resident Peggy Simmondswith Tilly
5CARINGNEWS
By Dominic Musgrave
THE head of a care group says it isconsidering closing one of its homesdue to difficulties in securing thenecessary fee levels required to runit.
Helen Joy, CEO of Brunelcare,which runs six homes in the southwest, says the group are speakingwith residents and their relativesabout the possible closure ofBeverley Cottage in Burnham-on-Sea, which can accommodate 19 resi-dents, though a final decision has notyet been made.
She also told Caring UK that a com-bination of local competition and theGovernment’s initiative to keep peo-ple in their own homes for longerwere also contributing factors.
Helen added: “We are speaking withall concerned parties about the situa-tion at Beverley Cottage at themoment, but the home is losing a lotof money.
“The scenario we face is similar tothat which a lot of owners of olderhomes will face. The CQC standardsare increasing, as are customers’
requirements, and we are finding itdifficult to make the home work.
“People’s expectations of buildingdesigns are changing, and thoselooking to move into the home aremuch more dependent and arebringing with them much moreequipment, meaning rooms have tobe bigger in the first instance yet stillfeel homely and not like a hospital.”
Helen said the company is nowturning its attention away from more
traditional homes and is looking tobuilding more specialist dementiaunits as well as purpose-built homeswith accommodation for those whowant to remain independent aroundit.
She added: “We are always review-ing our homes, particularly in thesechallenging economic times. We arelooking to expanding our care homeswith more specialist units, as well aslooking to build new care homes withother forms of older people’s accom-modation.
“The elderly have a lot more choicethan they used to. Gone are the dayswhen people would sit around theedges of the room and watch televi-sion all day. We are changing ourhomes so they include a lot morelounge areas with kitchenettes forresidents to get a glass of milk ormake a sandwich then they can doso.
“We would certainly only buy moremodern care homes in future. Thereis always a place for the more tradi-tional home, but I think they will berun by small operators with just oneor two facilities in years to come.”
Helen Joy
Loss-making care home may close amiddifficulties over fees
DirectorretiresA NON-EXECUTIVE director hasretired from the Somerset CareGroup after nine years on theboard.
Norman Campbell OBE will bereplaced by Richard Barnfield, anon-executive director of thegroup’s subsidiary companyAcacia Training andDevelopment Ltd since 2003.
Chief executive AndrewLarpent said: “I would like tothank Norman for the contribu-tion he has made to theSomerset Care Group over thepast nine years. His immensebusiness experience has beeninvaluable to us, and we willkeep in touch to let him knowhow the company is develop-ing.”
Norman receives one of his retirement gifts from chief executive Andrew Larpent
CARINGNEWS6
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The company is split into three -retail, internet and commercial -with a combined annual turnoverin excess of £10m. The back boneof the business model is acommitment to a high level ofcustomer service both before andafter delivery.
A spokesman for the company
said: “Our lean and controlledoperation has been designed toprovide a fast and efficientresponse to any request, whilemaintaining very competitiveprices.”
Customers can purchase via a30-day credit account or spreadthe cost of their purchase usingthe company’s lease purchasefacilities.
For further information ring01204 377680 and ask for Sarah, oremail [email protected]
Advertiser’s announcement
Firm keeps family values
RESIDENTS at a care home inWinsford are putting pen to paper tohelp launch a new pen palprogramme.
The idea behind the programme isto help residents form newfriendships, share hobbies andpassions and exchange photographsand memories.
Gill Capner, home manager atHallmark Healthcare’s WestwoodCourt told Caring UK she came upwith the idea to help stimulatecommunication and correspondencebetween residents.
She added: “Everyone enjoysreceiving a letter, and we feel this is areally good way to create our own setof pen pals.”
“A few residents are becoming pen
pals initially and we really hope itworks out so that others areencouraged to take part over time. Sofar everyone seems to be veryenthusiastic about the idea.”
Westwood Court care home hastwinned with Broughton Hall carehome in Wrexham, where Gary Doddis the home manager.
He said they plan to arrange outingsfor the pen pals to enable them tomeet and interact on a more personalbasis.
“My residents have been reallyexcited about the idea of having apen pal. It’s something they allunderstand the concept of, even ifthey haven’t actually had a pen pal forsome time.”
Activities co-ordinator Hayley Jones and manager Gary Dodd with a resident.
Residents set up pen pal scheme
By Dominic Musgrave
CARE home owners must ensure theymaintain their high standards to beatthe recession, it has been claimed.
Brian Potter, marketing director atConsortium Care, who recentlylaunched a survey into how carehomes were coping in the currentfinancial climate, told Caring UK thatfew people would consider secondbest when considering care, even in arecession.
He added: “The bottom line is thatcare home operators must continueto provide the best level of servicethey can, and at the end of the daywhen prospective residents and theirrelatives visit homes it is generally theone that offers the best level ofservice that will be chosen.
“Many of the industry’s leadinglights are predicting that thebusinesses most likely to survive therecession will be those who placetheir emphasis on providing a highlevel of service to their customers,rather than those that go for the cut-price option.”
Brian said that more than a quarter(27 per cent) of respondents to thesurvey said they were re-assessinghow their businesses were run andconsidering how to cut their costs.
He added: “Two of the areas wherehomes may look at making saving isin their food and energy bills. Menus
and diets are very important, butmaybe offering a little less choice andmaking more block buying would bea way of saving money.
“I don’t think care home operatorsthink enough about their energy billskeeping wastage to a minimum. Theyshould perhaps look at creating theirown hot water, installing moreinsulation or perhaps putting upsolar panels for the heating.”
Have you made any changes at yourhome to cope with the recession? LetDominic Musgrave know by ringing01226 734407 or email [email protected]
Owners mustmaintain standardsto beat recession
Brian Potter
A NORFOLK dementia care home hastaken up a challenge set by a leadingbrand of crisps as part of its sensorystimulation and reminiscencesessions for residents
Residents of St. Leonard’s Court inMundford taste tested the six newWalkers Crisps flavours as part of thehome’s scheme to encourage selfexpression amongst residents.
Onion bhaji came out on top in thetest, with the other flavours includingcajun squirrel, crispy duck and
hoisin, builders’ breakfast, fish andchips and chilli and chocolate.
Activities assistant Nadine Fordesaid: “Sensory stimulation can assistsome of the challenges they face inday-to-day living, but it alsopromotes and encourages selfexpression.
“Residents and staff reminiscedabout the crisps they ate during theirchildhoods. A couple evenremembered Walkers crispsbecoming popular after the war.”
Home takes crisp challenge
CARINGNEWS8
A WISBECH care home manager is goingto walk the Great Wall of China for adementia charity in October after beingchallenged to do it by her boss.
Dianne Morton, who runs Barchester’sHickathrift House care home, will do thetrek in aid of the Alzheimer’s Societywith her regional operations directorBarry Healey after they agreed to sign upfor it at a conference last year.
The pair are halfway to raising the£6,000 required for the trip, with theirlatest fundraising event - a medieval dayfeaturing re-enactments from a touringgroup - raising £1,000.
Dianne said: “We had chickens andducks roaming around, and also heldtraditional games for the residents andeverybody who visited such as splat therat, a coconut shy, throwing horsehoesand stocks.
“We all dressed up in medieval dressand at night held a ball, which includedan auction of some things that had been
donated by local companies.”Dianne said she chose the charity
because it is close to her heart, and isbusy training for the trip.
She added: "We have a 24-bed EMIunit which cares for people withdementia and it is a topic that I am verypassionate about. The charity alsofunded a lot of my dementia caretraining and I feel it is time to givesomething back.
“I do a lot of walking and trekkinganyway, and the last big thing I did wasclimbing Ben Nevis. But I'm in the gymthree times a week doing a lot ofcardiovascular work and weights inpreparation for it.
“I know it is going to be tough but I amdetermined that I am going to do it.”
Her next fundraising event is aCaribbean evening where visitors candrop in and try out some food.
To donate to the cause visitwww.justgiving-diannemorton.com
Dianne to take on Great Wall of China challenge
Operator claims paydeal will leave him£10k worse offBy Mary Ferguson
A NORFOLK care home operator sayshe will be left around £10,000 out ofpocket after the county councilbrought in a new performancerelated pay deal based on the qualityof care they offer.
Bharat Raghu, who runs East AngliaCare Homes Limited, says he decidednot to appeal after one of his twohomes – Halvergate House – onlyreceived a one star rating from theinspectorate last June.
He told Caring UK that it wouldhave had a 'good' grading had it notbeen for a misunderstanding over themanagement of medication at thehome.
Under the new performance relatedpay, an ‘adequate’ home wouldreceive one per cent or £4 extra per
week, a two star home two per centand an ‘excellent’ home £12. Thosehomes with no stars would not get arise, although a £150,000 has beenput aside which the worst performerscan bid for a slice of.
Bharat added: “At the time wedidn't bother going ahead with ajudicial review because it would havecost us a lot of money. We didn'tthink it mattered that much becauseit wouldn't affect the fees we receivedfrom the council, and our local socialservices told us that people don't paythat much attention to the reportand were more interested in thequality of care than what it says.
“They also told us that they ignorethe report and tell anybodyconsidering moving into a homeshould go and have a look at it forthemselves.”
Bharat said that had the newscheme been in place when hereceived his rating he would havebeen left with no choice but to takefurther action.
He added: “Had the situation beenin place last year we would havebeen left with no choice but to haveconsidered a legal challenge.
“I don't have a problem with thecouncil bringing in a system basedon the quality of the home, but notappealing is going to cost me in theregion of £10,000 on my 50-bedhome.
“Mistakes wouldn't be made in aperfect world, but we have to acceptthat these things do happen.Unfortunately CSCI has made themistake and there is nothing I can doabout it now.”
‘Auctionsshould bebanned’By Dominic MusgraveONLINE auctions where contracts tocare for elderly people are given tothe lowest bidder should be banned,according to the head of anassociation.
Mario Kreft, chief executive of CareForum Wales, has called the practicewhich was exposed in the BBCPanorama programme ‘Britain’sHomecare Scandal’ “immoral”.
He told Caring UK it has rekindledthe debate about the quality ofdomiciliary care and, in particular,the squeeze on funding to providecare for people in their own homes.
He added: “It results in humanbeings being traded like cattle at anauction – it’s tantamount to sayingthat that people have a cost but novalue.
“While we need good social careworkers and social care providers,the people responsible forcommissioning services must not beallowed to cut the cost of purchasingsocial care without regard to itsquality.
“This does not only apply todomiciliary care but all social careservices provided to vulnerablepeople.
“Neither the public norindependent providers should becomplacent for one moment.
His comments follow anannouncement by Holyrood's LocalGovernment Committee that it willbe looking into the practice whichwhich is used by local authoritiesincluding South Lanarkshire, whichfeatured on the programme, to drivedown costs.
In the Scottish example shown byPanorama, the bids went down by 5pat a time and the successfulcontractor offered an hourly rate of£9.95.
CELEBRITY gardener Charlie Dimmockofficially opened a new Care UK care homein Wexham.
Local MP Fiona Mactaggart also unveiled aplaque dedicating the home to the care ofolder people in Slough and surroundingareas.
Oak House, a joint venture between SloughBorough Council and Care UK, is a newlybuilt home providing residential and nursingcare.
The home’s landscaped gardens have beenspecially designed to attract local wildlife,featuring hedgehog cabins, bird boxes and apond, as well as small allotment areas forkeen residents to continue gardening.
Charlie added: “Allotments are in highdemand all over the UK so it’s great thatresidents will be able to jump the queue andget gardening right here in the new home.”
BRINGING someone in from theoutside community to help out forfree brings both benefits andresponsibilities to operators, whoneed to make sure they have thoughtthings through.
Jemma Mindham of national agencyCommunity Service Volunteers (CSV)manages projects in a number of carehomes. She said: “We don’t want to bereplacing staff roles, it’s aboutvolunteers going in and doingsomething the staff can’t do becausethey don’t have the time.
“They provide a social outlet forresidents, who get the chance to hearabout what’s going on in thecommunity and have someone todiscuss the soaps with. The residentsknow the person is there because theywant to be – not because they aregetting paid – and that’s invaluable interms of increasing their self esteemand respect for themselves.”
Jemma said that if care homes wantto make the most of volunteers, theyneed to be more pro-active.
“We have never been approached by
a home, it’s always been us contactingthem. The first thing a home needs todo is put a volunteer policy in place,proving they have given thought tothe value of having volunteers in thehome.
“But they also need to show theyhave thought about what the homecan offer the volunteer, as it’s a twoway thing. Will they need training?How will their expenses be covered?Things have to be written down andwe will only place someone in a homeif we have seen this.”
Once a volunteering policy in place,Jemma suggested the best way ofrecruiting people is through a localvolunteer bureau.
“There’s no harm in putting upposters or notices around thecommunity but a bureau will be ableto get to know your business andselect someone appropriate. Also, if aprivate care home is seen advertisingfor volunteers on posters, it may beperceived that they are simply toutingfor free labour.
“Volunteering within private
residential homes will always beharder to set up than within localauthority run homes as they are not'not for profit' which is not thetraditional area for volunteering. Ifprivate homes wish to involvevolunteers, they must not be making aprofit from them being there.”
Jemma added that another effectiveway of gaining volunteers is to targetvisiting relatives, who may be able togive up some extra time while they arethere. Most homes require volunteersto have a CRB check, but it’sunreasonable to expect the individualto pay for this themselves.
She added: “We turned a care homedown recently because their volunteerpolicy stated they would not fund aCRB check. We felt that was totallyinappropriate – a volunteer shouldnever end up out of pocket.”� Do you use volunteers in yourhome? How well does it work? Let usknow by writing to Mary Ferguson atCaring UK, 47 Church Street, Barnsley,South Yorkshire S70 2AS or [email protected]
IN Doncaster, a group of young volunteersare hoping to raise enough money to buyNintendo Wii consoles for four care homesin the area.
The ‘Vinspired’ project is run and managedby CSV and the youngsters, aged 16 to 25,initially targeted St. Mary’s nursing home,with groups of four visiting once a week totalk to residents and find out how they couldhelp them.
Craig Johnson, youth volunteeringdevelopment manager, accompanies thevolunteers when they visit the home. Hesaid: “The volunteers came up with the ideaof the Wii after seeing something on thenews about how the consoles were helping a
rehabilitation unit.“When we first went into the home the
residents were all sitting around watching TVand although there was a timetable ofactivities on the wall, we wanted to get theminvolved in something different. Through theyoung people talking to the residents it alsohelps them change their perceptions ofyoung people and in turn help theyoungsters be more understanding of theelderly.”
Once the Wii has been installed, thevolunteers, pictured left,will visit the homesonce a week for two months, to play gameswith the residents and make sure they getthe most from it.
Volunteers bid to give Doncaster homes a Wii present
If at firstyou don’tsucceed ...RESIDENTS at care homeBurman House have beenbenefiting from volunteerssince 2007 but operatorshad to experiment to findout what worked for them.
The home, owned byNorfolk County Council,was contacted by CSV in2007 and decided to invitea group of adults withlearning difficulties to helpdeliver their weekly bingosessions.
But the residents – allover 85 – didn’t react wellto the changes andmanager Ann Baker saidthey couldn’t cope with thestrong personalities of thevolunteers.
She said: “Before thevolunteers came we hadthe carers hosting thebingo mornings and theresidents don’t like change.The volunteers were tooloud and it upset them thattheir regular hosts weregone so we decided it justwasn’t working.”
After discussing otherways that volunteers couldbenefit the home, BurmanHouse decided to take on asingle volunteer to helpwith housekeeping dutiesand socialise with theresidents.
Angela Cowling came intothe home one day a weekfor a year to help set thetables, do some washing upand laundry, and take teaand biscuits to theresidents.
“She interacted withthem well and became verymuch part of the team.
“She made a real impactand the other staff treatedher as an equal, which wasimportant.”
From befriending residents to helping with the housekeeping, care homes are realising howvolunteers can help them. But what do they need to consider? Mary Ferguson reports.
Volunteers can raise a resident’s self esteem Jemma Mindham
Volunteers can boostresidents’ self-esteem
CARINGHOMECALL12
PEREGRINE House managerAlison Bedford says that one ofthe biggest changes she has seen at the home during her 10 years in charge has been the attitude towardsmealtimes.
And it is one of the key topicsthat is always discussed at theresidents’ meetings that are heldat the home.
She told Caring UK that food isone of the most important partsof the day.
“At every meeting we have, weask the residents if they arehappy with the menu or anythingthey would like to see on there.
“We work on an eight-weekcycle, and there has certainlybeen a shift in recent years fromthe more traditional food to morecurries, chilli and pasta.
“Residents get a choice of threemain meals anyway, so we like tothink that there is something onthere to suit all tastes.
“We take things for granted inour own homes, but sometimeswe might have a resident saysomething like that they haven’thad sweetcorn for ages, so wewill get some for them.”
Alison says that an increasingnumber of new admissions to thethree-star home, which has 25residents, are people sufferingfrom dementia and are requiringmore care than before.
She added: “We are doing an
increasing amount of specialistdementia training with the staffto deal with increasing numberof cases.
“People that are coming to usare getting older and older, andwe are trying to make sure thatwe can deal with theirchallenging behaviours andvarious scales of illness.”
The home also has a wide andvaried activities programme ofevents to keep the residents busy,and is planning to turn part ofthe grounds into a vegetablepatch for the residents to growtheir own vegetables.
Alison said: “One of thediscussions at a recent residents’meeting was about them getting more involved in thegardens.
“We are planning to put acouple of raised beds in for thosewho want to do some planting,and are also looking at getting agreenhouse so they can growthings like tomatoes.
“We also have a lady who comesin and does a wide range ofthings with the residents.
“They make everything from jewellery and rugs todecorating plates and designingmosaics.
“At the end of each month wealso have a themed evening, and recently they have included Chinese and Indianevents.”
Summer fete at the home
Menus are changing at one Whitby carehome, with the traditional meat and vegbeing replaced with more pasta and spicydishes. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Tasty menucurries favourwith residents
CARINGNEWS14
By Louise Cordell
THE owner of a care home whichwas forced to close at short noticewas faced with the headache offinding new homes for her residents.
Social services in Halifax helpedowner Beverley Kneafsey to relocatethe 18 residents from Valley View toseven other care homes in the areaafter the hand brake on a refuse lorryfailed and it rolled down the driveand destroyed the front of the home.
Three have since died, but Beverleytold Caring UK that her staff havevisited all of the residents daily, whileher senior manager has been inregular contact with the otherhomes’ owners and managers,
She said: “It has been a traumaticand emotional time for everybody.The staff have sat with the residentsat the other homes every day andhave take part in activities with themto make sure they are ok. They arealso taking out those who are able toleave the homes
“They have also visited residentswhen they have required to go intohospital. They are not allowed to getinvolved with the care side of things,
but they have been there for otherthings.
“It has been a stressful time for allof us. For me personally I haveowned this home for 11 years so ithas been traumatic along the way,particularly when I have heard thatthe residents have been poorly.”
Beverley says the accident hasenabled her to renovate the wholehome and not just the areasdamaged by the accident, and thatshe is hoping to phase residents backover the next few weeks.
She added: “We have had the usualhiccups along the way that you haveto have, but all in all it has gonereally well and we cannot wait towelcome the residents back.
“I think what has happened will hitus when all the residents are backand we realise that three of them arenot sat in their chairs or in theirrooms.
“Naturally I was worried that not allof the residents would want to returnto the home, but thankfully all havesaid they do apart from one, whosefamily we are speaking to at themoment.”
A refuse lorry rolled down the drive damaging the front of the home.
Staff carry oncaring afterhome closesOlympic bronze medallist swimmer Jo
Jackson cut the ribbon to officiallyopen a new healthy living centre at aretirement village in Darlington.The 400m freestyle world record holderopened the £500,000 Middleton Spa atMiddleton Hal Retirement Villagebefore being challenged by several ofthe residents to a race in the pool.She said: “It is very important to keepfit and mobile whatever your age andswimming is the ideal sport for
anyone. Unlike other athletesswimmers rarely get serious injuriesmaking it a fantastic way to exercise.“The apartment I looked round wasmuch bigger than the one I’ve justbought in Loughborough and I alsoliked the look of the bar.”As well as the pool, the facility alsohas a jacuzzi, fully-equipped gym andthree therapy rooms.Pictured: Jo Jackson enjoys a dip inthe pool with residents.
Residents’ brush with successA GLOUCESTERSHIRE care homedusted down its easels and hosted anart week for its residents.
They were able to try their hand atphotography, watercolour paintingand card making as part of the eventheld at Mill House care home inChipping Campden, with the town’smayor judging their work and
presenting prizes.Home manager Jodie Wright said:
“All of the residents have really lovedthe event and have really gotinvolved in the classes andworkshops.
“Some of the residents who rarelyjoin in activities have done somegreat pieces of work.”
Mayor Chris Joneswith the three winnersof the enjoyingwatercolourscategory: PamRowland, MaureenKing and Eve Stuartand home managerJodie Wright.
CARINGNEWS16
WHEN Carol Robinson and Mandy Dadetook over Elizabeth Court Rest Home in2002 it was on the brink of being closeddown by the inspectorate.
Seven years later the home has a ‘good’rating but Carol says she doesn’t feel thatthe team has had the credit it deservesbecause of a lack of continuity ininspectors.
She said: “We have had five inspectors inthe last seven years, so nobody has beenable to see the changes that we madefrom when we first bought the home.
“If our first inspector was to come backto see us they would see what we haveachieved, but unfortunately they tend tocome to and pick on something that wehaven’t got up to scratch.”
Carol and Mandy worked as nurses at acare home in Croydon, but decided topurchase their own because they believedthey could offer a better quality of carethan where they were.
Carol added: “When we first bought thehome the first thing I remember was someof the staff came up to me and said’Thank God you are here because we cannow take home our own crockery’. Theywere using their own plates and bowls forthe residents to eat off and that was thefirst thing we had to purchase.
“Since then we have changed pretty
much all of the furniture and have workedour way through the home a room at atime.
“There was also a very regimented feelabout the home when we came here. Theresidents were all up at six to get dressedand ready for breakfast, whereas now theycan do what they want and get up when itsuits them.”
However, Carol said that had she knownhow much maintenance work would berequired to keep the 400-year-old buildingrunning she would have probably broughtsomewhere else.
She added: “We had to pay more than£40,000 just to get the electrical system upto scratch, and there is always somethingthat needs doing on a building of this age.
“Had I known then what I know now Iwould have probably got a job elsewhere.We were both very naive and I have had tolearn so much about business since takingover as manager.
“We have a job on our hands just to keepthe home going. Because we were sohighly financed when we bought thehome it is vital that we keep theoccupancy levels as high as we possiblycan, but thankfully we have a goodrelationship with social services and 75per cent of our 23 residents come fromthem.”
The owners of Elizabeth Court RestHome have a very relaxed policywhen it comes to keeping animals.Two of the residents have cats andone has a budgie, while both Mandyand Carol regularly bring their owndogs to the home.There is also a pond of goldfish andfour chickens roaming around andsupplying the chef fresh eggs eachmorning.Carol added: “The residents love theanimals and tell us that they remindthem of their own homes,particularly when the dogs barkwhen the door bell rings.“One of our residents has been putin charge of the chickens so hegoes out each day and lets themout, collects the eggs, feeds themand puts them away at night. Heloves them to bits.“One of the things we prideourselves on here is the food andthe chef was here for the previousowners as well. All of the meat andvegetables are fresh, and last year aproportion of it came from a smallallotment that we created in the
gardens.”The home also has an extensiveactivities programme, whichincludes music and exercisesessions as well as regular visitsfrom a variety of entertainers.
Two former nurses have turned the fortunes of a failing Sussexcare home around. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Hard work and TLCturns home around
17CARINGNEWS
Troubleshooting boss takes on failing homeTHE owner of a troubleshootingcompany has taken over the runningof a care home which went frombeing one of the best in Cumbria toone of the worst in just five years.
Julie Wright from Wright CareHomes Solutions has taken over theday-to-day running of Croftfield inCarlisle after owner Stuart Coulthard,who ran the home with his wifeMandy for 11 years, became so disil-lusioned after getting a zero ratingfrom CSCI that he considered sellingup.
He told Caring UK that he will con-
tinue to own the home, but will con-centrate on the maintenance of thebuilding.
He added: “After receiving thereport I thought there were so manymistakes that I didn’t know what todo, so I eventually decided to speakto Julie.
“She was so impressed with theplace that she has decided to lease itoff us, which suits me perfectly. I amso fed up with the regulator so willlook after the building and mainte-nance, while she will look after thecare.
“I am also considering asking thesolicitor who has drawn up the con-tract lease to look into puttingtogether a legal case for me againstwhat was CSCI. They seem hell benton putting me down so I want to dothe same to them, and am happy topay whatever it takes to do so.”
The report was particularly damn-ing of the home’s management pro-cedure, complaints and protectionpolicies and daily life and socialactivities.
Julie said that owning a care homewas a natural progression for the
company which offers staff trainingas well assisting care homes inimproving and raising standards.
She added: “We came across thehome by accident after somebodygave me Stuart’s number and said Ishould have a chat with him about afew issues. I fell in love with thehome as soon as I saw it. It is a beau-tiful home, and there is no questionabout the care being delivered.
“There are a few things which needto be brought into line with the waythe CQC wants them, and we areworking on these at the moment.”
THE Healthcare Homes Group hasrecognised the hard work of its resi-dents and staff by holding an inaugur-al talent awards ceremony.
Directors met up with those whotook part in the ‘Healthcare HomesHas Talent’ competition at prize cere-monies held at the seven winninghomes in Suffolk, Norfolk andCambridgeshire.
The event included everything fromknitted jumpers for battery chickensto CDs of songs, from poetry rendi-tions to stage musicals.
Regional activities co-ordinator and
competition organiser Nadine Fordesaid: “The event encouraged teamwork and a sense of belonging, with care homes in thegroup forging stronger ties with eachother and staff getting to know oneother better.
“Our residents were able to demon-strate their skills, taking part in activi-ties that struck a particular chord withthem or that they enjoyed before theycame to live with us.
The talent competition certainlyprovided lots of opportunities tostrike up new friendships and have agood laugh.”
Chief executive of Healthcare Homes Richard Clough presents the winningtrophy for most original’ project to Uvedale Hall. Activities co-ordinatorJeanetta Darrah and manager Sally Chilvers. Residents at the care homeknitted warm jumpers for featherless battery chickens who had been rescued by the Battery Hen Welfare Trust
Residents’ talents recognisedat first awards ceremony
CARINGNEWS18
By Mary Ferguson
A HUSBAND and wife care operatorare moving away from the moreconventional care home for severalnew facilities they are currentlyplanning.
Ernie Graham, who runs GrahamCare with his wife Karen, plan tobuild care ‘suites’ instead of thetraditional bedrooms at the homesthey are developing across the southof England.
As well as an en suite bedroom, therooms will also feature a privatelounge area where residents cansocialise with family and friends.
The homes will also feature thesame communal lounge space anddining areas as in a traditional carehome so that residents can chose tospend time in a group setting.
Ernie said: “Care home standardshave developed enormously over thepast decade and potential residentsnow expect much more space, bothin their private living areas and alsoin the communal facilities.
“Our new care suites will allowresidents to comfortably socialisewith their families and friends, ratherthan half of them having to perch on
the end of the bed.“Having two rooms gives the
resident the flexibility and will makethem feel that they are more at home,rather than just having a singleroom.”
Plans for the new homes, which areat various stages, are in place atBoreham near Chelmsford,Woodchurch near Ashford, Hawkingenear Folkestone and Pembury nearTunbridge Wells. The largest will be112 beds.
Ernie added: “We have recentlyopened the new suites for dementiasufferers in a building adjacent toone of our existing homes HailshamHouse in East Sussex. Each has itsown front door and the residentshave control over who goes.
“The residents can also choose toreceive care from their existingregistered carer or can use one of theof the suites’ dedicated team who areavailable 24 hours a day. If all theplans get the go ahead we will becreating hundreds of new jobs in thesouth east. We are a well-establishedcompany of 13 years and thankfullythe bank like what we are doing andat the moment are more than happyto continue working with us.”
Life’s ‘suite’ forhusband andwife operator
RESIDENTS and staff at a specialistdementia care home held a hen partywith a difference to welcome somenew residents.
Manager Karen Hancox came upwith the idea to have four chickens atRegents Court Care Home inBromsgrove as an activity for theresidents.
They and the staff also raisedmoney through various fundraisingactivities to purchase a hutch for theanimals.
Karen said: “Being part of a farmingcommunity I thought bringing thechickens to the home would reminda lot of the residents of their past. We
have one resident who used to be afarmer, and looking after the hensand collecting the eggs every day hasmade him worthy.
“I came up with the idea as we werediscussing animal therapy on theDementia Matters course that I amstudying. I want the home to be abeacon for others in the area, andplan to develop other parts of thehome.”
Karen has recently turned the staffroom into an activities room forresidents, and has set up an officearea for another resident who used tospend a lot of time writing downnational insurance numbers.
Egg-citing times for residentsat Bromsgrove care home
New residents were welcomed with a hen party
Apprentices transformcare home groundsA KILMARNOCK care home’sgrounds have been transformed by agroup of local apprentices.
The BAE Systems apprenticesformally opened the new garden atTorrance Lodge nursing home thatthey specially designed and built forthe residents as part of a communitychallenge project.
Home manager Denise Mote saidthe scheme came about as themother of one of the apprenticesworks as a carer at the home.
She added: “The grounds outsidewere just uninspiring grass, whichwasn’t easy to get wheelchairs across.But it has been transformed and the
apprentices have put some pavingdown and some beds in.
“They have also put up a bird tableand have dotted some ornamentsaround the garden.
“They also gave us a donation of£120 to help with the upkeep of thegarden.”
Denise says there are now plans toput raised beds in another part of thegrounds so residents can grow theirown flowers and vegetables.
She added: “We have a gardeningclub of about a dozen members atthe home and they cannot wait for usto get the beds for them so they canget their hands dirty.”
New energy helpline is launchedA LEADING care association hasjoined forces with a care homespecialist energy firm to launch anew helpline for its members.
The service, launched by ECCA andD-ENERGi, will offer free advice on arange of energy issues as well ashelping members reduce their
operating costs for electricity and gasand with rebates for customers whosuspect they may have beenovercharged. It will also offeroperators easy to implement adviceon how to make their care homemore environmentally friendly and toreduce their carbon footprint.
Double celebration at Lancaster homeA LANCASTER nursing home hashad two reasons to celebrate.
The staff at Optimacare’sBurrowbeck Grange received
various NVQs in care as well as theA1 assessors award. The home hasalso recently received the Investorsin People status.
19CARINGNEWS
AASHNA House in Lambeth firstopened its doors in 1993 and is runby ASRA Greater London HousingAssociation.
The scheme, which consists ofself-contained single and doubleapartments, accommodates 37 resi-dents, representing almost all sec-tions of the Asian community.
The staff can all speak betweentwo and four languages, meaningthey are able to talk to residents intheir mother tongue with Urdu,Punjabi, Gujarati and Bengaliamong the languages spoken.
Manna Santokhee, ASRA’s head ofcare, said: “The home opened at atime when local authorities wereunsure about what to do with Asianelders. It was a much needed facili-ty, not only in the area, but nation-wide as there was a clear gap in themarket.
“There is an opinion that Asianpeople tend to look after their own,but that can no longer be guaran-teed given the changing structureswithin these communities.
“But we don’t only take peoplehere from the sub-continent coun-tries such as India, Pakistan andBangladesh, but we also have peo-
ple from South Africa and Kenya.”The home also provides for a vari-
ety of religions, and different cul-tures and individual choice alsocome to the fore at mealtimes, whenseven different dietary preferencesare catered for.
Manna added: “We put on sevendifferent meals for the residents tochoose from at lunchtimes, and weorganise our activities and events tomeet different cultures to ensurethey feel they are at home here.
“We have to be sensitive to all reli-gions, and recognise individuals’festivals and events such as Diwaliand Ramadan.”
But, despite the different clientele,the home is inspected by the regula-tor like any other care home inEngland and Wales.
Manna says there should be morehomes nationwide that cater for theAsian community.
He added: “The care is essentiallythe same as what is provided in anyhome in the country, with the onlydifference that the residents feelmore at ease because they canspeak to a member of staff in theirown language so can understandwhat they are being told better.
“We do things here that any otherhome would do. The residents enjoythe same sorts of activities, andsome of them even sit and watchthe Bollywood soaps that are similarto Eastenders or Coronation Street.
“I believe that there should bemore homes like ours because, frommy experience, people like to staywithin their own community. I havelived over here for 30 years andwould be comfortable living in atypical English mixed home, but ifsomeone gave me the choice Iwould like to stay with people who Iunderstand and who understandme.”
THE care home recently wel-comed a group of Japanesesocial work students who want-ed to learn more about the spe-cialist services available.
Part of a European fact-findingtour, the four post-graduate stu-dents and a professor from theJapanese College for Social Workin Tokyo met the staff and resi-dents.
The students, who are studyingwelfare management, wanted tolearn more about current carepractices in the UK, and to seehow Aashna House is run, asthey are considering implement-ing similar services and facilitiesin to Japanese care homes.
Head of care Manna Santokheesaid: “The students were veryenthusiastic and keen to knowwhat ASRA does and how every-thing is organised at AashnaHouse.
“They asked lots of questionsand took away examples of ourindividualised care plans for res-idents to use as models back inJapan.”
Britain’s only purpose-built care facility for Asian elders is home to people from numerous countries on the sub-continent.Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Home provides for variety ofreligions and different cultures
Manna Santokhee
Japanesegroup visitscare facility
CARINGSPECIAL REPORT20
HOME owners are finding itincreasingly difficult to provide ahigh quality of service on the amountthey receive from their localauthorities.
And with the importance of the starrating growing and many councilsnow introducing performance-related pay scales, more and morehomes are prepared to fight theircorner and do whatever it takes tosecure the future of their businesses.
Maria Patterson, external relationsmanager of ECCA, told Caring UKthat she believes this could be to savethe home’s reputation.
She added: “Not only are homes’reputations being affected by thesestar ratings, but also in many areas ofthe country the funding they receivefrom local authorities can vary.
“If they truly believe that theirhome should be getting a three-starrating and it only receives one, and
that they can prove this, then ofcourse a home owner is going toappeal.
“We are finding that there is someinconsistency in star ratings beingawarded, and we would like to seethis change.”
Last year ECCA created a toolkitpack to give home owners moreadvice on how they can negotiatebetter deals from local authorities,but she says in many casesnegotiations can fall on deaf ears.Therefore I can understand whyproviders are looking at takingmatters further because they havenothing to lose.
She added: “We have seen copies ofletters that providers have sent totheir local council which have goneto great lengths in explaining whythey need extra money for the servicethey provide, explaining issues suchas staffing and the rising costs ofenergy bills.
“Quite often what they get back arepatronising responses that are noteven in full sentences and it seemsthat in some cases the councils aresaying that they are the purchasersso they can do whatever they like.
“We are seeing on average anincrease of between one and one-and-a-half per cent being offered,and thankfully the numbers offeringzero per cent does seem to bedecreasing.”
Care home operators are growingincreasingly frustrated with the industryregulator. In a special report DominicMusgrave spoke to several about theproblems they have faced, and also foundout what options they have.
Care providers seem moreprepared than ever toconsider a legal challengeagainst their local councilover fees or to appealagainst the star rating theyreceive from thecommission. DominicMusgrave found out more.
Are providersmore preparedfor challenge?
Staff should be trained forwhen ‘an inspector calls’CARE home operators should traintheir staff to know what to do whenan inspector calls, it has beenclaimed.
Wendy Smith, managing director oftroubleshooting company WMHealthcare, told Caring UK thathomes should run mock inspectionsat the home so that staff are readywhen they are visited by the CareQuality Commission.
And she said that if the frameworkis in place it should not matterwhether the inspector is the same asthe previous inspection, or acomplete stranger to the home.
She added: “The home ownershould be prepared to give theregulator all of the evidence theyneed, and they should not have tocome to the home and try and find itfor themselves, because that is whenthe problems arise.
“The staff should also be ready atany given time and make sure thatthey know what they are going to beasked. There are details on the CQC’swebsite of what inspectors look for,which can be used as guidance.
“Whether it is a six bed or 60-bedhome the care plans and necessary
paperwork should be in place on ashelf in the manager’s office, andthey should be simple to use as well.Inspectors look around the buildingand speak to residents and theirrelatives, but it is up to the staff toensure that the documents and careplans supports what is said, and thecare needs or the individuals arebeing met.”
Wendy, who has been involved withthe care sector for more than 30years in various guises, says one ofthe main problems with inspectionsis the ‘human factor’ which cancause inconsistencies.
She added: “The commission willwork with homes if they canacknowledge that they are willing toput forward your improvement planand work through it with them.
“If a home operator feels there areinaccuracies in their report then anyreasonable inspector will meet andwork through it.
“As in any industry there are somegood ones and bad ones, and ifowners are still not happy then theyshould take the matter higher to theirline managers without feelingintimidated.”
21CARINGSPECIAL REPORT
Owners shouldconsult solicitorbefore actionCARE home owners should consulttheir solicitor as soon as they areconsidering taking legal action overtheir star rating, it has been claimed.
Matthew Morton, a solicitor atLeeds-based Lee and Priestley, toldCaring UK that the current appealsystem gives little time for a solicitorto put a case together.
It currently allows owners 28 daysto discuss with the assessor anyissues they may have with the rating,and after that just seven days to putin an official application form toappeal the case, which gives solici-tors little time to put anythingtogether.
Matthew said owners need to beaware that there is also a risk that thehome could be downgraded whenthe appeal is heard by the panel.
He added: “Home owners only haveone chance to put any sort of appealtogether, and they cannot go backand have a second bite of the cherryif they get it wrong.
“The main problem we have is thetime to put a case together once aprovider decides they want to pro-ceed.
“We would urge them to take initialsteps to contact a lawyer as soon asthey feel their discussions with theinspector are not going as they wouldwish because seven days is about asshort a time as is possible to put anappeal together for somebody’s busi-ness.”
Matthew said the importance ofgetting a good star rating is increas-ing now that they are published onthe internet.
He added: “Once the star rating isout there for the public to see thedamage is done. Star ratings are thekey to the success of a business, andpeople are now more savvy andaware that a three-star facility isgoing to be better than one with twostars.
“Owners in general are growingmore concerned about what is beingput on the internet about them. Itcan have a very serious affect on thebusiness, although a lot of what isput on general forums tends to befrom former employers with an axeto grind.”
Matthew Morton
A CARE home operator says hewould not have bought a secondfacility in Bournemouth had heknown the problems he would havefaced from the commission.
Geoff Tilling purchased the 18-bedMilton Lodge last May to add to theone he already owned in Shropshire,but says that since he took over hehas had nothing but problems fromthe inspectorate who he says areblaming him for the shortcomings ofthe previous owner.
He told Caring UK that he has spentthousands of pounds improving thehome, which has slipped from a two-star ‘good’ rating to a zero star ‘poor’.
Geoff added: “I purchased thebuilding based on the existinginspectorate report which said that itwas a quality home, but I quicklyfound lots of issues with the homesuch as a nursecall system that didn’twork, radiators with no covers onand a laundry room that was not upto health and safety standards.
“I had an inspection last July andthe inspector went through every-thing. I tried to point out to themwhat I had discovered myself andthat previous inspections had notmentioned, but was told that it wasall in the past.
“I felt the inspector was being total-
ly unreasonable and was trying tomake a statement about us. We weregiven a zero star rating, which hasimpacted on the levels of occupancyat the home.”
Geoff says that he has sinceinstalled a new nursecall system, astairlift, a dishwasher, laundry room,downstairs bathroom for disabledresidents, radiator covers, hoists formoving and handling residents andmetal medicine cabinets, as well ascreating a new office space withcomputer and the internet.
He added: “All we seem to get fromthe inspectorate is that we have to dothis by this date and if it it is notdone then we will have problems. Ifeel the treatment I have receivedfrom these people is not acceptableand that they don’t view the homefully.
“If it gets any worse I may have toconsider taking legal advice on this.Had I known this would have hap-pened before I bought the home Idon’t think I would have gone ahead.
“I am very despondent and upsetby the whole situation. I don’t feel Ihave the support from anywhere, andit is driving me down. They don’tseem to understand how much Ihave had to pay out in such a shortspace of time.”
A NORFOLK care home owner saysthe commission’s failure to updateits website could be losing her busi-ness.
Ivydene in Great Yarmouth,received a three-star ‘excellent’ rat-ing when the home was inspected inFebruary.
But more than three months laterthe Care Quality Commission’s web-site is still showing her as having atwo-star rating, despite a spokesmanfor the home saying she has repeat-edly asking for it to be updated.
She said: “I am angry because theinspector comes into the home andjudges me yet they cannot do theirown jobs properly. I have rung thecommission both at local andnational level for weeks but stillnothing has been done.
“I have told the CQC that this hold-
up could be costing me moneybecause there are two other homeswithin a 15-mile radius that have athree-star rating and are getting anunfair advantage over me.
“They said they will look into it butstill nothing has been done.”
But the local county council hasagreed to pay her based on threestars after it brought in a new payscheme based on performance.
She added: “I faxed the countycouncil the letter I received from theregulator saying that I had beenawarded three stars, and thankfullythey have since come back and saidthat they will recognise that.
“But there may be some councilsout there who would not be sounderstanding and would only usethe ratings on the website.”
‘Out-of-date’ website couldbe costing owner business
CARINGNEWS22
CARE home operators inNorthumberland have droppedtheir judicial review and havecome to an agreement with theirlocal trust over the fees theyreceive. Following a lengthystand-off, the trust has alsoagreed to bring their qualitystandards scheme to take intoaccount the CQC ratings.
The new policy will see the besthomes receiving between £449.90and £469.90 per week per beddepending on the type of home,grade two homes between£444.60 and £464.60, grade threehomes between £436 and £456and grade four homes between£419.08 and £439.08.
Keith Gray, chairman of CareNorthumberland, said: “We havebeen in discussions with trustand a lot of our proposals havebeen accepted apart from someminor clauses.
“I believe that this improvedoffer and changes to the qualitystandards scheme would nothave happened if providers hadnot stuck together.”
Executive director of care DaljitLally told Caring UK that thetrust always wanted to work withhome operators to come to anagreement. She added: “We havesaid all along that we want tohave positive discussions withcare home owners to ensurequality standards and value formoney for the public purse. Weare optimistic that our latestdiscussions will provide apositive basis for agreement sothat no matter where people livein Northumberland we can beassured that the quality ofresidential care is consistently ofa high standard.”
Daljit Lally
Agreementis reachedwith trust
Campaigners accuse council of ‘bully boy tactics’WIRRAL council are using ‘bully boytactics’ to force care providers tosign a new contract, it has beenclaimed.
And campaigners say they willconsider legal action if they nolonger send new placements tohomes that do not agree to the newfees, and assess and look to moveany residents currently living inthese homes to alternative facilities.
A representative of the group whohave been campaigning against the
council told Caring UK they areconsidering their next move.
He added: “If we don’t sign the newcontract the council have told usthat they will no longer make anynew placements with the homes,and that they will assess thoseresidents living in the homes andmight move them out to others inthe area. That is something wecannot accept and we believe wouldbe a case for legal action. But eachday that passes is costing the council
more and more money.”The group failed in their attempt to
overturn a council proposal to cutthe fees after a scrutiny committeemade up of representatives from thethree major parties voted 4-3 infavour of cutting the amount paid tocare homes for 2009/10 by 1.3 percent of the 2008/09 rate.
The spokesman added: “Five of usmet with the director at the councilbut I felt that the decision hadalready been taken politically so it
was a waste of three hours of ourtime. We are sitting back andpondering our next move becausethe council are currently still payingus the original figure because all ofthis was so rushed, which had aninflationary clause in it with a 4.7per cent increase.
“The council now has to give usthree months’ notice to terminatethat contract and will then get a newcontract which will have a take it orleave it offer in there.”
Operators risk goingout of business warnscare association leaderHOME operators in Birmingham riskgoing out business if they do not signthe city council’s new contract offer,according to the leader of a local careassociation.
The council has offered owners aone per cent rise from the beginningof April, with a further one per centin October – the equivalent of 49p aday for a single room.
Many owners were holding out formore but, after a meeting with thecouncil leaders, Les Latchman,secretary of the Birmingham CareConsortium, says that unless theysign they could be forced to close.
He added: “We had a meeting withcabinet adults and communitiesmember Sue Anderson andunfortunately there was no moremoney put on the table. But thecouncil did agree to look at the termsand conditions of the contract andasked us to go back to them withanything we wanted changing.
“They said they want to work with
us if we agree to sign the contract.Providers are holding out for a betterdeal, but those who don’t sign willeventually have to or they risk goingout of business, and that is what afew of them are feeding back to us.
“The new contract also does notmake any provision for dementia,which everybody accepts costs morethan standard care.
“The council tell us they have lessmoney to work with because theGovernment is cutting the amountthey receive.
But Peter Hay, strategic director ofadults and communities, said thecouncil has a set rate with privatecare and nursing homes, whichdetermines the amount that is paidfor people funded by the council.
He added: “If independentproviders refuse to sign the contractthen we don’t place residents withthem. We believe that this is theresponsible approach.
“We doubt people would feelconfident placing their loved one in acare home, using public money,where the owners had refused to signa contract with the local council.
“Many independent sector carehomes are run as businesses to makea profit, and as a result, they are notimmune from the effects of theeconomic downturn.
“However, we are looking at ways inwhich we can offer further help tothe private sector, by reschedulingpayments and also by makingmonthly payments.”
MORE than 250 operators havesigned up to a campaign which ischallenging all local authorities andPCTs in Britain over the level of feespaid to care homes.
Aston Brooke solicitors are leadingthe challenge on behalf of theEnglish Community Care Association(ECCA), who believe that if it winsthe case, all providers – and theirresidents – will benefit from what itexpects will be at least inflationaryrises in fee levels from all authorities.
Solicitor Raman Purewal toldCaring UK they are beginning to getthe data coming in from providers tostart their case, although going tocourt would be the final straw.
He added: “We would look toresolve the issue without needing togo ahead with the legal challenge,but it seems the local authorities willonly listen if you have a legal threatof some kind behind you.
“This isn’t about just sorting out acontract for 2009/2010 but for thefuture.
“We want something put in placewhereby councils must use one ofthe models for care fees out there ora combination of them.
“This would allow businesses tomove forward and develop theirbusinesses for the future becausethey would know what to expect.”
The Fairer Fees Forum wants care
providers to get in touch with copiesof all contracts, the percentageincrease they have seen over the lastthree years, any communication theymay have had with local authoritiesand internal costs for any careanalysis.
And Raman said the argument haslittle to do with the current financialclimate in the country.
He added: “The problems careproviders are facing has little to dowith the recession.
“The Government is quite happy tokeep bailing out the banks and thecar industry, but operators cannotcarry on providing at the current ratethey are being paid.”
Operators back ‘fees’ challengeto all local authorities
Special report by Dominic Musgrave
‘Providers are holding out for a better deal,but those who don’t sign will eventually have to or they risk going out of business’
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Kent homes signNHS scheme toimprove controlBy Dominic Musgrave
TWENTY Kent care homes havesigned up to a county NHS scheme toimprove infection control.
The programme, run by theImprovement Foundation, isdesigned to support staff in theprevention and control of tacklinghealthcare associated infections, andbecause it is aligned to the Healthand Social Care Act 2008 will helphomes assess their compliance andunderstand registration requirementswith the Care Quality Commission.
One of the homes signed up to theplan is 1st Choice Care Homes’Creedy House in New Romney.Manager Anita O’Neill says theyjoined because it is a big issue in thesector.
She added: “The course looks atevery aspect of infection control in acare home, and we are going to betaking a closer look at antibiotictherapies, what people go intohospital for and come back with.
“We hope to be working closely withGPs and recording all infections inthe home and whether somebody
came in or out of hospital withantibiotics and whether they work ornot.
“This will hopefully stop peoplerequiring masses of antibiotics andwe will know which ones work andwhich don’t.”
The home is also taking part in theSafe Hands Campaign to encourageeverybody who visits to use hand gelsand wash their hands.
Anita added: “The campaignexplains how important it is forvisitors to make sure their hands areclean before they enter. You do notknow what they could be bringinginto the home if they are not.
“The plan at the end of the year isthat this scheme will help us toimplement change if there issomething we think is important.
“A lot of people think that infectionsthat are found in hospitals mustcome from care or nursing homes,but that is really not the case andthey can come from everywhere.”
The programme will close with anevent to showcase and celebrate thesuccesses of the participating carehomes.
A NORTH Yorkshire specialist saysit has seen an upsurge in demandfor personal hygiene productssince the onset of swine flu.
Thirsk-based Hygicare’smanaging director Tony Fawcettsaid they have a wide variety ofproducts available.
He added: “Although we mayhave seen the back of swine flu, theGovernment’s response hasincreased people’s awareness ofpersonal hygiene.
“Older people are morevulnerable to infection fromviruses and bacterial pathogens,purely because their immunesystem is not as good as it oncewas.
“We believe we have the rightproducts to help healthcareoperators, and the advice thatkeeps them up to date and withinthe law with regards to technicalinformation.”
Specialist sees increase indemand since outbreak
THE Touchsafe Nursecall ATX5000 isa new wireless alarm system from AidCall which can also help users in thebattle against the spread of infection.
Residents in a home have closecontact with each other and staff dueto sharing living accommodation,facilities and care equipment.
The risk of acquiring and spreadinginfection in these environments istherefore high, and older people areat greater risk of developinginfections because their immunesystems are less robust.
Some wireless nurse call alarmsystems feature elements, such astouch screen monitors, which areimpossible to treat, this means thatcontaminants and infections caneasily be spread between users.
Effective cleaning anddecontamination of some equipment
can also bedifficultand thisshould bea seriousconsider-ationduringprocure-ment.
Allelementsof AidCall’sTouchsafeNursecallsystem which are touched or handledare embedded with powerful anti-microbial additives to help combatthe spread of infection. This provideslifelong protection against the spreadof infection.
Alarm system helps userscombat spread of infection
ELIMINATION of urine is a universalproblem and sometimes it seems thatno matter how much or how oftenyou clean, the odour and stain justwon’t go away.
Urine has several components thatcan be washed away with ordinarycleaners, but it is the insoluble uricsalt crystals which are difficult toremove.
Urine-off, a revolutionary cleaning
agent uses two uniqueenvironmentally friendly bio-enzymatic technologies to destroyurine odour and stains.
Unlike ordinary cleaners, Urine-Off‘eats’ the components on urine andproteins, removing the means forinfectious agents to flourish. Byusing Urine-Off, you are able toactually remove the contaminationand the odour permanently.
Cleaning agent ‘eats’ urine
25
Action neededto halt carehome closuresBy Dominic Musgrave
THE Government must do more tohalt the number of care homes thatare being forced out of businessevery week, the leader of an associa-tion has claimed.
Frank Ursell, chief executive of theRegistered Nursing HomesAssociation, has called for a changeof policy and a move away fromplans to keep people in their ownhomes for longer.
He said: “The number of carehomes closing every week is some-thing that everybody seems to glossover, but I believe a report released inJanuary said that approximately 600were forced out business last year.
“A change of policy is required tostop this. The Government keepsharping on about the fact that peopleare telling them they want to liveindependently for as long as theypossibly can, but the 40 or 50-year-old person they are speaking to isbound to say that.
“Ask a resident in a care homewhether they would rather be in
there and looked after properly or satat home in their own excrement andyou will get a totally differentanswer.”
But on a more positive note he saidthat care home operators should bealright if they can see the year out inthe current financial climate.
He added: “Home owners need tobe mindful that there may be cutbacks in expenditure, but if olderpeople are to receive the best possi-ble care then both central and localgovernment must give their needs ahigher priority than has previouslybeen the case.
“There is a lot of difference betweena Rolls Royce and a Mini, both interms of standards and price. Localauthorities continue to abuse theirdominant position as the care com-missioner, and what providers mustdo is ensure they are providing thebest care they possibly can.”� How is your business coping in thecurrent financial climate? LetDominic Musgrave know by [email protected] or by ringing 01226734407.
Frank Ursell
Your new-lookCommerce section willbring you all the latestproperty, business and training news every month.
In this issue:
� Act immediatelyin a crisis – how todeal with the media- page 26
� Luxury care homehas conciergeand hot tub- page 27
� Brothers moveinto the care sector- page 29
� New home set tocreate 70 jobs- page 28
Property, finance, insurance, training & recruitment
THE Avery healthcare group has pur-chased a new purpose-built residen-tial and dementia care home inSunderland through its operatingsubsidiary, Willowbrook.
The 60-bed home, which opened itsdoors in December, was built by aconstruction company Avery hasworked with previously.
Avery CEO John Strowbridge said:“We had been planning this purchase
for some time and we are verypleased indeed that it has gonethrough in what continues to be avery tough credit market.
Willowbrook was formed in late2008 following the agreement of a £53 million development capital package by Graphite Capital,a UK mid-market private equity spe-cialist, to fund Avery’s further devel-opment.
New home opens in Sunderland
CARINGCOMMERCE26
REMEMBER, the keys tosuccessfully handling any crisissituation are:
Quick action – Crisis situationsmay take weeks or months orlonger to fully resolve, however, it isimportant that the care home orcompany is seen as takingimmediate action.
Tell the truth but always verify thefacts prior to making publicstatements regarding situations,particularly those involvingphysical injury. Communicatechanges in the status of thesituation as quickly as possible.
Demonstrate confidence andcompassion – this is a very fine linethat can be difficult to walk.Practice extensively or better stillleave it to a professional to dealwith “outside” audiences. Internalaudiences, such as staff members,relatives or key organisations suchas CSCI or social services, mayneed to hear directly from the crisisteam, but communications withthe media and general public canbe left to professionals.
Be accessible to the media – astempting as it may be to close the
door, pull the shades anddisconnect the phone, theseresponses will only cause problems.The person designated to deal withthe media, whether a staff memberor a media adviser, needs to keepthe media informed and beavailable to answer questions.Many organisations prefer to use aspecialist to allow the internal teamto concentrate on handling theactual crisis. Unansweredquestions and speculation can bevery damaging; the best way toprevent them is by being accessibleand readily sharing informationwhen it becomes available.
Be professional about the use ofe-mail. What you write will formpart of future investigations and,even if marked private, can beleaked. The media are under noobligation to hold back your privatee-mails. Don’t use language that isinappropriate and onlycommunicate facts by e-mail.
Proactive communication andplanning are vital during the eventsleading up to a crisis and duringthe crisis period itself. Manyjournalists will attest that a
company spokesperson was eithernot available or refused tocomment. A serious incident couldvery well trigger dozens of mediacalls in the first hour.
It is vitally important to be awareof the media deadlines and torespond in time.
‘No comment’ is not an optionand, worse, might be used as ajustification for a reporter gettingsomething wrong; they’ll just sayyou had the chance to correct it butdidn’t speak to them.
The care home sector isvulnerable to unfavourable presscoverage and in today’s instantmedia environment it is importantto be prepared for a crisis. Thedamage done to a home’sreputation could be irreparable if itis not handled correctly. By keepinglines of communication open withthe media, and using it to conveyyour own positive messages itshould be possible to mitigate theworst of the damage.
Engaging a professional is thebest way to handle the media in acrisis, leaving the senior staff free todeal with operational issues.
Last issue, Graham Robb of Recognition Marketing and PR spoke to Caring UK about how carehomes can cope with bad press. Here, Graham – whose clients include Southern Cross –offers his tips on how to deal with the media in a crisis.
Act immediately in a crisis
Graham Robb
DC Care has completed the sale of St. Catherine’s Nursing Home in Letchworth,Hertfordshire for an undisclosed sum. The home, currently registered for 39 residents, isa substantial detached property which was previously a hospital. The building has beenconverted to its present use with extensions added to the side and rear. It was sold onbehalf of the retiring George Christoforou and Balbir Singh Johal to Rohan Paulas andRamesh Dalton.
JEREMY Whall and Li shung Yeungfrom the Birmingham School ofArchitecture have won a competitionto design the care homes of thefuture.
DWA Architects organised theevent sponsored by Bupa andmanaged by RIBA to mark its 20thanniversary, and entries werereceived from as far afield asAlbania, Canada, India, Russia,Singapore and the USA.
Christopher Wilkins and Rachel
Witham from Cardiff Universitywere second, with Marta GonzalezRuiz from Madrid University third.
Angela Rippon presented thewinners with their prize money andcertificates at a ceremony at RIBA’sLondon headquarters.
DWA chief executive David Wardsaid: “Every scheme consideredissues that are important now andwill only become more important inthe future – such as land shortageand the UK’s ageing population.”
Jeremy Whall and Li shung Yeung receive their prizes from Angela Rippon and DavidWard.
Students win ‘care homesof the future’ competition
West Yorkshire care home opensagain after transformationA CARE home has opened its doorsfor the first time in almost a decadefollowing a transformation by a WestYorkshire architectural practice.
Above and Beyond has restoredElmhurst, which closed its doors in2000 and fell into disrepair afterbecoming a target for vandals andarsonists.
Last July, Above and Beyond wascommissioned by lead consultantOperon to provide technical anddesign services to refurbish thederelict building, turning it into a
state-of-the-art modern care facility.Above and Beyond’s James Bosley
said: “It will feel a lot like being athome and will be an idealatmosphere to help people get backon their feet.
“Patients will stay in the facility andreceive therapy until they are able toreturn to their own homes.”
Central and Eastern CheshirePrimary Care Trust will lease the 30-bed intermediate care centre fromCheshire County Council.
27CARINGCOMMERCE
By Dominic Musgrave
A CONCIERGE service, a hot tub out-side and mini bars in all bedroomsare just some of the facilities at a newcare home inspired by luxury hotels.
And Dow Investments, owners ofRenaissance at Glencairn inEdinburgh, are now planning a sec-ond similar establishment in the city.
The company has spent £2millionon the 26-bed property on the site ofthe former Grange Nursing Home,and company director Anne Gordonsaid the new home, with rooms rang-ing from around £695 to £1,000 aweek, will create up to 30 new jobs inthe city.
She added: “Our chief executiveRobert Kilgour always had a plan toopen an up-market care hotel, andhe decided to do it and refurbish thehome when we were given it back byEdinburgh council.
“There is nothing like this in thecity, and we are planning somethingsimilar to the south of the city. Wehave spent a lot of money on fixturesand fittings at the home.
“The home is aimed at people over70 but with a low dependency. Wehave agreed with the CareCommission that should a person’scare requirements be more than wecan provide at Glencairn they can bemoved into one of our two otherhomes in the city.”
The group originally got planning
consent to turn the formerMorningside Nursing Home into acare home, putting it on the marketfor offers over £1.75m a year ago withthe plan to find a buyer to take it for-ward.
But Anne said that because of thecurrent economic climate they havedecided to develop the site them-selves, and plan to spend a similaramount of money turning it into
another ’hotel’.She added: “The home is no longer
fit for purpose as it stands so the plan is to see how it goes atGlencairn for six months, and if itproves popular we will turn it into a24-bed facility.
“We can see it being really success-ful because a lot of people don’t needa lot of help but just want to moveinto a home for the company.”
Luxury care home hasconcierge and hot tub
Mayor of Slough Raja MohammedZarait has opened a new £8.3m retire-ment development in the town.Hanover’s Northampton Place, which ismanaged in partnership with SloughBorough Council, has 56 one and twobedroom apartments with fittedkitchens and level access showers.A 24-hour emergency call service andsupport team of carers are also avail-able.Claire Anderson, Hanover’s director of
extra care and services, said: ”Olderpeople now have control of their owndecisions.“By offering clarity of choice olderpeople can continue to live indepen-dently at Northampton Place whilstretaining the services they need andvalue.”
ELIZABETH Finn Homes Limited hasappointed Carolynne Miller as itsnew chief executive.
Prior to joining the company asmanaging director, she held seniorposts with Priory Hospitals, SouthernCross, Highfield and the SandownGroup.
Jonathan Welfare, chief executive ofElizabeth Finn Care,said: “Carolynnehas run our homes to an award-win-ning standard for over four years, sothis promotion represents the naturalprogression of a great talent withinthe care sector.”
The company has 10 care homesacross England.
Chief executiverole for Carolynne
CARINGCOMMERCE28
Main options whensecuring financeBy Catherine Drew
CARE homes often need financefor several reasons: to purchase abusiness, to upgrade facilities, toplan for retirement or for generalbusiness needs and debt andequity are the main options tosecure this finance.
Debt finance is essentially a loanwith an agreed repaymentschedule plus interest. Equityfinance is money from an investorin return for a share in the profitsand typically some say in how thebusiness is run.
Care homes can also improvecash flow and profit margins bynegotiating longer payment termswith suppliers, keeping fee arrearsto a minimum and implementingfee increases quickly.DEBT FINANCE
Debt finance includes short termunsecured loans and overdrafts forday-to-day needs, and longer termloans secured by a charge over theproperty and other assets of thebusiness for acquisitions ordevelopments.
Secured loans and mortgages canoffer tax advantages but the lendermay also require a charge over theowner’s own assets or a personalguarantee.
Funds can also be raised byselling and leasing back anyfreehold premises. This realisescapital but the business will loseultimate control of the property.EQUITY FINANCE
Equity finance involves aninvestor acquiring a share in thebusiness in return for a capitalpayment, some or all of which the
owner may receive in return forreducing his share.
Most commercial investors willgenerally require a say in decisionmaking as well as a return on theirinvestment, often before profitsare paid to the owner, but as theinvestor will have a stake in thebusiness’ success, it may be willingto provide further funding.KEY POINTS
If the finance is for alterations toyour freehold premises, consider afixed term loan with a mortgageover the property and other assets.
If you give a personal guaranteeor a mortgage over your ownhouse, failure to repay may meanthat you and your family couldlose your personal assets.
Shop around the banks – if youagree to transfer your accounts,you may get a better deal.
Sale and leasebacks raise capitalbut you will have to pay a marketrent and agree new terms onexpiry.
Equity finance can provide fundsfor an owner’s retirement if thefamily cannot buy the owner outand for new owners to take over.
Equity investors may also bewilling to provide loans – ask them.� Catherine is a partner at law firmCharles Russell.
Catherine Drew
Specialist unitto be createdFOUR Seasons are to create aspecialist dementia care unit at oneof its homes in Northern Ireland.
Rush Hall in Limavady will beprepared as a specialist dementiacare provider, with staff training andhome preparation due to take placeover the next 12 months as the homeworks towards PEARL (PositivelyEnriching and Enhancing ResidentsLives) status.
Regional manager Ruth Burrowssaid: “The focus will be on personcentred care and the environment,engagement in activities, privacy,dignity, nutrition and knowingresidents and their lives well – all ofwhich are just some basic areas thatwe will be evaluated on.
“Our philosophy is simple – ourresidents should still feel as if theyare living at home just withadditional support and care.”
Celebratinghome ratingsA CARE group which providesresidential care and shelteredaccommodation for elderlyChristians is celebrating after allthree of its homes received thehighest possible rating from theinspectorate.
Eothen Homes’ Surrey facility,which has 36 residents and nineindependent living bungalows,received the grading in its latestinspection to join the Whitley Bayand Gosforth homes in being ratedthree stars.
Assistant general manager ChristineHardy put the success down tobuilding strong relationships with allnecessary parties.
She said: “We build strongpartnerships with the residents, theirfamilies, GPs, nurses and socialworkers to ensure that we areproviding the best care the individualcould want and not imposing it uponthem.
“We are also constantly looking todevelop our staff and as well as themandatory training, we try to ensurethat they are all up to date on otherimportant issues.”
A LINCOLNSHIRE care homemanager says teamwork is thereason why the home has picked upa hat-trick of accolades.
The Althorpe in Scunthorpe hasbeen upgraded from two stars tothree by the care commission and tocomplete a week of celebrations ithas also received the Investor inPeople award from Yorkshire andHumber Chamber of Trade and aQuality Delivery Gold Award fromNorth Lincolnshire Council.
Sandra Kirk, who runs the homewhich cares for 23 residents, says itis down to the excellent service thather staff provides.
She added: “There is a real teamethic at the home and everybodywho works here really enjoys it and
generally do care.“I think that is one of the main
reasons we got the three-star rating.Another is that we always make surewe keep up to date with the latestlegislation and make sure we meetcare standards by networking withvarious care groups. Part of that isthat all our staff, and not just thecarers have all the relevant training.All of them, including themaintenance man have either NVQlevel two or level three.”
Sandra says one of the main issuesthe home is focusing on at themoment is end of life care, with 10 ofthe 21 staff having recentlycompleted a training course in thesubject.
The other awards they received
recognised the home as a businessand that the home’s managementwere striving to improve thefacilities.
She added: “The Investor in Peopleaward was presented to us becauseall of our staff get the statutorytraining they require as well as morespecific for their job.
“The award from NorthLincolnshire Council recognises thatwe treat the residents as individualsso that when they move here theycan have their bedrooms exactlyhow they want it to be decorated.
“We have also put en suites intomore of the rooms to try and makethe residents feel that it is theirspace within the home.”
Teamwork brings success to home
Staff boost skillsSTAFF at a West Midlands care homeare celebrating after completing arange of qualifications.
The team of 20 at Southern Cross’Trinity House Care Centre haveachieved NVQ Level 2 and 3, safeguarding of medications, appointedperson’s first aid and the silver awardfor good food hygiene exams.
Home manager Jayne Griparis said:“The reality is that the skills of staff inthe elderly care sector and the quality of their work make a hugedifference to the quality of life of theresidents.
“Working effectively with olderpeople requires a very specific set ofskills. The training and developmentof staff is extremely important tomaintaining and building on the highstandards of care we provide.”
THE Priory group is set to create 70new jobs in Wolverhampton withthe opening of a new care home forolder people.
Bentley Court in Wednesfield, a77-bedded purpose-built nursingcare home, is part of the first phaseof the company’s strategy to expandits range of services into the elderlycare sector.
The company recently opened acare home for older people in Stokeon Trent and currently manages afacility in Belfast.
Care homes division managing
director Bhavna Jones said: “We aremaking significant investments inolder people’s services over the nextfew years. Bentley Court has beenwell received by our colleagues inthe public sector, particularly theprovision of dementia services forthe local community inWolverhampton.
“The Priory Group’s experience inmental health, complex and longterm care will transfer really wellinto older people’s services. Olderpeople are coming into care andnursing homes later and are more
frail. “The residents are likely to have
more complex needs andassociated health issues that we areconfident we have the experience tocare for.”
All residents will have access toactivities and a wide range ofprofessionals, including ahairdresser, chiropodist, opticianand GP.
There will also be a choice oflounges and dining areas and asecure enclosed landscaped garden.
Priory’s new home will create 70 jobs
29CARINGCOMMERCE
ROSEWOOD Care’s new £5m homeRosewood House in Gateshead willcreate up to 80 jobs when it opens inthe New Year.
The company was founded last yearby Afzal and Amjad Ahmad and AliAsghar last year, and will transformthe old base for their other businessBensham Wholefoods into a 75-bed,four storey home.
It will be shaped as a horseshoearound a central communal garden,and all bedrooms will have en-suiteshower rooms.
Afzal told Caring UK that he firststarted thinking about moving intothe care sector around 10 years ago,and the process of getting planningpermission and the necessary fund-ing for the home had taken threeyears.
He added: “When we first talkedabout the idea of setting up a carehome business we first looked at thepossibility of buying existing homes,but the ones we visited were in adilapidated state and the residentsdidn’t look very happy. They requireda lot of work and money to get themup to scratch.
“We then came up with the idea ofbuilding our own purpose-builthome, and decided it would probablybe best if we moved the food busi-ness to a smaller site and looked at
doing something there.“We had a few issues getting the
money to build this because of thecredit crunch as we are new to themarket, but the Royal Bank ofScotland has taken a risk with us andwe are confident we can make this asuccess.”
And Afzal says the care businesswill now become the largest part of
his interests, and he plans to look atadding to his homes portfolio in thefuture.
He added: “There is nothing set instone at the moment but we are look-ing at several possibilities for otherhomes.
“The care home industry has notbeen hit at all by the current financialclimate because of the ever ageing
population.“We want to create luxury care
homes to meet the needs of theelderly in the area, and have taken alot of advice along the way from avariety of people.”
The home has been designed byMario Minchella architects and isbeing built by Dorin ConstructionLtd.
Two brothers are turning the former site for their snackfood company into a luxury care home aspart of a new venture. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Amjad Ahmad, Afzal Ahmad and Ali Asghar with Mike Coster and John Mannix from the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Brothers move into care sector
CHARLES Folkes spent more than ayear researching franchiseopportunities before settling on thehomecare sector.
The former hotel manager hasworked in a variety of othersectors, including the print and fireand flood restoration, but had noexperience of the care industrybefore purchasing a package fromCaremark to run a service inRedcar and Cleveland.
And, having been given hisofficial registration from theregulator in March, he told CaringUK he has a team in place to startdelivering high quality care.
He said: “I have the managementand business background andknew that a franchise was the wayforward, particularly in theseeconomic times, because they giveyou the support to get you goingand I didn’t know the sector wellenough.
“I chose Caremark after doing myresearch and having meetings withthem and one other homecareprovider because they had the rightphilosophies and ethics to meetmy criteria, and their owner KevinLewis had a proven track record.
“I also didn’t want to get involvedwith a company that potentiallydidn’t want to deliver the higheststandards of care.”
Once Charles decided to joinCaremark, his first move was toemploy Lisa Davey as his caremanager, and they have a team of15 carers ready to start work whenthe clients come in.
As part of the package he also dida two-week training course withthe company.
He added: “We will never stoprecruiting because as the businessgrows and develops if we don’thave the carers in place we cannotdeliver the care.
“The homecare sector is verydifferent to anything I have donebefore, but the fundamentals are
the same. We have so far had a fewenquiries and hope to get apackage from a brokeragecompany to deliver 38 hours aweek of care shortly. There are afew other contracts coming up inthe summer from local councilsthat we plan to tender for, andhopefully the business will growfrom there.
“There is no other Caremarkfranchise between Leeds andNewcastle so hopefully if this is asuccess I want to buy the other inTeesside and become a multi-franchise owner in the not toodistant future.”
CARINGCOMMERCE30
A nursing home in one ofMiddlesex’s most affluentareas has been sold froman asking price of£3.2million.Christies has sold the 20-bed Oakleigh in Pinner tocare home operatorPrecious HealthcareLimited, who also ownand operate a number ofother homes across thecounty and inBuckinghamshire.The two storey detachedhome has been tradingsince 1995.
Managers from all 18 of a care group’s homes are celebrating after they received ahealth and safety quality mark certificate. The Cornwall Care homes received a fullinspection and assessment to achieve the OHSAS 18001 status, which means they havereached the requirements for the business without having to adopt new systems.The managers received their awards from Certified Quality Systems’ Bill Dickinson at acelebratory lunch at the Alverton Manor hotel in Truro.
Dominic Musgrave spoke to a homecare franchise owner about hisplans for his new venture.
Charles has big plans afterentering into care sector
Charles with Lisa Davey (right) and one of the company’s new carers
Ceremonymarks endof courseSTAFF at Scotland’s carewatchdog have completed aspecialist course aimed atimproving care standards acrossthe country.
The bulk of the group of 40from the Care Commission werepresented with their Regulationof Care Award (RoCA) (Scotland)certificates by public healthminister Shona Robison at aceremony at the Apex Hotel inDundee.
Convenor professor Frank Clarksaid: “Our work is about raisingthe standard of care and keepingpeople safe and well cared for,while also making a strongcontribution to the developmentof Scotland’s scrutiny landscape.
“We are currently working withthe Scottish Government to helpimplement their vision of a new,streamlined network of scrutinybodies across the country and, inthe meantime, it is still ‘businessas usual’ in terms of how weregulate care in Scotland.
“The people who will really gainare those who use care services,their families and friends andpeople who work in the caresector.”
The qualification has beendeveloped in partnership withCambridge-based Anglia RuskinUniversity, the Care Commissionand the Scottish Social ServicesCouncil.
31CARINGCOMMERCE
Care home willcreate up to 80 jobsWORK has begun on a new £4m carehome in Warrington for specialistcare provider CareConcepts which isset to create up to 80 jobs.
The 60-bed facility is being built byconstruction company G & J Seddonand funded by The Royal Bank ofScotland’s (RBS) healthcare team.
Following a national tender byWarrington Borough Council,CareConcepts were awarded the con-tract to build and operate a 60-placecare home and 20-place day centreon the former Chestnut House site inthe town. It is set to open next March.
Commission teamTHE Care Quality Commission hascompleted its senior managementteam with the appointment of threemore directors.
David Johnstone will be the directorof operations, with Kylie Kendrick thedirector of organisation developmentand human resources and JohnLappin the director of finance andcorporate services.
Chief executive Cynthia Bower said:“They will bring a great deal ofknowledge and experience to theseimportant roles and help us to pushahead with the Commission’s ambi-tious programme of work.”
The other four directors already inpost are: Jill Finney, director of eng-agement; Richard Hamblin, directorof intelligence; Gary Needle, directorof methods and Jamie Rentoul, direc-tor of regulation and strategy.
Provider publishes its own manualsAN East Anglia-based care providerhas published its own range of train-ing manuals aimed at new staff.
Healthcare Homes’ Passport to Carecovers the government’s commoninduction standards for care workers,which require minimum levels ofskill to be achieved within the first 12weeks of employment.
The handbooks cover the principlesof care, health and safety, first aid,effective communication and recordkeeping, and there is also a separatemanager’s manual which offersadvice and guidance.
Training director Sandie Oxborrow,who helped develop the training pro-gramme, said: “It consists of practicalskills-based training, organised in anumber of modules.
“Each care worker completes theseunder the supervision of their man-ager – it is ‘on the job’ learning thatresults in an agreed level of compe-tency and knowledge.
“This then counts towards NVQlevel two – the standard all careworkers will be expected to attain inthe future.” Sandie Oxborrow with one of the training manuals
Partnership working plays increasingly important rolePARTNERSHIP working is playing anincreasingly important role in effec-tive modern local government activ-ity, according to a learning serviceprovider.
Social Care Information andLearning Services’ Stephen Kitsiossaid a growing number of local
authorities are engaging in partner-ship working with private and vol-untary sector organisations.
He said: “Over 95 per cent of localauthorities that subscribe to ourwebsite have chosen to include theprivate and voluntary sector withintheir subscription, enabling free
access to a wealth of knowledge andinformation relating to social care,health, housing and education.
“It clearly demonstrates the com-mitment of the local authorities tosupport their private and voluntarysector contracted providers in meet-ing their staff’s learning needs.”
CARINGNEWS32
Conferenceto look atguidelinesBy Mary Ferguson
A CONFERENCE designed to helpcare home managers understand thenew guidelines surroundingdeprivation of residents liberty istaking place in June.
The Deprivation of LibertySafeguards came into effect on April1, providing a framework forapproving the decisions made forpeople in either a care home orhospital who lack the capacity toconsent to treatment or care that –in their own best interests – can onlybe provided in circumstances thatamount to a deprivation of liberty.
In response to concerns raised bypractitioners and managers workingwithin the care home and hospitalenvironment, the conference aims toprovide clear guidance of what isexpected from managingauthorities, increase confidence inapplying the law and clarifyresponsibilities with real caseexamples.
Organised by Majella Greene and Associates Ltd, the conferencetakes place on June 22 in centralLondon.
A DEMENTIA care home ispioneering a new reading initiative toimprove the lives of its residents.
The reading group at Hallgarth CareCentre in Durham is thought to bethe first group of its kind in a carehome in the North East and possiblythe country.
The Get Into Reading initiative wasdeveloped at Liverpool University bythe Readers Organisation, andinvolves short stories, novels andpoetry being read aloud by trainedfacilitators, with members of thegroup joining in as they wish.
The idea was introduced to thehome by Jim Freeley, the husband ofa resident living with Alzheimer’sand, despite his wife dying, he stillattends the group every fortnight.
Nurse Karen Craggs, who helped toset up the group, said: “The wholepurpose of the group is to improvethe residents’ lives and we use thepoems as a way of startingconversations to help with speechand language.
“I have recorded a lot of thesessions and the improvements wehave seen in the residents has beenremarkable. One resident was aprofessor who withdrew totally when
he moved into the home.“At first when he came to the group
we thought he was asleep, but aftertwo or three sessions he changedtotally and he now really getsinvolved.”
The home has also got the localcommunity involved in some of thesessions, with a children’s writinggroup for a local library writingpoems for the residents.
Karen added: “We now have areading group award. As part of agroup at the library severalyoungsters wrote poems and read
them out in the home for theresidents.
“The residents judged their workand some of them went to presentthe girl who wrote the winning piecewith her award.
“The staff have also got involved. Iread a poem out that I found of mygrandfather’s when he was youngerabout a family member who hadmoved to Australia.
“This sparked a conversation about countries the residents wouldlike to visit and also about schooldays.”
The Shelbourne senior living community in Sway has donated £500 to Save the Children. The facility won the moneyafter being named as a finalist in this year’s Pinders Design Awards. Shelbourne managing director Ken Waterhouseis pictured with resident Peter Conway and lead receptionist Teresa Calfe.
Trust celebratesTHE Greensleeves Homes Trust celebrated thesuccess of their homes and individual staffmembers at a reception in London.
Managers and staff from all 16 care homes in themidlands, the south and east of England attendedthe event which included a talk from Sylvie Silverfrom NAPA. After the staff who had achieved anNVQ award during the previous year received theircertificates, the first set of accolades werepresented, with categories including innovation,gardens and grounds and eating experience.
Winners were: Energy conservation – KingstonHouse (Calne, Wiltshire) and Sharnbrook House(Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire); Gardens and grounds –Croxley House (Croxley Green, Hertfordshire);Eating experience – Broadlands (Oulton Broad,Suffolk);
Entrance – Arden House (Leamington Spa,Warwickshire); Innovation – The Briars (Sandown,Isle of Wight) and Broadlands (Oulton Broad,Suffolk); Special accolade – Torkington House(Acton, West London); Judy Macdonald award –Queen Elizabeth House (Bickley, South EastLondon).
By Claire Lodge
A THIRD new Fremantle Trustolder people’s service hasopened in a new state-of-the-art building in High Wycombe.
The Heights is situated on theold Downley School site and isthe third of eight care homesfor older people being built aspart of the Project CareInitiative, a partnershipbetween BuckinghamshireCounty Council, HousingSolutions Group and theFremantle Trust.
Residents from two of thegroup’s existing residentialhomes in Marlow and HolmerGreen have moved into thenew building, which willprovide nursing and dementiacare.
The home has 75 en suitebedrooms, split into fivesmaller community groups,with 15 residents in each.
Facilities include a shop/bar,hairdressing salon andtreatment room.
New service opens in High Wycombe
Companyis savedby U-turnBy Dominic Musgrave
THE OWNER of a homecare compa-ny says she would have been forcedout of business had Durham coun-cil’s plans gone ahead to reduce thenumber of services it commissions tofrom 42 to 10.
Venita Pattinson, who runsApplejack Care in Bishop Auckland,was one of the companies thatmissed out on a contract in the origi-nal round of interviews, despite hercompany being rated as ‘excellent’ bythe regulator.
But social services leaders wereforced to make a U-turn over theiroriginal plans following a legal chal-lenge by one of the region’s largerhomecare providers.
Venita told Caring UK she is deter-mined she will not miss out againonce she is re-interviewed by a newpanel for a contract.
She said: “The council had onechance of getting rid of me, but theyare not going to get another one. Iam just thankful that one of the larg-er companies was able to mount alegal challenge against the councilbecause there is no way I couldafford it as we are only a smallprovider.
“Had we not won the case there isno way we would have been able tocontinue because 99 per cent of ourbusiness comes from social services.
“I had to be picked up off the floorwhen I was told that our bid hadbeen unsuccessful. The council hassaid that it wanted to make the sys-tem more efficient, but reducing it somuch is a little bit drastic and I thinkit is just about cost cutting.”
Nick Whitton, head of commission-ing for adult services, told Caring UKthat measures had been put in placeto ensure that homecare will contin-ue to be provided until the tenderingprocess has been completed.
He said: “Following a legal chal-lenge regarding the selection ofhome care providers in CountyDurham, we have agreed to re-runthe interview stage of the procure-ment.
“This decision was taken in order toavoid lengthy delays and disruptionfor service users which would haveresulted had we continued to contestthe matter through the courts.
“We are now in the process of re-arranging interviews and writing toservice users to inform them of thesituation.”
Sue Ullmann receives the award from Roger Kellow from Hobart UK and Cheryl Baker
THE Community Meals on Wheelsservice has been recognised for thelengths it went to to deliver food toelderly people during the Arctic-likeconditions earlier this year.
Sue Ullmann chair of the NationalAssociation of Care Cateringreceived the Cost Sector CateringBlue Ribband award in recognitionof the important work that the ser-vice provides across the country.
She said: “The work of everyoneinvolved in providing the communi-ty meals, whether it’s the supplier,the local authority or the volunteerdelivering the meal, is vital toenhance the well-being of the needyand elderly in our communities.
“This award is a fantastic achieve-ment for all those who work so hardday-in-day-out through all weathersand deadlines across the UK.”
Cold weather performanceearns service warm praise
35HOMECARENEWS
A SOD cutting ceremony markedthe beginning of the developmentof the first extra care villages inBlackpool on the site of a formercare home. The town council hascommissioned Great PlacesHousing Group to develop thesites, the first of which – CherryTree House will have 46 two-bed-room apartments, with facilitiesincluding a spa with jacuzzi, shopand separate area for professionalssuch as chiropodists and hair-dressers to work.
Project manager JeanetteBlackburn told Caring UK that theplans have now been welcomed bythe local community after somediscontent 18 months ago aboutthe homes being closed. Sheadded: “There has been a lot ofinterest in the two developments,and we are sure that will continuewhen we start our early marketingcampaign in the near future.
“There was a lot of unrest aboutthe two homes closing to makeway for the new developments,but now people have seen themodel and realise that it is some-where in between living in theirown home and moving into a resi-dential care home they seem tothink it is a good idea.
“The building's modern Art Decofacade will present a positiveimage and we want people to seemoving in as a positive choice aswell another option to the carehome or more traditional shel-tered housing.”
The apartments at the CherryTree House development, which iscosting £5.68m to build, will beavailable for rent, and will offer 24-hour care from staff. All will havetheir own front door, and a win-dow which looks out on to thestreet style layout.
Jeanette said that if the scheme issuccessful the council will look atmore developments in the future.
She added: “We have no formalplans or other sites in mind at themoment, but I'm sure that if theextra care villages are successful itis something we would perhapslook at doing in other parts of thetown. We have a series of events inmind to raise the awareness of thetwo sites coming up over the nextfew weeks at nearby communitycentres. We will also be looking atdoing an event aimed at profes-sionals who may have somebodyinterested in moving in.”
Both developments are expectedto be completed by autumn 2010.
The way care is delivered in a North West coastal town is set to transform with the development of two new extra care villages. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Care villages welcomed by public
STAFF from a Gloucestershire home-care agency are donning their walk-ing boots and pink t-shirts andputting their best foot forward forcharity.
The carers from Corinium Care, ledby managing director Camilla Miles,are taking part in the 10-mileCotswold Midnight Walk aroundCirencester on June 26, which will raise money for the Cotswold Care Hospice inMinchinhampton.
She said: “Every year we do some-thing to help a local charity, and this
year we chose the hospice becauseit's close to home in more than onesense – Corinium Care is used tosupporting people with life-limitingillnesses.
"It's also good for us to do some-thing as a team, and walking 10 milesthrough the Cotswolds in the dark
will be a novelty."Joining Camilla on the women-only
walk are Fiona Bird, Sue Powell,Natasha Skowron, Clare Armstrong,and Rachel Dedman. Last year’sevent attracted more than 1,200women and raised more than£120,000 for the hospice.
Carers strideout to raisecharity cash
CARINGPRODUCT NEWS36
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Durability and design appeal crucial toMuckamore Abbey
DURABILITY, choice and aesthetic appeal were the key criteria involved when seating from Knightsbridgewas specified for a specialist assessment andtreatment unit for people with learning disabilitiesin Northern Ireland.All the bedrooms and quiet areas at MuckamoreAbbey Hospital feature Thorpe armchairs to aspecial ‘Extreme’ specification to cater for patientsdemonstrating challenging behaviour patterns,supported by examples of Kog, a range of soft andsupportive foam seating in bright cuboid andcylindrical formations. In the day rooms, Madison armchairs and setteesare again to the ‘Extreme’ specification, while thedining and activity areas feature versatile Tempoupright chairs partnered by sturdy Ascot tables.The visitor and staff areas are also populated with furniture from the Knightsbridge care portfolio. Guestsare welcomed by Shelley armchairs and twin-seat settees, with smart Nimbus multi-purpose armchairs andOwen high-back office chairs in the consulting suites. Easy armchairs and two-seater settees from the Vienna collection are also in the staff quarters, with Deltastacking armchairs in the training rooms.
Enquiries: Telephone 01274 731900 or visit www.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk
WHEN Bob Gosine decided to renovate the small bathroom inhis terraced house in North London he came across a productthat has made a big difference for his family. Bob lives with his two daughters who have a physical disabilitythat leaves them with insufficient strength in their arms andhands to operate handles. So when he was ordering sanitaryware and a walk-in shower unit from his local supplier, PremierBathroom, he asked about the possibility of a ‘no-hands’ flushsystem for the WC in the bathroom. Premier Bathroom immediately turned to Cistermiser, a Readingbased company specialising in water management and theirEasyflush system was installed.Easyflush is a WRAS approved product that employs a singleinfrared sensor to operate a dual flush WC valve and alsocomplies with the DDA. It is a hygienic, user-friendly systemideal for domestic use, especially where less able or elderlypeople are involved.
Enquiries; Telephone 0118 9691611 or visitwww.cistermiser.co.uk
Easyflush good for the Gosine family
GIRBAU’S HS-6008 washer has been named the mostenergy-efficient in its class by US body Energy Star. Tests carried out showed the machine uses far lesswater and electricity than the machines of othermanufacturers.Part of the Girbau 6 Series range of high speed washers,the 9kg capacity HS6008 reaches spin speeds of up to1000rpm and its wash process has been specificallydesigned to minimise the use of water and energy. By using less water while still providing excellentwashing, HS 6 series washers also use less detergentand reduce filling time.The materials used in the manufacture of 6 Serieswashers are recyclable, but no sacrifice has been madein Girbau’s reputation for robustness and qualitymanufacture established over the past 40 years.
YELLOW bag collection is an ever increasingcost, leaving home managers and careproviders with little option but to renegotiatetheir fees or find an alternative. DDC Dolphin have been making theirincontinence pad macerators for more than10 years, and have continued to develop andincrease its durability and efficiency. The company has recently launched its‘Incomatic’ incontinence pad macerator,boasting anti-microbial technology,drastically reducing the risk of spreadinginfections. Using advanced cutting technology andunique features to ensure a trouble freeexperience, the question has to be: ‘Howmuch can this save you?’.Enquiries: Telephone 01202 731555 or
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A NEW 13 kg freestanding Primus washer-extractor hasbeen launched by Armstrong commercial laundrysystems. The existing range has seven models between eight and55kg, and the new machine is in response to marketdemand for one between 10 and 16 kg.The FS13 has all the virtues of the established range -energy efficiency, a frequency controlled motor, easymaintenance and the reliability that has made the rangeso popular. There is an extensive selection of options to allow theoperator to tailor the equipment to his ownrequirements. These include a water recovery kit and acommunications interface which enables remoteservicing, a great advantage for the multiple operator. The new model has a smaller footprint than the 16kgmachine yet a very large (41cm) door for fast loadingand unloading. As with all Armstrong suppliedequipment, the new FS13 is supported by acomprehensive range of advisory, finance and after salesservices. Enquiries: Telephone 01635 263410.
New washer-extractor from ArmstrongAffordable elegance for the modern carehome
BUILDING on the original success of Harris and Dicelaunched in July 07, Mosaic by Skopos haveannounced the launch of Harris & Dice Plus.
A collection of two stylish, colour woven,textured fabrics suitable for use as fixed upholstery.
Featuring an extended colour palette andenhanced fabric performance, Harris, a traditionaltonal weave, and Dice, a distinctive chenille weaveoffer, affordable elegance for the modern carehome.
It has been designed to work in harmony withnew and existing interior schemes, and has theadded advantage of being waterproof, breathable,anti-microbial, soil resistant, and flame retardant tocrib five.
Mosaic by Skopos is an ISO9001 accreditedcompany and, as the healthcare division of SkoposDesign Ltd, Mosaic has over 30 years’ specialist experience in the design and manufacture of highperformance FR contract fabrics for the healthcare sector.
Enquiries: Telephone 01924 465191 or visit www.skoposdesignltd.com
37CARINGNEWS
CORNWALL Care’s Active Lifescheme is designed to make almostany activity possible, from some-thing as simple as helping peelpotatoes at lunchtime to an abseildown the side of a building.
It has been put together by thegroup’s sensory development man-ager Ray Liles, and a team of 50staff across the 18 homes havebeen made ‘champions’ to imple-ment it.
He told Caring UK that thescheme, which was launched atThe Eden Project, is more than justplanning a few activities in eachhome.
Ray added: “There are a lot ofgood activities, both on a one to
one basis or in a group, going onaround the homes, but I always feelthere is room for improvement.
“There are always those who don’tjoin in anything, and this pro-gramme has come about afterspeaking with them and findingout what would interest them andgive them a more meaningful life.
“If I were to move into a carehome and couldn’t get out anabout it would drive me crazy, andwe want to people to feel they areliving with us and not just stayingat the home.”
Ray said he plans to get localschools, colleges and communitiesinvolved in the scheme, which willrun continually throughout the
year across the homes.He added: “This isn’t just a pro-
ject, but is something the groupwants to become a way of life forpeople. It is about allowing peopleto be creative and share their ideasand not just being sat in a loungewatching television all day,although they can do that if they sowish.
“Some people will still not wantto get involved with anything, butthat is their choice. We want tomeet the needs of those that dowant to get more involved.”
The staff have set up their ownchoir which will tour the homesand sing for the residents followinga series of workshops at the launch
of event.Ray said: “As part of the day we
held several classes, and one ofthem was singing, which I thoughtI was going to hate.
“But what the lady who ran thelesson managed in an hour wasnothing short of amazing, and wesounded fantastic if I do say so. Shehas agreed to lead us and we aregoing to put on performances anddoing involve the residents inwarming up techniques as thesinging.
“I hope that the programme willbe a real success and somethingthat other care organisations willlook at and want to get involvedin.”
A care group in the south west of England has launched a new programme aimed at helpingresidents lead a more active life. Dominic Musgrave found out more.
Anything’s possible with activity scheme
Tina (centre) with Shelbourne's Nostalgia Neighbourhood manager Maggie Tomlin andassisted living manager Gina Markham.
A NEW Forest carer who visited a ter-minally-ill resident who was dying ofcancer on her days off has won acounty award.
Tina Smit, lead care assistant at TheShelbourne Senior Living Communityin Sway, was named carer of the yearat Hampshire The County Magazine’saward ceremony.
She was nominated by managingdirector Ken Waterhouse, whodescribed her as a ‘caring and posi-
tive member of the team.” Tina was also praised by her team
for carrying on work as normal dur-ing a personally difficult time whenher son was posted out toAfghanistan.
She said: “I feel very honoured tohave won. I get a lot of satisfactionout of what I do and I love the factthat I come in to work every day andam able to bring a smile to people’sfaces.”
Tina wins county carer award
SCHOOL children have helped torename the living areas at aBarchester run care home in Ipswich.
The nine and 10-year-olds fromCedar Wood School designed postersto represent their suggested name forAlice Grange, with the only stipula-tion that it must reflect the heritageof the home, which was built onfarmland.
The five winners were chosen bygeneral manager Wendy Harvey, andinvited back to the home to see theprofessionally made signs that hadbeen created from their entries. Thepupils were also given £20 of bookvouchers and a special certificate.
She said: “We always like to get thelocal community involved with thehome, and asking local school chil-dren to name some of the areas hasbeen a great success.
“The residents thoroughly enjoyedhaving the children visit, and all theentries were such lovely names anddesigns. It was very difficult to choosethe final five, but I think we have awonderful selection of truly fittingnames.”
The successful new names wereLilac Close, Daisy Close, BluebellClose, Honeysuckle Close and CherryBlossom Way.
Children rename areas
SIX members of staff were part of agroup of 27 who completed a 200-mile bike ride from London to Parisand raised more than £60,000 for aSouth London care home.
Nightingale’s assistant directorSally Miller, in-house physiothera-pists Michael Stokes and GeorgieBusse, religious advisor Rafi Fuchsand nurses Jenny Wang and Fan LiHua completed the ride which fin-ished at the Eiffel tower.
The ride, which featured riders
between the ages of 22 and 67, wasthe first of its kind that Nightingalehas organised, and all money raisedwill go towards the running costs ofthe home.
Sally said: “There was an amazingcamaraderie and some great friend-ships were formed. Through laugh-ter, sweat and some tears, thistremendous achievement was verymuch a team effort and one which Iam delighted that I was able to be apart of.”
Staff complete charity bike ride
CARINGCLASSIFIED AND PRODUCT NEWS38
AN unexpected message from morethan 100 miles away across the NorthSea has been received by surprisedresidents of a Suffolk care home.
The note from the Netherlandsturned up after residents ofHealthcare Homes’ Barking Hallnursing home in Needham Marketreleased 41 labeled red balloons inMarch in aid of Red Nose Day.
One of the balloons was scooped upfrom the sea by Dutch fishermanCornelis Hameeteman, who sent itback to the home with a map ofwhere it had been found and also apicture of his fishing vessel.
Manager Patricia Smaldon said:“This one balloon has had anamazing journey and we are all reallyexcited that it went so far. Eachresident released a balloon in aid ofRed Nose Day, which enabled us toraise over £116. Some even releasedthe balloons from their bedroomwindows.
“Each balloon was marked with theresident’s room number, and theballoon which came back belongedto Keith Pemberton. All of the staffand residents, especially Keith arevery impressed that it managed totravel so far.”
Residents prepare to let the balloons off for Comic Relief
Residents receive a messagefrom across the North Sea
Practice hasexperience
Firm extendsmonitor use
LANDSCAPE architectural practiceTDA has a wealth of experiencedealing with various care sectorprojects from individual homes tolarge care villages.
The company has worked on manyprojects nationwide, providinglandscape character and visualassessments, tree surveys anddesigns for planning applicationswithin the care sector.
TDA specialises in catering forelderly mentally ill patients throughthe development of secure sensorygardens. The gardens, designed inconsultation with care homeoperators, provide practical and safeexternal areas for residents’relaxation, enjoyment andrecreational activities.
A spokesman said: “We believe oursuccess is based on understandingthe needs and aspirations of theclient, while accommodating the enduser and producing inspired andpractical landscape design solutions.”
HOME from Hospital has extendedits use of the CM2000’sCallConfirmLive! electronicmonitoring solution as a part of anextra care housing scheme inpartnership with the Richmond-Upon-Thames Churches HousingTrust.
Chestnut House is a block of 41 flatsprivately run for individuals requiringaccess to ‘close care’, and is seen asoffering an alternative to thetraditional care home.
In order to ensure the residentswere receiving the care allocated tothem in their care package, and toallow Home from Hospital to bill foractual care delivered, director offinance Carlyn Bevan has beenworking with CM2000 to introduce aradio frequency identification tagand mobile phone based monitoringsolution.
Called ‘Touch and Go’, the systemuses the CM2000 CallConfirmLive!user interface to display and reporton visit information.
MIELE’S new PG 8527 single-cabinet unit will simplify and speedup the task of reprocessinglaboratory glassware.
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REPRESENTATIVES from theDepartment of Health and the Healthand Safety Executive will speak at aconference next month which willlook at safety in care.
The National Association for Safetyand Health in Care Services’ annualevent will take place at The Hiltonhotel in Blackpool on July 2, and thisyear’s theme will be ‘Safety on Care: A
new direction’.Speakers at the conference include
Jeff Jerome, national director for adultsocial care transformation at theDepartment of Health, Health andSafety Executive director SayeedKhan and Hill Solomon creativedirector Clare Solomon.
