World Diabetes Day – 14 November 2018
World Diabetes Day is a global campaign which was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation and takes place on the 14th November every year (the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922). The theme for this year and 2019 is ‘The Family and Diabetes’. One in every two people with diabetes is undiagnosed. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to helping prevent or delay life-threatening complications. Find out more, including ideas of how to participate, at https://www.worlddiabetesday.org/ A group of organisations in Norfolk are marking this day by holding a free event providing advice and support about living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. ‘You, Me & Diabetes’ is taking place at The King’s Centre in Great Yarmouth. One of the sessions is being run by the Education and Training Lead from DUET diabetes Ltd. More information can be found via the news page on the DUET diabetes website. T: 01799 584178 E: info@duetdiabetes.co.uk W: www.duetdiabetes.co.uk F: facebook.com/duetdiabetes DUET diabetes Ltd has learning provider endorsement from Norfolk & Suffolk Care Support Ltd.
It’s Time To Be Bold When It Comes To Attracting Younger Talent
It is no secret that there is a recruitment crisis within the social care sector and recent statistics suggest that one million new care workers are needed by 2025 to cope with the ageing population. Statistics show that currently, 800,000 young people are not employed or in education2, and evidence suggests that by attracting these young people to apply for a role within your care setting, it can bring new, fresh ideas and different perspectives on caring for others as well as helping to plug this gap. However, there seems to be a stigma around working in care which is preventing younger people from applying for roles, this could be due to the lack of awareness and education around the career path available within care homes. This stigma really needs to go! So, what can you do to attract younger people into roles within your care home? Will Shepherd, CEO at Cohesion, provides his top recruitment tips: Create a specific recruitment strategy solely focusing on young people – different aspects of the job attract different groups of people; therefore, recruitment plans should be tailored to various target audiences. Consider careers fairs, social media advertising and customise the recruitment process itself – tailoring your application process to be short and including language that appeals to younger people. Try removing barriers such as ‘minimum requirements’ and instead use ‘values-based techniques’ which better allows the candidates strengths to be recognised. Work closely with schools and colleges – consider approaching local schools and colleges, especially those that teach a health and social care course by offering to share presentations to the students. This can include, talking about the benefits of working in the care sector and the career pathways available in your organisation. Consider offering work experience, this provides a chance for you to welcome young people into your homes for several hours a week, allowing them to gain a positive experience and a taste for working in the care sector. If they impress, you could offer them a guaranteed interview upon completing their studies. Of course, interaction with youngsters can start much earlier, with some organisations engaging with those as young as 5-years old! A visit to one of your homes, which allows for interaction with residents is a great opportunity that it often over-looked. Occasions such as Harvest Festival, Christmas and Easter are a perfect opportunity. Engage parents and guardians – our experience of delivering early talent recruitment including sizable graduate and apprenticeship programmes has taught us how important it is to engage with parents and guardians. It is clear that parents have one of the greatest influences on their children’s careers – but do they know enough about the sector in order to encourage care as a rewarding career route? When recruiting younger people, it is a good idea to create a section on your careers website for parents answering any typical questions they may have. Use case studies on your website and social media – unsurprisingly the internet is an amazing platform to use when trying to gain the interest of young people. Social media sites can be used to advertise and emphasise the benefits of working in care – demonstrating that this career isn’t only for older generations but that there are huge opportunities for young people too. Under 25-year olds who are already working in care can be showcased on your website, through videos, and social media to act as ambassadors and give positive examples of how successful and rewarding working in care can be. Having young employees featured on your website can be a real selling point for future talent. Make the job attractive to young people – highlighting the benefits of working in care is a great way to attract young people. Flexible hours, and the opportunity to earn a good wage are both great starting points. But from our findings, the most important element can be the opportunity of coming away at the end of a shift feeling that you have made a difference to someone’s day. Showcase your employees’ achievements –award schemes targeting your ‘star’ employees can really have an impact. Not only will you identify current young key players in your business now, but you’ll demonstrate that you mean business when it comes to recognising your team’s achievements and saying ‘thank you’ – no matter what their age. For more information about strategies to engage young talent contact us at: cohesionrecruitment.com.
Healthcare to benefit from recruitment acquisition
Healthcare and medical organisations will benefit from the recent acquisition of Affinity Workforce by CRG, a UK leader in the healthcare and social care staff market. The acquisition on the 11th October brings infrastructure, scale and expertise to the market, enabling quicker and more cost-effective access to permanent and temporary healthcare professionals, and excellent career opportunities for individuals. As CRG’s second acquisition of the year in this sector, Affinity complements the impressive portfolio of businesses within CRG by incorporating the well-established brands of Team24 and Medicare First into their health and social care business. All companies in the group embrace the ethos of developing a better way to deliver public and private sector staffing. With 27 branches across the UK, the CRG group is dedicated to providing great career opportunities for nurses, healthcare workers, teachers and social workers with respected employers across the UK. Ian Munro, group CEO and Founder, says, “The addition of Affinity to the group brings together two forerunners in their sectors and more than 25 years’ combined workforce solutions delivery. The coalescence of Affinity’s experience and footprint in the health and social care sectors, plus education, provides a great opportunity for organisations to benefit from the scale of our experience and personal approach of our employees.” Ian Munro and Tristan Ramus, the Founders of CRG, acquired Affinity Workforce from Endless LLP for an undisclosed sum. Transactional due diligence was conducted by FRP Advisory LLP and Rob McCarthy, legal support from Chris King, Hemmingway’s Solicitors Limited and funding for the transaction was provided by Close Brothers. Andrew Metcalfe, Deputy Head of Sales for Close Brothers, said ‘We are delighted to support CRG in this recent acquisition as the business continues to grow and develop’. Endless LLP were advised by Deloitte (Katie Folwell-Davies), Osborne Clarke (Tim Hewens and Max Millington) and PWC (Mike Seaton).
Care home residents get sweet treat for Chocolate Week
Residents and staff at Ingleby Care Home got stuck into some homemade sweet treats to celebrate National Chocolate Week. Residents rolled up their sleeves to make chocolate covered rice crispy cakes and fruit and marshmallow kebabs, which they enjoyed dipping into a chocolate fountain. Margaret Salmon, a resident at the home based in Stockon-on-Tees, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed myself eating the chocolate coated kebabs – I had four helpings so I was feeling a bit guilty. But, then I thought chocolate or not, the kebabs are mostly fruit so they must be just a little bit good for me.” Activities coordinator at Ingleby Care Home, Kirsty Walsh, said: “Everyone loves chocolate week and the residents had a great time mixing up cakes and sharing them with each other over a cup of coffee. “One resident in particular got very involved, and appointed herself as quality monitor by checking that everything tasted delicious before it was dished out. “We all decided that as it was chocolate week, calories don’t count.” Chocolate Week ran from 15 to 21 October, with events around the UK, aiming to celebrate the country’s chocolatiers and encourage consumers to pay a fairer price. www.chocolateweek.co.uk
What a No Deal Brexit would mean for social care
Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has submitted evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into the impact of a ‘no deal Brexit’ on health and social care. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: “The prospect of a No-Deal Brexit only accentuates the fragility within the social care sector. It magnifies potential uncertainties in the recruitment and retention of foreign workers upon which many independent community care providers depend, currently the sector includes 233,000 employees that have foreign nationality. With vacancy rates running at around 90,000 at any one time, this dependency is significantly important to the sustainability of the sector – particularly as it is predicted that by 2035 an extra 650,000 social care jobs will be required to keep pace with rising demand”. “Not withstanding the potential impact of Brexit upon the sustainability of social care, the sector is already at crisis point. Relentless pressures on funding, increases in the level and complexity of need and widespread challenges in the retention and recruitment of the workforce required are compounding at an exponential rate thus endangering the continuity of care of thousands of vulnerable people. The Government must address the immediate funding gap, estimated at£2.5bn by 2020, alongside putting in place arrangements that secure access to this highly skilled and valued workforce as an integral part of its Brexit negotiations”. Care England has produced a briefing for its members regarding Brexit. The main focus is the recruitment and retention of foreign workers, including Registered Nurses, with particular reference to areas of the country that may be most at risk; for example in the South East of England 23% of the social care workforce is non-British, with regional unemployment at 3.7% compared with the North East of England which has only a 4% dependency on non-British social care workforce and has an unemployment rate of 4.4%. Martin Green continues: “In a sector characterised by low pay and negative stereotyping we are worried that a No Deal Brexit would cut off, or restrict, the foreign workers that we need and depend upon”.
Community allotment sends care home residents to Beamish
Time travelling care home residents have taken a journey through the history of the North East – all thanks to a generous allotment project. Residents living at Queens Meadow Care Home, in Hartlepool, were treated to trip to Beamish Museum by the Waverley Terrace Community Allotment. The Hartlepool Borough Council backed project gave two residents the opportunity to visit the popular tourist attraction, in Beamish, County Durham. Irene Kimber and Mavis Wise have been lending their support at the allotment and were given tickets as a thank you. They were taken to the open air museum by bus alongside carer Tommy Hall and spent the day visiting the old streets and shops, which provide example of everyday life in urban and rural North East Englandduring the 1820s, 1900s & 1940s. Irene said: “It was a treat to go to Beamish.” Mavis added: “We both felt like we had been transported into the past. It brought back lots of memories.” The pair returned to Queens Meadow Care Home, on Stockton Road, with memorabilia from the museum’s gift shops. Home manager Julie Armstrong said: “They both thoroughly enjoyed their day out and were talking to the other residents about what they saw and experienced. “We’d like to say a big thank you to Waverly Terrace Community Allotment for sending our residents to Beamish. “We’re only too happy to lend our support to the allotment project and the residents love spending time there.” www.hillcare.net
Care home staff get a taste of life with dementia
TYNESIDE care home staff have been given a taste of what life is like with dementia after taking part in a special training session. Those working at Waverley Lodge Care Home, in Lemington, had their senses impaired before attempting simple, everyday tasks. Thick gloves, misty glasses and ear plugs were used to make the tasks more difficult and frustrating to complete. This emulated how someone with the illness feels when they find previously straightforward tasks difficult or impossible. Michelle Park, activities coordinator at Waverley Lodge Care Home, on Bewick Crescent, said: “One staff member had the small pair of glasses on and had to put a shirt on. It was so hard for her. “Another had to get pens and puzzle books and pick up little sticks. “I had to put people’s socks on and get 10 sweets off the table and open them with gloves, glasses and ear plugs. “I had to move up close to the table as it was so hard to do with the gloves and not being able to see as well. “We also talked about different types of dementia, how it affects different parts of the brain and different people. It was so interesting.” Waverley Lodge Care Home offers specialist residential and nursing dementia care and staff work closely with those with the condition. The dementia awareness training session was run in-house by Regional Development Officer and qualified assessor Rachel Hindle. Rachel said: “The Dementia Experience Day gives staff members an in-depth understanding of the challenges that people living with dementia face. The training teaches staff how to communicate effectively and how to actively promote engagement using creative activities, music and dance.” www.hillcare.net/our-homes/waverley-lodge-residential-care-home-lemington-newcastle/
Buckinghamshire Carer Amy Collins wins Outstanding Carer award
30-year old Amy Collins a carer from Bucks based business Ashridge Home Care has been named Oustanding Carer 2018 at the prestigious Care Campaign for the Vulnerable Awards. Announced on 5thOctober at a Gala dinner in Gerrards Cross, the 2018 Outstanding Carer Award recognises the exceptional work of individuals in the care sector in the UK. Amy received the most nominations as a carer who put clients at the forefront of all she did going beyond the call of duty when delivering good dedicated care to all her clients. The award and a £500 cash prize was proudly accepted from celebrity guest actress Aimi Macdonald by Amy’s mum Christina Graham. One of three finalists, Amy has worked for Ashridge Home Care for two years and is responsible for providing care to clients in their own home. She has taken a lead role caring for one lady, providing companionship and care services. Director of Ashridge Home Care, Trudi Scrivener nominated Amy and said: “If the world had more Amy’s it would be a better place. Amy gets paid for caring but if she didn’t I get the feeling she’d still do it! She goes above and beyond and for instance always makes sure she knows her clients birthdays and will never forget. It doesn’t matter that she might hear the same story over and over again, she’ll always take time to listen as if it’s the first time she’s heard it.” Amy is a strong advocate for caring for people in their own home and avoiding the need for people to be placed unnecessarily in residential care homes. Amy explains: “I love my job, caring for people and making a difference means the world to me, so it’s an honour to be recognised for my work. I have met many amazing people and count myself lucky to be a part of their lives. What we do is hugely important and I believe the people we care for deserve the upmost respect, care, dignity and companionship. I am grateful to Ashridge Home Care who have supported me fully – I am proud to work for a good, honest family run business who have such outstanding values when it comes to care.” Ashridge Home Care have over 30 years’ experience in home care and dementia care services. Drawing on their experience both professionally and personally, they provide expert care for families specific live-in care needs. Care Campaign for the Vulnerable was founded over five years ago to champion and rally support for safety monitoring to be made mandatory in communal areas in all dementia care homes across the UK. To view the full list of nominees visit: https://www.carecampaignforthevulnerable.com/news/661/care-campaign-for-the-vulnerable-attends-evening-gala-hosted-and-organ/.
Gerflor scoop the Procure22 Award for Innovation & Product Design
Procure22 represents the third iteration of the Department of Health Framework providing design and construction services for use by the NHS and Social Care organisations for a range of works and services. Winning any of their annual awards is akin to a being awarded a healthcare Oscar. International flooring specialist Gerflor have been awarded Procure22 framework status with a certificate in the Efficiency and Productivity section for realising efficiencies, and in the Innovation & Product Design division, winning with their Clean Corner System. Gerflor are at the forefront of innovation and design in healthcare establishing them as a critical supplier of hygienic flooring solutions for a host of healthcare environments. Gerflor focus on delivering a strong partnership approach and providing efficiency, together with supplying real value for their clients. It’s all about helping their clients to reduce life cycle costs by producing value management rather than value engineering. Gerflor has developed the award-winning Clean Corner System which is a patent pending, innovative corner solution. The Clean Corner System technology meets the requirements of professionals in the pharmaceutical industry in accordance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) including easy coving with limited and easy welding. The Clean Corner System for contamination control in clean rooms is watertight, resistant and durable, easy to clean and decontaminate, offering a clean, attractive and uniform finish. www.gerflor.co.uk
