Encore Care Homes provides rewarding career opportunities
Encore Care Homes is urging all healthcare professionals who are looking for a rewarding new career, to visit their recruitment webpage. Encore is currently recruiting for dedicated nurses, carers and other roles across its established family of care homes. Encore manages three care homes in Dorset and Hampshire, with Great Oaks in Bournemouth being the latest to open in June last year. Working for Encore is like being part of a family and allows you to make a real difference in your career. Kavita Brown, head of people at Encore Care Homes, explains: “We are looking to recruit those who are the kindest and most committed individuals who also have a passion to care for others. At Encore we continue to invest in our team by ensuring that all staff receive regular training to allow continuous development and provision of the very highest standard of care to residents. Team members are also encouraged to develop their skillset and therefore progress in their role.” Tina Hughes is a Senior Carer at Hamble Heights and in the space of three and a half years, has rapidly progressed in her career in care from an agency Healthcare Assistant (HCA) to a permanent Senior HCA at Encore. Tina has also undertaken training to be a Lead in End of Life Care and a Lead in Falls, Moving and Handling and she is currently working towards becoming a qualified Care Practitioner this year. Tina said: “I receive endless support from Encore whether this is in administrating my daily tasks or in my own personal development and career progression. I have also received financial support from Encore as they have provided me with the funds to attend college to gain further qualifications in care. I am also being funded to shadow various roles at our local hospice to gain further experience in End of Life Care. “I couldn’t be any happier in my job and my life has really changed for the better since joining Encore. I can’t wait to go into work each morning and my team and the residents have all become an extension of my family. I honestly wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.” Each new starter is provided with a bespoke and certificated personal development plan which ensures every employee feels nurtured in their role. New team members are also assigned a ‘buddy’ when they first join, who act as a mentor. Buddies are there to support new staff to make sure they feel welcome and are on-hand to answer any questions that the new member of the team might have. Encore believes in showing appreciation to its staff for their dedication to ensure the wellbeing of residents. Regular acknowledgement of staff brings job satisfaction and strengthens team connections within each carehome. Please visit www.encorecarehomes.co.uk/current-vacancies to find out more information about recruitment at Encore Care Homes.
Care home celebrates 25 year anniversary
A Worcestershire care home is celebrating 25 years of delivering care to its residents this month. St John’s care home, in Droitwich, marked the occasion with drinks, cake and musical entertainment from local singer, David Lawrence. Residents, their family members, and staff, past and present, were joined in the celebrations by special guests that included the Vice Chairman of Wychavon Council, Councillor Tony Rowley, the Mayor of Droitwich Spa, Councillor Shaun Best and Gina Dutton of Worcester University’s dementia studies unit. The home, run by Shaw healthcare, is a dual-registered service specialising in nursing dementia care and enduring mental health, and has previously won a national Caring Times award for the best dementia care. In its most recent Care Quality Commission inspection, the home was rated to be ‘good’. The celebrations also included recognition of John Griffin, who is the home’s longest-serving mental health nurse, as well as the longest serving across all of Shaw’s West Midlands’ services, having started work for the company in 1993. Commenting, he said: “For some, 25 years in the same job at the same place may be too much, but for me, it’s been nothing but a pleasure. I’ve had the opportunity of working alongside fantastic colleagues and meeting inspirational residents. St John’s is more than a workplace for me – it’s like an extension of my home.” Shaw’s area manager, Tracy Archer, spoke in glowing terms of the management team and staff at St John’s: “Lorraine [the manager] and Donna [deputy manager] make a great double act who demonstrate the utmost passion for improving residents’ wellbeing, solving problems, and empowering their team of dedicated support staff. We are thrilled to mark this significant milestone for the home and look forward to providing continued quality care in future.” Shaw healthcare is one of the UK’s leading health and social care providers. Established in 1986, it provides specialist care to individuals in nursing and residential homes, hospitals, supported living arrangements, extra care schemes and domiciliary care settings. Shaw believes that wellness, happiness and kindness should be at the heart of all they do.
Homeless get helping hand and hot soup from care home
A POP-UP soup kitchen will open in a Teesside care home to serve hot food and drinks to the homeless. Mandale House Care Home, on Acklam Road, Thornaby, is opening the kitchen following the success of their food bank appeal in December. They are working with local initiative Hope for the Homeless North East, launched as a Facebook group by Darlington resident Ray Cook. Ray has donated lots of bottled water and cans of soup for the kitchen, which will open from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday, 7th February 2018. The home’s hairdresser is also offering free haircuts to anyone who visits. The home is also launching an appeal for any sleeping bags, hats, coats, gloves as well as blankets, to provide ongoing support to the area’s homeless. Michael Allen, the home manager at Mandale House Care Home, said: “We ran a successful food bank appeal in the run-up to Christmas, when the generous Thornaby community helped us gather some food and toiletries for those in need. “We wanted to continue to offer our support and came up with the idea of a one-off soup kitchen, to provide a hot meal for those struggling with the cold winter. “We’re also appealing for donations of warm clothing for the homeless and rough sleepers across the town, so we can continue to help for more than just one day. “Our residents and staff are all very motivated to do their bit for the local community, as we have received and continue to receive a lot of support from others in the past.” The Mandale House Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net. Hope for the Homeless North East was launched as a Facebook group by Ray Cook in December 2017. For further information visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913855501975363/about/.
Inverness Care Home Staff to Raise Awareness through Dementia Ambassador Role
Four staff members from care homes across the Highlands are to play an advanced role in supporting elderly residents, following their completion of a Dementia Ambassador course. Meallmore Ltd employees Laura Ross, Kevin Mitchell, Ovidiu Suciu and Patricia Thomson undertook the course, which took six months to complete, through Stirling University. Now, the dedicated four will take on the Dementia Ambassador role at their respective care homes, located in Inverness, Alness and Nairn. The position will see them enhance the high quality of dementia care already provided by Meallmore by working closely with existing Ambassadors, Champions and other team member to support residents living with the condition. They will also work with the families, relatives and friends of residents to help increase their knowledge of its effects. Kevin Mitchell, from Culduthel Care Home, said: “Supporting people with dementia is a hugely important part of any care service role, so it’s great to improve my knowledge and be able to help others support those living with the condition.” Gerry Hennessey, managing director of Meallmore Ltd, said: “Dementia Ambassadors are a vital part of our care services and have a positive impact on residents, their families and carers. They support everyone in making everyday interactions as enjoyable and stress free for those with dementia. “Completing this course really highlights Laura, Kevin, Ovidiu and Patricia’s commitment to their care roles and I would like to personally congratulate them on this fantastic achievement.” Laura Ross and Kevin Mitchell work in Inverness, at the Meallmore Lodge and Culduthel care homes, Ovidiu Suciu works at Redwoods care home in Alness and Patricia Thomson works at St Olaf care home in Nairn. Dementia Ambassadors meet the Scottish Government’s Promoting Excellence in dementia care framework. The employees were awarded the ‘Best Practice in Dementia Care’ certificate, which is accredited by both the Royal College of Nursing and City & Guilds. More information about Meallmore Ltd can be found at www.meallmorelodge.co.uk.
Active Minds international growth.
SI² Fund, a European social impact investment fund focused on scaling impact-driven businesses, on Thursday 14th December announced its investment in the international growth of Active Minds, a UK-based company that develops human-centred activity products and games for people living with dementia. The funding by SI² Fund will be used to accelerate international growth, expand its product offering and achieve social impact at scale. Founded in 2008, Active Minds is a social business with a mission to create positive, well-made and evidence-based activity products and games, offering people living with dementia a better quality of life. Active Minds’ award-winning products are tested in partnership with care homes, activity coordinators, families and carers to ensure they are as effective as possible. Proven positive outcomes for people living with dementia include a reduction in depression, boredom and isolation and an improvement in communications and engagement. Building on its unique offering and strong customer network, Active Minds will use the funds to grow its international activities and product range and achieve social impact at scale. Ben Atkinson-Willes, Founder of Active Minds, on the partnership: “We are excited to partner with SI² Fund. We are relying on SI² Fund’s exceptional track-record in business management and the social impact sector to accelerate our international growth, strengthen our operations and grow a long-term, profitable social business.” Pieter Oostlander, Fund Manager of SI² Fund comments: “Active Minds is a unique company, built on years of research and personal experience, in a high impact and attractive segment. We look forward to supporting Ben and his team in scaling the social impact they have already achieved over the past couple of years. We will assist the company in implementing the SROI (Social Return on Investment) framework to enable them to truly understand, measure and manage the social impact of their business.” Active Minds already has a diverse list of products available for care homes and individuals. Clients include Unilever Food Solutions, The Alzheimer’s Society and Four Seasons Healthcare.
The importance of being social
How care organisations can use social media to engage and inform Most care home providers recognise that, in a competitive environment, they need to invest time and resources to ensure that would-be residents and their relatives are aware of them and the myriad ingredients that make them stand out from the competition. In years gone by, providers might have readily turned to usual tried and tested marketing tools – a brochure, community newsletter, or even a nice shiny website. Social media, on the other hand, is used less consistently by care homes – and more’s the pity. In today’s digital age, social media is no longer a ‘nice to have’ optional extra, but is instead an important channel for highlighting what makes your home special and why people should choose to live and work there. The vast numbers of people using social media means that it is an effective way to engage stakeholders and inform the local community, potential residents and prospective new staff. Social media is a way to reach people who you would not otherwise be able to, in the digital spaces they already use regularly. It’s not just young people who use social media, but actually, it is fast growing among older generations too. This means a relative looking for a care home for their parents could be searching and seeking advice from the internet before deciding on a home, meaning they are your perfect target audience. The right social media channels can function as your ‘shop window’; a snapshot of events, news and job vacancies. Whether you’re sharing pictures from residents’ latest trip to the seaside, highlighting a positive CQC report, or talking about a visit from local schoolchildren – social media can provide people with a regular glimpse into life at your home. When it is done well it can help increase reputation, attract new people to work, attract new residents and give an organisation more of a general presence. But where to focus your resources when staffing is tight and resources are finite? Social media may seem like a minefield, but the most popular platforms are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Facebook is probably the most important tool for care organisations to communicate effectively to a general audience, as it has 1.8 billion monthly active users – far more users than any other social platform, and allows you to interact with a targeted group of people who have ‘liked’ your organisation’s page, meaning you know they are interested in you and the content you are publishing. When choosing which social media channels to use, less really is more – it is far better to focus on one social media channel that you can nurture and update regularly, than to spread yourself thinly across multiple channels in a way that dilutes your effectiveness. Crucially, social media can be free, and the return can be a lot bigger than what you are putting in. Ideas of things to post include pictures of day trips and events at the home – these should always include a photo, preferably of a resident or volunteer, to bring the post to life and give a true picture of what you are talking about. It is also a good idea to post about upcoming events, job vacancies and anything interesting happening at the home. Think about what you would want to see from an organisation that you are potentially interested in working for, volunteering at, or sending your elderly parents to. Try and post regularly – a page or feed that hasn’t been updated for months will not impress! It’s worth drawing up a day-to-day plan to ensure that there is a reasonably constant flow of content and that you assemble the necessary ingredients, such as pictures or quotes from residents, ahead of time. One word of caution – do ensure all staff who have access to post on social media are aware of all guidelines around what can and can’t be posted, for example confidential details about residents should be kept off social media, and some residents may object to having their photos posted on the internet. Make sure you obtain consent before posting anything. And how do you know if social media is working? A good way to measure this is through something tangible – whether that’s visits to your website, enquiries made to the care home, applications to a job role or resident occupancy numbers. You may be surprised at the number of people you can reach through social media, and maybe some people who have never heard of your care organisation before. It really is a valuable tool for enhancing and increasing reputation. And one thing is certain – if you’re not doing it, your competitors will be! Alex Goldup is a communications consultant at The PR Office (www.theproffice.co.uk) and has advised a number of care homes, care organisations and care charities on reputation management and PR.
Dementia Care
Sunrise Senior Living Team Member Wins Prestigious Award for Dementia Care Sunrise Senior Living’s Memory Care and Area Coordinator, Francis Bosompim, has been awarded the prestigious Dr Trevor Jarvis Award by the University of Bradford for his exceptional work on dementia care. Francis received the award for promoting innovation and debate around dementia care while studying at the university, and for research conducted while in a dementia village in Amsterdam. He was handed the award by the Chancellor of the University of Bradford, Kate Swann, at a ceremony in which he also received his BSc Degree in Dementia Studies. The ceremony was held to recognise achievement across health subjects, and was attended by nurses, doctors and researchers from the university. Francis’ research in Amsterdam focused on the importance of personalised, resident-centred care, and the role of meaningful activities in contributing to fulfilment and a higher quality of life. In particular, Francis looked at the way dementia care must recognise the uniqueness of each individual, and should not only focus on the condition and its treatment. Since winning the award, Francis has become Area Coordinator for Sunrise Senior Living UK, helping to promote the highest standards of care at a range of Sunrise communities. His studies are continuing with a Master’s degree in Gerontology at the University of Swansea, through which he is examining how we should approach the aging process, and the way in which residents can shape the buildings they live in. Francis’ approach to dementia care is reflective of the personalised style adopted by Sunrise communities, focused on a range of individual needs. Francis Bosompim, Memory Care and Area Coordinator at Sunrise Senior Living UK, said: “I am incredibly proud to have been awarded the Dr Trevor Jarvis Award by the University of Bradford, for my work on the very important topic of dementia care. “I would like to thank the University of Bradford for providing me with the opportunity to conduct such interesting research, and to my colleagues at Sunrise Senior Living for their kind support while I was completing my studies. “In particular, I would like to pay tribute to the former General Manager at Sunrise of Fleet, Kara Hooper, who always embraced and encouraged my new ideas, so that our resident care could be improved. “The research on dementia care that myself and others have undertaken carries such value because there are tangible benefits for residents in how we look after them and ensure they can live the most fulfilling lives possible.”
Hawaiian cocktail party hosted by Blyth elderly
A TASTE of Hawaii came to a Northumberland care home as residents threw a themed cocktail party. Inflatable palm trees and exotic animal decorations were put up, Hawaiian flowery lei were donned and classic music was played. The cocktail making kit was brought out and dry January was forgotten as The Oaks Care Home’s “After 6 Club” got into the spirit. The residents’ club decides on each evening’s activity, usually turning the TV off and the music on – with 50s and 60s songs being their favourites. On this occasion, they wanted to learn how to make classic cocktails, such as Black Nail and OId Maple, as well as mocktails, for those wanting an alcohol-free drink. Close friends, resident Les Burns and the home’s maintenance man Chris Sorgorski, took the opportunity to share a tipple. Les said: “It was great fun to spend time with my friend Chris.” Chris added: “It’s wonderful to see Les have such a good time, relaxing with the ladies.” Ann Mielnik, home manager at The Oaks Care Home, on Durban Street, in Blyth, said: “The home’s residents have an After 6 Club when they decide to do fun things to stimulate their interest. “This time, they chose to have a go at making cocktails they’d never tasted before, which everyone agreed was a fantastic idea for a Friday night. “We believe it’s important to give the residents freedom to choose their own entertainment and activities and a cocktail party was a great way to bring in the weekend.” “We can’t wait to see what they come up with next.” The Oaks Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net. Photo 1 – The Oaks Care Home residents and staff host a Hawaiian cocktail party including (from left) resident Joan Whitworth, care assistant Val Towers, residents Joan Wyatt and Les Burns and maintenance man Chris Sorgorski. Photo 2 – Cocktail makers care assistant Val Towers and resident Joan Wyatt at The Oaks Care Home Hawaiian themed “After 6 Club” party.
Improving Health Assessment for People with an Intellectual Disability
Dr Eilish Burke, Ussher Assistant Professor in Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Associate Director of the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College Dublin and Lead Educator on Improving Health Assessments for People with an Intellectual Disability’ on the FutureLearn social learning platform, discusses why it’s important to improve health assessments for people with an intellectual disability. Why is recognising the need to improve the health experience of people with intellectual disability important? The health experience of people with an intellectual disability is different than that of their non-disabled peers (Burke et al. 2014, Burke et al. 2017). It has been reported that people with an intellectual disabilities are two and half times more likely to present with health problems than those in the general population of the same age and gender (Lantman-De et al 2000). A greater variety of health conditions are also reported with higher prevalence rates of these conditions, for example central nervous system compromise, associated with some intellectual disabilities. These increase the likelihood of conditions such as epilepsy or cerebral palsy, and overall contribute to increased health risks such as seizure activity, mobility challenges, sensory impairment, and communication challenges. The inability of people to express what they are experiencing, or by the very nature of their intellectual disability, the inability to recognise the symptoms as symptoms, can contribute to conditions being overlooked by doctor’s during health checks. Other challenges that are frequently reported include being allocated insufficient time for an appointment, an inaccessible environment, and poor or negative attitudes of healthcare professionals towards people with intellectual disabilities. Multimorbidity, the presence of 2 or more health conditions, is also common, in fact one study, McCarron et al. 2013, identified that multimorbidity was higher in a younger age group of people with intellectual disability (40-49 years) than those over the age of 65 years in the general population. Heart disease, hypertension and stroke are more common among the general population. However, the most prevalent health conditions among people with an intellectual disability differ. They experience higher rates of eye disease, neurological conditions or skeletal conditions. Subsequently these conditions go under investigated and people’s needs go unmet. To prevent additional disability because of these challenges, there is a need for healthcare professionals to engage and support people with intellectual disability appropriately in health assessment, to recognise challenges that exist and address these challenges. How can we go about improving health assessments? There are solutions to these challenges and they don’t need a huge amount of funding or change. With some effort and creative thought, change can be implemented. Communication can be improved by introducing plain language supported by picture explanations in the form of easy to read material explaining. Extra time can be allotted to an appointment with careful pre-planning, healthcare professionals can take responsibility to update their skills in communication, and specific standards can be introduced to reflect and adopt these changes. This would ensure that all allied staff, as well as the healthcare professional, deliver best practice and excellent care. There are lots of resources available to support healthcare professionals in their practice to achieve these changes. They will not only benefit people with an intellectual disability but all those who access the services. Therefore by making these reasonable adjustments, healthcare professional will be contributing to overcoming the health disparities and inequalities that exist for people with an intellectual disability, as well as providing an accessible service for all consumers of healthcare. Considerations when supporting or assisting a person with an intellectual disability in a health assessment Examine your practice from all aspects, the environment, the information you provide to your customer, regardless of their abilities, your own practice and attitude. Question whether the service you deliver meet the needs of all citizens. Supporting the most vulnerable of our society can only benefit everyone, therefore consider What do you know about intellectual disability, what can you instigate to build your knowledge and understanding especially with regards to their health? Are there specific health conditions you need to consider when supporting a person with an intellectual disability? What additional information do you need before meeting the person with an intellectual disability, such as their communication style or supports needed, and where can you get this information – is it their carer or family member? Can all who access your service understand the information you send them or do you need to put in another step like a phone call or an easy-read document? Is the building accessible or do you need to put up signs, ramps or easy open door access? These are just some of the questions that you can consider to equip you with a strong repertoire to ensure the health assessment experience is positive for everyone. Embrace Reasonable Adjustment To move toward change and reasonable adjustment in your practice, the following are some tips you could adopt to support people with an intellectual disability engage in their health. Instigate a standard for an annual health check for all those with an intellectual disability in your caseload. That way you are proactive in identifying health needs as they arise. Develop a health check passport for people with an intellectual disability. The person will then have an individual easy read passport that will hold their key information to hand. Therefore, when they attend another clinic or hospital appointment their vital information is ready to be conveyed, and also all information from that appointment can be captured for future reference. Identify the experts, establish who your local expert is, are there specialist trained in the intellectual disability field, is there an intellectual disability liaison available or who are your local intellectual disability organisations that you could consult with? Promote education among your colleagues as through education change can occur. We discuss all of these points in Trinity College Dublin’s free online course: ‘Improving health assessments for people with an intellectual disability’ on the FutureLearn social learning platform, developed especially for healthcare professionals, carer’s and families who support
