Future of Care Leaders Conference London
Date: Tuesday 28th March 2023Location: The King’s Fund, London Future of Care Conference is back with a fresh new name, the Future of Care Leaders Conference. The re-brand highlights the individuals who should consider attending – the leaders of the sector. The conference is set out to bring key trends, challenges and developments in the care industry in front of the people who matter. Year on year the conference has acquired the trust of senior care professionals from across the UK to unite and work towards building a brighter future for the sector. Entering the new year provides new opportunities and the conference is no exception to this. With a new and improved layout and a quality speaker programme, delegates can expect new additions including a networking breakfast and drinks reception to end the day on a high and strengthen relationships made throughout the day. The day includes an extensive programme with informative sessions held by a coveted list of speakers and hosts a selection of exhibitors in the networking space. Delegates can enjoy a selection of refreshments throughout the day, as well as a quality lunch included in the cost of the ticket. The programme this year will focus on a range of important subjects, which will be discussed in focused speaker slots and panel debates. Topics include; Key speakers at the conference this year include: Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integration, and Interim Chief Operating Officer at Care Quality Commission; Nadra Ahmed, Executive Chairman of National Care Association; Avnish Goyal CBE, Chair of Hallmark Care Homes and Vic Rayner OBE, Chair of the National Care Forum; who is also Conference Chair. You can find out more about how to book your ticket and view the full programme here – www.futureofcare.co.uk
Future of Care Leaders Conference 2023 – Leading the Care Sector Into a Bright Future
Leading the Care Sector Into a Bright Future Returning in 2023 with a fresh new name, the Future of Care Leaders Conference has re-branded to highlight the individuals who should consider attending – the leaders of the care sector. Bookings are now open for the highly sought-after conference being held at The King’s Fund, London on Tuesday 28th March 2023. The conference will be entering the new year boasting a new and improved layout. Alongside the quality speaker programme, attendees can expect exciting new additions including a networking breakfast and drinks reception to end the day on a high. Founders’ Comments Founder and Managing Director Emma Barrett shared: “We are proud to be heading into the new year with our recent re-brand as the Future of Care Leaders Conference. For 2023, we wanted to highlight the positive change care advocates would like to see – leading the care sector into a bright future. The healthcare industry has some crucial challenges to face and we hope to tackle these, as well as celebrate all the good the sector does.” “It is a joy to witness the fellowship between our delegates and we expect many partnerships to be formed during and after the conference” Voice for Change Emma Barrett concluded: “We look forward to welcoming new voices that are campaigning for call-to-actions and exciting changes across the sector. We’ll be opening the floor for progressive conversation in the hopes delegates will leave feeling empowered.” There is great anticipation to witness the Future of Care Leaders Conference programme develop in 2023. Individuals interested in attending can currently purchase tickets at a Super Early Bird rate saving 43% off for a limited time only. To find out more and book your ticket, head to the website here. https://www.futureofcare.co.uk
Parliamentary Candidate visits care home
Mary Chapman Court Care Home in Norwich has welcomed Alice Macdonald, the Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich North. Alice, who was selected by the Labour Party last year to contest the Norwich North seat at the next general election, reached out to the care home to arrange the visit. The 31-bedroom residential care home, which is part of the UK-wide Maria Mallaband Care Group, hosted Ms Macdonald on January 5. She was offered a tour of the purpose-built facilities and an opportunity to meet with those living and working in the home, taking time to chat with them over light refreshments. Home manager Mihaela Laza said: “It was lovely to meet Alice and to see how interested she is in the social care sector. “We were very proud to show her the home and talk about the work we do and what it takes to deliver truly person-centred care and create a safe, happy and lively community.” Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Alice Macdonald said: “Improving our social care system is one of the biggest challenges facing the UK and so I am keen to learn more about how it works and understand the challenges on the ground. There is no better way to do that than by meeting with care providers and those they care for. Care workers here and across the country do a fantastic job and deserve all our gratitude. “It was a great pleasure visit Mary Chapman Court, and chat with the amazing team and some of those living there too. They were incredibly open and generous with their time, and I’d like to thank everyone for the warm welcome.
Care provider targets over a million visits in January, to aid government promise to cut NHS wait times
In the government priority announcement this week, Rishi Sunak focused on the issues facing the NHS – and A&E in particular – as patients fit to be discharged remain in hospital beds across the country. The Prime Minister noted the importance of extending telemedicine and helping patients access better data to inform decisions – to deliver high-quality, responsive healthcare for generations to come. Leading home healthcare provider Cera is today announcing a commitment to deliver over one million visits in January, to more than 20,000 patients per day. With around two million visits made to A&E departments in England each month, Cera has the scale to make a real impact in relieving pressure from the wider health service and enable more people to receive safe, effective care from the comfort of home. As Europe’s largest provider of digital-first home healthcare, Cera is already equivalent in capacity to 50 NHS hospitals, working with numerous NHS Integrated Care Systems and Local Authorities nationwide to deliver care, nursing, telehealth and repeat prescriptions. During a visit from Cera’s team of carers and nurses, a patient’s symptoms and health data are collected via the Cera App, which data analytics uses to predict deterioration in conditions 30x faster than traditional methods and can anticipate up to 80% of hospitalisations seven days in advance. This machine learning triggers earlier health interventions to prevent people from becoming unwell. It has been proven to reduce hospitalisation rates by an unprecedented 52%, keeping more beds free across the NHS. Last month, Cera launched its rapid discharge service in the Midlands, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Merseyside, in advance of a national rollout. This service enables c.80% of patients who can be discharged from the hospital to be seen on the same day by Cera carers or nurses, by digitising the matching of the right carer or nurse with a patient faster and driving efficiencies through electronic scheduling.* Dr Ben Maruthappu MBE, CEO and Co-founder of Cera, comments: “In Wednesday’s announcement, the Prime Minister outlined the NHS’s wait times and the need to discharge people out of hospitals and into social care as one of the nation’s biggest priorities. Healthcare services are now required to do more with less, with demands increasing alongside an ageing population that requires more complex care, battling lengthy waiting lists across hospitals, and sector-wide struggles with staff burnout. “Through its technology-powered model, I am proud to announce that Cera will be in a position to provide over a million care visits this month, to help more patients leave hospital and relieve pressure on the NHS. Using machine learning and data analytics, Cera offers a care solution that does more with less and keeps patients safely at home through predictive technology. Moving healthcare services from the hospital to the home reduces the cost of healthcare ten-fold – the cost-effective solution the country needs.”
Aria Care Home wins award for Initiative Care
Aria Care Home awarded Best Initiative in Care at the prestigious Caring UK Awards 2022 Aria Care Home, the 28-bed residential home in Newport for people living with Dementia, has been recognised at the Caring UK Awards for its commitment to improving the culture for its workforce – which saw employee retention levels reach 100% for the year. The Caring UK Awards is a UK-wide initiative that celebrates outstanding people in the care sector. It took place at the Athena, Leicester, hosted by Emmerdale actor, Dean Andrews. Aria was also recognised as a finalist in the Regional Care Home of the Year – Wales & Midlands Category. Managing Director of Aria Care Home, Ali Al-Mufti, said of the achievement: “A national award for a small, single care home like ours is enormous recognition for the entire team that has worked relentlessly this year to buck the trend of recruitment and retention in the care sector – and have created an environment that elevates the home for our residents and each other.” The home is an accredited Real Living Wage employer, offering additional schemes such as employee wellness programmes to support the mental health of team members. Ali added: “The past year has been an incredible and unforgettable year for Aria Care Home. We don’t intend to rest on our laurels and will continue to better the care we provide to our residents. I am so pleased that the hard work of our team members has been acknowledged on a national level, they deserve so much recognition.” The care home, offers its residents person-centred care from highly qualified and experienced staff who deliver award-winning dementia support. The home has a diverse range of amenities and opportunities that offer residents surroundings that fit their lifestyle and care needs. The home has been regularly named in the “Top 20 Care Homes in Wales”, accredited by carehome.co.uk which is determined solely by reviews from residents and their families.
Second generation takes the reins at Meallmore Ltd
Leading Scottish care provider, Meallmore Ltd, has announced its new senior team, as Cillian Hennessey takes over as managing director. Cillian takes over the top job from Gerry Hennessey, who has retired from his role after 35 years. Gerry and his brother Aidan were founding directors when Meallmore was established in 1987. The company has grown steadily and has successfully retained its original family business values. Gerry will remain as chairman for Meallmore, while Cillian takes over the running of operations. Cillian joined the family business in 2010 as area manager after working as an investment surveyor. He became the company’s commercial director in 2017, where he was involved in determining the company’s growth and helping guide its operations and future development. Cillian will be supported by the existing executive team and directors group. Rachel Gothard has been appointed to the newly created role of People & Culture Director and Hazel O’Rourke was promoted to Quality Director. Together, they will continue to support Meallmore’s Operations Director, Mary Preston; Regional Director, Carol-Anne Foote; Property Director, Michael Gillespie; and Finance Director, Gavin MacKenzie. Outgoing managing director of Meallmore, Gerry Hennessey comments: “It was always my hope that the business would be passed onto the next generation, so for Cillian to be taking the baton is an extremely proud moment for me. The business is a very different one to the one I started running in 1987 with my brother, as we’ve gone from operating one care home to 26. The transition from one generation to the next has been well considered and I’m confident that Cillian will do an excellent job in his new role.” Cillian Hennessey says: “Since being founded over 35 years ago by my father and uncle, Meallmore has secured the reputation of being one of Scotland’s leading care providers and I’m proud to be part of such a reputable company which offers a great place to live for our residents, and a great place to work for our colleagues. “I’ve spent the last 12 years working in the family-run business and I’m ready to take Meallmore into the next generation and put my stamp on it, which is a really exciting prospect. That being said, nothing will change in terms of Meallmore’s ambitions or principles, which is to provide excellent personalised care and support, delivered by trained and professional caring teams in quality and safe environments.” Since opening its first care home, Daviot Care Home (formally known as Meallmore Lodge) in Inverness in 1987, Meallmore has grown to become one of Scotland’s leading care providers. Meallmore currently has a network of 26 care homes across Scotland, including offering care for the elderly and adults with mental health diagnosis. More information about Meallmore Ltd can be found at https://www.meallmore.co.uk/
Surrey care home residents rekindle the true spirit of Christmas with heart-warming community collection for young and old
With Christmas just around the corner, residents and staff from a group of Surrey care homes have come together in the true spirit of Christmas – gifting ‘winter warmer’ collection boxes to both local elderly people receiving care at home, and children receiving care from a national children’s hospice. Hoping to bring a little seasonal sparkle to the local community and those in need, residents of CHD Wellbeing care homes across Surrey have been collecting donations and knitting warm ‘hug in a rug’ knee blankets to share with elderly people receiving home care from CHD Care at Home, the domiciliary arm of CHD Living, an award-winning, family-owned and operated group of care facilities. In addition, they have also assembled toy and clothing donation boxes for children at the Shooting Stars Children’s Hospice containing toys, blankets, clothes and more to spread a little Christmas cheer from one generation to another, all as part of their ‘Winter Warmer’ project. After an outpouring of support from local businesses and suppliers, CHD Living has collected enough donations to make 100 ‘hug in a rug’ parcels as well as 100 ‘kindness connects’ parcels for The Hope Hub in Woking – an incredible gesture and show of support for their local community. On the resident-driven initiative, Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Hospitality, Communications and Commissioning at CHD Living, said: “When the team at our Kings Lodge centre told me that the residents had asked to start a collection for those receiving care under our Care at Home service, I was so touched. For it to then grow to the incredible collection we have gathered and to receive so much support from local businesses and our suppliers is both amazing and deeply moving. “Thanks to the support, we have raised over £700 to buy additional blankets, gloves and scarves and extra items for the parcels. That’s on top of all of the items so generously donated – we received over 200 scarves, gloves and winter hats. We’re hugely grateful to everyone who has supported our Winter Warmers project, but especially to Brakes Catering, the amazing Community Champion at Tesco Brooklands, Hodders Estate Agents, Lodge Brothers and the Byfleet Village Co-Operative. They have truly helped so many people with their kindness and generosity.” Originally, the collection was focused on the ‘hug in a rug’ parcels but after receiving many donations of children’s items, the residents decided to kick start a second collection of toy donation parcels for children, choosing Shooting Stars Children’s Hospice which is headquartered close to CHD Living’s headquarters in Godalming, Surrey as the recipient. Acknowledging the challenges facing its staff as well as the wider community, CHD has also earmarked £150,000 to a hardship fund for members of the team affected by the cost of living crisis. Made available through backdated funding for nursing staff, CHD has put its money where its mouth is in order to help its staff feel supported and able to deliver the best standards of care at work. Shaleeza adds: ”If you have financial concerns, it can be hard to focus at work as the worry takes over. We want to make sure our team knows that CHD Living will support them through these difficult times so that they can continue doing the amazing job they do, creating happiness daily for our residents. They do so much for our residents and for the local community too, so to be able to give back to them in this way is something we are deeply proud of.” Aware that concerns over energy bills may impact the elderly especially, the team also compiled a list of safe and warm tips to Care at Home and the wider elderly community reduce their energy usage and lessen the impact of rising costs. While these were shared with residents alongside their ‘hug in a rug’ parcel, they are also available to view on the CHD website for anyone looking for a few tips, visit https://www.chdliving.co.uk/journal/m-news/cost-living/ to find out more. The ‘hug in a rug’ and ‘kindness connects’ parcels will be delivered a few days before Christmas, giving an early festive treat for those in the local community who need it most. CHD Living has more than 35 years of experience in delivering high quality care throughout Surrey and South London. The group ethos of ‘creating happiness daily’ is a driver for both its approach to care and the activities and experiences designed for residents and clients. From delivering bucket list wishes to day-to-day support enabling older people to remain in their own home, CHD Living continues to promote choice, independence and dignity, in safe and caring environments. For more information, please visit www.chdliving.co.uk
Care workers offered savings plan to ease cost of living crisis
Two Hull-based companies have established a partnership to help employees during the current cost-of-living crisis. Not-for-profit care organisation HICA Group has partnered with HEY Credit Union to provide a staff savings scheme. HICA Group is offering all employees an opportunity to save money more easily during this challenging economic period. All staff are able to join the credit union, opting for a percentage of their salary to be deducted automatically and transferred directly to their own savings account. The care group owns and manages residential care homes across Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire as well as two retirement villages in East Yorkshire and Lancashire, employing over 1,500 people. Terry Peel, CEO at HICA Group, said: “Our team is the backbone of our not-for-profit organisation. They work incredibly hard, demonstrating commitment and passion to their roles and we aim to show our appreciation of this through the benefits we provide to those who work for us. “Financial security is a key concern for many people right now, including our employees, which is why we want to offer people the option of saving money directly from their salary. “By working with a local credit union, we’re able to offer this in a structured and secure way so that employees can regularly save money and adapt to a new way of managing their finances.” “We chose to partner with HEY Credit Union as it’s a local organisation that prioritises the financial wellbeing of people, offering affordable and ethical financial services that genuinely help people to manage their money better.” Established 23 years ago, Hey Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial co-operative providing fair and responsible saving schemes and loans for those living in East Yorkshire, Hull and Northern Lincolnshire. In the same way as other financial institutions, members’ savings are protected (up to a £85,000) by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. John Smith, chief executive at HEY Credit Union, said: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with HICA Group offering a salary saving scheme that gives employees access to an ethical saving provision. Through the partnership, The HICA Group is supporting employee financial wellbeing with a highly regulated yet deeply community-focused local organisation which is proud to put people before profit.” Sheila Harvell, from Hull, who opts into the scheme, said: “The money being taken from my salary before it hits my bank really appealed to me as it feels like I’m saving money without trying. “I am keen to build up a bank of money for special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and holidays so that I have money saved and ready to use when I need it, without borrowing. “The savings benefit offered by HICA allows me to do this in a sensible way as it’s something I can stick to and also gives me peace of mind that I’m saving some money every month.”
Redcot resident Juliet, celebrates for 100th birthday with pre-christmas party.
Saying the secret to a long and happy life is ‘Just Being Yourself’ At Friends of the Elderly’s Redcot residential care home in Haslemere, Surrey, the care team has been pulling out all the stops celebrating Juliet Fuirer’s landmark 100th Birthday. Juliet’s milestone day began with gifts, balloons and a very special card from Buckingham Palace, but it didn’t stop there. The Birthday Girl was whisked away by her family for a delicious lunch and, when she returned, Juliet enjoyed a fun-filled birthday party, complete with a scrumptious birthday cake, with all her care home friends. Juliet, who was born in Ludhiana, the most populous and largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, has been a resident at Redcot residential care home for two and a half years. Juliet spent the first six years of her life growing up in India before moving with her family to the United Kingdom. “My Mother lived in India for a long time and both my Father and Grandfather worked for the Indian Civil Service. I remember India being extremely hot and full of snakes! The snakes used to curl themselves around door handles which always gave me a fright,” Juliet said. Juliet has always loved music and whilst at boarding school in Eastbourne, her favourite childhood hobby was the Music Club, but her favourite lesson was literature. “I love music and thoroughly enjoy the musical activities and quizzes at Redcot. I was born in 1922, the same year as quite a few Hollywood musical stars such as Judy Garland, Doris Day, Cyd Charisse and Ava Gardner,” Juliet added. Growing up, Juliet recalls that she received a ten bob note – 50 pence in new money – for her pocket money. “My pocket money didn’t last long, I usually spent it on sweets,” she added. Later, Juliet studied Modern Languages and Logic at Bedford College and when she was 18, she was called up and joined the Army. Juliet – whose role was in translations – was posted to Bletchley Park which during the war was the world’s best kept secret and a key part of the country’s war effort against Germany. It is where the team of codebreakers – who included Alan Turing – cracked the German Enigma and Lorenz Ciphers. Juliet married her Husband, Fernand, a Cabinet Maker at St Christopher’s Church in Montreal, having moved to Canada after the war. The pair honeymooned on the Gaspé Peninsula, a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River that extends from the Matapedia Valley in Quebec into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Following their time in Canada, the couple returned to England where they raised their family having two daughters. Chatting about her 100 years, Juliet believes that, for her, the best years were 1946 through the 1950s and that being in the Army during WW2 was very important. She said: “I didn’t complain. I was honoured to be doing such important work for my country. I didn’t question anything, I just got one with what I’d been asked to do. “Reaching 100 is quite an achievement. I’m the same age as the BBC and was born the year they discovered The Tomb of Tutankhamun. I also heard that 1922 was the year that water skis were invented; but I have to say that I think the best invention of my lifetime has to be the Smartphone,” Juliet added. Jan Daly, the Registered Manager at Redcot said: “Juliet is a lovely lady who is very popular with her care home friends. Everyone at Redcot wanted to make sure Juliet had a wonderful 100th Birthday and we’re so glad she enjoyed her day. Juliet is a real character and always joins in with the activities, she’s very special and we wanted to show her just how special she is to all of us.” “I’ve had a lovely 100th Birthday,” said Juliet, “It’s been wonderful. I was asked recently what important lessons I’d learnt during my lifetime. I answered not to be afraid, be confident and to just be yourself and I think that is exactly what I’ve done.”
