Celebrating 46 UK organisations who have outstanding workplace training programmes with HRH The Princess Royal
London, Thursday 8th December: On Tuesday 6th December, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, welcomed 46 organisations to Banqueting House in London are celebrating successfully achieving a Princess Royal Training Award for their commitment to training and development. The Princess Royal Training Awards recognise employers across the United Kingdom who deliver outstanding training and development programmes that have had a direct impact on their people and organisations. This year, applications were made from a wide range of organisations from large multi-nationals through to small not-for-profits. Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds said: “This year we have seen applications from a range of organisations who have prioritised the development of their teams, as they continue to operate in a challenging context. I am delighted that we are able to recognise 46 fantastic employers who place value on training their employees. From inclusion and diversity, through to programmes addressing the ongoing impact of climate change and tackling skills shortages in certain sectors – organisations are using training to address these issues. It’s an honour to come together and celebrate these organisations’ shared and unrelenting commitment to learning and development.” At this year’s ceremony, employers Santander, Christies Care and Travis Perkins were welcomed onto the stage for a panel discussion about the impact of their award-winning programmes. Travis Perkins explained how they used the apprenticeship levy to create a Learn and Earn Apprenticeship programme which addresses the male-dominated and ageing workforce demographic typical for the construction sector. The impact on the company is still being realised, but 35.2% of this year’s applicants are female, the average age of recruits is now 25 and BAME representation has increased from 1.2 to 6.2%. Christies Care were revalidated for their induction programme initially awarded in 2017. In 2021 the pass rate for the Carer Induction was 93%, compared with 90% in 2017. By introducing online learning, Christies Care were able to upscale their provision quickly during the pandemic and continue training carers at a time of peak demand and immense pressure. The programme accommodated this demand and was popular with carers. Client satisfaction also remained positive and its reputation for highly trained carers remained unchanged. Santander described how they tackled the increasing number of customers becoming victims of scams during the pandemic by creating a staff training programme. This led to an impressive reduction in losses to customers from £12.5m in 2021 to just £20k in 2022. Five organisations also received a special commendation for demonstrating a significant commitment to inclusion and diversity. Those commended for their Inclusion and Diversity initiatives in 2022 include Greene King, Labcorp, IBM UK Ltd, Sheppey Matters and UK Electronic Skills Organisation. For a full list of this year’s recipients and their training programmes please see the 2022 recipients page or you can find out how to apply for The Princess Royal Training Awards 2023 here.
Sector-leading dementia care nurse receives Queen Mother’s accolade
Care UK’s Suzanne Mumford, Head of Nursing, Care and Dementia Care, has received the prestigious The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service. The accolade, more commonly known by the title of Queen’s Nurse, was bestowed to Suzanne and other recipients during the Queen’s Nursing Institute’s ceremony on Monday 28 November. Suzanne was recognised for her constant innovation, something that she has continued to deliver in her role at Care UK, particularly in the practice of dementia care. By her own admission, Suzanne “fell into nursing” when she was just 17 years old. Her first role was as a care assistant in a geriatric hospital where she quickly realised that nursing was the career for her and still maintains it’s “the best job in the world.” After training in Southampton and specialising in neurology and neurosurgery, Suzanne discovered a love of teaching and coaching others, which has been a crucial component to her career overall. After running a training company specialising in healthcare, she initially joined Care UK in 2018 as Quality Development Manager and has since progressed to lead a new team under the direction of Rachel Gilbert, the organisation’s Director of Care, Quality and Governance. Suzanne credits the “constant innovation and drive” within the sector as her motivation. She is always looking for ways to improve the practice of dementia care and passes this passion onto the Approach to Care Team, which she leads. The most important thing, she says, is supporting people to achieve their potential: “It’s about saying – this is what we’re doing, but we can always do it better, so how do we make that happen?” A large part of that process has been gathering and imparting knowledge within Care UK to ensure those living with dementia have compassionate and consistent care across the organisation. Having been a customer of Care UK herself, Suzanne has “seen it from both sides” and says that the experience of her parents having been residents informs everything she does. Suzanne oversaw the implementation of a sector-leading initiative to help enrich the lives of those living with advanced dementia. The Namaste programme now runs across all Care UK homes to ensure those most impacted by dementia – between 12-13% of those living in our homes – receive a comforting, one-to-one sensory experience during dedicated sessions, which focus on their mental and physical wellbeing. As a result, residents have become more alert and communicative. Another passion of Suzanne’s is to decrease the use of psychotropic drugs in Care UK homes. These drugs are often prescribed for those living with dementia but can make patients feel sleepier and can increase the risk of falls. Nurses within our homes have now decreased their use of psychotropic drugs by 26% – this is possible due to ongoing professional practices, which allow our teams to identify and address the unmet needs of those living with dementia. Under Suzanne’s leadership, Care UK is launching a new academy for the training and development of their care home nurses, called the Seacole Academy for Care and Clinical Excellence. This gives nurses a programme within the organisation that formally recognises their professional commitment and development. In addition to this, it offers those who are team leaders or senior carers at Care UK homes the chance to train to be a nurse, or to step into a health care assistant role to continue supporting residents. Rachel Gilbert, Director of Care, Quality and Governance at Care UK, said of the award: “Since her arrival at Care UK, Suzanne and I have worked together to ensure we continue to support and provide care in the very best way possible. “Her compassion and her leadership means that colleagues at every level, and in many different roles, feel empowered to provide the best care possible for our residents. Those who live in our care homes are people who have lived rich, fulfilling lives and under Suzanne’s innovative initiatives, they can continue to do so. “The Care UK team are very proud of Suzanne’s achievements, and I can’t wait to see how she uses this accolade to continue support residents and to develop her colleagues within the organisation.” When asked if she had any words of wisdom to pass on to new or aspiring nurses, Suzanne said: “When you train as a nurse, you are there – and you should be there – as an inspiration to people. You should be role-modelling best practice and you should be inspiring other people in your field to be the best that they can be. “You must be interested in people and in their wellbeing – both emotionally and physically. To do a nursing degree, as well as being interested in people, you have to feel like you can make a difference. Be kind, compassionate and be curious because there is so much learning to do. She also praised the skills of care home nurses, adding: “Our nurses are so specialist – we are looking after people who are living with so many different conditions and who are at a point where they now need more support, even when they’ve been fantastically independent throughout their lives. In those circumstances, you have to want to be close to people and be a part of their lives, as well as being observant and an excellent communicator.” If you want to join Care UK and help those living in our homes to lead fulfilling lives, you can apply here….visit careuk.com
Care UK celebrates 40th anniversary by raising over £43,000.
From Edinburgh to Bournemouth, Care UK care homes across the country have been celebrating the organisation’s 40th anniversary by raising funds for good causes. To celebrate forty years since the provider opened its first home, Haven Lodge in September 1982, the Care UK family set a goal of raising £40,000 for charities across the UK, in a campaign called ‘40 Days of Giving Back’. Team members across the country organised daring challenges and fun events, from abseiling down the O2 Stadium, community cake sales, musical events and even a 400-mile cycle ride. In Epsom, Surrey, Appleby House welcomed the local community to its garden for an evening of live music from local performers, James Schouten, Barbara Christopher and Darren Watkins, who each sang decade spanning hits for all ages to enjoy. The event raised £877, which has been donated to Musical Memories, a local charity which holds weekly musical services for people living with memory and hearing impairments. Elizabeth Lodge in Enfield raised more than £1,800 for St Clare Hospice in Harlow, after team members grabbed the ropes to abseil down The O2 Stadium. Staying firmly on the ground, residents opted to grab a sponge and a bucket to take part in a community car wash. Keen to pull their shell suits and shoulder pads out of their wardrobes, residents and team members at Lonsdale Mews in Quorn, Leicestershire, and Lennox House in Islington, time travelled back to 1982 to throw eighties inspired parties, where the local community enjoyed a live music with pop classics from the decade. Residents and team members at Armstrong House, in Gateshead, decided to step up to the challenge by walking 40 miles in 40 days and raised £325 for Big Local Gateshead. Zimmer frames and wheelchairs were no obstacle for the residents, with some reaching as far as the historical landmark, the Dunston Staiths, and Newcastle’s St. James’ Park Stadium, discovering all the local hot spots along the way. Joining the homes in their fundraising efforts was Care UK’s head office team, including CEO Andrew Knight, who undertook a 400-mile bike ride with fellow directors, Tony Weedon and Jacqui White. The route took a total of five days and saw the team cycle from the Care UK’s oldest home, Haven Lodge, in Clacton-on-Sea, to the newest, Oxbow Manor, which will open in Shrewsbury in January. The team visited 17 other Care UK homes along the way, receiving warm welcomes from colleagues and residents alike. Inspired by the 400-mile cycle, residents, and team members at Silversprings walked a combined total of 40km, just short of a marathon, as well as holding a 40-day knit-a-thon, to raise £180 for Brightlingsea Museum and Brightlingsea Lido. To mark the occasion, the facilities team at Tippethill House Hospital in Armadale, Scotland, organised an amazing fun day for residents and relatives which included 60 raffle prizes, home baking and tombola stalls along with live Facebook auction. They raised a whopping £3,260 for local charity, The League of Friends. In the Midlands, residents at Sway Place, in Hampshire, were joined by families and members of the Sway community for a day spent traveling through time back to the 1940s. The home’s Memories Matter fundraising event featured 1940’s classic cars, a traditional sweet shop and live music from local singers, Soda Pops, who delighted guests with songs from throughout the decades. The event raised £1,648 for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the leading dementia research organisation in the UK. Commenting on the fundraising efforts, Andrew Knight, CEO of Care UK, said: “We’re incredibly proud of all we have achieved at Care UK in the last 40 years, all thanks to the caring, hard-working team members and the support of residents and their families. I’m delighted with the fantastic amount we’ve raised for good causes across the country and am grateful to everyone who embraced this initiative with such enthusiasm. We are all looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring for Care UK. Care UK is one of the largest providers of residential care for older people. As a well-established organisation with 40 years of experience in caring for older people, the provider now runs more than 150 homes offering residential, dementia and nursing care and expects to open at least 13 more before the end of 2025.
Learning and Development Manager at South East care home championed as one of the leading women in social care
A South East care group is celebrating after one of its staff members was recognised with one of the highest accolades in the profession and championed as one of the social care sector’s most influential individuals. Marisa Spice, Learning & Development Manager at Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 care homes throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex, was crowned winner of the ‘Talent Development Award’ category in this year’s Women Achieving Greatness in Social Care Awards (WAGS) – an annual showpiece that highlights and celebrates incredible achievements of female leaders in all roles. Recognised for her unwavering commitment to resident and nursing practice, Marisa received the highly sought-after accolade during an awards ceremony at the Hilton Bankside, London, on Wednesday, 30th November. The WAGS aim to highlight and celebrate the incredible achievements of female leaders from all corners of the sector, recognising accomplishments at all levels of leadership across the entirety of social care. As a recipient, Marisa now stands alongside a selection of remarkable individuals, helping to raise the profile of professional women leaders across the sector – and serves as an embodiment of innovation, talent, commitment and excellence throughout the industry and beyond. Having joined in 2013, Marisa has been an integral asset to the family-run operation at Nellsar, helping the business go from strength to strength while implementing a care ethos built on compassion and empathy. Her ongoing commitment to improving the interface between social care and other external professional bodies has been recognised as an industry example – having introduced new skills for carers and guidance on how to use nurse associate roles within social care. Speaking about her award, Marisa said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have received such incredible acknowledgement and to stand alongside so many remarkable ladies who I consider to be the benchmark of excellence throughout our sector. Having worked in care for many years, I’m humbled that my efforts have been recognised and this will only motivate me to continue doing a job I love doing each and every day. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by so many exceptional colleagues, who inspire me to implement a standard of care that improves the quality of life for everyone across the industry, while creating a rich and diverse culture alongside people I consider to be not just friends, but family, too.” Commenting on her acknowledgement, Glenda Osmotherly, Director of Operations at Nellsar, said: “Marisa is a remarkable individual and we couldn’t be more proud of her. The dedication and commitment she continuously delivers to those around her is not just an example to everyone at Nellsar, but carers up and down the country, and we couldn’t be more delighted to have Marisa representing the care culture we look to implement across the board at Nellsar.” Having enjoyed a variety of roles with Nellsar over the last ten years, from Registered Nurse to Registered Manager to Operations and Compliance Manager, Marisa now specialises in learning and development of the care group’s staff teams. Over the past few years, Marisa has been at the forefront of Nellsar’s care development scheme, attending various conferences, meetings and webinars regarding several areas of development. Marisa has worked very closely with external professionals from various areas and has developed many of their attributes to bring knowledge into Nellsar’s workforce. One such event that Marisa has and will continue to attend is the Social Care Nurse Supervision (Kent and Medway Nurse Clinical Supervision) group, which is supported by KCC, Skills for Care and a fellow Queen’s Nurse. Also representing Nellsar at the WAGS this year was Leni Wood, Nutrition & Wellness Manager, who was shortlisted as a finalist in the Wellbeing at Work Award category, for demonstrating her unwavering professionalism and specialism whilst dedicating a vast array of knowledge to both staff and residents from a nutritional standpoint. When Leni joined Nellsar five years ago, she cemented the company as one of the first UK providers to recognise the value of having a Nutritional Therapist onboard. She has driven creativity and innovation in the nutrition arena, imparting her wide-ranging knowledge to both staff and residents alike. For more information on Nellsar, visit www.nellsar.com.
Luxury new Solihull care home welcomes centenarian as first resident
A newly opened luxury Solihull care home that specialises in exceptional residential, nursing, dementia and respite care has welcomed its first resident through its doors. 100-year-old Margaret has become the first resident at Blossomfield Rose, a new state-of-the-art care home situated as part of the existing Blossomfield Park in Solihull, offering residents compassionate and supportive care within a unique setting. The new home sits neatly within the wider Blossomfield Park development, a mix of sympathetically converted historic and contemporary buildings set within five acres of mature, private grounds — offering privately owned accommodation to all ages. Residents have access to all park-wide amenities and grounds, proving to be Margaret’s favourite part of her stay so far. Margaret said: “I have made the most of the sunny weather since moving in, especially as I know it’s about to change. I’ve loved spending time in the beautiful gardens and seeing the donkeys in the field opposite but as it gets colder I’ll still be able to see all this wonderful wildlife from the window in my room.” Born and raised in Shropshire, Margaret enjoyed an 80-year marriage to her wonderful husband George, where they raised two daughters. Margaret enjoyed a career with the Ministry of Food where she started out in the rationing department before working her way up to community inspections. Margaret reminisced: “I enjoyed carrying out the street inspections where I would hang around chatting and being friendly, but I would actually be watching for stalls selling illegal goods! I would then make a purchase at these stalls for evidence to catch them red handed, then they would be sent to court.” Now residing at Blossomfield Rose, Margaret and her fellow residents experience the use of unobtrusive, integrated technology throughout the home which helps the dedicated care team deliver the highest quality and standards of dementia and nursing care. Features such as acoustic listening devices and nurse call systems will offer families peace of mind as care can be delivered swiftly as necessary, alongside thorough digital record-keeping and care planning. Margaret also said: “It is a beautiful environment here, and I feel lucky to be able to live in such a friendly space. The staff have been very welcoming and the food is exceptional!” Sonia Tenniswood, Home Manager at Blossomfield Rose, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Maragret and her family into our home, and hope she creates many happy memories here. “On her first day we welcomed her with balloons and champagne to make it a really special occasion and hopefully everyday we continue to make her feel special, allowing her to express her independence within a safe and caring environment.” Blossomfield Rose is one of thirteen homes in the Macc Care group, which runs a collection of care homes in the Midlands. The group prides itself on three core values — Love, Caring and Compassion. The word ‘rose’ is used across the collection of homes to symbolise new beginnings, which will be pertinent to both staff and residents at this exciting new community. For further information on Blossomfield Rose, please visit: https://blossomfieldrose.co.uk/, or for further information on the wider Blossomfield Park, please visit: https://blossomfieldpark.co.uk/ For information on the Macc Care group, please visit: https://www.macccare.com/.
Northamptonshire care home welcomes experienced new manager as it looks to build on its outstanding level of care
A Northamptonshire care home that provides nursing, residential and respite care has appointed a new manager to help focus on dementia training and investment into the care team. Meadow View, a branch of Wellbeing Care that prides itself on providing the highest standard of person-centred care for up to 53 people in Wellingborough, has welcomed Kathy Murphy as its new manager. Kathy joins the High Street care home with 42 years of experience in the industry. She has a wealth of knowledge working across many different areas of care including learning difficulties, post operative, mental health, old age, dementia and cancer. Starting as a nurse’s aid, Kathy spent 19 years working at a mental health hospital in Ireland, before moving to the UK where she transitioned into management roles, and most recently landing herself a position at the Irchester home. Talking of her recent appointment at Meadow View, Kathy said: “I started working in the care industry when I was 15 and I can’t imagine being in any other line of work. Nothing else is for me apart from care. “After a year off, I couldn’t think of a better project to come back to work on. My overarching goal is to gain an ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating here, and from what I’ve seen already we certainly have the staff and resources to make that happen.” Originally a private Victorian house, Meadow View has seen numerous refurbishments since being repurposed as a nursing home in 1986. It has been heavily extended in three areas making it the largest of the three residencies of Wellbeing Care. Wellbeing Care is a family-run group of care services that focuses on providing first-rate, person-centred care to older people living in Northamptonshire and Suffolk. The group provides residential care, nursing care, dementia care, respite care, day care and supported living services. For more information on Meadow View, please visit https://www.wellbeingcare.co.uk/services/meadow-view.
Westgate House Care Centre champions Christ Church’s ‘Shoe Box Appeal’, providing many gifts for children in need during Christmas 2022.
Westgate House Care Centre has supported its local community for over seventeen years, providing generous donations to a multitude of charities. This Christmas, Westgate House participated in its local church’s fundraiser for the ‘Samaritan Purse Operation Christmas Child’ initiative. Members of the public can kindly donate a variety of items to fill a shoe box, giving children in need a wonderful gift for Christmas. Westgate House aimed to fill twelve shoe boxes to give back to the local community. In light of their fundraiser, the home transformed their ‘Happy Box’ into a donation box specifically for the children’s appeal. The ‘Happy Box’ is a Westgate Healthcare initiative that rewards team members with everyday niceties as a thank you for their excellent work. The home displayed the box in the reception area and promoted it on social media, encouraging contributions from their residents, relatives and team members. Residents at the home organised, promoted, collected and neatly packaged the shoe boxes with the donated presents, led by Care Home Manager Nancy Currie and supported by the Activities Lead, Rosie Funiciello. The home exceeded its target of twelve shoe boxes as they managed to fill an extra box with presents, bringing their total to thirteen boxes. The shoeboxes were collected Monday, 16th November, by Mary, their Christ Church contact and friend of Westgate House. Nancy Currie, Care Home Manager at Westgate House Care Centre, said: “At our home, we practise helping our communities with humanitarian projects that will positively impact people, places, communities and cultures. We find by working with people and doing good deeds, our team and residents feel fulfilled, especially when we can present to them how their work was being received, used and appreciated.” Paul, a Resident at Westgate House Care Centre, said: “It was great! We packaged the gifts with love, and I was happy to see Mary from Church. I am looking forward to doing it again next year!” To learn more about Westgate House Care Centre, please click here. Notes to Editors
Rail strikes: Over half (58%) of nurses concerned rail strikes will further impact quality of care as NHS faces ‘intolerable pressure’
23rd November 2022, London, United Kingdom – New research has found over half (58%) of nurses and health and social care workers are concerned rail strikes will further exacerbate the issues surrounding quality of healthcare. The timing comes when healthcare professionals are already under ‘intolerable pressure’ as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. A study of over 1,000 nurses, health and social care workers, conducted by Florence, the healthcare platform using technology to help tackle the shortage of healthcare staff globally, found that nine in ten (90%) healthcare workers will be unable to get to work as a result of the rail strikes across the country. Well over two-fifths (45%) of healthcare workers are worried it will lead to people having to wait longer for appointments, causing additional strain on the NHS. With one of the highest vacancy rates and longest wait list in years*, the rail strikes are an external factor that is compounding the long list of internal challenges the NHS and care sector are currently facing. A staggering two thirds (63%) of healthcare workers are having to choose between food and fuel and one in five (14%) of nurses have started using food banks since the cost of living crisis began. Dr. Charles Armitage, CEO and founder of Florence, commented: “Healthcare workers are already worried about how the NHS will cope over the winter months, now we’re seeing concern about how the rail strikes will affect the quality of care with staff unable to travel. We’re at a crisis point when it comes to NHS and healthcare staffing and we need the government to do something about it. The government needs to look at a long term strategy and predict the trajectory for decades to come – we can’t be in a position where a rail strike is leaving the workforce on its knees.”
Anton Du Beke supports ‘Nights on Lottie’ campaign to recognise valuable work of UK carers
In partnership with The Care Workers Charity, the UK’s leading charity for supporting current and former care workers with financial grants and other support services, Lottie will offer 1,000 free night stays at a raft of amazing destinations exclusively for carers across the UK in 2023. Anton Du Beke has first-hand experience of the work of carers as his mother worked as a carer and knows how important a role it is. He said: “The majority of adults will care for a family member or friend at some point in their lives, and naturally the impact on a whole range of things are underestimated. “This initiative is a way of giving much needed respite to carers both paid and unpaid on the frontline. Will Donnelly co-founder Lottie said: “We are thankful to Anton for his help in raising awareness of the valuable role that carers play up and down the country day in and day out. “Despite being a fundamental part of the UK’s healthcare system – especially over the last few years – the UK’s social care workforce are often overworked and underappreciated. Many carers, especially unpaid carers, (someone who cares for a friend or family member due to illness, a disability, or a mental health issue) feel invisible and unrecognised for all that they do”. “We are incredibly honoured to have Anton’s support to launch our 1000-night pledge. Nights On Lottie is a huge opportunity to raise awareness of our on-going mission to champion the incredible efforts of carers across the UK – and it was inspired by the fantastic work of Nights On Us, who gifted NHS workers free hotel stays during the pandemic”, continued Donnelly. To kick start the nationwide mission, Lottie have teamed up with Unplugged, who run a variety of digital detox cabins in the UK countryside, to offer over 30 x 3-night stays for carers (and a plus one) in need of a break. Hector Hughes, Co-Founder of Unplugged, said: “We started Unplugged to help busy and burnt-out people rest and recharge. Carers are always on and always putting others before themselves. We’re so pleased to be a part of this and to help them switch off in nature for a few days with an Unplugged digital detox.” Nights On Lottie’s first giveaway with Unplugged will run until midnight on 9th January 2023. Open to anyone who works as a care worker or carer (both paid and unpaid), all you need to do is either nominate yourself, a friend, family member, or colleague, via the online submission form. 33 winners will be chosen at random when the competition ends to win a free 3-night stay at one of Unplugged’s cabins at any time in 2023 (excluding Bank Holidays). “The support for those on the frontline of the social care sector doesn’t stop there either: we want to continue championing them through our pledge of 1000 free night stays at a variety of hotels and cabins, exclusively for carers and social care workers. Nights On Lottie X Unplugged is only the beginning” concludes Donnelly. Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers Charity said: “Since 2009, we’ve supported thousands of social care workers through financial hardships, including giving almost £2 million pounds of support to carers via our Emergency Fund grants during 2020*. Unfortunately, unless there is industry-wide change that offers social care workers the help they need, we expect the number of carers we help to significantly rise over the winter months. Every bit helps, and we are delighted to support Lottie’s mission to champion the incredible efforts of carers across the UK”. Night’s On Lottie’s first pledge of 100 free night stays with Unplugged officially launches on 23rd November to mark Carers Rights Day 2022 (24th November). To nominate your own Nights on Lottie carer, visit Lottie.org/nights-on-us-giveaway/
