The Importance of Degreasing
Where there are kitchens, there is grease and knowing how to deal with it is essential to making sure your kitchen runs smoothly. It doesn’t matter whether you work in a restaurant kitchen, hospital kitchen, school kitchen or any other kind of cooking area, grease is one of the many universal aspects of kitchen life. Now, you may be asking what is grease exactly? Well grease (in a food waste context) is the common term for animal fats and vegetable oils and can be found in the following when cooked: • Food Scraps • Baked Goods • Cooking Oil • Margarine, Butter and Lard • Meat Fats • Sauces • Dairy Products What are the issues surrounding kitchen grease? The key issue with grease is the frequent incorrect disposal of it by way of the kitchen sink or external drains. It is mistakenly assumed that because the warm oils are liquid they therefore can be poured away. It may appear harmless due to its lack of viscosity and fluid form but as grease cools it begins to solidify causing build ups in pipes becoming a hardened mass. The more grease which is disposed of in this manner leads to large deposits of solid grease which restricts drain flow causing clogs. These blockages can result in burst drains, flooding and seeping water from in between floors and low-level brickwork. Ultimately, hardened grease residue is one of the key contributors to large scale sewage blockages which coined the aptly named “fatberg” term between 2008 and 2010. As a result of mass public campaigning due to the expense required to remove fatbergs from the UKs aging Victorian sewer system, both domestic and commercial kitchens now dispose of FOGs in a more sustainable manner. But, with hardened grease being a problematic substance to get rid of once solid, what should commercial kitchens do with cooking equipment which is prone to grease build up? Invest in a commercial degreaser. The best answer for commercial level grease is a commercial grade degreasing agent / cleaner. Using anything less than a solution which has been designed and tested for professional kitchens will fall short. Domestic ovens are not subject to the same level of use as that of capital equipment in businesses, so you need the right cleaning agent. Should FOGs be allowed to build up in your kitchen it can impact the efficiency of your machines like ovens and ventilation systems meaning such kit takes longer to heat up and requires more energy to maintain constant temperatures. So, to prevent you from requiring many hours and a metal scraper, what degreasers are available? The following are all great options to help keep on top of grease levels in your kitchen: • Deepio Heavy Duty Degreaser Spray – Deepio’s degreaser is a popular choice amongst restaurants and quick service eateries. It is highly efficient and effective at breaking down grease with ease making cleaning equipment a quicker process. The formula features surfactants and high alkalinity to deliver grease-cutting cleanliness. It is also unperfumed. • Flash Professional Degreaser – This ready to use spray is not just a degreaser but a disinfectant too. It is great at degreasing surfaces (not to be used on grills) along with kitchen utensils. It also benefits from being EN14476 accredited and EN1276 / EN13697. The solution is also unperfumed and bleach free. • SURE Cleaner & Degreaser (Concentrate) – SURE’s eco-range of cleaners includes a degreaser option which is perfect for cutting through heavily soiled and greasy surfaces. Perfect for kitchen equipment, cooker hoods and counter tops the degreaser is perfect for any commercial kitchen. It can also be used on tiled floors too. There are many other options but as wholesalers to multiple industries, including the healthcare, care and nursing sectors we’d recommend the above as they are proven across a variety of kitchens in numerous environments. At Alliance Online we have over 20 years’ experience providing quality and professional cleaning solutions to businesses across the UK. As such we are confident in our product offering and options we provide to the care industry. For more information about our care ranges and ways we can help companies in the sector contact us on hello@allianceonline.co.uk or call us on 01270 252333.
Girbau UK awarded We Invest in People – Silver Accreditation
Girbau UK, the Hitchin-based manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment has been awarded We Invest in People – Silver Accreditation by Investors in People, a fantastic achievement that only 15% of organisations assessed actually achieve. The award means that the right principles are in place to support people at work at Girbau UK and to make working there a better place. More than that, it means its people and leaders are making active efforts to ensure there is real consistency in the organisation and everyone feels its effects. “While we are known as a world-leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment for washing, finishing and handling textiles, we recognise that it’s the quality of our people that really marks us apart,” said Peter Rankin, Managing Director of Girbau UK. “I am delighted that Girbau UK has been awarded We Invest in People – Silver Accreditation. My congratulations to our leaders and our entire team for this outstanding achievement in recognition of our caring and supportive workplace culture.” “We’d like to congratulate Girbau UK. Silver accreditation on We invest in people is a remarkable effort for any organisation. It places Girbau UK in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.” said Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People. “We believe that the success of your organisation begins and ends with people. If we make work better for everyone, we make work better for every organisation. And if we do that, we also make society stronger, healthier and happier.” Girbau UK is part of the international Girbau Group, world-leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment. With more than 60 years’ experience and a commitment to customer service, Girbau meets the requirements of a wide variety of industries including hotels and guest houses, residential and nursing homes, hospitals, charities, leisure organisations, colleges, schools, sheltered housing, the emergency services, hairdressers, veterinary surgeries, kennels and catteries. www.girbau.co.uk
Armed Forces Day: First impressions count for Royal Star & Garter Home Manager
Qualified Nurse Jamie Stubbs worked for the NHS before joining the RAF in December 1995. During his 19-year military career, he attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant Nurse. Now he is the Home Manager at Royal Star & Garter in Solihull. To mark Armed Forces Day, he reflects on finding his dream job at the veterans’ care home. I remember walking into the Home for the first time on Christmas Eve, following my appointment as the Interim Home Manager. It was a real opportunity to just feel and see the service I’d heard so much about. It was critical for me that it went well, but I’m always nervous when I’m about to meet a new team on unfamiliar territory. As I approached the reception door with an outstretched finger to press the buzzer, it miraculously opened! Stood there with the warmest welcome was Kevin, who is our Driver and part of the Wellbeing Team. Unknown to me, the Home had received my biography prior to arrival. Kevin appeared to have memorised the whole document because instantly he knew all about me and my past! This led to very easy conversation and instantly settled my nerves. Kevin took me into reception where I was warmly greeted by Sam, the receptionist. Sam explained that she would let Lead Nurse Heni know I’d arrived, which allowed me to have several minutes to soak up the energy of the Home. I was simply delighted to hear staff laughing and talking with each other as they passed through. There was all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas Day. The immense Christmas tree was up in the foyer, there was chatter, there was a buzz in the Home. As I sat there, the military paintings on the wall took me and my thoughts away to familiar places and spaces. I served in the RAF for 19 years, and the paintings made me feel comfortable, almost like I had visited before. Heni then came to greet me. It’s hard to read people’s faces when they have masks on, but I could tell from her eyes that she was smiling, and her introduction was real, warm and genuine. We went to the Lead Nurses’ office and the conversation was easy, free-flowing and it became clear that we both held very similar views on what person-centred care should look like. She spoke with passion about the Home, the residents, the team and the charity. It was infectious – I had felt this energy from the minute I walked into the Home. Heni told me that two other Lead Nurses – Yuriy and Nadine – were coming in on their days off to say ‘Hi’ and introduce themselves! This hadn’t happened to me before, I am acutely aware of how hard people work in this sector, and days off are precious. The reception I received from them was warm, welcoming and from the heart. It was clear their passion and drive matched mine. I felt all my Christmases had come at once! How could I be sat in a room with three people who all wanted to achieve what I did and more? I had never experienced this in adult social care before. One thing that I will never forget from that meeting was when they said to me: “Tell us about you, not the manager you, the real you.” They wanted to know what kind of human I was. That told me all I needed to know about this band of three. The person inside is everything to them and that’s how it should be. My tour of the Home with the three Lead Nurses was a wonderful experience. Each floor was buzzing with laughter, smiling residents, activities and such a positive feeling. Every member of staff I came into contact with wanted to talk to me, they were genuinely interested in me and what I had done previously. They spoke about their work with compassion and conviction. They spoke about going the extra mile. They described residents being at the centre of their care and all that they did. They wanted residents to live their best lives in a safe and secure environment. They involved the residents in their care and decisions related to it. I was in a spin! I had never been surrounded by such positivity in this setting before. What was intended to be a quick 45-minute ‘dip-my-toe-in-the-water’ visit turned into a four-hour afternoon visit. Three months into my interim contract I was appointed as the permanent Home Manager, and I couldn’t be happier – this really is my dream job. Working here made such an impression on me from day one that I never wanted to leave. I became a nurse because I care about people and I wanted to make a difference. I’m doing that now. I’m in the company of people that have similar military experiences, and it’s an honour to look after them. And I think the residents appreciate the bond we share too. We have conversations about military life and what we’ve been up to, we speak about the bits and pieces we have done. I have learned so much in that time! I have visited the other Homes and met all of the teams. Royal Star & Garter appears to be a magnet for attracting only the best, most caring staff across all disciplines. All of the Homes have felt familiar even though the geography is different. The energy of the staff is like nectar. It’s addictive and you can’t get enough of surrounding yourself with it. It is the magical and mysterious glue that pulls us all together and makes us all want to perform at our very best. The first six months have been a thrilling and joyous experience: to be in the company of people who are always striving to do what’s best for our residents, it’s a joy to be working with a team that’s so committed. It makes me
Concentrates vs Ready To Use – World Refill Day
June the 16th represented World Refill Day, we at Alliance Online look at one way care homes can also get behind the initiative of opting to refill opposed to dispose of and buy new. The day itself has been created to try and reduce plastic waste generated by discarding bottles or containers needlessly when refilling is an option. So, how can care and nursing homes embrace World Refill Day? The easiest way is to take stock of your cleaning chemical supply and review what ready to use options you have and if there are concentrate options available. The purpose is to check if any of your ready to use sprays can be replaced by buying in bulk as there are many benefits for both the environment and your business when using concentrates over ready to use. Price Understandably, the initial cost for 5L of concentrate compared with 5L of ready to use formula is far cheaper in favour for the latter. However, as concentrates are diluted to their recommended percentages, the solutions created cost less than standard ready to use options. Ready to use options also incur higher manufacturers costs due to additional packaging, meaning again in the long-term concentrates represent the economical form of cleaning in terms of cost per use. Ease of Use Naturally, ready to use cleaners are often an easier to use option. Obviously, this is because ready to use solutions live up to their name of being able to use immediately without the need to dilute. Equally, most ready to use options also benefit from being packaged in a bottle which either possesses a spray dispenser or a flip top cap. Concentrates on the other hand require proper dosing and the correct amount of water being added before it can be used. However, for large scale cleaning such as mopping large areas, concentrates are easier as they only need to handle a small amount of chemical cleaner before topping up your bucket with water. Environmental Impact As a general rule, it can be agreed that the more concentrated a product is, the less packaging and energy it requires. A concentrated cleaning product represents a smaller carbon footprint compared with ready to use as it lasts much longer meaning it is shipped less frequently. There is one caveat with concentrates and their environmental impact, they need to be properly diluted to prevent potential damage to local ecosystems and drain integrities. Best Concentrates for Care Homes Below are a few of the best concentrates care homes can use to ensure they are getting the best deal economically: At Alliance Online we aim to provide all customers with options that suit their business needs. For businesses with many surfaces or floor areas to clean we would always recommend utilising concentrates. Over the course of the product life cycle concentrates are much more economically beneficial for businesses compared with ready to use options. They also generate less waste and when dosed correctly go much further. Contact us today for assistance in implementing a concentrate cleaning system.
Log my Care’s new research reveals the sentiment in the social care sector and technology’s place in its future
Log my Care has revealed the results of new research – The future of care: an analysis of job satisfaction and technology in social care. Prompted by the reports of a sector in crisis, Log my Care disseminated a survey to better understand the sentiment of the social care workforce, if an exodus of care workers leaving the sector is on the horizon and how technology can support them to stay. The survey identified a workforce that was predominantly happy in their role. Reflecting these high levels of happiness in their jobs, only a small minority of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector: Findings from the survey also revealed a workforce that is drawn to the sector for altruistic reasons: However, the stressors of the pandemic have exacerbated some of the unpleasant factors associated with working in social care: When asked how digital they felt their workplace was already: There’s a positive sentiment towards the digitalisation of social care: Sam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Log my Care, comments, “The reports of the care sector in crisis are at odds with the incredible dedication and optimism voiced by many of our customers in our daily conversations. We wanted to dig a little deeper with this research — to understand the sentiment in the sector, why so many people were leaving it and what place technology has in supporting them to stay. Although we were surveying an industry clearly in crisis, the passion and commitment of the people working in it is a light in the dark. We know it’s time for a change – with low pay, long hours and a lack of employee development coming up time and time again as the reasons our care staff are leaving. Technology can play a vital role in this change and by encouraging even the smallest care provider to go digital, we can begin to combat some of the problems highlighted by this survey.” Read Log my Care’s full report here !
The Care & Occupational Therapy Show 2022
June 21st, 2022 will see the launch of a brand new show. A show that is set to take the care sector by storm. Inspired Motive acquired the ‘South West Care Show’ during the pandemic and have rebranded the show to make it more encompassing, ‘The Care & Occupational Therapy Show’ has been born. With over 30 years of experience in the event industry, Inspired Motive will be hosting The Care & Occupational Therapy Show at Westpoint, Exeter. The visitors will include buyers from Care Homes, Domiciliary care companies, Care Groups, NHS, Trusts, Individual Carers, and Individual Practitioners also. Attracting 3000+ visitors, it will truly be a festival of business for the care community. Their goal is to enable companies across the UK to exhibit innovative products that will aid care sector professionals to enhance their brand/services, with 175+ Exhibitors, 30+ Industry Leading Speakers and a Live Demo Area, the show is perfectly positioned to put you on the road to success. The show have confirmed some very impressive keynote speakers from the likes of Care England, Digital Social Care, and Care Quality Commission with more. They already have some great exhibitors at the show, from the likes of – Albert Goodman, Motor Tech, Appetito, Nourish, Oysta Technology and Reval Continuing Care. All of the show’s seminars are CPD accredited so you can also earn your CPD points whilst attending the show. Driven By Health will be moderating a great panel discussion at the show. The panel discussion will be surrounding digital transformation within the care sector. They have gathered some great panellists to take part in the discussions. They have Katie Thorn Digital Social Care, Jonathan Papworth from Person Centred Software, Nuno Almeida from Nourish and Sajit Razman from Everylife that will all be discussing the topic on the day. All tickets for the show are free and available now. You can book your tickets here. If you are interested in exhibiting your own products/services at the show, please contact Luke Outram on 02045 178 888 or email – luke@inspiredmotive.co.uk. Care & Nursing Essentials are official show media partners and we very much look forward to seeing you all there.
Social care providers urged to check data protection by 30 June 2022
Sheffield care home director recognised by Buckingham Palace
Nicola Richards, Director of Palms Row Health Care in Sheffield, was invited by Her Majesty The Queen to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace this week in recognition of her dedication to the social care sector. Whilst at the Palace, Nicola also took the opportunity to deliver a card for the Queen from Northfield Nursing Home congratulating Her Majesty on her 70 year reign. The Platinum Jubilee card was hand made by 90 year old Northfield resident, Jean Horton. This invitation is the second time that the Palms Row team has been recognised by the Royal Family. In 2020 a photograph taken at a Palms Row care home was one of those that inspired the Duchess of Cambridge to launch a new exhibition to capture the ‘resilience, bravery and kindness’ of the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Nicola, who runs Northfield Nursing Home and Westbourne House in the city, became a leading voice of the care sector as Covid-19 tightened its grip, highlighting issues ranging from access to PPE and tests, lack of support from government, the mental wellbeing of care home staff and residents and long-term funding for care homes. Nicola’s tenacity ensured the government could not continue to ignore the challenges facing the sector and as a result of her work, she was appointed to the Board of the National Care Association. Nicola commented: “It’s not every day that an invitation from Buckingham Palace lands on your doormat. It was a huge honour to attend The Queen’s garden party yesterday and I am delighted that the work we do at Palms Row is being recognised in this way. The past two years have been extremely challenging with carers often left feeling overlooked and demoralised. I will continue to speak up for the sector and its legion of dedicated employees, who are essential to the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the UK.” Nicola’s experiences during the pandemic prompted her to found Support Social Care Heroes, an organisation which aims to preserve, protect and improve the health and wellbeing of those providing social care. She is a leading champion of care workers in the North of England.
New initiative launched to boost care worker wellbeing
Social care heroes across Yorkshire will have a simple way to keep healthy thanks to a pilot project launching today (Weds 18 May 2022). Homes that are signed up to the Support Social Care Heroes pilot programme will be receiving fruit baskets to help care workers make better snack choices. “Wellbeing Wednesday” fruit baskets are the first phase in a new Health For Heroes scheme which, later this summer, will expand to include a series of short films where care workers are encouraged to complete simple fitness and nutrition challenges to help them live a healthier lifestyle. The clips will feature easy-to-follow recipes and workouts suitable for all fitness levels, as well as tips on how to fit in exercise and healthy eating when working long shifts. The Health for Heroes programme has been launched by Support Social Care Heroes (SSCH), an organisation which aims to preserve, protect and improve the health and wellbeing of those providing social care. Nicola Richards, Founder of Support Social Care Heroes, said: “Carers perform a vital role and work long hours often with little recognition from wider society. Their dedication and compassion makes a huge difference to the lives of millions of older people around the country. “The past two years in particular have placed a huge physical and emotional strain on care workers, but self care often comes low down the priority list. We want to change that by helping carers to make small changes which will boost their overall wellbeing. We urge care home managers to get involved in the Health for Heroes Challenge and help their team to become healthier, happier and less stressed.” For more information, to access the films visit: www.ssch.info or follow “Support Social Care Heroes” on social media.
