Transport solutions for disabled passengers at North East garage
South Shields based converter Vic Young Ltd has been providing wheelchair accessible vehicles for over 20 years. The latest addition to their mobility conversions is an upfront passenger vehicle using the Fiat Doblo model, allowing the disabled passenger to sit side by side with the driver. Disabled passengers can sit safely and securely beside the driver thanks to nearside wheelchair loading. This is achieved by a ramp which can be manually deployed after the extra wide nearside passenger door and sliding side door have been opened. Space between the up front wheelchair user and the ceiling is not an issue, with up to 5.85” headroom. Lowered flooring provides eye-line height for the mobility passenger. This is not the only comfort guaranteed by the vehicle; the wheelchair is secured up by a four-point restraint system. Passengers can feel safe with this robust, easy to use operation. The Fiat Doblo has five points of entry. These include two front doors, two side sliding doors and a rear door that lifts up. Boot space is large which is ideal for storing wheelchairs and extra equipment. Because of the nature of the up front design, there is no loss of seating or luggage space. The Up Front Fiat Doblo is the perfect mobility vehicle and ticks all the boxes for wheelchair users who wish to sit next to the driver. Due to its intricate specification, the vehicle can be relied upon to continue meeting the requirements of passengers. Vic Young is an award-winning car dealership in the North East. A family-run business which has been trading for over 40 years, and have a large, loyal customer base throughout the North East and beyond. They pride themselves on their ability to provide best in class service to all customers across all their main areas of business: new and used cars sales, conversions, contract hire, car hire, van hire, after sales and servicing. Visit our website
Future of Care Conference London
Future of Care Conference London is back on the 29th March 2022, attracting C-level care professionals, care home and home care owners, managers, decision-makers and influencers. The high-profile speaker programme will consist of focused speaker slots and panel debates set to challenge perspective and provide call-to-actions for the future of the industry. Since its launch in 2017, the conference has strived to bring key trends, challenges and developments in the care sector in front of the people who matter. With the starting ambition to improve the lives of the elderly, this one-day conference has grown year on year, acquiring the trust of care professionals from across the UK. Vic Rayner OBE, CEO at The National Care Forum, is welcomed as this years’ Conference Chair. As a principal figure in the sector, Vic is also the Chair of the Government Strategic Advisory Forum on the social care workforce and Co-chair of the National Social Care Advisory Group. The Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan MP, will also be speaking at the conference on how the sector can build a world leading adult social care system. Delegates can expect focus on topics such as recruitment, sector inequalities, dementia and artificial intelligence. Speakers such as Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive at Care England; Rob Assall, Deputy Chief Inspector at Care Quality Commission and Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at Institute for Government will look to preparing for future pressures, government support and building an effective integrated health and social care system. Across two panel sessions, the conference will address how we can learn from the frontline of adult social care to discover what really makes a difference to elderly lives. They will also report on how to develop a stronger workforce with a larger talent pool and a better reputation. During networking breaks, delegates have the chance to make valuable connections and meet suppliers from the industry – including Headline Sponsor Beaucare and Gold Sponsor Quality Compliance Systems. Visit www.futureofcare.co.uk for information on ticket prices and booking, to view the full programme and discover more about each speaker. The conference will be held at The King’s Fund in London.
Mandatory vaccination U-turn
Statement from Kari Gerstheimer, CEO and Founder of Access Social Care, a charity providing free legal advice and information to the social care sector. The Government’s U-turn on mandatory vaccinations for NHS and social care staff is a step in the right direction, but it is too late for thousands of care workers who have lost their jobs and found higher paid work in a different sector. We might have lost these skilled workers – some with decades worth of invaluable experience – forever. Where was the urgency and concern for the social care sector when an exodus of staff was predicted in November? Since then, the sector has been decimated by the policy, with 40,000 staff having lost their jobs. Problems with recruitment and retention of care staff impacts hundreds of thousands of older and disabled people with social care needs – we know of families and individuals who are struggling to find staff to help them care for their loved ones or themselves. Social care staffing must be treated as seriously as NHS staffing. Without this, both systems will collapse.
A Closer Look Into the Programme at Future of Care London 2022
A Closer Look Into the Programme at Future of Care London 2022 With the 29th March fast approaching, the Future of Care Conference is getting ready for another successful event revealing key trends, challenges and call-to-actions to leaders from across the care sector. This year’s event welcomes an impressive twenty-two speakers to the stage across nine individual speaking sessions and two panel discussions. Conference Chair – Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the National Care Forum. Programme Opening the conference programme is Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute of Government, who will look to tax rises, the rising demand for health and social care spending, government spending and cross-party agreements on adult social care services. Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan MP, will also be making a morning appearance, addressing delegates on how the sector can build a world leading adult social care system. Recruitment and Retention Two sessions will put a focus on recruitment and retention. Firstly, Jonathan Freeman MBE, CEO at CareTech Foundation and Vice-Chair at Championing Social Care will look at how training approaches, leadership, funding and support can transform care recruitment. An exciting afternoon panel session will consider how the sector can expand the talent pool and what support and strategies can be implemented to develop a stronger workforce. Speaking on this panel is; Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England and Rob Assall, Deputy Chief Inspector at Care Quality Commission will take a close look at the health and social care system to confirm what needs to be done to prepare for future pressures and build an effective, integrated system. Bringing evidence from the front line of adult social care to understand what truly makes a real difference in people’s lives and the workforce is; Dementia As always, the conference will put an important emphasis on Dementia. Gavin Terry, Head of Policy at the Alzheimer’s Society will speak on Dementia in England, looking at how to understand the current trends to aid future challenges. Concentrating on Dementia environments is Suzanne Mumford, Head of Nursing, Care and Dementia at Care UK, who will cover how environments can be enhanced to bring purpose and joy to people with memory loss. Clenton Farquharson MBE, Director at Community Navigator Services CIC will take a different approach, drawing on what the pandemic exposed about health inequalities in dementia care and the impact it had on the lives of those with dementia. Artificial Intelligence Ending the conference is the renowned Dr. Harro Stokman, Chief Executive Officer at Kepler, who will reveal his findings on how Artificial Intelligence and computer vision can improve elderly care, relieve pressures in care homes, deliver diagnoses and enhance communication between older people and their families. Do you want to be part of the future of care? Find out more and book tickets here – https://bit.ly/35qMn8D Tuesday 29th March 2022 The King’s Fund No.11 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0AN
Care Home Residents deliver letters of kindness to local school children
A Buxton Nursing home has recently posted a series of handwritten joyful letters to local school children who wrote to them over the Christmas period. During the festive season, Portland Nursing Home received Christmas letters from Chapel-en-le-Frith High School children. The letters contained beautiful drawings including rainbows, Christmas decorations and snowmen. Thanks to the partnership, every resident at Portland Nursing Home enjoyed reading the letters and has now written and delivered their letters in reply, forging intergenerational friendships. Portland Nursing Home also paired with local Buxton Parish Churches during 2021, in order to enable residents to make new connections with local people through receiving postcards. Emilie Shrimpton, activities coordinator at Portland Nursing Home facilitated the partnership with Chapel-en-le-FrithHigh School. Speaking of the letters, Emilie said; “It was so lovely for the residents to receive such kind letters from the school children over the Christmas period. It’s so important for our residents to feel connected to people of all ages in their local community. The residents have been eager to write their letters in response to the school children, so to post them recently was really exciting for them!” Emilie recently accompanied Ruth, a resident at Portland Nursing Home when she went to deliver the letters. Chapel-en-le-Frith High School teacher, Rosie Scott, who has been organising the letters said: “It is wonderful to see our community coming together. The project has brought so much joy to our students”. Social connection for elderly people is critical, playing an essential role in their mental, emotional and physical health. Allowing elderly people to develop strong social networks with the local community provides a sense of comfort, togetherness and is also a healthy hobby that allows a better quality of life and superior overall health and wellness. Portland Nursing Home is pleased to be welcoming new residents. They have specific procedures in place to continue to support families who are looking for care for a loved one, while minimising the risk of the pandemic for residents and staff. The specialist home has a team of dedicated care staff who provide around the clock nursing care for residents. For more information on Portland Nursing Home, or to take a look around the home, please call 01298 23040 or visit https://www.portlandnursinghome.co.uk
The latest easing of Covid restrictions in care homes
John Ramsay, founder of social venture Social-Ability, comments: “The latest easing of Covid restrictions in care homes will come as incredibly welcome news to residents, particularly the 70% who live with dementia, for whom social interaction with friends, family, and fellow residents is a pillar of their health and wellbeing. “But make no mistake – this alone will not solve the problem of chronic loneliness that has blighted the care system since before the pandemic and has been overlooked for too long. “A third of those with dementia experience loneliness and isolation as a result of this condition. For many care home residents, opportunities for socially stimulating activity have been too infrequent, with dementia symptoms as well as their mental health worsening as a result. “We desperately need the care system to prioritise therapies that consistently deliver opportunities for social activity, whether it be communicating with loved ones via video chat, or playing interactive games with the rest of their care home community. Whether restrictions return or not, this will hugely improve the quality of life of those who have felt forgotten for far too long.”
Commercial Laundry: How to make your wash work for you.
Commercial Laundry: How to make your wash work for you. Over the past few years, the popular laundry slogan ‘if it’s not dirty, wash at 30’ has become something of a standardised phrase by numerous large brands. However, this is normally associated with household settings opposed to business environments. Because of this, most companies ignore the advertised energy saving strategy due to assuming the household products won’t be able to meet their needs. But could a lower temperature cut costs on washing, especially considering the rise in energy prices we are currently witnessing? Well, market leaders Ariel have recently brought out a new range of professional products aimed at targeting businesses with high volume washing requirements. The domestic washing national leader has new products including both liquid detergent and liquitabs which boast tougher cleaning credentials. The new formulation of these products allows them to tackle the toughest laundry tasks from commercial environments whilst helping businesses towards achieving their green goals. Ariel’s new range offers users brilliant cleaning on both colours and whites, even on cold washes. So, for industries such as the care and nursing sectors this new range can greatly help in removing tough and stubborn stains with ease in just one wash. This means your staff can confidently clean linens, towels, bed sheets and other such items for your patients and residents whilst also decreasing the carbon impact of your institute thanks to washing at 30°C. Really!? On Whites? You heard correctly, even on whites! We appreciate the sentiment is exceptionally cliched and over-used in advertisement, but Ariel’s professional range provides unbeatable brightness and stain removal on your whites. Additionally, the detergents formulas ensure whites stay looking white for longer too. Also, the range helps businesses save labour costs in terms of pre-soaking and pre-washing. Proctor & Gamble (P&G) are the manufacturers of the products, and they understand that time is money where businesses are concerned, as such Ariel professional has been designed to produce the same brilliant results in one, low temperature wash as you’d get when utilising a pre-wash strategy. But who cares about washing at 30°C? Energy usage during the laundry process is predominantly used when heating the actual water used in the machines. According to a study by Ariel1 if all households within the Greater London area were to change their washing temperature from the standard 40°C to 30°C for one year, the energy saved would be enough to rotate the London Eye 2.3 million times. However, we understand that for businesses this statistic is rather redundant and of little interest, allow us to rephrase. According to Home Energy Scotland2 (managed by the Energy Saving Trust), choosing to wash at 30°C opposed to higher temperatures can save you up to 40% on your energy usage for washing. At Alliance we promote the idea of businesses becoming greener and aim to do what we can to ensure our customers can be more eco-conscious. In turn, we believe it’s our responsibility as wholesalers to ensure our customers have access to a range of environmentally friendly products which may help them reduce energy consumption. A key benefit of the new Ariel professional range is along with reducing your energy usage it also helps you save money at the same time. Don’t believe us? Ariel professional liquid has been awarded the Efficient Solution Label by the Solar Impulse Foundation. The purpose of the award is to highlight products which help the environment in a manner which also reduces costs. To learn more about the award, click here: https://solarimpulse.com/label Still don’t believe us, then listen to the scientists Dr Paul Campbell, the leading research and development scientist behind NEW Ariel Professional, explains how the right detergent and a cold wash can give efficient and professional results in record time: “New Ariel Professional liquid is designed to give breakthrough performance on all laundry even at 30°C. It contains a range of technologies specifically designed to deliver outstanding cleaning and stain removal. New Ariel Liquid also contains a new whiteness booster technology which makes it perfect for washing your white items, helping make them whiter and brighter for longer.” Hopefully the above will help convince you to consider revisiting your current laundry options and potentially changing to a more eco-conscious option. Equally, if you have questions about what options are available to you regarding green products download our environmentally conscious guide or visit our eco-shop at Alliance Online. Ariel – https://www.ariel.co.uk/en-gb/about-ariel/sustainability/your-commitment-how-you-can-save-energy Home Energy Scotland – https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/reports/EST_11120_Save%20Energy%20in%20your%20Home_15.6.pdf
BALLROOM DANCING ENTHUSIAST’S 101ST BIRTHDAY IS FULL OF SURPRISES
At Friends of the Elderly’s Little Bramingham Farm care home in Luton, Bedfordshire, the care team has been celebrating Blanche Fromenton’s milestone 101st Birthday with gifts, balloons, cards and a special birthday afternoon tea treat in the home’s beautiful tea room with her family and care home friends. Blanche, who has been a resident at Little Bramingham Farm for just over a year, grew up in Camberwell, South London, a place which appears in the Domesday Book as Cambrewelle, meaning ‘Well of the Britons’. Blanche enjoyed growing up in the area and has many happy memories of attending St. John’s School, where English was her favourite subject, taught by Miss Garrett. The eldest child of six, Blanche always looked after her siblings so it’s no surprise her first job was as a Nanny, caring for a two-year-old toddler. Blanche met her husband whilst she was working in a grocery store on Drury Lane in London. They married at St. Mary’s Church in Hornsey and had two sons and is now a proud Grandmother to three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Emma Lawrance, the Care Home Manager at Little Bramingham Farm said: “Blanche is a quiet lady who is kind and considerate. She’s very independent and her intelligence shines through. She loves her family dearly and is an absolute pleasure to be around.” Blanche said: “I decided to come to Little Bramingham Farm as it’s close to where I was living and I really liked the look of it. I’ve lived a very active life, with a love of ballroom dancing, so liked that there’s always something going on at the home. I particularly enjoy playing Scrabble and taking part in Musical Bingo.” Emma added: “All the care team wanted to make sure Blanche had a fantastic and memorable 101st Birthday. She’s such a lovely lady who always has a smile for everyone, she’s such a well-loved, friendly and caring member of our Little Bramingham Farm family. We’re so glad Blanche has enjoyed her special day, we wanted to make it as special for her to show just how special she is to us.” Blanche concluded: “I have had a really wonderful 101st birthday, it’s been a lovely day. Seeing my family and care home friends, having a smashingly delicious afternoon tea, chatting and laughing, it has been wonderful. It’s definitely a day I’ll never forget. “The other day I was asked what was my secret to a long and happy life? Thinking about it, I’d have to say it must stem back from my school days when I was rather athletic, no alcohol and eating a healthy diet – and perhaps all my ballroom dancing has helped too.”
Holmes Care Group recognises colleagues for going the extra mile
The national ‘Going the Extra Mile’ competition, run by Holmes Care Group and Impact Healthcare to recognise care workers’ tireless hard work to deliver the best standards of care, celebrates five colleagues at four homes with awards: Sarah Keeton, Senior Carer at Baytree Court Care Home in Scunthorpe Helen Miller, Activities Coordinator at Beechwood Care Home in Wishaw Linda Williamson, Deputy Service Manager at Heatherfield Nursing Home in Armadale June Shields and Jacqueline Knox, Care Assistants at Larkfield View Care Home in Greenock During the initial phase of the pandemic, when shielding advice meant Service Managers at Baytree Court and Heatherfield needed to self-isolate at home for their own safety, Sarah and Linda stepped in to manage their homes. Working closely with Public Health and Clinical Commissioning Groups, they made sure ever-changing health and safety advice was implemented across care, food, hygiene and maintenance teams, while caring for residents and organising video calls with their loved ones. When Beechwood was closed to everyone but essential visitors, Helen sewed costumes, decorated lounge areas, gathered props, and baked delicious treats to launch the Beechwood Airlines and Bus Tours. Her engaging activities programme saw residents ‘travel’ to London for afternoon tea with the Queen, ‘jet off’ to Dublin on St Patrick’s Day with a Guinness and ‘attend’ Wimbledon for a tennis match. Larkfield View’s June and Jacqueline stepped up to take over food preparation over a week when COVID-19 restrictions meant kitchen staff were forced to self-isolate. They quickly got to grips with preparing a care home’s full menu safely, taking into account the food textures and dietary requirements of meal plans in a 90-bed home. Each home will receive £1,000 to spend on the welfare and wellbeing of all staff members, which so far has included the purchase of garden benches where colleagues can socialise, a bike rack to encourage cycling to work and indoor plants or radios to boost wellness at work. Stella Brackenbury, Service Manager at Baytree Court Care Home said: “It’s always difficult to choose just one of our team for an award like this. When I, and the home, needed her, Sarah was 100% there for us, keeping me informed of everything going on when I needed to self-isolate, and managing risk assessments, care plans and testing in the home. She made sure people were as happy and safe as possible despite really challenging circumstances. When I returned to work, we promoted her to Deputy Manager, and she has continued to go the extra mile.” Cathy Togneri, Service Manager at Beechwood Care Home said: “Helen’s efforts to keep the people we support engaged and entertained are admirable. Her activities empower some of the most vulnerable people in our community to choose how they spend each day, and her conversations with them help unearth all the memories of childhood, family life and holidays, so that they can relive them while creating many more in the home. She goes the extra mile and I am grateful to her for making all of us smile and laugh through a difficult time.” Hazel McFie, Service Manager at Heatherfield Nursing Home said: “I could tell from the minute I joined Heatherfield that Linda is known as a trusted, upbeat and highly skilled member of the team. All of us are very grateful for the work she did to keep everything running over a difficult time and ensure no disruption to the care provided in the home. When the home needs her, she is there for us, so this award is well deserved.” Elsie MacLennan, Service Manager at Larkfield View Care Home said: “Nominating June and Jacqueline for this award was my way of making sure they were recognised for all their hard work over the last two years. They go above and beyond to make sure everything runs smoothly. I thought that we would be forced to reduce our menu, but they worked so hard to offer a full one with options for our residents – and even managed to bake treats and a birthday cake. We are very lucky to have them.”
