“Feels Like Home”: New CQC Report Praises Beach View
Beach View, operated by Dolphin Homes and specialising in care for individuals with learning and/or physical disabilities, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February this year and was awarded an overall rating of ‘Good’ in May. Inspectors noted that it was evident the leadership team, “had worked hard to improve the service to provide people with safe, effective and person-centred care,” and that, “as a result, the service is now rated good overall.” The experience for residents has also improved, with inspectors stating that team members ensured, “everyone at Beach View is equal and had the opportunity to the same or similar experiences.” The report praises the respect shown by team members towards residents and their “private space”, remarking that support plans are, “written to promote as much independence as possible and went into details such as what perfumes someone liked to choose from and where to find her nail polish.” One resident commented how much they liked Beach View, referring to it as their “home”. The report highlights that appropriate family members are “fully involved” in decisions relating to the provision of care, with one resident’s family member sharing that they are, “always kept informed about every aspect of care, medicines, etc. They phone me and send photos and the contact is excellent.” Team Members at Beach View were also positive about the way the home has transformed, with one team member stating they loved working at the home and another commenting that they would choose Beach View if they had a relative who needed care. The CQC praised the “kind and caring” approach of the team and their ability to “engage proactively” with “happy and comfortable residents”. https://www.dolphinhomes.co.uk/services/care-homes Jenny Harris, Registered Manager, Beach View care home, said: “We are delighted by the recent ‘Good’ rating from the CQC which reflects the incredible hard work and dedication of our fantastic team at Beach View. People are at the heart of everything we do as a service, from ensuring the safety, comfort, and happiness of our residents, to supporting the training, development, and well-being of our team. “Most importantly, we are proud the report reflects the positive experiences the people we support and their families shared with inspectors. Knowing they feel happy and well cared for is what truly matters. “We are delighted all our hard work last year has paid off and that the significant positive progress we have made so far has been recognised. We are determined to keep striving to do even better each and every day.”
apetito Expands World Leading Closed-loop Recycling System
As a company dedicated to doing business in a sustainable way and reaching its goal of Net Zero by 2040, leading care homes meal provider, apetito expands its pioneering closed-loop recycling system for meal trays into care homes across the UK. Following highly successful results within its consumer business, Wiltshire Farm Foods, and within the NHS, the world-first “Project Boomerang” will soon be operating at select partnering homes with plans to extend further across apetito’s customers later this year. Through this scheme, all of the plastic meal trays used in apetito’s Specialist Nutrition range can be washed and returned after use and recycled into brand-new trays – right here in the UK. The recycling system guarantees that 100% of trays returned will be recycled into new trays – compare that to UK household recycling where due to the lack of infrastructure nearly 50% ends up being sent abroad for recycling – with uncertain results. Participation in the initiative is set to save each care home an estimated 113kg CO2e per year*, supporting partnering homes to bring down their carbon emissions and minimise their impacts on the environment, as well as reducing waste costs. Lee Sheppard, Director of Corporate Affairs, Policy and Sustainability at apetito is proud of the significant success seen from this scheme across its Consumer and Healthcare businesses and sees a real opportunity to support partnering homes to reduce their carbon footprint. “To date, we have seen brilliant results and had positive receptions of this scheme from both our Wiltshire Farm Foods and Healthcare customers and have collected back an over 25 million trays to be recycled. “Reducing environmental impacts is becoming a growing priority for all businesses, and so we’re pleased to be able to work closely with our partnering care homes to help tackle their carbon emissions and provide a more sustainable packaging option through our closed-loop recycling scheme. “Participation also has the potential to drive cost efficiencies for care homes through reducing waste collection costs, at a time when cost inflation is a real concern for the sector.” *Based on one home returning 20 trays per day https://www.apetito.co.uk/
Specialist Nutrition Made Easy
Wiltshire farm foods professional, launches into the care home market apetito, the market leader in pre-prepared meal solutions for the care home market, has this week launched a new service to homes under the Wiltshire Farm Foods brand – Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional. Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional offers a welcome solution to care homes that are looking to enhance their specialist nutrition offer to meet residents’ complex dietary needs. That may be to cater for residents with swallowing difficulties (otherwise known as dysphagia), or those who are living with one (or more) of the fourteen known allergens, alongside the need to accommodate many different cultural needs and preferences and, importantly, those residents who may be at risk of malnutrition. Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional now creates the chance for every home to benefit from the world-leading range of specialist nutrition products even when they are not taking the apetito full-service meal solution. There are no delivery charges and no contractual commitments, whilst providing access to texture modified meals, that comply to the highest IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) standards for residents living with dysphagia. Also available is the award-winning Finger Food Bites range for residents living with dementia (nutrition packed in bite-sized delicious pieces which can be easily eaten without any mess), as well as an extensive ‘free-from’ range. There is a broad choice of meals that are low in salt, or sugars, alongside a range of tailored nutrition and energy dense meals (Purée Petite) for those residents who may have smaller appetites or be at risk of malnourishment. Chief Commercial Officer for Wiltshire Farm Foods, Ian Stone, maintains that this new offer for all care homes is an incredibly exciting opportunity for care homes who may be struggling to deliver a great specialist nutrition experience in a way that is straightforward and consistent. He says: “Catering for diverse dietary needs across a care home is incredibly complex. Mealtimes is a central part of a residents day and restoring enjoyment to food and helping residents dine with dignity is vital. “We know that some homes find it hard to achieve the right levels of nutrition to meet personalised resident pathways, whilst ensuring these sit within budgetary constraints. And with labour costs still rocketing, it can be a difficult process to manage effectively and to a budget. “Here’s a solution for care homes, which guarantees safety in every bite and delivers a meal quality which homes would find very difficult to replicate. And it’s a solution that is backed up by Wiltshire Farm Foods’ famous service values – no contractual requirement and free delivery”. Winning a Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Innovation for its trailblazing work in texture modified meals, which leads the market, the Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional range is extensive – check out further information and register your enquiry today on https://www.wffpro.co.uk or call 01225 308829. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/swallowing-problems-dysphagia
National care provider named third
Shaw healthcare, care provider, which employs more than 3,000 people and manages over 2,100 care beds across the UK, has been named the third largest employee-ownership company in the UK, in a report published to mark the tenth anniversary of the introduction of a business model known as the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). It has been over four years since Cardiff-headquartered Shaw made the move to become employee-owned and the firm has previously been recognised as the largest employee-owned care provider in the UK. The Employee Ownership Trust Top 50 was recently compiled by employee ownership specialist, RM2, to celebrate more than 1,000 companies that have used the EOT model to become employee owned. Russell Brown, CEO for Shaw healthcare, care provider, expressed his pride at the employee-owned status, commenting: “We’re extremely proud that it’s our employees who enable Shaw to maintain an excellent level of care. We want them to feel valued and to prove this we have heavily invested in staff training and development, salaries and benefits packages. The company’s success is down to our employees and we share our profits to thank each and every one of them. “Since moving to employee ownership, Shaw has paid out in the region of £5m of profits to its hard-working and committed employees in the form of tax-free EOT bonuses. We are also an accredited Real Living Wage employer, something we feel is crucial to fairly reward our staff and to make Shaw an employer of choice, added Mr Brown. Sarah Anderson of RM2, who compiled the data, commented: “We’ve looked at the data for several years now, but this year the focus is on EOTs, as we approach the ten-year anniversary of their introduction. It’s particularly gratifying to see sectors such as healthcare and cleaning services, which traditionally offer lower levels of pay, adopting this all-employee ownership model.” https://www.shaw.co.uk
Coloplast launch digital leakage system
Trending Towards Better Care
The caregiving industry is changing. New technology and shifts in demographics are altering how care is provided. Which is only expected to grow. Recently, moves have been made towards professionalising care and improving quality. This trend is expected to continue, with new tech and innovative approaches in the industry. Caregiving trends Our ageing population is a huge trend, as more baby boomers get closer to retirement age. The demand for care services is growing, putting pressure on the industry. New strategies are going to be needed to cope with the expanding population. There needs to be proper training programmes and certification processes. The trend of professionalism is only going to continue, especially with pressure from the media. Acknowledging mental health There’s more talk and awareness about mental health in the care industry. Which is likely to increase as we gain more knowledge. Extra training and information for caregivers may be needed to assist those facing mental health challenges. The focus is on early detection and prevention. More work pattern flexibility are also likely to be introduced, to improve the overall quality of care. Flexible working hours could be seen more, along with an increased use of virtual appointments. The progression of technology Wearable health monitors and virtual care services make remote care so much easier. Those living in isolated areas or that have physical limitations can have more peace of mind. Technology also improves the accuracy and efficiency of the care people receive. We’re also likely to see a rise in the use of robots in the future. These assistants could function as companions or perform mundane tasks for people with disabilities. Yes, there’s apprehension around the potential effects this could have on the care industry. But there’s the potential to lighten the load of work a caregiver has to do, equating to better quality care. Better collaboration Collaboration will play a key role in care work going forward. This is likely to be between healthcare providers, social services and organisations within communities to provide more holistic options for those in need. There’s also hopefully going to be more collaboration between carer and patient, with a focus on making shared choices and more patient-focused care. More personalised care Not everyone requires the same level of care. In future, we expect to see more personalised plans for those receiving care. This could include AI and medicine learning to create something more customised. By having this tailored approach, we can increase the quality of care for each patient. Better professional development will keep care quality high. Members of staff should constantly learn and upskill, to be able to adapt to changing needs and practices. With every changing technology, they need to stay up-to-date with how it can benefit them and their patients. Summary The caregiving industry is going through changes with technology and demographical shifts. The ageing population is increasing demand, and we need new strategies to cope with growth. There’s also a push for professionalisation in caregiving, meaning better training and certifications are needed. We’re expecting to see many innovations as we move forward, to take pressure off the industry and increase quality of care. Collaboration is a must going forward, as well as flexibility for staff to prevent burnout, and give their patients the time they need. These trends are only going to continue to grow and change as we move towards better care. https://www.caregiving.com/
HICA Group announces specialised veteran care initiative
As we recognise Armed Forces Day this weekend, a Yorkshire-headquartered social care group has announced the adoption and roll out of the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) across its 17 care homes and services. HICA Group, which provides care services across Yorkshire with care homes in Bridlington, Harrogate and Hull, is required to meet eight standards to complete their VFF accreditation. These include signing the Armed Forces Covenant and ensuring tailored care plans for veterans. Terry Peel, HICA Group’s CEO, said: “At HICA, we understand that caring for veterans requires a tailored approach that considers their unique experiences and needs. By rolling out the Veteran Friendly Framework, we’re committed to ensuring that veterans in our care homes and their loved ones receive the best possible care for their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. We’ve aiming to achieve Veteran Friendly Status across all our homes and this initiative marks a significant step in that direction.” As part of this initiative, two representatives from each of HICA’s care homes and services will become Veteran Friendly Champions. These champions will advocate for veterans, stay informed through Armed Forces events and groups, and embed the VFF in their respective care homes and services. They will also celebrate military events, engage in Armed Forces Network groups and build relationships with healthcare providers and veteran charities. Mark Green, HICA’s Operations and Compliance Manager, who leads this project across the Group, said: “Our commitment to veteran care highlights the importance of tailored support for veterans’ wellbeing and mental health. By embedding the Veteran Friendly Framework across all our care homes and services, we’re helping to set a new standard for veteran care in the region.” For more information about the HICA group and its services, visit: https://www.hica-uk.com/
Browne Jacobson appointed as legal adviser to Sanctuary
Browne Jacobson has been appointed as a legal adviser by Sanctuary, one of Britain’s largest housing and care providers. The UK and Ireland law firm will advise on contentious and non-contentious matters relating to property, planning and construction during the four-year framework, which began in April. Sanctuary owns and manages about 125,000 units, accommodating more than a quarter of a million people. It builds new homes around the country for affordable rent, shared ownership and sale, and provides student and key worker accommodation. It also delivers care to about 4,600 residents across 111 care homes, and operates almost 650 supported living services in England. Gabor Taller, Head of Social Housing at Browne Jacobson, said: “Providing high-quality social housing is one of the biggest issues facing society right now, so we are delighted to be appointed by Sanctuary to support its mission to build affordable homes and sustainable communities where people choose to live.” Victoria Thourgood, Partner specialising in health and social care real estate, added: “Delivering affordable housing for NHS key workers is integral to alleviating NHS workforce challenges, a choice of accommodation options for elderly people is a national priority easing pressure on the NHS and social care services, and the need for high-quality supported living accommodation has never been greater. “It’s therefore hugely exciting to be working with Sanctuary, which is at the forefront of providing solutions to these challenges.” Jo Hodgett, Sanctuary’s Head of Legal Services, said: “We’re driven by our mission and social purpose to provide affordable homes and sustainable communities where people choose to live. “To best deliver on that mission, it’s essential our values are reflected not just across our own organisation, but also in the partners we work with.” Browne Jacobson is one of three legal advisers on the framework for property and construction work, alongside Bevan Brittan and Gowling. https://www.sanctuary.co.uk/
Dame Arlene Phillips partners with Bluebird Care
Celebrity choreographer and dementia activist, Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, is partnering with national home care provider Bluebird Care in support of their mission to become the leading dementia specialist in home care. The new role was announced at a launch event for Bluebird Care’s fundraising partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, for whom Dame Arlene is already an Ambassador. Dame Arlene is a celebrity choreographer, who became a household name following her formation of British dance troupe Hot Gossip, her choreography work on hit Broadway and West End shows, and as a judge on television programmes like Strictly Come Dancing. After experiencing the realities of dementia care following her father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, Dame Arlene became an Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and vocal advocate for increased awareness of dementia and improvement to care. As the launch event’s guest of honour, Dame Arlene welcomed Bluebird Care’s pledge to donate £50,000 to Alzheimer’s Society. The donation will be raised through fundraising activities across Bluebird Care’s franchises in the coming months, and Dame Arlene will join Bluebird Care at their annual conference in September to present the £50,000 to Alzheimer’s Society. At the launch event, Dame Arlene took part in several conversations with Bluebird Care’s care experts. The discussions focused on the importance of specialised dementia care, the value of carers in the delivery of excellent care, and the role that celebrities and public figures like Dame Arlene can play in raising awareness of dementia and advocating for improvements for those living with the condition. The care excerpts in attendance praised Dame Arlene’s passion for the cause and reflected on how meaningful the day was in bringing people with the same shared commitment to supporting those living with dementia together. Dame Arlene Phillips DBE said: “I am proud to be representing Bluebird Care as their new Celebrity Champion. I know firsthand how important providers like Bluebird Care are in delivering excellent quality care to the people who need it. Their commitment to prioritising exceptional dementia care is not something they have had to do, but rather something they have chosen to spearhead, and I commend their dedication to stepping up to the challenge. I believe it is the responsibility of those of us with a platform to use our voice for good and it is a privilege to be able to champion an organisation whose work is having such meaningful, positive impact on those living with dementia.” Jonathan Gardner, Chief Executive Officer, Bluebird Care, said: “We are honoured to have Dame Arlene join us as Bluebird Care’s new Celebrity Champion. She has been a passionate advocate for excellent dementia care for many years and we appreciate her invaluable support for our commitment to becoming leaders in specialist dementia care. At Bluebird Care, we put the delivery of exceptional support for the people we care for and their families first. Our collaboration with Dame Arlene and fundraising partnership Alzheimer’s Society are fantastic steps towards our ongoing goal of bettering the lives of those affected by dementia, and we are proud to be reaffirming the high-quality dementia care we continuously deliver across our services.” https://www.bluebirdcare.co.uk
