apetito Introduces New Meal Offerings
As we spring into the brighter months, leading care homes meal provider, apetito, has unveiled a selection of brand-new nutritious meals for residents to enjoy, building on its already extensive range. This includes additions such as a vibrant and aromatic Orange & Ginger Chicken which boasts a sweet yet spiced flavour, alongside a traditional Hunters Chicken, which includes smoked bacon pieces in a rich barbeque tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese. Both new meals cater for those requiring a gluten-free diet. This season, apetito has added two new Vegan options to its menu in response to the growing demand for vegetarian and plant-based diets. The new Vegan Sausages offer a versatile plant-based alternative suitable for any meal, from breakfast through to dinner. Additionally, the Tempeh, Sweet Potato & Spinach Hotpot, topped with crispy sautéed potatoes, provides 15g of protein per portion, meeting the BDA criteria for Energy Dense meals and supporting individuals living with or at risk of malnutrition. To perfectly compliment these new main meals and elevate the dining experience, you can also expect to see some new versatile side dish choices on the menu, Wholegrain Rice and Carrot Tips. Alongside this selection, apetito has also expanded on its delicious dessert offering with a new dairy-free Summer Fruits Sponge. Packed with apple, blackcurrant, and raspberry pieces, and topped with a scrumptious vanilla-flavoured sponge, it’s a delightful treat for those with a sweet tooth. Plus, it’s coded as a ‘Healthy Choice,’ meaning residents can indulge guilt-free! For those requiring a texture-modified diet, two new meals have been introduced to apetito’s award-winning specialist nutrition range. The IDDSI Level 4 Purée Beef Hotpot presents a dual-layer format, showcasing the latest shaping innovation from the ready meal provider. This gluten-free dish features puréed beef topped with sautéed potatoes, accompanied by savoy cabbage, and with over 500 calories and 20g of protein per serving, it’s a nutritious Energy Dense option for residents living with dysphagia. A gluten-free Level 5 Shepherd’s Pie has also been added to the range. Tasty and traditional, this recipe consists of minced mutton, carrots, onion and garlic, with hints of rosemary. It’s also made without all the 14 major allergens, providing increased choice for a wide range of dietary needs. Richard Woodward, General Manager of Care Homes for apetito said: “We’re pleased to be introducing even more choice to our range as we head into the spring and summer months. Our new meals really elevate our current offering and provide some delicious and exciting new flavours for residents to try. “Our new additions to the menu consider the increasingly diverse dietary needs of residents and the importance of having a wide selection of options for them to choose from – making sure there is something for everyone!” Discover more about apetito’s care homes meals: https://apetito.link/carehomemeals
Conference highlights living well with dementia
Healthcare professionals joined non-clinical colleagues to discuss the latest developments in dementia services at a conference in Bournemouth. Colten Care’s leadership academy event, Connecting Through Dementia 2024, brought together 80 attendees for a day of presentations, discussions and workshops. The main theme, across the agenda, was the importance of ‘connecting physically, emotionally and spontaneously with people who live with dementia so that they feel valued, cared for and loved’. The conference, at the Fusion Building on Bournemouth University’s Wallisdown campus, attracted nurses, carers, specialists in dementia therapies, and colleagues such as training managers, chefs and care companions who work alongside clinical teams. “It was about how we all connect with those living with dementia and their familes,” said organiser and Colten Care Operations Manager Peter Doyle. “We focused on what outstanding clinical care and the wider mix of care services should look like in the context of enabling people to live well. “My aim for the day was for everyone to have one key takeaway to help them grow in knowledge, understanding and insight and for them to connect with one another to develop in this area.” Among practical sessions geared to appeal to different learning styles was a workshop on design ideas and the modelling of features in a dementia community. A key highlight of the day was a question-and-answer session with presenters Peter Berry and Deb Bunt, co-authors of a book charting a year in Peter’s life after he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia aged 50. The Suffolk-based pair discussed valuable insights from their book ‘Slow Puncture: Living Well With Dementia’ and how they have celebrated what you can achieve rather than feeling limited by how it can impact day-to-day life. One example was a successful 350-mile cycling challenge through four counties, which involved Peter often leading the way on a penny-farthing. Colten Care attendees at the conference included team members from the provider’s five dementia care communities: Linden House in Lymington; St Catherines View in Winchester; Fernhill in Longham; The Aldbury in Poole; and Newstone House in Sturminster Newton. Experts who spoke included Kay Gibson, Colten Care’s Admiral Nurse, who has evolved a company-wide dementia care strategy since her appointment in 2016. Kay’s input has benefited residents, families and communities around Colten Care’s 21 nursing homes, including the five dementia-specific care settings. Also giving presentations on the latest thinking around dementia care were Rachel Johnstone, Dementia UK Business Development Officer, and Fiona Pritchard, Colten Care’s Music & Arts Partner. Fiona discussed a musical collaboration she has led with multiple care homes which was recorded and made into a short film. The purpose was to demonstrate the impact of music. The conference ended with an expert panel discussion chaired by Dr Chloe Bradwell, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Centre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University. Among the panel members were Helen Hyde, a relative of a Colten Care resident, and Anne Ward Ongley of the dementia carers’ charity TIDE, Together in Dementia Everyday. Elaine Farrer, Chief Operating Officer at Colten Care, who was also on the panel and gave the closing address at the event, said: “This was a thought-provoking and highly informative conference that gave attendees the opportunity to learn from each other and share best practice.” For more information on dementia care at Colten Care and to connect with Admiral Nurse Kay Gibson, visit www.coltencare.co.uk/our-care/dedicated-dementia-care/. To view a short film about Peter Berry and Deb Bunt’s cycling challenge and Peter’s dementia diagnosis, visit www.peter-berry.com. https://careandnursing-magazine.co.uk/reducing-medication-for-people-living-with-dementia/
Why won’t we talk to our parents about elderly care?
A new survey exploring attitudes towards the elderly has uncovered that most people are unwilling to talk to their elderly relatives about their future care plans, despite the UK having an ageing population, most with unmet care needs A new survey commissioned by Taking Care Personal Alarms has uncovered that just two in five people have had the conversation with their elderly parent or relative about how they will be cared for when they get older and more frail. The results are at odds with the current elderly care crisis, with councils facing increased pressure to enhance government-backed care provision to support the UK’s ageing population. The survey data, which was commissioned as part of Taking Care’s #HaveTheTalk campaign, which encourages people to speak with relatives sooner about their future care and support wishes, reveals peoples’ reluctance to engage in these tricky discussions with their relatives early enough. 58 per cent of respondents admitted they haven’t talked to their parents about plans for when they get older, with one in three citing that they simply don’t want to think about their parents getting older. Elderly care plans are a crucial step in planning for the future, and with experts now estimating a typical stay in a care home could cost as much as £40,000 a year due to rising costs, having conversations about care options sooner will ensure people are best prepared to make informed decisions and plan ahead. Commenting on the findings, Lauren Frake, an elderly care expert from TakingCare Personal Alarms, said: “We want to get Britain talking more openly about the future – however uncomfortable that might be. “Unfortunately, we often find that elderly care is put in place reactively, likely in response to an older person experiencing an accident – often a fall at home – that triggers the need to find a quick solution. “However, preventative measures that are put into place before an accident happens are so much more effective and can head off potential issues before they happen. This also means that the older person has more of an input into the type of support they might want, making them far more likely to actually make use of the solution.” The fear of talking about elderly care is an issue impacting thousands of households across the country, two in three people being unwilling to enter into the conversation with their parents. One in four admit they avoid the conversation in case they upset or offend their parents and less than one in five people haven’t even broached the topic of elderly care plans, despite being happy to discuss more sensitive subjects sych as end of life wishes and funeral plans. TakingCare has also worked with psychologist, Dr Soha Daru, about why people find it so difficult to talk about ageing and elderly care. Dr Soha says: “The topic of elderly care can bring up all sorts of fears and anxieties for both adult children and their relatives. This could range from a fear of offending and upsetting the relative, to a general denial around the fact that they are getting older and might need additional care. “These fears and anxieties are perfectly normal and understandable. Seeing those who were in a position of authority or formerly cared for us and are now in need of that care can be difficult to see and deal with.” The issue also extends to people considering their own future care needs, with 40 per cent of survey respondents saying they haven’t considered their own elderly care, and one in four admitting they are scared of the prospect of needing care one day, with insights showing that a massive 80 per cent of people haven’t planned for their elderly care. Lauren added: “We need to work harder to undo the perception that elderly is a taboo. It’s no different to funeral planning, Wills and inheritance discussions or end-of-life wishes. We want to encourage UK households to have The Talk as soon as possible and as often as possible as we know it is a simple way of alleviating some of the stress associated with people getting older. Sooner or later, we’ll all need that extra helping hand, so let’s get ahead of that, together.” To find out more about TakingCare’s #HaveTheTalk campaign, please visit: https://taking.care/blogs/resources-advice/elderly-care-have-the-talk
Social Care Set To Influence Election Year
A ground-breaking new report – to be launched in Parliament today (Wednesday 13th March) – has revealed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the enduring workforce crisis in social care, with exclusive public and MP polling finding consensus that the social care pay gap and workforce shortages must be addressed. Highlighting the importance of a 2.6m strong ‘social care vote’, it indicates that the challenges of social care may influence the course of the 2024 election. The social care sector has, for decades, faced extensive workforce challenges – driven by significant funding pressures that result in low pay for a highly complex, skilled, and accountable job role. The social care sector has 152,000 vacancies and experienced the turmoil of a 28.3% workforce turnover rate in 2023[i]. These challenges create a cascade of negative impacts across society – reducing the quality of life of people who draw on and work in care, impacting capacity and stability in the NHS and social care systems, and constraining economic productivity. A new report by the national social care charity Community Integrated Care – ‘Who Cares Wins: Unfair To Care 2024’ has – for the first time – revealed the size of the social care pay gap, its personal, social and societal impacts, and the true feelings of MPs and the public in exclusive polling of adults in England and a representative sample of parliamentarians. Unfair To Care uses exclusive measurement by Korn Ferry – international leaders in job evaluation – to reveal that the average social care worker would take home £7,617[ii] more per year if they delivered a role with comparable responsibilities in the NHS. With the present rate of pay estimated at just £10.93[iii] for a position that has been found to be highly skilled and accountable, social care careers are significantly uncompetitive compared to those in its partner sector, the NHS, and in easier commercial roles. With the social care sector unable to address these issues due to long-standing funding pressures, it creates an inevitable workforce crisis that permeates society. Public and Political Desire For Change Social care is a complex sector that employs 1.6 million people in England alone. For several decades, its enduring workforce, funding, and systemic challenges have not been addressed because of a perceived lack of political and societal support. As the challenges of social care have become increasingly pervasive and apparent, Community Integrated Care commissioned YouGov to conduct exclusive polling to assess the views of political officials and the public[iv]. Shockingly, the report finds that 77% of MPs believe that the current rate of average pay for social care workers is unfair. More than 9 in 10 polled MPs (92%) say social care pressures are important to their constituents, with 8 in 10 MPs (80%) saying that the next government should act to improve pay, terms, and conditions for care workers. This cross-party recognition of the challenges of social care pay and the impact of workforce issues in their communities creates fresh hope for a political solution to this long-standing crisis. The report further finds significant support for the social care sector amongst the public. In polling of adults in England[v], 87% of participants expressed that the shortage of care workers is an essential issue for society, with 95% saying that social care workers deliver an important role for society. With more than half of the population – 53% of people – stating that they will have a more favourable view of political parties that address the issues of low pay (just only 2% would have a less favourable view), the report argues that we are arriving at a moment where the public and politicians are increasingly aligned in the importance of addressing the challenges faced by care. Electorally Significant, Economically Sustainable Unfair To Care 2024 finds that there is a 2.6 million strong ‘social care vote’ of people who work in and draw on social care in England – an average of 5,000 people per constituency – that can have a defining impact on almost 100 marginal constituencies. Exploring in detail how the issues of social care pay and workforce shortages fundamentally impact the quality of life of people who draw on social care and their loved ones – With a lack of stability meaning that many people cannot access the stable, relationship-focussed care that they need, and that of carers too, with many facing deep personal challenges as they fight to make ends meet, it is clear that this will be a primary consideration for many. Importantly, it draws on significant research that addressing the social care pay gap should be seen as a societal investment rather than a net spend. It demonstrates that improving pay is significantly offset by the savings it will deliver in several areas – including reducing the costs of care sector recruitment by £1.4 billion and saving £1.7 billion by supporting more timely discharges from NHS hospitals, amongst several areas of economic impact. Teresa Exelby, Chief People and Corporate Services Officer at Community Integrated Care, says: “At present, many social care providers are struggling to survive, so providing parity of pay is impossible without government support. However, our evidence shows that this is one of the most socially, economically, and morally positive investments that the government can make. Investing in fair pay for social care workers will deliver the Social Care Triple Win – improving the lives of people who provide and draw on social care, providing more cost-effective and sustainable care and health services, and supporting economic growth and productivity. I am privileged to work with thousands of people who live their dream of enabling others to live theirs. But against the joy is real despair too – people working tirelessly to still need the support of foodbanks, friends, or family, finding that they are one ordinary life shock away from personal disaster. Access to stable care and support should be respected as a fundamental human right. Things must change, and the public is behind us. Excitingly, we can see that politicians from across the House are too.” Phil Hope, former Minister of State for Social
Reducing medication for people living with dementia
HC-One Scotland and the Care Inspectorate have worked together on a design aimed at reducing psychoactive drug for people who are living with madness. One of the successful case studies from the design will feature in the ten- time delivery plan for the Scottish Government’s new Dementia Strategy. Through this design, they aimed to reduce reliance on routine and as needed psychoactive drug for the operation of stress for people with dementia. The case study from the project that will be included in the delivery plan for the Scottish Government’s ten-year dementia strategy is a personal care story from Hillside View Care Home. Colleagues recognised height of care staff as a contributing factor which has resulted in better personal care for a resident living with dementia at the home with the resident now accepting personal care on a regular basis without becoming stressed. The resident had increased in weight, became more engaged in activities, sitting for meals in the dining room and family and colleagues have noted the resident being more relaxed and content with the resident now accepting care following receiving a reduction in medication. The project was rolled out across eight HC-One Scotland care homes in total, over nine months (March 2023 – November 2023) in conjunction with the Health and Social Care Improvement Team in the Care Inspectorate and resulted in improved outcomes for residents living with dementia. All eight HC-One Scotland care homes opted to take part in the programme and the care teams were passionate about learning and sharing what they learnt with others to address common issues with dementia care and use of psychoactive medicines. The rollout of the ‘Reducing Inappropriate Psychoactive Medication For People Living with Dementia’ project was initiated following Katy Jenks, Dementia Care Manager (Nursing) at HC-One, speaking with Dr David Marshall, Senior Improvement Adviser (Pharmacy) at the Health and Social Care Improvement Team in the Care Inspectorate, for pharmacy advice. The discussion was in response to HC-One Scotland Care Home Managers experiencing some challenges with getting medications reviewed, with some care homes finding that they were caught in the middle between their GP and Mental Health Services. This meant that some residents could be on medicines they no longer needed. These were issues facing many areas of the social care sector, not just HC-One Scotland. The current system needed to change as it was not serving the needs of residents well. HC-One Scotland wanted to support the health and social care system and achieve better outcomes for people living with dementia, and for staff to be more confident to call for change and challenge the status quo. The project also looked at reducing the reliance of staff on using medicines as a first line approach to managing symptoms. Upon starting the project, the teams started seeing results. For example, a resident who was initially taking a high level of psychoactive medication and, as a result, was heavily sedated, had their psychoactive medicines withdrawn in a careful and controlled way, which resulted in the resident becoming reengaged with the environment. This initially led to an increase in some stress and distress behaviours. However, the team in the home was able to observe that behaviours increased during sunset and the resident felt threatened by people following them. Through identifying the ‘why’, this allowed the team to build a tailored therapeutic support plan for the resident to provide meaningful occupation and engagement. This included fitting a blind to the resident’s room to reduce hallucinations from the shadows from the sunsetting and adding a door alarm that is linked to the nurse call so that the resident could have privacy in their room. Taking this approach combined with a reduction in prescribing and the use of psychoactive medicines meant that the outcome of this work for the resident now allows them to run a gardening club and they take the lead daily in what they want to do, with staff supporting rather than managing them. The resident is mobilising and eating independently and supporting themselves with personal care and have a better quality of life for resident and family. Fullarton Care Home in Irvine, Ayrshire, who took part in the project wanted to have all residents who have had a change in health needs or who are now on End of Life care to have psychoactive medication review to prevent anyone being on psychoactive medication longer than they are required. The team identified all those with changing needs that needed a review and obtained an understanding of why each person was prescribed psychoactive medication. They spoke to a GP and managed to get the medication reviewed which has resulted in a 65% reduction in whole unit PRN (medication that is not required on a regular basis) psychoactive doses per month and an 87% reduction in the whole unit number of anti-psychotic items. A relative at Fullarton Care Home, commented: “The feisty wee woman I knew is back, every time we used to visit; she was sleeping. That is no longer the case she is now running this unit.” Charlotte Beaumont, Home Manager at Fullarton Care Home, said: “Staff are now asking questions as to why people are on certain medication and if it needs reviewed. This has been a big change as before I would have had to have started these conversations.” HC-One Scotland are now planning to roll out the project to other cohorts of care homes to try and ensure sustainability. The second cohort of the project is planned to start in March 2024 and the third cohort is aimed to commence in June 2024. Katy Jenks, Dementia Care Manager (Nursing) at HC-One said: “It was a very inspirational project to cohost with the Care Inspectorate, watching frontline staff embrace a new way of working that had positive impacts on people in our care and wanting to share this with others reminded why I wanted to be a nurse and work in dementia care. They embraced finding the “why” for behaviours and adapt care so that medication
Care Chef of the Year 2024
Famileo – Helping Residents and Families stay close
“At first, as with most things, it seemed too good to be true…” Stuart Davies, Home Manager at Plas Bryn Rhosyn in North Wales, has been using Famileo for over 3 years and finds it, in his own words, “fantastic”. Every Monday, between 10:30am and 11a.m., he prints the personalised family newspapers and distributes them to his residents. Over a cup of tea and biscuits, he listens to the memories the newspaper, filled with photos from their families, evokes. Famileo, Stuart says, “gives the residents something to look forward to” and has “brought a lot of smiles back”. A Bridge between Generations. By respecting different generations’ communication habits, Famileo bridges the digital divide by automatically formatting younger generations’ uploaded photos and messages into a ‘family newspaper’ that is then printed and given to the older relative to enjoy. Digital for the younger generations, paper for the resident. Once a care home has subscribed to Famileo, residents’ family and friends can download the app on their smartphone, tablet, or computer, login to their unique family account and start easily and securely sharing photos and messages on their ‘family wall’. This collective family content is then automatically organised and edited as a personalised newspaper, or ‘gazette’, weekly. Each Monday, the care home receives the gazettes in PDF format which they can then print and distribute. Famileo is a welcome complement to visits, phone calls, and video calls, as the gazettes provide residents with something tangible that they can pick up and reread at any time. It provides them with visual context to news they’re being told by their family. And what do the families say about it? “It is brilliant, it is straight forward and so simple to use.” Caroline, whose mother is a resident at Plas Bryn Rhosyn, says. And the residents? “I feel joy, I carry them with me daily, I feel secure having them with me”. Famileo has now more than 1.5 million users around the world The Magic of Famileo The gazettes are a wonderful support for discussion between residents, their families, and staff. Stuart explains; “We have a resident who had started to withdraw from everything and wasn’t as interactive with staff or residents, but when we introduced Famileo and he received his first gazette, he was able to see photos of his family and that sort of opened him up again. He started to initiate conversation with staff to show what his family have been doing. He was proud of them. Our residents like to share and compare their gazettes and discuss the different activities their grandchildren are doing.” A Two-Way Communication Tool: Care home staff can also use Famileo to send messages to the families. “We use the Famileo dashboard to share more of the day to day life at the care home with the families, whether that be activities, the excursions, new staff members or a birthday. By including families and by sharing the valuable work of our team, the impact is wide-reaching since not only close relatives but also children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends of the residents feel closer to their older relative and more connected”. Costs Famileo starts at £45 per month for care homes with less than 50 residents. For more information or to organise a free demo, please contact sales@famileo.com Famileo website
New £13m care home’s successful launch
An open day at Dawlish’s newest care home gave members of the community a preview of the impressive facilities at the £13m development, and a chance to meet the team. Claremont Manor, a 71-bed care home with five-star facilities in Dawlish, hosted an open event Saturday February 24th, when the home’s new team welcomed visitors with entertainment, home tours, goody bags as well as some food tasters inspired by dishes from the home’s menus. The home is the latest addition to the Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG) portfolio of more than 80 care homes across the UK and will offer personalised residential, dementia and nursing care when it opens officially next month. With its luxury features, including large en-suite rooms, landscaped grounds, a hair and beauty salon, a cinema room, a wellness suite, private dining and leisure suite as well as a Grandchildren’s Room, where families with younger children can enjoy time together, it has attracted great interest locally, with visitors commenting “This is the talk of the town!” As well as inviting people in, the home’s fledging team has already been out and about locally, working with The Strand Centre Food Bank, attending the bi-annual EAT Dawlish market showcasing Hug on a Plate, and Sponsoring the Dawlish Celebrates Carnival last August. Carla Bowman, Home Manager of Claremont Manor said: “Claremont Manor has already been warmly welcomed by the community and we were delighted to see so many people at our open event, with many families so impressed they asked about availability there and then. “It was also a fantastic opportunity to bring our new team together – there is so much excitement and anticipation around bringing this beautiful new home to life and getting this new community within a community established.” MMCG’s ambition for Claremont Manor is not only to provide first class care in a luxurious home-from-home setting, but also to create a thriving environment, where people can continue to live their lives to the fullest and remain connected to family and friends and the wider community. The group’s sector leading lifestyle programme More…. will be rolled out at Claremont Manor. The new lifestyle team will begin by creating a personalised lifestyle plan for each individual, capturing their likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, and the activities they would like to try or continue with. Just Bowl indoor bowls and ‘Oomph! On Demand, an online platform offering a choice of live and recorded exercise sessions, virtual tours, language lessons, history talks, music concerts, interactive quizzes and more will be among the offer of lifestyle opportunities, with many more developed in conjunction with the interests of those living there. Similarly, MMCG’s hospitality programme Hug on a Plate will also see menus personalised to the preferences of those living in the home, with their favourite and familiar dishes added to the menu, helping to boost connection and happiness at mealtimes. For more information about the provision and availability at Claremont Manor call 01626 221 591. https://www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk/care-homes/claremont-manor
The Manchester Cleaning Show 2024
There is only one month to go until the UK’s biggest cleaning trade show arrives in Manchester, bringing together thousands of cleaning and hygiene professionals from across all sectors of society. The event, which takes place 13th – 14th March 2024 at Manchester Central, is fully booked for exhibitors, with 85 now signed up, making it the biggest Manchester Cleaning Show to date. According to figures reported in 2023, the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector employed 1.47 million people, placing it in the ten largest industries in the UK. The Manchester Cleaning Show will attract leadership teams from facility management companies, contract cleaning operators, and a vast array of end-users in transportation, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, entertainment and education. The two-day event will offer attendees the opportunity to network and learn from industry experts, source new suppliers and take an exclusive look at the latest products, trends and innovations shaping the sector. Over 20 speakers have now been announced, comprising industry leaders from across the cleaning and FM sectors. The panels and talks will cover a range of important topics, including how the industry can effectively incorporate environmental and social governance (ESG), cleaning standards in the NHS, the issue of modern slavery, how to use technology for maximum effect, and the role of the washroom in health and wellbeing. Like many other industries, cleaning and facilities management businesses are currently grappling with staff retention and recruitment, with 65% of FM services struggling to find skilled workers. Industry panel discussions on this key topic will also be prominent at the show, offering valuable expertise to advise on how the sector can improve recruitment paths within the industry. The healthcare sector will be well represented in various talks, with ESG and sustainability being key topics at the show. Discussing initiatives for ESG and sustainability, these panel talks will offer valuable insights for the healthcare sector. Green cleaning is becoming increasingly important for healthcare settings as it can benefit not only the environment, but the health of patients, staff and visitors too. Talks by industry leaders such as Charlotte Parr will highlight how sustainable hygiene strategies can save money and resources by reducing waste and the water and energy consumption of cleaning processes. Delia Cannings, Chair of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), which co-produces the show, has also been announced as a key speaker at the show. Delia is set to welcome attendees with the opening keynote, as well as present a critical industry update on the eagerly anticipated 2024 BCC research report. This industry report will give the most up-to-date and detailed overview of the current condition of the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry, while also including detailed developments in sub-sectors. Delia Cannings said: “This year’s Manchester Cleaning Show is promising to be the biggest and best yet, featuring an impressive lineup of expert speakers and many of the sector’s leading suppliers and manufacturers, making it unmissable for industry colleagues in the region. “The Cleaning Show is a key event in our industry’s calendar, where we can come together to celebrate the importance, excellence and achievements of the sector, businesses and staff. “I’m looking forward to speaking at the event myself, telling audiences about the Level 2 Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeship, which promises to be of huge importance for the sector, launching the BCC’s 2024 research report and discussing the new NHS cleaning standards. I hope to see you there.” Not only will there be talks from leading figures and networking opportunities, but the show will also feature events such as the window cleaning world cup and cleaning at height demonstrations. Event director for the show, Paul Sweeney, expressed: “With just one month to go, I am looking forward to the largest Manchester Cleaning Show yet and welcoming industry leaders who can share their expertise on topics that will be relevant across sectors. The show is certainly not one to miss this year.” To sign up to attend the show, visit the Manchester Cleaning Show website. https://cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester
