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.
Brunelcare Launch New Dementia Coaching Initiative
Brunelcare, a Bristol-based charity providing housing and care for over 80-years, has announced the launch of its new Dementia Coaching Initiative, where colleagues at the charity can become certified Dementia Care Coaches. Colleagues at Brunelcare have been taking part in an exciting learning and development initiative designed to enable people working in care settings to deliver the best possible, personalised outcomes for people living with dementia. Significantly improving quality of life, opportunities and engagement, the FITS, (Focussed Intervention Training and Support) into Practice Programme was developed by the Association for Dementia Studies at Worcester University following extensive research. Stuart Wright, Dementia Care Lead at Brunelcare, has delivered the programme to colleagues and supported them through the pilot FITS programme. Nine colleagues took part in the programme, where over nine months, the participants completed ten successful training days. Stuart has worked at Brunelcare for nearly 20 years and specialises in Dementia Care. He has developed and implemented the Human Rights Framework and Standard for people living with dementia, and turned his passion into his career. He now works full time at Brunelcare delivering state-of-the-art Dementia Coaching Sessions to Brunelcare colleagues and external audiences and supporting the various teams across Brunelcare. FITS Participants said: “The FITS training has been very in depth, fun, interactive, emotional and very rewarding. Having nearly completed the FITS training, I now feel more confident to cascade the knowledge I have gained to my colleagues and promote a better understanding of dementia care.” Stuart Wright, Dementia Care Lead at Brunelcare, said: “There is a growing body of evidence that shows people working in care learn best from each other, rather than purely from classroom-based education. The role of the Dementia Coach is to deliver “on the job” learning and development that immediately has an impact on the quality of care and life for residents. This way of working also raises the skill, competence and confidence of those providing care and support.” About the FITS Programme FITS uses evidence-based resources to support practice in a very hands-on way. The FITS into Practice programme is taught by Dementia Practice Development Coaches (DPDC), who have completed the masters level academic module at the Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester. FITS into practice is an evidence-based training and support programme developed and evaluated in successive UK-wide research projects and is shown to provide positive outcomes for colleagues, residents and care homes. To learn more about the work of Brunelcare, visit: www.brunelcare.org.uk
Fears for wound care patients after COVID pandemic
Around 28% of patients are managing their own wounds due to the pandemic, according to a new report.[ii] One in fifty people in Britain – around 3.8 million – currently rely on wound care services, but variation in standards means patients are having mixed experiences of care across the country. The new report, published today, has been jointly produced by The Patients Association and Mölnlycke; it calls for action to ensure people living with a chronic wound are not forgotten by healthcare leaders in the service recovery, and that both patients and nurses are involved in discussions about wound care service redesign post-pandemic. The report highlights the impact that chronic wounds can have on patients, both physically and mentally. It also reveals how many patients were forced to manage their own wounds throughout the pandemic, finding that while some had a level of confidence in doing this, a large proportion (30%) did not.[iii] Commenting on the report, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association said: “This report shows the impact the pandemic is having on patients who live with a chronic wound and need wound care services to stay well and active. In England, many of these patients have had to manage their own care or access support remotely. The report makes it clear that many found managing on their own hard. “The brighter news is that some patients found they liked being in control of their own wound care, while still having the remote support of nurses. The report shows how important it is for healthcare professionals to work in partnership with patients to understand their needs. Practising patient partnership and shared decision making are the way to make wound care work for the 3.8 million people living with a chronic wound.” The majority (88%) of nurses fear that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on wound care services as they struggle to cope with the pressures of the pandemic, such as staff being redeployed to other services. Eight out of ten nurses also expressed concern about the delays to seeing patients that COVID-19 has caused, which they worry are affecting patient outcomes.[iv]Sarah Gardner, Independent Tissue Viability Consultant, WoundMatters Ltd and Trustee of the Society of Tissue Viability: “As we recover from the pandemic and consider how wound care services should be designed, we shouldn’t just assume that changes made in the middle of a crisis will remain suitable at all other times. Instead, we should take time to reflect on what worked well and not so well, have a conversation around what patients actually need, and then redesign services that are based on innovation, collaboration and patient partnership.” The report calls for action to drive change in a way that works best for patients and staff, by listening to their experiences of the pandemic to bring positive innovation to wound care services. Oliver Law, Business Director, Wound Care and UK&I General Manager at Mölnlycke said: “Going back to business as usual is just not an option – wound care services were under strain before the pandemic hit. It is vital that as services rebuild in the wake of the pandemic that the voice of both patients and HCPs is heard – and Mölnlycke are committed to supporting this every step of the way.” The report is the first part of a Mölnlycke project aimed at improving the provision of wound care services for both patients and those delivering care.
FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY ENCOURAGING TEAMS TO ‘UNMIND’ Charity Boosts Its Commitment To Staff Wellbeing
Friends of the Elderly, the charity which runs care homes, day care services and a grant giving service for older people living on low incomes, has continued to build on its commitment to its teams by expanding upon its Wellbeing Pledge and introducing a new online workplace mental health platform. Through engaging with the Unmind platform, the charity is empowering all its employees to proactively measure, understand and improve their mental wellbeing and see, first hand, how it can, and will, change over time. The outcomes and results of the collected – anonymous – data will help the management team to make more informed decisions about wellbeing of the charity’s workforce. The team at Unmind collaborates with clinicians, authors and academics to provide interactive digital tools that encourage and promote all aspects of mental wellbeing. From sleep to calmness, fulfilment to happiness, the platform can be accessed and used from any device – a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone – at any time the member of staff needs it. Commenting on the Unmind platform, Friends of the Elderly’s Head of Human Resources, Mathew Yates said: “The wellbeing of our teams is our top priority. Respecting everyone’s individual needs albeit physical, emotional, mental or occupational is essential to us. Working in the care sector and caring for others is so important as well as rewarding; however, it can also be very challenging and put a strain on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. At Friends of the Elderly we recognise this important issue and have made it our priority to ensure that our teams’ mental and physical wellbeing, health and welfare are looked after. “By using the Unmind platform, our teams can easily access a wide range of proactive mental health and wellbeing exercises, courses and tools to help and support their own, specific needs. “This could be mindfulness meditations and breathing exercises, sleep melodies, storytelling, yoga or healthy recipes. Being able to do this wherever they are, at whatever time of the day or night helps an individual to relax, focus, unwind and recharge.” Back in 2020, the charity hosted a series of employee workshops to discover and put into action, how it could deliver better support and improve wellbeing in the workplace for each team member. The feedback from the workshops led to the creation of the Friends of the Elderly’s Wellbeing Pledge, which outlines the charity’s ethos, values, future and ongoing plans to ensure its teams’ workplace wellbeing. Using and maximising the new Unmind platform is an additional element to the Pledge and continues to reaffirm the charity’s commitment to everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. Rachel North, the charity’s Learning and Development Advisor added: “Unmind is an extremely useful, easy to use tool. Another feature we have utilised is the ability for the charity to add bespoke signposting information to our internal support systems such as our Employee Assistance Programme, the HR Team, Learning & Development Team support and to the financial support that we offer our staff. “Apart from our bespoke signposting function, we have extended the rest of the Unmind platform to family members of our teams. This has been very well received – and used. For example, my Mum uses it on a daily basis and thoroughly loves it. Another unique feature is the ability to send praise to your colleagues, to say thank you and show how they have inspired you. I’ve definitely found this a lovely tool to use.” Mathew concluded: “Our Wellbeing Pledge was the first step in our wellbeing journey as an organisation and adding Unmind is another valuable component in our ongoing commitments to our valued teams.”
Why care homes need to pay attention to increasing water rates.
In April 2022, business water rates will increase due to the bad debt accumulated throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Ofwat, the water regulator, has introduced the price rise to protect business water suppliers by allowing them to pass on the cost of bad debt to their customers. Most English care homes have never switched water suppliers. Most business decision-makers are not even aware that changing water suppliers is possible. Businesses that have never switched water suppliers pay out of contract business water rates with their default supplier. Default water rates increase each year slightly as the cost of maintaining the water network increases. April 2022 is different; not only will care homes be hit with inflationary increases in water rates they will also be charged more due to Ofwat’s decision to raise prices. You can do two things to combat these price hikes: one is to switch business water suppliers, and the other is to reduce your water consumption as a business. To compare business water suppliers and switch to a new deal, click here. How to reduce your water rates For care homes, it’s imperative to be running a business that uses water efficiently and drives down the cost of any bills. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your water consumption and lower your bills. Use water efficiency devices. Using water efficiency devices like tap aerators reduces the annual consumption of water. Consider using flush efficiency devices to reduce the amount of water needed to flush toilets on your premises.
CoolCare Releases Major Software Update
Less than a year after its official launch in June 2018, care home software provider CoolCare has updated its CoolCare4 product with a major release. The CoolCare 4.2 release includes a redesigned staff calendar and the ability to export custom made reports into Excel, alongside a wide range of smaller improvements across the system. Commenting on this milestone in the software’s development, CoolCare Tech Director, Leigh Ellis, said: “Using the latest software development techniques means we are now able to make improvements and release them to our customers on a regular basis. Since our launch, we’ve made a series of smaller update releases but 4.2 is our biggest to date. It follows initial positive user feedback about our staff calendar and how it was helping them drive improvements in their home. We’ve therefore given it an even stronger focus on managing training compliance in an even more intuitive way. Direct access to data has also been a frequent request from customers. CoolCare has a suite of reports already so by making CoolCare4’s custom-built reports exportable to Excel as well as PDF, CoolCare customers will be able to tap further into that wealth of data they have acquired. It gives care providers the flexibility to be able to sort and analyse the data available exactly as their business requires.” CoolCare has as full roadmap of planned development which is automatically provided to CoolCare4 customers through the regular, often fortnightly, updates. The roadmap remains under constant review, listening to the needs of the sector and ensuring the highest priority features are developed first. Taking this approach gives CoolCare great flexibility in adjusting its plans in the face of the ever-changing realities of the social care sector. To find out more about CoolCare4 please visit: www.coolcare4.co.uk<http://www.coolcare4.co.uk/>
Go Green with these Eco-Conscious Alternatives
With more and more government bills being passed to urge businesses to become greener, you may be trying to find ways to make your care or nursing home more eco-conscious too. There are numerous ways you can achieve this which are as follows: Green Cleaning with InnuScience Due to the use of commercial chemicals, finding environmentally conscious ways to clean can be difficult. They are notorious for being harmful for the environment if spilled and any cleaning solutions which promote eco-credentials normally carry a higher cost. However, we at Alliance would promote the green cleaning power of the range offered by InnuScience. InnuScience were founded in 1992 with their vision and goal to be to harness nature and produce cleaning chemicals designed to be harmless to the environment with minimal waste production. The company is at the forefront of eco-cleaning and by way of their research and development team they utilise biotechnology in their products. Regarding their cleaning products the biotechnology comes in the form of microbes and enzymes which tackle dirt, grease and grime whilst also eliminating odours as well. Their range of products also boast their dragonfly hallmark which acts as a sign of their biotechnology and eco-credentials. The range of products helps users cut through dirt with ease without impacting the immediate ecosystem of the surrounding area. InnuScience pledge that their cleaning products are safe for the environment and through their research contribute towards a clean and sustainable future for all. Eco-Cloths from Chicopee Having green cleaning chemicals is a great start to pushing your care home towards a more environmentally positive future, but don’t stop there. If you are wiping down surfaces with an eco-solution it makes sense to also use an equally eco-friendly cloth too. Enter the J-Cloth 3000 by Chicopee. The cloths offer users a range of benefits including both biodegradability and a compostable structure. In addition, the manufacturer has gone one step further and made the packaging compostable too. The benefits are not just based on their environmentally friendly nature, they are also brilliant at cleaning. Its open weave structure is not just key to its environmental credentials, but also makes it a marvel when it comes to picking up dirt. The wavy nature of the material provides excellent food, dirt and dust pick up and the cloths also work brilliantly on all surfaces with a wide range of chemical solutions. Cheeky Panda’s Paper Range Paper hygiene is a huge part of running a residential or care establishment, so why not look to invest in a more environmentally friendly option? One of the most eco-conscious ranges of paper products on the market at present is Cheeky Panda’s. The range includes toilet roll and two tissue options with one being in a square box, the other rectangular. The toilet paper is a 3-ply product and is 100% hypoallergenic whilst also being free of pesticides, fertiliser and fragrance. Its packaging is also recyclable whilst the paper itself is completely biodegradable. The tissues follow the same mantra with them also being free of pesticides, fertiliser and fragrance offering your care institute a low carbon and sustainable solution to paper hygiene. At Alliance Online, we understand that running a care, nursing or residential home is challenging enough on its own. Equally, we appreciate budgets must be met whilst the costs of energy and inflation are increasing However, with the environment becoming a larger and more internationally discussed issue it is within most businesses interest to start sourcing some eco-products. The ranges mentioned in this article do not carry a huge increase in price compared with industry standard options meaning you can make changes now without too large an impact. We are proud to work alongside eco-suppliers and promote their environmental products to our customers to help them achieve their own green goals. To view our full range of environmental products click here. Equally, download our Environmentally Conscious Guide now to see how we can help you.
Social-Ability brings Happiness
London, 20 April 2022: Social-Ability, a social venture aimed at supporting the lives of people living with cognitive challenges such as dementia, has announced its partnership with Wolverhampton Council and Durham County Council to introduce its Happiness Programme to care homes and day services across the districts. The deals include the provision of Social-Ability’s Happiness Programme to 5 care homes in Wolverhampton, along with 10 care homes and day centres in Durham. Social-Ability’s Happiness Programme is a holistic therapy for people living with cognitive challenges such as dementia, aiming to improve care outcomes and individuals’ wellbeing. The programme uses interactive light technology, via a projector called the magic table 360, to project images onto a surface allowing those with care needs to play games, listen to music, and interact with pictures. This technology facilitates social, sensory, and cognitive activity, encouraging people to play games with each other, with the aim of improving their wellbeing through keeping them active and social. Each activity on the projector has a different purpose, with some, such as the Happy Memories feature, allowing family members to share pictures with their loved ones in care homes, stimulating reminiscence that is particularly beneficial for people living with dementia. The Happiness Programme has played a vital role throughout the pandemic, as care home residents and those living with care needs out in society have been some of the people most affected by lockdowns. For many, it’s been vital in providing meaningful and stimulating activity, sustaining the wellbeing of residents and easing the workload and pressure of care workers. Dementia is particularly prevalent in UK care homes, and the condition is expected to grow in the coming years, with the latest findings from the Lancet Public Health predicting a trebling of cases by 2050. With the NHS already facing a backlog of 50,000, it is crucial that councils are making the necessary investments to help mitigate the impact of dementia. John Ramsay, Managing Director of Social-Ability, said: “We welcome the investments from Wolverhampton and Durham councils to bring the Happiness Programme to local care homes and day centres. It is fantastic to be delivering positive, feel-good change all across the country and hear from care staff and residents about the substantial difference the technology has made. We look forward to continuing our relationships with these councils and hope to further expand the programme across the country.”
