CQC outlines proposed regulatory fees for providers from next April
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its consultation on the fees that it proposes to charge providers in 2019/20. The proposals follow the plans CQC set out to continue to meet the Treasury’s requirement to recover its chargeable costs in full from providers. CQC will analyse the feedback from this consultation to prepare a response and a final fees scheme to recommend to the Secretary of State, whose consent is required to implement the scheme from 1 April 2019. CQC will continue to look carefully at its costs, and to demonstrate that it is fair, efficient, effective and proportionate. CQC’s budget, in relation to the overall spending on health and adult social care in England, remains at 0.16%. Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said: “Health and social care regulation makes a real and practical difference to people’s lives and there needs to be a strong, independent regulator who will always act on the side of people who use services. “Protecting the public in this way has a financial cost. The fees paid by providers enable us to fulfil our purpose of making sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. “The consultation proposals we have published today follow the plans we set out to meet the Treasury’s requirement to recover our chargeable costs in full from providers. This consultation period gives providers and their representatives the opportunity to review, comment upon and plan for any changes that may affect them from April 2019.” The consultation runs until midday on 17 January 2019. www.cqc.org.uk
Mawdesley Care home’s wear it pink day for breast cancer charity
All shades of pink was proudly worn at a Mawdesley care home as they marked Wear It Pink Day – which raises awareness and funds to battle breast cancer. Wear it Pink is one of Breast Cancer Now’s biggest fundraising events – a single day when thousands of amazing people come together in work places, schools, homes and communities across the UK to wear pink, raise money and show their support for Breast Cancer Now. The staff and residents all wore an item of pink clothing, of their choice and baked cakes and savouries were sold to raise extra funds. Faye Cooper, Manager at Stocks Hall Mawdesley Home said: “The day was great fun, especially as it was for such a good cause. In total we raised £67 for this amazing charity.” Wear it Pink Day is the flagship fundraising event for Breast Cancer Now. Over 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, including around 4,700 in Scotland. Thanks to research, more people are surviving breast cancer than ever before, yet there are still nearly 1,000 women who die of breast cancer every month in the UK. www.wearitpink.org
WW2 exhibits bring back memories for veteran Jimmy
A SECOND World War Merchant Navy veteran took a walk down memory lane when he visited South Shields Museum and Art Gallery. Veteran Jimmy Mahoney, 95, was visiting the museum with fellow residents from Willowdene Care Home, in Hebburn, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. After entering an exhibit of a kitchen and sleeping quarters for crewmen during the War, he recalled memories from his time in the Merchant Navy. He left school at 14 and joined as a cabin boy, prior to the start of the Second World War, and eventually worked his up to deck hand. When asked by a member of the care home staff if the sleeping quarters were comfortable, Jimmy said: “It didn’t matter. You were so tired you just wanted to go to sleep.” More than a dozen residents, staff and family members from Willowdene Care Home also enjoyed the museum, which celebrates the heritage of South Tyneside. Alongside the War era exhibits, they also saw the latest attraction, works from Scottish painter Dame Ethel Walker, featuring a portrait of Dame Flora Robson, a South Shields stage and screen actor. The care home’s deputy manager and nurse, Cheryl Kennedy, also entertained residents when she tried on a vintage nurse uniform from the First World War. Christine Chandler, activities coordinator at Willowdene Care Home, on Victoria Road West, said: “One of our residents, Harry West, doesn’t say a lot these days but the smiles of recognition and joy were wonderful to see. “When we got back the residents were so happy and kept saying how much they enjoyed the visit.” After the museum visit, the care home group stopped off at Frydays Fish Bar and Grill, on Smithy Street, South Shields. Christine added: “The staff were so lovely and welcoming. They made it a brilliant end to a lovely day out.” Willowdene Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Islamic community group organise special lunch for elderly
TEESSIDE care home residents received a special invitation to the Islamic Diversity Centre North East community lunch. The event was organised specifically for Teesside’s elderly, with stalls and talks from Ageing Better Middlesbrough and Cleveland Police as well as members of the IDC. Residents from The Gables Care Home, in Middlesbrough, were among the guests, who were also treated to craft activities and puzzles during the lunch. Resident Ivy Artly said: “I have never eaten pizza before but it was nice. “I liked to talk to the different people that were there and I really enjoyed the chocolate donuts for pudding.” Resident Sybil Dixon added: “The food was delicious. I love spicy food.” Emma Myers, activities coordinator at The Gables, said: “The organisers from the IDC were so helpful and attentive of the elderly people that were at the lunch. “Volunteers from the Muslim community shared their knowledge about Islam and discussed aspects or the Koran.” Representatives from Big Lottery funded programme Ageing Better Middlesbrough talked about their work to reduce loneliness and isolation for people who are aged over 50 in the city. The programme will be bringing new activities and visitors to The Gables Care Home, on Highfield Road, in future. While officers from Cleveland Police spoke about community safety, including how events such as the IDC lunch can help reduce hate crimes by bringing the community together. Naaila Rehman, organiser of the IDC community lunch, said: “I would like to thank Emma from The Gables for coming along to the elderly community lunch organised by Islamic Diversity Center. “It was a pleasure to have them all there and we look forwards to seeing them all at the next lunch.”
Winter Funding: is £240 too little, too late?
Health secretary Matt Hancock recently announced that an emergency £240million fund would be ploughed into social care to free up beds this winter. Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at The King’s Fund, responded, saying, “After a punishing summer of heatwaves and ever-increasing demands on services, the NHS is heading for another tough winter. “Widespread and growing nursing shortages now risk becoming a national emergency and are symptomatic of a long-term failure in workforce planning, which has been exacerbated by the impact of Brexit and short-sighted immigration policies. “The right to start treatment within 18 weeks is enshrined in the NHS Constitution, yet three and half thousand people have now been on hospital waiting lists for more than a year and waiting lists stand at their highest levels in over a decade. This is unacceptable and the review of waiting time targets currently underway must ensure that patients not treated within initial time limits are protected from lengthy waits for treatment. “With hospitals and other NHS providers once again forecasting a significant end-of-year deficit, it is clear that the NHS finance regime is broken, with financial targets routinely missed and huge financial problems in some NHS organisations offset by surpluses in others. The new funding settlement announced by the Government is very welcome, but it is not a panacea for the pressures facing the NHS. Today’s report is a reminder that the forthcoming NHS long-term plan must focus on reform and investment in new ways of delivering services otherwise the NHS will be trapped in a perpetual winter crisis.“
Who Is Going To Solve The Social Care Crisis?
With Health Secretary Matt Hancock announcing that the long-awaited social care Green Paper will be revealed “later this year”, we take a look at a possible solution to the crisis in the form of a voucher scheme to pay for care. We also find out what finance specialists think is in store for the NHS over winter… An adult social care vouchers scheme has been put forward by John Woodward OBE, president and founder of the Busy Bees Group, to help solve the social care crisis in the UK. Both Mr Woodward and the organisation were instrumental in lobbying the government to launch the Childcare Voucher scheme in 2005. Here, John explains how the voucher scheme could work for adults needing care… For disabled people living in their own homes or in residential care, how is the cost of social care currently being met? In short, the cost of social care isn’t even close to being met. The current state funding in care is £490 per week per adult, which is more than £100 per week below the actual cost of a basic level of care. To cover the difference, private self-funded patient costs are being inflated, effectively meaning privately funded adults are paying an additional tax on their own care to accommodate for the gap in state funding for others. Is the social care which disabled adults currently receive adequate? In 2017 the Care Quality Commission gave a third of care homes an “inadequate” or “requires improvement” rating. Disabled adults in our community need and deserve top quality care, but in the current funding crisis these people are being forgotten. When my own mum need care in a home it made me realise what a burden it is for the vast majority of people. Why did you put forward the proposal for social care vouchers to the Treasury? I am really passionate about adult social care and having seen the success of childcare vouchers I immediately saw vouchers as a way to help bridge the funding gap, give families more flexibility, and improve care provisions. I took it to the Treasury for maximum impact and gained the support of House of Lords and House of Commons members. What could the vouchers be spent on? The vouchers would be used to assist with funding residential and domestic care. People in need of domestic or residential care for mental health reasons would qualify as disabled and would therefore be eligible to use vouchers to fund their care. For example, my sister runs a home for people with learning disabilities. The vouchers wouldn’t cover everything, but it would certainly help a lot. Could working people buy their own vouchers? The scheme works via salary sacrifice, so working adults can set aside a capped amount each month for adult social care vouchers that could then be used for their or a family member’s present or future care.
Care home provider in court over alleged sexual abuse of resident
The CQC is taking a care provider to court this week over alleged sex attacks at one of its homes. In July 2017, it was reported that Hillgreen Care Limited found a 28-year-old known sex offender, one of its residents at the home in Colne Road, Enfield, in the room of a 23-year-old male. The victim, a severely disabled autistic man, had allegedly been raped by the man who had been left unsupervised despite being a high-risk resident. The alleged attacker is currently serving a jail term for the rape of a 14-year-old girl, and the Crown Prosecution Service said he will not be prosecuted over the care home incident due to a lack of evidence. The CQC said in a statement: “Hillgreen Care Limited has been summonsed in respect of two offences: Between 1 April 2015 and 1 November 2015 at 14 Colne Road, Enfield, London, Hillgreen Care Limited failed in its duty under Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations 2014 in that it exposed service users at the care home to a risk of sexual harm and thereby failed to provide safe care and treatment. “Between 1 April 2015 and 1 November 2015 at 14 Colne Road, Enfield, London, Hillgreen Care Limited failed in its duty under Regulation 13 to establish and/or operate effectively systems and processes to prevent abuse of service users and thereby failed to protect those service users from abuse. Consequently a service user at the care home sustained avoidable harm.” Amid the original investigation, it came to light that the deputy manager of the care home was himself a convicted sex offender and working illegally in the UK. It was also reported that Hillgreen only told the victim’s family about the alleged attack 24 hours later, and only called police two days after the incident had taken place. The trial continues at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court.
Buckinghamshire Carer Amy Collins wins Outstanding Carer award
30-year old Amy Collins a carer from Bucks based business Ashridge Home Care has been named Oustanding Carer 2018 at the prestigious Care Campaign for the Vulnerable Awards. Announced on 5thOctober at a Gala dinner in Gerrards Cross, the 2018 Outstanding Carer Award recognises the exceptional work of individuals in the care sector in the UK. Amy received the most nominations as a carer who put clients at the forefront of all she did going beyond the call of duty when delivering good dedicated care to all her clients. The award and a £500 cash prize was proudly accepted from celebrity guest actress Aimi Macdonald by Amy’s mum Christina Graham. One of three finalists, Amy has worked for Ashridge Home Care for two years and is responsible for providing care to clients in their own home. She has taken a lead role caring for one lady, providing companionship and care services. Director of Ashridge Home Care, Trudi Scrivener nominated Amy and said: “If the world had more Amy’s it would be a better place. Amy gets paid for caring but if she didn’t I get the feeling she’d still do it! She goes above and beyond and for instance always makes sure she knows her clients birthdays and will never forget. It doesn’t matter that she might hear the same story over and over again, she’ll always take time to listen as if it’s the first time she’s heard it.” Amy is a strong advocate for caring for people in their own home and avoiding the need for people to be placed unnecessarily in residential care homes. Amy explains: “I love my job, caring for people and making a difference means the world to me, so it’s an honour to be recognised for my work. I have met many amazing people and count myself lucky to be a part of their lives. What we do is hugely important and I believe the people we care for deserve the upmost respect, care, dignity and companionship. I am grateful to Ashridge Home Care who have supported me fully – I am proud to work for a good, honest family run business who have such outstanding values when it comes to care.” Ashridge Home Care have over 30 years’ experience in home care and dementia care services. Drawing on their experience both professionally and personally, they provide expert care for families specific live-in care needs. Care Campaign for the Vulnerable was founded over five years ago to champion and rally support for safety monitoring to be made mandatory in communal areas in all dementia care homes across the UK. To view the full list of nominees visit: https://www.carecampaignforthevulnerable.com/news/661/care-campaign-for-the-vulnerable-attends-evening-gala-hosted-and-organ/.
Three new Parklands care homes planned in £16million Highlands investment
The latest phase of a multi-million pound investment by independent care provider Parklands Group has been given the green light. Plans for a £6.5 million care hub for older people in Inverness, one of three new Highland care homes planned or already under construction, have been approved by the Highland Council. The largest single investment by Parklands, the Inverness facility will be built in two phases, the first consisting of a two-storey care home featuring 48 bedrooms, a café, hairdresser and eight day rooms. The second phase will offer 16 assisted living suites, with three day rooms, and will be linked to the care wing on both ground and first floor levels. The site will include landscaped gardens, 42 parking spaces and sheltered cycle racks. The development will occupy a prominent gap site next to Milton of Leys Primary School. Work on phase one is expected to begin next spring. Parklands currently operates seven care homes in Moray and the Highlands but has recently embarked on a significant programme of expansion. Last year, the company expanded its existing care homes in Muir of Ord and Tain at a cost of £1 million, adding a further six bedrooms in each home. Meanwhile, construction of its latest £4.5 million care home in Grantown is nearing completion and work is expected to start soon on a £4 million facility in Fortrose. By 2020, the company will have invested £16 million over three years on new and extended care homes, creating around new 200 jobs and making it one of the largest private sector employers in the north. The company currently has a workforce of around 500. Ron Taylor, managing director of Parklands, said: “We are delighted that our plans to build and operate a new care hub for Inverness have been approved. This will be our largest ever investment and arguably one of our most innovative, combining the traditional care model with assisted living support. It is a fantastic site overlooking the Moray Firth and in the heart of the fast growing Milton of Leys area. It will be a facility for the entire community and will be closely integrated with local health facilities, schools and community groups. “Inverness will be our flagship development, creating 100 new jobs, but we are committed to continuing to invest in smaller towns and communities across the Highlands. Our eighth care home is nearing completion in Grantown and work will begin soon on our ninth in Fortrose. Together, these investments will create a further 100 jobs for the region. By 2020, Parklands will be one of the largest private sector employers in the north, a testament to the quality of our care and our workforce.” Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing said: “I welcome this further investment in the Highlands by Parklands. This will provide care home facilities for many at a local level which will enable people to stay near their families.” Ian McNamara, Chair of Highland Senior Citizens Network, added: “The Highland Senior Citizens Network welcomes this imaginative development at a time that is particularly challenging for independent providers of residential care. The number of older people who will need this level of care, in spite of the best efforts to support them in their own homes, is going to increase steadily over the coming years.” For more information on the Highlands care facilities by Parklands, click here. Related articles: RECRUITMENT DRIVE STARTS FOR NEW CARE HOME: https://www.careandnursing-magazine.co.uk/content/recruitment-drive-starts-new-care-home Balhousie Care Group raises over £34,800 for Alzheimer Scotland: https://www.careandnursing-magazine.co.uk/news/balhousie-alzheimer-scotland Scottish dance visits Sees care home: https://www.careandnursing-magazine.co.uk/blog/Scottish-dance
