English National Ballet: Dance for Dementia
English National Ballet announces plans to support people whose lives are affected by dementia. Central to English National Ballet’s Dance for Dementia programme is a new partnership with Barchester Healthcare which will see the Company deliver an in-house professional development programme for staff as well as a range of dance and music focussed live events and workshops for residents. The focussed training programme will have the Company work with a number of Barchester staff in selected homes and begin in Autumn 2021 led by English National Ballet Associate Dance Artists and Musicians. Barchester staff will attend a number of special training sessions with the Company and help lead dance workshops for their residents. In addition, all of Barchester’s care homes will be invited to join in with a number of virtual event sessions which include taking part in creative dance classes and hearing from ENB’s Philharmonic Orchestra, costume department and other artists of the company. The virtual sessions will coincide with days of celebration including International Youth Day, Last Night of the Proms, Remembrance Day and a Christmas Special. From January 2022, a series of workshops will then be delivered in person at selected homes. Barchester Healthcare has been supporting families with pioneering dementia care in specially designed, dementia-friendly Memory Lane communities since 1992. The company strongly believes people living with dementia should enjoy a fulfilled and happy life, with specialist support to continue doing the things they love every day. All Barchester staff receive specialist dementia care training to ensure they provide the best care for residents. English National Ballet’s Executive Director, Patrick Harrison, said: “We are delighted to be working with Barchester Healthcare on this innovative partnership as part of our Dance for Dementia programme. English National Ballet is committed to making ballet accessible and inclusive for all and these sessions will allow us to bring the joy of dance to residents. The specialised training programme for staff at the homes will ensure creativity through dance can flourish in all settings.” Barchester Healthcare’s CEO, Pete Calveley, said: “At Barchester, we embrace the very latest technology and techniques to ensure our residents can live a life that feels comfortable, enriching and connected. We are always looking at new ways to enhance our resident experience through partnerships and initiatives. We are delighted to build on our existing relationship with English National Ballet to bring our residents a whole host of unique virtual experiences, workshops and training sessions throughout what I am sure will be a hugely beneficial year-long programme of activity. We are incredibly grateful to English National Ballet for their support.” The partnership follows a successful events programme in December 2020 which saw over 130 of Barchester Care Homes engage across 3 live Nutcracker themed events that explored movement, dance, music and costume for residents and patients to enjoy.
Infection control has never been more important, let’s use innovation to solve this ongoing issue in our healthcare
In our lifetime, there has rarely been a greater sense of camaraderie than over the past year. The nation united under a common health threat and the common good delivered by a National Health Service at their time of need. In March 2020 the world was forced to stop, readjust, and overcome the barriers this virus has inflicted upon us all. Whilst it has sadly been a tragedy for so many businesses, households, and livelihoods, it has by no means stopped great British ideas, ingenuity, and innovation. The 5.9 million UK SMEs, which make up 99% of all business, generating 54% of all UK employment, have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of such adversity, and are at the forefront of the Government’s Levelling-Up agenda in the post-Covid-19 world that we are all starting to see at the end of the tunnel. The “Patch & Hope” Problem Our NHS struggled to bear the brunt of this virus, and the staff should not also have to constantly concern themselves with the risks of being additionally exposed to the virus. Existing measures are not allowing this concern to be allayed. In Intensive Care Units (ICU) the NHS has to “negatively-pressurise” each ICU Ward to prevent COVID19 infection contagion to the rest of the hospital. However, if the air permeability of ICU Wards is not sufficiently low, negative-pressurisation cannot be achieved effectively. The methods presently being undertaken to verify air permeability, are disruptive, costly and do not allow operators to identify specific areas of leakage. The maintenance teams have limited means to monitor the airflow that sustains negative or positive pressurisation or identify the location and size of any specific leaks, leaving any remedial action down to mere speculation. So limited are these means that healthcare personnel are forced to adopt an approach that can only be described as “Patch and Hope”. What is the Solution? Our Portascanner® COVID-19 brings a non-invasive answer to this ‘patch and hope’ measure, and with minimal training, allows healthcare and pharmaceutical personnel to locate and then quantify the leaks in hospital wards, cleanrooms, and sterilisation departments. The user can calculate the air flow rate through these leaks, generating an air permeability value for an entire room/ward which the user can compare against the required value for pressurisation. Quantifying the extent of the leak, or the air permeability rate, is crucial to ensuring positive/negative pressurisation in order to help prevent the spread of disease. During Covid-19 maintenance of the wards has never been more important, and this new hand-held instrument significantly improves the efficiency and air quality of the room, providing confidence in the ability of a ward to contain the virus. Furthermore, it saves considerable time and resources in preventing FPE (fan pressurisation equipment) from being installed within an unsuitable room. The downtime required for existing test procedures is simply infeasible given the disruption to treatment this would cause. So, through using ultrasound, this innovation ensures minimum disruption to any room or facility, lending more time for the staff to treat their patients. This pressurisation is also crucial to hazardous pharmaceutical drugs, and highly infectious diseases such as Ebola, where sterilised environments must be maintained, therefore this solution allows sterilisation to never be compromised. Go Above and Beyond Compliance According to BSRIA³, the air permeability of a negatively pressurised isolation ward must not exceed 2.5m³/(h-m²) at a reference pressure of 50 Pascals. It is this value that is used in the reporting feature of the Portascanner® COVID-19. The user can provide evidence of the maintenance programme, through the camera feature, and with the tap of a finger, export a test report, all in one small portable instrument. Each leak is therefore marked and quantified in terms of the air flow rate, and its contribution to the total air permeability. This is then calculated and compared to the threshold value, whilst the cross-sectional area of the leak is also recorded. No third party is required, and all the user has to do, is a quick test, scanning any possible leak sites with the receiver, whilst the generator is directed at the structure from the opposite side. Any peaks in the received intensity should be marked as a leak for potential investigation and remedial measures undertaken if necessary. A full test is then carried out to decipher the leak size. Sufficient airtightness is required to facilitate good ventilation and filtration practices, so that ‘safe working’ conditions be achieved, which is at the heart of improving the ‘health’ of a building. This simple instrument can be used regularly by in-house maintenance teams when required, with no disruption, enabling leaks to be detected and remedied as they occur. Overcoming a Global Pandemic Coltraco Ultrasonics have proudly developed Portascanner® COVID19 from its rich heritage in Naval ultrasonic technologies to monitor watertightness in warships and submarines. At the beginning of 2020, we were predominantly a two-market sector company. However, in March we realised the vulnerability that this posed, and the possible opportunity for change. So, through great diversification we are now a multi sectoral one, working across 25 different sectors, delivered by an exclusive global distribution network. One of these new sectors that we are most proud to support, is the Healthcare sector. During the coronavirus crisis, Coltraco Ultrasonics worked tirelessly to fulfil a UK-Government funded COVID19 emergency technology requirement in June 2020, to design the Portascanner® COVID-19, which we have now successfully done, created by a team of British Physicists working at the cutting edge of compartmentation integrity. Helping our Healthcare build resilience and security within Our primary aim when developed this exciting new technology, was to support our NHS: to protect the lives of both our staff, and patients. The Portascanner® COVID-19 is based on the technology of our award winning globally recognised Portascanner® WATERTIGHT, an ultrasonic watertight integrity monitor used by our Royal Navy, which has been re-designed specifically. It aims to reduce the spread of airborne disease by inspecting rooms for any leakage and establishing the pressurised airflow rates that,
Boost your cleaning regime with the power of steam!
The Cambridgeshire Care Home is an attractive, modern purpose-built care home with beautiful landscaped gardens situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside providing care for up to 72 elderly people. The home prides itself on providing bespoke care for residential, nursing and dementia residents whether their stay is for a short respite period or as a permanent resident. Their use of modern technology helps them to provide the best quality, personalised care for their residents and activities on site include a cinema, Sky tv, 64inch Yeti tablet, Wi-Fi throughout, therapy room and hair salon, private dining facilities and a bistro where they are proud to maintain a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating. With such high standards it goes without saying that the same principles apply to cleaning and hygiene throughout the home. Hotel Services Manager, Rosita Sanoja had experience of the Duplex Steam range of floor cleaning machines whilst working for a previous care home group and was so impressed she recommended them here.
Care Roadshows are back in 2021 – register for your free ticket today!
Registration is now open for Care Roadshows 2021 and these fantastic one-day events are back with a triumph and ready to re-connect the care sector. This year, the Roadshows will be returning to Liverpool, Glasgow, London and Cardiff. As always, the events strive to help attendees deliver outstanding care by bringing them face-to-face with the leading innovation and inspiration in the sector. Attendees can prepare to meet a wealth of suppliers at each show, discovering the up-coming products in the market and benefitting from one-to-one guidance. Across the event floor, networking opportunities will be prime. Being the only regional care event of its kind in the UK, delegates can expect more high-quality networking than ever before. A previous visitor commented; “The Roadshow exceeded my expectations and the venue, seminar, exhibitors, food and information were very interesting and relevant. I have spoken to care providers who were unaware of the event, but perhaps they’re not on LinkedIn. Thanks for a great day!” – Jo Smith, A1 Training Services During the day, which runs from 9:30am – 3:00pm, free CPD seminars and interactive workshops will be ongoing. The exciting sessions welcome top speakers from the sector, who will be sharing their expertise and best practice. Historically, the seminars and workshops at Care Roadshows spark new and positive ways to deliver care, offer inspiration and a whole lot of fun! When asked about the day, a past visitor said; “Well organised, very friendly, excellent seminars.” – Anita Cobb, Service Manager, Disabilities Trust The event is free for all care professionals to attend, and the 2021 dates and locations are as follows: Care Roadshow Liverpool 13th July 2021 Aintree Racecourse Care Roadshow Glasgow 9th September 2021 Hampden Park Stadium Care Roadshow London 19th October 2021 Epsom Downs Racecourse Care Roadshow Cardiff 9th November 2021 Cardiff City Stadium To register for your free tickets today click here – https://careroadshows-2021.reg.buzz/care-and-nursing, or alternatively you can also call the team on 01425 838393.
Barchester Healthcare scoops best recruiter at the 2020 Laingbuisson Awards
The talented recruitment team at Barchester Healthcare has been named Best Recruiter at the 2020 LaingBuisson Awards. The awards celebrate businesses that set new standards within their industries and celebrate industry excellence across a range of categories. The 2020 award ceremony, usually held in London, was postponed last year due to COVID-19 restrictions and instead the winners were announced via a virtual awards ceremony held on 22 April 2021. The Recruiter Award recognises excellence in the recruitment of professionals in the healthcare and social care sectors. In their award summation, the LaingBuisson judges said: “Barchester Healthcare’s Recruitment Team is an industry leading exemplar showing how to bring it all in-house, with an innovative approach, making real achievements by matching people to culture and gaining outstanding commercial success.” Barchester Healthcare’s Recruitment Director, Tony Woollett, comments: ““This award is the culmination of our hard work over the last couple of years to make Barchester recruitment the best in the industry. Time and time again, as challenges have presented themselves, we have faced and overcome them and proven what a great team we have. I want to say thank you to the entire Recruitment Team for their continued hard work, dedication and support, this couldn’t have happened without everyone pulling together and always going that extra mile.”
Dedicated training helps care home get ship-shape
Surrey-based charity The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society is reaping the rewards of its dedicated staff training programme, delivering career opportunities for team members and improving facilities for residents and tenants. The Society, which cares for 68 residents and up to 28 tenants at its 14-acre Weston Acres estate in Banstead, invests heavily in training to deliver long-term career opportunities for its team, with many choosing to dedicate years of their careers to the charity. This includes an in-house trainer and upskilling across the Society’s teams, which has been key in supporting the development of team members and delivering efficiencies for the charity. This focus on upskilling has allowed the Royal Alfred’s teams to learn a range of new skills, removing any additional costs of hiring sub-contractors and reducing waiting times. The Society’s dedicated maintenance team now complete 95% of all jobs on-site and have been key in supporting the charity’s ambitions to reduce the home’s reliance on fossil fuels. One member of the maintenance team identified the opportunity to renovate a number of flats in the Society’s sheltered housing unit to deliver value for tenants and ensure ongoing modernisation. The project included all electrical work, tiling and redecorating, without the need for external contractors. Another member of the team joined the Society as a general assistant on the housekeeping team before showing an interest in joining the maintenance team; with support from the Society, he was able to complete an electrical course and has since helped complete renovation projects for the home, delivering huge cost efficiencies. The Society installed solar panels which have cut electricity bills by around 15% and introduced a sustainable pellet-fired biomass boiler which has reduced gas usage by around 20%. Their latest environmental initiative was sinking a 135m borehole to supply fresh water to the home which, now up and running, will save the home £8,000 a year, allowing for even more investment in facilities for residents. Maintenance Technician Nick Potroanchenu joined the Royal Alfred in 2012 after carrying out work at the home as a building contractor. Nick said: “I have always liked a challenge and working at the Society has allowed me to build on my skill set to learn new things that can make a real difference for residents and tenants day-to-day. I’ve done everything from carpeting to tiling, carrying out complete refurbishments and renovation projects within the home, and am always supported by the Society to further my knowledge through training, qualifications or just getting stuck into something new!”Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, Chief Executive of the Society, said: “Our commitment to training and development fosters a culture that keeps talented, caring individuals with the Society long-term, which contributes to the comforting environment we’ve created for residents and tenants and helps us save money on everything from recruitment to maintenance. “As a charity, we have to manage the challenge of keeping costs down where possible while delivering an outstanding level of care to all our residents and continually innovating and improving our facilities. The work the Estate management team have carried out shows the benefit of internal training and support provided to our colleagues. “Our Estates staff are one of the main cogs that keeps the Society moving. From groundkeepers to maintenance staff, the team are in-charge of the day-to-day running and upkeep of both Belvedere House Nursing Care Home and Weston Acres House for independently living tenants. As well as improving the standard of living for our current residents and tenants, the maintenance team are also working towards a lasting legacy for the Society.” To find out more about the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society please visit the website: www.royalalfredseafarers.co.uk. To keep up to date with the latest news from the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society you can follow and like the official Society Twitter (@RAseafarers) and Facebook pages.
Stepping into spring: seasonal activities at CHS Group services
As the days get longer and brighter, CHS Group has been celebrating the new season with a range of activities across its nurseries, care homes and community support services – from hatching chicken eggs to creating bird feeders and enjoying a sing and dance in the garden. Sunflower Nurseries – Cambridge & CambourneChildren at CHS Group’s Sunflower Nursery in Cambourne have been exploring nature and looking out for different animals, including ducks at the local lake and rabbits in the surrounding woodland. At the Cambridge nursery, staff members have recently reintroduced the ‘Living Eggs’ experience for the children, a two-week educational programme that provides nurseries with everything they need to hatch chicks. Over the past few weeks, children have been waiting patiently for the eggs to hatch and now have an unmissable opportunity to look after the baby chicks for two weeks at the nursery, gaining a better understanding of the life cycle of a chicken. CHS Group’s Cambridge Care homesElderly residents at CHS Group’s Langdon House care home made the most of the milder weather recently and experienced some garden entertainment – including a sing and dance – with The Entertainment Providers’ Rock Around the Clock show. Residents at Langdon House and Alex Wood House have been keeping busy with lots of cooking, painting and gardening activities, and, as more springtime birds come out to sing, they have also been handmaking bird feeders which will hang outside the lounge window, making an attractive bird watching spot. At both Langdon House and Alex Wood House care homes, residents have enjoyed the easing of restrictions around visitors and being reunited with family members. Russell Street serviceDuring the inaugural National Day of Reflection, which recognised a year since the first UK lockdown, residents and staff at CHS Group’s Russell Street service put together and buried a time capsule to mark both their individual and shared experiences over the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Russell Street offers accommodation and support for single adults (18-64) who have a learning disability, are on the autistic spectrum, or have acquired brain injuries. Railway House serviceRailway House offers accommodation and support for young people aged 16-25 who would otherwise be homeless. To ensure residents did not miss out on Easter celebrations, supporters donated £176 to ensure every young person received an Easter egg and they were even treated to a lockdown takeaway too. Nigel Howlett, Chief Executive, CHS Group, comments: “As the seasons change, the days get warmer and England moves out of the latest COVID-19 lockdown, there is much cause for celebration. We love hearing about all of our nursery children’s explorations with nature – there is so much curiosity about animals and the way the world works. It is also truly wonderful to see the residents at our care homes finally able to see two visitors, however, we recognise the need for ongoing cautiousness over the coming months and we will be putting on lots of garden and socially distanced activities while certain lockdown measures remain in place. “I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our staff members across the CHS Group services who always go the extra mile to offer such creative, brilliant activities to our residents, nursery children and service users – no matter what challenges they face.”
How one care home manager has brought joy to elderly residents during lockdown
A care home manager who has dedicated more than half her life to social care, has been named a Healthcare Hero in a nationwide search celebrating key workers. Danielle Bullent from Gorleston-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth has been awarded the accolade in Quinyx’s inaugural Workforce Heroes Awards. She was nominated by her colleagues from Laurel Lodge residential home in Norwich and her former manager from Park House in Great Yarmouth. Danielle was involved in organising a surprise anniversary celebration for Derek and Phyllis Mapes. The couple, both aged 90, were unable to celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary as they had been apart for eight months because of lockdown. After Derek joined Phyllis at Laurel Lodge in the autumn, Danielle and the team organised a special meal with entertainment, to commemorate the occasion. The 35-year-old mum-of-two began working in the care industry as a care assistant, aged just 17. Steadily progressing up the career ladder, in October 2019 she accepted the role of manager with the Black Swan Care Group home, after completing an NVQ in Leadership and Management. After only 12 weeks in the new position, the coronavirus pandemic hit. Danielle recalls how the past year has been challenging but how she is extremely proud of keeping the care home COVID-free, while prioritising residents’ mental health and wellbeing and maintaining a positive environment for all. Describing work as “her passion”, she explains: “I was new to the role and there were many different protocols and procedures to implement around infection control, PPE and safeguarding residents because of the virus outbreak – so it was a lot to get my head around at the start! “There were some real lows – residents missed their families, and the team was faced with significant additional pressure. But looking back they did, and are still doing, a tremendous job. I couldn’t be prouder.” To keep spirits high amongst her workforce of 39, Danielle introduced regular group chats for her team on WhatsApp so everyone could air their thoughts and feelings, while being commended on their achievements. The team could also take advantage of pizza treats and sweet baskets, for when they worked late or needed a little pick-me-up. The addition of a ‘You Matter’ display, which featured helpful local information and support services and a breakdown of the ‘who’s who’ of the head office team, proved particularly popular with Danielle’s colleagues. Making this difficult time a little easier to bear for the 30 residents and their families, Danielle organised daily Zoom chats between loved ones and ensured the weekly schedule of activities included something for everyone, from cooking or dancing to a music session. A former majorette, she put on a baton twirl show for residents and hand-delivered them all biscuits and a rose on Valentine’s Day. Danielle’s idea of a wishing tree, for the community to share their hopes and aspirations, resulted in one palliative care resident getting a signed Wolves shirt that he had always longed for and signed autographs from his favourite players. And at the end of last year, memory books were created for the families of those who had sadly passed away. The keepsakes featured images of the resident along with messages and memories from the care home team. Although this past year has been mentally and physically tough for Danielle and has meant her willingly clocking up 60+ hour weeks, she has focused on keeping herself and her family, sons Jay (17) and Harry (11) plus husband Remi, healthy. Losing a stone since November, after she took up running to help manage her stress levels, Danielle concludes: “When I started the new manager job the weight crept on as I was grabbing convenient foods and snacks when I could. I started to feel sluggish and it was making me feel a bit low, so I began making healthy food with the family and now run about five miles, three times a week. I feel great for it.” Daniel Holmberg, Country Manager for workforce management solution Quinyx UK was one of the judges for the Workforce Heroes Awards. He adds: “We had some really strong entries for the accolade of Healthcare Hero – it is so hard to pick just one winner when there’s so many fantastic examples of people going over and above at work. “What really stood out from Danielle’s entry was that she’d been nominated several times by her team and she is so passionate about making sure everyone is happy and healthy – both physically and mentally. She faced the pandemic head on – leading by example, making her a very deserved winner.” Celebrating the hard work and dedication of frontline workers who really excelled in 2020, Quinyx launched the Workforce Heroes UK search in early 2021 to find the Retail, Healthcare and Logistics Heroes.
NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service support Sue Ryder in light of the coronavirus pandemic
Sue Ryder is amongst the first healthcare providers in England to use the recently launched NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service to meet the new official cleaning standard. The NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service has completed bespoke training for Sue Ryder cleaning staff and follow-up audits of its premises. The charity, which runs hospices and specialist neurological care centres across the country brought in the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service in order to ensure that staff, patients and visitors feel reassured with the extra layer of cleaning protocols in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service trained the hospice and neurological care centre staff in ‘Cleaning the NHS Way’, the first ever programme for domestic cleaning to be accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. The training programme is delivered by NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service founders, NTH Solutions, an NHS wholly-owned facilities management company and subsidiary of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. NTH Solutions worked in partnership with their infrastructure delivery partner Tutum Health to provide the service to Sue Ryder. On top of training, each hospice and neurological care centre was audited by the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, and offered additional guidance and assurance on cleaning protocols, as well as certification for all cleaning staff in attendance. Ian Peri, Head of Health, Safety, Estates and Environment, who managed the roll out of the service across Sue Ryder, said: “The service we have received from NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service has been exceptional. “Receiving accredited training and on site support for our staff from the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service has gone a long way in ensuring that sense of security for both our staff and our patients.”Mike Worden, Managing Director of the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, said: “When our Service was developed a year ago, our aim was to bring confidence to our community colleagues, so that they could feel safer in their environments. We started very locally, just education trusts and local businesses, to help people deal with the pandemic. Cleaning is such a fundamental step in protecting ourselves against diseases and we had a lot of knowledge at our disposal to help the people around us. We also wanted to take off pressure from our local hospital in Stockton as it managed a growing number of Covid patients. We then began to expand our service and provide support on a wider geographic scale, and a year later, it’s incredible that we’re helping to protect communities and vulnerable people all over the country. “Partnerships such as this one with Sue Ryder provide the public with all of the experience and expertise in the NHS standard of cleanliness, as well as the reassurance we were giving to the doctors and patients at the height of the first wave in our hospital that it was a covid safe environment. Improving our public cleaning is key not only for coming out of the pandemic, but for reducing the risk of another pandemic in the future.”
