Care catering’s unsung heroes honoured at the NACC Awards 2019
On the 10th October, the National Association of Care Catering – NACC celebrated outstanding contributions to the care catering sector at the NACC Awards 2019. The winners of the prestigious awards, which recognise teams and individuals from across the sector that demonstrate innovation, excellence and dedication in their field, were announced at a gala awards dinner at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. The special event was attended by the NACC’s members, patron and ambassadors together with industry colleagues, partners and guests. The 2019 NACC Award winners are: Care Establishment of the Year Award, sponsored by Hobart: Ferndown Manor, Care UK The preferences of residents are at the centre of mealtimes at Ferndown Manor. Menus reflect their tastes and needs, whilst attractive, relaxed dining rooms create enjoyable and unhurried restaurant-quality dining experiences. The judges confirmed that their success can be summed up in the words of one resident who said: “It’s like a five-star hotel with care.” Meals on Wheels Award, sponsored by apetito: County Enterprise Foods Nottinghamshire County Council The in-house Meals on Wheels team champions the benefits of the important service. As well as delivering nutritious meals it provides valuable community support, which most recently includes Scambuster training to help protect the vulnerable from scams. The judges praised the service, saying: “It’s very clear this multi-award-winning enterprise never rests on its laurels.” Catering Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Brakes: Soil Association, Food for Life; Getting together through food The innovative, intergenerational Food for Life Better Care initiative brings together care home residents and children in nurseries and schools across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The positive results include increased food and fluid intake, improved memory recall and reduced social isolation. The judges described it as: “A superb example of teamwork across disparate organisations with a shared goal.” Catering Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions: Adriano Carvalho, Head Chef, Gracewell of Newbury Motivated to improve the quality of services for residents, families and staff, Adriano created a development programme to inspire internal progression. In the last two years, there have been no resignations and in the last year, no agency staff and less than 10% absence. The judges were impressed, stating: “Here we saw a passionate and constant innovator who never ever stands still.” Our Care Catering Hero Award, sponsored by Premier Foods: Ivan Nobrega, Service Driver, apetito In 2019, Ivan performed an outstanding act of bravery. On discovering a fire at a client’s home, he alerted the emergency services and got the husband and wife couple safely out of the property. Their home was destroyed and there’s no doubt his quick thinking saved their lives. The judges agreed with Ivan’s line manager who said: “He’s a dedicated and modest individual who sees his round as personally his own.” Region of the Year Award, sponsored by Meiko: North Region The North region held onto the hotly-contested title of Region of the Year for the second year running. An achievement the judges described as ‘well-deserved’. Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award: Berenice Pretlove The Pam Rhodes Award recognises the work and commitment of an individual that has made a lasting contribution to the NACC. For the past seven years, Berenice has supported the association, continually raising its profile through communications. She has advised executive board members, been instrumental in responding to the media, managing communications and establishing key relationships, represented the association at major events and has been editor of the NACC Yearbook since 2014. Berenice has become a font of knowledge and key member of the NACC and is well respected for her genuine passion and going above the call of duty. Chairman’s Award 2019: Adam Michallat-Cox Neel Radia, the NACC Chairman, awarded this special recognition to Adam Michallat-Cox, describing him as a NACC unsung hero. A member of the NACC for 14 years, he’s been consistently supportive, volunteering his time to help drive the growth of the association. Adam has held regional and national positions, including South West Secretary, South West Chair and National Deputy Chair and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes. As well as supporting the NACC, Adam does a lot of great work for the wider community, including being the founder and now trustee of the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance. Neel Radia, National Chair of the NACC, comments: “Congratulations to the NACC Awards 2019 winners. They are all fine examples of the exceptional talent, dedication and innovation that the care catering sector produces. “It’s an absolute privilege to honour the hard work and vision of care catering professionals up and down the country. They really are unsung heroes. Their incredible work helps ensure individuals in a care environment receive the quality care they deserve. Through innovation and unwavering commitment, person-centred nutrition, hydration and wellbeing are always at the core of mealtimes, whatever challenges the sector faces. The awards have always been a personal highlight and celebrating our inspirational and deserved winners was a wonderful way to end my six-year tenure as NACC Chairman.” For more information on the NACC Awards 2019 and the NACC visit www.thenacc.co.uk
A quarter of councils have stopped offering Meals on Wheels
24 per cent of the UK’s local authorities have stopped offering a Meals on Wheels service since 2014. Just 42 per cent of local authorities now offer any kind of Meals on Wheels service to elderly and vulnerable people living in our communities. These are the findings of new research from the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) for Meals on Wheels Week 2018 (5-9 November). The survey of the higher tier authorities in the UK shows a steady decline in the provision of Meals on Wheels services since the NACC first commissioned the research in 2014, when 66% of UK local authorities provided a service, and again in 2016, when the figure was 48%. The research also shows that the number of councils subsidising the service financially has decreased from 80 per cent in 2016 to just 58 per cent in 2018. This reduction in the provision of Meals on Wheels is due to the drastic reduction in Adult Social Care budgets, estimated to be over £2 billion by the Local Government Association. The NACC is calling on the Government to increase funding to communities across the country to secure the future of the Meals on Wheels services, whether provided by a local authority, charity, voluntary group or private enterprise. The service brings considerable benefits to its users and is also proven to reduce the pressure on health and social care services by improving the overall health and wellbeing of service users and allowing people to continue living in their own homes. As highlighted in the research, the North West is now the worst area of the country for Meals on Wheels, with only 13 per cent of councils providing the service, down from nearly half of councils in 2014. It is also slim pickings in the North East, where just 17 per cent of councils offer meals to older people at home. In the East Midlands, nearly four in every ten councils have cut their Meals on Wheels service in the last four years. Meals on Wheels – more than just a meal The Meals on Wheels service enables the elderly and vulnerable to live independently in their homes for longer. It keeps them nourished and hydrated with a nutritious daily meal (in many cases the only one they will have each day) and provides an essential preventative service that reduces costly malnutrition-related admissions to hospital that are adding to the terrible strain on the NHS. For the majority of service users, Meals on Wheels is so much more than just a meal. It is a social lifeline that eases the devastating effects of isolation and loneliness. The delivery of a meal brings regular human contact, which for many may be the only interaction they enjoy. It also provides much-needed wellbeing and safety checks, again, crucial for those that may not see anyone else during the day. Meals on Wheels Week 2018 As well as raising awareness of the decline in essential Meals on Wheels services and the need to protect the service, Meals on Wheels Week activity champions the positive, innovative work of NACC members and social care providers that has enabled services to continue despite austerity. Meals on Wheels Week 2018 activities include: Food Poverty Conference at City Hall – organised by the charity Sustain, the NACC will focus on Meals on Wheels as part of a round table discussion on tackling food poverty, alongside London authorities, on Monday 5 November Innovative case studies – inspirational case studies from NACC members that show how innovation and alternative models have enabled services to continue to run and benefit the community will be released during Meals on Wheels Week, in partnership with Sustain. On Thursday 8 November, an interactive webinar will discuss the case studies VIP on Wheels – across the country Meals on Wheels services are inviting local dignitaries and celebrities to join a delivery round to see first-hand the positive impact the service has on service users and the community Neel Radia, national chair of the NACC, said: “Meals on Wheels is a vital part of social care and a lifeline that helps elderly and vulnerable people to keep a level of independence in their own homes. It’s therefore disappointing, if not unexpected, to see a further decline in service provision across the UK. The meals provided by these services are carefully tailored to meet customers’ dietary requirements, and their loss could lead to malnutrition, greater social isolation and loneliness. Meals on Wheels isn’t just about delivering a meal. Service providers regularly check upon elderly and vulnerable people to make sure they are fed and hydrated and that their health isn’t deteriorating. For many older and vulnerable people, the Meals on Wheels delivery might be the only friendly face they see from one day to the next. Just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister asked postal workers to check on elderly and vulnerable people as part of her new loneliness strategy. Meals on Wheels already provides this vital contact, but when it comes to concrete action to support this efficient and beneficial service, we only see shrinking budgets. The Government has claimed they will bring about the ‘end of austerity’, but vulnerable people are seeing services they depend on disappear because of the squeeze in local authorities’ budgets. The Government should safeguard Meals on Wheels services by making sure councils have the funding and resources necessary to provide them. On a positive note, NACC members and providers across the country are not giving up on the Meals on Wheels service easily. We have seen exceptional examples of providers thinking differently and finding alternative approaches and models that have enabled them to continue to run the service, and most importantly, continue to benefit the community and the people they serve both today and in the future. This is what we are championing during Meals on Wheels Week and I encourage everyone to follow the event on social media and, where possible, take part.” For more information about the NACC and Meals
