Caring Times, June 2024

06/2024
June Edition
Election
time
Dan Hayes, chief executive of
Order of St John’s Care Trust,
the UK’s most historic care
provider, details his ‘asks’
from the next government as
polling day looms
Opinion:
Nadra Ahmed gives her take on the
upcoming General Election
Politics & policy:
CQC’s Ian Trenholm breaks down the
Single Assessment Framework so far
Care Managers Show:
Everything you need to know about the
show’s return to Birmingham this June
caring-times.co.uk

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business
8 OPINION
Nadra Ahmed gives the National
Care Association’s take on the
upcoming General Election
10 LEADER'S SPOTLIGHT
In the hotseat this month is Dan Hayes,
chief executive of Order of St John’s
Care Trust
14 POLITICS & POLICY
The Single Assessment Framework
so far, with Ian Trenholm (CQC)
and Nikki Walker (QCS)
16 SURVEYS & DATA
The UK has seen a 76% decline
in visa applications from health
and care workers

business | welcome
Hit the ground running
Chief executive officer
Alex Dampier
Chief operating officer
Sarah Hyman
Chief marketing officer
Julia Payne
Editor-in-chief
Sam Lewis
Features editor
Charlotte Goddard
Subeditor
Charles Wheeldon
Advertising & event sales director
Caroline Bowern
0797 4643292
caroline.bowern@nexusgroup.co.uk
Business development director
Mike Griffin
Business development executive
Kirsty Parks
Event manager
Conor Diggin
Marketing content manager
Sophie Davies
Publisher
Harry Hyman
Investor Publishing Ltd, 3rd Floor,
10 Rose and Crown Yard, King Street,
London, SW1Y 6RE
Tel: 020 7104 2000
Website: caring-times.co.uk
Caring Times is published 10 times a year by
Investor Publishing Ltd. ISSN 0953-4873
© Investor Publishing Limited 2023
The views expressed in Caring Times are not necessarily
those of the editor or publishers.
Caring Times and the CT® logo are registered trademarks
of Nexus Media Group
@Caring_Times
linkedin.com/company/caring-times
Hello! If you hadn’t already noticed, I’m
not Lee Peart!
Yes, this marks my first issue as editor of
Caring Times, and it’s an honour to have
been entrusted with such an esteemed and
long-running title, and a pleasure to be
able to continue my work with you, the
good people of social care.
But there’s no time for sentimentality,
because no sooner did I join than Rishi
Sunak made the announcement that the
UK General Election would be taking
place on 4 July. (It never rains but it pours,
right?)
Nevertheless, after months of
speculation, I couldn’t be happier to
finally have an election date on the
horizon. The outcome might feel like a
formality, but that doesn’t mean any of us
knows what the post-election landscape is
going to look like, especially for care.
My gut feeling is that Labour knows
it’s a hot-button topic, and with the Lib
Dems and Greens making it a pivotal
part of their campaigns, Labour will be
under pressure to deliver. However, we’ve
been here before: Boris Johnson famously
promised to “fix” social care, and on his
departure from Downing Street claimed
to have succeeded, much to the outrage of
most. So, how do we know Labour won’t
pull a similar stunt?
Well, we don’t. That’s the scary part.
But that doesn’t mean it’s out of our
business contents
6 NEWS IN BRIEF
Our round-up of last month’s big stories
8 OPINION
Nadra Ahmed is in the hotseat in this
month’s opinion pages
10 LEADER'S SPOTLIGHT
Charlotte Goddard sits down with OSJCT’s
Dan Hayes
14 POLITICS & POLICY
Ian Trenholm and Nikki Walker review the
Single Assessment Framework
16 SURVEYS & DATA
Health and Care Worker visa applications
plummeting
control. The sector has been shouting
about the need for reform and more
funding for years, and – with an election
incoming and the parties no doubt
working on their manifestos as I write –
now is the time to redouble our efforts
and shout louder than ever. We know that
the quality of life of our most vulnerable
individuals relies on the victorious party
taking the social care crisis seriously; now
it’s time to make sure they understand
that too.
I can’t predict what will happen, but I
do feel like it’s going to be a rocky ride,
so strap in and get ready. I look forward
to bringing you all the biggest news,
interviews and more over the coming
months and years, and continuing my
work with friends old and new in the care
sector.
(To get in touch with news, pitches,
queries or just to say hello, email me at
sam.lewis@nexusgroup.co.uk.)
Sam Lewis, Editor-in-chief
Caring Times
18 SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
With CareTech and Hartford Care
20 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT
We round up last month’s big deals
24 PEOPLE MOVES
The major people moves from the last month
26 LEGAL & REGULATORY
With Mills & Reeve
4 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

business | news
News in brief
POLICY & POLITICS
More than £9.2 million is being given
to third-sector organisations in
Scotland over the next three years
to provide independent support,
information, advice and advocacy
to people using social care and their
carers. The Support in the Right
Direction fund (2024-27) is managed
by Inspiring Scotland and will
support the delivery of the Scottish
government’s Self-Directed Support
Improvement Plan 2023-27 by
empowering people to have choice and
control over their social care support.
A call for evidence has been launched
by the government to capture and
consider views about how the duty
of candour system is honoured,
monitored and enforced in health and
social care settings. The review was
launched amid concerns there is some
inconsistency in how the system is
being applied with it having been in
place for a decade. Minister for mental
health and women’s health strategy,
Maria Caulfield, said: “I spent 20
years working as a nurse in the NHS,
and I know how important it is that
health and care providers are open
with patients and their loved ones –
especially if something has gone wrong.
I want to ensure that our system of
duty of candour is kept up to date, so I
urge anyone with views or experience
to respond to the call for evidence to
help inform our review, which will
ensure that honesty and integrity
remain at the heart of our health and
social care services.”
Maria Caulfield
Preparing for Care Home Open Week
LEGAL & REGULATORY
An Ombudsman investigation has
found evidence a company failed to
provide adequately trained live-in
carers. Promedica24 was asked to
pay £550 and ensure its carers met
the needs of service users following
a complaint about its live-in care
in Lancashire between April and
November 2022. The Ombudsman said
Promedica24 had acknowledged some
of its care was below an acceptable
standard and appeared to accept
some workers didn’t have sufficient
training or experience to meet service
users’ needs, including their dietary
requirements. The complainant
terminated his contract on the ground
of unsatisfactory service and has
refused to pay a termination fee of
almost £4,000.
New guidance has been published
by the Information Commissioner’s
Officer to improve health and social
care transparency. The guidance by
the UK data protection regulator
is designed to help organisations
understand the definition of, and assess
appropriate levels of, transparency.
It also provides practical steps to
developing effective transparency
information.
An Aberdeen care worker was given
a six months’ suspension order for
poking a resident on the shoulder and
twisting their finger. A Scottish Social
Services Council issued the sanction
to Gabriel David who was as care
assistant at Caring Homes when the
incident took place in June last year. A
care home resident told the panel that
David had poked them on the shoulder
three or four times after they had made
a joke about him not responding when
they asked for assistance. The resident
said David then pointed a finger
in their face. He then grabbed the
resident’s finger and twisted it.
PROVIDER NEWS
Thousands of care services are expected
to open their doors for this year’s
Care Home Open Week, taking place
from 24 to 30 June. A launch event in
London will include a visit from social
care minister Helen Whately. Events
will take place across the country
during the week with Friday 28 June
branded MP Engagement Day. Last
year’s Care Home Open Week saw
around a third of care homes register
to take part, with more than 150
MPs visiting a home. Event organiser
Championing Social Care anticipates
another successful campaign of public
engagement.
Oyster Care Homes hosted a
topping out ceremony for Somer Valley
House in Midsomer Norton, Somerset,
a 66-bed care home scheduled to open
in October. Somer Valley House is
equipped with solar panels, a battery
store capable of holding two days’
energy, and ground-source heating.
The topping out ceremony marked
the completion of the roofing stage,
paving the way for the next phases of
construction. It was attended by Dan
Norris, mayor of the West of England.
Ideal Carehomes has topped out
its newest eco-friendly care home in
Cheltenham as the building prepares
to open in September in what will
be the provider’s 37th home. A solar
6 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

news | business
Topping out at Somer Valley House
panel was added to the home’s roof in
a ceremonial topping out to mark the
next stage of construction. The Energy
Performance Certificate A-rated care
home has been built to be energy
efficient and environmentally friendly.
Ground source heat pump technology
allows the home to operate as a carbonfree
green home running without the
use of gas.
FUNDRAISING
Avnish Goyal, chair of Hallmark
Luxury Care Homes, abseiled down
the Empire State Building as part
of a fundraising event in early May.
Goyal, who also founded charities the
Hallmark Foundation and the Goyal
Foundation, was one of 20 fundraisers
to take part in the Big Rappel event
which is raising funds for education
and charitable network Outward
Bound. The group, which included
actor and musician Jared Leto, abseiled
nearly 900 feet from the building’s
iconic spire down to the 30th floor.
The event was supported by Outward
Bound trustee Princess Beatrice, and
donations so far exceed £2.4 million.
Avnish Goyal at the top of the
Empire State Building
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CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 7

business | opinion
Under pressure
Nadra Ahmed, executive co-chairman of the National Care Association (NCA),
paints a picture of a sector that has grown used to being under immense
pressure, a sector that needs actions, not words, from the next government
Having worked in the world of
social care for over four decades
I have been on the receiving
end of the pressures of being a provider,
which far outweigh the role of a sector
representative. At no time during
this period have a I felt completely
comfortable in the knowledge that
social care is valued for the enormous
contribution that it makes in the lives of
those who need it.
The importance of social care for those
who use it continues to grow, while in
the political area, where decisions need
to be made, it remains firmly in the toodifficult-to-solve
pile. Despite promises
from every prime minister since Tony
Blair, standing on the steps of Downing
Street telling the country that they
have the solution for social care, they
have all left office without making any
sustainable difference.
We seldom hear about the
contribution social care makes to the
wellbeing of people when they face
unexpected or critical challenges, or the
support it gives to families and friends
at times of despair. Sadly, these things
are not often highlighted because a
“Despite promises
from every prime
minister since Tony
Blair, standing on
the steps of Downing
Street telling the
country that they have
the solution for social
care, they have all left
office without making
any sustainable
difference.”
poor portrayal of care is what interests
journalists and sells papers. We know
there are sympathetic politicians and
journalists, but the impact they can make
is often negligible. No one person stands
out in my mind who has consistently
championed the role of social care
while in office: notably, when they are
in a position to do something tangible,
amnesia sets in.
It is always frustrating, for those
working in social care, to be constantly
portrayed as unscrupulous employers
‘deliberately’ paying poorly to ensure
huge profits. The reality is that over
82% of providers are classed as small
and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
and will be working in their business in
some capacity. SMEs are often familyrun
services with substantial borrowings,
which means that they will be affected
by every rise in interest rates, utility
bills or cost of living. A substantial
number of these services will have local
authority contracts which means that
they are systematically underfunded and
so subsidising the state. Their business
models will be complex, and any
resilience will be tested in the current
climate.
We must never forget that the role
of social care is an ever-evolving one
and has historic roots. Definitions
have changed in modern days, but the
ethos of the service remains, which is
to support those who need it. Control
of the services and the funding of them
has always remained a substantial issue
since I have been in working in social
care, and the distribution of funds gives
commissioners a dominant position
which plays out differently across the
country. This means that there isn’t a
nationally acceptable level of fee for
individuals in their own homes or in
a care setting. Fees are set by the local
authority and providers are increasingly
moving towards privately-funded
placements to ensure business viability:
inadvertently, we have allowed a two-tier
“In the 1980s people
used to walk into our
services; today they
often arrive in an
ambulance and come
with complex health
care needs.”
system to emerge – a postcode lottery.
There is no doubt that social care
delivers so much more than the tin
says. According to the term ‘social
care’ we are deemed to be supporting
people with social needs to counter
social isolation and age-related ailments
which make living alone in your own
home undesirable or risky. The reality
today is that we are caring for people
who, less than two decades ago, were
supported by the NHS in long-term
wards or specialist hospitals. I recall
doing work experience in the early 1980s
in an establishment where people with
disabilities were housed. When that
service was closed a decade later many of
the residents were dispersed to private
settings.
In the 1980s people used to walk into
our services; today they often arrive in
an ambulance and come with complex
health care needs.
The delivery model is such that we
are caring for people with increasingly
complex care needs. As a sector we
are creating services which will enable
people to live in homely environments
despite some very challenging
conditions. To do this, we need a
confident and competent workforce
which means we are upskilling them to
levels akin to health care assistants in
hospitals, but sadly we cannot match the
pay thresholds they deserve. The irony is
that we do this at a cost well below the
true cost of care: all we need to look at
8 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

“Our reliance on
foreign nationals in
social care and health
is purely because we
do not have a domestic
workforce in sufficient
numbers to meet the
growing need.”
is the comparison of keeping someone
in hospital at the cost of over £2300 per
week, as opposed to a week in a social
care setting of £700-900.
As we all acknowledge, the sector
would be nowhere without our amazing
workforce. They are seldom valued or
acknowledged publicly for the work they
do, but regularly criticised. The image of
our sector is tarnished by stories of poor
care, even when the issues were raised
in an NHS setting like Winterbourne
View; press referred to it as social care
setting and that it was how the optics
stayed. We have a regulator who appears
to be ever less capable of proactive
support hiding behind desktop analysis.
There is a critical shortage of staff,
well debated across many forums. The
reality is that social care is a highly
skilled role which is not valued or
rewarded appropriately. How do we
square the circle of insufficient funding
for the delivery of care and valuing our
workforce through pay and conditions
which recognise their skills, training and
commitment to the role.
Our reliance on foreign nationals in
social care and health is purely because
we do not have a domestic workforce in
sufficient numbers to meet the growing
need. Despite warnings, decision-makers
have consistently chosen to neglect
the impact of workforce shortages on
care delivery. Commitments given
are short-lived, and any recruitment
support from overseas is overshadowed
by the discussions framed by the wider
immigration debate, not in the interest
of those we care for.
The solution lies in nurturing and
developing a domestic workforce. The
reality is, until and unless we improve
the status of the role and create
professionally recognised pathways, we
will continue to struggle; the workforce
is needed today, not in five years’ time,
and it has to be people who cherish
the role, not ones who are forced into
it. We are looking after people, not
widgets. Compassion and care should be
paramount for everyone who choses to
work in our sector.
Going forward, we have to ensure
that we value the role of social care
and recognise it as a key partner in the
solution of the challenges faced by the
NHS. Decisions made must not be
on how social care can help the NHS
targets, but about how social care can
grow and support people, so they don’t
have to turn to the NHS.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 9

business | leader’s spotlight
‘Asks’ from a new government
Charlotte Goddard talks to The Orders of St John Care
Trust’s chief executive Dan Hayes about his top requests
from a new government
There are not many care
providers that can lay claim to a
history of care stretching back
almost 1,000 years, but not-for-profit
organisation The Orders of St John Care
Trust (OSJCT) does just that. One of
its sponsoring organisations, the Order
of Malta, started out by providing a
hospice for sick pilgrims in 1099. The
other, the Venerable Order of St John,
is the organisation behind St John’s
Ambulance.
While the charity is rooted in history,
chief executive Dan Hayes is in the
mood to look forwards, not backwards.
On the morning we meet, Labour leader
Sir Keir Starmer has just revealed the
six actions his party would prioritise if
it wins the general election, with social
care conspicuous by its absence.
“It isn’t a manifesto, but it is clearly the
things they see as their most important
messages, and the fact that social care is
missing sends a message to everybody
about the importance they attach to it,”
says Hayes.
Hayes has been part of OSJCT for
more than 20 years, joining in 2003 in
a human resources role after spending
some time working for the NHS. “I
joined having only ever stepped inside
one care home in my life, which bizarrely
enough happened to be an OSJCT care
home which my great aunt was living
in,” he says. “I've been at the trust ever
since. Wherever you are in the trust,
whether you are a leader, or work in
invoice processing or health and safety,
you are so close to the delivery of the
main service that you can see the impact
you have.”
As well as being chief executive of
OSJCT, Hayes is a board member of the
National Care Forum (NCF), which last
year announced its “social care musthaves”
for the next government. These
five proposed reforms are:
• Think social care first – Ensure that
people care about social care like they
do the NHS and understand its central
role in joined up health and care.
• Improve the pay, terms and conditions
of the workforce.
• Invest in people, not profit.
• Create an economic growth strategy
for adult social care.
• Enshrine rights, fairness and choice for
people in a National Care Covenant.
Hayes says that his own “social care
asks” are broadly aligned with the
membership body, which he sees as
playing a vital role in the sector. The first
100 days is a key time for any incoming
government, and while he admits his
expectations are low, he would like to see
an immediate commitment to social care.
Dan Hayes
“Make a commitment to return to
the reform agenda, with a principle
of a fairer, better-funded system,” he
says. “The one thing that will make the
NHS work a lot better, even better
than pouring a load of money into it,
would be to get social care working
properly and fairly – the NHS would be
strengthened as a result of that.”
Whichever party is governing after
the next election, it needs to take a
cross-party approach to social care,
Hayes believes. “It's a major fix that is
required and that is only really going to
be achieved by some sort of cross-party
“It isn’t a manifesto,
but it is clearly the
things they see as
their most important
messages, and the
fact that social care
is missing sends a
message to everybody
about the importance
they attach to it.”
OSJCT Edwardstow Court in Stow on the Wold
10 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

OSJCT is committed to providing a nurturing environment where residents and colleagues thrive
“Make a commitment to return to the
reform agenda, with a principle of a fairer,
better-funded system,”
solution,” he says. “As a priority, any incoming government
should say ‘let’s start to work together straightaway on a
solution’, right at the beginning of the new government. Any
fix is clearly going to spread over more than one electoral
cycle, and other parties need to commit to not changing the
foundations drastically.”
A new government can take some confidence in the public
reaction to the temporary increase in the National Insurance
Levy, which was raised by 1.25 percentage points in April 2022 to
fund health and social care – even though this was then reversed
in November 2022. “The first thing is to take some confidence
from what's happened in recent years,” he says. “In the last two
years, the National Insurance Levy was raised to fund social care
in the future and there were no riots on the streets. The only
public pushback I saw was the fact that people didn't trust it was
going to be spent where the government said it was going to be
spent. I hope that an incoming government sees that as a massive
confidence boost that people will pay for a fairer system.”
However, since the publication of the adult social care reform
White Paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’ in 2021, little has
changed. “We were within touching distance of some moves
that would have fundamentally improved social care but, three
years later, it has just been forgotten,” he says. “I think we've
got a good minister in Helen Whately, who is somebody that I
think is committed to the sector, and there have been some >
Reliable, clear advice
on what to do and why
Specialist in the Care Sector
38 years of experience
in Conflict Resolution
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with 90+ employees
Email us at charlotte.macfarlane@catolex.law
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CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 11

> good attempts at reform, but we end
the term further behind than when we
started it.”
Hayes is calling for a move away from
“short-termism” in social care planning,
with decisions based entirely on finances.
“What we're seeing as a provider are
things like short stay rehabilitative beds
being pulled by the integrated care
boards, not because it is the least used
service – in fact it is probably the most
beneficial service – but because it's the
easiest thing to pull,” he says.
While he believes well-delivered home
care can be the best option for many
people, he is cynical about a move away
from rehabilitative beds in care homes
and towards care in the home, believing
it is motivated by finances rather than
care quality. “If what's happening is a
genuine growth in high-quality care
packages delivered at home, I think
that's fantastic,” he says. “But I think
we'd all be cynical about a service that
goes from being pretty substantial to
almost nothing overnight. Have we
really created a system that is providing
loving, rehabilitative care for all those
people who were with us yesterday? Are
they all receiving that care in their own
homes today to the same standards? It
makes me slightly concerned about what
might be going on behind the front
doors of a percentage of those people.”
The NCF’s social care ‘asks’ include
“improve the pay, terms and conditions
of the workforce”. As an employer
committed to paying the Real Living
Wage, this is something that Hayes is
very much behind. “Labour has been
talking about a new deal for workers, with
an initial focus on social care,” he says.
Labour has said it will establish a Fair Pay
Agreement in adult social care to improve
terms and conditions across the sector.
“In my humble opinion nobody is
more deserving of a better deal than
social care workers,” says Hayes. “I think
the majority of employers want to give
that better deal and are only held back
by the current funding model. We pay
above the Real Living Wage, we give
great sickness benefits and pensions, and
this all comes at the cost of a sustainable
surplus each year.”
With many care workers held back by
lack of qualifications, Hayes would like
to see a new emphasis on the value of
experience within the sector, enabling
practitioners to progress into roles in
nursing and social work. “Often the
barrier is the GCSEs and A-levels
required,” he says. “It is important to
recognise that lots of people in social care
haven’t had a great academic experience,
OSJCT Grace Care Centre in Thornbury
but the experience they have gained while
working in social care is invaluable. Let’s
continue to work to recognise that as a
route into these other professions. You
can say social care is then losing people
to other professions, but actually you are
creating a career pathway in the sector –
and the people who then occupy those
professions will have a wholly different
regard for social care, as it is where they
came from. That will change the status of
the sector over time.”
Under Hayes’ leadership the OSJCT
has gone from strength to strength. In
February the organisation merged with
charity The Fremantle Trust, gaining
facilities including 11 care homes
for older people and residential and
supported living services for people
with learning disabilities. In March it
acquired private provider Elmfield Care
which offers residential, dementia and
respite care for around 200 residents
across three purpose-built luxury care
homes in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
12 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

leader’s spotlight | business
While some not-for-profit providers,
such as Anchor, have acquired private
companies, this is the first such move for
the OSJCT. The acquisition will support
the charity’s sustainability, as well as
providing a source of best practice that
can be rolled out across OSJCT’s homes,
says Hayes.
“Charities and not-for-profit
organisations rely very much on people
that pay for their own care to be
sustainable – none of us would be here
without cross-subsidy,” says Hayes. “As a
group we have had a strategy for a long
time to increase the number of people
who fund their own care within the
trust. More recently we have developed
self-funded services with a higher degree
of discretionary choice within them.”
Elmfield’s value base is a good
fit with OSJCT, says Hayes. “The
acquisition does strengthen our
financial performance, which is better
for everybody, but more than that that,
we've bought into practices that we can
apply across the rest of the organisation
OSJCT at a glance
• The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) is a not-for-profit charity providing
care across 62 care homes and eight extra care housing schemes for older people.
• OSJCT offers dementia care supported by specialist Admiral nurses, residential,
nursing, intermediate, respite, day and extra care.
• OSJT caters to nearly 3,000 older people, employs just over 4,400 staff and
manages more than 500 volunteers.
• OSJCT is part of The Orders of St John Care Trust Group, which includes The
Fremantle Trust and Elmfield Care. The group caters to nearly 6,000 people
and employs more than 5,700 staff in 75 care homes, eight extra care housing
schemes, and residential and supported living services for people with learning
disabilities across Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire,
Suffolk, West Sussex and Wiltshire.
that make us better,” he states. “For
example, the way they use their digital
platforms, and the integration of their
enquiry management services.”
While the OSJCT’s two sponsoring
orders have a Christian background,
the organisation is entirely secular on
a day-to-day basis. However, there
is an emphasis on transparency, and
on the provision of loving care. “I
genuinely consider myself as one of
the most fortunate chief executives out
there, because the only thing that the
sponsoring orders challenge me and my
colleagues to deliver is loving care to
anybody that needs it, that comes across
our threshold,” says Hayes. “And that's
what we endeavour to do.”
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CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 13

business | politics & policy
Single Assessment Framework
– is it working?
This month, William Walter, managing director of Bridgehead
Communications, sits down with Nikki Walker, chief executive of Quality
Compliance Systems (QCS), to discuss the ongoing implementation of
the CQC’s Single Assessment Framework.
We begin by discussing the
feedback QCS received
from its customers regarding
the new Single Assessment Framework.
Walker explains that it’s been a mixed
bag: “The theory of it was received
positively, and providers are pleased that
[the guidance and framework] are being
simplified.”
But the change has brought challenges.
She explains: “We have had a lot of
feedback from customers who were
frustrated with the lack of information
and resources available at the beginning,
which was difficult for providers.”
Overall, though, Walker hopes that
the problems in adapting to the CQC’s
new framework are short-term and
“teething problems from having to go
through the steps of implementation
and getting [the new framework] to
come alive”. There are, however, clear
frustrations particularly with access to
the new portal and inconsistency in
inspections. These need to be resolved
for providers to see the benefits of the
new framework.
However, while simplicity has been
“There are, however,
clear frustrations
particularly with
access to the
new portal and
inconsistency in
inspections. These
need to be resolved
for providers to see
the benefits of the
new framework.”
helpful, some parts of social care remain
shrouded in regulatory blind spots, she
explains. “I think there are other spaces
which aren’t regulated sufficiently,
particularly dementia,” Walker says.
She adds: “There is an opportunity for
further thinking about what regulation
is needed to ensure that those living with
dementia consistently receive the right
care and how we enable people to stay
living at home longer.”
This need for continued serious
conversations between regulators,
policymakers and care providers is
compelling for Walker, who believes
only through addressing this can
dementia care be “delivered really well
and done safely”.
Digitally driven
What is clear is that an essential
feature of the new framework has
been a prioritisation of digitally driven
continuous assessment. When pressing
Walker specifically on whether this
reliance on digital data is harmful for
social care, where the human element
is so important, she believes it does not
have to be.
She says: “If it’s done well, no ... it is
possible for providers to make everything
digital. [The pandemic] helped create an
impetus to become more digital, and we
see almost completely digital providers.
Obviously, care is all about the human
element, so this is not about being robotic
… it’s about using technology to support
service users to give the best care most
efficiently.”
The future of care
regulation
As we near the end of our discussion, we
look forward to the future of regulation
in the sector. Given the UK’s ageing
population and rising demand for
adult social care, Walker believes this
Nikki Walker
“I think part of this
has been recognising
that the really detailed
framework we had
wasn’t going to be
workable as we go
forward.”
may have influenced the changes in the
framework. She comments: “I think
part of this has been recognising that the
really detailed framework we had wasn’t
going to be workable as we go forward.”
The overriding message from our
discussion is that while the new Single
Assessment Framework has faced
problems, simplification is good news
for providers. As we wrap up, Walker
highlights the exciting changes in
the sector and draws attention to the
“vision-led businesses” operating within
it who are determined to innovate -
something that QCS, at the forefront
of technology in the care sector, is
spearheading.
14 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

How can it be better?
Ian Trenholm, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC),
explains the implementation of the new Single Assessment Framework
so far, and what improvements can be made. (Interview conducted by
Bridgehead Communications’ William Walter. The following is based on a
blog post published at the end of March, available on Medium.)
politics & policy | business
The CQC is changing. We've
developed and introduced a
new assessment framework
that provides a single vision of quality
for the whole health and care system.
This framework draws heavily on our
experience of regulation over the last
decade, including lessons learned during
the pandemic and our Key Lines of
Enquiry.
Our ambition for the new assessment
approach is to use the data we collect
more effectively, enabling us to more
frequently update our view of quality
across services and systems. This will give
people who receive care and providers a
clear view of the quality of care and areas
for improvement.
Transformation of this scale has
required extensive planning and
development. Over the last three years,
we've worked with people who use
services and the people who care for
them to ensure that the new framework
represents and supports individuals and
their needs.
At the same time, transformation of
this scale is, of course, neither linear nor
simple. We've taken a staged approach,
and we're learning and refining through
“We've taken a
staged approach,
and we're
learning and
refining through
the feedback
we receive from
colleagues across
health and social
care.”
the feedback we receive from colleagues
across health and social care.
Quality statements
We know how important it is for the
public, providers and stakeholders to
share an up-to-date view of quality.
Our new approach allows us to work
in smaller packages over shorter time
frames, working on and off-site, which
providers will find less disruptive.
Frequency of assessments
We also know that providers are keen
to understand the planned frequency
of assessments. We're building that
information using the feedback and data
we gather during this transition period.
We aim to publish timelines in the
summer.
Relationships with providers
Another concern we're hearing from
providers is that they will no longer have
a dedicated relationship holder. Our new
assessment team structure means there
will always be someone you can contact
and speak to with knowledge about
your service. We are reviewing how
this assessment team structure works in
practice and will keep providers updated
on any changes from this work.
Clarity of guidance
We heard that the website's
guidance section needed to be more
straightforward. We've created a new
"guidance and regulation" landing page
and an index page for assessment, setting
out a clear running order and allowing
providers to download all our assessment
content from a single page.
Provider portal
Our new provider portal is now
available. We're continuing to work
towards further improvements, such as
developing how providers upload and
Ian Trenholm
“I'm confident that as
we continue to assess
services against the
new framework and
as our technology
changes mature and
become embedded, the
strategic aims behind
our transformation will
be realised.”
share information with us, for a better
experience.
I'm confident that as we continue
to assess services against the new
framework and as our technology
changes mature and become
embedded, the strategic aims behind
our transformation will be realised.
These aims — regulation driven by
people's needs and experiences, smarter
regulation, safety through learning, and
accelerated improvement – underpin
everything we're collectively working
for.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 15

business | surveys & data
Visa rule changes hit sector hard
The UK has seen a 76% decline in overseas visa applications from
overseas health and care workers since the announcement of new rules
denying migrants the right to bring dependants with them to the country.
Government data shows that,
from January to April of this
year, there were around 12,400
applications for the Health and Care
Worker visa.
This represents a 76% drop from the
50,900 who applied during the same
period last year.
With the changes coming into effect
in March, data from April (the first
full month of data) shows a 58% drop
in applications from health and care
dependants.
Meanwhile, the study visa also saw
a similar drop in applicants, however
the skilled worker visa has rocketed in
popularity.
James Cleverly, Home Secretary, said
the restrictions on visa applicants were
"working" to reduce immigration to the
UK, adding: "The British people deserve
an immigration system that puts their
interests first.
"Our approach is about control and
fairness - to the highly skilled coming
here who deserve a decent wage, to
taxpayers who shouldn't be relied on to
support them, and to British workers
who shouldn't be undercut.
"We will continue to keep these
measures under close review and if
"Our approach is
about control and
fairness - to the highly
skilled coming here
who deserve a decent
wage, to taxpayers
who shouldn't be
relied on to support
them, and to British
workers who shouldn't
be undercut.”
January to April of this year, there were around
12,400
applications for the Health
and Care Worker visa
76% fall
in the number of visa applications from overseas
health and care workers between January and
April 2024 compared with the same period in 2023
needed, we will not hesitate to go
further."
Responding to a 76% fall in the
number of visa applications from
overseas health and care workers
between January and April 2024
compared with the same period in 2023,
Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and
chief executive, said: “Blocking care
workers and their families from coming
to the UK is detrimental to the care of
those in need and cruel to the people
50,900
applied during the same period last year
58% drop in
applications from health and care dependants.
over 150,000 unfilled roles in
our social care sector
who can provide it.
“There are over 150,000 unfilled roles
in our social care sector and it is illogical
for ministers to celebrate making this
situation worse. An overburdened NHS
will continue to pay the price for a
failing care sector. Many of the patients
lining corridors in hospitals should be
supported properly at home instead.
“A safely staffed social care sector
requires rule changes, clear investment
and improving pay and conditions.”
16 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

business | sustainability matters
Commitment to staff
Quality director Nicky Barnes explains how Hartford Care’s focus on employee
wellbeing and career development led to a substantial reduction in agency use
It’s no secret that recruitment
is one of the biggest challenges
facing the care sector, and yet
carers do one of the most important
jobs there is. While it sounds like a
cliché, our people are truly the heart
of Hartford Care; investing in their
career development and wellbeing is
one of our fundamental commitments
as a business. Our continued focus on
improving recruitment and retention
has meant that we have decreased the
use of agency staff by 140% in the past
12 months alone.
Our philosophy is one of a ‘home
from home’, and our residents feel
as if the team supporting them are
“The team also has
access to a free
counsellor-led helpline,
and we’ve set up a
crisis fund which
provides interest-free
loans to staff in case of
an emergency..”
members of their own family. With
more than 850 staff, we are proud to be
an accredited Living Wage Employer,
and all employees have access to an
app which has tools to help improve
financial health where needed,
including having the opportunity to
speak with expert financial coaches.
We are dedicated to setting the best
example in the care sector and our
pioneering initiatives include being
the first operator to introduce a winter
fuel contribution of up to £600 for all
staff when the energy crisis hit. This
initiative cost the business £400,000,
but the benefits of protecting the
mental health and wellbeing of our
team so they could continue to provide
the high quality of service to our
residents, far outweighs the cost to the
company.
The team also has access to a free
counsellor-led helpline, and we’ve
set up a crisis fund which provides
interest-free loans to staff in case of an
emergency.
To celebrate our much-valued
employees, we also host an annual
awards ceremony, with categories
ranging from ‘Carer of the year’ to
‘Team of the year’, with residents,
family members, visitors and team
members voting for their winners.
Nicky Barnes
At Hartford Care, we champion
career progression, whether that’s
through ‘learning on the job’ and
gaining promotions, or partnerships
such as with the University of
Winchester on an apprentice nursing
associate course. This enables staff to
study for a fully funded foundation
degree and upon completion they
can then take on a nursing associate
role, or continue with their studies
and convert the qualification into a
full nursing degree. This additional
18-month course is also fully funded
and following successful completion,
they can take on the role of registered
general nurse within one of our homes.
Importantly, we are also a
resettlement partner with Communities
for Ukraine and through this, we’ve
already helped several families flee the
war in Ukraine. On the programme,
all new team members and their
families are given free accommodation,
including utility costs for six months,
in our staff accommodation. Those
who have joined us so far, have taken
up roles from care assistants to general
assistants, and we look forward to
welcoming more new team members
under the initiative.
18 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

Collaboration is key
sustainability matters | business
Jonathan Freeman, group sustainability director at CareTech Group, provides
his monthly take on how social care is adopting a green agenda, asking how a
competitive care sector can work together to tackle sustainability challenges
Let’s be honest, until relatively
recently the social care sector could
not describe itself as being at the
cutting edge of technological innovation
– paper-based care records, for example,
were the norm for most providers – and
still are for many. Deployment of (and
funding for) technological assistive
devices is growing but is still relatively
rare. And, when the Covid pandemic
struck, the lack of infrastructure to enable
digital connectivity for those in care
with their loved ones and with external
agencies became painfully obvious.
TRightly or wrongly, the social care
sector is a complex patchwork of provision
from local authority-run, to charity
operators, to private provision. That was
the political decision taken by successive
governments and it’s unlikely this mixed
economy will change soon, but it does
pose some serious questions as to how best
to tackle sustainability challenges.
With commissioners driving everharder
funding decisions, all of us in
social care tend to default to competition.
How can we deliver more than our
competitors? How can we deliver at a
lower cost? How can we get people to
work for us, not our competitors?
Where does sustainably fit into that
mix? In particular, how can we square
the baked-in competitive nature of the
sector with environmental sustainability,
when tackling the climate crisis
effectively requires collaborative effort of
the like not seen before?
First, we need to work with
commissioners – particularly
those in local authorities – on our
sustainability efforts. Local authorities
are increasingly seeking to drive
pressure on their providers to achieve
their own sustainability targets. And
the government is under pressure to
support local authorities to up their
game. For social care providers with
NHS contracts, the sustainability
requirements are increasingly stringent
with all contracts for £5 million
requiring the operator to set out a public
carbon reduction plan. A collaborative
approach between the sector to drive
collective change is essential.
Each commissioner appears to have
its own approach and its own asks
of providers, creating unnecessarily
complicated and wasteful work. We
need to work together, agree our shared
priorities, streamline and make consistent
the asks of commissioners on providers.
We need to work together with the
Local Government Association and
the Association of Directors of Adult
Social Services to agree on expectations
on sustainability that will support the
ambitions of local authorities and the
social care sector alike.
Second, we need to collaborate with
our suppliers, all of whom are, of course,
on their own sustainability journey. To
address our indirect emissions, known
as Scope 3, we have to work with all of
our suppliers to drive down our carbon
emissions. These emissions include,
for example, all of the products that
operators buy, use and dispose of from
suppliers. As those operators looking at
their indirect emissions are discovering,
the majority (typically, around 70%
but often as high as 85% to 95% of an
organisation’s indirect carbon emissions
are driven by these Scope 3 emissions.
It is inevitable that suppliers to the
sector will want to address their own
carbon emissions as regulators, national
and international, up the ante on these
issues. Consumer demand, however, is
likely to drive the pace more quickly. At
CareTech, we have found just asking a
simple set of questions of our suppliers
about their approach has unlocked some
mutually beneficial opportunities. Our
stationary providers, for example, have
swapped in a new range of recycled and
more environmentally-sensitive products
at no extra cost. Our cleaning products
supplier is piloting a range of new
products that promise to reduce plastic
waste dramatically – again, at no extra
cost. And this is just from opening up
the conversation with our suppliers.
Jonathan Freeman
Third, we need to start working
together more as operators. That’s why a
group of us came together to establish the
Social Care Sustainability Alliance. The
Alliance brings together senior leaders in
providers across the social care sector to
pool their thinking on sustainability, to
work together on the tricky issues with
which we are all grappling, and to support
more providers to start or accelerate their
sustainability journeys. The Alliance
has already published a comprehensive
‘Business case for sustainability in social
care’. Other papers on the way include
those on retrofitting for older properties,
the expectations of investors, a guide to
statutory and voluntary requirements
on sustainability, and best practice on
measuring and reporting on carbon
emissions. By working together in this
way, we will all make faster progress on
key issues and we will all benefit as a result.
All too often, social care providers
look to succeed by competing with other
providers. That approach will simply not
work when it comes to sustainability.
Sustainability gives us a very real and
pressing opportunity for the sector to
come together behind a shared objective
to make a deep and lasting change for
the better – together. Perhaps, this might
even be a lesson that we could apply
more generally to tackling the challenges
facing the social care sector.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 19

business | real estate & development
Property news
Boutique care home group Welford Healthcare has purchased
Ivybank House Care Home in Bath, Somerset, which provides
residential, respite and day care for up to 45 residents. The vendor
is care home operator brighterkind.
Care home owners Sally and David Price have purchased the
freehold of White Rock Nursing Home in Barton-on-Sea,
Hampshire, a 30-registered care home with 24 bedrooms which
specialises in dementia care. The Prices own another care home
in Hampshire, as well as a domiciliary care agency. The sale was
facilitated by business property advisor Christie and Co, with
funding sourced through Christie Finance.
We Care Group has acquired long-term leases on three homes in
Bradford from Impact Healthcare REIT. The homes have been
operated by Melrose Holdings following their transfer from the
Silverline Group as part of a recovery plan announced by Impact
Healthcare last June. Impact has granted a rent-free period to We
Care and lease incentives of £1.46 million of which £0.25 million
is additional cash for direct investment in the homes.
HC-One’s £12 million Bluebell View Care Home has opened
its doors in Oswestry, Shropshire. The purpose-built threestorey
home features residents’ lounges, tranquil reading rooms
and a comfortable reception and bar area, along with private
gardens with courtyards. Bluebell View has been developed in
conjunction with contractor Greenchurch Developments.
Danforth Care has opened Harbour Manor, a purpose-built
66-bed care home in Felixstowe, Suffolk, with rooms available
for one inclusive fee. The home, built by LNT Developments,
provides 24-hour residential and dementia care, personalised
activity programmes, restaurant-quality food, a cinema, salon,
café and library. Each private room has an en suite wetroom, a flat
screen TV, a mini fridge and underfloor heating.
Agincare has confirmed it has exchanged contracts to acquire
two Somerset Care homes previously threatened with closure.
The two providers began talks in March after Somerset Care had
20 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

real estate & development | business
begun a consultation on closure citing “financial challenges”. An
Agincare spokesperson said: “Agincare can confirm that we have
exchanged contracts with Somerset Care regarding Critchill
Court in Frome and Sunnymeade in Chard.”
the development will provide accommodation for local elderly
people. It will feature wetrooms, balconies, a cinema, champagne
bar, spa, bistro, private dining room and landscaped gardens.
Construction is scheduled to complete in 2026. Business
property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Foundation Partners Asset Management and Deer Capital
have acquired Hartford Care for more than £100 million.
Hartford Care provides residential, dementia and nursing care
and operates 20 care homes in the South of England delivering
services to more than 1,000 people. Real estate company Knight
Frank advised Hartford Care on the transaction.
Real estate fund Elevation Healthcare Properties has acquired
Abbey Wood Lodge, a 60-bed, purpose-built care home in
Ormskirk, Lancashire, which will now be operated by Torwood
on a long-term lease with RPI-linked escalator with cap and
collar. Abbey Wood Lodge offers full en suite wetrooms.
McCarthy Stone, a developer and manager of retirement
communities, has launched a retirement village in Wimborne,
Dorset, comprising 100 new specialist retirement properties. The
new community, with a total gross development value of £45
million, features 68 apartments, 22 bungalows and 10 chalets,
designed for the over-65s. The properties are being offered for
outright sale and shared ownership. First occupations will be in
the autumn.
Care provider Anavo Group has acquired five Scottish care
homes which it has managed since 2021 following their entering
administration. The homes are: Burnside in Laurencekirk,
Cochrane in Johnstone, Newark in Port Glasgow, Ranfurly in
Johnstone, and Spiers in Beith.
Care home developer Morrison Community Care Group has
acquired a development site for an 81-bedroom care home in
Ewell, Surrey. Planning consent was achieved in February and
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes has celebrated the opening of
the £22 million Hallmark Willingdon Park Manor in Eastbourne
which features a cinema, café, hair salon, cocktail bar and ninesuite
retirement living offering called The Residences.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 21

IMPACT FUTURES
Hey! We need an advert for CT Magazine that showcases the
new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. Could you work
your magic?
Of course, could you let me know a bit more about
it, and the benefits for employers?
So, the Department for Health & Social Care will be providing up
to £53.91m of funding to support 37,000 individuals in direct
adult social care roles, and we will be one of the first to bring it
to market!
It will replace the current care certificate, and employers can get
on the workforce development register and then claim back up
to £1,500 per person.
Essentially, it’s going to pave a way for care providers to upskill
existing staff, including overseas care workers, for FREE*!
To be fair, that’s actually unbelieveable.
Could you let me know where to signpost employers?
They can get in touch via email on info@impactfutures.co.uk,
give us a call on 01753 596 004, or they can scan the QR code!
(Oh yeah, we need a QR code please.)
SCAN HERE
All sorted.
impactfutures.co.uk
*Terms and conditions apply, please see website

business | personnel
People moves
in association with
Achieve together, a provider of specialist support in adult social
care, has appointed Zak Houlahan as chief executive. Houlahan
has 20 years’ senior management experience, most recently as
acting chair and chief executive at Enerveo Group, the former
multidisciplinary contracting business of European energy utility
SSE. Before that, he led business units at Amey local government,
TCR Group and several environmental businesses.
Sandstone Care Group - Rachelle White
Achieve together - Zak Houlahan
Langford Park Care Home, outside Exeter in Devon, has
appointed Ed Courtney as home manager, responsible for 50
staff at the 35-bed home. Courtney’s first care job at 16 was as
an activities co-ordinator in a care home. He later worked for a
care consultancy, visiting hundreds of homes across the country
advising managers about staffing, introducing new systems, and
developing a positive working culture. More recently Courtney
has been a change manager, supporting struggling homes.
Healthcare Homes - Martin Hill
than two decades experience of the care industry, beginning in
2003 with Craegmoor and later working at Summercare, Affinity
Trust and Sussex Healthcare in turnaround, development and
leadership roles.
Aria Care Group has appointed Paul Wright as its group
hospitality manager, focusing on laundry and housekeeping. Aria
Care operates 50 homes located in England, Scotland and Jersey.
Wright has had a long career in the hospitality and care industries.
Having previously worked in hotels and restaurants, he spent a
Langford Park - Ed Courtney
Sandstone Care Group has appointed Rachelle White to the
new role of regional head of catering and hospitality. White
joined Sandstone in 2017 as chef at Oak Springs Care Home
in Liverpool. She will oversee catering at Sandstone’s nine care
homes, ensuring menus are varied and suitable for all diets, and
will look at ways to improve the dining experience.
Residential and domiciliary care services provider Healthcare
Homes has appointed Martin Hill as operations director of its
Manorcourt Homecare and Live-in care services. Hill has more
Aria Care Group - Paul Wright
24 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

personnel | business
large part of his career at Unilever as a senior development chef,
latterly looking after the elderly care sector, designing food for
people living with dementia, as well as designing courses for care
groups. Most recently, he was regional hospitality manager at
Sanctuary Group.
Aurem Care - Richard Lawson
HICA Group - Ed Robinson
Aurem Care also appointed Richard Lawson as regional director
for the South to oversee seven care homes. Lawson previously
worked as a home manager after working in the hospitality and
entertainment industry, including roles with P&O Cruises,
Greene King, and Haven Holidays.
Social care company HICA Group has appointed Ed
Robinson as manager at Prospect House in Goole in the East
Riding of Yorkshire. Prospect House cares for adults with
learning disabilities and specialises in supporting those with
complex needs. Robinson has extensive experience of social
care and previously worked at Moorview Care in Hull. He has
qualifications in social care and positive behaviour support.
New Care - Michaela O'Brien (left) & Octavia Ndlovu
Aurem Care - Daryl Martin
Aurem Care, a care provider for older people, has appointed
Daryl Martin as regional director for the North to oversee five
homes. Martin has 21 years’ specialised healthcare experience
with a focus on the care of older people He is a registered general
nurse and has worked in the NHS and for various private sector
companies, including one of the largest care providers in the UK.
His qualifications include a Level 6 organisational leadership
course and a Level 6 care of the elderly course. He has also
completed a degree module in elderly care.
Michaela O’Brien and Octavia Ndlovu have been appointed
as home manager and deputy home manager at New Care’s
Ashlands Manor in Sale, Greater Manchester, a 57-bed care
facility offering residential, dementia and 24-hour nursing care
services. O’Brien has a diploma in health and social care and has
worked in the health sector for more than 25 years. Ndlovu has
worked in healthcare for 23 years in a variety of roles and has a
diploma in general nursing and a postgraduate diploma in general
management.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 25

business | legal and regulatory
Inspection review
Amanda Narkiewicz, regulatory partner at Mills & Reeve, provides
an update on the government’s planned review of the Care Quality
Commission’s new inspection methodology.
The government has launched
a review of the Care Quality
Commission, and has
appointed North West London
Integrated Care Board chair Penny
Dash to lead it, according to a Health
Service Journal article which first
reported the story.
The full terms of reference for the
review are not yet available although
the Health Service Journal report says
the review will examine how well the
regulator’s new Single Assessment
Framework is working as well as:
• Whether the CQC's ratings are
properly rewarding and incentivising
the improvement of care.
• Whether it is properly taking into
account patient voices.
• Whether the CQC has the leadership
and staffing it needs to review local
authority adult social care functions.
Purpose and scope of the
review
The terms of the full scale review has
been launched under the Cabinet
Office Public Bodies Review
Programme with the findings of the
review expected before autumn. The
review forms part of the Cabinet
Office’s review programme launched
in April 2022, which aims to
review periodically the governance,
accountability, efficacy and efficiency
of existing arm’s length bodies (ALBs),
including in response to significant
changes in approach. Reviews are
intended to be “constructive and
challenging”, identifying areas in need
of improvement and providing tangible
recommendations for addressing them.
For the first time, review teams are
required to examine the wider “delivery
system” within which ALBs operate,
not just the body in isolation.
It is unclear what has triggered
the review as the regulator was not
included in the list of bodies scheduled
for review in 2024/25.
The CQC was established in April
2009 under the Health and Social Care
Act 2008. Since its inception it has
operated as the sole regulator of health
and adult social care in England and
Wales. While the CQC as regulator
has endured, the regime under which
it regulates services has evolved over
time and in 2021 it launched its new
regulatory approach as part of its
new strategy to rely less on set-piece
inspections and instead becoming more
risk-based and data driven.
Amanda Narkiewicz
Concerns about CQC
registration delays and
assessments
We expect this review will be welcomed
by providers across the health and
social care sector who have expressed
concerns about several issues, including
technical issues with accessing the
provider portal, delays in registration
"Reviews are intended
to be “constructive
and challenging”,
identifying areas in
need of improvement
and providing tangible
recommendations for
addressing them."
26 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

and inspection, issues with the way that
the CQC is conducting and reporting
on inspections, and loss of dedicated
relationship managers. We are also
aware that providers are not receiving
auto responses upon submitting
notifications.
Evidence-gathering and
stakeholder engagement
According to Cabinet Office guidance,
reviews of public bodies usually involve
a combination of both internal selfassessment
and external research, as
well as inspections and interviews with
the leadership and staff of the body, and
with key stakeholders, including the
public where appropriate. The guidance
further explains that “key stakeholders
should have the opportunity to provide
input into the review. Departments and
lead reviewers are strongly encouraged
to consider whether users or customers
are considered in this. Review teams
may consider approaching key
stakeholders directly. This should be
noted in the terms of reference and can
also be reflected in the review report
and recommendations.” In this context,
we hope the review team will engage
and call for evidence from provider
representatives.
Commenting on the announcement,
Professor Martin Green, chief executive
of Care England said: “It is vital
that the review spans all the sectors
regulated by the CQC, including not
just healthcare, but social care too. The
NHS is already treated differently by
the regulator, so it is imperative this
disparity does not extend to the review
conducted by government.
“We have heard concerns from
providers about a number of issues,
including the CQC’s overreliance on
outdated data, the lack of transparency
in their regulatory approach, and vast
inconsistencies between assessments.
It would be remiss of the review not to
examine these issues carefully.
The announcement of the ministerial
review is the first step towards progress,
but for it to be deemed a success, we
need action.”
“It is vital that the
review spans all the
sectors regulated by
the CQC, including
not just healthcare,
but social care too.
The NHS is already
treated differently by
the regulator, so it is
imperative this disparity
does not extend to the
review conducted by
government."
If you’d like to discuss any of the
issues raised in this article or require
CQC support, please get in touch with
Amanda Narkiewicz.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 27

I’m sharing
my story because...
Charmaine,
Care worker
Share your pandemic story,
to help us learn lessons for the future.
Search: Every Story Matters

care
40 CARE MANAGERS SHOW
We preview everyone’s favourite care
sector trade show
30 MANAGERS’ GUIDE TO…
… music! Colten Care’s Fiona Pritchard
explains how music can be healing for
those with dementia
32 10 QUESTIONS WITH…
… Jan Daly, registered manager at Friends
of the Elderly’s Redcot Residential Care
Home
34 ON THE ROAD
Charlotte Goddard visits CHD Living’s
Kings Lodge Care Centre

care | registered managers
Managers, guide to…
music and dementia
For people with dementia, music can be a powerful way to activate and promote
positive feelings and connection with others. Fiona Pritchard, music and arts partner
at Colten Care, offers advice on how to incorporate music into your care home
Music has an important role to
play in our lives from the very
beginning to the very end
and musical memories that are deep and
long-lasting can greatly benefit people
with dementia.
Music can help people with dementia
because it encourages a complex skill
involving the engagement of multiple
brain mechanisms to recognise and
distinguish pitch and rhythm, activating
focused and undivided attention.
1. People don’t have to take part to
benefit from music. There may be
some people who don’t want to sing,
or use an instrument, but like to
feel included. They can share in the
music just by being there. Music is
accessible because it is non-verbal and
the experience can be appreciated
and shared passively as well as in an
interactive participatory way.
2. Singing can encourage speech.
Music is stored in our semantic
memory, like riding a bike or knowing
the alphabet – things you can do
that you don’t have to think about
very much. If you ask people with
dementia if they would like a cup of
tea they may not reply, but if you sing
it to them, they may respond. After a
singing session, people might be able
to say more than before as their mind
has been activated.
3. Musical preferences are retained in
people with dementia, so make sure
you have life story documents that
include favourite songs or tracks.
4. You don’t have to be a musician
to introduce music into your care
home. Just listen to music on the
radio or smart speaker and sing along.
You don’t have to be the world’s best
singer, but singing together can make
people feel part of a community.
I have started to say “if you can’t
remember the word, singing ‘la la la’is
welcome”, so people are reminded
they can do that – including staff.
Think of how music is used in the
military, or at football matches, when
people want to feel unified. Residents
are often pleased when other staff
members, not just the activity
team, join in with music activities –
including the manager.
5. Lots of homes have smart speakers
like Alexa, which are game-changing,
as opposed to searching for CDs.
It is so easy to say “shall we have
some music? Gentle or jolly?” Have
residents request songs and present
the activity as a chart countdown:
“at number 10, Gladys chose Pretty
Woman”. Or you can put song names
in a hat and get residents to choose
like a raffle.
6. Musical bingo can be a great activity
to introduce, where you cross off a
square when a particular song plays.
You could make your own 50s or 60s
version. ‘Name that tune’ also goes
down well. Or hold a themed music
day: “today we are going to visit the
1950s”.
7. Introduce props like pom poms,
scarves and ribbons, which make
people feel more playful. You can
join scarves in a circle, wave them up
and down – it is a way of connecting.
Think about introducing unusual
instruments like singing bowls or
tongue drums, which make lovely
shimmering sounds.
8. You can clap to anything, or use a
shaker or a tambourine, or jingle
bells at Christmas, or drums. It might
be simply that the characteristic of
music stimulates an instinctive or
spontaneous subconscious physical
response such as tapping. Make sure
instruments are not too childish – I
have seen other groups where activity
leaders have velcroed handbells onto
people’s hands – residents have to
have the opportunity of letting go
and stop playing if they want to. Try
tapping or shaking to the rhythm
of different words like the names
of things such as ‘ginger biscuits’ or
‘choco-late bour-bons’ or ‘hob-nobs’,
or drinks – ‘gin-and-ton-ic’, ‘red-wine’.
9. Music is not for everyone. Having
said all this, there may be residents
who cry “turn that racket off ” and
their wishes should also be respected.
10. Music has a role to play in end of
life care, helping to regulate mood,
reassure and comfort. Familiar
music creates a secure or familiar
environment. Personal preferences
may further enhance this experience,
increasing this reassurance as the
positive emotions associated with the
music are released. The opportunity
for live music, song, the sound of
a voice and the touch of a hand, or
sitting with someone offers additional
comfort, as the presence of another
person can be identified by breathing
and warmth close by.
30 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

Chef of the month
Dylan Jay, second chef at Care UK’s Bourley Grange care home in Fleet, Hampshire,
shares his experience of providing a great dining experience for residents
Tell us about your background in care
I started my career working in a pub
as a kitchen porter alongside being
in college, and then went on to try
something different working at a garden
centre for a while before realising that I
missed being in a kitchen environment.
I wasn’t sure what to expect working
in a care home’s kitchen, but once I
had my interview with one of the chefs
at Bourley Grange, I could see how
passionate he was and that passion
becomes contagious.
catering | care
What’s special about working at
Bourley Grange?
I had never worked under such
incredible management before joining
Bourley Grange. I think how my
colleagues and I are cared for – even
outside of fulfilling our job roles is
extremely special. I also get to provide
residents with great food. I have the
privilege of interacting with them on
a daily basis and building bonds with
them – you don’t get that in any other
kitchen environment. It means you feel
so much more involved in making a
difference to their lives in the home.
How do you vary your menu to provide
choice for residents?
We hold weekly residents’ meetings
where they can bring up anything
they would like us to make for them.
Often it will be something they ate in
their younger years, like in Care UK’s
recent ‘Recipes to remember’ campaign
where we discovered that 65% of the
nation no longer cook recipes that the
older generation would have eaten,
and to help save these recipes we
asked residents to help put together a
cookbook full of their favourites.
How do you meet residents’ nutritional
and health needs?
We keep their diet as varied as possible
throughout the week, strictly following
our care plans to ensure that any
individual nutritional needs are met.
We specialise in following IDDSI
Dylan Jay
guidelines, making many meals for
residents at a level 5 and level 4 which
is minced and moist foods, and pureed
foods.
How do you care for residents with
dementia?
I personally pipe the pureed foods
fresh, so I get to deliver these meals to
the dining rooms and to our residents
living with dementia. I also take our
trolleys full of fresh fruits, and other
snacks to the dementia suite daily,
which I really enjoy as I get to see and
speak to the same residents. I have been
holding ‘Cooking with Dylan’ classes
every two weeks, where residents enjoy
learning about the dishes we make,
and the passion that goes into them.
It’s something that residents, especially
those living with dementia, seem to
really look forward to.
What’s your most popular dish?
Bourley Grange residents recently
really enjoyed a bacon and onion suet
pudding I made. We’ve had a lot of
requests to make that again already, so
I’m sure that’s going to be one of their
firm favourites.
What’s your favourite dish?
I really like making sweet and sour
chicken – residents have great reactions
to it every time.
How do you make the dining experience
special for residents and their families?
Relatives are often invited to dine
with their loved ones, especially to
celebrate occasions such as birthdays
and other milestones. We will ask them
beforehand what they would like to eat
together, and then we’ll set up a dining
area for them exclusively.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 31

care | manager in focus
10 questions with…
We speak to Jan Daly, registered manager at Friends of the
Elderly’s Redcot Residential Care Home in Haslemere, Surrey
Jan Daly
Why did you join the social care sector?
From a very young age, I knew I wanted to
work in the care sector, either as a nurse,
midwife or carer. I just felt this deep need
to help people. I grew up in a nursing
environment, as my mum was a nurse at St
Thomas’ Hospital in London. At the age
of five I had my own nurse’s uniform and
doctor’s bag and I used to love listening to
mum’s stories about what she’d been doing
at the hospital each day. After leaving
school I went to Guildford College to
begin my nursing journey. I then decided
to specialise in midwifery and worked
hard to become a registered midwife.
After qualifying, I worked at the Royal
Surrey County Hospital, delivering many
beautiful, bouncing babies. After having
my own family, I returned to work in care
and nearly five years ago, I joined Friends
of the Elderly as the registered care home
manager at Redcot.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I have an amazing and caring team who
are devoted to our residents, making
sure that they are happy, safe, engaged
and motivated every day. Our residents
are wonderful and I thoroughly enjoy
spending time with them, whether we are
taking part in one of our many wide and
varied activities or simply sitting down
with a cup of tea and having a chat. Their
life stories are fascinating and some of the
tales they tell me are absolutely hilarious.
Who is your social care hero and why?
Florence Nightingale – the Lady with
the Lamp. She was a pioneer of her time
and the founder of modern nursing.
Her quote “The very first requirement
in a hospital is that it should do the sick
no harm” is so true, and still stands true
today. She did so much for so many – I
admire her drive and dedication.
What is the one thing you would change
about social care?
I would like to see a nationwide high
standard of care for older people living
with dementia. At Friends of the
Elderly, we have 66 dementia champions
– of which I am one. They focus on
encouraging independence, giving
reassurance, supporting and helping,
inspiring communication, creativity
and interactions, and providing highquality
care with dignity that meets
each individual’s needs. They spend time
with every resident or day care client
supporting, caring for, and getting to
really know them, finding out about their
backgrounds, likes, dislikes, interests and
hobbies, building trust and friendship.
Each dementia champion is continually
learning and developing thanks to our
dementia training programme. It would
be wonderful to see our high standards
of caring for those living with dementia
implemented throughout the country.
What in your opinion makes a great care
worker?
Kindness, empathy and dedication.
What do you do when life all gets a bit
too much?
I go on holiday as I can totally relax and
recharge. I also spend as much time as
possible with my family and I do enjoy a
good book. I’m a bit of a bookworm.
What advice would you give your
younger self ?
Travel more and see the world. I only
really started travelling as I got older.
Perhaps if I’d travelled in my younger
years, I would still have had a career in
the care sector, supporting and caring for
people, but maybe as an Army medic.
Which three famous people would you
have to dinner and why?
Nobel Prize winner, Marie Curie – what a
fascinating and amazing woman. She not
only discovered radium and polonium and
contributed so much towards treatments
for cancer, but back in 1914, during World
War I, she created Little Curies, mobile
X-Ray units which enabled doctors to see
any broken bones or bullets in wounded
soldiers. Dolly Parton, as I think she’d be
hilarious and have everyone in hysterics –
and Elvis, for the entertainment.
What three items would you bring with
you on a desert island?
My radio, books (so I guess that’s more
than three) and my tweezers.
What is your secret talent?
I am fantastic at lip syncing to all
Tina Turner’s songs. I do quite a good
impression, even if I do say so myself.
32 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

cpd | care
Take care with inductions
Jon Kerr, head of workforce capacity at Skills for Care,
says organisations should be clear about the learning and
development opportunities they offer new employees.
There’s a clear link between the
training and development
opportunities you offer your
staff and how likely they are to remain
with you in the long term.
In adult social care, we know that
qualified staff have an average turnover
rate of 26.5%, whereas staff with no
qualifications have a turnover rate of
37% – developing your staff makes them
more likely to remain in post.
Similarly, we also know that the
quality of your induction process is
another relevant factor when it comes
to retention. Organisations with more
rigorous inductions that make people
feel confident and effective in their roles
from day one tend to retain staff at a
higher rate.
So, where do these two factors
intersect? That answer is in how
organisations induct their staff and
how they communicate development
opportunities and expectations with
new staff.
A learning and development plan is a
crucial part of any effective induction.
This plan lays out the expectations
that organisations have of their new
employees, such as the completion of
mandatory training, but it also gives
them insight into the development
milestones they may reach and how they
can continue to develop their career.
The goal in this respect is to take
your new starter through a planned
learning and development session while
ensuring not to overload them with new
information.
Being clear on the mandatory elements
and deadlines for any training, while
also allowing time for the participant
to query any issues, will ensure they
are able to achieve their learning and
development objectives on time and
minimise any unnecessary pressure or
stress.
Additional development opportunities
make staff feel like their employer is
invested in their career and knowledge.
Outlining any learning and development
that your staff can complete, and how
this can potentially benefit them, is
another important factor to consider
during induction.
This could include topics such as how
to access funding that is used to pay for
industry qualifications, or where they
can access online materials to support
further learning.
Regardless of what your new staff
member’s learning and development
plan looks like, it’s important to
communicate the details clearly during
this initial phase, while ensuring they are
not overwhelmed.
Jon Kerr
To assist adult social care providers in
delivering the most effective induction
possible, including what to consider
when you’re planning your new staff ’s
learning and development road map,
we’ve created an induction toolkit to
help managers plan and deliver a highquality
induction that fully supports
new starters to quickly settle into their
roles.
You can find out more about these
new resources at: skillsforcare.org.uk/
induction.
"The goal in this
respect is to take your
new starter through a
planned learning and
development session
while ensuring not to
overload them with
new information."
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 33

care | ct on the road
King of care homes
Charlotte Goddard visits CHD Living’s Kings Lodge Care Centre
in West Byfleet, Surrey, and finds out about the home’s role in
supporting local hospitals to free up beds
It is the anniversary of VE Day,
and residents at CHD Living’s
Kings Lodge Care Centre in West
Byfleet gather in the lounge to watch
costumed performers singing period
songs. The residents have created some
fantastic decorations, including cut-out
Spitfires and bunting, and are discussing
rationing.
The home supports a number of
people with high levels of complex needs
from multiple sclerosis to Parkinson’s
to advanced dementia. Posters,
photographs and displays on the walls
of the corridors recall past activities and
promote future events, with residents’
preferences kept front and centre. “The
residents wanted a pantomime dame in,
so we got a dame and they performed
for us,” recalls manager Josh Barlow,
indicating pictures of the event. “Our
receptionist holds a book club twice
a week, they have read some Charles
Dickens and now they have gone on to
a more modern one.” Events yet to come
include a magician and a holiday campstyle
music show.
Barlow has been manager of
43-bedroom Kings Lodge for the past
two years, having joined CHD Living
in 2019 as a team leader. “I have always
tried to soak up all the knowledge I can
within the service, and made it known I
had a desire to progress in the industry,”
he says. He quickly moved to the role of
deputy manager at another Surrey CHD
“We support people
out of hospital who
have been deemed
medically fit for
discharge, but where
it is uncertain as to
what the next best
step might be,”
home, The Summers in West Molesey,
and during the pandemic became
manager at St Catherine’s in Guildford,
taking it from Requires Improvement to
Good. Shortly after becoming manager
at Kings Lodge, the CQC paid a visit
and again Barlow was able to secure an
overall rating of Good.
He's not resting on his laurels though,
and is full of plans to improve the home,
from extending the lounge area to
improve engagement, to partnering with
local colleges that run agricultural courses
to enhance the outdoor environment.
About to compete his Level 5 diploma
in leadership and management for adult
care, Barlow also oversees CHD Living’s
work with the Surrey Heartlands Health
and Care Partnership which aims to free
up beds in hospitals. For the past three
years the partnership has funded 60
beds across three CHD Living Homes,
including Kings Lodge.
“We support people out of hospital
who have been deemed medically fit
for discharge, but where it is uncertain
as to what the next best step might
be,” says Barlow. Individuals will move
from hospital and spend up to four
weeks in a CHD Living home while
they are assessed and supported to their
next step. CSH Surrey, which delivers
services on behalf of the NHS, works
with CHD Living, local authorities
and residents’ families to decide on
that next step, which may be returning
home with a care package, live-in carers,
or a residential or nursing placement.
As well as freeing up beds, the scheme
also prevents hospital readmission, by
ensuring people do not return to an
unsafe environment.
The Kings Lodge team has had to
get used to a new way of working,
with a rapid turnaround of residents
in the block beds. “Sometimes it takes
longer than four weeks due to different
complications, sometimes it can be as
quick as within a week,” says Barlow. “A
resident can leave like they did yesterday,
and then we have a new admission
coming in today.”
On occasion an individual who has
arrived to take up one of the block beds
ends up staying at the home. Others come
back to visit or to take part in events.
“We have had one or two relatives who
really enjoyed their loved one’s stay in our
environment, who have come back in and
spoken to residents they had developed a
relationship with,” says Barlow. “It doesn’t
always end with discharge.”
Although residents in the block beds
are only there for a short period of time,
it’s important not to differentiate them
from permanent residents when it comes
to care, says Barlow. The team will try
to get as much information as they can
34 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

about needs and preferences. “We look
at the same information for a short-term
care plan that we would look at from
a permanent perspective, there is no
difference in terms of the content,” he
explains.
The initiative is currently being
redeveloped to bring in CHD Living’s
home care expertise, with a view to
supporting more hospital leavers at
home. Not one to miss an opportunity,
Barlow is taking advantage of the
reduced number of block beds to
refurbish the rooms, ready for more
permanent residents.
Barlow is clearly a hands-on manager
and is enthusiastic when talking about
the improvements he has made and
plans to make in the future. A library
has been transformed into a sensory
room for residents living with a more
advanced level of dementia. “They may
not be able to take part in the activities
our wellbeing co-ordinator has on offer,
but here is a space for them and their
loved ones where they can be stimulated
by sound, touch, and so on,” says Barlow.
The room includes a well-stocked fish
tank, musical instruments and toggle
blankets to fiddle with.
Also on the ground floor is Kings
Lodge’s own pub, complete with bar,
sofas, and doors leading out onto a
large grassy space. Usually open to
residents, the pub is currently full of
staff undergoing moving and handling
training.
Training and development plays an
important role in building a successful
team, says Barlow. “Giving the staff
opportunities and support to develop
themselves means I have a team that are
able to manage situations – whoever is
on duty, whatever the scenario, there is a
team there that can manage that.”
Some team members don’t want to
progress, in which case Barlow finds
training to help them upskill within
their existing role, perhaps improving
their knowledge of dementia care for
example. “Others who identify they
want to progress into another role,
it is about giving them the chance to
experience what that would look like,
so maybe working alongside some of
the team leaders or the nurses, and
giving them some responsibility so
if they decide they want to progress
into that role, they already have an
understanding,” says Barlow
One example of supporting staff to
progress is newly appointed wellbeing
coordinator Christine. “She was already
working in the service as a laundry
assistant, but was identified as someone
we felt would be great in the wellbeing
role, so we posed the idea to her,” says
Barlow. “She was a little bit dubious at
first, but she has done amazing work, has
really enjoyed the job, and the residents
are responding well to her.” So well that
Christine was voted the home’s first
employee of the month, as part of a
scheme she helped to set up.
Navigating through the ground floor
of Kings Lodge takes you on a journey
around the home and returns you back
where you started. “We recently had the
local authority come out to review the
home, because it had been identified as a
good layout, and a standard for potential
new builds,” says Barlow. “It is essentially
a rectangle, but it doesn’t feel like that
when you walk round it. It means people
who like to walk with purpose, who
may get confused from time to time, are
essentially going to come back around to
where they started.”
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 35

care | care for tomorrow
On hand to hold your hand
Writing on behalf of NHS England’s Digitising Social Care programme, Gina Trimble,
provider relationship manager at Suffolk and North East Sussex Integrated Care
System (ICS) says she loves helping adult social care providers go digital
First, I start by asking how,
and when, people prefer to be
contacted. In my experience
registered managers in adult social care
are flat out, all the time, usually pulled
in several directions all at once. I always
ask if now is a good time to talk.
What’s most important to me is
ensuring I support adult social care
providers with everything they need
to make the switch to digital social
care records as smooth and painless as
possible. So whether it’s help to apply
for funding (and as DiSC’s current
campaign highlights, ‘the clock is
ticking’ before the application window
closes), to choose the right supplier, or
to reassure a dedicated team of carers
that it will all be worth it – I’m only
too happy to help.
At last count, I was supporting 225
adult social care providers in Suffolk
and North East Essex. I tell them about
what funding is available and help them
through the process. It’s actually very
straightforward but if they have any
hiccups, for example with filling out
online forms or answering particular
questions, they know they can give me
a call. I understand that provider staff
work exceptionally long and variable
hours, I therefore adopt a flexible
approach for them to contact me when
they might get that rare moment of
calm. That applies to help with getting
started once they have their funding
and are getting set up too, or with any
admin or governance issues like getting
the Data Security and Protection
Toolkit (DSPT) over the line.
I’ve met most of the suppliers too,
so if care providers are having teething
problems I can often point them in the
right direction. There are currently 26
assured solutions for social care records
(managed by the Digitising Social
Care programme and available on its
website) – 20 of which I have regular
contact with. Admittedly I’ve got a bit
of catching up to do to meet the six new
ones! I often say to care providers – I’m
your middle person. If you can’t reach
the supplier I will help.
But I’m not just waiting for the
phone to ring. I have a full list of adult
social care providers in this area and
contact them for regular check-ins and
to discuss their plans to go digital, or
see how they are progressing.
What I love most is getting out there
into care settings and understanding
first-hand what they are looking for
and how they are getting on. As I
travel around, I can share that learning
with others who might have similar
aims or challenges – and am able to
Gina Trimble
share that experience, which much as
they’d love to support their fellow care
organisations, they simply don’t have
time for. And after all, they are only
going to do this once, but they can tap
into the knowledge I’ve built up from
working with others.
Last week, one of our smaller care
providers called me to ask about their
new digital social care record app. We
tried a Teams call, but she was still
struggling so I said I’m down your way
“I’ve met most of
the suppliers too,
so if care providers
are having teething
problems I can often
point them in the
right direction.”
36 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

“I get so much valuable
feedback to pass on to others,
Visit us at STAND H32
27 - 28 June
and I think they feel valued and
appreciate that their experience
can be shared.”
eLearning that offers
Solutions
on Monday, I’ll pop in. We got it sorted over a cuppa. I try
to be there to hold their hand and to address their fears. I can
even help set up or attend their demos with digital suppliers. I
always remain impartial, because ultimately it has to be the care
provider and their team’s decision – but I know my way around
lots of the solutions these days so can often make comparisons or
suggestions.
We also make sure we’re in touch once they are up
and running with a benefits survey six months after
implementation. I get so much valuable feedback to pass on to
others, and I think they feel valued and appreciate that their
experience can be shared. They almost always have great advice
for other care providers considering or planning the switch to
digital.
I just love working with people, getting things done and
giving them an opportunity to grow. And I try to be the first
to congratulate managers and teams when they secure funding
or select their supplier – they are stepping into their digital
future.
To find out more search NHS digitising social care
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CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 37

care | activities news
Creative Caring
As always, carers have been demonstrating their creativity
through fun and innovative events for their residents
home in Doncaster hosted ‘Fashion
through the years’, taking attendees
on a journey through iconic styles and
moments from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Resident Joyce’s dream of experiencing a
fashion show was realised as she graced
the red carpet in a stunning dress.
And they’re off!
Residents at Oak Springs Care Home
in Liverpool got into the spirit of the
Grand National. Rescue pony Merlin
paid a visit from Woodlands Animal
Sanctuary, and everyone had a chance
to place their bets and cheer on their
horses. Earlier in the week, residents of
the Sandstone Care Group home created
homemade hats and fascinators, with
prizes for the ‘best dressed’.
Well well
In Worcestershire, Friends of the
Elderly’s Malvern’s three residential,
nursing and dementia homes decorated
the historic well located in their grounds
as part of the Malvern Waters and Well
Dressing Festival. Pupils from a local
school coloured leaves to make bunting,
while residents judged the best colouring
and presented prizes.
Abertridwr, Caerphilly, welcomed
children from Nant Y Parc Primary
School as it celebrated Global
Intergenerational Week. Children
enjoyed a movement to music session
hosted by the home’s wellbeing
coordinators and a teacher. Resident
Jane Lewis said: “I really enjoyed
interacting with the children, including
speaking to them about the history of
the village.”
Flying visit
Birds of prey including kestrels, owls
and falcons thrilled residents at Colten
Care’s Avon Reach home in Mudeford,
Dorset, when they visited with
experienced handler Colin Sutherland.
The visit was a wish come true for
resident Elizabeth Longley who had told
carers how much she would like to see
such birds close up.
Ageless style
Runwood Homes’ Liberty House care
Veteran honoured
In Newmarket, Suffolk, Brampton
Manor resident Peter Powney-Jones was
presented with the Nuclear Test Medal, a
symbol of gratitude and recognition for
his invaluable service, during a ceremony
at the care home. The medal honours the
contributions of veterans and civilians
who participated in the British nuclear
testing programme between 1952 and
1967. Mr Powney-Jones’s family joined
in celebrating this momentous occasion
with afternoon tea.
Generations together
HC-One’s Abermill Care Home in
Tea break
Centrum Care Group’s Beacon House
Care Home in Dartmouth, Devon,
raised £1,278 for Dementia UK with
its annual ‘Time for a cuppa’ event. The
day included fun activities, a bake sale
and a raffle, creating a memorable event
for residents, their families and local
supporters.
Diverse dress
In Woodham Ferrers, Essex, staff
members at Eastham care home shared
38 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

activities news | care
their Indian heritage with residents
during an event aimed at fostering
a deeper sense of community and
understanding. The cultural showcase
included a display of traditional Indian
attire worn by staff members.
Friday walkabout
Goodwins Hall Care Home in Kings
Lynn, Norfolk, has introduced weekly
Friday wellness walks. Every team
member, from managers to kitchen staff,
are asked to take 15 minutes or more to
take a resident outside for a walk. Home
manager Flavia Hansell said: “We have
wonderful gardens at Goodwins Hall
which everyone likes to get out into and
enjoy.”
Football fun
David Fuller and Joe Swindon, residents
at Orchard Care Homes’ Green Lodge
Care Home in Stockton-on-Tees,
County Durham, were treated to a visit
to Middlesbrough Football Club, their
favourite team, for a VIP tour. The
visit was made possible by the MFC
Foundation, which offers anyone living
with dementia special assistance to enjoy
visiting the stadium while feeling safe
and comfortable.
Puppy partnership
Gibson, a five-month-old German
Shepherd-Golden Retriever cross, has
been visiting residents at Abbeyfield
Winnersh in Berkshire every other
week, thanks to a partnership with the
Guide Dogs charity. The visits are part
of Gibson’s training to become a fulltime
guide dog. Gibson is accompanied
by puppy development supervisor and
current owner Rakesh, who has the pup
for just over a year before he moves on to
more training.
Blackburn Buccaneer
Gordon Walsh, a 98-year-old veteran
and aircraft construction worker from
Ebor Court Care Home in Nether
Poppleton, York, was invited to the
Yorkshire Air Museum to commemorate
the anniversary of the Blackburn
Buccaneer’s withdrawal from service.
Gordon, who began working on the
Blackburn Buccaneer Royal Navy
Aircraft in 1953, took part in a special
evening dinner at the museum, which
houses three surviving Buccaneer planes.
The cup that cheers
Residents from Oakland Care’s 10 care
homes have been celebrating National
Tea Day with a unique series of tea
events in partnership with Twinings.
After hearing about the fascinating
history of the company, residents were
given the opportunity to taste and rate
a range of blends. Residents were also
given the opportunity to get stuck into
some baking, with a specially prepared
Earl Great Tea bread recipe provided by
Oakland Care’s executive chef.
Spiritual support
Stafford Hall care home in South
Benfleet, Essex, helped resident Anne
after she told the home’s wellbeing lead
she would like to be baptised. Father Ben
from St Mary the Virgin Church visited
the care home to officiate the baptism.
“The staff really made it special for me,”
said Anne.
Award winner
In Kidderminster, Worcestershire,
Foley Grange Care Home resident,
John Clarke, has been recognised by the
Ideal Care Awards in the ‘Outstanding
resident contribution’ category. The
awards recognise Ideal Carehomes’ staff
and residents across its 36 care homes.
John’s win was announced at a glitzy
ceremony hosted by Eastenders actor
Shaun Williamson.
Furry friends
MHA Priceholme in Scarborough,
North Yorkshire, had some furry visitors
as members of the Butterwick Alpaca
Retreat came to the home. Alpacas
Sunny and Sandstorm, rabbits Pickles
and Pom Pom and guinea pigs Peanut
and Grillo visited the home, along with
their owners, Anna and Chris Ramsey.
“Some of our residents would have been
animal owners themselves so for them
it's a reconnection with their past,” said
administration manager Pippa Lees.
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 39

care | care managers show
Care Managers Show
The first Care Managers Show of 2024 once again looks set to be the pinnacle
of the events calendar when it comes to care sector trade shows, thanks to
another outstanding lineup at Birmingham’s NEC this 27 and 28 June.
Yes, every care manager’s
favourite trade show is back
bigger and better than ever
before, kicking off on Thursday, 27
June. Spanning two full days, the
show will see the cream of the crop
in care converge on Birmingham’s
National Exhibition Centre
(NEC). There, visitors will find an
all-star agenda of guest speakers
and panel sessions, as well as a jawdropping
exhibitor list, showing
off all the best products and
services for care businesses in 2024.
Exhibitors
The aim with putting together the Care Managers Show is to bring as much value to attendees
as possible. On the speakers and panels side, visitors can find engaging, informative sessions
full of useful tips and tricks for care companies. When it comes to exhibitors, just as with the
speakers, expect quality and quantity. Find the full list of exhibitors and their stand numbers
below:
Blue Sky Social Care Card,
Care Audit Tool,
Care Home Life,
Care Quality Commission
(CQC),
Care Tutor,
Carebeans,
Charles Bloe Training,
Connect2Care,
CoolCare,
Croner-I,
Croslyn Healthcare,
Fallsaver/ComServe,
Get Borderless,
Stand: G23
Stand: G12
Stand: A12
Stand: E21
Stand: H32
Stand: D11
Stand: B20
Stand: A30
Stand: A10
Stand: A33, A31
Stand: G13
Stand: B23
Stand: D10
Hamptons,
Impact Futures/
The Childcare Company,
Insignia Global,
Stand: D21
Stand: E30, E32
Stand: E20
Leicestershire Training Team, Stand: TBD
Lifetime Training,
Lifeways Group,
Newcross Healthcare,
Paragon Skills,
Rotacloud,
Staffscanner,
T150 Energy,
UK Fire Group,
Workforce,
Stand: E44
Stand: B11
Stand: D22
Stand: B30
Stand: C13
Stand: A20
Stand: B12
Stand: C11
Stand: C12
40 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

What’s on
Day one will begin with a talk titled
‘Hear from CQC: Understanding
the single assessment framework’, as
senior specialist for adult social care,
Julia Spencer Ellis, takes to the stage to
continue the regulator’s recent spate of
appearances at sector events.
Visiting Angels founder and
CEO Dan Archer will explain ‘Why
recruitment and retention needs to start
with a carer-first culture’ in his session.
Also taking to the stage will be Skills
for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth, who
tackles the weighty issue of staffing
in her talk, ‘Developing a workforce
strategy for adult social care – and what
it means for managers’, before Ebury
Court Care Home’s Beverley Manzar
is invited to the stage for ‘Delivering
outstanding care from a care home
manager’.
The rest of the show will promises
to provide invaluable information on a
wide range of topics – the likes of falls
management, complaints, marketing,
training, rostering, diversity and the
intriguingly titled panel ‘Managing and
supporting the safety of lone workers’
– all discussed by the biggest names in
the sector, including Amrit Dhaliwal
Amrit Dhaliwal
(CEO, Walfinch), Liz Blacklock, (CEO,
National Association of Care and
Support Workers), Charlie Jones (COO,
BKR Care Consultancy) and Samantha
Crawley, (CEO, Bracebridge Care
Group and director, The Outstanding
Society).
And as though all that weren’t enough,
visitors to the Care Managers Show 2024
will also be treated to: a performance
from iconic boy band Five; a free
lunchtime cooking demonstration from
a certain celebrity chef; two free holiday
giveaways and much, much more.
We can’t wait to see you there.
Dan Archer
Liz Blacklock
Contact
If you haven’t already, get your free
ticket at caremanagersshow.co.uk.
For commercial opportunities such as
sponsoring a speaker slot or booking a
stand at the show, please head to the
website or contact new editor Sam Lewis
at sam.lewis@nexusgroup.co.uk >
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 41

care | care managers show
42 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

care managers show | care
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 43

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44 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

Dementia with Lewy bodies
norrms’ blog | care
Regular columnist Norrms’ McNamara reflects on what it’s like to live with dementia
During the night last night, I
sat up in my bed, I looked
down and saw my wife who
was sleeping peacefully besides me,
apparently unaware that the computer
screen was flashing on and off. I sat
upright in bed and rubbed my eyes as it
flashed and flashed, sometimes quickly,
sometimes slowly, then the screen came
on a brilliant white.
After a few seconds, I was just about
to get up to see what was going on
when all sorts of jumbled up letters
began appearing across the screen,
jetting backward and forwards, not
making any sense, not making any
words, just random letters zig-zagging
up and down. Then the zig-zagging
stopped and a sentence appeared. I
strained my eyes to see what it said
and the sentence just grew bigger and
bigger. Then it started to roll down like
an old-fashioned music box on top of
an old piano that used to play music
by itself. I couldn't believe my wife
hadn't even moved as she is such a light
sleeper.
Then, just as I made a move to get
out of bed, I felt it. It was only light at
first, but then felt like something was
grabbing me. It felt so small, almost
like a baby's hands, then another, then
another, until all I could feel were tiny
hands clawing at the small of my back
and sides, nipping me, scratching me,
and even more terrifying trying to pull
me into the mattress below.
My own hands went around the back
of me as I tried to swat the hands away.
I looked at the computer screen, which
was going crazy now, and all sorts of
Norrms McNamara
noises were coming from it. I screamed,
and screamed again, and then – as
quickly as it had happened, it stopped,
and Elaine was by my side holding me,
reassuring me and telling me it was all
a hallucination. I could do nothing but
shake and weep for the next 10 minutes
saying over and over again: "Nobody
knows, nobody knows…” while Elaine
held me.
I have been through this so many
times of late, once even in the afternoon
a couple of weeks ago while out and
about and it never gets any easier. Some
I remember. Some I don't. This one has
stayed with me all day and even as I
type I can almost feel the hands around
my waist and it makes me shudder.
Till next time…
CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JUNE 2024 | 45

care | support staff
Housekeeper of the month
Louise Alexander, head housekeeper at Porthaven’s Thirlestaine Park Care Home
in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, tells us how she goes the extra mile
How did you get into care
housekeeping?
I have worked in care for more than 25
years in different roles, including senior
care assistant, activities, hospitality/
housekeeping and home administration.
I realised that although I loved
other roles, I had a real passion for
housekeeping and love making sure the
environment is the best it can be. The
experience I gained in other roles helps
me as head housekeeper – I have great
organisational skills, high standards
and an eye for detail, which has led me
to help out in other Porthaven homes
within the company’s housekeeping
departments. One home had a change
of staff, for example, so asked me to go
and assist.
How do you go about meeting residents’
needs?
I always make sure our role is personcentred.
I try to speak to our residents
daily, as a team I always encourage my
staff to get to know the residents as this
makes a huge difference to them. With
a consistent housekeeping team the
residents become familiar with the staff
members and can build a good rapport.
What’s a typical day like?
I allocate my team members daily
tasks. I check which areas need deep
cleaning – we prioritise our ‘residents of
the day’. We have a mixture of residents
including people living with dementia
and those with nursing needs, so this
can be interesting especially when a
resident with dementia wants to help.
"With a consistent
housekeeping team
the residents become
familiar with the staff
members and can build
a good rapport."
Louise Alexander
We have a couple of ladies who like to
clean, and I am more than happy to
give them a cloth and to chat to them as
we go around. One of them can set up
a table better than I can, she folds the
napkins.
What is the most challenging part of
your job?
It can be challenging to fit everything
into one day sometimes. I am
responsible for ensuring we have all the
supplies we need for our daily tasks and
that they are ordered in time.
Is there anything that would surprise
people about your job?
I think people would be surprised at
how essential being a housekeeper is,
from the first impressions people get
when they come into the home, to
ensuring the smooth running of the
home with continued high standards.
Has anything changed since you started
your role?
In the last 25 years the standards of care
have become higher and very personcentred.
This is really noticeable.
What’s special about the care home you
work for?
They really recognise staff when they
have done a good job. I myself was
nominated for care housekeeper
of the year in the National Care
Awards, in which I was a finalist in
2023. Management support is always
excellent, the home manager is always
approachable and takes the time to
speak to staff and residents.
What skills and talents do you need to
be a great housekeeper?
I have a very strong team in our
housekeeping department who are longstanding
members and when I asked
them this question, they said I had the
following attributes: “highly organised,
approachable, understanding, a team
player, fair, flexible and empathetic”.
Kevin Peck, the home manager, agreed
and is looking at ways for me to develop
further in my role.
46 | JUNE 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

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