Caring Times, September 2024

09/2024

September Edition

Kith and KYN

See inside one of the country’s

most high-end new care homes,

KYN Hurlingham, as home

manager Jordan Pereira gives

CT the grand tour

Care for tomorrow

Why Sensio’s falls-prevention tech is

a game-changer for Dormy

Surveys & data

Small UK care groups ranking by

social media presence

Case study

Berkley chief executive Laura Taylor’s

day in the life of a care worker

caring-times.co.uk

TRAINING THAT

TRANSFORMS TEAMS

Empower your people with our market-leading

apprenticeship training. From Level 2 Adult Care

Worker to Level 7 Senior Leader, Impact Futures

helps you build a stronger, more skilled workforce.

Discover how apprenticeship

training can help your business

impactfutures.co.uk

01753 596 004

info@impactfutures.co.uk

business

12 EVENT

Anita Goyal previews the fabulous

Care Sector Fundraising Ball in

London on 28 September

14 POLITICS & POLICY

Bridgehead Communications’ William

Walter on upheaval at the care Quality

Commission and Labour’s wobbly start

16 OPINION

The UK cannot rely on the government to

fix care sector, warns Care England’s chief

executive Martin Green

25 SURVEYS & DATA

A ranking of the UK’s small care home

groups by social media presence.

Who will come out on top?

business | welcome

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

A shaky start

We are now around two months into the

first Labour government in 14 years, and

it’s been a bumpy ride so far.

Riots hit towns and cities in England

and Northern Ireland, casting a dark

shadow and uneasy atmosphere over

the country – something for which I

personally find it difficult to blame the

newly-incumbent Sir Keir Starmer and

his party.

Within health and social care, though,

new minister Wes Streeting appears

to have been having a tough time of

it, caught between a rock and a hard

place as the public simultaneously

demand improvements to the NHS and

care while decrying the threat of tax

increases. How can the Department of

Health and Social Care hope to fulfil

Labour’s election pledges while, at the

same time, the government scrambles

to make up the “£20 billion black hole”

chancellor Rachel Reeves claims to have

unearthed?

It's a tough question, and one I most

certainly don’t have the answer to.

Instead, what I will offer are a few

reasons that we should not lose hope in

the Labour Party just yet. (Who says the

news is all doom and gloom?)

First, not to state the obvious, we’re

two months in. Politics is a notoriously

slow game at the best of times, even

more so during a handover period as

tumultuous as this. The point being: let’s

try and remain patient and keep at least

a little faith that things will turn around.

Second, Labour is promising a

National Care Service. That hasn’t

changed post-election. The exact details

may be up in the air; it’s no exaggeration

to say we don’t know what this iteration

of a National Care Service will look like.

Will it mirror the NHS in structure?

Will it just be an administrative exercise

with little meaningful change? Will it

even happen? We don’t know. But, as

stated, Labour has not backed down

from this pledge, so let’s keep on the

front foot with them and make sure the

party doesn’t sweep this one under the

rug.

Finally, and most positively, in a

short time Streeting has shown himself

to be very proactive in cracking down

on the Care Quality Commission,

which has been in dire straits for some

time. He ordered the publication of

a preliminary version of Penelope

Dash’s ‘Review into the operational

effectiveness of the Care Quality

Commission’ report, which sheds light

on the regulator’s failings and made

several actionable recommendations

for how the inspectorate can improve,

all of which the CQC says it is now

working on. Implicit in Streeting and

Dash’s words seems to be the threat that,

should the CQC not make the necessary

improvements quickly, the body may

well find itself on the chopping block.

Contrary to my point about politics

moving slowly, this is fast progress,

especially given the sector has been

shouting about the regulator’s failings

for some years. Within weeks Labour

had proven itself more invested in

care and the NHS than the previous

Conservative governments showed over

14 years. This gives me more hope than

I’ve had in the government in a long

time. Now let’s see if I look a fool in six

or 12 months…

Sam Lewis,

Editor-in-chief

Caring Times

4 | SEPTEMBER 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

business | news

News in brief

POLICY & POLITICS

Wes Streeting was appointed as the

new Labour government’s health and

social care secretary. First elected as

MP for Ilford North in 2015 Streeting

has been shadow health secretary

since 2021. Two ministers of state at

the DHSC have also been appointed:

Karin Smyth who has been MP for

Bristol South since 2015, and Stephen

Kinnock, the MP for Aberafan

Maesteg since 2015.

Wes Streeting, health and

social care secretary

Streeting echoed what many in the

health and social care sector have

believed for a long time, saying the

health and care regulator the Care

Quality Commission is “not fit for

purpose”. Commenting on the results

of a new independent, governmentcommissioned

review into the CQC,

Streeting said: “When I joined the

department, it was already clear that

the NHS was broken and the social

care system in crisis. I have been

stunned by the extent of the failings

of the institution that is supposed to

identify and act on failings. It’s clear to

me the CQC is not fit for purpose.”

In July, Kate Terroni, the CQC’s

interim chief executive in the wake

of Ian Trenholm’s sudden departure,

issued “an apology” to providers,

but said that the organisation is

“determined to put things right”. In

the apology she begged forgiveness

for failings in the regulator’s strategy,

published in 2021, and admitted that

the plan mapped out in that document

has not been properly implemented.

The Labour government has scrapped

the long-promised Dilnot cap on

care costs in a bid to cover a public

finance shortfall that Labour claims

the Conservative Party “covered up”.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced

a raft of measures intended to fix what

she described as a “£22 billion hole in

the public finances”. It is claimed that

by not introducing the long-planned

cap on care costs, which had its genesis

in a 2011 report from Andrew Dilnot,

the government could save as much as

£1 billion a year.

More than one in 50 British people –

more than 1.5 million nationwide – now

provide upwards of 50 hours of unpaid

care every single week in England,

according to research from stairlift and

home lift company Stannah.

Jayne Connery founder of Care

Campaign for the Vulnerable

(CCFTV), an independent safety

monitoring advocate, has called

out “certain individuals” in the care

sector for opposing the use of the

technology in dementia care settings.

Connery stated: “There has been a

growing concern coming to CCFTV,

regarding the resistance and restrictive

actions of certain individuals from

multidisciplinary agencies towards the

implementation of independent safety

monitoring in care homes, even when

explicit consent has been granted.”

A panel of parliamentarians and

Connaught staff and resident

Safety monitoring is growing

in UK care homes

experts has called for urgent action

to regenerate a significant proportion

of the estimated 527,000 sheltered

housing properties in the UK to

provide good-quality, accessible homes

for people in later-life that meet

contemporary standards.

PROVIDER NEWS

Luxury care group Connaught Care

Collection is offering free “fullbody

health checks” to its 184 staff

members. Connaught is partnering

with employee-benefit health service

Bluecrest Wellness, which will

offer comprehensive health checks

covering heart disease, stroke risk,

electrocardiograms, cholesterol levels,

diabetes, protein and iron levels.

Care home provider Oakland Care

has introduced voice technology in


news | business

Oakland Care's Lambwood Heights

Jane Townson, CEO of the

Homecare Association

a bid to improve life for staff and

residents. The provider announced

a new partnership with voice design

studio and agency Vocala as part of a

trial to explore how technology can

enhance the lives of residents. Vocala

uses the latest voice technology devices

such as Google Home and Amazon’s

Alexa to create specialist ‘smarter’

systems tailored to the specific needs of

customers.

Job site Indeed has compiled a

list of ‘the top 25 companies hiring

the fastest’ in the UK. Those with

knowledge of the care sector’s

recruitment and retention crisis may be

unsurprised to learn that care providers

make up more than a quarter of the 25

companies listed.

Thuraisamy Ravichandran and

Radha Ravichandran, directors of Care

Pro in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex,

were fined £124,455 after pleading

guilty to 12 offences at Brighton

Magistrates Court. Offences included

failures in risk assessment, general fire

precautions, fire-fighting, fire detection

and maintenance.

HOME CARE

Home care provider Home Instead has

partnered with training organisation

Training 2 Care to take its virtual

dementia experience bus on a UK

tour. The dementia experience, which

allows a person with a healthy brain to

experience what life might be like for

a person living with dementia, visited

13 destinations in the run-up to World

Alzheimer’s Month this month.

The Homecare Association has

claimed that state-funded home

care fee rates are “dangerously low”

after conducting research. The

organisation said fees are failing to

keep pace with rising wages and costs,

risking the stability of the sector. In

addition, research from the Homecare

Association found nearly half of home

care providers cannot meet current

demand, despite improvements in staff

retention, while others have insufficient

work for their care workers.

People are needing more complex

care and support due to illness and

disability, but local councils are

struggling financially to meet people’s

higher-level needs, says the latest

annual survey from the Association

of Directors of Adult Social Services.

For example, the survey revealed a

7.5% increase in the number of people

requiring multiple visits from two or

more care workers, called ‘doublehanded

care’, since last year, now

totalling 49,000 people.

LEGAL & REGULATORY

The Care Quality Commission has

announced plans to release a handbook

for all health and care providers under

its watch. This will be designed to help

providers understand the CQC and

how its inspections work.

CARING-TIMES.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2024 | 7

business | real estate & development

Property news

Impact Healthcare REIT has sold five of its non-core care

homes for £8.8 million. It sold three care homes in East Yorkshire

for a total £4.3 million: Ashgrove Care Home, a 56-bed care

home in Cleethorpes, Emmanuel House, a 44-bed care home

in Hessle, and Hamshaw Court, a 45-bed care home in Hull.

The purchaser is a local owner and operator of care homes. Two

homes were sold in Clwyd for a total £4.5 million: Eryl Fryn Care

Home, a 30-bed care home in Llandudno, and Stansty House

Care Home, a 73-bed care home in Wrexham. They were sold to

an affiliate of Minster.

Aria Healthcare Group has acquired Surbiton, Surreyheadquartered

Future Care Group, adding 18 homes to its

portfolio, located in Hampshire, London, Malvern, Oxfordshire,

Surbiton, Surrey, Sussex, West London and Worcester. Under the

deal Future Care Group’s 1,000 staff move to Aria Healthcare

Group.

Macc Care has opened Leighton Rose, a new luxury care home

for up to 71 residents in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire,

offering generously sized en suite accommodation and including

a dedicated dementia care unit and two fully equipped ground

floor rooms for bariatric care.

Connaught Care Collection has opened Meadowbrook, a new

luxury care home in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, providing

long-term residential care and dementia care facilities and offering

80 large furnished rooms. Residents have access to an on-site hair

salon, spa, cinema room, and gym, and family and friends can

share meals at its bar and bistro. The site was built by Lawrence

Baker, a contractor to the nursing home and associated care

sector.

Care home operator Yorkare has opened a new £10 million care

home in Haxby, North Yorkshire, offering 63 en suite bedrooms.

Facilities include a bar, restaurant-standard dining rooms, beauty

salon and hairdressing suite, cinema and outdoor terraces on each

floor. There are also large gardens and a bowling green. The home

was built by construction firm Hobson & Porter.

Matter Real Estate-backed developer-operator Untold Living

is developing a 77-unit integrated retirement community in

Newport, Shropshire, which recently achieved planning consent.

A £26.4 million loan has been provided by OakNorth Bank for

the development, as well as to support the operations of Untold’s

existing 68-unit Chantry Court site in Wiltshire.


real estate & development | business

Avery Healthcare’s purpose-built care home Waterhouse

Manor Care Home in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has

been completed. The 80-bedroom, three-storey home provides

residential, respite and dementia care for older people, and

includes suites for couples, a lounge, hair salon, café and therapy

facility. Clegg Construction completed a £10.3 million contract

to deliver the home. Other members of the project team included

Harris Irwin Architects, project manager and quantity surveyor

Holden and Lee, and mechanical and electrical engineer Harniss.

sites in cluster settings, and employs approximately 230 staff

who deliver essential services to around 60 younger adults with

learning disabilities and autism. The acquisition also includes

a portfolio of supported living development sites for future

expansion. Optimo is retaining all CFT Care’s staff and stated

it plans to increase headcount to accommodate an anticipated

growth in services.

McCarthy Stone, a developer and manager of retirement

communities, has acquired a development site in Cowbridge,

South Glamorgan, from property firm Mercian Developments.

McCarthy Stone submitted and secured planning consent for

a scheme of 50 retirement living apartments with communal

facilities. Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the

sale.

Exemplar Health Care, a provider of nursing care for adults with

complex and high acuity needs, has opened Woodside Place care

home in Telford, Shropshire. The home supports adults living with

complex and high acuity needs arising from complex mental health

conditions, dementia, neuro-disabilities and physical disabilities. The

home has 33 large bedrooms, each with an en suite, split across three

units. It also has communal dining and living spaces, an activities

hub, sensory bathrooms, a therapy room, salon and a garden.

Construction by Deeley Construction started in May last year.

Cinnamon Care Collection’s latest care home, Oakley Grange

in Bishop’s Tachbrook, Warwickshire, has been completed. The

£9.4 million facility will provide 66 beds and five care suites that

cater for assisted living and specialist dementia care. It also offers

cinema rooms and private dining, supported with a commercial

kitchen, and a dedicated therapy room. The home was built

by construction firm Stepnell which commenced the build in

January last year and completed in 73 weeks.

Optimo Care Group has acquired supported living and specialist

care provider CFT Care, based in Clacton, Essex. CFT Care

operates 44 purpose-built supported living units across multiple

Reardon Court in Enfield, a residential care scheme designed

to promote and maximise independent living has completed in

London, providing 70 new homes. The development has two

communal courtyards, a central social space, and several auxiliary

function rooms with hobby rooms, a library and hairdressing

area. Consultancy Pick Everard is behind the scheme,

collaborating with contractor Graham and Enfield Council to

deliver architecture, landscape architecture, project management,

contract administration, technical advisory, mechanical and

electrical services, sustainability and energy, and civil and

structural engineering services.


business | personnel

People moves

in association with

TLC Care has appointed Alexandra

Wortley as the business development

manager at 89-bed Cambridge Manor

Care Home in Cambridge. Since 2014

Wortley was the sales and service manager

at Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital.

before moving into the social care sector

in 2018, spending four years as chief

financial officer of Sunrise Senior Living

and Gracewell Healthcare. Most recently,

Brister worked for Kisimul Group which

provides specialised care and education

to children and adults with autism and

complex behaviours.

and leading digital plans. Phillips has a

background in customer relationship

management and direct marketing and

has worked as a care home marketing

consultant since 2019. Her consultancy

work included collaborations with several

care home operators.

Alexandra Wortley

Meallmore has appointed June McIntosh

as general manager of Antonine House

care home, an 81-bed luxury facility in

Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, which

cares for residents with a range of support

needs including dementia and palliative

care. McIntosh has 40 years’ experience

in the sector. She attended Inverclyde

Nursing College where she completed

a course in general nursing. Later, while

working as a staff nurse, she attended

Ayrshire and Arran College of Nursing

becoming a registered mental nurse. She

has worked as a team leader and deputy

manager in care homes across Scotland

and returns to Antonine House, having

previously been deputy care home

manager in 2013.

Jo Crossland

We Care Group has appointed Jo

Crossland as quality director. Crossland

has more than 30 years’ experience

as a registered general nurse working

with older people. She spent her first

decade in the care home sector before

becoming a mental health nurse. She

then transitioned to a mental health

NHS trust, where she worked in various

roles, including acute assessment services

and liaison psychiatry for older people

with dementia. In 2009, Crossland

joined the University of Bradford’s

School of Dementia Studies as a practice

development consultant and trainer.

There, she helped deliver courses to care

workers nationally and internationally.

Crossland joined Avery Healthcare in

2016 as head of dementia care.

Roberto Taracido Ruiz

Florence, the London-based tech start-up

that connects vacant care home shifts to

local nurses and carers, has appointed

Roberto Taracido Ruiz as chief revenue

officer. Taracido Ruiz started his career

in environmental chemistry and pivoted

to business and management consulting.

Later he was appointed as the managing

director of e-commerce marketplace

Groupon Spain and vice-president of

sales for Groupon UK. Taracido Ruiz also

worked at troubled officer space company

WeWork and at beauty treatment

booking firm Treatwell.

Antony Brister

Aria Care Group has appointed Antony

Brister as chief financial officer. Brister

us an accountant and experienced chief

financial officer, who previously held

senior finance roles within the hospitality

industry, working with global brands

including Marriott and Hilton Hotels,

Melanie Phillips

Lovett Care has appointed Melanie

Phillips as head of marketing, tasked with

boosting occupancy across Lovett Care’s

homes, developing the company’s brand,

Henry Sumner

Later-living developer-operator Untold

Living has appointed Henry Sumner

as chief financial officer. Sumner joined

Untold Living in January as interim chief

financial officer, before being appointed

to the permanent role. He was previously

the operational finance director at

Battersea Power Station, where he worked

across multiple phases of the mixeduse

redevelopment project. Sumner


personnel | business

specialised in real estate and operational finance in his prior

roles at Lothbury IM, as property fund controller, and at AXA,

overseeing a residential fund. He initially trained as an accountant

with EY in the City of London.

Warren Fabes

Worthing social

care charity Guild

Care has promoted

Warren Fabes to chief

executive, following

the departure of Alex

Brooks-Johnson

who is taking up a

new challenge in the

charity sector. Fabes

has worked for Guild

Care as chief financial

officer and deputy chief executive for the past eight years. He

began his career as a chartered accountant with KPMG and spent

more than 20 years working in large national and international

organisations as a finance director before joining Guild Care.

Nav Singh

New Age Care, a

Midlands-based

home care service,

has appointed Nav

Singh as head of

governance and

quality assurance.

Singh has more than

15 years’ experience

in regulatory,

inspection and

governance roles

within the healthcare sector. His career began in London with

the civil service, where he spent a decade at the Medicines and

Healthcare products Regulatory Agency working to safeguard

public health. collaborating with international organisations

such as the World Health Organization, UK Border Force, and

Interpol. In 2017, he transitioned into healthcare, joining the Care

Quality Commission as an acute inspector.

Jodie Haines

Oldbury Grange,

a 69-bed nursing

home in Bridgnorth,

Shropshire, which

provides residential,

dementia, nursing,

respite and palliative

care, has appointed

Jodie Haines as care

home manager after

she worked as its

interim manager.

Haines is a registered

nurse who has worked in a number of complex care settings

within care homes. Experienced as both agency and permanent

staff, Haines worked her way up to become a care home unit

manager, a clinical project lead, and then a deputy care home

manager for a number of homes. She was also a compliance

officer responsible for overseeing 12 care homes across the UK.

Sarah Collins

Healthcare

Homes Group

has appointed

experienced

healthcare

professional Sarah

Collins as the

manager of Barking

Hall Care Home, in

Barking, Ipswich.

The home, nestled

in vast gardens

and bordered by flower beds and mature trees, is a 49-bedroom

facility offering a range of services including nursing care,

residential care, respite care and specialised dementia care.

Jane Galloway

Healthcare Homes

Group has appointed

Jane Galloway as

care home manager

of Mill Lane Care

Home in Felixstowe,

Suffolk. Galloway

has more than 30

years’ experience in

the care sector. Mill

Lane Care Home is a

27-bedroom facility

offering a range of services including residential care, nursing care,

respite care and specialised dementia care.

DBS CHECKS

TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS OF UK

CARE PROVIDERS

Care Check, one of the UKs leading DBS providers,

processing over 250,000 checks a year for over

35,000 organisations.

FREE registration and set up in as little as 5 minutes

Digital ID Validation, Right to Work & Media Checks

Talk to us via chat or call our 5 star team on 0333 777 8575

DBS Checks complete in as little as 24 hours*

*DBS CHECK TIMESCALES VARY APPLICANT TO APPLICANT

Trusted BY

WWW.CARECHECK.CO.UK


business | event

You shall go to the ball

Anita Goyal, chair of the Care Sector Fundraising Ball from 2018-2023, explains why

this year’s event at Grosvenor House Hotel this 28 September is not to be missed

Championing Social Care is now

less than a month away from

holding its fifth Care Sector

Fundraising Ball, will once again gather

the cream of the crop from the social

care sector.

The event has grown and developed

into a major fixture in the social care

calendar – the first four balls raised some

£1.2 million in total for charities and

2024 promises to be the biggest and best

yet.

It seems a long time ago since my

husband Avnish and I organised the

first ball in 2018 – when Championing

Social Care and the Hallmark

Foundation were just twinkles in our

eyes. A second ball followed in 2019

before Covid intervened and meant that

2020 and 2021 were fallow years.

But we bounced back in 2022, raising

a record sum of just over £400k for two

charities: The Care Workers Charity and

Alzheimer’s Society. Only for that record

to be smashed again in 2023 with £426k

raised for the same two charities.

For me, there have been several

highlights over the past six years.

First, the ball has brought together

an ever-widening group of social care

professionals and supporters with a

common cause: to have a good time,

network with like-minded colleagues

old and new, and raise substantial

sums for charity. The ball was the first

flagship event of Championing Social

Care and it’s now one of several annual

programmes run by the growing charity.

Second, the ball and its development

have only been possible through

excellent teamwork, bringing together a

wide range of people from different parts

of the sector with complementary skills

and knowledge. I have made many great

friends through organising the ball.

Third, the fact that people return

to the ball year after year is testament

to the quality of the event and how

it gets better every year attracting

more and more guests. Excellent, fun

entertainment and dancing; wonderful

Indian food and service; great

networking; opportunities for all to give

from auctions to prize draws; and record

sums raised every year.

Fourth, of course the main purpose

of the event is to support two fantastic

charities. In 2024 they will be The Care

Workers Charity again and Marie Curie

for the first time, along with a number of

Anita Goyal

small charities. It really is the care sector

giving back to those who need help the

most.

For all these reasons and more, the

Hallmark Foundation is proud to

support the 2024 ball as its founding

partner. Everyone is guaranteed a

“The first four balls

have raised some

£1.2 million”


event | business

wonderful evening while raising more

funds for care charities.

And the ball is a prime example of

“Everyone is

guaranteed a wonderful

evening while raising

more funds for care

charities”

the difference that Championing Social

Care makes, shining a positive light on

social care. More people from within the

care sector and beyond are joining the

partnership to promote all that is good

about care and how we make a difference

day-in, day-out for so many older people

and people with a disability in the UK.

So please come to the ball on 28

September to find out more and see why

it’s my favourite event of the year.

To book a table at the 2024 Care

Sector Fundraising Ball on Saturday 28

September at Grosvenor House Hotel,

please visit: championingsocialcare.org.

uk/care-sector-fundraising-ball/

We can help with:

Advice on regulatory matters

Buying or selling your business

Employing people

Maximising your property assets.

Want to know more?

Talk to Rebecca Leask, Head of Healthcare

03301 075 796 I www.hcrlaw.com


business | politics & policy

More support needed

Bridgehead Communications’ managing director William Walter focuses on

Labour’s reforms to social care, the upheaval at the Care Quality Commission

and the continued difficulties faced by unpaid carers

It seems impossible not to start with

the groundbreaking interim report

released a few weeks ago on the

Care Quality Commission. Nor is it

possible to understate how damning it

is. Social care providers have been forced

to wait far too long for ratings to be

updated, and over half of all registration

applications were over two and a half

months old, more than double the

previous year, to name just a few of that

document’s main points.

Wes Streeting, health and social care

secretary, declared that “the CQC

is not fit for purpose” and has “been

stunned by the extent of the failings of

the institution”. However, the CQC’s

shortcomings are unsurprising for

many in the sector. Sam Monaghan,

chief executive of Methodist Homes,

feels that “there was a lack of proper

consulting with providers even before

the single assessment framework”,

and that the organisation has become

“uncontactable”.

This view was echoed by Nadra

Ahmed, co-chairman of the National

Care Association, who notes that the

“CQC has moved towards a more

remote way of working”, which she

suggests has contributed to “this

complete breach of trust in the

organisation”.

The answer to how best to move

forward from this is more uncertain.

Some have argued that separating

health and social care responsibilities

“The need

for greater

government

and regulatory

support, funding

and direction is as

clear as ever”

would provide greater specialisation

for regulators. This is not a universal

view, however. Ed Watkinson, director

of Watkinson Consulting and with a

history of advising the CQC, argues

that such a move “would be a step back

to pre-2008” and that, instead, “social

care needs to be fully recognised for the

important role it performs... under the

umbrella of [the] CQC”.

Most providers want the existing

system to work for them. For Care

Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV)

founder Jayne Connery, restoring

relations with the sector is essential.

She says: “Prioritising stakeholder

engagement, including input from

families and carers, will ensure that

regulatory reforms meet the real needs

of those relying on care services.”

Labour’s dashed ambitions for

social care

With a new government elected at the

beginning of July, many in the sector

were hoping that the desperate need for

greater political attention to social care

could be realised. However, these hopes

have clashed with reality.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending

audit involved the long-delayed and

much-needed cap on social care costs

being delayed indefinitely, despite

Labour committing to it during the

election campaign.

The shock of the decision, as well

as its impact, is enormous. Andrew

Dilnot, who proposed a cap 13 years

ago, says the government has “failed

another generation of families”. Lucinda

Allen, senior policy officer at the Health

Foundation, notes that the cap proposed

by the Conservative government, even

by 2035/36, would have only cost

around 2% of the current annual NHS

budget.

As prime minister, Tony Blair declared

that he didn’t want pensioners to sell

their homes to afford care. Almost 27

years have passed since then and, in that

time, little has changed.

William Walter

An area of social care reform not yet

abandoned by Labour is its manifesto

pledge to introduce a new National Care

Service. What this means in practice

remains unclear. Allen adds that “a

system more like the NHS” would be

a significant change compared to the

existing framework. However, in our

interview with now secretary of state for

work and pensions, Liz Kendall, she was

at pains to stress that it would not be

NHS 2.0, which begs the question: what

will it be like?

Natasha Curry, deputy director of

policy at the Nuffield Trust, stresses

how difficult Labour’s plan is to judge

without further detail. What she does

support, though, are aims to standardise

care. She says: “I think there is merit

in working towards a more consistent

offer that addresses unfairness of local

variation.”

Most pressing of all is the shocking

level of pay for carers working in the

sector. “Care workers are among the

lowest paid in the UK and more likely

to live in poverty than other workers,”

notes Allen. Sam Monaghan believes

that delivering “fully funded fair pay” is

essential to “address issues of recruitment

and retention”.

Given vacancies remain at a staggering

131,000 and that demand for care

professionals is only set to increase in


politics & policy | business

the years ahead, attracting staff to the

sector is crucial. Labour plans to address

this with its Fair Pay Agreement for the

industry. The success of this will depend

on the commitment to fund pay rises. A

fifth of local authorities face bankruptcy

in the coming year, and the central

government must finance any increase in

staffing costs.

Without Labour stepping up to the

task and putting its money where its

mouth is, fair pay in the sector remains

little more than empty words.

Silence on unpaid carers

continues

Finally, one part of our social care system

routinely ignored is the work done by

unpaid carers up and down the country.

This was an issue explored in detail by

GoodOaks Homecare earlier this year.

Labour has promised to review the

carer’s allowance, but committed to little

else.

The position of unpaid carers is clearly

challenging. “The recent Association of

Directors of Adult Social Services survey

found that the level of need among

carers has increased with many reporting

high levels of burnout,” says Curry. She

adds that the Nuffield Trust’s research

revealed decreasing support from the

state to carers in recent years. The

Health Foundation’s Lucinda Allen also

notes that a new national carers strategy,

promised for a decade, has never been

produced.

Given the value of unpaid carers,

providing as much as £164 billion worth

of care a year, the same as the NHS

annual budget, more attention needs to

be paid to making that care manageable.

This starts with ending the thousands of

pounds in fines issued to those claiming

carer’s allowance. Supporting carers goes

beyond the financial and gives greater

flexibility and freedom, however.

“As an unpaid carer to my mother

Ellen for many years, I understand

the critical role unpaid carers play in

the social care system,” says CCFTV’s

Connery. She suggests that the new

Labour government should provide

respite care to give care providers the

chance to go on holiday or even just get a

break from the exhausting work of daily

support.

Whether this will make its way onto

the political agenda remains to be

seen. However, the need for greater

government and regulatory support,

funding and direction is as clear as

ever.


business | opinion

We cannot rely on government

Following discussions at a round table hosted by The Access Group, Martin Green, chief executive

of Care England, who chaired the round table, sets out how challenges in adult social care can be

overcome by the collective action of local leaders and the standardisation of technology

Historically, social care has

been overlooked by successive

governments, with the NHS

taking precedence in terms of funding

and development.

While the new Labour government has

made some positive pledges – including

the introduction of a National Care

Service – there was an overwhelming

consensus among delegates at the

‘Care Perspectives’ round table that we

shouldn’t rely on central government to

make the wholesale changes needed.

Solutions will only be delivered

effectively by the collective action of those

organisations providing and supporting

social care, working with the local and

national commissioners.

The complex landscape of challenges we

face include a lack of adequate funding,

difficulties with recruiting and retaining

a skilled workforce, fragmented services

(64% of providers are small businesses)

and concerns over Care Quality

Commission regulation. With all these

issues to overcome, there isn’t a ‘silver

bullet’. However, technology is – and is

already proving to be – a game-changer.

Technology revolution

The care sector has traditionally been

slow to adopt new technology. However,

if the sector is going to thrive rather than

survive, it’s time that digital and data took

their rightful place at the forefront of

reform and improvements.

Specifically, technology-enabled care

(TEC) can change the paradigm of how

care is delivered, enabling an individual’s

support to be designed for and alongside

them. There are instances across the

country where TEC enables providers

to be more efficient and responsive

to people’s needs. Plus, crucially, the

collection and analysis of the data

from implementing these solutions can

accelerate the shift towards more proactive

and preventative care and support.

For example, Clackmannanshire

and Stirling Health and Social Care

Partnership (HSCP) and East Lothian

HSCP changed 40% of their care plans to

make them more responsive to the needs

of individuals after using TEC to monitor

and interpret their behaviour. This

included avoiding care home admissions

and safely minimising domiciliary care

visits. The costs that were saved exceeded

any additional expense for the new care

plans.

While delegates at the round table –

which included providers, care worker

associations, recruiters and technology

industry representatives – agreed on this

direction of travel, it was clear there are

barriers to adoption at scale and pace.

Constrained local budgets, a lack of

digital skills among the workforce and a

disparate provider landscape have meant

the benefits of technology are not being

fully realised.

Moreover, delegates called for

an integrated, outcomes-based

commissioning model, mandated

by integrated care systems, which

encourages greater collaboration between

commissioners and providers and ensures

decisions are based on benefits and

outcomes.

Standardisation

If we are to scale digital and data-led

systems, particularly in the short term,

we need to create an environment that

encourages a core level of standardisation

based on people being empowered to live

the best life possible.

For example, the NHS list of digital

social care records suppliers, includes

solutions that conform to certain

fundamental standards.

This approach could be adapted to

encompass other forms of technology.

And would benefit greatly from

collaborating with care providers,

software companies, recipients of care and

care workers to set the expectations and

commitments.

TechUK and the Professional Records

Standards Body are already championing

this type of approach and their work

could form the basis of an agreement on

Martin Green, chief executive

of Care England

core capabilities and standards.

In turn, this will enable greater

interoperability and information-sharing

between care settings and the connection

of the ‘data dots’. At the moment, so

much data is collected but not being used

to inform models of care and support.

Delegates referred to the fact that there is

an unfocussed ‘data swamp’.

In addition, the limited resources

in care organisations to collate and

synthesise the information means we

aren’t capitalising on the data to improve

service delivery and resource planning –

and therefore ultimately moving towards

a preventative and proactive health and

care system rather than a reactive one.

Yet there is technology specifically

designed to do this, and with the advent

of powerful platforms incorporating

artificial intelligence, the ability to analyse

data is developing at pace. We just need

to empower our local leaders to adopt it

at scale.

Collective action

After a detailed debate at the round table,

we all agreed that this empowerment

will come from within our own

organisations. And with no time to waste,

it requires collective action that includes

collaboration with commissioners, local

authorities and integrated care boards.

As a result, we are establishing an action

group to drive forward this revolutionary

reform and call on anyone who wants to

improve the model of care to join us. We

will build on the momentum from the

round table to establish a powerful base

of care organisations and technology

specialists to drive this agenda forward.


advertorial | business

Your bank won’t help? Don’t panic

Why are some recognised banks withdrawing from the care sector and

where can operators go for investment? Anthony Newman, senior specialist

relationship manager at Allica Bank, provides answers and solutions

It won’t be news to readers that

demand for the care sector is

growing as people are living longer.

But if that’s the case, why are some

banks withdrawing from it? I’ve heard

countless stories from care home

operators – many with long relationships

with a high street bank – who have told

me they’re struggling to get the finance

they need from them.

Although an in-demand sector

seems like a solid investment, many

banks struggle to serve these businesses

because of their more complex nature.

Well-documented challenges such as

a shortage of available skilled workers,

pressure on publicly funded fees and

Care Quality Commission ratings mean

they don’t always fit easily into some

banks’ tick-box approval criteria. With

many big banks lowering the number of

feet they have on the ground to support

businesses, they also often don’t have the

sector expertise they need to perform

proper assessments. So where can care

home operators find the money they

need?

Thankfully, there are still lenders out

there with that expertise who can take an

informed view and look at applications

on a case-by-case basis. Gone are the

days when there were just a handful of

recognised banks, all of them familiar

from the high street. Instead, there’s a

significant number of challengers out

there providing a more specialised and

proactive service to care home operators.

Full transparency – I’m writing

“Thankfully, there are still

lenders out there with

that expertise who can

take an informed view

and look at applications

on a case-by-case basis.”

as someone who works for Allica, a

challenger business bank. If you’ve not

heard of us, we got our banking licence

in 2019 and have now lent well over

£2 billion to established businesses,

alongside becoming profitable in

2023. I’m also someone who has

been supporting care home operators

with lending for over 15 years, giving

me insight into the challenges and

opportunities this vital sector faces.

When Allica set up its specialist care

home team several years ago, we

recognised the unique nature of the

sector. That’s why finding relationship

managers with real care home and

banking expertise like mine was its

number-one priority.

This approach means we can take

a more nuanced view of businesses

applying. For example, we won’t rule

out an application from an operator just

because they have a historic ‘Requires

improvement’ CQC rating. Instead,

we might ask an independent firm to

provide a more up-to-date mock CQC

assessment. Neither do we automatically

rule out first-time buyers, who may have

acquired years of valuable experience

in senior roles in the care sector and

are passionate about starting their own

business.

We typically help care customers with

finance to buy a new home or with a

remortgage to reduce debt payments,

or release equity. We also support many

with getting a better return on their

savings. One operator of nine care

homes, for example, is receiving tens of

thousands of pounds in interest they

wouldn’t have got if they’d kept their

money with a high street bank – money

they’re investing back into their business.

Our focus on supporting businesses

means our customer relationships go

far beyond the transactional. Many

care home operators regularly confide

in us about the broader challenges they

face. It might be that they’re struggling

to fill beds, need support with fee

negotiation or understanding regulatory

Anthony Newman

“One operator of nine

care homes, for example,

is receiving tens of

thousands of pounds in

interest they wouldn’t

have got if they’d kept

their money with a high

street bank – money

they’re investing back

into their business.”

requirements for an overseas licence –

it’s very common for business owners

to ask us if we know anyone that can

help. Our years of sector experience

gives us the ability to understand those

challenges and connect them to the right

people. We know this kind of support

builds trust and if we can’t help, we’ll

always try and find someone who can.

Often when I talk to care home

operators, their banking is seen as more

of a chore than an opportunity, but it

doesn’t have to be that way. There are

banks out there with the expertise that

can make a whole world of difference,

not just to how you do business, but to

how you grow your business too.


business | legal and regulatory

Visiting rights

Amanda Narkiewicz, regulatory partner at law firm Mills & Reeve,

provides care home operators with an overview of the Care Quality

Commission’s new fundamental standard on visiting arrangements

Since 6 April this year, care homes,

hospitals and hospices in England

are required to comply with

the Care Quality Commission’s new

fundamental standard on visiting and

accompanying. The Health and Social

Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)

(Amendment) Regulations 2023 make

significant changes to the rules for

visiting arrangements at these settings.

The text of the new framework is set

out at Regulation 9A and the CQC

has published guidance to support

providers with implementation. The

new regulation appears to signal an

end to visiting times and reinforces the

positive duty on care home operators

to facilitate visits and reflects the

important role providers play in

resident wellbeing.

The regulation aims to ensure:

• People staying in a care home,

hospital or hospice can receive visits

from people they want to see.

• People living in a care home are not

discouraged from taking visits outside

the home, and

• People attending appointments in

a hospital or hospice that do not

require an overnight stay can be

accompanied by a family member,

friend or advocate if they want

someone with them.

What does it mean for care

home providers?

1. Operators have a general duty to

facilitate visits for residents and not

“While breaching

Regulation 9A is a not

a criminal offence,

the CQC can take civil

enforcement action

against a breach”

to discourage them from taking visits

out of the care home.

2. Unless there are “exceptional

circumstances” residents must be

facilitated to receive visits at their

care home.

3. The way in which residents are to

be facilitated to receive visits, so far

as is reasonably practicable, reflects

the preference of the residents as

opposed to the care home’s policy.

4. Care needs to be taken to ensure

resident needs and preferences

are used to guide decision-making

regarding visits (and in consultation

with family, friends and advocates)

supported by risk assessments and

care planning.

5. Any decision to restrict visits

should be proportionate – the

least restrictive option necessary

to achieve the aim. CQC guidance

notes that if restrictions on in-person

visits are necessary, ways to mitigate

risk should be considered. Decisionmaking

on restriction should

factor the risk to the health, safety

or welfare of the resident while

balancing the rights of the resident.

Regular reviews of restrictions are

essential, with prompt removal when

circumstances allow. The restriction

must be communicated to the

resident and their family, friends and

or advocate as appropriate.

6. Even where care and treatment

doesn’t involve an overnight stay,

hospital- and hospice-users must be

“enabled” to be accompanied by a

family, friend or supporter.

CQC enforcement action

The new regulation will enable the

CQC to specifically inspect providers

against the standard, and more easily

identify a breach of the visiting and

accompanying requirement as the

regulation sets out specific points

regarding visiting and accompanying

that a provider must now comply with.

Amanda Narkiewicz

“It is therefore

important for

providers to ensure

the decision-making

process is clearly

documented,

along with a risk

assessment dealing

with this.”

While breaching Regulation 9A is a

not a criminal offence, the CQC can

take civil enforcement action against

a breach. This could include issuing

requirement or warning notices,

imposing conditions, suspending a

registration, or cancelling a registration.

It is therefore important for providers

to ensure the decision-making process

is clearly documented, along with a risk

assessment dealing with this. Providers

are strongly encouraged to avoid

blanket bans on visiting arrangements

for residents and look to consider ways

to mitigate any risk and evidence the

process.


www.gkhealthcare.co.uk

GK Healthcare are a Premier provider

of reliable, expert, and cost-effective

temporary healthcare staffing

solutions.

Since 2021, we’ve rapidly grown, providing

skilled professionals with essential training

and a commitment to excellence for diverse

client needs.

Type of staff we supply:

→

→

→

→

→

→

General Nurses

Mental Health Nurses

Senior Healthcare Assistance

Healthcare Assistance

Support Workers

Chefs/ Cooks And Kitchen Assistance.

Our comprehensive services address

the critical shortage of healthcare

professionals in the UK, ensuring

continuity and quality of care across

private hospitals, care homes, and

complex care environments.

By maintaining a large pool of vetted and

compliant candidates, we provide timely

and dependable staffing solutions at

competitive rates, significantly reducing

financial burdens for our clients.

With over 30 years of combined experience,

our team is committed to delivering fast,

flexible, and reliable staffing services.

We prioritize communication, adhere to

strict service level agreements, and offer

around-the-clock support, ensuring our

clients receive the best possible care for

their service users.

Choose GK Healthcare for a partnership

that guarantees quality, trust, and

financial efficiency in meeting your

staffing needs.

24/7 Support

Significant cost saving for

councils and independent

homes

Competitive pay rates for

dedicated staff. 1 Hour SLA.

0121 820 8176

hello@gkhealthcare.co.uk

www.gkhealthcare.co.uk

business | opinion

You can run, but you can’t hide...

Jonathan Freeman, outgoing group sustainability director for the CareTech

Foundation, bids farewell to his monthly Caring Times column

After three years in my role as

group sustainability director,

and seven years as chief

executive of the CareTech Foundation,

I am moving on to an exciting new

chief executive role outside the sector.

This, then, will be my last Sustainability

Matters column for Caring Times. It’s

an opportune moment to reflect on the

sustainability journey that the sector

has been on, and to offer some thoughts

about the road ahead.

First things first, sustainability remains

the issue of our age. Addressing with

urgency the climate crisis, building

strong and cohesive communities,

putting people before profit, and

rebuilding trust in business and

the government have never been as

important as they are today. Call it

sustainability, ESG [environmental,

social and governance], whatever you

like – this is no fad.

Organisations – be they for-profit or

otherwise – have to put sustainability at

the heart of their businesses if they want

long-term success. The smart ones do

this willingly because they understand

what the research shows: businesses built

around purpose and sustainability are,

quite simply, better businesses. A 2023

global survey by Bain & Company and

EcoVadis of 100,000 businesses proved

that “positive ESG outcomes are a trait

of successful companies”. Put more

plainly, the study shows that as well

as benefitting the planet and society,

businesses that take ESG seriously make

more money.

Sadly, there are still too many

businesses – and a diminishing number

of investors – that focus on short-term

financial gain and see only the shortterm

costs of sustainability-related

action. It astounds me that business

leaders too often can’t see beyond the

end of their noses, with a three- or

six-month perspective being the extent

of their strategic business development

horizon. It is dispiriting that this is also

true in the social care sector, where

companies enable individuals to live

their best lives possible. (As a side note,

if social care operators don’t take a longterm

perspective, then what right have

we to berate the government for not

taking such an approach to the social

care sector?)

The good news for those of us who

care about the imperative of a longterm

perspective to tackle sustainability

issues is that the choice of whether to

address sustainability challenges is being

taken out of the hands of the reluctant.

Governments, regulators, investors

and customers are increasingly making

organisations take responsibility for

their impacts on the planet and society –

and this will only accelerate.

In the UK, the perceived wobble by

the last government on environmental

issues was taken by some as a signal

that they could put these issues on the

back-burner; this was always wrong,

and these issues are very firmly on the

political agenda. There will be increasing

pressure on businesses to shoulder their

responsibilities – and financial penalties

for those that don’t.

The fantastic Social Care Future’s vision

for the sector is: “We all want to live in

the place we call home, with the people

and things that we love, in communities

where we look out for one another, doing

the things that matter to us.”

How can a sector rooted in this

uplifting, exciting and positive mission

not take sustainability seriously?

Jonathan Freeman

I am incredibly proud that, beyond the

achievements that we have collectively

delivered at CareTech (as set out in

our recent Purpose Report), I have had

the honour to serve as the founder and

chair of the Social Care Sustainability

Alliance. Over the past year or so,

we have seen membership grow. We

have helped other providers with key

sustainability issues by collaborating to

build an impressive set of papers.

My message to operators across the

social care sector is clear. Do not come to

these issues reluctantly or half-heartedly.

Seize the initiative. Be at the front of the

race rather than at the back. Because, as

per the title of this article, you can run

but you can’t hide on these issues.


Your Business

is Our Priority

sustainability matters | business

SOLD

SOLD

PROJECT SATURN

West Midlands

SOLD

SPRINGWOOD HOUSE

Derbyshire

29 beds Residential

care home

Converted &

extended

PROJECT CROWN

South Yorkshire

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

CAPEL GRANGE

Kent

BETHREY HOUSE

West Midlands

LOXLEY LODGE

Nottinghamshire

GET IN TOUCH

Due to huge demand, we urgently

require care homes throughout the

country, contact our Managing Director

07943 107 887

nick@ngacare.co.uk

ngacare.co.uk

Nick Greaves in confidence on:

CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JULY/AUGUST 2024 | 21

business | politics & policy

An overlooked taboo

We need to talk about continence care says Alison Wileman, market access

specialist at Essity, specialist nurse at Bladder and Bowel UK, and trustee at ERIC,

The Children’s Bowel & Bladder Charity.

The new health secretary Wes

Streeting has called for ‘more

ambitious social care policy’. If

this is something a Labour government

wants to achieve in the next five years, he

should look to simple yet urgent reforms

in continence care as a swift means to

alleviate the suffering of thousands

of social care service-users and NHS

patients across the country and cut costs

for the taxpayer.

Urinary incontinence alone affects an

estimated 14 million people in the UK

today, including over 50% of residents

in care homes. And yet despite the

pervasiveness of the issue, continence

care is far from adequate, languishing

low on the public health agenda as an

overlooked taboo, despite affecting

millions across the UK and thousands in

social care. Not only does the provision

of continence care fall drastically short

of patient needs and potentially worsens

health outcomes, but the health and

social care system is paying through the

nose for it.

A recent survey of healthcare

professionals caring for incontinent

patients found that almost half of nurses

and carers (49%) are not meeting the

needs of their patients due to poor

incontinence pads, while more than

a third (37%) feel the incontinence

protection their patients use is not fit

“Not only does the

provision of continence

care fall drastically

short of patient needs

and potentially worsens

health outcomes, but

the health and social

care system is paying

through the nose for it.”

for purpose. This often leads to patients

developing a host of serious conditions,

such as urinary tract infections or

moisture-associated skin damage, that

significantly impair patients’ health

and quality of life. While funding is a

continual concern across public services,

a reform of NHS procurement practice

of continence products could go a long

way in remedying these issues while

saving a considerable amount of money.

A recent case study by global

health and hygiene company, Essity,

in partnership with the NHS in two

Lincolnshire care homes, found that

current procurement of continence

protection, which weighs heavily in

favour of lower upfront costs, leads to a

false economy in the long run. Cheaper,

generic continence pads result in more

leakages, and require the use of more

products and, crucially, more carer time

to replace patients’ pads, clothes and

bedding, as well as other sanitising costs.

In contrast, the study found that using

more clinically appropriate products,

while incurring a higher initial cost, led

to a dramatic reduction in pad usage,

leakages and associated carer costs. This

brought the total cost of daily care down

from £15.33 to £6.68 per patient and

led to notable improvements in patient

health and quality of life, including

a decrease in urinary tract infections,

falls and hospital admissions linked to

continence challenges.

The change in procurement practice,

based on the concept of ‘value-based

procurement’ which prioritises patient

needs as well as costs, has demonstrated

significant benefits for patients, carers,

the health and social care system

and taxpayers. With the social care

workforce still in crisis following the

Covid-19 pandemic, efficient use of staff

time is more critical than ever.

Earlier this year, a new value-based

procurement methodology was flagged,

marking a paradigm shift in the NHS

approach to purchasing. The new

methodology is expected to be finalised

Alison Wileman

“Cheaper, generic

continence pads result

in more leakages, and

require the use of more

products and, crucially,

more carer time to

replace patients’ pads,

clothes and bedding,

as well as other

sanitising costs.”

shortly, but the health secretary should

not miss the wide-open goal within

health and care reform and commit to

ensuring value-based procurement in

continence care is fully embraced and

rapidly. We need ministerial action to

drive the roll-out and uptake of the new

methodology across the NHS and social

care system.

With the new Labour government

promising fiscal restraint, this small yet

significant change in the way continence

products are procured and prescribed

would make a world of difference to

patients and ease NHS and social care

costs.


Keeping care staff in the fold

Iain Corrigan, commercial director of CoolCare, on how digital tools

are the key to staff retention and the wider goals of care

Staff retention has become one of

the most significant challenges

faced by care homes across the

UK. With high turnover rates, care

homes are under constant pressure to

maintain consistent, high-quality care.

While salary and benefits packages

remain crucial, the role of technology is

increasingly vital in creating a supportive

and efficient working environment that

fosters staff loyalty and satisfaction.

advertorial | business

The role of care home

administration software

A key line on the digital transformation

checklist in care homes is the adoption

of advanced administration software.

These platforms are designed to

streamline daily operations, reduce the

administrative burden on care staff,

and ensure that more time is spent on

resident care rather than paperwork.

This shift not only improves the

efficiency of care delivery but also

enhances job satisfaction by allowing

staff to focus on what they do best—

caring for residents.

Working with the care sector for more

than 30 years, CoolCare has developed

a comprehensive system that addresses

the needs of care providers, by design.

By automating routine tasks such as rota

management, payroll, and compliance

monitoring, CoolCare's software

significantly reduces the time spent on

these administrative duties. This allows

staff to have clearer schedules, managers

to encounter fewer staffing issues, and

ultimately the whole team to have a

better work-life balance.

Enhancing employee

engagement and satisfaction

Employee engagement is critical to

retention, and digital systems can play

a significant role in fostering this. Care

home administration software enables

better communication and transparency

between management and staff. Features

such as real-time shift availability, instant

updates, and mobile access empower

staff to manage their work schedules

more effectively. This empowerment

leads to higher job satisfaction, as

employees feel more in control of their

work-life balance and less stressed by

last-minute changes.

Moreover, the integration of

additional services can further enhance

employee satisfaction. CoolCare

partners with FlexEarn, which allows

employees to access a portion of their

earned wages before payday, providing

financial flexibility and reducing the

stress associated with unexpected

expenses. This financial empowerment,

combined with the streamlined

administration processes, helps in

building a more resilient and content

workforce.

Reducing turnover through

data-driven insights

Another significant advantage of

digital systems is the ability to harness

data to drive decisions. Care home

administration software provides

valuable insights into workforce trends,

including patterns in absenteeism,

overtime, and staff turnover. By

analysing this data, care home managers

can identify potential issues early and

take proactive steps to address them,

such as offering additional training or

support where needed.

Utilising the data from within

administration software, and other

digital tools, in this way not only helps

in improving operational efficiency

but also in creating a supportive

environment where staff feel valued and

understood. When employees see that

their needs are being met and that the

organisation is invested in their wellbeing,

they are more likely to remain

loyal to their employer.

In a sector where the quality of

care is directly linked to the stability

and satisfaction of the workforce, the

adoption of digital systems like care

home administration software is not

just a convenience—it's a necessity.

By reducing administrative burdens,

enhancing communication, and

providing financial flexibility through

integrations like FlexEarn, care homes

can create a more supportive and

engaging work environment. This, in

turn, leads to improved staff retention,

ensuring that care homes can continue to

provide the highest standards of care to

their residents.

For care home operators, investing in

digital solutions is an investment in their

most valuable asset: their people.


business | reaction

Dependent on dependants?

Sam Lewis reports on sector reaction to the dramatic drop in Health and Care Worker

Visas granted between April and June, in the wake of the Conservative government’s

policy of no longer permitting family members under the dependent visa route

The number of Health and Care

Worker Visas granted by the

UK government from April to

June this year saw an 81% year-on-year

drop.

This is indicative of the changes made

by Rishi Sunak’s government in March,

which saw a ban on health and social

care workers bringing ‘dependants’

(family members who rely on them

financially) to the UK.

New government data shows that

there were 89,095 visas granted in the

year ending June 2024. This marks a

26% decrease compared to the previous

year.

The figure for the last quarter of that

12-month period, however, was 81%

lower than April to June 2023.

Ben Brindle, researcher at the

Migration Observatory at the

University of Oxford, commented:

“Visa numbers dropped in the last

few months of the Conservative

government and emigration has also

been rising. In theory, this should mean

a decline in net migration over the

coming year.

“But the precise scale of it is hard

to predict: we don’t yet know how

many of the recent student arrivals will

remain in the UK long-term, and any

bounce-back in health and care visas

would also slow the decline.

Martin Green

“Nonetheless, the strong indication

is that Labour will be able to meet its

commitment to reduce net migration

from the unusually high levels the UK

has recently seen, primarily due to

trends that were already in train well

before they were elected.”

Martin Green, chief executive of

Care England, said: “The government

is running out of time to listen. While

the decision to restrict applicants was

made by the previous government, it

is incumbent on those now in power

to take ownership of their inherited

situation. They must make the changes

needed to ensure the social care sector

remains sustainable.

“Our dedicated workforce is social

care’s biggest asset, and without the

proper measures in place to draw

in domestic recruits, the gap left by

international recruits will reach an

untenable level. Adult social care needs

a fully funded workforce plan, with

boosted pay, terms and conditions,

the change for career progression, and

parity of esteem with NHS colleagues.

Without this, our sector risks not

having enough staff to deliver the care

and support this country’s needs now,

or in the future.”

Karolina Gerlich, chief executive

of The Care Workers’ Charity, added:

“This decline in visa applications is

yet another blow to a sector that has

been pushed to the brink of collapse.

The changes to the immigration rules,

which prevent care workers from

bringing their dependants to the UK,

have made the UK a far less attractive

destination for those who were once

eager to contribute to our care system.

“The care sector’s reliance on

international recruitment has grown

significantly since Brexit, with many

EU workers no longer able to work

in the UK as flexibly as before. The

recent restrictions have only worsened

this situation, deterring potential care

workers from applying to work in

the UK and driving them to consider

Karolina Gerlich

alternative destinations like Canada,

Australia and Germany.

“Support networks are vital for

promoting wellbeing within the social

care sector. It is unfair to expect care

workers to leave their families behind

while caring for British families. This

policy, which does not apply to most

NHS workers, is demoralising and

could further diminish the morale

of care workers, who already face

significant emotional and physical

challenges in their roles.

“We are also concerned about the

effect these shortages will have on the

quality of care provided. Many care

workers are already stretched to their

limits, working unsustainable hours

to cover workforce gaps. This strain

not only takes a toll on their mental

and physical health but also impacts

the quality of care they can offer. As a

result, those relying on social care are

facing reduced service quality, shorter

appointment times and delays in

hospital discharges, which adds further

pressure on the NHS and leaves many

without the essential care they need at

home.

Gerlich wemt on to say that the

charity is requesting the government

reviews the immigration law change

which has led to this situation.


surveys & data | business

Who’s ahead on social media?

Platforms like Facebook, X and LinkedIn are now of prime importance when it comes

to marketing, and gaining followers will result in more exposure and ultimately more

customers for your small care home business, reports Sam Lewis

Specialist care PR consultancy

Bridgehead Communications has

unveiled the 2024 edition of its

annual Social Media Power List, ranking

the UK’s small care home groups and

their individual homes based on their

social media following.

Bridgehead first launched its survey

last year with the publication of three

reports ranking the UK’s top 20 small,

medium and large care home groups

respectively by their social media

following.

Using carehome.co.uk’s list of the

Top 20 Small Care Groups of 2024,

the new report, titled ‘Social Media

Power List 2024 – Top 20 Small Care

Home Groups’, ranks small care home

groups and their respective care homes

according to their social media following

on the five most widely used platforms

in the sector: Facebook, LinkedIn,

Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and

TikTok. The report was compiled using

follower data recorded in May this year.

As with last year’s report, the study

also investigates the applications of social

media in the adult social care sector. It

explores the most effective social media

platforms to use depending on the care

group’s digital marketing objectives.

It also highlights the importance of

considering multiple factors in social

media to boost engagement, and that

striking a balance between group and

individual home accounts is the most

effective way of reaching a target digital

audience.

Due to its disproportionate social

media following relative to the other

groups, the Cygnet group was analysed

separately in the report. It accounted for

around two-thirds of the overall follower

count of the 20 homes (85,000).

Care groups and homes

combined

In terms of the combined social media

of each of the care groups and their

individual homes, Boutique Care Homes

topped the poll with 9,327 followers

spread across Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

Boutique’s social media following was

almost twice as high as the secondranked

care home group, Connaught

Care (4,600).

As with last year’s report, Facebook

accounted for the largest proportion of

followers (53% – 18,422) among the

care groups and their homes. LinkedIn

accounted for 37% (13,000), a 19%

increase compared to its proportion

of followers among care homes in

Bridgehead’s 2023 report. Instagram

accounted for just over 7%, X for 3%,

“Bridgehead first

launched its survey

last year with the

publication of three

reports ranking the

UK’s top 20 small,

medium and large

care home groups

respectively by their

social media following.”

>


business | surveys & data

> and TikTok for less than 1%.

Compared to its peers, Boutique

Care Homes had the most significant

LinkedIn following (7,100) of all the

groups, which came entirely from its

group account. Boutique Care Homes’

associate sales and marketing director

Carl Roberts said that its approach to

LinkedIn focuses on “the development

and growth side” of the business.

“The platform”, he continued, “allows

[Boutique] to build professional

relationships and showcase leadership in

the care home industry.”

On Facebook, it was Sanders Senior

Living which boasted the highest

following (2,951), which was spread across

its group and individual home accounts.

On Instagram, Doveleigh Care dominated

with more than 1,000 followers, while

on X it was the Rotherwood Group that

topped leaderboards.

Individual care homes

The analysis also compared the social

media following of the individual homes

belonging to the top 20 groups.

Boutique Care Homes’ The

Burlington Care Home had the highest

overall following (1,100), which came

entirely from Facebook. Following

close behind was Connaught Care’s

Portsdown View Care Home, which

boasted 800 over both Facebook and

Instagram.

None of the individual homes had

their own LinkedIn accounts, which

among the small care groups was usually

reserved for overall group pages.

Individual care groups

Lastly, the report ranked each care group

by their own social media following,

excluding those of their individual

homes.

Not only was Facebook utilised, but

many of the groups have significant

followings on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Boutique Care Homes’ group account

topped the leaderboard with 7,200

followers across its Facebook, X and

LinkedIn accounts. The three immediately

following Boutique were Connaught Care

(2,853), Rotherwood Group (2,500) and

Doveleigh Care (1,940).

William Walter, the report’s author

and managing director of Bridgehead

Communications, said: “We’re proud to

be launching the first in this year’s series

of power list insights. Launched last

year, the power lists proved incredibly

popular across the sector. They offered

marketing teams insights with which to

inform their digital marketing strategy.

“As with last year’s reports, this study

offers valuable analysis into social media

usage depending on your company’s

needs. Our investigation covers

recruitment, staff retention, as well as

occupancy to help those thinking of

formulating or reformulating their social

media strategy for their care home or

care group.

“The report also considers the

advantages and drawbacks of groupspecific

social media accounts versus

accounts for individual homes, and

explores how your group can strike the

right balance.

“We’d encourage anyone to get

in touch if they’d like to discuss the

findings in more detail. We’d also be

happy to offer a complementary virtual

or in-person teach-in to discuss how care

groups can optimise their social media

outreach.”


care

32 CARE FOR TOMORROW

Find out how Dormy Care is getting

on with Sensio’s innovative falls-

prevention technology RoomMate

36 OPINION

NCF’s Finn Turner-Berry asks whether

a fair pay agreement could work for

England’s care staff

38 ON THE ROAD

CT editor Sam Lewis visits one of the

country’s most high-end new care homes

45 CARE HEROES 2024

Meet the first of this year’s runners-up,

who walked away with a £250 Love2Shop

voucher

care | activities news

Creative Caring

As always, carers have been demonstrating their creativity

through fun and innovative events for their residents

like balloon tennis, basket throw balls, as

well as strawberries and cream and a glass

of Pimm’s.

Men only

Colten Care’s Fernhill dementia care

home in Dorset has launched a men’s club

so male residents can enjoy DIY activities

over a pint and blokey chat. The group’s

first project, with support from team

members, including care, companionship

and maintenance staff, has involved

building birdhouses for the Fernhill

garden, some of which were sold in aid of

charity at the home’s summer fete. Cara

Duroe, Fernhill’s companionship team

leader, said: “In a chat with residents, it

became apparent that some of our men

missed having ‘do it yourself ’ tasks.”

Music to your ears

Residents of Briar House Care Home in

Kings Lynn, Norfolk, part of Larchwood

Care, are tapping their toes after a

donation of MP3 players courtesy of

The Purple Angel Dementia Awareness

Campaign. The campaign preloaded the

players with residents’ favourite songs.

Resident Colin Seaman has a playlist full

of country and western songs, while other

residents vary from old pub songs to Tom

Jones.

Parklands Pride

Residents at two Ross-shire care homes

rocked to the sound of Pride as they

welcomed performers from the local

LGBTQ+ community. Eilean Dubh in

Fortrose and Innis Mhor in Tain took

part in a two-day Parklands Pride festival,

featuring performances from Inverness

singer Sugar Browne, Highland drag

queen Venus Guytrap, and Blair Teska

from Scottish traditional music band

Tuath, accompanied by Jarad Rowan.

Culinary cruise

Orchard Care Homes’ “Cruise Around

Britain” initiative took its 23 homes

on a virtual tour of different culinary

destinations across the British Isles, with

themed events and meals taking place

each week for residents. Chatsworth

Lodge, for example got the entire home

involved in decorating for ‘England week’,

turning its drinks trolley into a red double

decker bus, while Ashlea Mews Care

Home in South Shields, transported its

people to London using virtual reality

headsets.

Anyone for tennis?

To get into the Wimbledon spirit the care

teams at Friends of the Elderly’s Malvernbased

Davenham, Perrins House and

Bradbury Court care homes hosted an

inclusive, tennis day for all the residents

to enjoy. ‘Malvern-don’ included games

Nicest ices

Colten Care’s homes in Bournemouth,

Poole, West Moors and Longham

celebrated National Ice Cream Day

over the summer. While some homes

welcomed special visits by ice cream

vans, others designed their own in-house

take. At Brook View in West Moors,

companionship team member Jo Vardy

dressed up as an ice cream van and

went on her own ‘road trip’ complete

with realistic catchy jingle. As residents

gathered around the garden pond to greet

the ‘Jomobile’, they were served ice creams

with various sauces and toppings.

Chocolate connoisseur

The executive chef of Cirencester Park

Polo Club Bar & Brasserie came to the

rescue when a chocolatier booked by

Aura Care’s Stratton Court was unable to

deliver a planned talk and demo. Ethan

Rodgers helped the home celebrate

World Chocolate Day in July by making

chocolate tortes and explaining the

chocolate-making process.

Creepy crawlies

Residents of Larchwood Care’s Diamond

House Care Home in Downham Market

in Norfolk welcomed a variety of exotic

animals including a scorpion, corn snake,

cockroach, giant African land snail, tree


activities news | care

frog, and gecko. The team from Zoo

Lab guided the residents through the

characteristics of each creature, sparking

curiosity and excitement among all who

attended.

In the swim

The Monday swimming club at Whitby’s

Peregrine House in North Yorkshire is

an opportunity for residents to enjoy a

trip to the pool at Whitby Leisure Centre

for a quiet swim along with carers from

the home. Introduced by home manager

Joe Bowman, the club aims to provide

physical benefits, lower stress levels,

reduce anxiety and depression and help

with sleep.

said: “We had a small lounge at the home

that residents didn’t use very often, but it’s

a lovely space, so we decided to build a bar

in there and theme it as a pub.”

Horse power

Margaret, a resident at Excelcare’s Okeley

Care Home in Chelmsford, shared fond

memories with a team member about

days spent with her grandad on his farm

riding horses around his land. The team

contacted Layer Marney Horse Drawn

Carriages, which invited Margaret to

spend a day at their stables with their

horses. As well as meeting the horses and

donkeys Margaret took a horse-drawn

carriage ride around the local villages.

were invited to celebrate McDonald’s

50th anniversary at the local branch in

Daybrook where Brian Lawson, 85, and

Rose Seston, 99, enjoyed their first ever

McDonald’s meal. The residents were

greeted and seated at a VIP table. Home

manager Sarah Barnes said: “McDonald’s

have even offered to visit our home for

a pop-up restaurant, which we’re sure

will be a huge success. We’re excited to

build on this fantastic new community

relationship.”

Greatest show

Athena Care Homes’ Langdon House

in Cambridge transformed into a circus

extravaganza for a Greatest Showmanthemed

community fun day, with a

stilt walker, clowns, a strongman, free

ice creams from Peasgood and Skeates,

balloon modelling and a circus workshop.

The event raised £434.50 for the Arthur

Rank Hospice Charity.

Dog show

Friends of the Elderly’s Hampshire-based

residential care home The Lawn hosted

community dog show The Scruffies for

the second year in a row. Seating indoors

and outside gave all spectators a good view

of categories including the sausage eating

race and Dog Who Looks Most Like Its

Owner. Three residents acted as judges.

Mucky duck

England may not have won the Euro 2024

final but residents of Black Swan Care

Group’s Beccles Care Home were winners

when the home opened its new pub, The

Mucky Duck, in time for them to watch

the match. Manager Amanda Jackson

Garden gang

HC-One’s Berry Hill Park care home

in Mansfield has a gardening club that’s

been busy creating quirky ‘bug houses’

to help foster biodiversity, cleaning out

pots for more planting, digging out weeds

and raking in new compost for raised

garden beds, and watering new plants to

stop them drying out. Planters have been

added to the garden to help grow a range

of colourful plants and wildflowers. The

planters will also help attract wildlife to

the garden area.

They’re lovin’ it

Residents from Ideal Care Homes’

Coppice Lodge in Nottinghamshire

Day at the races

Orchard Blythe care home in Coleshill,

Warwickshire, part of the Runwood

Homes group, embraced the spirit of

horse racing by transforming into a

vibrant racetrack for a spectacular Ladies’

Day event. Staff became jockeys for the

afternoon, with handmade horses and

a course filled with playful obstacles.

Residents adorned themselves in hats

and fascinators, placed bets and enjoyed

strawberries and cream.


care | manager in focus

10 questions with…

We speak with Victoria Osborne, general manager of Berkley Care Group’s Burcot Grange &

Lodge in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire as she marks 25 years since she joined the home

“I wish there were

less paperwork and

more time with the

residents. I’d also like

to be able to change

people’s perception

of what a care home

really looks like now,

in the modern world."

outcomes. We are always looking for

team members who are flexible and will

go the extra mile.

Victoria Osborne

Why did you join the social care sector?

I originally joined the care home that I

am still at today as part of my Duke of

Edinburgh Award. This gave me a taste

of how care can make a difference which

then led me to pursue my nursing degree.

What do you enjoy most about your

job?

Seeing the residents enjoying themselves,

smiling and being happy; knowing

that I have made a positive difference

in their life; and building relationships

with residents, families and my whole

team. We make the home a big family

environment.

Who is your social care hero and why?

I have three big inspirations for my social

care journey who are Jane Neary and

Mark and Karen Bales.

Jane was my manager when I

first started in care. She was a true

inspiration, as I could see how much she

cared about everyone in the home, and

nothing was ever too much trouble for

her.

Mark and Karen were the owners of

the home and were very much hands-on.

They believed in me and pushed me to

achieve my registered manager’s award.

They had a keen eye for detail to ensure

that all the residents were in a homefrom-home

environment. I learnt so

much from them both.

What is the one thing you would

change about social care?

I wish there were less paperwork and

more time with the residents. I’d also like

to be able to change people’s perception

of what a care home really looks like

now, in the modern world.

What in your opinion makes a great

care worker?

Someone who is enthusiastic, with a

really positive attitude. As it’s not always

easy in the care sector, having a positive

mindset really helps achieve great

What do you do when life all gets a bit

too much?

Take a breath and take a walk in the

beautiful gardens at Burcot. Remember,

social care isn’t a project you can

complete; it’s 24/7, 365 days a year. I like

to take time out to spend with my family.

What advice would you give your

younger self ?

You can’t achieve everything in a day.

I’d also add: trust in myself and the

decisions I take.

Which three famous people would you

have to dinner and why?

I only have one person I would really

like to speak to, and that’s Florence

Nightingale, to ask her what it was like

to be a nurse in her time.

What three items would you bring

with you on a desert island?

My work bag and my diary, a sun lounger

as I’m not a fan of sitting on the sand,

and my sun cream to protect myself,

even though I still like to get a tan.

What is your secret talent?

Being super organised and having

everything written down.


Digital really works

care for tomorrow | care

As part of the Digitising Social Care programme’s Clock is Ticking campaign,

Rebecca White, business data analyst for learning disability charity Seashell

Trust, outlines the difference a digital system has made to residents and staff

Going digital has helped our

carers to spot behaviour patterns

and signals from young people

with learning disabilities and autism,

allowing for the planning of tailored

activities and care.

I support care managers and teams in

our day services and care houses, where

young people live in safe, supported,

shared accommodation and attend

school, college or work-based learning.

I signed up for the Topol Fellowship

from the NHS Digital Academy to help

manage the switch from paper-based

records to digital social care records

across Seashell Trust’s 10 houses, plus

our day services and outreach work. We

chose our system from Digital Social

Care’s assured solutions list.

I went into it feeling pretty cynical

and thinking the first few months would

be difficult for the team, but that the

benefits would come later. At the end of

the first week, not one of the team had

had to stay late to write up their notes

because they had done it on the job as

they went along. During the second

week, updating records and notes was

so fast that we managed a meeting at the

end of each day, giving us time to plan

the next day based on the records taken.

We have four young men living in one

of the houses, all of whom are very active.

Before the online system, notes were

IY making dinner with staff Seashell Trust

shared via email, and because our staff

begin supporting residents as soon as they

come on shift, they wouldn’t get to read

updates until much later in the day. But

the digital care record is picked up at the

start of the day on the team member’s

work tablet or smartphone. This means

we can plan and do activities based on

what happened the previous day.

In another home, one young man,

who is non-verbal and communicates

mostly through gestures and sounds,

finds it particularly difficult to change

routine. Recently the team started to

notice he was showing an interest in

doing new things. At certain times of

the day, he was signalling something.

They realised that it was happening

when others were going out for a walk,

a sign that he wanted to join them. The

team only spotted this pattern because

of the digital system, and the detail and

timings that it allows us to record. When

working with paper, by the time we got

to documenting the day, the details and

timings were sometimes hard to capture.

Even when we did, it was hard to flag or

share with colleagues.

Paper was actually a bit of a nightmare

in most of our homes. The residents are

often motivated by sensory needs, and

ripping paper is a very satisfying sensory

activity. In practice this meant staff

going into a separate room, often at the

end of a shift of seven to ten hours, to

update records. Switching to digital has

been really enriching – staff can make a

note of things there and then, and don’t

have to step away from residents.

Almost half of residents have

previously experienced residential care,

whether that is a residential school, care

home, fostering or regular short breaks.

All our residents have an Education

Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or

the Welsh equivalent, an Individual

Development Plan.

Because we support adults aged 18

to 25 who are making decisions about

work, further education and future

living arrangements, this is a period

Rebecca White

of time where capturing their views

is crucial to help them participate in

planning their lives. This is one of the

major benefits –digital recording can

highlight residents’ views in real time

and form strong evidence of their

preferences and aspirations, even when

they may have limited communication.

It helps hugely too with the

requirements of EHCPs and to prepare

for review meetings with social workers.

The evidence that goes into those

assessments is crucial. Writing reports

was formerly time-consuming and we

had lots of separate recording systems.

Now digital technology does so much

of that work for us. It’s all there in the

system and so easy to pull together.

No one starts working in care because

they love writing reports. They come

into care to support people, and I have

been amazed by how much more we can

do with the people we support since we

put our digital system in place.

MP kitting out kitchen Seashell Trust


care | care for tomorrow

Before the fall

Helen Davies-Parsons, chief executive of care home group Dormy Care, and Lisa Delaney, UK

country manager for care tech solutions supplier Sensio, talk to Caring Times about the latter’s

RoomMate technology – a system designed not just to detect falls, but to prevent them

Care technology specialist

Sensio, which took the plunge

and entered the UK market

last year, has pioneered a number of

products for care companies since it

was founded in 2009. The Norwegian

business’s RoomMate technology is a

falls-prevention solution that is quickly

garnering interest among European care

companies with operations in Norway,

Sweden, Denmark, and now the UK and

France as well.

Dormy Care introduced the Sensio

RoomMate system recently to the

universal approval of its staff, residents

and their families. Caring Times

enquired about Dormy’s experience with

the next-generation falls-prevention

device.

What is Sensio and what sets it apart

from other falls prevention tech

suppliers?

Delaney: Sensio is a European leader

in the healthcare technology sector

and solves today's and tomorrow's care

challenges for the benefit of residents,

patients, healthcare personnel and

society. We supply sensors, systems

and platforms that radically improve

the quality and efficiency of healthcare

in general and, more specifically,

elderly care. This includes solutions for

preventing falls, digital supervision,

notification solutions, mobile security

alarms and a silent nurse call system.

“All of our solutions

have longevity built

in. Our very first

RoomMate sensors

are still going strong

10 years later”

– Lisa Delaney,

Sensio

Helen Davies-Parsons

Sensio has several hundred customers

in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland

and the UK. In total, we serve more

than 50% of all elderly care providers

in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and

have had over 50% annual growth over

the past five years. In 2023, we also

established ourselves in the UK and

France.

Our 200 or so employees have a

burning commitment to creating and

implementing sustainable products and

services that simplify the everyday life

of healthcare personnel; this means that

there is more time freed up to allow

them to care for residents and patients.

Our employees are passionate about

driving changes within nursing and

elderly care in the years to come.

At Sensio, we develop our own

software and the most critical parts of

the hardware ourselves. We serve our

customers with high-quality products

through integration partners and

directly to end-customers.

Sensio is uniquely positioned to

transform aged care in Europe with a

strong history of rapid market adoption.

Whilst Sensio’s head office is in Oslo,

Norway, their UK team has grown

quickly over the last 12 months and is

now able to service every part of the

country.

Lisa Delaney

Likewise, Helen, how does

Dormy differentiate itself from its

competition?

Davies-Parsons: We always aim to offer

an excellent standard of care and service

in excellent environments which people

really can call home. We select our staff

teams very carefully and ensure they have

all the support and training they need

to deliver the standards we expect. We

also ensure that the ladies and gentlemen

who live in our homes are supported

to maintain their independence for as

long as possible. Clearly, this will present

risks, and that’s where falls-monitoring

comes in.

How did Sensio and Dormy come to

work together and why was it the right

time?

Davies-Parsons: Although we didn’t

have a high number of falls in our

homes, I recognised that those living

with us were becoming frailer as they

were ageing. I had been looking at

installing a falls-monitoring system for

some time and had reviewed a number

of other systems prior to engaging with

Sensio.

I met with the team and it was very

apparent that their culture matched with

ours, which is always a very important

consideration for me when engaging


“The customer service

we have received has

been excellent. From

the outset we have

been supported and

this has continued”

– Helen Davies-

Parsons, Dormy Care

with new companies.

Delaney: We were delighted to be

approached by Helen and her team

and it was apparent from our first

conversation that this was a company

totally focused on care excellence. The

Dormy Care communities team were

interested to understand how our passive

monitoring system, RoomMate, could

help to enhance safety while maintaining

the independence of their residents for

as long as possible.

We believe in working alongside our

customers’ care teams in true partnership

with a shared objective of keeping

residents safe and driving improved

wellbeing and better outcomes. It was

great to see that there was a real synergy

between our values and Dormy’s.

Was it easy to implement the

technology in Dormy’s homes?

Davies-Parsons: It was relatively easy to

install and the Sensio team supported us

in doing this.

What benefits has Dormy seen so far?

Is it improving life for residents and

staff ?

Davies-Parsons: As I’ve already said, we

didn’t have a high number of falls in our

homes, but it was obvious to me that this

might change. The best example would

be regarding a lady in one of our homes

who would fall on a fairly regular basis.

She’s living with dementia and loves her

bedroom, but that’s not the safest place

for her to be as her risk of falls is high.

Putting the RoomMate system in has

reduced the number of falls she has, as

staff are able to monitor her without

invading her privacy. She is now so much

safer and doesn’t have to experience the

trauma of visiting the hospital every time

to check that she hasn’t hurt herself.

And more generally, how do residents

feel about the system?

Davies-Parsons: When we were looking

to implement the system on a trial

basis, we wrote to all those who might

be involved to ask their permission.

Everyone agreed to it. Then, after the

successful trial and the decision to

implement the technology in all of

the rooms in the homes, we wrote to

everyone concerned to tell them about

the system. We also met with families

and residents themselves to gather their

support. Sensio representatives also

attended those meetings. Obviously,

the system is only used with those who

are at risk of falls and everyone who

needs it has consented to its use. We

also have DoLS [Deprivation of Liberty

Safeguards] authorisation for using it >


care | care for tomorrow

> with those who do not have mental

capacity.

What other benefits are there to the

RoomMate system?

Delaney: RoomMate is a passive

monitoring system which can prevent up

to 80% of falls in a care setting. It is not a

camera nor CCTV, so resident privacy is

protected. It picks up activity that could

lead to a fall (for example, sitting up in

bed or getting out of a chair) and sends

an alert to the care team via their handheld

device (usually a mobile phone

used for care planning purposes). Care

teams can then do a digital supervision

to check the nature of the alert, before

deciding if the resident needs physical

assistance. Where the resident is safe the

alert can be acknowledged and closed

helping to save time and ensuring care is

directed to those residents most in need.

RoomMate also records activity in

the room and our reporting system can

indicate if there have been any changes

in a resident’s activity levels. It uses data

to drive an insight which leads to better

resident outcomes. At Sensio we have a

mission to keep our ageing population

safer and enhance wellbeing through

great care technology solutions.

In terms of the return on investment,

all of our solutions have longevity

built in. Our very first RoomMate

sensors are still going strong 10 years

later. The hardware is built to last

and as we improve and enhance our

software these updates are pushed out

to our RoomMate network. We have

some providers who have managed to

streamline workflow and redeploy night

staff to other areas because there’s no

“It is not a camera

nor CCTV, so resident

privacy is protected”

– Lisa Delaney, Sensio

longer the need for nighttime bedroom

checks.

Helen, how has Sensio been to work

with in terms of customer service?

Davies-Parsons: The customer service

we have received has been excellent.

From the outset we have been supported

and this has continued. We have

developed an excellent relationship

with key people in the company who

continue to work with us to get the best

use out of the system. This is obviously

beneficial for both staff and those living

in our homes.

What else is new at Dormy and

Sensio?

Davies-Parsons: We are always looking

for the next advancement that will

benefit the lives of either our staff or

“I met with the team

and it was very

apparent that their

culture matched

with ours”

– Helen Davies-

Parsons, Dormy Care

the ladies and gentlemen living in our

homes, so watch this space.

Delaney: We are European leaders

in care technology and are constantly

evolving our portfolio of solutions,

whether that be to keep people safe in

the community or in a care setting.


A day on the front line

Laura Taylor, chief executive of Berkley Care Group, reveals her

experience of working as a carer for the day at one of the group’s homes

registered managers | care

In June, I had the privilege of

participating in our annual ‘A Day

in the Life’ initiative, a scheme

where all central support team members

assume front line roles for a day. As the

chief executive of Berkley Care Group, I

always strive to understand every aspect

of our operations.

This is my third year participating in

the initiative. Last year, working as a

housekeeper was certainly a reminder

of how tiring it is to be on your feet all

day, as well as how much interaction and

input all our team members have with

residents.

This year, I was a care assistant. This

allowed me to see the home from an

entirely different perspective than usual.

My primary goal was to fully immerse

myself into this role. I didn’t want to

be treated any differently to a new

carer on their first shift. Despite having

some previous experience as a care

assistant, I sought a genuine, hands-on

understanding of what it’s like to work

as a carer in a Berkley home. I made a

conscious effort not to set any specific

expectations or anticipate the day’s tasks,

other than bracing myself to step outside

my comfort zone.

I chose to be a care assistant because

of my experience in 2022, the first year

we ran the scheme. I worked alongside

an inspirational carer with extensive

experience at the home. Her insights

and feedback had a lasting impact on

me, influencing several decisions we’ve

made since. All our team members work

incredibly hard to deliver excellent

care. However, for this year’s initiative I

wanted to experience ‘A Day in the Life’

through the eyes of a carer once again.

“One of the biggest

challenges I faced was

the heat, as the day

turned out to be one of

the hottest of the year”

One of the biggest

challenges I faced was

the heat, as the day

turned out to be one

of the hottest of the

year. The physically

demanding nature of

a carer’s work soon

became apparent.

I also recognised

how important it is

for residents to be

cared for by people

who know them,

their needs and their

preferences. One

resident wanted to

try on an outfit for

her birthday the

following day. We

helped, of course, but

Laura Taylor

supporting her with this task took longer

than expected. It made me appreciate

the challenges carers face in meeting

residents’ requests while simultaneously

fulfilling their assigned duties.

The most rewarding aspect was

working alongside Sam, the carer I

assisted, and witnessing her professional,

compassionate interactions with

residents and their families. Her

commitment and genuine compassion

stood out. She’s undoubtedly not alone

in having these attributes, but I was

proud to work alongside someone who

naturally embodied Berkley’s values.

It was also wonderful to see feedback

about other members of the team who

were working in different roles via our

WhatsApp group. It created a sense of

togetherness and unity.

The entire central support team

participated in the initiative. Feedback

from participants and those they worked

with highlights areas for improvement to

consider. For example, our annual Berkley

Care Awards was introduced following

feedback from our first time trialling the

initiative in 2022. This year, discussions

are already under way to accommodate

uniform changes on hot days.

The initiative’s most significant impact

has been fostering greater consideration

of our team members. Understanding

the daily experiences of our colleagues

in each home is invaluable. We are one

team working towards the same goal,

and this initiative helps strengthen the

connections between support functions

and those directly caring for residents

and their families.

This humbling experience has not

only reinforced my admiration for our

team, but it has offered valuable insights

into leadership. Leading from a place of

empathy and understanding is crucial.

By stepping into the shoes of a care

assistant, I better appreciate their daily

challenges and the small, meaningful

interactions that define their work.

This will undoubtedly inform future

decisions, ensuring they’re grounded in

a genuine understanding of our team’s

needs and experiences.

Ultimately, 'A Day in the Life' is about

celebrating our team and acknowledging

the incredible work they do. It’s about

promoting understanding and building

a cohesive, supportive community. By

stepping into the roles of our incredible

team, we better appreciate their

contributions and ensure we continue to

support them in every way we can.


care | opinion

The fair pay problem

The new Labour government has chosen not to progress charging reform or the training

and development fund. After a difficult few weeks for the sector, Finn Turner-Berry, policy,

research and projects officer at the National Care Forum, looks at how fair pay agreements

might work and makes the case for decisive action and collaboration with social care

CarIt is no secret that there’s a

workforce crisis in adult social

care. With 131,000 unfilled

posts and a turnover rate of 25.8%, the

sector is struggling to recruit and retain

enough people to meet growing levels of

demand. This is not good for the people

we support, their families, our existing

staff or the sustainability of provider

organisations.

Pay really matters. Skills for Care’s

‘Pay in the adult social care sector’

report found that 41% of care workers

earn below the Real Living Wage (as of

December 2023). Skills for Care’s ‘State

of care 2024’ report also found that

80% of jobs in England pay more than

the median rate of pay for independent

sector care workers. We know that low

pay contributes to the chronic staffing

problems we see in the sector and levels

of poverty among the workforce – one in

five care workers live below the poverty

line.

To address this workforce crisis and

improve quality of care there are several

levers that can be pulled in addition

to improving care worker pay. The

sector has come together in the recent

‘workforce strategy for adult social care

in England’ to advise the government on

the workforce policy levers available, in

addition to improving care worker pay.

“We know that low

pay contributes to

the chronic staffing

problems we see in

the sector and levels

of poverty among the

workforce – one in five

care workers live below

the poverty line.”

The 70-plus recommendations include

implementing clear career pathways,

guaranteeing job security and flexibility,

and strengthening learning and

development opportunities, and are all

geared to resolving the staffing crisis.

These are all workforce policy options

that, if implemented, could improve

the crisis that social care is facing. In

light of this, the recent announcements

scaling back commitments around

the funding available for learning and

development funding were a bitter blow,

and a joint open letter was published in

July registering concern with the new

government’s decisions on funding. The

National Care Forum was one of the 30-

plus organisations from across the sector

that signed and endorsed this letter.

Clearly, we are operating in a

hugely challenging economic market.

However, choosing not to progress both

charging reform and the training and

development fund has ratcheted up

concern about the introduction of fair

pay agreements in care – in particular,

the funding that will be essential to

implement the policy effectively.

Labour’s choice to frame fair pay

agreements (FPAs) as its flagship social

care policy means that the party needs

to work with the sector to shape and

resource implementation of this policy.

This concern merits a closer look at how

FPAs might work in practice.

FPAs usually involve a form of

collective bargaining, which is the

official process through which trade

unions represent workers and negotiate

anything from an improved pay offer to

better working conditions and pensions.

Key actors in FPAs are trade unions and

employers’ representatives, or employer

‘associations’. In New Zealand, Jacinda

Arden’s Labour government introduced

the Fair Pay Agreement Act in 2022.

New Zealand’s recent experience with

FPAs offers valuable learning points that

can inform the policy’s development in

an English context.

Finn Turner-Berry

New Zealand’s Fair Pay Agreement

Act established FPAs as targeted sectoral

collective agreements, in which trade

unions and employer representatives

negotiate and set minimum terms and

conditions for all in a sector (union

membership or not). This could be

well-suited to social care, as a sector

that has low levels of union activity in

comparison to other sectors such as

health and manufacturing.

New Zealand also gave an

employment authority powers to

intervene in negotiations and set FPA

terms if no employer representatives

were found, or if agreements failed to

get ratified after two attempts. This

offers incentive to get around the table

and negotiate fair pay for workers in a

quicker manner than pay review bodies

might be able to do.

In an attempt to deter employers from

paying unfairly in New Zealand, when

FPA terms were agreed they were then

made secondary legislation and enforced

by the government. This meant that

any breaches by employers would be

considered a breach of law as opposed to

a contract. This could give government

more teeth when it comes to holding

problematic employers to account.


It is, however, important to note that

in New Zealand FPA legislation didn’t

last long. After being passed in 2022, it

was promptly repealed by the National

Party-led government which took power

in October last year. After a year, FPAs in

New Zealand became defunct, and only

one sector managed to make progress

towards an agreement.

Could FPAs work in England?

Traditionally, the primary function of

employers’ associations was to negotiate

industry-wide collective agreements

with trade unions that set pay levels

and pay structures. But since the mid-

20th century industry-wide collective

bargaining has declined and employerlevel

bargaining has prevailed as the

dominant form of industrial relations in

the private sector.

Of course, readers will quite rightly

observe that, at present, we don’t have

sectoral bargaining infrastructure

sufficiently equipped and resourced to

support a rigorous collective bargaining

role on behalf of a workforce larger

than that of the NHS. There is no

social care equivalent to the small

number of associations that exist in the

public sector, one example being NHS

Employers. This, however, could change

if the government took decisive action.

The scale and complexity of the social

care sector should not be underestimated

by the new Labour government. 1.6

million people work in adult social

care in England working across more

than 18,000 (nearly all independent)

organisations. Social care providers

deliver care in a range of settings

and a variety of models of care, from

residential care settings for older people

to supported-living settings for workingage

adults with a learning disability and

everything in between.

This diversity and breadth may prove

to be the biggest barrier for the new

government’s plans – establishing an

employer association that appropriately

represents the whole sector will be

a challenge in itself. And funding to

employers to honour the FPA that is

reached will be essential if it is to be

implemented in a meaningful and

sustainable way.

So, are there any other solutions to the

fair pay problem that might be simpler?

Might a pay review body be the answer?

To date, they have predominantly

functioned in the public sector, and

it’s not clear how the model would

translate to a social care context. Also,

as demonstrated by recent industrial

action, pay review bodies for the NHS

and the wider public sector have faced

significant challenges in England.

The expert think tanks have some

ideas. The Nuffield Trust and the Health

Foundation, for example, investigated

the different policy options for

improving care worker pay and they put

forward five options, from a national

minimum wage to pay review bodies.

In essence, what matters most for the

success of improving pay is political will,

action and resources to back it.

Improving care worker pay is not a

silver bullet that, if implemented in

isolation, would instantly solve the

workforce issues in social care. Wider

action on workforce development, career

pathways and being future-ready is sorely

needed, as argued in the government’s

recent workforce strategy. Regardless of

the approach the government develops,

one thing is clear: additional national

funding and stronger enforcement will be

essential if improved pay for care workers

is to be realised. Without funding and

better enforcement, the government

risks increasing financial pressures on the

sector and people who need care.

Taking decisive action on pay would

transform hundreds of thousands of

lives for care workers across England

and as a sector we stand ready to help

the government achieve its mission to

improve care worker pay.


care | on the road

Kith and KYN

Sam Lewis pays a visit to the newly-opened KYN Hurlingham, a luxury care

home in West London, to find out what sets this most elegant of properties

apart from other operators in the sector

KYN Hurlingham isn’t your

typical care home. That much is

apparent from just one glimpse

of its grand Victorian red-brick exterior.

Even before the building is in sight,

polished KYN (pronounced ‘kin’)

advertising posters adorn the lampposts

overlooking the quaint, quiet streets

of Parsons Green in the Borough of

Hammersmith and Fulham, drawing

people’s attention to the area’s latest care

home.

What’s also apparent is the home’s

history, as told in a promotional

YouTube video. BBC historian Ruth

Goodman hits the nail on the head,

saying of the Grade-II listed building:

“I don’t think anyone could walk past

without realising it was a historic

building.”

Goodman explains that the plot was

built on in 1853 by landowner Lawrence

Sullivan, but surprisingly it wasn’t

a stately home the wealthy Sullivan

wanted to construct. Having lost his

beloved and benevolent wife some years

before, the widower decided that the

best memorial to her would be to give

to society somehow, and so built one of

the first schools to offer free education

in the UK – what became known as

‘ragged schools’, designed for the poorest

members of society.

In the hundred-plus years since it

was a ragged school, it has also been

an ‘open-air’ school for children with

suspected tuberculosis, and a youth club

in the latter half of the 20th century,

“The KYN philosophy

for care is delivered

by having the highest

industry ratio of team

members to residents,

and by working with

outstanding people."

with periods during which the building

was abandoned altogether.

“This is a building that has, since its

very start, been at the centre of local,

communal care,” explains Goodman,

and since it was opened by the relatively

young care company KYN as a luxury

home for older adults in June this year,

it has continued that honourable and

important tradition.

Marking only the second home for

KYN (after KYN Bickley in Bromley,

Southeast London), Hurlingham is right

now the jewel in the company’s small

but impressive crown, and will take

some beating by the upcoming KYN

Kensington (with a distant opening

date of 2027) or other future properties.

Caring Times has visited its fair share of

care homes over the years, but this one

could just take the biscuit when it comes

to class and design.

Upon entering, visitors might feel that

KYN Hurlingham is less care home and

more five-star boutique hotel, but this is

an ethos that runs deeper than just the

interior design. Just look at its choice of

hospitality manager, Kim Whitehorn,

who Caring Times meets on the day,

and whose employment history includes

more five-star hotels – including The

Athenaeum, Grosvenor House and the

Savoy – than care homes, adding a touch

of class to the service on offer at KYN

Hurlingham.

Guiding the tour, though, are home

manager Jordan Pereira and group

brand and marketing director Rosanna

Fishbourne, neither of whom appears to

find themselves short of passion for the

company and its values.

Pereira’s background includes care and

nursing degrees in Portugal and the UK,

as well as more than a decade working

in senior positions in care across the

private and public sectors. Prior to the

opening of the home, he said of KYN


Jordan Pereira

Hurlingham: “Every detail of what

we do has been carefully considered

to create a beautiful and enjoyable

environment where family and friends

genuinely look forward to spending

precious time together.

“The KYN philosophy for care is

delivered by having the highest industry

ratio of team members to residents, and

by working with outstanding people. We

recruit the best against a defined set of

KYN values, we support them with the

best training, and we collaborate with

the best leaders in their field.”

Expanding on the topic of its industryleading

staff-to-resident ratio, which

he and Fishbourne explain is one of its

focal points, Pereira tells Caring Times:

“The care is totally different from any

other care provider, and once again our

model is that we have at least two carers

to every five residents – or one carer to

every 2.5 residents. That doesn’t include

nurses, waiters, chauffeurs, etc – that’s

just the care staff. Once you factor in all

those other staff members it’s more like

2.5 staff members to one resident.”

Discussing what else KYN does

differently from other providers,

Fishbourne adds: “We have partnered

with excellent collaborators for this

home, such as interior designer Nina

Campbell, art curator Adam Ellis, a

registered nutritionist, as well as regular

specialist medical cover via consultant

geriatrician Shane Roche.

“Then, in terms of care, the level

of home managers we work with is

outstanding when you look at their

qualifications and experience, as well

as managing director Caroline Naidoo

who has worked in care for over three

decades.

“The tech and innovation we have is

another of our brand pillars.”

This last point is an important one for

KYN and Fishbourne explains that the

company not only likes to lead the way

when it comes to care tech, but is also

happy to share its findings with other

companies operating in the sector. >

How business banking

used to be, just better.

Find out more at allica.bank

hello@allica.bank | 0330 094 3333

Allica Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential

Regulation Authority (FRN: 821851). Registered office: 4th floor, 164 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4LX. Registered in England and Wales with

company number 07706156.


care | on the road

> Pereira, showing off one of the elegant

bedrooms, states: “This is one of our

bespoke beds, which goes straight

down to the floor for accessibility. Nina

Campbell helped come up with the

design so it doesn’t feel so much like a

hospital bed.”

He goes on: “This sensor creates an

infrared curtain above the bed, so if the

resident tries to stand up it will alert

the team. This basically replaces the

old sensor-mat technology you’d see on

the floor, and is a much more advanced

technology. If a resident goes to the

toilet and doesn’t come back within a

set amount of time, then it will alert the

team that they should come and check

on the resident.

“We also have acoustic monitoring, via

Ally Labs. Through AI, as well as sound

and motion sensors, the system learns

about the resident’s sleep behaviours and

patterns. In the event of a deviation from

that pattern, it will generate an alert;

even in the event of a resident calling

for help, the technology will know to

send an alert to the team. This means the

resident doesn’t have to use a nurse-call

system to ask for help.”

As though that weren’t enough, he

adds: “Our televisions have full hotelstyle

functionality, including emails and

messages with the concierge and the

team. They can book treatments in the

spa, see what is going on today in the

planner and lots more.”

Another thing the KYN team is

particularly proud of is the lifestyle it

allows residents to lead. Fishbourne

says: “The activities-planning in KYN

homes is resident-led, meaning we create

a personalised programme which aligns

with residents’ own interests and hobbies,

as well as the opportunity to sample new

experiences and learn new skills.”

Pereira dashes off to find this month’s

activities planner to illustrate the breadth

of choices open to KYN Hurlingham’s

residents, while enrichment and

wellbeing lead Ana Baiao explains her

work, which involves meeting new

residents and finding out about their

passions, hobbies and preferences, before

the team can “build activities around”

the residents, as Fishbourne put it.

Once he returns with a very full

activities planner in hand, Pereira

reveals: “It's not just arts and crafts or

bingo. That’s not what we’re about. We

also bring in lots of external craftspeople,

wellbeing and movement practitioners,

music therapists and lecturers. Today we

had a pianist, but we also have harpists

and all sorts, because music therapy is

really important.”

On top of that, residents can expect

a weekly one-to-one physiotherapy

session, along with two more group

sessions.

If the rest of the home – with its

quiet library, intimate cinema room

and tranquil gardens – isn’t peaceful

enough, then residents can book

treatments in the spa area, including hair

appointments from the hair stylist who

regularly visits the home.

Caroline Naidoo

Leading the wider KYN team

is trained nurse and managing

director Caroline Naidoo. Before

the home’s opening in June, she

said: “KYN has broken away from

the traditional care home model,

creating a genuinely uplifting

and joyful place to call home. We

provide a pioneering approach to

care built on our values of holistic

wellbeing, supported by highly

experienced nurses and carers, AI

innovation, modern nutrition and

world-class hospitality. In everything

that we do, we place a high value

on the autonomy of our residents

and encourage the nurturing

and development of meaningful

relationships, in and outside of the

home.

“We’re delighted to be opening

our second home under Jordan’s

leadership. KYN Hurlingham brings

our ethos to life in a desirable and

historic setting. We aim to enhance

quality of life for our residents so

that families and friends can have

peace of mind in what can be a

uniquely difficult time with fastchanging

and complex situations.

“Our ethos is informed by the

team’s own personal experiences

with their families’ quest for care.

Our mission is to create the best care

home available where we would want

our own parents – our KYN – to

live.”

Managing director Naidoo has

explained that KYN’s conception came

from the desire to create homes the team

would be happy to house their own

parents in, and this they have certainly

achieved. It’s a home full of class and

luxury, but never gaudy or garish in its

design.

Even more crucially, though, she

has a team to match. Friendly, caring,

knowledgeable and professional to the

absolute last, they’re also not afraid to

have a bit of fun: when we first meet,

Pereira and Fishbourne jokingly admit

that they’ve picked out “their rooms”,

or the rooms they would like to move

into one day, and playfully invite Caring

Times to choose its own retirement pad.

If only it were a serious offer…


leader’s spotlight | care

CARE UNIFORMS

MADE EASY

FIND OUT WHY WE'RE THE UK'S

FAVOURITE UNIFORM SUPPLIER

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

Uniform & workwear for care settings

Easy ordering, saving you time & money

Personalised & knowledgeable UK support

What our customers say

“Managing a care home involves countless details, and uniforms shouldn't add stress. Clothes2order has

made our experience effortless with their high quality, reliability, and easy ordering. Their uniforms offer

excellent comfort and durability, with easy customisation, allowing us to focus on our residents. Whether

for a small facility or a large network, I highly recommend Clothes2order for all uniform needs.”

Steven Hamblett, Operations Director, Sandstone Care Group

20% OFF EXCLUSIVELY

FOR READERS

Scan to shop online or use code CT0924

Call: 0800 012 2602

www.clothes2order.com/healthcare

T&C’s: 20% off with code CT0924. Up to 99 pieces

only. Excluding vat & delivery. Expires 20/12/24.

Excellent

based on 27,000 reviews


care | wellbeing

More than just a meal

Dave Daniels-Ekarte is head of hotel services at Exemplar Health Care, a nursing

care provider for adults with complex needs. Here he discusses the provider’s

approach to modified diets, and how meals are about more than just “nutrition”

Every meal served in one of our

care homes is not just sustenance;

it’s an opportunity to improve

quality of life, encourage greater

wellbeing and help individuals express

their identity.

We believe that everyone, no matter

their dietary needs, deserves a choice

of great meals. Yet, as a complex care

provider, mealtimes may include

supporting people with dysphagia,

tracheostomies and PEG feeds

(percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy,

involving a feeding tube passed through

the abdominal wall).

That’s why, from modified textures to

allergen awareness and the management

of choking risks, every aspect of our

culinary offering is carefully tailored to

meet the unique needs of each person we

support.

Over the past year we’ve upskilled

over 150 colleagues, not only to further

understand the risks associated with

texture-modified food, but also to help

them prepare and present food in a more

creative and appetising way.

Our training looks at piping skills, so

food is presented in a visually appealing

and recognisable way, and explores how

the flavour of some foods change when

modified – helping us to understand

why some people may no longer

enjoy certain foods once they’ve been

modified.

One of the cornerstones of Exemplar

Health Care’s ethos is the active

involvement of the people we support in

everything we do.

Our service user council has a clear

focus on co-production, supporting

Exemplar Health Care’s decision-making

on a wide range of business areas, from

marketing and home building, to

training and recruitment.

So, it’s no surprise that people have

a voice in the foods they consume, and

we actively seek their input in menuplanning

and meal preparation. By

actively engaging people in the menu

development process, we’ve been able to

diversify our food and drink offer, while

meeting complex dietary needs.

Food is something that, for so many

of us, carries important memories or

markers of our identity and life.

In getting to truly know each resident

and their tastes, preferences and

connections to food, we’ve been able

to introduce new and exciting dishes

like our texture-modified Scouse – a

traditional Liverpudlian stew, and the

firm favourite of several people we

support at our Lakeview care home in

Leigh.

Our service user council has also been

involved in running our ‘dining round

the world’ initiative, taking place this

summer. For six weeks, they’ll explore

the traditions of six different countries,

including traditional foods.

Diverse dietary needs

Our focus on texture-modified foods

is also central to mitigating choking

risks and ensuring the safety and –

importantly – enjoyment of mealtimes.

With around 10% of the people we

support requiring some level of texture

modification, we’ve set out to explore

innovative ways to enhance the dining

experience for every individual.

From Level Six soft foods to Level

Four purees, we’re continuously

refining our offering to ensure they

meet the International Dysphagia Diet

Standardisation Initiative framework,

while maintaining the delicious flavours

and nutritional value people deserve.

By prioritising presentation, we’ve

been able to elevate texture-modified

food from sustenance to tasty meals. As

a result, we’ve received rave reviews from

residents and colleagues.

Promoting health and wellbeing

Of course, personalised diets aren’t just

about meeting medical requirements; it’s

also about overall health and wellbeing.

That’s why we’re dedicated to offering

a wide range of nutritious options that

cater to diverse dietary preferences.

Dave Daniels-Ekarte

We understand that healthy eating

isn’t one-size-fits-all, so we offer an

array of plant-based, bean-centric dishes

alongside traditional favourites like pies

and fish and chips.

By empowering people to make

informed choices about their diets, we’re

helping to foster healthier eating habits

that can last a lifetime.

We’re also taking proactive steps

to promote nutritional awareness

and engagement throughout our

communities. From community

garden initiatives to colleague training

programmes, we’re embedding a culture

of culinary excellence that extends far

beyond the kitchen.

There’s no reason why food should

stop being exciting and pleasing when

someone moves into a care home, or if

they need modified foods.

We’re committed to continually

adapting our food and drink offer

to keep capturing the individual

importance of mealtimes for all those we

support.

By actively involving people in menu

planning, offering a diverse range of

nutritious options, and promoting

nutritional awareness throughout our

communities, we’re revolutionising the

way we approach dietary management in

healthcare.


Managers guide to…

diversity and inclusion

registered managers | care

Amrit Dhaliwal, chief executive of national home care company Walfinch, offers

hints and tips on how to create and support a diverse and inclusive workforce

Care is blazing a trail for diversity

in the workplace, and we need

to make the most of it. Care

managers are vital to that. A wellintegrated

workforce that appreciates

each other’s cultural differences, will

deliver better care to our diverse clients.

There are many things we can do to

increase diversity of all kinds, but the

main qualification for any carer is that

they should genuinely care. Diversity is

vital, but a caring attitude is not tied to

any one community or demographic.

Here are some tips I have picked up –

often from care managers.

• Recognise the workforce is evolving.

The stereotype of a carer used to be

a middle-aged white woman. They

have been the backbone of care for

years, and eight out of ten carers are

still women. But in 2022-23, over

a quarter (26%) of the adult social

care workforce had black, Asian

or minority ethnic backgrounds –

more diverse than the population of

England.

• Be open-minded about who carers can

be. In the UK men make up less than

20% of the care workforce, but they

make up 32% of overseas recruits to

care jobs, In the UK, care may have

been seen as ‘women's work’, but it’s

not so everywhere. I’m the son of

immigrants from the Punjab, and in

India (and Africa) looking after your

parents is shared between men and

women. Having male carers in your

team means you can offer clients more

choice. I have won council contracts

as a result. Young people are underrepresented

too: only 8% of the care

workforce is under 25 compared

to 12% of the economically active

population. I was running a care

company in my 20s, so I know young

people can thrive in care. A diverse

team delivers a better chance to match

carer to client.

• Create environments where everyone

feels valued and encourage open

dialogue. Talking about people’s

different cultures at carer get-togethers

reveals fascinating stories. The team

learns from each other and discovers

what unites rather than divides them.

• Implement targeted recruitment.

Advertise on community-targeted

social media, magazines and radio

stations, and sponsor or attend events.

Ask job candidates or team members if

they know anyone in their community

who would like a care career. Use

bespoke recruitment. I once had a client

who spoke a particular language, and

went to some lengths to recruit a carer

who also spoke it – with the bonus that

we recruited her husband too.

• Support diverse leadership

development. While 26% of carers

are black, Asian and minority ethnic

staff, they only make up 17% of

registered managers and 17% of senior

management roles. We must help all

of those with managerial aptitude to

climb the career ladder. Some carers

from overseas were doctors and nurses

in their own countries. There is lots

of untapped potential in carers. The

Skills for Care Moving Up programme

provides training to help.

• Consider inclusivity training. This is

offered by consultants, but you may

Amrit Dhaliwal

well have in-house experts. Encourage

your staff from different countries

or communities to talk at workplace

workshops. Partner-up carers arriving

from overseas with someone from

the same country, or create a list of

relevant local community centres and

shops.

• Regularly review diversity metrics. The

Social Care Workforce Race Equality

Standard Improvement Programme

aims to create anti-racist workplaces by

collecting data annually that you can

use to create your own action plan.

• Request feedback. Ask staff how the

organisation is doing on diversity.


care | team members

Employee of the month

Adrian Riley, head chef at Boutique Care Homes’ Suffolk-based Brampton

Manor, shares his experience of providing a great dining experience for residents

Tell us about your background in care?

I have had a passion for food from a

young age, which led me to attend

catering college 24 years ago. Once I was

qualified, I worked at various pubs and

restaurants, then took the opportunity

to join a Four Seasons care home as sous

chef. After a few years I got promoted

to head chef which I loved, but after 14

years working there a new exciting care

home opened, Brampton Manor, in

which I was offered the chef role. After a

few months the head chef position came

my way, which I love and been doing for

nearly two years.

What is special about working at

Brampton Manor?

The first day I started I was made to feel

so welcome and part of the Brampton

Manor family, and supported in every

way. I love making a difference and

seeing the residents’ happy faces every

day. Through the year we have many

events going on like Easter egg hunts and

summer barbeques which the residents,

family, friends and team enjoy a lot.

How do you vary your menu to

provide choice to residents?

We have a daily four-week rolling menu

which changes every three months. The

base of the menu is traditional meals.

We have fish Fridays, roast dinners on

Wednesdays and Sundays, and various

pies and stews. Dessert-wise, residents

love their various crumbles, puddings,

trifles and éclairs. We have monthly

meetings with the residents in which

they can have their input and say on the

menus we create.

How do you meet residents’

nutritional and health needs?

We get our nutritional information from

the clinical team, which helps support us

in providing all the requirements needed

for good nutrition. We are trained in

modified diets which means we can

give food with the right texture. On

top of that we monitor diets for weight

loss or gain, as some residents require

Adrian Riley

fortified milk and meals or milkshakes in

between meal times. There are also extra

choices during mealtimes if the residents

fancy something different.

How do you care for residents with

dementia?

We have adapted cutlery and offer same

day choices and presentation plates

for the meals so the residents can do a

visual choice. We find residents really

benefit from seeing the meals first to

support decision-making. Also, menus

are created in bigger print and clear

style of writing for those with visual

impairments.

What’s your most popular dish?

Always the classic fish and chips or roast

dinners – they are on all year round. The

residents like their Sunday supper buffet

with chocolate éclairs and cheese and

biscuits to follow.

What’s your favourite dish?

I love my Asian food as I have spent time

out there. I do also like my pastry dishes

as I have a sweet tooth.

How do you make the dining

experience special for residents and

families?

Mealtimes are the most important time

of the day, it means a lot to everybody.

We are very open for family and friends

to join at mealtimes. We have a very

comfortable dining room in which they

can relax. Throughout the year we have

theme days like Chinese New Year,

summer parties and Christmas Day,

making it as special as we can for all the

residents.


care heroes | care

Our Hero is…

Sibongile Sihwa takes home the first of the runner-up certificates for this

year’s Ontex Care Heroes Award, along with a £250 Love2Shop voucher

Ontex, once again working in

association with Caring Times,

is proud to announce the first

of the runners-up for the Care Heroes

Award for 2024.

There are thousands of people

working in UK care homes who make a

real difference, whether it’s behind the

scenes in the laundry room, preparing

meals in the kitchen or providing direct

personal care for the residents. The

Ontex Care Heroes Award seeks out

and recognises those who go beyond

the job description.

Whether it’s the gardener who brings

residents their favourite cookies or a

housekeeper who helps residents to

rediscover their hobbies, the award is

designed to shine a spotlight on those

who bring a little bit of extra joy into

the care world.

“We’re excited to again sponsor Care

Heroes,” said Ontex marketing manager

Nicole Fenton. “It was tricky selecting

the winners due to the many worthy

nominations submitted. Our winners

really have gone above and beyond in

the workplace, so it’s lovely that they

are recognised by their colleagues,

residents or family members who have

nominated them.”

For this year’s Care Heroes Award,

Caring Times invited three runners-up

and the overall winner on stage at the

Care Managers Show at the National

Exhibition Centre in Birmingham

at the end of June to receive their

certificates and prizes.

“What sets Sibongile

apart is not just

her reliability, but

her unwavering

willingness to go

above and beyond in

times of need."

The winner and runners-up were

selected after what was the most

competitive Care Heroes nominations

process yet.

As well as receiving their certificates,

each of this year’s Care Heroes was

awarded a Love2Shop voucher – £250

for runners-up and £500 for the overall

winner.

Over the coming months, we will

be spotlighting each of the runners-up

and, lastly, the winner, with a page in

the magazine.

Our first runner up is Sibongile

Sihwa, support worker at Dimensions

Healthcare.

Here’s what her colleague had to

say about Sibongile’s unwavering

dedication to her role: “Sibongile

embodies the epitome of dedication

and compassion within the UK care

sector. As a support worker, her

commitment extends far beyond the

confines of her job description, making

an indelible impact on the lives of those

she cares for and the entire community

around her.

“What sets Sibongile apart is not

just her reliability, but her unwavering

willingness to go above and beyond in

times of need. During a particularly

challenging period from January to

March, when two of her colleagues

fell ill, Sibongile didn’t hesitate to

step in and cover their shifts. Her

energy and dedication shone through

as she worked tirelessly to ensure that

residents with learning disabilities

received the care they deserve.

“Beyond her remarkable work

ethic, Sibongile’s approach is marked

by a genuine concern for the holistic

wellbeing of those under her care. She

understands that her role extends far

beyond merely attending to physical

needs; rather, she seeks to nurture

a sense of belonging and joy within

the care home. Whether it’s through

small gestures like bringing residents

their favourite cookies or facilitating

activities that reignite their passions

and hobbies, Sibongile consistently

Sibongile Sihwa

goes the extra mile to brighten their

days and uplift their spirits.

“But Sibongile’s impact transcends

the confines of her workplace. Her

selfless dedication and compassionate

approach serve as an inspiration to her

colleagues and the broader community

alike. By embodying the values of

empathy, kindness and service, she

not only enriches the lives of those

she directly cares for but also fosters a

culture of compassion and support that

reverberates throughout the entire care

home.

“In a field where burnout and

turnover rates are often high, Sibongile

stands as a beacon of resilience and

dedication. Her tireless efforts and

unwavering commitment to those in

her care serve as a testament to the

profound difference that one individual

can make within their community.

Sibongile Sihwa is not just a support

worker, she is a true unsung hero whose

impact resonates far and wide, leaving

an enduring legacy of compassion and

care. She is more than deserving of

recognition and appreciation for her

remarkable contributions to the UK

care home sector.”


care | norrms’ blog

Over to you, Sir Keir

Columnist Norrms McNamara, who lives with dementia, reflects on the potential for new

government to improve the lives of care recipients, especially those with dementia, and

discusses the Purple Angel dementia campaign

Well, that’s a change of

government sorted, or

is it just a change of

management? You choose, but here at

the Purple Angel dementia campaign

we don’t have any political or religious

affiliations thankfully, but that doesn’t

mean we don’t have a voice. What we

will be asking by direct contact is how

the new government will help those with

dementia and how are they going to

improve things.

Is the government actually going to

start listening to those who really know

what they are talking about: the carers

who do this 24/7, both paid and unpaid,

or the loved ones who didn’t plan to

become a carer but had too? I am asked

so often about the success of the Purple

Angel campaign, how we became so

well known all over the UK and how

we are now called the Global Purple

Angel campaign, as we are recognised

in so many countries around the globe.

Similarly, we are also asked how we

have managed to hold the World Rocks

Against Dementia event globally for the

past 11 years, with many events being

held annually in so many countries. My

answer is always the same.

Quite simply, for years the way things

have run can be described with the

use of a triangle shape, where the chief

executive sits at the top, underneath

are the directors, beneath them the

area managers, then managers and then

the workforce. I myself come from

management and have seen this so many

times, but I also believed in and taught

my staff the importance of ownership

and responsibility. What we did here at

Purple Angel was to turn that triangle

upside down and ask the workforce what

they thought would work, how they

would do it better, and what practices

are best on a day-to-day basis.

We found that so many practical,

Norrms McNamara

workable, realistic ideas came to fruition

through this kind of thinking; by the

time these were put in place, those

higher up the chain were absolutely

amazed at the positive changes. Those

on the coal face, as we call it, know their

stuff. They are doing this 24/7, so why

wouldn’t you ask them what’s best?

Our booklet about dementia is called

‘A Helping Hand’, and we have sent out

thousands of copies electronically to

organisations around the world, all for

free. The reason it’s so popular is this: it’s

written by carers (or caregivers if you are

in the US), people with dementia and

their loved ones, meaning it is all real

advice from those in the know.

So much can be done by just a few.

We at Purple Angel are all volunteers

around the world and not one of us is

paid in any way for what we do. We do

it because, quite simply, we just want

to improve the way those less fortunate

than ourselves live their lives.

Now over to you, Sir Keir.

Till next time…

Norrms is diagnosed with Lewy bodies

dementia.


norrms’ blog | care

Service to lighten your

laundry load.

When trust is a must

with your laundry

provider, you can rely

on WASHCO.

Dedicated support from

the team that cares.

Chat with us

about your home’s

needs today.

08000 546 546

washco.co.uk

Check out WASHCO’s library of free care home resources

at www.washco.co.uk/free-care-home-resources

CARING-TIMES.CO.UK JULY/AUGUST 2024 | 47

Empower your

care staff

100+ care courses.

Seamless reporting.

Peace of mind.

Book a free demo

020 3911 2555

Caring Times, September 2024

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?